2015 Pittsburgh Steelers

[Don Wassall]

The Steelers have released Brett Keisel again just like they did last year, but it's likely for good this time. He's the last of the few White defensive players they've had in recent years, along with Aaron Smith and Chris Hoke. Big Ben will be entering the final year of an 8-year $102 million deal and there have been periodic reports the last couple of years that he wants out of Pittsburgh, while veteran TE Heath Miller is nearing the end of the road as he has been a tenacious blocker for a long time now. Add in the team's obligatory all-black draft in April and the Crawfords still look like a good bet to have a virtual all-black roster in a year or two minus the kicker, punter and long snapper.

 

[Thrashen]

There are only 12 whites on the current Steeler roster:

QB - Roethlisberger, Gradkowski, Jones

TE – Miller, Spaeth

OL – DeCastro, Wallace

LB – Zumwalt

SS – Ventrone

ST – Suisham, Warren, Wing

Ventrone will surely be cut, as he and his brother traditionally are when the season rolls around.

Landri Jones or Bruce Gradkowski (who is allegedly Polish, but is very tan and so unsightly that he’s mistaken for a mulatto) could also be cut in favor of Tahj Boyd.

Wallace is a 30 year old journeyman OL on his 7[SUP]th[/SUP] team, but he made the roster as a back-up for the past two seasons. He could stick.

Realistically, after another all-black draft, this team will likely feature 10 whites in 2015.

Zumwalt was a rare white draft pick (6[SUP]th[/SUP] round) last year, so perhaps he could stick around as a special teamer, ala former Steeler LB, Patrick Bailey.

CAPTION: Future Steeler Torture Victim, Jordan Zumwalt


*Zumwalt’s last likely comes from the German “Zu Dem Waldâ€￾ (“From the Woodsâ€￾).

 

[Extra Point]

The recent success of the Steelers is due in a large part to Dick Lebeau. Lebeau is an excellent coach. Lebeau is now gone.

Look for the Steelers's defense to start a downward slide starting this year.

 

[Vanilla_Sky]

Bruce Gradkowski is half italian, half polish

 

[Lew]

I really wish that Roethlisberger leaves. Hey Don do the Pittsburgh DWF really hate him that much ?

 

[Don Wassall]

I really wish that Roethlisberger leaves. Hey Don do the Pittsburgh DWF really hate him that much ?

They don't hate him at the moment, but it doesn't take much to get them riled up and begin scapegoating Ben, who has for long stretches of time carried the team on his shoulders.

 

[Don Wassall]

The Steelers signed Big Ben to a five-year contract extension yesterday, so in all likelihood he'll spend his entire career in Pittsburgh.

It'll be interesting to see if the Crawfords move away at all during that span from being among the blackest teams in the league. Given that they bounced back somewhat last season after two down years, that should give the Tomlin/Colbert/Rooney troika the green light to continue to have rosters where the number of White players is in the single digit to low two-digit range.

 

[Leonardfan]

The Steelers signed Big Ben to a five-year contract extension yesterday, so in all likelihood he'll spend his entire career in Pittsburgh.

It'll be interesting to see if the Crawfords move away at all during that span from being among the blackest teams in the league. Given that they bounced back somewhat last season after two down years, that should give the Tomlin/Colbert/Rooney troika the green light to continue to have rosters where the number of White players is in the single digit to low two-digit range.

Ben signing with the Steelers gives the overrated Tomlin job security for the next 5 years. It will be interesting if they have to lean even more on Ben this season with the departure of LeBeau.

 

[celticdb15]

Zumwalt already cut. Pouncey out for year Wallace will replace.

 

[Don Wassall]

Zumwalt already cut. Pouncey out for year Wallace will replace.

With Brett Keisel gone I don't expect the Steelers to have a White starter on defense as long as Mike Tomlin is head coach. More likely they'll join the trend of not having any White defensive players on their roster other than perhaps the occasional WSTD.

 

[Extra Point]

With the loss of Dick LeBeau as defensive coordinator expect a decline in the Steelers's defense.

 

[FootballDad]

Word has it that the Crawfords are considering adding QB Dog Killer to the roster. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-s...b-taking-a-visit-to-pittsburgh-145247591.html

 

[Thrashen]

With Brett Keisel gone I don't expect the Steelers to have a White starter on defense as long as Mike Tomlin is head coach. More likely they'll join the trend of not having any White defensive players on their roster other than perhaps the occasional WSTD.

Don,

With Zumwalt gone, the Steelers currently have DE Joe Kruger, DT Matt Conrath, DE Ethan Hemer, SS Ian Wild, and SS Ross Ventrone as reserve defensive players. Naturally, they're all 3rd stringers (at best) and will be cut, barring a small miracle.

 

[Don Wassall]

Don,

With Zumwalt gone, the Steelers currently have DE Joe Kruger, DT Matt Conrath, DE Ethan Hemer, SS Ian Wild, and SS Ross Ventrone as reserve defensive players. Naturally, they're all 3rd stringers (at best) and will be cut, barring a small miracle.

That was the point of my post as I was referring to regular season rosters not training camp bodies. One or two might survive as WSTDs, but not as a contributors to the defense, and I don't see that changing during the rest of what will likely be a very long stay by Mike Tomlin.

 

[Leonardfan]

Did Anthony Chickillo get cut too?

 

[Don Wassall]

Chickillo has been moved to outside linebacker, and according to this article he's currently 10th on the depth chart and the Crawfords normally keep 9 LBs:

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2015/08/steelers-vs-jaguars-film-room-anthony-chickillo/

 

[Don Wassall]

The Crawfords signed Michael Vick and of course the NFL Network is giving it tons of publicity. In fact they just went to none other than Snoop Dogg for his "take" on the signing. Sure, why not? What a country.

 

[Leonardfan]

The Crawfords signed Michael Vick and of course the NFL Network is giving it tons of publicity. In fact they just went to none other than Snoop Dogg for his "take" on the signing. Sure, why not? What a country.

What a joke. I can't stand the steelers. Vick's signing is really a non-story but much like Tiger Woods the media needs to prop up and hype one of its fallen black stars.

 

[Lew]

The Crawfords signed Michael Vick and of course the NFL Network is giving it tons of publicity. In fact they just went to none other than Snoop Dogg for his "take" on the signing. Sure, why not? What a country.

Don't you know, Snoop Dogg is a cultural icon. Not only in the US but in western Europe as well. As sad as it is to say he's one of the most recognizable men in all of America.

 

[Extra Point]

I just read a poorly written article on NFL.com about Mike Tomlin's "axiom" which is credited with much of the Steeler's success.

As far as I can tell from the article the "axiom" is "The standard is the standard."

We've reached a state where even the dumbest utterance made by a negro is treated as if it's highly intelligent.

 

[referendum]

With Alejandro Villanueva taking over as one of the starting tackles due to an injury, the Steelers now have a majority white O-line (until Pouncey gets back at center), so five starting
white players as of now, and an o-line as white as the Pats, which is amazing.

 

[Don Wassall]

Here's an article on rookie Anthony Chickillo, who was moved from his college position of defensive end to outside linebacker. He's lost 40 pounds and got his first (brief) playing time in Week 10.

Old man James Harrison remains the team's best OLB. The Crawfords have several highly drafted linebackers who have limitless upside but for some reason have been busts thus far, but they will remain ahead of Chickillo in the pecking order, meaning that if Chickillo does eventually become a starter it will only be after the requisite racial apprenticeship, or a rash of serious injuries.

Rookie Linebacker Chickillo Adjusting to Role With Steelers

http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/9499558-74/chickillo-linebacker-harrison#axzz3sRUxxCWM

 

[Don Wassall]

Yesterday's Steelers-Bengals game featured quite a bit of gangsta-style pushing and shoving and posing, and of course endless verbal taunting. The very under-rated Heath Miller had 10 receptions in Pittsburgh's victory, during which Andy Dalton broke his right thumb and Tyler Eifert exited with a concussion (Eifert unfortunately remains injury prone).

An unintentionally funny Pittsburgh sports writer, who is either disingenuous or incredibly naïve, wrote in his column today, after praising Miller's always very modest on-field decorum: "Coach Mike Tomlin should make a point of Miller's behavior when he next meets with the Steelers. If Tomlin really wants a standard, Miller can be it."

Cue the uproarious laugh track. Tomlin can barely restrain his own impulses toward thuggish mannerisms, much less his team's.

As long as Big Ben remains in his prime, the Crawfords will have a very strong offense. Miller does his part with tremendous blocking and Witten-like talent as far as knowing how to almost effortlessly get open. But Heath's getting long in the tooth, and Ben has taken quite a beating over the years, including this year. When those two keys to their success begin to fade or retire, the Rooney Plantation will rapidly decline as the organization has drafted and tried to groom -- often unsuccessfully as their string of highly drafted LB busts attests -- nothing but black players during the Tomlin era other than guard David DeCastro.

 

[Don Wassall]

WR Antonio Brown was voted by his teammates as the Steelers' most valuable player for the third time. Hines Ward also won it three times.

Future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger has been honored by his teammates with the award exactly one time in his 12 year career.

 

[icsept]

WR Antonio Brown was voted by his teammates as the Steelers' most valuable player for the third time. Hines Ward also won it three times.

Future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger has been honored by his teammates with the award exactly one time in his 12 year career.

That's funny, because Brown was crying like a baby when Ben was hurt and Michael Vick couldn't get him the ball.