Steelers sign DT/DE from Seahawks waiver

[Ricco Suavez]

Steelers sign 6-0 6-1 (depends on who you believe) 325 pound Hebron Fangupo. Fangupo is a 27 year old rookie who started his college career at USC and then transferred to BYU. He is an older rookie due to the fact he did two years missionary work. He was on the Texans roster for a good part of the year until the Seahawks picked him up. He did 36 reps at the bench during the combine and was projected a 5th or 6th round pick, your thoughts or comments if you have any info?

[tburhans]

I remember reading about him before the draft and he was a guy I liked for us to target later in the draft but we ended up with ta'amu instead. I doubt he'll get any.playing time but maybe hes a guy we can develop into a backup that could improve our depth on the line

[teegre]

I saw him as a R7 developmental prospect. I like it.

[WokeUpWithaWoodley]

Yeah same. He was someone I thought the steelers would target. Maybe could play end but don't remember him being a guy that was said could be a nt in a 3-4

[Ricco Suavez]

I was incorrect in that he was on Texans roster and released before the season. Went to some draft site and they had him anywhere from 3-6 rd. He must of had some kind of injury from what I read but no details. the site I was on had #14 of all DE/DTs.

[nj1923steelgirl]

Originally Posted by teegre

I saw him as a R7 developmental prospect. I like it.

I agree!

[SteelersCanada]

Analysis

Strengths: Possesses a girthy, wide-body size with a strong upper and lower body. Extremely strong with the raw power to overwhelm blockers at the point of attack. Anchors off the snap and holds his ground, staying stout in the run game. Has a coordinated frame to stay balanced on his feet through contact. Has very good awareness and always knows where the ball is, using his eyes to quickly locate and elevate his hands to knock down passes at the line of scrimmage. High character player on and off the field with top work ethic and a positive attitude ... very good teammate. Versatile player, lining up at both defensive end and nose tackle in BYU's 3-4 defensive alignment.

Weaknesses: Has seen his weight fluctuate over the years and it is something that needs to be monitored. Short in stature and doesn't have great length. Has limited range and doesn't have great lateral agility to move up and down the line of scrimmage in a flash ... won't make a lot of plays outside the numbers. Needs to clean up his technique and play with better leverage to consistently defeat blocks. Has some durability and conditioning concerns after missing most of the 2009 and 2010 seasons with injuries and doesn't look like an every-down defender. An older prospect and will be 27-years old when the 2012 NFL regular season starts.

NFL Comparison: Chris Nield, Washington Redskins.

-- Dane Brugler

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1697210

edit -- I think it's interesting that PFW (Pro Football Weekly) had him as a third round pick and had said "... and he could factor in as a two-down run-stopper with teams like the Jets, 49ers and Steelers" prior to the draft. I think it's a great pickup if for nothing more than to give Ta'amu a little competition in Latrobe this offseason. Competition breeds the need for improvement, something Ta'amu and McLendon will need this coming offseason.

[Hawaii 5-0]

I had us selecting Fangupo in the 6th round of my mock draft, I'll bet the Steelers liked him but decided not to draft Fangupo after picking Ta' amu in the 4th round.

with Hampton likely gone, Fangupo is a good developmental project to provide us some decent depth at NT.

and he's big boy:

[VictoryFormation]

There's this too:
"Fangupo was tailor-made for the nose tackle position. He lifted 225 pounds 36 times at the combine and ties up two blockers like he was born to do it. Fangupo is not very athletic and his inability to add much beyond clogging up the middle of an offense probably greased the chute for his fall out of the draft, but it made him perfect for the Texans' need on defensive line."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...-field-at-otas

[StainlessStill]

Nice, I like the Fangupo signing. I actually had the Steelers taking Fangupo in the 5th round in my mock draft. Very happy about this. Hopefully, with Ta'amu still to groom, Fangupo can become something more than just an extra body for a week.