Do the young Steelers want to be great?

[Shawn]

With leaders of the team calling out for accountability, responsibility, and discipline it makes me wonder. I am looking at a team filled with young talent. These guys have the speed, the athleticism, and nearly anything you would want in order to build a championship caliber team. I have opined after many recent drafts about drafting track stars and combine heroes.

I look at a guy like McCullers, he is a load. Pundits close to the team state that he could be unblockable. They say John Mitchell has tried everything he knows to motivate him. He just doesn't love football, doesn't want to be great and is content being mediocre. Shazier was called out by coaches for his inability to play through pain. Justin Gilbert is probably the most athletically gifted player on the D not named Shazier, and he has been rumored to have maturity and work ethic issues. Bryant is out for an entire year for smoking weed. Bell has failed two drug screens. Eli Rodgers was suspended for breaking unknown team rules, and before being cut Mike Adams may have been one of the biggest underachievers in Steeler history.

I understand why Tomlin and company draft guys who have "skills you can't teach". But, the Steelers were a better football team when they drafted football players, linebackers with some anger issues, DLmen with edge and desire. They drafted football players, guys who loved the game and played with passion.

I personally do not believe we are drafting football players. We are drafting athletes who do not have a desire to be great. They have a desire to smoke weed, break team rules, play only when perfectly healthy, and to collect a paycheck without putting in Super Bowl quality work.

Maybe I'm way off but I truly believe this is at least part of the problem.

[feltdizz]

Millennials... smh

[buccoray61]

I believe there is something to this.I read an article earlier this week in which the reporter said "Deanglo Williams made sure to let some of the younger guys who didn't appear to have a sense of urgency to be on time for the 2pm meeting.Maybe I'm old school,but I always thought 2 important things about any line of work were,show up every day,and show up on time.

[Iron City Inc.]

Desire is a part of the formula you just don't know for sure when drafting. Some guys are driven to achieve and there are some who like the checks but not much more. Seems though our ability to draft top defensive talent just is lacking. Core 4 in our front 7 is fine 91,97,50 n 48. That's leaves us 3 holes to fill and toss in another corner and well there is a void that needs to be filled on that side of the ball. Lets hope Colbert n Tomlin can fill it because they aren't going anywhere.
We may have some developing talent with our first 3 picks in this draft along with Golson just don't know yet so the sky isn't falling however as Roy Blount Jr once wrote we're "About three bricks shy of a load". Lets go find those bricks!

[feltdizz]

Remember how we thought Johnny Football was going to be a problem in Cleveland ON the field? I think it's getting easier for stat players to coast through college which makes it harder to rely on them once they go pro.

I was half joking when I said millennials but I think there is some truth because a lot of them aren't used to actually working for their fair share.

I think it's probably a little harder to find guys who love the game or have a chip on their shoulder... look at the *'s. Seems like they cut or trade decent players more often these days. This is one area I think coaching and scouting is to blame. You can punish players but honestly, nothing sends a message like cutting or trading a player to show you mean business. We need to make an example out of a few players.

[NorthCoast]

Remember how we thought Johnny Football was going to be a problem in Cleveland ON the field? I think it's getting easier for stat players to coast through college which makes it harder to rely on them once they go pro.

I was half joking when I said millennials but I think there is some truth because a lot of them aren't used to actually working for their fair share.

I think it's probably a little harder to find guys who love the game or have a chip on their shoulder... look at the *'s. Seems like they cut or trade decent players more often these days. This is one area I think coaching and scouting is to blame. You can punish players but honestly, nothing sends a message like cutting or trading a player to show you mean business. We need to make an example out of a few players.

This^. I manage a small group of young professionals and I see it. I see it in my own kids. They have a completely different way of thinking than my generation. (I suppose our parents said the same about us..).

A coach can only play the guys he has on the roster. After that, it's gotta be team leaders and captains to police their own. Odd thing is I'm not sure young guys even react to peer pressure, maybe because they are so used to people in their face in social media. Not sure what the answer is but I agree with Shawn, somehow the Steelers need to find playas with a passion for the game.

Need to find guys that hate losing more than they like winning.

[NJ-STEELER]

I would take you the word young and question some veterans about it as well

[Shoe]

I think you are making a case, one that I don't necessarily agree with. McCullers is the classic underachiever, but I think it is unfair to lump everyone else in there. Everything you say is true. However, I'm unwilling to say these guys don't take their job seriously. Take Bell. Every game I've ever seen of him, he plays hard and doesn't back down. Same with Martavis. Remember when Ben challenged him to step his game up last year, he did. Shazier, for as much as I knock the guy's physical toughness, I still think he has a good mindset in knowing what it takes to be a Steeler.

All those you mentioned (besides McCullers), I'm still fairly confident will continue to mature. I'm interested in seeing how Gilbert matures the rest of this year. I imagine the staff has a role for him today against his old team.

[Ernie]

Shoe.. maybe I missed something with McCullers...but it looked to me like he was a force on a few of the plays he was in there last week. Of course I could have missed something. I know the D-Line coach was really high on his improvement...prior to the start of the season.

[Shawn]

Remember how we thought Johnny Football was going to be a problem in Cleveland ON the field? I think it's getting easier for stat players to coast through college which makes it harder to rely on them once they go pro.

I was half joking when I said millennials but I think there is some truth because a lot of them aren't used to actually working for their fair share.

I think it's probably a little harder to find guys who love the game or have a chip on their shoulder... look at the *'s. Seems like they cut or trade decent players more often these days. This is one area I think coaching and scouting is to blame. You can punish players but honestly, nothing sends a message like cutting or trading a player to show you mean business. We need to make an example out of a few players.

I must agree with this especially about cutting a few underachievers. As good as Bryant is and as much potential McCullers has I think the team should have moved on both. Bryant is one positive drug test from smoking himself out of the league. McCullers allowed a rookie NT to beat him out. If starting for the Steelers can't light a fire nothing will. Those two cuts would send a message...no one is above the team.

[Shawn]

I think you are making a case, one that I don't necessarily agree with. McCullers is the classic underachiever, but I think it is unfair to lump everyone else in there. Everything you say is true. However, I'm unwilling to say these guys don't take their job seriously. Take Bell. Every game I've ever seen of him, he plays hard and doesn't back down. Same with Martavis. Remember when Ben challenged him to step his game up last year, he did. Shazier, for as much as I knock the guy's physical toughness, I still think he has a good mindset in knowing what it takes to be a Steeler.

All those you mentioned (besides McCullers), I'm still fairly confident will continue to mature. I'm interested in seeing how Gilbert matures the rest of this year. I imagine the staff has a role for him today against his old team.

I see where you are going and don't completely disagree. What I will say is that smoking pot hurts the team. It also sends a message to younger players that you can put your desires above the teams needs. This kind of toxic thinking can permeate a locker room. It doesn't take much to turn a 11-5 team into a 5-11 team.

[Slapstick]

Many of these guys have been entitled since high school.

[feltdizz]

I must agree with this especially about cutting a few underachievers. As good as Bryant is and as much potential McCullers has I think the team should have moved on both. Bryant is one positive drug test from smoking himself out of the league. McCullers allowed a rookie NT to beat him out. If starting for the Steelers can't light a fire nothing will. Those two cuts would send a message...no one is above the team.

Wasn't McCullers a 6th rounder?

Sometimes a a guy is who he is and a rookie is better. McCullers is from Tennessee right? They have a knack for underachieving and didn't live up to expectations this year. I think it's one of those college programs who coddle their players. I went there for a year and they are treated like rock stars.

[NorthCoast]

Many of these guys have been entitled since high school.

Yep. It's the age of 'participation trophies'.... yoi...

[Slapstick]

Yep. It's the age of 'participation trophies'.... yoi...

Oh no, I mean legit entitlement. At certain high schools in certain places in the country, high school football players are treated like they are above everyone else...it continues into college...