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I don't want to get off topic on this but this is why I think Timmons is overvalued.
Tomlin drafted him to be an OLB and he is no good at it. Luckily, they were able to successfully move him to ILB. It took him too long to contribute being the high draft pick he was. Regardless of whether that was the coaches, the FO, or Timmons fault isn't the point. That doesn't give him or anyone a "free pass". The point is that he was making very good $$ and not contributing to that dollar amount. He was basically just learning a new position. By the time he finally started to contribute he was due for a new monster contract. So let me get this straight... you get paid good $$ for a team to groom you for your entire rookie contract and then ask for a monster contract once the grooming is complete? That's like a company paying me 1 million/year out of college to do "on the job training". Then, when I finally learn enough to do my job, I ask the company to pay me 2 million/year. I know this wouldn't happen but maybe he should have given some of his rookie contract $$ back since he didn't deserve all that money. Here is another point regarding my overvalued comment...
He's not a great blitzer. He gets sidestepped very easily by QBs. He doesn't boast the power to run straight through a RB's block and he can get chipped easily which throws him a bit off target on blitzes and doesn't recover fast enough.
He doesn't have great instincts for a ILB. Not even close to Farrior when Farrior was in his prime. He's fast after he diagnoses a play but it takes him too long to diagnose a play. Did he make a lot of tackles in 2010... sure. But, I don't care about tackles after a 3+ yard gain. I want a LB that can diagnose a play quickly, fight off a block quickly, and fill a gap. Timmons is not great in that aspect. He's gotten better... no question about it.
He's good in pass coverage but he's not what most crack him up to be. He had to gain weight (and it shows physically) to be a full time ILB. When he gained his weight, I think he lost some of his speed which isn't surprising. Regardless of what some people say, Timmons or just about any other ILB is going to be outmatched by Graham, Gronk, Vernon Davis, etc. People say we need more "Timmons" to handle these new breed of TEs. I completely disagree because Timmons can't cover those type of TEs on a consistent basis anyways. That will require more a safety or large CB (i.e. Cortez Allen), not Timmons.
Next up, splash plays. Where are these so called "splash plays"? He had a INT last year that fell right in his lap but that's far from a splash play. Maybe, just maybe Timmons will starting providing splash plays before he retires.
In summary, I list him as overvalued because he doesn't provide as much value as what he is being paid. He can't cover elite TEs with consistency (not surprising for a ILB), he's not a great blitzer, doesn't have great instincts, not great in run support, and doesn't supply any splash plays.
Is that his fault? I don't know. It's quite possible that it's Tomlin's or Colbert's fault. He simply might be a guy that is playing in a wrong system. He might have been an all-pro in a 4-3. ILB in a 3-4 is a very tough, instinctive position and Timmons got thrown that when he was already in the NFL. A lot of true 3-4 ILB were playing that since high school. However, all of this doesn't matter. The reality is that he plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers and he's in a 3-4 system. Regardless of whether it's his fault, the systems, the coaches, the FO, or whomever, it's my belief that he's overvalued on **this** team.
Tomlin drafted him to be an OLB and he is no good at it. Luckily, they were able to successfully move him to ILB. It took him too long to contribute being the high draft pick he was. Regardless of whether that was the coaches, the FO, or Timmons fault isn't the point. That doesn't give him or anyone a "free pass". The point is that he was making very good $$ and not contributing to that dollar amount. He was basically just learning a new position. By the time he finally started to contribute he was due for a new monster contract. So let me get this straight... you get paid good $$ for a team to groom you for your entire rookie contract and then ask for a monster contract once the grooming is complete? That's like a company paying me 1 million/year out of college to do "on the job training". Then, when I finally learn enough to do my job, I ask the company to pay me 2 million/year. I know this wouldn't happen but maybe he should have given some of his rookie contract $$ back since he didn't deserve all that money. Here is another point regarding my overvalued comment...
He's not a great blitzer. He gets sidestepped very easily by QBs. He doesn't boast the power to run straight through a RB's block and he can get chipped easily which throws him a bit off target on blitzes and doesn't recover fast enough.
He doesn't have great instincts for a ILB. Not even close to Farrior when Farrior was in his prime. He's fast after he diagnoses a play but it takes him too long to diagnose a play. Did he make a lot of tackles in 2010... sure. But, I don't care about tackles after a 3+ yard gain. I want a LB that can diagnose a play quickly, fight off a block quickly, and fill a gap. Timmons is not great in that aspect. He's gotten better... no question about it.
He's good in pass coverage but he's not what most crack him up to be. He had to gain weight (and it shows physically) to be a full time ILB. When he gained his weight, I think he lost some of his speed which isn't surprising. Regardless of what some people say, Timmons or just about any other ILB is going to be outmatched by Graham, Gronk, Vernon Davis, etc. People say we need more "Timmons" to handle these new breed of TEs. I completely disagree because Timmons can't cover those type of TEs on a consistent basis anyways. That will require more a safety or large CB (i.e. Cortez Allen), not Timmons.
Next up, splash plays. Where are these so called "splash plays"? He had a INT last year that fell right in his lap but that's far from a splash play. Maybe, just maybe Timmons will starting providing splash plays before he retires.
In summary, I list him as overvalued because he doesn't provide as much value as what he is being paid. He can't cover elite TEs with consistency (not surprising for a ILB), he's not a great blitzer, doesn't have great instincts, not great in run support, and doesn't supply any splash plays.
Is that his fault? I don't know. It's quite possible that it's Tomlin's or Colbert's fault. He simply might be a guy that is playing in a wrong system. He might have been an all-pro in a 4-3. ILB in a 3-4 is a very tough, instinctive position and Timmons got thrown that when he was already in the NFL. A lot of true 3-4 ILB were playing that since high school. However, all of this doesn't matter. The reality is that he plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers and he's in a 3-4 system. Regardless of whether it's his fault, the systems, the coaches, the FO, or whomever, it's my belief that he's overvalued on **this** team.
Examples include moving Colon to guard which we've been pleading for the last 2+ years. The coaches said, "he's not a guard, he's a RT". Fast forward to this year, they move him to guard. lol
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