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View Full Version : Steelers select ILB Devin Bush in first round



hawaiiansteel
04-25-2019, 09:29 PM
Devin Bush it is!

Moonie
04-25-2019, 09:31 PM
What a move!

Actually, I don't follow college ball, because it's a bore. I need you guys to tell me this is a great move!

What a move! Devin F'ing Bush. Yeah!

Yeah!

YES!

Oviedo
04-25-2019, 09:31 PM
Great pick, Shazier 2.0.

But I think we gave up a bunch. He had better be special to justify that

SteelBucks
04-25-2019, 09:33 PM
Great pick, Shazier 2.0.

But I think we gave up a bunch. He had better be special to justify that

High price tag. I would have been okay if it was for White but I’m not going to be a Debbie Downer

D Rock
04-25-2019, 09:34 PM
They gave up a Mike Adams and a Dri Archer to move up. Great move.

JUST-PLAIN-NASTY
04-25-2019, 09:34 PM
Sweet!
1st 2nd Next Yr 3...Well worth!

Ernie
04-25-2019, 09:35 PM
what did we give up guys?

SidSmythe
04-25-2019, 09:35 PM
They have 10 picks....gave up 1 this yr.
Next yrs 32nd pick in the 3rd round will get replaced by Lev Bell's comp pick in the 3rd.

Ernie
04-25-2019, 09:36 PM
so we still have two 3rds a 4th.
. two 5ths?

Rara
04-25-2019, 09:36 PM
Well worth it! May have list their second round pick...but that Oakland pick can be treated like a VERY LATE second round pick. I'll be happy with Ya-Sin or Savage now in the third..if they drop.

Steel Maniac
04-25-2019, 09:36 PM
Great pick, Shazier 2.0.

But I think we gave up a bunch. He had better be special to justify that

Exactly....

Rara
04-25-2019, 09:37 PM
so we sti have 2 3rds a 4th.
. 2 5ths?

Two thirds, fourth, fifth, three sixths and a seventh

Ernie
04-25-2019, 09:38 PM
Two thirds, fourth, fifth, three sixths and a seventh

thatll work

pfelix73
04-25-2019, 09:40 PM
We got our guy. Great move. They could possibly move up again if they are targeting someone late in the 2nd round....??

Eddie Spaghetti
04-25-2019, 09:41 PM
I am perfectly fine with this move up to get the guy they wanted

this defense needed a playmaker in the middle in the worst possible way

NorthCoast
04-25-2019, 09:43 PM
Looks like VWill's time in the 'Burgh is coming to an end....

Ghost
04-25-2019, 09:44 PM
Gave up too much. A 1st and 3rd would have been great. But 1st and 2nd was desperation.

SteelBucks
04-25-2019, 09:45 PM
Hoping they can trade back up into the 2nd round

steeler_fan_in_t.o.
04-25-2019, 09:45 PM
High price tag. I would have been okay if it was for White but I’m not going to be a Debbie Downer

You mean a Devin Downer??? :D

Steel Maniac
04-25-2019, 09:46 PM
Gave up too much. A 1st and 3rd would have been great. But 1st and 2nd was desperation.

We’ll see. It’s debatable right now.

raycafan
04-25-2019, 09:47 PM
Gave up too much. A 1st and 3rd would have been great. But 1st and 2nd was desperation.
Did not give up a 1st they traded up for a higher first. So not given up

So they gave up a 2 and a future 3, sound better

Oviedo
04-25-2019, 09:47 PM
Gave up too much. A 1st and 3rd would have been great. But 1st and 2nd was desperation.

Totally disagree. You moved up 10 spots which is expensive but we still have a ton of picks. We also solved the major problem we have had since Shazier went down...speed in the middle of the field. This was not desperation. This was a well thought out move to get the exact type of player we needed. No one else left in the draft has Bush's talent level at ILB...not close

SteelBucks
04-25-2019, 09:48 PM
At least the Steelers pissed off the Bengals!!

Steel Maniac
04-25-2019, 09:49 PM
Totally disagree. You moved up 10 spots which is expensive but we still have a ton of picks. We also solved the major problem we have had since Shazier went down...speed in the middle of the field. This was not desperation. This was a well thought out move to get the exact type of player we needed. No one else left in the draft has Bush's talent level at ILB...not close

As long as he pans out. It will all be fine.

Sword
04-25-2019, 09:50 PM
Good move... they didn’t give up to much......

Moonie
04-25-2019, 09:52 PM
Hopefully we can get him a better wardrobe for when he enters the HOF.

Ghost
04-25-2019, 09:52 PM
Totally disagree. You moved up 10 spots which is expensive but we still have a ton of picks. We also solved the major problem we have had since Shazier went down...speed in the middle of the field. This was not desperation. This was a well thought out move to get the exact type of player we needed. No one else left in the draft has Bush's talent level at ILB...not close

In one thread you went from “we gave up a bunch and he better be worth it” to this is a well thought out move? Are your drunk?

Steel Maniac
04-25-2019, 09:52 PM
At least the Steelers pissed off the Bengals!!


Yes!!!!! We got the guy we wanted. No Willie Jackson situation this year

Eddie Spaghetti
04-25-2019, 10:00 PM
not arguing the price was steep but the drop off to the next tier of ILB was just as steep

it's probably the move we should have made last season for LVE or Evans. better late than never

LordVile
04-25-2019, 10:03 PM
not arguing the price was steep but the drop off to the next tier of ILB was just as steep

it's probably the move we should have made last season for LVE or Evans. better late than never

Right, they certainly tried to last year but couldn't find a dance partner

SteelBucks
04-25-2019, 10:04 PM
not arguing the price was steep but the drop off to the next tier of ILB was just as steep

it's probably the move we should have made last season for LVE or Evans. better late than never

They tried to trade for Evans. No takers.

Eddie Spaghetti
04-25-2019, 10:06 PM
I don't believe that. maybe they just didn't offer enough

JUST-PLAIN-NASTY
04-25-2019, 10:11 PM
There are 19-21 legit 1st rounders this year. The way it's looking...The Steelers weren't getting one unless they took an OL. They got a Top 10 player that they very seldom sniff..well...cause they are the Steelers. They got their defensive QB...Rejoice! Where is the Booger We Got Bush memes!

Ghost
04-25-2019, 10:13 PM
Didn’t draft Darius Leonard when he was available. Big miss. Defensive rookie of the year.

Steel Maniac
04-25-2019, 10:14 PM
Didn’t draft Darius Leonard when he was available. Big miss. Defensive rookie of the year.

And we passed on Landry of the Titans too

hawaiiansteel
04-25-2019, 10:16 PM
http://arizonasports.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/devin-bush.jpg

ikestops85
04-25-2019, 10:18 PM
As long as he pans out. It will all be fine.

Isn't that always the case? He's going to be GREAT!! The second coming of Jack Lambert!! He's a Steeler now so that is how you have to think. We have too many negative people posting. So many complained because they didn't make a move last year. Now we have people complaining that they gave up too much. It's amazing how unhappy so many people are on this board.

The guy barely has his Steeler hat on and people are doubting him. Good Gawd, can't you folks cheer for the Steelers and be happy for one night at least?

ikestops85
04-25-2019, 10:21 PM
Didn’t draft Darius Leonard when he was available. Big miss. Defensive rookie of the year.

Can you name me 1 team that hasn't missed in the draft? :wft

Ghost
04-25-2019, 10:23 PM
It’s a message board. First reactions and all that. No one is unhappy. Just talking draft. Of course everyone is rooting for the guy to be a beast. That’s what will win games. NO ONE is doubting his talent. But it’s ok to wonder if the cost was a little much. Doesn’t make bad fans. No need to chastise anyone for how they feel. Geesh....

Moonie
04-25-2019, 10:24 PM
This guy is going to put Ja'Goff Bell into a 6 inch deep face plant. Steeler Nation will erupt.

Ghost
04-25-2019, 10:25 PM
Can you name me 1 team that hasn't missed in the draft? :wft

Thats not the point. If the discussion turns to how they tried to make a move last season and it didn’t work out then it’s fair game to point out they totally whiffed on an available linebacker who became a force.

SteelBucks
04-25-2019, 10:26 PM
I like the pick but hope we can get back into the second round.

Steel Maniac
04-25-2019, 10:29 PM
It’s a message board. First reactions and all that. No one is unhappy. Just talking draft. Of course everyone is rooting for the guy to be a beast. That’s what will win games. NO ONE is doubting his talent. But it’s ok to wonder if the cost was a little much. Doesn’t make bad fans. No need to chastise anyone for how they feel. Geesh....

Boom.........

Sugar
04-25-2019, 10:30 PM
Isn't that always the case? He's going to be GREAT!! The second coming of Jack Lambert!! He's a Steeler now so that is how you have to think. We have too many negative people posting. So many complained because they didn't make a move last year. Now we have people complaining that they gave up too much. It's amazing how unhappy so many people are on this board.

The guy barely has his Steeler hat on and people are doubting him. Good Gawd, can't you folks cheer for the Steelers and be happy for one night at least?

Agreed. I love the Steelers, but we seem to have an abundance of fans that like to complain no matter what they do.

brothervad
04-25-2019, 10:33 PM
Denver's took Fant with 20th pick.

I think they go corner if they stay put at 20, but the Steelers would have had a shot at him.

Are some of you draft guys disappointed?

Brothervad

Starlifter
04-25-2019, 10:34 PM
I don't follow college ball close enough so I have no opinion on the pick. But for those that do - is his size an issue? At the end of the day, we need speed and an impact player in the middle. but 5'11" 230ish seems smallish for the middle. I watched a little tape a few minutes ago and the consensus is this is a great player. The steelers don't make moves like this often - so I was surprised, but pleased at the aggressiveness showed at filling a hole. fingers crossed!!

NorthCoast
04-25-2019, 10:34 PM
Isn't that always the case? He's going to be GREAT!! The second coming of Jack Lambert!! He's a Steeler now so that is how you have to think. We have too many negative people posting. So many complained because they didn't make a move last year. Now we have people complaining that they gave up too much. It's amazing how unhappy so many people are on this board.

The guy barely has his Steeler hat on and people are doubting him. Good Gawd, can't you folks cheer for the Steelers and be happy for one night at least?

^Word.

People were OK with taking Bush at 20 but not at 10, meaning he is a Top 20 but not Top 10?

Interesting that not a single CB taken in what is supposed to be a deep class.

Eddie Spaghetti
04-25-2019, 10:36 PM
who's complaining?

some are questioning what we gave up and whether it was worth the move. that's a valid and reasonable discussion to have no matter what side of that you fall

we can all have different viewpoints about what the team should do in the draft, especially on a night we make a rare trade up in the 1st. jeez louise

ikestops85
04-25-2019, 10:37 PM
I like the pick but hope we can get back into the second round.

They still have 8 picks left so I think it's possible they move back into the 2nd round.

Steel Maniac
04-25-2019, 10:47 PM
^Word.

People were OK with taking Bush at 20 but not at 10, meaning he is a Top 20 but not Top 10?

Interesting that not a single CB taken in what is supposed to be a deep class.

Says a lot about the cornerback class huh?

brothervad
04-25-2019, 10:56 PM
you know Gerry Dulac in his draft chat today said something interesting that explains moving (I am fine with it btw...the guy was considered a top 8 by ESPN and we got him at 10 and moved up 10 spots to get him and only lost a 2nd this year.

The question was basically do you think the Steelers need to be more aggressive given been has 3 years left? I am not quoting that verbatim mind you...but that was the gist.

Dulac agreed with that question that yes they do have to act more aggressively given the window they have and the SB quality level of talent on this roster.

Now you can critique whether or not the level of talent is SB level...but that I get the need to be aggressive and take care of that ILB position.

So I think they are keeping in mind that Ben is on the final drive and they need to be aggressive without selling out the future.

And given that they still have 8 picks and will likely get a 3rd for Lev Bell next year. They did not give up the farm to get this guy.

Brothervad

NorthCoast
04-25-2019, 11:00 PM
If it doesn't work out rest assured there will be a ton of second guessers here next year pointing out the players the Steelers passed on to get Bush.

brothervad
04-25-2019, 11:01 PM
Says a lot about the cornerback class huh?

that and WR...

I don't remember a recent draft where no CB or WR wasn't in the top 20. I have to think that at least one in each area will be selected in round 1

brothervad


Update: ESPN said 2008 is the last time a WR didn't go in the first round

Iron City Inc.
04-25-2019, 11:05 PM
I'm good with it. We talked about trade up with Buffalo earlier in the week. Thought there was a shot at it perhaps even for White at 9 but Bush is a heck of a consolation prize imho. He has game n we had a need.

NorthCoast
04-25-2019, 11:05 PM
that and WR...

I don't remember a recent draft where no CB or WR wasn't in the top 20. I have to think that at least one in each area will be selected in round 1

brothervad


Update: ESPN said 2008 is the last time a WR didn't go in the first roundit's weird... maybe supply and demand. With a ton of supply maybe teams feel they can wait til later to grab one. I predict once one goes there will be a major run on them. maybe squeezing out the Steelers since they traded away their 2nd pick.

ikestops85
04-25-2019, 11:06 PM
that and WR...

I don't remember a recent draft where no CB or WR wasn't in the top 20. I have to think that at least one in each area will be selected in round 1

brothervad


Update: ESPN said 2008 is the last time a WR didn't go in the first round

Speaking of WR the Ravens just took Hollywood Brown. I think this guy is going to be a pain in the ass for years to come. I was hoping they would go with DK

SteelBucks
04-25-2019, 11:10 PM
Speaking of WR the Ravens just took Hollywood Brown. I think this guy is going to be a pain in the ass for years to come. I was hoping they would go with DK

ABs cousin.

kindlecatsb'ng
04-25-2019, 11:14 PM
Did he have glitter on his teeth?
Also had a lot of bling on.

ikestops85
04-25-2019, 11:25 PM
Thats not the point. If the discussion turns to how they tried to make a move last season and it didn’t work out then it’s fair game to point out they totally whiffed on an available linebacker who became a force.

It is the point. It's certainly easy to sit back and Monday morning QB from a message board. So easy a caveman can do it.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.mediapost.com/dam/cropped/2019/01/22/geico-caveman-airport-spot-mediapost-tv-blog-1-23-19_lI0UafG.jpg

SidSmythe
04-25-2019, 11:40 PM
So what does this mean for Mark Barron?? Dimebacker??

Buzz
04-25-2019, 11:49 PM
Hope this was the move that will put us back into Super Bowl contention.

Steel Maniac
04-26-2019, 12:04 AM
This is a great start. Now VW can go to the bench. Now let’s find a OLB to at least split with Dupree

hawaiiansteel
04-26-2019, 12:14 AM
This is a great start. Now VW can go to the bench. Now let’s find a OLB to at least split with Dupree

I agree, VW will hopefully only be in on running downs and Barron and Bush can be on the field the rest of the time.

SS Laser
04-26-2019, 02:00 AM
So what does this mean for Mark Barron?? Dimebacker??
Is this the last season for VW? What a Bostic? No answers from me just more questions.
BUT IMO. I see Barron as the replacement for Barnett possibly. He is a former safety.
A hybrid vet guy. To run some different defenses. Need to contain the running QB's and RPO's. Will be interesting to see how the safety and ILB's work out this season.

Oviedo
04-26-2019, 03:05 AM
Agreed. I love the Steelers, but we seem to have an abundance of fans that like to complain no matter what they do.

Duh...ya think. Some "fans" aren't happy unless they are unhappy. The glass is always half empty for them and they act like constant negativity is informed critical analysis

Rara
04-26-2019, 04:38 AM
This is a great start. Now VW can go to the bench. Now let’s find a OLB to at least split with Dupree

Jachai Polite may have dropped..but maybe he'd be one to get in the fourth.

Northern_Blitz
04-26-2019, 04:43 AM
If it doesn't work out rest assured there will be a ton of second guessers here next year pointing out the players the Steelers passed on to get Bush.

Even if it does work out, see: Bustamalu

Steelerphile
04-26-2019, 05:37 AM
This is a great start. Now VW can go to the bench. Now let’s find a OLB to at least split with Dupree

VWill has become this whipping boy for the fans. Always a fan need,like waving a terrible towel. Vince Williams is still a valuable part of the team. He'll get his playing time because he is good a productive player but he can play less. A team needs good depth, there are 45 players.

Steelerphile
04-26-2019, 05:46 AM
Vince Williams aka "The Whipping Boy" had 78 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, 8 tfl and 1 int for a touchdown in 2018. Pretty good numbers for a player the omniscient fanbase uniformly denounces.

flippy
04-26-2019, 05:59 AM
I'm not saying this to complain at all, but I'm still of the mindset where I don't really like the idea of taking an ILB in the 1st round and I'm really suspect of their value as a top 10 pick.

That said, I like Bush's. He fills a need. He looks like he should be a solid starter. It's just more a beef I have with the position. It would be similar in my mind to taking a RB in the top 10. And we had to give up a 2nd and 3rd to do it. If I'm giving up that much and moving that high, there better be a QB that I love that I'm going after or some game changing talent that's going to enable my D to get to the QB.

And this isn't a knock on Bush, but I'd expect going up this high, I better be getting talent like Big Ben, Aaron Donald, JJ Watt, etc.

Starlifter
04-26-2019, 07:03 AM
at the end of the day, our defense has sucked since our last Super Bowl. they keep drafting in the first round to improve it, but it just hasn't happened to return us to where it needs to be for another playoff run.

hopefully this guy is a player that can make a difference right away, cause we need it. if he does, the price we paid to trade up will be insignificant.

fordfixer
04-26-2019, 07:28 AM
Duh...ya think. Some "fans" aren't happy unless they are unhappy. The glass is always half empty for them and they act like constant negativity is informed critical analysis
Some people just need a smaller glass.

JUST-PLAIN-NASTY
04-26-2019, 07:35 AM
Bush is Top 10 talent & well worth the move for this team.

VW needs to be relegated to Situational Backer which will be Buck in 3-4 Base & Goaline. 3-4 Base is now "situational" being run 20% of the time. Sub needs to be Bush-Barron. Hopefully that happens sooner then later.

Now you take a Mid-Late day 3 pick on ILBS Tyrel Dodson, Leo Lewis, or Drew Lewis to possibly revamp the ILB Group entirely. If they keep all the picks I would even consider Long,Gilbert,Johnson if they fall to our 5. The near future only has room for one of VW or JB. Neither are ST. Dirty Red sticks because ST. Draft another who can play ST until he can fill role.

Sword
04-26-2019, 08:02 AM
I like the pick but hope we can get back into the second round.
as KC said we are only 3 picks past second round in the third.....we have a high pick in the 3rd of 2 picks so, we are good....we still have enough picks to move up again in the second...
This pick was the most important pick for us to replace Shazier....looks like they did their homework on this guy...good move!!!
https://www.steelers.com/video/tomlin-colbert-analyze-devin-bush (not sure why links don't get Auto... underlined with link to browser?)

fordfixer
04-26-2019, 08:14 AM
https://www.steelers.com/video/tomlin-colbert-analyze-devin-bush

fordfixer
04-26-2019, 08:20 AM
https://steelersdepot.com/2019/04/evaluating-the-value-lb-devin-bush/

Oh wow
04-26-2019, 09:13 AM
I love the move. We just signed Ben for 2 more years so we need to go all in with draft picks to try and make a run at it.

Oh wow
04-26-2019, 09:17 AM
Devin Bust.

Only have to change one letter if it doesn’t pan out in the first preseason game.

phillyesq
04-26-2019, 09:23 AM
I really like this move. The Steelers have a solid group - they needed to add a playmaker. I think Bush will be a playmaker.

I haven't been this excited about a first round pick since David DeCastro.

STH70
04-26-2019, 10:01 AM
I love this trade up and pick. This was the year to be bold with 10 picks.
We gave up a 2nd and hopefully a very late 3rd round pick next year. And we still have 8 picks left including a VERY early 3rd round pick.
A 3rd round comp pick for Bell replaces next year’s 3rd and we have plenty of bait to move up in any other round.
Meanwhile, we get the player that could possibly make the biggest impact on our team of anybody in the draft, in the position where we need the most help. I don’t see why anyone would think we gave up too much to get him. But it’s a matter of opinion.
Great job Colbert and Tomlin.

Mick'sTeam
04-26-2019, 10:04 AM
While I hate not having a 2nd rounder, I love the move and the pick. We need playmakers on D, they knew who they wanted and made it happen. With Bush and the signing of Barron, we suddenly have a ton of speed in the middle of our defense. Keep the all in mindset - get rid of your 6th and 7th rounders and move up. If we finish with 6 picks I'm good with it.

steelz09
04-26-2019, 10:21 AM
I've made it clear that I didn't want to trade into the top 10 for Devin Bush. I thought it would be to costly. I've come around a bit on it.

A 2nd and 2020 3rd rounder wasn't that bad. With that said, I was about ready to throw a chair thru the TV when ESPN was reporting the trade and they said that Broncos were asking for a 2020 1st rounder and they never said what the terms of the deal were between the Broncos and Steelers. I was going to go on a tirade if we gave up a 2020 1st rounder. :)

It's funny because some people think we gave up to much. On the flip side, many Denver Bronco fans think they got hosed. I think it was a fair deal especially considering we jumped 10 spots in the 1st round.

Oviedo
04-26-2019, 10:28 AM
Devin Bust.

Only have to change one letter if it doesn’t pan out in the first preseason game.

Oh we will no doubt have a few posters ready to adopt that monicker for him if he isn't an immediate star

Steel Maniac
04-26-2019, 10:36 AM
I've made it clear that I didn't want to trade into the top 10 for Devin Bush. I thought it would be to costly. I've come around a bit on it.

A 2nd and 2020 3rd rounder wasn't that bad. With that said, I was about ready to throw a chair thru the TV when ESPN was reporting the trade and they said that Broncos were asking for a 2020 1st rounder and they never said what the terms of the deal were between the Broncos and Steelers. I was going to go on a tirade if we gave up a 2020 1st rounder. :)

It's funny because some people think we gave up to much. On the flip side, many Denver Bronco fans think they got hosed. I think it was a fair deal especially considering we jumped 10 spots in the 1st round.

I was reading a Broncos fan post on PFT and he said Fangio thinks both Bush and White are overrated and that the Broncos got over on us. Does anybody have any link on Fangio saying he thinks White and Bush are overrated? Just curious.

Steel Maniac
04-26-2019, 10:37 AM
While I hate not having a 2nd rounder, I love the move and the pick. We need playmakers on D, they knew who they wanted and made it happen. With Bush and the signing of Barron, we suddenly have a ton of speed in the middle of our defense. Keep the all in mindset - get rid of your 6th and 7th rounders and move up. If we finish with 6 picks I'm good with it.

If there is another difference maker that they identify, yeah, I have no problem in doing another package trade up. It's about quality to me; not so much quantity.

hawaiiansteel
04-26-2019, 05:07 PM
The Person Behind The Player: Potential Steelers Draft Target LB Devin Bush

By Daniel Valente
Posted on March 31, 2019

Scouting a prospect is often compared to putting together a giant piece. That puzzle contains four moving pieces that must be studied and taken into consideration. Those four pieces include statistics, film, athletic testing and character. With statistics and film available online and the NFL Combine being bigger than ever, it is easier than ever for the public to come to their own conclusions on prospects. A prospect’s character is one area that remains very difficult to explore, unless you are a professional scout, but through intensive research, perhaps the task is not as impossible as it seems.

One prospect that would be interesting to take a closer look at and one that the Pittsburgh Steelers have shown a notable amount of interest in is Michigan linebacker Devin Bush. The Steelers sent the house to Michigan’s pro-day with their eyes all over Bush. The inside linebacker has proved he hang with the best of them on the field but the inside linebacker position requires more than just raw talent. Acting as the quarterback of the defense, the inside linebacker is often required to be a leader and a story from the Detroit Free Press from March 2018 gave a peak at the linebacker’s true character.

Last March, Bush was faced with a decision, either head back home to Florida to deal with a personal matter or stay with his teammates in Michigan. After a discussion with his father Devin Bush Sr., who told his son to follow his heart, Bush decided to stay in Michigan. The decision impressed many coaches and teammates who had come to know the linebacker as a leader among men.

“Devin Bush Jr., special guy. That’s all I’m going to say. There’s a private story, but this guy stayed with his team and he could’ve easily checked out for three or four days, and everybody would’ve understood. And he didn’t. I think we’re talking about a guy whose character is completely off the charts,” said defensive coordinator Don Brown.

With the inside linebacker position acting as the quarterback of the defense, building trust with the defensive coordinator is a must for the position. Bush’s character skills helped build a line of respect between himself and Brown. The Michigan defensive coordinator would go on to say that he thinks above and beyond of Bush as he is a player who gives everything he’s got.

The linebacker’s character has also had an effect on his teammates who can feel Bush’s aura from the locker room to the field.

“He’s always that type of guy that you always want to be around because he’s going to push you to be the best that you can be. He knows the expectations that need to be achieved, and he’s making sure everybody’s doing their job to achieve them,” says Michigan defensive end Rashan Gary

Bush recognizes his own commitment to his team mates as that was a major factor in him remaining with his teammates. The linebacker is not just a great leader among the starting 11 either, Bush is committed to helping the next generation of the Michigan defense.

“I feel like I’m needed here, my guys need me. And I need to be there for them, and for the younger guys as well because they’re going to need my help throughout this whole year. So, I just felt like it was a big decision for me to stay here and I feel like I made the right decision,” says Bush.

While Bush’s play is mostly subjective based upon one’s own conclusions from watching his tape, the conclusion of his character is more objective. From all accounts of team mates and coaches, Bush can be counted on as a guy to lead a defense, not just on the field but off the field as well.


https://steelersdepot.com/2019/03/the-person-behind-the-player-potential-steelers-draft-target-lb-devin-bush/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

hawaiiansteel
04-26-2019, 05:38 PM
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5G8NpIW0AIfHyC.jpg

hawaiiansteel
04-26-2019, 06:44 PM
Pittsburgh Steelers: Devin Bush, LB, Michigan A Grade

I love this move. The Steelers have needed a replacement for Ryan Shazier ever since he suffered his horrible spinal injury on that fateful Monday night. There was no way in the world Devin Bush was going to fall to No. 20. Pittsburgh recognized that and made the jump for Bush. The Michigan product is extremely athletic and was highly productive at Michigan. He was also a team captain. He'll instantly establish himself as a team leader for Pittsburgh. I know the Steelers gave up resources to get Bush, yet the 2020 first-round pick wasn't included, which is huge. This was a move the Steelers had to make to restore their defense to its former dominance.


http://walterfootball.com/nfldraftgrades.php

hawaiiansteel
04-27-2019, 12:57 PM
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5KE7zbWkAAWqb5.jpg

Steel Maniac
04-27-2019, 01:57 PM
Can someone tell me what that strap thing is that he’s wearing?

spyboots
04-27-2019, 05:00 PM
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/04/19/devin-bush-2019-nfl-draft-michigan-football/3496895002/

Italian designer Jatannio, some kind of strap.

Steel Maniac
04-27-2019, 05:16 PM
I feel bad for Bush; at the press conf., he’s having to say he’s not Shazier. Damn ... I too am tired of people wanting someone to be like Shazier or AB. Fact is, we didn’t win anything with them. We need to stop talking about AB, Bell and Shazier. It’s not fair to the current guys.

spyboots
04-27-2019, 05:27 PM
True. :Agree

brothervad
04-27-2019, 05:31 PM
Well I a want Bush to be blazing fast like Shazier
I want him to be the captain on the field like Shazier

But I want him to make his own name and be his own type of hall of famer

Similar to Johnson...I want him to put up the numbers and be the threat that Brown was
But I want him to be his own player - especially when it comes to the diva/entitlement aspects

Is that fair?

brothervad

Btw, I don't think you would ever see me type he ain't a Shazier or Brown in both cases...I just want them to be otherworldly successful (like all of us)

Hell, I want Gentry to be the next Gronk :)

spyboots
04-27-2019, 06:01 PM
Well said.

Buzz
04-27-2019, 06:30 PM
Hell, I want Gentry to be the next Gronk :)

Me too but I think I'll be fairly happy if he can just make the team.

Steel Maniac
04-27-2019, 10:20 PM
Me too but I think I'll be fairly happy if he can just make the team.

Boom.......

RuthlessBurgher
04-29-2019, 03:03 PM
Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

Devin Bush's father, Devin Bush Sr., who played eight years as a safety in the NFL, coached his son throughout his youth. Bush explains why that process was stressful but rewarding.

3d


Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

Steelers first-round pick Devin Bush admires Ryan Shazier and believes he'll play again but makes clear he's not trying to replace him. Two different players.

3d


Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

Steelers introduce Devin Bush, who will wear No. 55 for the Pittsburgh defense. Team president Art Rooney II called the Steelers' desire to acquire Bush the ‘worst-kept secret' of the NFL draft.

3d



Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

New Steelers ILB Devin Bush plans to bring versatility to the Steelers. Coach Mike Tomlin calls him an "all situations" linebacker who can play every down. "I'm a giuy that can play sideline to sideline," Bush said. "I can cover. I can blitz. I can play the run, play the pass.

4d


Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said of moving up 10 spots in the first round for ILB Devin Bush: ‘We thought that highly of him.'

4d


http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-steelers

steeler_fan_in_t.o.
04-29-2019, 07:05 PM
I feel bad for Bush; at the press conf., he’s having to say he’s not Shazier. Damn ... I too am tired of people wanting someone to be like Shazier or AB. Fact is, we didn’t win anything with them. We need to stop talking about AB, Bell and Shazier. It’s not fair to the current guys.

What I told my kid right after they moved up to pick him: They didn't make a move like that because they think they are replacing Ryan Shazier. They made a move that big because they think they are drafting Ryan Shazier.

The fact is that the similarities between them are two great to ignore.

NorthCoast
04-29-2019, 08:30 PM
Here's my question; are the Steelers setting themselves up again by continuing to scheme a defense that requires rare, unique talent at a single position?? This was the complaint when Shazier went down. No backup plan with players that were on the roster.

RuthlessBurgher
04-29-2019, 09:18 PM
Here's my question; are the Steelers setting themselves up again by continuing to scheme a defense that requires rare, unique talent at a single position?? This was the complaint when Shazier went down. No backup plan with players that were on the roster.

Having an excellent defense with a player or two that is quite difficult to replace is a much better problem to have in my mind than a barely average defense where all of the players are relatively easy to replace.

Steel Maniac
04-30-2019, 12:22 AM
Here's my question; are the Steelers setting themselves up again by continuing to scheme a defense that requires rare, unique talent at a single position?? This was the complaint when Shazier went down. No backup plan with players that were on the roster.

Hell of a question..

And look , can we be truthful,..

How good is Butler really as a DC?

RuthlessBurgher
04-30-2019, 10:11 AM
Think of it this way. When we had Polamalu as the centerpiece of our defense, he was a unique dude who is virtually impossible to replace. Losing Troy was devastating to our overall defense, but when we had him in there, we won multiple Super Bowls.

If Devin Bush can have a Troy-like impact from the LB spot, then I don't mind at all if the defense we run requires a rare, unique talent at a single position...while we have that unique, rare talent available to us, we can all enjoy the ride.
:tt2 :tt1

hawaiiansteel
04-30-2019, 02:49 PM
What Should Expectations Be for Devin Bush’s Rookie Season?

April 29, 2019
By Parker Hurley

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team that preaches patience with their rookies. They are not a team to push them into the lineup if they are not ready. However, they are also a team that does not trade up into the top ten for game changing players.

The Steelers trade up for Devin Bush is the first defensive trade up since Troy Polamalu, who did not start a single game for the Steelers in his rookie season. Still, that was a different NFL. The Steelers need to replace Ryan Shazier was apparent in their playoff loss to the Jaguars at the end of the 2017 season and the hole got deeper the following year.

But before the draft, and before the Steelers moved up 10 spots, general manager Kevin Colbert didn’t feel that it was an absolute necessity that his first-round pick be an instant starter.

“The people we draft, the longer we can keep them off the field the better for them historically,” Colbert said. “You really want to go in with these players and delay them getting on the field as long as you can because over time I think coach would get comfortable with what they can do but to have them have to step out and play, more often than not I think it is more detrimental to the player and if he loses his confidence early it’s usually not returnable.”

WILL BUSH START WEEK ONE?

History says that he should. Since 2000, eight inside linebackers have been taken in the top ten spots: Brian Urlacher, Luke Kuechly, A.J. Hawk, Jerod Mayo, LaVar Arrington, Ernie Sims, Rolando McClain, and Roquan Smith.

Of that group, the lowest number of starts was Arrington, who started 11 games back in 2000. Today’s NFL is designed for rookies to get on the NFL field even sooner. And Kuechly, Hawk, Mayo, and Sims started all 16 games of their rookie seasons.

Smith was drafted eighth overall just last season. He held out and barely participated in training camp before starting 14 games, compiling 121 tackles, one interception, five sacks and eight tackles for loss.

Smith was taken two picks higher, but was held in similar regard as a prospect, and did not need to be acquired via trade up. Considering the hold out, it is completely fair to expect Bush to start 16 as long as he is healthy and in camp.

“I think he will help us at some point, but it’ll be when he’s ready and not necessarily forcing him into a situation,” Colbert said after the draft. “He was a great player on a really good college defense. Michigan’s defense was as good as any we saw in college football last year. That ability to transfer over, it’s still going to be an NFL game that he has to transfer into, so the longer you can delay, the better it is for the kid. And like Coach mentioned, he can help on special teams right now. And where he plays schematically, I’m sure (head coach Mike) Tomlin and (defensive coordinator Keith) Butler and (inside linebackers coach Jerry) Olsavsky will figure that out in time. But I think that Devin will push the process, but it will be up to the coaches when he’s ready.

WILL BUSH CALL PLAYS?

It is worth noting that Smith did not call plays for the Bears on defense, though. Danny Trevathan was the play-calling linebacker, which allowed Smith to be more reactive.

Smith was held back by holding out, so can Bush call plays as a rookie? He called the plays for the Michigan defense a year ago, and he will likely still start, but he may be chasing Vince Williams next season.

One thing the Bears did to get Smith acclimated was let him call plays with the second team in the preseason, so that he would not disrupt the rhythm of Trevathan. Do not be surprised if Bush spends the summer running the second-team as a play caller before being promoted to a starter by Week One.

COULD BUSH WIN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR?

Even if Bush does not call the plays, Jon Bostic saw the field 53.6% of the snaps, and L.J. Fort played 29.2 of the time. That is 865 defensive snaps or 82.8% of the defensive plays.

Roquan Smith played 880 snaps, 83.6%. This is right in line with what we should expect Bush to do. While Smith did not win the Rookie of the Year, he was certainly in consideration.

Any linebacker who plays that often is going to be in consideration. Linebacker is the position that compiles the most stats, and stats are what voters look for. In fact, Smith only lost the Defensive Rookie of the Year award because of linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and linebacker Darius Leonard, who won the award.

In the past 18 years, nine linebackers have won the award, including Kuechly, Mayo and Urlacher, former top ten picks.

Bush will have Devin White to compete with but the two are the clear-cut front runners for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Bush should be in line to start every game, and 100 tackles with a sack or two, a pick or two and a couple of tackles for loss should be expected based on past top ten picks at linebacker. If Bush is calling plays by the end of the season, he is even farther ahead of schedule than his peers, and will be on a path to longterm success in the NFL.


https://steelersnow.com/what-should-expectations-be-for-devin-bushs-rookie-season/

RuthlessBurgher
05-02-2019, 04:15 PM
Monday, Apr 29, 2019 08:00 AM

'He runs all the way through the sideline'


Mike Prisuta

Steelers.com


Why you should be excited about first-round pick Devin Bush:


He’s highly regarded: Bush, a 5-foot-11, 234-pound linebacker from Michigan, was widely considered by draft analysts as one of the top two players available at inside linebacker, a perceived position of need for the Steelers. Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranked Bush No. 1 and Devin White of LSU No. 2 at the position.


The Steelers uncharacteristically traded up to get Bush: “We thought that highly of him,” General Manager Kevin Colbert said. “I don’t want to say it was an easy trade to make, but it was easy in our minds to pick him with the 10th pick. So, we did what we had to do.”


Bush was exhaustively scouted: ”This is a unique football player and it was across the board in our evaluations,” Colbert said. “We had four personnel people, myself included. We had three coaches, Coach (Mike) Tomlin included and everybody said, ‘Wow, that’s a first-round pick.’”


He’s productive: Bush accounted for 194 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, one interception and 17 passes defensed in 39 games (32 starts) at Michigan.


He’s a three-down player: Bush has 4.43 speed in the 40-yard dash and the ability to handle pass-coverage responsibilities as well as play sideline to sideline, but he can also rush the passer.


“I don’t want to underscore his blitzing capabilities,” head coach Mike Tomlin said. “I think that was as exciting to me as his coverage. I mean what I said, and I said he’s an exciting, all-situations linebacker. And to have that type of athleticism in the second level of defense I think is critical in today’s NFL.”


Inside linebackers coach Jerry Olsavsky maintained the sideline-to-sideline characterization didn’t do Bush’s game justice.


“He runs all the way through the sideline,” Olsavsky insisted. “He's not sideline to sideline, he runs through people. He can really close when he's going to make a tackle, that's an added trait. It’s different than just speed.


“When you want to run through the guy, that's really attractive.”


He’s decorated: Bush was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, a second-team AP All-American and a team captain in 2018. He also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors twice.


He’s a leader: Michigan coaches considered Bush the “glue” of the Michigan defense according to Brugler. Tomlin said the Steelers “interviewed a lot of Michigan players through the draft process and it was unanimous in terms of who their unquestioned leader was, and that was attractive to us as well. The position that he plays is like a defensive quarterback, and I think that’s something that comes very natural to him.”


He has football bloodlines: Bush’s father, Devin Bush Sr., won a national championship as a safety at Florida State in 1993, was a first-round pick of the Falcons in 1995 (26th overall) and won Super Bowl XXXIV with the Rams.


“He’s a very cerebral football guy if you spend time with him and we spent time with him at several opportunities along the way at Indy (at the NFL Scouting Combine) and his Pro Day,” Tomlin said. “He’s a football guy, and a football guy through and through.”

https://www.steelers.com/news/he-runs-all-the-way-through-the-sideline

Captain Lemming
05-02-2019, 06:09 PM
Here's my question; are the Steelers setting themselves up again by continuing to scheme a defense that requires rare, unique talent at a single position?? This was the complaint when Shazier went down. No backup plan with players that were on the roster.

What if Harrison missed our last SB?

Lewis miss a Ravens SB run?

Deon Sanders Niners own the Cowboys/ Deon changes teams and the Cowboys own the Niners.

Franco gets hurt and a team with EIGHT remaining HOFers gets smoked in the playoffs.

Unique talents are often irreplaceable. It is nothing new. Please give me more of these players.

Steel Maniac
05-02-2019, 06:20 PM
Again, even with Shazier ...the Jags were more physical then us and beat us. The Bears too. Shazier was not the end all to be all on defense. He was a great piece of the defense. We need to be hoping to have a better LB corps as a group as well as a secondary that can make some plays on the ball.

hawaiiansteel
05-02-2019, 07:09 PM
https://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/46/207/9207046.jpg?fit=bounds&crop=620:320,offset-y0.50&width=620&height=320

steelz09
05-02-2019, 08:29 PM
People seem to consistently imply that our defense was great with Shazier and it went to $hit without him.

Let me serve as a reminder. Our defense SUCKED with Shazier. We weren't good with him and we were worse without him. We missed his playmaking ability.

He wasn't our savior and Bush won't be either regardless of how good they are (or were).

steelz09
05-02-2019, 08:31 PM
Again, even with Shazier ...the Jags were more physical then us and beat us. The Bears too. Shazier was not the end all to be all on defense. He was a great piece of the defense. We need to be hoping to have a better LB corps as a group as well as a secondary that can make some plays on the ball.

This is on point. I didn't see your post before I wrote another one that basically says the same thing.

Captain Lemming
05-03-2019, 09:20 PM
People seem to consistently imply that our defense was great with Shazier and it went to $hit without him.

Let me serve as a reminder. Our defense SUCKED with Shazier. We weren't good with him and we were worse without him. We missed his playmaking ability.

He wasn't our savior and Bush won't be either regardless of how good they are (or were).

Our defense was OK before Shazier went down. It was terrible without him.

In the playoff we scored enough to win if we werent Horrible on defense.

Captain Lemming
05-03-2019, 09:34 PM
Again, even with Shazier ...the Jags were more physical then us and beat us. The Bears too. Shazier was not the end all to be all on defense. He was a great piece of the defense. We need to be hoping to have a better LB corps as a group as well as a secondary that can make some plays on the ball.

Nobody says our defense was "great" with Shazier.
It was "better" with Shazier.

You wanna talk Jags and Bears regular season?
The Jags beat us scoring all of 17 offensive points in the regular season with Shazier (2 Ben pick sixes)
The Bears scored 23 points against us with Shazier.

We scored FORTY TWO points in a playoff loss......we scored MORE THAN THOSE TWO GAMES COMBINED and still lost without Shazier.

Our 42 points scored wins ANY GAME SHAZIER PLAYED IN AS A STEELER.

You can make a FAR BETTER CASE that we lost that game because of missing Shazier than you can that we lost to the Raiders in 76 because Franco and Rocky were out.

Steel Maniac
05-03-2019, 09:54 PM
Let me be more specific then..The Jags and Bears had their running games working with or without Shazier. We got pounded. Now that’s not just on Shazier per say but an indictment of our entire front seven with an eye on our linebacker corps. What’s changed on that linebacker corps? Still weak and I don’t look at Bush as a force Against the run.

Doesn’t matter if Bush is in their or Shazier; the linebacker corps is weak still and we are still inviting any physical running team to do what the Jags and Bears did. Nothing’s changed. Linebacker corps is still weak.

RuthlessBurgher
05-06-2019, 10:59 AM
NFL experts predict: Answering the 2019 draft's biggest questions

7:15 AM ET
ESPN NFL Experts

Round 1 of the 2019 NFL draft featured six draft-day trades, pass-rushers and defensive linemen galore and surprises throughout. Rounds 2-7? That's where teams will find the real value.

Our panel of ESPN NFL experts evaluates the new crop of rookies, diving into their favorite picks and answering questions about what we should expect this season. Check back every day this week to see more answers:

Who was your favorite pick of the draft?

Matt Bowen, NFL analyst: DT Quinnen Williams to the New York Jets (No. 3 overall). Everything you see on tape with Williams is real. This guy is an interior game-wrecker who can rush the passer. And he has the versatility to play in multiple fronts for new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

Mike Clay, fantasy writer: QB Kyler Murray to the Arizona Cardinals (No. 1). If there was one player in this draft who could immediately change a franchise's fortune, it's Murray. Top quarterback prospects often are either prolific passers or super athletic. Murray is both. Props to Arizona for not succumbing to sunk cost bias with Josh Rosen and instead taking the potential game-changing quarterback in Murray.

Dan Graziano, national NFL writer: DE/OLB Josh Allen to the Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 7). What a break for Tom Coughlin's current team that his former team passed on the talented Kentucky pass-rusher at No. 6 and left him for the Jaguars. Allen adds to a position of strength, and being around the star players on all three levels of the Jacksonville defense should only help him fit in and make an impact as soon as possible.

KC Joyner, fantasy writer: LB Devin Bush to the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 10). John Madden used to say that one or two tough tacklers can make all of the difference on defense, as their enthusiasm for hitting can inspire the rest of the defenders to be better hitters and tacklers. Bush will be that type of tackling and hitting difference-maker for a Steelers defense that has never been the same following Ryan Shazier's devastating injury.

Mina Kimes, NFL writer: DT Ed Oliver to the Buffalo Bills (No. 9). I liked the value that Jacksonville got with Josh Allen, but Oliver to the Bills was a better fit. He's the perfect replacement for Kyle Williams: A strong, explosive tackle who can rush the passer from the inside, and he will finally get to play his correct position.

Jason Reid, The Undefeated: QB Dwayne Haskins to the Washington Redskins (No. 15). Shortly before the 2012 draft, the Redskins sent four high-round picks -- three in the first round and one in the second -- to acquire the second overall pick from the then-St. Louis Rams, which they used to select quarterback Robert Griffin III. Obviously, Griffin didn't work out over the long haul. With the franchise still unsettled at QB, Washington used a first-round pick on Haskins, who obliterated Ohio State's single-season marks for passing yards and touchdown passes. I get that there are questions about him, partly because he started only one season for the Buckeyes, but he's a sharp, true pocket passer. And I almost forgot: Haskins has a boulder-sized chip on his shoulder after falling to No. 15. For Washington, this could work out spectacularly.

Mike Sando, senior NFL writer: QB Kyler Murray to the Arizona Cardinals (No. 1). Murray makes the Cardinals such a compelling team and gives them a chance at having a truly dynamic quarterback. The biggest short-term concern is simply whether Arizona can protect him.

Kevin Seifert, national NFL writer: QB Drew Lock to the Denver Broncos (No. 42). Whether or not he was overrated in mock drafts is irrelevant at this point. The Broncos grabbed a quarterback who has nearly 50 games experience at the SEC level, with perhaps the strongest arm in the entire draft, at a point in the second round where there is no pressure to get him on the field. He is easily John Elway's best pick at the position.

Field Yates, NFL analyst: DT Quinnen Williams to the New York Jets (No. 3). I'll keep it simple: I thought Williams was the best player in the entire class. Getting him at No. 3 was not necessarily a heist -- the Cardinals were all-in on a quarterback upgrade, and Nick Bosa is the same caliber of player as Williams -- but the Jets were able to stay in their slot when they were unable to find a trade-down partner to land the star defensive lineman.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2019/story/_/id/26679818/nfl-experts-predict-answering-2019-draft-biggest-questions

Oh wow
05-06-2019, 01:12 PM
Nobody says our defense was "great" with Shazier.
It was "better" with Shazier.

You wanna talk Jags and Bears regular season?
The Jags beat us scoring all of 17 offensive points in the regular season with Shazier (2 Ben pick sixes)
The Bears scored 23 points against us with Shazier.

We scored FORTY TWO points in a playoff loss......we scored MORE THAN THOSE TWO GAMES COMBINED and still lost without Shazier.

Our 42 points scored wins ANY GAME SHAZIER PLAYED IN AS A STEELER.

You can make a FAR BETTER CASE that we lost that game because of missing Shazier than you can that we lost to the Raiders in 76 because Franco and Rocky were out.

We were also down 21 to 0 because of 2 turnovers on offense.

Would be nice if our O could protect the ball this year.

Northern_Blitz
05-06-2019, 02:27 PM
We were also down 21 to 0 because of 2 turnovers on offense.

Would be nice if our O could protect the ball this year.

I know that some will say that Ben was awesome coming back in that game (and he was).

But after the first game in Jax, we were counting on the O to help the D out by (1) protecting the football and (2) scoring first to put pressure on the Jags weak O.

We didn't do either because our franchise player had a terrible start to the game.

It's not the end of the world and it doesn't mean that Ben is terrible or we should get rid of him. But, I think he's got the lion's share of the blame for that loss.

hawaiiansteel
05-06-2019, 05:24 PM
Joe: What combination of linebackers do u see playing the most this season with Barron, bush, and Williams?????

Ray Fittipaldo: I think Williams will still have a fairly prominent role. That is, if the opposition is smart. Let me explain. Good teams will run at the Steelers if they choose to play Barron and Bush together a lot in the base defense or running downs. The Patriots showed late last season that you still have to have players that are capable of stopping the run on your roster. Williams is effective in that role. So I think Williams will find his way onto the field more than people think. What percentage? I can't tell you because it depends on what opposing coaches do with their offensive game plans. But if coaches want to throw it all the time against the Steelers the truth is Williams won't see as much playing time as he did last season. They drafted Bush and signed Barron because Williams and Bostic were not good in coverage. At least the Steelers have a diverse set of linebackers now. They should be able to adapt to whatever the game plan is.


https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2019/05/06/Ray-Fittipaldo-s-Steelers-chat-05-06-19/stories/201905060077

Steel Maniac
05-07-2019, 08:47 AM
Pleeeeease.... Williams stopping the run??? He got trucked against the Bears by Howard and he still has Fournette’s cleat marks in his chest from getting trampled in the playoffs in 2017. Enough of VW.

Oh wow
05-07-2019, 10:56 AM
Even the best players get trucked from time to time.

That’s like saying Haden sucks because he got burned a few times.

It’s part of the game.

RuthlessBurgher
05-07-2019, 11:39 AM
Even the best players get trucked from time to time.

That’s like saying Haden sucks because he got burned a few times.

It’s part of the game.

Someone please take Brian Urlacher's gold jacket away from him.

After all, he got trucked by Bettis in the snow this one time. Enough of Urlacher. ;)

RuthlessBurgher
05-08-2019, 11:04 AM
Devin Bush landing with the Steelers was 11 years in the making

1:00 AM ET

Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Devin Bush based on a thorough scouting report over the past 12 months.

Making a blockbuster draft-day trade is never that simple, though.

It's about timing, opportunity and growth from the player and the team. A series of roster decisions over the past five years caused Pittsburgh to retool its once-proud defense with an infusion of speed. A demanding ex-NFL father pushed Bush to the brink, until he was a versatile linebacker and leader for any defense.

The culmination of those paths led Pittsburgh to its splashiest Day 1 move since securing Troy Polamalu in 2003, moving up 10 spots in a trade with the Denver Broncos to select Bush, a two-time captain with Michigan.

"Super loyalty," Bush calls it.

While Bush burned leg muscles and smoothie calories on his way here, the Steelers burned gas miles to ensure he got to Pittsburgh.

***

Each week, a 9-year-old Bush faced a defensive drill that enervated the strongest quads, courtesy of dad.

The ball carrier had 30 yards in front of him with an open field to navigate. The defender was tasked with bringing him down somehow, some way, with no help.

Devin Bush Sr., then coach of the youth Pasadena Panthers in Pembroke Pines, Florida, expected his son to cut off angles, attack space and give ground to set up unexpected explosion.

"[In my son] I could see a big kid that I could treat like a cornerback," said Bush Sr., an eight-year NFL safety from 1995-02 with the Atlanta Falcons, St. Louis Rams and Cleveland Browns. "I wasn't going to limit him to one thing. Make the hardest parts of the game easier. Use your brain when your body gets fatigued."

The Steelers have had an eye on Devin Bush for a long time and believe he's a perfect scheme fit. AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

From an early age, Bush completed an NFL-style weekly schedule: film work Mondays, off Tuesdays, practices Wednesday and Thursday, walk-through Friday, game Saturday.

Bush Sr. admits riding his son "to the point of embarrassment" during film work to ensure he was ready for anything, although privately he raved about his son's quickness, toughness and instincts.

He rewarded those traits in his own way: with post-practice trips to Jamba Juice, father and son celebrating over matching Mango-A-Go-Go smoothies.

"With whey protein," Bush Sr. said.

***

As Bush saw the fruit years later as a blue-chip player in South Florida, the Steelers were trying to close their own 30-yard gap.

Dismayed by 8-8 seasons in 2012 and '13, the Steelers reimagined a defense built on speed and sacks. Once-great veterans such as Ike Taylor and Polamalu had lost a step in the open field. The Steelers spent the 15th overall pick in 2014 on Ryan Shazier, whose 4.4 speed offset any concerns over his 6-foot-1, 237-pound frame.

Shazier was so gifted he once beat out the Steelers' receiving corps in a length-of-field race after a practice.

The NFL game was changing, and coach Mike Tomlin was ready to counter the spread-out passing games that neutralized traditional defense. That meant more defensive backs on the field, and more players who could run like Shazier, an eventual two-time Pro Bowler. Whoever could cover receivers was welcome in the Steelers' nickel and dime coverages.

“The emphasis in today’s NFL is about sub-package football because of the number of multiple-receiver sets that you see," Tomlin said in 2014. "Significant discussion regarding schematics revolves around that."

***

There's coach praise, and then there's Don Brown's praise of Bush.

The Michigan defensive coordinator has coached college football for nearly four decades, but can't help gushing over Bush, whose ability to chase down running backs goes so far beyond good that Brown calls it "uncanny."

Bush's character isn't unblemished but "tremendous," the coach adds.

Asked if Bush has any red flags on or off the field, Brown yells over the phone, "ZE-RO. TRE-MEN-DOUS."

“There’s nothing this guy can’t do. I don’t know one thing he can’t do," Brown said.

Bush proved that to Brown over time. He sat next to Brown in every film session, often to his left, diagnosing the play before his coach and relaying it to his fellow linebackers.

Scouts often asked Brown whether Bush, at 5-foot-11 and 234 pounds, could handle the rigors of the NFL running game. Brown told each one of them to settle down and ignore the size, enjoy the ride.

The Steelers never expressed those concerns to Brown.

Bush entered 2018 with a near-complete game but improved mightily using his hands to withstand 290-pound linemen looking to engulf him. His ability to anticipate plays usually gets him past those linemen long before then.

"Some guys just can’t quantify it. He can," Brown said. "Some guys have it and some don’t. He gets it and gets it fast. You hand that ball off to the tailback, I have a good feeling in my stomach we’ll get him on the ground because of Devin."

It was at Michigan, as the face of the defense, where Bush realized the power of his father's tough-handed teachings.

"Sometimes [as a youth] I felt like I didn't want to play football anymore, but as I got older and understood what he was pushing me through, he really got me ready for moments like this," Bush said.

***

Brown saw Tomlin at Michigan's 2018 pro day and started to do the math. Shazier suffered a severe spinal injury in December 2017, and despite defeating the odds to walk again, is on the team's physically unable to perform list two years later.

Tomlin had just coached a championship-caliber team forced into a makeshift linebacker lineup of veterans and journeymen to replace Shazier. The Steelers capped a 13-3 season with a disappointing 45-42 loss to Jacksonville in the divisional playoff.

Bush wasn't yet eligible for the draft, but the seed was planted.

"If you think about a replacement for Ryan Shazier, who would it be when you think of guys across the country?" Brown said. "I don’t know if you need to be a rocket scientist when you figure it out."

Tomlin, who is known to keep close tabs on college talent each year, "had a handle on" Bush entering the 2018 season, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert recalled.

The scouting department went to work, with Colbert and three other staff members visiting Ann Arbor for research that fall. That work intensifies after a player declares for the draft, so three different assistant coaches got involved after Bush made his decision in December.

The Steelers saw him play live games, visited with him at the NFL scouting combine and dined with him and other Michigan players before their pro day in March.

All seven evaluators slapped a first-round grade on Bush, who emerged as a potential top-10 prospect.

"He was as complete of an evaluation at this phase," Colbert said. “We interviewed a lot of Michigan players through the draft process, and it was unanimous in terms of who their unquestioned leader was, and that was attractive to us as well.”

Bush had the leadership component and could cover pass-catchers in space, but Tomlin liked something else, too: the ability to rush the passer. Bush loves to hit.

"I think that was as exciting to me as his coverage," Tomlin said.

***

Bush entered draft night with the belief he wouldn't get past Cincinnati at No. 11. Acquiring Bush would require a major jump by Pittsburgh, which held the 20th overall pick. The Steelers had talked to Denver (No. 10) in the hours before the first round kicked off to discuss potential parameters.

In giving up a 2019 second-rounder and a 2020 third-rounder for the right to jump 10 spots, Colbert kept coming back to this: Bush was worth it.

"Where we had Devin rated, we didn’t feel guilty trading up to get him," Colbert said. "He wasn’t the 15th player on our board by any means. This is a unique football player, and it was across the board in our evaluations."

Meanwhile, Bush Sr. hoped his son landed with one of four teams based on defensive pedigree and scheme: Broncos, Steelers, Packers or Chargers.

As the Broncos' melted minutes off the clock, the Bush family, positioned at the draft in Nashville, Tennessee, began to wonder whether Denver was interested at all. Then they saw the Steelers' move flash across the television screen.

Seconds later, Bush Sr. looked at his son, who was about to take a phone call.

"To me, his face said, 'Thank you. Yes!' Bush Sr. said. "I was like, 'No way.' Pittsburgh takes pride in playing defense. That's what we wanted."

Just like those drills in the park, Bush didn't need long to close space.

He leaned into his new team immediately, already setting a tone for a 2019 Steelers defense that found a prototype in its rebuild.

"It doesn't matter what the score of the game is, what the outcome of the game is, we're going to come get you," Bush said.

http://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/30704/devin-bush-landing-with-the-steelers-was-11-years-in-the-making

RuthlessBurgher
05-09-2019, 10:43 AM
NFL experts predict: Answering the 2019 draft's biggest questions

7:40 AM ET
ESPN NFL Experts

Round 1 of the 2019 NFL draft featured six draft-day trades, pass-rushers and defensive linemen galore, and surprises throughout. Rounds 2-7? That's where teams will find the real value.

Our panel of ESPN NFL experts evaluates the full new crop of rookies, diving into their favorite picks and answering questions about what we should expect this season. Check back every day this week to see more answers.

Who is your early pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year?

Matt Bowen, NFL analyst: Darnell Savage Jr., S, Green Bay Packers. Savage can close on the ball with immediate speed, and his playmaking versatility in the secondary gives defensive coordinator Mike Pettine some real options in the game plan. Play Savage in the post, roll him down in coverage over the slot, or allow him to blitz in sub-package schemes. I would love to coach this guy.

Mike Clay, fantasy writer: Devin White, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. New Buccaneers DC Todd Bowles used some combination of David Harris, Demario Davis, Darron Lee and Avery Williamson as every-down duos in his four seasons with the Jets. That suggests White will be a full-time player next to Lavonte David this season, which means a ton of opportunities for tackles and big plays.

Dan Graziano, national NFL writer: Nick Bosa, DE, San Francisco 49ers. I think he's the best bet among this crew for double-digit sacks (a rare rookie feat his brother pulled off a few years ago). Because individual interception totals are just about impossible to predict, I'll go with the guy I think is going to get the most sacks. These awards tend to go to the guys who put up big counting numbers.

KC Joyner, fantasy writer: Devin Bush, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers. The domino effect he is likely to have on the Steelers' defense could be what's needed to get Pittsburgh back into Super Bowl contention.

Mina Kimes, NFL writer: Nick Bosa, DE, San Francisco 49ers. If Bosa can reap double-digit sacks -- a task that will be made easier by the presence of trade acquisition Dee Ford and the continued development of DeForest Buckner -- it's going to be hard not to give him the award. I think the Devins might make just as much of an impact on defense, but Bosa's statistics will push him over the top.

Jason Reid, The Undefeated: Devin Bush, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers. He's a big-time talent who fills a major need for Pittsburgh. And if he's as good as we think he could be, Bush could take the Steelers' defense to a higher level.

Mike Sando, senior NFL writer: Devin Bush, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers. He'll make an immediate impact on a high-profile defense at an obvious position of need.

Kevin Seifert, national NFL writer: Darnell Savage Jr., S, Green Bay Packers. This decision involves a bit of voter projection. Savage is a speedy playmaker who is known for anticipating throws and getting early jumps on the ball. Voters usually notice, and often reward, defensive players who pile up tangible statistics such as sacks, interceptions, passes defensed and forced or recovered fumbles. That should put Savage in the mix, given that there is likely an immediate starting job awaiting him.

Field Yates, NFL analyst: Devin White, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs linebacker checks a ton of the boxes that portend immediate success: a terrific prospect who fills the largest need on a Bucs defense that should improve under coordinator Todd Bowles. Linebackers also stuff the stat sheet; 100 tackles should be no surprise.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2019/story/_/id/26679818/undefined

flippy
05-10-2019, 08:12 AM
How good does Bush need to be to make him worth the picks we traded?

Looking back at the Tomlin/Colbert era, there's about a 50% chance of getting a quality starter in rounds 1-3. So we should have expected 1.5 quality starters. That 1, 2, and 3 could have been TJ, Juju, and Conner again. Although it could have also been Dupree, Golson, and Coates. So it truly is around a 50/50 shot at getting a quality starter. It probably also matters the quality of the draft year. In a good year, odds go up and vice versa in a bad year. And that adds to the value here. Was this a bad year to give up a 2? Was next year a bad year to give up a 3? I'd say yes to the 2 this year and not sure to the 3 next?

Either way, just using averages, Bush needs to be at least a regular Probowler and probably even an All Pro to make this really worth it.

And I still keep coming back to thinking about the position. I love Bush as a player and am convinced even without homer glasses that he's one of the best players in this draft. But was it worth it to go up to 10 for an ILB? Is the position worth it?

If we felt like we had to go up that high to get Ben's eventual replacement or to get an Aaron Donald or JJ Watt clone, that would feel more like a no brainer to me. But something about the position we traded up to get gives me pause. I hope this leads us back to SuperBowls. And I really do love the player and am happy. I'm just still not sure of the value looking back on this a few weeks later.

Steel Maniac
05-10-2019, 08:19 AM
Well, Rooney made a mandate of it to fix that position in a significant manner. That came from Rooney so Colbert had to execute his boss’s orders. You remember that big article by Rooney a few months ago about not fixing the ILB position right? I’ve got to believe that Colbert looked at all his ILB possibilities in this draft and deduced that Bush was the best to fix the need. Now if Bush doesn’t pan out , yeah you can blame Colbert but some blame also has to go to Rooney for putting a gun to his head also.

RuthlessBurgher
05-10-2019, 10:07 AM
you can blame Colbert but some blame also has to go to Rooney for putting a gun to his head also.

Rooney is the anti-Jerry Jones. He trusts the people he hired to run football operations to do their job. He does not treat this team like his own personal real-life fantasy football roster like some other meddlesome owners tend to do.

RuthlessBurgher
05-10-2019, 02:35 PM
Brandon Hunt Details Steelers Long Courtship Of Devin Bush; Inner Workings Of Draft Room

By Dave Bryan

Posted on May 9, 2019 at 1:27 pm

During the pre-draft process, we make a very strong effort on the site to track who shows up from the Pittsburgh Steelers at the various pro days with general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin being the main two focal points. In addition to attempting to track Colbert’s and Tomlin’s whereabouts throughout the pre-draft process, we also try to identify any dinners with prospects that might take place the evenings prior to pro days.

This year, however, we were only able to confirm the Steelers having dinner with Michigan linebacker Chase Winovich several months ago and since then we’ve learned that several other Michigan players were at that same dinner and that group of players included Devin Bush, who ultimately wound up being selected by the Steelers in the first-round of the 2019 NFL Draft following a 10-spot trade up with the Denver Broncos. Moving forward with the team, anytime we hear about one college player having a pre-pro-day dinner with the Steelers, we can probably assume that other players from that particular school were also in attendance based on what Brandon Hunt, the team’s Pro Scouting Coordinator, told Missi Matthews of steelers.com in a recent interview.

“We got a chance to go to his pro day, we met with him at the combine and the night before, when we get to different teams, we take out pretty much everybody that’s a prospect at the school, Hunt told Matthews while reviewing the long offseason courtship of Bush the Steelers had. “So, we got a chance to have dinner with him there. So, there was pretty good familiarity with Devin and by the time we took him in April.”

Hunt went on to confirm that the Steelers familiarity with Bush wasn’t something that just started this offseason.

“His [Devin’s] father is on staff of the University of Michigan and we had a chance to meet with him the 2018 summer training camp as he was one of our Bill Walsh minority summer interns,” Hunt said. “So, it can Kind of can go back to then, getting a chance to meet the family.”

While the Steelers already knew that they likely wanted to draft Bush this year, it also become quickly evident to the organization that they weren’t likely going to be able to get him at the No. 20 overall spot in the first-round.

“Devin was one of the guys we had way up there and it was one of those things that at 20 and how he worked and how his off season was, there’s probably no way we would be able to get him,” Hunt told Matthews. “So, it was really exciting to have had the opportunity to see a guy, in our opinion, who was potentially falling, and when it got to a point where we thought that we would have a chance to go get him and not mortgaged our whole future, but still be able to still have a chance to get eight more football players, we took advantage of that opportunity.”

Hunt went on to say that while there was quite a bit of anticipation and excitement in the Steelers draft room during that first-round, there was never any panic.

“And it was obviously really exciting in the room and we never ever panic in there,” Hunt explained. “There’s never any, like, ‘ah’ moments, but it was exciting. Obviously it got quiet because the phones started ringing and the energy kind of changes, but there’s never any panic. And when we had a chance to get to 10, I believe we traded with Denver, we moved into that spot. We took the player, there was a lot of excitement and high-fiving, but then obviously quickly switched back to business as usual.”

Hunt went on to reveal who in the Steelers draft room mans the trade offer phone calls that come in.

“On the phones, it’s myself, Kevin [Colbert], Mr. Art [Rooney] has a phone, and Omar [Khan],” said Hunt. “So we’re the ones involved in the trade calls and then Samir is who’s in charge of actually turning the trade into league via email.”

https://steelersdepot.com/2019/05/brandon-hunt-details-steelers-long-courtship-of-devin-bush-inner-workings-of-draft-room/

RuthlessBurgher
05-10-2019, 02:42 PM
Steelers LB Devin Bush After First Rookie Minicamp Practice: ‘I Have Quite A Bit To Learn’

By Dave Bryan

Posted on May 10, 2019 at 2:11 pm

The Pittsburgh Steelers held their first 2019 rookie minicamp practice on Friday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex and it sounds like the team’s first-round draft pick this year, linebacker Devin Bush, made a good first impression and had fun doing so.

“It was fun just being out there getting back in football mode and just learning the plays and being around different guys,” Bush said after practice when asked how his first day of rookie minicamp went. “It’s football again, so I’m happy to back.”

While Bush reportedly called the defense during the Steelers first rookie minicamp practice of 2019 after just getting the playbook earlier in the day, he admitted Friday afternoon the things he knows he still needs to work on and learn moving forward into the weekend and his rookie season.

“I have quite a bit to learn. I’ve got to learn how to speak the language of the defense and just get comfortable with all my plays,” Bush said.

When immediately asked how long he thinks it will take to learn those things, Bush quickly shot back an answer.

“Depends on how much work I put in off the field and in the meeting room and at home,” Bush said

Bush did admit on Friday, however, that he feels he already knows quite a bit when it comes to the Steelers defense and mainly because he already has a good grasp of the concepts used in it, which obviously is likely a result of him coming from a football family and being a longtime student of the game.

“Definitely, I know concepts, I understand the defense we try to run, I just have to learn the language,” Bush said.

Bush later admitted that the Steelers defensive playbook doesn’t look all that foreign to him.

“Not really, like I said, just different things they call, the different language that they speak,” Bush said.

Bush want afraid to talk about the things he felt he did well during the team’s first rookie minicamp practice.

“Just getting out there and being vocal as much as I could,” Bush said. “Whether I was right or wrong, just being vocal and just trust what I see.”

The Steelers are obviously hoping that Bush can help the defense overcome the loss once again of injured inside linebacker Ryan Shazier, who will miss a second-consecutive season in 2019 due to the spinal injury he suffered later during the 2017 regular season. Shazier was reportedly at the Steelers rookie minicamp practice on Friday watching Bush and the young linebacker was asked if he had noticed that.

“I think I did,” Bush said. “Yeah, I seen him. I’m just playing football, I’m not trying to be somebody I’m not. I’m not trying to go over and beyond. I’m trying to learn my playbook and do what I’ve got to do.”

Steelers rookie cornerback Justin Layne, the team’s second of two third-round draft picks this year, had nothing but praise for Bush and his ability to take charge of the defense on Day 1 when he talked to the media following Friday’s session.

“He’s a great leader, very vocal, Layne said, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He’s going to be good. I can tell. He was calling the right defenses and everything. He knows what’s going on.”

Bush will continuing to try to show his new coaches and teammates he knows what’s going on during the Steelers two remaining rookie minicamp practices that will take place on Saturday and Sunday.

https://steelersdepot.com/2019/05/steelers-lb-devin-bush-after-first-rookie-minicamp-practice-i-have-quite-a-bit-to-learn/

RuthlessBurgher
05-10-2019, 02:47 PM
Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

Steelers first-round pick Devin Bush called the defense on his first day of rookie minicamp. The linebacker's athletic ability was on display, but Bush said he was more focused on "being vocal as much as I could, whether I'm right or wrong, trusting what I see." Fellow rookie Justin Layne isn't concerned with Bush's accuracy in that area. "Bush is a dog. I'm not too worried about him," Layne said.

1h

RuthlessBurgher
05-10-2019, 03:57 PM
Friday, May 10, 2019 03:50 PM

Bush: 'Confidence is very important'


Teresa Varley

Steelers.com


Confidence.


Webster’s Dictionary refers to it as: “A feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities.”


On the first day of Steelers minicamp the definition of confidence was Devin Bush.


Just a few hours after having the playbook thrust into his hands, the team’s first-round draft pick was out on the field calling the defense like it was second nature to him.


“You have to jump in your playbook and be confident,” said Bush in a calm, matter of fact manner.


Now, before you think he has a photographic memory and got it down pat in just those few hours, think again. Yes, he went out there with the utmost confidence and handled it like a pro. But at the same time, he is new…and he is learning.


“I have quite a bit to learn,” said Bush. “I have to learn how to speak the language of the defense, get comfortable with my plays. I know the concepts. I understand the defense we are running. I have to learn the language. It’s just different things they call. Different languages they speak.


“Getting out there and being vocal, whether I was right or wrong and just trusting what I see.”


You can see how the confidence just oozes from him, and in football it’s a must.


“Confidence is very important,” said Bush. “If you lack confidence in this league you are going to talk yourself out of a lot of things. You aren’t going to be able to accomplish things. The confidence gives you the motivation to keep going through.”


Bush spoke as he walked off the field at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex following his first practice, a practice he was anxious for from the moment the Steelers traded up to select him in the first round.


“It was fun,” said Bush. “Just being back out there in football mode, learning the plays and being around different guys. It’s football again so I am happy to be back.


“Just the fact that you are playing for a big organization. You are around a lot of great talent, a lot of good people to learn from. You are just out here playing football.”


Bush, who said he is happy wearing No. 55, welcomed the opportunity to put on his jersey and helmet for the first time today and finally get to work.


“It felt great. I am part of the Steelers organization,” said Bush. “I am a Steeler.


“Now I just want to get familiar with the playbook, with the languages. Just get familiar with my play calling. I didn’t feel out of whack. I knew there would be some hiccups. I am still learning.


“I want to show that I belong here. That I belong in the NFL and I am going to play here a long time.”


And play for a long time with confidence.


https://www.steelers.com/news/bush-confidence-is-very-important

hawaiiansteel
05-10-2019, 07:27 PM
Devin Bush quickly gets to leading Steelers defense

GERRY DULAC
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
MAY 10, 2019

After months of evaluation, whether with film study, pro-day workouts or dinner meetings, there is little more the Steelers can discover about Devin Bush, their No. 1 draft choice.

But, on his first day of donning a yellow practice jersey with the No. 55, Bush had something he wanted to show the Steelers.

“Why I belong here, why I belong in NFL, that I’m going to play here for a long time,” Bush said.

Friday was the first day toward what the Steelers hope will be the development of the missing piece in their defense. It was the beginning of their three-day rookie minicamp on the South Side, and while a 90-minute session in shorts in hardly a predictor of what will happen, Bush certainly showed why he was considered a leader and the person entrusted with setting the defense at Michigan.

If all goes according to plan, Bush will soon assume a similar role with the Steelers, calling out the defensive signals and setting the front seven. That duty was already on display on the first day on the practice field.

“I just wanted to be vocal the best I could and trust what I see, whether I was right or wrong,” Bush said. “I know concepts already, I just got to learn the language – different things they call, different things they speak. I just got to get familiar with the playbook, get familiar with the language and get confident in my play-calling.”

Bush said there were a few “hiccups out there,” but added, “I didn’t feel out of whack.”

None of that surprised cornerback Justin Layne, the Steelers’ third-round pick who played against Bush at Michigan State.

“He’s a great leader, very vocal,” Layne said. “He’s going to be good. I can tell. You can tell. He was calling the right defenses and everything. He knows what’s going on.”

That was among the reasons the Steelers moved up 10 spots in the draft to select Bush with the 10th overall pick.

Now it’s his turn to show the Steelers they were justified in making that move. And Friday was the start of the process.

“Just being out there, getting back in football mode, it’s football again,” Bush said. “So I’m happy to be back.

“Now I’m a part of the Steelers organization. I’m a Steeler. I’m very grateful to be in this position right now.”

Bush will wear No. 55, which, he noted, was the number formerly worn by Joey Porter. But that wasn’t the reason he asked for that number.

“I always wanted to wear Number 10 again,” said Bush, referring to his uniform number at Michigan. “You add 5 and 5, you get 10.”


https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2019/05/10/Devin-Bush-quickly-gets-to-leading-Steelers-defense/stories/201905100114

hawaiiansteel
05-10-2019, 10:25 PM
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D6PK4ilW0AAxT1n.jpg

Steel Maniac
05-12-2019, 01:23 PM
Kid wants to be a leader; what’s not to like?

fordfixer
05-12-2019, 02:09 PM
First-round pick Devin Bush just signed his deal with the Steelers. The four-year total is $18,871,768 — all of it guaranteed.


Adam Schefter, ESPN Senior Writer
29m ago

pittpete
05-12-2019, 02:34 PM
Not taking anything away from Shazier but he didnt start right away and had problems staying healthy early on.
Bush maybe even better and more of a playmaker.
Imagine that?
Wow

RuthlessBurgher
05-12-2019, 03:38 PM
First-round pick Devin Bush just signed his deal with the Steelers. The four-year total is $18,871,768 — all of it guaranteed.


Adam Schefter, ESPN Senior Writer
29m ago

Devin Bush signs rookie deal with Steelers
By Charean Williams | May 12, 2019, 1:44 PM EDT

The Steelers have gotten their first-round choice under contract, with Michigan linebacker Devin Bush signing his rookie deal, a source tells PFT.

The four-year contract will pay Bush a fully guaranteed $18.8 million.

That means the Steelers have signed eight of their nine draft picks. Only their second third-round choice, Michigan State cornerback Justin Layne, remains unsigned.

The Steelers traded up to nab Bush with the 10th overall choice.

Bush had 80 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and five sacks for the Wolverines last season.

In three seasons, he played 32 games and made 172 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and an interception.

hawaiiansteel
05-12-2019, 05:16 PM
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D6YAkY2XoAAn51f.jpg

Steel Maniac
05-12-2019, 06:48 PM
Not taking anything away from Shazier but he didnt start right away and had problems staying healthy early on.
Bush maybe even better and more of a playmaker.
Imagine that?
Wow

From your mouth.....

NorthCoast
05-13-2019, 12:28 PM
A serious commitment for a guy that's done squat in the NFL.

RuthlessBurgher
05-13-2019, 12:50 PM
A serious commitment for a guy that's done squat in the NFL.

What? Rookie deals are slotted according to where you were selected in the draft. .

The 10th overall pick Devin Bush is making slightly less ($18,871,768 guaranteed on a 4 year deal) than what the 9th overall pick Ed Oliver is scheduled to make ($19,565,156 guaranteed on a 4 year deal). He is also making slightly more than what last year's 10th overall pick Josh Rosen got ($17,597,756 guaranteed on a 4 year deal).

It's a hell of a lot better now than the completely absurd contracts that top 10 draft picks used to get paid.

Oh wow
05-13-2019, 01:03 PM
A serious commitment for a guy that's done squat in the NFL.

People want to move up in the draft but don’t want to pay for it?

Pretty sure it’s in line with the rookie scale.

Is it because it’s all guaranteed?

Times are changing.

NorthCoast
05-13-2019, 05:58 PM
People want to move up in the draft but don’t want to pay for it?

Pretty sure it’s in line with the rookie scale.

Is it because it’s all guaranteed?

Times are changing.

Where I come from guarantees go with guaranteed performance. Teams are taking all the risk nowadays. In Bush's case it might be low risk but still it's all on the team.

Steel Maniac
05-13-2019, 06:35 PM
Where I come from guarantees go with guaranteed performance. Teams are taking all the risk nowadays. In Bush's case it might be low risk but still it's all on the team.

I second this; I hope we don't make it a habit of fully guaranteeing any one's contract other then a franchise QB.

Buzz
05-13-2019, 06:43 PM
I second this; I hope we don't make it a habit of fully guaranteeing any one's contract other then a franchise QB.

Shoulda known with Rosenhaus as his agent.

When his mustache turns yellow a couple years down the road, watch out.

Steel Maniac
05-13-2019, 06:45 PM
Shoulda known with Rosenhaus as his agent.

When his mustache turns yellow a couple years down the road, watch out.

Oh boy.......if Rosenhaus goal long term is to get fully guaranteed contracts for all his guys, he'd better think again.

Eddie Spaghetti
05-13-2019, 06:48 PM
all 1st round rookie contracts are guaranteed

this is silly to be upset about

NorthCoast
05-13-2019, 07:05 PM
The Fine Print of Rookie Contracts in the NFL

By ANDREW BRANDT May 16, 2017
It’s mid-May, which means it’s signing season. Teams are locking up their rookie classes with CBA-mandated four-year contracts at a record pace (the Panthers had all their picks signed in a week).
When I negotiated rookie contracts for the Packers, from 1999 through 2009, I would call agents in May and June and try to do deals, only to hear that they wanted to wait until the market filled in and they would be “safe.” Some teams wouldn’t even call agents until the week of training camp.
That was then; this is now. The 2011 collective bargaining agreement assigned a value to each pick, meaning the only negotiable item fans and media tend to care about—the money—is basically preset based on where a player is drafted. Then why don’t all players sign quickly and easily? Well, “backside” issues could be equally or more important than the money. And with such limited opportunities to show their value, agents can separate themselves in these subtle and impactful areas. Here are a few.

DEFERRALS
Media reports about a bonus rarely detail payment terms, which are often the source of tense negotiations. Agents want all or as much of the bonus as possible now, or hopefully within the calendar year. Teams prefer to hold on to the money for both interest reasons and for any issues that may come down the road, giving them a level of control with the player having to chase the money. If the team is chasing money from the player, a judgment in their favor can be a pyrrhic victory; good luck collecting it. For example, the Patriots have consistently denied paying the last installment of Aaron Hernandez’s $12 million signing bonus from his 2012 contract, a $3.25 million amount that was due in March 2014. Whether justified in withholding payment or not—to be decided by an arbitrator—the Patriots’ lengthy deferrals have given them leverage here.
The deferral issue played out last summer in the long-running contract dispute between the Chargers and Joey Bosa, until the Chargers moved up some money (after saying they wouldn’t), although it was much less than Bosa desired. This year, the Chargers had another top-10 pick (Mike Williams) represented by the same agency as Bosa (CAA), but the deferral negotiation moved swiftly, with Williams to receive 75% of his bonus now and 25% of it next March.
I treated deferral as a negotiable item: I would sometimes offer one bonus with payment now and another, slightly larger bonus with extended deferrals. There were mixed results. If players needed the money, they often would take the smaller but immediate bonus.


GUARANTEES
Though the CBA drastically reduced pay for top rookies, agents have extracted a measure of redemption with guarantees. Most first-round contracts are fully guaranteed for all four years. Second-round contracts are usually guaranteed for the first two years, although late in the round it appears only the first year is fully guaranteed, with a partial guarantee in 2018. Below the second round, only the signing bonus is guaranteed.
Guarantees for rookie players are a nice development since the 2011 CBA, although that positive outcome is tempered by…

OFFSETS
In simplest terms, offset language allows teams to recover future guarantees if the player is released and then signs elsewhere. Teams enforce/demand offset language arguing 1) past precedent and 2) their own veteran contracts have offset language. There are a few teams that choose not to enforce offset in their rookie contracts; the Rams are a notable outlier.
Offset language is now becoming non-negotiable by teams who can exert their leverage here.

SPLITS, NFI
Split contracts are another way teams leverage players to protect against injury risk.
A split contract reverts to a “down” amount (far below league minimum) if the player is placed on lists such as Injured Reserve or PUP (Physically Unable to Perform). As with offset, splits for players taken below the second round are becoming less and less “negotiable.”
So far this year, signed third-round contracts have 2017 splits. Some fourth-round contracts have full splits in 2017 and 2018, although a handful of agents have wrangled a “preseason split” in 2018, applicable only if placed on the injured lists before the season. For lower rounds, full splits for 2017 and 2018 are common.
On the positive side for players, a couple of them have negotiated that if they are placed on NFI (Non Football Injury) this year—due to injury or illness not due to playing football—they will be paid full salary. NFI allows teams to pay any amount from zero to full salary; players such as John Ross and Sidney Jones have been ensured full pay. This is another area where agents can work the margins going forward.

VOIDING
A more sinister trend is developing: teams are negotiating language that voids—erases—future guarantees not only for suspensions, but also for a fine! Think about this scenario: a player is late to a meeting (perhaps because his car broke down or he had an accident) and is fined for being late, triggering the void of millions, or even tens of millions of future guarantees!
I always teach that negotiations are primarily about allocation of risk. Teams are forging terms that increasingly protect them from any and all future risk with the player. Why? Because they can.
NFL player agents are now in a business with downward pressure on fees due to rookie contracts that are preset financially. The “backside” is where they can separate themselves.

<em>
https://www.si.com/mmqb/2017/05/16/nfl-rookie-contracts-fine-print

Northern_Blitz
05-13-2019, 07:29 PM
Where I come from guarantees go with guaranteed performance. Teams are taking all the risk nowadays. In Bush's case it might be low risk but still it's all on the team.

I think they're no real risk in this case.

Short of catastrophic injury, there's no way we cut a top 10 pick before the end of their contract. And in the event of injury, I'm sure the contract would be insured.

Also where we come from, workers sell their labor in a free market. That's not the case for draft picks. In OK with teams taking on faux risk in that case.

RuthlessBurgher
05-13-2019, 08:19 PM
all 1st round rookie contracts are guaranteed

this is silly to be upset about

Yeah, the rookie wage scale is collectively bargained, so the entire league is bound by the same basic rules regarding how these deals are allowed to be structured. Really the only thing to negotiate over with first round picks these days is whether or not to include offset language in the contract. Rookie contract length, dollar value, amount guaranteed, etc. was all essentially already predetermined for the #10 selection even before we traded up and made Bush the pick.

NorthCoast
05-13-2019, 08:28 PM
Yeah, the rookie wage scale is collectively bargained, so the entire league is bound by the same basic rules regarding how these deals are allowed to be structured. Really the only thing to negotiate over with first round picks these days is whether or not to include offset language in the contract. Rookie contract length, dollar value, amount guaranteed, etc. was all essentially already predetermined for the #10 selection even before we traded up and made Bush the pick.Also, splits, deferrals, and voids... see above. So teams have some amount of risk abatement if they aren't dealing with a douchey agent.

Steel Maniac
05-13-2019, 10:35 PM
Also, splits, deferrals, and voids... see above. So teams have some amount of risk abatement if they aren't dealing with a douchey agent.

Well, they have plenty of motivation for that monster second contract. It’s all good. Bush is gonna earn every penny anyway. The Kid wants to be our defensive leader.

RuthlessBurgher
05-14-2019, 11:38 AM
Tedy Bruschi ‘Can’t Wait’ To See Devin Bush Lined Up In Steelers Defense

By Matthew Marczi 

Posted on May 14, 2019 at 8:00 am

Pittsburgh Steelers President Art Rooney II joked that the team’s interest in Michigan linebacker Devin Bush and the possibility of going up to get him was the ‘worst-kept secret’ of the draft. It’s a fit that made a ton of sense on paper, and now it’s an actuality, so a lot of people, both inside and outside of the fan base and the organization, are interested in seeing how that plays out.

You can include former New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi in that group. Bruschi, while showing some homerism as about any former player-turned-analyst does (yes, including former Steelers players), has been overall one of the better of his breed in making a second career in the game from the commentating side.

He recently called out the Bush pick for the Steelers as the fit that he is most looking forward to seeing this year after Pittsburgh gave up second- and third-round draft picks to trade up from 20th-overall this year to the 10th spot to get him.

“I can’t wait to watch Devin Bush, the linebacker out of Michigan, in the Pittsburgh Steeler defense”, he said. “Those guys know how to use off-the-ball linebackers, rushing the passer, in space. They utilize them on a three-down basis and he has the ability to do that. You leave him on the field, it’s a huge asset for your team. He’s not a first- and second-down player, he’s not just a third-down sub linebacker, he can do it all. Great fit for the Steelers”.

And Bush seems to be off to a good start. He was calling the team’s defense, vocally and with confidence, from the first day of rookie minicamp even though he had just gotten the playbook. He told reporters that he was already familiar with a lot of the concepts that he was seeing, but that he would have to adjust to the language the team is using to identify those concepts.

The only real question is whether or not he is going to start immediately as a rookie or if the coaching staff will give him time to come along. They signed veteran Mark Barron in free agency on a two-year deal worth $12 million. They obviously have plans for Barron to play, whether that is as the starting Mack linebacker or otherwise.

It would be a shock, though, if we don’t see Bush on the field for at least a decent amount of time during his rookie season, especially given the recent trend of their first-round picks starting almost immediately, and every first-round pick going back to 2012 has played significantly during their rookie season when healthy.

https://steelersdepot.com/2019/05/tedy-bruschi-cant-wait-to-see-devin-bush-lined-up-in-steelers-defense/

Oh wow
05-14-2019, 11:58 AM
Nice. If all he needs is the terminology we may have the next leader on defense.

RuthlessBurgher
05-21-2019, 03:37 PM
Devin Bush Opens OTAs Running With 1st Team

By Alex Kozora 

Posted on May 21, 2019 at 1:41 pm

The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t keeping the training wheels on Devin Bush. Opening OTAs for the first time of the season, Bush reportedly ran with the starters for “most of the day,” according to this tweet/report from the Post-Gazette’s Sarah K. Spencer.


Bush flashed a big smile when asked about running with the first-team defense for most of the day.

“It’s a super learning experience. The guys get to learn me and I get to play alongside them and build some relationships.”

— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) May 21, 2019

Of course, this will bring up shades of Ryan Shazier, who was running with the 1st team during the spring of his rookie season. He ended up starting the first five games of 2014 before missing a month with an injury.

Being a starter and ideally, a three-down player, will require Bush to be the signal caller of the defense. The man who wears the green dot on the back of his helmet, gets the playcall from the sideline, and aligns the front while adjusting to any audibles and motions the offense responds with. As Spencer’s tweet notes, Vince Williams seems to be taking Bush under his wing. Williams served as the team’s signal caller last season, the team opting to play him even on 3rd and long. After beating the Patriots, Mike Tomlin noted how important his communication was, even if it meant sacrificing a bit of athleticism.

“I can’t say enough about Vince Williams in what he was able to do in terms of being a central communicator throughout the game,” Tomlin said in his next press conference. “It allowed us to settle in and match some of the pace things they do and things they do very well. I thought communication was an element of that performance.”

Calling the defense won’t be brand new for Bush either. He served in that role at Michigan and repeatedly earned high praise from defensive coordinator Don Brown.

“The thing I remember most with him is he would come and sit between series on the sideline and if I’m sitting here, he’s sitting right there,” Brown said in a video posted by the school, transcribed via The Michigan Insider. “Didn’t matter what the score was, he was the leader and he was right there — on every word and every adjustment. He was the guy [on the] field that the players trusted, that I trusted.”

That’s what it’s about. Trust. Communication. And early on, it sounds like Bush is well on his way to earning that.

https://steelersdepot.com/2019/05/devin-bush-opens-otas-running-with-1st-team/

ikestops85
05-21-2019, 04:24 PM
Does anybody think he will really be the defensive signal caller to start the year? If he is, then, WOW!!

RuthlessBurgher
05-21-2019, 04:26 PM
Does anybody think he will really be the defensive signal caller to start the year? If he is, then, WOW!!

Yeah, the dude with the green dot has to remain on the field in all situations, and Bush seems like he'll be that guy to me. I expect us to trot out Bush and Vince as our inside backers on early run downs, and then Bush and Barron as our inside backers in nickel passing downs. The common demoninator there is Bush would be out there for everything. Start getting him ready for that duty now.

hawaiiansteel
05-22-2019, 02:39 AM
https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_photo_album/f_auto/steelers/r1ifracuyx4aazbtj1k7.jpg

RuthlessBurgher
05-22-2019, 10:35 AM
Devin Bush splits time with Mark Barron running with 1st team at OTAs Tuesday

The Steelers rookie linebacker saw a significant amount of practice time with the starters during the opening day of OTAs

By Simon Chester
May 22, 2019, 8:54am EDT

The Pittsburgh Steelers wasted very little time getting Devin Bush acclimated to the first-team defense on the opening day of Organized Team Activities on Tuesday, reportedly including him in a three man rotation at inside linebacker with veterans Mark Barron and Vince Williams.

As per Mike Prisuta of WDVE Radio and Steelers.com, while Bush was not in there for the first snap of the day, it appears that he saw a significant amount of time with the starting unit on day one of OTAs, seemingly being given every opportunity to show the coaching staff what he can do from the outset.


Devin Bush wasn’t with No. 1s on first snap of OTA No. 1. Mark Barron lined up at ILB with Vince Williams. “Yeah, I did,” Barron said. The rest of the time, “We had a (3-man) rotation going,” Barron said. It wasn’t base or sub-package driven. Barron: “It was a pure rotation.” pic.twitter.com/gt2Mm8buZH
— Mike Prisuta (@DVEMike) May 21, 2019

The ability of the young rookie to be able communicate with the rest of the defense will be key to his development in the early stages of his career, especially if he is to be charged with the task of calling the plays in the huddle. A learning curve that Williams and Cam Heyward are helping him with in their own different ways.


Steelers rookie LB Devin Bush says he's learned a lot from Vince Williams already.

"Vince leads a lot by example. He shows you how to communicate, how to conduct an NFL defense, what to look for in checks and just how to play the full game."
— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) May 21, 2019


Cam Heyward on Devin Bush rotating in with the No. 1s: “It’s kinda weird cheering for a Michigan guy now but I’m going to be his biggest advocate. We were already kidding him about when he was calling the play that he’s gotta get some bass in his voice. But he’s gonna be good.” pic.twitter.com/Nvng8xaUH9
— Mike Prisuta (@DVEMike) May 21, 2019

When speaking to the media after practice, Heyward was understandably reluctant to get too excited about the rookie’s performance after only one day of training out of pads. But also made it clear that he would do what he could to help the former Michigan product adjust to life in the NFL, despite the obvious college rivalry. As reported by Sarah Spencer of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.


“It’s the first day, we got to get the jitters out. It’s kind of weird cheering for a Michigan guy now, but I’m going to be his biggest advocate and biggest supporter, so it’s a good starting point. It’s the first day to get him used to us. We were already kidding about when he was calling the plays, he’s got to get some bass in his voice. But that’s just us messing around. He’s going to be good, and we’ll break him in.”

And while Barron might be his rival for the starting role, the offseason free agent signing had nothing put positive things to say about his young rival when talking to reporters.


“I’ve only been around him briefly, but I like his style of play from what I’ve seen. He’s really aggressive, really tenacious, a speedy guy. He gets to the ball, and that’s kind of similar to the way I play. I get to the ball. I like that; anytime I see somebody that gets to the ball and plays with a certain attitude, I like it.”

Of all of the position battles set to be fought this offseason, the one between Barron and Bush could well be the most interesting to watch. But it perhaps worth acknowledging the relative unimportance of who runs with which unit at this stage in the year. If Bush is dominating the first team snap counts when the team gets to Latrobe, that will be the time to really take notice.

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2019/5/22/18634997/steelers-rookie-lb-devin-bush-splits-time-with-mark-barron-running-with-1st-team-at-otas-nfl-news

RuthlessBurgher
05-22-2019, 10:47 AM
Devin Bush labeled as a ‘perfect fit’ for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense

ESPN labels Steelers’ 1st round pick Devin Bush as a ‘perfect fit’ for the team’s defense.

By Jeff Hartman
May 18, 2019, 10:15am EDT

The Pittsburgh Steelers did what their fan base wanted during the 2019 NFL Draft — they were aggressive.

Rather than sitting back and waiting until their appointed 20th pick in the draft, they traded their 20th pick, their second round pick and a 2020 3rd round pick to move up to the 10th pick and get their guy. None other than one of the ‘Devins’. Michigan ILB Devin White.

When the stun of the draft trade wore off, Steelers fans have been wondering what kind of player the Steelers were able to draft. Does he fit the scheme the way the organization wants? Will he make an immediate impact?

According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, Bush was one of 15 players selected who could be tabbed as a ‘perfect fit’ with their new NFL team.

See what Bowen had to say, but first let’s see what their ultimate objectives were with this exercise:


Throughout the NFL draft process, we focused on specific traits that translate to the pro game. Scheme fit and coaching, however, are vital parts of early development and production in the league.

Let’s focus on the rookies who landed in the offensive and defensive schemes that will allow NFL teams to maximize their ability, using stat projections from ESPN’s Mike Clay. Here are 15 first-year players who are set up to succeed early in their careers:

Okay, with that out of the way, time to get to what they had to say about Bush and what his projected stats are for 2019:


Devin Bush, ILB, Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 10)

Clay’s 2019 projections: 98 total tackles, two sacks and four pass breakups

Bush fills an immediate need for the Steelers in the middle of the defense, and his run-and-hit traits are a perfect fit for this defense. Bush should be viewed here as a three-down defender who can match in coverage underneath, close with speed in zone schemes and track the ball in the run game. He also has shown the ability to blitz.

I expect Bush to rack up tackles and use that 4.4 40-yard dash speed to eat up grass as a sideline-to-sideline player who makes impact plays.

At this point, what do you think of the prediction? Do you feel Bush is indeed a perfect fit for the Steelers, or do you think there will certainly be some growing pains in this development? Also, will he start in Week 1, or have to wait his turn behind Mark Barron?

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2019/5/18/18630190/devin-bush-labeled-as-perfect-fit-for-the-pittsburgh-steelers-defense-ryan-shazier-ilb-keith-butler

hawaiiansteel
05-22-2019, 12:32 PM
Mark Barron: ILBs Used ‘Pure’ 3-Man Rotation With Himself, Bush, Williams

By Matthew Marczi
Posted on May 22, 2019

The fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers gave rookie first-round inside linebacker Devin Bush a lot of run with the first-team defense made headlines yesterday, as it should rightfully. But there was actually more to it than that. For one thing, while he took a lot of snaps, he didn’t take the first snaps.

Mark Barron did alongside Vince Williams. And Barron also worked with Bush over Williams at times. He told Mike Prisuta that the Steelers used a true three-man rotation at the inside linebacker position between them to open up OTAs.

“It was pure rotation”, Barron said of the split work he, Bush, and Williams got running with the first-team offense. In other words, it was not based on personnel, situational placement, or anything like that. One pair got playing time, then one was swapped out for the other, and on it went, or so it has been indicated.

What does this mean? More than anything, I think it’s really just about the coaching staff wanting to do two things: one, get the two new faces at the position playing time; and two, simply figure out what those players look like.

There is also the third: figuring out which of the three possible combinations looks best: Bush-Williams, Barron-Bush, or Williams-Barron.

The other day, I featured Barron in my stock watch series and argued that the drafting of Bush lowers Barron’s stock value since he was signed to a $6 million-per-season two-year contract in free agency. The story would be a different one if he should supplant Williams full-time as a starter, though I don’t know that that would be the betting favorite among all possibilities.

The bottom line is that all three linebackers are valued and coveted by the coaching staff, but two of them are new, which means that there is a lot about them that they still need to figure out, even if one is a veteran of many years on the doorstep of 30.

The fact that Bush is getting run with the first-team defense immediately is a great sign, but I also really like seeing Barron being treated like the significant component he should prove capable of being. He got the first snaps and then quite a bit thereafter.

I imagine that rotation is going to continue for a while, but they are going to have to settle on two to start at some point this offseason, which is usually reserved for training camp. Even if they end up having to sit some money on the bench this season, this is a luxury they will gladly embrace given the issues at the position they went through just a year ago.


https://steelersdepot.com/2019/05/mark-barron-ilbs-used-pure-3-man-rotation-with-himself-bush-williams/

NorthCoast
05-22-2019, 12:51 PM
To be honest, I expect fits and starts with the Steelers defense to begin the season. Maybe the first qtr season looking gloomy but will start putting it together for a long tear to end on a high note.
This seems to be the way they have started for Tomlin so don't expect much difference especially with all the new faces.

RuthlessBurgher
05-22-2019, 02:06 PM
To be honest, I expect fits and starts with the Steelers defense to begin the season. Maybe the first qtr season looking gloomy but will start putting it together for a long tear to end on a high note.
This seems to be the way they have started for Tomlin so don't expect much difference especially with all the new faces.

Well, our LB's won't have to try to figure out a way to contain Gronk in the opener, but they certainly will be challenged with handling the likes of Sony Michel, James White, and rookie Damien Harris in both the run game as well as the pass game.

Northern_Blitz
05-22-2019, 02:40 PM
To be honest, I expect fits and starts with the Steelers defense to begin the season. Maybe the first qtr season looking gloomy but will start putting it together for a long tear to end on a high note.
This seems to be the way they have started for Tomlin so don't expect much difference especially with all the new faces.

Yep.

I also expect VW to start with the dot. Hopefully Bush can be the every down guy before the end of the season

RuthlessBurgher
05-22-2019, 02:49 PM
Yep.

I also expect VW to start with the dot. Hopefully Bush can be the every down guy before the end of the season

If Bush is not able to handle the full communication duties of making sure everyone is lined up correctly from day 1, I wouldn't necessarily give the green dot to Vince, because I think that we all realize VW should not be on the field in all situations by now.

Although the preference would obviously be to have an ILB wear the green dot, if Bush's rookie season is more like Troy's rookie season (i.e. doesn't fully blossom until year 2), then just give the dot to an OLB who will be out there at all times instead (T.J. Watt). I would imagine that he knows enough of the defense by now to communicate if needed in that capacity.

Northern_Blitz
05-23-2019, 01:21 PM
If Bush is not able to handle the full communication duties of making sure everyone is lined up correctly from day 1, I wouldn't necessarily give the green dot to Vince, because I think that we all realize VW should not be on the field in all situations by now.

Although the preference would obviously be to have an ILB wear the green dot, if Bush's rookie season is more like Troy's rookie season (i.e. doesn't fully blossom until year 2), then just give the dot to an OLB who will be out there at all times instead (T.J. Watt). I would imagine that he knows enough of the defense by now to communicate if needed in that capacity.

I like this idea better than having VW on the field all the time.

hawaiiansteel
05-25-2019, 12:54 AM
Joey Porter Believes Rookie LB Devin Bush Will Make Steelers Defense Nasty Again

By Dave Bryan
Posted on May 24, 2019

Former Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker coach Joey Porter was a guest Friday evening on NFL Network’s ‘Total Access’ and he certainly had a lot to say about his most-recent employer. During one of the segments that Porter was in, he was asked to comment some on the Steelers first-round draft pick this year, inside linebacker Devin Bush out of Michigan.

“I think he brings instant splash,” said Porter of Bush. “He’s going to be a guy that can go out there, that can call a defense. It makes the Pittsburgh defense not to have to try and use so many people to try and create a Ryan Shazier.. That’s what they did a year ago. You know, we had like a lot of different packages, we were trying to make two and three people be Ryan and when you have Devin Bush, you can leave him on the field. You know he’s a smart guy, his dad is a football coach. He’s been in football his whole life. So, I think he comes right into the system, does his job, makes a lot of plays and brings that nasty back to the defense.”

To date, the early reports out the Steelers rookie minicamp and OTA practices on Bush have been favorable ones and you would expect them to be with him being selected 10th overall in this year’s draft after being traded up for. After seemingly picking up the overall defensive scheme and concepts well during rookie minicamp, Bush reportedly practiced some with the first-team defense during the first week of OTA practices that concluded in Pittsburgh on Thursday. Bush was even reportedly making some defensive calls this past week and was vocal in doing so. Porter was asked Friday night if he believes Bush can be a year-one leader of the defense, the heart of the unit, if you will.

“He’ll definitely be a part of it,” Porter said. “There’s a lot of guys, you have Cam Heyward, who is still a Pro Bowler, is still on that defense. T.J. Watt is coming into his own after making the Pro Bowl last year. But when you add a guy like Devin to that defense, I mean, he’s going to be surrounded by pieces and they’re going to look for him to go out there and make a lot of plays. And I think he can, I think he’s a hell of a football player.”

As you can easily see, Porter is sold on Bush and his abilities to potentially be a big first-year contributor in the Steelers defense. Even though Porter was jettisoned this past offseason, I’m sure he and several other members of the Steelers coaching staff had quite a few discussions about Bush during his final two seasons at Michigan. Additionally, Porter has probably had quite a few long talks with Bush’s father, Devin Bush Sr., in the past as well as he was a coaching intern with the Steelers during last year’s training camp.

Personally, I won’t be surprised if Bush sees considerable playing time on defense in the Steelers regular season opener against the New England Patriots. Heck, he might even wind up starting that game. As long as he stays healthy the remainder of the summer, he figures to take a similar path as a few other recent Steelers first-round draft picks, Ryan Shazier and T.J. Watt. Not only did Shazier start in Week 1 of his rookie 2014 season, he played 88% of all defensive snaps in that Steelers win over the Cleveland Browns. As for Watt, he started in Week 1 of his 2017 rookie season and played 94% of all defensive snaps in the Steelers win over the Browns.


https://steelersdepot.com/2019/05/joey-porter-believes-rookie-lb-devin-bush-will-make-steelers-defense-nasty-again/

hawaiiansteel
05-27-2019, 02:45 PM
Devin Bush Putting His Head In His Playbook ‘Every Day’

By Matthew Marczi
Posted on May 27, 2019

According to the reports of those in attendance at OTAs, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie first-round draft pick Devin Bush, the inside linebacker out of Michigan that the team traded up 10 spots for to draft 10th overall, spent a good portion of the first week of practices lining up with the first-team defense. He even took his turn calling the defense.

Starting and calling the defense is nothing new to him, of course. That’s the life he knew at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh. It’s almost certainly nothing but a matter of time before he continues that way of life with the Steelers under Mike Tomlin. The question is simply how much time it will take. It might be none at all.

Bush could start without the responsibility of being the one to wear the green dot, but it’s easy to get the sense that it’s something he wants to do, the way that Ryan Shazier also wanted to embrace that responsibility as soon as he was able to and the coaches would allow for it.

In Bush’s favor is the fact that he is a second-generation football player who can lean on the wisdom of his father. In his favor is the fact that he knows how to call plays. In his favor is the fact that he is already familiar with quite a bit of the Steelers’ defensive playbook—once he’s able to translate it.

The same concepts go by different names from what he knew. That’s what he’s learning now. And it’s a task that he embraces. “As long as you put your head in the playbook a couple minutes a day, start memorizing stuff and come out here and rep it, you start getting better and better”, he told the team’s website.

He was already calling the defense during rookie minicamp, though of course somebody has to call the defense, and the reality is that the majority of those participating in a rookie minicamp are going to be people who have no NFL experience whatsoever, so it might as well be the high first-round pick doing it.

To immediately graduate to getting the opportunity to do some of the play-calling with the first-string defense weeks later with the start of OTAs, however, is not insignificant. And we know that he did this. Cameron Heyward even talked about the team joking about him needing to get more bass in his voice.

Bush’s study habits are something that was already documented during his college career, so I think it’s safe to say he’ll stand a fairly good chance of being up to speed with the playbook, and with the ability to communicate it from the sideline to the field, by the time the regular season begins. If not, the team has alternatives, but the role will be his sooner or later.


https://steelersdepot.com/2019/05/devin-bush-putting-his-head-in-his-playbook-every-day/

Steel Maniac
05-27-2019, 03:31 PM
Hurry Bush. We need you and Barron to push VW all the way out the picture.

hawaiiansteel
05-27-2019, 03:38 PM
https://media.giphy.com/media/XEz0Az0RKrRw1tKjXi/giphy.gif

AzStillers1989
05-27-2019, 04:24 PM
https://media.giphy.com/media/XEz0Az0RKrRw1tKjXi/giphy.gif

Speed kills.

hawaiiansteel
05-28-2019, 12:11 AM
Scheming The Scheme: How Devin Bush Fits In The Steelers Defense

By Alex Kozora
Posted on May 27, 2019

New mini-series I’ll work on throughout the offseason. How some of the new pieces, free agents and rookies, fit into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ unit in 2019. Compare what they do well with what the scheme might demand. A little while ago, we looked at WR Donte Moncrief. Today, we’re checking out first round pick Devin Bush.

This is a bit similar to our film room piece we wrote the day after they drafted him but I wanted to compare it to the issues the Steelers’ linebackers had on tape last year. Shows the benefit of drafting him all the more.

Reading Keys

The Steelers’ linebackers generally did a good job of reading and reacting last year. But there were still down moments. And when you don’t have great athletes at linebacker, Vince Williams is average, Jon Bostic was below, and you don’t read your keys, it’s awfully tough to make up that ground.

Watch Bostic here. Super late in getting downhill, opening up his hips like he’s going to turn and drop even after the running back takes the handoff. Don’t know what he was seeing there to think pass, maybe something in his film study. Either way, he’s late downhill and can’t close on the runner, allowing a sizable gain.

to read rest of article:


https://steelersdepot.com/2019/05/scheming-the-scheme-how-devin-bush-fits-in-the-steelers-defense/

hawaiiansteel
05-28-2019, 06:02 PM
Devin Bush Drawing Praise From Competition, Barron And Williams

By Matthew Marczi
Posted on May 28, 2019

It is hopefully a good sign when the two people whose playing time is most at risk by another’s presence can’t say enough good things about the person who is putting their playing time in jeopardy. But that has been the response so far from veteran linebackers Vince Williams and Mark Barron about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round draft pick, Devin Bush.

Williams, who has been here since 2013, is entering his third season since taking over a starting position on a full-time basis since Lawrence Timmons departed in free agency. As for Barron, the veteran former first-round pick, he most recently was a starter for the Los Angeles Rams before signing with the Steelers in March. Both of them praised the man they will be asked to help bring along.

Williams was asked if he was impressed with Bush so far, but he said he was not. Not because Bush has not been impressive, but because, as he said, “if I was impressed that would say I’m surprised”. In other words, it’s expected that the rookie is impressive.

For his part, he said that he was excited when the Steelers drafted Bush, because “it adds more playmakers to the defense”. Williams also praised his love for the game and called him “top 10 athletically”.

As for Barron, who was brought in on a two-year, $12 million contract, he too was pleased (let’s not say impressed) by what he has seen from Bush, praising him as “a good young talent”.

“I knew that as soon as we picked him up”, he added. “I am excited to work with him. I always feel like great players bring out the best in each other. Just getting to work with each other and bring the best out of each other, I think that will be good for the team as a whole”.

When Barron was signed, he said during his introductory press conference that he expected to be a three-down linebacker in the Steelers’ defense. That was, of course, well before the Steelers knew that they would have the opportunity to bring Bush into the fold.

The three of those inside linebackers have been rotating with the starting defense during the first week of OTAs, what Barron called a “true rotation”, with Williams sometimes working with Barron, sometimes Bush, and sometimes Bush and Barron working together.

It seems that it’s all so far, so good with the new Michigan linebacker. He has impressed everyone in the organization, including those with whom he shares a meeting room. There’s really no question that he is going to be in the starting lineup soon enough. The only question really is, is he already there? Will he be by September?


https://steelersdepot.com/2019/05/devin-bush-drawing-praise-from-competition-barron-and-williams/

hawaiiansteel
06-01-2019, 01:33 AM
Highlights from Week 2 of Steelers 2019 OTAs

By BRYAN DEARDO

Devin Bush's versatility was one of the reasons why the Steelers coveted him heading into the 2019 NFL Draft. Bush, who was ultimately selected by Pittsburgh after the Steelers traded up to acquire the 10th overall pick, has been displaying that versatility during the first two weeks of Pittsburgh's OTAs.

Jim Wexell of 247Sports recently offered an update on Bush, who has been receiving first team reps with Pittsburgh's defense. Specifically, Wexell noted Bush's production in pass coverage during the team's daily "Seven Shots" drill.

"On Bush, I've noticed him breaking up more passes in coverage, including one in the end zone intended for Donte Moncrief during 'Seven Shots,'" Wexell wrote. "I don't focus on Bush exclusively, and am waiting for the pads to be donned before passing even initial judgment, but his coverage skills so far have been encouraging."


https://247sports.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/ContentGallery/Highlights-from-Week-2-of-Steelers-2019-OTAs-132409977/#132409977_1

Steel Maniac
06-01-2019, 11:24 AM
That’s what you want to see for a guy we traded up for. He’s showing already he was worth our investment.

RuthlessBurgher
06-03-2019, 11:04 AM
Progress reports for all 32 NFL first-round picks

8:00 AM ET
ESPN.com

In early June, fans and teams alike are excited about the incoming draft picks -- especially the first-rounders. Training camp is still weeks away, but teams have had a look at their draft classes during offseason workouts and can start to get an idea of how quickly the first-round selections are adapting to the pro game. Who's off to a quick start? Who will have a hard time cracking the starting lineup? Our NFL Nation reporters share their first impressions of how the first-round picks are performing.

No. 10: Pittsburgh Steelers

ILB Devin Bush: The Steelers thrust Bush into the starting rotation right away, and his coverage skills have been on display. He has shown the ability to get into passing lanes with his quickness. The team wants to expedite his learning curve. Defensive end Cam Heyward said Bush needs more bass in his voice if he's going to call plays. And he'll need to improve his tackling angles in the running game at this level. But so far, he looks like he belongs among a linebacker group that includes veterans Vince Williams and Mark Barron. -- Jeremy Fowler

Click here for the other 31 first round picks:


http://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2019/story/_/id/26858034/progress-reports-all-32-nfl-first-round-picks

NorthCoast
06-03-2019, 12:48 PM
Who is Bush's agent?

RuthlessBurgher
06-03-2019, 02:10 PM
Who is Bush's agent?

Drew Rosenhaus.


http://www.planetsteelers.com/forums/showthread.php/48852-Stay-Away-from-Bush?highlight=bush

hawaiiansteel
06-04-2019, 04:14 PM
Devin Bush ‘A Little Bit Quieter Than He Needs To Be’ Calling Plays At This Point

By Matthew Marczi
Posted on June 4, 2019

There are a lot of reasons that the Pittsburgh Steelers felt Michigan inside linebacker Devin Bush was a player who was worth trading up for in the first round. That is because there are a lot of things that he, or so they believe, will be able to bring to their football team, both on and off the field.

The question is how soon he will be doing those things, and how much of it he will be doing. We’re still very early in the on-field offseason process, entering the final week of OTAs, but where we’re sitting right now, there are a range of possibilities. He could be a day-one starter and play every snap. He might not start any games.

That will really depend on how well he can develop as a communicator, something that defensive coordinator Keith Butler talked about recently while sitting down for an interview with Missi Matthews for the Steelers’ website.

“He’s a smart football player. He knows the game”, he said on Bush. “He’s still got a lot to learn in terms of being a rookie and sounding off and doing the things that we’re going to ask him to do in terms of communication. That’s gonna come to him, but right now he’s just learning it”.

Though he drew early praise for his ability to call and to vocalize the defense during rookie minicamp, even expressing satisfaction himself in that regard even though he thought he may have been calling the wrong plays, the veterans have had a different opinion.

Defensive captain Cameron Heyward already joked on the first day of OTAs that the older players were getting on him, saying that he needs to add some bass to his voice. Butler essentially echoed the spirit of that critique.

“He’s a little bit quieter than he needs to be. He needs to be what I call a loudmouth, where everybody can hear you”, he said. “Everybody’s got to hear you. And you’ve got to have a couple of those guys on your defense to make sure you implement the defense that you want to be in based off the personnel we see that the offense gives us. That part of it he’s certainly capable of doing. It’s just a matter of him getting comfortable with what we’re going to ask him to do”.

Of course he’s about nine practices into his NFL career, so it shouldn’t exactly be surprising if he’s not out there barking out the calls the way that James Farrior did. And even Farrior would be the first to tell you that he was still learning how to do that at the end of his career. It’s not an easy assignment by any means.


https://steelersdepot.com/2019/06/devin-bush-a-little-bit-quieter-than-he-needs-to-be-calling-plays-at-this-point/

hawaiiansteel
06-05-2019, 02:31 PM
Keith Butler On Trading Up For Devin Bush: ‘We Really Needed Him’

By Alex Kozora
Posted on June 5, 2019

There’s nothing a coach likes more than getting a shiny new first round pick. And Keith Butler got himself one of the shiniest ones the Pittsburgh Steelers have had in quite some time. Sitting down with Steelers.com’s Missi Matthews, Butler discussed the decision to make the aggressive move for Devin Bush and the impact it’ll have on the defense. He did so by comparing it to another draft day move the team made more than a decade ago.

“The last time we jumped up for a player like this in the draft, we rarely do this, I think it was Troy Polamalu,” Butler told Matthews. “When we do that, after we had drafted Troy, not the first year, but his years after that he really got good. He gave us a chance to be in three Super Bowls and we won two of them.”

Butler then joked – I think – that he reminded GM Kevin Colbert of that fact.

“I had to tell Kevin that. He already knew that.”

Polamalu was the first and until April, the only defensive player the team has traded up for. Of course, they did do the same for Santonio Holmes years later, a move that paid off with similar Super Bowl success. In 2003, Colbert moved the Steelers from 27 to 16 in order to snag Troy, giving up 3rd and 6th round picks in the process. Undoubtedly, the right move, though the Chiefs got a good player of their own, taking RB Larry Johnson with their new first rounder. He was no Troy but put together a pair of 1700 yard seasons.

Under Colbert’s tenure, the team has made only one other first round move, moving back three spots and taking Casey Hampton in 2001. That too turned out to be the right decision.

Moving up for Bush was the right move even if it cost the team more to get him, sending a 2nd and next year’s 3rd to seal the deal with Denver. Butler agreed with the front office’s plan.

“We really needed him. He fills a big hole for us. Hopefully we can prepare him the way we need he needs to be prepared to help us this season.”

Bush is already working on calling the defense, a must for any linebacker who wants to play all three downs. He figures to see a role at inside linebacker right away, perhaps a prominent one, but that won’t be known until late into the summer. The Steelers do have options, signing Mark Barron and keeping the ever-steady Vince Williams, giving them flexibility they simply didn’t have last year.


https://steelersdepot.com/2019/06/keith-butler-on-trading-up-for-devin-bush-we-really-needed-him/

hawaiiansteel
06-08-2019, 02:06 AM
https://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/405/266/9266405.jpg?fit=bounds&crop=620:320,offset-y0.50&width=620&height=320

hawaiiansteel
06-09-2019, 09:28 PM
McDonald Sees Devin Bush Already Showing He Can ‘Fit In Well’ With The Defense

By Matthew Marczi
Posted on June 9, 2019

When you’re on a team that trades first-, second, and third-round draft picks over a two year span for a player, as the Pittsburgh Steelers did for Michigan inside linebacker Devin Bush, it stands to reason that there are going to be a lot of opinions flying around about him.

Given the massive investment the Steelers have placed on him, it is imperative that he actually pans out and becomes the player that they drafted him to be. The good news on that front, insofar that anything that happens in shorts matters, is that the only complaint he has gotten so far is that he needs to be a little louder when he’s calling the defense.

Nevermind the fact that he is already getting the opportunity, at least on occasion, to call the defense for a relatively veteran-laden defensive unit. And the players across from him, such as tight end Vance McDonald, have noticed as well.

“He showed really quickly he’s going to be able to fit in well with the defense with that group of guys”, the seventh-year tight end said. “When you look at him, you don’t expect him to be as quick or as agile as he is”.

As Cameron Heyward and Keith Butler have noted, though, McDonald also mentioned his need to more expressive when calling the plays, which he believes will come. “There’s a couple of things he needs to work on: being more vocal, because of the role Coach Tomlin wants him to fit into quickly, and the expectation of him doing that. But that’s still such a young thing. You never want to overstep, especially when the pressure is on. I think that will come, especially in Latrobe as he gets the pads on”.

Jeremy Fowler noted, as we already knew, that Bush has been working, along with Mark Barron, in the first-team defense, as has Vince Williams. The ESPN reporter writes that Bush has lined up against tight ends and running backs and has fared well, looking the part, in executing those assignments.

Another offensive player, second-year quarterback Mason Rudolph, also shared his observations of the rookie, saying that “he’s been flying around, especially seeing him in the Seven Shots period. He’s high intensity, doing a good job covering people”. Truth be told, coverage at the second level has been a bigger trouble spot than in the secondary. “You can see his athleticism, and he’s learning quick”.

The Steelers will hold their mandatory minicamp this week before breaking ahead of training camp. That is where the real battle for starting jobs between Bush, Barron, and Bince will begin in earnest. As General Manager Kevin Colbert said of the rookie, we’ll see how he looks when the pads come on.


https://steelersdepot.com/2019/06/mcdonald-sees-devin-bush-already-showing-he-can-fit-in-well-with-the-defense/

RuthlessBurgher
06-10-2019, 10:26 AM
Top pick Devin Bush turning heads 'really quickly' with Steelers

Jun 8, 2019

Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

PITTSBURGH -- Fast doesn't adequately describe Devin Bush, according to one teammate.

"He's quicker than snot," linebacker T.J. Watt said. "He's been flying around and making a lot of good plays."

The early returns on the Pittsburgh Steelers' first top-10 pick in nearly two decades have been largely positive.

The 2019 draft featured two inside linebackers expected to contribute right away. One was Devin White, who has made an immediate impact with the Tampa Bay Bucs. The other, Bush, the former Michigan inside linebacker acquired via a draft-day trade with the Denver Broncos, has put his 4.43 speed on full display in the three weeks of OTAs.

To be sure, the Steelers won't know exactly what they have until they put on the pads for training camp. But a No. 10 overall pick is expected to have a presence from day one, and Bush has.

"He's not the biggest guy, but he definitely walks with a presence, walks with a purpose," Watt said of the 5-foot-11, 234-pound Bush. "He's taken on a good role in knowing all the plays and being able to call some plays for us."

Bush has made clear since his introductory news conference that he isn't looking to replace Ryan Shazier, whose speed made him a two-time Pro Bowler on the inside before a severe spinal injury stalled his career. Bush understands the expectations. The team's last top-10 pick was Plaxico Burress, No. 8 overall in 2000.

Bush simply wants to maximize his capacity and play Steelers football. That process is going strong, and his athletic traits are obvious.

But the Steelers still need one thing from him: a stronger voice in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage. Defensive end Cam Heyward joked last month that Bush needs more boom in his voice if he's going to call plays for this veteran group.

"He showed really quickly he’s going to be able to fit in well with the defense with that group of guys," tight end Vance McDonald said. "When you look at him, you don’t expect him to be as quick or as agile as he is. There's a couple of things he needs to work on: being more vocal, because of the role Coach Tomlin wants him to fit into quickly, and the expectation of him doing that. But that’s still such a young thing. You never want to overstep, especially when the pressure is on. I think that will come, especially in Latrobe as he gets the pads on."

That's when McDonald and others expect Bush to really shine with physicality. For now, he's doing what he was taught to do more than a decade ago: Cover receivers in space.

Bush has received first-team reps but is sharing time with free-agent acquisition Mark Barron, who figures to play in base or nickel packages. Bush has lined up with tight ends and running backs and looks comfortable in either setting, particularly at the goal line.

"He’s been flying around, especially seeing him in the seven shots period. He’s high intensity, doing a good job covering people," backup quarterback Mason Rudolph said. "You can see his athleticism, and he’s learning quick."

https://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/30848/top-pick-devin-bush-turning-heads-really-quickly-with-steelers

hawaiiansteel
06-16-2019, 11:20 PM
Keith Butler On New ILBs: ‘It’ll Help Us In Coverage Quite A Bit’

By Matthew Marczi
Posted on June 16, 2019

Coverage was one of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ biggest issues as a team last season. Not as much about the cornerback position as you might think, however. Joe Haden was his usual self, and once Coty Sensabaugh settled into the lineup, by no means was he bombarded.

Rather, the Steelers gave up a lot over the middle, and in key situations, as well. Particularly, the coverage at the linebacker position was lacking, and that was due in large part simply because they did not possess the athletes that could compete in that field at the level necessary for a championship defense with the rest of the group that they have.

And so they attacked the issue aggressively this offseason, bringing in veteran free agent Mark Barron from the Los Angeles Rams back in March, and then a month and a half later trading first-, second-, and third-round picks to move up 10 spots in the first round to land Devin Bush.

Nobody was happier about that than was defensive coordinator Keith Butler, who was asked toward the end of the team’s spring drills about how he believes the addition of those two players is going to change the way that his defense is run.

“It’ll help us in coverage. It’ll help us in coverage quite a bit with both of those guys”, Butler said. “Bush’s dad was a safety at Cleveland when I was a linebacker coach there, and he had always been a good player and very bright, very smart. Intelligence and athletic ability are a great thing to have at that position. So we’ve got to get that from those guys. I think we will”.

Devin Bush, Sr. was a first-round draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons, playing for the Browns and the St. Louis Rams as well. He reached the Super Bowl with the Falcons and won with the Rams. During his time in Cleveland, as Butler mentioned, their times overlapped, though he did not directly coach him.

Now, Butler gets to coach not only his son, but a safety who is now a linebacker at this point in the NFL’s development, because of the way that the game has evolved. Barron would have been too slight even a decade or so ago to play the position as an every-down player.

This time a year ago, the Steelers were trying to figure out who to start alongside Vince Williams between Tyler Matakevich and Jon Bostic. Both of them ended up on the bench or in a reduced role in favor of L.J. Fort by the end of the year.

Things have certainly changed in a year’s time, as Bush and Barron are both logging time with the first-team defense, sometimes one paired with Williams at a time, at others, on the field together. Time will tell what arrangement ends up being the primary, but one thing is clear, which is that they have much more athletic options.


https://steelersdepot.com/2019/06/keith-butler-on-new-ilbs-itll-help-us-in-coverage-quite-a-bit/

hawaiiansteel
06-18-2019, 07:06 AM
Tim Benz: Steelers’ Devin Bush insists he’s big enough for NFL

TIM BENZ | Tuesday, June 18, 2019

We can all be critical. And we often are. But it’s not like Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert is blind. Nor are head coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Keith Butler.

Certainly, Dick LeBeau wasn’t either.

They saw this coming.

The Steelers realized where offense was going in the NFL, even if they may have been guilty of trying to counter with the traditional 3-4 defensive sensibilities longer than they should’ve.

In at least one area, though, the team tried to keep up with the curve. They knew offenses were becoming pass-happy, especially against them and their usual stout run defense. That realization was even occurring toward the end of the Bill Cowher era.

They have been looking for athletic, sideline-to-sideline, pass-defending, three-down, speed-oriented inside linebackers for a while now.

They just can’t keep them healthy. First, it was Sean Spence in 2012, who was lost to catastrophic knee injury in his rookie preseason. Then it was Ryan Shazier’s spinal injury after he emerged as a Pro Bowler.

Now it’s Devin Bush’s turn to attempt to drag that position for the Steelers into the modern age.

Again, it’s not for a lack of trying that the Steelers haven’t filled that role with long-term occupants. I remember endorsing the Spence pick for all of those reasons above when others criticized him for being a reach because he was deemed too small.

If Spence came into the draft — pre-knee injury — in 2019 as opposed to 2012, a player of his ilk would probably be an early second-rounder as opposed to a late third-rounder.

Similarly, a rookie version of Shazier (in perfect health) may have battled Bush and Devin White for top marks at the position and a spot in the Top 10 of the draft. Yet, even as recently as his 2014 draft class, some people were wondering if maybe Shazier went a little too high to the Steelers at pick No. 15.

He turned out to be plenty worthy.

All three players are similar in size. The Steelers list Shazier at 6-foot-1, 230 pounds. Leaving Ohio State he was 237. Bush is 5-foot-11, 234 pounds. Spence measured in at the NFL Combine at 5-foot-11, 231 pounds.

Yet I heard a lot of whispers of “Boy, the first-rounder looks smaller than I thought” from onlookers at Steelers workouts these last few weeks.

Clearly, both Shazier and Spence had their careers slowed by single massive injuries. But Shazier struggled with nicks and dings throughout his career before his back injury, averaging 4.5 missed games per year. Spence never started more than nine games in the league but did manage to dress for 46 out of 48 contests once he returned.

Can Bush’s body sustain the pounding at inside linebacker in the NFL?

“I’m a grown man as much as anyone else in this locker room,” Bush said. “I’m here to play football. Nothing changes.”

So far, his position coach, Jerry Olsavsky, says Bush hasn’t looked out of place.

“He’s just a good, quality player,” Olsavsky said. “We’re anxious to see him (in training camp) when everything is going real. But he’s everything we’ve expected.”

Olsavsky says Bush shows his ability to bang with big bodies particularly in pass-rushing.

“Devin is a good pass-rusher,” Olsavsky insisted. “He rushed at Michigan. Being a good pass-rusher, if you’ve got feel, you can be a good pass-rusher.”

Attacking the passer is one portion of the game where Bush maintains his lack of size may help him.

“I’m low to the ground. Very quick. Explosive off the first step,” Bush said. “I can generate a lot of power with my legs and my arms. Being able to use my athleticism in the middle to have that quick burst — that strength — to withstand the bigger guys, I think that’s the biggest advantage when I rush inside.”

Running over pass-blocking running backs when Bush has a head of steam is one thing, tackling them when they are running at him is another. And that’s where the wear-and-tear could come into play.

That says nothing of the open-field kind of hits in the pass game that befell Shazier, as well.

At Bush’s size, technique will be as important as physicality.

“Learning the whole new game, being around a bunch of veterans, it’s a whole new way of playing football,” Bush said. “It’s more mental than physical. I’m learning a lot.”

The unfortunate thing for the Steelers is that they had tried to be up to speed on this inside linebacking issue.

Twice.

Now they appear to be playing catch up. Again.

Hopefully Bush can get them there and validate that the Steelers have properly identified the problem and invested in the right type of solution.

They just need to keep that solution on the field long enough, often enough, to prove the point.


https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-steelers-devin-bush-insists-hes-big-enough-for-nfl/

Steel Maniac
06-18-2019, 02:37 PM
Man, too many off season stories; can’t wait till they get it on in training camp.

hawaiiansteel
06-23-2019, 11:55 PM
https://media.giphy.com/media/Lv0eTkI1iVzy0/giphy.gif

hawaiiansteel
07-02-2019, 01:31 AM
Film Room: Devin Bush In Man Coverage

By Tom Mead
Posted on July 1, 2019

We have provided a ton of coverage here about Pittsburgh Steelers first round draft pick, linebacker Devin Bush, so why not a little more. And this coverage is about coverage.

Alex gave several good examples in an earlier film room article so I’ll try to expand upon that to show you some more examples of specific routes and his ability to defend them.

Bush brings much needed speed to the position and show very good mental processing to be able to diagnose plays. He was used in various ways on passing plays at Michigan. They used him as a pass rusher from inside and on the edge. When playing more mobile quarterbacks he was used as a spy to limit their ability to scramble and run. They used him in Zone coverage and looked comfortable getting depth, showed good route awareness and ability to read the quarterbacks eyes.

I am going to focus a little more on the Man coverage abilities. Take a look at a few different routes and see how he handles them:


https://steelersdepot.com/2019/07/film-room-devin-bush-in-man-coverage/