Steelers to work out Eric Wood

by acrollet on Mar 23, 2009 8:06 PM EDT Comment 17 comments

Louisville center Eric Wood is scheduled to visit the Steelers in the next couple of weeks and it a definite possibility to be the team's first-round draft pick.

Wood has been mentioned on here by Badmaafala and Datruth4life, but I haven't paid a lot of attention to his name, since Mack and Unger seem to be getting the most love around here. He says that he's willing to play guard, and has 49 consecutive starts at Louisville - seems pretty durable. Scout.com has a nice article about him.

Some linkage:

rival.com.

Bio at louisville's website.

So what do you draft gurus think? Is he a good pick at #32? Would anyone take him over Mack or Unger?

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As a UK fan I’m legally bound to hate all things Louisville, but that being said this guy could be as good as any center in this draft – and perhaps better suited than mack to a true zone scheme. First round sounds a little high to me though. Still, if he can man the middle for the next decade he’d be a bargin.

by BluegrassSteeler on Mar 23, 2009 8:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Love the loyalty

to your school. Thanks for your opinion on Wood. I know I have never seen a full game he has played in.

by SteelBuckeye on Mar 23, 2009 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If a pick with great value is available at #32

we could trade down to pick up Wood or Mack or Unger or Luigs. That would suit me just fine! There’s one pick I could see a lot of teams trading up for that could reach #32: Alphonso Smith. He would make great bait. Hell, I’m trying not to root for us to get him! (Rub temples, think Oline… Oline … Oline)

by betelgeuse on Mar 23, 2009 9:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

interesting thinking

you never know, they might go that route – especially considering we got screwed and the comp pick is only a 5th rounder…

by acrollet on Mar 23, 2009 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

wow

a 5th rounder only?

by SteelBuckeye on Mar 23, 2009 9:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Steelers are really keying in on the center position

Alex Mack was interviewed on a local Pittsburgh station today and he is meeting with the Steelers soon. He seems very intelligent and he claimed he would work his tail off to contribute immediately. I would be totally pumped if we grab this guy in the first round. The interviewer claimed he was the best center to come out of the draft in the last ten years. At pick #32 this would be a steal. Woods and Shippley are the backup plans.

by Dr Del on Mar 23, 2009 9:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah the center position is the most underrated position on the line. You always hear about road grading guards and elite blindside tackles, but you rarely hear about the smart and physical center that opens up the middle and diagnoses the defensive scheme like Dr. House. They usually only get noticed if they happen to be Sean Mahan.

This is a shame since we have a GREAT tradition of centers in Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson, and Jeff Hartings. In fact, there’s nothing like a loser like Mahan or an okay journeyman like Hartwig to make you appreciate the value of an elite center.

by BluegrassSteeler on Mar 23, 2009 10:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry Wood not Woods

Augusta is right around the corner and I have Tiger on the mind…..

by Dr Del on Mar 23, 2009 10:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

soundsg great, there is also caldell

by 2005steelers4life on Mar 23, 2009 10:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If Mack or a top five OT (Oher, Beatty, Smith, Monroe, Smith) makes it to 32...

We take them, otherwise trade down to try to pick up an extra 2nd and 3rd or 2nd and 4th and Grab Darius Butler (CB/KR UCONN) and Eric Wood or my sleeper Xavier Fulton (OT/ILLINOIS) and pick up Shipley in the 4th. I think Fulton (who posted the fastest 10 yrd time at the combine, which is what is important to a lineman) if moved to LG (where his lack of real side to side agility would be negated) could provide us a real replacement to Faneca. The only other scenario I would consider if I were Colbert is Oher. If he is available from 19 on, I would consider trading up for him. By far the most athletic tackle in the draft, and watching film, the guy is NFL Caliber LT. Pass Rushers are taken out of the picture and he is an above average run blocker. Would allow Starks to go back to the right side, willie colon to move inside, and let Stapleton and Kemo duke it out for the other guard spot. Throw in Fulton if they can keep a 2nd or 3rd rounder and pick him up and our left side is set up for the next 6 years. Just thoughts, I wouldn’t actually do the tackle guard combo at the expense of anything else, but just thoughts

by SteelCage on Mar 24, 2009 4:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The Bengals are very interested in him

"The team that scores the most points wins."
John Madden
(Master of the obvious)

by PixburghArn on Mar 24, 2009 10:22 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Well, we already know Palmer likes bigger hot dogs, so I’m not really surprised he’d be interested in Wood, too.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on Mar 24, 2009 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Are you saying...

He would love to take a snap from big Wood?

"The team that scores the most points wins."
John Madden
(Master of the obvious)

by PixburghArn on Mar 24, 2009 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He would like to be on the receiving end of big Wood, actually.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on Mar 24, 2009 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think he's saying that he just plain likes big wood

by SteelersFnRule on Mar 24, 2009 12:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think you're right

"The team that scores the most points wins."
John Madden
(Master of the obvious)

by PixburghArn on Mar 24, 2009 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

wood

I think #32 is too early for Wood. I’d go with Unger, who would be a hell of a guard and is even talked about as a T, like Brandon Albert was last yr. I don’t think C is as high a priority as G/T, DL, DB, and deep threat WR. We could still get Shipley w/ a 4th.
One last thing: Word is Miami is looking to trade higher picks to stockpile midround picks (a Parcell’s speciality.) No way 5-6 rookies make this team. I say we package our 5, 6 and both 7s and try to get a middle or low 4th.

by Auggie's dad on Mar 24, 2009 6:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs