A Closer Look at the Steelers New Recruits - Part III – Sean Spence (Xtreme Commentary)

A Closer Look at the Steelers New Recruits
Part III – Sean Spence

By John Race
SteelersXtreme.com

A few years ago the NFL forced the Rooney family to realign ownership of the Pittsburgh Steelers to ensure the members of the family who have stakes in the family horse racing tracks and other businesses that provide outlets for gambling do not hold ownership in pro football. Someone should notify commissioner Goodell the Steelers haven’t gotten away from their betting ways, because if their third round pick, Sean Spence, pans out they will have hit on a trifecta in the first three rounds of this year’s draft.

Spence, a linebacker from Miami University, is an interesting selection. He will either be a boom or bust pick, meaning he will either be very good or he will wash out. The one thing you can count on is that Sean Spence won’t be average because there’s nothing in this guy that is average.

Standing at just 5’ 11” and weighing 230 lbs, Spence was listed as an outside linebacker in college. However, he took a large number of snaps while lining up in the middle linebacker spot in his final year of collegiate play. His height and motor are reminiscent of Zach Thomas. He’s not built as solid as Thomas and doesn’t fight off the blocks as well as the former Dolphins middle linebacker. But Spence is faster and disrupts more plays in the backfield than Thomas did in college.

One of the greatest qualities Spence possesses is his read-reaction to offensive plays. He identifies where a play is headed while it’s developing and quickly gets himself in good position to make the stop. His ability to slice between blockers with almost reckless abandon and tackle a ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage is similar in style to Troy Polamalu.

During the draft, his sub-par 40 yard time at the combine was discussed. However, his college game film shows nothing but a guy that has very good quickness and usually isn’t late getting to the ball carrier. In fact, he’s usually the first one at the point of attack.

If you ever want to teach a youngster how to tackle, just start with clips of Sean Spence. He made several tackles during his college play that were textbook. His ability to get in the perfect position before making contact allows him to keep that textbook form that results in a solid tackle. He hits the ball carrier between the numbers, wraps his arms, lifts and drives with his legs until the player falls backwards.

Spence also provides solid pass coverage on tight ends and running backs. He has a good back-peddle and is able to turn and run to stay with his man. His one fault on pass coverage comes when the offense is showing backfield movement that would indicate a run. On a few occasions, he’s been caught looking into the backfield while the receiver he’s responsible for ran past him.

It was suggested by an ESPN analyst during the draft that he could also cover wide receivers from the slot position. Wrong! Any time you see an inside linebacker lining up across from a wide receiver you should think of that term that makes all offensive coordinators as giddy as school girls during recess … that term being: Mismatch. Just to drive the point home, when Tom Brady is under center and looks to his right and sees Wes Welker in the slot, covered by Sean Spence (or any other linebacker in the NFL), Brady is already counting the points they will score on that play.

The one area in which Spence struggles is his ability to fight off blocks. His size is a disadvantage here. He isn’t big enough to push a blocker in a direction that will disrupt a runner. Once a blocker is able to make contact with Spence, he’s usually eliminated from the play or contributes to the tackle ten to fifteen yards beyond the point he was blocked. On occasion, he tries to run around a blocker, but if the blocker is in good position the runner will still gain good yardage on the play. This area of weakness will be on display every time the offense lines up and runs right at the defense (between the tackles). Those plays are much quicker to develop and Spence won’t be able to beat the blockers to the point of attack.

Kevin Colbert gave a post-draft interview where he downplayed Spence’s weakness in battling blockers on run plays. Basically, Colbert said the league is moving more toward a pass happy game which plays into Spence’s strengths. I’m not buying this rationalization. The Houston Texans are a team that will pound the ball the old fashioned way and I believe will be a legitimate contender this year. You don’t have to leave the AFC North for other examples. Baltimore loves to run Ray Rice behind a big offensive line and a strong fullback. Cleveland had Peyton Hillis and now have Trent Richardson, who is a tough runner. Cincinnati usually keeps a big fullback to run behind. Even the Steelers have bolstered their offensive line and claim David Johnson will be a fulltime fullback this year in an attempt to run “more effectively”. The AFC representative in next year’s Super Bowl will have to get past more than one strong running team. How the Steelers mitigate Spence’s weakness on run plays will go a long way in determining his success in the NFL.

The Steelers have stated that Spence will compete for a backup position behind middle linebacker Lawrence Timmons. He could be moved to outside linebacker as well. Because his attacking style resembles that of Polamalu, there have been rumblings that he could be moved to safety. That’s unlikely because he doesn’t have the experience nor a ball hawking mentality. He’s fast, but not fast enough to stay in stride with an NFL wide receiver. However, he’s an extremely talented player that may provide Dick Lebeau with another weapon to move around his defense.

Sean Spence will most likely spend this year on special teams, where he should excel. If he’s able to crack the starting lineup someday, you’ll see plenty of big play ability. After all, if he doesn’t wash out he will be anything but average.

Another great installment, KR! We'll throw it up on the homepage in just a few!

Another fine read, Captain Kirk.


Actually, I haven't read it yet.
But I've come to expect nothing but awesome analysis from you. I'll be giving it a good read later when I have more time. And if anyone hasn't checked out KR's first two installments yet, do yourself a favor and go to the Xtreme Commentaries forum and read them.

Good read KR. I think this kid will go down as one of our better choices because he is an overachiever. I think he'll get stronger and his ability to read and react could just make him a defensive captain one day soon.

Or he could go down in flames but I really don't see that happening. I predict he leads our STs this year in tackles.

Another great read, Kirk! I hope Spence really works out for us. I'm worried he may be a gamble that doesn't pay off as a starting LB, but he should at least contribute mightily on special teams. I really hope he isn't another Bruce Davis.

Buddha Bus wrote:

Another great read, Kirk! I hope Spence really works out for us. I'm worried he may be a gamble that doesn't pay off as a starting LB, but he should at least contribute mightily on special teams. I really hope he isn't another Bruce Davis.

Thanks guys!

As Solardave indicates, Spence is an underdog that has overachieved. The question remains if he can do it at the top level. Unlike Bruce Davis, he definitely has the skills for a good special teams player (at least I can't remember Davis standing out on special teams). However, I don't think the Steelers are looking for their 3rd rounders to end up on the ST list ... they want potential starters or at least quality depth from their higher picks.

When they first announced this pick I felt this was a roll-of-the-dice pick. After reviewing and analyzing some game film, I still think it's a gamble. But I love an underdog story as much as the next guy, so I'll be rooting for #51 this year. Heck, I root for all the young guys who come to the Steelers ... they can only make this team better (or wash out trying).

kirklandrules wrote:

Buddha Bus wrote:

Another great read, Kirk! I hope Spence really works out for us. I'm worried he may be a gamble that doesn't pay off as a starting LB, but he should at least contribute mightily on special teams. I really hope he isn't another Bruce Davis.

Thanks guys!

As Solardave indicates, Spence is an underdog that has overachieved. The question remains if he can do it at the top level. Unlike Bruce Davis, he definitely has the skills for a good special teams player (at least I can't remember Davis standing out on special teams). However, I don't think the Steelers are looking for their 3rd rounders to end up on the ST list ... they want potential starters or at least quality depth from their higher picks.

When they first announced this pick I felt this was a roll-of-the-dice pick. After reviewing and analyzing some game film, I still think it's a gamble. But I love an underdog story as much as the next guy, so I'll be rooting for #51 this year. Heck, I root for all the young guys who come to the Steelers ... they can only make this team better (or wash out trying).

And I'll be rooting for him right alongside you, brother!

Quote :

One of the greatest qualities Spence possesses is his read-reaction to offensive plays. He identifies where a play is headed while it’s developing and quickly gets himself in good position to make the stop. His ability to slice between blockers with almost reckless abandon and tackle a ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage is similar in style to Troy Polamalu.

This is what excites me most about him.

BGSU A Dub wrote:

You said in your commentary (which was a great read) that he lacks the strength to shed blockers. There are 2 easy fixes to that: get stronger or get smarter. He can spend more time in the weight room to bully the offensive linemen or he can get better technique and shimmy the offensive linemen.

At 5' 10" he's only going to get so big and strong. He's also a pretty bright player. Sooner or later football comes down to physical contact, no matter how smart you try to play it. I think the answer is more in scheme. How does Lebeau move this guy around so the offensive linemen and large fullbacks don't get good angles on Spence?

BGSU A Dub wrote:

I think he controls his own destiny. You said in your commentary (which was a great read) that he lacks the strength to shed blockers. There are 2 easy fixes to that: get stronger or get smarter. He can spend more time in the weight room to bully the offensive linemen or he can get better technique and shimmy the offensive linemen.

Either way, I'll keep my eyes out for Spence this year.

I think if he refines his technique of slicing through blockers he could become a ILB. Look at how many times Harrison was cut. I hope this kid develops while we have him here. Smart and fast. 2 out of 3 might just be enough.

solardave wrote:

BGSU A Dub wrote:

I think he controls his own destiny. You said in your commentary (which was a great read) that he lacks the strength to shed blockers. There are 2 easy fixes to that: get stronger or get smarter. He can spend more time in the weight room to bully the offensive linemen or he can get better technique and shimmy the offensive linemen.

Either way, I'll keep my eyes out for Spence this year.

I think if he refines his technique of slicing through blockers he could become a ILB. Look at how many times Harrison was cut. I hope this kid develops while we have him here. Smart and fast. 2 out of 3 might just be enough.

Junior Seau (rest his soul) was one of the worst at fighting through blockers. But he rarely allowed a blocker to get a clean shot at him. So there are techniques and schemes that can mitigate this issue for Spence.

There are a lot of great players who don't/didn't have the prototypical size or build for their position but overcame it. I think Spence can be one of those players.

Wallace108 wrote:

There are a lot of great players who don't/didn't have the prototypical size or build for their position but overcame it. I think Spence can be one of those players.

I do too and I am hoping he will. Time will tell.

imho, Spence might be a great cover LB in pass defense but still big enough to play the run.

effyou515 wrote:

imho, Spence might be a great cover LB in pass defense but still big enough to play the run.

With the way the NFL is changing to a passing league, it's probably more important to have a linebacker who is better in coverage than stopping the run. And I'm thinking Spence fits that mold. Of course, it's better if they can do both well.

Great write up again, KR. From the footage I've seen of Spence so far, I can't see picking him as much of a gamble. He is humble and plays bigger than his size. His diagnosis of the offensive plays, quick decision making, and reaction time are all things that cannot be trained. He can get stronger and learn new techniques. He also seems to have the sheer desire to get better at his craft. I expect great things from him in the future.

I still don't understand why so much stock is put in a guy's 40 time. Every conversation around a person's speed usually comes with this statement - BUT his game speed. There has always been that side of the conversation. You might get a guy as fast as the dickens, but put him on the field and he slows down, then you have that guy who flat sucks on the 40 but when he gets on the field he's like lightning.

I haven't seen a lot of film on Spence, but from what I recall this kid has some natural instincts that are rarely able to be measured - well that was until we got a measuring stick names Troy Polamalu. Now we'll see if Spence has the natural stuff that very few NFL players truly have.