Steelers take Florida OT with second round pick

[sexyllama]

Yeah, it would have been nice to get a Safety behind Troy P.

Lake was a pretty great safety though. He was always in the right position so maybe he can get Mundy or the backup safety in a better position. (Is Mundy even signed) I like the running back from TT though, he a pretty shifty little runner.

Llama

[finesward]

Originally Posted by sexyllama

Please Clop... you can pull Tomlin and Colbert #()$ out of your mouth any time. I love how if anyone doesn't directly stoke one of you clowns we are dumb.

What did I say. "Problem with the draft is past the 5-6 meaning PAST the lower tier of RAS, A Williams, and Harris (i.e there were only 4-6 decent CB's) there were only ??? questionable CB's and definately NOT starter material. I WILL TYPE SLOW FOR YOU... MEANING THERE WAS NO CB WORTH PICKING IN THE 2ND ROUND.

So YOU BASICALLY AGREE WITH ME YOU ****IN DUMBASS BUT I"M STUPID. Go suck your "agree" with me Steeler buddies because your awesome and everything you say is awesome. The Steelers are awesome. Every play and every Player is awesome. We didn't lose the Superbowl and GB never spread us out or THREW ON US. WE ARE AWESOME!

I said Gilbert was a good pick. Man get off the Steelers can do no wrong ever kick and read.

Llama

no actually you said this

Problem with the rest of the CB's is that they are ???.

If we pick three maybe one will make the team. Maybe. CB's had zero depth this year past the top 5-6.

Llama

I really think they are going to dip into FA. Maybe get that kid from Cincy and Ike but who knows. I really don't like giving Ike alot of money. A 31 year old CB has bad written all over it.

What you don't understand is that he is not agreeing with you at all. He (and I) have said repeatedly that behind the top 2 (or 3) CB's there is not much difference between the quality of the 4-10 guys and the 20-30 guys. Plus the icing on the cake is that we draft a prototypical CB in the image of Ike...because of the kinds of things we ask them to do. (support run, bump and run coverage, etc.) So just because williams was there and has the kinds of things we look for, he wouldn't be ready next year, or maybe even the year after that. So if we are giving our 1st round pick for a guy like that why not spend it on getting a MUCH better player overall in Heyward? Why not take a 4th rounder (cortez) who has the athleticism and build of a CB and slowly bring him along like we did Ike? If it doesn't work out fine, we only spent a later draft pick and it wouldn't be considered a bust. Notice how there haven't been many 1st round busts in the last decade?

[cloppbeast]

Originally Posted by sexyllama

I said Gilbert was a good pick. Man get off the Steelers can do no wrong ever kick and read.

Llama

Apparently you weren't around when I criticized Ben and his overrated behind all year last year. I don't agree with every decision the Steelers make. I didn't like picking a punter in the fourth round in whatever year it was. Not that Dan wasn't a great punter, but he's just a punter. The difference between a great punter and a bad punter is about 15 yards a game, or a personal foul. So I thought that pick was stupid. I really didn't like the Gilbert pick either, to be honest; but I understand why they picked him. It was an allright pick - a safe pick. Not nearly as stupid has trading up to pick a punter from Bayler.

One thing I won't criticize the Steelers for is evaluating talent. They put a lot more time into looking at tape and such than I do, and they have proven to be much better at it than me. So, if the Steelers say that Heyward will be a great DE - that's why they drafted them - I won't argue. Or if they say none of the CBs in the draft will be as great as Heyward, I will beleive them. This doesn't mean they're always right. One need to look no further than Alonzo and Ricardo to see that. Nevertheless, they know so much more about it than me that I have absolutely no business saying this guy or that guy will be better. My estimation would be based on so comparitivlye limited knowledge that my complaint would be almost comical.

Basically, I'm arguing with many of you idiots on here that are saying the Steelers should have drafted the best CB on their board with their first pick simply because it's their biggest weakness. I'm trying to explain why that reasoning is wrong, but you don't seem to understand. I'm also arguing with you idiots who are saying we're doomed because we have such a bad secondary - the same secondary that got us to the Super Bowl last year even with a hobbled #43. You're being beyond hyperbolic.

[Atlanta Dan]

Originally Posted by cloppbeast

I'm also arguing with you idiots who are saying we're doomed because we have such a bad secondary - the same secondary that got us to the Super Bowl last year even with a hobbled #43. You're being beyond hyperbolic.

Agree with you the secondary had issues but it was not exactly the AFC North equivalent of the Houston Texans secondary

The secondary got torched by Rodgers and Brady (as well as Brees in the second half of the Saints game) but I was surprised to come across this stat from SI.com in a draft evaluation that ripped Belichick for not addressing the Patriots pass defense and noted that a pass defense includes both pass coverage and pass rush

The Patriots have been haunted by failures on pass defense every year since their last Super Bowl victory, and especially handicapped by the lack of an elite pass rusher. They simply ignored the problem in the draft. New England will not win a Super Bowl again until its mundane Defensive Passer Rating improves by 10 to 15 points. The top two teams in DPR last year? Green Bay No. 1; Pittsburgh No. 2.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201....grades/1.html

FWIW the author of this article gave the Steelers a B+ on their draft

What I liked: The obsession with linemen.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201....grades/2.html

[sexyllama]

And I'll argue without the idiot comments that...

0. People say you (and the Steelers) never draft for NEED. Uh.. Pouncey? We needed offensive line and we drafted him. Uh... Santonio.. uh we need a receiver and we drafted him. The whole bullshit we don't draft for need is utterly stupid.

1. My reasoning it perfectly fine. We didn't do enough to raise the talent level in our secondary. Are you telling me we the DB's have more talent now than before draft? Seriously?

1a. With the labor situation, do you think a 3rd Round CB and a 4th Round Project Athlete CB have a real chance to succeed with no coaching or access to the playbook. (I totally agree with you that past the CB Harris the draft was a roll-of-the-dice at best on CB's)

2. The kid from Citadel will barely make the practice field. Read up on the kid, total gamble. (it's a 4th rounder; nuf said)

3. Curtis Brown *MIGHT* be a nickel back; I say might because WE haven't developed any CB in 3-4 years and #1a. BUT we do have a new coach.

4. Did I say we were doomed? Once again ... NO. Did I say the the draft picks were horrible? Uh, NO. I said we didn't draft well for our biggest weakness. If you look at the facts listed above I'm still correct.

5. Yes, we got to the Super Bowl and then GB did exactly what 2 weeks of analysts and media said. Spread us out and throw quick passes. Unfortunately, it worked.

5a. Totally agree with you that only NE and GB or a hot/lucky QB can do that to us. Unfortunately, we need luck or we'll have to play one of those teams to in the Playoffs. Do we currently have the DB talent and depth to defend vs. NE/GB... I'd still say "NO"

5b. Once again, we match up well with many conventional offenses so our Nickel and Dime don't get exposed but when we do get exposed it's an EPIC blowout.

5c. Yes 43 was hobbled and he has been 3 out of 4 years. I'll take an educated guess that he will be hurt a few games this season. As you said, Look at our backfield when he is out...

5d. I don't think I'm exaggerating the fact that our Defense doesn't handle the NFL variant of the Spread Offense well. It's pretty well known and it's still our biggest weakness.

Llama

PS Obviously Free Agency changes many things in terms of talent and depth.

[theplatypus]

Gilbert is a much-needed high pick on the offensive line, an Achilles' heel in Pittsburgh the past few seasons, including in the Super Bowl loss to Green Bay. Gilbert has classic OT size with great potential to emerge into a franchise LT. He'll be reunited in Pittsburgh with former Florida linemate, center Maurkice Pouncey.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/foo...#ixzz1LDQLKGK7

Fairly high praise for Gilbert here.
I would love to see Gilbert pan out like Pouncey and take over the LT duties. Gilbert,Kemo,Pouncey,Colon,Starks would probably be the best O-line we've seen in several years.

I'm allowed to dream.

[sexyllama]

Originally Posted by Atlanta Dan

Agree with you the secondary had issues but it was not exactly the AFC North equivalent of the Houston Texans secondary

The secondary got torched by Rodgers and Brady (as well as Brees in the second half of the Saints game) but I was surprised to come across this stat from SI.com in a draft evaluation that ripped Belichick for not addressing the Patriots pass defense and noted that a pass defense includes both pass coverage and pass rush

The Patriots have been haunted by failures on pass defense every year since their last Super Bowl victory, and especially handicapped by the lack of an elite pass rusher. They simply ignored the problem in the draft. New England will not win a Super Bowl again until its mundane Defensive Passer Rating improves by 10 to 15 points. The top two teams in DPR last year? Green Bay No. 1; Pittsburgh No. 2.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201....grades/1.html

FWIW the author of this article gave the Steelers a B+ on their draft

What I liked: The obsession with linemen.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201....grades/2.html

I completely agree with you Atlanta. We aren't horrible and once again the "steelers are the best evar! don't say anything mean" people always reply and exaggerate what was said.

We play a lot of average teams with bad QB's so our DPR is great until you look at NE and GB.

We don't need Revis but WE do need a Nickel and Dime DB that are super solid like Deshea Townsend. Right now, We have:

1. FA-Ike
2. McFadden
3. FA-Gay
4. FA- Anthony Madison
5. 3rd round talent Keenan Lewis (never played a down)
6. 5th round talent C. Butler (never played a down)
7. 3rd round talent C. Brown (Rookie)
8. 4th round talent C. Allen (Rookie)

Llama

[thumper]

I am hoping this kid's injuries is why he regressed the last season. 2 seasons
ago he was considered an upcoming, 1st-round in the draft star. But he didn't
improve, he actually got worse. But then I heard he was dinged. If he is the player
everyone thought he was 2 seasons ago, then we got a great pick. But if he is
the soft-looking, not-too-aggressive player of last season, he could be a bust.

[Steelerindc]

Does anyone think with Lake being the DB coach that he can get these guys to play any better. Being as though he played with a HOF'er and replaced one year and did a damn good job at it.

[theplatypus]

Originally Posted by Steelerindc

Does anyone think with Lake being the DB coach that he can get these guys to play any better. Being as though he played with a HOF'er and replaced one year and did a damn good job at it.

I'm pretty sure the Steelers had that in mind when he was hired.