Yardbarker: Limas Sweed

Injuries Sideline Nine Players at Practice

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:52:21 -0500

Nine players, including five likely starters watched another day of training camp from the sidelines at Saint Vincent College due to injuries. Linebacker James Harrison, cornerback Deshea Townsend, linebacker Anthony Trucks, linebacker Mike Humpal defensive end Brett Keisel, wide receiver Limas Sweed, guard Kendall Simmons, tackle Marvel Smith, tight end Dezmond Sherrod were all off [...]

Steelers Get Morning Off

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:58:49 -0500

After a week that saw a handful of players go down with injuries, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin decided to give his players a break and cancel Thursday morning's practice session at St. Vincent College. In the afternoon session lineman Marvel Smith returned to action after missing most of Wednesday with a groin injury and [...]

Sweed Leaves Practice Early w/ Cramping

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:12:31 -0500

As if the Steelers don't have enough issues this early into camp, today one of their newest weapons, second round pick Limas Sweed, couldn't finish practice due to cramping. Don't fret Steeler fans - he'll be okay. "We took him off to protect him," coach Mike Tomlin said. "He's a guy who's run all day, [...]

Sweed Leaves Practice Early w/ Cramping

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:12:31 -0500

BREAKING NEWS: CASEY HAMPTON OUT OF SHAPE

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:50:20 -0500

We're just one day into Camp Tomlin 2008 and already have our first shocking revelation: Casey Hampton is out of shape. The washboard abs present in his previous seven seasons have all but disappeared. And his trademark endurance on the annual run test? Gone.

Yes, Hampton is in Coach Tomlin's doghouse, also known as the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) List, where he will reside for the near future.

Rather than take responsibility for his physical condition, Hampton has taken a different route: blaming the current coach, and comparing his rules (unfavorably) to Bill Cowher. From the PG:

"I don't think I struggle with weight, I just think my weight was never an issue, and they make a big point of weight with him," Hampton said. "But before, it's never been a thing, you know what I'm saying? I never struggled with it, it's never been a problem.

"Everybody knows I don't like the run test anyway, so it doesn't matter."

That sounds like a healthy point of view for team morale.

On WDVE this morning, Gerry Dulac reported that Tomlin told Hampton a month ago to lose some weight, but in Dulac's words, "That's like asking the grass not to grow."

Hampton himself joked that he hopes it takes "the whole month" to return from the PUP list. I somehow doubt that Tomlin was laughing.

More camp news from the PG and Trib:

--Hampton was joined on the PUP list by Troy Polamalu (hamstring) and Chris Kemoeatu (tricep).

--Willie Colon hinted that there were some philosophical problems last year between Alan Faneca and line coach Larry Zierlein.

--Nate Washington showed up with a mohawk and said he's not bothered by the presence of rookie WR Limas Sweed.

--Hines Ward was videotaping reporters on behalf of the NFL Network.

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Mike Tomlin’s Day Care Back In Business

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:48:11 -0500

Today, at approximately four o'clock in the afternoon, football season officially begins in western Pennsylvania. No longer will Pittsburgh have to suffer through yet another season of pitiful baseball, lousy management, and idiotic trades by our inept Pirates. Tucked safely along the rolling hills of Westmoreland County, the Pittsburgh Steelers will convene their 42nd training camp as the eyes of the Burgh's true sports fans turn to their one true major league franchise. Until the Penguins drop the puck in Sweden at least. Sure, the preseason is more or less a sham. A cheap ploy designed to give greedy owners four more games with which to line their pockets. And yes, the first real meaningful game won't take place for more than a month. But that doesn't matter to the members of Steeler Nation. We take our football seriously. How serious, you may ask? Seriously enough that not dozens, not hundreds, but thousands of people will make a pilgrimage to Latrobe in order to stand around in 90 degree heat and watch sweaty behemoths do sit-ups. The preseason is usually a long-winded way of deciding who is going to be a team's 5th receiver or what undrafted rookie will make it as a special teamer. The crazy thing about Steeler fans is we actually care about such things. This will be Mike Tomlin's second training camp as head coach. Let's hope his decision making process has improved this year as he made several choices last year which turned out badly as the year played out. He decided that FB Carey Davis would supplant Dan Kreider, long considered one of the best blocking fullbacks in the league. His reasoning was Davis was more athletic and could catch the ball out of the backfield, which is great except Davis went on to catch a whopping total of 12 passes. Tomlin also claimed that good special teams would be one of his priorities and he'd work tirelessly to make sure we were solid in that area, even going so far as trading a draft pick for KR Allen "Fair Catch" Rossum. This resulted in the Steelers having one of the worst special teams units in the NFL. The major undercurrent to this season is, of course, the very real possibility it will be the last under the ownership of the Rooney family. The Post-Gazette recently published an embarrassing article agreeing with Tomlin's statement that the ownership situation might be "a distraction" to the players. Are they serious? That is the most laughable bit of excuse making I've ever heard. We all know the Pittsburgh media is in bed with the Steelers but at least try to be reasonable. If Big Ben launches a bomb down the sideline to a streaking Santonio Holmes, I very much doubt the ball will slip through his arms because he's worried about who'll sign his checks next year. I don't think Mike Tomlin's ability to analyze game tape on Tuesday morning will suffer because he's depressed over strife in the Rooney family. A few other notes of interest: –Diane Battiste Zinkham passed away at the age of 62. She was a major part of our cheerleading team, the Steelerettes, from 1961-70. Take note, Cowboy fans, the Steelers and the Cleveland Browns were the first two NFL teams with cheerleading squads. Which I guess means we were the first NFL team with attractive cheerleaders. –Bret "Look at me! Look at me!" Favre is threatening to report to Green Bay Packers camp, whether they want him or not. He's quickly turning into the Bill Murray character from the movie "What About Bob?" –Pittsburgh native Jason "Twinkle Toes" Taylor was traded to the Washington Redskins. –Top draft picks Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed are signed, sealed and delivered. Sweed has a four year deal for some undisclosed amount. Mendenhall is inked for five years/$12.55 million. He'll likely use some of that money to replace the cell phone and Rolex that got jacked when he was mugged up in Chicago. –Finally, also on the sad news front, Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch lost his battle with cancer at the age of 47. This doesn't have much to do with football, although one of his final wishes was granted when the Steelers invited him to participate in training camp last year. I am a CMU graduate and although I didn't have any classes with Professor Pausch, I recall reading about him and his accomplishments while there. That he inspired so many people during his remaining years is something nobody should ever forget.

Got Em; Mendenhall and Sweed Both Sign Deals

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:10:15 -0500

The Steelers have their two newest weapons under contract as they look to revamp and have a more explosive offense in 2008. Today the team signed their first and second round picks, RB Rashard Mendenhall, and WR Limas Sweed. The word is that Mendenhall gets a deal that will pay him $7.125 mil in guaranteed [...]

Got Em; Mendenhall and Sweed Both Sign Deals

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:10:15 -0500

BREAKING: SWEED AND MENDENHALL SIGNED

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:04:32 -0500

Ed Bouchette is reporting that the Steelers came to terms with RB Rashard Mendenhall and WR Limas Sweed on contracts: Mendenhall for five years and Sweed for four. All of their draftees have now been signed, so now all that stands between the Steelers and a sixth Lombardi Trophy is the formality of a regular season.

Steelers sign top picks Mendenhall and Sweed [PG]

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BREAKING: SWEED AND MENDENHALL SIGNED

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:04:32 -0500

Steelers sign top picks Mendenhall and Sweed [PG]

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LATROBE IS LOOMING

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:04:32 -0500

In just a few days, the Pittsburgh Steelers will make their annual trek to St. Vincent's College. No, Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed are not in the fold yet, but it's just a matter of time on that front. There are storylines a-plenty, and some actual, real-life position battles to look forward to. Will Max Starks be paid millions to be a backup? Is Larry Foote really facing the possibility of a demotion? Who's going to be the starting center? Will Steely McBeam be back for a sophomore campaign?

Personally, I'm so starved for football that I've started watching portions of old pro and college games on re-runs on some sort of CBS Classic network and the NFL Network. Regular season Titans-Chargers game? Yes, please! It's pathetic.

So to further get us in the mood for training camp, here's the NFLN's Top 10 Steeler plays of 2007. That Roethlisberger kid is worth every penny, I tell ya.

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Power Rankings Pre Camp

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:37:56 -0500

# +/- Team Comment 1 – New England Patriots 18-1 last season sums it up. 2 – Dallas Cowboys I think that people forgot how good Adam Jones was as a football player. 3 – Indianapolis Colts Peyton Freaking Manning. 4 – San Diego Chargers This team is deep and has the best back in the game. 5 – Jacksonville Jaguars Jerry Porter should help Garrard continue his progression. 6 – Pittsburgh Steelers Bolstered their offense significantly with Limas Sweed and Rashard Mendenhall 7 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers Deep at every position on the field other than WR. 8 – New York Giants I guess the go here because they won. I hate this team. 9 – New Orleans Saints Expect second half like numbers from Brees and Colston this season. 10 – Green Bay Packers If Rodgers can play, this team is much better than 10th. 11 – Cleveland Browns Can the Anderson show continue? I'm skeptical, but am not discounting the possibility. 12 – Philadelphia Eagles I love cheesesteaks. 13 – Washington Redskins Can Jason Campbell continue to improve? 14 – Minnesota Vikings Is Tavaris Jackson a QB? 15 – Tennessee Titans Will the Titans ever get Vince a viable receiving threat? 16 – Seattle Seahawks I like replacing with Softie Alexander with J Jones. Never sure what to think of this team. 17 – Buffalo Bills Sleeper Alert. 18 – Cincinnatti Bengals Time for the Bengals to bounce back from last years disaster. 19 – Carolina Panthers Another team that has huge sleeper potential. 20 – Arizona Cardinals Offense has the potential to be sick. 21 – Denver Broncos I actually liked this team before realizing that Brandon Marshall is a psychopath. 22 – Baltimore Ravens The D should still be there, but Flacco to Clayton? 23 – Houston Texans GET A FREAKING RB! 24 – Detroit Lions If Marinelli can improve the D, they have a chance to make noise in the North. Martz being gone should help. 25 – Chicago Bears Worst collection of skill position players in recent memory. 26 – NY Jets Wahhhhhhh, they cheated! 27 – St Louis Rams I expect a huge bounce back year from SJax. This is another team with real potential to climb up this list. 28 – San Francisco 49ers Alex Smith. Enough said. 29 – Kansas City Chiefs Brodie Croyle. Enough said. 30 – Oakland Raiders I find myself wanting to like this team other than the fact that a moron who runs it, is bound to screw something up. 31 – Miami Dolphins Ricky Williams for a big year anyone? 32 – Atlanta Falcons This team is garbage.

RYAN TO THE CHIEFS!

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:37:31 -0500

As the 2008 NFL Draft is approaching the top 5 picks are becoming a more difficult read than the bible. The Dolphins are talking contracts with Jake Long, Michigan's monster left tackle, future superstar Darren McFadden is getting more hype than ever, and once again the New England Patriots hold the best position in the first round. A tad hungover from that Yankees/Sox battle in the Bronx last night; I'm going to attempt to put together a comprehensive top 5 selections for the fans.

Eddie G.'s Two-Round Mock Draft (3/13)

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:06:10 -0500

It's mock draft time. You can never have enough of these, right? My Top 5 1. Chris Long 2. Vernon Gholston 3. Matt Ryan 4. Sedrick Ellis 5. Jake Long

The First Breakdown of the 2008 NFL Draft

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 01:37:21 -0500

Here is a look at some position ratings for the 2008 NFL draft. With a lack a senior talent, I have included junior who are projected to come out this year. Quaterback 1. Matt Ryan-Boston College 2. Brian Brohm-Louisville 3. Andre Woodson-Kentucky 4. Colt Brennan-Hawaii 5. Chad Henne-Michigan Others likely to be drafted- Dennis Dixon (Oregon), Joe Flacco (Delaware) Running Back 1. Darren McFadden-Arkansas 2. Rashard Mendenhall-Illinois 3. Jonathan Stewart-Oregon 4. Mike Hart-Michigan 5. Ray Rice-Rutgers Others likely to be drafted- Kevin Smith (UCF), Allen Patrick (Oklahoma) Wide Receiver 1. Limas Sweed-Texas 2. Earley Doucet-LSU 3. Adarius Bowman-Oklahoma St. 4. DeSean Jackson-California 5. Mario Manningham-Michigan Others likely to be drafted- Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma), DJ Hall (Alabama) Tight End 1. Fred Davis-USC 2. John Carlson-Notre Dame 3. Travis Beckum-Wisconsin 4. Martin Rucker-Missouri 5. Chase Coffman-Missouri Offensive Line 1. Jake Long-Michigan 2. Samuel Baker-USC 3. Ryan Clady-Boise State 4. Jeffrey Otah-Pittsburgh 5. Micheal Oher-Ole Miss Defensive Line 1. Chris Long-Virginia (DE) 2. Glenn Dorsey-LSU (DT) 3. Calais Campbell-Miami (DE) 4. Sedrick Ellis-USC (DT) 5. Vernon Gholston-Ohio State (DE) Others likely to be drafted- Derrick Harvey (Florida), Kentwan Balmer (UNC) Linebackers 1. James Laurinaitis-Ohio State 2. Dan Connor-Penn State 3. Keith Rivers-USC 4. Ali Highsmith-LSU 5. Rey Maualugor-USC Defensive Backs 1. Kenny Phillips-Miami 2. Malcolm Jenkins-Ohio State 3. Aqib Talib-Kansas 4. Mike Jenkins-South Florida 5. Reggie Smith-Oklahoma Justifications 1. If West Virginia does not win a national title, Steve Slaton will remain in school and take one more shot at the title with his teammate Pat White. 2. Chris Long is currently ranked above Glenn Dorsey due to Dorsey's constant injury problems (knee and back). 3. Dennis Dixon will be dropped in the draft due to his current injury (ACL). He dropped from a early 2nd round pick to a late 3rd to early 4th. 4. The running back position is very deep this year and could yield 15-20 running backs taken. Watch in the coming weeks for the first mock draft projection.