Early 1-14 mock draft.

[feltdizz]

You mean the guys who don't demand double teams, or the guys who can't even sniff the field?

Exactly... draft a solid NT, solidify the position for 10 years and focus on developing and drafting DB's.

[feltdizz]

Chis Hoke who never made first team all conference in the mountain west before becoming a undrafted Steeler was 17-1 as a starter.

Bens rookie season Casey out for the season game 6.
Most games missed of Casey's career (10).
Hoke starts the remaining 10 games and not only do we win all 10, we end up with the number one defense in both points and yardage and a Steeler all time record for wins.

We lost nothing when Casey was out when we had a stable of pro bowl linebackers.

Yay for Hoke and that tired stat. Hoke was drafted the same year as Hampton for a reason.... and Hampton started every game when healthy for a reason.

I would love to have a Hoke type back up for Nix. LOL...

We also won a SB with Cedric Wilson and Sean Mahan....

[Captain Lemming]

Yay for Hoke and that tired stat. Hoke was drafted the same year as Hampton for a reason.... and Hampton started every game when healthy for a reason.

Hoke was not drafted, we had no plan save for hoping he might make the team. He did not even dress many games for years and never played a down until 2004. That is the season he started 10 games.


Never said Hoke was better, just that Casey was not the key to our defensive success he is made out to be. He was easily replaced with no great ill effect by a guy who was not even a great college player.

We also won a SB with Cedric Wilson and Sean Mahan....

Sounds like your point is that just because a team has success with you on it does not mean you are the key?

I agree with that.

[feltdizz]

Hoke was not drafted, we had no plan save for hoping he might make the team. He did not even dress many games for years and never played a down until 2004. That is the season he started 10 games.


Never said Hoke was better, just that Casey was not the key to our defensive success he is made out to be. He was easily replaced with no great ill effect by a guy who was not even a great college player.



Sounds like your point is that just because a team has success with you on it does not mean you are the key?

I agree with that.

False... everyone and their momma talkedabout how important Casey was to our D. Its great that Hoke was able to learn and fill in when Casey went down but it's disrespectful to act like Casey was an easily replacable part.

Smh at Casey not being key... lol. No one has made Casey into more than what a 2 gap NT is supposed to be. Its not a position that has stats or hard numbers but its the key to every successful NT.

IMO all you have done is prove you need a great NT and good back up NT... I think we have a good back up on the roster but we dont have the great NT. I think Nix could be that guy.

When a guy plays 11 years, has 5 pro bowls and is respected around the league I think it speaks for itself.

[Ernie]

You mean the guys who don't demand double teams, or the guys who can't even sniff the field?

either or lol

[Ernie]

Here's my previous post Shawn:

Our D was gashed against the run this year, so we need our NT play to be dominant. If it's by the draft, so be it, if it's by developing someone who is already on the roster... great. Suring up NT would also allow McClendon, Woods, etc to compete for a position they may be better suited for (DE). I think keeping Keisel around for another year (at a modest price tag) would provide much need leadership and depth.

I'm all for drafting a NT in the first round if that's what's needed. I understand the importance of having "That guy".

[Shoe]

Here's my previous post Shawn:

Our D was gashed against the run this year, so we need our NT play to be dominant. If it's by the draft, so be it, if it's by developing someone who is already on the roster... great. Suring up NT would also allow McClendon, Woods, etc to compete for a position they may be better suited for (DE). I think keeping Keisel around for another year (at a modest price tag) would provide much need leadership and depth.

I'm all for drafting a NT in the first round if that's what's needed. I understand the importance of having "That guy".

Here's the thing with that quote though: McLendon was not on the field for most if not all of those big runs. The Pryor run in OAK, he was on the sideline. AP's run, Ziggy was on the Nose I believe. Tannehill & Daniel Thomas both ripped off 50+ yard gains... no McLendon. And I think Matt Forte also had a big gain against us, and again--McLendon was not on the field.

It is why I keep asking someone to give a knowledgeable appraisal of him as a NT. If you take those instances as fact, how does that affect your perception of our run D? And then, what does it say about McLendon as a NT? I'm cooling on the Nix stuff, because I have a feeling that McLendon is not only a body in there at NT, but a plus defender in that role.

[feltdizz]

Here's the thing with that quote though: McLendon was not on the field for most if not all of those big runs. The Pryor run in OAK, he was on the sideline. AP's run, Ziggy was on the Nose I believe. Tannehill & Daniel Thomas both ripped off 50+ yard gains... no McLendon. And I think Matt Forte also had a big gain against us, and again--McLendon was not on the field.

It is why I keep asking someone to give a knowledgeable appraisal of him as a NT. If you take those instances as fact, how does that affect your perception of our run D? And then, what does it say about McLendon as a NT? I'm cooling on the Nix stuff, because I have a feeling that McLendon is not only a body in there at NT, but a plus defender in that role.

Its interesting that no one will address the McClendon stat you keep asking about.. I think people ran with it and don't have a legit answer.

IMO this is why I want Nix... you can never have too many young healthy monsters up front. I've always been a fan of a strong front 7 and servicable DB's who capitalize off of the pressure generated by our LB's.

Nix, McClendon, Heyward, Wood, Keisel/Hood would be aqesome awesome IMO.

[Dee Dub]

A 3-4 without a legit NT is a waste of time.

Agreed!!! And the only reason the Steelers haven't already addressed this is because there wasn't one the caliber of Nix available to them. If he is there (which I doubt), for them draft this year, it's a no brainer.

[Dee Dub]

Well ma'am,... i pose to you the same question i did to Dizz. Who takes Clowney in the top five in your opinion ?

How about the team with the number one overall pick? When you are a team who has a lot of the parts together except for QB, and have publically stated you are shopping the number 1 overall pick, that means you are not sold on any of the QB's. There is talk that they are salivating over the thought of having J.J. Watt teamed with Ja'Daveon Clowney. After all they have to play Andrew Luck twice a year for the next 10 years. Read this from the Texans.....

"Maybe we'll trade down and still get a quarterback that can do the job and get an outstanding defensive player," McNair said, [URL="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10238006/houston-texans-owner-bob-mcnair-open-trading-no-1-pick"]via ESPN.com[/URL]. "It's an exciting time. Everything's a moving target. Lot of different pieces."
The 2014 draft will mark the third time in franchise-history that the Texans have held the No. 1 overall pick. In 2002, the expansion Texans used the first overall selection to take Fresno State quarterback David Carr.
Carr didn't do much with the Texans, but he did lead the team to a 2-14 finish in 2005 that gave Houston the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 [URL="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft"]NFL Draft[/URL]. With that pick, the Texans selected North Carolina State defensive end [URL="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/players/playerpage/427356/mario-williams"]Mario Williams[/URL].
"The defensive player worked out better than the offensive player," McNair said. "That won't lock us into anything."
General manager Rick Smith echoed that sentiment, saying there's no guarantee the Texans will draft a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick, "I don't think you take a particular position just because you need a particular position at any point in the draft, especially the first pick," Smith said. "So we'll rank it, we'll value it, and we'll make good choices if the opportunity presents itself to move back because it is a very valuable pick, and we'll entertain those as well."



[URL]http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24397002/texans-owner-bob-mcnair-houston-open-to-trading-no-1-pick[/URL]