Steelers reload via draft
April 28th 2012 19:14
Each year, all the NFL teams are "graded" by various experts and non-experts alike. I am a non-expert, by the way, in case you were wondering. But I am a Steeler fan, and therefore my vested interest in the draft is considerable. I want them to have a good draft, which they usually do, because I want them to have a good football team. I cannot relate how many times you read during the course of a regular season how this team built by the draft or that team built by the draft. If you look at current AFC powerhouse teams, which in my opinion consists of New England, Baltimore and Pittsburgh, they are all built through the draft. Each and every year the Ravens, Steelers and Patriots all receive high grades by various people for their drafts. So, judging by the success of these three franchises, it's obvious to me that overall team success begins with building the team through the draft. DUH.
Which leads me to the 2012 NFL draft. When I think of a draft, I look at positions of need and positions of depth. When you get the combination of player filling a need position, generally you immediately receive a good draft grade. Take Indy or Washington - unless they so totally butcher rounds 2 through whatever, they will be seen as having a successful draft by slotting a huge need with a tremendous talent. Again: DUH!
Now, Pittsburgh has needs. Unfortunately, in my opinion, they have more needs than they have rounds and talent available. They are aging on the defense and lacking depth. Their offensive line has been generally terrible. So what is the team supposed to do?
The pick of the #1 OG (on various including Kiper's Draft Boards) DeCastro is exactly the kind of pick that Pittsburgh makes annually to have a "good" draft. It's not sexy - an offensive guard is never a sexy pick. But if he works out as advertised, and we now have a masher guard to go along with a masher, already elite center (after 2 years) then our offensive line went from liability to...not a liability. Not an asset, though. Not yet.
Leading me to pick #2. The Pittsburgh papers are full of this story, that Ohio State OL Mike Adams was yanked from a lot of boards, and was told to his face by the Steelers that he was "off their board" completely because of his marijuana problem. Adams drove to Pittsburgh and got a face to face meeting with the brain trust - Rooney, Colbert and Tomlin - and probably got to meet Todd Haley and OL coach Sean Kruger - and whatever he said got the Steelers to not only put him back on the board but take him with their 2nd pick.
Now, Pittsburgh has a long, solid history with their #1s. Their history with #2 is feast or famine. For every Limas Sweed there is a Dermonotti Dawson. Adams has 1st-round talent. It's already obvious from the Pittsburgh papers that Mr. Adams' leash is not even as long as his arm. The message is loud and clear. "You have made your first, and only, mistake." If he works out, and now this is a huge IF, Pittsburgh's offensive line goes from neither an asset nor liability to an asset. There are potentially two first rounders and two second rounders starting on that line, and if it works out the four 1/2 round guys are rookies, 1st year or 2nd year players. They are young. Are they ready?
Round 3 has Pittsburgh taking their usual. Sean Spence is an OLB from the University of Miami. I can't speak for other teams; I don't know their draft history at all. But Pittsburgh has a VERY LONG history of taking guys like this in middle rounds. They sit and learn Dick LeBeau's complicated defense and then when the time is right they are inserted into the starting role and nary a beat is missed. It's uncanny how they do this - they've been doing this since the latter years of Chuck Noll's coaching career. We won't know about Mr. Spence until the start of the 2014 season - that's when we'll know if the 3rd round pick was a winner or not.
The last pick made thus far is Alameda Ta'amu, a NT project from Washington. This is interesting - earlier, as the Steelers discussed the 2nd round pick Adams, Ta'amu's name was tossed about. So obviously this man has been on the Steelers radar screen this year. Do I know whether he's a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th round talent? Nope. No clue. But here's one of those middle-round guys that we just have to sit and watch to see how he develops.
On a completely tangential note, I love it when Steelers pick Polynesian or Samoan guys. Ta'amu. Polamalu. Anyone remember Fu? (Chris Muafatu Ma'afala?).
Anyway, rounds 1 through 4 picked. I wonder how other fans are viewing their teams' success or failure this year?
Which leads me to the 2012 NFL draft. When I think of a draft, I look at positions of need and positions of depth. When you get the combination of player filling a need position, generally you immediately receive a good draft grade. Take Indy or Washington - unless they so totally butcher rounds 2 through whatever, they will be seen as having a successful draft by slotting a huge need with a tremendous talent. Again: DUH!
Now, Pittsburgh has needs. Unfortunately, in my opinion, they have more needs than they have rounds and talent available. They are aging on the defense and lacking depth. Their offensive line has been generally terrible. So what is the team supposed to do?
The pick of the #1 OG (on various including Kiper's Draft Boards) DeCastro is exactly the kind of pick that Pittsburgh makes annually to have a "good" draft. It's not sexy - an offensive guard is never a sexy pick. But if he works out as advertised, and we now have a masher guard to go along with a masher, already elite center (after 2 years) then our offensive line went from liability to...not a liability. Not an asset, though. Not yet.
Leading me to pick #2. The Pittsburgh papers are full of this story, that Ohio State OL Mike Adams was yanked from a lot of boards, and was told to his face by the Steelers that he was "off their board" completely because of his marijuana problem. Adams drove to Pittsburgh and got a face to face meeting with the brain trust - Rooney, Colbert and Tomlin - and probably got to meet Todd Haley and OL coach Sean Kruger - and whatever he said got the Steelers to not only put him back on the board but take him with their 2nd pick.
Now, Pittsburgh has a long, solid history with their #1s. Their history with #2 is feast or famine. For every Limas Sweed there is a Dermonotti Dawson. Adams has 1st-round talent. It's already obvious from the Pittsburgh papers that Mr. Adams' leash is not even as long as his arm. The message is loud and clear. "You have made your first, and only, mistake." If he works out, and now this is a huge IF, Pittsburgh's offensive line goes from neither an asset nor liability to an asset. There are potentially two first rounders and two second rounders starting on that line, and if it works out the four 1/2 round guys are rookies, 1st year or 2nd year players. They are young. Are they ready?
Round 3 has Pittsburgh taking their usual. Sean Spence is an OLB from the University of Miami. I can't speak for other teams; I don't know their draft history at all. But Pittsburgh has a VERY LONG history of taking guys like this in middle rounds. They sit and learn Dick LeBeau's complicated defense and then when the time is right they are inserted into the starting role and nary a beat is missed. It's uncanny how they do this - they've been doing this since the latter years of Chuck Noll's coaching career. We won't know about Mr. Spence until the start of the 2014 season - that's when we'll know if the 3rd round pick was a winner or not.
The last pick made thus far is Alameda Ta'amu, a NT project from Washington. This is interesting - earlier, as the Steelers discussed the 2nd round pick Adams, Ta'amu's name was tossed about. So obviously this man has been on the Steelers radar screen this year. Do I know whether he's a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th round talent? Nope. No clue. But here's one of those middle-round guys that we just have to sit and watch to see how he develops.
On a completely tangential note, I love it when Steelers pick Polynesian or Samoan guys. Ta'amu. Polamalu. Anyone remember Fu? (Chris Muafatu Ma'afala?).
Anyway, rounds 1 through 4 picked. I wonder how other fans are viewing their teams' success or failure this year?
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