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Rainey and Batch may be as talented...we won't know for sure until they get more playing time and are not running the ball up the middle...Quote:
Originally Posted by phillyesq
Yes, the Pats* have blown some top picks...that's why they seem to stockpile draft picks every year...they just throw them at the wall and see what sticks...
When it works well, like with Gronkowski and Hernandez, people take notice...
all true... except for the Woodhead thing. Rainey could do what Woodhead does if given more chances or put in more creative situations where he was designed to get the football.Quote:
Originally Posted by phillyesq
No one is saying we should throw every rookie onto the field on day 1, especially at LT. Spence "would have likely" seen the field with us but on the Pats he WOULD see the field.
The Pats have missed on a lot of draft pick but they also stockpile picks like crazy, sell players high to get more picks... and aren't afraid to put a guy out there to see if he sinks or swims.
The other problem or issue I have may fall more on fans or beat writers. We kept hearing about how great Decastro would be on day 1 even though he fell. Not saying he won't get it together but maybe he fell for a reason. Same with Mendenhall and Sweed (I know, much worse).... hooray, the starts aligned.. we got some beast in the draft. Uhh... no, these guys fell because other teams saw something better or something didn't smell right. Byron Batch can paint but all I heard was how he was tearing it up in camp his rookie year and I have to admit I think these were lies or it shows how bad our eyes are when viewing talent in today's NFL. I know he was injured but the kid can't bounce outside, looks rather slow and didn't live up to my low expectations.
Barron Batch stuffed a 50% James Harrison in a run blocking drill and all the sudden he's the back of the future.
Then the Post-Gazette put out a story on the guys personal life (mostly his faith) which is great...you want guys like that on ur team, but that has nothing to do with talent.
I think of a guy like Josh Victorian .... he got a chance b/c of injury. But I can see the PATS taking him and making him a pretty solid player somehow. We need to do the same
Re DeCastro - I think a big difference between him and Mendenhall/Sweed is that the Steelers really did their due diligence on DeCastro. Mendenhall fell into their laps and I got the sense that they did not due the ordinary diligence on him because they did not think he would be avaivable.Quote:
Originally Posted by feltdizz
Well, that's what's called "being smart." They know, that no matter how much effort and time you put into evaluation of draft picks, you are never going to bat 1.000 or maybe not even .500. With that knowledge in hand, it means volume of picks is a necessity since you will have misses no matter how hard you try to avoid them. They have missed on several 1st and 2nd round picks.Quote:
Originally Posted by Slapstick
http://www.pro-football-reference.co.../nwe/draft.htm
I'd say the hit on Jones, Hightower, Solder, Vereen (they needed him yesterday and he came through as their 3rd string RB.). Ridley (was 1st string back but got hurt), McCourty, Gronk, Spikes, Hernandez, Mayo....Geez, now that I look at it, they do hit on most of their early picks....like really have a high success rate. Meriweather is one of their only flops in the 1st or 2nd round. No wonder these guys are good every year.
but my question is did other teams as well and this is why he fell to us? Just feels like every year it's "awesome.. we got a steal in the draft, he fell to us" and then 2 years later we realize why they fell.Quote:
Originally Posted by phillyesq
Too early for Decastro but I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't pan out or reach the level we expected.
you tend to forget the misses because they hit so many of them out of the park.Quote:
Originally Posted by lloydroid
New England can afford to put players in and out to get playing time, they have one constant thing going on there with their O-line and Brady.
Give Ben a damn O-line that other QB'S like Brady had for years.
If you noticed we did exactly what the Pats did this year with second and third teamers, Adams, Beachum had rough starts but got better with playing time then Adams went down. Woodley was out and we had decent play from Worlids but the other side where Harrison plays not so much in Carter. Pouncey was out and Legs filled in decent, Colon was out and we moved Pouncey to LG.
It all adds up to whoever you put in has to perform, we had some success but other times not because the player isn't good enough.
Put the Patriots backs on our team and see how much they run. LOS makes everything else work, without it the best back around won't be able to have success and the best receivers won't mean much if the QB doesn't have time to throw them the ball.
Totally agree about the OL. I use to be one of the posters saying you didn't need high picks on the OL. Well I was totally wrong, our QB and our RBs need better OL. We need that more than a run stopping Nose Tackle or Inside LB.Quote:
Originally Posted by supersteeler
Until we fix the OL we will have a meaninglessly high ranked defense that doesn't sack or intercept and we will blame the offense and whoever the offensive coord is for failed seasons.
Put the Patriot RB's or QB on our team and watch them cuss out the OL and threaten to kidnap their children if they don't get their $%^$ together. The expectation level is high in NE... not so much in Pittsburgh right now.Quote:
Originally Posted by supersteeler
Everyone loves Ben and Tomlin because they are buddy buddy but put Brady in the huddle and watch him remind these slackers that they will be on the first thing smoking if they continue sucking balls and watch them step up. It's a job and I don't think some of our OL or teammates know it. Maybe they know we aren't playing in the offseason with infractions after watching Rainey get cut but this has to continue on the playing field.
If Woodley or Dwyer come in fat... buh bye, trade block.... step on it... get some picks and watch how the team reacts.