Steelers Source

Tony Hills

I’ve been meaning to write this one for a while. The Steelers depth chart is set for the season, but I wish that they would have tried to be more creative with the offensive line during training camp this year. Will this years group as constructed be ok?  Probably.  Will they be good? Probably not.

He is what I would have tried.

Pouncey at center and Kemoetu at right guard, same as they have right now. Here’s where it gets interesting. Move Max Starks back to right tackle and since Flozell Adams had to learn a new position anyway how about right guard? Make a lot of sense to me since it gets him out of pass blocking on the end which was the rap on him in Dallas even when he was at his natural spot on the left side. He would also be a huge upgrade in run blocking from that position over Trai Essex.

So who do you put in at right tackle? Tony Hills. Hills had a great camp and preseason while he was in there and I think deserved a shot on the starting line. Oh well, wishful thinking.

Sitting here at the beginning of the 4th quarter in the Steelers – Lions game after waiting through possibly the longest halftime in history. Very interesting game for a number of players.  I’ll start with the good news:

• Maurkice Pouncey got some snaps at center and looks like the real deal. I’ve changed my thinking and see him in the opening day line up at center, not right guard.
• Great drive at the end of the first half showcased by a long completion from Dennis Dixon to Arnez Battle. Steelers had a scramble for a touchdown by Dixon reversed on replay and got the ball on the one yard line. They proceeded to immediately punch it in off of great blocks by Pouncey and Tony Hills.
• Issac Redman looks awesome and Mewelde Moore better start watching his back.
• Welcome back Aaron Smith, you are still a stud.
• The starting linebacking corps looked like world beaters.

Now for the bad news:

• Byron Leftwich looks like the junior varsity. His only completions were to running backs and one to Heath Miller in the flat. The only time he looked down field he badly under threw a deep ball to Mike Wallace who had at least a step and a half on the corner. He also had another complete whiff on a throw to a wide open Arnez Battle over the middle inside the 20 that would have went for an easy touchdown.
• On consecutive plays in the Steelers second drive, Flozell Adams got whipped by the defensive end on a straight edge rush, then followed by Chris Kemoeatu getting worked straight up the gut.
• At least 3 fumbles by running backs in the first half.
• Spotty play by the young cornerbacks. Matt Stafford started picking on Keenan Lewis, but he did have a few good plays as well. Same deal on Joe Burnett, but less passes came his way. Nice to see flashes of brilliance, but we also saw some plays that they were out of position.

All in all, no surprises tonight. The offensive line needs a lot more work and it is going to be a long September if Byron Leftwich is playing quarterback.

I figured that I better get this one out quickly since with the opening of practice yesterday Flozell Adams has been plugged into the starting right tackle spot and the o-line is probably the most interesting of this year’s positional battles. For those of you keeping score at home the Steelers kept 9 linemen last year and will need to cut down from the following list:

Three of the starter should be set with Max Starks and Flozell Adams at the tackle positions, Chris Kemoeatu at guard, and Justin Hartwig at center. The big battle should be between 1st rounder Maurkice Pouncey and Trai Essex at right guard. If you have been reading this site on any kind of regular basis you know my opinion of Essex (he stinks), so in my mind this should be a no brainer. The offensive line, other than possible tackle is a position that has much of a transition from college like a quarterback. Blocking is blocking and Pouncey was a starter at Florida as a freshman so he has shown he can pick up a playbook quickly.

Other than those 6, I think Tony Hills and Kraig Urbik are locks. That leaves one slot for the remaining 5 players in camp. Another tackle makes the most sense, so it should be interesting to see who emerges between Ramon Foster and Jonathan Scott. My money is on Foster, but we’ll see what happens.

Today, former Dallas Cowboys left tackle Flozell Adams signed a 2 year deal to come to Pittsburgh and play with the Steelers. Adams was a 5 time Pro Bowl tackle while in Big D and was released by the Cowboys to avoid paying him $6.5 million in salary for this season. Financial terms with the Steelers have not yet been disclosed, but Adams was seeking something in the neighborhood of $3.5 million per season.

The big question is where will Adams play. With Willie Colon out, the immidate need is at right tackle. However, Max Starks played on the right side during the last Super Bowl run and can’t be trusted to pass block on the blind side. My guess is that Starks moves to the right side and Adams gets plugged into the left tackle spot. You can see my last article begging for this day, so believe me when I say, great news!

Flozell Adams

The season must be coming soon, as my powers of prediction are returning in full force. Free agent offensive tackle, and former member of the Dallas Cowboys, Flozell Adams spent the day visiting with the Steelers. Adams spent his day participating in a physical and workout for the team. This on the heels of today’s news that tackle Willie Colon will need surgery to repair an Achilles tendon injury suffered earlier this week. You can read my article from a month ago here.

Hopefully an offer is in the making. Tackles are increadibily hard to find, and while he’s at the end of his career, Adams will not be waiting too much longer to find a home for this season.

According to the National Football Post, Steelers offensive tackle (and one of my favorite targets) Willie Colon has injured is Achilles tendon during a workout session. If this report is true, Colon would most likely be finished for the year. Hopefully that makes my ideas about Flozell Adams and/or Logan Mankins more realistic…

Black & Gold ?

I had written a few weeks back about the availability of Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Flozell Adams and the Steelers getting some desperately need help on the offensive line. Another (and better) option is also out there in the form of New England Patriots offensive guard Logan Mankins. At 28, Mankins had an All-Pro season last year and is in the prime of his career as a restricted free agent.

In an article over on Bleacher Report, Mankins stated that,  “I was asked to play ’09 out, and they would address the contract after the uncapped year. I’m a team player, I took them at their word, and I felt I played out an undervalued contract. Promises were made. That’s the big thing. Right now, this is about principle with me, and keeping your word and how you treat people. This is what I thought the foundation of the Patriots was built on. Apparently, I was wrong. Growing up, I was taught a man’s word is his bond. Obviously, this isn’t the case with the Patriots.”

He is clearly bent out of shape. Since he did not reach an agreement with the Patriots before the June 15th deadline for a one-year tender, he might be had for less than market value, maybe something like a 2nd round draft pick. The Steelers, while having to really open the wallet, would only be committing for a year and can reevaluate for 2011. It would also be nice to take one from our friends in Boston.