This will not be popular....

[Dee Dub]

...but when have I ever come up with the popular opinion?

I believe the very best player in this up coming draft is OLB Khalil Mack of Buffalo. He has a lot of Lawrence Taylor in him. Nonstop motor who excels in every aspect of his position. His team was getting blown out Saturday in their bowl game and all the way to the last play of the game he was going 100 mph. He is above average in coverage, he holds strong versus the run, and he is a relentless pass rusher. He has over 75 career tackles for loss. He lives in the opponents back field. Level of competition?....not so great, however when he did play versus the big boys (Ohio State), he had a great game ( 9 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 1 INT). And the amazing thing about Mack is, every team who he plays against, knows he is the force for his team and they all try to either go away from him or double team him. And yet he still wrecks havoc in the opponent back field.

So why am I saying all this? If for some reason this team cannot resign Worilds, and they deem cutting Woodley as the best move financially, then they are going to have a huge hole on one side of their defense. And with the way Worilds is playing combined with his age, he is going to get a ton of money thrown at him by a boatload of other teams. If he gets to free agency, he may be too hard for this team to resign.

Something to think about.

[Shawn]

Mack is a great player no doubt. I watched the one man Mack show against my Buckeyes. With that said, if the Steeler lose another up and coming young talent...I will be upset. We need a DB this year because they kept the aging Taylor over Lewis. To let another talent go, only to have to spend a high round draft pick and years of development would be a recipe for mediocrity.

[steelz09]

Mack is a great player no doubt. I watched the one man Mack show against my Buckeyes. With that said, if the Steeler lose another up and coming young talent...I will be upset. We need a DB this year because they kept the aging Taylor over Lewis. To let another talent go, only to have to spend a high round draft pick and years of development would be a recipe for mediocrity.

Couldn't agree more.

[Dee Dub]

...............With that said, if the Steeler lose another up and coming young talent...I will be upset. We need a DB this year because they kept the aging Taylor over Lewis. To let another talent go, only to have to spend a high round draft pick and years of development would be a recipe for mediocrity.

If Worlids gets to free agency (and it looks as if he is headed there), how are the Steelers going to outbid for him? Especially with the current cap hell they face?

I can see Worlids getting a ton of money thrown at him. He is on the verge of becoming a star defender.

[Rod Polamalu]

...but when have I ever come up with the popular opinion?

I believe the very best player in this up coming draft is OLB Khalil Mack of Buffalo. He has a lot of Lawrence Taylor in him. Nonstop motor who excels in every aspect of his position. His team was getting blown out Saturday in their bowl game and all the way to the last play of the game he was going 100 mph. He is above average in coverage, he holds strong versus the run, and he is a relentless pass rusher. He has over 75 career tackles for loss. He lives in the opponents back field. Level of competition?....not so great, however when he did play versus the big boys (Ohio State), he had a great game ( 9 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 1 INT). And the amazing thing about Mack is, every team who he plays against, knows he is the force for his team and they all try to either go away from him or double team him. And yet he still wrecks havoc in the opponent back field.

So why am I saying all this? If for some reason this team cannot resign Worilds, and they deem cutting Woodley as the best move financially, then they are going to have a huge hole on one side of their defense. And with the way Worilds is playing combined with his age, he is going to get a ton of money thrown at him by a boatload of other teams. If he gets to free agency, he may be too hard for this team to resign.

Something to think about.

Dude as far as i am concerned Mack is on the same level as Anthony Barr. These kids would be plug and play in a 3-4,...too talented to justify keeping them off of the field. I would be elated to say the least were we to land either of them in the 1st.
However,...i don't see either falling to us and Coach Cowher is not here to make the ballsy go after a special player move and trade up for either.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Dude as far as i am concerned Mack is on the same level as Anthony Barr. These kids would be plug and play in a 3-4,...too talented to justify keeping them off of the field. I would be elated to say the least were we to land either of them in the 1st.
However,...i don't see either falling to us and Coach Cowher is not here to make the ballsy go after a special player move and trade up for either.

With all of our needs, and our 3rd round pick already belonging to Cleveland (plus another late round pick likely to be lost as well), are you seriously advocating trading our 1st and 2nd round picks to move up to take an OLB?

[Rod Polamalu]

With all of our needs, and our 3rd round pick already belonging to Cleveland (plus another late round pick likely to be lost as well), are you seriously advocating trading our 1st and 2nd round picks to move up to take an OLB?

Indeed sir,...because i believe that both players have the potential to be perennial studs for us ie: Troy. Let's face it Woodley is done and Worilds though serviceable with a big heart is nowhere near the caliber of outside backer like either of these kids will go on to be.

Aaaaand,....we do play a 3-4 defense.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

1. Louis Nix NT
2.Ryan Shazier ILB
4. Deone Bucannon S

Looks a lot like what I've considered at this point... in the first, NT(only Nix), LB (a couple are capable), FS (only HaHa) or olineman...

Of course, this before re-signings and cuts, so who knows where the biggest needs are come draft time.

[Dee Dub]

Dude as far as i am concerned Mack is on the same level as Anthony Barr. These kids would be plug and play in a 3-4,...too talented to justify keeping them off of the field. I would be elated to say the least were we to land either of them in the 1st.
However,...i don't see either falling to us and Coach Cowher is not here to make the ballsy go after a special player move and trade up for either.

As much as I love Barr, I dont think he is the complete OLB as Mack is. Mack is better in coverage as well as holding at the point of attack off the edge.

[Rod Polamalu]

As much as I love Barr, I dont think he is the complete OLB as Mack is. Mack is better in coverage as well as holding at the point of attack off the edge.

True, Dub,.... Mack is a little better in coverage,..but Barr is pretty good in that regard as well, the kid is very athletic as he was a former RB and may be a bit faster off of the edge than Mack. He is also intelligent and very instinctual.

I cannot honestly say that either is superior to the other imo and it will probably come down to which team selects them which will decide their productivity. Ie: put either one in a 4-3 and their full potential may never be known ?