From Steelers West back home to the Burgh. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Draft Shmaft.  We don’t need no stinkin draft to add to our roster, which is apparently very contradictory to what Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said in several radio interviews last week, but hey who’s counting?  Well we have all you can handle draft coverage here on NPC so I figured I’d take the opportunity for this morning’s huddle to see what the experts are saying about the Steelers latest non-draft acquisition.  Yesterday the Steelers agreed to terms with unrestricted free agent running back LaRod Stephens-Howling.  The Steelers picked up the former 7^th round pick from Pitt, a Johnstown native, to a one year deal with no financials reported yet.

Ed Bouchette of the PPG says the Steelers will mostly look at Stephens-Howling to contribute on Special Teams.  He’s had three career kickoff return TD’s but no punt returns.  In the same article Ed states that the Steelers would still consider signing former Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw, but that would depend on the draft.  Now that the Steelers have added Le’Veon Bell to the roster in their second round pick, you have to think the Bradshaw ship has sailed.

With five running backs in the stable for the Steelers you have to figure that someone is going to be the odd man out when the roster is finally cut down to 53 before we kick off against Tennessee.  The running backs right now consist of Jonathan Dwyer, Isaac Redman, Baron Batch, LaRod Stephens-Howling, and Le’Veon Bell.

What are your thoughts, Steeler Nation?  What did you think of the non-draft pick up right in the middle of the draft?  Who do you think gets left behind?

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Steeler Nation loves running backs.

By now we’ve all heard Tomlin’s comments regarding the criticism of their free agent moves so far from the owner’s meetings in Phoenix.  Tomlin expressed unconditional confidence in his team regardless of the pieces added or still missing stating,

“That’s March talk.  I’ll see you in the stadiums in the fall.”

I’m a sucker for a good Tomlinism and I’ve been known to be the Tomlin apologist and defender of the NPC staff.  I think he’s a great coach and he’s capable of leading this team to many more Super Bowls.  Unfortunately, my confidence is wavering a scooch after the disappointing 8-8 season, the comments of several players regarding the status of the locker room during last season, and the decisions made so far in regards to the departure of key members of the team.  By far my biggest concern for March and the fall that I’d like Tomlin to address is who in the hell is supposed to the running the ball for the Steelers come September?

I, for one, am going to be the last one on Earth to admit the Steelers are rebuilding right now.  I refuse to admit it, I’m in complete denial and I’ll own up to that.  I don’t want it to be true.  I feel like having Ben Roethlisberger under center means you don’t rebuild, you reload.  Unfortunately, with the salary cap limitations and lack of depth at certain positions now it’s not as easy to reload as it sounds.  As much as I feel that letting James Harrison walk away was a mistake, specifically since no other team has signed him yet signifying the market for a LB with a history of injuries and being on the wrong side of 30 isn’t as lucrative as he and his agent might have thought it was, I somehow have more confidence in our defense than our offense.  I think last season showed that our defense, with the players still signed under contract, are capable of making the necessary plays to keep the team in games in which they can win late in the season.  Our offense, on the other hand, ran like a car with no engine most in part to the lackluster rushing game put on by the trio of Mendenhall, Redman, and Dwyer.  Mendenhall is gone and I have no problem with that.  He quit on the team last year and he has no business being a part of this team, and he’s an average back at best anyway.  The fact that at this point we have Redman, Dwyer, and Baron Batch to run the ball so far for the 2013 season makes me want to refill my anti-anxiety medication.

I have to believe the Steelers are still planning to add a running back to the roster before camp opens at the end of July.  At this point, only Dwyer has signed his tender and will remain on the roster for at least another season.  Last season I was all for Dwyer getting the start when he ran all over Cincy and Washington in back to back games.  Then he never ran for more than 60 yards a game the remainder of the season and when he was in games, tapped his helmet signifying he wanted to come off of the field so many times you’d think he was playing some odd game of Simon Says during the game.  I don’t know now if Dwyer has what it takes to be the starting back for the Steelers and taking the majority of the reps.  Dwyer ended the season with the most rushing yards (623) of all the backs on the team.

There has been some speculation that the Steelers are interested in signing former New York Giants FA RB Ahmad Bradshaw, although he hasn’t officially visited the team and no proposed deal is in place.  Bradshaw has ok numbers, kind of similar to Mendenhall’s career numbers with a couple of 1,000+ yard season and some injury issues mixed in as well.  As Dom stated in an earlier post, Bradshaw could be a steal salary-wise considering when you’re still unsigned in the third week of free agency, you can’t really command a big salary anymore.  Bradshaw is a six year veteran and could very well help out with that “leadership problem” the Steelers seemed to have last season, you can only speculate that could have been traced back in part  to their most tenured RB Mendenhall and his pouting fits regarding playing time.  Bradshaw could provide to the running back corps the same kind of thing that Jerricho Cotchery and Plaxico provided to the wide receivers.

Former Alabama running back Eddie Lacy has been in draft discussions for the Steelers, however he’s currently nursing a hamstring injury that is keeping him idle for Alabama’s Pro-Day and also kept him out of the NFL’s scouting combine in February.  Most draft experts are predicting the Steelers will go either defensive line or linebacker with their pick at #17 overall and address their offensive needs in the later rounds but you never know what’s going to happen come draft day.  Addressing the running back needs has to be a priority in either the draft or the remainder of free agency.

Tomlin himself expressed earlier this month that the need to add a running back to the squad is imperative.  The free agency market right now isn’t great for running backs.  Bradshaw is probably one of the best names out there right now and the Steelers have already met and turned down Beanie Wells and haven’t had any other visits since.  Running the Steelers offense without a tried and true starting running back is not going to work.  I have a mountain of faith in Ben Roethlisberger, but I know he’s at his best when he has a running game to compliment his talents.  Hell, Steeler Nation needs a running back.  We’re not happy unless we’re rushing for over 100+ yards a game no matter how successful the offense might be in the air.  It’s in our DNA; we crave sandwiches with fresh cut fries on them and rushing yards and touchdowns.    My confidence in Tomlin this season will in part depend on his and Colbert’s ability to land an actual running back to benefit this team.

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An upset of today: Steelers RB Jonathan Dwyer signed his sixth-round tender for $1.323 million. Didn’t want to wait. Wanted to prove point.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2013

It was surprising to see this come so early in the day today, but Schefter’s tweet proves two things.  Jonathan Dwyer wants to play for the Steelers as the featured running back and it sends a message to the rest of the free agents originating from the team – tighten your boot straps.

December 30, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jonathan Dwyer (27) carries the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Steelers have been working hard for the last month in trying to get themselves within reach of the salary cap so that they can sign the folks they need to and get ready for the draft.  As no insult to the RFA’s on the roster, the Steelers offered many the tender as listed in the CBA.  For Dwyer, his 6th round tender equaled $1.323 million.  Other folks offered tenders were RB Isaac Redman, DT Steve McLendon, and WR Emmanuel Sanders.  All of them could test the open market, but I think that Dwyer’s immediate signing is more of a message of suck it up and let’s do it rather than a moment of desperation.  He fully understands the situation the team finds itself in and his own among the other qualified running backs on the team – which as of right now is only Baron Batch.  Other RFA’s not given a tender yet are Stevenson Sylvester (shocking considering the release of James Harrison) and punter Jeremy Kapinos.

For the sake of the team’s ability to stay under the cap with the leas amount of collateral damage, I hope all the RFA’s sign the tender they’ve been offered.  It will keep the Steelers from having to match deals or lose a player and hope the compensatory pick works out.

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Jonathan Dwyer racked up only 623 Rushing Yards over the course of the 2012 season.  Not surprisingly, Dwyer’s team leading total was the lowest for a Steeler leading rusher during a regular season since the 1991 campaign!  (Merril Hoge “Factor Backed” it that year to the tune of 165 Carries, 610 Yards, and 2 TD’s)

I understand that to classify Pittsburgh’s Running Game last year as downright “dreadful” might not be kindest thing to say.  But give me another adjective to describe how ineffective the Steelers were at running the football with consistency in 2012?

It was bad enough that the team finished 26th overall in Total Rushing Yards and 28th in overall Yards per Carrty (3.7) amongst the League’s 32 teams.  But the fact that no player, not even a Running Back, on the roster finished with more than 2 Rushing TD’s over the course of the year was downright ridiculous.  I mean, I am willing to admit that the numbers of injuries across the Steelers’ Offensive Line did not help the team establish the run with any sort of consistency in 2012.  Yet it was never like Pittsburgh had themselves a “Game-Breaker” and “Every-Down Back” on their roster to turn to and save the day when the team needed them either.

From what we learned last year, Dwyer and Isaac Redman have proved that they are at their best when they used in backup/bruiser capacities, while Baron Batch has been little more than a Special Teamer during his two year stay with the club.  Now that Rashard Mendenhall is likely on his way out of town as a Free Agent, this team lacks a true #1 rushing threat who can be scheme-effective as the team moves towards a Zone-blocking based ground attack.

Unfortunately for Boss Todd’s Offense, the franchise has a multitude of other areas to address through the Draft process.  Thus, Running Back could take a back seat to others like Outside Linebacker, Safety, Inside Linebacker, and Wide Receiver on Day 1 and possibly even Day 2 of the Draft.  Thankfully for G.M. Kevin Colbert and the rest of the Steelers’ brass though, Pittsburgh might be able to mine some mid to late Round Zone-scheme “gems” at the Running Back position in the 2013 Draft.

With this in mind, I have thought of a few Running Backs who might be on Pittsburgh’s radars later on in the Draft process, and could potentially be terrific value picks if they slip to Day 3 of Draft Weekend:

Jamison had a productive career with the Scarlet Knights. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Jawan Jamison

Some might scoff at Jawan Jamison’s lack of height.  To those that do, I can only remind them of other smaller (below 5’9”) Backs who have found success in the N.F.L..  Then I mention another short Back from Rutgers who has made multiple Pro Bowls during his career with the Ravens.  You might know him Steelers fans, his name is Ray Rice.

Although Jamison can be considered “short” at 5’8”, he is definitely not “small.”  At 200 lbs., the Rutgers Back has more than enough bulk to shoulder and sustain big hits.  If Jamison only weighed 175-180 lbs. at his height, then I would be worried about his durability at the professional level.  Yet we have seen “short” Backs like Rice and Maurice Jones-Drew, who are built similar to Jamison, emerge as some of the best at their position over the last half decade.  In fact, Jamison’s height is actually more of an advantage to him, as he can hide behind his Offensive Line and create distress amongst the opposition.

Although he is not a “burner” in terms of his pure speed, Jamison has a nice deal of shiftiness and quickness to his game to break a big run every once and a while, and he can also execute a pretty lethal spin-move as evidenced here.  In addition, Jamison also does not tip-toe around the line of scrimmage as often as other players.  More often than not, Jawan will pick the assigned hole and make the appropriate cut for the necessary gain on a play instead of taking a loss.

As a Redshirt Sophomore, Jamison does not have a large amount of “tread” on his tires, but he was nevertheless a productive player for the Scarlet Knights and one of the Big East’s most consistent Backs.  During his first year, Jawan rushed for 897 Yards on 231 Carries, then improved last year to the tune of 1,075 Yards on only 255 Carries.

In the passing game, Jamison can hold his own in terms of him being a receiver, and can be an effective weapon on screen passes (28 Catches for 323 Yards and 2 TD’s in 2012).  From what I have watched of his pass-blocking technique, Jamison at least makes an effort to get after the blitzing Defenders despite their size advantage, and has potential to develop his game in said area.

I believe that once The Combine comes around and offseason workouts begin that Jamison’s stock will inevitably rise, and some team has to eventually look past his “lack of size.”  Nevertheless, we have seen Backs like Rice and Jones-Drew slip in the Draft due to height and weight concerns in recent memory.  Thus, if Jamison is around at the beginning of Day 3, then I am all for the Steelers trading up to acquire him if they have not selected a Running Back by that point in the Draft.

Graham had a fine bounce-back season in 2012. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Ray Graham

Graham is a player who performed very well as a Zone-scheme runner in college, and might be an absolute bargain for the Steelers if he drops into the middle of Day 3.  After two effective Freshman and Sophomore years at Pitt (209 Carries, 1,271 Yards, 12 TD’s Rushing combined), Graham appeared poised to have a fantastic Junior year and go professional like most talented college football Running Backs have done over the years to avoid a costly injury.  Unfortunately, Graham tore his ACL near the end of the 2011 season after he had racked up 958 Yards Rushing, 9 Rush TD’s, and 30 Catches for 200 Yards.  With his experience, field-vision, and effectiveness in college up to his Junior campaign, Ray would probably have been taken by a Zone-scheme team like Washington had he declared last April.

In terms of his skill-set, Graham reminds me of former Pitt Backs and productive Zone runners  “Shady” McCoy and Dion Lewis in body type and running style.  All three are a bit on the skinnier side (Graham: 5’9″ 195 lbs., McCoy: 5’11″ 208 lbs., Lewis: 5’8″ 195 lbs.), but it did not stop them from possessing solid field-vision, good patience, and a great amount of shiftiness and cut-back ability (especially McCoy), to be solid Zone-scheme Backs in college, and in the N.F.L. in McCoy’s case.

Graham’s ability to create and wait for a big play before he hits the hole sometimes is a bit of a “double-edged sword” for the Pitt Back.  Like a certain Running Back on Pittsburgh’s roster right now, Graham’s indecisiveness and tip-toeing at the line of scrimmage as he has looked for a big-play sometimes has led to him being stopped for no gain or losses on runs where a 2 to 4 yard pickup would have sufficed had he hit the necessary hole or made the necessary cut.  It is difficult for any N.F.L. Offense to play “behind the sticks,” and consistent 2nd & 7’s are much better than consistent 2nd & 10’s or 2nd & 10+’s, especially for a sputtering unit like the Steelers’.  Similarities to Mendenhall aside, Graham is definitely a 3-Down weapon and proved to be a viable pass-catcher with the Panthers.  Over his final three years with the Panthers, Graham caught 90 passes for 753 Yards and 4 TD’s, and has upside to be a real weapon as a pass catcher out of the backfield.

Although Graham returned to shine at times in 2012 after his injury, he might see his stock slip this April due to concerns over his once injured right knee.  What has sold me on Graham however and his potential was his performance against Notre Dame’s stout Run Defense (24 Carries for 172 Yards and 1 TD) last year, his overall upside, and the hope that he will be closer to “normal” two years after his ACL tear.  Overall though, I believe that Graham is arguably the most translatable Zone-scheme runner who might be available on Day 3.  Thus, as long as the Steelers believe that his knee is not an issue, I would be intrigued and excited if they indeed selected the Pitt Running Back to help their anemic running game.

Ginger Spice and Ben Roethlisberger. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

Here it is December 21, 2012 and the world did not end.  However, if the Steelers continue their woes of underperforming and being mistake-prone, their season will end this Sunday at home against the Bengals.  I don’t think that’s going to happen.  Do I have some mind blowing statistical analysis to back me up?  Of course not, what do you take me for, some kind of expert?  But there are some valid reasons to consider though if you’re willing to believe in my bold statement.

The Bungles

They can draft well and get rid of their dead weight like Palmer and Ocho all they want but they’re still the Bungles.  Cincy has not made consecutive trips to the playoffs since the 80’s and haven’t won a playoff game since Milli Vanilli were popular.  I realize AJ Green is a talented wide receiver and Ginger Spice Dalton is a giant step up at QB from their previous gun slinger but they’re still wearing those stripes which means they’re still subject to all the mediocrity that comes with them.  As good as Dalton and Green have been together along with the addition of Benjarvus Green Ellis they still haven’t been able to beat the Ravens or the Steelers.  When the playoffs are on the line there’s one thing you can count on, the Bengals will blow it.

This is not 2009

There has been a whole lot of comparisons made between this year’s Steelers and the 2009 team where Mike Tomlin declared will “unleash hell” in December but lost to horrible teams such as Oakland and Cleveland and failed to make the playoffs.  That 2009 team did not control their destiny with 2 games remaining like the Steelers do now.  I sat in Dolphins stadium that year and cheered the Steelers final victory of the year hoping they still had a chance and then sat in a pool hall in Ft Lauderdale and watched all my hopes dashed as all the teams the Steelers were counting on losing so they could enter the “tournament” won their games and collectively ended that horrible season.    This time around the plan is pretty simple; win the last two games and you’re in, if you do that and the Ravens lose, you’ll even win the division.  It’s a whole different scenario than the 2009 team dealt with.

Keys to victory

The Steelers haven’t really put together a signature win all season.  Their most dominant performance was against the Redskins at home but other than that there haven’t been games where the passing and running game have both been successful and no games where the defense has turned a game around with a score or big turnover at a key moment.  The Steelers need to be firing on all cylinders this Sunday.  I’m not sure what happened to the running game, I was all about Jonathan Dwyer starting after his early success but now I’m not even sure the right Steelers running back is even on the roster right now.  This should go without saying but the turnovers need to friggin stop.  Don’t put the piggy on the ground!  The Steelers need to convert their 3^rd downs like they did early on in the season and beat teams by the most effective strategy there is; keep the Bengals offense on the sidelines.

This up and down season has been uber frustrating for Steeler Nation.  Thankfully, it’s about time for an upswing on that coaster right about now.  I don’t think this team is going out like that.  2012 began with the Steelers losing in Denver at the hands of Tebow; it’s not going to end at Heinz Field at the hands of Ginger Spice.  It just can’t.  I think the biggest issue the Steelers will have other than avoiding turning the ball over is containing AJ Green.  In the first meeting, Ike Taylor held Green in check the entire game and limited him to only 1 catch for 8 yards.  It happened to be a touchdown catch but that’s all he got that day.  Now Taylor will be on the sidelines conducting the secondary (hopefully Keenan Lewis) to repeat his success on Green while he recovers through his ankle injury.  We all know the Steelers are good enough to flip the switch and win it all, we know they’re better than how they’ve been playing as of late.  This Sunday is all or nothing, everything is on the line and when those are the odds who would you pick to come out on top?  Here We Go Steelers!

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