Beer We Go Steelers

On behalf of BWG Steeeler nation and Captain Tailgate, we wanted to wish our Founder and President Tom Janicki a very Happy Birthday!

Oh mama…

Warren Sapp apparently has some type of issue with the Steelers, last year they were “Old and Slow”. So bad that they had the number one defense in the entire NFL and won 12 games. Despite obviously being a moron, he still gets paid to speak on television, although his accountant and creditors might disagree. About the money, not about being a moron…that seems pretty obvious.

Now he went after our beloved Silverback and LaMarr. See, back in the good old days, when Warren Sapp played in the NFL players looked out for each other. Warren looked out for Green Bay Packer Tackle Chad Clifton as he hit him with a blind side block and put him out for weeks. I don’t fault Sapp for the hit. But this nonsense, fairy tale he talks about is a joke.

LaMarr and Silverback play the game, the way it should be played. HARD AND PHYSICAL!  So Warren Sapp can go dance his fat ass to the poor house as far as I am concerned. This is all I am going to write about this as Sapp doesn’t deserve anymore thought than this.

Sorry it has been awhile, after a great week of OTAs, Here are a couple of quick hits:

-The Steelers moved Willie Colon to LG. This was a great move for Big Willie and stabilizes a transient position. I like Legursky but this protects him and keeps him as a reliable backup. Hopefully, this move will solidify the line and keep Colon off the IR.

-Steelers signed Cornerback Andre Freeman from Slippery Rock, his combine was mediocre and he didn’t get drafted, but he might be a nice project player.

-Unfortunately, that signing spells the end of Trevis Turner, Offensive Tackle. The writing was on the wall for this with the way draft went.  He is a great kid with great potential!

-Does anyone actually believe that Big Ben is feuding with Todd Haley? It is a different system but long overdue, Ben is learning it!  

2012 Draft Class Pittsburgh Steelers:

This has the potential to be one of the most well rounded drafts in Steelers history. The Steelers filled several key needs and look like they reloaded in some key spots.

1             David DeCastro, G: The Steelers biggest need was at guard and they drafted the best one! DeCastro will start probably on the left side and will make an immediate impact. He is an elite athlete who is technically proficient at pass blocking and an absolute mauler on run blocking!

2             Mike Adams, OT: Not projected to start year one, but will absolutely have an impact at some point. He is the epitome of what a starting tackle should look like at 6’7” and 323lbs. He graded out as a First Rounder but discipline problems caused his fall. He could be the steal of the 2012 Draft.

3             Sean Spence, LB:  Superior on field intelligence, good quickness, combined with violent hitting equals exactly what the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for at linebacker. He absolutely runs through his opposition. This is the typical Steelers pick that they get right. I still think there is a good chance he will play outside after a two year apprenticeship with Woodley and Silverback. PPG believes he will move inside, I just don’t see it.

4             Alameda Ta’amu, DT: The heir apparent to Casey Hampton as the Steelers moved up to get him. Displays great anchor-ability and is extremely difficult to move. He will be a run plugging nose for the Steelers for years to come. Will do well in a one year backup role and if he materializes the Steelers will have the best 3-4 front in the NFL.

5             Chris Rainey, RB: He is an absolute blur in the open field and a natural playmaker. Rainey will be a force on special teams. He possesses great hands and will be fun to watch. At 5’8” and 178lbs might be difficult to be more than a special teams/niche player.

7             Toney Clemons, WR: A good vertical threat with great size and speed. Almost seemed too good to be true this late in the draft at his height with a 4.43 forty and a great vertical. He didn’t have much production in college but has all the physical attributes.  There is great potential to make an already loaded receiving corps. This could be one of those late round gems that the Steelers are looking for.

7             David Paulson, TE: Was drafted I believe as the best guy on the board. Paulson is an excellent receiver but not much of a blocker. With the signing of Leonard Pope, he seems like a long shot to make the team. Classic hard worker!

7             Terrence Frederick, CB: Good physical tools and has nice agility. He is good in zone coverage and looks like a Nickelback. Probably has the best chance of making the team of all the 7^th Round picks.

7             Kelvin Beachum, OG: I studied every guard in three different draft guides, I haven’t seen the film on this guy and he seems kind of small to play for the Steelers. He is a good athlete and tremendous heart combined with great intangibles which will make him a tough contender for a backup role in camp.

The Steelers continued the theme on Friday night of drafting Offensive Line help in grabbing Tackle Mike Adams of Ohio State. He has the size the ability and technique to make an immediate impact. He graded out as a possible first round pick so this could be an absolute steal in the draft.

The bad news is he didn’t get drafted in the first round because of some discipline concerns regarding a free tattoo and also, this is the part that makes everyone nervous, getting arrested with drug paraphernalia. The charges were dropped, but the damage was done. Rumor and this is just a rumor, he showed up high at the Combine which again is kind of foreboding. 

The story that I think makes this pick a little easier to swallow is that Adams drove to the Steelers complex when he heard he was off the draft board. He went like a man and explained and apologized for his immaturity. That shows character and hopefully he makes good!

If he does this certainly addresses the Offensive Line issues and the Steelers are in good shape!

BWG likes the pick and the Captain and I were in agreement. He had to text me the pick as I was at Mercy High School’s play. (The things we do for family.)

The third round pick is a Steelers specialty; Linebacker. They drafted Sean Spence from “The U”.  I am not totally sold on this pick as he is projected outside and we needed inside help. But he has good speed and he is a tackling machine. The knock on him is if he plays strong side he will get smothered by the Tight End and the Tackle. What the Steelers have going for them is that if you don’t put the Tight End on Woodley or Silverback then your team is going to be the one with problems! What I think this pick means is that Worilds is moving inside and Spence is the development project. 

It is hard to go against the Steelers when it comes to Linebackers and this seems like a great value pick!

BEER WE GO STEELERS, BEER WE GO!

Captain Tailgate texted me earlier in the night that it was going to break our way and when the Chiefs passed I knew he would fall, The Steelers drafted the best guard in the draft in David DeCastro!

DeCastro is 6’5″ and 312 pounds of anchor-ability. This is what we have been waiting for! He doesn’t get beat in pass blocking and he is an absolute monster run blocker. DeCastro is excellent at trapping and pulling out. He gets to the second level and absolutely mauls linebackers! He has a great work ethic and will fit in great with the Steelers!

Stanford was DeCastro’s choice for college because of it’s academic standards!

LOVE THIS PICK! PPG is calling him Faneca II.

The evil Patriots took Dont’a Hightower next and believe me that hurt to see but I really believe the Steelers got this one right!

BEER WE GO STEELERS! BEER WE GO!

BWG Nation is anxiously waiting to see who will be the 2012 First round pick!

The Top Three Needs of the Steelers:

1. Offensive Line: Is there anything more important than this? Most of the media is touting that the Steelers will grab a Middle Linebacker to replace James Farrior. That makes no sense whatsoever, as the Steelers are stacked at linebacker. The key has to be protecting Ben and unless they want him looking through his ear hole again this season they need to upgrade the interior line. The Steelers played 9 different combinations of linemen in 16 games last season. Kevin Colbert will stick to the draft board but the Steelers absolutely need to grab a Guard in the first two rounds and need to grab a big development guy in the later rounds for depth.  

2. Defensive Tackle: Big Snack is in the twilight of his great career and his top backup, the venerable Chris Hoke, has retired. The bench is thin behind them now. Steve McClendon is athletic but too small to play full time in such a demanding position. The Steelers will target Hampton’s replacement somewhere in the middle rounds where they can afford a project guy who matches the physical needs of the position. The 3-4 doesn’t work without a huge NT.

3. Defensive Back: The Steelers rid themselves of Bryan McFadden, who lost his starting spot, and they lost the talented, but erratic, William Gay in free agency. What was painfully obvious during the playoffs is that the Steelers need some help at Cornerback. Ike Taylor had a great season then played his worst game as a Steeler at the worst possible time. Keenan Lewis is about to have his breakout season and should continue to help the secondary. As for safeties; Troy Polamalu is Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark had a huge year, probably his best as a Steeler.  Look for the Steelers to grab someone who is a developmental project in the middle rounds at any of the spots.

The Steelers have been excellent in the first round, but struggled after that.  Out of 41 picks in the last five years the Steelers have drafted 9 starters and drafted 9 players that are no longer in football. The Steelers need to have a big draft all three days to stay as a perennial contenders.

“We have never used those jerseys since the 1934 season…” – Art Rooney II

Jeez I wonder why? 🙂 I seriously thought this was a joke when someone sent this to me.

Ah well, we have a great team and great ownership they are allowed a “Mulligan” once in awhile!

I figured it was going to be the “Golden Triangle” jerseys. Not this bumble bee suck fest!

(Photo Courtesy of the PPG)

It is good to be back, so let’s catch up on a few things:

Steelers signed Charlie Batch: The Steelers need a veteran backup QB and Batch has done an admirable job for the Steelers going 5-2 in spot starts. He has tremendous value beyond his playing and has been great in a pinch. He will compete with Troy Smith(an interesting signing) and this basically closes the door I believe on the often injured Byron Leftwich. Dennis Dixon is almost certainly out now as well. Dixon has good upside but doesn’t fit into the Steelers long term plan. He has drawn interest from the Ratbirds and the Broncos.  

Steelers sign Leonard Pope: GREAT MOVE, with Wesley Saunders being suspended and most likely heading to the chopping block by the Steelers when he is back, Pope is a nice addition and with his familiarity with Todd Haley’s system this is the usual under the radar Steelers move that really helps the team. Heath Miller and Pope give the Steelers an excellent tight end combo! This guy is a bona fide hero and a good character guy.

Mike Wallace: Is still not signed and while he is without question a world class talent, he is not a finished product yet and he isn’t going to command the money he is looking for. I think he should sign a one or two year agreement and then go bust the market up after a great year. BTW RIP Mike Wallace the newsman, great journalist, he one time hit on my sister at a Yankee game!

Offensive Line Moves: Ramon Foster is a good guard and he will provide stability. It’s no secret BWG is a huge fan of Doug Legursky and our belief in him hasn’t wavered. He is athletic and as strong as any guy in the league, the issue is a stiff wind injures this guy. So I am hoping he develops further and stays healthy because when he pulls he is a freight train. Trai Essex is a serviceable backup and if he is in any semblance of shape provides much needed depth. I like the idea of Marcus Gilbert moving to the left side and having Willie Colon back on the right. Colon again has to prove he can stay healthy. If Legursky and Colon are healthy this turns a potential weakness into a strength. Look for some draft help as well.  As for existing people, my dark horse pick is Trevis Turner the “Abilene Christian Colossus” the guy is a giant and a physical freak!

Dan Sepulveda Moves On: Very productive player but injuries robbed him of any kind of consistency. I know Captain Tailgate is happy to see him go as Mrs. Tailgate was sweet on Dan!

Releasing Ward, Farrior and Smith: I hated to see these guys leave. These guys will always be Steelers, but to be fair about it, it was time. I don’t believe it is “time” because of playing ability; they all can still play in some facet or the other.

Hines Ward is a great player and for the record he can still get it done, I was in a near rage that the Steelers didn’t work it out with him. Farrior had a solid productive season but he clearly isn’t where he used to be and Aaron Smith was injured each of the last three years though he always showed flashes of brilliance. 

Here is the key though that everyone is losing sight of, all three of them, have younger, less expensive, players behind them chomping at the bit to play. In the NFL it is “next man up” and the Steelers are always dangerous when they reload. 

You cannot replace these three guys on the leadership side and that gap will be extremely difficult to fill.

The Steelers receivers if they get Wallace signed will rival anyone’s combination in the league. They have speed, size and strength. They are ready to roll and they brought back the veteran Jericho Cotchery to replace Hines full time.

The Steelers Inside Linebacker situation looks to be in good hands with Stevenson Sylvester and or Jason Worilds expected to take Farrior’s snaps. They will get some push by Chris Carter and Morty Ivy. They also retained veteran linebacker Larry Foote in case his development is slowed. This gives the Steelers a very strong and athletic core of guys. 

Aaron Smith’s replacement is very cut and dry; you have Cameron “Steelhead” Heywood and Ziggy Hood ready to step in full time with Brett Keisel providing the veteran leadership the Steelers are losing with Aaron leaving.  

Ratbirds or Jets on Hard Knocks: Have to confess, I love this show and have seen every episode of every season. My feeling on this, is that the Jets make better headlines and with the Tebow Circus in town most likely will get the show. Plus proverbial big mouth Rex Ryan makes for great copy.

The Ravens would be fun because they imploded last time they were there when they were defending champs. Keep in mind that bloviating windbag Brian Billick was the coach and I can’t see John Harbaugh allowing it since he thinks he is a secret agent.

The Buccaneers passed last year and left HBO high and dry, they were afraid it would be a distraction that wouldn’t allow them to win a whopping four games and finish in last place! Good choice Raheem!

Email: I have over 8000 emails to review and will do my best to get to them. I love getting emails and comments, it is just difficult to weave through the real stuff and the freakin’ SPAM! Please be patient, your comments are appreciated.

In what was a bittersweet moment for every member of BWG Nation, Hines Ward left the game of football yesterday wearing the colors he has his whole career, BLACK AND GOLD. He was everything that a Steeler was supposed to be and his career has been a lesson in hard work and physical play.

“Today, I’m officially retiring a Pittsburgh Steeler,” Ward was quoted as saying. “And as much as I will miss football, my teammates, coaches and everything about the game, I don’t want to play it in any other uniform. The black and gold runs deep in me, and I will remain a Steeler for life.”

Without question he can still play and their is such mixed emotions about him giving up the game. We are glad that he will forever be a Steeler and he will always be BWG for life.

He won two Super Bowls, including the MVP of XL. He holds every significant Steelers record as a receiver and he was a team leader of unquestioned character. He also holds the unofficial record of being the most hated Steeler league wide. A role that he was AWESOME at. From jacking up Ed Reed, to laying out Keith Rivers he played the receiver position like a silent assassin and that is what we will miss most of all!

He is a no brainer for Canton! See you in the Hall Hines!