Optimism Surrounding OLB Position With Young Guys Adeniyi And Smith

[Jooser]

It's definitely a good thing to have some young guys pushing the vets to continue to hone their own game. I think Adeniyi will see some PT this year, so we'll just see how far he's come along.

https://steelersdepot.com/2019/06/optimism-surrounding-olb-position-with-young-guys-adeniyi-and-smith/




Optimism Surrounding OLB Position With Young Guys Adeniyi And Smith



https://42rmyb1muv894309qpoieim1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Olasunkanmi-Adeniyi-Tuzar-Skipper-practice-2.jpg

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a real drought in trying to find edge rushers for the longest time, which greatly helped to contribute to an extended dry spell in terms of sack production through the bulk of the 2010s as the play of James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley began to fall off for a variety of reasons.


Since Jason Worilds in 2010, a second-round pick who only developed into a competent pass rusher by the end of his career, the Steelers failed to acquire a legitimate talent again until they struck on T.J. Watt in the first round in 2017.


And that was, of course, with two other, even higher, first-round investments in the position, with Jarvis Jones (a top-20 pick) in 2013 and Bud Dupree in 2015. Dupree remains with the team, of course, as a starter, but his sack production hovers around averaging six per season at this point, which is obviously not where the team wants it to be.


But could the Steelers’ latest additions to the position help solve the pipeline problem? There is optimism surrounding 2018 college free agent Olasunkanmi Adeniyi entering his second season, even though he only played a handful of snaps last year, and though he’s undersized, Sutton Smith, a sixth-round rookie, has quickly becoming exciting for many.


Even Tunch Ilkin got himself all excited about these two young pass rushers (https://www.steelers.com/video/sideline-report-otas-day-6). He called Smith “a natural”, and of Adeniyi, he offered, “he is gonna make that next jump” while providing a sideline report for the sixth OTA session last week.

Of course, they won’t be the first young pass rushers talked up before they ever accomplish anything. Who knows, really, what the career of either one is going to turn out to look like? Already there are people pushing for Adeniyi to start, seeing him as a young James Harrison.


That might be jumping the gun a bit, but even the coaching staff and front office has talked about how excited they are to see what he can do in his second year after spending most of his rookie season on injured reserve following a promising preseason showing.


And as for Smith, he had great college tape, which is what got him drafted, and every report from rookie minicamp and OTAs about him has been very positive about how he appears as a pass rusher. But we really won’t know more until he actually goes up against a starting-caliber tackle in pads.


Still, it’s better to be optimistic than pessimistic at this time of year, and there is some room for optimism here. Frankly, that’s more than we could say for some years in the very recent past.

[Northern_Blitz]

Hopefully. Bud's probably gone next year.

Hope his replacement emerges this year so we don't need to spend a premium pick next draft.

I think a high pick next year will be edge because the odds that either of these guys ends up being a starter is low (but not zero).

[Steel Maniac]

Hopefully. Bud's probably gone next year.

Hope his replacement emerges this year so we don't need to spend a premium pick next draft.

I think a high pick next year will be edge because the odds that either of these guys ends up being a starter is low (but not zero).

Here's hoping.

[RuthlessBurgher]

How T.J. Watt found his voice with the Steelers

1:00 AM ET

Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

PITTSBURGH -- A pack of Steelers defenders swarmed a running back, and T.J. Watt couldn't resist.

"Look at that pursuit!" Watt bellowed in the direction of a group of reporters during OTAs as he helped chase down the target. "Write about that pursuit!"

No longer is Watt the reserved pass-rusher looking to solidify a role. His role is to be heard -- with his play, with his work, and with his mouth.

Coming off a 13-sack season and a Pro Bowl, the Steelers expect results in all three areas. In fact, outside linebacker Bud Dupree says Watt has become one of the two primary defensive leaders, alongside captain Cam Heyward.

"Cam has always been a leader, and T.J. is stepping into that role now as well," Dupree said. "It always has to be more than one leader on the team. T.J. has the personality to be energetic, talkative to the group. He has what it takes to do it. People respect him."

Watt knows this evolution took time. As a rookie and first-round pick in 2017, Watt admits to mostly staying quiet and doing his job. Dupree said his teammate didn't open up much to the rest of the group.

The 24-year-old revealed more of himself in Year 2, and as his sack total grew from seven to 13 -- and the post-sack celebrations became more boisterous -- so did his presence off the field.

Watt's work ethic never was questioned. Every summer, he gets after it in his native Wisconsin with a 5,000-calorie-a-day diet and multiple daily training sessions.

That others noticed gave him an outlet to be himself. This offseason, for example, Watt has been known to initiate personalized handshakes with several teammates before 11-man work, while pumping up the group.

“I feel like I haven’t totally proved myself,” Watt said. "But through what I have done around here, the extra work that everyone sees me put [in], that I can start to get into that leadership role and have a voice on this defense.

"I don’t care what anyone outside of this locker room thinks of me. I care what these guys think about me and I earn that through working hard and they all see that. I think that’s the biggest thing here, having respect. You earn respect through working hard and doing the right things on and off the field.”

The Steelers are reaping the benefits. Dupree said teammates are "seeing how T.J. really is" now, a loyal friend who keeps things loose.

Watt came to Pittsburgh as the younger brother of NFL superstar J.J. Watt, but his family rarely comes up at the facility.

"He gets that from everywhere, so we try to keep it about T.J. here," Dupree said.

Watt was hopeful a leadership role would eventually crystallize because of the tone he has tried to set.

“Dating back to my Wisconsin days, you just get your feet wet and get the respect of a lot of guys," Watt said. "You see that guys are starting to follow you and ask questions, how you sleep, how your diet is, how you study film. You think, ‘Wow, some guys are starting to follow in my footsteps. It’s time to take on a leadership role.’ It kind of blossoms into what it is."

Watt's next step is improving the play that got him to the Pro Bowl, while trying to take teammates with him.

He knows now that relating to everyone takes a diversified approach.

"[Everyone] takes coaching and everything differently," Watt said. "[It's about] being a guy that works really hard, showing through example and then talking when the time is right, not trying to overcoach and be somebody that I’m not."

https://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/30835/how-t-j-watt-found-his-voice-with-the-steelers

[flippy]

I'm more excited to see what these 2 guys can do than just about any other person on the roster.

If they were 6'4", they would have easily been 1st rounders. Sutton is a lot quicker. He's quicker than just about everybody. OA is a smidge taller, stronger, and heavier. I think OA can carry 250lbs+, but Sutton might max out at 225-235 and he's going to have a challenge on the edge. But Sutton's quickness is ridiculous and I think he's going to prove everyone wrong and possible become the Drew Brees or Wes Welker of OLBs. Terribly small and undersized, but just crazy good despite his limitations.

The one big question is can he remain durable at that size?

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert ‘excited’ about what Ola Adeniyi can do

by Tommy Jaggi

Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager, Kevin Colbert, was one of several who spoke highly about Ola Adeniyi entering his second NFL season.

Ola Adeniyi was quite possibly the most exciting young player in a Steelers uniform last preseason. At 20-years old, he opened eyes with his 3.0 sacks and 2 forced fumbles, despite limited action last August.

At 6’1” and 248 pounds coming from the MAC, it didn’t take long for fans to compare him to another Steelers pass rusher who wore number 92.

Ola Adeniyi undeniably shares a lot of similarities with James Harrison. Though the comparisons may draw unrealistic expectations, there are many members of the organization speaking out on Adeniyi’s behalf.

General Manager, Kevin Colbert, was one of them. Here is what he had to say about Ola shortly after the 2019 NFL Draft, according to Tim Benz of TribLIVE:

“We activated him, but he wasn’t going to be a contributor. I think that’ll be a difference. We always talk about players moving into their second season. We are excited about what he can do.”

A hamstring injury to Ola resulted in him seeing action in just one game last season. But that didn’t stop teammates from expressing their high hopes for the former undrafted free agent.

T.J. Watt recently had this to say about Ola Adeniyi:

“I think Ola is making some improvements. Just seeing him try new pass-rush moves. I think that’s the biggest thing for any pass-rusher is to try different moves this time of year because who cares if you fail? Just go out there and try as many moves as you can. I think Ola is doing a good job of that.”

Still just 21 years old, Ola Adeniyi is entering his second season healthy and ready to make an impact for the Steelers. At Toledo, he raked in an eye-popping 20.0 tackles for a loss to go with 8.5 sacks in his Junior season before entering the NFL. Fans are hoping the success he had in college and during his first preseason with the Steelers will translate on the field early during the regular season for Pittsburgh.

It is still unclear how the Steelers intend to use Ola in 2019. But with Anthony Chickillo proving just 1.5 sacks backing up T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree, Adeniyi may have a chance to push him as the top rotational piece on the edge.

The Steelers passed on a chance to steal Chase Winovich in the third round this year. Perhaps Kevin Colbert and company think they already have the player they need in Ola Adeniyi.


https://stillcurtain.com/2019/06/04/steelers-kevin-colbert-ola-adeniyi/

[The Man of Steel]

[/QUOTE] The Steelers passed on a chance to steal Chase Winovich in the third round this year. Perhaps Kevin Colbert and company think they already have the player they need in Ola Adeniyi.[/QUOTE]

Only time will tell I guess but I can see Winovich becoming a star in New England and Adeniyi just being nothing more than another warm body in Pittsburgh. Hoping that I’m wrong but at the moment not drafting Winovich seems like an asinine move by the Steelers.

[Steel Maniac]

The Steelers passed on a chance to steal Chase Winovich in the third round this year. Perhaps Kevin Colbert and company think they already have the player they need in Ola Adeniyi.

Only time will tell I guess but I can see Winovich becoming a star in New England and Adeniyi just being nothing more than another warm body in Pittsburgh. Hoping that I’m wrong but at the moment not drafting Winovich seems like an asinine move by the Steelers.

I definitely think that Colbert thinks they have that guy already. Time will tell.

[Oviedo]

The Steelers passed on a chance to steal Chase Winovich in the third round this year. Perhaps Kevin Colbert and company think they already have the player they need in Ola Adeniyi.[/QUOTE]

Only time will tell I guess but I can see Winovich becoming a star in New England and Adeniyi just being nothing more than another warm body in Pittsburgh. Hoping that I’m wrong but at the moment not drafting Winovich seems like an asinine move by the Steelers.[/QUOTE]

Would it be an "asanine move" if Winovich wasn't from the local area? He got lots of hype because he was a local kid. We got by far the best LB on the Michigan team. I also liked Winovich but its extreme to try to portray him as the next Kevin Greene

[RuthlessBurgher]

Chase seems to be a guy who is a high-effort physical player, but wasn't necessarily blessed with a great deal of athleticism and explosiveness. He was a third round talent who was drafted in the third round. I would have been happy to land him in round 3, but I don't think we missed out on the "steal of the draft" here or anything. I expect him to be a solid, but not necessarily spectacular NFL player.

[Disco1981]

I'm more excited to see what these 2 guys can do than just about any other person on the roster.

If they were 6'4", they would have easily been 1st rounders. Sutton is a lot quicker. He's quicker than just about everybody. OA is a smidge taller, stronger, and heavier. I think OA can carry 250lbs+, but Sutton might max out at 225-235 and he's going to have a challenge on the edge. But Sutton's quickness is ridiculous and I think he's going to prove everyone wrong and possible become the Drew Brees or Wes Welker of OLBs. Terribly small and undersized, but just crazy good despite his limitations.

The one big question is can he remain durable at that size?

Insert Sam Mills...Albeit it's not the norm, But all positions have had their " not prototypical " height, weight, speed preferred number at every position...

But there has always been exceptions,as you stated...JH was a GREAT OLB at 5'11"...Sure height is the only true comparison between him snd Sutton...Harrison was / still is strong AF...But Sutton also is so unique in that he is crazy quick and athletic...

Sometimes these type of players are very troublesome for opponents because they are " not the norm " !

[RuthlessBurgher]

Sometimes these type of players are very troublesome for opponents because they are " not the norm " !

Good point...NFL tackles are so used to blocking guys that are 6'4"-6'6" and 250-270 lbs. all day every day that when someone comes at them who is suddenly 5'11"-6'0" and 230-240 lbs., they might not know exactly how to go about dealing with them.

[Steel Maniac]

Insert Sam Mills...Albeit it's not the norm, But all positions have had their " not prototypical " height, weight, speed preferred number at every position...

But there has always been exceptions,as you stated...JH was a GREAT OLB at 5'11"...Sure height is the only true comparison between him snd Sutton...Harrison was / still is strong AF...But Sutton also is so unique in that he is crazy quick and athletic...

Sometimes these type of players are very troublesome for opponents because they are " not the norm " !

I agree with this; you've got to be intrigued at what Sutton's quickness can do for us. Sure durability is an issue but also being able to wrap up on tackles; which was another short comming of our defense.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

The Steelers passed on a chance to steal Chase Winovich in the third round this year. Perhaps Kevin Colbert and company think they already have the player they need in Ola Adeniyi.

Only time will tell I guess but I can see Winovich becoming a star in New England and Adeniyi just being nothing more than another warm body in Pittsburgh. Hoping that I’m wrong but at the moment not drafting Winovich seems like an asinine move by the Steelers.[/QUOTE]

Would it be an "asanine move" if Winovich wasn't from the local area? He got lots of hype because he was a local kid. We got by far the best LB on the Michigan team. I also liked Winovich but its extreme to try to portray him as the next Kevin Greene[/QUOTE]

But.....the hair.

[Steel Maniac]

This is one of those “ wait and see” situations. We’ll find out which GM was right and wrong. I too wanted CW; quite a few of us had him in our mocks that we posted leading up to the draft. Let’s give Colbert the BOD right now.

[The Man of Steel]

This is one of those “ wait and see” situations. We’ll find out which GM was right and wrong. I too wanted CW; quite a few of us had him in our mocks that we posted leading up to the draft. Let’s give Colbert the BOD right now.
All I’m saying is if CW sacks Ben even once on opening day one of my shoes will be landing against the TV screen.

[Oviedo]

Chase seems to be a guy who is a high-effort physical player, but wasn't necessarily blessed with a great deal of athleticism and explosiveness. He was a third round talent who was drafted in the third round. I would have been happy to land him in round 3, but I don't think we missed out on the "steal of the draft" here or anything. I expect him to be a solid, but not necessarily spectacular NFL player.

Sounds like a clone of Chickilo to me, except Chickilo isn't a local kid

[Steel Maniac]

All I’m saying is if CW sacks Ben even once on opening day one of my shoes will be landing against the TV screen.

I feel ya;

[RuthlessBurgher]

Friday, Jun 07, 2019 07:06 AM

Labriola on special teams, T.J., young guy days


Bob Labriola

Steelers.com


Ready or not, here it comes:


• “If you’re not a starter on offense or defense, you better be a starter on special teams.”


• That’s a verse from the gospel according to special teams coordinator Danny Smith, and he preaches it to the new group of draft choices and rookie free agents each spring as the offseason program gets underway. And if it can be criticized for being self-serving, it also should be heeded because it’s true.


• Most of the players who used their college football career as a resume builder for a shot at the NFL come into it trying to make a roster with little to no special teams experience, and most of them are staring down the barrel of a situation where making an impact on special teams would be their best path to getting onto the team first and then getting onto the field after that.


• A 53-man NFL roster is about half the size of the typical college team, and on game days having only 46 players in uniform is mathematical proof that what Smith was telling them is the unvarnished truth.


• A game day roster will include two quarterbacks and three specialists, and so that means a head coach has but 41 position players at his disposal. Since most offensive and defensive linemen aren’t on the kick return or kick coverage units, you can subtract another 12 from the 41, which leaves 29. That number is reduced further by the offensive and defensive starters who are exempt from special teams, and so special teams coordinators such as Smith find themselves with about a dozen core guys who will end up playing the bulk of the special teams snaps.


• Become one of those 12 and you’ve made yourself into an indispensable part of the game day roster, and if a young player is able to make himself into an indispensable part of a team’s game day roster, it means he has his foot in the door on the way to a career in the NFL.


• During this OTA portion of the offseason program, young guys are getting their first chance to show what they can do during on-field sessions, and because the Steelers have these sessions open to the media, and because the media can interview players after those sessions, there can be a buzz created about certain individuals and what they have been showing on the field.


• Mostly, the focus is on offense or defense. Just to use some examples from the last couple of weeks, storylines have included how sixth-round pick Sutton Smith had his jersey switched from No. 51 to No. 42 in part because the Steelers plan to see if he can line up some at fullback maybe in addition to linebacker. Or how Ola Adeniyi has developed additional pass rush moves that might help him transition from last summer’s camp phenom into a guy who could be part of one of the defensive sub-packages. Or how safety Marcus Allen, a fifth-round pick in 2018, feels so much more comfortable with the defense and his responsibilities within it in his second professional season.


• There are other storylines, too, but the reality for Smith and Adeniyi and Allen, as well as for many others, is that their surest shot to be on the opening 53-man roster and then to be in uniform when the regular season opens on Sept. 8 in Gillette Stadium is to have found a way to make themselves indispensable to Danny Smith.


• That’s their foot in the door, just as it was for Greg Lloyd and Joey Porter and James Harrison and Jerry Olsavsky and Lee Flowers and Jason Gildon, and so many others. Which is why those periods of practice that are devoted to special teams might be boring for fans to watch, but they are more meaningful than just about anything else so many young players will do all day.


• By no definition of the word could T.J. Watt be considered a disappointment. No way. Far from it. But if the Steelers don’t start getting more from him in what will be his third NFL season, their defense has no chance to be what this team will need to get back into the playoffs and contend for a championship.


• The team’s first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft has been a full-time starter for the entirety of his two-year career, and in 31 career games Watt already has 20 sacks and a Pro Bowl in the hopper. He has learned to play right outside linebacker and then left outside linebacker in a seamless fashion during his two professional seasons, and the manner in which he approaches his profession and conducts himself both on and off the field belie the fact his 25th birthday won’t happen until mid-October.


• The Steelers need more takeaways from their defense, and while it would be unfair to place the onus for this solely on Watt’s shoulders, it’s also fair for a team to turn to its best players when looking to increase the frequency of the kinds of plays that can change the course of a game. Watt is certainly among this team’s best players, and he’s not shying away from the responsibility that comes with such a status.


• “More splash. More plays,” Watt told the Tribune-Review after the Steelers’ fifth OTA. “I think I left a lot of plays out there (in 2018). I feel like I definitely got into a rhythm toward the end of the season and got more comfortable in all aspects of the game, not just the pass rush.”


• In his second NFL season, Watt led the team in sacks with 13, in hits on the quarterback with 21, and in forced fumbles with six. For a guy to be as disruptive as Watt, to be around the quarterback as much as Watt, it’s unfathomable that the Steelers finished the season with only eight interceptions and seven fumble recoveries.


• Watt seems to be in agreement, and he’s turned his focus toward doing something about that. Using his first two NFL seasons as evidence, Watt’s focus is a dangerous weapon.


• Scheduled days off. Maintenance days. Young guy days. Those all are different ways to describe the same thing, which is Mike Tomlin’s method of simultaneously preserving the bodies of some of his team’s critical veterans while increasing the number of repetitions his young players might need to advance their development.


• It’s most obvious when it’s implemented at the quarterback position, and while fans may moan about Ben Roethlisberger getting the kid-glove treatment, Tomlin’s ongoing policy of managing the workload that’s placed on that extremely critical 37-year-old right arm/elbow serves the team in many different ways.


• The value of keeping Roethlisberger fresh over the long grind of an NFL season shouldn’t have to be explained to anyone, but apparently there are still some who need to be reminded that flesh and bone isn’t an indestructible combination. Having an athlete in “midseason form” a couple of months before midseason can result in the piper having to be paid at some point down the road, and if the trade-off for being in midseason form in September is a tired arm in December, well, that too high a price to be paid.


• But beyond protecting the team’s No. 1 asset, resting Roethlisberger also increases the on-field exposure for Joshua Dobbs and Mason Rudolph, and it can increase the on-field opportunity other front-line players have to work with them.


• Should something happen to a team’s starting quarterback, it’s important that the backup has had time in practice, and it’s also important that the backup has had time in practice with the people with whom he’s going to have to be on the field executing the offense.


• As for the actual competition to be the backup quarterback in 2019, that action will heat up once the Steelers report to Saint Vincent College, and those preseason games when Roethlisberger plays little if at all figure to serve as the final exams for Dobbs and Rudolph.


• It would make sense for each guy to get a chance to start a preseason game, and another evaluating tool would be how each guy fares coming off the bench, because that scenario would be the most likely one if either is going to get any real regular season playing time.


• So keep all of this in mind if you happen to be visiting training camp to watch practice and it turns out to be a day when Roethlisberger is primarily a spectator. It’s not a wasted trip, but merely a chance to get a first-hand look at how the Dobbs vs. Rudolph competition is shaping up. And don’t forget to pay attention during special teams periods.


https://www.steelers.com/news/labriola-on-special-teams-t-j-young-guy-days

[hawaiiansteel]

Olsavsky On Steelers Rookie Sutton Smith: ‘We Are Trying To Get Him To Be A Good Special Teams Player’

By Dave Bryan
Posted on June 19, 2019

When the Pittsburgh Steelers arrive at Latrobe for the start of their 2019 training camp roughly five weeks from today one of the team’s three sixth-round draft picks this year, outside linebacker Sutton Smith out of Northern Illinois, is likely to be an instant fan favorite as he’s an easy player to root for. After all, what’s not to like about an undersized edge-rusher who mostly played running back in high school and ultimately defied the measurable bias in college on his way to registering 30 total sacks, of which 29 came in his final two seasons?

Despite his strong college pass-rushing resume, Smith will undoubtedly still need to show this year in training camp that he can wear multiple hats with a primary one having a special teams tag emblazoned on it. Nobody probably made that more clear during the Steelers offseason practices than inside linebackers coach Jerry Olsavsky when he talked to the media last week during the team’s mandatory minicamp

“He played defensive end in college,” Olsavsky said, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “The easiest way to make the team is on special teams, then make yourself valuable with the other traits. We like how he comes off the edge. Now we are trying to get him to be a good special teams player, so he has a spot there.”

Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler also said as much about Smith not long after the team had drafted him.

“Sutton Smith is a quick guy. He’s going to add some depth to our outside linebackers to help us on special teams,”Butler said immediately following the selection of Smith. “We’ll get him here and see what he does best. Right now, we know that he’s a great rusher for us. He’s going to create some great competition for us at outside linebacker, which is always good. We’ll see when he gets here at camp, what he does best and try to utilize his abilities to that.”

The “other traits” that Olsavsky spoke of last week figure to be related to Smith showing that he can also serve as an emergency fullback and maybe even as an emergency inside linebacker during training camp, in addition to outside linebacker. The 6003, 233-pound Smith reportedly received some limited work at fullback during the Steelers offseason practices and he updated the media on how that experience has gone for him to date.

“Things are going well with fullback,” Smith said. “They are throwing me in a little bit more, They don’t want me to pick a position. They want me to learn both positions.”

With “both” positions being outside linebacker and fullback, will Smith also get some practice time at inside linebacker once the team begins their training camp practices in late July?

“To teach somebody inside and outside right away? That would be a disservice,” Olsavsky said last week per the newspaper report. “If it shows up later, OK. But that’s something that comes out during the course of training camp.”

Smith learning all of those multiple positions this summer aside, it has to be reemphasized that him proving himself as potentially being a core special teams player at Latrobe and during the preseason is paramount. If he can’t make himself valuable to special teams coordinator Danny Smith, it’s unlikely that he’s make the initial 53-man roster.

Looking back at Smith’s college career, it’s hard to tell if he played any on special teams but if he did, it probably wasn’t much. Because of that, it will be interesting to see how he does when it comes to him covering punts and kickoffs once he puts the pads on for the first time as a member of the Steelers. If he can prove to be a valuable asset in that phase of the game, him learning the other positions along the way will just be icing on the cake for him and thus make him even harder to part with come early September.

Oh, about Smith potentially being too undersized to play outside linebacker at the NFL level, Olsavsky relayed some interesting observations on that notion as well last week.

“At rookie camp, you might have looked at him a couple times and said, ‘Maybe he is too small.’ But I haven’t seen that now,” Olsavsky reportedly said. “You look at the film, and he holds up on the edge pretty well.”

Personally, I can’t wait to watch Smith wear multiple hats during the preseason and I bet many of yinz feel the same way.


https://steelersdepot.com/2019/06/olsavsky-on-steelers-rookie-sutton-smith-we-are-trying-to-get-him-to-be-a-good-special-teams-player/

[Iron City Inc.]

Dave Bryan usually knows his stuff n does his homework. How he did not know Smith did play special teams , blocked a punt against Toledo n took it to the house, he is better then that. Smith will get every opportunity with Danny Smith's group to excel. No reason to believe he won't be a solid special teamer. He'll become a fan favorite if he can bend the arc make a few sacks on 2nd n long or 3rd n long. That is where we'll see just what we have in this rook.

[Captain Lemming]

Sounds like a clone of Chickilo to me, except Chickilo isn't a local kid

Almost got the hair too.
Nothing a little bleach cant fix and we already have the next K. Greene, or Matthews. :)


https://steelersdepot.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chickillo-e1468684044399.jpg

[Captain Lemming]

Perhaps we should sign this guy to be "the next Kevin Greene".

https://img.cinemablend.com/filter:scale/quill/9/0/d/4/3/1/90d431a3bc97131c151da831fbb778e783e62b99.jpg?mw=60 0

[RuthlessBurgher]

Perhaps we should sign this guy to be "the next Kevin Greene".

https://img.cinemablend.com/filter:scale/quill/9/0/d/4/3/1/90d431a3bc97131c151da831fbb778e783e62b99.jpg?mw=60 0

I dunno, man...in the last movie, his physique more resembled the next Casey Hampton (with a Keisel beard)...

https://img1.grunge.com/img/gallery/the-untold-truth-of-fat-thor/intro-1557507463.jpg

[hawaiiansteel]

Alex Kozora
@Alex_Kozora

Sutton Smith came flying off the left edge to pressure Rudolph. Forced overthrow, nearly picked by Brian Allen. #Steelers


https://twitter.com/Alex_Kozora?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp %7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

[Steel Maniac]

It all sounds good.

[hawaiiansteel]

Blitzburgh
@Steel_Curtain4

Ola won Backs on Backers today 7-1 and some think he was 8-0 according to some Journalists. 👀 #Steelers

28 Jul 2019


https://twitter.com/Steel_Curtain4/status/1155642989311594496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5 Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1155642989311594496&ref_url =http%3A%2F%2Fwww.steelersuniverse.com%2Fforums%2F showthread.php%2F30704-Bud-Dupree-Says-He%25E2%2580%2599s-Not-Interested-in-Contract-Extension-with-Steelers

[Captain Lemming]

Insert Sam Mills...Albeit it's not the norm, But all positions have had their " not prototypical " height, weight, speed preferred number at every position...

But there has always been exceptions,as you stated...JH was a GREAT OLB at 5'11"...Sure height is the only true comparison between him snd Sutton...Harrison was / still is strong AF...But Sutton also is so unique in that he is crazy quick and athletic...

Sometimes these type of players are very troublesome for opponents because they are " not the norm " !

So true.
I say we move Mike Hilton to OLBer. :)

[hawaiiansteel]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EAv4Vd_VAAAdOoR.jpg