Lost in the Adams Discussion

[phillyesq]

Lost in the Flozell Adams discussion was the identity of the guy that beat him. Cliff Avril was taken in the third round by the Lions in 2008 as a DE out of Purdue. The Steelers brought him in for a pre-draft visit, and were looking at him as a 3-4 OLB conversion project.

For some unknown reason, when Avril was on the board in the third round, the Steelers passed, and instead selected Bruce Davis. Avril went to the Lions 4 picks later.

[buckeyehoppy]

Re: Lost in the Adams Discussion

Lost in the Flozell Adams discussion was the identity of the guy that beat him. Cliff Avril was taken in the third round by the Lions in 2008 as a DE out of Purdue. The Steelers brought him in for a pre-draft visit, and were looking at him as a 3-4 OLB conversion project.

For some unknown reason, when Avril was on the board in the third round, the Steelers passed, and instead selected Bruce Davis. Avril went to the Lions 4 picks later.

I hear ya, phillyesq! Hindsight often being 20/20, I wonder how much more continuity and how much less strife the OL would have gone through the last few years if, instead of trading up to select Santonio Holmes, the Steelers would have selected his tOSU teammate Nick Mangold. He would have anchored the line as soon as he got here. There would have been no need to deal with either Sean Mahan or Justin Hartwig. It might have also mitigated the need to draft Maurkice Pouncey.

Now, I'll be fair and acknowledge that S'Tonio helped us out quite a bit and that Pouncey should also be a great help to an OL that is still in transition.

But, as in baseball, your strongest teams are built up the middle. The anchor at C sets the table for the cohesion of the rest of the line. That could have started 4 years ago instead of this year had the Steelers selected the C from tOSU and not the WR.

I typically cringe when skill position players are selected high. Because for every Santonio Holmes, you invariably run across a Limas Sweed. It'll be interesting to see how Antonio Brown and Manny Sanders work through this training camp. If they both make it and contribute this year, they will be skill position players that happened to come at a reasonable price.

[Oviedo]

Re: Lost in the Adams Discussion

This football personnel director stuff is so easy a caveman can do it...three years after the fact

[Shawn]

Re: Lost in the Adams Discussion

This football personnel director stuff is so easy a caveman can do it...three years after the fact

Now that's funny.

[phillyesq]

Re: Lost in the Adams Discussion

This football personnel director stuff is so easy a caveman can do it...three years after the fact

Not saying it's an easy job. Just a painful miss.

Hence the

[Djfan]

Re: Lost in the Adams Discussion

In Buckeye's defense, I don't think he was playing the armchair gm game. I think he was advocating drafting good linemen over skill guys in the high rounds.