Four Months Until the Season Starts

So the draft is over. Now we have 16 weeks to speculate about the 53-man roster. Added intrigue: the Bengals already released Gary Russell, so he's back in the mix. (Not really.)

STEELERS GOT MIKE REILLY!

I'll be honest, I didn't know much about Mike Reilly until last week when I was talking to Football Outsiders' Doug Farrar, and he mentioned him as possibly the third-best quarterback in this year's draft. And apparently Jaworski was slobbering over Reilly during ESPN's draft coverage.

Anyway, another draft in the books, and this time, DJ, the Steelers got an offensive lineman before the sixth round. And then they got Shipley. SO QUIT COMPLAINING, YOU JERK!

Seriously: on paper, this looks like a solid draft, and hopefully moving back into the third round in '09 will have better results than it did in '06.

Day 2 Means Late-Round OTs!

Well, Day 1 was anticlimactic, although, in retrospect, I'm glad the Steelers didn't reach for third- or fourth-round talents in Round 2. I mean, what Josh McDaniels did the Broncos organization in just a few hours might cement his legacy in Denver.

In any event, Pittsburgh now has three third-rounders and there is, as Kiper's wig might say, some value still on the board.

Round 2!

I will be very upset if the Steelers pull an '06 and they trade their second-round pick.

Steelers Won't Get Matthew Stafford

So there's that. Otherwise, come on ... somebody who can immediately fill a need!

Alright, here are my picks for the Randy Steele Draft Contest. (I know, I know, I forgot to include positions, but, well, there's a 100 percent chance I don't get one point so it won't matter.)

Oh, and depending on how crazy we get in Round 1, I'll throw up a thread for Round 2, as well.

In the meantime, feel free to enjoy the 2008, 2007, and 2006 HSS drafts while you wait for 4PM. (And, yeah, I'm recycling the Big Ben pic. It's that good.)

1.32: Eric Wood; Hakeem Nicks (!), Darius Butler
2.64: Pat White; Ron Brace; Andy Levitre
3.96: Jairus Byrd; Herman Johnson; DJ Moore
4.132: Dorell Scott; Mike Thomas; Gerald Cadogan
5.168: Victor Harris; Juaguin Iglesias; Jonathan Luigs
5.169: Allen Asher; Javarris Williams; Courtney Greene
6.205: Robert Brewster; Patrick Turner; Donald Washington
7.226: Johnny Knox; Joe Burnett; Augustus Parrish; Otis Wiley
7.241: Greg Toler; Brandon Tate; Andy Kemp

FAs: De'von Hall; Worrell Williams; Terrance Knighton

HSS Draft Contest

Okay, Randy has outlined the rules here, and the winner, as always, gets a lifetime subscription to ye olde site. So, in that sense, everybody loses.

I'll have my picks up a little later. (So I can cheat. Obviously.)

Deebo Got Paid

Harrison's in -- $20 million guaranteed -- and Byron's headed to Tampa. I'm fine with both, and, frankly, I can't imagine the team would've kept Leftwich, Chaz and Dixon on the roster come September.

Oh, and thankfully, the draft is less than two weeks off. Good lord, this is taking forever.

19 Days to Go

Something I was thinking about as Jay Cutler whined his way out of Denver: under no circumstances do any of you trade Big Ben for two first-rounders, a third-rounder and Kyle Orton, right? Of course not.

But if he bellyached about his feelings being hurt for six weeks straight, and wasn't returning Mike Tomlin's text messages (good lord), then, well, I'd actually think we'd all be happy if the Steelers got what the Broncos did. Assuming everything else is the same, I suppose Pittsburgh then re-signs Byron Leftwich, maybe makes a play for Mark Sanchez with the 12th-overall pick -- or, even better, drafts a freaking offensive tackle.

Luckily, it's not something we have to worry about, but stuff I contemplate given that nothing else happens this time of year.