BUST

Colbert is not a rocket scientist. They draft for need in the higher rounds. I was not on the bash Jarvis Jones bandwagon when he was picked. They needed at the time to upgrade the position. It won't be last time a 1st rounder will not be what we all expected. Some guys that are solid college players cannot make it in the NFL. Jones has some skills but I feel he is lazy, not strong enough and at times just doesn't come across like he knows what he is doing out there. Someone will take a flier on him next season with a contract favorable to the team to get out from under if he doesn't pan out. He will fade away... time to move on.

 

More of a fire plug type you mean?

I always thought he was a little too long and thin through the legs for what the Steelers want him to do.

 

I think you will see a focus on in between guys or guys that can play multiple positions moving forward. With all the rules in the offenses favor you need a guy who can stop the run and also be able to cover a TE or a slot WR. I expect to see more guys like Shazier drafted. The NFL is all about spread them out and then have a run/pass option. You need guys who have the speed to be able to cover or fly up and support the run. Personally I would love to see us go to a 4-3 defense and then have linebackers more the athletic type of a Shazier, if at all possible.

My blue print would be try and replicate what the Vikes have done. Granted they have several all pros on defense but that would be my current blue print.

 

I bet Jarvis Jones would be better in a 4-3 OLB role. Everybody likes to whine about Jones... but we had some 1st rounders that were much less productive in the past 20 years. Remember Jamain Stephens and Troy Edwards? Jones is more like Ziggy Hood... drafted in the wrong system.

 

The only comfort I find is that the 2013 draft was a minefield of busts. Plenty of great coaches/front offices look foolish with the 1st round. We got Le'veon Bell in the 2nd round, and he's probably the best player out of that draft class... I can live with it.

I hated the Jarvis Jones pick from the beginning. I wanted Xavier Rhodes.

 

He's a pretty high level bust. Don't try and dance around it just because you supported the pick, and believed year after year that he would "get there".... when the very next player taken is a pro bowl safety... it heightens the bust factor... when the CBs taken after him in the 1st have become bonafide starters... it heightens the bust factor.

 

Agreed, not the first or last time that a 1st round pick becomes a bust. What frustrates me is all the signs were pointing to him being a draft bust. In fact, I think it was far more likely that he was a bust than that he ever turned into a really good player, at least in our system. Literally all the signs were there and we should have avoided him for all those reasons, but we didn't. I think him and Ziggy Hood were terrible picks because neither player had a realistic chance of success in our system.

 

That would have been a much better pick, with a CB like that we might already have #7 ? Who knows ? This draft is loaded with CB'S as well,I think we should get another one this year ....

 

I was a move back and get Rhodes guy as well..The 2 I was targeting was Rhodes and Ertz.....Ertz has been banged up a bit but when healthy he is pretty good...I think all would trade Jones for those 2 and KC could have done it....Another season I was a Quality not Quantity guy and wanted to move up and get Peters in round #1 and move up and get Collins in round #2, KC could have done that as well...

 

Exactly. Huey Richardson comes to mind as a bust of epic proportions. Steelers fans these days are spoiled rotten. Look at some of the 1st rounders picked in the 80's and early 90's by the Steelers.

 

I guess Derrius Heyward-Bey was a bust of epic proportions for Oakland... because he's still playing?

I don't support really bad players just because they are steelers. Jarvis Jones is easily one of the worst starters and worst draft picks of the last decade (Steelers). if the "epic proportions" is meant to be reflective of the overall impact on our defense... then I agree. That Edge pass rusher was a HUGE need, and the failure of this particular player/pick has rippled through the franchise over the last 4 years.

 

Honestly, your comparing apples and oranges in terms of 80s-10s college prospect development.

Today.... a huge draft bust is a first rounder used to address a huge hole on your team. Because of the cost/cap of those picks, along with the time the org must commit to developing the player, if the player fails to pan out as even remotely serviceable in the role you drafted them to fill, that hole ends up having a ripple affect (because you're not going to spend to fill the hole you've just invested a 1st rounder in).

The demise of our edge rush started with drafting Jarvis Jones. And in that regard he was a bust of epic proportions... and i would argue, no other proportions matter

 

I would say the early retirement of Jason Worilds (remember him?) and drastic decline of Lamaar Woodley hurt the team more than drafting Jarvis Jones. Woodley should still be a solid contributor. Is he even in the league now? Worilds was drafted in the 2nd round to replace Harrison when he retired.

 

Worrild's was a free agent, who was not re-signed BECAUSE we drafted Jarvis Jones.

 

I guess it depends on the context. In the context of other teams busted top 5 picks... no. In the context of the Steelers, which is the only context that should actually matter, he is a bust of epic proportions. He's one of our highest draft picks of the era, and he was drafted to fill one of the most critical needs of the franchise/scheme.

Jarvis Jones bust factor has been felt for the last 3 seasons... and will continue to be felt going forward.

 

Worilds played 5 seasons from 2010-2014 for the Steelers. Jones was drafted in '13. IIRC... Steelers offered Worilds a contract, but he didn't even test Free Agency and retired.

 

Yea, I was a pretty loud voice against Jarvis leading up to the draft. He completely and utterly lacked 2 of the 3 critical elements of an edge rush (explosion and bend). I'm not sure he would fit inside in a 3-4. I could see him finding a role as a depth player in a 4-3 defense, playing the SAM (Strong side OLB). But with the rise of Nickel base around the league... players like Jarvis have limited usefulness.

You have to be pretty useless to lose your snaps to a 4 man rotation of Chickillo, Dupree, Harrison, and Moats....

 

No, they didn't.

 

IMO, you have a better chance of finding a OLB/pass rusher than finding a DB. Let me explain. Based on them coming out of college and the amount of time to learn the game at the NFL level, OLB/Pass rusher would show results sooner. Based on the rules of how they don't let DB cover like they should, OLB/Pass rusher doesn't have rules against them. I believe that a pass rush will cover up a mediocre DB. DB can't cover long enough if the DL can't get to the quarterback and I believe you build from the front to back. Meaning, DL, LBs and DBs. Just my two cents.

 

At one time prior to the 2013 draft, Jarvis Jones was being touted by draft analysts as potentially the number one overall player in the draft and possibly the first player drafted. He was almost certain to be a top 10 pick and when he continued to slide all the way to 16 where the Steelers drafted him he was considered the steal of the draft. We drafted the guy to RUSH THE QUARTERBACK (as a great HC told a great OLB once upon a time)! The guy has been a huge failure at doing just that. He's appeared to be physically overmatched and once he locks up with an O-lineman he can't seem to separate. That or he's driven well past the pocket by more physical offensive tackles.

Huey Richardson was not nearly as highly touted as Jones coming out of college. He was a project, a DE being converted to OLB. Jarvis Jones was "plug and play" (gosh, I'm sick of that phrase!). Call it hyperbole if you'd like, but I stand by my comment that Jarvis "Sacman" Jones is a bust of epic proportions!

 

Jarvis Jones was a bust.

Jemain Stephens was a bust of epic proportions.