Morgan Burnett

Burnett is certainly an upgrade over Mitchell, whose failures were a huge part of all the big plays the defense gave up last season. Mitchell took terrible angles on running plays and failed to get into position on deep passes all season. I don't even care about big plays, though some interceptions would be nice. Burnett can provide the solid play that Mitchell consistently failed to deliver.

 

Solid signing. I know everyone was bummed about missing out on Mathieu and he would have been great on this team, but unfortunately you can't have a roster of stars at every position and stay under the cap. You need to fill the team with under the radar performers to compliment the star players and that's what Burnett is. If we had a definite on Shazier's status and his money wasn't on the books I think Mathieu is wearing a Steelers jersey but that's the way it goes.

 

Exactly! it buys the D some time and stops the bleeding all while saving some cap space.

 

I love the pick as well but I think now the first round is wide open. IMO, I feel the S position is deep and the ILB position is not as deep but has some nice players in the first 4 rounds. I feel some of our needs are Oline, OLB, WR and RB. It would not surprise me is one of these players could be the pick: Guice, Washington, Okoronkwo & Gesicki. This draft is pretty week at OLB/pass rusher so don't be surprised if Okoronko starts getting some attention. Gonna be interesting from here on out.

 

Solid signing. The fact he's better than Mitchell is a plus but I would have taken bostic over him and of course the badger but solid. I think he should move to Ss and see what Davis can do at free safeyy..

 

I think Reid is a better player than burnett

 

Besides his injury history the more I read the more I like the signing. Still need to look at a safety in the draft. I believe they will draft an ILB 1st though.
Running back should be in the mix early as well.

 

Sorry NYSF don't like any of those guys in the first round...Okoronkwo I liked very early but upon reading of his rush the passer or nothing play I viewed some tape myself and it stood out. Can he be coached up...by this staff I have my doubts plus you really don't want someone you gotta push...

Gesecki...he is strictly a receiving TE and it's not a immediate need even with your disdain for Vance this offense need a more well rounded TE...

Washington is a down the field receiver who when watching seems to be of the one trick pony mold who didn't even blaze at the combine,not sure about his pro day...either way 1st round I don't see it...

Guice...ehh. I think we can find much better value at RB later . Chubb,Michell,K.Johnson , Ballage, Penny just to name a few.

I still see a major need at ILB and FS and I hope they fell the same way. I think the only thing these latest FA signings afford us is the ability to take BPA at ILB,FS or if a OLB falls our way....

 

With the signing of Burnett and all the young guys we have in our secondary, with some potentially looking at new roles and positions add in the probable draft pick (s) in the secondary ,the most important coach on the team has become Tom Bradley. We need him to mold our secondary for the future.

 

I have watched Anthony Miller play a few times he's real good, he's like a poor man's AB.

 

I get where your coming from and respect your opinion, but why I picked these names isn't about need. I am saying that now with our last 2 signings we don't have a big obvious need. The way the Steelers operate has been more BPA, yeah we have went out and drafted need but for the most part we have been more BPA.

I feel pass rusher is bad in this draft and I can see the Steelers thinking they can get good S, ILB, RB and WR later in the draft but the drop off in pass rusher is bigger. I don't know a lot about Oko but what I have read many are high on him so that is why I mentioned him.

As for Gesicki he is a down the field thread and that is what the Steelers have been looking for in a TE. As for Vance I have said many times I like the play not the contract. Just because I don't want to spend the money on a guy don't mean I don't like him, I just feel his injury history out weights his salary. I want him back at about half the price and it is that simple, I don't want to turn this thread into a Vance fest again.

Washington is a down the field guy and that is what we will need when MB leaves next year not to mention what he would bring to the return game, I like this kid a ton.

Guice I am not a fan of, I have said a lot that my guys were Penny, Ballage and Freeman but I have seen these guys start climbing the mocks and my not be around later. One name I want to watch more of is Jordan Chunn, he may be the guy that could be the late rounder we need.

 

I really believe Bostic is an early season stop gap while we get our rookie ready but I do believe there are guys in this draft that could be starters as later round picks. I know some are high on LVE and he is solid I just think the depth in the position might allows us to open up the first round more to BPA.

As far as Oko goes I liked what I saw in the senior bowl and I must not have been the only one:

"Okoronkwo is chiseled out of marble and he has the makings of being a solid pass rusher," Harris writes. "It was obvious that he was working on his full gamut of moves, not trying to throw the same move throughout the one-on-one drills.

"His spin move was a little slow, but when he hit the gas from the outside with a quick dip-rip, he couldn’t be stopped. He beat tackle Tyrell Crosby (Oregon) with that move and Crosby asked for another rep with the Sooner star. Obo then beat him again on the next one with an inside move."


I have not watched much more than the senior bowl but we all know how high pass rusher rise during the draft. Who knows what will happen but I am just saying this name would surprise me.

 

I like the Burnett and Bostic signings, the draft picks at safety and ILB won't have to start right away. The rookies can start getting their playing time in the nickel and dime defensive packages. We need to draft a safety and ILB who are good in coverage.

 

Would rather have a few games missed than....
.....Mitchell battled throughout the year with [insert injury]. I’m thinking shoulder or groin and poor play.

 

Yessssss!!!!!! I can finally put any fear I had of us re-signing Mike "Big Talker, Little Walker" Mitchell out if my mind.

Hey, Mikey...

 

Oh yea hes pretty good.

 

Burnett is a good value pick just like Bostic.3 year contract at 14.5 mil is what we could afford and I’m sure if we had more cap space we would have taken Mathieu.Two years ago he was rated by PFF as the best run stopping safety in the league.Raps up runners well and rarely whiffs on tackles.May be in the average category overall but is big upgrade over Mitchell which isn’t saying much but an improvement.

 

Both signings are improvements, work still needs to be done on defense. I am hoping they still stay ILB and safety
going into the draft and hope coach bradley can coach up this secondary group. You may really see BPA when we pick. Not a need driven pick?????

 

I am not sure how you can say average when depending on which site you check Burnett was ranked as a top safety if not the best in FA. For some reason he took a lot less than most thought he was going to get, yeah his play slipped last year but he has been pretty good over all:

Burnett, whose production slipped in 2017, ranked 62nd among all safeties, according to Pro Football Focus' grades. But he ranked 12th in 2016 and ninth the season before. By comparison, the player Burnett would replace, Mike Mitchell, ranked 24th in 2015, 42nd in 2016 and 64th last season.

 

I agree I want a S and ILB in this draft and I really feel our depth will be fixed unlike last year.

 

I was able to watch one of his games(Kan ST.) and man I wasn't impressed. Yeah he had one sack and he did show a good spin move but that was it most of the times he played half speed. He was taken out of the play a lot by the OT(#74) and looked like he was out powered. He is day and night from what I saw at the senior bowl but if I remember right I do believe Kiper did say his film was inconsistent. Everything I read about the week of practice said Oko was one guy who had a great week of practice, so that tells me he plays when he wants to.......no thank you.

 

The drop in play last year can't be dismissed. If he really was the 62nd-best safety in the NFL last year, he shouldn't be a starter. Then again, I'm not sure how they do those rankings or if the games missed are factored in as a negative.

All I'm really hoping to see is a consistent, solid tackler who actually has the speed to get where he is supposed to be when they double-team a receiver on a deep ball, the two areas where Mitchell consistently failed miserably last season. A healthy Burnett can do those things.

 

I am not sure as well and I agree however maybe I am just blinded that Mitchell won't be there, lol. The one thing I want to see is a safety coming over to help. I am not talking about helping pick the ball up after the td and giving it to the ref I mean actually being part of the play.......