Welcome to Steeler Nation, Jarvis Jones.

With the 17th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected the outside linebacker from Georgia. The Steelers’ linebacking corp has been under construction over the past couple of years with James Farrior and James Harrison being the salary cap casualties.

Jarvis Jones

It will be interesting to see how Jones fits in with this defensive unit. Unlike the offense, defensive rookies don’t typically see much playing time. Defensive rookies spend much of their first year learning the system. I’d imagine that Jason Worilds is still the front runner to replace James Harrison.

However, this is a defense in transition. While they have been one of the top-ranked defenses, they’ve done so despite their ability to make the big plays. Sacks and turnovers have been on decline to say the least. Time will tell if Jarvis Jones will be that kind of playmaker the Steelers have been missing, but if couldn’t hurt if he could manage to knock Joe Flacco on his butt.

There has been a ton (I measured it) of speculation about where Jarvis Jones would go in this year’s NFL Draft.  Almost as much speculation as there was about his potential for spine problems.  After USC decided not to gamble on the talented linebacker, he finished his NCAA career as a Bulldog at the University of Georgia.  He may be the best player in this draft, but teams must know that they could be taking a chance that his spinal stenosis will result in injuries that could then lead to missed games.

Jarvis Jones celebrates his QB hit that caused a fumble (Bob Self/The Times-Union)

A sampling of the mock drafts of 50 NFL reporters and analysts (note that I didn’t call them experts) had 16 votes for Jarvis being the 15th pick of the draft, going to the New Orleans Saints. » Continue reading “Jarvis Jones Finds a Home in Pittsburgh”

It’s official. Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison is now a Cincinnati Bengal.

It’s been a weird off-season for the Steelers, and now Steeler Nation is faced with seeing the long-time Steeler in black and orange every Sunday. Weird.

We’ll remember the good times we had, James. Like that time you met Mary Poppins.

Of course, it doesn’t help that Harrison will now have a go at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line twice a year. In recent years, Ben Roethlisberger has suffered major injuries at the hands of the vaunted defenses from Cleveland and Kansas City. Cincinnati’s defense is tough as it is, and adding a former Defensive Player of the Year to the mix will make them tougher. Not good news for Big Ben and company.

On the bright side, we will still have two chances to see Harrison chase after Joe Flacco this coming season. So there is a bright side to all of this.

Remember how much fun we had with Wallace Watch 2012 last year?

Okay, nobody had any fun with Wallace Watch 2012. But that doesn’t matter because we get to experience Wallace Watch’s unfortunate spin-off sequel: Emmanuel Sanders Watch 2013! Following the basic formula for any sequel this time the stakes are higher. No longer can the Steelers sit back, and wait for Manny to sign his tender. Nope! This time those foes from New England have stepped in and forced the Steelers hand: match their offer or lose one of the few young, experienced receivers left on the roster.

The Steelers have until tonight to match the Patriots’ offer if they wish to keep Sanders.

For his part, Ben Roethlisberger has lobbied to keep Sanders. However, a third-round draft pick may be pretty tempting for an older team that has plenty of holes it needs to fill.

Stay tuned.

Harrison Staying In The AFC North?

It’s been reported that former Steeler linebacker James Harrison is close to working out a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Somewhere out there Joe Flacco is hiding in a huge pile of money, weeping. Sorry, Joe. You haven’t gotten rid of him yet it seems.

In the ongoing saga of “will they or won’t they reunite”  the Pittsburgh Steelers front office recently took a big step back.  As reported by Gerry Dulac in the Post-Gazette, the team told James Harrison that they were no longer interested in bringing back the recently released linebacker, who is currently a free agent.

Will Harrison and the Steelers every kiss and make up?

But is this really it?  Steelers fans cling to a shred of hope that the intimidating 5-time Pro Bowler will remain in the Black & Gold.  It’s not looking good right now, but in the NFL, you can never say never.  As Taylor Swift sings in “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”:

I remember when we broke up, the first time

Saying this is it, I’ve had enough, ’cause like

We haven’t seen each other in a month

When you, said you, needed space, what?

Then you come around again and say

Baby, I miss you and I swear I’m gonna change

Trust me, remember how that lasted for a day

I say, I hate you, we break up, you call me, I love you

Harrison was due to make $6.57 million in 2013 and $7.575 million in 2014.  With their limited cap space, there was no way the Steelers could keep the linebacker unless he took a significant pay cut.  Although the team and his agent met to negotiate, a new deal was never struck, and the team released Harrison on March 9th.  Harrison thanked his fans and said it was time to move on.

Harrison didn’t get much interest as a free agent, most likely due to his age and injury history (although he’s probably his healthiest in years right now).  He seemed on the verge of signing with the Ravens, but then they gave their money to ex-Bronco Elvis Dumervil instead.

Later that day, Harrison’s agent Bill Parise told the media that  he “has not closed the door on his client returning to Pittsburgh and would welcome a call from Steelers”.  Which translates as that he was now open to the pay cut he refused a few weeks ago.  Funny how things change when no one else wants a spot on your dance card, right Taylor?:

Oooh you called me up again tonight
But oooh, this time I’m telling you, I’m telling you
We are never ever ever getting back together
We are never ever ever getting back together
You go talk to your friends talk
To my friends talk to me
But we are never ever ever ever getting back together

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA4iX5D9Z64

The Steelers’ salary cap woes claimed its first victim today in long-time Steeler James Harrison. Harrison was cut by the Steelers after he and the team were unable to reach a deal to free up money for the salary cap.

“We could not get together financially at all,” said Bill Parise, Harrison’s agent who lives in Beaver County. “We certainly had agreed to take a paycut but apparently there was a difference in how much of a paycut we would take and how we would take it.

“It simply came down to money. It’s all about the salary cap.”

The Steelers cut him, and this is crazy. But he’s a free agent, so call him maybe.

Harrison, a former Defensive Player of the Year, was still a formidable presence in the Steelers’ defensive unit. That is, when he could play. Harrison has been hampered by injuries and the looming shadow of Commissioner Goddell over the past few seasons.

Cutting fan-favorite veterans in the name of the salary cap is, unfortunately, the Steeler way. Last season the Steelers cut Hines Ward, James Farrior, and Aaron Smith to make room under the salary cap. Harrison managed to make a name for himself after the Steelers cut Joey Porter. It’s the circle of life, or something.

Best of luck to James Harrison!

As Steeler Nation braces for yet another Baltimore-New England AFC title match, Kevin Colbert and company must try to find a way to improve a Steelers team that finished 8-8 this season.

But if the Steelers are to improve, just don’t expect the same old, same old.

Then when asked about the possibility of changes during the offseason, Colbert added, “If we don’t change 8-8, if we don’t change the roster that produced 8-8, we’d be silly to expect a better result if we have the same group of guys … We’re not married to any of these guys.”

Yeah, but I’m sure there are probably some big name guys and free agents who are safe, right?

The Steelers have the ability to use the franchise tag on one of their free agents, but Colbert’s view of that possibility was “very doubtful.”

“Again, in my mind when you’re 8-8,” said Colbert, “I don’t think we have too many franchise players.”

Welp. We are a year removed from the vicious offseason in which notable Steelers and team leaders in the likes of Hines Ward and James Farrior were cut. If Kevin Colbert is looking to make changes, methinks we may have seen the last of the likes of Mike Wallace, Rashard Mendenhall, James Harrison, and Casey Hampton.

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Now that the 2012 season is in the books for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s time to look ahead to 2013.  While other teams, including two AFC North foes, are gearing up for the playoffs, the Steelers can only think what might have been.

Quarterbacks

While the Steelers are fortunate to have a franchise quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, it’s time to take take a serious look for a serviceable back-up or two. Both Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch are free agents this offseason.

» Continue reading “Steelers: Looking Ahead To 2013″

San Diego Chargers 34 Pittsburgh Steelers 24

Ben Roethlisberger was back under center for the Steelers, but that really didn’t matter as the entire team decided against showing up for this game.

The Steelers’ many miscues set up plenty of opportunities for Philip Rivers and the Chargers, who took advantage of these opportunities. Where do I even begin?

• Back-to-back offsides penalties by Troy Polamalu and James Harrison gave the Chargers a first down and set up a 51-yard Nick Novak field goal for the first score of the game.
• Antonio Brown attempted to recover a lateral in the end zone instead of taking the safety.
• Big Ben throws an interception deep in his own territory, that sets up the final score for the Chargers.
• The defense’s general inability to stop the Chargers on third down.
• Special teams penalties. Again.

» Continue reading “Multiple Mistakes Doom Steelers Against Chargers”

December is here, and that means two things: I really should start my Christmas shopping, and I can’t start my Christmas shopping because the Steelers are making their final push for the playoffs.  Coming off a huge upset win in Baltimore against their division rival the Ravens with 3rd string QB Charlie Batch, the team received excellent news when HC Mike Tomlin announced on Thursday that Ben Roethlisberger would resume his role as starting QB when the San Diego Chargers come to Heinz Field for the week 14 matchup.

The 4-8 Chargers season is all but over, having lost 7 of the last 8 games.  Just this week President Dean Spanos was doing damage control when it was reported that he had already decided to fire HC Norv Turner and GM AJ Smith at the season’s end…although he never directly said it wasn’t true.  The Chargers are 0-14 when playing at Heinz Field, and it’s likely the Steelers will make it 0-15.  Then again, we all know the Steelers have a tendency to let weaker teams hang around and struggle to put the game away early. » Continue reading “Steelers Eve: San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers”