Should have traded all our picks.

[aggiebones]

We should have only had a few picks this year. The reason is that most will be lost when they get to the Steelers this year. Since we are in Super Bowl mode, we won't be keeping alot of projects and most draftees this year will fall into that category. So veterans we might consider dumping will be more valuable this season. So we should have loaded up on picks next year and just keep more veterans this year.
I mean there is some potential with alot of these players, but they will rot on the bench or make costly mistakes this season if forced to play.

Even if we would have traded a late 4th for a 5th, we would have been better off next year. Or even dumping those late round flier picks to move up. We could have maybe had a couple 2nd or 3rd rounders instead of 8 draftees most of which will need to be cut.

Anyway that's my thinking. It just seems like a wasted year for most draftees, even the top ones. Those first minicamps and such are so valuable for rookies that many won't ever catch up and will end up on the trash heap or Cleveland.

[chiken]

Re: Should have traded all our picks.

If im not mistaken - I believe we drafted all 4 year players this year.. I wonder if this logic had something to do with that.

[Eddie Spaghetti]

Re: Should have traded all our picks.

posts like these make me really glad none of you work in the FO.

the draft is about the future. always has been.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Should have traded all our picks.

You'll have guys like Anthony Madison, Arnaz Battle, Tony Hills, Keyaron Fox, Will Allen, William Gay, and Mewelde Moore who may not be brought back, and we'll plug in rookies to fill those roster spots. Are we less of a Super Bowl team next year by dropping some dead weight like that in exchange for hungry, young players?

[D Rock]

Re: Should have traded all our picks.

You'll have guys like Anthony Madison, Arnaz Battle, Tony Hills, Keyaron Fox, Will Allen, William Gay, and Mewelde Moore who may not be brought back, and we'll plug in rookies to fill those roster spots. Are we less of a Super Bowl team next year by dropping some dead weight like that in exchange for hungry, young players?

hungry, young, and CHEAPER players!

the Steelers absolutely have to drop players like El and Battle and Fox and pick up the young guys, because that is the only way to sign the truly special players on the team to the contracts they will want to keep them here.

Lose the rookies, aka..cheap role players, and you lose Woodley. You lose Ike. You lose Timmons. You lose Wallace. You lose Mendenhall.

Etc, etc, etc.

[aggiebones]

Re: Should have traded all our picks.

Some of this makes sense. Some I'm not so sure.
You drop all that 'dead weight' and you will see a significant drop in ST play at least. You rely on too many rookie backups on D that have had little exposure to what we do and we give up ALOT more points. These kids will be horribly lost early on. Some are marginal players at best, which is normal in any draft as it progresses.

Cheap is the best answer. Hungry is not. They will be doe-eyed come game day cause they will be lost.

I dare say that this will be our least effective draft outside of forcing Gilbert and Heywood onto the roster. Heywood should be fine over time as he will be given time. Gilbert will be given time and hopefully he can make up some ground and be productive. I was lukewarm on him to begin with though as stated, I am not a GM. Though to be far, GMs make mistakes too. The rest won't touch the field and I bet half (or more) are cut from the opening day roster. Which goes back to my original idea of dropping these picks to next years draft. There would have been suitors. We wouldn't lose the picks, they would be bumped a year. Then packaged together we could have moved up.

Many gurus have said this was the league's worst draft in 10 years. Next year's may be top since alot of kids stayed an extra year. Wouldn't it be nice to be loaded to bear for next year's draft. We could move up aggressively in a good draft. Ah well, it isn't to be.

[feltdizz]

Re: Should have traded all our picks.

Traded all our picks? That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard...

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Should have traded all our picks.

Traded all our picks? That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard...

[aggiebones]

Re: Should have traded all our picks.

Not including the top 2 picks as I've stated. Let's see how the rest fare. We could have taken 2 other rooks, but 8 is a waste in this draft with no teaching time. So maybe we take 4 rookies from this draft. Bump 4 picks to next year.

This is a weak draft, next is tight.

Next year if we could have a 1st, 2nd, two 3rds, two 4ths, two 6ths and two 7ths, we would be FAAAR better off. We could move more freely up in the draft.

We can revisit this option on cut day this year and next.

[D Rock]

Re: Should have traded all our picks.

Not including the top 2 picks as I've stated. Let's see how the rest fare. We could have taken 2 other rooks, but 8 is a waste in this draft with no teaching time. So maybe we take 4 rookies from this draft. Bump 4 picks to next year.

This is a weak draft, next is tight.

Next year if we could have a 1st, 2nd, two 3rds, two 4ths, two 6ths and two 7ths, we would be FAAAR better off. We could move more freely up in the draft.

We can revisit this option on cut day this year and next.

Check the thread I just posted. I'll put my money down that all 7 guys make the team, unless beat out by an UDFA or an unseen FA signing.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Re: Should have traded all our picks.

You'll have guys like Anthony Madison, Arnaz Battle, Tony Hills, Keyaron Fox, Will Allen, William Gay, and Mewelde Moore who may not be brought back, and we'll plug in rookies to fill those roster spots. Are we less of a Super Bowl team next year by dropping some dead weight like that in exchange for hungry, young players?

We may well replace the above-mentioned veterans with rookies, but I wouldn't call those vets "dead weight" (well, except for Tony Hills). Other than Hills, they all contributed--some only on ST's, but hey, ST's are 1/3 of the game.

[Discipline of Steel]

Re: Should have traded all our picks.

You'll have guys like Anthony Madison, Arnaz Battle, Tony Hills, Keyaron Fox, Will Allen, William Gay, and Mewelde Moore who may not be brought back, and we'll plug in rookies to fill those roster spots. Are we less of a Super Bowl team next year by dropping some dead weight like that in exchange for hungry, young players?

We may well replace the above-mentioned veterans with rookies, but I wouldn't call those vets "dead weight" (well, except for Tony Hills). Other than Hills, they all contributed--some only on ST's, but hey, ST's are 1/3 of the game.

I was kind of thinking the same thing, just to a lesser extent. Moore is still a good player, Gay can play his nickel role pretty well, esp blitzing. Fox made a huge gaffe in the SB but still a good tough player for 2 years before that. The others I can live without more easily.

[tiproast]

Re: Should have traded all our picks.

We should have only had a few picks this year. The reason is that most will be lost when they get to the Steelers this year. Since we are in Super Bowl mode, we won't be keeping alot of projects and most draftees this year will fall into that category. So veterans we might consider dumping will be more valuable this season. So we should have loaded up on picks next year and just keep more veterans this year.
I mean there is some potential with alot of these players, but they will rot on the bench or make costly mistakes this season if forced to play.

Even if we would have traded a late 4th for a 5th, we would have been better off next year. Or even dumping those late round flier picks to move up. We could have maybe had a couple 2nd or 3rd rounders instead of 8 draftees most of which will need to be cut.

Anyway that's my thinking. It just seems like a wasted year for most draftees, even the top ones. Those first minicamps and such are so valuable for rookies that many won't ever catch up and will end up on the trash heap or Cleveland.

Mike Webster was a 5th round draft pick.

Terrell Davis and Tom Brady were 6th round picks.

Although you're correct that the odds for making the team get slimmer the later in the draft a player was chosen, there's are always those players whose best days occur after college is over. Conversely, there are some players that peak in college, and whose pro careers are a disappointment. And sometimes players that are drafted late use the perception that they're not as good as the players drafted above them as a spur that helps them maintain their focus to get better and outdo those other, higher drafted players.

The challenge for the scouts and personnel departments is to figure out which is which. Sometimes being drafted early and getting a big contract is the worst thing that can happen to a player.

[NJ-STEELER]

Re: Should have traded all our picks.

i'm concerned about butler's comments on this.

he mentioned thaddeus gibson last year being behind cause of a late graduation date. if the lockout looms it will be even harder for the rookies to get a grasp on this defense.
it took ziggy a year/middle of year 2 to get everything down and start making an impact with the defense.

is it possible that we wont see a contribution from a 1st round pick like heyward into his 3rd season?

[Chadman]

Re: Should have traded all our picks.

[quote="NJ-STEELER"]i'm concerned about butler's comments on this.

he mentioned thaddeus gibson last year being behind cause of a late graduation date. if the lockout looms it will be even harder for the rookies to get a grasp on this defense.
it took ziggy a year/middle of year 2 to get everything down and start making an impact with the defense.

is it possible that we wont see a contribution from a 1st round pick like heyward into his 3rd season?[/quote]

Quite possible- if you expect him to be a starter. Chances are his addition will remove Nick Eason from the roster- at best Heyward is the 4th DE this season- and that's not a bad thing when the 3 in front are Keisel, Smith & Hood. But at best, this is Smith's last year- so Heyward's 1 year of experience will stand him in good stead as he becomes the #1 back-up DE next season. And then it's likely Keisel will be done or close to done- by which time Heyward should move into a starting role. He's 21 now, so he should be a starter by 23 years of age. That gives him, what? 10 years of starting ahead of him, given Keisel/Smith as the example to follow?