Night whispers

Not going to happen. Now trading Highsmith I would be in favor of but of course you wouldn't fetch more then a 3rd or 4th but the salary would be gone.

The crop of 1st round prospective QB's has fizzled. Maybe Rodgers if the season ends on a high note would give it the old college try and come back for another season.

Harmon I like as they have waited to long to bolster the D Line sans Benton. But Dart looks like a keeper i who I was hoping for. Unfortunately he would be sitting behind Rudolph as well rotting. So seeing Howard is a pipe dream.

 

I don't think folks wanted to tank for him....and IMO, it would be stupid to tank to get someone that may be good or could be a bust......I think it was more of a trade up to get him thing. I think we should be looking at QBs now, but beyond speculation not pinning anyone on the wall as the guy to get. Those QBs have an entire season ahead of them to show what they have or don't have.

 

I think the number of serious people actually suggesting that was more like y'one. And that's rounding up.

 

bad idea unless we have faith that Howard is the guy. With Rudolph we may squeeze a year of quality (i.e. barely making the playoff) QB play. He’s not the long term solution. If there’s a chance to get a franchise QB next year regardless of AR’s decision we need to go and get him. The early projection says the 2027 draft class is not very deep.

 

There was. And there was some who thought the guy was worth a first round pick.

 

There was some who did. And some who thought to throw a first round pick at him.

 

Hard to tell right now obviously. I like Mendoza well enough, but I am not so sure his ceiling is terribly high. NFL QB's have to be able to create on their own, and Mendoza just.... can't. He's good in the short passing game in phase, but he's pretty bad under pressure. I think he could develop into a nice Jared Goff/Joe Flacco/Andy Dalton type player, but if he wants to be a top 10 QB he's going to have to be close to the best in the league at reading defenses pre-snap and knowing where to deliver the ball. Not saying he can't do it, its just a tougher progression. Sellers is obviously intriguing because he could be a Cam Newton type player, but he still has a long way to go as a passer. Do we think we can develop him? Who knows. I know Mateer played bad coming back in his first game post-hand surgery, but there is a lot to like there. Can create on his own and is quite slippery as a runner. He has a cannon with a really tight, quick release. He just needs to be reigned in a bit when he starts playing "Johnny Ball" from time to time. I think he'd be a beautiful fit in Arthur Smith's offense, and could really be a threat in the RPO game.

 

Yeah, it does. He really should've left last year (hindsight, obviously). I think he really hurt his draft stock, but some team is going to see his size and arm and take a shot on him in day 2. I think he's a pretty big project, but that doesn't mean he can't put it together.

 

I agree. I've not been the biggest supporter of his, but I was open to seeing him put things together this year. Now that he can't, it raises the intrigue of where a team will think that he can.

 

I think some were big on the idea of Manning elevating sharply this season and the Steelers somehow working out a way to take him. I don't know how many actually thought Manning would do that (and elect to leave early), or what the Steelers would realistically do to acquire him.

 

The QB class looks a lot more muddled than it did pre-season.... It also looks significantly worse. Which is why it is important to not just put all your eggs in one basket for a draft year. I honestly wouldn't be mad if we didn't go QB (again) and went into next season with either a Rodgers re-run or give Howard a shot. We better REALLY like a QB to take him, because there really isn't a clear cut winner in the draft IMO.

 

Everyone I know has thought he would stay for another year. So I don't know who hes talking about.

 

This. 100%
Don't just draft a Qb to draft a Qb.

 

beck is looking as good as any. mcowen from UTSA is still my wild card. with howard we have 4 years to figure it out. by then many things could change.

 

Why did you want to tank for Manning

Plus he’s not coming out in the next draft

 

And I don’t think Omar will

 

Manning is going to be a first round pick either in 2026 or 2027.

 

Yes Beck is the front runner to win the Heisman this year.

 

Maybe it’s just me but the OP thread title just doesn’t jump out at me as Steeler related

 

As I have been saying long before the start of the 2025 NCAA FBS I Football Season, barring Texas breaking every single one of the 2019 LSU's Offensive Records, Arch Manning wasn't going to declare anyways. The game against Oklahoma was great for him but John Mateer all but gift wrapped that game to Texas. Moreover to the point, Arch has been too up and down since the start of the season.


Arch will be returning to Texas; as he should. It is the media who truly believes that he will declare. As per usual though, those of us that scout players quite often will be proven right in the end; only for the National Sports Media to retract their statements and perform mental gymnastics on the audience in their vein attempt to prove themselves right. Problem is for them, Social Media captures literally everything anymore.

 

He had a good start with mentioning the improvement of the Offensive Line.


After that though?! I agree. A lot of discussion relating to the draft. I do agree on the fact though that this upcoming 2026 QB Class is much worse than I predicted heading in. Of the seven QBs I had in the Top 50, only two that I see are worthy now of First Round Consideration; the first being LaNorris Sellers (though I honestly see him as a late first to early second player) and the other is the aforementioned Fernando Mendoza V. Cade Klubnik, Drew Allar, Sam Leavitt, John Mateer and Garrett Nussmeier have all fell out of favor for me. Nico is 50/50 while Carson Beck could be sneaking into First Round before the season is over.


As for newcomers?! Ty Simpson from Alabama and Jayden Maiava from USC. Many say Dante Moore but I doubt he declares. Very likely he returns to Oregon.

 

Beck seems similar to Howard in that I think they both profile towards being a good QB in an environment that has a lot of weapons and a good OL. I don't see him as someone that creates on his own, but he could be a good player. The decision to come back has worked quite well for him so far, and if he has a good playoff run, could vault him into the discussion of being an early pick.

 

Omar has shown he isn't going to take a player for the sake of taking a player. Broderick Jones was always going to be a work in progress. This season was no exception; doubly so considering he finally moved back to the spot he is used to playing.


As me and you have both said, this Offensive Line will endure growing pains during the early onset of the Season. Weeks 1-3 were nothing more than vindications of that. I personally said that the dream scenario is for the Offensive Line to look much improved after the bye; doubly so against a Top 3 Front Seven in Cleveland. Surprise, surprise, they did just that; doubly so Broderick Jones.



To say he has the best game of his career is not an understatement. That is the Broderick Jones I envisioned when Pittsburgh traded up for him back in 2023. Was ecstatic about the pick then. Doubly so ecstatic and happy about his progress now.

 

I'm 100% positive Rogers calls it a career after the final whistle blows.
So far, he's penning a nice ending.

Keep an eye on Mac Jones.
If Omar continues to build as he has, he probably will look at a Vet and add another QB somewhere in the draft.
He most definitely can add some top-notch talent to the line of scrimmage and find a WR or two if he doesn't have to risk drafting a QB.
This is not my plan but just based off observations of how Omar works.
He doesn't have to trade up
He doesn't put his neck on the block
He can focus on lower risk positions.

I think there can be as many as 5 promising QB's in this draft. That's not saying the next Peyton Manning or Tom Brady is there... and besides, the NFL has now turned to Josh Allen types.

Speaking of Manning.... I got to go to the OU/Texas game.
Manning is not having a great year but there's a lot of issues with that team.
Manning would be a fool to come out in 2026. He's not ready.
I might even suggest he go through the transfer portal but he says he wants to be a Longhorn.

They did beat a #6 OU team, and I do like the QB Mateer.
Manning played solidly.

If I am Omar, I'd would spend all my time watching college football and the QBs that are coming out.
I am figuring they need to in be position 5-10 picks.
It's way early, I need to see more "Big Games" for this QB crop.
But just a few thoughts.

 

Mendoza did alright in beating top 5 Oregon on the road.