Stiller Players Grades -- 2003 Season
Foreword: These grades are based on a player's play during
the entire season, as I personally watched and re-watched (via videotape), as
well as took notes on, each and every play of the season.� In fact, being that no analyst covering the
Stillers has watched as much tape as this one has, these are the most accurate,
comprehensive grades you'll see issued anywhere, because the rigor and study
put into these grades far outnumbers anything done from any other source.� (Coaches' grades will be issued in the near
future.)�� Bear in mind that a player's
grade is based not only on what he did, but also his years of experience in the
league, his salary, and any expectations of him (to include the round he was
drafted in, if applicable). In other words, more is expected from, say, a
seasoned 6-year veteran making $4 million per year, than of an undrafted rookie
free agent making the league minimum. Every year, I hear various gripes and
yelps about some of the grades, so to reiterate -- the grades are very dependent
upon experience and the amount of money the player is consuming relative to his
teammates.� Furthermore, gripes should
be limited to only from those who have actually watched as much tape as this particular
analyst.� Note: players not playing
enough get an incomplete grade ("inc").��
In last-name alpha order, here are the final grades:
Alexander: Brent had a solid season in '01,
and even received a B+ grade from this writer.�
But his play clearly deteriorated in 2002, and despite the team
investing a #1 pick in Troy Pola and a #3 pick last year for Chris Hope, the
staff stubbornly stuck with Burnt Alexander the entire season.� The result was not unlike tossing a can of
kerosene into a fireplace.� Burnt was
scorched, abused, and whipped in every game this season.� On pass defense -- the primary job of a FS
-- Burnt offered no more help than a cast-iron anchor tossed to a drowning man.� His slow-footedness, combined with
unbelievably poor vision, "reading", and anticipation, made Burnt a
rare culprit for breaking up an opponent's pass, and an even more rare defender
for delivering a bone-jarring hit to an enemy receiver.� Brent made a play on a passed football about
as often as you see 70-homerun seasons.�
He finished with a paltry 6 passes defensed (after defending all of 5
last season), which is utterly piss poor for a starting FS in the NFL.� Don't let his 4 reg. season INTs fool you,
because these were from horribly errant passes that Alex practically fair
caught.� Clearly, along with Jason
GilDong, Alex is the most glaring weak spot on this defense and his employment
with this team needs to end well before the start of training camp.� D-.�
Bailey: The 3rd year DE from Ohio State had a solid season spelling
Kimo and Smitty at DE.� If Kimo is cut
and no veteran FA is brought in, Bailey could be retained as an RFA and given a
shot at more work, although the team really needs to look at getting more
explosion and big playmaking out of the DE spot.�� For a 6th round pick, Bailey has been a solid contributor.� B.��
Batch: Batch had little chance to beat out Maddox for the
starting chores, and then spent the season on the pine, throwing all of 8
passes.� With only rookie St. Pierre
waiting in the wings, I have no problem using Batch as the #2 man in '04.�� Inc.��
Kendrell Bell: Bell had a good season, although
not spectacular.� There are actually a
few reasons why his season was a bit short of sterling.� For starters, Bell has bulked up to the
point of being too bulked up, thereby losing some of the quickness that made
him such a force as a rookie.�
Furthermore, the team tried, for the 2nd year in a row, the foolhardy
experiment of using Bell as a rush DE.�
I'd pointed out repeatedly the foolishness of this idea, due to Bell's
lack of explosive speed and quickness to rush at DE, combined with his
"punch" when he rushes on this inside.�� Lastly, Bell spent many a passing down
rotting on the pine.� The end result was
a player who simply was not put in the optimal situations to provide optimal
playmaking, havoc, and hitting.��
B+.�
Bettis: The Big Bellyback had yet another mediocre
season.� Averaging 3.3 yards per carry,
with 4 (four) lost fumbles, might merit another Giant Eagle promotion, but it's
far from good enough in the NFL, especially with the fatty salary that The
Doughboy consumes.� It's high time this
team cuts bait with the Round Mound of Blubber.�� D+.�
Barrett Brooks: Acquired to add depth when
Nkwenti went on IR and Smith, Simmons, et al, were hobbled.� Probably won't even be brought back next
season.� Inc.�
Dante Brown:�
Impressed during preseason, but then rotted the rest of the season,
mostly on the practice squad.� If Fatboy
Bettis and Amoz are sent packing, Dante could get a long look at a backup RB
job this August.� Inc.�
Dee Brown: Signed late in the season as
"just in case" insurance.��
Could be brought back to fight for a spec teams spot/backup RB
spot.�
Bruener: The so-called God of Blocking took a paycut
and then did little this season.� Even
at his reduced salary, it's high time this team parted with this no-impact,
salary cap albatross.� C-.�
Burress:� Plex had a
spotty 2003 campaign.� He started out
like a house afire, but then quickly cooled off and never quite caught fire
again.� To his credit, he was often
ignored, and the Mularkey offense never did counter opponent's use of the
dreaded Cover-2.� On the other hand,
Plex still allowed far too many balls to clang off his mask, shoulder pads,
chest plate, and so forth.� Even worse
was Plex's poor RAC work.� Unlike Ward,
who churns and chugs for every inch, Plex was all too content to grab the ball
and then immediately fall to the turf.�
Plex was also a culprit for false starts, something that should never
happen to a WR.� Plex becomes a UFA in
the spring of 2005, but given his so-so 2003 season, it's doubtful the team
will extend him before the '04 season.�
B.�
Clancy:� The
4th-year, undersized, under-strength NT spent most of the season rooted to the
pine, getting only minimal work.� Why
the team brought him back for his 4th season is beyond me, but now that he's a
UFA, the team needs to send him packing and find a real lineman to back
up Hampton.� C-.�
Cushing: Cushing is like the cat with 9 lives, although he
seems to have had at least 12 with the Stillers. Cushing blocks tough at the
point of attack and, given his low cap hit and the total lack of integration of
the TE in the Stiller passing game, he could just as well serve as our starting
TE if it were up to me.� He's an UFA,
but there won't be much interest around the league.� B.� �
Doering: The tall, rangy WR was ignored the 1st half of the
season, but then someone woke up and realized that it might be prudent to get
some productivity out of the #4 WR spot, which to that point had literally
produced nothing.� Doering chipped in nicely
with 18 grabs and also 13.3 YPC, which was 2nd on the team.� Doering is a UFA, but it's doubtful he'll
get anything more than a cursory glance from the rest of the league.� I'd be in favor of bringing him back at a
modest salary.� B.�
Faneca:� Big Al had
yet another first-rate season, made even better by his successful move to
LT.� Faneca showed everyone that the
following axiom is true: good blockers will block good regardless of position,
scheme, or any other bullshit blather.�
(Of course, on the other hand, bad blockers will block badly, regardless
of�.)�� Faneca showed good strength and
quickness in his stint as a LT, and his play there should give the staff at
least a modicum of debate on moving him to LT, since finding a guard is 30
times easier than a LT.� As an aside,
I'm not fond of the praise heaped upon Faneca in regard to, "He risked a
Pro Bowl by moving to LT."� He's a
football player, period, and he plays where he's needed, just as Carnell Lake
did in 1995 and '97.� I realize Faneca
had nothing to do with these asinine statements about the Pro Bowl, but it
needed to be mentioned.� A+.�
Farrior: James had a very good '03 season.� He showed good toughness, persistence, and
leadership.� He showed a good nose for
the ball and a penchant for going sideline-to-sideline.� His reputation as The Great Winged God of
Linebacker Coverage will apparently never be approached, but you can
certainly win in the NFL with a LB such as Farrior.� A-.�
Foote: The 2nd-year LB from Michigan did little the entire
season.� He saw a lot of spec team work,
but did little to stand out in that department.� This is a player who is too slow, too small, and too unskilled to
ever be a viable starting LB, and he has no discernable spec teams skills,
either.� He needs to move on to his
life's work.� C-.��
Fordham: The ex-Jaguar was signed as a UFA in the offseason,
and despite a dubious record of mediocrity, was basically handed the starting
job on a silver platter.� Fordham
returned the favor with some of the most wretched RT play this team has seen
since a Fordham look-alike, Piss Conrad, once roamed the RT spot.� Fordham was so wretched, and is so devoid of
any upside, that he really should be summarily cut this June in order to save a
roster spot for someone who might actually contribute in a positive manner. �Despite many a fan's cry that I'm too harsh
on players, I rarely give out a grade of "F", but in this case I have
no choice.� F.� ���
Gildon:� Regular
readers should have a very good feel for Gildon's grade, what with the weekly
GilDong Report and year-end
GilDong Report that inherently serve as input for his final grade.� In the 2nd year of a ridiculously fatty $23M
deal that was foolishly awarded before the free agent period even began,
Joggin' Jason went out and had yet another soft, weak, gutless season.� Known around the league as Jason The
Gimcrack, GilDong made almost no impact whatsoever; hit opposing players
infrequently; stood around like a pylon in pass coverage; and caused harassment
on the QB about as often as Brent Alex defended a pass.� The Flopper also led all NFL linebackers in
flailing whiffs, as well as the number of time he literally turned his back
when a menacing blocker approached.�
Added to that was the acute fact that, not only was The Titan of
Tittyfighting the worst pass-rusher among the starting 4 LBs, but also
the worst coverage man among those 4 LBs.�
It's
bad enough that the highest paid LB on the team is not only the worst
pass-coverage 'backer, but also the weakest, feeblest pass-rusher. It's
even worse that the so-called "team captain" exudes leadership traits
similar to Beetle Bailey, replete with loafing,
jogging, stack-jumping, titty-jousting, and pussyfooting, never
once delivering a brutal hit to an opposing player the ENTIRE season.� Jason had a "big game"
against the lowly Cardinals, in which he got a bunch of slop stats when the
Cardinals literally IGNORED him, with no blocking, on a host of plays.� In a season in which he played almost every
defensive snap, Big Jason hit nothing, forced nothing, hurried nothing,
disrupted nothing, and did nothing.� Jason
GilDong proved once again, beyond all doubt, that not only is he a turd, but
also that you cannot polish a turd.� The
man is a disgrace and an outright embarrassment to the fans and the city of
Pittsburgh.� Again, as in the case of
Fordham, in the case of GilDong -- the underachieving, lazy, gutless cap-hog
that he is -- I have no choice.� F.�
Haggans:� The 4th-year
LB from CSU spent his first 3 NFL seasons mostly glued firmly to the
bench.� He got a couple of start in
place of the injured Porter to start off the 2003 season, and then got some
occasional work as a substitute pass rusher, but sure enough, as the season
wore on, Haggans almost never saw the field on defense the final 8 or 9 games
of the season.� As a starter those first
2 games, his play was acceptable.�� So,
too, was his work on spec teams, in which he was unquestionably one of the
team's leading cover-men.� Because he's
rotted away in obscurity for so long, it's doubtful any team will show any
interest in this UFA, so hopefully the Stillers can bring him back at a modest
salary for LB depth and ST work.�
B.�
Hampton:� Fat Casey
had a solid, if not unspectacular, season.�
He did what the Stillers want, which is plug the middle.� The one downside to Fat Casey, aside from
his bloated belly, is that he gives the defense absolutely nothing in the
defense of the pass.� For all the fabled
fawning over "pocket push", we all observed this vaunted "pocket
push" cause an incomplete pass or a turnover exactly ZERO times in
2003.� Hampton offers almost nothing in
terms of pass rush, and because of the constant double teaming, combined with
his large belly, Casey is usually too pooped out to chase down or just harass
the more elusive QBs.� A-.�
Hartings: The old center had knee problems
soon after camp began, and he was bogged down quite a bit the first half of the
season.� Somehow, he was able to
overcome these problems in the 2nd half of the season, missing barely any playing
time.� The Savior has
served the team adequately, but it's best that he retires and the team moves on
with a younger option at center.�
B.�
Haynes: The ex-Bulldog disappointed me last season with his
wooden running style and complete listlessness.� To his credit, Haynesie stepped it up considerably in '03,
showing good effort, power, savvy, pass-catching, and on-field awareness.� Unfortunately, he got injured late in the
season, although it's highly doubtful that his stubborn head coach would have
given him any more reps at RB.� His
inability to stay healthy is a concern, especially on a team that put up with
Chris Fu's china doll antics for 4 years.�
Haynesie could get a look-see at the starting RB job in August, but the
Stillers might invest a first-day draft pick on a RB.�� B.�
Chris Hoke: Hoke the Joke finished another
season in which he did little more than serve as a blocking dummy in
practice.� Clearly, the team needs to
cut bait with a stiff like this who has little talent and no upside.� I could issue Hoke The Joke an
"inc", but after 3 seasons of his wasting a roster spot, I'll issue a
letter grade instead.� F.��
Chris Hope: The 2nd-year FS from FSU rotted
the entire 2002 season, but with the departure of Flowers, combined with the
off-season surgery of Mike Logan, it seemed rather plausible that Hope would at
least get a shot at a starting job, and worst case he'd see a good big of
PT.� Instead, Hope once again rotted
under the supreme tutelage of Billy Cowher.�
To his credit, Hope did a very good job of kick coverage, and chipped in
some late in the season as a d-back.��
Hope showed good quickness and athleticism on the 80-yard TD jaunt off
the fake punt against the Ravens in the season finale.� Only an Academic All-American from one of
the most advanced, NFL-like programs in the NCAA could rot the bench for 2
solid years because he doesn't quite yet "have a feel for the
defense".�� Inc.�����
Iwuoma: Chidi gave the coverage teams some good
contributions.� Still, it seems highly
doubtful that he's anything more than a journeyman, Jason Simmons kind of
DB.�� B-.�
Alonzo Jackson: Despite being a 2nd round draftee
from one of the most advanced, "pro-like" college programs in the
country (FSU), and despite a sterling preseason where he impressed this writer
with an incredible wing span, an impressive on-field awareness, and a nose for
the football, Zo was a healthy scratch for the final 14 games of the
season.� As what happens to nearly every
rookie under the Bill Cowher regime, Zo was never given a shot at all to
compete for a starting job, despite his position being one of the very weakest
in the entire starting lineups of both offense and defense.� Zo was allowed to� dress in the first 2 games, and played on kick coverage,
something he probably hadn't done since his freshman year at FSU.� He, along with about 5 other
Stillers, loused up on coverage that led to a Dante Hall TD, and after that, Zo
was forever banished the rest of the season to wearing street clothes on the
sideline.�� Don�t conclude from
Cowshit's rotting of this player that Jackson cannot play and contribute at
this level.� The man needs, and
deserves, a chance to show what he can do.��
Inc.�
Keisel: There were high hopes for this 2nd-year DE from
Brigham Young, but he was injured and sat out the season on IR.� He will have a tough time making the roster
in '04.� Inc.�
Kreider: Big Dan -- the FB who was once cut by Billy
Cowher -- had yet another strong season, punishing opposing tacklers with
ferocity and brawn.� As if his blocking
wasn't good enough, Kreider chipped in with the passing game, and also had a
rushing TD.� He'll be a UFA, and ideally
the Stillers can sign him at a modest cost.�
A-.�
�
Kriewaldt: Signed this past offseason to
bolster a sorry spec team unit, Clint did just that.� He doesn't give the defense much as a backup LB, but he certainly
gives a lot as a ST headhunter.�
A-.�
Logan: Logie overcame offseason surgery and had a solid
season.� However, he simply wasn't quite
as fast and athletic as he'd been, and with no help from the FS, Burnt
Alexander, Logie was all too often asked to do too much with too little.� Logie is a UFA, and he may have played his
last game as a Stiller.�� B-.���
Mays: The 2nd-year WR wowed everyone during camp with catches
and speed galore, but when it came time for PT in the regular season, Mays
joined the "I haven't yet proven to Billy Cowher what I can do, so I'll
rot the bench" gang.� The Stillers
desparately need some productivity from the #4 WR spot, and perhaps Mays will
get a look next season.�� Inc.�
Maddox: The Madd Ox won the Comeback Player of the Year
Award in 2002, but came a bit down toward Earth in 2003.� Sure, he had some nice stats, such as
passing yardage.� But hemmed in by Billy
Cowher's overt propensity for conservatism, Maddox lost the gunslinger mentality
that made him so prolific, and his tentativeness caused far too many
incompletions, INTs, and sacks.� 18 TDs
is a decent number, but 17 INTs was far, far too many.� Maddox will have to redeem himself in 2004,
or his career as a starting QB could be finished.�� B-.�
Josh Miller: Josh had yet another lukewarm,
mediocre season.� Supposedly The
God of Punting, he was barely middle of the pack in the AFC.� Along with Mark Breuner, there isn't a
player in this league as grossly overrated and overpaid as Josh
Miller.�� C-.����
Milons: Freddie had a long KO return versus the
Stillers in the preseason, and then was acquired from Philly late in preseason
for a conditional 7th round pick.� But
Freddie wasn't permitted to even dress the entire season.� The season-long benchrot alleviates the
requirement to ship the 7th round pick to Philly, but the Stillers pissed away
an entire season in which they could have gotten utility, and a look-see, at
Freddie as both a KO returner and a WR.�
Inc.��
Nkwenti: This 3rd year O-lineman, who has been described by
Russ Grimm as having the best footwork Grimm has ever seen, was never once
given a shot at the GAPING hole at RT.�
Injury and rotten play by others finally forced Billy Cowher to insert
Nkwenti, who acquitted himself more than adequately.� But unbelievably, he was hurt soon thereafter, and was shelved on
IR the rest of the season.� Inc.�
Okobi:� In his 3rd
NFL season, Okobi got some work and responded in solid fashion.� He relieved the injured Hartings and,
despite having gotten only meager work in his first 2 seasons, gave the team
some decent play.� With Okobi set to
enter his 4th NFL season and also an RFA, it's high time this team makes a
decision on him.� Either he's the future
starting center -- especially if it doesn't look like Hartings will come back
-- or it's time to cut bait and move on with someone else.� �B.�
Polamalu:�
The Stillers paid a king's ransom to move up in the 1st round and select
Troy Pola.� One would have thought that
this act alone would have signified the team's value in this player, and
therefore the team would be inserting Pola into the starting lineup.� As usual, that wasn't the case.� The Stillers played their typical rookie
game of bench rot and advanced calculus with Pola.� Because Pola didn't have the entire playbook memorized in
Russian, Serbo-Croatian, and Swahili in time for training camp, he was deemed
as "not quite having a grasp of the whole defense" and all the other
bullshit blather that Billy Cowher loves to proclaim about rookie football
players.� When Troy did get some rare
work, he was so wooden from trying to perform trigonometric calculations --
instead of simply reading and hitting, which is what defensive football players
do when they're at optimal performance -- that the hitting and playmaking simply
weren't present.� Troy did get more
comfortable down the stretch of the final 3-4 games, in which he got more PT
and was playing at a higher speed with much less cerebral thinking.� It's far too early to give up on Pola.� This player simply needs reps, PT, and the
allowance to go out and make plays without foolhardy nitpicking and criticism
of every little step he takes on the gridiron.�
B-.�
Porter: Joey was shot in the buttocks shortly before the
season began, causing him to miss two games.�
He bravely came back in week 3, and finished with a solid season.� He didn't approach his spectacular play of
the now-famous 2002 effort versus Oakland, but he gave the defense good pass
rushing, pass coverage, hustle, and grit.�
Porter spent far too much time back in coverage, which negated his ability
to provide heat and harassment on the QB.�
Porter is stuck in a horrible quandary: he is the team's best coverage
LB, yet he is also the team's best pure pass rusher.� �A-.�
Randle El: The 2nd-year WR/punt returner had
a solid season.� He became a hot threat
on punt returns, returning two for TDs.�
I was a bit disappointed in his progress at WR, however.� Despite the absence of Terrence Mathis and
very little use of a #4 WR, El (the #3 WR) saw his stats decline from his
rookie season. �He caught 10 fewer
passes in 2003, his YPC dipped slightly, and he caught all of 1 TD after
snaring just 2 in 2002.� Even his
rushing yards per attempt fell in '03.� His
athleticism and heart are very good, but El will need to step up his productivity
as a WR in 2004. �B.� �
Reed: The young kicker had a storybook half season in
2002, but suffered thru a sophomore jinx of sorts in 2003. Reed was only 23 of
32 in FGs, which included a very disappointing 7 for 12 on 40-49-yard FGs.� His KOs weren't all that deep, either.� Reed will need to step it up in 2004, or he could
be looking for another job.� B-.�
Riemersma:�
The ex-Bill was signed in the offseason to bolster the passing game by
giving the Stillers a viable pass-catching option at TE, something they'd not
had since Eric Green played in 1995.� Riem
snared a TD and also drew extra coverage to enable Ward's 28-yard TD in game 1,
but then Billy Cowher got a hold of the offense and basically wrote the TE out
of the playbook the rest of the season.�
Sure, Riem missed 5 games due to injury, but after week 1, the offense
literally ignored him and failed to use him in the passing game.� Riem does get low marks for durability.� He essentially replaced Chris Fu as the
team's China Doll, suffering from one malady after another.� B-.�
O. Ross: Fat Oliver lost the training camp battle for RT to
Fordham, and got some sporadic work, and then had a wretched effort in the loss
to Tenn.� He got more regular work toward
the end of the season when Smith was shelved due to injury and Fordham was appropriately
a healthy scratch from the lineup.� Ross
is an acceptable backup tackle, but he's not a starting caliber tackle, and
he's not even remotely an NFL-caliber guard, which the Stillers have been incredibly
slow to understand.� C+.�
Schneck: The trusty long-snapper had another solid, quiet
season.�� Anonymity for a long snapper
is desirable and Schneck does a good job of that.� A.� �
C. Scott:�
Charred Scott had another long season in which he was abused by
receivers, and flagged by referees, all too often.� Scott then got hurt later in the year and had to go on IR, thus
ending a miserable season.� What really
peeved me about Scott was his total lack of intelligent play.� He bit on as many pump-fakes as did Jason
GilDong, and he constantly took foolish penalties or failed to make plays on
passed balls.� Scotty's high salary and
poor play might very well cause him to be a sal-cap casualty.� D.�
Kendall Simmons: The 2nd-year OG had a rough 2003
season, but it certainly wasn't entirely his fault.� His diabetic condition was confirmed on JULY 26th, some
six weeks before opening day, and prior to that, he had ELBOW SURGERY on
June 11th.� Nevertheless, his
supreme coaching staff rushed him pell-mell back into the starting lineup on
opening day, and Simmons was simply too under strength and devoid of stamina to
compete at the NFL level.� He finally
was given some time off, and then gave the team some better play later in the
season as he regained his strength and stamina.� Simmons is a talented, quality guard, and should easily bounce
back next season.� Because of the injury
and diabetic condition, combined with the asinine stupidity of rushing him back
into the lineup, I'm issuing him an "inc" grade.
A. Smith: Smitty didn't have a spectacular
season, but it's virtually impossible for a DE in the 3-4 to have a spectacular
season.� Smitty was stout and solid, and
even led the team in pressures.� I
certainky wouldn't lavish him with a contract 3 when he comes due for UFA in a
few years, but he's a steady, capable influence right now on the defense.� B+.�
Marvel Smith:�
Smitty was hampered by the shoulder problem.� He should have more than enough time to get healthy before next
season.� Inc.�
St. Pierre:�
The rookie 5th rounder never played.�
Inc.� �
Russell Stuvaints:�
The youngster from Youngstown St. gave the team some work on spec
teams.� He's highly unlikely to stick on
the roster as a DB-only, but could make the team next August if he plays well
on spec teams.� ��Inc.
Taylor:� The green
but talented rookie gradually got some work after loads of bench rot the first
half of the season, and showed a lot of promise as a CB.� He tackled well and provided some solid
coverage.� He has more work to do, and
he probably won't every make anyone forget about, say, Mel Blount, but he
appears to have far more upside than the current starting CBs of Scott and
DeWayne.� B.� ��
Townsend: DeShea saw a lot of duty in '02,
and gave the team decent play at a #3 CB.�
He began '03 as a nickel back, but was thrust into the starting lineup
in place of a struggling DeWayne Washington and responded with absolutely
stellar play.� Just so show that I'm not
some Johnny-come-lately on the Townsend bandwagon, note what I wrote about
DeShea in last
season's grades: "Despite some small and infrequent struggles, he
showed pretty good one-on-one coverage skills. Overall, he chipped in fairly
well.�� R=B.�� P=B."� DeShea isn't
going to achieve great stardom, but he is readily capable of providing good,
intelligent pass coverage on a consistent basis, something that has been
lacking far too long in the Stiller secondary.�
A.�
Tuman:� Jerame (not
"Jermane") got some work as the 2nd TE and at times, the
"starting" TE, although a starting TE on the Stillers is about the
same as the lonely Maytag repairman.� B.�
Keydrick Vincent: The 3rd-year OG was deemed too
green and inexperienced and unworthy to start in place of the hobbled Simmons
to begin the season, but saw quite a bit of PT at LG when Faneca had to shift
to LT.� Despite rarely ever being
allowed to play in his first 2 years, Vincent gave the team some solid blocking.� Vincent is one of those RFAs that is more
than good enough to bring back for his 4th season.� B.�
von Oelhoffen: Kimo had a strong season at
RDE.� He actually led the team in sacks,
which is incredibly rare on this 3-4 defense.�
Kimo could be a salcap victim, although his 2003 season showed that he
can still contribute.� B+.�
Ward: Hines had yet another sterling season.� I don't need to elaborate that much on the
value and the heart of this man.� My
biggest fear is that the Stillers are wearing him out, asking him to do too
much blocking, too much ball-carrying, and too much short-route running in the
middle of the field.� A+.�
�
Washington: DeWayne struggled immensely this
season, and then found himself on the bench for the first time since he joined
the Stillers some 6 years ago.� It's all
but a foregone conclusion that DeWayne has played his last game in a Stiller
uni.� D.�
Zereoue: Amoz won the starting RB job at camp, but hampered
by a patchwork, overmatched O-line, Amoz did little.� Billy Cowher then went to his favorite pacifier, FatBoy Bettis,
and Amoz was relegated to the occasional shotgun draw, screen pass, or token
dumpoff pass.� Just as I'd noted in last
year's grades, I'm far from sold that Amoz can be a sole "feature
back", but then again, there's no law or requirement to have one in order
to win a Super Bowl.� B-.
(Still Mill
and Stillers.com -- the only nationally read coverage on the Pittsburgh
Stillers that has accurately predicted the how's and the why's of the past 3
Stiller playoff losses�.)