Losing to the Broncos in the playoffs and irrational exuberance

[Oviedo]

A free safety who can't catch the ball is about as useful as a linebacker who can't tackle.

No one would ever mistake Ryan Clark for a "ballhawk"

[RuthlessBurgher]

No one would ever mistake Ryan Clark for a "ballhawk"

Agreed...but with the uptick in passing...and the Goodell's crackdown on this sort of thing...



...teams really need to look for potential ballhawk free safeties, because bonecrushing FS's are likely to go the route of fullbacks in Goodell's new happy, friendly NFL.

[Oviedo]

Agreed...but with the uptick in passing...and the Goodell's crackdown on this sort of thing...



...teams really need to look for potential ballhawk free safeties, because bonecrushing FS's are likely to go the route of fullbacks in Goodell's new happy, friendly NFL.

I can concur with that. maybe we keep the double up approach to the draft and get two safeties next year. TJ McDonald (USC) and Baccari Rambo (UGa) would look great in Black and Gold.

[RuthlessBurgher]

I can concur with that. maybe we keep the double up approach to the draft and get two safeties next year. TJ McDonald (USC) and Baccari Rambo (UGa) would look great in Black and Gold.

Sounds good to me. Perhaps LSU's Eric Reid and Alabama's Robert Lester instead. Or Oklahoma's Tony Jefferson and Miami's Ray Ray Armstrong. There are a lot of variables still up in the air (who comes out, where we are drafting, etc.)

[ikestops85]

Sounds good to me. Perhaps LSU's Eric Reid and Alabama's Robert Lester instead. Or Oklahoma's Tony Jefferson and Miami's Ray Ray Armstrong. There are a lot of variables still up in the air (who comes out, where we are drafting, etc.)

Is Eric Reid the one they call 'Honey Badger'? That kid reminds me of Bob Sanders ... hopefully without the injuries.

Does anybody think they will try to use Spence as a Free Safety? His football instincts seem off the chart so he might make a good ball hawk. I know it will take a couple of years for him to learn the position but it might be worth it.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Is Eric Reid the one they call 'Honey Badger'? That kid reminds me of Bob Sanders ... hopefully without the injuries.

Does anybody think they will try to use Spence as a Free Safety? His football instincts seem off the chart so he might make a good ball hawk. I know it will take a couple of years for him to learn the position but it might be worth it.

Tyrann Mathieu is Honey Badger. He's an animal, but he's only 5'9" 175 lbs.

[DBR96A]

I have two thoughts in my head and I cannot seem to separate them so I put the two titles together. First, I think that the overtime smack in the mouth that Tebow (of ALL people!) handed the Steelers was a positively motivational experience. Last years team was complete milque toast and with few exceptions, the games were not as fun to watch. I personally was so sick of watching BA's scatter brained play calling and poor personnel decisions from week to week. Why keep Batch as a backup when you won't let him play, even when Ben only has one working leg?!? Why the love for DJ Johnson? Why didn't Redman get more carries? (the guy was a beast!)

If you recall, I was relieved after they lost to the Broncs, which is not considered to be very rational. I mean, who wants their team to lose?!? Last years team, for whatever reason, didn't seem to have the heart or drive of previous seasons. Ward was a shell of his former self (lost that big grin), Pouncey was never 100%, Ben was severely hobbled, etc... They were just painful to watch. I feel pretty certain that if the Steelers beat the Broncs, we would still have BA in the black and gold. And NOTHING would change. So even though I have no idea what Haley will ultimately bring to the table, I am excited that its not the same BS as before and have faith that the Rooneys know what they are doing.

Regarding the irrational exuberance, my hopes for the upcoming season were reinvigorated BEFORE the draft, but now? WOW! DeCastro and Adams?!? Holy Moly! Rainey? Ta'amu? Spence? Are you kidding? With the maturation of Lewis, Cortez and Brown, Ta'amu to supplement Casey, the return of Barron Batch, Redman steamrolling behind the new improved O line, Ben with more protection, Wallace back for another year with something to prove, and to top it off, a new offensive coach who has a history of designing the plays to match the talent... I AM FREAKING EXCITED!

I have never been as excited at this time of the year. Am I irrational and crazy, or is this for real?!? Whooo Hoooo!

You're not the only one who felt relieved. I was pissed off for a grand total of two minutes after the game ended, and then I decompressed. I began to feel relieved because I knew that long-overdue changes were coming, and lo and behold, the change that I wanted the most happened first. Quite frankly, Bruce Arians should have been fired after the 2009 season. I also applauded the Todd Haley hire because I believed that the offense needed an ******* to shape them up. They were an undisciplined unit, and they'd been that way for years.

As spoiled as this sounds, I told a friend of mine that the 2011 Steelers were the most incompetent 12-4 team that I'd ever seen, and if putting the team in a better long-term position meant sacrificing last season, then so be it. Ironically, a deep playoff run would have hurt the Steelers in the long term because not only would they keep Arians, but they'd try to keep more of the players who were either past their primes or just plain worthless. Then came the draft, and with the exception of Alameda Ta'amu, who was traded up for, the Steelers had plenty of great talent just land in their laps. If these players meet their potential, then this will be the best draft the Steelers have had in 25 years.

I'm excited about the upcoming season too. I just want the Steelers, and especially Ben Roethlisberger, to rub everybody's faces in all the **** they've talked during the last three years. Time for the rest of the NFL to go **** themselves.

[ikestops85]

Tyrann Mathieu is Honey Badger. He's an animal, but he's only 5'9" 175 lbs.

Thanks Ruthless ... I knew the guy was small but I love the way he plays. I don't watch a lot of college football but everytime I see LSU this guy seems to do something special.