1st Round Draftpick Lawrence Timmons
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Whether you loved or hated the Steelers' draft, you're a long way from being done with dissecting it.
At least that's the current projection.
• The revelation that Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley will substitute at defensive end as situational pass rushers and will play special teams is yet another sign of the changing times on the South Side.
In the Bill Cowher regime, Joey Porter and Clark Haggans rarely, if ever, came out of the game.
Now that Cowher's gone, coach Mike Tomlin, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and linebackers coach Keith Butler are in agreement, Butler reported, that starting outside linebackers James Harrison and Haggans won't have to rush the passer on every passing snap.
By not asking Harrison to do so, the Steelers can keep him available for special teams and throw a pair of fresh pass-rushing legs at the Jonathan Ogdens of the world every so often.
That'll improve the pass rush and the special teams.
The Steelers could have used such enlightened thinking last season.
2nd Round Draftpick Lamarr Woodley
• You can't complain about trading up in the fourth round to draft a punter if you truly believe special teams are one-third of the game.
Did the Steelers spend too much for Daniel Sepulveda? Not if Sepulveda and his "Aussie style" prove as effective as the Steelers suspect.
And if he doesn't, it was still worth a shot.
Ike Taylor (2003), Larry Foote ('02) and Aaron Smith (1999) were recent fourth-round picks. So were Orien Harris (2006), Fred Gibson ('05), Mathias Nkwenti ('01) and Danny Farmer ('00).
The pursuit of restricted free-agent punter Andy Lee showed the Steelers' desire to replace Chris Gardocki.
Now that they've done so, they have one less problem with which to contend.
• Three tight ends at the same time?
The Steelers have traditionally done that only in short-yardage/goal-line situations, when an extra offensive tackle would report in as a third tight end.
But new offensive coordinator Bruce Arians spoke with a straight face late Saturday night when he said, "I like having three tight ends on the field a lot of times."
It remains to be seen how much Arians practices what he's suddenly preaching, but the drafting of Matt Spaeth is a clear indication the Steelers are shifting philosophically from a power running game (not that they had one in theory or practice last season).
Multiple-tight end formations, especially those featuring Heath Miller and Spaeth, should afford the flexibility to throw out of what might appear to be running sets, particularly on first down.
And, as Tomlin observed, spreading the field will "create gaps along the line of scrimmage that you have to defend."
Willie Parker ought to enjoy trying to exploit those.
• Fifth-round pick Cameron Stephenson, a guard from Rutgers, addressed a problem the Steelers might have next season.
"We have uncertainty there next year once free agency hits," director of football operations Kevin Colbert said. "Everybody knows that situation."
That situation involves All-Pro guard Alan Faneca's unhappiness with his contract or the state of the Steelers as a franchise in transition, or both.
It doesn't sound as if Colbert is expecting to sign Faneca to a contract extension prior to the upcoming season.
Mike Prisuta is a columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-320-7923.
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