Spaeth a steal for the Steelers

By Darrell Laurant  |   Wednesday, July 18, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Pittsburgh Steelers
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Some things Pittsburgh Steeler fans will like (or already do) about rookie tight end Matt Spaeth:

1. He's 6-foot-7, 270 pounds.
2. He likes to block (a Steeler prerequisite), although his technique still needs refinement.
3. He's no Vernon Davis, but he has been clocked in the 4.75-4.8 range in the 40 -- not bad for a guy the size of a condominium.
4. He has tight end genes -- his father started for the University of Nebraska and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills.
5. He thinks the other Steeler tight ends are great guys.
6. He started 37 straight games for the University of Minnesota, then separated his shoulder against Ohio State last season. It was supposed to be a season-ending injury, but he came back to play hurt the last four games. Then he had surgery.
7. He won the Big Ten Medal of Honor for his charitable activities.
8. As a high school senior, he was Player of the Year in his football conference: Defensive Player of the Year.
9. Coming from Minnesota, he likes cold weather.
10. He has a very interesting goatee.

In other words, getting Spaeth in the third round was a steal for the Steelers.

The reason he fell that far despite winning the John Mackey Award as the nation's best tight end (he caught 109 passes for 1,291 yards in his career, both Minnesota records) was probably because of concern over the big Gopher's shoulder injury. Now, though, his new team has pronounced him healed.

A laid-back Midwesterner, Spaeth wanted no part of anxiously crouching by the phone on Draft Day waiting for teams to call him. Instead, he played golf (it was a nice day, and in Minnesota, you have to get out on the links when the weather allows).

With Spaeth, Heath Miller and Jerame Tuman, Pittsburgh now has a formidable trio of tight ends who complement (and, apparently, compliment) each other nicely -- Miller has the speed to go deep, Spaeth is more of a middle-of-the-field target, Tuman is known mainly for his blocking. This depth will enable new coach Mike Tomlin to give Miller more breathers, and look for Spaeth to be a frequent target in the red zone.

"He's like Heath," said offensive coordinator Bruce Arians of Spaeth. "He can handle the big defensive ends, he can handle the outside linebackers, and he can get open down the middle."

And his golf game keeps getting better.

Original Pittsburgh Steelers insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
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