Coaches have confidence in McLendon

Coaches have confidence in McLendon

Posted 2 hours ago

Teresa Varley
Steelers.com

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Moments after the Steelers selected nose tackle Alameda Ta’amu in the fourth-round of this year’s NFL Draft, defensive line Coach John Mitchell sat in the team’s media room fielding questions from the reporters on hand.

After a few questions about Ta’amu, Mitchell was asked about Steve McLendon, hinting that he isn’t the prototypical nose tackle at 6-4, 280 pounds.

Mitchell didn’t hesitate with his answer.

“Everybody wants to discard McLendon, let me tell you this, hold your opinion until the season is over,” said Mitchell emphatically. “I'm just saying keep your opinion until after the season, you make the decision.”

When McLendon heard Mitchell’s words, he couldn’t help it but smile.

“It shows he has confidence in me,” said McLendon. “He only says stuff like that if he is confident in you. I am going to come to work every day and show him I can do this.

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Gotta love love that. I think this is the beginning of the end for Casey. I loved what he's done for us but like Farrior and Aaron it's time to ride off.

solardave wrote:

Gotta love love that. I think this is the beginning of the end for Casey. I loved what he's done for us but like Farrior and Aaron it's time to ride off.

I still maintain that they should have cut Snack loose this year with Farrior and Smith. I'm not really sure what they thought a declining Hampton coming off of a serious injury could offer. I guess it was just a panic move after Hoke retired.

I think they probably should have cut Casey, but now i'm glad they've kept him considering our drafting of Ta'amu.

This may be Casey's last season as a Steeler. The writing is apparently on the wall, in BOLD BLACK AND GOLD LETTERS!

Steelers’ Steve McLendon: I can play nose tackle at 280 pounds
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Posted by Michael David Smith on July 11, 2012, 7:05 AM EDT



At 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, Steve
McLendon is not a small man. At least, he
would not be a small man if he were something
other than an NFL defensive tackle.

But as an NFL defensive tackle, he’s frequently
described as “undersized.” And as a nose tackle
in Pittsburgh, where they’re accustomed to Casey Hampton
showing up to camp at 350 pounds or so, McLendon looks tiny.

McLendon, however, insists that he’s the right size for the job.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/07/11/steelers-steve-mclendon-i-can-play-nose-tackle-at-280-pounds/

Would like to see McLendon have a soild year. See Alameda develope into a soild run stopping that need double team all the time. Mclendon being the NT on passing downs Alameda on running downs keeping the NTs fresher longer and not wearing out one NT.

effyou515 wrote:

Would like to see McLendon have a soild year. See Alameda develope into a soild run stopping that need double team all the time. Mclendon being the NT on passing downs Alameda on running downs keeping the NTs fresher longer and not wearing out one NT.

It'll be great having some young, talented NT's, but how can they judge whether the opposing offense is running, or passing?

I think this year would have been too soon to cut Hampton. He did take a $3M paycut, which is huge. But the reality is that this will be his last year as a Steeler. He's needed this year to be the anchor of a now young DT class of McLendon and Ta'amu and to teach them the way. McLendon too is stepping into a bigger role than he's had previously. He's not quite a "veteran" yet. So it's good to have Hampton there one more year to take the pressure off and make the transition gradual. Keep in mind that Hoke also retired. You don't want to lose your 2 top DTs for the past decade in the same year and throw a 3rd year undrafted guy and 4th round rookie into the fire at one of the more critical positions in the 3-4.

Dodens Grav wrote:

I think this year would have been too soon to cut Hampton. He did take a $3M paycut, which is huge. But the reality is that this will be his last year as a Steeler. He's needed this year to be the anchor of a now young DT class of McLendon and Ta'amu and to teach them the way. McLendon too is stepping into a bigger role than he's had previously. He's not quite a "veteran" yet. So it's good to have Hampton there one more year to take the pressure off and make the transition gradual. Keep in mind that Hoke also retired. You don't want to lose your 2 top DTs for the past decade in the same year and throw a 3rd year undrafted guy and 4th round rookie into the fire at one of the more critical positions in the 3-4.

I agree. McLendon certainly isn't a veteran yet, in fact, I consider him quite young. He was thrown in a bit last year, and did well, and now he's getting a bigger role. Hampton took a HUGE cut in pay, and now he'll be there another year to help get Ta'Amu and McLendon rolling.

Interesting .... from Mark Kaboly on Twitter:

Mark Kaboly ‏@MarkKaboly_Trib

Don't believe weights on ‪#Steelers‬ roster. They don't change them after initial rookie weigh-in.


#Steelers‬ NT Steve McLendon weighs 325-330 pounds

Here's the awesomeness of their confidence in McLendon...

in a word...

C O M P E T I T I O N!

effyou515 wrote:

Would like to see McLendon have a soild year. See Alameda develope into a soild run stopping that need double team all the time. Mclendon being the NT on passing downs Alameda on running downs keeping the NTs fresher longer and not wearing out one NT.

I didn't watch him play in college but the report is he took on double teams and beat them consistantly so maybe he can do it on this level early on. Let's hope he learns quickly. Don't get me wrong I'm not going to panic because I think Mclendon is the better option over snack and I believe he may get cut in camp,especially if he shows up full of Big Macs.