OT: Steelers Talk

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

So, as someone who failed to take an IUP accounting degree----do these numbers support or disavow what I was saying? Can you give the non-statistical laymen crowd here some explanation? LOL.

It is also interesting to note (at least just off the top of my head) that the Stillers have only drafted three QBs in the first round in the past 50 years (Bradshaw, Mark Malone, Big Ben) and have not drafted an OT in the first round since 1996 (Jamain Stephens).

[IUPMonk]

??1969 to 1979 draft picks as Steelers built 4x Super bowl teams. The NA count shows drafts positions traded. Interesting to see only 4 over those 11 years.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Regarding the center position with the Stillers it is interesting to note how many great players they have had at that position---Mike Webster and Dermonti Dawson are Hall of Famers and Pouncey very likely will be one day. But interesting, they never won a single Super Bowl with either Dawson or Pouncey snapping the ball. It is true. In the SB title seasons of 2005 and 2008 the centers were Jeff Hartings and Justin Hartwig, respectively. Both were derived from free agency as castoffs from other teams.

There is no need to draft a center high as you can likely find some schlub to do it either in free agency or over the waiver wire and save yourself a lot of money in the process. Or another idea may be to draft that Bama center who got hurt last year in a lower round and give him time to acclimate and heal to the job. Absolutely no need whatsover to draft a center in the first or second round. Championships are usually won by great QBs and/or great defenses---not by some all-world center.

The Stillers should look to either a LB, LT, RB (only Najee Harris), or a QB (if one should fall) with their first round pick.

[Fightingscot82]

Agree on Pouncey. He along with most of the OL is hitting that point in their careers when they're injured often and when healthy not what they once were.

Anybody ever notice that the Steelers treat receivers like the Pirates treat pitchers? As soon as they're going to cost them they let them walk. Granted, I can't think of many who have thrived after leaving town.

This is when they need to knock a draft out of the park but I'm not confident they will.

[IUPalum]

There's such a fear of drafting RBs in Round 1 nowadays. But, they certainly need an upgrade.

I thought Benny Snell Football would have been better. Benny Snell Football never lived up to Benny Snell Football's hype.

Pouncey retiring was a blessing.

JuJu can ride off in to the sunset. He's easily replaceable.

Correct on JuJu and Pouncey. Pouncey wasn't the same guy the last two years and it opens 8mil in cap now.

Benny has no speed, lacks vision and really didn't have the power he was said to have.

They may be better off signing a cheap free agent like a Wayne Gallman. He can catch and he sure doesn't want to sit in the #2 roll in NY to rot. He's not a stud but he'd be an upgrade. There are other cheap options available too.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

There's such a fear of drafting RBs in Round 1 nowadays. But, they certainly need an upgrade.

I thought Benny Snell Football would have been better. Benny Snell Football never lived up to Benny Snell Football's hype.

Pouncey retiring was a blessing.

JuJu can ride off in to the sunset. He's easily replaceable.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

I think Najee Harris is the only round 1 worthy back. There are many backs that are very good that go unnoticed annually. It's easy to be a stud RB behind the Clemson O-Line. Yes, you can say the same about Harris and the Bama line BUT Harris displayed all the qualities of speed, power and awareness. I'm not sure Etienne showed that power. He seemed more of a 3rd down type in the NFL.

Agree all the way with you. Harris is a stud back with his physical attributes (power, pass catching and certainly hurdling over that one defender) and is a first round talent. Etienne is more a system product. I was very underwhelmed watching his tape. There are good backs to be had in rounds 2 and 3.

[IUPalum]

Good argument for that as well. There are some good OTs in the draft and a few of them very well may reach the Stillers at 24. Certainly Tampa Bay mined gold this year by drafting OT Tristan Wirfs a year ago. I watched some tape of Clemson's Travis Etienne and was a bit underwhelmed by the skillset. Najee Harris of Bama could be a possiblity as well. Or you could wait a round or two and find a decent enough of one. Javonte Williams of UNC maybe.

I think Najee Harris is the only round 1 worthy back. There are many backs that are very good that go unnoticed annually. It's easy to be a stud RB behind the Clemson O-Line. Yes, you can say the same about Harris and the Bama line BUT Harris displayed all the qualities of speed, power and awareness. I'm not sure Etienne showed that power. He seemed more of a 3rd down type in the NFL.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

No way they take anything other than an O-line or a stud RB round one. Only way that changes is if they do something in free agency before they draft. You need good fat guys up front in order to win!

Good argument for that as well. There are some good OTs in the draft and a few of them very well may reach the Stillers at 24. Certainly Tampa Bay mined gold this year by drafting OT Tristan Wirfs a year ago. I watched some tape of Clemson's Travis Etienne and was a bit underwhelmed by the skillset. Najee Harris of Bama could be a possiblity as well. Or you could wait a round or two and find a decent enough of one. Javonte Williams of UNC maybe.

[IUPalum]

No way they take anything other than an O-line or a stud RB round one. Only way that changes is if they do something in free agency before they draft. You need good fat guys up front in order to win!

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

I can't find a thread for the Steelers, so here's one.

Announced today: Maurkice Pouncey announced his retirement. That's a big hit to the team but a good chunk gone from the cap.

Thank you for starting this thread. I had been pondering starting a Stillers/NFL thread for some time now but never got around to it.

JJ Watt would be a good bet to join the Stillers. I think that I would try and get rid of FB Derek Watt. They pay him way too much and contributes very little.

I hope the Stillers don't feel a need to draft Pouncey's replacement in the first round. They drafted him #1 in 2010 when they could have had a TE out of Arizona named Gronk. Pouncey was good at what he did but when was the last time a Super Bowl champion said thank God we had that guy at center.

My personal pick at this juncuture for the Stillers first round pick (#24 overall) is LB Zaven Collins out of Tulsa. The guy has it all. Size (6-4, 260), speed, athleticism and brains. I'd like to restock some talent and depth into the LB corps. That was what really killed the Stillers last year during that slide once they lost Dupree. Draft a good LB and you can simply allow Dupree to exit via free agency instead of trying to tag him for somthing like $18 million. They could use the savings here.

I also let JuJu take a walk into free agency.

[IUPalum]

Ben is going to extend his contract and help with the cap. He is going nowhere! Losing Pouncey only helps. It helps the cap and he's play this past season was subpar. He's ready to be done mentally and physically. As far as JJ Watt coming, it better be as a huge discount or push some of the money towards next year when they have 180 mil in cap space.

[Fightingscot82]

I think I saw that Madden said it's likely. Given how far he is up Ben's colon, he probably knows something.

[Chuck Norris]

I can't find a thread for the Steelers, so here's one.

Announced today: Maurkice Pouncey announced his retirement. That's a big hit to the team but a good chunk gone from the cap.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Rumors swirling that Houston may release JJ Watt. Put all three brothers in Pittsburgh and go with the best offense is a strong defense?

He'd have to take a serious discount. But, in that situation -- and that he's already made a fortune -- maybe. That would be some DL.