Brandon Pettigrew?? A good draft choice!

BA likes a 2 tight end set, and like you said Heath Miller is a soon to be free agent. He would be line help of sorts and either contribute to a heck of a TE combo or (if Miller leaves) or will be an eventual #1 TE. I could see it.

Miller/Spaeth are a solid combo. Plus, the best TE in the Draft wouldn’t fall to us even if we wanted him. We have to much more pressing needs. OL, DL, CB, maybe add a WR

Spaeth is a horrible blocker, average hands with no yac-ability. Bad 3rd round pick.

Miller and Spaeth are great tight ends for the TE1 and TE2 spots. No way, we have more important positions to fill.

While it does seem unlikely that the Steelers would opt for a TE in the first round, there are reasons why it could happen. First, Pettigrew could easily be the best player available. Tight ends are rarely picked in the first round and his lack of timed speed is going to move him down some team’s draft boards. But he has excellent hands and the ability to contribute immediately as a blocker and receiving threat, especially in the red zone. Looks like a late first-rounder, early second-rounder. Miller is also going into the last year of his contract and while it would be great to re-sign him, it can’t be taken for granted that it will get done.

Secondly, Bruce Arians loves tight ends and runs a lot of sets with two or three TE. Here is a quote from Arians after the 2007 draft about why the team picked Spaeth in the third round: “I am a three tight-end guy … I like having three tight ends on the field a lot of times. It gives us a good personnel group, with two tight ends that can stretch the field and all three guys (Miller, Spaeth and, at the time, Tuman) can block the point of attack.” Arians described Spaeth as a guy who can stretch the field and “can also handle the point of attack” while giving the team flexibility to move Miller around. Added Arians: “It gives you more things that can create more problems for the defense, without having to put another receiver in the game. We can have Heath in the slot, Jerame in there and then throw Matt in there. It really gives us a ton of flexibility.” Here is what Arians thought he was getting with Spaeth: “He is like Heath, where he can handle those big defensive ends, he can block those outside linebackers and he can also get down the middle. He is a good athlete and can play on all special teams.”

Two years later, Spaeth has shown he can’t really stretch the field and can’t handle the point of attack. Tuman is long gone and the third TE now, McHugh, ended last season as the starting FB.

Thirdly, the best way for the Steelers to improve on offense next season and keep Ben healthy is to get better run blocking for a two-back regular rotation of Parker and Mendenhall. They also have to improve their short-yardage blocking. They’re going to want to see what Mendenhall can do with Parker going into the last year of his contract. Pettigrew is an outstanding run blocker who won’t get thrown around by defensive ends or even linebackers, as Spaeth is regularly. It’s going to be tough for a rookie OL to be an immediate upgrade on one of the returning starters, but Pettigrew would have an impact from Day 1 on run blocking from the TE position

As for Pettigrew’s character, the assault incident on the police officer was dealt with in court. The original felony charge was reduced to a misdemeanor to which he pled guilty. and paid a fine of $200 and did some community service. Favorable treatment for a college star? Maybe. He was drunk at a college party in January 2008 that turned into a fight, he tried to play peacemaker and later elbowed a police officer in the chest while he was being walked to a car. There were no incidents this past season and he was considered a team leader and hard worker.

All sorts of crazy things will happen on draft day but picking Pettigrew wouldn’t be all that crazy.

Some of you just didnt feel what I intended to tell about getting Pettigrew! I Never told he would fill a great need, and I WOULD ONLY draft HIM IF Oher, Andre Smith, Britton, Butler, Davis, Alphonso Smith, or Mack gets drafted before!

I would take Brandon instead of guys such as Unger and Sean Smith! Thats my feeling! And I tried to explain why. One thing for sure, we are a team that can WIN NOW!

Does anybody here think Brandon wouldnt be a great addition to our offense? ON THE RUNNING AND PASSING GAME? Was just for discussion! I think it worked! And most of the comments here I agree 100% , except saying Spaeth is a great TE. He never blocks, his after catch isnt good, has good hands but cant stand the hard hits!