NFL Draft Scout is probably the best draft preview site. Below I've put together their ranking of the top 125 players for this year, as of March 27. The rankings may have already changed since then so check out their site if you want updates at http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/top750.php?draftyear=2008

The NFLDS rankings are pretty good. Last year, 27 of their top 32 were picked in the first round (they ranked Timmons 33rd overall) and 53 of their top 64 were picked in the first two rounds; 81 of their top 100 were picked in the first three rounds.

NFL DS TOP 125                   
March 27

1. DE Chris Long       
   
2. DT Glen Dorsey                   
   
3. RB Bryant McFadden               
   
4. OT Jake Long                   
   
5. DE Vernon Gholston   
   
6. DT Sedric Ellis                   
   
7. QB Matt Ryan                   
   
8. OT Ryan Clady                   
   
9. OLB Keith Rivers                   
   
10. CB Leodis McKelvin               
    
11. RB Rashard Mendenhall           
    
12. QB Brian Brohm               
    
13. ILB Dan Connor               
    
14. CB  Mike Jenkins               
    
15. RB Jonathan Stewart               
    
16. DE Derrick Harvey               
    
17. CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie       
    
18. OT Chris Williams               
    
19. DE Philip Merling               
    
20. WR Devin Thomas               
    
21. WR DeSean Jackson               
    
22. OT Jeff Otah                   
    
23. WR Malcolm Kelly               
    
24. G Branden Albert               
    
25. CB Antoine Cason               
    
26. WR Limas Sweed               
    
27. OLB Quentin Groves               
    
28. DL Kentwan Balmer               
    
29. WR James Hardy               
    
30. WR Early Doucet               
    
31. FS Kenny Phillips               
    
32. RB Jamal Charles               
    
33. CB Aqib Talib                   
    
34. OT Gosder Cherilus               
    
35. ILB Jerrod Mayo               
    
36. RB Felix Jones                   
    
37. WR Andre Caldwell               
    
38. QB Chad Henne               
    
39. DE Calais Campbell               
    
40. QB Joe Flacco                   
    
41. OLB Xavier Adibi               
    
42. TE Martellus Bennett               
    
43. OT Anthony Collins               
    
44. C Mike Pollak                   
    
45. OLB Clifford Avril               
    
46. DT Trevor Laws                   
    
47. TE Fred Davis                   
    
48. CB Justin King                   
    
49. TE Dustin Keller               
    
50. CB Brandon Flowers               
    
51. DT Pat Sims                   
    
52. WR Mario Manningham           
    
53. OT Sam Baker                   
    
54. CB Reggie Smith               
    
55. ILB Curtis Lofton               
    
56. RB Chris Johnson               
    
57. OT Duane Brown               
    
58. RB Ray Rice                       
    
59. WR Earl Bennett               
    
60. OLB Erin Henderson               
    
61. RB Matt Forte                   
    
62. WR Donnie Avery               
    
63. G Roy Schuening               
    
64. ILB Tavares Gooden               
    
65. DE Lawrence Jackson               
    
66. CB Tracy Porter                   
    
67. DL Dre Moore                   
    
68. QB Andre Woodson               
    
69. C Steve Justice                   
    
70. OLB Marcus Howard               
    
71. TE Brad Cottam                   
    
72. CB Terrell Thomas               
    
73. OT Carl Nicks                   
    
74. OLB Shawn Crable               
    
75. WR Eddie Royal               
    
76. QB Josh Johnson               
    
77. ILB Jonathan Goff               
    
78. CB Charles Godfrey               
    
79. FS Dajuan Morgan               
    
80. DT Red Bryant                   
    
81. RB Tashard Choice               
    
82. DE Darrell Robertson               
    
83. WR Jordy Nelson               
    
84. OLB Bruce Davis               
    
85. FS Quintin Demps               
    
86. C John  Sullivan               
    
87. SS Tom Zbikowski               
    
88. CB Chevis Jackson               
    
89. DE Kendall Langford               
    
90. SS Tyrell Johnson               
    
91. TE John Carlson               
    
92. G Chilo Rachal                   
    
93. SS Josh Barrett                   
    
94. WR Will Franklin               
    
95. OT John Greco                   
    
96. DE Jeremy Thompson               
    
97. QB John David Booty               
    
98. DE Jason Jones               
    
99. RB Kevin Smith                   
    
100. DT-NT Athyba Rubin               
     
101. OT Oneal Cousins               
     
102. OL Mike McGlynn               
     
103. CB Dwight Lowery               
     
104. RB Steve Slaton               
     
105. OLB Jordan Dizon               
     
106. TE Jermichael Finley               
     
107. WR Jerome Simpson               
     
108. SS Craig Steltz               
     
109. OLB Wesley Woodyard           
     
110. OT Tony Hills                   
     
111. ILB Philip Wheeler               
     
112. WR Dexter Jackson               
     
113. G Donald Thomas               
     
114. SS Jamar Adams               
     
115. WR Paul Hubbard               
     
116. G Eric Young                   
     
117. DE-OLB Chris Ellis               
     
118. CB Antwuan Molden               
     
119. DL Demario Pressley               
     
120. TE Kellen Davis               
     
121. CB Tyvon Branch               
     
122. OLB Bryan Kehl               
     
123. DE Johnny Dingle               
     
124. ILB Beau Bell                   
     
125. WR Lavelle Hawkins   

AFC North rivals Baltimore and Cincy were the big winners when the NFL announced the awarding of 32 compensatory draft picks. Both get four extra picks, including one each at the end of the third round along with Atlanta and Washington. The Ravens other extra picks are in the fourth, sixth and seventh rounds.  I think the Bengals also get a sixth rounder and two in the seventh round. Chicago got three compensatory picks, all in the seventh round, and now have a total of 12 draft picks. A total of 15 teams were awarded comp picks. Pittsburgh not one of them.

News that the Steelers have signed veteran DT Anthony McFarland, who had been released by the Colts after failing a physical. Didn't see any contract details. McFarland had missed the entire 07 season after tearing a tendon at training camp. McFarland is 30, 6-0 300 pounds.  Solid veteran for many years in TBay before joining the Colts in 06. A good inside pocket pusher and decent against the run in his prime. Colorful guy, good in the locker room, part of two SB champs and was particularly good for the Colts in their playoff run. Not really any experience in the 3-4 but he figures to share time with Kiesel or perhaps even Hampton. Not sure how healthy he is or how much he has left in the tank. Perhaps this is an indication the Steelers will play more 4-3 than they have before.

This could be the end of FA acquisitions. Four signees, all in areas of obvious need: RB-Returner Moore, LB Fox, C Hartwig and DL McFadden.  By Steeler standards a very busy FA period and high marks for the FO responding to Tomlin's wishes. They're obviously committed to his vision of how he wants to build and improve his team.  The guy wants to win right now. I don't know how Colbert did it within a tight cap. Now they turn all their attention to unsigned RFAs (especially Washington), Starks and of course the draft. I think each NFL team is permitted 30 visits by draft eligible players and we'll get a good idea of who the Steelers are targeting in early, mid and late rounds.

Bumped. steeler lifer brings the goods again.

-Blitz-

About a month ago I did some speculation on how the 08 Draft picture looked for the Steelers. Mostly it was for self-education, trying to familiarize myself with good prospects and how the Steelers may approach the draft. It quickly became apparent that this will be a very challenging draft year for the Steelers. They have only six picks and a relatively late draft position. They need to focus on big bodies for the trenches (as per Tomlin's post-season assessment), but also on guys with speed and toughness who can contribute on special teams.

That is still the situation, but some things have changed. With the results of the combine, the start of free agency and a firmer consensus about the best prospects, I decided to go through the assessment of draft prospects again to see what the Steelers might now do. Granted, there is a lot that can and will change before the draft. This is idle speculation on the type of players who seem to fit the Steelers.

As before, I did a draft scenario with the current picks, and one scenario that included a prospective trade. While many fans want the Steelers to trade down, this is not easy to do. Someone else has to want to move up, to grab a player that makes enough of a difference to compensate for the loss of two or three picks. For the Steelers to move down, someone else has to be in love with a prospect that has been bypassed by 22 other teams. But it could happen in regard to projected second-half first-rounders like SS Kenny Phillips, CB Aqib Talib, WR James Hardy, WR Devin Thomas, LB Dan Connor, DT Kentwan Balmer and QB Brian Brohm. They're all excellent prospects who are not likely to be available past No. 40 overall.

In this case I finally settled on Minnesota as the trading partner. They have a total of 10 picks, including an extra third-rounder. They are an improving team with a few specific needs. With a few judicious impact picks, they could compete for a division title. So the deal goes down as the Steelers sending their first-rounder to Minnesota for picks in the second round (No. 47), third round (73) and fourth round (113-plus for compensatory picks). Believe it or not, that still leaves Minnesota owing Pittsburgh a mid-fifth-round pick (according to the Value Chart), but it seems so unreasonable that I put it over to 2009. Plus, being nice to the Vikings might make it more likely to happen.

As before, I used NFL Draft Scout and NFL Draft Countdown as the two main sources of player ranking. I went through other mock drafts to make sure I wasn't totally out of line with general consensus, thus excluding many guys who might very well be available on the real draft day. I tried to be reluctantly pessimistic rather than cautiously optimistic about the availability of Player X.

I identified team needs as follows:

1. Center
   
2. OT
   
3. Defensive End
   
4. Special Teams
   
5. Wide Receiver

Since my first list, we've added a backup RB-Returner in Mewelde Moore and a backup LB-special teamer in Keyaron Fox. I think we might still sign a backup DL or perhaps a Center once the Starks situation is resolved. I don't think we need to draft a RB or return guy. Our OT situation is uncertain but the two incumbents are returning, possibly along with the top backup. We might not need an OT to step in right away. At center, there is still no obvious upgrade, that's why it's my No. 1 need. The No. 4 priority of Special Teams concentrates on LBs, Safeties and DEs (a la Brett Kiesel). Wide Receiver makes the list because I think there is a good possibility Ced Wilson will be cut.

One other note. There will be a number of references to guys testing well at the Combine or their Pro Days. The Combine is often criticized because it seems to get more attention than it deserves, but it's an important evaluation. The Combine doesn't tell you if a guy is a good football player. Teams can see that on game film. But it does give teams an idea of a player's athleticism, preparation skills and mental acuity. Those factors help determine the extent to which a player can improve. All of these guys will have to improve to be successful at the NFL level.

MOCK DRAFT A
(Using Current Picks)

1. OG-OT Branden Albert (Virgina, 6-6, 309)
   
2. OC Mike Pollak (Arizona, 6-4, 301)
   
3. DL Red Bryant (Texas A&M, 6-4, 318)
   
4. LB Gary Guyton (Georgia Tech, 6-2, 245)
   
5. DE Brian Johnston (Gardner-Webb, 6-5, 276)
   
6. FS Corey Lynch (Appalachian St, 6-1, 204)

Comments: There is a reasonable chance that Albert will still be available. This is a best-case scenario. He's an outstanding prospect who could play guard at a high level or move to OT and play at a high level. The only negative is that he is a Junior who might need a year before being ready to play full-time.  If we're going to draft a center, we might as well draft the best prospect, Pollak. He won't be the Best Player Available, which makes this a risky pick, but he will be given every opportunity to play right away, perhaps before Albert. Red Bryant is a huge DT who did fairly well at the Senior Bowl and showed unexpected quickness and athleticism at the Combine. He could spell Kiesel right away, provide flexibility for 4-man fronts and perhaps even figure as a NT in the future. Gary Guyton has played primarily OLB. Good size, excellent speed, ST coverage prospect. DE Brian Johnston is a small school DE who has just enough size, dominated at his level and tested very well, displaying exceptional speed-strength numbers. He's a ST contributor and long-term D-line project. This pick is probably dependent on whether the Steelers sign a FA D-lineman before the draft. If we do, it's overkill to pick another here and could also affect how the team would view the earlier selection of Bryant. Like Johnston, FS Corey Lynch also played at a lower level at Appalachian State but was outstanding in his post-season all-star game and is considered a ST ace. This draft meets most of the needs, but is also risky with a reach at center, an underachieving college DL (Bryant) and two small-school picks.

MOCK DRAFT B
(Current Picks, No top O-lineman Available)

1. DT Kentwan Balmer (North Carolina, 6-5, 308)
   
2. OT Duane Brown (Virgina Tech, 6-4, 315)
   
3. ILB Philip Wheeler (Georgia Tech, 6-2, 248)
   
4. OL Jeremy Zuttah (Rutgers, 6-4, 303)
   
5. WR Adarious Bowman (Oklahoma St, 6-3, 223)
   
6. FS Corey Lynch (Appalachian St, 6-1, 204)

Comments: My feeling at this point is that all of the top five O-lineman (Long, Clady, Williams, Otah and Albert) will be off the board when the Steelers pick. The team choice then is to pick the highest-rated trench prospect (Balmer) or reach for the next best OT (Cherilus, Nicks, Baker or Collins, none of whom figure to be available late in the second round). My choice is Balmer. He has excellent size, quickness and is a good fit for 3-4 DE. The second-round pick is OT Brown, an athletic LOT candidate. In the third round, presuming Pollak is off the board, we could reach for a different center but I'd rather pick a guy like ILB Philip Wheeler. He could be groomed as James Farrior's replacement while contributing immediately on ST. He's an in-the-box, attacking type of LB with great pass-rush and tackling skills. A nice future complement at ILB with the speedy Timmons. Having chosen Brown over Pollak in the second round, the Steelers have to try to find a center prospect later in the draft. Jeremy Zuttah played OT at Rutgers but is projected as a guard. Great strength and speed and says he is willing to move to center. He might be a better gamble than projected late-round centers like Fernando Velasco. Big WR Adarious Bowman would be a value consideration if he continues dropping down the draft charts. Lynch is for special teams and also provides depth at a position the Steelers have been seeking help this off-season. Overall, this is a somewhat risky draft that has good athletes at key positions, but also fails to provide an obvious answer at Center.

MOCK DRAFT C
(Trade Down with Minnesota)

2. OT Carl Nicks (Nebraska, 6-6, 325)
   
2. OC Mike Pollak (Arizona, 6-4, 301)
   
3. DL Red Bryant (Texas A&M, 6-4, 318)
   
3. WR Jordy Nelson (Kansas, 6-3, 217)or WR Jerome Simpson (Coastal Carolina, 6-2, 200)
   
4. FB Owen Schmidt (West Virginia, 6-2, 247)
   
4. LB Gary Guyton (Georgia Tech, 6-2, 245)
   
5. DE Brian Johnston (Gardner-Webb, 6-5, 276)
   
6. FS Corey Lynch (Appalachian St, 6-1, 204)

Comments: With the Vikings' pick at No. 47, the Steelers have a decent shot at getting an OT out of a group that includes Nicks, Gosder Cherilus, Sam Baker and Anthony Collins. Baker has slid down the charts and Nicks might also, after getting arrested recently on campus. Duane Brown is also a consideration. The other benefits of the trade show up in the third and fourth rounds. With extra picks, the Steelers can jump on a quality biggish WR like Jordy Nelson or Jerome Simpson. Nelson is a solid prospect with size and decent speed while Simpson is faster, has decent size, great hands and athletic ability. He played at a lower level and was under the radar until shining in post-season play and the Combine. With an extra pick in the fourth round the Steelers could go for monster FB Owen Schmidt rather than a third OL candidate. At the very least Schmidt could contribute immediately on special teams and short-yardage situations. By going after a WR in the third round, the Steelers have to look at a LB a little bit later so Guyton fits in, while Johnston is a good complement to Bryant while contributing on ST and learning DE under Aaron Smith and Kiesel. This draft scenario actually gives Pittsburgh one less choice (in the fifth round) than they would be owed from Minnesota. Overall, this draft would meet almost all of our immediate and longer term needs at key positions

CONCLUSIONS

The big question is what the Steelers will do if all the top O-line prospects are off the board by No. 23. Do they reach for the next best OT prospect (probably Cherilus), take the best athlete athlete (perhaps Balmer, CB Aqib Talib or WR James Hardy) or trade down. I doubt they would reach for an OT in the first round if a better DL prospect is still available. There's no doubt in my mind that trading down could produce a better draft than by standing pat, even with picking a premium OL like Albert. Another problem is at Center. This is considered a poor crop of centers, but taking a guy with conversion potential seems like a bigger gamble than taking a guy who at least played the position fairly well in college.

Bumped from the diaries. steeler lifer's batting average has been remarkably high on previous potential free agent signings and personnel decisions. Here's to hoping there's some magic left in his bat. Get it done Steelers! Photo and caption added by myself.

-Blitz-

Here's some background on the latest FA to visit the Steelers, former Dolphin G-C Rex Hadnot. I mentioned him briefly yesterday in the discussion about the Moore signing and lo and behold he is in Pittsburgh today.

Hadnot is 26, 6-2 and 325. Just finished his fourth year with the Dolphins. Parcells actually wants him back but probably only as a backup G-C since the signing of Justin Smiley. He apparently wants too much money and there was even speculation in Miami the Dolphins would franchise him, but clearly Parcells was looking in another direction. I don't think the oft-injured and inconsistent Smiley is a big improvement, if any.

Hadnot has actually had a decent 4-year stretch in Miami as a 6th-round pick in 04. He was drafted as a center but played the position only in his senior year at Houston. In Miami, he started a few games at guard his rookie year and several at guard in 05 before replacing injured Seth McKinney at center late in the season. Started all of 06 at center but then moved back to RG in 07 after the Dolphins drafted Samson Satele in the second round.

Hadnot shows the leverage and sheer strength against Ethan Kelly that was
rarely on disaplay from Simmons and Mahan last year

Overall, he's been one of the Dolphins better O-lineman in his three years of steady work. Some people might say that doesn't mean much, but the Dolphins line played well in 05 and actually was pretty decent for the first half of 07. Injuries and head coaching-OC changes have also had an impact. Hadnot had an excellent O-line coach in Hudson Houck for three years (05-07).

He is a big guy (6-2, 325), considered smart, a hard worker, nasty, agile for his size and somewhat of a team leader.  But he's also inconsistent, blows assignments and is not as strong as his size might indicate. I read numerous comments about him being thrown around by Warren Sapp in one memorably awful game, but he isn't the first center to have that happen to him. He seems to have regressed the past year and probably the fact the Dolphins drafted a center in 07 means they weren't happy with his play there in 06.

On the other hand, he might just need a change of scenery. I like his size, attitude and the fact he has played the position with at least adequate skill. He's not a conversion project. He's respected. If you go around the league, you'd swear that 20 teams are unhappy with their center. It's a position that gets very little respect. With the size of interior D-lineman in this era, and rotations throwing fresh bodies, center is an extremely tough position to play.

I've done a lot of research about veteran solutions to the Steelers' problems at center and there are simply no easy outs. Jeff Faine was probably the pick of the litter and he signed with TBay for six years, $37.5 mill including $12 mill in bonuses.

Hadnot is far from a perfect solution but I think there is a  chance he could respond to a new situation that is much more positive and stable than what he has experienced the last four years. He's probably asking for too much money but the longer he goes unsigned, the cheaper he will get.

In many respects Hadnot is similar to Max Starks in that he is a relative big guy for his position whose play has been inconsistent and skill-set is limited. Hadnot has some leadership skills that Starks has not displayed. I think RT is an easier position to fill than center, especially in this draft. I would rather spend $3-$4 mill on a Hadnot than approx. $4 mill on Starks.

Before hearing of Hadnot's visit to Pity, I had thought there was only about a 10 per cent chance of getting him. Now it might be 50-50, as Hadnot has already visited teams without a deal and might want to get something done at a discount.

I'd still expect us to draft a center, maybe targeting Rutgers T Zuttah as a conversion project. But Hadnot provides insurance and the versatility to play guard at probably a higher level than anyone on our current roster. The chances of drafting a good center in the late rounds are very slim. If you go through the last 5-6 years of the draft, it is filled with middle- to late-round centers who don't pan out, and many higher-drafted ones who bust or are turned into utility lineman.

Probably the best chance of improving our center position is to get better play from our guards. If Hadnot stays at guard then perhaps that will result in bettter play from Mahan. More likely, Hadnot is being targeted as a center.

The implications of a Hadnot signing could be dramatic for other guys on the roster. I wouldn't dismiss the possibility of Simmons being traded and the Steelers eating his bonuses as dead money under next year's cap. Simmons would be a bargain for other teams, with four years left at a relatively low base salary. We could proably get a third- or fourth-round draft pick for him.

NOTE: Having nothing better to do on a rainy day, inspired by high-quality herbal substances to take an unorthodox view of the Steelers' quandary on the offensive line, I offer the following entirely fictional and irrelevant scenario for people with a warped and forgiving outlook on life.

This story is not intended to deride, embarrass or otherwise defame anyone in real life. If Blitz is uncomfortable with it, then of course it should not be on the site but perhaps distributed privately to those who might find it humorous or at least a harmless way to spend 10 minutes grappling with it. I will leave it up to Blitz ....

In the meantime:

STARTING AT GUARD, IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE:
SOMEONE WE DON'T KNOW YET

In a small boardroom, in a parallel universe accessed only through the warped minds of a few select souls, the three head honchos of the Pittsburgh Steelers are gathered for their annual off-season strategy meeting. In this parallel universe, the Steelers have never won a Super Bowl, never made the playoffs, and have held the No. 1 overall draft pick for 32 of the last 40 years. Only rarely, however, have they made the first overall selection, thanks to a long-held tradition of trading away the pick for aging veterans or a staggering number of lower picks in the annual draft of college talent. This year is no exception, as they hold the No. 23 pick overall despite finishing with a record of 1-15, the only victory (by the precedent-setting score of 4-2) coming at the expense of the New England Patriots (hated in every parallel universe) and their coach, Billy Bettacheet.  This year, however, the Steelers have only six total selections, a significant decline from the 23 draft picks they had in 2007. Twenty-one of those draftees were cut at training camp and now work for FedEx in the Pittsburgh area. Of the other two draft picks, one is a backup center and the other is in Italy studying for the priesthood, in his spare time running a popular web site called Behind the Venetian Blind.

The three men are gathered at one end of a long table. Scattered around the table is the latest in high-tech communication technology: an 8 mm movie camera propped up on one side by three Steelers playbooks (each of them a quarter-inch thick) and aimed at a screen at the other end of the room; several coloring books and a giant pack of 64 different colored crayons. In front of each man is a glass, between them a pitcher of fruit punch flavored Kool-Aid. To one side is a plate of foil-wrapped baked potatoes and a container of sour cream.

At the head of the table is the owner, Art (Fart) Looney III. Fart Looney is wearing bermuda shorts, flip-flops and a brilliant tangerine and lime green Hawaiian shirt festooned with topless hula dancers. He's in his early thirties, lean and tanned after spending most of the last decade as a beachcomber and freelance sand sculpture artist in southern Baja. Like his father, Art (Bart) Looney II, he grew up with the schoolyard nickname 'Toon'. Unlike his father, a big man who worked off-seasons in the steel mills and was five-time wrist-wrestling champion of Pennsylvania before his recent tragic death (choking on the bottlecap of an Iron City beer he had attempted to chew rather than drink), Fart is a skinny guy with an aversion to physical exertion of any kind except scuffling along a beach and sweeping a metal detector from side to side. However, also unlike his father, Fart has a few active brain cells. In that respect he is more like his grandfather, Artie (Smarty) Looney, the scion of the Looney clan who made his fortune nearly a century earlier in potato futures, having correctly predicted the end of the Potato Famine in Ireland. From the day Smarty Looney purchased the Steelers, there had been a bowl of baked potatoes in the Steeler boardroom for all meetings. The sour cream is new, having been Fart Looney's first executive decision.

''Great idea, Fart,'' says the man seated to the left of the owner. ''This sour cream is kinda goopy but adds a certain je ne sais squat to the taters.''

Fart Looney squinted as he watched the general manager of the Steelers dig into his baked potato, the sour cream dripping down his chin and onto his copy of the team's player roster in front of him. Devin Gilgroom had been GM of the Steelers since leaving Duquesne University only 23 credits short of a degree in Recreation Management. He had become friends with Bart Looney while working nights behind the counter of Bart's favorite bowling alley, Spare Time. In the 10 years that Bart had been a regular at Spare Time, the Steelers off-season bowling team had won five NFL championships. Bart found that young Devin seemed to have a lot of good ideas about what was wrong with the Steelers and Bart quickly came to the conclusion that Devin was a bit of a genius about football, maybe even what they called an idiotic savant. The day after a strike shut down Spare Time, Devin was hired as the Steelers new GM.

''That's 'quois' Devin. Not 'squat','' corrected Fart. ''Je ne sais quois, which means I don't know what.''

''Well I don't know what it is either, but it is what it is and by that I mean it isn't what it isn't,'' added the man seated to Looney's right. ''If you don't mind, Mr. Looney, I'm going to go forward to the next potato. This is my kind of eatin'.''

Fart Looney turned his gaze to the second-year head coach of the Steelers, Tenzing (Zinger) Ling. The first Tibetan head coach in the history of the NFL, Zinger Ling had arrived in Pittsburgh 20 years earlier as a teenager. Fed up with the thousands of tourists trekking up and down in front of his mud hut in the Himalayan mountains, Tenzing went for a hike one day and never come back. When he reached Pittsburgh on a January afternoon, he knew he had found a place that no sane person would ever visit just to go for a walk. He slept in alleyways and storefronts until, one cold night, a giant of a man walking past the store  noticed the shivering, emaciated mound of Tibetan misery, stopped and said, 'Hey kid, catch,'' and threw him a No. 75 Pittsburgh Steelers jersey.

From that day forward, Zinger pursued mastery of the game of football with the same misdirected zeal that sent thousands of climbers to their deaths on the slopes of the Himalayan mountains. He sought out playgrounds and neighborhood streets all over the city, picking up the nuances of the game and the local language. He shagged balls at high school and college practices. He wore his No. 75 jersey to tailgate parties and learned about plays from the most knowledgeable fans. For a while, he had a concession stand at Three Rivers Stadium called 'Good Eatin', selling warm goat's milk and Yak jerky sent to him by his grandmother. After games he would hang out at local bars and absorb what the football gurus were discussing. One day, after drinking too much fermented goat's milk during a 37-6 loss to the Browns, he bravely entered a discussion about a Bubby Brister interception and said, ''It is what it is and it isn't what it isn't.'' It was the nearest interpretation he could think of to a famous inspirational message from a Tibetan god symbolizing passive acceptance of earthly body imperfections. The crowd at the bar went quiet, as each man and overweight woman weighed the words and realized the truth of their luckless lives as Steeler fans. From that day forward, at that bar, Zinger always had the last word on arguments about play selection and the stupidity of various assistant coaches.

It was inevitable that one day Bart Looney would wander into that bar, belch his famous beer burp as an introduction ('Hey buddy, just call me BAAARRRRRRT,') and meet Zinger. At exactly that moment of Bart's belched introduction, Zinger knew he was experiencing a life-changing event on the same scale as the day that black and gold No. 75 Steelers jersey drifted over his soaking wet little head. This would be his way up the mountain. He would either reach his Everest, the Super Bowl, or die trying. One thing he knew for sure: as long as he was with the Steelers and a bowl of baked potatoes was available every day, he would never die of starvation. Every day, he thanked the Tibetan gods (every last freaking one of them, in the hundreds), a task which over the first year as head coach resulted in nothing happening at the Steelers practice facility until mid-afternoon. On game days, Zinger would limit his prayers to only the most important 75 Tibetan gods and therefore make it to the field a few minutes before kickoff.

For not the first time since he had met Zinger, Fart Looney closed his eyes and wondered what in God's name (Fart didn't believe in any) his father had been thinking the day he promoted Zinger from team yoga instructor and punt return coach (for Zinger could catch any punt, in any conditions, with one hand behind his back and his eyes closed) to head coach. He couldn't fire Zinger because the Steelers, through Zinger's lifetime deal, were now essentially subsidizing the Dalai Lama and feeding thousands of starving Tibetans every single day. This had been the source of the only good news about the Steelers for the past quarter-century, and Bart Looney had received the Nobel Prize for Peace just two months before his tragic beer bottle cap death. To fire Zinger would cause a firestorm of bad publicity the likes of which had not been seen since Sinead O'Connor had shaved her head, ripped the Pope and done that horrible song on Saturday Night Live.

No, the only way to get rid of Zinger was for the Steelers to win the Super Bowl. According to his contract, Zinger had promised to light himself on fire and proceed directly to heaven should that unlikely event ever occur. Without realizing it, Fart reached into one of the pockets of his Bermuda shorts and tried a few practice flicks of his Bic lighter. A minute later, the smell of burning flesh all too close to the family jewels brought him back to reality and the purpose of this meeting. Yes, it was true that Fart had some of his grandpa's smarts, but not all of them ... especially since finding that bale of Mexican Red washed up on the beach just north of Santa Rosa.

''OWW! ..... Ummmm, okay gentleman,'' said Fart, rubbing his thigh and bringing his singed fingers out of the toasty confines of his pocket. ''Let's proceed to the matter at hand, which from what I understand is to evaluate our team and decide on a course of action in regards to the draft and players we might sign as free agents. Is that right?''

Fart picked up his copy of the roster and let go a sigh of relief. It was the longest he had talked in nearly four years and all those words had exhausted him not just physically, but mentally. He closed his eyes, took a breath, and visualized a stretch of pure, unmarked white beach, the surf gently sliding away with the outgoing tide and the sun warming his back. Ahhh ... his hands itched for the familiar feel of the worn leather handle of his metal detector ...The unnaturally high squeaky voice of Gilgroom brought him back to reality.

''Well boss, you will be glad to know that we are generally in pretty good shape for next season. Most of the starters are coming back, we've got some good-looking kids ready to move up, and we've pinpointed some prospects that will get us out of the basement and into the penthouse of the NFL.''

''Yes, that is as stated the state of the nation,'' chipped in Zinger. ''I couldn't have stated it any better. The dinner table is full and we are ready to satisfy our hunger for material success.''

''Hmmmm,'' replied Fart, bringing out the crooked pair of reading glasses he had found one day on a nude beach near Los Cabos, and focusing on a long sheet of statistical results from the previous season. ''Well, after winning one out of 16 games last season, it would seem to me that coming back with much the same roster, most of them being players over 35 years of age, we should be making a few changes. What about this number here ... our quarterback was sacked 132 times. Is that correct? What's the league average?''

Gilgroom got out the latest copy of Football Digest, leafed through a few pages and put his finger on a line of statistics.

''Well, that is a good point you raise, Fart. That was in fact a record number of quarterback sacks, not only for our team but in the entire history of the NFL. According to my sources, the average number of sacks around the league is about 32. So we were somewhere north of that.''

''North or south or east or west, it is not the direction you go but the destination you strive to reach which is important,'' said Zinger. ''Our destination and our destiny are linked to only one station in the railway of life as we know it in the material world, and that is the Super Bowl. And I, for one, and I can speak also I believe for Mr. Gilgroom so that makes two, am all aboard for that particular train and seated comfortably in the dining car. We are holding a seat for you, Mr. Looney, and there are enough baked potatoes for everyone to eat.''

Fart felt a headache coming on. It had been a couple hours since his last joint and he was coming down fast to a place that wasn't Los Cabos. But somewhere in his Looney soul he felt something stiffen ... no, not that, more like an internal resolve. He looked up at the patrician portrait of his grandfather, Smarty Looney, hanging at the other end of the room and felt a sudden kinship not just to the tubers that had made his family wealthy, but also the roots.

He sat up straight in the chair, fixed his squinty sun-baked eyes on first Gilgroom and then Zinger, and grabbed a brand new red crayon from the pack of 64.

''Let's do this right, gentlemen. Let's start at the top with what seems to be source of this problem with quarterbacks being sacked, the offensive line. Where exactly do we stand and what can we do to improve it.''

''We stand now with four of our starting players coming back and several well-trained as backups who will push themselves and the others to be better football players and human beings,'' said Zinger.

''That's right Fart. We're in good shape for a better season,'' added Gilgroom. ''We've lost our best offensive lineman, but we have a great big kid ready to step in and do a great job. Plus, just about all of our linemen can play another position just about as well as they play their first position, maybe better.''

''Hmmmm ... well, by the looks of things, maybe some of them should be playing that other position,'' said Fart, surveying the names and ages and positions of all the linemen under contract for next year. ''What about our left tackle. According to this we are paying for medical services to correct a problem in his back. Isn't a back injury kind of serious?''

''Well, that's true, Fart. But we only have to put up with his bad back for another season and then he becomes a free agent and then it becomes someone else's problem.''

''Yes, it is so unfortunate that he had failed to master the basic yoga positions,'' added Zinger. ''His limbs became frozen in a knot during the Butterfly Morning movement and his back has not been the same since.''

''So our left tackle has a limited lifespan as a Steeler, and the left guard who was our best player, from what I've heard, has apparently given us the finger. What about our center, this Irish guy.''

''Well, he's not in fact a center,'' said Gilgroom. ''He's a guard who is trying really hard to be a center and after practising getting thrown to the ground for a year, we think he will be much better this season.''

''Whose idea was it that he could be a center?'' asked Fart. ''It says here we went out and scouted and signed him to do just that. Shouldn't we have been scouting and signing a real center?''

''Mr. Looney, sir, we already had a real center on the team who had been trained diligently for that very job for a good long time,'' said Zinger. ''However, we felt his personal growth had maximized to a level which was not consistent with the standards required to reach our destiny, thus we set him free, as does the mother Eagle with a deformed young chick, by pushing him out of the nest. He has not been seen since. Also, we have another young disciple of the very center position of which you speak who is training and studying to someday be capable of being a real backup to the real center, whoever that will be someday.''

''Someday soon?''

''That is now a matter for the gods,'' said Zinger. ''Should they shine on us, it might be only a few years away. For certain, it is no one we know yet.''

''Alrighty then,'' sighed Fart. ''Let's move on to the right guard position, which it says here is played by someone we just signed to a big contract despite a history of injury, illness and generally run-of-the-mil performance on those odd occasions when he is 100 per cent.''

''Well, that is a problem,'' admitted Gilgroom, ''because last year he was healthy but wasn't quite up to his run-of-the-mill standard. In fact, almost everyone ran right over him from Game 1 to Game 16. However, he is a really great guy and we think he can improve back to his usual run-of-the-mill performance, or we can move him to center to replace the other guy who isn't really a center.

''Is there any reason to think he can be better there?'' asked Fart, a note of irritation creeping into his voice.

''Ummm ... no,'' said Gilgroom. ''But there's also no reason to think he would be worse than the Irish guy. Or, if we don't sign someone we don't know yet to replace the guy who gave us the finger, we can move him to left guard. Actually, he might be better than run-of-the-mill there, or at least better than the big guy we've trained for a few years who is kinda slow in a couple of ways ... ''

''Do you have any indication that's the case? That the run-of-the mill right guard might be nearly as good as the guy who gave us the finger, or better than the slow guy, or someone we don't know yet?'

''Ummm ... no. But someone we don't know yet might be better than all of them.''

''OK, if this guy we just signed again last year to play right guard, moved to the left guard, who would play right guard?''

''If I may, Mr. Looney sir,'' interjected Zinger, ''we have an ideal candidate to move into the right guard position, and that would be the person who has played the right tackle position.''

''Absolutely correct Zinger,'' added Gilgroom. ''He did a pretty darn good job for a kid with short arms at right tackle. He's almost certainly much better at guard. And the guy at center who isn't really a center might be a good run-of-the mill guard.''

''This right tackle has short arms?'' asked Fart, a spark of anger giving his voice an edge that sounded foreign to his own ears. ''Does he in fact have two arms?''

''Yes, he most definitely has two short arms, Mr. Looney sir,'' said Zinger in a confident tone of voice. ''I have seen them both with my own eyes, a right arm and a left arm. Both short.''

''Alright then, we have a guy with two short arms who could play one of the guard positions better than our other guys, maybe. But what would happen at right tackle if this short-armed guy moves over? Please don't tell me Dr. Richard Kimble is going to follow the guy with short arms and take over at right tackle.''

''Oh geez you are a hoot,'' laughed Gilgroom. ''Oh no, The Fugitive won't be playing right tackle. We think it could be someone we don't know yet. Or, it could be someone we know but don't have under contract yet. He is huge and used to be our starter, but we also know he wasn't good enough to beat out the guy with short arms, and it will cost us more than we are paying the short-armed guy to get him back. And if it isn't someone we don't know yet, or the guy we know who we don't like and would have to pay too much to, then it could be our left tackle. But only if our left tackle is replaced by someone we don't know yet who turns out to be better than we thought.''

''The guy with the bad back who is leaving in a year anyway might spend his final year at right tackle?''

''Yep, that guy, in fact he might be better at right tackle than left tackle.''

''Because of the bad back? Don't you need a good back to play any of the positions?''

''Yes, sir, that is most very much correct in your analysis again,'' said Zinger. ''But he is very healthy in many other respects and, at right tackle, his infirmities do not so negatively impact his performance as they would at left tackle.''

''And why is that?''

''Because, Mr. Fart sir, as we have seen from many years of studying football, the right-handed quarterback is much less likely to become mortally wounded and leave this earth as we know it, if he can see the defensive player coming right at him, then he would be if he is being pursued by an unblocked defensive player coming from behind him. A big player. Unseen. With many pounds of pressure and much built up aggression and vehemence in his unseen approach. That is a most unfortunate situation for our quarterback to be in.''

''How many quarterbacks have we gone through?''

''We have been so very lucky with this quarterback but before then we went through many, sir.''

''So, Gilgroom and Zinger, let me see if I have this straight. Looking at the offensive line from left to right as the quarterback would if he were upright, which apparently is a body position he doesn't stay at for very long. We have an old guy with a bad back who isn't going to be here long anyway at left tackle, if he plays at all, unless he moves to right tackle only if someone we don't know yet is better than we think. We have a hole at left guard which might be filled by a veteran who is, at best, run-of-the-mill, or by the short-armed guy, or someone we don't know yet. We have a center who isn't really a center but might get better or be replaced by someone who also isn't a center or someone we don't know yet, or even this guy who might someday be good enough to be a real backup. At right guard we have a guy who if he isn't injured or ill is run-of-the-mill, or who might be replaced by the short-armed guy. And at right tackle we have the short-armed guy who might get better, or the left tackle whose bad back might hold up, or by someone we don't know yet. In fact, someone we don't yet might be playing two or three positions.

''That's about it Fart. You got it. But you left out a couple things.''

''And those would be ... ''

''Well, those guys we don't know yet, we may not know who they are, but they are pretty darn good.''

''And what's the other thing,'' interrupted Fart, his hand returning to his pocket and fumbling with the Bic lighter, his mind contemplating the possibility that setting himself on fire might be preferable to another minute in this room.''

''If I may say so, sir,'' said Zinger, ''the other good thing is that our quarterback can run like the wind that blows over Mt. Everest in winter.''

''He can run like hell, huh?''

''Oh yes, most certainly. He is what he is and most fortunately for him he is a most excellent runner ... Now, one more potato for you sir? This meeting has given me a most incredible hunger. We have only six more position groups to which we must give our full attention and be prepared to create the timetable for our journey to destiny and the Super Bowl.''

''And don't forget the special teams Zinger,'' added Gilgroom.

''Special teams? What are special teams?'' asked Fart, the steely resolve of his Looney soul beginning to crack.

''Fart, you don't wanna know,'' said Gilgroom, dumping another gob of sour cream on his baked potato. ''We're really up shit creek there.''

Bumped. Fantastic stuff from steeler lifer once again. Thanks as well to maryrose for the mega database he put together. You can get a copy of his work by emailing the address he provides in this diary.

-Blitz-

The Draft is still almost three months away but the cyber world is full of draftniks and prospect gurus. So why should we in Steeler-land be any different? With that in mind, I decided to try to get a handle on who we might end up seeing as new Steelers in late April.

This is not going to be an easy year for the Steelers to make a big splash in the Draft. They don't have a really high pick (23rd overall), nor do they have a lot of picks (six). Nor will they lessen the pressure for a good draft by signing two or three impact free agents. That's just something they don't do. On top of that, they go into the draft needing immediate help on the offensive line and rotation guys on the d-line. Those positions won't provide much help on coverage teams. They also need a kick returner.

We only have six picks, and obviously all of our needs can't be met in the draft. Everyone has their own opinion about the Steelers needs. Here is my top five list:

1. Center: We have no upside except longshot prospect Darnell Stapleton or conversion project Simmons.
   
2. Offensive Tackle (even if Starks returns): We don't have a guy who, in two years, we can say for sure will be a first-rate LOT, trusted with protecting our first-rate QB. We need to try to get that guy in this year's draft.
   
3. DE: We have no backups behind Keisel and Smith except longshot prospect Ryan McBean
   
4. LB: We have little depth or quality behind Harrison and Woodley, and Farrior is near the end of his career.
   
5. Kick returner: We have Rossum, nuff said.

There are other needs. We have only mediocre receiving threats out of the backfield. We could use a better power runner. We need a big WR for depth and red zone efficiency. No one would sneeze at getting a top-class CB. But we only have six picks. There will be plenty of WRs, RBs and FBs who go undrafted and post-Draft efficiency with FAs is a Steeler strong suit.

As far as the Draft is concerned, obviously there are some good prospects to fill the needs. But our relatively late Draft position, and having just six picks, make it tricky. For example, at No. 23 we may miss out on the consensus top five OTs (Long, Clady, Otah, Baker, Williams). The alleged best center available (Mike Pollak) is a late second-rounder at best but he could be gone by the time we make our third pick. Let's say none of those top five OTs are available, and we pick, for example, a good DL like Kentwan Balmer or DE Philip Merling, in the hope that a good second tier OT is available in the second round. Well, OTs Gosder Cherilus, Carl Nicks and Anthony Collins might also all be gone by the time our second pick rolls around. Left Tackle is a tough position to fill, requiring a better athlete than any other line position, and yet we could easily not get a crack at anyone in the top 10 (by the time our third-round pick rolls around).

With the diversity of needs, I think the Steelers should be looking at trading down. I went through two draft projections, one with the Steelers' current six picks, another after a fictional trade with Buffalo. The purpose was to see what difference a trade might make, from the perspective of losing first-round quality and gaining draft quantity. The proposed trade, Pittsburgh's first-rounder for Buffalo picks in the top half of the 2nd, 3rd and 5th rounds, follows the NFL Draft Value chart. A deal would make sense for Buffalo, too. They have extra picks in the 3rd and 5th rounds. Their top needs are CB, WR and LB. Two first-round picks at No. 11 and No. 23 could be used to meet two of those needs with logical, ready-to-start picks; for example, LB Keith Rivers at No. 11, followed at No. 23 by either a big WR like Malcolm Kelly or James Hardy, or a CB like Antonio Rodgers-Cromartie or Antoine Cason. None of those guys are expected to be around for Buffalo's current second-round pîck. Even with the trade the Bills would also still have picks in the upper half of rounds 3-7. My feeling is that it would be a great trade for the Steelers, and a good one (potentially great) for the Bills.

I tried to be as conservative as possible for each projection. The best resource is NFL Draft Scout. There are plenty of other good sites but that one is updated regularly and has extensive position rankings and draft projections that reflect recent results, workouts, injuries, etc. My guideline was that I couldn't pick a Steeler draftee in that round if NFL Draft Scout had the player ranked higher. I would cross-reference to a number of other mock drafts and try not to be too optimistic that Player X would still be available.

The overall draft number beside the picks takes into account three forfeited draft picks. Draft positions also change in each round because teams that have the same record rotate their draft spots within that group. I used the DraftTek six-round draft as the guideline for position in each round.

In each case I have named at least two possible choices. The first choice would be preferred but the secondary choice tries to take into account earlier picks. I've seen only a handful of these players on TV so this is totally speculative, but their physical attributes, position, statistical performance and style of play combine to make them seem like good additions to the Steelers at this very preliminary point in time.

DRAFT SCENARIOS
CURRENT PICKS
Rnd (No.)     Player                                   

1. (23) OT Jeff Otah, OT Chris Williams or OT Sam Baker
   
2. (54) C Mike Pollak or DL Dre Moore
   
3. (88) OLB Ezra Butler or DL Kendall Langford
   
4. (149) WR-KR Kevin Robinson or RB Justin Forsett
   
5. (119) DL Kellen Dykes or C Fernando Velasco
   
6. (180) LB Thomas Williams, DE Chase Ortiz or LB-DE Jameel McLain
   
7. No pick

NOTES:
Rnd 1: While it's possible that all five of the top OTs will be gone, it's not unreasonable to expect at least one to be around. I excluded Cherilus from this list because he seems limited to RT only and has dropped in many projections.
Rnd 2: There is a very good chance Pollak will be available, as this is much higher than most projections have him rated. But he's apparently the best center available, played well at the Senior Bowl and might be gone before the late third-round pick. Moore has plenty of detractors but this is where he is slotted and he has talent.
Rnd 3: Athletic LBs with size, speed and college experience at the position are hard to find past this round. Butler, a three-year starter at the SAM position, fits in all three areas and would contribute to special teams. Langford has size and potential. Another possibility is DE Jason Jones or C John Sullivan.
Rnd 4: Robinson had a great NCAA career on PR and KR, and adds depth to WR. Forsett  is a third-down back with good hands, quickness and moves, very little kick return experience but has the tools to be a KO return candidate at least.
Rnd 5: Crucial to pick a DL at this point if none taken so far. Dykes should be available (listed sixth-rounder). If we already have a DL but no center, then the best center available might be Velasco.
Rnd 6: Williams was a back-up at all LB positions at USC, played a lot and was named a top special teams performer. Ortiz is an undersized but nonstop, quick DE who could be converted to a two-down ILB or come off the edge, as well as help special teams. McLain is tough, aggressive and another ST contributor.

Summary: Preferred selections for each round would be OT Jeff Otah, C Mike Pollak, OLB Ezra Butler, WR-KR Kevin Robinson, DL Kellen Dykes and LB Thomas Williams. Pollak is obviously a reach but meets the biggest need and will be given every chance to contribute quickly. Butler is risky but a great athlete who should be available. Robinson might be a godsend, DL Kellen Dykes should be useful and the last round is up for grabs among ST contributors..

BUFFALO TRADE VERSION
(1st Rounder for 2nd, 3rd and 5th Rounders)
Rnd (No.)     Player

2. (41) OT Carl Nicks or OT Anthony Collins
   
2. (54) C Mike Pollak or DL Dre Moore
   
3. (71) RB Matt Forte or DL Kendall Langford
   
3. (88)  OLB Ezra Butler or WR Jordy Nelson
   
4. (135) WR-KR Kevin Robinson or RB Justin Forsett
   
5. (119) DL Kellen Dykes or C Fernando Velasco
   
5. (148) SS Caleb Campbell or ILB Spencer Larsen
   
6. (180) LB Thomas Williams, DE Chase Ortiz or LB-DE Jameel McLain
   
7. No pick

NOTES
Rnd 2: Cherilus is unlikely to be available but another of the second-tier OTs should be at No. 41. Besides Moore, other DL candidates are Trevor Laws and Marcus Harrison.
Rnd 3: LB is a much greater need than RB but if Forte is still available, he would be hard to overlook. An all-purpose runner with strength, some quickness and good hands. He's a very good athlete, likely an upgrade on Davenport and should also contribute on special teams. The advantage of having an extra pick shows up later in the third round. Butler should still be available. If not, three guys who enter the conversation are WR Jordy Nelson, FB Owen Schmidt and FB Peyton Hillis. Nelson is 6-3, 215, good hands and deceptive speed. Schmidt or Hillis would be great additions, but if the Steelers draft Forte, then it's a overkill in an area of limited need.
Rnd 4: Robinson is projected as a fifth-rounder and, if available, should be snapped up. His return numbers (18.9 PR avg!!!!; 29.3 KO avg; four combined kick returns for TDs this year) are so ridiculously good he could get picked anytime from the third round on. If Forte is not in the fold, then you can add third-down RB Justin Forsett to the conversation, and also think about athletic G Donald Thomas.
Rnd 5: DL has to be the priority if none picked to this point. Dykes is a big strong guy and versatile. If we already have a DL but no centre, then the best center available could be Velasco. The later fifth-round choices (SS Campbell and ILB Larsen) are for special teams, depth, and could be joined in the discussion by OL Chad Rhinehart and WR Marcus Monk.
Rnd 6: Same scenario as in the previous draft projection.

SUMMARY: Preferred choices in each round would add up to: OT Carl Nicks, C Mike Pollak, RB Matt Forte, OLB Ezra Butler, WR-KR Kevin Robinson, DL Kellen Dykes, SS Caleb Campbell, LB Thomas Williams.

CONCLUSION: Overall, there seems no doubt that the trade scenario is much better than the status quo. Of course, trades are not easy to make happen but it has been done before and there's no reason to think it can't happen again. It might even be worth lowering the asking price (for example, a 6th or 7th rounder instead of a 5th rounder), just to get those extra picks in the second and third rounds.

I found it tough to upgrade the DL in either of the draft scenarios. None of the guys projected in rounds 2-5 are sure things, a reflection of how tough it is to find quality 3-4 DEs. That's what makes Aaron Smith so valuable, and why Chris Long might go No. 1 overall. For the Steelers, with a limited number of guys to choose later in the draft, it might make sense to use the first pick on a top-end DL such as Kentwan Balmer, Philip Merling, Pat Sims or Calais Campbell, then address OL and LB in rounds 2-4.

Three of the key guys in both draft scenarios are C Mike Pollak, OLB Ezra Butler and WR-KR Kevin Robinson. They each address three key needs but Pollak is probably a reach, Butler has been described as a chronic under-achiever, and Robinson was great on a super bad team in a weak conference. There's no way to know when he will drafted or if he will be successful.

Bumped from the Diaries. With this piece from resident sage, steeler lifer, the Patriots game has been put to rest. -Blitz-

Disappointing, interesting, revealing ... and, in a bizarre way, reassuring. Those are the four words that sum up my view of the loss to the Patriots.

Disappointing ... of course. The Steelers wasted a good half of football by following it up with their worst half of the year, letting the Patriots off the hook in a winable game. As blitzburgh noted, the failure to convert third-down on their last FG drive of the first half contributed to a potential seven-point swing in the scoreboard. Even at 13-17 we were still in the game. It didn't become unlikely to win until we punted for the second time of the second half, and non-winable until we failed on fourth and goal.

Interesting ... always when you see your team measured against the best. Always, when you get a chance to see Brady's mind at work. He processes information and executes plays within a system that makes offensive production seem ridiculously easy. It's an offense that is arguably the best of all time. They did not have a significant negative play on offense in the entire game.

Revealing ... always when you clearly see weaknesses and can better evaluate your personnel and coaching philosophy. Casey Hampton, for example, is great against any team that needs to run the football ... which is just about every other team in the NFL. He will be of huge importance against Jacksonville. Against New England, he is almost totally useless. Anthony Smith and Tyrone Carter are what they are ... backup safeties who can be picked on. Farrior is slowing down, Haggans is wearing some kind of camo outfit that makes him invisible, Holmes is not yet a great receiver, Faneca is eminently replaceable, The OC and DC and  HC often fail to make adjustments during a game.

For example, the play calling on short yardage in two key situations reflected the perception prior to the game of the team struggling to run the ball in short-yardage situations. Yet during the game, Davenport was effective in short yardage, Parker was full of juice and Ben had run the ball effectively. Ergo, you change your preconceived notions and instead of resorting to pre-planned situational passes and trick plays, pound the ball behind Smith and perhaps Starks lined up outside Smith, or at worst give Ben an opportunity to roll out. What you DONT do on 4th and goal is run laterally with a WR taking an inside handoff close to the line of scrimmage, where any one of four or five potential play-killiing blocking failures can happen.

On defense, it became obvious that NE had no intention of running the ball. So GIVE them the run. Take out your run-stopping NT. IGNORE play-action. FORGET an inside pass rush with LBs crossing around a mass of interior linemen. Play wide defensive fronts. Overload the outside pass rush with a DB. Drop nine back in coverage once in a while.  Keep EVERY receiver in front of you. Let THEM run time off the clock while the game is close. But no. As creative as the Steelers can sometimes be in their blitzing schemes, we continued to play STEELER defense rather than a defense adjusted to stop a team that plays the game in a way no one else does.

And how is all this reassuring. For one thing, we won't play the Patriots again unless it's a playoff game, and we have learned more about playing against the Patriots then they have learned about us. If there is a second meeting, it will be a closer game and possibly a differently result.  More importantly, we continued to show improvement in run blocking and running. FWP had his best game of the year. His legs are clearly live. We showed some adjustments in run selection, getting him to the edges. We got him involved in the passing game. Ben was willing to run. The OL had a very good run-blocking game and relatively few pass protection breakdowns. Simmons had a good game (again) and Smith bounced back.  Our basic coverage of kicks and punts, overall, was good. Punt cover has been excellent for several weeks, minus the one poor punt in OT vs. the Jets. We have made some play-calling adjustments to account for OL weaknesses. I'm not sure I would agree with datruth that those areas will inevitably kill us in a playoff game. Not saying they couldn't, but I'm seeing improvement that reflects Tomlin's approach to internal problem-solving being a process of hard work, diligence and faith in your players. This is the Steeler way and it will work.

The Jacksonville game is a must  win, in my books. It's the last home game. It's against a good team. We need to reassert confidence in the ability to execute a winning game-plan against a quality opponent. A loss could contribute to us ending up as the sixth-seeded playoff team.  And that, my friends, would not set up a good playoff scenario for a team stumbling over its own feet the final month of the season. But I'm confident of a win because smash-mouth physical football will bring out the best in our defense, especially at home, and Ben will outplay Garrard.

A question for the crowd regarding the status of Woodley's injury. If he's healthy, he's a guy who can help make a difference immediately, even if it's only for a dozen snaps a game.

Blitzburgh opened up an interesting discussion on NFL studs and duds at around the halfway pt. of the season and there were a couple comments about Timmons being possibly the worst rookie, at least relative to his draft position.

Nothing wrong with discussing best rookie and obviously Adrian Peterson is the leader so far.  Marshawn Lynch is almost as good. The other first-rounders that have impressed me the most (that I've seen play) are Okoye, Willis, Landry, Johnson, Bowe, Spencer and Gonzalez.

But it's way too early to pick worst rookie or, more appropriately, biggest first-round bust. I know there is some frustration about Timmons' progress but, from what I've seen on ST, he has some special athletic ability that could translate into him being a very good player someday. He was one of the youngest guys picked in the '07 Draft (just 21 years old now) and is the youngest guy on our team, almost two years younger than Woodley, so he has a lot of development ahead of him yet. Woodley came here closer to being NFL ready than Timmons in terms of maturity, experience and strength and I think we are all anxiously awaiting his first taste of major playing minutes. But even between Timmons and Woodley, I don't think we can predict who will be the better player four years from now.

The most important thing for rookies, even first-rounders, is opportunity. The Steelers, for better or worse, did not draft early on Day 1 for current need, other than the need to upgrade their backup linebackers. There hasn't been an injury yet or a slacking off in play from the starting linebackers to open the door for Timmons or Woodley to play much. That's a good thing for the team, not a slight on our rookies.

Looking at the 14 guys picked ahead of Timmons, I would say only two of them might have played themselves into first-string duty for the Steelers: OTs Joe Thomas and Levi Brown. That's strictly a result of the opportunity that existed at RT on our o-line. There's no way even the much-maligned Simmons, fresh off a new contract, was going to lose his starting spot right away to a rookie guard like Ben Grubbs or Arron Sears, the first two guards picked in the draft.

Without knowing the circumstances of all the '07 first-rounders, there are two who stand out as possible busts: DT Justin Harrell (16th, Green Bay) and WR Robert Meachem (27th, New Orleans). Both had an opportunity to contribute right away based on opportunity and neither has done so. Harrell was a reach because he had been injured in college, and he reported to camp overweight and has continued to be hurt in Green Bay, playing just two games in limited duty. Meachem, the fourth wide receiver taken in the draft, has not even been activated to play a game yet. He came into a perfect situation to contribute right away: a team with a very good QB that needed wide receivers after losing Joe Horn and having little WR depth. He has been dinged up (once courtesy of William Gay!!!!) but shown very little even when healthy. Most of the other wide receivers taken immediately after him have made at least a few catches, as far down as third-rounder James Jones (Green Bay), who looked pretty good beating Champ Bailey on Monday night and running about five miles for a touchdown. Even with Meachem, it's too soon to make any kind of evaluation about how good he might become. But if I was a Saints' fan, I'd be pissed off.

Bumped From the Diaries. Great piece from steeler lifer that should spark some fun debate. Very cool idea! - Blitz -

Let's put aside the immediate trauma of the loss to Arizona and think about the big picture. No loss is good, but this gives Mike Tomlin one of those necessary ''coaching moments'' to assert himself and make improvements that will be important down the road. The softness in the secondary, Chinese fire-drill blocking by the o-line and the sloppiness in the passing game has to be addressed, the sooner the better. He needs a ''what the hell were we thinking'' meeting with his two coordinators. Yes, they each have a lot of freedom; but no, they don't get off the hook for bad games.

So, on to cheerier topics. As a lifelong Steelers fan, I have felt compelled to join the 75th anniversary season celebrations by putting together my own ''modern era'' team of Steelers greats and favorite players. I wanted to select not just a 24-man all-star team, but a full roster (45 active players and eight taxi squaders) that could dominate any fantasy league season and win an imaginary Super Bowl against any other franchise's all-time dream team. The final roster is humbly submitted for consideration at the bottom of this diary.

With apologies to Ernie Stautner, Elbie Nickel and all the other pre-Super Bowl era players, I restricted my roster to those who wore a Steelers uniform starting in 1966, when I first became a fan. That's also the year the NFL and AFL signed the merger agreement, so you could argue that 1966 is the first year of the modern era of the NFL. My only roster criteria was that a player had to have been a Steeler for five seasons or, in the case of current players such as Troy Polamalu and Heath Miller, likely to be. Roy Jefferson, who was my first Steeler hero, gets the benefit of a 1965 rookie season to become eligible.

Some of my subsequent favorite Steelers such as Frenchy Fuqua, Preston Pearson, Walter Abercrombie and Dirt Winston weren't good enough to make my 53-man roster. Kevin Greene, Leon Searcy and Antwan Randl El didn't play long enough. Gabe Rivera would have been a strong candidate if his career had lasted six years rather than six games (which featured two sacks and many terrorized O-linemen). Of course, if the Steelers had drafted Dan Marino in 1983 instead of Rivera, we would have had an interesting debate about who should be the starting quarterback.

As the head coach, I took the liberty of making a couple of positional changes in the starting lineup. The starting right guard is Dermontti Dawson, because I have absolutely no doubt that he could have been a perennial all-pro guard in real life. On my dream team, he works beautifully alongside Mike Webster (RIP). At the crowded strong safety position, Carnell Lake is the starter and I moved Troy Polamalu to free safety. The first offensive play from scrimmage for my offense would have a three WR set, putting Hines Ward in the slot, rather than lining up with a tight end.

As for the front seven on defense, I chose 12 starters to account for both the 3-4 and 4-3 alignments. ILB Levon Kirkland and DE Aaron Smith are the swing men. On the first defensive series I would line up in a 4-3 because that's just the way the Steel Curtain should be introduced on opening day. The greater depth of our linebacking talent and NFL rule changes over the years would result in us playing mostly out of a 3-4, however.

Overall, this is a team that has players from each decade but is still dominated by the original Steeler dynasty: five starters on defense, six on offense and the punter.  There is some personal bias: Rocky Bleier is a backup running back on the active roster ahead of Barry Foster, partly because I loved Rocky Bleier and partly because I know he would be a great leader and contributor on special teams.  Merrill Hoge was another favorite (as a player, not a studio analyst) and he makes the active roster for his versatility as a blocking back, useful runner and excellent receiver. I don't blame Foster for being upset about demotion to my all-time practice roster. Through no fault of his own, the one year he put up huge numbers (1992) I was living on a small island in the Indian Ocean and missed the entire season. By the time I got back, he was already over the hill. I had left Bill Cowher in charge of things that year and, upon my return to active watching duty, I reamed him out over his abuse of Foster. But Bill just got all frothy at the mouth and, in a matter of seconds, I had saliva all over my prized John Stallworth jersey. I decided to let it go.

Anyway, back to the team ...

The offensive line is not overly talented but very tough and strong on run-blocking, which is what we need. It would have a hard time in practice against our defense and, overall, is not as good as some other teams' all-time offensive lines. Check out http://www.geocities.com/madnessmike/raiders_all.htm and you will see what I mean. But there is no way this team is not going to score touchdowns, or grind out yards.  Kolb and Ilkin were not gifted but they battled like hell. Faneca, though no Hall of Famer in my opinion, is an excellent, mobile run-blocker.  Dawson might have been the best guard in Steelers history if he hadn't already been one of the best centres in NFL history. Bruce Van Dyke wins a backup spot at guard because he was tough as nails and Larry Brown provides a big extra body for the tackle spot. However, on balance, the line is not great. It doesn't hurt that both our QBs, Bradshaw and Roethlisberger, are strong dudes capable of pulling away from a lineman's grasp, or that Bettis and Harris force any defense to play run first. The only minor weakness in the backfield is that the top three backs (FB Harris, RB Bettis and RB Parker) are not necessarily great, natural, pass-catchers, although Harris was more than adequate. Nor do you have a classic blocking fullback. But Harris and Bettis could certainly block very well for each other and help out on the pass rush. I like that you have a fullback with a tailback's mentality and quick feet, and a tailback with a fullback's mentality and toughness. You could line them up in any formation and run effectively. Parker provides a great change of pace, Hoge and Bleier are versatile and excellent special teamers. The tight ends are not outstanding, although Miller's upside is significant. Green, while frustratingly inconsistent and possibly as dumb as a post, was a powerful blocker and provides a welcome huge target over the middle. The wide receivers are world class. There isn't a pure burner in the bunch, but they will make impossible catches all over the field and take everything that secondaries can dish out.

On defence, it was certainly difficult to keep Jason Gildon off the active roster and painful to release Keith Willis, Gary Dunn, David Little (RIP) and Earl Holmes. I always thought Chad Brown was a little overrated because of the snake thing and his fifth season as a Steeler was an after-thought after he ditched the team 10 years earlier. Joey Porter isn't good enough to start on this team but he made the active roster ahead of Gildon because of special teams. The same is true of Mike Merriweather, who backs up Jack Ham and, in my opinion, is one of the top 10 athletes to ever put on a Steeler uniform. Dwayne Woodruff made the roster ahead of Glen Edwards because we needed another backup corner rather than a fifth safety. Carnell Lake was the most versatile defensive back in Steelers history, but he was best at strong safety and Polamalu would adjust to free safey with no problem. Many old-time fans will be upset to see Aaron Smith start ahead of Dwight White, but the two players are products of different systems and eras. White benefitted from playing with a great group while Smith is one of the most underrated and durable Steelers of all time. Hampton makes the starting lineup but mean mofo Ernie Holmes would get plenty of playing time as the only interior backup.  It's fun to imagine Greg Lloyd and Jack Lambert breaking out of the defensive huddle together in psychotic accord about who they should decapitate on the next series. I dress eight linebackers for defensive scheme flexibility and special teams skills. The CB combo of Blount and Woodson is perhaps the NFL's best single-team combo of all-time. With the USC Trojan duo of Lake and Polamalu at safety, helped out by the range and coverage skills of Lambert and Ham, opposing receivers face a monumental task to get open. Again, I refer to the Raiders' all-time team at the URL noted above for some great match-ups: Tim Brown, Fred Biletnikoff, Cliff Branch, Dave Casper and Raymond Chester battling to get open while Stabler counts to three before getting hammered or running for his life. As for my dream team front seven, whether in a 3-4 or 4-3, there is just no way they give up a 100-yard running game to anybody, even Jim Brown.  You can't run left, you can:t run right and you sure as hell can't run up the middle.

On special teams, Woodson could easily be the punt returner as well as the primary kickoff returner, but Lipps was no slouch and I figure Woodson could use a break. Walden was near the end of his career and not overly impressive when the Steelers went to their first two Super Bowls, but he was one of the NFL's best punters for a long time and easily beat out Craig Colquitt for the starting job.  Daniel Sepulveda has a good chance to replace him someday. Future Hall of Famer Gary Anderson need not worry about being replaced by Jeff Reed.

As for the practice roster, it's impossible to cover all potential injury situations. Dressing just seven offensive linemen, I felt I needed two on practice roster so went with Ray Mansfield and Steve (Crusher) Courson. Courson (RIP) became controversial because of his admitted steroid use and allegations of widespread team use, but it took guts to come out of the closet like that and, in any event, he was a bulldozing run-blocker -- in my view a notch above Sam Davis and Gerry Mullins. With Dawson established as my right guard, I wanted another center around and chose Mansfield (also RIP). Mansfield was a tough guy and a leader and knew what to do in bad situations. He died in a hiking accident in the Grand Canyon. He was injured in a fall, sent the other hikers ahead for help, leaned back against a rock, got out a cigar and watched the sun go down one last time before dying. Now that's class. NT Joel Steed was an immovable stud in his day and I kept him around ahead of the underrated Dunn. Edwards provides fantastic depth behind Lake, Polamalu, Shell and Wagner. With five wide receivers on the active roster i decided to keep an extra tight end around (Cunningham) rather than a more talented wideout (Thigpen). And the third-string QB is O'Donnell because I think he would manage an emergency situation a bit better than Kordell Stewart. Certainly he would put receivers at less risk of getting killed.

Oh yeah, one other thing. On days when I'm too busy to attend practice for my dream team, Chuck Noll is in charge.

ALL-TIME STEELERS TEAM (1966-2007)
STARTING LINEUP
OFFENCE
QB: Bradshaw
RB: Harris, Bettis
REC: Swann, Stallworth, Ward
C: Webster
G: Dawson, Faneca
OT: Ilkin, Kolb

DEFENCE
DT: Greene
NT: Hampton
DE: Greenwood, A. Smith
OLB: Ham, Lloyd
MLB: Lambert
ILB: Kirkland
CB: Woodson, Blount
SS: Lake
FS: Polamalu

PUNTER: Walden
KICKER: Anderson
PR:  Lipps
KR: Woodson

BACKUPS
OFFENCE
QB: Roethlisberger
RB: Parker, Bleier,  Hoge
REC: Lipps, Jefferson
TE: Green, Miller
OL: Brown, Van Dyke

DEFENCE
DLINE: White, Holmes
LB: Russell, Farrior, Merriweather, Porter
DB: Shell, Wagner, Thomas, Woodruff

PRACTICE ROSTER
QB: O'Donnell
RB: Foster
OL: Mansfield, Courson
TE: Cunningham
DT: Steed
LB: Gildon
DB: Edwards