Heels, Sox & Steelers

Maybe the Steelers Should have Cut Chad Scott
Stan Savran writes today that keeping Jason Gildon is a mistake. The Steelers may be keeping him as insurance in case they can't resign Clark Haggans. I can buy that--Gildon's effectiveness has certainly slipped the last few years and Haggans has performed well when he has played.

But here's something I don't understand, and I've been saying this since the end of the season when it was rumored that DeWayne Washington would be cut. Why not cut Chad Scott and keep DeWayne Washington? (of course, I might be in favor of cutting them both, but that's not realistic given their depth at cornback right now)

I know Washington struggled with his confidence (as a result of his coverage skills), but I got the feeling that he wanted to atone for his mistakes. I got no such feeling when watching Scott. I would be interested in knowing who gave up more big plays, had more penalties against, and had more pass interceptions or pass breakups (I think I've found my next article). I suspect it's Scott.

When I say keep Washington, I don't mean start him. Restructure his salary and let him play in the nickel and dime defenses. With the emergence of Deshea Townsend and Ike Taylor, and the possibility that the Steelers may get a cornerback in the draft or through free agency, they'll have their starters solidified. The good thing about the nickel (and dime) defenses, is that Washington doesn't have to cover wideouts. Instead he'll be playing zone, or covering slot receivers, tight ends and running backs.

I think that Chad Scott can still be exposed in the nickel/dime packages. He plays very soft, giving up a lot of passes undereath. It was reported last year that he pleaded with Tim Lewis to play more bump-and-run, and as a result he gave up some plays deep. There have also been rumors that Scott might be moved to safety. I can think of two (and maybe three) reasons why that shouldn't be the case: Troy Polamalu and Chris Hope (and Mike Logan if they decide to resign him). And what finally cemented for me that Scott should be cut was his performance in the Cincinnati game in Pittsburgh. He blew two coverages and they resulted in two touchdowns. The Steelers lost by four points.

The Steelers have often been accused of keeping veterans too long. I don't think that would be the case here because they are pretty thin at corner back. I suggest keeping Washington for one more year (long enough to groom another third or fourth CB) and then let him go.

It seems like Washington's mistakes are physical (he slips, he gets beat one-on-one, etc...) while Scott's mistakes are both physical and mental (blown coverages resulting in touchdowns, for example). As a result, using Washington in the nickel/dime package could hide some of his physical shortcomings, but the only place to hide Chad Scott is on the sidelines.