Why OLB?

AlanFanecaFan · Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2005 11:01 pm Post subject: Why OLB?

Anyone please tell me why we would take a OLB like Blackstock in the 1st round. I know he would be the BPA but still with Porter, Haggans and Harrison, we have depth and playmakers. Some think Harrison is best suited inside but he did fine outside. For depth inside, we should just use a middle round pick on ILB for depth. Comments are appreciated.

stillARE · Joined: 25 Mar 2005 Posts: 20 Location: PA

We definately do not need an OLB in the first round. We need an offensive lineman. Players like Kahlif Barnes (OT, Washington) and David Baas (OG/C, Michigan) are our best bets. The second and third rounds are a different situation for an OLB. If there is a guy like Michael Boley (OLB, Southern Miss) or Rian Wallace(OLB, Temple) that we know won't be a total bust-- Alonzo Jackson, please stand up-- then I'd say go for it. We could swing this by moving Harrison back into the inside where he has said that he is more comfortable and will give us an easy solution to a problem on the horizon which is the free agency of Joey Porter. But, if there is not a total stud OLB available in the 2nd or 3rd round, then I say we wait until the 5th or 6th because guys will drop and maybe we could snatch a guy who fits our system like Andre Fraizer (OLB, Cincinatti). I like the kid. He is listed just under 6'5, 234lbs, and runs a 4.6 forty. He is also a former walk on, has heart, and a motor. I know it sounds like an ad for this player, but I'd like for us to give him a look. Anyway to wrap it up, definately we need an offensive lineman in the first round. If there isn't one there we really want, I say trade down and get more picks. OLB is a must for this draft, but not worthy of a 1st rounder for our situation.

AlanFanecaFan · Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 12:38 am Post subject:

I agree completely. With a guy coming of ACL surgery and a untested 3rd round pick as your current starterson the right side, theres trouble. Khalif Barnes, David Baas and Adam Terry are all solid players and probably will be available come the 30th pick. The O-Line is the most important position on the Steelers. It must be addressed.

MoMoney717 · Joined: 12 Dec 2004 Posts: 2943 Location: Bay Area

How about trading down and picking up a guy like Kemoeatu in the 3rd rd. This guy is a beast and sounds liike a typical Steeler player.

Big7BenMVP · Joined: 23 Nov 2004 Posts: 94160 Location: Camarillo, CA

The Steelers don't need O-Line in the 1st round. And they don't need a CB in the 1st round either. Since 1967, the Steelers have only drafted 6 Offensive Linemen in the 1st round. Since 1967, the Steelers have drafted 5 Running Backs in the 1st round. Since 1967, the Steelers have drafted 6 Wide Receivers and 3 Tight Ends in the 1st round. Since 1967, the Steelers have drafted 6 Cornerbacks in the 1st round. Also, rather then moving Alonzo Jackson, who was a DE in college at Florida State, to OLB... why not draft a player who was an OLB in a 3-4 defense already at Virginia, Darryl Blackstock? Granted that OLB is not a definite need, but at the 30th pick, it would be too late to take a decent enough CB. Whatever the Steelers do, if they draft Fabian Washington, I'm going to boycott the season. He'll get torn up, he's too damn small. Blackstock does what the Steelers do best, blitz. If the shoe fits, wear it.

sali44 · Joined: 18 Feb 2005 Posts: 42

i could not disagree more with big7benroy......we absolutly need either an o-lineman or cb in the first round...how can you say there wont be a decent corner at number 30 when this is the deepest draft of corners in years....how can u say people like brandon browner or corey webster or fabian washington? these are really good corners and im not gonna sit and watch another pats game where they go five wide and beat us...you need to look at what hurt us against the pats....deep pass plays, and pressure on big ben....so what do we need now???duh!!

AlanFanecaFan · Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:14 pm Post subject:

I agree with you on the CB part. However, I definitely feel they need to use a pick on o-line early. The starters on the right side are a guy coming of ACL surgery and a mostly untested 3rd pick. The Steelers depend on the O-Line to open holes up for the running game.When they don't have it(two years ago when we went 6-10 with the 2 headed monster of Todd Fordahm and Oliver Ross at RT.) the Steelers are nothing.They can't go wrong with O-Line picks.(Alan Faneca, Marvel Smith, etc.)Also, we have no depth.Our backups are Barrett Brooks and Chucky Okobi.The Steelers dont seem to have faith in Okobi.I know that they signed him to a 4-year deal two years ago, but even if he was 80% of what Hartings was, he would have replaced Hartings(who costs an amazing 6 million against the cap) already. We need to address the O-line more than what people think.

Also, Washington is 5-10 to 5-11 and runs the 40 in the high 4.2's.He's basically a faster Townesend.

AlanFanecaFan · Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:15 pm Post subject:

the previous message was primarily to Big7BenRoy.I appreciate the comments though.

Big7BenMVP · Joined: 23 Nov 2004 Posts: 94160 Location: Camarillo, CA

And that's why you don't draft a CB in the 1st round this year. You just answered your own question. Since the CB class this year is so deep, you can draft a decent enough CB in either the 2nd or the 3rd. The Steelers and Darryl Blackstock are a perfect fit. Hopefully someone like Ronald Bartell Jr. in the 3rd round. He's 6'2", 200 pounds and he ran a 4.41 40-time. He'd be a perfect fit for the Steelers. It should look something this way.

Round One: Darryl Blackstock
Round Two: Matt Jones
Round Three: Ronald Bartell

It makes no friggin' sense for the Steelers to draft a CB in the 1st round. Why? Because they traded up last year in the 2nd round to draft Ricardo Colclough. Did everyone forget that? I guess so. If you draft a CB in the 1st round this year, you wasted a 2nd round pick on a player who will be a backup for the rest of his career. It's not logical folks. I'm going to tell you what hurt us against the Patriots. It's the fact that the Steelers D-Line and LBs didn't get enough pressure on Tom Brady like they did in the regular season game. That's what hurt the Steelers. In the regular season game, the Steelers got great amounts of pressure on Tom Brady. In the playoff game, they didn't. Blackstock is a blitz and sack machine, so he'd fit perfect.

Don't get me wrong though, I'm not against taking an O-Lineman in the draft. However, the only way I would go for an O-Lineman in the 1st Round, is if it was Jammal Brown of Oklahoma. He's a damn good RT, and could start over Max Starks. But why would the Steelers let Oliver Ross walk to Arizona? Because they're ready to let Starks start at RT. Why would they let Keydrick Vincent walk over to division rival Baltimore? Because they're confident that Kendall Simmons is going to be 100%. You don't let players go unless you're confident that you have someone to replace him, and will do a job that was as adequate as the guy he was replacing. The Steelers just re-signed Barrett Brooks (OT) to a one-year contract today, so they are confident that their Offensive Tackles will be fine going into the season. You can get a damn good Offensive Tackle in the 6th round. Someone like a Rob Petitti or Pete McMahon or even Nick Kaczur. If the Steelers went with a draft of...

Round One: Darryl Blackstock
Round Two: Matt Jones
Round Three: Ronald Bartell
Round Four: Brandon Jacobs
Round Five: Marviel Underwood
Round Six: Rob Petitti
Round Seven (A): Alex Holmes
Round Seven (B): Nehemiah Broughton

...no Steelers fan should be upset. That is actually a pretty realistic draft scenario, and would help the Steelers more then anything else. The Steelers don't need a 1st round CB, and don't need a 1st round OL (unless it's Jammal Brown). First Round this year is basically for BPA for the Steelers.

Canada · Joined: 12 Oct 2004 Posts: 780 Location: burpin and fartin

The Steelers with there 3-4 Defense can wait and take those tweeners. They have done it for years.

Gildon, Porter, Jackson, Haggans and others were College DE's.

Right side of our OL is gone. Yes we have Simmons and Starks ready to take their place but Simmons hasn't really played in 2 years and Starks is totally unproven. After that we have B.Brooks and J.Jones as our main backups...correct?

They had a looksee at Stockar McDougal and Adrian Klemm in the off-season. This tells me that they will be taking a real serious look at the OL in the Draft. If they were satisfied with the OL why bring the players in???

June 1st cuts could provide something also.

AlanFanecaFan · Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 8:34 pm Post subject:

Good comments. However let me remind you that we thought the same two years ago, like i said in the earlier post. just think we have too much depth at OLB to waste a first round pick on a guy who will not play.
About corner, i can go either way. Townsend is fine at corner.The only bad game he had all year was the AFC championship game. Colclough "looks" like he can be a pretty good cb in the league.
However lets say Blackstock is gone before the30th pick.Players available include:
-Browner,Washington, and Miller at CB
-Baas, Barnes, Terry, and Brown at O-Line
-Ware at OLB
-Both Cody's at DE
-Henry, White, (Matt)Jones at WR
-Miller, Smith at TE

Who do we take? Leave comments.

Canada · Joined: 12 Oct 2004 Posts: 780 Location: burpin and fartin

If that was the situation I'd definitely like to drop down. Detroit moved up last year to the #30 and got K.Jones but they (KC) got the 36th overall, the 105th overall and a 2005 5th to move up 6 spots.

if I had to make the selection......I'm taking Elton Brown.

A Team is as strong as its lines.

Big7BenMVP · Joined: 23 Nov 2004 Posts: 94160 Location: Camarillo, CA

I heard a report on the radio this evening that the Steelers are interested in Darryl Blackstock, Matt Jones, and Heath Miller. From different scenarios supposedly, is if that Miller is gone and Blackstock is there in the 1st, they'll take Blackstock. If Blackstock is gone and Miller is there, they'll take Miller. However, surprisingly, if both Miller and Blackstock are gone, they will go after Matt Jones. They are hoping Jones will slip into the 2nd round to them, but wouldn't want to risk losing him if their top two guys are gone. At least the Steelers aren't looking at a CB in the 1st. That would be stupid.

AlanFanecaFan · Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 11:44 pm Post subject:

i could deal with them taking Matt Jones as long as they used one of the next two picks on an o-lineman.

Psycho WARD · Joined: 27 Feb 2005 Posts: 51

Our LB did'nt get presure on Tom Brady and that's what lost us the game haha. Wrong! Willie Williams got toasted by Brady and isnt good enough to play back up. I think we should trade the 30th pick to the eagles for there two second rounders. that way we can pick up our cb and address other positions.
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