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Start Burns and Davis in pre-season game #1!

C

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The first pre-season game is pretty meaningless.

I'll venture a guess that Golden and Cockrell do not need the reps. The rookies do.

So start them. Get their feet wet. Let then learn from mistakes. If they get burned, so be it. Can they make plays? Let's find out what they do well! Then do it again for the 2nd pre-season game.

If neither player is ready okay, start Cockrell and Golden for the 3rd pre-season game, which is pretty much the dress rehearsal for the season.
 
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I think Gay, Cockrell and the rest of the starters need the reps to get into game speed. So do it as always, first couple of series for the starters and then let the rookies play
 
Litos said:
I think Gay, Cockrell and the rest of the starters need the reps to get into game speed. So do it as always, first couple of series for the starters and then let the rookies play
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To evaluate the rookies, its best to let them play with the 1st team defense. Golden and Cockrell can play and start in pre-season game #3 if needed.

By my guess, Burns is very raw, and Davis will have issues in coverage. But they are good athletes, and if the light bulb goes on, can help us. Use the first half of the pre-season to evaluate their readiness for NFL games.
 
Coach said:
The first pre-season game is pretty meaningless.

I'll venture a guess that Golden and Cockrell do not need the reps. The rookies do.

So start them. Get their feet wet. Let then learn from mistakes. If they get burned, so be it. Can they make plays? Let's find out what they do well! Then do it again for the 2nd pre-season game.

If neither player is ready okay, start Cockrell and Golden for the 3rd pre-season game, which is pretty much the dress rehearsal for the season.
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Not unless the intention is to start Burns and Davis against the Skins. Golden and Cockrell are inexperienced players themselves. Whoever you expect to play week one gets first team reps. I would say if those guys were long term journeyman players you would have a point.
 
They'll get plenty of reps with the second team and some with the first team in pre-season. I imagine they will get rotated in per every 3rd series like we have seen in the past unless one of them plays well enough to leapfrog Gay or Cockrell.
 
I get kinda what you are saying but I say one series for the starters minus Ben, Bell, Brown, Pouncey, Timmons, Shazier, blah blah then only backups and rookies.
 
Preseason Game 4 is for this bullshit, not for players who need first team reps. Cockrell wasn't a starter, so he needs reps, same as Golden. The rookies can play the rest of the game.
 
You also risk destroying a young man's confidence, and not everyone can bounce back after they lose it. We have seen that recently.
 
More worried about finding out who is the starting CB and SS, and letting them get on the same page as the rest of the D.

The younger players want reps, earn it.
 
POP said:
You also risk destroying a young man's confidence, and not everyone can bounce back after they lose it. We have seen that recently.
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Limas Sweed comes to mind all the time. Damn kid could've been special
 
Wont happen. Plus we need to see what golson and grant have to offer,, and Golden has been here, but imo needs reps.. Because he will probably be starting. Coach you and I both know those rookies probably will not start the season,, nor get many reps. See Bustamalu and his giant head.
 
Coach said:
The first pre-season game is pretty meaningless.

I'll venture a guess that Golden and Cockrell do not need the reps. The rookies do.

So start them. Get their feet wet. Let then learn from mistakes. If they get burned, so be it. Can they make plays? Let's find out what they do well! Then do it again for the 2nd pre-season game.

If neither player is ready okay, start Cockrell and Golden for the 3rd pre-season game, which is pretty much the dress rehearsal for the season.
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no, you start them when they deserve it....
 
These guys need to win their jobs. I have no problem rotating them in to get some first-team reps, but not start them. Plus, as others mentioned, Cockrell and Golden also need time to adjust to the starting lineup.
 
Black & Gold Bleeder said:
Wont happen. Plus we need to see what golson and grant have to offer,, and Golden has been here, but imo needs reps.. Because he will probably be starting. Coach you and I both know those rookies probably will not start the season,, nor get many reps. See Bustamalu and his giant head.
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What I know is Cockrell is limited on the outside. He's more of a 3rd corner, and Golden was 4th on the depth chart not so long ago. These two are ideal backups. Do they know more than Burns and Davis? For sure, but what's the harm in starting the rookies in pre-season game #1 and #2? The way I see it, the rookie's upside is greater and it's not like they have a front line player ahead of them.

Why not!?

If they aren't ready, then go back to plan B on the 3rd pre-season game. No harm will be done. In fact, good is done as the rookies will develop a bit quicker.
 
They are rookies coach. They will get their reps in due time. They aren't going to start. Period.

My other point is that we have some "rookies" who didn't play last year due to injuries who do have practice and a year of smarts under their belt, who we have no idea how they play.
 
Secondary is a unit that needs to be able to play as one. The reps should go to the anticipated starting unit so they can gel and get their communications and zone spacing together. The rooks will get their reps after the first few series, as always. If one of the rooks happens to earn more reps through solid play so be it, consider it a welcome addition to the rotation. We certainly don't need to get scorched in the secondary the first couple regular season games by miscommunication as we did last year...and that's why you don't just hand guys starting reps because of draft slotting Coach.
 
Black & Gold Bleeder They are rookies coach. They will get their reps in due time. They aren't going to start. Period.
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The counterpoint is we have a cut man claimed on waivers as starting at corner ( Cockrell ) and another guy ( Golden ) who was viewed as our 3rd and 4th safety now as a projected starter.

The pass defense finished 30th and gave up a high amount of big plays.

For whatever reason, Tomlin felt Blake was best to start last season, and he was toast.

In such a circumstance when you have two journeymen as projected starters, I'd press your 1st and 2nd round pick into action quickly in the pre-season to see if their upside and playmaking ability trumps the journeyman's understanding of the defense.

If the rookies are not ready, okay, start Cockrell and Golden on the 3rd pre-season game, and your rookies will be ahead of where they would be if they played vs 3rd stringers.

My $.02

I expect improvement on defense from Tuitt and Dupree, however, if is possible our DB's is even worse in 2016.
 
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Coach said:
The counterpoint is we have a cut man claimed on waivers as starting at corner ( Cockrell ) and another guy ( Golden ) who was viewed as our 3rd and 4th safety now as a projected starter.

The pass defense finished 30th and gave up a high amount of big plays.

For whatever reason, Tomlin felt Blake was best to start last season, and he was toast.

In such a circumstance when you have two journeymen as projected starters, I'd press your 1st and 2nd round pick into action quickly in the pre-season to see if their upside and playmaking ability trumps the journeyman's understanding of the defense.

If the rookies are not ready, okay, start Cockrell and Golden on the 3rd pre-season game, and your rookies will be ahead of where they would be if they played vs 3rd stringers.

My $.02

I expect improvement on defense from Tuitt and Dupree, however, if is possible our DB's is even worse in 2016.
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All that I can answer to this is: Harrison once was a journeyman/udfa/late pick, so was Willie Parker, Brown, Beachum, etc. Go ask them what do they think about your reasoning
 
Coach said:
The counterpoint is we have a cut man claimed on waivers as starting at corner ( Cockrell ) and another guy ( Golden ) who was viewed as our 3rd and 4th safety now as a projected starter.

The pass defense finished 30th and gave up a high amount of big plays.

For whatever reason, Tomlin felt Blake was best to start last season, and he was toast.

In such a circumstance when you have two journeymen as projected starters, I'd press your 1st and 2nd round pick into action quickly in the pre-season to see if their upside and playmaking ability trumps the journeyman's understanding of the defense.

If the rookies are not ready, okay, start Cockrell and Golden on the 3rd pre-season game, and your rookies will be ahead of where they would be if they played vs 3rd stringers.

My $.02

I expect improvement on defense from Tuitt and Dupree, however, if is possible our DB's is even worse in 2016.
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You mean, with the loss of Blake? That will make us worse?
 
Tomlin: 'Realistic' Steelers could start 2 rookies in secondary

Mitch Sanderson Jul 24, 2016 7:12 PM

It's been years since the Pittsburgh Steelers were confident in their starting secondary, but head coach Mike Tomlin believes his team may have found a solution in a pair of rookies.

The Steelers drafted cornerback Artie Burns out of Miami in the first round and safety Sean Davis out of Maryland in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Safety Mike Mitchell and corner William Gay are likely to remain in the starting secondary with Burns and Davis set to compete for positions alongside them.

"I believe it's realistic," Tomlin told Michael Stern of USA TODAY Sports, when asked if both rookies could start. "That's why we chose them where we chose them. But they have to earn it, and we'll give them the opportunity to do that."

Davis will have to beat out Shamarko Thomas, who is entering his fourth year with the Steelers, while Burns will compete with the likes of Ross Cockrell and Senquez Golson for a starting job.
 
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