OT: Steelers Talk

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

I think the whole Mac Jones thing is nothing but smoke. He's nothing more than a Mason Rudolph. Easy to be great in college when you are surrounded by first rounders. I think the smoke is to get more teams trading up so the player Pittsburgh wants falls. Also, let's not forget how much these agents talk/promote their players to generate more interest. I just don't see the Steelers taking Mac Jones in round 1. LB probably isn't the pick either since Bush will be back and Highsmith get better ever play> I truly think Highsmith is further along at this point than Dupree was. Yes, they will draft a depth LB later on in the draft.

I agree that Highsmith is much further along than Dupree at the same point his his career. I also do not feel the Stillers will draft Mac Jones. Maybe a Kyle Trask later on but he is saddled with the mobility of Big Ben----at 38. Probably the QB the Stillers would like is Trey Lance out of NDSU. But he is a top eight pick.

I just feel when the Stillers lost so many of their LBs last year that spelled the end of the year for them (more specficically when Dupree went down after Bush and Spillane.) I have been watching film on some of these LBs like Zaven Collins, Nick Bolton, Jeriamiah Owusu-Koroamoah, Jalean Phillips, et al and these guys could really provide some real depth and fury for the black and gold.

Certainly, OT could be a possible pick at #24 as well. Someone decent will fall there. Maybe Teven Jenkins, Sam Cosmi, or Jaylen Mayfield. Or maybe they want to roll the dice with the Bama back Najee Harris.

My first two round mock at this point----

Round 1- Zaven Collins LB Tulsa (or one of the other LBs)

Round 2- Liam Eichenberg OT Notre Dame (or you could move up to get say a RB like Javonte Williams out of UNC)

[IUPalum]

The Yinzers trading up to get Mac Jones gaining major steam in the media.

I saw that recently disgruntled QB Russell Wilson also wants traded. Seattle said 'serious' talks would start at (3) No. 1 picks.


That's like the tag for Bo Callhan in Draft Day.

I think the whole Mac Jones thing is nothing but smoke. He's nothing more than a Mason Rudolph. Easy to be great in college when you are surrounded by first rounders. I think the smoke is to get more teams trading up so the player Pittsburgh wants falls. Also, let's not forget how much these agents talk/promote their players to generate more interest. I just don't see the Steelers taking Mac Jones in round 1. LB probably isn't the pick either since Bush will be back and Highsmith get better ever play> I truly think Highsmith is further along at this point than Dupree was. Yes, they will draft a depth LB later on in the draft.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

The Yinzers trading up to get Mac Jones gaining major steam in the media.

I saw that recently disgruntled QB Russell Wilson also wants traded. Seattle said 'serious' talks would start at (3) No. 1 picks.


That's like the tag for Bo Callhan in Draft Day.

I'm glad that Big Ben is coming back.

I do like Mac Jones. He may fit well into Pittsburgh. But his stock is likely rising by the minute. Probably will be a top 15 pick.

If I am the Stillers I am going LB in the first round. That is the point in the season when the wheels came off last season when they ran out of them. This draft is absolutley loaded with some very high quality LBs.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The Yinzers trading up to get Mac Jones gaining major steam in the media.

I saw that recently disgruntled QB Russell Wilson also wants traded. Seattle said 'serious' talks would start at (3) No. 1 picks.


That's like the tag for Bo Callhan in Draft Day.

[Fightingscot82]

Of course the X factor back then compared to today was there was less teams and way more rounds. The days of finding those diamonds in the rough (as the Yinzers so often did back then) ... still exist to a degree but not like back then. Scouting is insanely involved today. I remember the story about when they took Mean Joe ... half the NFL teams had never heard of him.

That said, if you put Jack Lambert in a draft with today's 'over analysis' ... he probably wouldn't even get drafted. He'd be called too frail with his skinny frame or moved to safety.

Also, there's a reason the Steelers did so well drafting from relatively unknown schools - tons of good black players were going to HBCUs.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Well since the ice and snow washed out my crick fishing lest I take another February plunge from the slippery banks I got a little board. I really don't know if those numbers are relevant in the free agency area. But when the Steelers were rebuilding and then maintaining their 70s dominance, it shows what they drafted. The biggest interesting point is that they kept all but 4 draft picks in the those 11 years which means building through the draft worked back then and I would think it would work now.

In the first 4 rounds the most positions they drafted where DB, RB, LB, and WR.
The majority of their guard and tackles where drafted mid rounds.
They took they majority of their centers in rounds 2-4.
DBs, RBs, and WRs made up half of their 1st round picks over those years.
Over those 11 years they drafted 31 DBs, 30 LBs, 26 RBs, and 25 WRs. Remember Noll would draft the best available athletes after position needs where met.

And it's always good to keep the spreadsheet skills sharp in case a light part time comes my way.

Of course the X factor back then compared to today was there was less teams and way more rounds. The days of finding those diamonds in the rough (as the Yinzers so often did back then) ... still exist to a degree but not like back then. Scouting is insanely involved today. I remember the story about when they took Mean Joe ... half the NFL teams had never heard of him.

That said, if you put Jack Lambert in a draft with today's 'over analysis' ... he probably wouldn't even get drafted. He'd be called too frail with his skinny frame or moved to safety.

[Fightingscot82]

That's just plain nucking futs there!

I never realized that the Bernie Madoff scandal was at the center of it. I just assumed it was a really stupid way to save money in the short term.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/01/bobb...lucrative.html

That's just plain nucking futs there!

[Fightingscot82]

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/01/bobb...lucrative.html

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

The Mets had him for another year locked in at a huge number. But, they wanted rid of him. So, they reached a deal to buy his contract out at like $1.2m every July 4 for the next 20-some years.

Sounds like grounds for a Happy Independence Day there!

Can you do stuff like that in the NFL with the cap? I have no idea on that.

As i understand it Big Ben's cap hit at present for this season is app. $41 million. If they cut him it is app. $22 million.

If they have him sign for an additional $1 mil that could average his salary to just over $20 million over the next two years which would be much more managable. But again, i have no real idea how the cap works. I'm sure it is quite complicated.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

For us non-baseball crowd what exactly is a Bobby Bonilla type deal?

The Mets had him for another year locked in at a huge number. But, they wanted rid of him. So, they reached a deal to buy his contract out at like $1.2m every July 4 for the next 20-some years.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Well since the ice and snow washed out my crick fishing lest I take another February plunge from the slippery banks I got a little board. I really don't know if those numbers are relevant in the free agency area. But when the Steelers were rebuilding and then maintaining their 70s dominance, it shows what they drafted. The biggest interesting point is that they kept all but 4 draft picks in the those 11 years which means building through the draft worked back then and I would think it would work now.

In the first 4 rounds the most positions they drafted where DB, RB, LB, and WR.
The majority of their guard and tackles where drafted mid rounds.
They took they majority of their centers in rounds 2-4.
DBs, RBs, and WRs made up half of their 1st round picks over those years.
Over those 11 years they drafted 31 DBs, 30 LBs, 26 RBs, and 25 WRs. Remember Noll would draft the best available athletes after position needs where met.

And it's always good to keep the spreadsheet skills sharp in case a light part time comes my way.

The only good thing about taking the plunge into a winter crick is that if you were not fully awake---you are immediately after the icy dip. I took an unplanned January plunge back in '03 while hiking and then had to walk several miles back home. The only good thing about it is that I was not cold at all as I was completely numb.

You do present an interesting model here. I think having the years listed would have been an added plus. The Stillers really did mine some gold in their drafts in the very late 60s and early 70s. A lot of that can be attributed to Bill Nunn who will of course be taking his rightful place in the Hall of Fame this summer. He was well versed with many obscure black colleges and had his own way of evaluating NFL caliber talent---most of which had nothing to do with actual football things done on the field.

The Stillers draft class of 1974 will always be the gold standard of any draft class. Crazy talent there. Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, Mike Webster, and Donnie Shell added as an UFA all HOFers. Just plain nuts.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Talks emerging of Ben taking a 'Bobby Bonilla' type deal for next season.

For us non-baseball crowd what exactly is a Bobby Bonilla type deal?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Talks emerging of Ben taking a 'Bobby Bonilla' type deal for next season.

[IUPMonk]

Well since the ice and snow washed out my crick fishing lest I take another February plunge from the slippery banks I got a little board. I really don't know if those numbers are relevant in the free agency area. But when the Steelers were rebuilding and then maintaining their 70s dominance, it shows what they drafted. The biggest interesting point is that they kept all but 4 draft picks in the those 11 years which means building through the draft worked back then and I would think it would work now.

In the first 4 rounds the most positions they drafted where DB, RB, LB, and WR.
The majority of their guard and tackles where drafted mid rounds.
They took they majority of their centers in rounds 2-4.
DBs, RBs, and WRs made up half of their 1st round picks over those years.
Over those 11 years they drafted 31 DBs, 30 LBs, 26 RBs, and 25 WRs. Remember Noll would draft the best available athletes after position needs where met.

And it's always good to keep the spreadsheet skills sharp in case a light part time comes my way.