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Thread: Can The Steelers afford to remain so Patient

  1. #1
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    Can The Steelers afford to remain so Patient

    With the 2013 NFL Draft approaching, Around the League will examine one big question facing all 32 teams. Next up: The Pittsburgh Steelers.


    Can the Steelers afford to remain so patient?


    Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert has his own way of doing things. It's served him very well over the last 13 years, running one of the most talent-rich teams in the league. A great recent example was in 2007. Linebackers Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley were taken in the first two rounds of the draft, but despite being healthy all season, neither player started a single game as a rookie.



    They entered the starting lineup in 2008 and have been there ever since.

    That patient approach has worked for the Steelers over the years. They groom players on the bench and get them ready to take on big roles when asked. The problem: The players haven't been ready lately.

    Pittsburgh hasn't received enough production from picks like Ziggy Hood, Jason Worilds and Cameron Heyward. Last year's first-round pick David DeCastro didn't get his apprenticeship under his belt because of injury. The Steelers' depth chart is far thinner than usual. They aren't a team that likes to spend money in free agency, and they didn't have the cap space for it anyway this year. In short: They can only get help from within and by adding talent in the draft.

    Colbert really could use a productive draft class that makes an instant impact. This especially is true at running back, where Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman sit atop the depth chart. The Steelers ideally would draft a back that will be in the mix, if not start. They also could use immediate contributions in the defensive front seven, with outside linebacker a particular sore spot.

    The Steelers used to do a terrific job drafting and developing. That reputation has taken a hit over the last four years. Colbert and coach Mike Tomlin won't want to test the Rooneys' patience with another lackluster season. They need to find some difference-makers.

    Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.

  2. #2
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    This sort of reporting is annoying.

    Ziggy Hood has been a 3 year starter on one of the most successful defences in the NFL over that period. Worilds has been planted behind Harrison & Woodley- how much contribution was Worilds expected to make in that time? And Heyward is sitting behind Keisel- not like he has been beaten out by Nick Eason. Every one of those players is trotted out as a bad draft pick because they are not starting yet, but these reports are inaccurate, and fail to acknowledge that the Steelers do a good job of understanding their own philosophy of giving rookies an orientation period, unlike other successful franchises like the Browns who get to start nearly all their rookies...
    The people that are trying to make the world worse never take a day off, why should I?

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  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chadman View Post
    This sort of reporting is annoying.

    Ziggy Hood has been a 3 year starter on one of the most successful defences in the NFL over that period. Worilds has been planted behind Harrison & Woodley- how much contribution was Worilds expected to make in that time? And Heyward is sitting behind Keisel- not like he has been beaten out by Nick Eason. Every one of those players is trotted out as a bad draft pick because they are not starting yet, but these reports are inaccurate, and fail to acknowledge that the Steelers do a good job of understanding their own philosophy of giving rookies an orientation period, unlike other successful franchises like the Browns who get to start nearly all their rookies...
    Well said.

  4. #4
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    I wouldn't necessarily say the players we picked are horrible. I think the positions we picked were wrong. As I have said many times, drafting 3-4 DE in the first round is stupid.
    @_Hellgrammite

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister Pittsburgh View Post
    I wouldn't necessarily say the players we picked are horrible. I think the positions we picked were wrong. As I have said many times, drafting 3-4 DE in the first round is stupid.
    Was drafting JJ Watt in the first round stupid?







  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chadman View Post
    This sort of reporting is annoying.

    Ziggy Hood has been a 3 year starter on one of the most successful defences in the NFL over that period. Worilds has been planted behind Harrison & Woodley- how much contribution was Worilds expected to make in that time? And Heyward is sitting behind Keisel- not like he has been beaten out by Nick Eason. Every one of those players is trotted out as a bad draft pick because they are not starting yet, but these reports are inaccurate, and fail to acknowledge that the Steelers do a good job of understanding their own philosophy of giving rookies an orientation period, unlike other successful franchises like the Browns who get to start nearly all their rookies...
    Yeah, they get to start another bunch of rookies regularly since the last bunch busts out. But then they get high marks in drafting when the standard used to rank the drafts is the number of starters drafted. LMAO

    But I am also going to agree partially with the article if he is saying that TS have not been up to their usual standards in acquiring replacement players. That will be water under the bridge come Apr 25. A lot of solid choices out there to pick up.

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    Quote Originally Posted by steelerkeylargo View Post
    Was drafting JJ Watt in the first round stupid?
    Can you in good conscience sit there and compare Hood, Heyward, and JJ Watt?
    @_Hellgrammite

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister Pittsburgh View Post
    Can you in good conscience sit there and compare Hood, Heyward, and JJ Watt?
    sure, that's easy...

    JJ Watt is way better.
    Steel Maniac's Time-Based Prediction: Lamar Jackson will be a bust and total flop in the NFL.

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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by hawaiiansteel View Post
    sure, that's easy...

    JJ Watt is way better.
    Yeah, but to be fair, there is a distinction between guys picked where Watt was (borderline Top 10) and guys like Hood and Heyward (bottom of 1st round). I mean, it would be much more fair to compare Cam Jordan (came out same year as Heyward), to Watt. The Steelers surely would've picked Watt if they could.

    The problem I have with Hood/Heyward was that they were always just what they were... They never slipped down the board (e.g. DeCastro). They were ham & eggers, and everyone knew it. That's why they were picked where they were.
    Last edited by Shoe; 04-07-2013 at 12:18 PM.

  10. #10
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    Our 3-4 DE's in the Cowher - Colbert era were late round picks and a cheap free agent. Under Tomlin we drop first rounders on them.
    @_Hellgrammite

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