Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

Limas Sweed May Finally Make An Impact With The Pittsburgh Steelers

Posted by Tom Jenkins April 16, 2011




Limas Sweed was once considered a draft day steal for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but after two disappointing seasons Steelers fans regarded him as wasted space and a busted pick. But, then reports came from mini camp last year that Sweed was turning his fortune around, complete with a brand new number on his jersey, hoping to rejuvenate a career where all hope was thought lost.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was reportedly very impressed with Sweed during last year’s mini camp and Steelers fans around the country were genuinely excited, anticipating that Sweed just may have that breakout season that was thought capable of him when he was drafted.

That would never happen, however, as Sweed was injured on May 11th, 2010, it was his left Achilles and it effectively ended his season, as he was placed on injured reserve.
All that hope could and should be focused into the next NFL season, which will hopefully be this year. Sweed still has the ability to turn things around, his physical tools are outstanding, he’s a big, fast, deep threat that would compliment the Steelers current receiving corps VERY well.

Potentially Sweed could be the red zone target that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been hoping for since he was drafted, a commodity that the Steelers have not had since Plaxico Burress departed for the New York Giants.

Sweed is nearly six inches taller and 40 pounds heavier than most of the Steelers receivers that were on the roster last year. To really compare the numbers:

Hines Ward 6’0” 205 lbs.
Mike Wallace 6’0” 180 lbs.
Emmanuel Sanders 5’11” 186 lbs.
Antonio Brown 5’10” 186 lbs.
Limas Sweed 6’5” 220 lbs.

You’ll notice that Antwaan Randle El is not present on the above list, and that’s simply because there are thoughts around Steelers Nation that ‘El’ won’t be with the team next season, but that all really boils down to Sweed’s performance during training camp and the direction the Steelers decide to go in the draft.

Likely if a wide receiver is selected by the Steelers in the 2011 NFL Draft, Randle El will be gone, and Sweed will get a chance to battle the newcomer for a roster spot. Should they elect to not draft a receiver, then it will more than likely be a Sweed/Randle El battle in camp for the fifth receiver spot on the depth chart.

Sweed has fully embraced the philosophy of the Steelers offense, showing a willingness to block, as demonstrated on Baltimore Ravens defensive back Corey Ivy.



At the very least, Sweed will be happy to know that the vast majority of Steeler Nation is pulling for him to live up to expectations in the potential 2011-2012 season.

[url="http://www.steelerschronicle.com/2011/04/limas-sweed-may-finally-make-an-impact-with-the-pittsburgh-steelers.html/"]http://www.steelerschronicle.com/2011/0 ... lers.html/[/url]

[Shawn]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

Sweed has all the physical tools. I watched him make some circus catches in college. But, big WRs usually take more time than the smaller guys. Couple that with some insecurity and injury issues and you have what we have now. If Sweed can heal, it wouldn't shock me in the slightest if he makes this squad.

[MaxAMillion]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

I think we should be looking to upgrade the WR position. Once Sanders got hurt in the Super Bowl, the passing game struggled (granted Ben played mediocre most of the game). Ward is basically an H back at this point. Brown doesn't look like a true number 3 WR to me. I would like the Baldwin pick if not for the off field issues. Baldwin seems like another Plaxico to me. A talented head case who will blow up eventually.

[Shawn]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

I think we should be looking to upgrade the WR position. Once Sanders got hurt in the Super Bowl, the passing game struggled (granted Ben played mediocre most of the game). Ward is basically an H back at this point. Brown doesn't look like a true number 3 WR to me. I would like the Baldwin pick if not for the off field issues. Baldwin seems like another Plaxico to me. A talented head case who will blow up eventually.

Brown had some huge catches in his rookie season. What makes you think he won't be a terrific slot?

[papillon]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

Can you really have too many receivers in camp with the way offense is being played in the NFL? I'm sure a WR will be selected by the Steelers in this draft and probably every draft in the future. if you're running 2, 3 and 4 WR sets you're going to need a lot of WRs because of injury, IMO.

Pappy

[Chadman]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

Of course, the Steelers COULD just add a Lance Kendricks or DJ Williams & leave the WR group as is...still get yourself another pair of good pass catching hands while actually upgrading a position at the same time...

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

Picking a Wideout Would Be Nice, But Not Necessary

Posted on April 27, 2011 by JJ


It happens every year and the weeks and months leading up to the 2011 NFL Draft is no different; there has been a lot of discussion about where the Steelers’ needs are the greatest. It may be cornerback (especially with Ike Taylor slated to be a free agent) or you could argue offensive tackle (especially considering the situation for 2012).

I haven’t seen anyone claim that wide receiver is the Steelers’ biggest need, but I have seen several writers state that it is one of Pittsburgh’s main secondary needs. Most recently, Michael Bean, the editor of Behind The Steel Curtain, made that point in a post Tuesday morning.

What about ’12 and beyond? Hines Ward is the man, my favorite player, a guy who might still catch 60-70 balls when he’s 36-38 years old. But he might also hit a wall here in ’11 or ’12 and be approaching the twilight of his career. Then what? That leaves us with three guys all under 6? — Wallace, Sanders, and Brown . . . The Steelers are going to have to invest heavily in a blue chip talent at WR at some point in the near future. They’ve got great weapons as is, but will all the parts compliment each other if Hines Ward isn’t in the equation?

I in no way mean it as a personal criticism of Bean, who I think does excellent work. But in this case, I can’t agree.

Could the Steelers use another mid-round wide receiver, with the hope of landing a sleeper? Absolutely. But I’d argue that the Steelers are in as good a shape at wide receiver as they have been in years.

In Hines Ward, Pittsburgh has the most productive receiver in team history. But if we’re talking about 2012 and beyond, lets not even include him in this discussion. There’s always a chance that Ward could retire after the 2011 season (hopefully after hoisting his third Lombardi Trophy).

But that would still leave Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown (as well as the ever-present hope of a Limas Sweed turnaround). Yes, none of them are taller than 6-0, as Bean notes. But this includes Hines Ward, so it’s not like losing Ward will make the Steelers’ shorter. Santonio Holmes is 5-foot-10, but that didn’t make the Cardinals’ job any easier in Super Bowl XLIII.

Pittsburgh has had two successful receivers taller than 6-foot in the past decade: Plaxico Burress and Nate Washington. The Steelers have succeeded with a slew of smaller receivers (Ward, Randle El, Bobby Shaw, Cedrick Wilson, Sanders, and Holmes, f0r example).

As much as we may all love big receivers, we’ve covered here at the Lounge before how it really is a false expectation. Yes, if you can land Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson or a Larry Fitzgerald in the draft, you snag them. But there’s a common thread for big, tall and fast receivers — you often have to draft them early in the first round.

As you fall further down the draft list, you often get big and tall but slow (think Walter Young) or big and tall but with hands of stone (think Limas Sweed). And as Ryan Wilson’s study showed, there was no significant correlation between size and success among wide receivers in 2010.

So the second question really revolves around whether you believe Emmanuel Sanders or Antonio Brown can develop into a solid No. 2 receiver.

No one can fully predict how Sanders and Brown’s careers will turn out, but I will argue that everything we’ve seen up to now would appear to indicate that Sanders will eventually be a successful starter for the Steelers.

A year ago, the same questions were being asked about Mike Wallace, coming off of an outstanding rookie season as the Steelers’ No. 3 receiver. Wallace was much easier to project as a starter — he was a devastating deep threat as a rookie — and despite his status as a No. 3 receiver, he had spent the entire season largely beating starting cornerbacks (even if that wasn’t always apparent to everyone).

I haven’t gone back and charted every pass thrown to Sanders (yet) like I did Wallace last year. But I have spot checked it. Sanders did face more nickel and dime backs than Wallace because he did line up in the slot at times. But like last year, a lot of Ward’s success came against slot corners as well – -if you work over the middle, you’re more likely to be beating linebackers and nickel backs than the receivers that work near the sidelines.

But whoever he faced, Sanders was productive. He didn’t really become a regular part of the offense until midseason (he played 41 snaps in the first eight games), but from the day he passed Randle El to be the team’s No. 3 receiver, Sanders became one of Ben Roethlisberger’s most reliable targets. Five times Roethlisberger looked for Sanders on third and 11 or more. On all five times Sanders converted for a first down. In the final eight regular season games (when he moved up to No. 3 receiver), Sanders had 24 catches for 300 yards.

Among Steelers rookie receivers since 1990, Sanders ranks seventh in catches (2 and yards (376). By comparison, Burress ranks eighth, Ward ninth. In fact, of the top nine Steelers rookie receivers (everyone with 200+ yards), Troy Edwards and Bobby Shaw were the only ones who did not develop into productive starters.

So statistically, Sanders passes the smell test. His performance as a rookie offers signs that he can get open against NFL defenses (five third-and-long conversions come against defenses geared to stop the pass). But what about physically, does he have the tools to become a starter?

Physically, the knock on Sanders coming out of college was that he may not be physical enough to handle cornerbacks who jam him at the line. The Steelers’ use of stack and bunch formations helps alleviate that concern, because it’s nearly impossible to play bump and run in those situations. But Sanders actually proved to also be more physical than expected, as well as a willing blocker (by my tape review, he was Pittsburgh’s second best blocking receiver behind Ward).

But does he have the speed? Sanders’ 13.4 yards per catch average wasn’t bad on a team that already had Wallace as the main deep threat. He projects more as an intermediate route runner (which makes sense since he’s Ward’s eventual replacement), but it’s also worth remembering that Sanders turned in the third fastest 40-yard dash time among wide receivers at the 2010 NFL combine.

Add it up and there is no reason to think Sanders won’t eventually supplant Ward. If he can handle that job then Pittsburgh is already in good shape. It also means that, down the line, Antonio Brown only has to step into the No. 3 receiver role. He showed signs of being capable of handling that role last year, but even if he falls flat, it’s easy to fill a need at No. 3 receiver. For one, the ranks of veteran receivers willing to step in on the cheap to that role (think Randle El, Wilson, Courtney Hawkins) is often long, especially if you are considered a playoff team. And No. 3 receivers are also much easier to find in the draft than starters — Nate Washington was an undrafted free agent, Bobby Shaw was a waiver pickup, Sanders was a third-round pick.

So while I would be happy to see Pittsburgh take a mid-round receiver this weekend, it’s because he could eventually be a solid contributor. The Steelers already have Hines Ward’s replacement on the roster.

[url="http://www.steelerslounge.com/2011/04/picking-wideout-nice/#comment-5478"]http://www.steelerslounge.com/2011/04/p ... mment-5478[/url]

[Chadman]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

Starting to lean, more & more, towards not drafting WR this year. Given who the Steelers have looked at- who is hands-down better than Antonio Brown in the rookie class for mid-round WR's? For that matter- better than Limas Sweed?

Here's the thing- the Steelers will have Ward, Wallace, Sanders & Brown as certainties. Then you have Sweed vs Randle El for the 5th WR spot- 5TH!!

Future need at WR is certainly an issue- but given that Wallace, Sanders & Brown figure to be long-term (and perhaps Sweed), you could easily bring in a high round WR next draft & not force them into starting action while these guys handle the load & let said Rookie develop.

[NJ-STEELER]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

i consider it a bigger need then DL.

of course the pool isnt as deep as DL so we're not likely to take one in the 1st (which i happy about considering what we've done with our last couple of 1st round WRs)

but,we're much more unproven at wideout then the defensive line. ward old, sanders is coming off 2 surgeries on his foot. brown has flashed, and hopefully he continues to progress

[insanesteelersfan]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

i consider it a bigger need then DL.

of course the pool isnt as deep as DL so we're not likely to take one in the 1st (which i happy about considering what we've done with our last couple of 1st round WRs)

but,we're much more unproven at wideout then the defensive line. ward old, sanders is coming off 2 surgeries on his foot. brown has flashed, and hopefully he continues to progress

Huh ???

Ward is Old ?...okay, is he unproductive ? What surgeries are you talking about ? And Brown was the find of last years draft. Ward if he wants can play another 3 years easily. And have over 800-1,000 Yds . Yes we probably will take a WR. But you act like you wanna WASTE a pick on Jon Baldwin,,,who is a Nobody! Pettis late in the 4th, or Vincent Brown will be fine.

[Chadman]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

Well, Ward IS old...

But if you use the "Ward is Old" argument- Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel, Aaron Smith, Chris Hoke & Nick Eason are old & Steve McLendon isn't proven...

Hard to agree that WR is a bigger need than DL. Short term? Perhaps- but you don't draft for instant gratification.

It is quite possible- believable even- that Hampton, Smith, Hoke & Keisel could ALL be gone within 2 years. Hampton in 2 years- 36. Smith in 2 years- 38. Hoke in 2 years- 38. Keisel in 2 years- 35.....Ward in 2 years- 36.

There's not a whole lot of 35+ guys playing in the NFL at a high level.

[NJ-STEELER]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

Iirc sanders had a 2nd surgery on his foot he injured in the SB. Wards on his last legs. Brown had a few flashes but I'm not ready to crown him as starter material. So there's plenty of questions about the group

Don't want Baldwin but wouldn't be surprised if we take a WR before a DL. I guess I would add a pass catching TE as part of that need.
if hankerson was there in the 2nd round, i'd take him. DE in out system can be developed with later round guys (smith and keisel being 2 perfect examples)

Which unit needs more help. The best front 7 in football or the passing offense that struggled all year?

[Chadman]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

Smith, from memory took 3 years before getting a start. Keisel 5 years. Hampton started in his first year- but then, he was a 1st round pick. Same with Ziggy Hood.

Late round guys don't start anywhere near right away because...well...they need time to develop.

Do the Steelers have 3-5 years out of Smith, Hampton, Hoke & Keisel? What happens to the Steelers front 7 if their replacements are not ready?

On the other hand- Sanders, Brown, Holmes, Wallace, Randle el, Burress, Troy Edwards etc contributed immediately. WR's it seems, are ready to play far quicker, and as a result- likely lesser a need.

[Oviedo]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

With all the flexibility work Ward is doing on Dancing with the Stars he will come back and have a great season. His footwork will be better than ever.

[NJ-STEELER]

Re: Will Steelers Draft Yet Another Wide Receiver This Year?

It took smith and diesel that long cause they had size issues. The DEs in most mocks (like mine below) are Already 300 lbs


We drafted what seemed like a good prospect On the DL last yeAr and lost him cause he couldn't crack the rotation cause the unit is still top notch

How long does it take to teach a DL to take up blockers so the LBs can run to the ball?
The ZBS make take some time. But that would effect 1st rounders too