If the Minkah trade had never happened...

The way this defense was trending without him there’s no chance we ended up at 18 probably more like 10 but I’d have to check the records of those picking around 10 I’d say we won 2-3 games because of him. So 5-11 or 6-10. There’s still a hole that needs to be addressed should MF gets hurt. We would also have had higher picks in every round we picked in as well, so it’s impossible to predict.

 

Everything else being equal except we are picking at #18 and we don't have Minkah....

I still say they would have went WR. We heard they didn't prioritize the OT position and Ruiz would have been the only one available on the interior. Too high for a RB. CB starters are set. I think they would have looked at Murray and Queen for ILB but that's kinda high too imo. I still think WR was the BPA. A ton of options to go there.

2nd round I think they look at a defensive player. Winfield would have been gone, but Ashtyn Davis was still there, Okwara, Zach Baun.

 

If I am re-doing any part of the draft, I'm not taking McFarland in the 4th. I would have taken DT Rashard Lawrence and kept the Dotson pick the same. Beef up the middle of that d-line as opposed to adding a fringe prospect in the 7th. I'm drafting a S or LB in the 7th because those guys always contribute on STs.

McFarland doesn't seem like he had a lot of production in 2019 and would have been available in the 6th I bet. If they like the guy, pick him by all means, I just thought the 4th was too high and I'd gamble on him being there in the 6th.

 

Totally agree. We could of had Jamycal Hasty in the 7th or possibly a UDFA. We could of let Hasty and Whyte battle it out for 5 snaps a game and used the 4th on Lawrence or Wallace and would of changed our pick in the 6th as well. We still have a hole at backup FS now still. Even though I was being told we have one capable on our roster somewhere. I can’t find one. Ive been saying we could use a back up FS who would also see snaps in nickel and dime. Taking one in the 4th could of solved that. Now it’s starting to sink in for some.....

 

If we hadn't made the trade, we would have been 4-12, picking 4th. Our defense would have been #1 priority. You take Simmons, because you have to. Or you trade back with San Diego at #7, get a pick, and still take Simmons.

Second round pick is Delpit or Winfield, or try to make a trade up for McKinney, all of whom could take the free safety spot. 3rd stick with Highsmith. 4th Rounders is Solomon Kindley. 5th Rounder is Quintez Cephus. 6th is Bravion Roy, 7th is Eno Bemjamin.

 

Agree 100% with Blast. Chase Claypool has the potential to be special..... in due time. Sadly, time would have not been on our side had Minkah not been traded for. Acquiring a transcendent player like Isaiah Simmons is a great way to fix the secondary as I do not believe that Devin Bush Jr. alone would have been enough.


Add the fact that, backing up Sean Davis was Kameron Kelly; later arrested and released, and that Secondary is GOD AWFUL. Not including Marcus Allen either for obvious reasons. Here is a better take on life without Minkah;







It is bad enough he cannot track the ball to save his life. Could anyone on this forum IMAGINE how many yards through the air this team would have surrendered with him as the final option as Free Safety?! Not talking about the worst in Steelers History. How about the WORST EVER.

 

It had to be done and the Steelers knew it. Just like Vannett trade had to be done
Mcdonald does not play if he has a hang nail. We had an unproven rookie backing him up.

 

The Vannett trade did not have to be done. There were comparable players available as a free agent. Luke Willson was there for free. The Steelers foolishly wasted a fifth-round pick and the Seahawks got the comparable player, Willson, and the pick. It was a stupid decision by the Steelers.

 

I think you are right that Sutton or Hilton would have ended up at safety if they hadn't made the move for Fitzpatrick.

Edmunds definitely isn't what you want from a first-round draft pick. He is the weakest link on that defense.

 

One thing that will help the run defense is the departure of Barron. I am counting on growth from Bush and more snaps for Williams. Hargrave wasn't a true nose tackle, anyway. He didn't clog up the middle the way Casey Hampton used to do for the Steelers. He was a 4-3 tackle miscast as a nose.

 

Vannett could have been a good trade, the OC had no clue what he was doing. And very substandard play from the Qb position sealed this deal.

 

My biggest issue had that been the case would be is Sutton or Hilton up for it?! Keep in mind that, while both played that in College, neither has yet to play that in the NFL. That is a tall order to ask.


Side note, very seldom do I turn on players. Edmund's is the exception and not the rule. Why he regressed in coverage skills from Year One to Year Two has me very concerned.

 

I know it has become convenient to blame Fichtner for everything that went wrong with the Steelers last season, but Vannett has never been good. He is, at best, a backup. He is no better than some of the guys who were unemployed at the time. It was a terrible trade the moment they made it and it cost them a useful draft pick.

 

To me, your turn on Edmunds is very telling. You were adamant that he was going to come around and be worthy of the first-round pick the Steelers spent on him. That you have come around to see that is not happening speaks volumes about just how poorly he played last season.

Imagine if the officials hadn't blown the call on Goff's desperation, fourth-down throw into the end zone in the game against the Rams. Edmunds and Haden were both there in coverage, but Edmunds just ran into the receiver with his arm in the guy's face. It should have been a pass interference call that very likely would have cost the team the game. Maybe that would have gotten the remaining holdouts to see reason.

 

So @SDOT was right about the Virginia guys? . I still say if he has a future here or anywhere it’s in a hybrid role.

 

I've been slamming the pick since the moment they announced it, but we have had plenty of posters here going to insane lengths to justify it. I think the truth is finally sinking in for even his most stubborn supporters.

Edmunds might actually be a worse selection than Jarvis Jones. People forget that a lot of people had first-round grades on Jones, no matter how misguided that turned out to be.

 

The light switch better come on for Edmunds this year, he is by far
the weakest link on the defensive side of the ball for the Steelers.
I see the Steelers have brought in some competition for that position.
I would hope they get a fair shot at competing for the starting strong safety position.

 

No, there won't be any fair shots. They held the torch aloft for Dupree after 4 seasons of mediocrity. They will do the same for Edmunds. They don't want to burn that first round pick stigma. He is still pretty young and a great athlete, they will hold on to that while they try to chisel the round hole into a square.

 

Even if someone was given a fair shot there is absolutely no one on the roster that is a threat to TE. While his anticipation and ball skills are below average so far ,you can’t question his durability so far either. He did have over 100 tackles I believe last year. He was also asked to play a lot more as a rookie than should of been expected. He is still very young and learning on the fly. I still maintain his current skill set is best suited in a LB/SS role. He could essentially be Mark Barron with more speed,hustle and superior athleticism. There has been rumblings of such a move (maybe they do read this board after all. )

I think with the whole Covid scenario it would be difficult to make that transition this year but we’ll see. Right now with the way the current roster is constructed they have to limit his exposure as the last line of defense. That pigeon holes MF for the most part and there has also been talk of him having a expanded role. I don’t see us being able to take full advantage of Minkah’s versatility until we find someone reliable on the back end. Which is why I desperately wanted to see a FS added to the roster. It’s going to be a strange season for all the teams without the normal preparation. This years most successful teams will probably be the ones who are able to lean on their methods and personnel from last year. I feel bad for any teams trying to implement any new schemes and teams with new coaching staffs.

 

Malik Hooker reportedly got his fifth year deal declined. He will be a Free Agent in 2021. Given the fact that having two good safeties are better than one in addition to the team likely going to have Terrell be in a more box defender role, do we go for him?! Keep in mind that Mike Tomlin was present at Ohio State's 2017 Pro Day.


A local product as well I believe. He can also play the Single High, Deep Center Fielding role as well. He is also very versatile as well, playing Strong Safety during his time in Indy. Something to think about for certain.