Worilds

[flippy]

Wonder if Worilds just priced himself out of our price range after yesterday's performance? There seems to be a premium being placed on pass rushers/OLBs. And Jason looks as good as anyone on the left.

I seriously wonder if we'd considering moving JJ inside and trying to keep/use Worilds at ROLB?

It's kinda odd how the team has been managing the roster lately. We've got older guys recently like Hampton, Max, Farrior/Foote, Ike, Clark, Troy where we don't have viable backups on the roster ready to step in and take over. But then when it comes to guys like Worilds and even Lewis last year, just as these young guys showed some potential, we already had their replacements on the roster in JJ and Cortez and seem ready to move on.

I don't know how you build a team if you keep letting your young guys go after their rookie contracts. Unless you're bringing in quality FAs to replace them and we're not really doing that either - never have.

I dunno what the exact problem is, but it seems challenging. Are we not picking the right guys? Are we developing them too slowly? Are we picking redundant positions we shouldn't b because these guys are developing slowly?

[Oviedo]

I've said all along that if your young players aren't getting significant playing time until their third year you don't really have an adequete sample size to make an informed decison on whether you have your future solution at a position or just a body you can let walk.

[D Rock]

Worilds is a bit of a mystery - they must not have been all that impressed if they picked up JJ this year, considering Worilds was a 2nd round pick himself and this would have bee his first year as a starter.

Keenan and Cortez I think is a different situation - they shouldn't have been playing for the same spot, they should have been working to see who takes over for Ike and who fills the other side. Even if taking over for Ike wasn't going to happen until after this year, then one of them should still be playing in the nickle. We need 3 good corners, and we had them, except we had to let Keenan walk. I know he wanted to go back home to New Orleans, but we should have tried to lock him up on the cheaper side before he became a FA, back when his market value was still low.

[Oviedo]

Worilds is a bit of a mystery - they must not have been all that impressed if they picked up JJ this year, considering Worilds was a 2nd round pick himself and this would have bee his first year as a starter.

Keenan and Cortez I think is a different situation - they shouldn't have been playing for the same spot, they should have been working to see who takes over for Ike and who fills the other side. Even if taking over for Ike wasn't going to happen until after this year, then one of them should still be playing in the nickle. We need 3 good corners, and we had them, except we had to let Keenan walk. I know he wanted to go back home to New Orleans, but we should have tried to lock him up on the cheaper side before he became a FA, back when his market value was still low.

Don't know if that is true about Worilds. In less than full time duty he has gotten pressure and sacks. The only comlaint about him has been his play against the run and it's not like JJ fixes that. I just think that JJ may have been more of an insurance policy for a inconsistent Woodley who has had declining performance the previous two years. Plus you never have enough OLBs in the 3-4 and we had zero depth behind Woodley and Worilds.

[Discipline of Steel]

Im not sure Keenan is a relevant example. We don't know what he may have said to the front office about playing for NO. I have a sense that the FO knew it would be futile to try and lock him down long term. Speaking of Worilds, he showed signs of life against the run with 8 solo tackles. Was this his breakout game?

[Shawn]

Lewis wanted to go home. I wanted to keep him over Ike, but unfortunately not everyone likes the Burgh.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Lewis wanted to go home. I wanted to keep him over Ike, but unfortunately not everyone likes the Burgh.

Shawn hit this one. Lewis gave the "Hometown" discount to his true hometown. I have a lot of respect for Lewis & I don't hold nothing against him after finding out how FA went down. The guy didn't go where the money was...He went home. The Steelers didn't make an offer because I believe they knew they couldn't buy his heart.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

They need to try & retain Worilds...But not overpay for him. They have very good depth with Woodley, Worilds, & Jones on the roster.

[phillyesq]

They need to try & retain Worilds...But not overpay for him. They have very good depth with Woodley, Worilds, & Jones on the roster.

Agreed. If Woodley gets healthy down the stretch, I think you'll see some packages with Woodley, Worilds and Jones on passing downs, with Heyward as the down lineman.

[phillyesq]

I've said all along that if your young players aren't getting significant playing time until their third year you don't really have an adequete sample size to make an informed decison on whether you have your future solution at a position or just a body you can let walk.

Part of the difficulty with Worilds is that he wasn't healthy. Last year, when Harrison was not able to start the season, Worilds was also hurt. He's been dinged up quite a bit in his first few years.

[steelsnis]

Anyone else notice that Worilds seems to play a lot better when he plays on Woodley's side of the line? I wonder if a Worilds/JJ combination is in our future as starting OLB's.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

I think Worilds plays well both sides. I would say Worilds is better at LOLB because he can bull & the QB sees it in his face creating more pressure. Just like Woodley. You walk an OL back & the QB sees it...The QB starts patting the ball and coming off reads. That buys some time for the pressure to get there. They see the speed rush coming they step up & because most are right handed they have an out. A QB would rather throw on the run to the right when you are right handed. That bull/power rush in the face of the QB is what disrupts. Worilds has sculpted his body and that is a big part of his game now. In contrast, JJ's game right now is ROLB. He needs to use his first step to gain the LT shoulder. He doesn't have much of a power rush which will get better in the weight room. He is starting to utilize his inside counter off that when he gets the LT off balance in his kick slide. You can see he still needs some more playing strength when he counters because with it he will be very disruptive.

[phillyesq]

I think Worilds plays well both sides. I would say Worilds is better at LOLB because he can bull & the QB sees it in his face creating more pressure. Just like Woodley. You walk an OL back & the QB sees it...The QB starts patting the ball and coming off reads. That buys some time for the pressure to get there. They see the speed rush coming they step up & because most are right handed they have an out. A QB would rather throw on the run to the right when you are right handed. That bull/power rush in the face of the QB is what disrupts. Worilds has sculpted his body and that is a big part of his game now. In contrast, JJ's game right now is ROLB. He needs to use his first step to gain the LT shoulder. He doesn't have much of a power rush which will get better in the weight room. He is starting to utilize his inside counter off that when he gets the LT off balance in his kick slide. You can see he still needs some more playing strength when he counters because with it he will be very disruptive.

Nice breakdown. Always enjoy your insights.

[Shawn]

Nice breakdown. Always enjoy your insights.

Agreed. I enjoyed that read.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Lewis wanted to go home. I wanted to keep him over Ike, but unfortunately not everyone likes the Burgh.

I just don't think that they liked Lewis, and they made no play to bring him back. He always showed talent and looked like he might break through prior to last season, but he always did something to land back in the doghouse. I always think back to that pre-season game where he got torched, took a couple of dumb penalties, and then smashed a glass on his way back to the locker room. Coach made a big example of him in the presser after that. He looked poised to start that year and found the bench instead.

They made no move to try to retain him before he broke out last year, they again made no play before he hit the FA market. They still showed interest in Wallace who was more public a malcontent, but didn't even throw a token offer Lewis' way.

I don't think that this was the FO choosing Ike over Lewis, or Allen over Lewis, I think that this was the FO just letting him go.