Steelers DB's

[Mister Pittsburgh]

S Will Allen
FS Ryan Clark
FS Ryan Mundy
SS Troy Polamalu
S Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith

CB Crezdon Butler
CB William Gay
CB Keenen Lewis
CB Bryant McFadden
CB Ike Taylor
DB Anthony Madison
DB Tuff Harris

Who stays - Who goes? Any of the practice squad guys make the jump to good contributors? Who do we let walk in free agency?

[sentinel33]

Re: Steelers DB's

As far as Safetys go, Allen, Mundy, Clark and Troy all return. I feel like that is a very solid unit and one of the best in the NFL. Cromartie can go on the Pract squad.
Cornerbacks comes down to a re-signing of Ike, which will happen. A re-signing of Gay, but for a cheaper shorter contract. Then I bring back Madison for his Gunning abilities and I bring back Butler because he really hasnt gotten a shot yet. Lewis and Mcfadden-thanks for your services.

Then, in round one we select a CB. I am not an advocate for moving up in the first. Pittsburgh doesnt do that very often so im not too concerned about that. If a Harris or Smith isnt there, then we try to trade back out of the first and acquire an extra draft pick or two. then at the new position take the best CB available. 20 or so picks later, take the best lineman available. With 2 picks in the third and the two highest positions of need addressed, these two picks could be used for a WR/TE and an ILB/D-lineman. Perhaps look at depth at Safety. Shoot, even readdress the two positions filled with the first two picks.

This team needs a big time corner on the other side of Ike. When I looked at the starting eleven of the defense, Mcfadden was easily the weakest link, which was exploited in the superbowl. It's time to give Ike and Troy and Ryan and shot in the arm if you will.

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Steelers DB's

I wouldn't be opposed to adding another safety to the roster for next season.

Will Allen has shown very little to date, Troy is injured often and finding an upgrade for Ryan Mundy would be nice.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Re: Steelers DB's

I think the keys to this offseason, defensively, is re-signing Ike to start on one side of the field, and then either find a diamond in the draft that can play just as good or better than Ike, or find someone in free agency like that.

I think another key is grooming someone to play a solid free safety. If Troy goes down agian this season, I want someone that could play a ball hawking FS while being a solid run defender, and move Clark to SS. He knows what Troy does, but is not as athletic, but can still make plays.

I would let Gay walk, and start McFadden at nickel. I think he can be an outstanding Nickel, but just isn't very good when put on an island as a starting CB.

So lets pull for Ike to re-sign and a good FA CB to be had or a young buck ready to start year one in the draft.

Regarding Crezdon Butler, he might be solid, I just don't know.

[SteelAbility]

Re: Steelers DB's

I hear Nnamdi Asamogha is available!!!

[feltdizz]

Re: Steelers DB's

Steelers DB's.... suck.

Don't get your hopes up for any young guy to break out... even if we moved up and signed the #1 CB in the draft. By the time he finishes digesting the playbook he will look like William Gay.

I'm sorry for the doom but I have no faith in the Lebeau DB development. The only reason Troy is a beast is because he gets to play outside of the system half the time...

When Troy plays in the system and deep off the LOS he looks just as bad as the rest of them. He wasn't hurt... he was playing his position the way it's set up in the playbook. Sit back, don't gamble and keep the guy in front of you. Be thankful there are only a handful of QB's in the league who have the ability to light us up.

PS: I'm still PO'ed at the secondary.... if GB didn't drop those passes we would have really seen how bad our secondary really is.

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Steelers DB's

Steelers DB's.... suck.

PS: I'm still PO'ed at the secondary.... if GB didn't drop those passes we would have really seen how bad our secondary really is.

when BMac and Willie Gay are your 2nd and 3rd CBs and Anthony Madison is your 4th one, other teams are going to go 3 and 4 wide all game long and take advantage of those matchups.

[feltdizz]

Re: Steelers DB's

Steelers DB's.... suck.

PS: I'm still PO'ed at the secondary.... if GB didn't drop those passes we would have really seen how bad our secondary really is.

when BMac and Willie Gay are your 2nd and 3rd CBs and Anthony Madison is your 4th one, other teams are going to go 3 and 4 wide all game long and take advantage of those matchups.

Thank goodness only a few QB's are capable of pulling it off. We aren't a bad D but when we play the elite QB's we look atrocious in coverage.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Steelers DB's

S Will Allen
FS Ryan Clark
FS Ryan Mundy
SS Troy Polamalu
S Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith

CB Crezdon Butler
CB William Gay
CB Keenen Lewis
CB Bryant McFadden
CB Ike Taylor
DB Anthony Madison
DB Tuff Harris

Who stays - Who goes? Any of the practice squad guys make the jump to good contributors? Who do we let walk in free agency?

We also signed former Michigan CB Donovan Warren after the season. Probably just a camp body, but I thought he was a decent prospect coming out of college. Hopefully our new DB coach (whoever that may be) can make something out of the kid. It's not like he's competing with elite talents here.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Re: Steelers DB's

If we can find a #2 and a nickel CB who can do a decent job then DB becomes a strength. Not an easy task, but not exactly the overhaul that many are talking about.

[Steelerphile]

Re: Steelers DB's

I think Gay is a good nickel back but I think he is too small and lacking in physical strength to be a starter. BMac is having prolonged injury issues so I think he may be the guy to go. In preseason Lewis flashes ability. He is taller than the average CB which should be an asset but I think he lacks emotional control and that is a poor characteristic for the position. Right now it seems he may not pan out.

Butler looked good in camp but didn't play. They at least need to draft a corner to compete with the group. I thought Mundy looked better this year than before, so I think he could eventually fill in for Clark and be a comparable kind of player. Not as big a hitter but similar in effectiveness.

[phillyesq]

Re: Steelers DB's

More than any position on the roster, I think DB is deserving of a significant investment on draft day.

Troy is obviously the only premium talent. Clark is steady and he is a fine compliment to Troy. I've always been a fan of Ike. He isn't elite, but he can be very good. Everything else - blech.

I'd like to see either a corner or a free safety who excels in coverage as the Steelers first round pick. Given that Anthony Madison was the dime back this year, I can't imagine a rookie not contributing very early in passing situations at the very least.

[Oviedo]

Re: Steelers DB's

More than any position on the roster, I think DB is deserving of a significant investment on draft day.

Troy is obviously the only premium talent. Clark is steady and he is a fine compliment to Troy. I've always been a fan of Ike. He isn't elite, but he can be very good. Everything else - blech.

I'd like to see either a corner or a free safety who excels in coverage as the Steelers first round pick. Given that Anthony Madison was the dime back this year, I can't imagine a rookie not contributing very early in passing situations at the very least.

I think we need to grab two DBs in the first 4 rounds, either two CBs or a CB and a S. Here is why:

S Will Allen--adequete back up
FS Ryan Clark--average starter
FS Ryan Mundy--barely adequete back up
SS Troy Polamalu--superstar, but can't play full 16 games anymore
S Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith--????????

CB Crezdon Butler--Potential but never got a chance in LeBeau mandated hibernation
CB William Gay--Nothing better than adequete nickle
CB Keenen Lewis--bust
CB Bryant McFadden--average starter if healthy
CB Ike Taylor--very good starter, if we can keep him
DB Anthony Madison--garbage as a DB; Special Teams value overstated; wasted roster spot
DB Tuff Harris--obviously can't live up to his name, tackling dummy for pre season

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Steelers DB's

S Will Allen--adequete back up
FS Ryan Mundy--barely adequete back up

I didn't think much of Mundy coming into the 2010 season (probably because Ty Carter was getting meaningful snaps instead of him in 2009). I thought Will Allen was a quality signing to back-up both Troy and Clark, allowing us to jettison Carter from the roster.

Well, Carter was jettisoned, but Mundy was the guy who backed-up both Troy and Clark, not Allen. Allen was merely a special teamer, like Arnaz Battle (it's scary that Madison got more non-ST snaps this season than Allen, Battle, or Fox).

I think Mundy showed this past season that he is the adequate back up, while Allen is the barely adequate back up. If we drafted a safety prospect in the first 4 rounds or so, and we had to dump Mundy or Allen to make room for the rook, at this point I'd keep Mundy and dump Allen.