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There's a few things we know about the Pittsburgh Steelers instantly.. They were the first Football team to win 4 Super Bowls, they were the first football team to win 6 Super Bowls and currently possess the most Lombardi Trophies and the Pittsburgh Steelers under Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau doesn't start Rookies.
That last one needs to change starting this season.
Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Georgia OLB, Jarvis Jones with the 17th Overall pick. Jones as of the draft is the best passing rushing natural OLB and the Steelers snagged him. They filled a big gaping hole that was created before James Harrison left, it was created while James Harrison was still on the roster going further and further into his decline years. With James Harrison in Cincinnati pretending that team is closer to winning a Super Bowl than winning it's first Playoff Game long before the Pittsburgh Pirates winless streak started, the Steelers were stuck with Jason Worilds as their starting OLB. The problem is now solved, the Steelers have Jarvis Jones, they just need to start him.
The problem is the Steelers don't make a habit of starting rookies and recent comments by GM Kevin Colbert suggests that this Status Quo will remain.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Colbert
it is not imperative that the player whom the Steelers select with the 17th overall pick be an immediate contributor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Colbert
But none of those players have to come in and play immediately, Colbert said.
"Quite honestly, I don't envision anyone coming in and being an impact player in year one, I never do," Colbert said. "We want to let the players progress at their own pace. Now, if they exceed that, like a [Maurkice] Pouncey or a [Casey] Hampton, great."
These statements are worrisome. When you draft talent in the first round you should expect them to be immediate starters. They're first round picks. They're supposed to be the top talent in the Draft or you wouldn't take them in the first round. First round picks shouldn't be chosen to ride the pine for years (see Cam Heyward and Ziggy Hood). Ironically when the Steelers are forced into having to let these guys play rather than go through the same old "Steelers Way" process of making them sit on the bench and learn for an eternity, they do pretty well and make strong rookie contributions. Are they perfect as rookies? No, not too many are but it doesn't mean that they can't make an impact and grow as the season moves on.
Ben Roethlisberger lead the Steelers to a 15-0 Regular season record as a Rookie. Had Tommy Maddox not gotten hurt, it's questionable if Ben plays at all as rookie and that valuable playing experience maybe hinders the Steelers in the Playoffs in 2005 from reaching the Super Bowl. That 2005 team gelled in the playoffs because they had chemistry Offensively that allowed Bill Cowher to alter game plans and strategy and go on a Passing Attack in the 2005 Playoffs. He didn't do that in 2004 with Ben as a rookie. If Ben's first year playing is in 2005, there's no doubt he treats Ben like he did in 2004 during those Playoffs and the Steelers most likely never reach and win Super Bowl XL. It's a domino effect that starts with 1 player playing as a rookie accidentally and Ben Roethlisberger clearly showed that he could start as a rookie even though the Steelers never felt he could until he was forced into the starting lineup.
Marcus Gilbert. Sure he's had injury issues but when he's played can you honestly say he's looked worse than a lot of guys the Steelers have had at Tackle in recent years like the overpaid Willie Colon? The Steelers in 2007 brought in Sean Mahan to play Center and was an instant failure. Has Marcus Gilbert's play at Tackle been worse than Sean Mahan's play was at Center? The Steelers sought Mahan to be a day 1 starter, but didn't think a rookie like Gilbert could start instantly. Gilbert like most rookies struggled some out of the gate and then caught on and more importantly the Steelers still made the Playoffs that year. Starting Rookies doesn't doom you to missing the Playoffs.
Mike Adams. He started off struggling like Gilbert and then became a pretty big force opening up running lanes at Tackle before getting injured. He got better on a per game basis. His starting didn't prevent the Steelers from making the Playoffs last year, his injury along with Gilbert's played a part in preventing the Steelers from reaching the playoffs.
These are instances of rookies being forced into the lineup when the plan was to keep them out for a year sitting on the bench like the Steelers practically do with everyone not named Casey Hampton and Maurkice Pouncey. Each guy held his own and in Ben's case more than held his own. Ben's success as a rookie ushered in a new generation where teams have since started playing rookie QB's in their first year as starters and a lot of have had instant success. Teams are getting more bang for the buck from rookies. Teams aren't just starting rookie QB's, they're starting a wide array of players as rookies. It's time the Steelers start getting more value out of their draft picks by not forcing them to sit on the bench but forcing them to be rookie starters.
The Steelers need to take this approach with Jarvis Jones. They shouldn't be forcing him to sit on the bench to learn the system in his first year, they should be pushing him and forcing him to be a starter in Game 1. That should be the expectation from Kevin Colbert to Mike Tomlin to Dick LeBeau. Jarvis Jones should be the starting day OLB opposite side of Lamarr Woodley. It should be his position to loseand he should be opushed, encouraged and help as much as possible to succeed as a starter from day 1, not be the usual rookie that sits back and learns from guys like Jason Worilds.
In many aspects, the "Steelers Way" has been dying with the modernizing of the NFL. Finesse style passing games and eliminated their old brand of "Smash mouth Football". Needing to defend against 55-60% passing attacks has slowing erased the "Zone Blitz" in favor of running a lot of Nickel and Dime defenses and creating pressure from coverage. Building rosters with "so-called" squeaky clean players is a near impossibility and forcing rookies to rot on the bench for a year or 2 is catching up to the Steelers as something they can't do when other teams are reaping the instant rewards of rookies.
It's time for the Steelers to open up and let Jarvis Jones in, in as a rookie starter
Sports Magazine
Kipper : Time For The #Steelers To Ditch The Status Quo And Start Jarvis Jones As A Rookie
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