Matt Elam (Rd 1) vs. Shamarko Thomas (Rd 4)

[steelblood]

IF Thomas can cover WR's man to man, just think how effective he'll be covering TE's in today's NFL. Sure he'll give up some height but he'll force QB's the place the ball perfectly at a point Thomas can't defend.

I think he'll be better against slot receivers than big TEs. Sure he has the athleticism to keep up with TEs. But, a 8 or 9 inch height difference is extreme. When you add in arm length, differences you are talking about well over a foot. His jumping ability will help, but he will still be at a big disadvantage. I don't think I agree with your logic.

That said, I really like the kid and hope he stays healthy and sees the field a lot this year.

[hawaiiansteel]

The Steel Mill

Instant analysis (SHAMARKO THOMAS)

April 27th, 2013



The Steelers were so enamored with Syracuse strong safety Shamarko Thomas that they were willing to give up a 2014 third-round pick in order to jump into the third round to draft him. With the Steelers likely to get a third-round compensatory pick next year for the loss of Mike Wallace, it made getting rid of next year’s pick more plausible.

Yes, it was another need pick with the loss of Will Allen and Ryan Mundy via free agency but another good need pick that provides the Steelers will some depth at safety.

The Steelers were in dire need of making the safety position younger and they were able to fill that with a guy who is so versatile enough that he covered USC receiver Robert Woods all over the field when Syracuse played them last year. Woods was taken in the seconds round by Buffalo.

“This guy loves to play football and his tape tells the story,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

Steelers defensive back coach Carnell Lake said that the 5-foot-9 frame of Thomas was the only reason he wasn’t selected earlier in the draft.

“In my opinion, if he was two inches taller he would’ve been in the first round,” Lake said. “He has size, he has speed, he has strength. He is very aware on the field. He cannot only play safety but he can play man-to-man on the slot receiver. He has played nickel and corner at times. He has not only going to do well for out secondary but special teams as well.”

Thomas will be able to get on the field early for the Steelers if not in the secondary but on special teams. Behind Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark, the Steelers have second-year guy Robert Golden and practice-squad player Damon Cromartie Smith.

Instant analysis: Good, solid pick.

[URL]http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/2013/04/27/instant-analysis-shamarko-thomas/[/URL]

[skyhawk]

I love that Lake loves this guy.

In the article he mentions why in the heck would syracuse play their starting SS at CB to defend the other teams best player? Well, it's cuz he's that good. And it's SHADES of Carnell's former self when he had to move to CB from SS and played awesome! And remember Lake played LB early in his college career!

[hawaiiansteel]

Unusual move lands a hard-hitting safety for the Steelers

May 3, 2013
By Gerry Dulac / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



The Steelers traded up in the NFL draft to take Shamarko Thomas, right, a 5-foot-9, 213-pound safety from Syracuse.

In Shamarko Thomas, the Steelers hope they have found the next Bob Sanders, a compact, powerfully built safety who delivers torpedo-style hits. They hope he is not the next Anthony Smith.

Thomas is a 5-foot-9, 213-pound bundle of speed and unbridled power, and the Steelers thought enough of him to do something they rarely do -- trade away a future draft choice.

And the decision, strangely enough, was based on draft choices they don't have. At least, not right now.

"He's not the biggest kid, but he certainly doesn't play that way," general manager Kevin Colbert said. "He leaves it on the field."

The Steelers needed a safety because they have little depth behind Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark after backups Will Allen and Ryan Mundy signed elsewhere in free agency.

In addition, Clark is 34 and Polamalu could be facing the same situation in 2014 that James Harrison did this year if he doesn't have a more significant impact on the defense. Polamalu missed nine games last season because of injuries and finished with just one interception and no forced fumbles or fumble recoveries.

So the Steelers traded their third-round choice in 2014 to the Cleveland Browns to draft Thomas with the 111th overall selection -- four spots ahead of their own fourth-round choice. It was the first time since 1973 the Steelers traded a future draft choice, but they did it because they expect to get third- and fourth-round compensatory picks in 2014 for Mike Wallace, Rashard Mendenhall and Keenan Lewis.

"We viewed him as valuable as a third-round pick would be," Colbert said.

Pitt fans will remember Thomas for his vicious helmet-to-helmet hit on tight end J.P Holtz in a game at the Carrier Dome last season -- a play in which Thomas' helmet went flying off his head and he immediately collapsed to the ground. The play happened in the fourth quarter, and Thomas never returned to the game.

But that is the way he plays.

There were 10 other safeties selected before Thomas, even though he ran the fastest 40-time of any safety at the NFL combine (averaging 4.42 for his two runs). He also had the best vertical jump of any safety (40 1/2 inches) and did 28 reps on the 225-pound bench. That's more than three top first-round draft picks -- defensive ends Ziggy Ansah and Bjoern Werner and inside linebacker Kevin Minter -- did.

Thomas posted his best 40 time at the combine -- 4.38 seconds -- despite stumbling and doing something of a face plant at the end of his first attempt.

"He even hits the ground violently," said secondary coach Carnell Lake.

But, because he is 5-9, Thomas lasted until the 111th overall pick.

The Steelers were going to draft Thomas in the third round, but instead chose wide receiver Markus Wheaton of Oregon State because they felt there was a bigger need at that position. That night, at the end of the draft, Colbert and coach Mike Tomlin decided they were going to trade into a higher spot on the fourth round and take Thomas with their first pick Saturday.

The Steelers were afraid that Thomas' former coach, Doug Marrone, eventually would draft him for his new team, the Buffalo Bills.

This isn't the first time the Steelers have drafted a physical, rock-ribbed safety from Syracuse in the third round.

In 2006, they drafted Smith, a chiseled, hard-hitting safety, with the first of two picks they acquired on the third round from Minnesota. Smith, though, did not endear himself to Tomlin when he guaranteed a win against the Patriots in New England late in 2007 -- a game in which he was beaten twice for long touchdowns in a 34-13 loss.

Thomas has the same torpedo-like tendencies when he tackles, but the Steelers hope he plays with more discipline than Smith -- and doesn't guarantee victories.

Unlike Smith, who was a free safety, Thomas played strong safety with Syracuse. He is the first strong safety from the school to be drafted since Donovin Darius in 1998.

The Steelers likely will use Thomas at free safety because that is the position that calls the defensive backfield signals, something he did at Syracuse.

"I will play anywhere they want me," Thomas said. "I just want to be on the field. I want to help out the Steelers."

But Lake said he could also play in the nickel.

"The great thing about this young man is, if you were in a pinch and you didn't want to put the nickel package out there and you wanted him to play man-to-man on the slot, he could do it," Lake said. "He has done it in big games already against some of the receivers that have been drafted in the first two rounds and he shut them down.

"That is the kind of safety I like. That is the kind of safety the Steelers are looking for. Not only will he cover well, but he will hit you and hit you hard."

[URL]http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/unusual-move-lands-a-hard-hitting-safety-for-the-steelers-686063/#ixzz2SC9Epio1[/URL]

[thor75]

It would be a classy move by the FO to sign him quickly imo, as his parents died and he is supporting his siblings.

Saw where Colbert thinks they'll get a third and fourth round comp pick next year for Wallace and Allen.

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers’ rookie defensive back Thomas doesn’t lack motivation

By Mark Kaboly
Published: Monday, May 6, 2013



Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau talks with fourth-round pick Shamarko Thomas during rookie minicamp May 3, 2013, on the South Side.

The Steelers jettisoned veterans Ryan Mundy and Will Allen in the offseason, leaving the safety position a little thin with no starting experience behind Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu:

Name Age Exp. Starts

Ryan Clark 33 11 121

Troy Polamalu 32 10 114

Ross Ventrone 26 2 0

Robert Golden 22 2 0

Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith 26 1 0

Shamarko Thomas 22 R 0

After getting his life headed in the right direction near the end of his high school playing career after “following the wrong crowd,” coupled with a productive freshman year at Syracuse, Shamarko Thomas' dream of playing in the NFL not only seemed attainable, but was all but a sure thing.

That dream quickly changed.

In a nine-month span during his sophomore season at Syracuse, it was no longer a dream but an absolute necessity.

Thomas' mother, Ebeth Shabazz, died suddenly at age 36 of an undiagnosed heart condition nine months after his stepfather, Abdul Shabazz, was killed in a motorcycle crash.

Thomas was just 20 years old at the time. He was thrust into becoming a de facto parent of four younger brothers and a sister — ranging in age from 6 to 16 — in his hometown of Virginia Beach, Va.

“Those are my babies,” Thomas said. “I use my brothers and sister as motivation. I have to take care of them. It's a big motivation.”

It was motivation that got Thomas up early in the morning to work out during college. It was motivation for him to stay late every night to the point where he would get kicked out of the weight room. It was motivation that helped Thomas post NFL-scouting-combine-bests at his position in the 40-yard dash (4.42 seconds), bench press (28 reps), broad jump (133 inches) and vertical leap (40½ inches) — figures that allowed teams to overlook his height (5-foot-9) and draft him.

The Steelers were first in line and did something they rarely do — trade a future pick to secure another fourth-round selection, in order to select Thomas.

“I think if he had two more inches he would have been in the first round in my opinion. That's how highly I think of this young man,” Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake said. “He has size, he has speed and he has strength.”

Thomas hasn't signed his rookie contract, but where he was slotted in the fourth round — 109th overall — it likely will net him a four-year, $2.7 million deal. About $500,000 will be guaranteed — plenty of money to provide for his family.

“My motivation was always about providing for them,” Thomas said. “I just took grasp of it and embraced it. Sure, it was tough to deal with, especially being young and in college, but Syracuse had a great support system. Coach (Doug) Marrone stayed on me and my teammates. They are my best friends. They kept me motivated and focused.”

Thomas' brothers and sister are living with his grandmother in Chesapeake, Va.

Thomas' style of play has been compared to some of the best: Ronnie Lott, Bob Sanders and the late Sean Taylor, all of whom were physical and fast.

“He's not the biggest kid, but he certainly doesn't play that way,” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said. “He leaves it on the field.”

Even though he is a little undersized, Lake liked Thomas because of his ability to play deep safety, defend a receiver in the slot, play cornerback in a pinch and, of course, his tackling awareness.

“This is the kind of safety I like,” Lake said. “This is the kind of safety that the Steelers are looking for. Not only will he cover well, but he will hit you and hit you hard.”

Thomas had a solid junior season at Syracuse and contemplated turning pro before deciding to come back for his senior year. He started all 13 games for the Orange and led the team with 88 tackles and three forced fumbles. Thomas was a consensus All-Big East first-team selection.

“There are some people who think I am too short,” Thomas said. “My ‘too short' got me here, so I am happy to be a part of Steelers Nation.”

The Steelers were in need of depth at safety. Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark are the only two at the position on the roster who have started in the NFL. Polamalu and Clark have 235 career starts between them. The rest of the safeties on the roster — Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith, Ross Ventrone, Robert Golden — have zero.

“My job is to get him ready,” Lake said. “I think since I've been here, going on my third year, it hasn't really been that much of an issue.”

[URL]http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/3971126-74/thomas-steelers-motivation#ixzz2ScfJ5ljT[/URL]

[DukieBoy]

Shark = 5'9"
Troy = 5'10"

[BigRob]

Shark = 5'9"
Troy = 5'10"

Yep and the Shark has about 10 lbs on Troy to boot.

[flippy]

Yep and the Shark has about 10 lbs on Troy to boot.

If Troy could somehow get and stay healthy for some more years, I think he and the Shark could be a crazy tandem of safeties and could really cause some major problems for opposing offenses.

[Keyplay1]

Really a lot to like about this player. Can't wait to see him in action throughout TC and pre-season. Meanwhile this is fun to.

Uhh! Someone said he has been practicing that play where Troy leaps over the line and grabs the QB. But only Shark is doing it while the QB is in the shotgun.

I don't think he has tried it blocking punts yet.

Rumor is they are working him in on some RB plays.

Someone said the draft pick came down to either Shark or Chuck Norris. No coin flip was necessary.

[hawaiiansteel]

The Florida Fix: Saying Goodbye To Matt Elam

May 9th, 2013 by John Carey



Matt Elam was one of the elite defenders on Florida’s defense in both 2012 and 2011. When Florida went 7-6 in 2011, Elam was one of the few bright spots on the team, as he played at an elite level. He was a vocal leader on defense, and led by example by being a team player and never calling out guys in public or causing locker room strife.

During his career at Florida, Elam played with a reckless style and was one of the hardest hitting players in college football. Elam was second on the team in tackles with 76, and also had 11 tackles for loss. He was 1st team All-SEC and 1st team All-Pro. He was also voted a team captain in 2012. Elam’s best attributes are his ability to walk up to the line of scrimmage and be physical, and to also be able to drop back and be a single high safety. He gets a nice initial jam on receivers when he is in slot coverage, and is able to disrupt their routes for the first 4 or 5 yards. Elam shows good vision and anticipation when fighting through blocks near the line of scrimmage and is generally a reliable, physical tackler. He brings his hips as a hitter, showing the closing speed and raw power to generate explosiveness. Elam was one of Florida’s best safeties in quite some time and had a great career, and his NFL career is just as promising.

The Ravens filled one of their primary offseason needs when they took Elam at pick #32. While many see the loss of Ed Reed as the reason they have a hole at safety, they also cut Bernard Pollard, which left a whole at both safety positions. They signed Michael Huff to fill in at Reed’s spot, so Elam will slide into Pollard’s former spot, where Elam is a more natural fit. Raven’s GM Ozzie Newsome’s draft strategy is to take the best player available when he picks, so Elam was obviously their top rated player left when they picked. Newsome loves to get players from the SEC, as he is an Alabama alumnus, and knows that only the best play in the SEC as one must play a physical and powerful game to win. The Ravens had Elam come in for several private workouts during the draft process and he was rumored to be one of their favorite players in this year’s class.

Elam is a perfect fit in Baltimore’s defensive scheme with his physical style of play, and he will step in and start right away for the Ravens at strong safety. Elam has the typical Ravens mindset, to be physical and aggressive and to, as Mike Singletary would say, go out and hit people in the mouth. Elam will benefit greatly from a Baltimore front 7 that has gotten a bit of a face lift this offseason, with the additions of Elvis Dumervil, Chris Canty, Marcus Spears, Arthur Brown, and Rolando McClain. This group will provide an effective pass rush to confuse the quarterback into throwing to Elam, and will allow him to play more comfortably in coverage. This group will also dominate the line of scrimmage and open up holes for Elam to make plays in the run game as well. With such great pieces around Elam, do not be surprised if he ends up with 4 or 5 interceptions on the year and several tackles for loss as well.

Elam falling to pick #32 wasn’t all that big of a surprise as most mock drafts had him going somewhere in the mid/late first to early second round. Elam being a late first is likely due to his limited ability as a coverage safety, as he doesn’t possess the elite speed to cover some of the wide receivers or tight ends in today’s NFL. He also did have a good amount of penalties in his collegiate career due to his physical style of play, and with the current move towards the game getting a little softer; some teams may have been weary to pick up a hard hitting in the box safety. He is a little smaller than one would usually want at the safety position, but there is nothing he can do to improve that. He also had some minor arrests early in his college career involving alcohol.

Elam needs to develop his game more to adjust to life in the NFL as he still has some holes to fill. His aggressive style of play can be a blessing for him but can also be a curse, as he can tend to be too aggressive and come in too hot and lose his balance and control and leave cut back lanes. He can tend to lead with his shoulder when tackling, and will often leave his feet as well. His biggest issue are his cover skills as elite quarterbacks will often pick on him in coverage by having their receivers run routes that take advantage of his below average lateral agility, such as in the Sugar Bowl, where he was picked on by Bridgewater numerous times. If Elam can work on these holes in his game, he can be one of the elite safeties in the NFL.

With Josh Evans and De’Ante Saunders also out of the picture for 2013, Florida’s depth at safety will be tested. While Jabari Gorman looks to be the replacement for Evans, it appears as though the Gators’ safety recruits will be battling rising sophomores Marcus Maye and Rhaheim Ledbetter for the starting strong safety spot. Neither Mayes nor Rhaheim played much at all in their freshman season for the Gators, and reportedly seem even in their battle right now heading into the summer. Florida also has some talented freshman safeties coming in that could fight for playing time, namely Marcell Harris. Harris was a top recruit last year, and is a natural fit to come in and start at Elam’s strong safety spot. He has a very similar style of physical play as Elam, and has been called a taller version of Elam. At the moment it seems as if it will be a 3 way battle at the beginning of the season for Elam’s starting spot, and I would tend to say that Harris will wind up winning the spot, as he is the most natural replacement.

Matt Elam had a wonderful career for the Florida Gators, and will forever be one of the top defenders to play for Florida. His physical presence on defense will be missed on defense, and his role as a vocal leader on defense is something that will leave a void as well. Elam was a great Gator, but look for him to be an even better Raven. If he can work on some of the holes in his game, he can be an All Pro safety in the NFL. So as Elam leaves for his NFL career, I wish him all the success in his endeavors, and hope that he can become one of the greats.

So goodbye Matt Elam and good luck in the NFL.

[URL]http://withthefirstpick.com/2013/05/09/the-florida-fix-saying-goodbye-to-matt-elam/?utm_source=FanSided&utm_medium=Network&utm_campai gn=Hot%2BTopics[/URL]

[BigRob]

IMO, they are very similar prospects. Physically Elam has one inch on the Shark. The Shark has about 10 lbs on Elam. I like them both. Glad we got the Shark for essentially a 3rd rd pick.

[NorthCoast]

Gonna be a fun few years watching the AFCN: Mingo vs Jones, Elam vs Thomas, Bernard vs Bell.

At the very least, it should be constant motivation for these guys to one-up each other.

[papillon]

My concern with him is that he'll be a rookie. Veteran quarterbacks like Ben, Brady, Manning, Brees, Rogers, Rivers, etc eat young safeties for lunch. I hope he's a fast learner.

Pappy