- OFFENSE -
LT LG C RG RT
Smith Faneca Hartings Simmons Stark
Essex Okobi Kemoeatu Brooks
QB HB FB
Roethlisberger Parker Kreider
Batch Staley Joe
WR1 WR2 TE
Ward Wilson Miller
Washington Morey Tuman
- DEFENSE -
LDE NT RDE
Smith Hampton Keisel
Clancy Hoke Kirshke
LOLB ILB ILB ROLB
Haggans Farrior Foote Porter
Harrison Kriewaldt Wallace Frazier
CB1 SS FS CB2
Taylor Polamalu Clark McFadden
Colclough Carter Iwuoma
PR/KR
Colclough
... Might as well start with the offensive line. From left to right, Marvel Smith has been in the league since 2001, Faneca since 1998, Hartings since WWII, Simmons since 2003 and Starks since 2004. Smith, Hartings and Simmons have all battled various ailments that have caused them to miss some action although, surprisingly enough, Hartings hasn't missed a game since the 2002 season. The Steelers used their third and sixth round picks from a year ago to get tackle Trai Essex and guard Chris Kemoeatu, two guys they seem to be pretty high on. I think Essex worked at both guard and tackle during the season (and we know he got a couple of starts at tackle while Marvel recovered from an ankle injury), Kemoeatu at guard (maybe left and right, not sure), and Pittsburgh just re-structured Chukky Okobi behind Hartings and re-signed the human tub of goo, Barrett Brooks, to back up Max Starks. With the O-line in its current form, I can't see the Steelers making any position a Day One priority.
I think the Nick Mangold talk went out the window as soon as Hartings and Okobi redid their deals; Essex offers depth at tackle while Kemoeatu could get a shot at the starting job in training camp (and Okobi can play guard in a pinch). So given how things are currently constituted, offensive line isn't much of a priority and I would be perfectly OK if the Steelers didn't use any of their first day picks to add depth at these very deep positions. However, due to age and injury history, we could be having a very different conversation 12 months from now.
... With Batch signing his new deal, the Steelers need a third QB not named Tommy Maddox, and maybe the Steelers will take a flyer on somebody on Day Two (or maybe they'll just take Michael Robinson and get it over with). In the backfield, currently Willie Parker is the starter and Duce is the Minibus, but there are even odds that Staley misses some time in 2006 with an injury of some description (or due to a late-night strip club jewelry heist). Nobody's heard from Verron Haynes since his visit to Mordor so a third down back is a need. Dan Kreider was the only true fullback on the roster last season, but if he's healthy, I guess it could also be the case again in 2006 (and don't forget, Heath Miller lined up more than once in the backfield as a lead blocker).
So what does this mean? Well, depending on what happens with Verron, Pittsburgh may need a third down back. I know they signed Doug Easlick, but other than family members and high school teammates, who the hell knows what that guy can do? And even if Haynes re-signs, Pittsburgh will probably need some depth behind Willie and Duce. So while running back is a need, I don't think it's a top priority, but of course that depends on how the first 31 picks unfold.
... Randle El cashed in his chips and Quincy is M.I.A. Currently Pittsburgh has a #1 (Hines Ward), a #2 (Cedrick Wilson) a #4 (Nate Washington) and a #5.5 (Sean Morey) on the roster. Realistically, re-signing Morgan would serve as a nice stopgap -- at least for a season or two -- but depth is a concern. So again, how the first round plays out will determine how much soon Pittsburgh addresses this need (but you already knew that). With Tuman re-signing, the tight end position is set. And maybe the best part of only having Tuman and Miller is that I don't have to listen to the incessant yapping about why the Steelers didn't give Matt Kranchick a chance. Three words: He can't block. That's it. They already have a tight end who's a legit receiving threat, and he can block. What's the point in wasting a roster spot on a guy who's too slow to be a wideout and doesn't block well enough to be a tight end, just so you can say Pittsburgh has another pass-catching threat on the field? Here's an idea, get Ben another receiver -- a legit one.
... The defensive line has Aaron Smith (who'll be 30 when the season starts), Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel with Kendrick Clancy Rodney Bailey, Chris Hoke and Travis Kirshke behind them. And even though I didn't list him above, Shaun Nua might have a chance to eventually make it into the rotation, but even if he does make the squad I'm guessing he'll be more of a presence on special teams. So with the re-signing of Keisel and addition of Bailey, this unit also has some depth, even if, like the offensive line, it's only for another season. But hey, depth is depth, and if you've got a year to work with, then you can address other needs.
... Haggans and Porter will be 29 by September and Farrior will be 31. Behind them are James Harrison (who can play both inside and outside), Clint Kriewaldt, Rian Wallace (who the team seems to like but I have no idea how far along he is), and Andre Frazier (perhaps after Harrison, the craziest person on special teams, but who still needs to put on some weight before even thinking about playing outside on a consistent basis). So again, the starters are set, but the depth of the linebackers may be the thinnest on the team (or at least a close second behind the WRs). Only Harrison has the ability to step for one of the starters without much drop in production.
I know the Steelers have historically focused on the 'tweeners in the mid-to-late rounds and groomed them to play OLB in the 3-4, but I think if a player is available early in the draft (like the first round, for example), the Steelers would be wise to take them. I have no idea, but I'm guessing Farrior might play two more seasons, and depending on contract situations, Haggans, Porter or both could be gone in 2008. That leaves Foote. And maybe Harrison if the Steelers chose to re-sign him in a couple of years (I think he was exclusive rights this year, and next year he'll be restricted). With the depth chart in it's current form, I think the linebacker position is the top priority (or at least tied for tops) all else being equal.
... Pittsburgh is still waiting on Deshea Townsend, but even if he's not back, they'll have Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden and Ricardo Colclough to hold down the fort. McFadden had an outstanding rookie year, Ike improved so much Joe Bendel thinks the Redskins might give up their non-existent first round pick to sign him (thanks to Glenn W for the explanation), but Colclough struggled at times. Jim Wexell says the organization is high on Colclough, so that's a good thing, and hopefully, he can make strides similar to those Ike made from year two to three.
Next on the depth chart is Chidi Iwuoma who I can say I got to see actually play the cornerback position in a real live game (not surprisingly, it was the Jacksonville debacle). Iwuoma is another one of my favorite players, but strictly as a special teams guy. You know things are dire when he's playing in the secondary. So if Deshea bolts, the cornerback position could use some depth. I don't necessarily think it's a first round kinda problem, but probably a first day kinda problem.
We've talked about the 2006 safety situation basically since the Super Bowl ended. I wanted Hope at the right price from the start, but he wanted $4 million a year (Pittsburgh offered $2.5 million -- which seems ridiculously high -- and Tennessee went north of that) and is now Pac-Man Jones' new mentor. Instead of waiting around, the Steelers went out and signed Ryan Clark, who by most accounts, was very well-respected in Washington. Obviously, Polamalu's the other safety, and Tyrone Carter is currently the only backup. Pittsburgh released both Mike Logan and Russell Stuvaints, but one or both could be back in the coming weeks. Logan is on the downside of his career, and Stuvaints will probably never be more than a special teams/dime defense contributor. So even if one of them returns, depth is still a need. And using the same caveat I've broken out numerous times above, "depending on how other teams draft in front of the Steelers will in large part determine who they take" (and just like the caveat, you already knew that).
So right, all that is as clear as mud. So let's keep going. Let's assume that before April 29, the Steelers sign Quincy Morgan (or some free agent #3 WR), and that Deshea and Verron don't come back (just to make it interesting). Knowing that, here are Pittsburgh's needs, in order of importance (and with the usual caveat):
* LinebackerAnd this list doesn't imply that the Steelers should stock these positions, in this order. It's more of a general theme contingent on The Caveat. So now the question becomes, how does Pittsburgh best address these needs? Well first, I should point out that I'm not necessarily looking at just first round (or even first day) picks here, but pointing out some players who might fit well into the Steelers' system and would add quality depth. (And I should also point out -- just in case you've forgotten -- that what I know about these college guys consists of the myriad magazines I read and what Mike Mayock tells me every night at 7 PM on the NFL Network. Just re-putting that out there.) So let's see what we got here:
* Wide Receiver
* Safety
* Cornerback
* Running Back
* Defensive Line
* Quarterback
* Offensive Line
Linebacker
I was ambiguous above, but ILB is probably more of an immediate issue than OLB assuming that Harrison stays outside and without any real feel for Wallaces' progress, but I'm still lumping them together for two reasons: First -- and I think DJ mentioned this in a comment earlier this week -- teams in general (and Pittsburgh in particular) don't draft ILBs in the first round very often. In fact, since 2000 there have only been five ILBs drafted in the first round (at least by my haphazard count). And given that this year's crop is decidedly thin, there's no reason to think anything will change.(As for the second reason, I'm hedging my bets.)
Anyway, let's see who's who and who might be a good fit in Pittsburgh:
D'Qwell Jackson (ILB)Jackson and Hodge both are a bit undersized but are listed as the top ILBs by just about everybody. (I should mention that a lot of people described Jonathan Vilma as undersized and I think that worked out OK.) Both guys aren't projected to go before the second round so they should be available at #32 and who knows, Hodge might be around at #64.
Abdul Hodge (ILB)
A.J.Hawk (OLB)Barring a debilitating accident, there's virtually no way either Hawk or Greenway make to the end of the first round. Carpenter, who is coming off an ankle injury, could be around at 32 and LeBeau seemed impressed at his Pro Day. He has experience at DE and OLB, and he has the size to play OLB in the 3-4.
Chad Greenway (OLB)
Bobby Carpenter (OLB)
Ernie Sims (OLB)
I mentioned FSU's Ernie Sims here because he's intriguing. He's only 5'11" and 225 lbs. which doesn't project too well as an OLB in the 3-4. But he has the ability to play ILB and he has the speed (he ran a 4.5-forty at the Combine) to play a kind of hybrid LB/S position. I mentioned this last month but it I think it still holds:
" ... think about that for a minute. If the Steelers were able to get Sims, and successfully convert him to safety, in their base defense they would have SIX linebackers on the field [I'm including Troy here] who can all cover tight ends, with both of the safeties being pretty good against most slot receivers. And oh yeah, the unit is fast as crap -- especially if Keisel stays -- and like to hit people in the mouth. OK, now I'm psyched -- I gotta go watch Karate Kid while listening to the theme from Rocky.)"The dopey Karate Kid/Rocky references aside, I think it's worth considering. (That said, there's a very good chance Sims isn't around at #32, and even if he is, The Caveat applies.)
Wide Receiver
OK, I admit it, the Steelers will need to draft a WR at some point, and 2006 seems like as good a time as any. DJ and GlennW aren't averse to Pittsburgh taking Sinorice Moss (although DJ is wary of the "Ozzie Canseco Effect" ... and rightfully so) and honestly, I go back and forth on him. Either way, the Steelers will probably do something to add some depth at wideout.
One of my hesitations about Moss is not that he's small, but it's that he struggles getting off the line of scrimmage. You can be the fastest guy in the world, but if you can't get downfield it doesn't much matter. That said, I wouldn't be "Troy Edwards beside myself" if the Steelers took him in the first round, but I get the feeling that Pittsburgh prefers multi-taskers. And by that I mean guys like Randle El and Hines. (And potentially like Sims above and Whitner below. You knew I was going to mention Whitner, right?)
And this of course brings us back to the Three Amigos -- the same three dudes we've been talking about for a month: Michael Robinson, Brad Smith and Reggie McNeal. A third round pick on one of these guys seems like a real possibility (and I'm going on nothing but past history on this), plus, much like the ILB class, the WRs are pretty thin at the top. If the Steelers opted to draft a pure wideout, a guy that seems like a good fit is Michigan's Jason Avant. And amazingly, I saw him play a couple of times last fall (more specifically, I was bored and had the Michigan on, and remember hearing about Avant replacing Braylon Edwards) and during the Combine, where he did pretty well. He's a number two guy who doesn't stretch the field, but that's exactly what Pittsburgh needs at the moment. And he's polished, which means he might be able to contribute more, sooner. And if he was around at the end of the third (or maybe even one of the compensatory picks) I'd be fine with the Steelers grabbing him.
So the short answer: Moss is OK, but I think a player like Robinson could be better in the long-run (and cheaper in the short-run), and with a guy like Avant you know what you're getting, even if he doesn't have much upside (and again, he's cheaper).
Safety/Cornerback
Alright, I'm not going to bore you with my Dante Whitner Manifesto again, so I'll keep it short. In the days leading up Chris Hope flying the coop -- and after watching a crapload of other safeties sign reasonable deals (except of course, Adam Archuleta) -- I got to thinking about what it means to be a free safety in the NFL. And apparently, it's not much. At least through the eyes of NFL GMs. (And when I say free safeties I'm not talking about Ed Reed. Just everybody else.) Anyway, I'll go back to a point I've made before (like a few paragraphs ago): getting a player who can play several positions is a boon to a team with few needs, but looking for depth. Safeties are drafted about as frequently in the first round as ILBs (and probably just slightly more than centers), so that must mean that player personnel guys don't value the position highly enough to use up a first round pick. Knowing that, neither should the Steelers (especially now that they've signed Clark). Except ...
Well, except for Donte Whitner. I've said it a thousand times before, but he's athletic enough to play either safety or cornerback and he would provide depth at several positions, which means he can stay on the field in the base defense as well as obvious passing situations. But again, you already knew that.
Another guy who's interesting is Tennessee's Jason Allen (even though this video might change your opinion in the time it takes to hit the "play" button; and yes, that's Ronnie Brown). He had a serious hip injury his senior year and missed half the season, but he ran well at the the Combine and he's a big guy who, if available in the 2nd could make a nice complement to Troy down the road (and there are mixed feelings about whether he'll make it to pick 64, even with the serious injury).
Running Back
LenDale White. OK, raise your hand if you want LenDale White (I put my hand up half way, then drop it, then put it up again). Yeah, I pretty much am anti-taking-a-RB-in-the-first-round-unless-he's-Jim-Brown under most circumstances. And with most backs coming out basically being Willie Parker clones, it would make absolutely no sense to take a guy like DeAngelo Williams or Laurence Maroney. White, on the other hand, is Bus-sized, and given the precarious state of Duce's health, it's an intriguing possibility. But I'm going to hold off on the full endorsement just yet. Another Steelers-type back is Va. Tech's Cedric Humes. He won't go until Day Two, but he's 6'0", 233 lbs. and is a bruiser. He'll never be confused with Bettis, but he will punish defenders and pick up tough yards.
I'll hold off on the DL, QB, and OL positions for now, but who knows, if I'm feeling crazy maybe I'll talk about it in the coming weeks. In the meantime, everybody pull for the Tar Heels -- even Hoagie. And just in case you're wondering, that's Kyle Boller's college pic at the top of the page. Not sure why I put it up there, but it sure is funny-looking.
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