Willie Colon

[JDSteeler]

Left Guard for Colon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Freeking stellar!!!!

Adams, Colon, Pouncey, DeCastro, Gilbert!!!!!!!!!

Are you kidding me?????

Keep these 5 injury-free, Kugler, and this could be the best o-line in the NFL!!!

JD

[RKSteel]

Somebody needs to be fired!

[flippy]

I'd like to see them bring Max back and ease Adams into the lineup. Take a little pressure off the kid.

And if healthy, Max is a really good option. Especially if you put a quality player next to him at G that can handle his business. Kemo had so many mental lapses, I think it had a negative impact on Max's play. And Max is above average. I think he could be really good with Colon next to him. Colon is powerful and smart and effective. He just sucks against speed on the outside. Problem solved moving him inside.

Just hope Colon's body can hold up more than a play.

[Sugar]

Left Guard for Colon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Freeking stellar!!!!

Adams, Colon, Pouncey, DeCastro, Gilbert!!!!!!!!!

Are you kidding me?????

Keep these 5 injury-free, Kugler, and this could be the best o-line in the NFL!!!

JD

Of course, part of the problem has been that these guys can't seem to stay healthy. At least now we seem to have more quality, experienced depth for when the inevitable injuries occur.

[Oviedo]

I'd like to see them bring Max back and ease Adams into the lineup. Take a little pressure off the kid.

And if healthy, Max is a really good option. Especially if you put a quality player next to him at G that can handle his business. Kemo had so many mental lapses, I think it had a negative impact on Max's play. And Max is above average. I think he could be really good with Colon next to him. Colon is powerful and smart and effective. He just sucks against speed on the outside. Problem solved moving him inside.

Just hope Colon's body can hold up more than a play.

I agree. Max saved our season last year and while he will never make a Pro Bowl he is a solid starter at LT. If Adams shows he can beat out Max then we have a great back up.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Move makes sense after the draft. Best 5 OL on the field. Now guys are in positions they will play long term so let them grow. The only question is...Are the OTs flip flopped for the first year and that will depend on Adams development. My prediction by the end of camp would be:

Adams-Colon-Pouncey-DeCastro-Gilbert

Let's not forget, Adams would have been a 1st rounder if he didn't make the big blunder and test +. More than likely, he would have been a starter. The Steelers fortunes of getting two 1st round players will now be utilized.

Colon's biggest concern was making the change early and that was satisfied. Colon is a Pro and I like his words. There will not be any concern with his transition. Floor...You get a better pass pro & drive blocker than Foster. Pretty equal in the pulling & 2nd level but just a guess on Colon. Never asked to do much of it in this system at RT. Ceiling? Well...We all wanted this move. I didn't think he had good enough feet to be a great pull/trap blocker like Kemo. Again, that assumption was based on not seeing him do it on the field. Never asked to though. I did feel his pass pro & drive block would make him a very good G. So if he exceeds what many "think" his abilities will limit him to in pulling/trapping...He very well could be a dominant LG. That would completely take the handing out of the offense and what a dangerous aspect of a game with a "change of pace" multi position guy like Rainey. I won't get into many details about that except for saying when you put Redman on the field in 11 personnel (Redman RB, Miller TE, Wallace WR, Brown WR, Rainey W) you draw a sub package and now you run against it. You can run PA power and pull backside G with counters to Rainey out of the wing. You are bigger & + in the box with safeties off. What a dynamic to add to an already dangerous passing O. Really excited to see it if Decastro & Adams are as advertised.

Many are concerned with starting two rookies. Let me say this about OL play. The bigger concern of inserting a rookie is the "chemistry" factor versus the "experience" factor. Meaning, a rookie does not have chemistry will the other OL around him. I can't stress enough the uncoachable traits the OL develop playing next to someone. That is something that comes with playing time and is a big factor in production of an OL. Yes, the experience factor is also a concern but that has two parts. Good OL coaches can teach and develop technique that the rookie will need at this level. Assuming Adams is coachable...Kuggs will have that part covered. The second part would be seeing the field for experience. That is the part of the equation for a rookie that everyone faces. So yes that concern does exist. However, Adams very well could be the best LT on this roster right now. Gilbert has very good movement skills for a big man but Adams has shown "elite" at times in college. Koogs gets that out of him on every play...Franchise LT. Will there be growing pains...There very well could be. I do think the growing pains will be in the shadows of improved OL play at LT & RG regardless of Adams & Decastro being rookies so making the move now makes sense. A whole camp & preseason to develop chemistry & experience...Only can go up from here.

Remember..No matter what way the deck was shuffled...Three new cards were in different spots. Even if Colon stayed at RT...Gilbert to LT...DeCastro at RG...And Foster at LG...Were new homes. Yes Foster had some experience at LG but he never played weakside with Gilbert on his left shoulder. I do think this transition would be fairly quick and easy becasue they seemed to develop a good chemistry strongside. The bottom line, if they could get them in these spots now...The shuffling stops for years moving forward barring injury. If Gilbert starts at LT in 2012, the following year another shuffle may take place if Adams hit his ceiling. I think doing this right now (Adams-Colon-Pouncey-Decastro-Gilbert) will be the most beneficial to the Steelers long term success & will pay dividends as soon as 2012 down the stretch.

[Oviedo]

I think Adams has to really show he can be the LT before I would put him there ahead of Gilbert or even Starks. The position is too critical to protect Ben. Maybe He gets a lot of help from Miller or Pope at TE but right now I'd like to see someone with at least one year of experience at LT before a rookie.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

I think Adams has to really show he can be the LT before I would put him there ahead of Gilbert or even Starks. The position is too critical to protect Ben. Maybe He gets a lot of help from Miller or Pope at TE but right now I'd like to see someone with at least one year of experience at LT before a rookie.

Understand the concerns but rookie LTs have come in and started in the NFL. Adams was a projected 1st for a reason and he has the skillset to compete early. If the discussion was about a 4th-7th rounder starting his rookie year at LT...I think BB would have a "phantom" injury and just let the Steelers see what they have while a back-up played tackling dummy. RT for BB is in his face but still critical. Gilbert held it down just fine coming out of a shortened off season. I don't think rookie versus 1 year experience has as much weight as to who performs especially with the 1 year experience not being at LT. Gilbert's learning curve at LT isn't far off Adams if the playbook/assignment doesn't become a factor. Being that Haley's new offense has a new car smell for everyone....I think the playing field just got shorter.

I think it comes down to athleticism/technique verus the mental part of the game at LT competition. Adams seems to have the edge on athleticism over Gilbert in that department going into camp. Adams needs to refine his technique with his hand placement and develop recover tools he will need at this level. He is smooth in his kick slide but he will need to know he has to be sound everytime. Just having good feet and getting lazy in it because the guy you are facing isn't a threat won't happen anymore in the NFL. Adams feet, long arms, and the fact that he is a natural knee bender gives Koogs a combination he hasn't had at LT. He has a full off season to work with both of them and everyone is learning a new playbook. If this was Arians offense I would have trouble thinking Adams could overcome Gilbert early to see the field with the 1st team and earn the spot but it wouldn't have surprised me if it did happen.

[feltdizz]

I'll go out on a limb and say that Mike Adams can be every bit as good as Starks was at LT last year right now. So why not start him at his natural position and let Gilbert learn to become dominant at RT. I actually see Colon being possibly dominant at guard if he can stay healthy.

exactly.. I could see if we were used to solid play on the OL but at this point it really can't get any worse.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Starting 2 rookies on the OL sounds scary in theory, but putting your best 5 guys out there is the best thing that we can do, and the rookies are certainly among the top 5 most talented o-linemen on our roster without question.

Adams at LT is continuity (played there for Ohio State)
Pouncey at C is continuity (played there for us last 2 years)
DeCastro at RG is continuity (played there for Stanford)
Gilbert at RT is continuity (played there for us last year)

Colon requires some adjustment to LG, but OTA's are the best time for learning. Listening to Moving the Chains on Sirius yesterday, Tim Ryan (former USC and Chicago Bears d-lineman) thought that Colon would make a tremendous guard when watching him at Latrobe in previous seasons. Use this time to teach. Use this time for the guys to get used to playing the with guys on the either side of them. What this says is the future is now. I like it...like it a lot.

Fast-forward to week 1, when this new OL faces this front seven:

...................WLB D.J. Williams...............MLB Joe Mays................SLB Von Miller..................
RDE Elvis Dumervil...........RDT Kevin Vickerson...........NT Ty Warren..............LDE Robert Ayers

LT Mike Adams...LG Willie Colon...OC Maurkice Pouncey...RG David DeCastro...RT Marcus Gilbert

[Oviedo]

Starting 2 rookies on the OL sounds scary in theory, but putting your best 5 guys out there is the best thing that we can do, and the rookies are certainly among the top 5 most talented o-linemen on our roster without question.

Adams at LT is continuity (played there for Ohio State)
Pouncey at C is continuity (played there for us last 2 years)
DeCastro at RG is continuity (played there for Stanford)
Gilbert at RT is continuity (played there for us last year)

Colon requires some adjustment to LG, but OTA's are the best time for learning. Listening to Moving the Chains on Sirius yesterday, Tim Ryan (former USC and Chicago Bears d-lineman) thought that Colon would make a tremendous guard when watching him at Latrobe in previous seasons. Use this time to teach. Use this time for the guys to get used to playing the with guys on the either side of them. What this says is the future is now. I like it...like it a lot.

Fast-forward to week 1, when this new OL faces this front seven:

...................WLB D.J. Williams...............MLB Joe Mays................SLB Von Miller..................
RDE Elvis Dumervil...........RDT Kevin Vickerson...........NT Ty Warren..............LDE Robert Ayers

LT Mike Adams...LG Willie Colon...OC Maurkice Pouncey...RG David DeCastro...RT Marcus Gilbert

Dumervil against Adams in game 1 is IMO a downright frightening prospect. Lots of TE help will be required or we could see a repeat of what Suggs did in Game 1 last season.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Dumervil against Adams in game 1 is IMO a downright frightening prospect. Lots of TE help will be required or we could see a repeat of what Suggs did in Game 1 last season.

Lucky for Adams or Gilbert...They will get a similiar look at a Dumervil every week in practice starting OTAs. One of the benefits of being on a talented team is you face talent every day. If Adams & Gilbert are keeping Harrison in check...They will be ready for Dumervil.

[steelblood]

Understand the concerns but rookie LTs have come in and started in the NFL. Adams was a projected 1st for a reason and he has the skillset to compete early. If the discussion was about a 4th-7th rounder starting his rookie year at LT...I think BB would have a "phantom" injury and just let the Steelers see what they have while a back-up played tackling dummy. RT for BB is in his face but still critical. Gilbert held it down just fine coming out of a shortened off season. I don't think rookie versus 1 year experience has as much weight as to who performs especially with the 1 year experience not being at LT. Gilbert's learning curve at LT isn't far off Adams if the playbook/assignment doesn't become a factor. Being that Haley's new offense has a new car smell for everyone....I think the playing field just got shorter.

I think it comes down to athleticism/technique verus the mental part of the game at LT competition. Adams seems to have the edge on athleticism over Gilbert in that department going into camp. Adams needs to refine his technique with his hand placement and develop recover tools he will need at this level. He is smooth in his kick slide but he will need to know he has to be sound everytime. Just having good feet and getting lazy in it because the guy you are facing isn't a threat won't happen anymore in the NFL. Adams feet, long arms, and the fact that he is a natural knee bender gives Koogs a combination he hasn't had at LT. He has a full off season to work with both of them and everyone is learning a new playbook. If this was Arians offense I would have trouble thinking Adams could overcome Gilbert early to see the field with the 1st team and earn the spot but it wouldn't have surprised me if it did happen.

I like what you are saying, and I agree to a point. However, Adams was woefully inconsistent as a collegiate tackle. Yes, he has 1st round talent and athletic ability. But, he never truly put it together in college for more than a few games. He could be great, but he more likely will take a while to develop.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

I like what you are saying, and I agree to a point. However, Adams was woefully inconsistent as a collegiate tackle. Yes, he has 1st round talent and athletic ability. But, he never truly put it together in college for more than a few games. He could be great, but he more likely will take a while to develop.

Adams played down to his competition and showed up for big games. It doesn't take much to see the flashes of who he could be watching his college tape. An NFL paycheck and his "chance" to be a Steeler is what the Steelers are banking on will erase his inconsistencies on the field. Add in Koogs coaching to make him right technically. If they are right...He will see this field this year.

[steelz09]

Yes

YES! Colon to Guard!

I was kind of hoping DeCastro would play LG and Colon at RG but I'm ok w/ the opposite. As long as Colon is at guard, I'm happy.