Cook: It's time for LaMarr Woodley to focus on football

[Steeldude]

Looks like the same Woodley I have talked about since he was drafted. Are people finally seeing the light? He may get 9+ sacks next year . The result will be the same fans being fooled again.

[VaDave]

You got $40-$50 mill lying around, you're going to have an outside life away from football.

[Atlanta Dan]

Originally Posted by VaDave

You got $40-$50 mill lying around, you're going to have an outside life away from football.

No question - but how you spend that life can range anywhere from Peyton Manning to Michael Vick

[BKAnthem]

Originally Posted by Alsteel

True but have you ever hear a steeler bad mouth another,come out be a man
no need for anonymous quotes.These type of situations what help destroy the jets
locker room

I guess you nothing about the earl Holmes led, chair swinging, locker room brawl during the Cowher years either

[BKAnthem]

Originally Posted by Alsteel

Never heard anonymous quotes during cowher years. This tells me tomlin
is losing the players.

I guess you nothing about the earl Holmes led, chair swinging, locker room brawl during the Cowher years either

[steelfury02]

Originally Posted by TRH

what about his "bowling league" too? He's on Twitter and Facebook all the time talking about "current events", his bowling, stuff about other games/players, portrayals such as this, etc.
Meanwhile - i'm thinking "why aren't you just in the goddamn GYM????"

I don't want to hear about bowling leagues, magazine shoots, and various community service 'meet and greets'. Sure as hell doesn't seem to be much, if any, focus on the 2 things he needs to focus on - and i mean razor-sharp focus - football and working out/gym/getting in spectacular shape. I'm really starting to wonder if we'll ever see that out of him at this point...................

Unfortunately - today's NFL is not even the NFL we were used to during the XL or XLIII run - same goes for the type of players. We are going to see a dip in execution by most teams and players during the regular season - a lot more sloppy football and the first to 35+ points wins. Then, whoever is good enough to get into the extended playoff field (ludicrous) will have a chance at a trophy. We might see a .500 team get in and get just the right matchups (even a team like the Jets who are dysfunctional 24/7) - do just enough to eek out a trophy - demeaning the whole thing. Watered down league, watered down teams, players with lack of substance.

Just about all players market themselves on social media nowadays - but, you can make up your own mind and decide who is spending more time on it and with extra curricular activities and who is only using it on occasion.

Does this make Woodley an Grade A a-hole? Absolutely not. Bad person? No. Great teammate and great player he COULD be? Not that either. He has a ton of potential - this year will be very telling if Woodley is here for a while longer or if he is just a flash in the pan.

[FrancoLambert]

This is the most telling comment.

"He tells us he works out, but we didn't see it."

If his teammates don't see him working out what does that tell you about Woodley.

[steelfury02]

Originally Posted by FrancoLambert

This is the most telling comment.

"He tells us he works out, but we didn't see it."

If his teammates don't see him working out what does that tell you about Woodley.

- notice "he tells US"

that his players are only reiterating what Butler has had to say about him - seems to be a general belief out there about his work ethic

[SteelersCanada]

Clark: Woodley comments show Steelers 'fracture'

By Gregg Rosenthal

The league's least valuable player -- anonymous teammate -- emerged from hiding this weekend to rip on Steelers linebacker Lamarr Woodley.

"He was awful," the teammate said of Woodley to the Post-Gazette. "He tells us he works out, but we didn't see it. He wasn't in shape. That has to be a reason why he was always hurt."

Woodley isn't going anywhere. He's one of the core pieces to the Steelers defense and they may need him more than ever with James Harrison a potential salary cap casualty this offseason. Safety Ryan Clark, speaking on NFL A-M, wishes the anonymous teammate kept his comments private.

"My biggest problem with that is not LaMarr, or is not someone's feelings about LaMarr," Clark said. "My problem is now its public. We were talking about the Ravens earlier, we were talking about the brotherhood, we were talking about the family that they were. We all have arguments with our brothers, sisters, cousins, but that stays in house. What you talk about then stays there and it doesn't get out to the public. So that is the problem. ...

"That shows that this team that is normally close, you had the Joey Porters, the Alan Fanecas, just down the line, leader after leader, this team was close-knit. It shows there is a fracture in that. I think that is the most disappointing thing about that coming out."

Clark went on to emphasize that Woodley is already training in Arizona this offseason. Perhaps Woodley knows that he didn't do enough last year to live up to his contract.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...gn=Twitter_atl

-- He's right. When Hines, Farrior and Smith left there was a definite gap in leadership. I'm sure Keisel is a great guy, but the defense was playing undisciplined football and some of that has to be shouldered by the defensive captain. We need a young guy to step up and take on that role this year or we're going to face a similar fate.

[SkipBayless69]

I can not believe what I am hearing. Lamarr Woodley is the 6th Steelers sack leader all-time. Woodley is a Probowl caliber OLB and arguably the best LOLB in the NFL today. Sure, he spends too much time on his twitter account and so do a lot of 15 year-old girls, but that doesn't make him a bad person or that Jenny says Erin thinks he looks fat.

The bottom line here, the bottom line is that Woodley needs another season to prove himself to the fans and the organization. We all owe some degree of confidence to Woodley as he is arguably the Dick Butkus of his generation.