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Steelers Notes: Lebeau says he'll be back
By: Mike Bires
Beaver County Times
[url="http://www.timesonline.com/sports/sports_details/article/1501/2010/january/05/steelers-notes-lebeau-says-hell-be-back.html"]http://www.timesonline.com/sports/sport ... -back.html[/url]
Tuesday January 5, 2010 12:10 AM
PITTSBURGH — Unless coach Mike Tomlin says no, Dick LeBeau will be back next season as the Steelers’ defensive coordinator.
Lebeau, who’ll be 73 next September, hasn’t even thought about the day he might retire.
“He told us in a meeting a couple of weeks ago,” linebacker James Farrior said. “I think the rumors had started going around again about him retiring and not coming back again, so he laid it to bed with me. He told our defense they’re going to have to kick him up out of here, so I took his word for it.”
LeBeau is in his second stint as the mastermind of the Steeler defense. He served as D-coordinator from 1995-96 and returned to that post in 2004.
In the past three years, the Steelers have ranked first, first and fifth in the NFL in total defense.
But when the Steelers’ defense struggled during a five-game losing streak to start the second half of the season, it was suggested that opposing offenses were figuring out his strategies.
“He said that he’s looking forward to next year,’’ linebacker LaMarr Woodley said. “We just talked to him briefly (on Monday) and he said we’ll come out next year and try it again.”
Sweed sighting
WR Santonio Holmes still has high hopes for WR Limas Sweed, who’s struggled since coming to the Steelers as a second-round pick in last year’s draft.
Sweed’s second season ended prematurely two weeks ago when he was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list for an undisclosed health issue.
“Limas came into practice one day (last) week and we all got a chance to see him and talk to him,” Holmes said. “I just laughed at him and laughed with him, just to keep his spirits up.
“I definitely think he’s going to be more motivated to come back next year and prove to a lot of people that he’s capable of being one of those receivers out there with us, making plays and to prove he’s going to be a productive receiver in the NFL one day.”
Sweed only had one catch for 5 yards this season. He dropped a would-be touchdown pass in a Sept. 27 loss in Cincinnati that would have put the Steelers ahead 27-9.
Laying down
LB LaMarr Woodley, who led the Steelers with 13.5 sacks this year, has no regrets about comments he made last week claiming that New England and Cincinnati would “lay down” in their final regular-season games in fear of facing Pittsburgh in the playoffs.
Woodley was wrong about the Patriots, who lost in Houston 34-27. But the Bengals sure looked like they laid down in losing 37-0 on the road to the New York Jets.
“You saw the games. I was just calling it how I saw it,” Woodley said. “If you watched the games, I don’t need to say anything more about it.
“I’m not a guy who starts trouble, but sometimes you have to speak your mind. Sometimes, you’re wrong. And sometimes, you’re right. But if you watched the games, you can tell me if I’m wrong or right.”
Draft time
The Steelers will have the 18th overall pick of the 2010 Draft.
Even though the Falcons and Texans also finished with 9-7 records, the Steelers pick ahead of them in the first round based on playing an easier schedule.
This year, the draft will be stretched out over three days. On Thursday, April 22, the draft starts with first-round selections only. On April 23, the second and third rounds will be conducted. On April 24, it’ll be rounds four through seven.
By: Mike Bires
Beaver County Times
[url="http://www.timesonline.com/sports/sports_details/article/1501/2010/january/05/steelers-notes-lebeau-says-hell-be-back.html"]http://www.timesonline.com/sports/sport ... -back.html[/url]
Tuesday January 5, 2010 12:10 AM
PITTSBURGH — Unless coach Mike Tomlin says no, Dick LeBeau will be back next season as the Steelers’ defensive coordinator.
Lebeau, who’ll be 73 next September, hasn’t even thought about the day he might retire.
“He told us in a meeting a couple of weeks ago,” linebacker James Farrior said. “I think the rumors had started going around again about him retiring and not coming back again, so he laid it to bed with me. He told our defense they’re going to have to kick him up out of here, so I took his word for it.”
LeBeau is in his second stint as the mastermind of the Steeler defense. He served as D-coordinator from 1995-96 and returned to that post in 2004.
In the past three years, the Steelers have ranked first, first and fifth in the NFL in total defense.
But when the Steelers’ defense struggled during a five-game losing streak to start the second half of the season, it was suggested that opposing offenses were figuring out his strategies.
“He said that he’s looking forward to next year,’’ linebacker LaMarr Woodley said. “We just talked to him briefly (on Monday) and he said we’ll come out next year and try it again.”
Sweed sighting
WR Santonio Holmes still has high hopes for WR Limas Sweed, who’s struggled since coming to the Steelers as a second-round pick in last year’s draft.
Sweed’s second season ended prematurely two weeks ago when he was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list for an undisclosed health issue.
“Limas came into practice one day (last) week and we all got a chance to see him and talk to him,” Holmes said. “I just laughed at him and laughed with him, just to keep his spirits up.
“I definitely think he’s going to be more motivated to come back next year and prove to a lot of people that he’s capable of being one of those receivers out there with us, making plays and to prove he’s going to be a productive receiver in the NFL one day.”
Sweed only had one catch for 5 yards this season. He dropped a would-be touchdown pass in a Sept. 27 loss in Cincinnati that would have put the Steelers ahead 27-9.
Laying down
LB LaMarr Woodley, who led the Steelers with 13.5 sacks this year, has no regrets about comments he made last week claiming that New England and Cincinnati would “lay down” in their final regular-season games in fear of facing Pittsburgh in the playoffs.
Woodley was wrong about the Patriots, who lost in Houston 34-27. But the Bengals sure looked like they laid down in losing 37-0 on the road to the New York Jets.
“You saw the games. I was just calling it how I saw it,” Woodley said. “If you watched the games, I don’t need to say anything more about it.
“I’m not a guy who starts trouble, but sometimes you have to speak your mind. Sometimes, you’re wrong. And sometimes, you’re right. But if you watched the games, you can tell me if I’m wrong or right.”
Draft time
The Steelers will have the 18th overall pick of the 2010 Draft.
Even though the Falcons and Texans also finished with 9-7 records, the Steelers pick ahead of them in the first round based on playing an easier schedule.
This year, the draft will be stretched out over three days. On Thursday, April 22, the draft starts with first-round selections only. On April 23, the second and third rounds will be conducted. On April 24, it’ll be rounds four through seven.
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