Former GM mocks Fields to Steelers

I think the fact that Minkah plugged the final hole was what made that D great. If he was here, but Watt wasn't, it may have still sucked.

I have no faith in the Butler/Tomlin coaching/scheming on D. They need studs at virtually every position to succeed. They can't scheme around a single missing player.

 

This is why , maybe, we should go with 2 Defensive players in the first 3 picks of ours.
Instead of trading away picks for a Qb that we won't use for a year, or 2. IMO

 

ILB Zaven Collins at #24, RB JaVonte Williams at #55, then go offensive line ...draft a QB next year

 

Collins, JOK or Davis in the first, Williams or Gainwell in the second, best available center in the third. CB and tackle in the 4th.

 

I like that 1st pick, but I just don't see him being there in 24th. I believe he will be gone already.

 

What people need to remember about comparing the value of a top flight pass rusher vs a top flight Defensive Back is the type of scheme they play in. For example, the Cleveland Browns rely heavily on Myles Garrett to rush the passer and therefore allow those Defensive Backs be as productive as they can be. Other defenses like the Los Angeles Chargers are greatly dependent on Derwin James..... when he is healthy. Like one of his heroes in Troy Polamalu, when Derwin James has been healthy, that Chargers Defense looks entirely different than the ones many of us have been observing from a distance.



For the Steelers, having a great pass rusher is important but a great pass rush has been the Steelers historical M.O. and one of significant importance. A great pass rush can work without the likes of a great pass rusher so long as the system and Defensive Coordinator can consistently generate results. From Bud Carson to Keith Butler, having a great pass rush has never been an issue with the Steelers. However and, more importantly, having that transcendent talent in the back end has not been either.... well... until 2003 after Rod Woodson left of course and the short dry spell after Polamalu left as well.



If anything, Pittsburgh's most important player on Defense since the LeBeau Days has never really been the EDGE but the Safety Position. For that matter, since 1970, no other NFL Team has placed more Defensive Backs in Canton than the Steelers (four in Jack Butler is counted within the 100+ Year History) and there is a very valid reason for this. Since the rule changes in 1978, exotic blitzes have been on a tear in terms of their evolution; the Zone Blitz being not just the most famous but to date one of the best uses of blitzing in the NFL. Given the fact that Dick LeBeau revolutionized the NFL forever more with this style of blitzing, having a great pass rusher is not a necessity but rather a luxury. The same cannot be said for Defensive Backs. Take for example Troy Polamalu. Much like Derwin James after him, take Polamalu away during the Steelers 2000s Championship Years versus having him on the field; night and day difference (more on this in a bit). Having Troy was a necessity as he was not just the Main Hub of Operations but also the dynamic playmaker that the team benefited due to the unpredictable chaos that was the LeBeau Zone Blitz. Even with players like James Harrison, Lamar Woodley, Aaron Smith, Brett Keisel, Lawrence Timmons and Larry Foote, Troy was the central figure of it all.



Fast forward to today, and much what LeBeau had implemented is now with Butler although heavily modified. For the Keith Butler Defenses, zone blitzes are still prevalent but have added another dimension to it that the Steelers teams of the 2000s did not have to account for; rise of the spread Offenses. Slot Corner Blitzes add even more chaos to the mixture making it near impossible for an Offensive Center to call out where the blitz is coming from. However, none of this mattered from 2015 when he took over until September 16th, 2019 due to the lack of an impact, play making safety. Mike Tomlin attempted to cure this via Terrell Edmunds as Edmunds, coming out of college, had the athleticism one could not teach with the versatility to play multiple spots. However, what Tomlin failed to realize is that the instinctive and football IQ aspect of what made those great Steelers Defenses he used to have simply was not there with Terrell. Fast forward after the first two weeks of the 2019 Season and, Tomlin had decided to enact on a "mulligan" of sorts with Minkah Fitzpatrick. Since Minkah's arrival, Pittsburgh has had these stats below (as of November 30th of 2020).









It is no secret either; Minkah Fitzpatrick is to Keith Butler what Troy Polamalu was to Dick LeBeau. For that matter, I was, and still am on record upon saying that Minkah Fitzpatrick is the Spiritual Successor to Troy Polamalu in many more ways than others are giving him credit for. While some do think that is crazy to say given the fact that Troy Polamalu is a first ballot Hall of Fame player, consider this;


Of the Hall of Fame players the Steelers have drafted since Joe Greene, none of them were First Team All Pro recipients within their first two seasons. Minkah Fitzpatrick is the only Defensive Player in Steelers History to have earned First Team All Pro within his first two seasons. Again, think about that.



Not Joe Greene

Not Jack Lambert

Not Mel Blount

Not Rod Woodson

Not even Troy Polamalu himself






In short?! Minkah has done far more in far less time than any other Steelers player not named Big Ben since 2019. Need I remind everyone that, without the trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh is likely drafting Top Five Overall in the 2020 Draft without question. Minkah Fitzpatrick was the final piece to the Defense but he is the most impactful and most important piece on the Defense in addition to being the most important player on the team not named Big Ben. Remove Minkah from the equation and the results of the Keith Butler defense will be the 2018 Steelers Defense on loop; Devin Bush Jr., T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward or otherwise. Again, much like Troy was to LeBeau, Minkah is now to Butler. Whether people like it or not, this Defense runs through Minkah Fitzpatrick; through and through.



Not Cameron Heyward

Not Devin Bush Jr.

Not Stephon Tuitt

Not even T.J. Watt




Minkah is the "engine" to Keith Butler's Ferrari of a defense. The pass rush is the "transmission". Between the two, that proverbial transmission is a lot easier to fix than attempting to fix that engine as that proverbial engine is far more "expensive" to do so. This is not to say that losing T.J. Watt would be easy to overcome. That said, a great pass rusher's lack of production can be solved within the scheme like the Steelers have. Minkah's production on the other hand is near impossible.

 

If Minkah wants to be considered with the other Steelers greats he needs to tackle better.

 

There in lies the aspect; he already is. Again, no other Steelers Defensive Player has done what Minkah has done. Remove him from this defense and it will be the 2018 Steelers Defense all over again.


In addition, the art of tackling is essentially all but a lost art in today's NFL. Granted, Minkah can do himself well to tackle better but he is not the only Safety that has this issue. Jamal Adams is widely reputed as the best tackling Safety in all of football and even he has some eye brow raising whiffs.


That said, any form of instinctive play making results that Minkah produces is far greater than missing a tackle or two.

 

Charlie Casserly's latest mock STILL has Fields falling to 1.24.

 

I know it’s not a popular opinion here, but I agree.

 

I just don't see how Denver, Chicago, New England all pass on him even if he drops out of the top 5.

 

I hope your right.

 

On the other hand, I'm here all day for an all Ohio State draft:

1 - Fields (QB)
2 - Myers (C)
3 - Wade (CB)
4 - Sermon (RB)
4 - Browning (ILB)
6 - Togai (NT)
7 - Farrell (TE)
7 - Chrisman (P)

 

The Ohio State luv around here is as bad as it was in Indiana...

 

No thank you.