Offensive Draft Thoughts

[BlackGold4vr]

OL
Max Starks - P.O.S. This guy sucks! Nothing personal but he's gonna get Ben killed.
Chris Kemoeatu - Our best pulling guard, plays with an attitude.
Justin Hartwig - A below average center who can't hold his ground against most NT's.
Trai Essex - Below average guard but a servicable back-up.
Willie Colon - Our best O-lineman.
Tony Hills - ???
Kraig Urbik - ???
Ramon Foster - Has filled in nicely for Kemo. Perhaps our future RG?
Doug Legursky - Back-up talent. Strong but slow feet.
Darnell Stapleton - Injured reserve. Could this be our future starting center?

This O-line is not good as a whole. There are pieces that we can build around. I would like to see them draft a franchise LT, but I don't see that happening. Starks has 3 years left on a newly signed contract and they cannot afford to put first round money at a position they are already paying so much for. We still have no idea what we have in Hills or Urbik since they have not seen any playing time. I think Colon gets the franchise tag this year. It would be disastrous to lose the best of the starters on an already below average line. I think the Steelers will bring in some training camp fodder to push the guys we already have but don't see us adding significant pieces to this line. Would love to see an Anthony Davis or a Bruce Campbell but there are more pressing needs on the other side of the ball.

TE
Heath Miller - Keeper. One of the best in the league. Blocks and catches everything.
Matt Spaeth - I haven't seen anything special from Spaeth. Expendible
David Johnson - Better blocker than Spaeth on the 2 tight-end sets. #2 TE ???

We are good at this position. Don't see us drafting a TE and the 3 we have are more than adequate although I would like to see Johnson overtake Spaeth on the depth chart.

RB
Rashard Mendenhall - Still developing but clearly the #1 back.
Willie Parker - UFA will likely sign with another team for more $$ than we would pay him.
Mewelde Moore - They might choose to resign him but could find his 2 mil price tag too steep for a third down back.
Carey Davis - Terd. Have never been a fan of his. Wasted roster spot IMO.

I expect the Steelers to draft a RB and probably bring in a couple more undrafted rookies to compete for the vacant jobs. Don't forget about Isaac Redman.
I am so over my Frank "The Tank" Summers obsession.

WR
Hines Ward - Still a clutch player and best blocking WR in the league.
Santonio Holmes - Clearly our #1 wideout. Explosive, great RAC.
Mike Wallace - Our star from last years draft. Getting better with each game.
Limus Sweed - Personal problems? The Sweed experiment is quickly coming to an end.
Joey Galloway - Won't even be invited back. Emergency stop gap only.
Tyler Grisham - 1 catch, 1 drop. Still an unknown.

No doubt the Steelers will look to bolster their wide receiving corps with a couple more additions. I don't think they address this postion until after the 4th or 5th round.

QB
Ben Roethlisberger - Franchise. Needs better protection.
Charlie Batch - Time to retire Charlie.
Dennis Dixon - Moving up to #2. Liked what I saw from him in the game he played. Coaching is what prevented him from winning the game. He was playing with the cuffs on the entire game. Arians was afraid to unleash him.

I can see the Steelers picking up another QB in the later rounds or even an undrafted free agent after the draft. Whoever this insignificant person is won't make the final roster and will be relegated to the practice squad the rest of the season.

[cmerrifield]

I kind of hope that we offer RFA Colon with the price that requires a 1st round draft pick and someone takes him. We could have 2 first round picks, which would help us, and Colon will only be around another year because after this year he will be an UFA and will require too much money.

[Dylan]

I wouldnt mind seeing the Steelers picking up Trindon Holliday form LSU. The dude is 5'5" 161 lbs. He's the fastest player to ever play college football. He runs a 10.00 100 meter dash. That is almost olympic worthy. He's a faster, better version of Stefan Logan IMO.
He wouldnt be an every down offensive player, but we could use him on special teams and short screen passes. NFLdraftsout says he'll go in the 7th-FA. He would be a solid pick up for any team.

[Zachintosh66]

but paying 2 #1 draft picks makes more sense than paying colon? hmmm

I say re-sign Colon (he his our best OL, if you like him or not) to a long term deal. Starks is making way too much $ for how bad he really is. We just pd Essex and he can play G or T. Urbik might be ready to be off the inactive list in a year or 2 Foster showed he can hold his own, granted hes no all-star but him and Essex are adequate. Hartwig is average at best but the only other options behind him are Doug, AJ and Stapleton all of which make me wanna

--- Added 12/30/2009 at 11:03 AM ---

I wouldnt mind seeing the Steelers picking up Trindon Holliday form LSU. The dude is 5'5" 161 lbs.

I was bigger than that in middle school

[Dylan]

I was bigger than that in middle school

I bet you werent faster than that in middle school.

[BlackGold4vr]

1-18 Brandon Spikes, ILB, 6-3/258, Florida - I believe he will be one of the best players on the board when it is our turn to pick (17-21) and you can NEVER have too many dominant linebackers in a 3-4 defense. Imagine a starting line-up of Woodley-Timmons-Spikes-Harrison

2-50 Terrence Cody, NT, 6-5/365, Alabama - Despite the weight concerns, Cody has been one of the anchors of college footballs #1 defense. He would be able to fill the void that the loss of Hampton would cause. As long as he controlled his weight he could be a dominant NT in the NFL for years to come. Like Casey this guy demands a doubleteam on every play.

3-82 Justin Walton, C, 6-3/305, Baylor - Rated as the top center in this years draft. If we can't fix the problem at LT perhaps fixing the problem at Center would help. Realize we have A.Q. Shipley and Legursky, but who among us think either of these guys is the answer at Center? We need somebody who can get some push up the middle!

4-114 Devin McCourty, CB, 5-11/190, Rutgers - The fifth-year senior is the top cornerback in the Big East, but his job description goes way beyond defense. He is Rutgers’ top kick returner, as the 98-yard return for a touchdown at Connecticut attests. He is also adept at blocking punts (6).

5-146 Myron Rolle, S, 6-2/216, FSU - Myron finished second on the FSU team with 57 tackles, to go along with five interceptions. Rolle has good range and is a sure tackler. Rolle’s 6’2”, 216 size is prototypical for a strong safety and he compares to former Stanford safety Tank Williams. The dude is also a Rhodes Scholar and is studying to be a doctor so he's a high character player and extremely smart.

Throw in another RB, WR, and QB on the back end and this would work for me.

[Black@Gold Forever32]

1-18 Brandon Spikes, ILB, 6-3/258, Florida - I believe he will be one of the best players on the board when it is our turn to pick (17-21) and you can NEVER have too many dominant linebackers in a 3-4 defense. Imagine a starting line-up of Woodley-Timmons-Spikes-Harrison

2-50 Terrence Cody, NT, 6-5/365, Alabama - Despite the weight concerns, Cody has been one of the anchors of college footballs #1 defense. He would be able to fill the void that the loss of Hampton would cause. As long as he controlled his weight he could be a dominant NT in the NFL for years to come. Like Casey this guy demands a doubleteam on every play.

3-82 Justin Walton, C, 6-3/305, Baylor - Rated as the top center in this years draft. If we can't fix the problem at LT perhaps fixing the problem at Center would help. Realize we have A.Q. Shipley and Legursky, but who among us think either of these guys is the answer at Center? We need somebody who can get some push up the middle!

4-114 Devin McCourty, CB, 5-11/190, Rutgers - The fifth-year senior is the top cornerback in the Big East, but his job description goes way beyond defense. He is Rutgers’ top kick returner, as the 98-yard return for a touchdown at Connecticut attests. He is also adept at blocking punts (6).

5-146 Myron Rolle, S, 6-2/216, FSU - Myron finished second on the FSU team with 57 tackles, to go along with five interceptions. Rolle has good range and is a sure tackler. Rolle’s 6’2”, 216 size is prototypical for a strong safety and he compares to former Stanford safety Tank Williams. The dude is also a Rhodes Scholar and is studying to be a doctor so he's a high character player and extremely smart.

Throw in another RB, WR, and QB on the back end and this would work for me.

I like it very much sir......Do you think Cody will be there in the 2nd when we pick?.......

You're spot on about the LB core....You can never have enough LB's when running the 3-4....Spikes is one of the players on my list to....Farrior is getting closer to the glue factory by the day....But I do think Farrior can remain to teach Spikes the defense and remain the top back up at ILB........I think adding another OLB at some point in this draft would be smart to......

Love Cody but I don't think he would last until we pick in the 2nd......But I could be wrong....

Walton is fine with me as well....I love Pouncy from Florida but I do think we should spend a pick that high on a center.....So yea Walton would be a nice fit and worth the value in round 3....

McCourty is a nice player.....As you said he has added value as a kick returner......

Rolle would have been a higher pick if he didn't take the time off to be Rhodes Scholar.....Which speaks volumes on what kind of person he is......

[BlackGold4vr]

I like it very much sir......Do you think Cody will be there in the 2nd when we pick?.......

I do think Cody will fall into the 2nd round. As the underclassmen continue to declare, Cody has been dropping on all the draft boards I have been watching. I think his weight concerns might just drop him into our range in the 2nd round.

[Black@Gold Forever32]

I do think Cody will fall into the 2nd round. As the underclassmen continue to declare, Cody has been dropping on all the draft boards I have been watching. I think his weight concerns might just drop him into our range in the 2nd round.

Well I hope you're right......

[cmerrifield]

[QUOTE=Zachintosh66;327380]but paying 2 #1 draft picks makes more sense than paying colon? hmmm

I say re-sign Colon (he his our best OL, if you like him or not) to a long term deal. Starks is making way too much $ for how bad he really is. We just pd Essex and he can play G or T. Urbik might be ready to be off the inactive list in a year or 2 Foster showed he can hold his own, granted hes no all-star but him and Essex are adequate. Hartwig is average at best but the only other options behind him are Doug, AJ and Stapleton all of which make me wanna

Only because most 1st round deals are 5 years, wouldnt it be nice to have a OT for the next 5 years instead of 1 more, then free agency. We might as well get something for Colon when he leaves. I agree he is our best OL man, but we wont be able to pay him what other teams will offer with no cap.