A team in transition

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Within the next 2-3 years, guys like Polamalu, Clark, Taylor, Miller, Keisel & Foote will be gone to join names like Ward, Harrison, Farrior, Hampton, Smith etc.

For the most part, ready made replacements are on the roster already for these guys-

please inform this chicken little who on the roster is being groomed to replace Polamalu, Clark, Taylor (if Lewis leaves), Miller, or Foote....or essentially 5 of the 6 guys you list, not to mention RB and backup QB, and OLB now that Worilds is starting and we have no backup there.

[7 UP]

Mister Pittsburgh, I think you misunderstood my point. What I was trying to say is that we are not just missing on picks 4-7. We are also missing on picks 1-3. Regardless of how many early picks other teams have had, we are not finding quality people/players with the picks that WE have. I do believe this falls on more than just Colbert. It falls on the organization as a whole.

Mendenhall, and Wallace wore out their welcome here. Whether you agree with why they wore out their welcome or not, the fact is that those players didnt pan out for us long term. Ziggy has been a below average player. Heyward has done very little. Gilbert IMO is terrible. Looking through the list of drafts over the previous 4 years its no wonder why we have zero depth at almost every position.

I do think the Steelers had a good draft class last year. I cant blame Colbert for the barrage of injuries we had. Decastro and Adams were great picks, and I think they will pan out. i think Spence would have been, and perhaps still will be a player.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Mister Pittsburgh, I think you misunderstood my point. What I was trying to say is that we are not just missing on picks 4-7. We are also missing on picks 1-3. Regardless of how many early picks other teams have had, we are not finding quality people/players with the picks that WE have. I do believe this falls on more than just Colbert. It falls on the organization as a whole.

Mendenhall, and Wallace wore out their welcome here. Whether you agree with why they wore out their welcome or not, the fact is that those players didnt pan out for us long term. Ziggy has been a below average player. Heyward has done very little. Gilbert IMO is terrible. Looking through the list of drafts over the previous 4 years its no wonder why we have zero depth at almost every position.

I do think the Steelers had a good draft class last year. I cant blame Colbert for the barrage of injuries we had. Decastro and Adams were great picks, and I think they will pan out. i think Spence would have been, and perhaps still will be a player.

Sorry man. I hit reply on your response to steelerkeylargo an my response was to his post, not yours.

[Chadman]

please inform this chicken little who on the roster is being groomed to replace Polamalu, Clark, Taylor (if Lewis leaves), Miller, or Foote....or essentially 5 of the 6 guys you list, not to mention RB and backup QB, and OLB now that Worilds is starting and we have no backup there.

you missed a line of the quote-

this years draft class will be no different- preparation to move on from guys that will be leaving the team in a couple of years time.

Obviously the future replacements for Polamalu & Clark will have to come from this draft, or the next. Chadman believes Taylor's replacement was Cortez Allen, but due to financial restraints, they will lose Lewis & probably have to add a CB in this draft (Desmond Trufant..). Foote's long term replacement was obviously Spence, but injury obviously might force a re-think. Worilds WAS the replacement plan for Harrison. That the Steelers don't have a replacement plan for the replacement plan is a little understandable.

Thing is, the Steelers are NOT losing Polamalu, Clark, Taylor, Miller this year. (Miller will be around a few years yet). Here's betting we see at least 2 DB's drafted this year, however, in preparation.

The guys that HAVE moved on, DO have replacements in place though- Harrison/Worilds, Starks/Gilbert-Adams, Wallace/Sanders, Mendenhall/Dwyer...

[Shoe]

you missed a line of the quote-


Obviously the future replacements for Polamalu & Clark will have to come from this draft, or the next. Chadman believes Taylor's replacement was Cortez Allen, but due to financial restraints, they will lose Lewis & probably have to add a CB in this draft (Desmond Trufant..). Foote's long term replacement was obviously Spence, but injury obviously might force a re-think. Worilds WAS the replacement plan for Harrison. That the Steelers don't have a replacement plan for the replacement plan is a little understandable.

Thing is, the Steelers are NOT losing Polamalu, Clark, Taylor, Miller this year. (Miller will be around a few years yet). Here's betting we see at least 2 DB's drafted this year, however, in preparation.

The guys that HAVE moved on, DO have replacements in place though- Harrison/Worilds, Starks/Gilbert-Adams, Wallace/Sanders, Mendenhall/Dwyer...

There is the problem though. Worilds thus far, has shown that while he is serviceable so far, that he has trouble staying healthy. Same with Manny Sanders. Gilbert, Adams, and Dwyer seem to lack intestinal fortitude. That's what people here are saying... you swing and miss, or you hang your hat on the wrong set of guys (...and the older guys eventually drift off), you set yourself up for a fall.

[steelsnis]

Who is saying Sanders, Gilbert, Adams and Dwyer lack guts?

[Mister Pittsburgh]

you missed a line of the quote-


Obviously the future replacements for Polamalu & Clark will have to come from this draft, or the next. Chadman believes Taylor's replacement was Cortez Allen, but due to financial restraints, they will lose Lewis & probably have to add a CB in this draft (Desmond Trufant..). Foote's long term replacement was obviously Spence, but injury obviously might force a re-think. Worilds WAS the replacement plan for Harrison. That the Steelers don't have a replacement plan for the replacement plan is a little understandable.

Thing is, the Steelers are NOT losing Polamalu, Clark, Taylor, Miller this year. (Miller will be around a few years yet). Here's betting we see at least 2 DB's drafted this year, however, in preparation.

The guys that HAVE moved on, DO have replacements in place though- Harrison/Worilds, Starks/Gilbert-Adams, Wallace/Sanders, Mendenhall/Dwyer...

When you said 'these guys' you didn't list Wallace or Starks or Mendenhall. Does Dwyer really count as a replacement for feature back when he knew we needed him to perform this year and shows up in bad shape where if he had two five yard carries in a row he motioned to come off the field?

[Chadman]

When you said 'these guys' you didn't list Wallace or Starks or Mendenhall

Ahh, that would be Chadman's brain working faster than his fingers (hard to believe, if you know Chadman personally..).

The guys the Steelers are losing in 2013- "these guys"- already have the progression plan replacements in place. For the others- the Polamalu's, Clark's, Taylor's...those progression plan replacements will come from this draft- just watch.

As for Mendenhall/Dwyer... is Dwyer a genuine 'replacement'? Well, he was last season. Can he be improved on? Absolutely. But in losing Mendenhall, and tendering Dwyer, the Steelers effectively have a player in place to take on that role that now has experience.

[steelerkeylargo]

Excuse you? What is wrong with this thread? My point was in saying that the signs point to decline. I hate to admit it; I still think we can change it. But you can't deny the signs. Those Steeler fans who jumped on the bandwagon circa 1992, may see their first period of non-greatness. We have a 30+ year old QB who we can't protect (and doesn't protect himself). We have a running game powered by two guys with no desire. We have an old defense (it has been called old for two seasons now)... and two years later, there is no more GOOD youth than was there to speak of. I never said anything about having late round starters or anything... I just pointed to a void of good young talent in general.

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My point to the poster is show me a team that has drafted better in rounds 4-7 since 2008. Shut it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

[steelerkeylargo]

RD SEL # PLAYER POSITION SCHOOL
1 24 David DeCastro G Stanford - unknown
2 56 Mike Adams T Ohio State - unknown
3 86 Sean Spence LB Miami (Fla.) - knee injury
4 109 Alameda Ta'amu DT Washington - drunken fool
5 159 Chris Rainey RB Florida - idiot, gone
7 231 Toney Clemons WR Colorado - gone
7 240 David Paulson TE Oregon - maybe a back up
7 246 Terrence Frederick CB Texas A&M - gone
7 248 Kelvin Beachum T Southern Methodist - potentially promising

1 31 Cameron Heyward DE Ohio State - disappointing
2 63 Marcus Gilbert T Florida - still unknown, could be bust
3 95 Curtis Brown DB Texas - sucks
4 128 Cortez Allen DB The Citadel - OK
5 162 Chris Carter LB Fresno State - sucks
6 196 Keith Williams G Nebraska - sucks
7 232 Baron Batch RB Texas Tech - sucks

1 18 Maurkice Pouncey C Florida - injury prone, but decent
2 52 Jason Worilds LB Virginia Tech - we will see this year if he is decent
3 82 Emmanuel Sanders WR Southern Methodist - ok, crappy attitude last season
4 116 Thaddeus Gibson LB Ohio State - bum
5 151 Chris Scott T Tennessee - horrible
5 164 Crezdon Butler DB Clemson - sucks
5 166 Stevenson Sylvester LB Utah - sucks
6 188 Jonathan Dwyer RB Georgia Tech - lazy
6 195 Antonio Brown WR Central Michigan - good pick
7 242 Doug Worthington DE Ohio State - garbage

1 32 Ziggy Hood DT Missouri - disappointing
3 79 Kraig Urbik T Wisconsin - didn't make the team
3 84 Mike Wallace WR Mississippi - good, but attitude turned into sh-t
3 96 Keenan Lewis DB Oregon State - solid
5 168 Joe Burnett DB Central Florida - bum
5 169 Frank Summers RB Nevada-Las Vegas - bum
6 205 Ra'Shon Harris DT Oregon - worthless
7 226 A.Q. Shipley C Penn State - didn't make team
7 241 David Johnson TE Arkansas State - so so

1 23 Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois - overrated, never lived up to physical skills.
2 53 Limas Sweed WR Texas - complete waste of time, energy, effort. Worthless, crap draft pick
3 88 Bruce Davis LB UCLA - sucked horribly. Garbage draft pick
4 130 Tony Hills T Texas - weak and soft. Horrid pick
5 156 Dennis Dixon QB Oregon - worthless punk
6 188 Mike Humpal OLB Iowa - crap
6 194 Ryan Mundy FS West Virginia - sucks

Sorry, proof is in the pudding. Pgh acts all arrogant about how great they are in the draft but in the last 5 years, all they have proven is that they are clueless. And now we are paying for it. I challenge anyone to refute that their last 5 years of drafting have been any good at all. Out of all those draft picks only a handful of players have panned out. How does anyone consider that to be wise drafting? They should get a D- at best. Their drafting is no better than Cleveland.

Don't disappear on me now sunshine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!