The Undersized Playmaker!!

[Dee Dub]

I think this Steelers offense could benefit from having a Darren Sproles type. The underszie, scatback if you will. A small back with great quickness and speed. One who can jump-cut on a dime. One who can play on 3rd downs and provide that breakaway ability that this team lacks in the backfield. It would help to keep oppossing defenses honest if they had one. On 3rd downs it would be hard to blitz as often when you know the Steelers have a game breaker who could break them down on a screen.

In this up coming draft there are a couple diminutive types that could be had in the later rounds.

Jeff Demps Florida ---proabably the fastest man on the planet. Or at least one who plays football. (10 flat 100 meters)

Andre Ellington Clemson

Rodney Stewart Colorado--solid in pass catching (45 rec. this year)

Fozzy Whittaker Texas

LaMichael James Oregon---flat out electrifying!

[SteelAbility]

Re: The Undersized Playmaker!!

Absolutely agree. I was just thinking tonight that I'd love it if the Steelers could get Darren Sproles. It would open up a ton of offense.

[WindyCitySteel]

Re: The Undersized Playmaker!!

He'd be wasted in this offense. Mendenhall has 12 catches in 11 games. He's no Sproles with the ball, but should get 50+ catches a year.

[Shawn]

Re: The Undersized Playmaker!!

I would agree. It forces a D to respect the flats. We attempt to do this now with the bubble screens but we all know how those work out. Having an ultra quick scatty type back who is tough to tackle one on one open field will open up the deep game. Very tough to defend a team with a true speed threat at both WR, and RB.

[rpmpit]

Re: The Undersized Playmaker!!

I know he was way too easy to tackle...but do you guys remember how great FWP was on screen plays?

[feltdizz]

Re: The Undersized Playmaker!!

I know he was way too easy to tackle...but do you guys remember how great FWP was on screen plays?

what's a screen?

FWP would have been even better if he followed his blockers instead of running past them and into defenders.

[rpmpit]

Re: The Undersized Playmaker!!

I know he was way too easy to tackle...but do you guys remember how great FWP was on screen plays?

what's a screen?

FWP would have been even better if he followed his blockers instead of running past them and into defenders.

He had his weaknesses, but I really liked him as a Steeler. He could score every time he touched the ball. Something we really don't have now except for maybe Wallace.

Oh, and here...

[sd steel]

Re: The Undersized Playmaker!!

We had that Sproles type back, Stefan Logan, and never used him in the offense. We seem to acquire the big receivers and the scatty type backs over the years, but we never seem to use them to their full potential in our offensive schemes. Sproles always looks great in primetime, but if he were on the Steelers he would look an alot like Mewelde Moore.

[Dee Dub]

Re: The Undersized Playmaker!!

We had that Sproles type back, Stefan Logan, and never used him in the offense. We seem to acquire the big receivers and the scatty type backs over the years, but we never seem to use them to their full potential in our offensive schemes. Sproles always looks great in primetime, but if he were on the Steelers he would look an alot like Mewelde Moore.

Yeah but Logan was a receiver by trade. What I am talking about is a legit RB. A 3rd down specialist who creates major match up problems from the backfield. One who has to keep LB's honest. When you have guys like Terrell Suggs pinning his ears back and racing straight to Ben it changes things a little if you have one who can counter that.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Re: The Undersized Playmaker!!

I know he was way too easy to tackle...but do you guys remember how great FWP was on screen plays?

Willie was horrible as a receiver. He had to be standing dead still to even have a shot at catching the ball. We need a fluid back that can catch on the run like a WR instead of having to start running only once he catches the ball. Mendenhall is sorta like FWP in that regard where I am envisioning a Kevin Faulk catching the ball on the run and out running an OLB.

[Lebsteel]

Re: The Undersized Playmaker!!

I thought this thread was going to be about Tyrann "Honey Badger" Mathieu. I would love to see a playmaker like him in our defense.

[sd steel]

Re: The Undersized Playmaker!!

[quote=Dee Dub]

We had that Sproles type back, Stefan Logan, and never used him in the offense. We seem to acquire the big receivers and the scatty type backs over the years, but we never seem to use them to their full potential in our offensive schemes. Sproles always looks great in primetime, but if he were on the Steelers he would look an alot like Mewelde Moore.

Yeah but Logan was a receiver by trade. What I am talking about is a legit RB. A 3rd down specialist who creates major match up problems from the backfield. One who has to keep LB's honest. When you have guys like Terrell Suggs pinning his ears back and racing straight to Ben it changes things a little if you have one who can counter that.[/quote:1wbwvdlf]

By using different personnel groupings with the players that we currently have you can create those mismatches. When Sproles is in the backfield no one expects him to block Suggs, so wouldn't we be able to use A Brown or Manny Sanders in a similar role out of the backfield? I think that you are comparing a difference in a scheme that uses Sproles as opposed to what a little scat back like Sproles would be able to do in our scheme. We have personnnel that could be used effectively by taking advantage of mismatches, but we don't run a scheme that does it effectively.

[steelblood]

Re: The Undersized Playmaker!!

[quote=Dee Dub]

We had that Sproles type back, Stefan Logan, and never used him in the offense. We seem to acquire the big receivers and the scatty type backs over the years, but we never seem to use them to their full potential in our offensive schemes. Sproles always looks great in primetime, but if he were on the Steelers he would look an alot like Mewelde Moore.

Yeah but Logan was a receiver by trade. What I am talking about is a legit RB. A 3rd down specialist who creates major match up problems from the backfield. One who has to keep LB's honest. When you have guys like Terrell Suggs pinning his ears back and racing straight to Ben it changes things a little if you have one who can counter that.[/quote:z8fi4b5n]

Logan was a RB in college and for BC in the CFL.

I'm okay with this sort of player if he can still pick up the blitz. Some of the players you listed may not be able to.

[Dee Dub]

Re: The Undersized Playmaker!!

I thought this thread was going to be about Tyrann "Honey Badger" Mathieu. I would love to see a playmaker like him in our defense.

Not me. He likes to smoke weed. And as we know with Santonio Holmes...this is a problem.

Me personally, I would prefer Oklahoma's Tony Jefferson. A very similar player without the off field issues. Jefferson is all over the place. Sacks, forced fumbles, tackles for loss, INT's pass break ups. He's too is a sophomore.

[WindyCitySteel]

Re: The Undersized Playmaker!!

Mendenhall is the perfect 3rd down back...get him with the ball in space and he can make things happen.

It's just not part of our offense, sadly. I'd trade the lion's share of the WR screens for designed flares and leak outs by Mendy.