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The Final Piece Has Been Activiated

a few months ago, Ayers had zero shot at making this team. He was behind Wheaton, and DHB and once Rogers beat him out for the slot, that was pretty much it, considering Coates and Martavis would likely be major contributors for 2017.

Just a few months later and Wheaton is done. DHB is injured. Coates is just as big of a question mark, and Rogers seems a bit flaky. The Steelers are pretty much playing 1 WR now. They are just begging somebody, anybody, to step up and be a reliable target aside from AB.
 
Eli showed enough on offense during the preseason that I thought he could be ;more explosive, but he has not been consistent at all. From what seemed to be a stacked set of WRs when the season began, it now seems that they are grasping at straws and I hope Ayers shows up like he did in college. He may not be the fastest guy on the field, but he is quick to change direction and make guys miss.

I am very hopeful that the ankle injury Ayers suffered was the reason he did not make much of an impression on punt returns. I hope now that he is healthy he can show something and give AB a break on punt returns.
 
Steelers Promote Ayers

I would have bet money that Coolie woulda been the author of this thread....unless I missed it somewhere .

http://www.Invalid Link - Check SN Home Page/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Demarcus-Ayers-1.jpg

With the disaster that has been Coates, we can use this guy right away. What I didn't know though was that........

The rookie was also a quarterback in high school and could be part of some gadget plays down the stretch.

Selected primarily to be a punt return candidate. It’s likely Antonio Brown still holds onto that job but Ayers will provide depth there and in the slot for games in which he’s active.
http://www.Invalid Link - Check SN Home Page/2016/12/steelers-promote-ayers-release-bullock/
 
yep you missed it...I don't know how my thread title could have confused you......
 
SteelChip said:
I would have bet money that Coolie woulda been the author of this thread....unless I missed it somewhere .

http://www.Invalid Link - Check SN Home Page/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Demarcus-Ayers-1.jpg

With the disaster that has been Coates, we can use this guy right away. What I didn't know though was that........

The rookie was also a quarterback in high school and could be part of some gadget plays down the stretch.

Selected primarily to be a punt return candidate. It’s likely Antonio Brown still holds onto that job but Ayers will provide depth there and in the slot for games in which he’s active.
http://www.Invalid Link - Check SN Home Page/2016/12/steelers-promote-ayers-release-bullock/
Click to expand...

AB flashed on PR duty in the past but lately it's been a lot of lateral movement and then a race for the sidelines, no finding and hitting a crease and racing upfield. With AB as our only reliable WR currently we should definitely give Ayers a shot at the PR duties, we flat can't afford to lose him trying to gain his 5-7 yards on special teams with the value he presents in the offense. Beyond that it's not like anyone of our other receivers is really distinguishing themselves to the point where you feel like "man I can't take that guy off the field for a few snaps"
 
CoolieMan said:
Eli showed enough on offense during the preseason that I thought he could be ;more explosive, but he has not been consistent at all. From what seemed to be a stacked set of WRs when the season began, it now seems that they are grasping at straws and I hope Ayers shows up like he did in college. He may not be the fastest guy on the field, but he is quick to change direction and make guys miss.

I am very hopeful that the ankle injury Ayers suffered was the reason he did not make much of an impression on punt returns. I hope now that he is healthy he can show something and give AB a break on punt returns.
Click to expand...

Eli looked pretty good vs the Bills. The problem with these small and quick WR's who are not fast is they are limited in terms of where they can be deployed.

I think Green is our key 3rd option, but welcome to the field Ayers.
 
Black & Gold Bleeder said:
yeah you just cant have these smaller fast receivers just running anywhere now.
Click to expand...

Ayers is not that fast. We need Coates healthy or DHB back far more than the next small slot type of WR on the field.
 
That's not what you said.

This is what you said:

"The problem with these small and quick WR's who are not fast is they are limited in terms of where they can be deployed."
 
Coach said:
Ayers is not that fast. We need Coates healthy or DHB back far more than the next small slot type of WR on the field.
Click to expand...

Ayers has been playing all WR spots in practice. Is he the perfect guy to spread wide and run deep...probably not, but not all deep routes are just fly patterns. There are lots of ways to get you smaller quicker guys open behind the coverage....
 
How bout Coates just learn some ******* routes?

Run 7 yards... turn. ****.
 
If Ayers can get AB off of punt return duty he's already helping the team. Anyone else notice Brown makes a few cuts and runs out of bounds before anyone touches him. I get it I don't want AB taking unwarranted hits but again we are missing opportunities for big plays. Ayers was one of the best return men in all of college football so I hope they put him on punt return duty also. And punt return is a totally different animal than kick but I feel he could be a spark the special teams are missing. Also, if he can come in and play in 4 receiver sets putting Eli and him in the middle I think we can move the chains a lot on those third and intermediary downs.
 
The only way Ayers returns a punt instead of AB will be if the game is a blowout or meaningless. There is no way we entrust that job to a rookie who has never played in a real NFL game. Ball security is #1. AB does not take big hits on punt returns --- he gets what's there and then protects himself. He'll only take a chance if the game is on the line and we desperately need a big return.

I'm sure the Patriots would be looking at poaching Ayers today so it's a good thing there was an open spot on the roster.
 
tapeANaspirin2it said:
a few months ago, Ayers had zero shot at making this team. He was behind Wheaton, and DHB and once Rogers beat him out for the slot, that was pretty much it, considering Coates and Martavis would likely be major contributors for 2017.

Just a few months later and Wheaton is done. DHB is injured. Coates is just as big of a question mark, and Rogers seems a bit flaky. The Steelers are pretty much playing 1 WR now. They are just begging somebody, anybody, to step up and be a reliable target aside from AB.
Click to expand...

Here's the reality of the matter - and I do like the fact the Ayers is coming up to the active roster...

1. AB
2. Bell
3. LaDarius Green
4. Jesse James

Those are the current effective passing targets for Ben and an additional RELIABLE target would make us even more dangerous...

We shall see who steps up...
 
Coach said:
Ayers is not that fast. We need Coates healthy or DHB back far more than the next small slot type of WR on the field.
Click to expand...

How the frig do you come up w/ these assessments??? The boy is fast enough to be a WR in the NFL. Thank you and good night...
 
SteelerAl2 said:
The only way Ayers returns a punt instead of AB will be if the game is a blowout or meaningless. There is no way we entrust that job to a rookie who has never played in a real NFL game. Ball security is #1. AB does not take big hits on punt returns --- he gets what's there and then protects himself. He'll only take a chance if the game is on the line and we desperately need a big return.

I'm sure the Patriots would be looking at poaching Ayers today so it's a good thing there was an open spot on the roster.
Click to expand...

Ayers might have been predominately a kick returner be he does have 34 punt returns and one for a 73 yard TD. He's been practicing for 14 weeks now so I am assuming he's been working with the special teams fielding punts. Yes, if he sucks he wouldn't be a wise choice to replace Brown but if he sucked at fielding punts I have a feeling he's not getting called up to the 53 man roster.
 
FordFairLane said:
Ayers might have been predominately a kick returner be he does have 34 punt returns and one for a 73 yard TD. He's been practicing for 14 weeks now so I am assuming he's been working with the special teams fielding punts. Yes, if he sucks he wouldn't be a wise choice to replace Brown but if he sucked at fielding punts I have a feeling he's not getting called up to the 53 man roster.
Click to expand...

Someone HAD to be called up when we got rid of our 2nd placekicker. Shabazz and Feeney were poached by other teams so Ayers qualified as "the best guy on our practice squad". None of that means he will even be active for gameday, yet alone get into a game. Tomlin is not sending a rookie with no NFL experience back to catch a punt in Cincinnati or Pittsburgh in a meaningful game in December. It's just not going to happen so stop dreaming.
 
bermudasteel said:
How the frig do you come up w/ these assessments??? The boy is fast enough to be a WR in the NFL. Thank you and good night...
Click to expand...

LOL, a practice squad player who's short, light and not fast and did very little in camp is being activated now due to various injuries at WR. Was that hard to gather? Nope.

If you think Ayers is fast for his position, your wrong again. But I will not repeat his combine 40 yard dash time unless you beg me for it!
 
Coach said:
LOL, a practice squad player who's short, light and not fast and did very little in camp is being activated now due to various injuries at WR. Was that hard to gather? Nope.

If you think Ayers is fast for his position, your wrong again. But I will not repeat his combine 40 yard dash time unless you beg me for it!
Click to expand...

we get it..you are not a fan....and you know his combine time was slow because of a broken hand. If you don't think that slows you then go break your hand and try to get a good start running a 40.....

I have posted several times recently that he was hampered in training camp by both a high and low ankle sprain. Those things sideline most players, but he knew he had to be on the field so he gutted it out. Eli really didn't show a hell of a lot in camp either..if both he and Ayers were first timers in camp, he might not have won the competition.
 
CoolieMan said:
we get it..you are not a fan....and you know his combine time was slow because of a broken hand. If you don't think that slows you then go break your hand and try to get a good start running a 40.....

I have posted several times recently that he was hampered in training camp by both a high and low ankle sprain. Those things sideline most players, but he knew he had to be on the field so he gutted it out. Eli really didn't show a hell of a lot in camp either..if both he and Ayers were first timers in camp, he might not have won the competition.
Click to expand...

Ayers could win Olympic gold in the 100-meter dash and it wouldn't erase the slow 40 time from Coach's brain...
 
I've seen Ayres' film. He's faster than a 4.7/ 40. I know Coach trusts film, wouldn't you agree he looks faster than his 40 time on film?
 
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