Thursday, July 22, 2010

Inspired by Others Mock

This is what I hope is going to happen between now and the draft next season:

  • LaMarr Woodley will be resigned to a lucrative contract, ensuring he stays with the Steelers another six years.
  • Ike Taylor will also get a 4 year deal.
  • Jeff Reed will be franchised again.
  • Steelers will pick 32 overall. We are going to win it all this year....our backs are against the wall and Ben is going to light the NFL on fire when he returns from his suspension. The Steelers will finish 11-5 and win it against all the odds.
  • James Farrior and Hines Ward will retire.
  • The Steelers will not be rewarded with any compensation picks.

1.32: OT DeMarcus Love, Arkansas
I expect Love to have a good senior season. He is very athletic for being 6'5", 320lbs. He is very good in pass protection and more than adequate in the run game. While Starks is our LT now, we could use some legitimate insurance behind him. He could even start at RT if Colon isn't resigned. Plus, the Steelers always find excuses to not start rookies.....hopefully Pouncey breaks that trend.

2.64 ILB Nigel Bradham, Florida State
Bradham is a guy I will watch a lot. He plays OLB for the Seminoles. He is 6'3", 240lbs, and is very strong and athletic. I think he can make the transition inside. He has a passion for contact and would fit nicely alongside of Timmons.....giving us two LBs that can make plays from sideline to sideline. Them and Polamalu would give offensive coordinators fits.

3.96 WR DeAndre Brown, Southern Miss
Now with Ward gone and Sweed still under-performing, the Steelers could finally use that big endzone target they have been looking for. Brown......not be confused with the Brown we just drafted from the MAC Conference is a freak of nature. He is 6'6", 230lbs, and can run a 4.5 40. He is a junior, but will likely declare. He has massive hands, runs good routes, a decent blocker, and will make us remember Lynn Swann with some of the catches he can make for the Steelers.

4.132 SS Shiloh Keo, Idaho
I think Keo is a safety who could be an effective backup for Polamalu. Keo is an effective safety for the Vandals, and last season posted good numbers including over 100 tackles, five pass breakups, and three interceptions. I think he is undedrrated right now and I really think he would be an effective player down the stretch for us.

5.164 LB Mason Foster, Washington
Capable of playing all the LB spots, he is tough against the run, seeks out contact, and is super strong. He is underrated in coverage and really loves to punish ball carriers.

6.201TE D.J. Williams, Arkansas
Williams is an exceptional blocker who can also be effective in the passing game. He is sort of undersized for the position being only 6'2", but no one will outwork him. Plus, our TE depth absolutely sucks.

7.239 K/P Alex Henery, Nebraska
Henery is a demon on special teams. I mean that every possible way. He has a strong leg and is very accurate both kicking field goals, pinning opponents downfield, and on kickoffs. Sepulveda has not lived up to his 4th Round expectations. And Reed doesn't exactly inspire on kickoffs. Henery could eventually push Reed off the roster in a year or two. I also like the idea of a guy who can both kick and punt, saving a roster spot.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Tired of this Shuffling Crap(Plus Extended Thoughts)

am really getting tired of just rotating bodies in and out of the OL. I hate it. We need answers for the OL, not just solutions. We did the first step by getting Maurkice Pouncey in this past draft. These are the next steps I think we need to take:


1.25 G Michael Pouncey, Florida
This is the next step. Getting a guard that is already comfortable fighting side by side with Maurkice Pouncey would not only help Michael's transition, but give the two of them confidence to fight side by side in the pros. Pouncey is the mauler and more than adequate pass blocker that we need at RG. This will definitely solidify the interior OL well into the next decade.


2.57 OL Orlando Franklin, Miami(FL)
I have had Franklin on my radar for a long time now. Some may question the pick of a second G. Firstly, he will be playing LT this season. While I think he will do a fine job, he is a lineman that just has the quality I look for: he is very athletic for a 6'7" 320lbs, has experience playing at G and T, and is a relentless blocker. Our interior line sucks right now......this needs to change.


3.89 RT Marcus Cannon, TCU
Overkill?.........I say not. Cannon is everything I want in my RT: pure mauler, gym/weight room rat, underrated athletically, is more than adequate in pass protection. And, he has great size at 6'5" 348lbs. Since Colon is out for the year and Chris Scott is also injured, we could really use more insurance at RT. Colon may never even play another down for the Steelers. Cannon will also be making the switch to the blindside this season, so it will be interesting to see how he handles and performs playing LT. Could boost his stock, even though TCU's schedule looks pretty harmless until later in the season....


4.125 CB Charles Brown, North Carolina
This kid will fall for two reasons: (1) the quality depth at CB and (2)he will be overlooked due to the other NFL quality and ready Tar Heel defenders. It won't because he is not talented. Brown has good hands, good hips, good speed, and just has a knack for being around the ball. He is also not afraid to help out against the run.....which is a key thing I look for in CBs.


5.156 NT Anthony Gray, Southern Mississippi
Gray initially did not impress me when I first saw him play. That's probably because I wasn't looking closely enough. Gray is a very solid NT for the Golden Eagles. He occupies OL, he is a rock in the run game, and he is even underrated athletically. Tomlin may want the next NT for us to be more a 3 down player....Gray could just be the solution.


6.194 LB Mason Foster, Washington
I think this kid will be a potential steal of this draft class. He had a very quiet, yet good season last season collecting 85 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, 6 forced fumbles, 3 interceptions, and six passes defensed. He is flying under the radar for now....hopefully he stays that way.


7.232 S Jeron Johnson, Boise State
Johnson will also fall like Charles Brown will........he is under appreciated and is a good class of DBs. Johnson is underrated because he comes from a smaller school that normally dominates its opponents, comes from a weak conference, and just doesn't wow you. Johnson is just remarkably solid and rarely does he miss an assignment. We could use someone solid for a change to backup Troy.

Extended Thoughts:
My future OL would be:

LT- Max Starks
LG- Orlando Franklin
C- Maurkice Pouncey
RG- Michael Pouncey
RT- Marcus Cannon
backup- Chris Scott
backup- Ramon Foster
backup- Doug Legursky
backup- Jonathon Scott

Ike Taylor, LaMarr Woodley, and Doug Legursky are given extensions.