Brain Moorman is (for now) a Pittsburgh Steeler. Photo Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

See what I did there?

On Tuesday, the Steelers signed punter Brian Moorman onto the roster.  If you haven’t noticed, the Steelers have gone through three punters in the last three seasons.  Daniel Sepulvida started it off with his year after year injury plague.  Then the Steelers moved to Jason Kapinos, who did an ok season but had a pretty poor average – but was it really his fault with such poor coverage teams?  Kapinos was injured most of training camp, so the Steelers went with pedigree and had Drew Butler punt the ball away.  Butler too had less than a stellar year (43.8 yd average, 37.8 net).

It’s tough to be a Steelers kicker or punter.  The coverage teams can be down right awful at times that it’s enough to make you want to rip a paper towel dispenser off the bathroom wall.  Don’t let the stats deceive either.  Butler, though his average is under 45 yards, found himself punting close to the 50 yd line often when Steelers drives would stall out.  So, of course his average would be a little skewed.

Nevertheless, the Steelers feel that competition is a good thing, and in this case necessary.  Moorman spent 12 years with the Bills before being released in 2012.  Coincidentally, he beat out Sepulvida when they both auditioned for the Cowboys last season.  Moorman had a very good season with the ‘Boys.  He averaged almost 45 yds per punt and had 22 punts land inside the 20 with only 3 touchbacks.  Those numbers are comprable to Butler’s, so I’m guessing the Steelers just don’t want the assumption to fall on Butler that the starting job is his.

Adrian Robinson went from UDFA to member of the 53-man roster in only a matter of months. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Am I the only one which saw shades of Joe Theismann’s horrific injury when the replays of Sean Spence’s knee were shown?  ACL, LCL, and Dislocated Knee Cap are never a good combination, and to think Spence will contribute anything to this club by the time 2014 rolls around is a bit of stretch.

But instead of adopting a “Negative Nancy” attitude about the recent injuries, I would like to focus on some more positive things, namely the 53-man roster which the team will be taking into the 2012 campaign.  I do not know about you readers, but the most interesting and intriguing thing to me about how the final roster broke down were the number of UDFA’s which made the final 53.  With the UDFA’s in mind, I thought I would take time out to recognize those which made the most of their efforts, and discuss what they could contribute to the team now and hopefully over the course of their careers’.

Drew Butler

Granted, Drew Butler did not have any competition for his job as Jeremy Kapinos missed the entirety of the preseason due to injury.  Yet Butler did a consistent enough job to not only keep the position, but prevented the Coaching Staff from scouring the waiver wire for somebody else.  On the preseason, Butler punted 28 Times for an average of almost 46 Yards (45.8), and now enters the season with the Punter job all to himself.  The Steelers have not had a Pro Bowl Punter since Bobby Walden garnered the honors back before there was a League merger, and could sure use some consistency and stability at the position.  Butler is young, has a strong leg, and appears to have the confidence of the Coaching Staff heading into this season.

Robert Golden

As for Golden, despite the fact that he injured his hamstring against the Panthers, the former Wildcat definitely played well enough on Special Teams and on Defense to earn a job on the Practice Squad.  I liked Golden’s skill-set coming out of Tucson, and I was especially fond of the fact that he had a great deal of experience playing Cornerback and Safety in the Pac-12 pass-happy conference.  Golden made 8 Tackles and 1 Interception on the preseason, and leapfrogged ahead of Da’mon Cromartie-Smith for one of the final roster spots.  Ryan Mundy and Will Allen had better be on notice during the next couple of seasons, because Golden will be jockeying for chances to prove himself on Special Teams and in Nickel & Dime sub-packages on Defense as well.

Adrian Robinson

Robinson to his credit showed a knack for getting to the Quarterback and creating pressure off of the edge over the last four weeks, and played much better than his stat line (3 Tackles and 1 Pass Defended) indicated.  While the former Owl Defensive End will have to work on fine tuning aspects of his game like defending the run and playing pass coverage, the skill set is there for Keith Butler to work with and develop.  And honestly, who better to learn from at a position than James Harrison and LaMarr Woodely, right?  Plus, the fierce competition between Jason Worilds, Chris Carter, and Robinson can only help this team in terms of stabilizing the position in the future.  On a team which will be purging veterans left and right over the next few seasons, these youngsters have walked into a solid situation where they can better themselves and eventually become N.F.L. starters and/or decent contributors over their careers’.

Final Thoughts

The Steelers have historically been a team which gives chances to, and develops UDFA’s on a more consistent basis than most.  I will definitely be interested in watching these guys develop over the next couple of seasons.  How long these three will stay on the 53-man roster is a mystery, but they did show enough promise to be kept around after only one Training Camp and preseason.  While they might not be household or recognizable names right now, these three players could make their presences felt earlier than expected.

Statistics Courtesy of: ESPN.com Steelers Page

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Robert Golden (Free Safety)

Like the player below him on this list, I believed all the way back in April that Robert Golden had a legitimate shot of at the very least making the Steelers Practice Squad during his Rookie season.  So far, Golden has helped himself with some nice performances, and could even find himself with a roster spot as a backup Safety and Special Teams player come Week 1 for this team.  Over three games, Golden has accumulated 5 Tackles, logged 2 Passes Defended, and had a nice break on an Interception which he returned 47 Yards last week.  While he projects more as a Free Safety, Golden played both Safety and Cornerback in college at Arizona, and could find himself in some sub-packages in a year or two if he indeed stays on the roster past the preseason.

Drew Butler might be the next Punter for this franchise. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-US PRESSWIRE

Corbin Bryant (Defensive End)

With a backup spot along Defensive Line available over the last week of the preseason, Corbin Bryant can seize the final 5-Technique position available with a strong performance.  Bryant has done a solid job over the last two preseason games, and notched 3 Tackles and 1.0 Sack against the Bills last Friday night.  Competition should be heated between Bryant and fellow youngster Al Woods, and both are sure each receive a decent amount of reps during tomorrow’s game to strut their stuff and win a job as the 4th 5-Technique in the rotation.

Drew Butler (Punter)

Do not get me wrong, Drew Butler has had a few inconsistencies here and there so far over his first three games.  But when he has been on his game, the former Bulldog has sent some boomers and punted well enough to put the injured veteran Jeremy Kapinos’ job in jeopardy.  So far, Butler has punted 19 Times for a whopping average of 47.7 Yards per boot, and stuck three of his 8 punts last Friday inside Buffalo’s 20 as well.  While there is still one week to go, Butler could all but nail down the job with a solid effort and send Kapinos packing.

Derrick Williams (Wide Receiver)

The veteran from Penn State has definitely helped his cause (TD grab last week) to be a member of the Steelers 53-man roster come the opening weekend of the season.  Wiliiams has accumulated plenty of experience on Special Teams during his career (42 Kick Returns 931 Yards in 2009), and could be used as the team’s 5th Wide Receiver if he beats out the younger players at his position.  To earn a roster spot, Williams will have to unseat David Gilreath, Rookie Toney Clemons, and Tyler Beiler, and play well on all of the Special Teams coverage units he is assigned to during the game.

David Paulson (Tight End)

Paulson might have an outside shot of making the regular season roster. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

Because Weslye Saunders will be suspended, and David Johnson’s knee was shredded, the Steelers will be forced to carry a 3rd Tight End on their roster behind Heath Miller and Leonard Pope for the first four weeks of the regular season.  Due to Pittsburgh’s need at the position, Rookie David Paulson could be called upon to fill the void and should receive some extensive looks tomorrow.  Paulson (2 Catches for 11 Yards in 2012 Preseason) has very soft hands and could be developed into a complementary H-Back weapon in the Red Zone if he is deemed worthy to be kept long-term.  If the former Duck does stay, he could be stashed on the Practice Squad for a season, develop his blocking skills and be ready to compete and contribute full-time in 2013.

Final Thoughts

The players I mentioned above are just a short list of some which I will be paying particular attention to tomorrow.  Plenty of others like Woods, Gilreath, Clemons, Beiler, Cornerbacks Terrence Frederick and Josh Victorian, Safety Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith, and Guards Kelvin Beachum and Ryan Lee will be laying it on the line during this week too.  It should be at least intriguing to see how some of these hungry players duke it out over their final audition, and I am sure that the final roster will feature a few surprises.  So let us sit, watch, and wait, and in only 11 short days the regular season will start.  Then we will truly be: “Back to Football.”

Stats Courtesy of ESPN.com

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Johnson very well could unseat Leftwich or fan favorite Charlie Batch at the end of the season. I think he should. Credit: Jason Bridge-US PRESSWIRE

On Monday, the Steelers reduced their roster to 75 players prior to the 4pm deadline set by the NFL.  Nothing really surprising to report there, except for maybe LB Mortty Ivy’s seemingly early departure (I thought he would at least make the first round of cuts) and K Danny Hrapmann’s.  The roster will continue to be trimmed before we get to the end of preseason.  And, as I think about who’s left, there are two players in particular who have made an impression and deserve to stay on the Roster of 53.  They aren’t spectacular or hot button guys, but thus far, they’ve shown have what it takes to belong.

Drew Butler has been great all camp.  The undrafted rookie from Georgia stepped up as Kapinos stepped down due to injury.  That back injury to Kapinos could leave him out through the first few weeks of the season, meaning that Butler will more than likely stay on the roster.  However, I don’t feel his spot is solidified by default.  Butler has shown consistency and distance averaging 48 yards over 19 punts.  Three of those punts were downed inside the 20 and only suffered two as touchbacks.  The punter position has been tricky of late with Daniel Sepulveda bowing out with an injury practically every season.  Kapinos was a solid fill in and was looking to take this roster spot outright.  Butler should be giving Tomlin and ‘new’ special teams coach Amos Jones.  It’s in Butler’s blood to kick the football around (his dad was a place kicker in the NFL), and maybe his youth might help shake the injury bug that plagues the punter position.

Jerrod Johnson has been one of those under the radar guys during camp practice sessions but then made you go ‘Hey who’s that guy?’ during the first and second games of the preseason.  Johnson was signed all the way back in January after being released by the Eagles in August of the 2011 season and watching football from his couch every Sunday.  With all the ridiculous Troy Smith talk (where oh where is he now?) of early free agent pickups, Johnson practically went unnoticed all off-season.  I like Johnson’s style on the field.  He’s tall and spry like a Dennis Dixon (minus the suck), he can extend a play like Big Ben, and he has a much faster release than the guy who has a slug for a right arm (ahem, Byron Leftwich).  Johnson has gone 7 of 11 for 178 yards, a TD and no INT’s.  There’s just something about this guy that says he’s a better option over Leftwich.  Sure Leftwich has more experience, although Johnson has probably thrown more passes in two years the Byron has.  The Steelers have their vet back up in Charlie Batch.  I think the team needs to continue to invest in young talent at the QB position.  Eventually Ben’s time will be up or at least for an extended period of time due to a severe injury – come on, Ben’s style of play and age is bound to get him hurt at some point.  Some may argue that is why you need Leftwich, but I think Johnson is the better investment at this point.  Keep’im.

As stated earlier, neither of these two aren’t spectacular roster watches nor are they arguments for your fantasy rosters.  But, these two could very well have a hand in the future of the Steelers being a continued success in the AFC North and in the NFL.

** Note: I wanted to entitle this post ‘Three Steelers…’ and include K Danny Hrapmann.  Too bad he was cut today.  It’s a damn shame too – 6 for 6 and a clutch kick to beat the Colts in three games.  I can’t believe the Steelers still believe in Suisham.  I thought they fired Al Everest…..

Drew Butler has the door open for him to win a permanent job in the N.F.L.. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

The logical choice to replace the former Baylor Bear was originally thought to be a familiar face: Jeremy Kapinos.  Not only had Kapinos filled in admirably in the middle of both the 2010 and 2011 seasons for Sepulveda (12 regular season games) went down, he even averaged a respectable 45.0 Yards Per Punt last season.

While it appeared that the Steelers would be comfortable with Kapinos heading into the 2012 season, the veteran recently sustained a back injury and has consequently been unable to win the starting job outright.

Drew Butler & The 2012 Punter Job

Thankfully, the Steelers’ hedged their bets this offseason when they were able to sign the talented and highly productive Drew Butler out of Georgia as an Undrafted Free Agent just over three months ago.

While some might have ignored or overlooked the move because it happened after the Draft period was over, some, including this writer, believed that Butler had a legitimate shot of unseating the veteran in front of him on the depth chart due to his talent and the overall Punting ability he displayed during his four-year career with the Bulldogs.  And because Kapinos has been forced to nurse his sore back and is not “100%,” Butler currently has an incredible opportunity to seize the starting Punter position, and carve out a lengthy career with the Steelers.

In his first professional effort, Butler turned in a solid performance during last Thursday’s preseason game against the Eagles.  On the evening, 2009 Ray Guy Award winner punted 6 times for 298 Yards at an impressive 49.7 Yards per boot, and kicked a 61 Yard bomb which pinned the Eagles all the way back at their own 36 when the return netted zero.

Final Thoughts

While Butler may have done a nice job in his first exhibition game, continued consistency throughout camp will be of the utmost importance for the youngster as the preseason continues.  Kapinos will be hungry to upstage the Rookie upstart, and Butler should be ready for some stiff competition once the veteran returns to game action.  Butler has made his impression felt however, and regardless of Kapinos’ health, the Rookie deserves the chance to earn the starting nod outright over the next three weeks.

The Steelers have lacked quality and consistency at the Punter position for a lengthy period, and have not had a player at the position make it to the Pro Bowl since Bobby Walden in 1969 (only Pittsburgh Punter to ever earn Pro Bowl nod).  Whether it is Butler or Kapinos, the Steelers could stand to have a long-term option at Punter.  Granted, the Punter battle might not be the most “sexy” in terms of overall interest, excitement, or media coverage, but it is nevertheless an important question which the Steelers must answer before their Week 1 game in Denver.

Statistics Courtesy of: ESPN.com Steelers Page, http://www.pro-football-reference.com/, and ESPN.com College Player Pages (Butler)

Time to chime in readers:  Will Butler unseat Kapinos?  Should the Steelers keep him on speed-dial just in case?  Will Pittsburgh finally find a Punter which can be consistently healthy, and perform well on a consistent basis?

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