Trade Deadline Next Week-A suggestion that isn't Aaron Curry

[RuthlessBurgher]

Casey Hampton has been the rock in the middle of our 3-4 for the last decade (listed at 6'1" 325 lbs, but we all know that he probably hasn't seen 325 lbs. since high school). However, he is aging, and his play has been slipping somewhat. He was replaced by Chris Hoke in the lineup this past weekend because of injury, and Hokie played well, but he is even older than Big Snack is. We have Steve McLendon, but his 6'4" 280 lbs. build seems more like a 3-4 DE body than a 3-4 NT body (he's one of these guys that Tomlin loves because of his positional flexibility). He could potentially function as our Hoke of the future, the undersized backup (Hokie's listed at 6'2" 305 lbs.) who fills in for the big, beefy starter every now and then. The problem is, we don't have a big, beefy starter of the future at nose tackle. And in the draft, there Alameda Ta'amu from Washington, but he may be off the board before we select in the first round, and I don't see another high quality NT prospect in the draft pool at this point. So, where do we look? Where does Colbert always look? Detroit, of course!

The Lions have an embarrassment of riches at DT at the moment. Suh is already the best in the business, and they absolutely stole Nick Fairley in the mid-first. Now that Fairley is healthy and able to play as of this Monday night, they may be willing to move one of their other DT's for a future draft pick. Beyond those two youngsters, they have veteran Corey Williams (who flamed out in Cleveland where he was miscast as a 3-4 DE...but he was a solid 4-3 DT when he was in Green Bay before that) and Andre Fluellen in his 4th year out of Florida State (also better suited for a 4-3 than a 3-4). That's a solid DT rotation for them with those 4 guys, so perhaps they could net a solid draft pick for their other DT, Sammie Lee Hill, who seems like he would actually be better suited for our 3-4 than their 4-3.

I really liked Sammie Lee Hill coming out of tiny Stillman College a couple of years ago. He's listed at a solid 6'4" 329 lbs. He has already shown that his game does transfer from the SIAC to the NFL (not a failed small school project like Jamain Stephens). He was a 4th round pick by the Lions in 2009...perhaps we could get him for a 3rd round pick next year. Then we'd have our starting NT of the future, and would still have our top 2 picks to address OL and ILB (or possibly add more talent in the secondary if the right guy falls). His salary is only $480,000 this year since he is still working off his rookie deal, and he is scheduled to be a restricted free agent next year, so we could keep in with an RFA tender before ultimately extending him long term.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/315/945/93042245_display_image.jpg?1280196116

[steelz09]

:Agree

Ruthless - I'm sold..Let's trade a 3rd

We could then draft a OT and OG with our 1st and 2nd.

That would leave us w/ FS and ILB and another o-lineman in rounds 4 thru 7

[steelblood]

i saw him get a few snaps in the monday night game. he looked alright. it might be worth exploring. but, the steelers will never do it.

also, mcclendon does not look 280 any more. I'm guessing 300-310.

[Slapstick]

Hill came in for a pre-draft visit on the South Side back in '09...

They may have kept an eye on him...

[birtikidis]

give up a 3rd for a guy who was originally a 4th... a guy so far down on their depth chart that it's amazing he dresses for games? nah. I'd give up a 7th for him.. maybe.

[Dee Dub]

.....And in the draft, there Alameda Ta'amu from Washington, but he may be off the board before we select in the first round, and I don't see another high quality NT prospect in the draft pool at this point.

Ruthless, NT/DT Brandon Thompson of Clemson is ranked higher than Ta'amu on many boards. Watch him one game and you will see a major force inside. One who plays with a lot of energy and is very disruptive. I personally think he is a better fit at NT in a 3-4 than Ta'amu. But I also feel you can't go wrong with either one.

[Northern_Blitz]

Don't we only have ~ $200k left under the salary cap?

[RuthlessBurgher]

.....And in the draft, there Alameda Ta'amu from Washington, but he may be off the board before we select in the first round, and I don't see another high quality NT prospect in the draft pool at this point.

Ruthless, NT/DT Brandon Thompson of Clemson is ranked higher than Ta'amu on many boards. Watch him one game and you will see a major force inside. One who plays with a lot of energy and is very disruptive. I personally think he is a better fit at NT in a 3-4 than Ta'amu. But I also feel you can't go wrong with either one.

I agree about Thompson, but I just saw him as more of a 4-3 DT, though, but I suppose he could play in a 3-4 as well. In a 3-4, I'd say Thompson would be more of a Jay Ratliff type NT (beefier than Ratliff, but probably would be more comfortable as a one gap penetrator than a two gap plugger), while Ta'amu would be more of a Casey Hampton type NT that we are used to in LeBeau's system.

[SuperSize]

Casey Hampton has been the rock in the middle of our 3-4 for the last decade (listed at 6'1" 325 lbs, but we all know that he probably hasn't seen 325 lbs. since high school). However, he is aging, and his play has been slipping somewhat. He was replaced by Chris Hoke in the lineup this past weekend because of injury, and Hokie played well, but he is even older than Big Snack is. We have Steve McLendon, but his 6'4" 280 lbs. build seems more like a 3-4 DE body than a 3-4 NT body (he's one of these guys that Tomlin loves because of his positional flexibility). He could potentially function as our Hoke of the future, the undersized backup (Hokie's listed at 6'2" 305 lbs.) who fills in for the big, beefy starter every now and then. The problem is, we don't have a big, beefy starter of the future at nose tackle. And in the draft, there Alameda Ta'amu from Washington, but he may be off the board before we select in the first round, and I don't see another high quality NT prospect in the draft pool at this point. So, where do we look? Where does Colbert always look? Detroit, of course!

The Lions have an embarrassment of riches at DT at the moment. Suh is already the best in the business, and they absolutely stole Nick Fairley in the mid-first. Now that Fairley is healthy and able to play as of this Monday night, they may be willing to move one of their other DT's for a future draft pick. Beyond those two youngsters, they have veteran Corey Williams (who flamed out in Cleveland where he was miscast as a 3-4 DE...but he was a solid 4-3 DT when he was in Green Bay before that) and Andre Fluellen in his 4th year out of Florida State (also better suited for a 4-3 than a 3-4). That's a solid DT rotation for them with those 4 guys, so perhaps they could net a solid draft pick for their other DT, Sammie Lee Hill, who seems like he would actually be better suited for our 3-4 than their 4-3.

I really liked Sammie Lee Hill coming out of tiny Stillman College a couple of years ago. He's listed at a solid 6'4" 329 lbs. He has already shown that his game does transfer from the SIAC to the NFL (not a failed small school project like Jamain Stephens). He was a 4th round pick by the Lions in 2009...perhaps we could get him for a 3rd round pick next year. Then we'd have our starting NT of the future, and would still have our top 2 picks to address OL and ILB (or possibly add more talent in the secondary if the right guy falls). His salary is only $480,000 this year since he is still working off his rookie deal, and he is scheduled to be a restricted free agent next year, so we could keep in with an RFA tender before ultimately extending him long term.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/315/945/93042245_display_image.jpg?1280196116

I'll bet its been a while since McLendon has seen 280. He's clearly bigger than that now, I'll bet he's 300+.


Pete

[SuperSize]

Casey Hampton has been the rock in the middle of our 3-4 for the last decade (listed at 6'1" 325 lbs, but we all know that he probably hasn't seen 325 lbs. since high school). However, he is aging, and his play has been slipping somewhat. He was replaced by Chris Hoke in the lineup this past weekend because of injury, and Hokie played well, but he is even older than Big Snack is. We have Steve McLendon, but his 6'4" 280 lbs. build seems more like a 3-4 DE body than a 3-4 NT body (he's one of these guys that Tomlin loves because of his positional flexibility). He could potentially function as our Hoke of the future, the undersized backup (Hokie's listed at 6'2" 305 lbs.) who fills in for the big, beefy starter every now and then. The problem is, we don't have a big, beefy starter of the future at nose tackle. And in the draft, there Alameda Ta'amu from Washington, but he may be off the board before we select in the first round, and I don't see another high quality NT prospect in the draft pool at this point. So, where do we look? Where does Colbert always look? Detroit, of course!

The Lions have an embarrassment of riches at DT at the moment. Suh is already the best in the business, and they absolutely stole Nick Fairley in the mid-first. Now that Fairley is healthy and able to play as of this Monday night, they may be willing to move one of their other DT's for a future draft pick. Beyond those two youngsters, they have veteran Corey Williams (who flamed out in Cleveland where he was miscast as a 3-4 DE...but he was a solid 4-3 DT when he was in Green Bay before that) and Andre Fluellen in his 4th year out of Florida State (also better suited for a 4-3 than a 3-4). That's a solid DT rotation for them with those 4 guys, so perhaps they could net a solid draft pick for their other DT, Sammie Lee Hill, who seems like he would actually be better suited for our 3-4 than their 4-3.

I really liked Sammie Lee Hill coming out of tiny Stillman College a couple of years ago. He's listed at a solid 6'4" 329 lbs. He has already shown that his game does transfer from the SIAC to the NFL (not a failed small school project like Jamain Stephens). He was a 4th round pick by the Lions in 2009...perhaps we could get him for a 3rd round pick next year. Then we'd have our starting NT of the future, and would still have our top 2 picks to address OL and ILB (or possibly add more talent in the secondary if the right guy falls). His salary is only $480,000 this year since he is still working off his rookie deal, and he is scheduled to be a restricted free agent next year, so we could keep in with an RFA tender before ultimately extending him long term.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/315/945/93042245_display_image.jpg?1280196116

I'll bet its been a while since McLendon has seen 280. He's clearly bigger than that now, I'll bet he's 300+.


Pete

[Steel Life]

Perhaps it's not a draft choice they'd want...they're painfully thin at CB & BMac could be enough to make this happen.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Perhaps it's not a draft choice they'd want...they're painfully thin at CB & BMac could be enough to make this happen.

Even better! Sold!! To the man in powder blue!!!

[ikestops85]

I was kinda amazed while watching the game Monday night and the announcers said that the Lions activate 9 defensive linemen for each game. :wft

... and even more amazed when they said all 9 are rotated in. :shock:

Now I understand the concept of keeping fresh legs but if I had a guy as dominant as Suh I don't think I would ever take him off the field unless he was hurt.

[Pahn711]

Polamalu was on Mike and Mike yesterday morning saying that Tomlin prides himself and the team on not overreacting and signing someone off the street or another team just because of an injury. Tomlin really feeds into the "next guy up" mentality and is set on giving the backups a shot or maybe even moving up practice squad players to fill the void, he wants to keep it in house.

Thats a philosophy I totally agree with and think it really gains the confidence and respect of the players. Its hard to preach team unity and hard work if a guy doesn't believe that it will be rewarded with opportunities to play. Trading and bringing in lots of outside players sends the wrong signal to those guys waiting for a chance. The Steelers understand that, and is definitely a contributing factor to their success over the years.

That in mind, hell will freeze over before the Steelers make a trade for anyone this season, I'll stand by that.