Ross Cockrell

[SteelCrazy]

I know a lot of you guys like him, but I'm still trying to get there. It seems he is always the side to go to for opposing QBs. At this point I'm ready for Justin Gilbert.

Apparently he has unreal ability, but something he's done before he even got here is keeping him off the field or he can't grasp our D or he'll never see the field for us as a CB. Who knows? However, we traded for him , so we might as well use him.

Cockrell isn't producing well enough IMO and we need to do something. Thoughts?

[Flasteel]

My thought is "what are you smoking?"

The reason why it seems he's always targeted is because the Steelers normally put him on the opposing team's number one receiver.

He starts.

We didn't trade for him...he was a free-agent acquisition just before the start of the 2015 season.

He isn't on many Pro Bowl ballots, but he's done a pretty good job.

Your entire statement was nonsense and it makes me wonder what could have possibly entered your mind to want to spend time logging in, thinking about this topic, and then typing this all out.

Just sayin'.

[feltdizz]

I know a lot of you guys like him, but I'm still trying to get there. It seems he is always the side to go to for opposing QBs. At this point I'm ready for Justin Gilbert.

Apparently he has unreal ability, but something he's done before he even got here is keeping him off the field or he can't grasp our D or he'll never see the field for us as a CB. Who knows? However, we traded for him , so we might as well use him.

Cockrell isn't producing well enough IMO and we need to do something. Thoughts?

No... while I haven't been impressed by Cockrell this year I have to give him the same pass I gave Mitchell. When our front 7 doesn't get pressure the first 8 weeks it's not fair to blame DB's for not being able to cover for that long.

IMO this is a strange post after another solid outing by our defense.

[pittpete]

Cockrell has played the most snaps on defense (707)
Has 11 passes defensed.
Absolutely blew up that short pass vs. the Giants yesterday.
Cockrell isn't a problem.
Antwan Blake was a problem,LOL

[NorthCoast]

Cockrell has been decent to good this season. A rough outing or two but generally prevents the big plays. Numbers-wise, passes defensed he is right there with guys like Josh Norman and Aquib Talib. Just doesn't get the INTs.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

He's had some bad games, and some good ones. I thought he played pretty well vs. the G-men.

[Starlifter]

I think he's been pretty solid all year. I have also been hatin on mitchell - but if he plays games like he did yesterday, that will change. I don't mind him being an enforcer - I just need him to be a disciplined and smart enforcer. yesterday he was just that. As for Cockrell and the other DB's - I think they are certainly improving - but it's also true our pass rush over the last 3 games has been markedly better, and a QB under pressure tends to create situations that bode well for DB's.

[pfelix73]

I was impressed with the 2 rookies yesterday. I think both are gonna be good players for us, and will only get better with more playing time. Future is looking bright back there. I really like Davis at safety.. star potential.

[feltdizz]

I was impressed with the 2 rookies yesterday. I think both are gonna be good players for us, and will only get better with more playing time. Future is looking bright back there. I really like Davis at safety.. star potential.

It was really smart of Tomlin and company to wait until the Cleveland game to throw all the rookies into the fire.

[bostonsteeler]

Nobody on our D has been particularly bad this year. Nobody's been spectacularly good either. The D has generally given up the odd score on a blown assignment or a missed tackle or two -- just enough to put us in a not-so-great situation; the only really bad D was the final minute against Dallas.

In the past couple of games the rookies have begun showing up. The future looks promising.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Start rooks and you get growing pains. Burns, Davis, and Hargrave have all flashed in their playing time, but all have also made errors. That's what you get, that's what you expect. If all three of these guys clue in, you will have a core of Heyward, Tuitt, Hargrave, Shazier, Dupree, Davis, Burns moving forward. I like where this D is heading.

And heading back to the OP, Cockrell is a guy taken off the scrap heap who lines up opposite the best receiver every week. He is winning and losing battles from play to play, but he is doing so against OBJ, AJ Green, Brandon Marshall, Dez Bryant etc. His job is above his skill level and he has still been okay. If he is failing on a regular basis then that is on the coaching staff, not him. If you line up Russ Cockrell against any of these guys all game, and generate little pass rush and give him no help then you expect him to lose more often than not. I'd say he has held his own for the most part

[SidSmythe]

I saw somewhere last week where Gay was ranked #10 and Cockrell was ranked #30 out of ALL NFL CBs this season. Cockrell was only 2 spots behind Richard Sherman.

[SteelCrazy]

Cockrell has played above his ability, like someone pointed out. However, I see things during the course of the game that just shows he isn't capable. He has safety help or slot help that's masking these mistakes and I'm here to say it's just a matter of time until it shows its ugly face. I appreciate guys like Cockrell, because they show up and do the best they can without trying to flex after every decent play, like a certain safety we have (but I'm starting to like his play here of late).

Maybe I'm dead wrong, but I see a lot of unnecessary plays given up that bend us but don't break us and I gots a feelin its goin break us soon. Hope I'm WRONG.

[Mr.wizard]

Cockrell has played above his ability, like someone pointed out. However, I see things during the course of the game that just shows he isn't capable. He has safety help or slot help that's masking these mistakes and I'm here to say it's just a matter of time until it shows its ugly face. I appreciate guys like Cockrell, because they show up and do the best they can without trying to flex after every decent play, like a certain safety we have (but I'm starting to like his play here of late).

Maybe I'm dead wrong, but I see a lot of unnecessary plays given up that bend us but don't break us and I gots a feelin its goin break us soon. Hope I'm WRONG.

What does flexing after a play have to do with anything?

[feltdizz]

Lol, these predictions of a penalty costing us a game or a big play costing us a game are ridiculous. Its football. We are going to win or lose based on more than one play or one penalty.