Steelers interested in bringing back CB Brice McCain

Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

Steelers have reached out to free agent corner Brice McCain about working out after the NFL combine, according to a source. McCain, released by Miami last week, started nine games for Pittsburgh in 2014.

http://espn.go.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0492060566710393630-4

Only if it means no more fffing blake...

The intention better not be to say...."well now we got two veterans who know our system in blake and mccain...so we don't have to worry about getting a legit playmaker corner in fa or use a pick earlier than round 3."

McCain should only be brought in to replace blake as the 4th or 5th db....with the emphasis of upgrading the unit stll a major focus

I thought he played well when he was here. he's not a #1 but a decent 3 and 4

SUPERBOWL!

If they plan to replace Blake with McCain it would be an upgrade but not an answer. We still need to move forward at draft time and address this need.

solardave wrote:

If they plan to replace Blake with McCain it would be an upgrade but not an answer. We still need to move forward at draft time and address this need.

I'm just getting that old familiar feeling that once again they're going to completely ignore the CB position until later in the draft.

Guest: Is Brice McCain returning?

Ed Bouchette: And if he does, can the Super Bowl be far behind?

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/02/18/Ed-Bouchette-s-chat-transcript-1-18-16/stories/201602180201

Atlanta Dan wrote:

Guest: Is Brice McCain returning?

Ed Bouchette: And if he does, can the Super Bowl be far behind?

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/02/18/Ed-Bouchette-s-chat-transcript-1-18-16/stories/201602180201

Ha, that's too funny! So is Ed Bouchette really Fire Arians?

Makes you wonder if Ed Bouchette and some of the other beat writers actually read through the forums looking for information, leads on stories and fan feedback.

We do this all the time. we let a CB go (McFadden, Gay, W. Allen) and bring them back as the older , not improved version.

Goes back to unable to develop talent on defense.

kirklandrules wrote:

Atlanta Dan wrote:

Guest: Is Brice McCain returning?

Ed Bouchette: And if he does, can the Super Bowl be far behind?

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/02/18/Ed-Bouchette-s-chat-transcript-1-18-16/stories/201602180201

Ha, that's too funny! So is Ed Bouchette really Fire Arians?

I almost posted the exact same thing.

I'm fine if McCain comes back and competes for a spot of depth. I didn't watch much Miami, but I Think they play a lot more man and McCain was in the slot there and injured a bit.

McCain IMO does a better job than Blake at not turning his shoulders on deeper routes and jumping to a "bail technique" than Blake does. That allowed McCain to break on deeper dig routes and be around to challenge the ball. On the shorter routes, he sits down and breaks better.

As much as I thought McCain was a slot CB talent wise, I think under Butler's defense, he can play the outside better than Blake because I always thought he showed good technique.

Gay, Cockrell, McCain, Golson, Grant is good enough 5 IMO. Draft a Safety, O-lineman, TE spend some $$ on DeCastro, Bell and some veteran depth on D line, Safety, OLB.

Buddha Bus wrote:

kirklandrules wrote:

Atlanta Dan wrote:

Guest: Is Brice McCain returning?

Ed Bouchette: And if he does, can the Super Bowl be far behind?

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/02/18/Ed-Bouchette-s-chat-transcript-1-18-16/stories/201602180201

Ha, that's too funny! So is Ed Bouchette really Fire Arians?

I almost posted the exact same thing.

Shoot, looks like somebody figured me out

Agree with a previous poster, only if he replaces Blake.

Blake might be a good guy and hard worker. He might even 'know' the defense better than Boykin, but he just can't cover his receivers. I hope we don't have to watch Blake get toasted by 2nd and 3rd string qb's again this fall...

Steeler-in-west wrote:

Agree with a previous poster, only if he replaces Blake.

Blake might be a good guy and hard worker. He might even 'know' the defense better than Boykin,  but he just can't cover his receivers. I hope we don't have to watch Blake get toasted by 2nd and 3rd string qb's again this fall...

Kevin in Punxsy: Do you think that the Steelers will bring back Antwon Blake, whose ranking among DBs is very near the bottom.

Ed Bouchette: I think they will try. Keenan Lewis once ranked near the bottom of those Pro Football Focus ratings too and when he left, it was like Rod Woodson had left them.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/02/18/Ed-Bouchette-s-chat-transcript-1-18-16/stories/201602180201

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

Steeler-in-west wrote:

Agree with a previous poster, only if he replaces Blake.

Blake might be a good guy and hard worker. He might even 'know' the defense better than Boykin,  but he just can't cover his receivers. I hope we don't have to watch Blake get toasted by 2nd and 3rd string qb's again this fall...

Kevin in Punxsy: Do you think that the Steelers will bring back Antwon Blake, whose ranking among DBs is very near the bottom.

Ed Bouchette: I think they will try. Keenan Lewis once ranked near the bottom of those Pro Football Focus ratings too and when he left, it was like Rod Woodson had left them.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/02/18/Ed-Bouchette-s-chat-transcript-1-18-16/stories/201602180201

Hey perfect logic. One guy used to suck, he sucks. ipso facto. Antwan Blake is the key to our success.

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

Steeler-in-west wrote:

Agree with a previous poster, only if he replaces Blake.

Blake might be a good guy and hard worker. He might even 'know' the defense better than Boykin,  but he just can't cover his receivers. I hope we don't have to watch Blake get toasted by 2nd and 3rd string qb's again this fall...

Kevin in Punxsy: Do you think that the Steelers will bring back Antwon Blake, whose ranking among DBs is very near the bottom.

Ed Bouchette: I think they will try. Keenan Lewis once ranked near the bottom of those Pro Football Focus ratings too and when he left, it was like Rod Woodson had left them.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/02/18/Ed-Bouchette-s-chat-transcript-1-18-16/stories/201602180201

Difference is that Keenan Lewis had good technique, size, 48 starts in the Pac-10, was 2nd All Pac-10 on the football field and 4 time All Pac-10 academically. He was good in his backpedal and a solid press corner that needed to learn how to play off man in the Steelers system. He played well against top talent in the Senior Bowl, earning him a 3rd round selection and subsequent paydays.

Antowan "five alarm" Blake was undersized, undrafted FA that started his last 2 seasons at UTEP and was cut from the Jaguars in 2013. He plays off coverage too deep, is quick to turn his hips and sometimes his back on the WR, which allows too much separation on skinny post or deeper dig routes. He was the most targeted CB in the NFL and by all accounts, allowed the most receiving yardage of any CB.

Comparing Blake to Keenan Lewis in the same sentence, is inaccurate and an insult to Keenan Lewis.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

Steeler-in-west wrote:

Agree with a previous poster, only if he replaces Blake.

Blake might be a good guy and hard worker. He might even 'know' the defense better than Boykin,  but he just can't cover his receivers. I hope we don't have to watch Blake get toasted by 2nd and 3rd string qb's again this fall...

Kevin in Punxsy: Do you think that the Steelers will bring back Antwon Blake, whose ranking among DBs is very near the bottom.

Ed Bouchette: I think they will try. Keenan Lewis once ranked near the bottom of those Pro Football Focus ratings too and when he left, it was like Rod Woodson had left them.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/02/18/Ed-Bouchette-s-chat-transcript-1-18-16/stories/201602180201

Difference is that Keenan Lewis had good technique, size, 48 starts in the Pac-10, was 2nd All Pac-10 on the football field and 4 time All Pac-10 academically.  He was good in his backpedal and a solid press corner that needed to learn how to play off man in the Steelers system.  He played well against top talent in the Senior Bowl, earning him a 3rd round selection and subsequent paydays.

Antowan "five alarm" Blake was undersized, undrafted FA that started his last 2 seasons at UTEP and was cut from the Jaguars in 2013.  He plays off coverage too deep, is quick to turn his hips and sometimes his back on the WR, which allows too much separation on skinny post or deeper dig routes.  He was the most targeted CB in the NFL and by all accounts, allowed the most receiving yardage of any CB.

Comparing Blake to Keenan Lewis in the same sentence, is inaccurate and an insult to Keenan Lewis.  

And by the time Lewis left, he wasn't rated at the bottom of the barrel, the Steelers had already coached him up, and he signed a good contract in N.O.. Ed's a little off on his response. Obviously, Steelers fans had it right by thinking it was a disaster that Lewis wasn't retained ... kinda didn't work out for the Steelers, did it?

Lewis is an example of taking too long to develop a player to have an impact and when they finally do they hit free agency.

Vet minimum bring him back make them compete for spots. He was pretty decent when he played for us.

kirklandrules wrote:

And by the time Lewis left, he wasn't rated at the bottom of the barrel, the Steelers had already coached him up, and he signed a good contract in N.O.. Ed's a little off on his response. Obviously, Steelers fans had it right by thinking it was a disaster that Lewis wasn't retained ... kinda didn't work out for the Steelers, did it?

If the Steelers played press man to man, Keenan Lewis would have been starting by his 2nd season. That is what many fans don't understand. Oregon St. played man his entire time there in college.

I also remember in his 2nd year(?) he showed well in the preseason but had one play where he made a dumb mistake and ended up being benched for somebody else....and he never got another shot the entire year. They sat good talent on the bench because he ended up in somebody's dog house and it reminds me a lot of the Boykin situation this year.

Lewis was leaving for home and more $. Boykin likely gets paid well as a free agent ($5million a year +) and will be gone. Brice McCain on the cheap is likely what the Steelers go after.

Report: Former Steelers CB Brice McCain signs with Titans after being released by Dolphins

By Jeff.Hartman on Mar 2, 2016

When Brice McCain was released from the Miami Dolphins there was interest shown on behalf of the Steelers for a possible reunion. That reunion is off after reports state McCain has signed with the Titans.

It didn't take long for the rumors to swirl when Brice McCain was released by the Miami Dolphins a few weeks ago. Talk of a possible reunion in the Steel City made sense, and when the team reportedly was planning on working out McCain it seemed like an actual option.

Those hopes were dashed for fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers Wednesday with reports stating McCain has come to an agreement on a new deal with the Tennessee Titans.

The contract reunites McCain and former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. Since McCain was not under contract, he does not have to wait until free agency begins on March 9th to sign a new deal. With plenty of teams interested in his services at cornerback, he very well could have chosen the highest bidder. If that was the case, it would explain why he didn't choose Pittsburgh, as they don't have nearly as much cap space compared to other NFL franchises.

The Steelers will look to get younger at the cornerback position, but the personnel who will be on the field in 2016 is anything but certain as Antwon Blake, William Gay and Brandon Boykin are all set to become unrestricted free agents in less than a week.

The only returning cornerbacks on the roster are Senquez Golson, Ross Cockrell and Doran Grant. To say they need to address the cornerback position might be a huge understatement. Look for the team to make a move in free agency, as well as in the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft, to fill the gaping holes in an already porous secondary which ranked 30th in the NFL in 2015.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/nfl-pittsburgh-steelers-news/2016/3/2/11147500/report-former-steelers-cb-brice-mccain-signs-with-titans-after-being

Not the end of the world.

/end thread?

jak341 wrote:

Not the end of the world.

/end thread?

No, not the end of the world. But another reason we should fire Haley?

kirklandrules wrote:

jak341 wrote:

Not the end of the world.

/end thread?

No, not the end of the world. But another reason we should fire Haley?

Nope. This is clearly all Tomlin's fault.