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Pizza Bagels, Genius! (3 Viewers)

Both of today's signings are probably just for depth with 0 guarantee they make the final roster.  If an RB falls to us or a good CB both of these players can be cut with little effect.  I'd be very surprised if our only RBs come September are Bell, Toussaint, and Davis.

They could have both been signed to improve our special teams, not to actually take the field on Offense/Defense.

 
steelers1080 said:
Both of today's signings are probably just for depth with 0 guarantee they make the final roster.  If an RB falls to us or a good CB both of these players can be cut with little effect.  I'd be very surprised if our only RBs come September are Bell, Toussaint, and Davis.

They could have both been signed to improve our special teams, not to actually take the field on Offense/Defense.
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Just heard Dale Lolley on the radio and he says the Davis signing was as much or more for his KR abilities as his skill at RB.  His feeling was the Steelers will likely draft a backup RB and that Davis and Toussaint would be competing for the #3 job.

If that's the case then I guess I'm good with it.

 
steelers1080 said:
Both of today's signings are probably just for depth with 0 guarantee they make the final roster.  If an RB falls to us or a good CB both of these players can be cut with little effect.  I'd be very surprised if our only RBs come September are Bell, Toussaint, and Davis.

They could have both been signed to improve our special teams, not to actually take the field on Offense/Defense.
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Pretty much how I viewed both signings when I heard about them at first.  Camp/"challenge" bodies to have around for the offseason to see what happens.  After the draft they can re-assess and cut these types with very little downside.

I DO think we've probably seen the last of DeAngelo Williams as a Steeler, but it doesn't have anything to do with them signing Davis.  I just think he's reached the age where the Steelers start taking the "we don't touch those guys" angle.  Especially since he's got knee issues in his history.  They got a couple of really good seasons out of him, and he was a fun guy to root for/watch, but I can't say that I blame them if that's what's really going through the F.O.'s collective mind on Danny.  He's 34 and nobody beats father time.

Regardless of where he winds up, I really enjoyed watching him play, even back to his Memphis days.  Glad he got to be a Steeler for a bit.

 
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Davis seems like the kind of guy you sign just to make sure you have bodies at the position so people cant pigeonhole you at the draft.

With just FT and KD I would expect them to keep looking to add to the position. 

 
BigSteelThrill said:
Davis seems like the kind of guy you sign just to make sure you have bodies at the position so people cant pigeonhole you at the draft.

With just FT and KD I would expect them to keep looking to add to the position. 
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they have to with bells injury history. D was perfect for that role. not sure why they would move on from him.

 
Fiddles said:
D was perfect for that role. not sure why they would move on from him.
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For the same reason they moved on from Timmons, they're trying to get a better value.  They will probably draft someone to compete for the #2 spot.

Also, they might know more about D-Will's injury situation than we do.  He missed almost half of last season and is fairly old for a RB.

 
Alualu signs a 2-year deal.  The depth signings continue.  I like these.  Takes almost nothing off the cap (read : doesn't prevent extensions for in-house talent) but allows for a crisper focus on draft day and more possibilities to take shots on high upside guys rather than stocking the roster with guys that are exclusively back-ups.

 
Mr. Brownstone said:
Alualu is a solid, versatile lineman. Good dude. Good signing by the Steelers.
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I think he'll serve nicely as an upgrade over Ricardo Mathews as a rotational DE/DT.  I think he can play the 5-tech end spot in their 3-4 alignment if needed and can go inside and generate more pass rush than Mathews did in their base nickel scheme.  If they all stay healthy, Alualu, a second-year Hargrave, Tuitt, and Heyward is a pretty formidable line.  With Shazier and Williams in the middle, it's going to be very tough to run on these guys.  Of course, it's the pass defense that worries me, not the run defense.

 
Yeah, not much to complain about with Alualu on that deal.  Beats the holy hell out of anything they've had as the third guy in the rotation at DE of late. 

 
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Wouldn't be shocked if the Steelers take Shaquill Griffin.  Fast, tall CB who is a team leader and seems like he has good character.  They're reportedly meeting with him.  He's a mid-round player (4-6) who seems to be rising after putting up great measurables/ a fast 40 time.

 
Dam*, Shaheen is catching fire.  There's pretty much a 0% chance he falls to us in the 3rd.  "Sources" are saying he can possibly go early in the 2nd round or higher!  Craziness, but some people think he's the next Gronk.

 
It's official! The Steelers are going to take an OLB/ILB/S/CB/WR/TE/D-lineman in the first 2 rounds... aka, nobody has a clue what we're gonna do.

Most recent mocks I've seen have us taking a rusher or WR in the first, and a CB or TE in the 2nd.  I'd be ok with either scenario.  Also wouldn't mind if we went McCaffrey and used him as a 3rd down back/RB to spell Bell/Slot WR.

 
steelers1080 said:
It's official! The Steelers are going to take an OLB/ILB/S/CB/WR/TE/D-lineman in the first 2 rounds... aka, nobody has a clue what we're gonna do.

Most recent mocks I've seen have us taking a rusher or WR in the first, and a CB or TE in the 2nd.  I'd be ok with either scenario.  Also wouldn't mind if we went McCaffrey and used him as a 3rd down back/RB to spell Bell/Slot WR.
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Funny, I was coming here to ask this exact question.  IF Bell stays healthy, it might be considered something of a "wasted" first round pick in the sense that it may not get us closer to a SB in the quickly closing window of the Roethlisberger era.  Certainly not as much as a top cover corner or impact pass rusher would.  But with Bell's suspension and injury history, a good backup RB is a must.  With Williams apparently being put out to pasture, we're left with Knile Davis and Fitz Toussaint back there - I actually like both guys a little but not enough to be our primary back long-term.  McCaffrey could help right away in that he could keep some miles off of Bell, step in as a starter if needed, flex out to the slot, and return kicks.  I think the bust risk on him is very low.  I wouldn't hate the pick at all if they took him at #30, even though there are obviously more glaring needs elsewhere.

 
This draft looks pretty crazy. It's a good year to trade up, and a great year to trade down.  There's a handful (12 or so) players that I see as really top tier players, after that there's about 50 very solid players.  If we stand pat we should do well, but I kind of hope we trade back into the top of the 2nd and get more picks to play with.

 
AhrnCityPahnder said:
Has there been any news on Senquez Golson?  He's now 8 months removed from his Lisfranc.  What's the usual time-table for that?
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Don't think every Anne Franke is created equal.  Depends on the severity, etc.  Don't recall the particulars of Golson's.  I do know that standard chatter on them is that "athletes usually never return fully to the level they were at pre-injury."  Now, that doesn't mean guys still can't be competitive.  It runs the gamut though.  Guys like Errict Rhett and Duce Staley were pretty much done after theirs.

I hope he can make it back to at least contribute something.  Really, really loved that pick.  Guy was a baller.

Evilgrin 72 said:
But with Bell's suspension and injury history, a good backup RB is a must. 
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While absolutely true, you can find good backups without burning first rounders on them.  You can find good (hell, great) starters without burning first rounders on them.  I'm neither a hater nor proponent of McCaffery, but I think taking ANY running back in the first this year for Pittsburgh wouldn't be the best allocation of resources.  This class is stacked with strong prospects.  Unless you were going to get a Fournette, I don't see any reason to burn even a late first at the position.  Guys like Kamara, Perine, Gallman, Mack, et al are all going to be available past round 1 (most of those past round 2).

And that says nothing about who may come available after cuts.  I'm not a Frenchy fan. He fumbles.  Davis has speed, and had a few moments a couple years back, but he's not a "DeAngelo" level backup either.   That doesn't mean they couldn't do a decent job cobbling together a rotation behind Bell if they could get one more guy that brings something to the table. 

 
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Cookiemonster said:
Yup.  And water is wet.
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Well, for a team that was self-proclaimed zone-centric, it's kind of news.  Burns was a good man to man cover guy in college, if we can upgrade the other side, and our Safety position then we could be a solid man to man team.

Not sure if Golson can ever get on the field, but if he does his best skills were in Zone or off-man. Maybe he can be used like Mathieu by the Cardinals, as a roamer/playmaker who patrols the secondary.  They're the same size, 5' 9".

We didn't put a high tender on Cockrell, could be they planned on replacing him and would rather have the pick.  Just a hunch.

 
bananafish said:
Absolutely not.
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Seconded.  At this point, Bryant is the much safer play and has shown much greater ability to read opposing defenses.

Also, according to a "league source" Bryant will be reinstated any day now.  According to a different "league source" the Steelers have no clue when he will be good to go, so basically no one knows what's going on.

Also, he says he's put on 25 lbs since he last played 1.5 years ago.  If he gets suspended for PEDs I'm gonna be piss*d.

 
Franknbeans said:
This might serve as motivation
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One would hope.

Cookiemonster said:
I'd be more inclined to believe that those 25 lbs are munchy weight, not David Boston weight.  Bryant was never known as a workout warrior.
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He never really worked out before, because he never had to.  He still probably doesn't to have a solid NFL career (if he stays clean), but maybe he's finally realized that he could go from solid to amazing if he puts in the effort.  A Steelers offensive coach touted Bryant as having as much talent as Randy Moss.  It could definitely be hyperbole, but he flashed immense talent on the field, and if he wasn't even trying then, the sky's the limit.

 
steelers1080 said:
One would hope.

He never really worked out before, because he never had to.  He still probably doesn't to have a solid NFL career (if he stays clean), but maybe he's finally realized that he could go from solid to amazing if he puts in the effort.  A Steelers offensive coach touted Bryant as having as much talent as Randy Moss.  It could definitely be hyperbole, but he flashed immense talent on the field, and if he wasn't even trying then, the sky's the limit.
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Oh, I know.  I'd like to see and believe that he has matured and turned a corner but as they say, past performance is the best indicator of future potential.  Usually a guy who has a year off work from a physical job like this does not put on 25 pounds of functional weight while staying home.  An additional 25 pounds is also not necessarily ideal for WRs.  Yes, he was thin and had room on his frame to add about 10 pounds without hindering quickness but 25 seems excessive and I'd be willing to bet his pants fit a little tighter for it.  Most players come back from a year off of the field to a level well below where they left it.  He is young enough to regain his prior form, and if he is more humble (i.e. willing to learn to run routes better and commit to improving his physique) and re-motivated by the birth of his child, then he could absolutely become another dominant WR.  I give that pretty long odds of being the case.

 
Updated mock (Based on Draftek and CBS Big Board):

  • 1. David Njoku, TE, Miami - Really gifted athlete who is still improving.  Allows the team to move on from Green next year if he can't stay healthy. TEs take time to develop (99 times out of 100) so this would give him a chance to red shirt, and learn from a very talented TE.
  • 2.  Chris Godwin, WR, Penn St. - A great WR, continues the Steelers history of nabbing talented WRs.  Do we need one with Bryant coming back? It's arguable, but he makes our WR corps much more solid if we happen to lose Bryant again.
  • 3. Teez Tabor, CB, Florida - He'll probably be gone by here, but if he isn't, I think we nab him.  He was once a top 5 pick. Then he ran the 40... Then he ran another. The result?  He's slow. Maybe not for a normal human, but he's very slow for an NFL CB.  He's got quickness, but lacks straight line speed and could be left in the dust by quick WRs.
  • 3. Derek Rivers, DE, Youngstown St. - People went nuts for a while. "The Steelers met with Rivers! 1st round pick!"  C'mon man. He's a small school prospect who will be a solid 3rd round pick.  People pointed to Hargrave and said, the Steelers took this guy! They'll take Rivers!  Ok, I'd be fine taking him. But taking Hargrave in the 3rd isn't taking him in the 1st.  He's a great value here, and he could go earlier than this, but I think some of the buzz is gone.
  • 4. Brad Kaaya, QB, Miami - The Steelers need to start taking QBs every year.  Kaaya is the end of a QB tier so they snatch him here in the 4th.
  • 5. Xavier Woods, S, Louisiana Tech - Solid safety prospect.  Steelers have met with a good number of safeties this offseason, so they've shown interest in the position.
  • 6. Jordan Evans, ILB, OK - Solid ILB. Improved each year and shows good quickness.  Basically a late round gamble to pressure Vince Williams.
  • 7. Joe Mathis, DE, Washington - All the talent, but got injured.  Potential to be a ridiculous steal.
UDFA

  • Ben Boulware, ILB, Clemson - A not very athletic, team leader for the Championship Tigers.  He should fall pretty far and he reminds me of Matakevich, but a bit better.  He works harder than everyone else, and has a solid locker room presence. Not sure he'd be able to work his way into the lineup, but he could contribute on special teams.  I see Chris Borland 2.0 and no one loved his metrics coming out of school.
  • Chad Kelly, QB, Ole Miss - We need more QB prospects and Kelly could be a great one if he gets his ##### together.
  • Garrett Sickels, OLB, Penn St. - A lotto ticket pass rusher.  Need I say more? 
  • Fish Smithson, FS, Kansas - His name is Fish. Also, he's an instinctual safety with good awareness but small size and a bit slower than one would like.  Thus, why he could end up undrafted.  Would make a solid backup safety.
  • Sojourn Shelton, CB, Wisconsin - If only he was 2-3 inches taller, and 20 lbs heavier he'd probably be a day 2 pick.  He's a small, thin CB who won't be able to cover TEs or big WRs but could make a good slot corner.  
  • Elijah Hood, RB, UNC - Is he the next star RB for the Steelers? No, probably not. But he'd be a solid grinder and potentially a good FB.
  • William Likely, CB, MD - This is guy with possibly the best value. A lot will compare him to Tavon Young who has been pretty solid for the Ravens.  If Likely was 6' instead of 5'7", some think he would have been the first CB overall this year.  But, he's not. He's very short for a CB and would have issues with larger receivers.  He's also coming off an ACL tear.  He plays bigger than his 5'7", he's a solid returner in the kicking game, and he has elite quickness.  The Steelers should definitely give this guy a shot as a UDFA.  I wouldn't be shocked if he made the team and I wouldn't be shocked if he eventually found a place in our CB rotation.
This draft doesn't address O-line depth and it starts off with 2 offensive players when we have more need on defense, but we're going to win or lose based on offense in the next few years, so let's maximize our time with Ben if we can.  Also, it will be important to take a QB and to double dip at Edge Rusher to make sure we get at least 1 serviceable player before Harrison falls off.  I didn't address RB, but I think there will be ok RBs in UDFA this year.  Wouldn't be surprised if the Steelers take Foreman or Perine though, I think they could take a big back to compliment Lev.   Maybe also Connor from Penn St.

 
steelers1080 said:
Updated mock (Based on Draftek and CBS Big Board):

  • 1. David Njoku, TE, Miami - Really gifted athlete who is still improving.  Allows the team to move on from Green next year if he can't stay healthy. TEs take time to develop (99 times out of 100) so this would give him a chance to red shirt, and learn from a very talented TE.
  • 2.  Chris Godwin, WR, Penn St. - A great WR, continues the Steelers history of nabbing talented WRs.  Do we need one with Bryant coming back? It's arguable, but he makes our WR corps much more solid if we happen to lose Bryant again.
  • 3. Teez Tabor, CB, Florida - He'll probably be gone by here, but if he isn't, I think we nab him.  He was once a top 5 pick. Then he ran the 40... Then he ran another. The result?  He's slow. Maybe not for a normal human, but he's very slow for an NFL CB.  He's got quickness, but lacks straight line speed and could be left in the dust by quick WRs.
  • 3. Derek Rivers, DE, Youngstown St. - People went nuts for a while. "The Steelers met with Rivers! 1st round pick!"  C'mon man. He's a small school prospect who will be a solid 3rd round pick.  People pointed to Hargrave and said, the Steelers took this guy! They'll take Rivers!  Ok, I'd be fine taking him. But taking Hargrave in the 3rd isn't taking him in the 1st.  He's a great value here, and he could go earlier than this, but I think some of the buzz is gone.
  • 4. Brad Kaaya, QB, Miami - The Steelers need to start taking QBs every year.  Kaaya is the end of a QB tier so they snatch him here in the 4th.
  • 5. Xavier Woods, S, Louisiana Tech - Solid safety prospect.  Steelers have met with a good number of safeties this offseason, so they've shown interest in the position.
  • 6. Jordan Evans, ILB, OK - Solid ILB. Improved each year and shows good quickness.  Basically a late round gamble to pressure Vince Williams.
  • 7. Joe Mathis, DE, Washington - All the talent, but got injured.  Potential to be a ridiculous steal.
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Good info here but I really, really doubt the Steelers go offense for their first 2 picks.  I also think they take a RB by the 5th round if not sooner.

 
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Godsbrother said:
Good info here but I really, really doubt the Steelers go offense for their first 2 picks.  I also think they take a RB by the 5th round if not sooner.
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Yeah, I think they go D in the first and maybe TE in the 3rd, Njoku just looks really good.  If I was going to move a defender into the 2nd I'd probably do Njoku, Raekwon McMillan, Tabor, Rivers, Perine, Josh Reynolds, Joe Mathis, Chad Kelly.  

 
Godsbrother said:
Good info here but I really, really doubt the Steelers go offense for their first 2 picks.  I also think they take a RB by the 5th round if not sooner.
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I also doubt Rivers last until round 3.  Someone is going to take him in the 2nd, Youngstown St. or no Youngstown St.  Not like it's Oral Roberts University.

 
5-ish Finkle said:
I also doubt Rivers last until round 3.  Someone is going to take him in the 2nd, Youngstown St. or no Youngstown St.  Not like it's Oral Roberts University.
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His stock basically shot up from a 5/6 round pick to a 1/2 round pick, but seems to have settled in Mock Drafts.  He obviously could be liked more by NFL teams than by analysts, but I think 2nd vs 3rd is a 50/50 shot right now.  Also pretty sure Tabor goes in the 2nd, but it's a mock so why not hope for the best.

 
By now I understand the Steelers will not be even average players in FA, but why they didn't go after someone like Rex Burkhead? 1 year/3 million and it is s position of great need IMO. Even worse, he goes to the Pats. On top of that, would have taken him from a division rival

:thumbdown: :X :rant:

I know this happened a few weeks ago but it still bugs me...

 
Tyler Scalzi is an interesting late round/UDFA I haven't heard of before today...from his pro day workout...

Scalzi turned heads, caught eyes in workout. Perhaps the biggest name of the day besides Mahomes' was Flower Mound's own Tyler Scalzi. Scalzi participated in all offensive drills and even showed off on some deep snapping. He caught passes and ran routes for Mahomes which added to his day. According to some players, Scalzi will be going in as a tight end.

However, his biggest moment was in the weight room. Scalzi posted a 36" vertical leap, 10.6 broad jump and pushed out 37 reps on the bench press. He was probably the biggest winner after the conclusion of events. Scalzi showed that he has the opportunity to play at the next level.

Big school hidden gems...

http://phillysportsnetwork.com/2017/03/20/scalzi/

 
Steelers showing interest in Mahomes. I hope we don't go QB in the first unless they know 100% that Ben is going to retire after this season.

 
bananafish said:
So Goodell just reinstates Martavis whenever the hell he feels like it? I didn't know I could like this guy any less.
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At this point, the Steelers are going forward as if he's not coming back - They've basically got AB, and Eli Rodgers in the slot.  I think they'd look for someone on the other side.  The buzz on Coates is that he's soft.  I think they feel some of his injuries from last year were the type of thing(s) that some guys play through.

 
Fat Nick said:
At this point, the Steelers are going forward as if he's not coming back - They've basically got AB, and Eli Rodgers in the slot.  I think they'd look for someone on the other side.  The buzz on Coates is that he's soft.  I think they feel some of his injuries from last year were the type of thing(s) that some guys play through.
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I get this but it is ridiculous that the league office can't get it done. Especially with the draft coming up.

 
People have such short memories.

These exact same comments, timetables and expressions of consternation and surprise were uttered a year or so ago when Gordon was looking to be reinstated.  Goodell ran about a month over the hypothetical "60 day" timeline then too, without any explanation.

Should have been expecting that again.

 
Bryant will be reinstated prior to the Draft, that's my assumption.  With that said, I don't think that affects our draft plan at all. Either way, they need to guard against losing their #2 WR.  Also, I think people are judging Coates too harshly.  He had a bad laceration to his hand and mangled 2 of his fingers.  After that, he had trouble catching the ball... no surprise there.  Have you seen the descriptions of his hands after the injury/injuries?  Someone said some fingers were facing the wrong way, like they'd been in a blender.  I don't fault a guy at all for not being able to catch after that. He probably could have gone to IR.  Tomlin said he expects Coates to make a jump and I wouldn't be surprised at all if he did.

If Coates had kept up his pace after the first 5 games of the season he would have ended with 1350 yards last year. In the 5th game was where he suffered he major hand injury.  He had a catch of 40 yards or more in each of the first 5 games, but catching deep balls is tough. They have a ton of force on them and it takes strong hands to bring them in.  With a full offseason of recuperation he should be able to bounce back. If he still does poorly through the first 4 weeks of the season, then I'd be willing to downgrade him, but I won't knock a guy for injuring one of the most important body parts for a WR.

Also, I wonder if Big Ben regrets pulling a Brett Favre of sorts.  He probably hoped that his will I/won't I retire BS would make the team take his demands for player personnel seriously.

Big Ben: I might retire, we'll see!

Steelers: With their first pick at #30 overall take a QB.

Big Ben: Wait, what? No, I didn't mean... #####.

 
http://fanspeak.com/ontheclock/

Fun mock draft program. You can pick from different rankings and team needs and compile a mock draft fairly easily.  

I used Matt Miller rankings and user voted team needs and got an interesting and unlikely combo:

1. OJ Howard TE, 2. Carl Lawson EDGE, 3. Tim Williams EDGE, 3. Teez Tabor CB, 4. Shaquill Griffin CB, 5. KD Cannon WR, 6. Donnell Pumphrey RB, 7. Ben Boulware LB.  Ended up with 1 TE, 2 EDGE, 2 CB, 1 WR, 1 RB, 1 LB.  I doubt we actually draft like this, but both Edge and CB are areas where we need upgrading, and double dipping could help ensure that we grab a talented playmaker there.  Also, the players were the best value left at each pick.

Did a 4-round draft using the composite big board, and it came out a lot differently:

1. Derek Barnett EDGE, 2. Obi Melinfonwu S, 3. Chidobe Awuzie CB, 3. Wayne Gallman RB, 4. Carlos Henderson WR

I like the 2nd draft a lot better. It covers a lot more bases and grabs us potential 1st round picks in each of our first 3 picks.  That said, both of these drafts seem unrealistic at this time. But who knows, crazier things have happened come draft day.

 
Steelers brought in Jourdan Lewis for a visit. He's really talented, but there was a domestic violence charge so I was surprised by this. Then I read the report of what allegedly happened and it's getting a bit weird: Story Here

It sounds like he overreacted to his girlfriend getting mad about leaving a light on, and he threw some pillows. Then she says he went into a closet, then dragged her across the floor and choked her for a handful of seconds before leaving.  He admits that he threw some pillows after she said something about leaving a light on, but then says he tried to get dressed to leave and that she clung to him on his arms and legs trying to get him to stay. So he pushed her off and he may have touched her throat but he didn't remember doing that and he definitely didn't try to hurt her. The cops didn't see any marks on her throat, and she later changed part of her story saying that she might have grabbed his arms and legs trying to get him to stay.

So the Steelers might be trying to get the story right from the source. If there's nothing here then we could be getting a great player at a discount because of the appearance of a problem.  

 
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