Shazier vs Williams
- Thread starter antdrewjosh
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I don't think it's any contest at all. Williams will back up Timmons at the buck position and Spence (if he can prove himself healthy; otherwise probably Terrance Garvin) will back up Shazier at the mack.
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I agree.
For the DL, I think we start the season with Cam and Tuitt takes over before end of season, barring injury.
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yeap and yeap. The bigger question marks right now are at RT and backup OLB
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You don't draft Shazier in the first and have him sit behind Williams. I mean, Williams had a decent season for a late-round rookie last year, but his strength is suppose to be stopping the run and by no means was he dominant at that. Make Shazier earn his spot, but I would be stunned if he isn't running with the first team throughout most, if not all, of training camp.
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That article doesn't make any sense. Shazier isn't playing Buck. He's the new Mack with Timmons sliding over to the Buck position. Williams is Timmons' new backup - Shazier and Williams aren't in competition at all.
The only competition Shazier has for the starting Mack position is Sean Spence and the jury's still out on whether or not he can even play.
The only competition Shazier has for the starting Mack position is Sean Spence and the jury's still out on whether or not he can even play.
Williams has some playing time under his belt. That may help him. EArly on in the season I would think these guys will get rotated in and out quite a bit, unless it is clearly settled in camp. THere is so much to learn I think it comes down to who knows the assignments better.
Williams can still improve and help with depth.
And I would think his playing time won't decrease too significantly until Shazier gets comfy. Which might not be this year. No matter how much you force feed him. Or he could fade in the second half with the lengthened year....... So either or Williams will be welcomed depth..................
And I would think his playing time won't decrease too significantly until Shazier gets comfy. Which might not be this year. No matter how much you force feed him. Or he could fade in the second half with the lengthened year....... So either or Williams will be welcomed depth..................
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I don't think Shazier will step in immediately and start. I see some feeling out process with Shazier getting the benefit of the doubt. Starting out of the gates, is very unlikely, but would be welcomed if he merited it.
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Jarvis last year was a starter. Shazier seems to be an overachiever type. Called a coaches pet by some he was always the first one in and the last to leave practice or film study. He may have much more on the ball than Jarvis as well as a tremendous speed advantage. Pouncey started his first year and was able to call the protections and was the starter before training camp ended. It could work out for Shazier this year. Not saying it will saying it could. We are a proven 8-8 team that is putting lots of new parts on the machine trying to improve. There is little in front of most positions at this time.
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Timmons is taking over Williams postion and Shanzier is taking over Timmons lol so how the hell would Williams battling Shanzier?
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If Williams is starting over Shazier week one, I am officially worried.
He can probably be blindfolded and be better than Vince Williams.
In my experience as a Steeler fan, I can not remember a 1st round pick handed the starting job as much as Shazier is right now.
He can probably be blindfolded and be better than Vince Williams.
In my experience as a Steeler fan, I can not remember a 1st round pick handed the starting job as much as Shazier is right now.
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I can name two: Pouncey and DeCastro
Don't remember but did Jarvis start last year game1 ?
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He's talking on the other side of the ball bigapple.
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The only way Shazier doesn't start immediately is if he is totally lost on the playbook. He will likely be an every down player too. As a rookie, I can see him coming off when the offense goes 3 WR, but when he's up to speed, i think they will want him out there even against 3 WR sets.
The only situations where i could maybe see him coming out is short yardage where maybe they want a thumper like WIlliams in there. With Shazier's speed, they can play him like a safety on the goal, let him watch the TE
The only situations where i could maybe see him coming out is short yardage where maybe they want a thumper like WIlliams in there. With Shazier's speed, they can play him like a safety on the goal, let him watch the TE
It is much easier in this defense to start as a rookie as an ILB as opposed to an OLB. Shazier can do it and hopefully Jarvis is improved from last year.
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Isn't it a prerequisite that our linebackers are destined for splinters most of their first year because of our "complicated" defense? It's a joke that they can't put them out there and just say, kill the man with the ball a couple plays a game. Especially the outside rushers.
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@ScottBrown_ESPN: Ryan Shazier made an unreal interception today. A leaping grab in middle of field that was followed by fight between Heyward and Johnson.
http://www.Invalid Link - Check SN ...hazier-says-expect-plays-like-made-wednesday/
showing plenty of sizzle
By Alan Robinson
Steelers Reporter
Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2014, 9:30 p.m.
Updated 9 hours ago
A single play during June non-contact practice accelerated the Steelers defense's transformation from old, slow and mostly reliable to young, fast and unpredictable.
Backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski dropped back and attempted to loft a pass into the flat. But rookie Ryan Shazier read the play, sprinted to his left toward the pass, leaped at the right moment and made the kind of interception a Steelers inside linebacker hasn't made in a long time — practice or not.
Shazier showed off not only his 4.38-in-the-40 speed, but the kind of rare athleticism that made the Steelers invest a first-round draft pick and $9.5 million in him.
“I had a zone drop and read the quarterback's eyes, and I knew he thought he would be able to get it over me a little bit,” Shazier said Wednesday. “I knew it was a little high, but I can get up there.”
Yes he can.
Shazier also can cover a lot of ground in a little bit of time, one reason why, on a day the Steelers began opening up the bag of tricks that their newly acquired players provided them, Shazier was a younger version of Troy Polamalu — lining up everywhere and anywhere.
Once, he was assigned outside coverage on Pro Bowl wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Todd Haley's offense was countering, too — Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount showed off a two-back power set, and another time Bell flanked out wide.
It was one more glimpse into the reshaping of a team that relied on a long-proven cast for an extended period. But now the Steelers are trying to catch up in a hurry as fast, innovative offenses keep speeding up the game.
“You never know with coach (Dick) LeBeau, he can do anything,” Shazier said. “Maybe one play I might be on Antonio Brown. The next play I might be on Le'Veon. The next rep I might be on Heath (Miller). Whatever he wants me to do, whatever he wants the defense to do, we'll go in there and do.”
In a spring/summer of adjustment for Shazier, this was just another transitional phase.
He is adjusting from mostly playing outside linebacker at Ohio State to playing inside linebacker in the NFL, and in one of the league's most complex defenses.
But Shazier said the shift isn't as complicated as it sounds, partly because LeBeau — himself a former Buckeyes player — still consults with the Ohio State defensive staff.
“A lot of stuff we learned at Ohio State is from this defense,” Shazier said. “The coaches came over here every now and then and learned some stuff. Some of it has different terminology, and (is) more complex, but it has a little bit of what we knew.”
New Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats knows what Shazier is experiencing; he played inside and outside in Buffalo but, so far in Pittsburgh, he's playing outside.
“The biggest thing is here, inside, you're definitely having to think about a lot more because you have more coverage responsibilities, your run fits are going to be different,” Moats said.
“Outside, you're just flying off the ball and, sometimes, you can make a mistake because you have the guys behind you who can cover for you. At inside linebacker, you can't make that mistake because a 10-yard gain turns into a 20-yard gain.”
But when athleticism and anticipation combine on a single play, as on Shazier's, an apparent 10-yard gain for the offense can turn into a 20-yard interception return by the defense.
“I'm still learning a lot right now — probably on a scale of 1 to 10, I'm about a 6 or a 5,” Shazier said. “I still have a long way to go.”
With his speed, it shouldn't take him long to get there.
By Alan Robinson
Steelers Reporter
Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2014, 9:30 p.m.
Updated 9 hours ago
A single play during June non-contact practice accelerated the Steelers defense's transformation from old, slow and mostly reliable to young, fast and unpredictable.
Backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski dropped back and attempted to loft a pass into the flat. But rookie Ryan Shazier read the play, sprinted to his left toward the pass, leaped at the right moment and made the kind of interception a Steelers inside linebacker hasn't made in a long time — practice or not.
Shazier showed off not only his 4.38-in-the-40 speed, but the kind of rare athleticism that made the Steelers invest a first-round draft pick and $9.5 million in him.
“I had a zone drop and read the quarterback's eyes, and I knew he thought he would be able to get it over me a little bit,” Shazier said Wednesday. “I knew it was a little high, but I can get up there.”
Yes he can.
Shazier also can cover a lot of ground in a little bit of time, one reason why, on a day the Steelers began opening up the bag of tricks that their newly acquired players provided them, Shazier was a younger version of Troy Polamalu — lining up everywhere and anywhere.
Once, he was assigned outside coverage on Pro Bowl wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Todd Haley's offense was countering, too — Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount showed off a two-back power set, and another time Bell flanked out wide.
It was one more glimpse into the reshaping of a team that relied on a long-proven cast for an extended period. But now the Steelers are trying to catch up in a hurry as fast, innovative offenses keep speeding up the game.
“You never know with coach (Dick) LeBeau, he can do anything,” Shazier said. “Maybe one play I might be on Antonio Brown. The next play I might be on Le'Veon. The next rep I might be on Heath (Miller). Whatever he wants me to do, whatever he wants the defense to do, we'll go in there and do.”
In a spring/summer of adjustment for Shazier, this was just another transitional phase.
He is adjusting from mostly playing outside linebacker at Ohio State to playing inside linebacker in the NFL, and in one of the league's most complex defenses.
But Shazier said the shift isn't as complicated as it sounds, partly because LeBeau — himself a former Buckeyes player — still consults with the Ohio State defensive staff.
“A lot of stuff we learned at Ohio State is from this defense,” Shazier said. “The coaches came over here every now and then and learned some stuff. Some of it has different terminology, and (is) more complex, but it has a little bit of what we knew.”
New Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats knows what Shazier is experiencing; he played inside and outside in Buffalo but, so far in Pittsburgh, he's playing outside.
“The biggest thing is here, inside, you're definitely having to think about a lot more because you have more coverage responsibilities, your run fits are going to be different,” Moats said.
“Outside, you're just flying off the ball and, sometimes, you can make a mistake because you have the guys behind you who can cover for you. At inside linebacker, you can't make that mistake because a 10-yard gain turns into a 20-yard gain.”
But when athleticism and anticipation combine on a single play, as on Shazier's, an apparent 10-yard gain for the offense can turn into a 20-yard interception return by the defense.
“I'm still learning a lot right now — probably on a scale of 1 to 10, I'm about a 6 or a 5,” Shazier said. “I still have a long way to go.”
With his speed, it shouldn't take him long to get there.
I'm pumped! excited for the season. seems a long time away...
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