Steelers Morning Huddle 5/17/13

Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) celebrates a touchdown with guard Ramon Foster (73) and tackle Max Starks (78) in the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

With the exception of signing Shamarko Thomas – see the nice pick, Cowher Lead Writer Craig Gottschalk’s comments – it is quiet in the Steeler world.  I’m sure everyone is preparing for the first OTA next week.

There are some interesting blogs around the internet that are looking at some Steelers topics.  Here are a few:

Steelers Addicts did a two-part blog series ranking the top five draft rounds where the Steelers had multiple picks in a round.  The beginning of the first part notes that they aren’t ranking 2013’s multiple-pick round.  The second part does the last three of their rankings.  Their main conclusion is that it is easier to find multiple-pick rounds where the Steelers made bad picks. Of course, hindsight always gives you a clearer picture.  I think that the Steelers have a history of wanting to take the player they think they can “mold” and won’t run the risk of being an expensive pick.  I also think that it would be interesting to put the picks in the context of coach and GM because their philosophy has a lot to do with the picks.  Anyway, you can check out the article and see if you agree.

The NFL Network annually ranks the Top 100 players for the upcoming season and Steelers Depot discusses that Ben Roethlisberger is 61st on the list compared to 30th last year.  They note that the rankings really don’t amount to anything, but it is significant because it comes from the players.  They quote Bruce Arians extensively who feels the players got it wrong.  I think that Roethlisberger has never gotten credit for his style of play – for several reasons.  One, it was unconventional when he was doing it.  He was extending plays and had defenders hanging off of him and he kept getting criticism for it.  Second, he hasn’t always fallen in line with maintaining the status quo with his comments.  Third, he concentrated on partying and being “the man about town” and didn’t always concentrate on being “the man on the field.”   But, that’s another article for another time.  Either way, I agree, I think he is ranked too low, but what else can you expect after an 8-8 season where he appeared to be fighting with the offensive coordinator all year?

Former Steeler back up QB Brian Hoyer is back in the AFC North.  According to Steelers Depot, he signed a two-year deal with the Cleveland Browns.  The quarterback shuffle has been interesting this off season with many teams looking at their back up quarterback positions as well as wanting to pick from a wider pool of people to see how they do in their system.  Several teams, (I need to double check how many) are going into camp with 5 QBs.  The Jets and Raiders come to mind and it seems to be some sort of desperate attempt to find a secret ingredient that will magically turn their franchise around.  I wish Hoyer luck, that franchise has trouble off the field and I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t drag them down further.

Steel Dad says that Ryan Clark needs to look at how Ike Taylor is handling himself with the media and learn from him.  He notes that Ike Taylor’s media appearances, even with his radio play calling with the Pittsburgh Power, don’t seem aimed at setting himself up for his next career.

"…the difference between Clark and Taylor is that one is a self-promotional tour while the other is a guy who just enjoys what he is doing.”"

He also notes that Ike Taylor takes more accountability than Clark.  OK, I’m not sure I agree that Taylor is just doing what he loves and isn’t setting himself up for a career post-Steelers, but I do agree that Taylor is doing a much better job of being himself and not posturing or calling out other players in the league.  Clark may be true to his personality, but his mouth is writing checks the team may have to cash in the 2013 season.

That’s it for today.  As always, we appreciate your thoughts and comments.  Let us know if we missed anything you think we should have included!