Steelers Draft and Mel Kiper sucks thread!!

Discussion in 'Pittsburgh Steelers' started by Steelroc74, Mar 24, 2013.

  1. nybites M.V.P. Steelers UCONN

    I was watching Vandy and Tenn. the WR Matthews and the big OT from Tenn. I did see part of the game but got busy and did not watch much of prime time. I did get to see a lot of Washington vs. Oregon State, ended up being one sided and I hit the hay.
     
  2. I missed most of it too. I was watching Mizzou-Ole Moss and only caught a few looks at the tv at the bar that showed it. Needless to say I saw the score and didn't pay much attention with my school in a close game at the same time.
     
  3. jcsteelfan Franchise Player Steelers

    I've watched about four Wisconsin games this season. Abberdabis is a guy who should make a great 2nd option. He's not a take the top of the defense type WR but he runs really good routes and has good hands. He's a possession WR.

    To me Cody Hoffman is capable of being a #1 in the NFL. His numbers haven't been great this season but some of that has to do with the fact that his QB has been inconsistent. Hoffman was open a bunch against ND this weekend but Taysom Hill was off target. If the Steelers could get him in the 3rd round he's be a steal.
     
  4. nybites M.V.P. Steelers UCONN

    JC the steelers traded their 3rd in 2014 for Shamarko Thomas
     
  5. jcsteelfan Franchise Player Steelers

    NY, Any chance the Steelers get a 3rd round supplemental pick for Mike Wallace?
     
  6. nybites M.V.P. Steelers UCONN

    I think they get the 97th pick in the draft and Colbert was banking on that with the trade. He also did not forecast the poor record and did not value the pick as high as it might be. I think he gambled and lost, no knock on Shamarko Thomas I've rehashed this a bunch, but the gist is simply they moved up 3 spaces, ahead of teams who were unlikely, IMHO, to draft Thomas.

    The skinny of the sitution was this. Standing inbetween the Browns pick at 111 and the Steelers pick at 115 were the Cowboys at 114 who had just drafted JJ Wilcox and then went CB with BW Webb. At 113 the Rams, in desperate need for OL help took Barret Jones, a guy who can play all 5 spots on the OL coming from a winning program at Alabama. At 112 were the raiders who had QB on their mind, aren't they always looking for a QB? The board was also not depleted of safety help, Earl Wolff and Philip Thomas were still available.

    In summation, I think had the Steelers been patient, they could have taken Shamarko Thomas at 115 and then instead of Landry Jones, taken a QB at the end of the draft, or bring in an undrafted free agent. My basis was on the improvement of the backup with Bruce Gradkowski taking the place of Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch. You are looking for a #3 QB, there are enough guys out there who are NOT going to dress on Sunday and are NOT going to cost you a 4rh round pick. I do not know who else Michael Lombardi was shopping the pick with, you may have to put a fourth team in, at 111, looking for safety help, I get it.

    Obviously the Steelers front office is way ahead of my thinking, Jones could be the future and their scouting dept. saw something they liked. Unfortunately I have no idea of where their board was. Thomas could have been right behind Wheaton and they considered that a value pick and or they loved Thomas the player and the person and wanted him to learn under Troy over the next 2 yrs.

    You have a Franchise QB, and an all-world SS, they are here for X amount of years, that window is closing. The difference in winning and losing in the NFL is talent at key positions and then fitting all the role players under the cap, while having depth across the board. Something beachbum can explain better than me. Ben's contract is sort of choking this team financially, along with some other vets, but he's the biggest hit on the cap.

    It's funny how the career of Ben and Eli are similar, and both teams are now currently in a similar financial conundrum. The one thing I wish Ben had over Eli, was the ability to beat N.E. in big games.
     
  7. jcsteelfan Franchise Player Steelers

    I agree with what you are saying. Thomas may very well develop into a great safety but his size will always be a match up issue. The Steelers must have felt they were getting a player that will one day start.

    I don't know what they were thinking with Landry Jones. There was plenty of tape on Jones and through the combine/workouts they had to know what the ceiling was for him as a QB. Wasted pick.

    Most consistent contenders in the NFL have a franchise QB and make the cap work. Teams have to draft young guys that can step in and contribute early on when they are cheap. There has to be a balance of guys getting paid with young talent. The guys getting paid have been injured to often and the new young players have either been injured or haven't developed quick enough to contribute while they are cheap. Over the past couple seasons here are names that fit the description, Woodley, Worilds, Hood, Polamalu, DeCastro, Pouncey, Gilbert, Adams, Sanders, Heyward, Keisel, Foote, Wheaton, Miller, Bell...

    There are probably guys that I missed but looking over those names they are either guys who have been paid and suffered injuries or are young guys that have developed to slow and or suffered injuries. I could add Ben to that list with his injuries. To me a franchise QB is the single most important player if you want to be a contender every year. You've got to pay them.
     
  8. nybites M.V.P. Steelers UCONN

    My half-azzed mock

    1. RaShede Haggeman DT Minnesota
    2. Brandon Coleman WR Rutgers
    3c. Dion Bailey S, USC
    4. Pierre Desir,, CB, Lindenwood
    5. Arthur Lynch, TE, Georgia
    6. Bryce Quigley, OT, San Diego State
    7. Greg Blair, ILB,, Cincinatti
    U. Brent Urban,, DT, Virginnia
    U. Chaz Sutton, OLB, USC
    U. Alfred Blue, RB, LSU
     
  9. nybites M.V.P. Steelers UCONN

    I got another name in the hat, when Auburn pays 'Bama this week-end, Keep an eye on FB Jay Prosch. He is an athletic sledgehammer that punhes holes the DL. He transferred to Auburn to care for his mom, but she did not survive. I wonder if this kid will work extra hard and make his mom proud, that is my line of thinking. He is also a good ST player, someone I think that has a skill set and character. Keep an eye on CJ Mosley and lets hope Prosch blows him up and Tre Mason runs wild.

    Not a hater of Alabama, but how about a different National Champion in January? It's like the UCLA Bruins with Lew Alcindor and then Bill Walton.... gets boring after a while. The thing that hold Auburn back, IMFO, is the careless play of the Qb Nick Marshall,, he's a frikken turnover machine..
     
  10. jcsteelfan Franchise Player Steelers

    After watching Ike Taylor get destroyed recently I'm starting to think a CB in the first two rounds might be a very real possibility.

    Looking over the standings in the NFL right now and the teams that will most likely be picking in the top ten there are the Texans, Jaguars, Vikings, and Browns that could very well take QBs. Personally I'm not sold on any of the QBs but Bridgewater as a first round pick.

    If those teams reach and take QBs there are going to be quality Tackles that will most likely be scooped up along with Clowney, Barr, Mack, and Evans. My point is the Steelers will most likely have an opportunity to grab one of the top CBs in this draft. Not sure that they will but it shake out that they have the opportunity.
     
  11. beachbum M.V.P. Manager Steelers

    Is there a CB with first round talent in this draft?
     
  12. demolisher43 Franchise Player Steelers

    We have a platter of two CBs from which we can pick in this draft in the first two rounds: Virginia Tech's Kyle Fuller and Oklahoma State's Justin Gilbert, both in round 2. No one else is an option. Neither of those players is BPA either. I'm not against going into 2014 with William Gay and Cortez Allen starting.
     
  13. beachbum M.V.P. Manager Steelers

    Wayyyy too many injuries for me to get on board with Fuller.
     
  14. demolisher43 Franchise Player Steelers

    I don't want either player. I'm just saying those are the only two guys in our drafting range right now for the first two rounds.

    Mack in round 1 and Brandon Scherff in round 2 seems like the BPA choices right now. CB doesn't come into the picture until round 4.
     
  15. demolisher43 Franchise Player Steelers

    Since I'm looking into the prospects at large again, I should talk about Alabama guard Anthony Steen once more. He's still BPA for our third-round comp. pick. I remember mentioning that he specializes in run-blocking and can function in any blocking scheme, but he's not flashy on 'Bama's line and needs to work on pass protection. Someone took issue with that, saying we need pass-blockers.

    We don't, except in a couple of our tackles. Foster's specialty is pass blocking. Pouncey, Velasco, and DeCastro all pass-block very well. Pouncey and DeCastro are also exceptional run-blockers, as is Adams. Why do you think our backs don't average very many yards per carry? Our line is worse run-blocking than pass-blocking, and that's pretty darn uncharacteristic. Our 2004-2006 line consisted of 4-5 exceptional run blockers, and people can't stop lauding that group as the last bastion of o-line greatness in Pittsburgh. None of them were fantastic pass-blockers, however, as evidenced in 2006 when Ben began taking tons of sacks due to more dropbacks.

    Fans love great run-blocking o-lines. The o-linemen themselves love taking the fight to the defense and bulldozing and pancaking them in run-blocking. One reason why our line takes so much heat (and the main reason IMO) is that they don't run block well on a consistent basis. It's probably also why more runs aren't called, to be honest. Yes, we have a great QB and tons of great pass-catchers, but no offense is successful very long without balance. Ben and the receivers also would love more help given to the running game.

    One perk to investing a draft pick in a guard fairly early is that it bolsters o-line depth and gives us another swing option behind our starters. Steen was a career backup at Alabama until recently and has quality technique and mechanics. Yes, he does need to polish his pass protection, but if he springs Bell for some big gains, the fan base won't even notice his shortcomings.
     
  16. jcsteelfan Franchise Player Steelers

    Very good question. I will admit that I'm not good about evaluating DBs during while watching a game. I tend to get locked in on LBs, DE, RB, WR, and QB. Not claiming to be a great evaluator at and of those positions but those are the positions I get locked in on during games.

    If there isn't a CB worth taking in the first round then I am not a proponent of grabbing one. I just see Ike as a guy that is getting paid big money and not playing well. I'd be fine with Gay and Allen next season but I think they are going to have to find somebody that can contribute behind those two next season.

    There will be plenty of O line talent in this draft.
     
  17. nybites M.V.P. Steelers UCONN

    Purifoy us slipping into the abyss but .... A lot has to do with Orida sucking monkey balls this year. He could be BPA @ 97 *PARDON*
     
  18. Steelroc74 Franchise Player Steelers

    I don't know about that, I'll take Justin Gilbert. Good coverage skills, good hands, and can be a huge asset on ST. The only thing I wonder about with him is his tackling.
     
  19. nybites M.V.P. Steelers UCONN

    Don't forget my sleeper CB, Pierre Desir, shoulld be at an all-star game and hopefully the combine.

    The CB position has been the most volatile since late August, I track movements up and down. Pre-season looks absolutely NOTHING like it does now. Some of the LB we liked early have flown up the boards,, Van Noy, Mack, Barr,, these guys were much further back and are now all top 25 picks. The one I'm not getting is Michael Sam, production in the SEC, he just gets to the ball and the QB. Maybe it's his size,, not sure but he is sure prototypical for a 3-4 OLB,IMFO
     
  20. demolisher43 Franchise Player Steelers

    I saw him. He looks really good. Kudos for seeing him early, ny.
     

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