Mock Offseason

[Mr. Goosemahn]

My take on what we should do (realistically). Taking into consideration that no CBA is used.

Retire:

• QB Charlie Batch - Dixon proved to be a capable #2, hopefully sticks as coach or something.
• DE Travis Kirschke - Nagging back issues and emergence of Hood mean no contract, and thus retirement.
• ILB James Farrior - His age has finally caught up to him, and it was visible. Leaves as a great Steeler.

Restricted Free Agents (Keep All):

• FB Carey Davis - Is a special teams ace, but not much value offensively.
• TE Matt Spaeth - Knows the system, and would come cheap.
• OG Darnell Stapleton - Has starting experience, and we need O-Line depth.
• OT Willie Colon - Starting RT right now, and would come cheap for what he could demand.
• LB Patrick Bailey - Good ST player, young, and we have a knack for developing UDFA Linebackers.
• CB William Gay - Sub-par performance as a starter, but was the best (statistically) nickel corner a year ago.
• P Daniel Sepulveda - Good punter, still improving.

Resign:

• DE Nick Eason - had good games near the end of the season, and is solid depth.
• LB Rocky Boiman - made good contributions on ST. No return TD allowed since he and Anthony Madison were signed.
• FS Ryan Clark - Starter, solid player by himself, good alongside Polamalu. More importantly, he knows the defense.

Tag:

• Casey Hampton - Doesn't want to get tagged, but there's really no choice. Worst case scenario, get something in return.
• Jeff Reed - As reliable as kickers come for us. Only better kicker in Steelers history is Gary Anderson.
• Willie Parker - Surprising move, but Parker showed his old burst in the last couple of games. Best RB for us hands-wise (little fumbles).

Let Go:

• WR Joey Galloway - signed for depth, never played.
• CB Deshea Townsend - two young CB waiting for time, and is old.
• S Tyrone Carter - old, and is only serviceable in run support.

Sign (Free Agents):

• LB Karlos Dansby, Arizona - could be expensive, but it's about time we sign another good FA, ala James Farrior. Has experience in the 3-4.
• CB Leigh Bodden, New England - has made some very good plays for the Patriots this year, and wouldn't be overly expensive. Patriots have Wilhite and Butler for future.
• FS Sean Jones, Philadelphia - Another solid player who wouldn't be very expensive. He's useful, and would be good depth, if not a starter. Philly has Macho Harris for the future.
• WR Kevin Walter, Houston - Seems that Jacoby Jones has unseated him as the #2, and he'll leave. We're using many 4 WR sets, so he'd be very valuable. Not very expensive.

Draft (its official: we pick at #18)

1. OG / OT Mike Iupati, Idaho


*** #58 is Rey Maualuga, for size comparison's sake. ***

I think this is the draft we finally address the O-Line. While some might think it's a bit of a reach right now, he could have a Brandon Albert type of rise. He's huge at 6'6 and 320 lbs., but moves unbelievably well for his size. Can pull, which is something we love from our guards, and gets monster pushes in the run game. He's incredibly strong, throwing defensive linemen around like rag-dolls. Has great athletic ability, and could even become a left tackle, meaning he's got position versatility which is another attribute our coaching staff loves. And one final thing to take into consideration: he's only played football since high school, meaning the sky is the limit with Iupati.

Here's some film on him:
Viciously eliminating Maualuga from a play with a monster pancake. Just look at Maualuga blitzing (the linebacker with long hair) and see how he gets destroyed.


Game film (#77):


2. RB Noel Devine, West Virginia



Taking advantage that this is a very deep draft safety-wise, I chose Devine here because of his game-changing ability. Quite frankly, he's lightning in a bottle. He's short at 5'8, but makes up for it with all-world agility and cutback ability, as well as amazing speed. He'd be the perfect complement to Mendenhall. He's a good receiver, and is tough. His ability to get the tough yards is vastly underrated, and he can take (and at times give) hits.

Check out these highlights of his. He can run anywhere on the field, flashes some Barry Sanders ability, makes a huge block against a defensive end that is massive in comparison, and gives a couple big hits.



3. FS Kam Chancellor, Virginia Tech



A big safety at 6'3, Chancellor makes a lot of plays. He's a good tackler and he's physical. His speed is not as fast as people would wish it to be, but it's not overly slow either. Plays the ball well, and can deliver hard hits.

Vids:
Great wrap-up tackling technique, big tackle:


Game film:


4. DE / OLB O'Brien Schofield, Wisconsin



He'd play OLB for us. The guy has a non-stop motor, and is strong. Can make plays and is solid overall. His technique could improve a bit, but has good upside. Rarely gives up on plays and always plays his heart out.

5.a) ILB Micah Johnson, Kentucky



This guy has great talent, but has gotten injured quite often. In fact, I'm not sure on this, but I think he could be injured right now. Nevertheless, he's a force when healthy, and his injuries and the talent available at LB could have him drop. He'd be a great pickup at this point. Is stout against the run, and is strong. Doesn't get fooled very easily.

Highlights:


5.b) (Compensation Pick for Bryant McFadden) NT Cam Thomas, North Carolina



A big-bodied NT to groom, I think he could become a solid player, like Chris Hoke. He fills a future need, but still has time to develop. Is good against the run and has good room for improvement.

5.c) (Compensation Pick for Nate Washington) DE / OLB Austen Lane, Murray State



This guy is a very interesting prospect. He's 6'6, 260 lbs. and supposedly runs the 40 yard dash in 4.6 seconds. He's a sack machine and has a ton of tackles for a loss. However, he's played against very low-profile teams and is said to have thin, weak legs. If he works out, he could be a monster steal and pass-rushing demon.

6. OT Sam Young, Notre Dame



At the beginning of the year, he was viewed as a second year prospect. However, as the year went on, people started to notice he had slow feet and struggled with speed rushers. It seems he'll be limited to right tackle in the pros, and this definitely hurts his stock. Huge at 6'8 and 320 lbs. Held his own against good competition, but struggled at other times. Not a very risky pick for a battle tested player who disappointed as a senior but could be a valuable backup or eventual starter at RT.

7. a) QB Rusty Smith, Florida Atlantic



A solid guy who had a great season last year. Can make tough throws, but is not a surefire passer. Has nice upside, and could be the #3 off the bat.

7.b) (Compensation pick for Byron Leftwich) WR Brandon Banks, Kansas State



A speed demon that used to be Josh Freeman's target, he can run like lightning. He short at 5'7, but this along with his agility and speed could create many mismatches.

----------------------

Overall, we wind up getting players at many positions where we have needs.

I didn't draft a CB because we already drafted two last year and I have us signing Leigh Bodden, meaning that Gay would be able to return to nickel and the two young guys would fight it out for the #4.

The only position I think I could have missed on was DE, but there's good depth there for now. It's definitely something we have to improve on, though.

[BlackNGold88]

First off, love the draft. Iupati is a helluva player and I'm sure if its worth picking him that high in the draft. Since he is more a Guard in the NFL. I don't think he would be a good starter at Tackle. Devine is homerun hitter and would be good to have back up Mendenhall. He reminds me a Sproles, probably a little better upside than Sproles had. Micah Johnson in round 5? Isn't he like a 3rd round guy right now? Either way, if he is there I would take him. He would be a huge steal.

[taztroy43]

I like the mock...lupati will be a beast in the Steelers OL...but devine might be gone by the time we pick in the second....I've watched him play and that guy seems to put on a show every time he touches the ball....He reminds me a lot of chris johnson.....You never know, he might be the next chris johnson....so i wouldn't mind this pick....

I also like the Kam Chancellor pick...he bounced between WR/OLB/ and finally FS where he found his position that he was most comfortable w/@ VT....To put it in other words He's an ATHLETIC STUD.....he might not be as fast but I think he would fit just fine w/ the Steelers.....


What do u think about the possibility of drafting WR Danario Alexander from Missouri in the 3 or 4th???.....that guy is a freak of nature @ 6'5" 215.....THE GUY IS JUST A DAMN PLAYMAKER!!!! He started this whole year w/o getting injured and he put up some impressive numbers and performances.....I think he's going to be something special in the NFL!!! I just don't know why nobody is really talking about him....I bet they will once he goes through the combine....which would be bad news for us....he will likely get drafted pretty high....

check these vids out....

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[supa_fly_steeler]

kam chancellor is a beast.

[MDSteel15]

Originally Posted by taztroy43

I like the mock...lupati will be a beast in the Steelers OL...but devine might be gone by the time we pick in the second....I've watched him play and that guy seems to put on a show every time he touches the ball....He reminds me a lot of chris johnson.....You never know, he might be the next chris johnson....so i wouldn't mind this pick....

I also like the Kam Chancellor pick...he bounced between WR/OLB/ and finally FS where he found his position that he was most comfortable w/@ VT....To put it in other words He's an ATHLETIC STUD.....he might not be as fast but I think he would fit just fine w/ the Steelers.....


What do u think about the possibility of drafting WR Danario Alexander from Missouri in the 3 or 4th???.....that guy is a freak of nature @ 6'5" 215.....THE GUY IS JUST A DAMN PLAYMAKER!!!! He started this whole year w/o getting injured and he put up some impressive numbers and performances.....I think he's going to be something special in the NFL!!! I just don't know why nobody is really talking about him....I bet they will once he goes through the combine....which would be bad news for us....he will likely get drafted pretty high....

check these vids out....

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It's probably the injuries scaring them off!

[Mr. Goosemahn]

Yeah, for Danario Alexander its the injuries that scare people. "Two torn ACL's in a college career...that's crazy." He's a playmaker though, and I think he doesn't leave round 3.

And for Micah Johnson in the 5th, there's a couple of guys that are climbing up draft boards, but he's not. His injury concerns scare teams away. This year alone he had a couple injuries, including a foot one and a sprained MCL.

Some of the guys that are climbing boards or are commonly ranked above him are:
- Brandon Spikes, Florida
- Daryl Washington, Texas Christian (TCU)
- Pat Angerer, Iowa
- Sean Lee, Penn State
- Jamar Chaney, Mississippi State

And those are only the seniors. Some juniors taken before him could, if he declares, could be:
- Rolando McClain
- Greg Jones
- Quan Sturdivant
- Josh Bynes

So that's why I had Micah Johnson in the fifth. Who knows, maybe good workouts boost his stock, but as of right now, a couple MLB have been slipping.

I thought about having Spikes as our #2 pick, but he probably will no make it. He's slipped out of the first as of right now in most professional mocks, but with some many teams switching to the 3-4, someone will take him.

[RushHard34]

tag willie? wayyyyy too much money

[Mr. Goosemahn]

tag willie? wayyyyy too much money

Yeah, it's a lot of money, but we did tag Starks, and two years in a row for that matter, and he was viewed by many as a less deserving candidate of two tags. The tag is basically to ensure he doesn't leave, and we can work out a deal later. If no deal is agreed upon, at least you get to see if Willie does have any gas left in the tank, and without cap room it shouldn't be too big a deal.

5th round comp picks arent worth much but thats alot of picks. Possibility in a trading up for quality?

Yeah, it's a lot of picks, but right now we need depth on a lot of positions. And comp picks are not tradeable, so we'd have to trade any normal picks we have, which always come before the comp picks. I wouldn't be against trading picks though, just have to see for who.

Mike Iupati, Idaho - woah Impressive, Hope he doesnt rise at all. Great pick


Pat Angerer having a good game vs GT in the Orange Bowl stuffing alot of runs up the middle.

Yeah, Iupati is a beast. If he can work out at LT, we'd be set for the rest of Roethlisberger's career.

Angerer is interesting. Could be worth a 4th round pick, give or take.

[Steely McSmash]

Nice post

Couple notes:

- I don't think Leigh Bodden will come cheap by any stretch of the imagination.

- Lefty only played in 3 games this year. I'd be surprised if we get a comp pick for him. Could get a 3rd or 4th for BMac though.

- I'm not sold on taking a RB with the 2nd spot. If I were to go with an offensive skill player there, I'd be tempted to go with Marshawn Gilyard, Golden Tate or Eric Decker at WR.