heels, sox & steelers
As I said in the last thread - I have a feeling that this will be like the last two years, where the Steelers fail to address the OL in any meaningful manner.
I wonder if this is Big Snack's last year? Hood would seem to be his replacement.
Well, you have to hope Hills will be challenging for a starting spot this spring.
I think I would rather have had Unger. For some reason I don't like 1st round DL picks. It's irrational, but for whatever reason I'm not a big fan.
Gettin Ziggy with it.
Delmas went one pick after us. He looks like a good one.
My guess is that he'll have to accept whatever the men in the locker room nickname him....
I'm betting OL in Round Two - but what do I know...
Kevin Colbert/Mike Tomlin Presser is starting shortly.....
With a clear understanding that DL and OL should be the priority, I really like Robiskie and dont think he will be there in Rd 2, he strikes me as the 2nd coming of H Ward, was hoping the steelers had been able to trade out of the 1st round and get him... That said, think Hood is a good pick
TXSTEEL you spoke to soon...
Robiskie to the Browns...
I'm hoping he didn't get his nickname from a roll of papers underneath the front seat of his car.
ugh... Now I'll have to hope he sucks!!!
Yeah. I love Robiskie too. Like Oher right before the Ravens traded up to get him. Now I have to hate them both.
RE: Ziggy. Yeah, I wanted Darius, but DL is a bigger need. My fear is that the Steelers have trouble finding DL through the draft, but maybe that has to do with where they're taking them.
Plus, I was not happy about Juan Timmons, but maybe Tomlin and Colbert know what they're doing. That said, I wouldn't mind an OL in Round 2, please.
I loved Robiskie, but the Steelers just don't need a WR right now.
At this point, when it comes to the Steelers taking their OL seriously, I will believe it when I see it.
What did the talking heads say about Hood?
They brought up a good point on the Radio - think of the 'athletes' that the offense has to contend with....
Ziggy is supposed to be a great athlete and Wex liked him..
Mayock loves Hood, calls him "big, physical" (you'd hope so), but said he was inconsistent against the run, which is ironic.
If I didn't know better, I'd say that Mayock loves everyone taken today
I said the same thing last year - so let me repeat...
First of all..I agree that we need help on the O-Line BUT....
Just because a guy has O-Line on his business card doesn't mean that he is better than what you have right now....
Cols, I respectfully have to disagree on the fact that we dont need a WR.
Hines has been hurt a bit the last few seasons. If he goes down, you got Santonio & Sweed, and then what??
Oh, and there's this from Wex concerning Ward's extension...
"...Hines Ward has agreed to and signed a four-year contract extension worth $22 million... He's now signed through 2013.
"The deal frees up cap room for the team as well as providing significant draft-day flexibility. It makes a draft-day trade for Roscoe Parrish all the more possible."
The video of Hood makes him look very quick. Not a Snack clone. Kiper had him 28th overall but somehow brought him up in a discussion of reaches, even though he said he wasn't one.
Is Hood big enough to play NT in the Steelers' scheme?
Hood did 34 reps and has a 33 inch vertical at 300 lbs -- but he's also a high motor guy on the field and not just a workout warrior.
Marvel Smith was a 2nd rounder. So was Dermonti Dawson. Just because they didn't take Unger or Britton or Beatty here you can't say they wont address the OL. They need young and talented bodies on both lines.
Bob, this is the third straight year that the Steelers have needed to address the OL. They could have done that in a very real way by trading up for Oher. They didn't.
Again, I'll believe that they'll actually address their extremely deficient OL when I see it.
Can Ziggy play Nose Tackle?
Ziggy played guitar
Jamming good with Weird and Gilly
And the Spiders From Mars
He played it left hand
But made it too far
Became the special man
Then we were Ziggy's band
So yes, I think so.
My thought was that Ziggy was going to be a DE for the Steelers. He was a 4-3 tackle, not a nose.
Ziggy would play DT not NT.....
I'm rooting for Herman Johnson
I think his height makes people think NT. My assumption was DE as well. I like the pick more if he's a NT.
DJ - next you should threaten to cancel your season tickets or never watch your Super Bowl XLIII video if they don't draft Phil Loadholt.
Hey the Bengals just drafted another USC LB for Hines to knock out...
I'd like to see the Steelers move up before the Pats get 3 more picks this round. They always take players I like and I feel like there are only a few players left who are possibly-R1 level.
CLE: Mack, Robiskie and extra picks and players.
Interesting jump there Bob - here's a tip, since you're a new guy here and I've been a regular commenter since '04 - we tend to try to be polite, and not assume that if someone expresses an opinion that you disagree with its a personal attack.
Try to play nice now.
SB, nice. Exactly what I was thinking.
Britton is now gone.
Britton is gone now.
DJ....DJ...DJ...
Let's say you are dating a girl and she's ok but not great and you want to replace her...
Now let's say you go to a bar and see a bunch of girls, but none of them are as good looking as the girl you are currently dating....
Do you dump your current girlfriend for her just because she's a girl and you need a new girlfriend....?
Sorry that was the best I had....
Well, the Jags are showing everybody how you address the OL in one draft...
SB - not saying I disagree. I'm just saying that we should've moved up or down somewhere in some draft since '07 to get a good o-line player. We did it to get Casey, Troy, and Santonio. We've needed OL help for the past 3 drafts.
Now if the Jags could only show us how to address winning...oh wait nevermind...
No, the Steelers have 3 WRs that they think are pretty good. Drafting another one in the first round is not a necessity. You can add depth later in the drat.
Ahh but DJ...if we are to have faith in the Steeler FO - then we should believe that they would have done that if they found a man that they found worthy of that...
Remember how fired up we were about Branden Albert last year? How did he do?
Guys, we have a looong way to go.
The Pats are up to 5 2nd round picks.
The pats gave up #47 to get #40, so they're at the same 4 picks.
I hope the Patriot get some kind of brain cramp now, if not they will really LOAD the team...
I agree with DJ. Even though I've stated that I think OT is becoming an overvalued position, the Steelers' 2 OT are FA at the end of the year. I'd have been happier with Britton.
Are the PAts just trading around for fun? What are they doing?
TXSTEEL
You do realize that the Patriots are not infallible. They are the team that drafted Maroney, Chad Jackson and Brandon Merriweather the past few years. None of those guys are very good.
FTID - I think Belichek is trying to show up Mangini by trading around even more than he did.
Men.....
At the end of the Draft tomorrow they hand out an award to Mr. Irrelevant...not a Lombardi Trophy...
Thanks DJ- the NFL.com screen didn't update both things simultaneously.
Men....
The Pats signed Joey Galloway, the Steelers passed - and the Steelers have won 2 Super Bowls since the Pats last won one...
Getting the number of 3 girls is a lot different than going home with one...
(I just made that up)
You have great dating advice, SB. You should do a pod cast or something.
Cols, you make a good point on the Pats.
Also agree that there was no need for a 1st Rd WR, but still think that we need a WR that can play now, because there is no depth at all, and altough I think Limas will eventually pan out, he might not be ready to start the season.
And some rookie R2 dude will be?
Keep in mind that we are selecting #32 because we won the Super Bowl...which means that we don't have a lot of holes or positions to fill - I expect that other teams like the Jags will look good after the draft because they have so many needs...
Think about it - not now - after the draft - how many men that we pick will legitimately make the team?
Newsflash!! Newsflash!!
DJ!!
According to Wex....
The Steelers are trying to trade up to get Unger
SB - more of them if they were at a position of need.
Like OL.
Just sayin'.
SB - considering my opinion of Wex, I'll REALLY believe it when I see it.
The guy's on the radio must not know because they are waiting for Colbert and Tomlin to come out for the Press Conference....
From the PPG Blog:
"The Steelers now have Evander Hood on the phone. Hood says you can call him Evander or Ziggy, whichever you prefer. He's excited about being in the 3-4, but knows he'll need to adjust to playing a 3-4 end. He says he'll learn what he has to do. His nickname came from the comic strip Ziggy"
More on Ziggy:
http://mutigers.cstv.com/sports/
..._evander00.html
Pat White to the Dolphins? That makes Miami the official Wildcat-Offense capital of the world.
PPG Blog is speculating that something is up at Heinz becuase no one has heard from Colbert or Tomlin...
The speculation is that it's Beatty or Unger....
Dodged a bullet there with the Giants taking an OLB
Dudes...the guy that just announced the Giants pick has a ton of medals...I've done nothing with my life...
Anybody heard anything about the Parrish trade?
Not a thing TX...not a thing....the rumor was a #4...maybe something that is done tonight?
Watching the NFLN guys talk about the Raiders is hilarious. Gruden is trying to not say anything bad about Al Davis, and the look on his face defies him.
Currently holding my breath....
Ack, I just posted to the old thread...
PPG is saying Hood is a DE, not a DT, in the 3-4. And Kiesel is in his final year, so he might be replacing him. http://www.postgazette.com/pg/09...g/09.../965611-
100.stm
Or it could mean we're switching to a 4-3. For the new folks here, I'm kidding.
Dean, right on the money there, with Gruden being very polite about the Raiders, and having a hard time doing so. Davis is lucky Lane Kiffin is not on TV today...
ELSM....you are correct....I meant DE...
And yes 4-3 it is....
I'm thinking the Bears will go with Britton here....
Hawks just traded up into the Bears spot
ESPN Radio 1250 is now reporting that the Steelers are trying to trade up...
Thus, it's official....
So much for Unger
And there goes Unger....
Well, that sucks.
Unger looks like a 32 yr old fat guy on the combine video...
The guy that the Raiders just drafted...well according to the PPG Ourlads didn't even have him listed....
SB - Mayock said he had given him a 7th round grade
We couldn't beat a 3 and a 4?!?!?!?!?
I will believe it when I see it.
The Browns are certainly addressing the WR position
I take it back, Al Davis isn't the drunk at a fantasy football draft. He's like those people who do odd things in Ambien comas.
When does the Braylon Edwards trade happen?
If Ziggy can get at the QB, our sack totals could be off the charts.
ELSM - when the Browns
a) realize they're not going to get what they want for him; and,
b) realize that by waiting until after the draft the market for his services has diminished
Keep in mind that the Seahawks had higher picks than us....
Herman Johnson, LSU...we'll see....
I give the Browns hell for drafting Mack. But I like their Robiskie pick.
ELSM - if Ziggy can get to the QB, that means we're playing 4-3, have 12 men on the field, or Smith or Kiesel are injured.
SB
That's a good point. There are plenty of people that we probably want to draft, but the fact is we are picking last in every round.
SB - yes, but we couldn't offer a 2 and a 5? or a 2 and a 4?
Men...
The Steelers brass still has not addressed the media....I realize we did not get Unger but something is definitely up....
DJ, I seem to recall Eason on the field even when Smith and Kiesel were healthy.
Easy...good point...the speculation is that Eason could be gone with the selection of Ziggy...
I hate sitting on the sidelines while other teams address their interior OL
Yes, there's a rotation. If he's on the field enough to post a significant sack total this year, something is wrong.
Juan can get to the QB. But his sack totals aren't big, because he's behind people on the depth chart.
At some point, it'd be nice if we'd draft someone in round 1 who'd actually play a significant number of downs. Its not like there aren't holes on this team...
And so much for Levitre - another team moves up to address OL, while we sit on our hands.
Dean...I hear ya' my friend but...but...our Fat Guys all have Super Bowl rings...
Sorry this doesn't format very well, but here's the Scouts Inc. profile of Ziggy that's behind the ESPN paid wall:
Overall Football Traits
Production 2 2005-'06: Hood starts in seven of 22 games played during first two seasons and combines for 59 tackles, including 7.5 TFL. 2007-'08: Hood starts all 28 games during his final two seasons and finishes with 111 total tackles, including 15 TFL and 10 sacks.
Height-Weight-Speed 2 Possesses prototypical height and adequate-to-good bulk. Also shows excellent straight-line speed for the position.
Durability 2 Missed three full games with a broken foot as a sophomore in 2006 but started all 28 games during his final two seasons at Missouri.
Character 1 Hard worker on and off the field. No off the field issues to our knowledge. Leads by example and his effort is contagious.
Defensive Tackle specific Traits
Agility/Quickness 2 Displays very good quickness. Fires off the ball and usually wins with quick first-step. Not a great athlete, though. Struggles to change directions fluidly and shows too much stiffness.
Strength/Toughness 4 Has good size for a three-technique type. Is a high-motor player with toughness. Won't back down from a physical matchup but simply lacks good strength to hold his ground. Lacks lower body strength and does not display a powerful upper body, either.
Instincts 2 Shows above average overall instincts. Consistently displays good snap awareness. Does a good job of finding the ball when he gets through the line of scrimmage. Lacks ideal pass rushing instincts and needs to do a better job of setting up offensive linemen with his array of moves. He does a great job of sniffing out the screen and draw plays, though.
Pass Rusher 2 Upside is limited but effort is outstanding. Most of his battles won are because of his quickness. Shows good anticipation and explodes off the ball. Uses effective swim and rip moves. Is relentless as a pass rusher and will never quit fighting. However, he lacks ideal closing burst and doesn't change directions fluidly when he gets through the line of scrimmage. He also struggles to generate a consistent push as a bull rusher if he doesn't win with his first step.
Run Stopper 2 Uses quick first step to penetrate and disrupt. Very active and at his best on the move. Will pursue backside and makes some plays on pure effort. However, he plays too high and with a narrow base. Struggles to hold ground when teams run at him.
Trait Scale
1 = Exceptional 2 = Above average 3 = Average 4 = Below average 5 = Marginal
SB - the rings are nice, but, by that logic, we should keep Berger and cut the Puntisher.
SB, on Eason... and Kirschke is 35...
DJ...you assume that we are sitting on our hands....which we are not...we confirmed that the Steelers were trying to trade up....
Also keep in mind that the Draft still has 6 more rounds to go....
SB - given the packages it took to land Oher and Unger, I think "sitting on our hands" is a perfectly accurate description. It wouldn't be hard to make a move, but the FO isn't doing it.
Do you dump your current girlfriend for her just because she's a girl and you need a new girlfriend....?
Sorry that was the best I had....
-SteelerBill
SteelerBill..first I look at the purse! Cue great RnB riff here...
McCoy goes at 53. Didn't many of the early mocks have him in R1?
Bye, Loadholt.
DJ...perhaps the Steelers don't value these men as highly as you do...
Nobody is right or wrong here - just a matter of opinion...
3 C's, 1 G, 5 T's off the board
SB - I agree. The Steelers don't seem to value OL very highly at all.
Loadholt went before Beatty
So let me ask this....
Would you guy's (especially DJ) be happy if we 'just selected' a guy with OL on his business card?
Or
Did you have someone in mind?
Everything I've read about Hood makes me believe that he has very little bust potential. I'm betting he contributes this year as a situational pass rusher.
DJ, maybe they value OL (all the money put into Max, for example) but can't evaluate it very well. Not that that's encouraging.
I said months ago that if Oher was still around past 20, we should go up and get him.
Right now, I just want someone with OL on his business card.
DJ
I'm sorry, I have to agree with SB here. I would have loved to get Oher, Wood, or Unger as well, but maybe we just didn't have the ammo to go up and get him. I doubt the Steelers want to give up too much for one player.
I also agree with Cols right now - provisionally. The Steelers should just grab someone who they think sucks, but they need to fix the one area of need on this team. We have a plethora of picks this year. Use some to go get a guy.
Colts moved up, so trading is available...
According to the PPG the Steelers brass will address the media after the 2nd Round - also they are saying that this is the first time this has ever happened...
Cols - Given what the Pats got from the Ravens, I think we could've gotten Oher for a 1 and a 4, 1 and a 3 tops. I'd make that deal.
DJ...that I understand...
Cols...can't buy in to that...
Again that's assuming that they are better than what you have now...
Colts take Fili Moala. Guess his nickname won't be Chris.
I get it..we're going long snapper? LOL..sorry ..old joke from another group I used to belong to..
Here's the deal...I've seen the Steelers win 6 Super Bowls...with that said...I have the utmost confidence in them....
Think Duke Robinson; Herman Johnson; AQ Shipley....
SB - There are reasons those players will be going on day 2.
It wasn't that long ago that the Steelers OL was entirely 1st and 2nd round picks. Back then, we had a good OL. Now, the highest pick on our OL is a 3rd. And, interestingly, now our OL sucks.
Another OT gone.
Uh oh DJ...the Pats just drafted an OL and Mayock said 'people are starting to reach now'....
Yeah but we had 1 First Rounder on the 2005 Super Bowl team - just one...
DJ - I seem to remember us not winning any Super Bowls with that 1st & 2nd round OL. With that said, we do need to pick an OL (or 3 of them) this weekend.
DK - well, yeah, but we had Kordell Stewart and Tommy Maddox at QB.
The reality is (this will kill DJ) we don't need to pick an OL - we need to have a better OL....
Think about it...
SB - ok, so how do you propose doing that, given that we have a salary cap; draft picks that have to be used and paid; and that our O-Linemen, lousy as they are, have been some of the best o-linemen in recent FA classes?
Sebastian Vollmer, the OT the Pats picked, had a mid 3rd round grade from Scouts Inc. Not that they are infallible or anything.
The three first round guys ESPN.com doesn't have video on are Mack, Wood and Hood.
Coupla things....
First...if you are to argue Kordell or Tommy Maddox were the reason the Steelers did not win with such a great OL then you would acknowledge that OL by itself does not win games
Second...we may very well have men on our current roster (Capizzi, Hills etc..) that could step up - and before you say they can't - you could have argued the same thing the 2nd time we cut James Harrison..
And since some of these teams have drafted OL they may be cutting a few men....
For the record DJ - the ESPN Radio 1250 guy's are saying - "they have to go OL don't they?"
And there goes Beatty
DJ my friend....
We are picking 32nd.....
You take the good with the bad...
I'd rather select here then get 'really good picks' every year..
Obviously you don't need OL to win. Witness the 2005 and 2008 Steelers.
My argument is that the Steelers biggest hole in the 2007 draft, the 2008 draft, and the 2009 draft has been o-line every time. And, in each case, we haven't made any serious effort to address that area of need.
SBill is hopefully thinking straight here, Duke Robinson or Herman Johnson
Mayock calls Beatty a 'developmental' guy....which means he won't be starting this year any way...
Using Cols logic earlier we did not have the ammo to get 'immediate impact' OL
SB - last time we were picking 32, we picked 25th.
This is true..and thank God Santonio can block...
Kidding
Listen...I love Fat Guys...but I also love and trust the Steelers...they have associated a value on these men...we need to trust them....
Correct me if my impression is wrong... It seems like lots of good OGs and Cs come from the mid to late rounds and FAs, but OTs (esp. OTs) tend to come from the early rounds. Could mean we'll be franchising Max for a few more years, which really isn't the worst outcome in my mind.
Well, ELSM, assuming the CBA gets extended with the same terms, every time we franchise Starks it increases his salary by at least 5%, so at some point that becomes prohibitively expensive.
However, the best Gs and Cs still get drafted day 1.
ELSM - funny you bring up Starks. Wouldn't the easiest way to free up salary cap room be to sign him to a longer deal? It's a bit strange that they haven't yet, and I'm not quite sure what to read into it, if anything.
I equate our view of the men being drafted to falling in love with the 'tallest midget'....
By the time the Draft rolled around Matthew Stafford was the 2nd coming...for example...
ESPN's link to a video clip for Hood and for the Steelers are both for Hakeem Nicks. Alternate universe, I guess.
DJ....remember the first day used to include 3 rounds....
So we still technically have one more round...
Here it is...
Dean, we had a thread about Max a week or so ago. Can't recall if you were part of it. I think the Steelers woudl like to sign him to a longer deal. The problem is there is little incentive for Max to sign a deal, as the guaranteed money won't be too so much more than his 2009 salary.
SB - I do remember that. I was using the currently accurate version of "day 1."
ELSM - must have been when I was on vacation, but that makes sense.
Oh man..another Defensive End...
Here's hoping for Duke
Just making fun of DJ...
Gruden has lost his mind....
they all look like Wii characters
NFLN has gone off the deep end...funny though
Apparently we just traded DOWN
Trade out of round 2.
Somebody grab DJ...the Steelers traded the pick
For the record...scratching my head....what did we get???
9 picks and we're trading down. Seems odd. Anyone know what we got?
I'm fine with trading out of the 2nd pick, but like I mentioned this morning, can somebody just let me know before I spend seven hours in front of the teevee? Oh, right, I don't have anything else to do. Never mind.
Looks like the salary cap heavily influenced this draft. Apparently the FO didn't see anyone they wanted to spend money on.
That sucks. I don't understand this move at all.
I mean... geez... we just won a Superbowl. Outside of our OL, we don't really have any holes. We don't have many open jobs on our roster. And we already have a TON of picks. So, sure, instead of trying to move up once or twice to get good o-linemen, let's trade down to get more picks, which we can use on players who won't be able to make the team, that's a great idea.
DJ...the speculation on the radio is that they are going to try to trade up in the 3rd....
Does anyone know what DJ thinks of our draft so far?
Well, a pretty boring 1st day for the Steelers. I'm warming to the Hood pick, he seems like he'll fit right in at DE.
DJ has made Day One well worth it....
Seems like one strategy this year is to load up on picks and let the best man (men!) win.
The Steelers will have 3 3rd Rounders tomorrow....
Anywhere online I can listen to the presser?
Anyone know the terms of the trade?
Hang on DJ....
The Steelers dealt their second round pick (64th) and a fourth (132) to Denver for the 79th and 84th selections.
I have to believe that the Roscoe Parrish deal is dead. The Mike Thomas draft pick might not be though.
The brass has not arrived yet - but here you go..
http://sports.espn.go.com/statio.../espnradio1250/
Could be that the strategy to load up on picks is the reflection of what many pundits think is a relatively weak draft. The best way to find good players among a poor crop is to harvest a big crop.
Looks like we're picking at 15 and 20 round 3.
That seems like an okay deal to me. 3.15 and 3.20 for 2.32.
Cols - what leads you to think that the Parrish deal is dead? I think that compiling picks actually makes it more likely to happen tomorrow.
Oh, didn't know we gave up our 4th, too. Still probably okay, but not as good. The third round should be interesting.
Speculation on the Radio is that the Steelers didn't think anyone at 64 would be starting anyway - plus they felt (again speculation) that they will be able to get the same guy's tomorrow...
Thanks SB
Forget my earlier punditry.
If I understand this correctly, we had a 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-round pick. Instead, we now have three 3rd-round picks: 3.79, 3.84, and 3.96.
DJ...this was just posted by Wex:
"Failing in their attempt to trade up for Max Unger, the Steelers looked around at pick 64, saw no legitimate offensive linemen, and traded it to the Denver Broncos for picks 79 and 84 in the third round. The Steelers also gave up their fourth-round pick, No. 132, in the trade."
Well I thought a 4th for Parrish would be more than enough. A 3rd seems like too much, so I'm betting the deal is off.
Men...
This is from the PPG Blog - DJ, keep your fingers crossed my friend:
"10:05 p.m.: GM Kevin Colbert and coach Mike Tomlin just addressed the media. Usual praise for Ziggy Hood, who Colbert said likely would never be called by his given name Evander. Apparently, Hood's grandmother also goes by Ziggy. Colbert said Hood can play multiple positions on the defensive line and can go inside when they play 4-man fronts. He's already graduated from Missouri and Tomlin said Hood is just the type of player they want. Personality wise, he said, Hood should fit right in.
That's it from the South Side. The Steelers made their pick and now have a lot of work to do in round 3. Colbert said they felt there were several players at the end of round 2 they could take and rather than settle for one, traded up to take three on Sunday. He's obviously confident they can do that with three of the next 25 picks."
To piggy back on what I just wrote - a quote from Kevin Colbert:
“There’s a nice group of guys left and we want to get more than one of them,” said Colbert.
Oh and Ziggy almost fainted after being selected by the Steelers:
“I can’t describe the feeling,” said Hood. “My stomach just tightened up all of a sudden and I choked and I almost fainted. I almost fainted.”
A review of Ziggy Hood by Bucky Brooks from NFL.com:
The Steelers snag the energetic Hood at the bottom of their first round to upgrade their depth along the line. Though many pegged Hood as a "one-gap" interior tackle, his combination of strength and movements skills fit in nicely as a 3-4 DE. With the luxury of learning behind a veteran crew, Hood should develop into a starter in a year or two.
That's all well and good, but, realistically, for the cost of a 3rd and a 4th we could've ended today with both Oher and Unger.
Just sayin'
DJ...I don't think we could have selected both....maybe one, but not both....
Probably no one is terribly concerned about our contest, nevertheless I'd try and make some sense to how the trades have affected our selections.
Don't mean go be presumptuous, so if anyone disagrees with these maneuvers, just say so.
Our 2.64 pick moves to 3.79
Our 4.132 pick moves to 3.84
Our 3.96 pick stays the same.
Worst...draft..ever!!
Not really, just needed to quote comic book guy...
I like getting the 2 additional thirds but if Oher turns into a great LT, I think its going to be a discussion point for years. A legit LT fell and they stood pat. I listened to all of SB's arguments and he makes a lot of sense, but I really think they missed the boat.
I like how the scouting reports directly contradict each other on Ziggy. One says he's strong and very quick and has good run support and will be a starter (!!) in a year whilst the other says he is weak in both the lower and upper body.(whats left?) and is very weak against the run. Not that it means anything...Im just bummed out..and if Herman is drafted tomorrow because he was the biggest baby in Louisiana history? That will not assuage my mood.
Lets see..to really get my goat, they'd have to go FB, WR and TE. I wouldn't put it past them. Yes I know ..they have more shiny Lombardi's, but I fear a BEn-less season with this line.
Count me among those disappointed (if not quite dismayed) there wasn't more aggressive action to trade up for Oher, Unger and/or Britton. Though, to Steeler Bill's point, I trust the FO, they pretty clearly seem to think differently about the o-line than some of us here do. to be fair, they are winning the argument so far; the XLIII trophy confirms that. we'll see what happens from here, though. could be a long, painful season if #7 goes down early.
for the record, DJ (or maybe ELSM?) was right about the 1st and 2nd round-packed OL. 4 of the 5 starters in XL were in fact picked in those rounds (and Starks was a 3rd). Hartings wasn't drafted by us, but that's irrelevant to the argument.
oh yeah -- go Pens! we OWN the Flyers.
Oher was not going to supplant any of the lineman we have from day one. Rookies don't start right away on this on this team unless someone is injured or they're Casey Hampton.
So if Ben goes down early, that was going to happen no matter who they drafted. Let's see how awesome Oher is when he has to protect Flacco against Harrison and Co. twice this season. I doubt he'll be successful.
I don't know that there was a better DL available to us but I am glad we went in that direction in round one two thirds of the DL will be UFAs and, as we all know, they are old.
Aaron Smith's injury two years ago showed how devastating an injury on the front line can be to us. I have thought this is our position of greatest need because of age, depth and contract status.
We came into the season not needing starters for this year, but starters for next year. Yes, we need to add to the o-line and their are contract issues (Starks, Hartwig, Colon UFAs and Stapleton RFA) but age is less of an issue and the FO can work on contracts here but age and depth were less of an issue I believe.
The o-line is still an issue, but I believe the unit will fare better this year because (1) most importantly, there was 100% turnover on the line last year and they have time to become more of a unit this year and (2) the numbers show that the o-line had good games against non-elite defenses and our schedule is much, much kinder in that regard.
Sounds like the FO tried to move up in Round Two but could not and now has an opportunity to pick up a few players they like this morning.
And since NFL games are won or lost on Sunday's I am hoping the day is good to us.
Here we go Steelers, here we go!
The results of our draft contest after two rounds: Not a single one of us has scored a single point; nevertheless, SteelerBill is ahead because he chose me for the 5th round.
Thank you.
Rob. Oher??
He went at 23. Per the draft value chart, we would have needed to give up our 2nd to get up to 23.
I don't think the chance that Oher puts it together would have been worth giving away our 2nd.
He's a nice summary of Oher:
Oher has the size, strength and athleticism to be an elite left tackle, but he sure didn't play like it in 2008, raising major concerns. If he does not greatly improve his technique, footwork, consistency and intensity, he'll struggle to make it in the NFL. Although the book "The Blind Side" has given him a tremendous amount of positive publicity, details about Oher's learning struggles have hurt his draft stock because teams are concerned about whether he can handle the mental side of the game. Some less-gifted offensive tackle prospects will be drafted ahead of Oher because of that.
I wasn't around for the draft but I did read all the comments afterwards. And I agree with everything Bill in DC just said.
Both of the lines are in dire need of new blood and I've been banging the o-line drum for years. However, unlike the past two years, I'm totally fine with the Hood pick. As much as I hate to think of another year with Roethlisberger as a tackling dummy we know that the offense can at least function as it is now. If either Hampton, or especially Smith, go down our defense is in a lot of trouble (see 2007). The front offices track record in the third has been pretty spotty lately but hopefully the Steelers will use their 3 thirds to pick the best offensive lineman available. At least one of them would have to pan out, right?
If we don't draft players to start in year 1, that means that we'll have a crappy OL in 2009 AND 2010.
Bill - I agree about what happened in 2007, but Kiesel went down for large portions of 2008 and we were ok. Part of that is Aaron Smith is just that much better. Part of that is we improved our depth last year, and are returning it this year.
And, just for fun, using the bullshit Jimmy Johnson draft value chart:
The Pats got 706.6 points in the Oher trade. Our 1 and 3 are worth 706, so a 1, 3, and 7th should've been enough.
The Cowboys got 289 points in the Unger trade. We could've beat that with our 2nd and 5th (294.2)
That would leave us with a pick in each round but the 3rd, and Oher and Unger. Maybe the FO didn't have high grades on Oher, but if they were trying to trade up for Unger we have to assume they did on him. Either way, if the FO was a bit more aggressive about fixing our O-Line, we could've really done something yesterday.
Interestingly, Jarron Gilbert is still on the board. We could've done something different in round 1 and grabbed him.
Shades of '07?
Maybe there is a good reason Jason Gilbert is still on the board. And a good reason they didn't want to to trade for Oher. Remember we don't know anything compared to the Steelers front office. Mock drafts just serve to convince people that they know what they're talking about. They don't.
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