Things to think about.

[WoodleyofTroy]

Well, things I've been thinking about.

-Vernon Carey isn't leaving Miami. Why would Parcells let him go in what could possibly be his last year of participating in the rebuild? They'll franchise him at the least.

-Steelers should not draft a WR this year, just to draft one. If it's BPA, and tough to pass up, fine, I guess. I'd rather bring along 1 WR at a time. Let Sweed get comfortable in this Offense with Ben, getting his share of reps, before we start spreading it around. And I don't want Hines being influenced by another team, finishing his career somewhere else if he's pushed down the Steelers depth chart.

-The Steelers have alternated with the ACC and Big 10 the last 4 years in the first round.
Heath Miller TE Virginia (ACC)
Santonio Holmes WR Ohio State (Big 10)
Lawrence Timmons LB Florida State (ACC)
Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois (Big 10)
The guy within reach that follows this trend and will be a need come draft day if the Steelers don't re-sign McFadden or a Free Agent DB, is ACC's Wake Forest Cornerback Alphonso Smith. And I wouldn't complain.

-If we raided the Oregon Ducks we'd come away with one hell of a draft. Certaintly positions of need.
Max Unger C Oregon
Patrick Chung FS Oregon
Fenuki Tupou OT Oregon
Jairus Byrd CB/S Oregon
Jeremiah Johnson RB Oregon

-Dunta Robinson is a must sign. He would be the next former top first round pick that changes teams to go on and feature in Pro Bowls for the Steelers (James Farrior). Our best Corner since Rod Woodson. Normally, I wouldn't think about getting guys like this, but with all the future big name releases around the league added to the already Defensive heavy Free Agent list, I see this as a possibility. Maybe even a 1 year deal to go to a winning team to increase his stock.

-Low risk signings with potential high reward:
[i]Shaun Cody, Defensive End, Detroit.
Jim Leonhard, Safety/Kick Returner, Baltimore.

-Getting TWO of these guys in the Draft:
Alex Mack C California
Max Unger OL Oregon
William Beatty OT Connecticut
Eben Britton OT Arizona
Tyson Jackson DE LSU

To do this:
Trade #32 for an early 2nd round pick getting one of the mentioned above, picking up that teams early 3rd in the process. Using the Steelers own 2nd, and that early 3rd, make a move up in the 2nd to grab one of the mentioned above. A few examples:

My favorite scenario (reminiscent of a Timmons/Woodley)
2nd - Alex Mack C California
2nd - Max Unger OL Oregon

2nd - Alex Mack C California
2nd - Tyson Jackson DE LSU

2nd - William Beatty OT Connecticut
2nd - Alex Mack C California

Okay you get the point. Less picks or projects, more top heavy talent is the theme here.

[Discipline of Steel]

I agree with trading some draft picks to concentrate our draft with higher quality talent. We will never have 9 rooks make this team.

[Oviedo]

Good read. I pretty much agree with everything you said. I noticed the same thing about Oregon. That school could almost fill the whole draft for us and it would turn out to be a good draft.

[steelblood]

Well, things I've been thinking about.

-Vernon Carey isn't leaving Miami. Why would Parcells let him go in what could possibly be his last year of participating in the rebuild? They'll franchise him at the least.

Really? Paying one tackle 10 mil/per and the other 9 mil/per is pretty steep. You may be right though.

-Steelers should not draft a WR this year, just to draft one. If it's BPA, and tough to pass up, fine, I guess. I'd rather bring along 1 WR at a time. Let Sweed get comfortable in this Offense with Ben, getting his share of reps, before we start spreading it around. And I don't want Hines being influenced by another team, finishing his career somewhere else if he's pushed down the Steelers depth chart.

They must draft a WR, get one in FA, or resign Nate (which looks unlikely). If they don't we are one injury away from Sweed starting (he's not ready) and Dallas Baker becoming the third option (he stinks). If Ward and Holmes went down, we'd be totally screwed.

-The Steelers have alternated with the ACC and Big 10 the last 4 years in the first round.
Heath Miller TE Virginia (ACC)
Santonio Holmes WR Ohio State (Big 10)
Lawrence Timmons LB Florida State (ACC)
Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois (Big 10)
The guy within reach that follows this trend and will be a need come draft day if the Steelers don't re-sign McFadden or a Free Agent DB, is ACC's Wake Forest Cornerback Alphonso Smith. And I wouldn't complain.

-If we raided the Oregon Ducks we'd come away with one hell of a draft. Certaintly positions of need.
Max Unger C Oregon
Patrick Chung FS Oregon
Fenuki Tupou OT Oregon
Jairus Byrd CB/S Oregon
Jeremiah Johnson RB Oregon

-Dunta Robinson is a must sign. He would be the next former top first round pick that changes teams to go on and feature in Pro Bowls for the Steelers (James Farrior). Our best Corner since Rod Woodson. Normally, I wouldn't think about getting guys like this, but with all the future big name releases around the league added to the already Defensive heavy Free Agent list, I see this as a possibility. Maybe even a 1 year deal to go to a winning team to increase his stock.

I like this idea if the price isn't astronomical.

-Low risk signings with potential high reward:
[i]Shaun Cody, Defensive End, Detroit.
Jim Leonhard, Safety/Kick Returner, Baltimore.

Leonhard will go somewhere to start. THat won't be here.

-Getting TWO of these guys in the Draft:
Alex Mack C California
Max Unger OL Oregon
William Beatty OT Connecticut
Eben Britton OT Arizona
Tyson Jackson DE LSU

To do this:
Trade #32 for an early 2nd round pick getting one of the mentioned above, picking up that teams early 3rd in the process. Using the Steelers own 2nd, and that early 3rd, make a move up in the 2nd to grab one of the mentioned above. A few examples:

My favorite scenario (reminiscent of a Timmons/Woodley)
2nd - Alex Mack C California
2nd - Max Unger OL Oregon

2nd - Alex Mack C California
2nd - Tyson Jackson DE LSU

2nd - William Beatty OT Connecticut
2nd - Alex Mack C California

Okay you get the point. Less picks or projects, more top heavy talent is the theme here.

That will be tough since all are predicted to be gone in the first 40 picks or so. Britton and Jackson could go in the top 20-25. I think we could easily get one, but two might be tough. The type of wheeling and dealing you are talking about will be quite difficult. I think there are other players like Meredith, Kropog, Vance Walker, and Tupou that could be there at the end of the second round and be great players for us.

I really liked Max Unger, but he looked really weak at Center in the Senior Bowl. He was getting man handled by future 3-4 NTs. That is a really bad sign for a center and not the type of blocker we need on the interior. Beatty is really raw and light, but shows promise. I don't think he'd help much for a year or maybe two (we need help now). Jackson is the right type of athlete, but I think he gave an inconsistant effort too often this year (I'm not sure how that happens when millions are on the line). I like Britton and Mack a great deal and hope we get one of them.

Nice post. Keep up the good work.

[calmkiller]

I would be ecstatic if we could get Alex Mack at 1.32, but I don't think we would risk him dropping into the second round.

[Lonbull]

-Dunta Robinson is a must sign. He would be the next former top first round pick that changes teams to go on and feature in Pro Bowls for the Steelers (James Farrior). Our best Corner since Rod Woodson. Normally, I wouldn't think about getting guys like this, but with all the future big name releases around the league added to the already Defensive heavy Free Agent list, I see this as a possibility. Maybe even a 1 year deal to go to a winning team to increase his stock.

I don't think there's any reasonable way you're going to get Dunta Robinson, and I think you're more likely to see Rod Woodson returning punts next year for the Steelers than Dunta Robinson signing a one year contract at this point in his career.

I think this article is a more accurate picture of where Dunta is right now with his career:

[url]http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/6257321.html[/url]


Big guarantee in offing
Robinson’s contract expires Feb. 27. He’ll be a free agent available to the highest bidder, including the Texans, of course.

The Texans had plenty of salary cap room to sign Robinson before they saved $8.5 million Tuesday when they waived running back Ahman Green and outside linebacker Morlon Greenwood.

It doesn’t take a genius to get an idea of what Robinson wants.

He views himself as an elite cornerback, one who overcame career-threatening injuries last season when the Texans were 1-4 without him and 7-4 with him, including 5-1 down the stretch. And he played at only 80 percent because of the operations on his knee and hamstring.

Benchmarks for Robinson are extensions signed during the season by Carolina’s Chris Gamble and the New York Giants’ Corey Webster. Gamble’s six-year, $53 million extension included $23 million in guaranteed money. Webster’s five-year, $43.5 million extension included $20 million in guarantees.

It stands to reason that Robinson wants guaranteed money in the $20 million to $23 million range.

The only player to receive that kind of guaranteed money from the Texans was Williams.

As the first pick in the 2006 draft, the defensive end signed a six-year, $54 million contract, including $26.5 million guaranteed.

Usually, negotiations heat up after the combine, which ends Feb. 24. Watch a lot of teams work around the clock that week to re-sign their players before they hit the open market.

Cornerbacks coveted
Here’s something both sides have to consider. Feb. 19 is the last day a player can be tagged with the franchise designation. That’s the day after the combine begins.

If Smith isn’t close enough by Feb. 19 to believe he can get a deal done before Robinson’s contract expires, he can franchise Robinson.

The franchise tag for cornerbacks is $9.957 million. To show you how valuable cornerbacks are, their franchise tag is second to quarterbacks ($14.651 million).

Think about that.

Cornerbacks are valued higher than receivers, pass rushers, offensive tackles and running backs.

That’s why coaches say they can never have enough good corners.

If the Texans slap the franchise tag on Robinson, it would buy them more time to negotiate a long-term deal. Robinson wouldn’t be happy with it because he’ll want guaranteed money more than twice that amount.

Signing a mutual goal
If you’re a Texans fan, keep your fingers crossed. If you’re Robinson, keep the pen handy.

When both sides want to get a deal done and both are willing to compromise to get what they want, it usually ends up as a win-win situation.