Black and Gold

Sunday, May 03, 2015

Steelers go heavy on defense in final day of NFL draft

By Will Graves

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/pit/

May 3, 2015

Doran Grant (5-10, 200 lb CB, Ohio State, 4th Round)

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC North last season almost in spite of a defense that couldn't get to the quarterback or the ball with any regularity.

Rather than splurge in free agency, the Steelers did what they almost always do when it's time to rebuild: they threw young legs at the problem instead.

Senquez Golson, Doran Grant and Jerod Holliman weren't the biggest or fastest secondary prospects in the NFL Draft. Yet they knew what to do when the ball is in the air, combining for 29 interceptions during their final college seasons last fall. For a team in dire need of the kind of ''splash'' plays that can alter the course of a season, it's a start.

''We had a desire to improve competition and playmaking ability in the secondary,'' Tomlin said. ''We didn't talk a lot about ... height/weight and speed but productivity.''

There was plenty to go around between the three. Holliman led the nation in picks with 14 for Louisville and was a first-team All-American. So was Golson, who tied a school record with 10 for Mississippi. Grant had to settle for first-team All-Big Ten after coming down with five interceptions for Ohio State. Compare that with the Steelers, who managed all of 11 as a team last fall.

''We felt good about tangible evidence that these guys were good,'' Tomlin said.

Even if the other measurable weren't quite as impressive. Golson, taken in the second round, is listed at 5-foot-9. Grant, selected in the fourth round, is 5-10. Holliman, a seventh-round pick, ran a sluggish 4.62 40-yard dash and isn't exactly a willing tackler. Tomlin can deal with the shortcomings. Last he checked, that's why he's getting paid.

''We're just going to provide them the information,'' Tomlin said. ''They have a very good chance to prove that they can belong ... the ball will be in their court.''

And, the Steelers hope, eventually in their hands.

The trio of defensive backs provided the core of a defense-heavy draft. Pittsburgh used six of its eight selections to give a defense in the midst of transition a needed influx of talent. In addition to Golson, Grant and Holliman the Steelers took linebacker Bud Dupree (Kentucky) in the first round and defensive lineman L.T. Walton (Central Michigan) and Anthony Chickillo (Miami) in the sixth, though Chickillo will transition to outside linebacker.

''We thought it was going to be a 6-2 ratio,'' general manager Kevin Colbert said. ''If it was close, we were always going to favor the defense.''

Pittsburgh really didn't have a choice following the retirements of Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor and Jason Worilds and Brice McCain's departure for Miami as a free agent. They were among the more productive players for a unit that finished 18th in yards and points allowed, 26th in sacks and 25th in interceptions.

''There concerns when you have so many starters leave you at once,'' secondary coach Carnell Lake said. ''You want to make sure you replace them and make sure you replace them with quality players.''

There certainly won't be a lack of enthusiasm. Grant shouted ''Steelers, bro'' during a conference call with the media shortly after becoming the fifth Buckeye in the last six years taken by Pittsburgh. Grant proved productive and durable with the Buckeyes, totaling 63 tackles last season played in 54 games in during his collegiate career. That kind of versatility should help him find a spot on special teams while he learns the ins and outs of new defensive coordinator Keith Butler's 3-4 scheme.

Lake said there's a chance the Steelers could give Grant a look at safety, where Mike Mitchell and Shamarko Thomas are slated to start. Grant has never played safety in an actual game but is willing to learn if that's what it takes to see the field.

It's the same situation Chickillo will face after spending his career with the Hurricanes at defensive end. He will ditch the three-point stance for a stand-up position on the edge for the Steelers. Assistant coach Joey Porter doesn't expect to burden Chickillo by making him learn how to cover tight ends. Pittsburgh needs players that can apply pressure in the backfield. The rest can wait.

''If you're a guy that is going to come in and get sacks for us, we'll take it,'' Porter said.

The youth movement underway in the secondary will soon happen at tight end, where steady veteran Heath Miller is entering his 11th season. Pittsburgh will give Penn State's Jesse James a shot after taking the 6-7, 261-pound 20-year-old in the fifth round. James caught 38 passes for 396 yards in 2014. He left Penn State early hoping his size would provide teams looking for help at the end of the offensive line while also using his frame to create mismatches in tight spaces.

''I didn't get a chance to show how athletic I was,'' James said. ''I'll get a shot to do that in the future.''

So will wide receiver Sammie Coates, a third-round pick out of Auburn who torched Alabama for 206 yards receiving and two scores last November. Coates and James will have time to learn behind experienced playmakers. That might not be the case for the rookies on a defense hoping to recapture some of its former menace.

''We're going to provide a competitive atmosphere so that the guys know the playing field is level,'' Tomlin said. ''We don't care how they get here.''

---

AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

Saturday, May 02, 2015

Senquez Golson - "The Interception" (v. Alabama)

Steelers begin revamping secondary, take cornerback Golson

By Will Graves

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/pit/

May 2, 2015

Senquez Golson

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A couple more inches on his 5-foot-9 frame and Senquez Golson probably would have been long gone by the time the Pittsburgh Steelers were on the clock Friday night. A couple more big plays and Sammie Coates could have said the same.

Defensive backs with a habit of finding their way to the football like Golson have a way of rocketing up draft boards and enjoying nice long careers. So do wide receivers like Coates who are a threat to reach the end zone every time they touch the ball.

The number on a ruler didn't scare away the Steelers from taking Golson in the second round of the NFL Draft. Neither did videotape of the talented but raw Coates dropping catchable balls. When Coates was available in the third round, Pittsburgh added him to a stable full of wide receivers who came to town relatively unheralded but helped quarterback Ben Roethlisberger treat the team's offensive record books like a dry erase board in 2014.

Golson and Coates join linebacker Bud Dupree - the team's first-round pick - as the most likely rookies to make an immediate impact for the defending AFC champions next fall. There will be job opportunities aplenty in the secondary and at outside linebacker while Coates gets to learn from All-Pro Antonio Brown - a former sixth-round pick - and Martavis Bryant, a third-round pick a year ago who had eight touchdown receptions despite sitting out the season's first six games.

''You put the ball in his hands, he's going to make some yards,'' Steelers wide receivers coach Richard Mann said of Coates. ''Put those pads down, he's going to make some tough yards.''

Coates at least has the luxury of being brought along somewhat slowly. That won't be the case for Golson, who tied a single-season school record with 10 interceptions and was named a first-team All-American. Not bad for a player who pondered playing major league baseball coming out of high school and spent his college career trying to cover an unending stream of game-breaking wide receivers in the SEC.

''He's not one of the bigger corners but what I really like, what I measure DBs on is how tough they are,'' Steelers secondary coach Carnell Lake said. ''They have to check that box for me and I think he'll do that.''

Golson will have to if the Steelers want to cushion the blow left by the retirements of safety Troy Polamalu and cornerback Ike Taylor and Brice McCain's departure for Miami in free agency. Dupree finds himself in a similar spot at linebacker, where the Steelers hope his edge rush skills will help offset the loss of Jason Worilds, who retired in March a week after his 27th birthday.

''This opportunity I have right now,'' Dupree said after being introduced. ''I believe this is the right place for me.''

It's a sentiment echoed by Golson, who turned down a lucrative offer from the Boston Red Sox to stick to football. He even flew to Boston as a high schooler to meet with Red Sox officials but left without signing a contract.

''I looked down at the paper, there was a million dollars on it,'' Golson said. ''It was hard to turn down. But football is what I love do to. Football is in my heart.''

And it's also in his future.

Lake praised Golson's versatility. Golson will likely work in the slot in nickel and dime packages as he transitions to the NFL. William Gay and Cortez Allen figure to be at the top of the depth chart when training camp opens, with Antwon Blake the most likely candidate to start in the slot. Given Golson's instincts- his 10 picks were one less than the Steelers managed as a team last season - he'll be given every chance to show what he can do.

In a division that includes Cincinnati wide receiver A.J. Green among others, Lake expects Golson to be targeted often. It's part of the league's very public initiation process.

''He's going to be challenged, just like they challenge all of our defensive backs,'' Lake said. ''If you're 6-2 they're still going to throw at you. If you're 5-8 they're going to throw at you. He's going to have to prove himself.''

Pittsburgh's defense struggled at times last season. The Steelers finished 18th in yards and points allowed and managed just 10 interceptions as a team. They won the division anyway but have made restoring some aggressiveness a priority during a vital offseason.

''With us getting Bud yesterday putting pressure on the quarterback and now we've got a ball hawk corner,'' Lake said. ''It's going to work out pretty well.''

---

AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

Steelers Draft Day 2 Analysis: Big things expected of little Golson

By Chris Bradford cbradford@timesonline.com

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

May 2, 2015

Auburn wide receiver Sammie Coates (18) can't catch a pass against Mississippi defensive back Senquez Golson (21) during the first half of a game in November 2014. Golson was selected by the Steelers in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday. (AP)

PITTSBURGH -- Carnell Lake says he measures defensive backs on how tough they are. Good thing for Senquez Golson that his new position coach doesn't measure them by height.

At 5-foot-8 1/2, there will almost certainly be questions about Golson's height and how he'll matchup against the A.J. Greens (6-4) and Calvin Johnsons (6-5) of the NFL.

"He's going to be challenged, there's no question about that," said Lake. "If you are 6-2 they are still going to throw at you. Or if you're 5-8 they're still going to throw at you."

There are few questions, however, about Golson's resume. Last season he led all FBS cornerbacks with 10 interceptions. He had 16 during his four seasons in Oxford, Miss., tops among NCAA active leaders.

If Golson, who Lake described as a "ball-hawking corner," has even a modicum of that success at the next level, the Steelers will have gotten great value for their pick.

Though general manager Kevin Colbert said the Steelers draft for talent, cornerback was clearly a need. On Thursday, the Steelers checked off outside linebacker from their to-do list by selecting Kentucky's Bud Dupree. On Friday, they checked off cornerback, taking Golson from Ole Miss in the second round (56th overall). In the third round, the Steelers selected a wide receiver -- Sammie Coates of Auburn at No. 87.

After Baltimore -- Pittsburgh's bitter AFC North rivals -- traded up to No. 55 to select Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams, for whom the Steelers were believed to be interested in, the Steelers snared Golson.

Golson didn't have the high profile of Trae Waynes, Marcus Peters or Byron Jones, but his height, or lack of it, likely played a large reason in why he was the eighth cornerback selected.

"That's just something that I'm going to have to deal with," said Golson, who turned down a $1.4 million offer from the Boston Red Sox after being the 262nd overall pick in the MLB draft in 2011. "Once I get up there perform I don't really listen to all of the talk."

The Steelers had just 11 interceptions last season, ranking in the bottom third of the NFL. They had just 33 sacks, the franchise's fewest since the final years of the Chuck Noll era.

And that was with Troy Polamalu, Brett Keisel, Ike Taylor and Brice McCain on the roster.

"If we start getting pressure on the quarterback in significant ways, the interceptions will come," Lake said. "And if a guy has hands like Senaquez, and he can anticipate and get a jump on a quarterback, pressure and coverage go hand in hand."

When the Steelers convene for OTAs later this month, their cornerbacks will include 30-year-old William Gay, the enigmatic Cortez Allen, the untested Antwon Blake and Golson, who could be in line to start right away, even if at nickel, where he played extensively as a freshman at Ole Miss.

How Golson's game translates to the NFL though will depend on his development, his technique and overcoming, no pun intended, his shortcomings.

"Senquez is going to have to come in and he's going to have to prove he can play in this league," Lake said. "We believe he can.""

Though they had no glaring need at wide receiver with the highly-productive triumvirate of Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton already in tow, the Steelers were intrigued by Coates. Receivers coach Richard Mann said that Coates should provide competition and vie for a spot as the slot receiver.

Coates, 6-foot-1, 212 pounds, is a bit of a project though. Much like Bryant a year ago, Coates has speed and is considered a deep threat but is raw.

"He's got good speed, can take the top off the coverage," said Mann, an Aliquippa naive. "(He's) a guy that can track the ball down the field real well. (But) has some problems straight ahead catching the football but that's why we drill and get a chance to coach him up. We feel like we can make that better. The thing you can't coach up is his athleticism."

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More about Senquez Golson

ARTICLE: Steelers grab Ole Miss corner Golson in second round

More about Sammie Coates

ARTICLE: Steelers select Auburn receiver Coates 87th overall in round three

Sammie Coates - Auburn Highlights

Steelers draft WR from Auburn in 3rd round

By Chris Adamski

http://triblive.com/sports/

Friday, May 1, 2015, 11:06 p.m.

Auburn wide receiver Sammie Coates (18) gets around LSU safety Ronald Martin (26) after catching a pass for a first down during the second half Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014, in Auburn, Ala. (AP)

After taking arguably the draft's best playmaking cornerback in the second round, the Steelers completed their Friday evening by taking a playmaking wide receiver in the third.

Auburn's Sammie Coates, by his new positions coach's own admission, is raw. But despite less-than-gaudy overall production in college, Coates made big plays — and in big games.

Eleven of his 13 career touchdown receptions went for at least 33 yards, including almost half (six) covering 56 yards or more. As a redshirt sophomore in 2013, his seven touchdown catches covered an average of 54.1 yards — part of an overall per-reception average of 21.5 that ranked third in the nation.

“He can take the top off the coverage,” Steelers wide receivers coach Richard Mann said. “He's a guy that can track down the ball down the field real well. He has some problems with straight-ahead catching the football, but that's why we drill. And when we get a chance to coach him up, we feel like we can make that better.

“The thing you can't coach up is his athleticism.”

The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Coates has been clocked in the 4.3-4.4 range in the 40-yard dash. Although he ran a 4.43 at the Combine in February, his measurables in some other workouts were among the best in Indianapolis. His 20-yard shuttle (4.06 seconds) was second best among wideouts. His 23 bench press reps were tied for first, his 41-inch vertical tied for fourth and his 131-inch broad jump third.

“That shows the athleticism and the explosion that he has,” Mann said. “He will block. ... He will put his pads down and run with good pad level. A lot of guys won't do that, but we have seen him do that.”

In addition to the big-play ability, Coates made his biggest plays in the biggest games. During games against No. 15 LSU, No. 4 Mississippi and No. 1 Alabama in 2014, Coates combined for 14 catches and four touchdowns, including 206 receiving yards against the Crimson Tide.

“My goal is to be an all-around receiver,” said Coates, who was named second-team all-SEC. “I want to be one of the best at everything.”

The Steelers have had great success in recent years in drafting wide receivers in the middle rounds.

Coates' official NFL.com profile lists his “NFL comparison” as Martavis Bryant, whom the Steelers took in the fourth round last season. The Steelers also have found starting-caliber receivers Markus Wheaton (third round, 2013), Emmanuel Sanders (third, 2010) and All-Pro Antonio Brown (sixth, 2010) in the middle rounds.

During his career, Coates had 1,757 receiving yards with 13 touchdowns and seven 100-yard games. With his size and speed, Coates has all the tools, but Mann acknowledged, “I think we've got a guy that needs some work.”

Mann suggested that Coates initially will compete for playing time in the slot, a spot Coates said he played at times in college.

“I'm willing to do whatever I need to do to get the job done,” Coates said. “I'm just ready to get back on the field and show everyone what I'm all about.”

Chris Adamski is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at cadamski@tribweb.com or via Twitter @C_AdamskiTrib.

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In good hands: NFL prospect Sammie Coates has so much to offer -
http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/05/01/2015-nfl-draft-sammie-coates-auburn-inspirations

Friday, May 01, 2015

Steelers take LB Bud Dupree with 22nd pick

By Will Graves

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/pit/

May 1, 2015

Steelers take LB Bud Dupree with 22nd pick

Kentucky linebacker Bud Dupree poses for photos with his mother Sophia Stephens, upon arriving for the first round of the 2015 NFL Football Draft at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Bud Dupree sat in the green room on Thursday night as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell kept ticking off names wondering when he'd finally hear his name called.

''It was horrible,'' Dupree said with a laugh.

Until suddenly, it wasn't. When the Pittsburgh Steelers grabbed the massive Kentucky outside linebacker with the 22nd overall pick, Dupree's slide down the draft board landed him in a prime spot: on a perennial winner in dire need of some menace in its pass rush.

The Steelers certainly feel the 6-foot-4, 270-pound Dupree can provide it in bunches.

''He's really a unique animal,'' coach Mike Tomlinsaid.

The defending AFC North champions will need him to be as they try to restore some of the bit to a defense that has looked ordinary of late. Pittsburgh finished 18th in points and yards allowed last season and 26th in sacks. Dupree has the size to be effective against the run and the speed to beat tackles off the edge. He rolled up 23 1/2 sacks in his career with the Wildcats, including 7 1/2 last season.

While Tomlin declined to call Dupree a starter, Dupree will be given every chance to make an impact. He's the third straight linebacker taken by the Steelers in the first round, though that wasn't initially the plan. General manager Kevin Colbert didn't expect Dupree to be available in the later stages of the round. When he was, they practically made Goodell sprint to the podium.

''We looked into trading up as he kept coming up to us,'' Colbert said. ''We just waited it out. So often it happens, a lot of time you wait it out and there'll be a good player there for you.''

Dupree's size could help him acclimate better to the NFL than Jarvis Jones and Ryan Shazier. Pittsburgh grabbed Jones with its top pick in 2013 but Jones has struggled to stay healthy, collecting just three sacks in two injury-marred years. The Steelers picked Shazier last spring but he was limited to seven games in 2014.

Durability wasn't an issue for Dupree at Kentucky, where he was a three-year starter. His versatility made him even more attractive for a team that asks its outside linebackers to do more than just chase the quarterback.

''He can power rush, he can speed rush, he can put moves together,'' Colbert said. ''He can rush off two feet, or out of a three-point and he can cover. This is a gift for us to be able to get this guy at 22.''

The selection of the 22-year-old Dupree is the latest shift in a drastic youth movement on defense.

Safety Troy Polamalu and cornerback Ike Taylor retired when it became apparent they were not a part of the team's 2015 plans, and defensive end Brett Keisel was cut. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau did not have his contract renewed, with longtime heir apparent Keith Butler promoted from linebackers coach to replace the Hall of Famer.

Pittsburgh isn't looking for a total overhaul from Butler but a return to the kind of frantic pass rush that provided the snarl for a defense that catapulted the franchise to two Super Bowl wins and an appearance in another in the last decade.

The Steelers managed just 33 sacks last season and 7 1/2 of them came from linebacker Jason Worilds, who retired in March just hours after hitting the free agent market. Another 5 1/2 came from James Harrison, who showed flashes when healthy after coming out of a brief 18-day retirement. Harrison, who turns 37 next week, signed a two-year deal last month to return in more of a specialist role.

In a division that includes Cincinnati's A.J. Green and a 2015 schedule that includes New England, Denver and Indianapolis, Pittsburgh needs to generate more pressure up front to take some of the heat off a secondary that is very much in flux as it tries to find a new identity without Polamalu and Taylor.

Dupree wants to be part of the solution. He admits he got a little caught up in draft projections. The reality of draft night proved to be different. Considering where he ended up, he's hardly complaining. Neither are the Steelers.

''He may be disappointed where he got picked, the spot he got picked,'' Colbert said. ''But I think he'll be happy that he's with us just as we're happy to have him.''

---

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

This Bud is for Steelers

By Chris Bradford cbradford@timesonline.com

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

May 1, 2015

PITTSBURGH -- The Steelers finished with their fewest sacks in a quarter-century when they registered just 33 in 2014. If they're being honest, they may struggle to surpass that total next season. But 2016 and beyond? Well, that could be a different story.

That’s not to suggest that Alvin "Bud" Dupree was a bad pick, it isn't. Or to say that he won't some day be the strong edge rusher that the Steelers so badly coveted in this year's draft. But if recent Steelers draft history is any indication, it might be some time before Dupree, the defensive end-turned outside linebacker from Kentucky who the Steelers selected with the 22nd overall pick in Thursday's NFL draft, is that sort of impact player.

It's Dupree's upside though that makes him so intriguing. Dupree's size -- 6-foot-4 and 269 pounds -- has never been in question. Neither has been his athleticism, he ran an impressive 4.56 in the 40 at the combine. And by almost all accounts, Dupree's character --- so sorely lacking in a handful of players whose names were called, and a few whose weren't at Roosevelt University in Chicago on Thursday --- is beyond reproach.

However, there are legitimate questions about Dupree's ability to stop the run and his ability to diagnose the play, two things which, you know, are kind of important. Dupree can be a situational pass rusher in year one but more should be expected of a first-rounder.

Yet with Dupree you keep coming back to that size and that raw talent, the measurables. He had 23.5 sacks in four seasons at Kentucky, 7.5 sacks last season and was considered one of the top edge rushers available. Many mock drafts had Dupree going in the top 10 and GM Kevin Colbert claims the Steelers had him much higher on the Steelers' board. It's hard to pass up on that.

"Certainly a good pass rusher with mixed power and speed, and he can cover," Colbert said. "It was real exciting that he was able to be there for us at 22. Quite honestly, that was something we didn’t expect to happen."

But Dupree wasn't the sexy pick, was he? He wasn't Shane Ray or Randy Gregory or some other malcontent in this year's draft class. The Steelers just don't do sexy. He wasn't the cornerback -- that they'll still have to address in today's second and third round -- either.

Dupree makes it three straight years of linebackers taken in the first round after fellow "impact" players Ryan Shazier and Jarvis Jones. Obviously injuries have played a large part, but Jones and Shazier have yet to live up to their pedigrees.

When Jason Worilds turned a new leaf on life, the Steelers -- if they weren't already -- were left with a glaring need. The Steelers believe they have found their new starting left outside linebacker of the future in Dupree but, like with Jones on the right side, that is still to be determined.

Dupree joins a cast that should include Jones, Arthur Moats and James Harrison, who turns 37 on Monday. Having Keith Butler, a former linebackers coach, as defensive coordinator should help Dupree as will having Harrison, who was brought back to mentor this pick, around.

Now, that outside linebacker corps is not going to blow anyone away but at least two of the pieces for the future are in place with Jones and now Dupree.

With Troy Polamalu gone and Ike Taylor and Brett Keisel, too, the Steelers are turning the page on the past. With a cornerback or two on the way, the Steelers can dream of a dominating defense again. Whether that is next year, though, might be a little too optimistic.

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Steelers select Kentucky linebacker Dupree with 22nd overall pick

More about Steelers

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Steelers' need also was a pass rusher

By Rob Rossi

http://triblive.com/sports/

Thursday, April 30, 2015, 11:30 p.m.

Bud Dupree with Roger Goodell

This Bud's a “freakish athlete with a chiseled frame.”

At least, that was the first thing that caught my eye while checking out NFL.com's analysis of Bud Dupree, the Steelers' first-round pick and maybe someday their next great outside linebacker.

Apparently, he can also rag-doll tight ends at will, which sounds menacing, though I'm not exactly sure when “rag doll” became a verb.

I'm completely sure that going with an outside backer was the right pick by the Steelers — even if they need some cornerbacks from this draft, which they do.

See, this Bud, as coach Mike Tomlin said late Thursday night, “has strong comparisons to James Harrison.”

And the next Harrison — at least in terms of attitude, approach and an ability to play angry — is what the Steelers desperately need going forward because the actual James Harrison isn't going to play forever. Set to turn 37 on Monday, Harrison is probably a one (more)-and-done Steeler.

When he's done, somebody has to carry on the scary for a defense that has only really frightened its own offense the past couple of seasons.

Dupree, out of Kentucky, stacked 23 1⁄2 sacks in 47 collegiate games.

The guy checks in at 6-foot-4, 264 pounds, so he probably should be expected to rush the quarterback. If only he could be expected to do that right away.

Because other than Harrison, who can?

The Steelers have averaged about 35 sacks each of the past three seasons. That's not good, and it's certainly not Steelers Football.

Since adopting — and at times perfecting — the zone-blitz scheme that Dick LeBeau originated, the Steelers have made their mark by bringing pressure from the outside and, if not getting to quarterbacks, at least forcing them into early and errant passes.

Well, that's how NFL games used to look in these parts.

Everybody has been waiting on Jarvis Jones, the outsider backer picked in Round 1 two years ago, to bring the blitz back to “Blitzburgh.” At this point, it would seem like a win if Jones could simply get on the field.

Harrison shouldn't be the Steelers' best returning outside backer. Not at his age. Not after he unretired.

New defensive coordinator Keith Butler should have somebody to build around at a position for which the Steelers are known.

So this Bud's for Butler.

Now go get him a corner. Or two.

Rob Rossi is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at rrossi@tribweb.com or via Twitter @RobRossi_Trib.

Black and Gold

Sunday, May 03, 2015

Steelers go heavy on defense in final day of NFL draft

Saturday, May 02, 2015

Senquez Golson - "The Interception" (v. Alabama)

Steelers begin revamping secondary, take cornerback Golson