Spence Forcing Steelers to Reconsider

By Jim Wexell

Rookie's instincts and understanding of the game have the Steelers considering whether Sean Spence can play a position that the gargantuan Levon Kirkland once made famous.

When Steelers linebacker coach Kevin Butler first met Sean Spence at the NFL combine, he told him that “no rookie linebacker comes in and starts. They work their way in on special teams.”

Butler reiterated that on draft day after the Steelers had selected Spence in the third round.

At 5-11 3/8, 231 pounds, Spence wouldn’t compete to replace James Farrior because “the buck linebacker has to be a little bit bigger and take on the guards more,” Butler said, adding that Spence will have to play special teams because “he’s not going to start at mack linebacker over Lawrence Timmons. That isn’t going to happen.”

So why was Steelers special-teams coach Al Everest muttering on the sidelines about the possibility of losing Spence to the starting lineup the same way he had lost another rookie, Patrick Willis, when Everest was the special-teams coach in San Francisco?

During spring drills, Spence had replaced an injured Stevenson Sylvester as the backup buck linebacker behind Larry Foote, and the buzz coming out of the Steelers’ linebacker meetings was that Spence was a true student of the game. He took the right notes and asked all the right questions. He was eating whole the complexities and nuances of a position Farrior claimed had taken him years to master.

READ MORE: http://pit.scout.com/2/1201233.html

you beat me to it. i was just getting ready to post this.

im hoping by year 2 or 3 he will make us forget about potsie

vasteeler wrote:

im hoping by year 2 or 3 he will make us forget about potsie

Potsie is much more forgettable than Ralph Mouth.


Based on this article alone, I think kirklandrules absolutely nailed it with his analysis of Spence. Everyone needs to read it if they haven't already. http://www.steelersxtreme.com/t2558-a-closer-look-at-the-steelers-new-recruits-part-iii-sean-spence-xtreme-commentary

Quote :

At 5-11 3/8, 231 pounds, Spence wouldn’t compete to replace James Farrior because “the buck linebacker has to be a little bit bigger and take on the guards more

if he's too small to play linebacker, He could be Clark or Troy's replacement down the road

Thanks, Wally..... my nipples are hard again.

This is very exciting news to hear considering Spence was the biggest question mark of the Steelers draft. A lot of the experts were wondering out loud about the pick and I think most of us had him written off before he even got a playbook. I'm glad to hear he's impressing the coaching staff, but I still want to temper my excitement a little until we see it on the field in game conditions. Till then, I'll keep my fingers crossed..... and my nipples taped down.

Ever since Kirkland's in-depth look at Spence, I've been EXTREMELY excited to see him showcase his skills this pre-season.

bayz101 wrote:

Ever since Kirkland's in-depth look at Spence, I've been EXTREMELY excited to see him showcase his skills this pre-season.

The Captain knows his shit! His article got me pumped to see this guy play and the positive reactions coming from the coaching staff are bolstering Kirk's assessment of Spence.

Good call, Cap'n!!!!

Buddha Bus wrote:

bayz101 wrote:

Ever since Kirkland's in-depth look at Spence, I've been EXTREMELY excited to see him showcase his skills this pre-season.

The Captain knows his shit! His article got me pumped to see this guy play and the positive reactions coming from the coaching staff are bolstering Kirk's assessment of Spence.

Good call, Cap'n!!!!

I can't wait to read his assessments on the later picks.

bayz101 wrote:

Buddha Bus wrote:

bayz101 wrote:

Ever since Kirkland's in-depth look at Spence, I've been EXTREMELY excited to see him showcase his skills this pre-season.

The Captain knows his shit! His article got me pumped to see this guy play and the positive reactions coming from the coaching staff are bolstering Kirk's assessment of Spence.

Good call, Cap'n!!!!

I can't wait to read his assessments on the later picks.

Me too.

bayz101 wrote:

Ever since Kirkland's in-depth look at Spence, I've been EXTREMELY excited to see him showcase his skills this pre-season.

Me too. I really hope he lites up the screen no matter where he is playing but I hope he lines up eventually in the middle. It sounds to me like he'll earn it by his work ethic.

solardave wrote:

bayz101 wrote:

Ever since Kirkland's in-depth look at Spence, I've been EXTREMELY excited to see him showcase his skills this pre-season.

Me too. I really hope he lites up the screen no matter where he is playing but I hope he lines up eventually in the middle. It sounds to me like he'll earn it by his work ethic.

Yeah, we need him to our future MLB. He's speedy, so it'll cater to the coverage MLB.

I would like Spence have a soild camp and play some LB in the pass defense packages this season.