My MUCH TO EARLY 2016 Roster - Defense

This group is MUCH harder to do IMO than the offense was.

DE: (4)

Heyward
Tuitt
Geathers
Walton

Wow, talk about a tough group. I think we have our starters, and therefore I truly doubt you see a #1 pick to this group, but adding in these last 2 guys you must assume that they can play or we need to add some more talent. If Geathers and Walton aren't options to get a helmet and get some plays, we better add someone who can. I truly look at that 4th quarter drive the Broncos had....maybe if our starters took some plays off during the year, they wouldn't have looked so tired on that 13 play drive.

DT/NT: (2)

McLendon
McCullers

Another group that is hard to predict, but I think we see McLendon back in the fold. If he gets resigned, this is not a spot I focus on, but if he is not, then guess what....we need a starter. I don't trust McCullers to get it done yet.

ILB: (5)

Timmons
Shazier
Spence
Williams
Garvin

I don't see the need for any changes here. I think you try to keep Spence because he does some things Williams can't should Shazier get hurt. Good solid group IMO.

OLB: (5)

Jones
Dupree
Moats
Harrison
Chickillo

This group is just so full of questions, I am not sure where to start. That being said, most of those questions do not require guys to go away. Jones - do we pick up option? I wouldn't, but does that mean we are taking OLB in round 1 again? Moats - does he want to be cut to maybe get more playing time elsewhere? Harrison - Does he play another year? If not, you may need another draft pick, especially if you don't option Jones. Chickillo - Can he be a player? I think he has potential and that the FO really liked him or we would have let him go. If Harrison goes, I think Chick gets the majority of backup snaps at that position.

CB: (5 or 6)

Grant, Gay, Cockrell, Boykin, Allen, Blake, Golson - Any could stay, almost any could go.

I still think the major problem is where we are slotting guys as far as ranking for playing time. If Gay is your #1 when he should be your #3, you have problems. We need a #1. We need our Ike in his prime. We don't have that. I think Golson might be able to be a #2, but maybe not this year. So with that in mind, I think we see improvement, but not by leaps and bounds. If we were 30th this year in performance, expect maybe 20th next year or a little better and then maybe a top 10 group the year after....assuming some guys make some leaps.

Boykin I think is gone, as I wouldn't stay if I was him. So what would I do, I would try to draft my #1 CB this year if there is someone I like. You then put Gay as the #2 and Golson as the #3. Cockrell and Grant make the roster as #4 and #5. Blake and Allen then have to fight to beat out a S to make the roster or force them to move Grant to S.

S: (4 or 5)

Mitchell
Golden
Draft Pick
UFA
Ventrone (if we keep 5 for special teams)

Just to start off with the last guy, he only stays for special teams. He should not be on the depth chart for his play on the defense.

Mitchell played much much better for us this year, and truly I expect him to get even better this coming year when we have some corners who can do something.

Golden, I truly think should have been the starter from the time Allen missed some games. He proved himself to be the better player. I would not want him to be the long-term starter though.

The draft pick is only needed IMO if you don't move Grant to S, but you could still use a guy there if you want. The potential to move Grant allows you to go into round 1 at the draft saying best S or CB on the board we really like as priorities. If it is CB, you move Grant to S. If a S, you can leave him at CB.

That is my thoughts.

The UFA needs to be another Ryan Clark/Mike Mitchell type deal. An under the radar guy who has shown flashes and has been playing in a similar system.

 

I hope we get some one to replace McCullers. He has no value in today's NFL. Just like Casey Hampton. We need a DE/OLB that can rush the passer on a consistent basis. Either we draft or signed a veteran but this is what this defense needs. I'm on the fence with Timmons. He played well but I think I would give him another year with possiblely looking at his replacement for next year's draft.

I doubt Boykin comes back. If he does we can draft later for a CB. If he does not then we need another. But we do have some in the pipeline. Grant and Gholson are essentially rookies. We add another in the mix and we should be straight since I believe Gay, Cockrell, Blake and Allen will all be back next year.

 

nose tackles are a dying breed

 

Yes and No. Look, you need those guys in the base defense. You may only play them 20 plays a game, but the guy in the middle needs to be starter quality IMO. I don't think he needs to be a high draft pick, but you still need them. Look McLendon was a UDFA and McCullers was a 6th round draft pick. McCullers could still develop into a starter, but if McLendon leaves are you okay with only him and maybe Cam Thomas? I'm not.

 

i'd sign lj fort to compete with garvin.

gay, cockrell, golson, boykin, grant and the kid from the PS at corners.

grant to learn safety and corner spots.

mitchell, golden, jeremy cash and grant at safety.

 

Cyress Jones Alabama cb/s/PR
Fuller from Va tech cb

 

frey is the kid on the PS. couldn't think of his name in my previous post.

right now it's frey, c.allen, grant, golson, and most likely cockrell since he's an ERFA.

safety: mitchell, thomas, vinapal, dangerfield right now. jeremy cash would be nice to add.

 

I like your thinking tarheel, I have a few different ideas, but in general you touched on areas were we need to look at. Safety and OLB positions
need to be studied for the draft. Along with DL depth issues. I will be very suprised if the Steelers pick up the 5 year option on JJ. As you stated
all db's could be gone or could stay. The big elephant in the room is what are Steelers going to do with Cortez Allen? I think we made
a very big mistake with him, he has stolen 12 million the last 2 years.

 

We need a CB and Safety in the first two rounds then a DL in the 3rd

 

i think a good safety would make our corners much better.

 

I agree, or vice-versa. Not sure where the problem was but when the CB passed off the WR into the deep safety coverage it was usually exploited by the QB. Not sure if the CB was too early or the safety too late. But getting some smarter DB's that can make that transition would work wonders.

 

But do you need the true NT anymore? The Casey Hampton or Wolford type NT. I don't think so. You need some one more athletic but big enough to hold the point of attack that can also rush the passer. I think a guy that can play DT can play the nose well enough because most teams will be going to their spread formations the majority of the time.

 

Agree, It seemed our safeties were always too late to pick up when the CB passed off the WR. I think some of that is because we are slow there and because of that they play so deep they can't get there in time. Mitchell at times was 30 yards deep in the Denver game. Simms even commented on it during the game.

 

Blake is a UFA thank goodness. Please justify his worth to bring him back.

I would like to see Boykin back but someone will sign him. Every time he came into the game sans the miscommunication in Denver he made a difference.

Gay should be resigned, Cockrell, Golson, Grant will be there.

Golden should be able to compete for the SS position. I don't see Will Allen back.

Drafting a SS and CB is priority. Also need better rotation on the DL.

 

I like Fuller

 

speed and missed tackles. will allen gave up a lot of TD's being late to coverage. that has to be fixed. golden played pretty well but he's more a FS which isn't a bad thing. i actually think he could play the role of part time starter or third safety for us. i'd sign him to a couple of years. he knows the system pretty well now.

cash would be a good safety to bring in. he's a smart play maker.

there is talk of grant moving to safety though. not that i would want it but allen, golson, cockrell, blake may be back with grant, golden, mitchell and maybe shark as the safeties. frey may be the 5th cb. this wouldn't suprise me in the least. they would save the money bringing willie gay back and these other guys would come much cheaper.

 

Supposedly Grant is moving to safety? We will have to see how this plays out.

 

Cyrus Jones Alabama Cb/S/pr/kr

 

There was a point in the season where Will Allen was injured and was looking like an old man out there. Our Secondary was kind of in disarray all year long with injuries.

I still think it is pass rush though. When you need to Blitz your safety on a regular basis you have problems.

 

As bad as are secondary is we could have still easily and should have been playing in afc championship game missing the 2 best players at there position in football maybe 3 counting pouncey. Think about that for a second........

 

I am more and more starting to buy into signing Eric Weddle. I would be wiling to bring him in on a 3 year deal, meaning he would be 34 when the deal ended, basically the same age Allen is now.

There are a couple of caveats here:

1. The deal must be structured so we could cut him after year 2 if he isn't cutting it.
2. The team must believe that they are "fixing the secondary" away from winning a Super Bowl.
3. The vet must understand our culture.

I truly believe that fixing the secondary and the safety position in particular is huge. Getting a vet we like could help us do that. Weddle has made his money, now its time to win a SB.

 

I agree with this.

If we are looking for a quick fix to our secondary problems and to make a serious run at #'s 7&8, then the quickest route will be to go mercenary with filling our holes.

I would love to draft another DB or two early, but chances are they won't help us as much as we all would expect them to right away. I'm also leery about ignoring our offense to force-feed a defensive makeover.

I think after what he went through in SD that he would be willing to take a friendly deal to play for a stable franchise. Not sure who else needs veteran safety help, but I think chances are he'll end up in the AFC North (us or the Ravens).

 

I don't think we are going to ignore the offense, there just aren't a lot of holes on that side of the football right now.

We need a backup QB.
We need some Oline help.
We need Heath's replacement.

That being said, you aren't going to draft 1st round this year for a QB. You might do either of the other 2, Oline or TE, 1st round if you get someone you really like. Signing Weddle actually allows this to happen as you postpone the need for a young safety down the road some.

Could we go into the year, with Mitchell, Weddle, Golden, Grant, and Ventrone at S? I could see it happening. You now don't need to draft a S in the first round and can go a different direction. We need help everywhere on D. Depth for Dline. OLBs who can get to the QB. CB who can cover. ILB might actually be our strongest position.

 

You have to have a NT. Look at the difference of ypc with McClendon on the field and off the field. It's a pretty staggering difference.

 

I completely agree. I am not promoting drafting of someone in the first round, but if McLendon doesn't resign, we must hope that McCullers gets some drive or we have to find someone else.

As I look at the last 2 years, the Steelers have gone out and targeted 1 UFA that they believe can start or contribute right away, and they go out and get them. This year, I think it might once again be a Safety. (See Mitchell and Williams). It usually happens at a position of need. This year's need....OLB, S, or NT. I also am thinking that Golden and Grant's move to Safety will impact what we do there.

I know Tomlin likes Weddle, but maybe we need to look at Mark Barron as well.