SteelerWatch

While he's been the target of a few verbal shots this week for the brutal hits he has delivered in training camp, it sounds as if second-year free safety Anthony Smith is growing up and accepting his role in the defense.

As free safety, the NFL equivalent to baseball's center fielder, Smith has a lot on his shoulders.  He's got the most ground to cover on any given play, he has to read receivers carefully and commit to a coverage judiciously and, as the last person between the offense and the end zone, he needs to know when to give up a few yards rather than risking a big play by trying to knock someone's head off.  It sounds like, after the first week of practice and being called out by offensive leader Hines Ward, Smith is grasping the bigger picture.  According to the Post-Gazette:

"The only problem with me and [Troy Polamalu] being in there at the same time is we're both risk-takers," Smith said. "Troy can take a few more [risks]. I take my shots. I have to be smart about it, though."

Asked if it's hard for him to curtail his style, Smith said, "It's not tough at all. You just can't make a big play every time. I try to make as many as I can."

 Smith has become one of SteelerWatch's favorite players because of his big hits and his natural knack for finding the ball.  If he can back that up with his intelligence, it will give the Steelers the best one-two punch at safety in the NFL.

Read the entire article here. 

Troy “Taz” Polamalu and the Steelers agreed today to a contract extension that will keep him in Black ‘n Gold for another five years.  The contract makes him (rightfully) the highest-paid safety in the league at $33 million over the duration of the contract.  As reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he will receive more than $15 million in signing and roster bonuses.

With all current contract negotiations complete, coach Mike Tomlin is free to focus solely on football in his first training camp, as disgruntled guard Alan Faneca has vowed to participate in all camp activities and should not become a distraction for a team that is looking to return to their 2005 form.

Regardless of what legacy Mike Tomlin eventually leaves Pittsburgh with, one thing he has already cemented in his tiny patch of history is that he is a man of his word.

On Thursday Tomlin reportedly stated that he believed all draft picks would be signed before the players report for traning camp, and Sunday evening that came to fruition with the signing of first-round pick Lawrence Timmons to a five-year deal.  The deal promises to be fairly lucrative, with base pay ranging from $12 million to $15 million depending on incentives and more than $8 million in guaranteed money, including his signing bonus.

This leaves the Steelers with few outstanding issues — the only pressing one at this point being the contract extension negotiations surrounding strong safety Troy Polamalu.  His agent has stated that he expects the deal to be completed by tomorrow, but no early indications have risen over the weekend that would specify the outcome of the negotiations, one way or the other.

Mike Tomlin looks to make good on his word that all draft picks would be signed by the time Training Camp opens. With Saturday’s signing of cornerback William Gay, only first-rounder Lawrence Timmons remains unsigned. Camp opens Monday afternoon, with practice starting Tuesday. It looks as if all rookies will be ready to go, assuming the team and Timmons’ agent can come to an agreement in the next 30 hours.

And then there was One.

A quick glance at the 2006 statistical line of Troy Polamalu shows nothing too significant. 77 tackles, three interceptions, one forced fumble and a sack in 13 games. It’s pretty much par for the course, where he’s concerned. In his first two full seasons as a starter, he averaged 5.9 tackles per game. Last year, he averaged…5.9 tackles per game.

However, if you’ve ever watched other strong safeties in the league, and then watched Polamalu, you immediately see what it is that he brings to the table. He looks like something out of a video game: stops and turns on a dime, runs all over the place before the snap like a player controlled on the screen by some twelve-year-old with a severe case of ADD, and he blitzes when logic tells you he should be covering the pass. And yet, somehow, his instinct for what to do when the ball is snapped is exactly correct an overwhelming majority of the time.

This Samoan Warrior has a way to get in an opposing quarterback’s head — not just to mess with his mind, but to read it. It’s as if “Taz” is controlling the entire game.

And to a certain extent, he is.

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When you think 3-4 defense, you think linebackers.  This is due in large part to Steelers’ defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and his mid-1990s scheming that spawned the Zone Blitz.

But the true anchor in a 3-4 defense is the Nose Tackle.  Without a good Nose Tackle, a 3-4 defense is going to get beat all the time.  The reasoning is simple: when you have three men on your line taking on five men on the offensive side of the ball, someone has to be responsible for two guys.  If the defensive line can’t occupy the offensive line, there will be no where for those linebackers to go.  The upper-hand just went back to the offense, and before you know it they’re scoring on you at will.

In 325-pound Casey Hampton, the Steelers have one of the best Nose Tackles to come along in the last decade.

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The typical defensive end in the NFL is built for a combination of power and speed. Some lean one way or the other; Dwight Freeny is a speed-rushing defensive end, using primarily speed and quickness to get to the quarterback. Guys like Michael Strahan rely more on power and technique to get into the offensive backfield. And there are beasts like Jevon Kearse who are both fast and insanely strong.

Then there’s the atypical end: a 3-4 guy. Because the 4-3 defensive enjoys widespread adoption in the NFL, most ends are smaller and quicker. But their job is getting to the quarterback; traditionally, in a 3-4 defense, an end exists purely for run defense, and to occupy offensive linemen while the much smaller (230 to 250 pounds), much quicker linebackers attack the quarterback. They’re often huge, tipping the scales at 270 to 300 pounds or more, and they’re strong, too. These aren’t interior, gut-over-the-belt defensive tackles. They’re solid, chiseled and, usually, meaner than hell.

And of all the 3-4 defensive ends in the league, Steeler standout Aaron Smith may just be the best of them all.

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The team has signed draft pick Ryan McBean to a three year contract.  There are no numbers yet available on the defensive end’s deal.

Good nose tackles are hard to find these days, with the few college teams running a 3-4 defense.  The Steelers just shored up the position, securing long-time backup Chris Hoke to a contract extension that will keep him in black and gold through 2010.  The deal is worth $6 million.  It is not yet clear whether the included $1.5 million signing bonus is part of the $6 million or if it is additional money.

While $1.5 million per year may seem like a lot for a backup, the nose tackle position is arguably the most critical in a 3-4 defense, meaning a capable veteran is generally needed to step in, if and when starter Casey Hampton goes down with an injury.  Hoke has started 11 games in his career.

Warning: no football content!

Troy Polamalu is being honored by the Downtown YMCA today as their Person of the Year.  He is also forming a foundation to support war vets.  But the bigger story isn’t what he has done, so much as it is what he said regarding his actions, that urged me to write this.  His general attitude is something that players all over the league should pay close attention to, particularly those guys with tiger stripes on their helmets (and a guy in Atlanta who has a fondness for pit bulls).

Sayeth Troy: “I don’t really feel comfortable taking credit for anything.  To me it’s something we’re supposed to do.”

strong>Also sayeth Troy: “The easiest thing to do is to give money, especially when you have a high-paying job.  I think when you sacrifice time is when you really sacrifice something.”

Pay attention, players.  The standard to which you need to live has been set.