TE & our crappy WR's

[SS Laser]

Not even going to post the WR's look here: http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/wr

Wow Miller is the man, top 3: http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/te



Player
Team
DYAR
Rk
YAR
Rk
DVOA
Rk
VOA
Passes
Yards
EYds
TD
Catch
Rate
FUM
DPI


R.Gronkowski (http://www.planetsteelers.com/player/24541/rob-gronkowski)
NE
268
1
276
1
40.8%
1
42.1%
80
790
1,055
11
69%
1
1/8


T.Gonzalez (http://www.planetsteelers.com/player/15929/tony-gonzalez)
ATL
235
2
252
2
19.5%
7
21.5%
124
930
1,250
8
75%
0
2/14


H.Miller (http://www.planetsteelers.com/player/16522/heath-miller)
PIT
193
3
175
3
21.7%
5
19.1%
101
816
981
8
70%
0
0/0

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Our top 3 WR this year are soft. We need a WR in the draft for sure.

[isonator07]

Our top 3 WR this year are soft. We need a WR in the draft for sure.

I want a strong physical wr. I like Chris Harper from Kansas St.

[SS Laser]

According to footballoutsiders Sanders is #1 in there stats then Brown. Wallace was behind these 2 pretty good for 2012.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

I want a physical WR with some height.

[Dee Dub]

I believe there will be a couple of blue chipper available in round two this year.

[feltdizz]

Last year we had one of the best WR corps in the league... Now we are the worst? LOL.

[hawaiiansteel]

I believe there will be a couple of blue chipper available in round two this year.

hey DD, love your mock draft in your sig but I don't think Minter will still be available at our 2nd round pick. but if he were still on the board early in Round 2 I would be all for trading up to get him.

[supersteeler]

We have good receivers, but they haven't performed like in the past, my question beside Miller who did on that O?

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Aaron Mellette seems like an interesting small school WR...

Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6-4
Weight: 220
Class: Senior
Hometown: Sanford, N.C.
High School: Southern Lee

[hawaiiansteel]

We have good receivers, but they haven't performed like in the past, my question beside Miller who did on that O?

I thought Foster and Starks did if you are counting OL...

[skyhawk]

Last year we had one of the best WR corps in the league... Now we are the worst? LOL.

We did? Or was it just rose colored glasses being worn by biased Steeler fans?

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Last year we had one of the best WR corps in the league... Now we are the worst? LOL.

Two years ago our LB corp was clutch as well....not so much now....does the same principle apply?

[supersteeler]

I thought Foster and Starks did if you are counting OL...

I wasn't counting the O-line, but yeah I agree the two above played well for the most part.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

We were 9th in receiving yards and tied with about 5 other teams at 13th in receiver scoring. This young group showed promise in 2011 so that gave Steeler fans some cause for excitement that we may have a terrific receiving corp with the young money crew. Unfortunately that excitement brought some lofty expectations that weren't lived up to.

Wallace - Held out of training camp when we had a new OC on staff. Had nearly as many drive killing drops as game changing catches. Showed throughout the season he isn't a physical WR at all whether it was failing to come back for the ball when that simple action would of gained his offense the pass interference call on a defender that doesn't turn for the ball, or his poor downfield blocking efforts, he showed his poor effort too often. He doesn't catch the ball with his hands on a vast majority of his attempts, instead letting the ball come to his body which has caused far too many dropped passes. He lacks the physicality and mental toughness to take on a defender with the ball in the air. He truly is a one trick pony.

Eventually he will beat the coverage deep and at a minimum come close to catching the HR ball, if not catching one. That basically makes him almost worthless once the field shortens near the red zone as there isn't enough field to make his one positive attribute, beating a defender in a long foot race, a non factor.

Without a solid running game it gets tougher to draw the defense in so they can sit back in coverage more. Play action would allow us to attempt the long ball more often.

[Chadman]

You know, a year ago we had the worst Placekicker in the NFL too.. funny how perceptions change.

[thor75]

I'm not quite doom n gloom on the WR's yet. I thought they were a strength heading into the season. They didn't live up to their potential, with a lot of mental lapses. Maybe some new blood at the WR coaching spot would invigorate this unit. This is the first year with Hines gone, I'm not saying I want him as the coach but maybe he picked up the slack where the WR coach, Montgomery, left off.

[Dee Dub]

hey DD, love your mock draft in your sig but I don't think Minter will still be available at our 2nd round pick. but if he were still on the board early in Round 2 I would be all for trading up to get him.

Yeah this was before I knew the Steelers were drafting at 17. I will do one again within the next week or so. My thought was trade down and get another second round pick. Like an early second rounder. And there is a good chance Minter could be there from 33-40. But yes you are right. He is steadily climbing the board. But if you will recall I started this Kevin Minter campaign well before you could find him on any one's list higher than the 4th round. ;)

[hawaiiansteel]

Yeah this was before I knew the Steelers were drafting at 17. I will do one again within the next week or so. My thought was trade down and get another second round pick. Like an early second rounder. And there is a good chance Minter could be there from 33-40. But yes you are right. He is steadily climbing the board. But if you will recall I started this Kevin Minter campaign well before you could find him on any one's list higher than the 4th round. ;)

Kevin Minter does his part and more in LSU loss

Linebacker finishes with 19 tackles

BY SCOTT HOTARD
January 06, 2013

http://theadvocate.com/csp/mediapool/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=E4bXQ N8ie_7wU5c4et1L4M$daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYvw8ff2JxUbn7k GMzbVTQOYWCsjLu883Ygn4B49Lvm9bPe2QeMKQdVeZmXF$9l$4 uCZ8QDXhaHEp3rvzXRJFdy0KqPHLoMevcTLo3h8xh70Y6N_U_C ryOsw6FTOdKL_jpQ-&CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg

Kevin Minter is an all-in guy. Just a great leader, a great player. Instinctive.” LES MILES, LSU coach

ATLANTA — Returning to his home state for the final game of his junior season, LSU linebacker Kevin Minter showed everyone back home what most fans in Louisiana saw all season.

Minter finished with 19 tackles Monday night in the Chick-fil-A Bowl to go with one sack and two tackles for loss, falling two stops short of matching the LSU record for tackles in a game.

About the only thing missing for the Suwanee, Ga., product was a win.

Clemson rallied in the final minutes for a 25-24 victory, sealing the win with two late scores against an LSU defense that was on the field for 100 plays.

“Kevin Minter is an all-in guy,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “Just a great leader, a great player. Instinctive.”

Minter capped a breakout season in which he finished with 130 tackles, placing him fourth in the LSU record books for single-season tackles.

No player since Bradie James in 2002 had finished with more.

With those kind of numbers, it’s no wonder Minter was voted team MVP by his LSU teammates.

“That guy, wow,” LSU offensive lineman Josh Dworaczyk said.

“I can’t say enough about what it’s been like to play with Kevin and have him as one of the leaders on defense.”

Returning to the Georgia Dome for the second time of his career, Minter looked like an even better version of the sophomore who helped LSU beat Georgia here in last year’s Southeastern Conference championship game.

Minter had 14 tackles against Clemson in the first half.

He may have gotten to 21 stops by game’s end — the school record, set by Al Richardson in 1982 — had he not missed a chunk of plays in the second half because of leg cramps.

It was the second time this season Minter flirted with breaking Richardson’s single-game record. He had 20 tackles, including 17 solo stops, in a loss at Florida.

“He was everything you want in a middle linebacker,” Dworaczyk said.

Having received his degree from LSU earlier this month, Minter has the option of returning for his senior season or declaring himself eligible for the NFL draft.

If he decides to move on, then his last game as a Tiger will have been a memorable one.

http://theadvocate.com/sports/lsu/4808679-123/kevin-minter-does-his-part

[thor75]

good article, hawaiin. Sounds like he has an attitude any defense would love.

[phillyesq]

Our top 3 WR this year are soft. We need a WR in the draft for sure.

It's interesting. After the Eagles/Steelers game, I had the pleasure of listening to some sports talk radio from both sides of the state. In Philly, they were talking about how the Steelers receivers were tougher than the Eagles group and how the Steelers overall have better WRs.

Just thought the outside perspective was interesting.

I'd like to see a big, physical WR. Somebody who could can downfield or over the middle.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

It's interesting. After the Eagles/Steelers game, I had the pleasure of listening to some sports talk radio from both sides of the state. In Philly, they were talking about how the Steelers receivers were tougher than the Eagles group and how the Steelers overall have better WRs.

Just thought the outside perspective was interesting.

I'd like to see a big, physical WR. Somebody who could can downfield or over the middle.

we have 3 small non physical WR's bottom line and don't run the run and shoot offense. It doesn't work. We need some mismatch or a dominant running game to demand the opponents respect.

[feltdizz]

We have good WR's... They look better when they get to utilize their speed instead of running 5 yards routes underneath.

[supersteeler]

We have good WR's... They look better when they get to utilize their speed instead of running 5 yards routes underneath.

I would concur. Sometimes the scheme doesen't fit the players, they should of kept Hines for this type of offense.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

That's what I meant by soft and not a fit. These WR don't fit this system or QB. We need a better OL,RB, and a big WR like a Maurice Stovall or Michael Floyd or second pass catching TE to go with Heath. I mention those two big bodied WR that are second tier to Vince Jackson because I wouldn't drop a first on a WR this year but I think. A second tier BIG WR could excel in this offense with Ben.

[ikestops85]

He lacks the physicality and mental toughness to take on a defender with the ball in the air. He truly is a one trick pony.

Eventually he will beat the coverage deep and at a minimum come close to catching the HR ball, if not catching one. That basically makes him almost worthless once the field shortens near the red zone as there isn't enough field to make his one positive attribute, beating a defender in a long foot race, a non factor.

I hear this often from people but I don't think the facts back them up. Go back over the stats for the last 3 years and see who has caught the most TDs for us of 10 yards and less. I think you might be surprised to find that it is Wallace.

While I agree that Wallace didn't bring his usual effort this year and dropped more balls than usual that doesn't mean he is a bad receiver. He certainly brings more to the table than a deep threat. I don't know why people have to disparage his skills just because he isn't a Fitzgerald or Calvin Johnson. If he shows us the same effort going forward as he did his first 3 years I would love to have him on the team.