Tomlin: Steelers could have three rookie starters

Mike Tomlin: Steelers could have three rookie starters

By Chris Wesseling
Around the NFL Writer
Published: May 1, 2016

When Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau was running the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense, it was exceedingly rare for a rookie to earn a starting job.

That's no longer the case under Keith Butler, who altered the defense with more zone looks after taking over for LeBeau in 2015.

There's a chance for first-round cornerback Artie Burns, second-round safety Sean Davis and third-round nose tackle Javon Hargrave to play major roles on a defense that ranked 21st in yards allowed and 30th against the pass last year.

"I believe it's realistic," coach Mike Tomlin said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "That's why we chose them where we chose them. But they have to earn it, and we'll give them the opportunity to do that."

That's not even including 2014 second-round cornerback Senquez Golson, who missed his entire rookie season to shoulder surgery.

Although defensive line coach John Mitchell indicated that Hargrave's primary role figures to be spelling standout defensive ends Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt, the defensive backs have a chance to overtake left cornerback Ross Cockrell and strong safety Robert Golden atop the depth chart.

Tomlin is counting on Burns, Davis and Golson to upgrade a leaky secondary that was the team's Achilles' heel last season.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000659278/article/mike-tomlin-steelers-could-have-three-rookie-starters?campaign=Twitter_atn

Looking forward to seeing what Ayers can do as a KR/PR. Looking at his highlight reel - yes he doesn't have elite speed, but his vision is elite. This guy knows how to read his blocks and make people miss. IMO that's more important than top speed when it comes to returning kicks (dri archer showed us that).

As a WR he looks like he can be one of those davone bess type of players. not a big play threat but he can move the chains reliably if called upon

Don't see Burns beating Cockrell in year 1 but the slot CB job is up for grab. I think Burns at least need a year to develop. He could get really lost in zone coverage.

I can see Davis and Hargrave starting, I can see Burns being in a rotation at CB.

Unless Burns is awful, he's not going to sit on the bench.

could be right, draft players who fit your defense coach them up.

imo in this draft which was deep in defensive players they tried to draft players who came from defenses that some what played in defenses that will help Butlers Steelers defense.

cut down on the learning curve.

Ahhhh, great topic! (Wrote this one this morning, before I saw this.)

Steelers Defense Trending Upward

I read an article over the weekend that said the Steelers defense is coming off one of it's worst statistical in nearly a quarter of a century. That statement is both fact and opinion. It's kind of like saying the glass is half empty, though, the glass might overflow if things work out according to plan...

After spending 5 of the 7 total selections in the 2016 NFL Draft on defense, the Steelers look to improve from what appeared to be a "down" year for the unit. The Steelers were 30th in passing defense in 2015. They were also 30th in first downs by passing, and 21st overall in total defense.

As bad as Pittsburgh was against the pass, they were 3rd in allowing rushing first downs, and 11th overall in points allowed. The Steelers were also 6th in interceptions and 4th in fumbles recovered, good for a tie as 3rd overall in takeaways, while sacking the quarterback 48 times, 3rd best in the league behind New England's 49 and Carolina's 52.

In other words, the defense is on the rise, with the newcomers looking to raise that effort.

For a franchise that was traditionally reluctant to allow players onto the field for a year or two, the trend has changed dramatically over the last few seasons. Jarvis Jones was a co-starter as a rookie, while both, Ryan Shazier and Bud Dupree, started 5 games each in their freshman NFL campaigns. Adding players such as Artie Burns at corner, Sean Davis at safety (or corner) and Javon Hargraves as a nose tackle or defensive end in subpackages, could signal a major change from the norm. Combined with last year's 2nd round pick, Senquez Golson, the defensive unit could see as many as four new players on the field in 2016, considering Golson didn't play last year due to injury.

Read more: http://www.steelcityunderground.com/2016/05/02/steelers-defense-trending-upward/

I'm equally excited about last year's picks and seeing if they've learned enough to become contributors.

Golson and Grant have golden opportunities. They're 2nd year corners on a secondary that was 30th in pass defense. Other than William Gay and Mike Mitchell, I don't see anyone who's 'locked into' a starting position. There's 2 starting positions opening (3 if you count slot CB) for young players who want it badly enough.

Harrison is in his last year, so we need the young LB's to step up. Jarvis Jones seems like an overall solid, but not great OLB. I'm comfortable with his ability to stop the run and drop in coverage, what I'm not pleased about is he's average-below average at rushing the passer. Can he improve or is it a ceiling he can't reach? On the other hand, Bud Dupree has all the tools but was extremely raw. Did he improve his technique enough to be more consistent? Anthony Chickillo had a lot of attention in camp, reported to have 'appeared to look more like the first round pick than Bud Dupree', can he live up to that hype?

Sammy Coates. So much attention this offseason on defense, but Coates is a player who is going to be given an opportunity to shine with Martavis being his stupid self. Coates building on last year's impressive showing on a big stage is going to be huge. If he can do what he did vs Denver's secondary week in and week out, our WR corps might even be more deadly than it was with Bryant in the lineup.

Jesse James - I liked what I saw from him last year. I really think he has a shot of being a solid starting option at TE.

as I see it with the Safety position Mike Mitchell moves to FS and Davis can be the SS / LB in this defense imo would give the Steelers a really good Safety combo.

imo Mitchell is a hard hitting FS that has been playing SS which isn't his natural position.

the Steelers are still are going to go through growing pains with their CBs because the starting CBs are in fluxs but the Steelers will still running cover 4 and cover 3 defenses with Dupree and Shazer helping out.

Davis' smile is there to stay

Teresa Varley
Steelers.com

Safety Sean Davis is ready to get his Steelers' career started.

His smile was ever present. Didn’t matter who he was talking to, or what they were talking about. Sean Daviscouldn’t help but beam as he walked around the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex and Heinz Field the day after he was selected by the team in the second round of the NFL Draft.

“My emotions have been everywhere,” said Davis. “I can’t stop smiling. I am so happy to be here, seeing my new home, my new family. It’s just a blessing.”

Davis is back in Pittsburgh for the team’s three-day rookie minicamp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, giving the coaches their first look at him up close and personal along with the rest of the team’s draft picks and rookie free agent signings.

The safety from Maryland can’t wait.

“Right now I just want to get my foot in the door, contribute anyway that I can, and help the team get better,” said Davis. “I want to just help us get some wins this year.

“I am a very versatile player. I can do a lot. I played strong safety, I played cornerback at Maryland. Moving around playing safety is what I do. I am very comfortable back there. Mentally I feel like I am capable of doing a lot. Physically I can do a lot. I am big and strong like a safety and quick like a corner. My mental game, I see it at a different angle that you might not get at safety and vice versa. I feel like I am well prepared.”

Davis, though knows he has plenty to learn and will be doing so from secondary coach Carnell Lake, a player who knows his share about playing safety, and even a little bit of corner.

“I love learning from people that have been there,” said Davis. “I am ready to learn from one of the greatest out there and contribute. There are things he can teach me that those that didn’t play can’t. He knows he is going to coach to the best of his ability, and ask me to play to the best of mine. I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Davis-smile-is-there-to-stay/3fe9217c-7f0e-45f0-b7b3-87d618069f96

The best 2016 rookie for every NFL team

ESPN.com
NFL Nation reporters choose the rookie who will make the biggest immediate impact for every team:

Pittsburgh Steelers: Second-round pick Sean Davis projects as a strong safety, where competition is wide-open. Davis can take that job in training camp if he's ready. The Steelers feel the No. 58 overall pick can be their long-term answer at the position alongside veteran free safety Mike Mitchell. Davis is 6-foot-1, 203 pounds with elite athleticism and registered 300-plus tackles at Maryland as a combo corner/safety. First-round corner Artie Burns can make a similar impact, but he's considered raw for the nuances of the Steelers' zone-based pass defense. Burns can grow into that role, of course, and he has serious talent, but Davis has the inside track to get early playing time. -- Jeremy Fowler

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/page/32for32x160509/predicting-best-rookie-all-32-nfl-teams-2016-draft

As offseason smoke clears, did Steelers roster get better?

May 11, 2016
Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

For a team that rarely makes a free-agency splash, the Pittsburgh Steelers got a lot of work done this offseason. They essentially lost six starters with the Martavis Bryant suspension, and save a $20-million deal for tight end Ladarius Green, they are replacing all six with draft picks or players on rookie deals.

Did an already good team get better this offseason?

Let’s look at those six positions to find out if the 2016 roster, pound for pound, improved from 2015.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell gave the Steelers’ offseason a B+ on his AFC North report card. That’s about right. They did what they could to fill needs. When losing Heath Miller and Bryant unexpectedly, those pieces can't be replaced with bargain-level free agents.

It’s a process.

TIGHT END: Heath Miller out, Ladarius Green/Jesse James in

Better or worse?: Better. Heath Miller’s all-around game is a big loss, but after 11 seasons, he’s leaving at the right time. The combo of Green and James should provide more of a spark than Miller would have in year 12. The Steelers can mix and match skill sets, as James is an inline option and Green a vertical threat, which Pittsburgh has needed from this position for a while.

WIDE RECEIVER: Martavis Bryant out, Sammie Coates in

Better or worse?: Worse. That’s not a knock on Coates, whom the Steelers believe can make a sizable year 2 jump. But Bryant was a rare athletic creature. The Steelers will miss his ability to stretch the field. This is about Markus Wheaton more than Coates. If Wheaton turns his high-level speed into consistent gains, the Steelers will have something. And watch for Eli Rogers as a sleeper out of the slot.

LEFT TACKLE: Kelvin Beachum out, Alejandro Villanueva/Ryan Harris in

Better or worse?: Worse, at least right now, though maybe not in six months. In Beachum, the Steelers walked away from an above-average tackle who commanded a modest price from Jacksonville (one years, $4.5 million with a four-year option worth $35.5 million). Villanueva must fill that gap. He showed progress late last year but is still a bit unrefined. That's where offensive line coach Mike Munchak enters the picture. Let’s talk in Week 8 on this one. Harris has started much of his career and will compete for the job.

CORNERBACK: Brandon Boykin and Antwon Blake out, Artie Burns and Senquez Golson in

Better or worse?: Better. Boykin made some plays in late-season action, and Blake wasn’t as bad as the fans believed (though he wasn’t’ exactly steady, either). But corner was clearly a problem area, and a pair of high-round picks should upgrade the secondary based on the Steelers’ draft precedent. Burns (first round this year) and Golson (second round in 2015) will have chances early and often to make an impact.

STRONG SAFETY: Will Allen out, Sean Davis in

Better or worse?: Better. In time, Davis will inject much-needed range into this position. Allen filled in admirably last year but was clearly a fill-in until Pittsburgh could find a long-term solution. The Steelers hope Davis is that. Pittsburgh also re-signed Robert Golden, a necessary move for a valuable subpackage safety who can take pressure off Davis early on.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE: Steve McLendon out, Javon Hargrave/Dan McCullers in

Better or worse?: Neither. The Steelers offered McLendon, now a New York Jet, a multi-year extension despite minimal cap space. He was a reliable nose tackle, and though Hargrave sounds exciting, there’s no guarantee he’s ready right away. McCullers was simply uninspiring in training camp and spot duty last year despite his impressive strength. He needs to take ownership of the position instead of leasing month to month. This is a classic TBD position, but the Steelers can afford to be experimental at a spot they use only about 30 percent of the time because of the pass-heavy personnel.

FINAL CALL: Very close call, but if at least a handful of young players pan out, this roster is better than last year. Barely.

http://espn.go.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/18799/as-offseason-smoke-clears-did-steelers-roster-get-better

Most interesting part of that article for me is Eli Rogers. I think he has a real shot to make the 53 and be the primary punt returner/kick returner.

Steelers offense instantly get better with healthy Bell, Pouncey, Williams and addition of Green at TE. Defense gets better with 2nd year guys like LT Walton, Bud Dupree, Golson, Cockrell stepping up and Hargrave, Davis, Burns stepping in.

James C Wexell ‏@jimwexell

Ross Cockrell may not hold off challenge of the highly drafted but he deserves some credit for lining up as 1st team CB so far this spring.

https://twitter.com/jimwexell?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

James C Wexell ‏@jimwexell  

Ross Cockrell may not hold off challenge of the highly drafted but he deserves some credit for lining up as 1st team CB so far this spring.

https://twitter.com/jimwexell?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

I basically ranted about this in a Q&A on my podcast this morning. NONE of the incumbent players are locks to start. This is one year where the defense might be incredibly young, and they already shed that "old" label a year or two ago with an average age of 25. Dumping Will Allen and adding the rooks, I'm going to have to do some math, but I bet we might have one of the youngest defenses in the league this season.