7 games into the season and it's time to talk draft

[Shoe]

If they had a quality LT & didn't have Gilbert... Adams would be logging starts at RT for the last two years & this conversation wouldn't be taking place. They were wrong. Damage has been done. That is another discussion. Is it irreversible? Unfortunately all of that is on Adams and his "past" leaves it in doubt right now. With Gilbert at RT..The best thing for him right now is to get on the field at TE. That won't be the cure all but let's hope that keeps his head on right & keeps him on track. Adams should have went the Marvel Smith - Max Starks route until he was ready...Not when the FO needed him to be ready.

No offense to you J-P-N, but I hate that excuse for Adams. It is not like we made a Defensive Tackle try and play (Offensive) Left Tackle. Switching of sides is overrated. I mean... you probably will be less effective, but it isn't going to turn you from a starting quality RT into a laughable LT.

The notion that the switch may have irreversably affected him is annoying too (i.e. as if they ruined his chances to be a good player by letting him in the starting lineup). Whatever happens in his career, it is of his doing.

[Vader]

I see no reason to trade down. I really don't.

There isn't enough roster spots this coming year. They *might* cut Ike if he doesn't agree to a paycut but I don't think they can because we lost Keenan Lewis. Lewis and Allen would've been fine as starters next year but now we don't have that option. Polamalu will probably take a pay cut for his final year and then retire.

Keisel is probably gone so that's 1 roster spot on defense. Maybe he'll try and sign a 1-2 year deal.. im not sure. Ryan Clark is done so that's another roster spot. Hood MIGHT free up 1 more roster spot unless he gets a new (cheap) contract which wouldn't surprise me.

Who else? They aren't cutting Woodley, Timmons, McClendon, or Heyward. Next year, this team will have a few new faces but not many...Offense will have even less especially starters. On offense, the only two positions for a rookie to start would be LT or WR/TE (hybrid-type TE). The rest will be for depth.

And that is exactly why they won't trade down this year....

You don't always draft to fill immediate holes. If you can upgrade a position you do it even if it is down the road. You need quality backups as well. Remember probably 1/4 of your draft won't stick. Right now Hood, Clark, Keisel could be gone but there is always turnover in your STs players and of course offense. They have one good RB so you could have spots for at least one or two more. Crotchery isn't young and Sanders is a FA. That's 2 WR spots. The OL needs help badly and the Gilbert/ Adams experiment maybe over. Pouncey only has a couple years left on his rookie deal. They have ONE good TE in Miller.

See there are tons of spots for good players on this team. And I didn't even talk about CB or DBs.

[Shawn]

No offense to you J-P-N, but I hate that excuse for Adams. It is not like we made a Defensive Tackle try and play (Offensive) Left Tackle. Switching of sides is overrated. I mean... you probably will be less effective, but it isn't going to turn you from a starting quality RT into a laughable LT.

The notion that the switch may have irreversably affected him is annoying too (i.e. as if they ruined his chances to be a good player by letting him in the starting lineup). Whatever happens in his career, it is of his doing.

I understand the frustration by fans when two second round tackles don't work out. But, I agree...soft is soft. Gilbert was known as soft before the draft...Adams should have been. Right tackle, left tackle it doesn't matter...if you don't have a bit of a mean streak and struggle with work ethic and consistency...well being drafted in the second round and getting paid isn't going to help that. I'm sorry if my opinion offends some people.

[SS Laser]

You don't always draft to fill immediate holes. If you can upgrade a position you do it even if it is down the road. You need quality backups as well. Remember probably 1/4 of your draft won't stick. Right now Hood, Clark, Keisel could be gone but there is always turnover in your STs players and of course offense. They have one good RB so you could have spots for at least one or two more. Crotchery isn't young and Sanders is a FA. That's 2 WR spots. The OL needs help badly and the Gilbert/ Adams experiment maybe over. Pouncey only has a couple years left on his rookie deal. They have ONE good TE in Miller.

See there are tons of spots for good players on this team. And I didn't even talk about CB or DBs.

I agree so many possible holes to fill. I NEVER expect the Steelers to draft rookie starters. But this year could be very different. But so many say this team has garbage talent the draft is the #1 way for the Steelers to replenish talent. Trade down get a couple picks for this year or next. Heck if the Steelers end up at the top of each round maybe there is a guy to move up into say the end of 3rd rd from the fourth. Or fifth to fourth. Need to be aggressive in this draft I think. To many older draft picks not up to replace old players. Need to replace them some how.

[steelz09]

You guys simply don't get it.

We're not going to trade down so just get over it. Even if we trade down (not gonna happen), the arguments that I see is that we need depth? Are you freaking serious? We don't need depth. We need starters. When we have good starters, then lets worry about depth.

[Rod Polamalu]

If we are selecting within the top ten,...Louis Nix or Anthony Barr. Both players are very likely of the "plug and play" quality in our system. Though as many will rightfully argue, they will not be allowed to start early. However, with the type of pedestrian defensive players on our roster, were either of them (Nix or Barr) to play up to and or surpass expectations,.. i think that could very well change.

Imho Nix immediately fills a gap (all pun intended) for us as the spearhead for the next generation of a punishing and aggressive 34 front seven. And Barr is actually the kind of player that we all thought Woodley had the potential to become.

We could go LT, but let's be honest,...even if that LT were to pan out, he's still protecting a QB that would take a beating even behind the Cowgirl's lines of the 90's because of the way he plays. And he's already a veteran by league standards.

[Vader]

You guys simply don't get it.

We're not going to trade down so just get over it. Even if we trade down (not gonna happen), the arguments that I see is that we need depth? Are you freaking serious? We don't need depth. We need starters. When we have good starters, then lets worry about depth.

You need BAP. The problem with recent drafts is they are reaching for "starters". You'll never catch up drafting for needs. If someone falls in love with a QB there is nothing wrong with trading down a few slots to get extra picks. I have no idea if it will happen but saying it's wrong is not accurate. The clowns got raped a few years ago by moving up ONE spot. I'd do the same thing if given the opportunity.

Also the fact is that they aren't going to cut their recent draft picks. So depth is ALWAYS important. Jones, Decastro, Adams, Beechum, Gilbert, Wheaton, Brown, Bell, Thomas, and Williams Et EL are't going anywhere. But that doesn't mean you don't draft players at any of those positions. You draft the BAP.

[Slapstick]

Reaching for starters?

To which team are you referring?

[Vader]

Reaching for starters?

To which team are you referring?

The Steelers have been reaching for starters for years now.

[Slapstick]

Please, enlighten me on some of these "reaches".

[SS Laser]

You guys simply don't get it.

We're not going to trade down so just get over it. Even if we trade down (not gonna happen), the arguments that I see is that we need depth? Are you freaking serious? We don't need depth. We need starters. When we have good starters, then lets worry about depth.

Yea I get your point. Before this season how many rookies got to START? Not many. As far as I see it and think the Steelers do also is there are no starters in the draft. IF it happens that is a bonus. So many fans think this team needs a overhaul. So for the Steelers to do that you need draft picks. Also history tells me that the Steelers do not give up right away on high draft picks. So I have a hard time seeing them pick a LT. It will be very interesting to see what happens this draft.

[Rod Polamalu]

Please, enlighten me on some of these "reaches".

Lawrence Timmons, Ziggy Hood, Rashard Mendenhall, Limas Sweed, Jason Worilds, Sean Spence,.... trading up for a punter. etc

[Slapstick]

Apparently, we have a different definition of the word "reach"...for most of us, a "reach" would be a player who was overdrafted, or taken at a higher draft position than their talent would indicate...

Now, this is why many people say that you can't properly evaluate a draft for a few years or that the draft is a crap shoot...players just don't work out sometimes...

That doesn't make the player a "reach"...that just makes them a draft pick that didn't work out...

On that list, maybe Worilds fits the definition of a "reach"...maybe...but I'm pretty sure that, at the time, he had a concensus 2nd round grade...

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

No offense to you J-P-N, but I hate that excuse for Adams. It is not like we made a Defensive Tackle try and play (Offensive) Left Tackle. Switching of sides is overrated. I mean... you probably will be less effective, but it isn't going to turn you from a starting quality RT into a laughable LT.

The notion that the switch may have irreversably affected him is annoying too (i.e. as if they ruined his chances to be a good player by letting him in the starting lineup). Whatever happens in his career, it is of his doing.

I'll give you a pass...I think you misunderstood. You are way off. I'm not talking about switching sides RT-LT. It is the confidence I am talking about. Plugging Adams in at LT & letting him get run through before he was ready. The only thing annoying is your post since you didn't get the point. If you read...I did say "Unfortunately all of that is on Adams ". Now...You can step off your soapbox. Post wasn't bias towards Adams one way or the other. I am critical as much as I praise. I'm not going to sugar coat anything. Adams has to respond...Nobody else can fix that.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

I understand the frustration by fans when two second round tackles don't work out. But, I agree...soft is soft. Gilbert was known as soft before the draft...Adams should have been. Right tackle, left tackle it doesn't matter...if you don't have a bit of a mean streak and struggle with work ethic and consistency...well being drafted in the second round and getting paid isn't going to help that. I'm sorry if my opinion offends some people.

I'll agree a mean streak is a solid trait for an OL-DL or a football player in general. However, simple demeanor doesn't dismiss a player. You are acting like you & 31 other teams tagged Adams & Gilbert soft and the Steelers were blind which wasn't the case Both put on tape high round skills. Consistency & other negative traits graded them to 2nd.

Players get put under the microscope through the process. Negative things are said about all prospects...That is just how it works. Jarvis Jones had questions about his work ethic. His tape made you ignore that. If he ends up being a bust are people going to crap on the Steelers again because it was somewhere in print? Of course...It will be the same people who want to say "I told you so". That is the only time they come out. You don't see them come out when they are wrong which numbers more. For every case of failure there is a success story. That is what we call the "Draft". Hindsight doesn't make you right. It makes you juvenile if you hit 1 out of 10 and want to jump up & down and say I told you so. It isn't your opinion that offends people.