A team in transition

[Shoe]

That doesn't mean they can't be competitive, but here's what is happening to anyone that is paying attention:

Last year, we saw stalwarts like Hines, Aaron Smith, and James Farrior depart. This year, Deebo and likely others (e.g. Hampton). These are/were key cogs from a glorious time for the Steelers. This upcoming season is bound to be the last (in a Steeler jersey) for Keisel and Clark. Polamalu's obviously aging (i.e. constant injuries), Taylor is a shell of himself (and it's DANGEROUS that people still look to him as our "#1 corner"), and this year could also be THEIR last... Heath now, Ben...

Point being: Who are the people filling this void? I think AB is one. I think DeCastro will be another. Who else? Woodley? (too fat--figuratively & literally). Guys like Redman/Dwyer (who ask out of games anytime they get winded.) Mike Adams/Gilbert? Look at some of the middle round talent lately (Rainey, Ta'amu)... void of leadership. We're watching the Titanic headed for the iceberg.

This season is bound to be the one that we hit the iceberg, or we somehow manage to steer clear. The writing on the wall (i.e. mortgaging the future for the present and putting us in constant salary cap jail, reminiscent of the 49ers and Cowboys of the late 90's--look how hard it's been for those franchises to right their ships). We need more Heath Miller types. Casey Hamptons (back in his prime). Guys who love to play, and can be counted on.

[lloydroid]

Well, we keep hearing about how great Pgh is at drafting, so where are the new, young, talented guys that Pgh has draft the last 5 years to fill the void? If they are so awesome at drafting (and they are, just ask them and they will tell you, in a smug fashion, how great they are at drafting) there should be some young talent in the wings to come in and keep the team contending. So, since they are so awesome at drafting, let's examine who the draft picks are who will keep this team good.

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.

[steelz09]

Well, we keep hearing about how great Pgh is at drafting, so where are the new, young, talented guys that Pgh has draft the last 5 years to fill the void? If they are so awesome at drafting (and they are, just ask them and they will tell you, in a smug fashion, how great they are at drafting) there should be some young talent in the wings to come in and keep the team contending. So, since they are so awesome at drafting, let's examine who the draft picks are who will keep this team good.

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.

With the exception being Antonio Brown, we have not drafted a starter in all of the above drafts in rounds 4 thru 7. 4 rounds in all those years and only 1 starter?!?!

[SteelerOfDeVille]

With the exception being Antonio Brown, we have not drafted a starter in all of the above drafts in rounds 4 thru 7. 4 rounds in all those years and only 1 starter?!?!

when you go to 2 super bowls during that stretch, you don't replace a whole lot of starters if you can help it... now that the team is starting to see some turnover, you'll see more starters from mid-to-late rounders...many have started games (Dwyer, D.Johnson, Beachum... i'm thinking T.Hills did and Mundy has and Dixon did

[lloydroid]

when you go to 2 super bowls during that stretch, you don't replace a whole lot of starters if you can help it... now that the team is starting to see some turnover, you'll see more starters from mid-to-late rounders...many have started games (Dwyer, D.Johnson, Beachum... i'm thinking T.Hills did and Mundy has and Dixon did

Yea, but all the players you mentioned as having started all suck. Hills, Mundy and Dixon? All worthless.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

when you go to 2 super bowls during that stretch, you don't replace a whole lot of starters if you can help it... now that the team is starting to see some turnover, you'll see more starters from mid-to-late rounders...many have started games (Dwyer, D.Johnson, Beachum... i'm thinking T.Hills did and Mundy has and Dixon did

This is the line of thinking a lot of Steelers fans have and it is complete BS. What, we couldn't groom draftees and have guys waiting to take over at FS, SS, RB, ILB, OLB? We have to wait till we are screwed? We couldn't draft a solid backup QB? Come on man.

[lloydroid]

This is the line of thinking a lot of Steelers fans have and it is complete BS. What, we couldn't groom draftees and have guys waiting to take over at FS, SS, RB, ILB, OLB? We have to wait till we are screwed? We couldn't draft a solid backup QB? Come on man.

There are 22 starters, and a 53 man roster, plus the practice squad. That's 40 player spots to use as developmental. But some how it's impossible for the team to develop any talent waiting in the wings if they are going to SBs? Hogwash. That is complete BS. Faulty logic out the whooo haaaaaa.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

This is the line of thinking a lot of Steelers fans have and it is complete BS. What, we couldn't groom draftees and have guys waiting to take over at FS, SS, RB, ILB, OLB? We have to wait till we are screwed? We couldn't draft a solid backup QB? Come on man.

what you said, and what i said are completely different discussions. The question in the thread was about why they don't draft starters, to which I replied, ~you don't REPLACE many STARTERS on a GOOD team~. The basic question was, "why don't we have any 5th rounders taking Troy Polamalu's place?" The honest answer is "cuz that's a stupid question", but, I tried to be tactful about it.

Now, as for the team looking ahead at positions of need? I actually agree, but, the BPA phisophy has been so good to the team for so long. And I think they've tried, with some mid-to-late round misses. But, most teams miss in the mid-to-late rounds - that's why the players are mid-to-late rounders. But, there are guys they thought were capable when they drafted them (Keenan Lewis, Sean Spence, Ta'amu, Jason Worilds, for example). I think part of the problem there are a high number of aging, KEY long-term players coupled with the typical FA turnover that you get from a "good" team.

[Chadman]

With the exception being Antonio Brown, we have not drafted a starter in all of the above drafts in rounds 4 thru 7. 4 rounds in all those years and only 1 starter?!?!

Don't over react to this either. Only Brown is starting, BUT- Cortez Allen is close to starting, Beachum could be our starting OG in the next year, Jonathan Dwyer is #1 on the RB list, Ryan Mundy has seen significant playing time as a 7th round pick, David Johnson started a FB in a SB year.

It's not that surprising that late round picks that haven't even completed their rookie contracts, haven't made it as starters yet.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Don't over react to this either. Only Brown is starting, BUT- Cortez Allen is close to starting, Beachum could be our starting OG in the next year, Jonathan Dwyer is #1 on the RB list, Ryan Mundy has seen significant playing time as a 7th round pick, David Johnson started a FB in a SB year.

It's not that surprising that late round picks that haven't even completed their rookie contracts, haven't made it as starters yet.

no, no... there's only ONE... that's all! the sky is SO falling!