Steelers Starting OLine in 2007 (at least I hope)

[FourThreeMafia]

Left Tackle

Marvel Smith- Dominant run blocker. Vastly under rated at the second level. When healthy he simply beats up RDE's. Smith is slightly above average in pass protection. Smith is a 7 year NFL starter and 28 years old so he is just entering his prime, If Smith refines his technique in Pass Pro he could be 2007 Pro Bowler at LT. Smith is already top 5 run blocking Left tackle in the NFL.

Left Guard

Alan Faneca -Dominate run blocker. Great on the move in the run game. Team leader and the Grit of the Oline. Average at best in Pass Protection. I believe both Smith and Faneca will benefit from the end of Camp Grimm where the Oline seemed to sip lemonade and eat donuts. Attention to small details in pass protection and Faneca is the most dominant interior OLinemen in the NFL

Center

Sean Mahan - Solid technician, but not real strong. He will struggle with Big NG's. Gets by with guts and a non stop motor. He will need help with interior Dlinemen. First time the Steelers will have to help a center with an interior player since 1962. Mahan is good in pass protection and has good feet. He is a bigger more mobile version of Chukky Okobi, who I expect (hope) to be cut.

Right Guard

Willie Colon - He is one of the best 5. He has the tools to be a mainstay at RG. Perfect size and nasty disposition. He showed he is a mauling player who wants to street fight every play. He may be one of my new favorite Steelers . He wants to go to war every play. He isn't the biggest guy...His lack of arm length wont be detrimental at RG.

Right Tackle

Max Starks - Big as a house, and about as mobile as one as well. When he is playing well...WOW!. He needs alot of work on technique...but he is a gem. He plays nasty. He caves the Dline like no other Steeler tackle...As good as Eric Williams in his prime. Starks controls what he can touch in pass pro. Needs balance work. Thats just about it. He needs to be like the Cobra..strike and recoil

Larry Zierlein will make a worlds of difference with this Oline.

To Russ Grimm fans: Steve Spurrier made one good move as an NFL coach...he fired Russ Grimm.

[ChronoCross]

I could think of at least 4 are more threads this could go in. Sure it will be moved. Welcome to the Forums tho.

[FourThreeMafia]

Originally Posted by ChronoCross

I could think of at least 4 are more threads this could go in. Sure it will be moved. Welcome to the Forums tho.

Hmm...I didnt know. Stoopid n00b...

[GBMelBlount]

Agreed Chrono. But, I think the Steeleres OL is possibly the most important single factor in their success in 2007. Good post FTM. I hope the new coaching & renewed competition & intensity can bring our OL more in line with that we had in 2005! We were amazing!

[lamberts-lost-tooth]

Originally Posted by FourThreeMafia

Left Tackle

Marvel Smith- Dominant run blocker. Vastly under rated at the second level. When healthy he simply beats up RDE's. Smith is slightly above average in pass protection. Smith is a 7 year NFL starter and 28 years old so he is just entering his prime, If Smith refines his technique in Pass Pro he could be 2007 Pro Bowler at LT. Smith is already top 5 run blocking Left tackle in the NFL.

Left Guard

Alan Faneca -Dominate run blocker. Great on the move in the run game. Team leader and the Grit of the Oline. Average at best in Pass Protection. I believe both Smith and Faneca will benefit from the end of Camp Grimm where the Oline seemed to sip lemonade and eat donuts. Attention to small details in pass protection and Faneca is the most dominant interior OLinemen in the NFL

Center

Sean Mahan - Solid technician, but not real strong. He will struggle with Big NG's. Gets by with guts and a non stop motor. He will need help with interior Dlinemen. First time the Steelers will have to help a center with an interior player since 1962. Mahan is good in pass protection and has good feet. He is a bigger more mobile version of Chukky Okobi, who I expect (hope) to be cut.

Right Guard

Willie Colon - He is one of the best 5. He has the tools to be a mainstay at RG. Perfect size and nasty disposition. He showed he is a mauling player who wants to street fight every play. He may be one of my new favorite Steelers . He wants to go to war every play. He isn't the biggest guy...His lack of arm length wont be detrimental at RG.

Right Tackle

Max Starks - Big as a house, and about as mobile as one as well. When he is playing well...WOW!. He needs alot of work on technique...but he is a gem. He plays nasty. He caves the Dline like no other Steeler tackle...As good as Eric Williams in his prime. Starks controls what he can touch in pass pro. Needs balance work. Thats just about it. He needs to be like the Cobra..strike and recoil

Larry Zierlein will make a worlds of difference with this Oline.

To Russ Grimm fans: Steve Spurrier made one good move as an NFL coach...he fired Russ Grimm.

If you have to get rid of one starter from last year (other than Hartings of course) I would rather find a place for Simmons at Center or Guard and get rid of Starks...Colon did an admirable job of filling at at tackle last year. Starks doesnt know how to bend at the knees. He is consistantly being knocked back. Wilie average 4.6 yards on the left side of the ball last year...and 3.7 on the right. I think Simmons wins the right guard slot by default since it appears that Kemo has had some problems taking in line assignments..and is probably better playing in a phonebooth. Mahan is the most athletic of the trio of Mahan/Okobi/Philip..(plus they paid him alot of money to just sit on the bench)...By cutting Starks and Okobi, the Steelers save about 4 mil a year. I look for both...along with Deshea to get walking papers this year. (Maybe not Deshea..but MAN it felt good to type that!!!!)

[FourThreeMafia]

Originally Posted by lamberts-lost-tooth

If you have to get rid of one starter from last year (other than Hartings of course) I would rather find a place for Simmons at Center or Guard and get rid of Starks...Colon did an admirable job of filling at at tackle last year. Starks doesnt know how to bend at the knees. He is consistantly being knocked back. Wilie average 4.6 yards on the left side of the ball last year...and 3.7 on the right. I think Simmons wins the right guard slot by default since it appears that Kemo has had some problems taking in line assignments..and is probably better playing in a phonebooth. Mahan is the most athletic of the trio of Mahan/Okobi/Philip..(plus they paid him alot of money to just sit on the bench)...By cutting Starks and Okobi, the Steelers save about 4 mil a year. I look for both...along with Deshea to get walking papers this year. (Maybe not Deshea..but MAN it felt good to type that!!!!)

Starks is not nearly as bad as people make him out to be. He plays next to who I think is one of the 5 worst starting guards in the NFL in Simmons. Plus, as I said, Grimm wasnt the great OLine coach alot made him out to be. He only taught the fundamentals and didnt really work with his younger players. Starks has the strength, size and mean streak to be a dominant tackle. He needs alot of work on his footwork, but that is something that can be fixed with the proper teaching, which obviously Grimm couldnt do. I think there is a better chance Starks will get extended before he gets cut. Not to say he will be resigned, but if he does hit free agency, he will command alot of money on the open market.

I am with you on Okobi all the way. He is making too much money for a slow, short limbed center that isnt that strong. He has good technique, but thats about the only positive thing I have to say about him. Hopefully, he is gone by Labor Day.

I like Kemo, and if he could only learn the blocking assignements, he might be a great player. Unfortunately, he hasnt made much progression in that aspect over the last 2 seasons, so I wouldnt be surprised if this is his last year in black and gold, or even if he is cut during preseason.

One guy to watch out for is rookie Cameron Stephenson. Solid athlete that does everything well. A good pick up for them late in the draft.

As far as DeShea, I see no way he gets cut. We have absolutely no real depth behind Ike and BMac, and while DeShea may have lost some steps, he is still the smartest CB we have. Id still rather turn to him than rely on Coke or Gay, who are nickle backs at best. The only way I could see us dumping DeShea is if the Steelers do something very uncharacteristic of them and take Paul Oliver in the supplemental draft. He would have went in the first round had he come out, but since he is academically inellgible, he cant play college ball. I would be willing to give up a 2008 2nd rounder to get him. He isnt a bad kid, he just isnt great in the classroom.

[19ward86]

starks needs to be an interior lineman, he is amazingly strong but slow like a center or a gaurd. colon wont start over kemoeatu, colon was good in his few appearences last season but i think kemoeatu's amazing strength and good technique expecially for a free agent will be dominant over colon's.

[Black@Gold Forever32]

Kemoeatu wasn't a free agent....He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2005 draft.....lol I don't know were Willie Colon will start but he willl start this year....Either at RG or RT.....

I'm glad somebody else thought Russ Grimm was over-rated...He was a good coach but he wasn't the messiah of Oline coaches like some people make him out to be.....lol You listen to Cards fan and they think Russ Grimm alone will fix their Oline and turn their Oline into a great Oline....lol

[steelersfanman92]

I played quaterback for a few years and I can definately say that when your line blocks you win when it doesnt you are in a lot of trouble. You are not going to win with a weak line and the Steelers looks pretty good this year.

[lamberts-lost-tooth]

Originally Posted by FourThreeMafia

Starks is not nearly as bad as people make him out to be. He plays next to who I think is one of the 5 worst starting guards in the NFL in Simmons. Plus, as I said, Grimm wasnt the great OLine coach alot made him out to be. He only taught the fundamentals and didnt really work with his younger players. Starks has the strength, size and mean streak to be a dominant tackle. He needs alot of work on his footwork, but that is something that can be fixed with the proper teaching, which obviously Grimm couldnt do. I think there is a better chance Starks will get extended before he gets cut. Not to say he will be resigned, but if he does hit free agency, he will command alot of money on the open market.

I am with you on Okobi all the way. He is making too much money for a slow, short limbed center that isnt that strong. He has good technique, but thats about the only positive thing I have to say about him. Hopefully, he is gone by Labor Day.

I like Kemo, and if he could only learn the blocking assignements, he might be a great player. Unfortunately, he hasnt made much progression in that aspect over the last 2 seasons, so I wouldnt be surprised if this is his last year in black and gold, or even if he is cut during preseason.

One guy to watch out for is rookie Cameron Stephenson. Solid athlete that does everything well. A good pick up for them late in the draft.

As far as DeShea, I see no way he gets cut. We have absolutely no real depth behind Ike and BMac, and while DeShea may have lost some steps, he is still the smartest CB we have. Id still rather turn to him than rely on Coke or Gay, who are nickle backs at best. The only way I could see us dumping DeShea is if the Steelers do something very uncharacteristic of them and take Paul Oliver in the supplemental draft. He would have went in the first round had he come out, but since he is academically inellgible, he cant play college ball. I would be willing to give up a 2008 2nd rounder to get him. He isnt a bad kid, he just isnt great in the classroom.

I would love for us to pull the trigger on Oliver!!! Good call there. Deshea has never been able to run with elite WR's (which is why Ike seemed to take on the studs)....so when we go against teams with two good recievers...his weaknesses become VERY obvious. I truly get tired of seeing him play follow-the-leader into the endzone, but yea...with our lack of depth, unfortunaltely we keep him.
Gotta disagree with you on Starks...I like him as a person and I like his attitude...but until he learns to quit bending at the waist...and get better at leverage he will never be the Right Tackle that we were hoping he would be. When I go back at look at past games I noticed that he gets alot of help from Kreider and from stunts/pulls that the left side of our line doesnt seem to need. To be honest I wouldnt mind seeing a Kemo/Colon right side...I think Kemo would be a better run blocker..and I think before too long Colon would be better at run and pass.