Chadman's 2012 Off-season Free Agency & Draft thread

[RuthlessBurgher]

he looks more like a condomn packed with walnuts

Just imagine if we draft "Massive Brilliance" and the "Condom Packed With Walnuts" in the same draft...

[Oviedo]

Very nice Chadman. I am also starting to see Zeitler as a Round 1 possibility. Not sure they wait as long as you do to get that second Offensive Lineman. I think Round 3 or 4 would be more appropriate but excellent effort.

[Chadman]

Chadman's final mock will be coming soon, after we see who the Steelers have brought through the doors for the interviews.

Anyone else find it interesting just how many OLB types the Steelers are looking at? And not all late-round guys- Upshaw, Perry, Irvin...

[Chadman]

The official Pre-Draft visit list now looks like this-
QB- 0
RB- 2 Isiah Pead (Cincinnati), LaMichael James (Oregon)
WR- 3 Toney Clemons (Colorado), T.Y. Hilton (Florida International), Keshawn Martin (Michigan State)
TE- 3 Micheal Egnew (Missouri), David Paulson (Oregon), Ladarius Green (LA Lafayette)
OL- 5 OG Lucas Nix (Pittsburgh), OT Mike Adams (Ohio St), OG Brandon Brooks (Miami of Ohio), OT Bobby Massie (Missouri), OG Amini Silatolu (Midwestern St)
DL- 5 Chas Alecxih (3-4 DE Pittsburgh), Derrick Wolfe (3-4 DE Cincinnati), Akiem Hicks (3-4 DE Regina), Hebron Fangupo (NT BYU), John Hughes (NT Cincinnati)
OLB- 7 Brandon Lindsay (Pittsburgh), Jerrel Harris (Alabama), Cam Johnson (Virginia), Olivier Vernon (Miami), Nick Perry (USC), Andre Branch (Clemson), Greg Williams (Pittsburgh)
ILB- 3 Max Gruder (Pittsburgh), Mychal Kendricks (California), Dont'a Hightower (Alabama)
CB- 2 Antwuan Reed (Pittsburgh), Keith Tandy (West Virginia)
S- 1 Jeremy Jones (Weber St)

That's 25 players when you exclude the locals...

[Chadman]

A few other names that the Steelers have been associated with in terms to Pro Days/Interest include:

OLB Bruce Irvin West Virginia (Combine/Pro Day links)
OLB Shea McLellin Boise St (Combine link)
CB Ron Brooks LSU (Pro Day link)
CB Buddy Jackson Pittsburgh (Pro Day link)
OLB Courtney Upshaw Alabama (Not confirmed visit as yet)
OLB Broderick Binns Iowa (Pro Day link)
NT Jerrel Worthy Michigan St (Pro Day link- worked out by Tomlin)
NT/DE Devon Still Penn St (Combine Interview/ Pro Day link- worked out by Tomlin)
NT Mike Martin Michigan (Pro Day link- worked out by Tomlin)
DE Kheeston Randall (Pro Day link- worked out by Mean Joe Green)
DE Ryan Van Bergen Michigan (Pro Day link- worked out by Tomlin)
FS Trenton Robinson Michigan St (Pro Day link)
OG Kevin Zeitler Wisconsin (Pro Day link)
OG Brandon Washington Miami (Pro Day link)
OT Jonathon Martin Stanford (Unconfirmed visit)
QB Kirk Cousins Michigan St (Pro Day link)
RB Lamar Miller Miami (Pro Day link)
RB Edwin Baker Michigan St (Pro Day link)
TE Chase Ford Miami (Pro Day link)
WR Tommy Streeter Miami (Pro Day link)
WR Derrick Moye Penn St (Pro Day link- Todd Haley in attendance)

[focosteeler]

The official Pre-Draft visit list now looks like this-
QB- 0
RB- 2 Isiah Pead (Cincinnati), LaMichael James (Oregon)
WR- 3 Toney Clemons (Colorado), T.Y. Hilton (Florida International), Keshawn Martin (Michigan State)
TE- 3 Micheal Egnew (Missouri), David Paulson (Oregon), Ladarius Green (LA Lafayette)
OL- 5 OG Lucas Nix (Pittsburgh), OT Mike Adams (Ohio St), OG Brandon Brooks (Miami of Ohio), OT Bobby Massie (Missouri), OG Amini Silatolu (Midwestern St)
DL- 5 Chas Alecxih (3-4 DE Pittsburgh), Derrick Wolfe (3-4 DE Cincinnati), Akiem Hicks (3-4 DE Regina), Hebron Fangupo (NT BYU), John Hughes (NT Cincinnati)
OLB- 7 Brandon Lindsay (Pittsburgh), Jerrel Harris (Alabama), Cam Johnson (Virginia), Olivier Vernon (Miami), Nick Perry (USC), Andre Branch (Clemson), Greg Williams (Pittsburgh)
ILB- 3 Max Gruder (Pittsburgh), Mychal Kendricks (California), Dont'a Hightower (Alabama)
CB- 2 Antwuan Reed (Pittsburgh), Keith Tandy (West Virginia)
S- 1 Jeremy Jones (Weber St)

That's 25 players when you exclude the locals...

if my math and research is right....

out of all the players we brough in for a visit in 2009, we drafted 3

out of all the players we brough in for a visit in 2010, we drafted 3

out of all the players we brough in for a visit in 2011, we drafted 4, with 2 additional free agents.

[Chadman]

The official Pre-Draft visit list now looks like this-
QB- 0
RB- 2 Isiah Pead (Cincinnati), LaMichael James (Oregon)
WR- 4 Toney Clemons (Colorado), T.Y. Hilton (Florida International), Keshawn Martin (Michigan State), Stephen Hill (Georgia)
TE- 3 Micheal Egnew (Missouri), David Paulson (Oregon), Ladarius Green (LA Lafayette)
OL- 6 OG Lucas Nix (Pittsburgh), OT Mike Adams (Ohio St), OG Brandon Brooks (Miami of Ohio), OT Bobby Massie (Missouri), OG Amini Silatolu (Midwestern St), OT Mitchell Schwartz (California)
DL- 5 Chas Alecxih (3-4 DE Pittsburgh), Derrick Wolfe (3-4 DE Cincinnati), Akiem Hicks (3-4 DE Regina), Hebron Fangupo (NT BYU), John Hughes (NT Cincinnati)
OLB- 7 Brandon Lindsay (Pittsburgh), Jerrel Harris (Alabama), Cam Johnson (Virginia), Olivier Vernon (Miami), Nick Perry (USC), Andre Branch (Clemson), Greg Williams (Pittsburgh)
ILB- 3 Max Gruder (Pittsburgh), Mychal Kendricks (California), Dont'a Hightower (Alabama)
CB- 2 Antwuan Reed (Pittsburgh), Keith Tandy (West Virginia)
S- 1 Jeremy Jones (Weber St)

That's 27 players when you exclude the locals...

[Chadman]

Next thing to do is to decide on the 23 most likely players to be gone by the time the Steelrs pick- leaving us with the most likely players left to choose from at #24...

In no team pick order, just a player value/likely picked by #24 type order:

1-18
QB Andrew Luck
QB Robert Griffin III
OT Matt Kalil
OG David DeCastro
QB Ryan Tannehill
RB Trent Richardson
CB Morris Claiborne
WR Justin Blackmon
WR Michael Floyd
OT Reilly Reiff
DT Fletcher Cox
LB Luke Keuchley
OLB Melvin Ingram
DE Quinton Coples
CB Dre Kirkpatrick
OLB Courtney Upshaw
DT Michael Brockers
CB Stephon Gilmore

18-33 (The Floaters)
DT Dontari Poe
OT Jonathon Martin
OG Cordy Glenn
LB Donta Hightower
SS Mark Barron
WR Kendall Wright
OT Mike Adams
OLB Whitney Mercilus
WR Stephen Hill
OLB Nick Perry
OC Peter Konz
OLB Andre Branch
DT Devon Still
DT Jerrel Worthy
TE Coby Fleener
CB Janoris Jenkins
OG Kevin Zeitler
WR Reuben Randle
LB Shea McLellin


Players in RED Chadman considers risks. Players in GREEN are unlikely. PURPLE means a slight reach. ORANGE presents decent value.

BLUE, of course, are BLUE CHIP types, and the most likely to be Steeler selections.

[Chadman]

The official Pre-Draft visit list now looks like this-
QB- 0
RB- 2 Isiah Pead (Cincinnati), LaMichael James (Oregon)
WR- 5 Toney Clemons (Colorado), T.Y. Hilton (Florida International), Keshawn Martin (Michigan State), Stephen Hill (Georgia), Greg Childs (Arkansas)
TE- 4 Micheal Egnew (Missouri), David Paulson (Oregon), Ladarius Green (LA Lafayette) Adrein Robinson (Cincinnati)
OL- 6 OG Lucas Nix (Pittsburgh), OT Mike Adams (Ohio St), OG Brandon Brooks (Miami of Ohio), OT Bobby Massie (Missouri), OG Amini Silatolu (Midwestern St), OT Mitchell Schwartz (California), Kelvin Beachem (SMU)
DL- 6 Chas Alecxih (3-4 DE Pittsburgh), Derrick Wolfe (3-4 DE Cincinnati), Akiem Hicks (3-4 DE Regina), Hebron Fangupo (NT BYU), John Hughes (NT Cincinnati), Dontari Poe (Memphis)
OLB- 7 Brandon Lindsay (Pittsburgh), Jerrel Harris (Alabama), Cam Johnson (Virginia), Olivier Vernon (Miami), Nick Perry (USC), Andre Branch (Clemson), Greg Williams (Pittsburgh)
ILB- 3 Max Gruder (Pittsburgh), Mychal Kendricks (California), Dont'a Hightower (Alabama)
CB- 2 Antwuan Reed (Pittsburgh), Keith Tandy (West Virginia)
S- 1 Jeremy Jones (Weber St)

That's 31 players when you exclude the locals... did Chadman count wrong?

[Chadman]

Wait...does Mike Adams count?

[RuthlessBurgher]

Wait...does Mike Adams count?

Toney Clemons might not count (even though he went to school in Colorado), because they mention that he is from the Pittsburgh area (went to a local high school). Not sure if that's how it works, but maybe.

[Chadman]

Ladies & Gentlemen, boys & girls- Chadman presents to you the final 2012 Chadman Mock Draft, this time using bits & pieces of information gathered over the last few weeks, history as we've discussed on this thread numerous times & a little bit of guess power.

It won't please everyone. Steelers drafts never do anyway. But it'll be Chadman's best guess at the direction the Steelers will be going in a week's time.

The players might be different come draft day, the rounds selected might be different too. But Chadman is moderately confident he'll be on the right path at least.


Here we go....

[Chadman]

ROUND 1

PETER KONZ OC/OG
WISCONSIN
6'5" 314lbs

konz.jpg

OK- so WHY Peter Konz?

Firstly, the easy one- Kevin Colbert has attended the Wisconsin Pro Day, so we know that the Steelers had representation there. This is always important because we know the Steelers will have cross-checked everything on their potential 1st round pick.

Secondly, he fits the College conference requirements, being a player from the BIG-10.

Third- he plays a position of need, well, interior OL anyway, while presenting better value than his Wisconsin mate Kevin Zeitler, who is really a 2nd round guy. So he's not a reach.

Fourth- High character, intelligent, college production of note.

Now we get a few sneaky reasons-

Fifth- the Steelers have had reported interest in both Jerel Worthy & Devon Still- 2 guys that reports suggest Konz & Zeitler played their best games against.

Sixth- The Ravens are reported to be interested in Konz too, so having NOT brought in Konz is a smart move- not tipping the Ravens off early & giving them reason to look to trade up.

Seventh- The report now that Mike Adams failed his drug test probably pushes him out of Round 1, raising the draft value of both Jonathan Martin & Cordy Glenn- 2 other players the Steelers could have looked at with #24. This makes selecting those 2 guys very difficult without trading up.

Konz makes sense, and is an instant upgrade at LG.


Pass blocking: Possesses a solidly-built frame with a filled-out body and solid muscle definition. Naturally wide base off the snap. Does a nice job sinking his hips and playing with consistent pad level, sitting in his stance with steady balance. Shoots his hands into defenders with very good placement, flashing strong hands to sustain blocks for an extended period of time. Taller for the center position and will allow his upper body to get high at times. Understands blocking angles.
Run blocking: A physical run blocker with raw power and strength at the point of attack. Gets very good initial push off the snap. Does a nice job with body positioning, walling off defenders to seal run lanes. Not a quick-twitch mover and looks a tad uncoordinated in tight spaces.
Pulling/trapping: Athletic and mobile, blocking well in space and pulling towards either sideline. Shows natural instincts with a very good feel for the position, keeping his eyes elevated and always looking for someone to block.
Initial Quickness: Sets up quickly and gets into his stance in a flash. Stout and aggressive at the point of attack and is tough to move because he plays with such good leverage -- sticky blocker. Konz is a bit stiff in his core and struggles to quickly redirect. Not naturally explosive.
Downfield: Rangy blocker with the foot quickness to cover a lot of ground and easily get to the second level. Takes on defenders with toughness and aggression, looking to finish and dominate. Intangibles: Intelligent with strong football character, working hard on and off the field. Has good starting experience with 30 career starts at center over the past three seasons. Offers some versatility with the skill-set to line up at other offensive line spots. Has strong durability concerns, missing time each of the past three seasons with various injuries -- missed three games towards the end of 2011, including the Big Ten Championship Game, with a left ankle injury.

[Chadman]

ROUND 2

LAMAR MILLER RB
MIAMI
5'11" 212lbs

l4928950.jpg


The Steelers have had Isiaih Pead & LeMicheal James in for talks, but they also attended the Miami Pro-Day en masse, including sending Todd Haley along. Why is that important? Because Haley has a habit of making pass-catching RB's effective. The Steelers have no proven RB ready to start the season with Mendenhall recovering from his ACL injury. Miller could, realistically, contribute as a split carry RB with Redman almost instantly, as well as giving Haley his pass catching RB. Miller is similar to Jamaal Charles at KC.


Inside: Balanced athlete with dynamic start/stop ability and smooth change-of-direction skills to stay patient before bursting upfield. Has very good vision and cutback ability, doing a nice job finding the run lanes. Follows his blocks and stays patient behind the line of scrimmage. Not overly explosive and goes down too easily, struggling to create on his own. Too patient at times and looks indecisive - questionable feel and instincts between the tackles. Freelances a lot and needs to allow the designed play to develop. Relies too much on the big play and needs to learn to be content with positive gains.
Outside: Accelerates and gets to top speed quickly when he sees daylight. Has nimble feet to make defenders miss and shows an extra gear to run away from them as well. Very good at forcing defenders to take poor angles with his lateral quickness and natural burst. Fast through the hole and a home run threat. Looks most comfortable on the outside and in space.
Breaking tackles: An upright runner with a narrow frame -- won't break many tackles. Has improved body strength and stays coordinated through contact -- runs hard and fights for every yard. Lacks much strength to power through tackles and doesn't have the body type to withstand a heavy beating. Suspect ball security and tends to wear down over the course of a game.
Blocking: Wasn't asked to stay in the pocket much as a pass protector and needs extensive technique work in this area.
Receiving: Effective pass catcher with good ball skills and body control to make tough grabs. Had only 28 catches over his collegiate career and has limited experience in this area. Intangibles: Has experience as a return man on kickoffs with 15 returns for 376 yards (25.1-yard average) and one touchdown in his career. Good production but suspect durability, playing most of the past season with a shoulder issue and will struggle with injuries. Started the 2011 season with five straight 100-yard games, but finished with just two in the final seven games. Lacks the size to be a bell-cow back. Still growing at the position and is not yet a finished product -- will he put in the necessary work to reach his potential?

[Chadman]

ROUND 3


JOSH CHAPMAN NT
ALABAMA
6'1" 319lbs

576869.jpg


It's entirely possible a trade-up may be required here as nearly every 3-4 team will think "we could just grab Chapman in Round 3..".

This is a guy that just plays 3-4 NT, and plays it well. Won't wow you, but will allow the LB's to wow you by doing his job.

Kevin Colbert has been in attendance to both Alabama Pro Days.

Pass rush: Possesses at least average burst off the snap, but lacks the lateral agility and closing speed to be a consistent pass rush threat at the NFL level. Uses his excellent weight room strength to shove his opponent upfield and can disengage with quick hands and a reasonably effective swim move (either arm). Good effort. Run defense: Clearly his best trait. Has a short, stumpy build so he typically wins the leverage battle. When he does so, Chapman can be tough to move, even showing the ability to handle double-teams. Excellent weight room strength translates well onto the field. Good stack and shed defender. Alert defender who recognizes the trap block and possesses enough quickness to beat his opponent to the spot. Lacks the sustained speed to chase down ball-carriers, but puts good effort into his lateral pursuit. Explosion: Has an explosive initial punch to push the offensive lineman back onto his heels. Can generate a big hit when he gets moving. Not an explosive athlete, overall, despite his gaudy weight room numbers. Strength: Violent hands and good upper body strength to hold up inside versus the run. Flashes some explosiveness as a hitter. Can rag doll ball-carriers, tossing them to the ground easily. Tackling: An effective drag down tackler due to his upper body strength. Lacks the lateral agility and balance to handle quick ball-carriers in open spaces. Appears to have only average arm length. As such, ball-carriers too often are able to shield him with a stiff-arm and run away from him. Shows good effort in lateral pursuit to the tackle box, but tires quickly and doesn't show enough effort to follow downfield. Intangibles: Has struggled with conditioning at times over his career. Possesses a good motor, however, and will pursue to the sideline and downfield. Possesses excellent weight room strength. Was the team's strongest player as early as his redshirt freshman season, owning a 480 pound bench press in 2008. He left Alabama benching closer to 580 pounds, according to the Alabama strength and conditioning staff and has a 630-pound squat when healthy. Played most of the 2011 season with a torn ACL which required postseason surgery.