Draft Strategy - Trading Up?

I have been saying for the past few years that we should bundle several of our later draft picks and trade up.

The way this team has been built over the years we typically have only needed a few high quality players. I fail to see the benefit in getting 7-9 guys who most of which have little chance of making the team or having any real impact if they do. Why not try to get 4 quality guys each year who WILL make the team? It seems as though the guys we get typically in later rounds are just as likely to make the team as an UDFA. Yes there have been a few finds (Antonio Brown), but for the most part why not try to get a few real impact players each year?

 

if this season keeps up we won't have to trade up.

 

If it was that easy, everybody would do it. Look at the huge list of 1st and 2nd round draft picks the last 5 years. Many of them haven't worked out. Getting someone in the 1st is definitely not a guarantee he'll make the team, especially if our awful defence is so complicated that it takes 3 f'n years to learn.

 

we need to fix the o-line first. our offense is close to being able to be dominant. the only thing holding them back is this o-line. the defense will take a little longer to build and we just can't let the O suffer through this, wasting the talent we have in place right now at the skill positions.

if we plan on making this defense improve we need players. we need to make some moves in free agency for this side of the ball.

 

We won't have to trade up. We will already be up there.

 

3-4 years ago that wouldn't be a bad idea... Right now however I think we'd be better off trading down. Typically we only have a few holes to plug... Right now we have several needs, and I'd be down with a total re-haul of our backups on defense (except maybe the DL).

We have a big need at OLB, CB for starters. We need depth at pretty much every LB position, and Safety. And as usual we could use help along the OL and probably WR when Wallace leaves.

 

I find it funny sometimes when people suggest oooh lets just trade up like its soo easy. With the new rookie cap system...teams want even more than before when your trading up. Depending on how far you move...it could cost you multiple high round picks to do so (from the current and future years). Some make it sound like oh we can trade our first and a 6th/7th and move right on up...NOT. If you're talking a few spots you might be able to do something reasonable...but if you're talking from the mid teens and lower...its going to take a bit. For example Dallas moved from 14th to 6th this year...only 8 spots...and gave up a 1st and 2nd rounder...which in most peoples eyes is a lot. Philly moved up from 15th to 12th and give their 1st, 4th and 6th. Which isnt terrible...but if by some chance you're picking 18-23 range or so...you could be looking at your first 3+ picks to into say the top 10.

 

maybe trade down and up to achieve the maximum number of 2-4 round picks

 

We neglected the OL for several years to build the defense. My question is WHERE are all these guys that we got for neglecting the OL? In years past we had defensive players out the wazoo, especially linebackers. Where are these guys? We ve got stars and then we got so-so. Didnt use to be that way. Now, its time to pay the piper for poor drafting, training/coaching, and/or conditioning.

 

timmons and woodley are not bad , hood was a big miss heiward still don't know , problem you have to find gem in mid rounds , for ex geno atkins in the 4 rth (120 overall) by cincy was a great pick

 

Id be willing to trade up if we could get

Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M

He is a beast

 

If we do end up drafting Lattimore, which we won't, everyone will quickly see that our running game deficiencies were on the Oline and not the RB, as he will struggle just like Mendenhall has for a while now. Not saying Lattimore isn't more talented than Mendenhall, but unless the Oline is fixed once and for all, no RB on earth will make a difference. Barry Sanders couldn't run behind our line, at least not our line as we saw it against Tennessee.

 

Yes he could. But that's obviously an extreme example, and that's part of what makes Barry Sanders the greatest football player in history, in my opinion. The RB does make a lot of difference, as we saw when Willie Parker's wheels came off, and again when Mendenhall took over for him. But only if he's used properly, and even then not half as much as good run blocking. Good run blocking is what gets people saying the RB position doesn't matter at all anymore. It's what gets Olandis Gary 97 yards per game, and Mike Anderson 93 yards per game. So I agree with your point. I would say no running back currently in the league would perform well with the way our OL has been. Better than Mendenhall? Maybe, that's impossible to tell right now. But one thing's for sure: switch him with any of the backs in Baltimore or Houston or San Francisco and everyone here would be complaining about why we have to deal with our crappy Ray Rice / Arian Foster / Frank Gore, and why can't we have someone awesome like Mendenhall?

 

Steelers have only traded up in the first once...Troy.

How often do Troy P's come around?

 

Teo or Amerson...thats it...thats the list as far as I am concerned.

Myself...I trade for Rolando McClain...and take Amerson....then build depth on D the rest of the way.

and thanks for putting the Amerson pick on here for me...it gets tiresome having to do it myself 15 times a day

HACK

 

cough: Santonio Holmes : cough


HACK

 

I agree that we need to get some free agents IF there are some good ones to look at. Shaun Phillips from San Diego is a guy that Bill Cowher called the most underrated player in the NFL and he's a free agent. I believe Lardarius Webb is also a free agent and I'd be willing to shell out some dough for him. Keenan HAS to go. He's on a 1year deal right now and if they bring him back to this team we deserve to lose every single game. Dominique Rogers Cromartie is gonna be a free agent too. He's better than Ike and Lewis as far as I'm concerned too. Still I don't think there are a lot of guys out there that are gonna come in here and help us make another title run though. We're just gonna have to have some hits in the draft probably.

 

I also we believe we will have to be involved
in FA more than we have in the past, There are just TOO mANY HOLES
to fiLL thru the draft.

 

Hahaha


How soon they forget.

 

As of today, we would have the #12 pick, I would be happy to trade back in the draft and get 2 second round picks and 2 third round picks for our 1st round pick. We need defensive backs and pass rushers badly.

 

If we are picking that high...we earned it....time to pick a TOP BLUE CHIPPER....ala Ben at number 11


HACK

 

If we're picking that high we might want to look at #7's eventual replacement. Draft a stud and start grooming him to take over when Ben's skillset begins to deteriorate. He's 30 years old has been hit a ton already it's just a matter of time before all of those hits start showing on the field.

 

Absolutely not....if you are drafting that high...you take someone who is ready to play today....and not sit the bench for his entire rookie contract behind Ben.....Once Ben retires...we will be picking top 10 again.....you don't draft "insurance" in the top 15...you draft playmakers.

HACK

 

We don't need to look at Ben's replacement now. That person is going to be carrying a clipboard for at least 3-5 years. We need defensive help immediately.