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In preparing for the draft, there are lots of thoughts on what the Steelers need most, all with their own different spin. It does seem, however, that most can agree that we definitely need OLB, CB, ILB, and S, with some of the other positions getting varying degrees of love. When you do a cold/hard analysis of the team, you'll see a team that without any further changes should(doesn't mean will) make the playoffs again this year. The impressive 9 game win streak at the end of the season/first two playoff games just didn't provide much comfort, given the results of the AFC Championship game. That result left most feeling the offseason, after taking care of AB and Le'veon, should be mostly about D, and that is coming mostly from the draft (that pickup of Alualu was pretty good, though).
So, this post breaks down CBs: what we have, and what our thinking seems to be (reading the tea leaves).
We have currently have 6 CBs on the roster that all can be argued to have a place--doesn't mean they will, but the talent coming in would need to supplant them. Here they are:
Artie Burns--lock. Continued to improve as the year went on. A boundary CB with the length/size the team is looking for so they can do more press/man.
Ross Cockrell--Starter, but their low tender on him indicates that they think he may not fit or is not valuable to the team and the direction they are going with the defensive backfield. My guess is that Cockrell is working hard to improve his press/man technique and won't go down without a fight. Has the length/size to stick on the outside. He will compete, but would put him on the potentially expendable list. His age and contributions to the team so far make him a hard and long thought cut.
William Gay--I love Big Play Willie Gay and his contributions to the team through the years, both on and off the field, but...end of the road is likely close, if not here already. Purely a slot CB at this point, will have to shine to beat out younger competition.
Coty Sensabaugh--they picked him up for a reason: can play any CB spot and probably a little better at press/man than zone. He probably is a safe bet for the slot CB position if no one else steps up Likely to make the team as reliable depth and ST, if nothing else.
Senquez Golson--they picked him #2 for a reason. If he can actually make it more that a week in training camp, we may find out why they picked him so high. So, let's assume he stays healthy (big assumption, but others have gone this route before) and plays like the guy they drafted. Probably that would make him front-runner for the starting slot CB. Otherwise, he's on the cutting block.
Al-Hajj Shabazz--most intriguing of the group, as the Steelers kept him on the 53 without suiting him almost all year. Clearly they didn't want to risk him getting snapped up off the PS. Why? He has outstanding length/size so they think he can hang on the outside, but his small school resume (West Chester) required him to learn. Their actions in the past and their stated direction in the future seems to indicate they want him around. I just feel like this is a guy they like, even if he's a little green. Hard to see him cut? I don't know.
So, that's 6 CBs, not including the other clear PS/camp fodder guys on the roster. The NFL isn't a collector's sport--you only get to keep/protect so many. Anyone on the PS is always vulnerable to getting snatched, so I would say 6 will make the final 53, with 5 getting a hat on game day. So how does this fact effect the draft?
I'd say this: if we pick two in the first 4 rounds, we intend to keep them. Although this is a deep CB draft, it does have its limitations: only so many boundary CBs early, and then there are lots of (IMO) pro-ready slot CBs. Later boundaries with the requisite length all have their warts.
My thoughts are that if we go CB at #1 would be Humphrey (if he were to drop), Kevin King, or Awuzie. The first two are boundaries, Awuzie could be many things, including a great slot CB or even a FS. I think there definitely is a place for him in the D backfield, just not sure where. May be the most sure pick of the three, given his position versatility (although King also has S experience and size). Adoree Jackson has an outside shot because of his first-rate return ability--immediate upgrade to our return teams.
At #2 and into #3, it looks like the boundaries are pretty much gone (unless you reach for one like Witherspoon--a very poor tackler) but a group of very good slot CBs (D. King, J. Lewis, Kazee, Elder) will be around. R. Douglas and S. Griffin get some love in 3-4 as boundaries with warts.
Later in the draft it is guys to compete or stash for the future. I like N. Hairston of Temple later (5th-6th) if we only go with one in the first 4 rounds. He is so green (formerly a WR) but has the athleticism and size to stick on the outside. If he gets a scratch maybe we could stash him on IR for the year
So, given the cold/hard facts on our current CB situation and what is available, I see us drafting one early and dumping either Gay/Golson/Cockrell and drafting one late (which may or may not require dumping another of the three). Any more than that the numbers don't work and you end up trading experienced depth (you know what you have) for inexperienced, total unknowns.
One other alternative which I really like (and we'll never do) is to draft a slot CB in 2/3 and take next year's#1 (let's face it, no better than #21, no worse than #32--my preferred) and trade it for anyone giving us this year's #2 if Sidney Jones is still available then. You still will, in effect, end up with a #1 for each year, as you sit Jones this year to recover from his injury, learn the system and add 10 lbs of muscle, and in year two you have the slot you picked this year and Jones to start opposite Burns. Also allows you to use the other picks this year to improve at edge and ILB.
Thoughts?
So, this post breaks down CBs: what we have, and what our thinking seems to be (reading the tea leaves).
We have currently have 6 CBs on the roster that all can be argued to have a place--doesn't mean they will, but the talent coming in would need to supplant them. Here they are:
Artie Burns--lock. Continued to improve as the year went on. A boundary CB with the length/size the team is looking for so they can do more press/man.
Ross Cockrell--Starter, but their low tender on him indicates that they think he may not fit or is not valuable to the team and the direction they are going with the defensive backfield. My guess is that Cockrell is working hard to improve his press/man technique and won't go down without a fight. Has the length/size to stick on the outside. He will compete, but would put him on the potentially expendable list. His age and contributions to the team so far make him a hard and long thought cut.
William Gay--I love Big Play Willie Gay and his contributions to the team through the years, both on and off the field, but...end of the road is likely close, if not here already. Purely a slot CB at this point, will have to shine to beat out younger competition.
Coty Sensabaugh--they picked him up for a reason: can play any CB spot and probably a little better at press/man than zone. He probably is a safe bet for the slot CB position if no one else steps up Likely to make the team as reliable depth and ST, if nothing else.
Senquez Golson--they picked him #2 for a reason. If he can actually make it more that a week in training camp, we may find out why they picked him so high. So, let's assume he stays healthy (big assumption, but others have gone this route before) and plays like the guy they drafted. Probably that would make him front-runner for the starting slot CB. Otherwise, he's on the cutting block.
Al-Hajj Shabazz--most intriguing of the group, as the Steelers kept him on the 53 without suiting him almost all year. Clearly they didn't want to risk him getting snapped up off the PS. Why? He has outstanding length/size so they think he can hang on the outside, but his small school resume (West Chester) required him to learn. Their actions in the past and their stated direction in the future seems to indicate they want him around. I just feel like this is a guy they like, even if he's a little green. Hard to see him cut? I don't know.
So, that's 6 CBs, not including the other clear PS/camp fodder guys on the roster. The NFL isn't a collector's sport--you only get to keep/protect so many. Anyone on the PS is always vulnerable to getting snatched, so I would say 6 will make the final 53, with 5 getting a hat on game day. So how does this fact effect the draft?
I'd say this: if we pick two in the first 4 rounds, we intend to keep them. Although this is a deep CB draft, it does have its limitations: only so many boundary CBs early, and then there are lots of (IMO) pro-ready slot CBs. Later boundaries with the requisite length all have their warts.
My thoughts are that if we go CB at #1 would be Humphrey (if he were to drop), Kevin King, or Awuzie. The first two are boundaries, Awuzie could be many things, including a great slot CB or even a FS. I think there definitely is a place for him in the D backfield, just not sure where. May be the most sure pick of the three, given his position versatility (although King also has S experience and size). Adoree Jackson has an outside shot because of his first-rate return ability--immediate upgrade to our return teams.
At #2 and into #3, it looks like the boundaries are pretty much gone (unless you reach for one like Witherspoon--a very poor tackler) but a group of very good slot CBs (D. King, J. Lewis, Kazee, Elder) will be around. R. Douglas and S. Griffin get some love in 3-4 as boundaries with warts.
Later in the draft it is guys to compete or stash for the future. I like N. Hairston of Temple later (5th-6th) if we only go with one in the first 4 rounds. He is so green (formerly a WR) but has the athleticism and size to stick on the outside. If he gets a scratch maybe we could stash him on IR for the year
So, given the cold/hard facts on our current CB situation and what is available, I see us drafting one early and dumping either Gay/Golson/Cockrell and drafting one late (which may or may not require dumping another of the three). Any more than that the numbers don't work and you end up trading experienced depth (you know what you have) for inexperienced, total unknowns.
One other alternative which I really like (and we'll never do) is to draft a slot CB in 2/3 and take next year's#1 (let's face it, no better than #21, no worse than #32--my preferred) and trade it for anyone giving us this year's #2 if Sidney Jones is still available then. You still will, in effect, end up with a #1 for each year, as you sit Jones this year to recover from his injury, learn the system and add 10 lbs of muscle, and in year two you have the slot you picked this year and Jones to start opposite Burns. Also allows you to use the other picks this year to improve at edge and ILB.
Thoughts?
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