Time we changed our draft ways.

[Sword]

We need to start gong after top picks like these other teams are doing.

We are not picking high enough in the draft. When and what place was the highest we ever picked in a draft?
Who was the player?

Who would have been our pick if DD was not there 2 years ago?

[7 UP]

Im not sure what your saying here. Are you saying we should lose year in and year out so that we draft higher?

[Sword]

Im not sure what your saying here. Are you saying we should lose year in and year out so that we draft higher?

no..but we can trade players for better spots...we seam to hang onto some people to long...

Look what Red Sox did in one year ...unloaded 300 million in contracts and got rid of like 4 or 5 starters...look where they are today....
It takes being aggressive....

[Shawn]

I would highly disagree. The draft is a crap shoot. The more times you roll the dice, the better chance you have. The Steelers have picked many quality draft picks in recent memory, even in later rounds. Antonio Brown, Wallace, Pouncey, DD, Timmons, Jones. Hood is likely a miss but what first rounder have the Steelers not turned into a quality starter? Our two big misses IMO are Adams and Gilbert. That is a huge problem. Letting Starks go was ignorant.

DD is going to be a perrenial pro bowler. Anyone thinking he won't be great isn't paying attention. The guy has the tools but is essentially a rookie coming off major knee surgery. He isn't anchoring as well as I think he is able due to this fact. He is will get stronger, and his knowledge and confidence will grow. Guys who know OLmen, who were OLmen, love his ability. Give it some time.

The problem with the Steelers is losing some playmakers and leaders. There is a leadership void that is tangible. When the Steeler vets got pumped up in Chicago you seen the young guys follow suit and looked really really good for a stretch. These guys can play.

[Oviedo]

I think what we need to do is possibly focus more on drafting for specific needs. It is all well and good to say best player available , but not sure you can do that in the cap era. The cap forces you to make tough choices and you need to get more out of players during their first contracts to determine if they are really worth that "big" second contract.

[Shawn]

O, taking Eifert over Jones would be a very tough sell to me. That means the untalented and oft injured Worilds would be a starter on a D struggling getting pressure and turnovers. No thank you.

[Oviedo]

O, taking Eifert over Jones would be a very tough sell to me. That means the untalented and oft injured Worilds would be a starter on a D struggling getting pressure and turnovers. No thank you.

As opposed to helping an even more struggling offense that can't score points and has the only legitimate TE on the roster playing at 80%? Pick your poison. Worilds hasn't looked bad this season and has generated pressure.

[Shawn]

As opposed to helping an even more struggling offense that can't score points and has the only legitimate TE on the roster playing at 80%? Pick your poison. Worilds hasn't looked bad this season and has generated pressure.

Eifert isn't that good. He has AJ Green, and Griesham to take the focus off of him yet only has 9 catches and no TDs on the season. How would that help the Steelers? O, you are a good poster but you are like a pitbull. Once you lock onto something you won't let go. Eifert is a decent #2 TE...nothing more...nothing less.

[Oviedo]

Eifert isn't that good. He has AJ Green, and Griesham to take the focus off of him yet only has 9 catches and no TDs on the season. How would that help the Steelers? O, you are a good poster but you are like a pitbull. Once you lock onto something you won't let go. Eifert is a decent #2 TE...nothing more...nothing less.

Woof woof;)

[NJ-STEELER]

One thing they need to do is focus a bit more on need.

Drafting hood, heyward, and worldis so high when the defense was at the too (or near it) for years was a mistake.

They also need to stay drafting guys in positions that don't need top flight guys in the systems they run.
Hood and heyward as examples again.

ILB is another position I wouldn't draft a high number 1 with.

Love Heath but a TE with his skill set you can find later in the draft.

[NJ-STEELER]

Maybe not eifert, but Hopkins, Patterson, hunter. Big physical wideouts could have certainly helped this team

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Probably the biggest problem that effects this team now, and in the foreseeable future, is the salary cap. The Steelers have been forced to make moves that are based more on cap numbers than personnel decisions.

I believe that the biggest reason for this is that defenders do not make an impact on this team until their second contract. In today's NFL, especially under the last CBA, the first contract for a player is a gift to the team. It serves as a tryout of sorts. The teams that are in the best positions are those who have many "first contract" players contributing. Looking at the 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers, you have in and around your starting lineup (cap hit in brackets):

Ziggy Hood ($2.99M)
Maurkice Pouncey ($2.5M)
Cam Heyward ($1.8M)
David Decastro ($1.7M)
Jarvis Jones ($1.5M)
Steve McLendon ($1.4M) - a first contract but paid like it
Marcus Gilbert ($800K)
Mike Adams ($800K)
Le'veon Bell ($700K)
Cortez Allen ($600K)

Without going into details, you can see that we are not robbing the bank on these bargains. These players allow you a ton of cap flexibility while they are under their rookie deals.