Cajun's 4 rd mock... agree or disagree?

Anything past the 4th rd is just pure 100% coin tossing speculation. Well, its all speculation but past the 4th rd is project future building and I'm trying to solve our issues and keep us superbowl contenders, next year.

Rd 1- Dave DeCastro OG. I would scream like a girl if he fell to us. I doubt it so my second pick in the 1st rd would be Mike Adams OT from "The Ohio St". Very good chance he'll be there and we do need a Quality OT. Colon's been injuryed last two years so what kind of shape is he in. Gilbert is a RT. His feet are too slow for the left side right now. Just in case there is a "run" on OTs my 3rd option for the 1st rd is Kevin Zeitler OG from wisconsin. We should get one of these big uglys in the 1st rd and lock down our OL.

Rd 2- Donta Hightower ILB alabama- Again I'll be screaming like a girl if we get him. He should be there. He's my favorite ILB but he's ranked behind several other guys and is overall ranked around 60. I find this hard to believe but if he's there as predicted then draft him.

Rd 3 Kendall Reyes DT Uconn--- Another young DL stud who's gonna surprise people. He's listed as a DT but he'll be a 3-4 DE. That will give us 4 DEs and since we go only 2 DL ( DEs) when we go nickel he'll be a perfect fit.

Rd 4- Brandon Weeden QB Oklahoma St. Colt McCoy surprised people with the way he slide in the draft as did Aaron Rodgers. I like the kid, he's tall with a very good arm, accurate & strong enough for all the throws. If he's still there in the 4th I see us moving up to get him.

This draft is designed this way because I feel we should cut loose Hampton & Farrior ( whom I really do like ) and sign in FA NT Paul Soliai from miami or Sione Pouha NT (jets). This would save our front seven and protect our young DBs.

Also in FA we need to let David Johnson go, that Arian experiment is over and sign either Oween Schmitt ( phil) or Spenser Larsen ( den ) who are both capable FBs with good hands. I thought about Peyton Hillis but he fumbles too much and I'm not sure where his head is right now.

Comments------

Cajun-

 

Not bad, I like Adams a lot (only because I doubt DeCastro will be there). I think we could put him on the left side and leave Gilbert at RT. Slide Colon inside and looks like a solid line. I doubt Hightower will be there that late in the 2nd. I'd like to see the NT from Washington in the 2nd and fill the ILB spot in the 3rd/4th. I think 4th is too early for a qb, as there are other needs we can address (safety, another OL,DL, even a receiver if ward/cotchery don't come back).

 

Of course if DeCastro is there its a no brainer...but highly doubtful he will be. I disagree with you about needing another OT (esp this early)...Gilbert is the Steelers future LT...he looked good there during preseason and he will do good there regardless of you thinking he has slow feet.

Just like DeCastro being there in the first I do not see ANY way Hightower is there that late in the 2nd...I think its even less of a chance of him being there than DeCastro being there in the 1st. So who would your 2nd round pick be instead of Hightower?

I have no clue about the 3rd/4th rounders so i cannot comment on them as far as how good they are/etc. But as far as the positions I say no to another DE that early...there are bigger needs. QB I'd rather spend a later round pick there too.

As far as Pouha he's 33...not much of a change from Hampton and would be a waste in my eyes. Soliai is 28 and was franchised last yr by the Dolphins (and made 12.3 million). I have a feeling he's going to be WAY to expensive and we already have Hampton whos costing a fortune. I do agree with trying to sign Schmitt!

 

Not bad.

 

Lt is a different beast than RT in the NFL. Ask Michael Oher. I just don't think Gilbert has the quickness in his feet to defend against power speed rushers at this level. He may develop into that in a few years but you don't put your Franchise QB at risk with a slow 2nd year OT. We may sign starks to another 1 year contract while Adams develops. Gilbert IS our RT for the future and if colon wants to start he'll need to move inside to RG. That leaves LT to solidify our OL.

Hightower- its very possible he is there in the 2nd rd for us. Its also possible he goes in the 1st rd. It all depends on who needs what and how they evaluate players. I've seen Poe ranked in the top 15 overall by some and in the top 40 by another. Mayock has him ranked 5th as DT but since more teams now run the 3-4 and the NT is the key and hardest position to fill I promise you he'll be in the top 2 DTs drafted. Hightower is an ILB. OLB & tweener DEs are the premium LBs these days. I've seen Hightower ranked 5th among all LB and 4th among only ILB. Again chose your flavor. V. Burfict and Luke K. seem to be the most loved ILB. In the Draft teams quite often make "runs" on certain positions like OTs or QBs or CBs. They don't stick to their board and panick when people start drafting the position they are in need of. I could and might throw a name out there but if Hightower is drafted in the 1st rd then another high quality guy will fall to us, anyones guess.

Thanks for the info on the FAs salary I listed. Just about every one of miami's DL seems to be FAs. I don't see us paying Paul S. that much money. Pouha is still a few years younger than hampton and may come cheaper. If not we're in trouble. I just don't see Hampton returning.

On the DE in the 3rd. We may be forced to move back to a 4-3. With us losing both our NTs and likely both our ILBers ( foote-farrior) or at least one and only two capable OLB ( worilds did ok, just ok, worild isn't even close to woodleys rookie year yet alone his current playing ability). we're quickly getting short here too. Timmons is more a 4-3 will anyways.

QB- we better get a good young QB now and train him up the next 3 years. Ben is 30 and the beating he takes he won't last. His stlyle leaves him hurt at the end of every season it seems and that's when we need him. We need a championship caliber QB. Not a hero on every down of meaningless games.

Cajun-

 

Here’swho I want to get

1. Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College
2. Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis
3. Brandon Mosley, OT, Auburn
4. Omar Bolden, CB, Arizona State


no way I want a QB in the 4th rd....we have too many other pressing needs

 

No-Way Luke or Poe will be there by the time we draft in he 1st rd. Nice wish list but not gonna happen.

CB is not a pressing need. Ike had a very good year despite getting owned in denver. Gay had a good year but behind him is three young CBs the team really likes, Lewis/Allen/brown. We'll be lucky if Ben survives 3 more years. A QB is a need for the future and unless we draft a high 1st rd pick we'll need several years to develop him to the high standard we expect. In fact 4th rd may be TOO low.

If hightower isn't there in the second rd how about Alameda To'amu DT from Washington. We need another NT or a new scheme.

Cajun-

 

Here is my wish list:

1. Dontari Poe or Adams from Ohio State
2. James Michael-Johnson, ILB, Nevada
3. Brandon Brooks, OG, Miami,OH
4. Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilit
5. Bradie Ewing, FB, Wisconsin
6. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
7. Randy Bullock, K, Texas A&M

 

No on the Weeden QB. Hell, he is as old as Ben. Bring him in and you will need a new backup at the same time when you need a new starter. Look at the Arizona Foles guy (dispite his alleged sexual oriantion(sorry Hollywood)), or the San Diego St Lindley or Chandler Harnish from N ill.

 

As a wish list, I like it but I just don't see it happening. DeCastro and Hightower will be gone before your projected selection spot. I think Cordy Glenn is more realistic in Rd. 1 and my wish list for Rd. 2 is Markelle Martin - Safety.

 

Here's my point, Reyes has the perfect size to excel in either scheme. In fact the 3-4 DE is virtually the same as the 4-3 DT in size. The difference is as you pointed out is gap responsibility . This is where John Mitchel our heralded DL coach comes in.

Here's another point. It really doesn't matter about our scheme desination. Just about every team runs multible schemes during the game or week-to-week. The ratbirds consistantly switch back and forth from the 3-4 to the 4-3. They'll shift their DL guys gap responsiblities and put suggs at DE with his hand in the dirt. The year the giants beat the paties in the SB they went several time with 3 DE's with one playing OLB in a two point stance. This year when we beat the patsies we actually went to a version of Buddy Ryan's 46 defense.

The game has gotten that complicated and fluid during the games. The League wants more offense, and then even more offense so teams have for years been trying everything to give their defense an edge that's been removed. The years of the 70's Steelers living and dying with one scheme, (our case the 4-3 cover-2 ), is gone. Flexibility is King!!

Maybe instead of Reyes we should draft more of a 4-3 DE prototype guy like Jake Bequette, 6'5" 271 lbs 4.59 in the 40 from arkansas or Boise St's Tyronne Crawford. Any fans of these guys agree or disagree?

Cajun-

 

bolden is risky.

had he come out after his junior season, he would have been a first-round/second-round pick. unforunately, he tore his acl in spring ball. he MIGHT have been able to return to the team around november but they decided to play it safe. taking a guy with a history of knee problems though . . . risky.

on the upside though, i should add that he's a great character kid as well. had a great attitude about missing his senior season, was on the sideline for every game, and really served as a leader despite being in civilian clothing all year.

i hate to say it, but my alma mater, asu, hasn't fared well with providing a pipeline to the steelers: mark malone, bob kohrs, jeremy staat, jason simmons, saun mcdonald . . . marvel smith was probably our greatest export/import from asu. unless, of course, you want to include john henry johnson in that conversation. a defensive back named reginald martinez jackson fared pretty well in the bronx . . .

 

jason simmons had a good run here. it came down to keeping him or townsend as our nickle.

 

I thought the exact same thing when I read that. Simmons was fine, and I think he did alright with Houston, too. He was pretty good for a mid-late round pick.