There are a lot of things you can teach on the football field. Whether it is who to look for to throw to when a defense is running cover three, or even something technique based like a new pass rushing move, there is no shortage of things players can learn while playing.
One thing you cannot teach is size, and for that matter speed.
For Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end roster hopeful Matt Conrath, he has plenty of the first.
The former University of Virginia standout isn’t hard to pick out of the crowd, even when standing among most of his football piers. Standing at 6’7”, only Clifton Geathers and Alejandro Villanueva are listed as being taller than Conrath.
As a Cavalier, Conrath recorded 29.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, forced four fumbles and deflected 10 passes in his four year college stint.
Now entering his fourth professional season, Conrath has played sparingly in the first three seasons of his career. After signing with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent, Conrath has only played in nine games between 2012-2014 (played in none last season), notching a lone sack among seven total tackles.
The now 25 year old Conrath signed a futures contract with the Steelers on January 9 and after Brett Keisel was not brought back, joined a defensive line group with more questions than answers once you get beyond the starters (Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and Steve McLendon).
While with the Rams and their four man front, Conrath played as an interior lineman – something that actually isn’t ideal for a man of his height.
When fighting in the trenches, where the lowest man wins, the player who is able to get the most leverage wins the battle more times than not. Standing so tall it is hard to get underneath the pads of the opposing offensive lineman to create the leverage needed to come off the blocks.
The same concern that most believed Daniel McCullers would endure in his attempt to adapt to the next level is the same thing that Conrath has been dealing with for years before hand.
A move to the five-technique (defensive end) in the three-man front of the Steelers’ defense will do wonders as Conrath will not be locked in as often against the shorter interior offensive lineman that he would usually opposed.
As far as how he fits with the Steelers, or what he brings to the table as a potential depth player? Steelers Depot described Conrath as a player with ‘high energy and high motor’ who is ‘excellent at deflecting passes’ – not exactly a surprise for a player of his height.
They later describe him as a player who tries to outmuscle opposing lineman and ‘relies on his strength too much opposed to technique’. Again, technique can be taught, the size he possess as well as some of his natural gifts – cannot be.
Entering training camp, the starting defensive line is already set in stone, with McCullers seem set to push McLendon as much as he can in just his second season in the league. What won’t be set in stone will be the players who fill out the depth chart behind them.
Even Cam Thomas – who started nine games and played in all 16 overall – doesn’t seem to have set spot in the rotation after his less than stellar debut year with Pittsburgh.
All though he may be a long shot, maybe a little more so now that the Steelers invested a draft pick (albeit a sixth round pick) on another defensive lineman that they could be more inclined to lean towards if it came down to them – but with measurables that don’t come around every day, Conrath is an intriguing name to keep an eye on come training camp and preseason.
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