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The ***OFFICIAL*** 2018 Pittsburgh Steelers Thread (2 Viewers)

Steelers are reportedly set to sign special teams ace/safety Nat Berhe, formerly of the NY Giants.  
I'm a fan, not necessarily of him personally, but just getting someone to replace Golden. Our ST used to be crap, and I'd rather not go back to that.

Some recent Steelers Rumors:

  • We could trade up in the 1st for Evans, or Guice.
  • We could take a WR in the 1st.
  • We could trade the Bears Leveon for Picks and Howard.
I don't think any of those come to pass, but it would be an interesting year to trade up or down. If Mason Rudolph is there at 28, and our FO doesn't love him, I could see us trading down into the 2nd for a team to move up and get him with that 5th year option. But only if the top 4 ILBs are gone (Edmunds, Smith, Evans, LVE).

 
Is it just me or does the Steelers' draft pick seem like much more of a toss-up than recent years? I think I've seen around 15+ different people mocked to us in the first round, whereas most years it seems whittled down to ~5 by April.  My money is still on LVE if he lasts til 28, but I'm pretty sure he will be gone. Thus, I have no clue.

 
Is it just me or does the Steelers' draft pick seem like much more of a toss-up than recent years? I think I've seen around 15+ different people mocked to us in the first round, whereas most years it seems whittled down to ~5 by April.  My money is still on LVE if he lasts til 28, but I'm pretty sure he will be gone. Thus, I have no clue.
They do whatever they have planned which makes them unpredictable, ironically. The Steelers board is always a board that is independent of all the rhetoric and hype and BS that is put out there. I will say that if you’re inclined to be predictive they have been all about high SPARQ defensive players in all the drafts since the Jarvis Jones fiasco. A lot of players I’ve thought about (Edmunds, Vander Esch, James) have picked up a lot of steam and will not be there when they draft. Dallas Goedert or Mike Gesicki could be two “surprise” types I could see. I think they probably want a ILB. I’m not sure the seconds tier LB’s fit the bill but in that column you have Rashaan Evans, Malik Jefferson and Jerome Baker. I think the first may be a reach for any of them. One guy I could potentially see slip that would maybe frustrate people because Bud Dupree is still in town is Marcus Davenport. Of course there is always taking DB help or drafting in a position they’ve identified as a need that the fan base doesn’t see as a need (like RB, WR, OL, QB).

 
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They do whatever they have planned which makes them unpredictable, ironically. The Steelers board is always a board that is independent of all the rhetoric and hype and BS that is put out there. I will say that if you’re inclined to be predictive they have been all about high SPARQ defensive players in all the drafts since the Jarvis Jones fiasco. A lot of players I’ve thought about (Edmunds, Vander Esch, James) have picked up a lot of steam and will not be there when they draft. Dallas Goedert or Mike Gesicki could be two “surprise” types I could see. I think they probably want a ILB. I’m not sure the seconds tier LB’s fit the bill but in that column you have Rashaan Evans, Malik Jefferson and Jerome Baker. I think the first may be a reach for any of them. One guy I could potentially see slip that would maybe frustrate people because Bud Dupree is still in town is Marcus Davenport. Of course there is always taking DB help or drafting in a position they’ve identified as a need that the fan base doesn’t see as a need (like RB, WR, OL, QB).
I don't think Davenport will slip, but it's possible.  Teams covet pass rushers, I think both he and Landry will be gone by 28.  One guy I would drool over but is sure to be gone by then is Derwin James.  God, he'd be PERFECT at SS if they move Davis to FS.

 
Evilgrin 72 said:
I don't think Davenport will slip, but it's possible.  Teams covet pass rushers, I think both he and Landry will be gone by 28.  One guy I would drool over but is sure to be gone by then is Derwin James.  God, he'd be PERFECT at SS if they move Davis to FS.
There's often someone unexpected who falls, just not sure if they fall all the way to us. They might fall to the late teens and then we'd need to trade up to grab them. It's possible that one of the top guys like James, Ward, Fitzpatrick, Edmunds falls into the late teens, maybe around the Cards/Ravens/Chargers. I'd rather us trade to move up and grab one of them, even if it costs us 28, 92, and next year's 3rd, or something like that. We could really use another game changer on defense, since we've probably lost one.  I highly doubt we'd trade with the Ravens, but they could move back and grab a good WR, and load up on picks, while we take a stud. (though they'd probably just take BPA)

 
Vander Esch could be one of the guys who linger.  "Only one year of top production" (albeit mostly due to injuries), competition not Power 5, etc., etc.  That sort of stuff can scare some GMs when the rubber meets the road.

 
5-ish Finkle said:
Vander Esch could be one of the guys who linger.  "Only one year of top production" (albeit mostly due to injuries), competition not Power 5, etc., etc.  That sort of stuff can scare some GMs when the rubber meets the road.
I picked him at #28 in the last Shark Pool mock and got a few "Is EG still around?  Are we really going with this guy as the Steelers pick?  Seems like an awful reach..." type of posts.  Fast forward a couple months and we're debating whether or not he'll "fall" to #28.

 
I picked him at #28 in the last Shark Pool mock and got a few "Is EG still around?  Are we really going with this guy as the Steelers pick?  Seems like an awful reach..." type of posts.  Fast forward a couple months and we're debating whether or not he'll "fall" to #28.
I'll admit I didn't like him at first. Still not crazy about him, but I don't think that there's going to be any great players left at 28.

 
I'll admit I didn't like him at first. Still not crazy about him, but I don't think that there's going to be any great players left at 28.
I like him and would be happy if they take him. Yeah, he's inexperienced but he's been a winner on the field his whole life, has fantastic size/speed scores, phenomenal explosion/agility numbers, he's a sure tackler, could potentially play inside or outside, and has terrific intangibles and motor. The only real knocks on him are inexperience and functional play strength. Those are the types of weaknesses that can be overcome with work and coaching. That's what I look for when evaluating late first rounders (as we lucky Steelers fans must do almost annually.) If he was without any warts, he'd be gone long before 28. So, I try to find guys whose weaknesses are easier to overcome if they have a strong work ethic. Exact same reasons I was high on Watt last year. 

 
This draft is going to be wild. I think it’s going to be highly unpredictable because there is a lot of depth up top. I would be pleased with a Goedert or Guice in the first. They can target an athlete who needs polish like Malik Jefferson, Jerome Baker or Matthew Thomas later on. This class is also deep on pass rushers but I’m not very good at identifying who fits the 3-4 OLB. Shaquem Griffin seems like the kind of athlete the Steelers would desire and I personally like Tyquan Lewis and Hercules Mata’afa. Tarvarius Moore is someone gaining a lot of steam as a S/LB/Slot corner hybrid and that would be very exciting over another safety that is limited in coverage. Honestly if the Steelers are willing to get real creative on defense Griffin in 1, Moore in 2 and Thomas in 3 would be one heck of an athletic bundle.

 
Deontay Burnett, if we're going to take a WR to replace Eli, I think it should be him. He's a weapon who can line up all over the place, he has good body control, and good discipline on the field with the ability to improvise. Often Darnold would start scrambling around and Burnett would take off. Darnold would usually throw it out of bounds, but if he launched it to a WR it was often Burnett. We want a guy who is reliable. He's also shifty. After the catch he often jukes around to avoid tackles and gain more yards, but I never saw him lose yards doing it. He doesn't turn and run crazy loops backwards trying to gain more, he just makes simple jukes or changes angles, thus not putting the already gained yards at risk.

Also, he's got good positional awareness. On one catch against UCLA he was streaking towards the sideline as Darnold was moving around the pocket. He launched the ball and Burnett caught it with his hands away from his body (not something many WRs in this class do) and he tapped his feet, both of them. We want a WR who is already doing that, not just tapping 1 foot since that doesn't matter in the NFL.

He's a late round guy mostly because he's a bit slight, but that works out for us, we can grab him near the end of the draft. I don't think we will, but I definitely think we should.

http://draftbreakdown.com/2017/11/30/deontay-burnett-vs-ucla-2017/

 
Jarvis Landry's ridiculous new contract kills any chance Bell signs a long term deal.   Landry gets 75.5M for 5 years.    For a freaking possession receiver!

 
Jarvis Landry's ridiculous new contract kills any chance Bell signs a long term deal.   Landry gets 75.5M for 5 years.    For a freaking possession receiver!  
They view him as a #1 and gave him a contract as such. Not sure how or why this would affect Bell except if we were offering $15 mil per year average, and could point and say, look, #1 WR money.

Just because Miami only chose to use him in a possession receiver capacity doesn't mean that's all he can be, or all the Browns think he will be.

 
They view him as a #1 and gave him a contract as such. Not sure how or why this would affect Bell except if we were offering $15 mil per year average, and could point and say, look, #1 WR money.

Just because Miami only chose to use him in a possession receiver capacity doesn't mean that's all he can be, or all the Browns think he will be.
Nobody views Landry as a #1 including Landry.  He ranks 108th out of 110 wide receivers in air yards per target over the last four seasons - he will play slot for the Browns.

47M guaranteed/avg of 15.5M per year -  that will certainly get Bell's attention. 

The Steelers are not going to approach those type of numbers in a contract offer, especially the guaranteed money amount.   

In my opinion, Bell will be even more convinced the amount of money he wants is justified. 

 
James Harrison announced his retirement today.

Great career and made possibly the greatest play in Super Bowl history.   Too bad he had to be a jerk on his way out but he was one helluva football player. 
Shame he soured his legacy with his antics just to force his way out to lose a Super Bowl, but he did get to go to another, so maybe it was worth it.

 
Nobody views Landry as a #1 including Landry.  He ranks 108th out of 110 wide receivers in air yards per target over the last four seasons - he will play slot for the Browns.

47M guaranteed/avg of 15.5M per year -  that will certainly get Bell's attention. 

The Steelers are not going to approach those type of numbers in a contract offer, especially the guaranteed money amount.   

In my opinion, Bell will be even more convinced the amount of money he wants is justified. 
Landry's contract is the 5th highest in the NFL, you don't pay that to a player you think is outside the top 32. He was 13th, 10th, and 17th the last 3 years in yards receiving in the NFL. He may not be a top 10 or even top 15 WR, but there are 32 "#1 WRs" in the NFL. His contract reflects a #1 WR contract. 

Paul Richardson, Marqise Lee, Michael Crabtree, and Albert Wilson, those are #2 WRs. They all got paid around $8 million per year. 

McKinnon, Dion Lewis, and Carlos Hyde were the 3 highest paid RBs in this offseason. They're not as good as Bell, obviously, but they made around an average of $6 million per year. If you add that to the money paid to #2 WRs, it comes to $14 million a year, aka our recent offer.

An offer that is almost double what the next highest player at his position gets paid is definitely a fair offer. And claiming Landry isn't a #1 WR is ridiculous, it doesn't matter how far the ball travels before it gets to him.

 
James Harrison announced his retirement today.

Great career and made possibly the greatest play in Super Bowl history.   Too bad he had to be a jerk on his way out but he was one helluva football player. 
I'm not going to hold it against him. He helped us win a Super Bowl, he's not going to play against us again, and he helped make our defense fun to watch for many years. The Steelers' Brass mislead him, and he acted like an ### to get somewhere he could play one last time. I was upset when it happened, but he was a great Steeler and I'm willing to let bygones be bygones.

 
I'm not going to hold it against him. He helped us win a Super Bowl, he's not going to play against us again, and he helped make our defense fun to watch for many years. The Steelers' Brass mislead him, and he acted like an ### to get somewhere he could play one last time. I was upset when it happened, but he was a great Steeler and I'm willing to let bygones be bygones.
I didn't have a problem when he went to the Bengals and really once he was released it didn't bother me that he went to the Patriots (mainly cause he had little left in the tank).  I do have a HUGE problem with the way he behaved and orchestrated his release  -- it was very unprofessional.  I also don't believe he was misled at all by the Steelers.  Harrison knows full well that football is all about winning and the coaching staff is going to field the players that they feel gives them the best chance to do that.  He could have been a mentor and helped the younger players but instead was divisive and acted like a big crybaby.   

I am sure that over time my anger towards Harrison will fade but for now I am still pissed.   He was a great player for the Steelers and I'll never forget that but he sure was a richard on his way out.

 
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I didn't have a problem when he went to the Bengals and really once he was released it didn't bother me that he went to the Patriots (mainly cause he had little left in the tank).  I do have a HUGE problem with the way he behaved and orchestrated his release  -- it was very unprofessional.  I also don't believe he was misled at all by the Steelers.  Harrison knows full well that football is all about winning and the coaching staff is going to field the players that they feel gives them the best chance to do that.  He could have been a mentor and helped the younger players but instead was divisive and acted like a big crybaby.   

I am sure that over time my anger towards Harrison will fade but for now I am still pissed.   He was a great player for the Steelers and I'll never forget that but he sure was a richard on his way out.
He was always rough around the edges, I'm not sure I expected him to act any different. He didn't seem like the mentor-type to me, which may be biased, but to me he was more of the guy who does the dirty work. Kind of like a less ***hole-ish Burfict. You love having him on your team, other teams hate him, and he has some plays that are definitely dirty (like pile driving Colt McCoy). I can't picture Burfict as a locker room mentor, even if he becomes one, that's not who I picture him as.

Also, the Steelers told him he'd be in a rotation with the Rookie on the left side, but he played like 40 snaps all year. Obviously it made sense for the Steelers to play Watt more because he was playing way better. But he was coming back for probably his final season, and he wanted to play. If they had told him, look, we want to sign you in case of an injury and as added depth, he at least would have known up front and could have chosen to sign elsewhere from the beginning if he wanted to start.  Even if it makes obvious sense from a football standpoint, it wasn't what he'd signed up for. And being the crazy dude he's always been, he wanted to do whatever it took to get back on the field, even if it meant pissing the team off so much that they release him.

I don't like what he did, at all, but I'm not surprised by it in hindsight, and I won't tarnish his history with the Steelers over it.

 
Landry's contract is the 5th highest in the NFL, you don't pay that to a player you think is outside the top 32. He was 13th, 10th, and 17th the last 3 years in yards receiving in the NFL. He may not be a top 10 or even top 15 WR, but there are 32 "#1 WRs" in the NFL. His contract reflects a #1 WR contract. 

Paul Richardson, Marqise Lee, Michael Crabtree, and Albert Wilson, those are #2 WRs. They all got paid around $8 million per year. 

McKinnon, Dion Lewis, and Carlos Hyde were the 3 highest paid RBs in this offseason. They're not as good as Bell, obviously, but they made around an average of $6 million per year. If you add that to the money paid to #2 WRs, it comes to $14 million a year, aka our recent offer.

An offer that is almost double what the next highest player at his position gets paid is definitely a fair offer. And claiming Landry isn't a #1 WR is ridiculous, it doesn't matter how far the ball travels before it gets to him.
I never said the Steelers offer to Bell was unfair.  I think it is way more than fair but the only thing that matters is what Bell thinks is fair.   

As for Landry we disagree but l think this article has a good take on his game  --

https://nflspinzone.com/2018/03/11/cleveland-browns-no-one-afraid-jarvis-landry/

"

Landry piles up numbers over the course of the game, which look good on a stat sheet, but mean little in terms of impacting the game, because the opponent is happy to let him get the ball and just tackle him, forcing them to punt it away.

In games Landry led the Dolphins in receiving yards, they notched a 7-15 over the course of his four year career. Their overall record over that span is 30-35, so they are 23-20 in games where anyone else leads the team in receiving yards. It’s a simple formula. Make Landry beat you.” — Smith"

 
Landry's contract is the 5th highest in the NFL, you don't pay that to a player you think is outside the top 32. He was 13th, 10th, and 17th the last 3 years in yards receiving in the NFL. He may not be a top 10 or even top 15 WR, but there are 32 "#1 WRs" in the NFL. His contract reflects a #1 WR contract. 

Paul Richardson, Marqise Lee, Michael Crabtree, and Albert Wilson, those are #2 WRs. They all got paid around $8 million per year. 

McKinnon, Dion Lewis, and Carlos Hyde were the 3 highest paid RBs in this offseason. They're not as good as Bell, obviously, but they made around an average of $6 million per year. If you add that to the money paid to #2 WRs, it comes to $14 million a year, aka our recent offer.

An offer that is almost double what the next highest player at his position gets paid is definitely a fair offer. And claiming Landry isn't a #1 WR is ridiculous, it doesn't matter how far the ball travels before it gets to him.
Landry IS NOT a #1 WR in the NFL.  He’s not the #1 WR on his own team; Gordon is.  You can talk all you want about his contract, & how they view him, but he’s not the #1 WR on his own team, nor is he an NFL “#1” WR.

With that being said, it doesn’t matter how fair you, I, the Steelers, or the entire NFL thinks Pittsburgh’s most recent offer was.  If Bell doesn’t think it’s fair, he won’t sign, and the Steelers will get his services for 1 last year. They won’t franchise him next year, b/c they’d have to pay him the QB franchise tag ($23M this year, probably around $25 next year or more, depending on Rodgers’ contract). If they decided to transition tag him, they’d owe him $17.4M, AND he could get offers from other teams. They’d either have to match the deal, or lose him for no compensation.  If they aren’t giving him $15M this year, they aren’t giving him $17M next year, so he’ll likely become a UFA after the 2018 season.   

Assuming they don’t agree on a long-term deal, this might be Bells last season as a Steeler.

 
I saw his college coach on tv last night, and he said he has no issues and at the end of the year was healthy.  Didnt know where those reports were coming from.  Maybe smoke?  Diversion?  But I am sure the Steelers will look him over before drafting him(if they draft him).

 
I saw his college coach on tv last night, and he said he has no issues and at the end of the year was healthy.  Didnt know where those reports were coming from.  Maybe smoke?  Diversion?  But I am sure the Steelers will look him over before drafting him(if they draft him).
Hopefully not the same doctor that examined and cleared Ladarius Green

 
The Steelers doctors are usually known for being some of the best in the league. The main issue with Ladarius was that he wasn't honest about his concussions (allegedly). If they reviewed and cleared LVE, then he should be good to go. All these articles stem from a neck injury that occurred prior to the 2017 season. 

Also, this could help him reach 28. As of right now I'd wager all 4 top ILBs are gone by pick 28.

 
Mock Draft I'd be Happiest with right now based on visits and a compilation of rankings:

  • 28 - Leighton Vander Esch, ILB - If he's there, I'm not sure how we pass on him at this point. The dots are being connected by almost everyone in the business.
  • 60 - Christian Kirk, WR - We lost Eli Rogers, and are going to lose Bryant next year. Kirk is a very talented slot WR, a decent upgrade over Rogers, and will make our WR corps excellent for years to come, after Bryant has moved on. Also, a great return man, 6 punt return TDs.
  • 92 - Kyzir White, S - Solid box safety to pair with Davis and Wilcox.
  • 148 - Ian Thomas, TE - A very raw prospect who has the underlying traits to become a great TE. Drafting him to work behind Jesse James and Vance McDonald would allow him to grow into the NFL and take over in a year or two.
  • 165 - Alex Cappa, G - We'll need a replacement for Foster if he leaves in FA after this year. Cappa had a good showing at the senior bowl against top talent.
  • 220 - Shaun Dion Hamilton, ILB - Basically, a crapshoot on a very talented player cut down by injury. If Shazier never plays again, I think we need 2 new ILBs. I don't think that Williams is the long-term answer. A 7th round pick is a gamble anyways, but SDH was going to be the starting LB for Bama this year if he didn't have a random injury. I'd happily take a gamble in the 7th on a potential future starter.
  • 246 - Jordan Mailata, OL - He's a rugby star, but if anyone can turn him into an offensive lineman, it's Munchak. I'd be happiest if he became a reliable guard, because Foster is gone after this year if we don't resign him.
It's not perfect, and according to some rankings players are either reaches or expected to be gone, but it's all a guess. Got ILB, WR, S, TE, G, ILB, OL. An assumption I made going in was that the Steelers expect to either resign Leveon, or just roll with Conner and Ridley, and then worry about RB again next year.

 
The first couple times I saw Alexander mocked to the Steelers I wasn't interested. He'd been described as a 2nd round guy, and I'd rather trade down and load up on picks, than reach. But the most I read and more tape I watch, he was downright awesome when he was healthy. Coming around on taking a CB in the 1st, but our need at ILB is obviously still greater.

 
Mock Draft I'd be Happiest with right now based on visits and a compilation of rankings:

  • 28 - Leighton Vander Esch, ILB - If he's there, I'm not sure how we pass on him at this point. The dots are being connected by almost everyone in the business.
  • 60 - Christian Kirk, WR - We lost Eli Rogers, and are going to lose Bryant next year. Kirk is a very talented slot WR, a decent upgrade over Rogers, and will make our WR corps excellent for years to come, after Bryant has moved on. Also, a great return man, 6 punt return TDs.
  • 92 - Kyzir White, S - Solid box safety to pair with Davis and Wilcox.
  • 148 - Ian Thomas, TE - A very raw prospect who has the underlying traits to become a great TE. Drafting him to work behind Jesse James and Vance McDonald would allow him to grow into the NFL and take over in a year or two.
  • 165 - Alex Cappa, G - We'll need a replacement for Foster if he leaves in FA after this year. Cappa had a good showing at the senior bowl against top talent.
  • 220 - Shaun Dion Hamilton, ILB - Basically, a crapshoot on a very talented player cut down by injury. If Shazier never plays again, I think we need 2 new ILBs. I don't think that Williams is the long-term answer. A 7th round pick is a gamble anyways, but SDH was going to be the starting LB for Bama this year if he didn't have a random injury. I'd happily take a gamble in the 7th on a potential future starter.
  • 246 - Jordan Mailata, OL - He's a rugby star, but if anyone can turn him into an offensive lineman, it's Munchak. I'd be happiest if he became a reliable guard, because Foster is gone after this year if we don't resign him.
It's not perfect, and according to some rankings players are either reaches or expected to be gone, but it's all a guess. Got ILB, WR, S, TE, G, ILB, OL. An assumption I made going in was that the Steelers expect to either resign Leveon, or just roll with Conner and Ridley, and then worry about RB again next year.
I don't know how realistic it is but what would you feel about a draft like this:

1 (28) - Justin Reid, S - Stanford
2 (60) - Malik Jefferson, ILB - Texas
3 (92) - Rashaad Penny, RB - San Diego State
5 (148)- Duke Dawson, CB - Florida
5 (165)- Russell Gage Jr.,WR - LSU
7 (220)- Chris Worley, ILB – Ohio State
7 (246)- Jordan Mailata, OT – South Sydney

 
I don't know how realistic it is but what would you feel about a draft like this:

1 (28) - Justin Reid, S - Stanford
2 (60) - Malik Jefferson, ILB - Texas
3 (92) - Rashaad Penny, RB - San Diego State
5 (148)- Duke Dawson, CB - Florida
5 (165)- Russell Gage Jr.,WR - LSU
7 (220)- Chris Worley, ILB – Ohio State
7 (246)- Jordan Mailata, OT – South Sydney
If our FO is sure that Bell is gone next year, then I'd be happy with it. Reid looks like a playmaker in the secondary, and Jefferson has a chance to be a tackle machine at ILB. Lots of upside with this haul, but I wonder why Penny wasn't able to beat out Donnel Pumphrey. 

What if instead we went 1 - Reid, 2 - Chubb, 3 - Trade down into 4, gain an extra late pick. 4 - Shaquem Griffin, ILB?

Some people are putting Griffin in rounds 2 or 3, but I think with his handicap, he goes 4 or later. He is fast as hell, and has great instincts. I think he could be solid in coverage next to our bruiser, Williams. It's a big risk, but with a potential big reward.

 
If our FO is sure that Bell is gone next year, then I'd be happy with it. Reid looks like a playmaker in the secondary, and Jefferson has a chance to be a tackle machine at ILB. Lots of upside with this haul, but I wonder why Penny wasn't able to beat out Donnel Pumphrey. 

What if instead we went 1 - Reid, 2 - Chubb, 3 - Trade down into 4, gain an extra late pick. 4 - Shaquem Griffin, ILB?

Some people are putting Griffin in rounds 2 or 3, but I think with his handicap, he goes 4 or later. He is fast as hell, and has great instincts. I think he could be solid in coverage next to our bruiser, Williams. It's a big risk, but with a potential big reward.
I like it.  Are you calling Colbert or should I?

 
steelers1080 said:
The closer we get to the draft, the less things seem to make sense. Just saw a mock where LVE fell to the end of the 2nd, past us, due to his potential neck issue. If we're able to get Jaire Alexander or Reid, AND Vander Esch, I will spontaneously start dancing in my living room.
After Jarvis Jones, they may stay away from neck issues. 

 
I think that was less to do with Jones neck issue and more to do with his complete lack of athleticism. They have made sure to emphasize athletic traits that are above league average since that pick and its paid dividends.
2015 - Dupree is top 3 at his position in SPARQ

2016 - Sean Davis is top 3 at his position in SPARQ, but Burns is low, around 78.

2017 - Watt is #4 as an EDGE player in SPARQ

2018 - Harold Landry is #5 at his position, Lorenzo Carter is #1, Leighton Vander Esch is #2, Malik Jefferson is #5, Mike Gesicki is #1, Josh Jackson is #6, Terrell Edmunds is #2, DJ Moore is #3, Courtland Sutton is #6

I wouldn't be surprised if we took 1 or 2 of those players in the 1st or 2nd round.

 
Unlikely trade scenario: Seattle gives pick 18 and we take a solid ILB there.
Steelers give pick 28, 2019 4th, and Martavis Bryant.

 
2015 - Dupree is top 3 at his position in SPARQ

2016 - Sean Davis is top 3 at his position in SPARQ, but Burns is low, around 78.

2017 - Watt is #4 as an EDGE player in SPARQ

2018 - Harold Landry is #5 at his position, Lorenzo Carter is #1, Leighton Vander Esch is #2, Malik Jefferson is #5, Mike Gesicki is #1, Josh Jackson is #6, Terrell Edmunds is #2, DJ Moore is #3, Courtland Sutton is #6

I wouldn't be surprised if we took 1 or 2 of those players in the 1st or 2nd round.
From the armchair, agree with the trend of the best combination of high SPAQ scores and football passion.  Dealing with guys like Bryant who have all the talent in the world but no desire is frustrating.  Explains how we ended up with Burns as a high pick despite lesser athleticism.

Are there any reports that rate prospects by who eats, drinks and sleeps football?  

 
Unlikely trade scenario: Seattle gives pick 18 and we take a solid ILB there.
Steelers give pick 28, 2019 4th, and Martavis Bryant.
Not going to happen, but the Bryant trade scenario that makes the most sense in my little skull, involves Dallas.  The top tier WR are thin, so Dallas could acquire Martavis Bryant in a prove you're a #1 picture and slide down to take a need at another position at 1.29. Dallas gets 2 starters with 1 pick and PIT moves up to get ???.

 
Not going to happen, but the Bryant trade scenario that makes the most sense in my little skull, involves Dallas.  The top tier WR are thin, so Dallas could acquire Martavis Bryant in a prove you're a #1 picture and slide down to take a need at another position at 1.29. Dallas gets 2 starters with 1 pick and PIT moves up to get ???.
I think the Steelers are absolutely in a "win it this year" mentality considering that Lev Bell is almost certainly a goner, Bryant is likely out and you never know when Ben is going to hang up the spikes.   For this reason I don't see them trading Bryant unless they got a really sweet deal.

 
From the armchair, agree with the trend of the best combination of high SPAQ scores and football passion.  Dealing with guys like Bryant who have all the talent in the world but no desire is frustrating.  Explains how we ended up with Burns as a high pick despite lesser athleticism.

Are there any reports that rate prospects by who eats, drinks and sleeps football?  
There used to be. It was every player that Gruden would refer to as a "grinder'.

 
Hoping for Evans, a little worried about Vander Esch, expect both to be gone by 28 so...

1 S Justin Reid, Stanford 
2 LB Darius Leonard, South Carolina State*
3 RB Rashaad Penny, San Diego State
5a CB Duke Dawson, Florida
5b WR Russell Gage Jr, LSU
7a LB Chris Worley, Ohio State
7b OT Jordan Mailata, South Sydney

*  Originally I had the Steelers taking Texas LB Malik Jefferson here but the more I read about him the more I heard some questioning his drive,  passion for the game, was a bit of a malcontent at Texas, etc.   That could be a lot of BS, I assume the Steelers will/have vetted him and will do the right thing.

 
Hoping for Evans, a little worried about Vander Esch, expect both to be gone by 28 so...

1 S Justin Reid, Stanford 
2 LB Darius Leonard, South Carolina State*
3 RB Rashaad Penny, San Diego State
5a CB Duke Dawson, Florida
5b WR Russell Gage Jr, LSU
7a LB Chris Worley, Ohio State
7b OT Jordan Mailata, South Sydney

*  Originally I had the Steelers taking Texas LB Malik Jefferson here but the more I read about him the more I heard some questioning his drive,  passion for the game, was a bit of a malcontent at Texas, etc.   That could be a lot of BS, I assume the Steelers will/have vetted him and will do the right thing.
Please no Russel Gage  :X

 

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