For anyone wondering why a team with a franchise QB struggles so much ...

2006:
=====

1. Santonio Holmes
3. Anthony Smith
3. Willie Reid


2007:
=====
1. Lawrence Timmons
2. LaMarr Woodley
3. Matt Spaeth


2008:
=====

1. Rashard Mendenhall
2. Limas Sweed
3. Bruce Davis


2009:
=====

1. Ziggy Hood
2. Kraig Urbik
3. Mike Wallace
3. Keenan Lewis



We hit on a fair number of our 1st through 3rd round picks in the 2006-2009 drafts, but how many did we get at least 5 good years out of? Really just Timmons.

We need to do better than that in our more recent drafts, or we will find ourselves right back in a death spiral of talent. We need to hit on our picks ... and then we need to ride them into their 2nd contracts.

 

Dont forget one of the biggest bust linebackers of all, 2nd round pick Alonzo Jackson.....

 

Yeah but I was limiting myself to a specific time frame. Even if Alonzo had worked out, it's pretty unlikely that he would have still been playing well at age 32, 33, and 34.

 

We've definitely had a lot of whiffs but most teams do. I'm not apologizing. I'm just saying. Bell appears to be a great pick and obviously AB is. The jury is out on Wheaton. DeCastro is looking pretty solid and Tuitt is looking like he might be a pretty good pick as well. I do think the Rainey, Landry, and Archer picks were pretty reckless though. As far as picking guys that are going to make it in to their second contract that is actually a pretty rare thing to do I'd say because the average NFL career is less than 5 years. MOST of the guys we, and everybody else pick, won't even be in the LEAGUE within 5yrs of the draft. So it's not just a Steelers thing but I do still hate the fact that some of our earlier picks haven't panned out as well as we'd like for them to. Adams comes to mind. He's maybe serviceable but will probably never be a world beater. I don't know that Heyward will ever be all that dominant either but I like the fire and leadership he seems to bring and I want him here. Superstars are just hard to find. For any team.

 

The average career length for a first-round draft pick is 9.3 years.

The average career length for a player who makes a club’s opening-day roster (active/inactive roster and/or injured reserve) in his rookie season is 6.0 years.

Read more: http://nflcommunications.com/2011/0...an-you-might-think-commissioner-goodell-says/

 

That still seems like he's skewing thing a little doesn't it? If he's saying "they don't make the roster". But is that people who are drafted he's talking about or is he adding in undrafted. Also he said "about" 6yrs. Which leads me to believe the number before six is actually 5. Which would probably be where people get the number 5. So maybe the phrase should be "less than 6" to please his highness. LOL. I hope that pro bowl stat is true though because that will mean we could have AB and Bell for a lot more years. That list of people still playing over that span seems rather small though in the grand scheme of things doesn't it? If there are 32 teams with 53 and then now 10 allowed on the PS then 288 in relation to that amount seems small and that's over quite a span of time.

 

Yeah but that was a list of guys that were a decade into their career at that time (that list is from 2011). An average of 9 ten year veterans per team is pretty significant.

 

btw for anyone who cares ... which is no one ... Ziggy Hood played 16 games for the Jaguars this season and started 0.

Our replacement for Aaron Smith can't start for one of the worst defenses in the NFL.

 

Nauseating

 

That is why I suggest we target a certain group. It makes sense that we would get better at looking at the talent if all eyes where on a specific group. I also believe if you draft a certain group it should increase your chances of hitting . Plus from an economic stand point you almost have to draft your CB'S a Team needs at least 4 good ones IMO . We have 1 that I would put in the good range .

 

Dang.

 

Bad news is we drafted him. Good news is we didn't keep him.

I'm starting to think the draft is like growing tomatoes. You look at a plant in May which is 12" tall and try to guess how many tomatoes you will get in August.

 

They helped the team either win, or get to, a Superbowl. I don't argue the number of years. But I suggest these players had a significant enough impact to not consider them a bust. Indeed, I suggest they either were, or still are, good for the team, during their tenure.

 

Do positional coaches have any accountability, in making draft picks produce?

Just sayin, when you keep picking players that are expected to produce...

And they don`t, is that ever the fault of their coaches?

I don`t know, and I`m not really trying to throw the blame there, just opening it up for discussion...

Seems we have had some "good" picks, that haven`t panned out, and some that have had injuries...

Not sure you can blame Colbert 100% on all of that...

But, I know some of you will...
LOL!
Discuss, Limas, Shazier, Spence, Bell, Archer, Heyward, timmons, woodley, woriilds, etc...

Some work, Some don`, is my take, on it..

GO STEELERS!!!

 

I understand your list and reason for doing it but you can do that with every team. nobody hits all the time.

 

Throw OC and DC into that mix with positional coaches. Surely they have some input into evaluating talent, and certainly have some influence on developing that talent.

 

Woodley, Mendy, Lewis, Holmes, Wallace, and Timmons were fairly productive in Black n Gold. IMHO, I don't think there's a team in the league that wouldn't take a rookie version of any of these guys knowing what we know now.

 

There better be a better philosophy then that
Our farmers KC/MT aren't picking the right(BIG BOYS)

 

Exactly. Every pick is somewhat of a gamble, some less than others, obviously, but you're still taking someone who has zero NFL experience and trying to evaluate how they will perform in the new situation without really know what that will be for sure. The only way to avoid this would be to have a crystal ball for draft picks.

 

I am trying to find it but I remember reading an article that the pats in the past 5 years have had the worst drafts in the league. I know it said a lot of that had to do with the number of picks. more than anyone but it said that they like to have a lot of picks because they miss so much

 

Food for thought the other way:

http://q.usatoday.com/2014/05/07/nf...-49ers-tennessee-titans-new-england-patriots/

 

lol. that's hilarious. I guess that shows how biased that the media can be. I only read certain stuff and I am looking to find that article. it was over the summer. funny how the 2nd best team is still picking in top 2.

 

Its hit or miss for everyone, here this should prove my point

http://www.fftoday.com/nfl/drafttracker.php?o=by_team&TeamID=9003

 

Totally agree. Just because they didn't stay with the Steelers for X number of years doesn't mean they were a bust. And Spath is still on the team. He's no Heath, but I don't consider him a bust and obviously Timmons isn't. When Woodley played opposite Harrison he was pretty awesome so again not a bust. Santonio had probably the greatest catch in SB history, hardly a bust. Wallace was very good until he wasn't, lol, but don't consider him a bust. Not a fan of Mendenhall, he fumbled too much, so I won't defend him but it's not fair to lump the rest of these guys in with the others.