Do the Steelers really need to draft a corner?

[Slapstick]

Our current starting Left Tackle (Villanueva) isn't making much at all ($525K)

For 2016--Pouncey is scheduled to make $10M+, Decastro $8M and Gilbert $6M. Foster made $2.1M in 2015 and probably would be looking for over $3M to stay.

I strongly doubt that the Steelers go into the 2016 season with DeCastro at $8 million...they'll make a deal with him similar to Heyward, reducing his cap number...

[RuthlessBurgher]

Ramon Foster and William Gay are worth more to us than anyone else. They may not be anything close to spectacular talents, but they are solid established vets who are stabilizing forces in systems that they know well. As long as we offer some something reasonable, I highly doubt either guy goes elsewhere for more money.

[Ghost]

The local sports guys certainly think they do. Dulac gave the secondary a final grade of D + (they allowed more passing yards than every team but 2).

And Bouchette had a nice article on defensive fixes: [URL]http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/01/24/On-The-Steelers-Eyeing-defensive-fixes/stories/201601240142[/URL]

But there is work to be done, virtually all of it in the secondary.

Cornerbacks and safeties. They do not need numbers, they need quality at both. It’s not as if they have ignored those two positions, but they have drafted poorly, traded poorly and misjudged the talent they thought they had.

First of all, there is no cornerback or safety on their roster who can improve their secondary. Cornerback Cortez Allen will not be on the team in 2016; he should not have been on it in 2015 after his midseason benching in 2014, months after they somehow decided he was the cornerback cornerstone of the future by giving him a five-year, $26 million contract.

It will go down as one of the worst big-money contracts in Steelers history, a monumental miscalculation of his talent and wherewithal. They paid him $5.6 million in 2015, including a $3 million roster bonus in March. He is due a salary of $4.4 million this year he will never see.

Another young player they once thought would bolster them is safety Shamarko Thomas, drafted in 2013 after they traded a third-round pick in 2014 to Cleveland in order to get him. He has played little in the secondary in three years, just 20 snaps on defense all this season.

They also drafted Doran Grant in the fourth round this year, only to cut him before the season. After every team passed on claiming him, he signed to the Steelers practice squad and at midseason to their 53-man roster. He played one snap on defense all season.

Whatever they do in the secondary, though, their past failures in the draft will be cause for skepticism.

The primary goal, though, is an obvious one — fix the secondary, and that seventh Lombardi Trophy remains within their reach.

[Slapstick]

Bradley Roby is the #3 CB on the Broncos and he would likely be the #1 CB for the Steelers...

If Eli Apple has similar ability (I think he does, but he's way more raw as a redshirt sophomore than Roby was as a three year starter) then he's probably the guy at #25...

[RobinCole]

When you see what Denver's pass rush did to Brady, it gives you pause. Secondaries look better when the QB is on the ground or hearing footsteps or trying to chuck and duck. Maybe we need a CB or two but do we need an "elite" CB? Maybe we need to improve the pass rush. And drafting at 1:25, what elite CBs will be available? What elite CBs will be available in free agency?

[BradshawsHairdresser]

The local sports guys certainly think they do. Dulac gave the secondary a final grade of D + (they allowed more passing yards than every team but 2).

And Bouchette had a nice article on defensive fixes: [URL]http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/01/24/On-The-Steelers-Eyeing-defensive-fixes/stories/201601240142[/URL]

But there is work to be done, virtually all of it in the secondary.

Cornerbacks and safeties. They do not need numbers, they need quality at both. It’s not as if they have ignored those two positions, but they have drafted poorly, traded poorly and misjudged the talent they thought they had.

First of all, there is no cornerback or safety on their roster who can improve their secondary. Cornerback Cortez Allen will not be on the team in 2016; he should not have been on it in 2015 after his midseason benching in 2014, months after they somehow decided he was the cornerback cornerstone of the future by giving him a five-year, $26 million contract.

It will go down as one of the worst big-money contracts in Steelers history, a monumental miscalculation of his talent and wherewithal. They paid him $5.6 million in 2015, including a $3 million roster bonus in March. He is due a salary of $4.4 million this year he will never see.

Another young player they once thought would bolster them is safety Shamarko Thomas, drafted in 2013 after they traded a third-round pick in 2014 to Cleveland in order to get him. He has played little in the secondary in three years, just 20 snaps on defense all this season.

They also drafted Doran Grant in the fourth round this year, only to cut him before the season. After every team passed on claiming him, he signed to the Steelers practice squad and at midseason to their 53-man roster. He played one snap on defense all season.

Whatever they do in the secondary, though, their past failures in the draft will be cause for skepticism.

The primary goal, though, is an obvious one — fix the secondary, and that seventh Lombardi Trophy remains within their reach.

The Steelers have just not been good at evaluating and developing secondary talent. And supposedly, the secondary was Tomlin's greatest area of expertise.

[RuthlessBurgher]

When you see what Denver's pass rush did to Brady, it gives you pause. Secondaries look better when the QB is on the ground or hearing footsteps or trying to chuck and duck. Maybe we need a CB or two but do we need an "elite" CB? Maybe we need to improve the pass rush. And drafting at 1:25, what elite CBs will be available? What elite CBs will be available in free agency?

Josh Norman is an elite CB entering free agency. Some team is going to pay him crazy money (not us, though).

[feltdizz]

The Steelers have just not been good at evaluating and developing secondary talent. And supposedly, the secondary was Tomlin's greatest area of expertise.

in a 4-3 I bet Tomlin would have our secondary looking much better.

I wouldn't mind seeing us bring back the Steel Curtain and let these DB's watch the QB and play the ball.

Carolina doesn't have great DB's outside of Norman. Mike Mitchell was a freak in that defense too... and it's easy to see why.

[RobinCole]

Would we have the cap space to pay Norman crazy money even if we wanted to?

[Slapstick]

Would we have the cap space to pay Norman crazy money even if we wanted to?

It depends. Next year's cap hit would be fine. It would be dealing with the ramifications down the road that would wreak havoc on our cap...

[papillon]

I believe the Steelers need to upgrade the 2ndary in general, regardless of how they go about doing that. Maybe that means getting a good to great pass rusher to help protect the 2ndary or sign a FA CB or safety or via the draft. I don't believe that in the current state the defense is good enough to hold up its end of the deal. Of course there could be off-season improvement and the defense continues the end of the year improvement into next year, either way the defense as currently constituted needs to get better whether it be through off-season training, the draft, FA or a combination of any of those options.

Pappy

[fezziwig]

I'd like to see Boykin get the job over Blake. Even if he's only as good as Gay I believe it helps the secondary extremely. Does anyone believe Boykin was held back with the team knowing he had the tools for the sake of this upcoming season of market value or a 4th round pick ? They talk on the fan that Boykin got in Tomlins doghouse. Only a rumor but, what could he have done if true that placed him in that spot ?

[phillyesq]

When you see what Denver's pass rush did to Brady, it gives you pause. Secondaries look better when the QB is on the ground or hearing footsteps or trying to chuck and duck. Maybe we need a CB or two but do we need an "elite" CB? Maybe we need to improve the pass rush. And drafting at 1:25, what elite CBs will be available? What elite CBs will be available in free agency?

The Steelers don't need an elite corner. But they need a better corner. Ike Taylor wasn't elite -- close to it, but not quite elite -- and he was more than sufficient. I don't even think they need an Ike Taylor level corner.

What they need is a corner with a bit of size, coverage/tackling skills and the ability to take about the ball every now and then. An above-average starter.

I'm not sure if there is a guy that fits the bill, but a playmaking safety would also do wonders for the secondary. Either a ballhawk at FS and move Mitchell to strong safety, or a playmaking, hard-hitting strong safety with speed and some coverage ability.

[pfelix73]

The Steelers don't need an elite corner. But they need a better corner. Ike Taylor wasn't elite -- close to it, but not quite elite -- and he was more than sufficient. I don't even think they need an Ike Taylor level corner.

What they need is a corner with a bit of size, coverage/tackling skills and the ability to take about the ball every now and then. An above-average starter.

I'm not sure if there is a guy that fits the bill, but a playmaking safety would also do wonders for the secondary. Either a ballhawk at FS and move Mitchell to strong safety, or a playmaking, hard-hitting strong safety with speed and some coverage ability.

I'll disagree with ya there philly. I think they need another elite corner. If they had a Revis on that team, wow. I will agree with you that a play making safety would be nice too. I guess we couldn't have both, could we? lol Some of these others teams do...example- Denver.

[Oviedo]

I'd like to see Boykin get the job over Blake. Even if he's only as good as Gay I believe it helps the secondary extremely. Does anyone believe Boykin was held back with the team knowing he had the tools for the sake of this upcoming season of market value or a 4th round pick ? They talk on the fan that Boykin got in Tomlins doghouse. Only a rumor but, what could he have done if true that placed him in that spot ?

Boykin isn't going to stay here. Would you want to be back with a team that put an embarrassment like Blake on the field every week while you watched from the sideline?