Vontaz Burfict or Dunt'a Hightower

if available, who would you pick?

 

Turn this into a poll so you can keep track. It'll also get more opinions.

 

Burfict hell no wouldn't want him on my team headcase gets too many personal foul penalties.

 

agree. Plus why draft LB's early? They seem to be easier to find then OL. I want the Steelers to draft 4 -300 lb plus guys. 3 OL 1 NT or 2 OL and 1NT 1 DE. I want the Steelers to control the LOS against Balt like the Texans did. Houston had them.......

 

I checked up on him, watched some interviews, he seems really bright, but a bit immature... Seems to be a good kid off the field though?

Could be a gamble. I like the intensity he plays with though....

 

i thought the same , i was somehow envious

speaking of lbs the only problem i have with hightower is speed , can he cover te ? for the rest is very solid , burfict is explosive but mental case

 

niether.

 

The same thing was said about Ray Lewis. Look how he turned out. Burfict isn't a criminal off the field like many other NFL players, which says to me that he can be coached to direct his anger and fire appropriately. We haven't had a player with that kind of fire since Joey Porter left. We need that dominant personality on the team, a little something to fire the boys up at just the right time. I think with maturity, coaching and leadership from some of our veterans, Burfict could be just what we need to get some of the passion back that our team seems to have been lacking the last few years. It was there in 2008, and I just haven't seen it since, at least not what I'm used to seeing out of the Steelers.

I would still prefer Decastro or another top lineman, but if we have a LB'er in the 1st round, I hope it's Burfict. Hightower can't cover worth a damn.

 

Do you think the Steelers will bring in Morty Ivy and Mario Harvey back to compete for the ILB positions?

I thought Stevenson Sylvestor was going to be the heir, but now media guys seem to be not so high on him anymore?

 

I definitely want to see Harvey come back, and I think he will. His college tape was awesome and he was hurt for the preseason last year. Ivy impressed me too. They should both be bubble players next year. Sylvester is better than them both, but I lost a lot of confidence this year that he'll replace Farrior. They seemed like they really just did not want him on the field for anything other than special teams. Too bad. That would have been awesome. Then we wouldn't have to worry about ILB this year, and could focus on OL, DB and NT.

 

i'm anxious to see them put some muscle on carter too at the outside spot. i'd love us to add jerry franklin though to the mix inside. the green dot is the thing keeping some of these guys from stepping in more i believe, moreso then physical ability.

 

The more I read about Burfict, the more I lean towards him. I really don't want to draft a trouble maker. I believe in the character thing that the Steelers go for. Not just for publicity, but to avoid locker room crap. I would NOT want an Owens or Pac Man or Haynesworth around. But what everyone who knows him seems to be saying about this guy is just that he's extremely passionate and needs some guidance, and he's not really "bad." Put him on a team with Butler, LeBeau, and Tomlin as coaches, plus Farrior, Woodley, Clark, Polamalu, and above all Harrison as role models, and I can't imagine him turning that passion into anything other than positive. Of course, we'll all learn a lot more about him between now and the draft. But if that stuff checks out okay, then it comes down to Burfict's athleticism vs. Hightower's smarts. If we're looking for a new Farrior, the smarter the better.

 

Upside is new Farrior, the gamble is he is another reckless Anthony Smith

 

Smith was an idiot with the way he behaved, but what cost him his job was his ability to do his job. He wasn't good enough in coverage.

 

burfict?!?!?!?!?!?!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!

goes to show you how ridiculous the whole mock draft thing is. a bunch of people reading reports and listening to other people's scouting evaluations prior to pimping their guy (who they have probably either never seen played, seen a game or two, or merely watched highlight clips on youtube).

i only pimp guys who i actually watched play.

live.

often.

which is why i think osweiler would be a solid pick. i went to arizona state. i flew back to tempe for home games this year against missouri, usc, arizona, and cal. i also flew to road games at ucla, oregon, and washington state. osweiler sticks throws. he is one of the more accurate college quarterbacks i've ever seen. he doesn't get rattled, he's 6'8" AND mobile, makes all the throws, is a great kid, and has great leadership skills.

i can tell you this about burfict: we don't want him. he's fat, slow, lazy, commits a ton of personal fouls, has a horrible attitude, and is a cancer in the lockerroom. he got in fistfights with his teammates, divided the locker room into factions (had 'his guys'), was removed from the final home game this past season for another dumb personal foul, refused to go back in the game, and was laughing and waving to his friends in the crowd while the game was going on and his defensive teammates were faced with a goalline stand.

arizona state fans are glad he left. they're glad he's not coming back for his senior year. not because they think it's time for him to go and want to wish him the best. they don't want him back for the "T.O. factor." get him the hell out of the locker room and away from his teammates. addition by subtraction.

he was the highest rated player ever recruited out of arizona state and he got worse every year. he was good as a freshman, average as a sophomore, and not very good as a junior. he's all hype. he can't even tackle.

i don't even know who the other option was in this 'burfict or ____' poll but mark this sun devil alumnus and booster down for 'the other guy.'

 

Think Burfict is a serious boom or bust, and if he busts it will be spectacular. Hightower walks on and can immedeatley be a 2 down middle backer, and within a couple of years can be that defensive leader we like at middle backer.
Anyone who is planning on declaring for the draft and gets sat both in his last home game and his bowl game doesn't have his head in the game where it needs to be. Flyer in the 2nd? Maybe. But I get the feeling that you're talking first round, and I would feel much safer with Hightower, especially after the National Championship Game.

 

i'll put it to you this way: burfict went from pre-season all-american to HONORABLE MENTION in the pac-12 conference without missing a single game. that is hard to do.

his entire career at asu was hype. you wouldn't even know he played on the team if it wasn't for his name being called for personal fouls. he NEVER made plays. EVER!

oh, and every other play he limped off the field acting like he wan in excruciating pain only to go running back onto the field for the next play. it became comical. he did this, literally, a dozen times a game.

 

Thats simple...Hightower.

 

I still don't think Hightower is a good fit. He does not seem to have the speed. Brandon Spikes was knocked as not having the speed, and I really liked Spikes coming out, but Spikes has the instincts to make up for it. Plus you never know how much of Hightower's success was because of that DL in front of him.

I'm off the Vontaze bandwagon, Mayock trashed him too, and he graded solely on tape.

Howbout Nigel Bradham, dude looks like he has a more well rounded game and hits like Harrison:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9RDfkvOMXU

 

When are people going to stop relying on measurable when they make an opinion of someone. You bring up a great example in Spikes, he was as slow as they come and the Pats made everyone else look stupid getting him in the 2nd round.

I'm curious how you can say Hightower isn't a good fit, because I really can't see a better fit for the spot... We need someone next to Timmons that is a thumper against the run, willing to stay at home, since Timmons likes to rove around (like a Troy light), and we'll need someone that is able to pick up our complicated scheme and be the signal caller on defense...

Hightower is all of those things. Highly intelligent, high character, leader, stout against the run, solid in pass defense, and was even used as a pass rusher on the outside in 3rd and long situations at Alabama.

 

I think people are wary of him because they want someone who will excel in pass coverage for "today's changing game." The way I understand it, that's one of his only concerns. You need athleticism to keep up with RBs and TEs out in the field. Spikes is a good example, because he's more of a two down guy.

But I'm not necessarily against drafting him. If the team likes him, I trust their judgment in linebackers more than my own.