By, Steve Silverman: While it wasn’t always pretty, the Penguins survived a tough six-game series against the eighth-seeded team in the Eastern Conference.

The Ottawa Senators didn’t have to go through nearly the same amount of stress as they rolled by the second-seeded Montreal Canadiens in five games.

This conference semifinal features two teams with distinctly different makeups. The Penguins are loaded with superstars, and they can fill up the net.

The Senators are strong defensively, but they struggle to score goals.

The team that can impose its will on the other will probably have the best chance of advancing to the conference final.

Where They Stand after First Round

The Penguins went through an angst-ridden first-round series against the New York Islanders. Starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury struggled badly in Games 2 through 4, and after the Islanders evened the series with a 6-4 victory in the fourth game, head coach Dan Bylsma replaced Fleury with Tomas Vokoun.

That move steadied the Penguins, and they won the next two games to escape the humiliation that would have come with a first-round loss to the bottom seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Senators had no such problems in goal. The Senators came into the playoffs as the team with the least productive offense, but they had no problems scoring against the Canadiens.

The Senators took advantage of their opportunities, and they did not let up after the Canadiens suffered a number of nagging injuries.

Head coach Paul MacLean has a hungry team that is not going to be intimidated by the Penguins.

Key Storylines

This is a David vs. Goliath type of series. Not only are the Penguins heavy favorites, they have a huge advantage in offensive talent. Head coach Dan Bylsma would love to create a wide-open, high-scoring game because his team has so many more weapons.

However, the Penguins’ inconsistency in goal is an issue. The Islanders were able to exploit this weakness in the first round, and the Senators will try to do the same in this round.

This series could turn ugly because Erik Karlsson suffered his partially torn Achilles when Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke cut him with his skate blade early in the regular season. While the Penguins defended it as a “hockey play” when the two men went into the corner, the injury nearly cost Karlsson the full season.

Head coach Paul MacLean wants his Senators to stand up for themselves, and they may want to assert themselves early in the series.

Players to Watch

Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby

Crosby returned to the lineup in the second game of the series against the Islanders, and he scored nine points in five games. However, Crosby was not the dominant player that fans are used to seeing.

He may be back in top form against the Senators, dominating in the offensive zone and creating scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Evgeni Malkin

In the final game against the Islanders, Malkin showed his all-around skill when he put his body in front of a shot that could have given the Islanders a one-goal lead late in the third period. Malkin appeared completely engaged in that game.

If he continues to play with that kind of commitment, it is difficult to conceive of the Senators slowing him down.

Ottawa Senators

Erik Karlsson

The best offensive defenseman in the league made it back from a torn Achilles in the final days of the regular season. He had one goal and five assists against the Canadiens, and his creativity and offensive instincts make the Senators a much more formidable team.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau

NHL history is littered with stories of young players who are brought up at the start of the playoffs to give their team a lift. Pageau appears to be filling that role for the Senators. He scored three goals and had two assists in the five-game victory over the Canadiens.

Pageau accelerates well with the puck on his stick, and he will go into the prime goal-scoring areas. He can be an X-factor for the Senators in this series.

Goaltender Breakdown

Pittsburgh Penguins

Marc-Andre Fleury was brutal in goal for the Penguins through four games, and he was replaced by Tomas Vokoun for Game 5. Fleury had a 3.40 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage. That weak showing came on the heels of a disastrous playoff performance last year, so head coach Dan Bylsma decided to change goalies.

Vokoun recorded a shutout in Game 5 and was solid in the closeout victory in Game 6. Bylsma will likely stay with Vokoun at the beginning of the series against the Sens, but don’t be surprised if Fleury gets a start at some point in the series.

Ottawa Senators

Craig Anderson performed extremely well against the Canadiens in the first round. In addition to his 1.80 GAA and his .950 save percentage, Anderson was consistent in the regular season and is clearly one of the best goalies in the NHL.

He is nearly always in the proper position. Anderson understands what the shooters want to do, and he has excellent anticipation.

Biggest Mismatch

While a strong case could be made for the Senators having a huge edge in goal over the Penguins, the biggest mismatch belongs to the Penguins.

They have a plethora of offensive talent. While they are led by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, they can turn to Jarome Iginla, James Neal, Pascal Dupuis, Tyler Kennedy and Kris Letang to make big plays on offense.

The Senators can’t play a wide-open game if they are going to have a chance. Even if they can slow the game down, they still have to find a way to make offensive plays in key situations.

Erik Karlsson certainly can do that from the blue line, but does Daniel Alfredsson have enough left in the tank at this point to play consistently? They have decent talent in Jakob Silfverberg, Kyle Turris and Sergei Gonchar, but they seem to come up woefully short when compared to the Penguins.

Pittsburgh Will Win If…

There’s always a certain amount of nerves that are a part of any first-round series. However, once a favored team wins in the opening round, nerves tend to be less of a factor as the playoffs move forward.

That’s good for the Penguins. They will also have a much more comfortable Crosby back in the lineup. Once he gets his legs back—and he’s close to that level—the Penguins should be able to score a minimum of three goals per game.

That’s more than enough for the Penguins to win in four or five games.

However, the question is the goaltending. While Vokoun performed much better than Fleury in goal, there’s no guarantee that he will continue to play consistently. If the Penguins get decent goaltending, they should win the series.

Ottawa Will Win If…

The Senators can play their best hockey, and it won’t allow them to beat their opponent if the Penguins also play their best game.

So, the Senators must take the Penguins out of their game with hard-hitting physical play with the hope that they can draw the Penguins into foolish penalties.

The Sens don’t have much offensive firepower, but they scored more than enough goals against the Canadiens because they went to the dirty areas and created traffic in front of Carey Price and Peter Budaj.

Ottawa must be opportunistic on the offensive end, and Anderson must be stellar in goal in order for Ottawa to have a chance at pulling off the upset.

Prediction

The Penguins should win this series in five games.

They should get full production from Crosby and Malkin, and the Sens simply don’t have any players who can hope to match their production.

If the Penguins don’t give up a slew of easy goals, the Senators are not going to have enough talent to win more than a game against the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference.

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Jack Butler, a Hall of Fame cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, died on Saturday morning in a Pittsburgh hospital. He was 85.

Butler had entered the hospital in November 2012 when a lingering staph infection attacked an artificial knee replacement. His son, Mike, recently hired by the Steelers as a scout, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that his father was completely lucid on Friday night and did not complain of any pain.

“His heart just stopped,” Mike Butler told the newspaper.

A Pittsburgh native, Butler’s initial career path seemed to be taking him to the priesthood. He entered the Carmelite junior seminary in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, fresh from grammar school. Four years later, Butler entered the Carmelite novitate, which then was in New Baltimore, but at some point afterward he decided against the priesthood and enrolled at St. Bonaventure. It was there that Butler was introduced to football and embarked on a career in the sport that would span more than 50 years.

Undrafted by the NFL upon his graduation, the Steelers signed him, probably as a favor to Father Silas, the St. Bonaventure athletic director and Art Rooney Sr.’s brother. Butler somehow made the Steelers’ roster as a rookie in 1951, and in the third game of the season an injury to Howard Hartley changed his life.

Butler began his Steelers career as a receiver, but rosters were often so thin that players were enlisted to play other positions as the need arose. Since Hartley was a defensive back, Coach John Michelosen’s decision to send Butler into the game when Hartley was injured was a career-altering decision.

From there, Butler went on to play in 103 games during his nine seasons as a cornerback for the Steelers until a severe knee injury seven games into the 1959 season ended his playing career.

With 52 career interceptions, Butler ranked as the NFL’s second all-time leader in interceptions when he retired after the 1959 season, behind Emlen Tunnell, and he also had 10 fumble recoveries. Butler’s interception percentage is 50.5 (52 in 103 games), the best of any player in the Hall of Fame. Add in the fumble recoveries, and whenever Jack Butler took the field for a game with the Pittsburgh Steelers, 60.2 percent of the time he finished with at least one takeaway.

Butler returned the first of his 52 career interceptions for a 52-yard touchdown, and among the Hall of Fame quarterbacks he victimized during his career were Sammy Baugh, Johnny Unitas, Otto Graham, Y.A. Tittle, and Norm Van Brocklin, In 1957, Butler either intercepted a pass, forced a fumble, or recovered a fumble in 10 of the 12 games, and for his career he had nine multiple interception games.

Butler was voted to four Pro Bowls, he was an All-Pro defensive back three times, and he was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1950s.

“Jack was a tremendous player who ranked among the best in league history with his 52 interceptions while only playing in 12 games a year,” said Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney. “He was a versatile player who was also used as a wide receiver, but his career ended unfortunately too soon with a bad knee injury. He was an excellent person both on and off the field, and he played an integral role in the BLESTO scouting program and our entire draft process before his retirement. His family was very close to the entire Rooney family, and he will be missed. Our condolences are with his family through this very tough time.”

After his playing career ended following a severe knee injury in a 1959 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Butler tried coaching, and the Buffalo Bills of the new American Football League hired him as an assistant. But the knee prevented Butler from doing the job the way he wanted to do it, and so he resigned, even refusing the salary that Bills owner Ralph Wilson offered to pay him nevertheless. There was a short stint with the Steelers as a scout, before Jack Butler’s life in football would enter a different chapter.

It was in the early 1960s when three NFL teams – the Lions, Eagles, and Steelers – formed a scouting combine called LESTO (Lions, Eagles, Steelers Talent Organization). It would later add the Bears and come to be known as BLESTO, even today when many other teams have joined. Jack Butler served as BLESTO’s executive director for 45 years, during which he scouted many outstanding players and trained almost as many future NFL scouts, general managers, and team presidents.

“Jack Butler was one of the all-time great Steelers,” said General Manager Kevin Colbert. “He devoted his entire life to the NFL and made contributions to many teams and many players through his work with BLESTO and player personnel matters. Our condolences are with the entire Butler family.”

In February 2012, Butler was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, 53 years after his career ended and 48 years after he first became eligible. He had been on the ballot as one of two nominees of the Hall of Fame’s Seniors Committee, which reviews the qualifications of players whose careers took place more than 25 years ago.

“Jack was a great person and great friend who always placed his faith and family first,” said Steelers President Art Rooney II. “Beyond his great play on the field, he was a legendary personnel man who helped so many of us get established in our scouting careers. He will be missed, but never forgotten.”

Pittsburgh Steelers : News

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The Pittsburgh Pirates, here is a piece of trivia for you, are also often known as the “Bucs”, or the “Buccos” – derived from ‘  buccaneer ‘ a synonym for pirate.

The Pirates were beaten by 5-4 in a rare victory by the National’s when Stephen Strasburg starts – he managed to strike out eight in seven innings, giving his team the chance to win the game and him one of his outings for the first time since Opening Day.  Strasburg is 1-4 with a 3.45 ERA in seven starts this season; hopefully he will continue to do a good job.

The Nationals scored more than three runs for the first time in seven games, but had only six hits so this led to some mixed results for most of the afternoon.  Pirate’s starter Jeff Locke allowed three of those during his five-plus innings, conceding four runs, three earned, with three walks and three strikeouts.

Thanks to Ian Desmond’s sacrifice fly in the third snapped a 15-plus scoreless inning streak by Locke.  Locke said that everything felt pretty good and that he just needed to be a little bit more efficient early in the count.  Let’s hope some lessons were learnt because there is no doubt that the Pirates are a great team, especially in light of the fact that they are a major league Baseball club and play in the Central Division of the National League.  They are also five-time World Series champions.  

Having been going since 1887, the Pirates have had many ups and downs during their long history, but have only lost two of the seven World Series.  The five that the Pirates won were all seven-game Series.  After a run of regular-season successes in the early 1990s when they made the NLCS for three straight years, the Pirates have struggled in recent decades, with 20 consecutive losing seasons to date, the longest in North American professional sports history.

All the Pirates’ seven runs in the series have come by way of home run’s. So surely now is the time for them to seriously take a look at why they lost to the National’s – blame no one and look for constructive criticism.  The game was frustrating to watch as on one hand, the Pirates walked six hitters, hit three batters, gave the Nationals three runs on bad defensive plays by Barmes and Marte that are supposed to anchor the defense, and what about the base-runners in the top of the ninth inning of a tie game ? Then, on the other hand, the Pirates played a close game against a good team where the starting pitching couldn’t get out of the fifth inning but why didn’t they use either of their best relievers?

So come on Pirates – you are a great team – let’s see a win next game.

About The Author:

Jeff Warren is a professional writer who has been working overseas for the past thirteen years as a sports writer for various different types of publications. His articles have also been published on various websites and are a great source for obtaining quality information about the latest sports gossip and betting odds.

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It’s been six years since goaltender Tomas Vokoun played in the NHL playoffs. And he felt that he may never again have that opportunity.

But that chance became a reality Wednesday morning when head coach Dan Bylsma informed him that he would be the Penguins starting netminder in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the New York Islanders Thursday night at CONSOL Energy Center.

And Vokoun is going to take it all in.

“I’m going to enjoy it. I wasn’t sure if I would ever get a chance to play again in the playoffs,” Vokoun said. “It’s nice to have the chance. You play hockey to be in this moment. You don’t play hockey for morning skates and taking shots.”

Vokoun, 36, is a 14-year NHL veteran that has played in 700 NHL games and won 300 contests. But he’s only played in 11 playoff games in his career and hasn’t appeared in postseason action since 2007 with the Nashville Predators. He’s anticipating some butterflies before the game.

“Everybody is nervous. You wouldn’t be human if you weren’t,” he said. “I’ve played long enough and been through a lot. Hopefully, that helps me through it.”

Vokoun had a remarkable first season in a Penguins uniform in 2012-13. He went 13-4 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .919 save percentage and three shutouts. Vokoun set the franchise mark (and personal best) for consecutive shutout minutes at 173:06 from March 22 to April 2.

But one of the biggest reasons for making the switch to Vokoun was his success against the Islanders this season. In four games (three starts, one relief appearance), Vokoun had a 3-0 record, 0.90 GAA, .970 save percentage and one shutout..

But regular season success doesn’t necessarily translate into the playoffs.

“It doesn’t mean anything. The game starts 0-0,” he said. “You never know. Every game is different. This is going to be a different game than Game 35 in the regular season. I’m focusing on myself. I don’t even care who we play. You focus on what you need to do.

“That’s more key than what our opponent is.”

Vokoun takes over in goal for Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury started the first four games of the series, going 2-2 with a 3.40 goals-against average, .891 save percentage and one shutout.

Fleury was at his best in Game 1. He made 26 saves for his sixth career playoff shutout (tying Tom Barrasso for the franchise record) in a 5-0 win. But after that he was plagued by fluky goals – few pucks bouncing off the backboards or his own body.

“Some of those goals were tough breaks,” Vokoun said. “He looked good. He wasn’t guessing. He wasn’t getting beat on straight shots. Some were deflections. It’s almost like he’s getting there earlier than he’s supposed to. It’s actually hurting him more. I told him I thought he looked good. Sometimes that happens.”

While Fleury was disappointed with the change, he understood why it happened.

“My job is to stop the puck. It’s frustrating,” he said. “I wish I would have done better. It’s in the past.

“Losing is what’s hard. We’re 2-2 right now. ‘Voky’ has had a great season. He’s played great against the Islanders. I’m sure he’ll be great tonight.”

How the goalie situation shakes out in the long run will only be figured out over time. But both goalies haven’t looked any further than Game 5.

“I have a job to do. We just need to get through this and whatever happens, happens,” Vokoun said. “I’m not thinking about that. I’m just thinking about stopping the first shot and going from there.”

Penguins Recent Headlines

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Clark, appearing as a guest commentator on ESPN, said he wished he could rank Polamalu ahead of Earl Thomas of Seattle and Dashon Goldson of Tampa Bay, but he can’t.

“This was a decision for me,”€ Clark said of ranking Polamalu third among his top five safeties in the league. “Here is a guy I really want to put at No. 1, but he’s had some injuries over the past few years and hasn’t been as effective. He’s a guy I feel like can be No. 1 if we get him back fully healthy.”

Polamalu missed nine games with a torn calf last season, and his absence clearly affected a Steelers defense that nevertheless finished No. 1 in the league. However, he missed only two games combined in the previous two seasons, both in 2010.

Clark has played alongside Polamalu since 2006 and he bragged about his skills.

“Anticipation, just innate ability to know the snap count, or know where receivers want to go, know where a quarterback wants to throw the ball,” Clark said on ESPN’s NFL Live. “He’s been an awesome player for years and years in this league.”

Clark, never one to shy from an opinion, also appears to be looking forward to the Steelers-Patriots game on Nov. 3. He believes New England downgraded its offense by letting slot receiver Wes Welker sign with Denver and bringing in Danny Amendola to replace him.

“I know they think Danny Amendola can come in and have the same type of numbers he had with the Rams, but we also have to remember he’s fragile,” Clark said. “He’s not a guy who has completed a whole season, especially playing in what can be a physical AFC East. You also think about (Rob) Gronkowski and the (arm) injury; that is going to be bigger than anything for the New England Patriots this year.”

Clark also said the key to controlling Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is to make him “see ghosts” by throttling his receivers early on during a play while pressuring him and forcing him to spend extra time before delivering the ball.

“In 2010, we saw it with the Jets in the playoffs,”€ Clark said. “When Tom Brady gets pressure and when you’re man-to-man and bumping those guys and making it harder for him to throw, he sees ghosts.”

The Steelers effectively controlled Brady during a 25-17 win in 2011, the first time they had beaten him since 2004.

“We played them and dominated them because we went man-to-man and had a big corner in Cortez Allen on Gronkowski and made it hard for Tom Brady to get the ball off, in timing, and made him have to make plays,” Clark said. “It was hard for him.”

It hasn’t always been that way. Brady is 6-2 against the Steelers, with regular-season losses at Heinz Field in 2004 and 2011.

Still, Clark said, “Even when guys aren’t around him, even when he’s not about to be sacked, when his clock goes off in his head that the ball should be out, we’ll see him duck, we’ll see him flinch. When you see Tom Brady doing that, the whole New England Patriots mystique goes away.”

The Patriots are 6-3 against the Steelers since Brady arrived in 2001, with one loss coming when he was injured and out for the season in 2008.

Clark isn’t the first Steelers safety to talk confidently of opposing the Patriots. In 2007, Anthony Smith “guaranteed” a Steelers win at Foxborough over a Patriots team that would go 16-0 that season. The Patriots won 34-13.

By Alan Robinson

Alan Robinson is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. reach him at arobinson@tribweb.com or via Twitter @arobinson_Trib.

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The NFL Draft has come and gone once again. All the buildup and hype is behind us, and it is now time to analyze how the Steelers faired in the 2013 NFL draft and look ahead to the 2013 season. As coach Tomlin often says, it was “Business as usual” for the Steelers. Many national pundits have proclaimed that the Steelers are a team on the decline. I think they are a team about to surprise those pundits and prove them wrong.

The dust has settled and the draft has ended and all the Steelers did was replace their departures with the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, a four year starter and all-time leader in receptions at Oregon State, as well as the NCAA leader in rushing yards after contact. If you followed me before the draft, you know that I was very high on several of the players the Steelers drafted, especially Jarvis Jones. I was hoping for a different HB and WR though but I am over all satisfied with the outcome. In my mock draft about a week before the draft, I predicted that the Steelers would take Jarvis Jones in the 1st round and WR Justin Hunter in the 2nd and  in the 3rd round, HB Giovani Bernard. I was off by the players but got the positions correct, although I am excited that both players actually selected will be wearing black and gold next season.

Draft Grade: B-

Over all I feel the Steelers earned a Draft Grade of B- for the entire hall of rookies they selected. Our resident Armchair GM has some different thoughts on the draft though and you can view his opinions here. I feel they hit home runs on 4 of their picks and did well to fill depth needs with the rest of the young men now competing for a spot on the team.

Best Picks:

1 (17) – Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia: Grade B+ | 2 (48) – Le’Veon Bell, RB, Michigan State: Grade B- | 4 (111) – Shamarko Thomas, S, Syracuse: Grade B

Jarvis Jones

It can be said that Jones fills the Steelers biggest need. A pass rusher with youth, who can revitalize Blitzburgh. Some worry about his being diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis a few years ago but that does not worry me as much as others as that is an issue that may never even effect his career for the Steelers. I am fully aware it could as easily ruin his career but I am of the believe that every players career is one play from being ended so I don’t dwell on the negatives.

The Steelers selected Jones to fill the void left by James Harrison as a pass rusher. Jones will join the rotation opposite LaMarr Woodley, and Jason Worilds will be there to take the pressure off Jones playing three downs as a rookie. Depth at outside linebacker will be boosted immediately with this selection and the Steelers get a freaky talent that only slid here because of injury concerns.

Jones must improve his practice intensity and preparation at the NFL level. Who better to learn under than legendary defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau and linebacker coach Keith Butler? The tape does not lie on Jones. Concerns over his size seem to be overblown as he consistently got to the quarterback to the tune of 28 sacks against elite college competition in his two years at Georgia.

The Steelers selection of Jarvis Jones shows their commitment to get back to “Steeler Football”. The team has lacked turnovers and explosive plays on defense for several years now and it was time to fix that issue. Jones was medically cleared by the Steelers and is ready to come in and work.

Le’Veon Bell

The Steelers decide to grab an exciting talent from Michigan State who has drawn comparisons to Jerome Bettis. Some pretty big shoes to fill there.

The Steelers were in desperate need of a franchise running back and they believe they have found him here in the third round. Bell is a bruising runner who can run well between the tackles. Bell has exceptional lateral quickness for a big guy and can make defenders miss. Bell does not have blazing speed on the edge but gets the job done running down field. Bell has extremely good hands and will contribute as a pass catcher. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley is already drawing up plays trying to figure out ways to get the ball to Le’Veon Bell.

I had the Steelers taking a WR (Justin Hunter) with this pick in my mock draft, but I don’t blame the Steelers for taking Bell in the 2nd round to ensure that he did not get drafted anywhere else. Bell will bring a new dimension to the Steelers offense that they have desperately needed for a while now. Bell should be the opening day starter and provide the Steelers with the “workhorse” back they have been looking for since the “Bus” retired. My favorite stat on Bell is that he gained 922 of his 1,793 rushing yards (51 percent) after contact in 2012. He ran behind a very poor offensive line at Michigan State and should thrive behind the up and coming line for the Steelers.

Shamarko Thomas

The Steelers thought highly enough of Thomas to trade their 3rd round pick in 2014 (Cleveland Browns) to move up in the 4th round to select him. So they must REALLY like this kid. I gotta say after watching tape on him again. I REALLY like him too.

In the 4th round, the Steelers selected Shamarko Thomas, a hard hitting safety from Syracuse. You could say he hits like a mack truck! Thomas is an exciting prospect that has drawn comparisons to Bob Sanders. In fact, Mike Mayock of the NFL Network said, “I love this kid. You talk about Steelers picking tough guys. This guy reminds me of Bob Sanders. He’s undersized but plays like a human missile.” 

Thomas will have the luxury of learning under two of the best safeties in the game with Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark. Thomas will be able to contribute immediately on special teams as well as some nickel or dime packages on defense. Thomas provides quality depth for the Steelers and likely would have been a first or second round pick if not for his 5’9” height. Thomas was the leader among all safeties at the NFL combine in the 40 yard dash (4.42), bench press (28), vertical jump (40.5 inches) and broad jump (133 inches).

Best Value Pick: 3 (79) – Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon State: Grade B-

Before the draft, I read scouts say Markus Wheaton is the next Mike Wallace. As I researched more, I found that Wheaton can do so much more than Mike Wallace. He uses his body well, is a great hands catcher rather than a body catcher and is dangerous after the catch.

Wheaton was a team captain and the all-time leading receiver at Oregon State. He hauled in 91 catches in 2012. Wheaton’s size is a small concern (5’11”) but overall he is a player that should fit perfectly into the Steelers offensive system. 

Wheaton may be most effective in the slot initially but as he progresses should be able to be interchangeable with Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders at any position on the field. Wheaton brings solid playmaking ability and blazing 4.34 speed to the table for the Steelers.

Questionable Pick: 4 (115) – Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma: Grade C

The most surprising pick of the Steelers draft was Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones. The Steelers were expected to take a young quarterback in the draft that could learn behind Ben Roethlisberger, but perhaps the 4^th round was a bit high for what many were expecting.

With their 2nd pick in the 4^th round, the Steelers selected the all-time leading passer in the Big 12. Landry Jones is an outstanding passer that will provide the Steelers with quality depth at the quarterback position for years to come. Whether or not Jones is the heir to Ben Roethlisberger is yet to be seen but it is a big upgrade over Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch. The Steelers have now completely revamped the quarterback position with the additions of Landry Jones and free agent Bruce Gradkowski.

The Rest of the Story: Grade B-

The Steelers added quality depth throughout the remainder of the draft at positions of need. Late round picks can often develop into starters or even Pro Bowlers. Just ask the Steelers about Brett Keisel (7th round) and Antonio Brown (6th round).

5th round pick Terry Hawthorne will provide depth at the cornerback position. He will have to work on his quickness in and out of breaks to really see the field on defense as a rookie. Right now he can learn from secondary coach Carnell Lake and contribute on special teams. Grade B

In the 6th round the Steelers added Oklahoma wide receiver Justin Brown and Florida State linebacker Vince Williams. Justin Brown is a big target standing 6’3” tall. The transfer from Penn State worked well with Steelers rookie QB Landry Jones at Oklahoma. Brown will have a lot of work to do to make the Steelers roster as a rookie.

Linebacker Vince Williams is an outstanding leader and solid middle linebacker. He projects as a 2 down middle linebacker who is effective at stopping the run. The Steelers final selection was defensive lineman Nick Williams from Samford. Williams was a first team all-Southern conference player in 2012. The big bodied Williams (6’4” 309 pounds) will be a project for the Steelers and projects as a 5 technique defensive end in the Steelers 3-4 defense. Williams may contribute in a few years if he is able to stick around. Grade C-

Overall, I feel the Steelers had a very solid draft. They filled just about every one of their needs and addressed positions that needed depth. Jarvis Jones, Le’Veon Bell, Marcus Wheaton and Shamarko Thomas should all contribute year one for the Steelers. Jones and Bell may be opening day starters depending on how they do in training camp. If I had to give the draft a grade, and I did, I would give the Steelers a solid B- for their selections.

Tell us what you think about the Steelers draft in the comments below. Do you agree with my grades? Do you think I am full of shit? Tell me your thoughts below.

Undrafted rookie free agent signings:

Northwestern DE Brian Arnfelt; Northern Illinois LB Alan Baxter; Utah WR Reggie Dunn; San Diego State OT Nik Embernate; Penn State OT Mike Farrell; Notre Dame OL Mike Golic Jr.; Louisiana-Lafayette DE Cordian Hagans; UAB G Chris Hubbard; Florida DT Omar Hunter; Hawaii LS Luke Ingram; West Virginia C Joe Madsen; USC RB Curtis McNeal; Baylor C Ivory Wade; Michigan State DT Anthony Rashad White; West Virginia WR J.D. Woods

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With the unceremonial cutting of both Casey Hampton  and James Harrison comes ever closer to severing all ties with Championship Steelers. Only a handful of players remain as Mike Tomlin moves to create his own version of the Steelers but will it be a better team or worse?

Ist Rd – Spinal Stenosis is an abnormal narrowing (stenosis) of the spinal canal that may occur in any of the regions of the spine. This narrowing causes a restriction to the spinal canal, resulting in a neurological deficit. Symptoms include pain, numbness, paraesthesia, and loss of motor control. The location of the stenosis determines which area of the body is affected. cervical spinal stenosis is dangerous because it involves compression of the spinal cord.

Jarvis Jones OLB – Georgia – 14.5 sacks, 24.5 TFL and 7 forced fumbles as a Junior, this   is  still is  a horrible pick. Will Jarvis Jones be a Pro Bowl quality player? Yes very probably. Will he have a splashy headline reel, sure. Will he be someone that the opposing OC has to plan for? I think so. Can his career be brought to an end in the blink of an eye? Yes, most definately. Could this injury result in lasting paralisys? Yes it could. Could it be life threatening? Yes. Was this the best player at the position of most need? No it most definately was not. Grade F for Fear the worst may come true.

James Harrison OLB – Pro Bowl – 2007,2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. All Pro 2003 thru 2010. Played on all recent Super Bowl teams. Has he been injury prone the last couple years? Yes.Did it affect his play on feild? No. Does he have anything left in the tank? Two to Three years. Do OC’s need to plan for him? Yes. Is Cincinatti a better team for picking him up? Yes . Are the Steelers worse? Yes.

2nd Rd – LeVeon Bell RB Michagan St. – Rashard Mendenhall wanna be, The Next Jerome Bettis? I don’t think so. Only 4 +100 yd games in his career. 1,553 yds and 27 TD’s in 3 seasons. The thick legged Bell’s patented hurdle move will keep OC’s guessing for 1/10 of a second. Not a particularly strong runner for his body type. Bell is slow to hit the hole and spins enough to make the Tasmanian Devil Dizzy. Good reciever out of the backfield is projected by some to not be a feature back but a Full Back at the next level. They don’t draft Full Backs anymore do they? This pick particularly chaps my ass because Eddie Lacey was still on the board. Grade D
 
3rd Rd Marckus Wheaton WR Or. St. – This is a solid pick even though I think an OT would have been a bettter pick at this point. Wheaton is a decent long threat tracking the ball over either shoulder a willing traffic reciever and blocker. I would rate him him higher but, Stedman Bailey was still available who’s game matches Hines Ward more closely than any player I’ve seen recently. So, Grade C+ for ass chapage.

4th Rd Shamarko Thomas SS Syracuse – The 5′-8” Shamarko Thomas is a bit of an anomaly. He is solid muscle putting up an eye-popping 28 #225 bench reps. Fast 4.37 40. He is the type of athlete that Dick LeBeau will love. He could be another guy like Troy, that is so strange it makes it impossible to game plan for. He loves to hit and has a concussion record that shows it. Ball hawking and crafty in pass defense and a, relentless pass rusher he is sure to give the oppostion fits. There were some corner backs left, Sanders Commings and Tharold Simon to name a couple that would have filled a position of greater need, but hell we need Safties too and he will be fun to watch. Look for Shamarko to be a home town favorite. Compares to Bob Sanders former Safety for the Colts. Grade A-

4th Rd Landry Jones QB – Oklahoma – Good Size 6′-4” and a big NFL quality arm the Steelers look for a #2 QB they can develop over the next couple years. Don’t ask me why but, I’m not a Landry Jones fan. I would have much preferred QB Tyler Bray if it was a QB pick. Bray went undrafted for some reason so we could have got him with one of our 6th rounders and if we were psychic we would have known that. I really would have much much prefered OT David Quessenberry to lock up the RT spot but, as it is the Steelers have done some very good things bringing in Bruce Gradkowski and drafting Jones. Grade C+

5th RD Terry Hawthorne CB – Illinois – The Steelers do what they normally do here and use a middle pick to draft a CB. The most you can hope out of these guys is they develop into a decent #2 option. The speedy (4.31 40!) could be an exception. 6′-1” 195# Hawthorne is a tough hard hitting defender. He would fit the Steelers Defense. Hawthorne is also soft handed and has ability to twist his body to intercept difficult passes. Has a history of concussions. Grade B for Better Late than Never.

6th Rd Justin Brown WR – Oklahoma – 6’3” 215# Big short to medium target that Ben’s been asking for. 73 Rec. 879 yds and 5 TD’s in his Senior year. Big catching radius and fearless across the middle, Brown could be the answer to our posession receiver deficit. Grade B for good for Big Ben.

6th Rd Vince Williams ILB – Fla. St. – 59 tackles 6.5 for loss in his Senior year. Which is pretty low production for an ILB. Said to put some pop on hits in Senior Bowl practice. OT Reid Fragel was still available which I think would have made a better choice. Grade D

7th Rd Nicholas Williams DE – Samford – A small school former basket ball player. A very athletic practice squad guy that could develop into a good lineman. Grade C+

College Free Agents:
OT Mike Golic Notre Dame son of Mike Golic and C Joe Madsen of WVU (I had Madsen in the  7th Rd) were the only two college players of note for the Steelers. The rest were a bunch of, Huh, Who Dat! And Meh. Grade Whazzz Uupp!

Next up: AFC North Draft breakdown and Grades.

Go Stillers!

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The 2013 NFL draft might be over, but the rookie signings most certainly are not. Though 254 players were selected, there are hundreds of others still looking for a team, and teams are still in the market for players at serious value.

The Steelers 2013 Undrafted Rookie Signings Include:

OT - Mike Golic, Jr. (Notre Dame)

DT – Omar Hunter (Florida) 

LS – Luke Ingram (Hawaii)

C – Joe Madsen (West Virginia)

C – Ivory Wade (Baylor)

DT - Anthony Rashad White (Michigan State)

WR - J.D. Woods (West Virginia)

DE – Brian Arnfelt (Northwestern)

LB Alan Baxter (Northern Illinois)

G - Nik Embernate (San Diego State)

WR - Reggie Dunn(Utah)

OT – Mike Farrell (Penn State)

DE – Cordian Hagans (Louisiana-Lafayette)

OG – Chris Hubbard (UAB)

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With the 223rd overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to keep their focus on the defensive side of the ball and drafted defensive tackle Nick Williams (center in picture above) out of Samford. This being the Steelers’ last of nine picks in this year’s draft, adding depth to the interior defensive line was something that was needed.

As of right now, the Steelers have two nose tackle, Steve McLendon, who just signed a three-year deal with the team, and Alameda Ta’amu, who is entering his second year in the league. McLendon will be the starting nose tackle, while Ta’amu is still a work in progress. The team will no longer have the luxury of depending on long-time veteran Casey Hampton to anchor the defensive line.

Adding Williams in the trenches could give the Steelers another option behind McLendon in the event that Ta’amu doesn’t improve his game. This selection also gives the team some insurance just in case Ta’amu has some off-the-field problems, like he did last season.

Williams’ 6-4, 309-pound frame is a good size for the nose tackle position. Working under defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will only improve his skills, and could possibly get him in the rotation of the defensive line.

Hopefully, the presence of Williams will bring out the best in Ta’amu so that he can live up to expectation that Steeler Nation had of him when he was selected in the fourth round of last year’s draft.

At the close of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Steelers, in my opinion, did a flawless job from beginning to end. Every pick made logical sense, and all major positions of need were addressed.

I applaud the entire Steelers organization on a great over all draft and wish all the rookies good luck in the NFL.

Steelers Defensive Line Coach John Mitchell on Nicholas Williams

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