I do NOT suggest the following will happen (so don't reach for the vodka or hang me in effigy:only a "what if..."
Big Ben has two years remaining on a contract that involves a cap hit of over 10 million dollars per annum. Some time ago, I began to ponder draft strategies that would leave the Steelers well-prepared for life after Ben. While watching LSU tapes to check out their receivers {Landry is quite impressive--maybe as much as Beckham), I was VERY impressed with Zach Mettenberger's arm and delivery. At the time, he was rated as a 3rd or 4th round pick. Not so since his pro-day.
Mettenberger left scouts so impressed that he's now projected as a second round target for the Texans and Vikings, which raises the bar high enough that [as the following blog suggests] that the Bengals won't jump.
Likewise, I had run several mocks using Walter Football's big board on "On the Clock" to see what I might reap if I did something crazy...if I reached for Mettenberger with our second pick because he wouldn't last to our third. My reasoning was this: we REALLY need a three-down upgrade at IRB, so regardless of who's available, I'd pick Mosley or Shazier in round one (Shazier, I understand, can play both inside and outside as can Mosley), then Mettenberger in round two...where [until his pro day] he would have been available. Seemingly, not so anymore.
So I went to plan B...
What if Manziel, Bridgewater, Carr, or Bortles fell to our pick at #15? Maybe we could draft one of them to groom for life after Ben and STILL snag a top IRB in round 2 (including Borland from WI)!!! I therefore tried it several times on On the Clock just for kicks. The following mocks present my drafts both re selecting Mettenberger in the second and any of the above QBs @ #15.
What do you think? Is this a curve that the Steelers might throw us? Is it even possible?
R1 ILB C.J. MOSLEY, ALABAMA
R2 QB ZACH METTENBERGER, LSU
R3 DT DOMINIQUE EASLEY, FLORIDA
R4 OLB MARCUS SMITH, LOUISVILLE
R5 WR BRANDON COLEMAN, RUTGERS
R5 CB WALT AIKENS, LIBERTY
R6 OT WESLEY JOHNSON, VANDERBILT
R6 S BROCK VEREEN, MINNESOTA
R7 WR MICHAEL CAMPANARO, WAKE FOREST
R1 ILB C.J. MOSLEY, ALABAMA
R2 QB ZACH METTENBERGER, LSU
R3 WR CODY LATIMER, INDIANA
R4 CB RASHAAD REYNOLDS, OREGON STATE
R5 RB TYLER GAFFNEY, STANFORD
R5 OLB LAMIN BARROW, LSU
R6 DT RYAN CARRETHERS, ARKANSAS STATE
R6 OT WESLEY JOHNSON, VANDERBILT
R7 S BROCK VEREEN, MINNESOTA
R1 ILB C.J. MOSLEY, ALABAMA
R2 QB ZACH METTENBERGER, LSU
R3 DT DAQUAN JONES, PENN STATE
R4 WR ROB HERRON, WYOMING
R5 CB PHILLIP GAINES, RICE
R5 RB TYLER GAFFNEY, STANFORD
R6 OT WESLEY JOHNSON, VANDERBILT
R6 OLB CASSIUS MARSH, UCLA
R7 CB ANDRE HAL, VANDERBILT
R1 QB JOHNNY MANZIEL, TEXAS A&M
R2 DE STEPHON TUITT, NOTRE DAME
R3 CB PIERRE DESIR, LINDENWOOD
R4 ILB KHAIRI FORTT, CALIFORNIA
R5 WR BRANDON COLEMAN, RUTGERS
R5 RB TYLER GAFFNEY, STANFORD
R6 OLB CASSIUS MARSH, UCLA
R6 S BROCK VEREEN, MINNESOTA
R7 OT WESLEY JOHNSON, VANDERBILT
R1 QB TEDDY BRIDGEWATER, LOUISVILLE
R2 ILB C.J. MOSLEY, ALABAMA
R3 WR JARVIS LANDRY, LSU
R4 CB RASHAAD REYNOLDS, OREGON STATE
R5 CB PHILLIP GAINES, RICE
R5 RB TYLER GAFFNEY, STANFORD
R6 DE BEN GARDNER, STANFORD
R6 S BROCK VEREEN, MINNESOTA
R7 OT WESLEY JOHNSON, VANDERBILT