I am ready to slap Colbert/front office

Does anyone else feel the team tries to get too cute with personnel decisions? It seems like when their is a consensus on what the teams needs, by fans and media, they try to NOT do whatever seems as an obvious needs, like to prove how smart they are. I don't know if it stems from the Rooneys, but I think it might, as they operated like this in the Cowher era as well. Remember when they seemed to ignore the QB position when we had such an obvious need for an upgrade?

Well, they seem to be doing the same thing with the CB position.

Most of us have seen an obvious need to upgrade CB, I'd say at least going back 2 years. But this team refused to take a CB early. Last draft, most of us were sure they'd take a CB within the 1st 3 rounds, if not in the 1st round. And yet, even in the 3rd round, instead of addressing the position, they reached for a midget RB who did virtually nothing for the team last season. Then they waited until the FIFTH round to draft Richardson who, of course, didn't make the cut.

In the 2013 draft, they also waited until the 5th round to take Hawthorne, another failed pick.

In 2012, they took ZERO CBs in the draft, but did draft some real winners like Adams (2nd), Ta'amu (4th), Rainey (5th), Clemons (7th), oh wait, and Frederick (listed as DB) in the 7th.

In 2011, they took a shot at Brown in the 3rd (he was always just awful) and wasted their 2nd pick on Gilbert and then took Allen in the 4th.

In 2010 they used one late pick (5th) on Butler, who failed.

After all this ineptitude, what does Colbert have to say on the subject? That he still might not take a CB high and he might go offense.

At this point, they are trying to prove they are smarter than everyone, and when they do that, they usually screw it up. Trying to not use picks higher than 5th rounders at CB has not worked, over all. Ike was a lucky find in the 4th, as was Gay. But all the other later CB picks have failed but they keep on doing the same approach. Hopefully, Butler will help stop the madness.

 

let alone the last year big signing ..gilbert allen mitchell (that i wrong liked too ) cam thomas (not a big waste of money but an headscratcher too )

 

Maybe it's a strategy. The year that Colbert and Tomlin made no secret of the fact that they wanted Revis the Jets picked him ahead of them. I'm willing to wait until the draft before I get too bent out of shape, but we'd better draft a legit corner in the first couple of rounds this year! And that's a threat Colbert! Cornerback! First three rounds! (please)

 

I do believe they drafted one in the 2nd round between ike and gay. McFadden was a 2nd rounder. my problem with it is moves like not holding on to them past preseason. ( Fredrick, hawthorne, Richardson) another was getting a guy like b.w. webb which had some starting experience and never playing him, yet you keep him on the 53 all year. you cut a talented o-lineman draft pick and bring in another safety of which you already had 5, just for special teams.

 

the problem is they are not good at evalute talents at cb . how many we drafted that panned out ...gay is the only one serviceable ..allen i hope but sound a double mistake (draft and signing bic contract )

 

I think it was a system thing. lebeau didn't need man corners. hell, I aint sure he even liked em. butler has a chance to change all that and I hope he does. I think this cb class is average at best. I don't see a lot of difference between 3 and 20.

 

I'm going with my first thinking that colberts wife drafts the o-linemen. ok and maybe the corners.

 

I think our o line evaluation leaves a lot to be desired as well. Hopefully Munch can change some of that.

 

I never understood our aversion to press coverage. The times we've gone into a game with that as our definitive gameplan we've had success, games against the Pats come to mind. I understand not wanting your guy to get behind you off the line, but if you've got a corner who has good press technique who can interrupt a receiver's pattern before it gets started AND (this is key) you can get pressure from your edge rushers you've got a recipe for success. I think both have to work in tandem.

 

What I have a problem with is we wanted certain guys ,but we hardly ever move to get them . Then we miss the guy we said we would have picked then why not move back ?

I don't buy the argument that maybe they couldn't find a partner. Other Teams move all over the place and make multiple trades each draft.

I also don't like what KC said about not targeting certain positions as it might cause you to reach . Same as above, slot the damn position as to where you would take them if player not in that slot then move back unless a true talent is their. Make some moves targeting a position is not a for sure reach.

 

The Patriots suck at drafting WRs, maybe Pittsburgh has trouble evaluating CBs?? Maybe the current scouts have trouble with this position, but you would think Carnell Lake would have some say in the evaluation process. IDK its a mystery.

 

I think it is 2 things. One they value the position to low . The next is KC is afraid to target the position .

If we had no QB would you not target that ? Of course. And not having a true #1 CB is just as damaging to a Defense as not having a good QB is to the Offense.

 

I think your missing on something. I don't Colbert in anyway is afraid of the cb position. I honestly don't think lebeau puts a lot of stock in solid man corners. if you look close at what they have drafted, a lot of those guys played a lot of zone in college. McFadden is the only one I can think of that played mostly man. I had to look ike up but he played a lot of zone and so did gay.

it called the zone blitz. I think he was alittle arrogant when it came to his scheme. why would he not be? he had success and for a while nobody criticized him.

 

And when the game started changing and the rules where being enforced to give the Offense huge advantages KC made no change in his draft approach. He just said yesterday he wont target a certain position because he is afraid.

As Mike Tomlin would say 'we can't live in our fears' this should apply to the draft as well . So even if you wanted to draft zone coverage CB'S why not target top talent that can do that and play man if needed ? To much BPA has left us thin at the CB and Safety spots , very thin.


KC needs to change the way he values the CB spot . As I stated a good defensive scheme needs a good CB . Yet we still won't target the position . If we intend to build a great Defense ever again we better start putting DB'S at the top of the list .

 

If Marcus Peters [or any other CB rated #1 ] is okayed at the combine and is the bpa on their list when they pick I think they will take him.

The CB's [DB's] will work out Monday. I am hoping he is also physical.

Granted [pre FA period] the huge holes are at OLB and CB. But if the bpa policy is adhered to then, well, there were a bushel of outstanding OT's on display yesterday and some fans[Steelers rumored to be also] are also very high on TE Maxx Williams. So that first pick is really wide open.

steel1031 wrote: " I think this cb class is average at best. I don't see a lot of difference between 3 and 20."

If they cannot get Peters I would like to see them look at Eric Howe CB Utah. He looks like he might be able to cover someone. I hope he shows well in the strength tests. He currently is projected late 6th early 7th.

Agreed it has been frustrating lately. None of their day3 CB's have panned out whereas Seattle is in 2 straight SB's with 5th and 6th rd CB's. Maybe Steelers luck will change this year.

 

Oops! I think it is Eric Rowe.

 

Quite.

I take PWP's point that we could move up in the draft a bit more, but certainly for the last few years we've either had nobody to trade with, or needed the picks...

 

When you handcuff yourself by mostly only using late picks at the position, that sure makes it a lot more difficult to "evaluate" the position. They did the exact same thing with the OL for years. I said after 2005 it was time to start rebuilding the OL. And they didn't do it, even though most of us thought they needed to start rebuilding it. It was just like the CB spot recently: everyone sees it needs some attention but they seem to - almost arrogantly - not want to address it. On the decline of the OL, they took Trai Essex in the 3rd, and he was always just terrible. I never knew what the saw in him, that was a Cowher blunder. Then they took Colon in the 4th in 2006, and he wasn't bad for a 4th rounder, but never great, even though they resigned him to big $ and he was hurt too much. In 2007, after it was clear the OL really needed fixed, they took no OL until the 5th, with Stephenson, and he sucked. Why no OLmen when it was clear Ben was getting killed? Then in 2008, again they ignored the unit, only taking Tony Hills (who was known to be soft and weak) in the 4th round, no other OLmen taken. Instead of some OLmen, they took real winners such as Limas Sweed, Bruce Davis, Dennis Dixon, and Mike Humpal. That was the year reporters asked Tomlin why, once again, they didn't focus on getting any good OLmen, and Tomlin made a smug comment about helping Ben in other ways, meaning, players like Mendenhall and Sweed would help him more than OLmen. He was dead wrong. And once again, in 2009, the used a single pick on OL, taking Urbik, he was cut soon after. In 2010 they officially began to give a **** with the OL by taking Pouncy in the 1st round.

To me, they let the OL wither away for years before they finally woke up. They did the very same thing with CB lately. It's like once the media and fans feel a position needs upgraded they are out to prove everyone wrong, at their own demise. And before it was the OL, it was the QB. While we suffered through the likes of Kordell, Tomczak, Kent Graham, Jim Miller and Tommy Maddox, Cowher kept telling us "we were just fine at QB." It wasn't until they gave two ****s about QB that we won the last two rings. And word is Cowher wanted an OT instead of Ben in the draft and Rooney over ruled him.

 

I agree, don't reach. But the two points are not mutually exclusive. Fine, don't reach, but also, don't ignore a position in need for year after year mostly only using 5th round picks or later, year after year. No one can convince me there weren't better CBs worth taking before the 5th round all these drafts. If you are trying to only get bargain basement deals at a position, every year, eventually that unit will stink. They did the exact same thing with the OL for years.

 

LeBeaus scheme was a zone not press. This is the reason you see and complain about the 10/12 yards off the ball. This will change under Butler. I believe Colbert is not the final say but a part of it. They draft for the scheme. That's why they used a 3 on Archer for Haley to have his Dexter McCluster. Hasnt worked and I hope he can be utilized better this season. The jury is still out. I hope to see a more aggressive Defense this season.

 

I think there is no question he got arrogant about it, which is why him being gone with be an upgrade and our D will improve A man can only be called a genius for so long until he starts believing it.