how many starters do we need?

I am in the minority here, but we don't NEED to draft any starter. Do I want starters? Yes, but I think we can win with what we have. All of the weak positions have guys who have either started there last year. Here is my current starters:

Hood/Hampton or McLendon/Keisel
Woodley/Timmons/Foote/Harrison
Lewis/Troy P./Clark/Ike

Gilbert/Legursky/Pouncey/Foster/Colon
Wallace/Brown/Johnson/Miller/Redman/Ben

Again, while I would LOVE to see upgrades, I don't think we are any worse with this lineup above then we were last year, especially if we can stay healthy on the D side of the ball at OLB.

 

I say we need "starter material". I don't think anyone we draft will start this year. Even with the projected picks of Hightower, Poe or Glenn, i don't believe they would come in and be instant starters.

Everyone knows how the steelers do business, they let there rookies sit a year or play special teams then insert them the following year. How many players have we drafted that became instant starters other than Pouncey? Even he wasn't the penciled in starter until the last week of training camp.

Look back at history, not many draft picks start there rookie year.

 

Foote is a below average starter at this point and can be exploited by good teams. Legursky should not be a starter in this league on any team. If we are starting him at guard it will show how bad our depth is on the oline and with how many injuries we usually suffer there that would not be good. Lewis at corner was ok, but we could use an upgrade. Hopefully Brown will step it up this year.

So 2 starters are needed badly.

 

Well, I don't think there is much debate about where our weaknesses are.

LG - Legursky shouldn't be starting, but he did last year for a while and we won with him there so while I don't think him starting is ideal, if we draft an EVENTUAL replacement for him, I am okay with that.

RG - I am less concerned about Foster starting than I am about Legursky. He actually WON the job at RG from a bunch of others during the year and didn't give it up. He looked better this year than last. If he could take one more step up it would be good.

R and LT depth - While I think we will have current starters, maybe for a few more years, depth here is SERIOUSLY lacking.

NT - Another no-brainer. Hampton will probably start on the PUP list and McLendon while not horrible, we just don't know how he will hold up as a starter.

ILB - Farrior's old position. Foote will play solid but unspectacular football. He won't make mental mistakes, but he doesn't have the physical ability to really hold down the spot.

S Depth - Another position that I think is a work in progress depth wise. Mundy was okay. W. Allen was subpar.

CB - I have no fears about Lewis as a starter. He basically played that position when he did come and in Gay slid to the slot. C. Brown and C. Allen I think are going to be great depth here. I wouldn't worry about drafting a corner.

WR and RB - These are 2 ???? areas. What happens to Mendy? What happens with the Wallace situation and with the Cotchery contract?

 

Mendy will be gone in a year. He was subpar last year. I like Redman. I have high hopes for Batch and Dwyer but injury is a concern. I would be pleased if they traded for Jonathan Stewart from Carolina. I think it would be a great fit. He has a lot to prove also. Wallace is done in my opinion as a Steeler. I dont see us getting a contract with him that we can afford and frankly id rather keep Brown and Sanders and spend the money on other needs. I highly doubt he comes to camp at 2.74 mill, making a trade very possible. Would love to gain maybe an LB or Guard and a pick for him. Cotchery will resign somewhere else. No biggie, Heath will have more catches and so will Sanders since he was hurt a bunch last year. Could maybe pick up a bigger WR in the draft.



The moves i would do is pick up Hawthorne at LB fro Seattle 5 years 25 mill or so and cut Foote. Pick up a band aid at guard. Maybe Jake Scott or Vernon Carey cheap. These two moves would allow us to do what we do in the draft and take Best position available.

Hopefully someone will sign Wallace and give us that 1st rd pick. If not i see a possible trade. Trade could help us address one of those areas above instead of making those moves in Free Agency. I also like the idea of a mid round pick for Stewart.

 

For those who dont pay attention to the stats that matter mendy last year had his highest ypa average of his career. He didnt get ball as much thats not his fualt.

 

knee reconstruction in the final year of your contract doesn't bode well for him i'm afraid.

 

Oh he isnt coming back but im just saying he isnt as bad as people think.

 

He averaged 4.1 last year and 4.6 in 2009, so it wasn't his highest. Also, Redman averaged 4.4 last year.

 

I thought it was 3.9 in 09

 

G GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD FUM Lost
2011 Pittsburgh Steelers 15 15 228 928 4.1 68 9 18 154 8.6 35 0 1 1

2010 Pittsburgh Steelers 16 16 324 1,273 3.9 50T 13 23 167 7.3 24 0 2 2

2009 Pittsburgh Steelers 16 12 242 1,108 4.6 60 7 25 261 10.4 26 1 3 3

2008 Pittsburgh Steelers 4 1 19 58 3.1 12 0 2 17 8.5 11 0 -- --

 

My bad

 

If they draft a guard in the 1st rd he will start over Legursky and Foster. Hightower would start over Foote at Ilb by the end of the season.

 

Two, a Nose tackle amd an offensive guard.