Ed Reynolds, FS, Stanford

[hawaiiansteel]

I could care less about his front line speed. Ed Reed ran a 4.57. It is as you said, about his football instincts. Last year Reynolds was fast enough to break on 6 INT's, 3 of which he ran back for TD's. Those came from center field, not off the corner or out in the flat.

you're not going to be able to draft Ed Reynolds in the 5th round like you have in your sig mock...

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

4.5 is good safety speed. That's a Cover 0 & 1 FS. Flags start going up when they climb into the 4.6 range unless you have 1.5 splits & good cones. You have a guy that is big framed & likes to hit...You have your Cover 2 SS. You have a FS built like a CB running a 4.6...You have concerns he could be that Cover 1 FS & play CF because you will want to avoid putting him in Cover 0. So when you walk down your SS to defend the run & that 4.6 FS is left playing Cover 1 CF...He may not have the range to help out both sidelines. Hey...I just described Ryan Clark!

[Dee Dub]

you're not going to be able to draft Ed Reynolds in the 5th round like you have in your sig mock...

Yeah probably right but he did have a down year from 2012 and FS is not a premium position.

[K Train]

They need a real center fielder, it would allow them to play more cover 1 press man. Not saying he's earl Thomas but they could potentially play Reynolds in that role. He's not a bad tackler, he's just not the best tackler and tends to drag guys down from time to time

[thor75]

4.5 is good safety speed. That's a Cover 0 & 1 FS. Flags start going up when they climb into the 4.6 range unless you have 1.5 splits & good cones. You have a guy that is big framed & likes to hit...You have your Cover 2 SS. You have a FS built like a CB running a 4.6...You have concerns he could be that Cover 1 FS & play CF because you will want to avoid putting him in Cover 0. So when you walk down your SS to defend the run & that 4.6 FS is left playing Cover 1 CF...He may not have the range to help out both sidelines. Hey...I just described Ryan Clark!

Speaking of Clark, I saw he's on ESPN already. I wonder if he has let the FO his intentions for next year, so they can get a plan in place if he decides to retire.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Speaking of Clark, I saw he's on ESPN already. I wonder if he has let the FO his intentions for next year, so they can get a plan in place if he decides to retire.

I don't think he is in the Steeler plans at all. I don't think they will make him an offer. I think Clark has been on TV to put a plan in place for himself. Two DBs that really showed their age last year & had a deep drop off were Taylor & Clark. Clark is border line starting FS material now. He isn't going to play STs so it is hard to project a roster spot for him as a back-up. Don't get me wrong...There are limited fits for him on bad teams to upgrade their starting FS. However, there is FA ahead & the draft and those teams know it has to be addressed. Taylor on the other hand has fallen off severely. Taylor would be a very good option as a #3....But he will be paid like a Top #1 in '14. That will have to change or he won't be here.

[NW Steeler]

If Taylor is cut, who are your starting corners? Gay and Allen? And zero depth behind those 2. I cant see a scenario where Ike doesn't return for '14.

[SS Laser]

If Taylor is cut, who are your starting corners? Gay and Allen? And zero depth behind those 2. I cant see a scenario where Ike doesn't return for '14.

I think if Ike was cut a FA would have to be brought in. But is there a FA guy that is better then Ike for less money is my question? Even a 2014 1st rd CB will not be expected to start. Contribute yes. I hope Ike takes his pay cut like a true "home town" vet Steeler and has a better season then 2013. I say give him a chance to earn back money with a incentive laden contract. I still think it will be almost the same type of contract JH turned down last season just working of Ike's contract numbers. If so I would bet he stays around.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

If Taylor is cut, who are your starting corners? Gay and Allen? And zero depth behind those 2. I cant see a scenario where Ike doesn't return for '14.

If Ike is cut they will sign a FA. They may sign a FA even if Ike takes a pay cut. Maybe someone like Antione Cason. With Ike's fall off in '13...I doubt he is the strater for all of '14. Once the floor comes out from underneath you...It keeps crumbling. Ike will be a #3 before the year is out. It may be a rookie or a FA...Or even Gay overtaking him. Having Ike cover the offenses #3 wouldn't be a bad thing....As long as they don't have to pay him as a #1.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

I think if Ike was cut a FA would have to be brought in. But is there a FA guy that is better then Ike for less money is my question? Even a 2014 1st rd CB will not be expected to start. Contribute yes. I hope Ike takes his pay cut like a true "home town" vet Steeler and has a better season then 2013. I say give him a chance to earn back money with a incentive laden contract. I still think it will be almost the same type of contract JH turned down last season just working of Ike's contract numbers. If so I would bet he stays around.

I would imagine Ike will have to take a 3-4 mil pay cut to stay. I believe he will too. Troy will extend 2 years to lower his cap number. Pay him 1.25 base & divide the 7 mil over 3 years. That will put his cap hit at 6.2 mil for '14 leaving 4.6 mil left on 2 years '15-16. Give Troy a base of 2 mil in '15-'16. If he wants to play '15 & '16 his number will be 4.3 mil for both.

[SS Laser]

I would imagine Ike will have to take a 3-4 mil pay cut to stay. I believe he will too. Troy will extend 2 years to lower his cap number. Pay him 1.25 base & divide the 7 mil over 3 years. That will put his cap hit at 6.2 mil for '14 leaving 4.6 mil left on 2 years '15-16. Give Troy a base of 2 mil in '15-'16. If he wants to play '15 & '16 his number will be 4.3 mil for both.

Sounds great to me!

[K Train]

Ike was bad this year but he wasnt THAT bad. He clearly lost a step, plays that he would have made at one point in his career were not made this past season (poor safety help was a big reason he was burnt a lot) and before he had the type of speed and coverage ability to make up for that.

Better safety play and a pass rush and Ike could be in for a bounce back season. Even if they cut him, im not sure he'll get much interest on the open market and he'll be able to be brought back ina t a discount. Hopefully he just takes the paycut so no ones feelings get hurt

@Justplainnasty that mock in your sig is just all kinds of delicious. Benjamin/Roby/Niklas/Bailey/Urban......<3

[Ernie]

I saw a stat recently that said Ike was "Bottom 12" in the league at his position in yards allowed this season. Now, whether some of that was lack of safety help over the top? Could be part of it. Regardless of how you break it down, Ike was clearly not his usual self this past year...and at age 35ish... he is not worth near what he has been getting paid. I think we need to go into this draft looking heavy at DB's... bring Ike back at a huge discount and pencil him in as the starter until Willy Gay or one of the draft picks beat him out.

[NorthCoast]

If he isn't a solid tackler and good in run support the Steelers won't be interested. Those skills are kinda minimum qualifications to play safety for the Steelers. Unfortunately we saw way too much poor tackling this past season. Don't think they will be looking for more.

Wait a minute. I thought the "modern NFL" defense is all about ball-hawking and splash plays, tackling is secondary to taking the ball away???

If you are given the tough choice between a FS tackling demon and a FS ball-hawk, which are you taking?? Keep in mind you will have to live with the shortcomings of either choice much as most teams do today. I would tilt the scales based on smarts. A smart player can overcome some lack of talent by being in a position to make plays.

[hawaiiansteel]

Brooks a safe(ty) option for Steelers?

February, 25, 2014
By Scott Brown | ESPN.com



PITTSBURGH -- Terrence Brooks said he considers himself the best safety in the 2014 draft, something that runs contrary to the opinion of NFL draft analysts.

The Florida State product can make one claim following the NFL scouting combine: No safety in this year’s draft is faster than Brooks.

Brooks ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds on Tuesday, tops among the safeties in the draft and considerably faster than the times posted by Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Louisville’s Calvin Pryor.

Florida State defensive back Terrence Brooks turned heads at the combine when he ran a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash.

The two safeties who are widely considered the best ones in the draft each turned in official 40-yard dash times of 4.56 seconds.

The Steelers will take a safety at some point in the draft, but they may need to be blown away to take Clinton-Dix or Pryor at No. 15 overall. Consider that since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the Steelers have used their first-round pick on a safety only one time.

That happened in 2003, when they traded up to take Troy Polamalu at No. 16.

To say that worked out well for them is an understatement, but even with safety an obvious need, do the Steelers see Clinton-Dix or Pryor as the kind of game-changer who is worth taking in the first half of the draft?

Brooks has emerged as one of the top options if the Steelers wait until later in the draft to grab a safety, and here are more things to like about him aside from his straight-line speed:

Brooks is self-assured but he also plays with a bit of an edge due to arriving at Florida State as less celebrated than a lot of the other recruits in his class.

Brooks played cornerback at Florida State before converting to safety. That should translate into his having the kind of coverage skills that are necessary for a free safety at the next level.

Brooks regularly practiced against elite competition at Florida State, and he said he matched up against Seminoles wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin at times. Look at the drafts under general manager Kevin Colbert and coach Mike Tomlin and it’s pretty clear the Steelers value players who come from pedigreed programs and power conferences.

Brooks, who turns 22 next week, played all four years at Florida State and is not among the record number of underclassmen who are in the draft. Colbert said last week at the combine that the maturity level of some of the younger players in the draft is a concern. That presumably wouldn’t be as much of a concern with Brooks.

Brooks isn’t the biggest safety -- he checked in at 5-foot-11 and 198 pounds in Indianapolis -- and he got overshadowed at Florida State on a defense that was loaded with future NFL players. But he may have pushed his way into the second round of the draft with the sheer speed he displayed at the combine, and he wasn’t lacking for confidence before arriving in Indianapolis.

“I have a great feel for knowing where the ball is going. I’m fast and quick and physical, too,” said Brooks, who was fifth on the Seminoles with 56 tackles in 2013 and also intercepted two passes. “Any team that wants to take a chance on me won’t be disappointed.”

[URL]http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/118367/brooks-a-safety-option-for-steelers[/URL]