Reaching Seventh Heaven - A Guide To The Pittsburgh Steelers 2009 Offseason

we have to go with a big RT with our first pick. Sign Starks because he did a pretty good job last year and is still pretty young, and keep him at LT. No doubt our scouts are breaking down footage on all of these lineman possibilities on both sides of the ball, so hopefully we get a few steals in the later rounds.

I’ve seen Brace play,..he’s big. Also,…I really think we should get a fullback. I’m tired of this TE thing Arians has going. One guy I love is Fui Vakapuna. I think he’d make a monster full back that could run (ala Leron McClain) in goal line. He’s got that Samoan/Tongan strength.

Phil Loadholt is listed as 6-6,316 on your list and 6-8,345 in your text..??

I agree RT is the most important need on the OL, at LT we at least have options Starks -being the least likely-plus Hills and Smith. Topou is especailly intriguing.

At Guard I really like Tyrone Green(footwork) but the way we play I worry he’d wear
down over the season. Mack,Urbik and Lewis also look good.

The NT’s look like a deep bunch hopefully one falls to us so we don’t reach.

Personally I think RT & NT are must drafts so I hope we get lucky there.

Love your analysis of the roster especially the potential impact of practice roster guys. I have one question for you about potential draft picks. You have USC DE Fili Moala as a NT candidate, but I’ve seen scouting reports that say he could be a good fit as a 3-4 DE. I know he has been a bit of an underachiever at USC but his size and decent quickness puts him in the picture at DE in our system. He is such a strong dude, maybe that’s why NT is a projection. What say your sources? A reach for first round, but not around at the end of the second round? Also, loved your top ranking of DE Jarron Gilbert. He has been favorably compared to DE Kendall Langford, who had a great rookie season with the Dolphins and was on the wish list for many of us here at BTSC last year.

I personally agree, I think we can retain smith cheaply. There are plenty of better OT’s to be had.

That having been said, I would like to keep smith in a backup roll. Lets get somebody new in there.

Smith can tutor/mentor the young guy, and if one of our OT’s goes down Smith can be solid for 6-8 games. We know Smith is basically only good for 1/2 a season, so spare him the first half and let him fill in if someone goes down.

-Seems to have a strong leadership quality. Something sorely lacking in this line since we lost Faneca. Right now that job falls on Max Starks and it’s not his strong suit.
-Physical freak. Sweet Technique. He has the power to bowl them over or dance them aside. I’ve watched a lot of highlights and the guy is a beast.
-Aids us against a division strong suit; Big 3-4 NTs. We’ve been brutalized up the interior for a few seasons now. This season was better than last, but we’re still watching Ngata get huge push up the middle double-teamed while LBs rush Ben freely.
-Mack will probably be the best player available at 32. He is most likely the best center in more than a couple drafts. We desperately need a franchise player we can solidly build our line around.

If he can step into a starting role at guard or center right away and help neutralize guys like Ngata and Rogers, that would have a huge impact on the O-line. He seems like he will be the best player available and the safest pick. We need immediate help on the line, so take the sure thing, not a guy who is more of a project and will take time to develop.

One other thought—I’ve read a lot of discussion about whether or not we trade up in the first round. Assuming that none of the top four tackles slip into the 20s, I think the answer is no, but what about trading up in the second round to make sure they get one of the second-tier tackles or a defensive lineman? It would cost much less to move up in round two, and we certainly have the extra picks this year to be able to make a move. Seems like it could be a good strategy…what do you guys think?

Datruth,

Good stuff my man, Heckler’s Sports thoroughly enjoyed the breakdown and analysis. Doesn’t matter that the Steelers are looking at the Big Ugglies this year in the 1st couple rounds, I’m all juiced up for the DRAFT—I guess that “Sticky Icky” will do that to you. No Super Bowl Hangover for the fans—
Halellujah-Holla Back

 With Hampton’s conditioning practices over the years he’s gonna hit a wall and deteriorate pretty quickly, it’s not a sure thing but it’s very likely. His contract up in 2010 it’s best to acquire good options now rather than..

As for Aaron, he’s a different isn’t he? Best and most productive on the DL, he’s gonna be around for a couple more years.

LB’s are in good supply at the moment, so unless someone utterly unbelievable falls into our lap, I don’t see it.

Probably showing ignorance here,but who is “Deebo”…?

Defensive player of the year: James Harrison
Photo on front page..in casual wear and a good mood.

 I agree with alot of what yhou said but I don’tsee the Steelers using 2 of the first 4 picks on DL. M

Great responses to the post. All have made great points and a lot of what you are saying could come true. Here are some quick thoughts on my follow up to your thoughts:

- Phil Loadholt is 6’8, 345 lbs (not the 6’6, 315 I posted in one of the other posts, Sorry for the error). I’d like to watch tape of Loadhold because I think he’s going to be a better pro than college player. You have to admit it, to be that big and play LT for one of the premiere division 1 teams in the nation says a lot about his ability. I didn’t see him get outquicked against a Florida team in the championship game that usually make Ohio State’s unathletic tackles look like a turnstile. I believe Loadholt could start for the Steelers from Day One (particularly if the Steelers resign Starks and moves him to LT and move Colon inside to guard). Loadholt can develop his kick-step and even if hw needs help his first year, give him a running back to chip on his side. I see a lot of improvement in his game just by going up against Woodley and Deebo everyday in practice. The big positive is that he can maul in the running game from day one. Big Ben can’t end up on his back if he’s just handing the ball off most of the time. A lot of what is being said about Loadholt right now is what was said about the Chargers Marcus McNeil three years ago (too big, can’t move his feet, purely a right tackle, etc.) Those of you who watch football know that McNeil has played in 2 pro bowls at LT for one of the highest scoring offenses in the league. Also like McNeil, Loadhold might turn out to be a second round steal.

- With that said, a team cannot miss on its first round pick or it will have dire consequences on the team down the road. Alex Mack might be the Steelers safest choice at no. 32 and a need pick for them as well. Tomlin knows this line has to be rebuilt, and Mack and Starks would be a good start. Call me crazy, but if the Steelers went Mack at no. 32 and then Loadholt or Tupuo at no. 64, I think they would be well on their way to having a great first day. By the way, I still think this team will come out with 2 OL, 2 DL on day one.

- One good thing is that Dale Lolley mentioned on his most recent blog that he thinks the Steelers are going to try to lock up Starks with a long-term deal. He also said that he expects the Steelers to offer M. Smith a veteran minimum type deal with a lot of incentives tied to his getting paid by how many games he starts and plays in. M. Smith said in a Sirius interview to Pat Kirwan that he wants to retire a Steeler. But if you are K. Colbert, how in the world can you trust that back? The good thing is the team will have until August to make a decision because no one is going to throw big money at Smith early in free agency.

- There are some on here who have mentioned that it is too early to get the successors for A. Smith, Big Snack and B. Keisel on the roster right now. I disagree. Any young DL coming onto this team will need at the mininum a year just to learn the Steelers D and the way that John Mitchell teaches his lineman how to two-gap. Also, this gives the lineman a chance to grow into their position and increase their strength. The best time to draft for a particular postion is when that position already have starters in place. Bring in the young guys and lot the starters teach them what it means to play championship-caliber ball as DL for the Steelers. With 9 draft picks, the team will come out of this draft with 2 DE’s and 1 nose tackle. The great thing is that with our scouting department, the players that our scouts find in free agency could be better than whatever we nab in the draft.

- The only player I think the Steelers would trade up for is Michael Oher. And the highest that I think they would move up to is probably to no. 25. That would require the team giving up a 3rd, 4th and maybe another pick (a 6th) along with its first to go that high. Since I believe Oher will be gone by that time, I rather stay where the Steelers are drafting and move up in the 2nd round if need be to get a player that they absolutely must have. With the depth in the OL, DL, and WR in this draft, this might be the perfect time for the Steelers to sit tight and let a lot of talent fall to them. However, this depends a lot on Colbert being able to resign Starks and McFadden. If not, you are drafting to try and fill specific holes instead of drafting the very best players.

- I expect the Steelers to draft a WR in the 4th or 5th round. Everytime I saw Iglesias from the Sooners play, I thought I was seeing a young Hines Ward (tough, talented, good hands, underutizied in team’s offense, can help on special teams, big chip on his shoulders). Don’t worry about this guy not running a 4.4. He’s just a good football player who will get better and better every year.

- Blitz, U R correct. I look forward to the draft more each year than I do to the playoffs or Super Bowl. There is just something about looking at this young talent, projecting how it would fit in with this organization, and then seeing our scouts just blow everyone out of the water time and time again. It’s amazing that teams haven’t come calling yet for Steelers College Scouting Coordinator Ron Hughes and Pro Scouting Coordinator Doug Whaley.

- The Steelers special teams could be better next year than this year with the return of a healthy punter D. Sepulvada, LS Greg Warren, a legitimate returner (Stefan Logan) and LB’s D. Woods, Patrick Bailey, Mike Humpall, and hopefully the return of Keyaron Fox. Ryan Mundy and Roy Lewis have excellent shots at making this team as backups at safety and cornerback.

- Are there any of U out there doubting that Tomlin will have this team hungry again next year? I think there is going to be more competition for starting spots than what people think. That is the only way to make a good team better — keep bringing in competition. This offseason could lay the groundwork for a future Steelers dynasty. With Tomlin, Colbert, the team’s scouting department, and the current talent on hand, I like this team’s chances. I do think Tomlin will get a new deal averaging about what the top 5 coaches in the league are receiving for about 3 additional years (making his new contract a 5-year-deal).

- Santonio’s catch not only gave this team a sixth championship, but it probably saved Bruce Arians’ job as well. If Tomlin still chooses to go in a different direction for OC, RB coach Kirby Wilson will take over the playcalling and Tomlin will probably go outside to bring in someone for Larry Zierlein.
 
- Thoughts?

Truth thanks for the excellent update and responses. I’m on the same wavelength as you in just about all your comments . The draft is incredibly important and I think we have more long-term needs than many fans realize. OL and DL are fairly obvious but we also have to be focusing on ILBs and the secondary as well as WR depth. Even if McFadden stays (it’s maybe 50/50) we still have to inject young talent at safety; if McFadden leaves, then we need a CB fairly high in the draft. I’d be curious to know what you think about the possibility of CB/S Sean Smith or combo safety Louis Delmas being a “surprise” pick in the first round, especially if all six OTs and Mack are off the board. Is there a FA safety that is of interest to you? Remember last year the team looked at Cris Crocker and Eugene Wilson as potential FA acquisitions. Mundy might have some potential but overall, a year later, we need more help at safety than we did a year ago. Clark will be a FA next spring and both he and Troy get banged up the way they play.

As for DL, again I agree with you that the time is now to bring in and groom future replacements at DE and NT. The Steelers DEs in their 3-4 history have rarely been high draft picks. The run responsibilities (strength and lateral agility at the point of attack) and the ability to learn complex defensive schemes are more important than the flashy sack totals that highly-ranked DEs in the draft usually accumulate. That’s why I think it’s unlikely we would draft a DE in the first round. A guy like Purdue DE Alex Magee (6-4, 295) could be a very good addition in the third round. Your draft list includes two very interesting mid-round picks: DE Everette Pedescleaux (6-6, 305 and very athletic) and DL Sammie Lee Hill (6-4, 330) who actually played DE at a small school but projects as a NT. I saw a 10-minute clip of Pedescleaux and, while he played against lower competition and the clip obviously contains only highlights, his agility and quickness off the snap are incredible for a man of that size. Great frame and will obviously get stronger. Any combination of Magee, Pedescleaux and Hill among our four picks in rounds 3-5 could constitute great building blocks for the future. I think there are some FA D-lineman out there too that could contribute, perhaps a guy like C.J. Mosley of the Jets who is coming off his first contract and has played all three D-line positions.

You had some interesting speculation about potential coaching staff changes. We should hear fairly soon if anything is bubbling behind the scenes, though I agree with you that Arians has probably kept his job for another year. There is an old Tomlin quote that might apply to this situation. When he was coaching Tampa Bay’s secondary, one of his favorite Tomlinisms to his DB roster was: “I’ll tolerate you until I can replace you.” You have to wonder what his tolerance limit is for the offense, but obviously it’s pretty high. I agree with Maryrose in his analysis of the offense except for two points: The offensive line DID improve slightly in its pass blocking the second half of the season, and Zierlein deserves some credit for that. However the run blocking was inconsistent, often disastrous, from start to finish, with only a few blips of success along the way. I think it’s the OC’s job to call plays that take into account the strengths and weaknesses of the component parts. Only rarely (and usually with great success, including the first quarter of the Super Bowl) did he ever make Ben a moving target by design with bootlegs, counter roll-outs or what we used to call moving pockets. Just one of many problems.

Steeler.lifer, you made some great points and you also have the Steelers thinking in free agency down pack.

- If the Steelers sign any free agents, it will either be their own or someone who is young coming off their first contract. They hit the jackpot this past year with Keyaron Fox, M. Moore and Justin Hartwig. Excellent value for what they paid. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Steelers transitioned Starks again if they can’t reach a deal with him before free agency kicks off. They still don’t have a starting LT on the roster right now and the transition figure for Starks wouldn’t be out of the realm for a starting LT coming off a Super Bowl. Here’s hoping that Colbert can lock up McFadden and Starks before free agency kicks off.

- For all that was right that Arians did this year, I still think it if up to the offensive coordinator to teach his offense how to better pick up the blitz and protect their QB. Either he needed to do a better job with that or the Steelers need better OL or a combination of them both. That game against the Eagles this past year where they ran the same blitz and sacked Ben six times in one quarter is something that I’ve never seen before in my 25 years of following professional football. And whose fault is it to continue to start Willie Colon at RT over Starks for two years? It might not be Arians, but I still scratch my head about that one.

- I don’t see how this line will be better if Kendall Simmons is starting next year. He has a tough hill to climb to come back from his achilles injury, particulary with his diabetic condition, and he carries a pretty high cap number for a below-average starter at guard in the NFL. Frankly, I think he is worse than D. Stapleton. The only game where Stapleton appeared overmatched was the Super Bowl against Darnell Dockett. That’s nothing to be ashamed of there. Dockett is an all-pro player with a motor. He also had two tough games against H. Ngata of the Ravens, but the Steelers haven’t been able to consistently block Ngata since he came in the league. I’d like to see Essex and Colon in the mix for starting guards next year along with C Alex Mack (if the Steelers draft him). All, am I wrong on Kendall Simmons?

- I think the Steelers are fine at safety. Behind Clark and Palomula, you have A. Smith, Ryan Mundy and Roy Lewis (who can also play corner). I’m not a big Tyrone Carter fan, but apparently Tomlin is. And William Gay can play safety, too. Resigning B. McFadden, other than working at an extension with Deebo, is the most important offseason resigning for this team. BMac has all-pro potential and you can’t let those type of young players go if you can help it. He’s perfect for LeBeau’s D.

- The team can grab a NT on the second day. There are plenty of big bodies to choose from. And we don’t know who will be the gem that the scouting department will unearth. We just know that it will be someone.

 - And in responding to Mary Rose, if it came down to Britton or Loadholt, why not go get both? Take Britton at no. 32 and then trade back up in the second and take Loadholt. I hope they wouldn’t look at doing that specifically because it would probably mean that Max Starks has signed somewhere else. Like I’ve always said, you don’t want to make a strength a weakness. The Steelers have a young LT with upside that has started on 2 Super Bowl teams. He’s not Anthony Munoz, but he IS someone you can win Super Bowls with. Get’R Done.

Thoughts?

Im not sure if the Steelers will go for an O-lineman in the first portions of the draft. I still think they will go with offensive skill position players or look into enhacing the drefense.

I reallly have no basis for this thinking. But I think Tomlin wants to really put some work into improving the offensive skilled players pool and keeping the defense young and thirsty.

Go Steelers!