As Cliff Clavin would say, it's a little-known fact that Cinco de Mayo comes a day after another important holiday.
Yesterday was the two-year anniversary of the day I launched
Steelahs.com. What better way to celebrate two years than to take two months off?
Now that the Larry Foote saga is officially over (the Steelers released him Monday), it's a good time to take
a break.
With the possible exception of the Steelers'
visit to the White House or the unveiling of their Super Bowl rings, this is my last post until training camp, which will begin sometime in mid-July.
Of
course I'll come out of hibernation for any earth-shattering Steelers news, but hopefully if any Steeler rides a motorcycle,
he'll be wearing a helmet.
There are other things I need to get done, including a possible project related to this site. But before I go on
hiatus, let me empty any Steelers thoughts from my head.
A.Q. and the Tank
I think I finally figured out the most succint way to express why
I'm so excited about the Steelers' draft.
Basically,
when you're rooting hard for a fifth-round pick (Frank "the Tank" Summers) and a seventh-round pick (A.Q. Shipley)
to make the team, you know it's a good draft.
The 5-foot-9, 241-pound Summers, as I've said before, could be the short-yardage
back the Steelers have been missing since Jerome Bettis retired. He'll
at least get some work on special teams. And while I'm not expecting a Bettis-type career, Summers has fan favorite written
all over him. And of course I'm partial to short guys.
Shipley, meanwhile, has an automatic cachet with Steelers fans because
he's from Moon, Pa., as well as Penn State. The 6-foot-1, 304-pound center
makes up for a lack of ideal physical tools with his blocking technique. The Steelers have a lot of tradition at the center
position. How great would it be if this underdog type is able to carry
that torch for a decade or so?
Of course the Steelers also
drafted Ziggy and Sonny, Keenan and Joe, a Mike Wallace (how perfect would it be for Wallace to star in a 4:15 CBS game and lead right into 60 Minutes?) a D.J. and my favorite name of all their
draftees, Kraig Urbik.
While it would be cool if Summers
and Shipley have an impact, it's just as important to the Steelers' future, if not more so, for the early-round picks
to succeed.
First-round pick Evander "Ziggy" Hood of Missouri needs to be ready, most likely at defensive end, when
the production of the Steelers' aging defensive linemen starts
to decline. Third-round pick Kraig Urbik of Wisconsin, who just from his name sounds immovable, is going to have to provide some serious competition at guard.
The Steelers also seem to be stockpiling cornerbacks. Just before the draft, they nabbed one of their few tormentors
from 2008 and made him one of their own, signing Keiwan Ratliff from
the Colts. Ratliff had an interception in the Colts' 24-20 win over the Steelers on Nov. 9.
The Steelers also drafted cornerbacks Keenan Lewis from Oregon State in the third round and Joe Burnett from Central
Florida in the fifth round. They're trying to fill the void left
by Bryant McFadden. William Gay, who started a few games last season, has the inside track on starting opposite Ike Taylor. But it looks like he'll have plenty of competition.
Another area where the Steelers are loading up is receiver. Joining Ratliff in
their annual bargain-basement free agent shopping bag is Lions receiver Shaun
McDonald, who had 949 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2007. Just like they're not handing the starting cornerback
job to Gay, the Steelers are going to make Limas Sweed work for the job at No. 3 receiver. Wallace, who they drafted in the third round from Mississippi, also could give Sweed a run for his money.
Even if
Wallace doesn't win the No. 3 receiver slot, he and Burnett could contribute in another way. They both have returning
ability. Gary Russell always got the Steelers past the 20 on kickoffs
last season, but he was never going to break one. Through the draft, the Steelers now have speedsters who could provide a source of field position and maybe even points that they didn't have last season.
I kind of left out kick returning when I said that the Steelers'
draft needs were defensive line, wide receiver, cornerback, offensive line and short-yardage back. So when you think about it, the Steelers addressed six needs in this draft. Not too shabby.
My two least favorite picks in the Steelers' draft are defensive lineman
Ra'Shon "Sonny" Harris from Oregon in the sixth round and tight end D.J. Johnson from Arkansas State in the seventh round. Every draft includes at least a couple of names that will be long
forgotten in three years. These guys are the two most likely candidates
for that honor.
Numbers game
This info is more fun than useful, but here
are the uniform numbers the Steelers draftees will wear: Hood 96; Urbik 65; Wallace 17; Lewis 20 (McFadden's old number); Burnett 40; Summers 44; Harris 73; Shipley 61; Johnson 85 (Nate Washington's old
number).
Speaking of numbers, I can't count. When I
was getting giddy about the Steelers' draft during my live blogging, I said that while it's not quite 1974 caliber (not yet, anyway), it was a great way to celebrate the 25th anniversary
of that draft. Problem is, it was 35 years ago. Woops.
The
1974 Steelers draft, considered by many the best NFL draft of all-time, included Lynn Swann (first round), Jack Lambert (second
round), John Stallworth (fourth round) and Mike Webster (fifth round).
While I admit it's ridiculous to grade a draft before
any of the picks have played a down, I do it because it's just plain fun. So how about I grade the first two Mike Tomlin drafts? These grades also are subject to change, as it will be a few more years before we can
really close the book on a draft assessment.
2007: Five legitimate contributors from this class. Lawrence Timmons
(first round) is ready to start at inside linebacker. LaMarr Woodley (second round) is a force opposite James Harrison at outside linebacker. Matt Spaeth (third round) is a serviceable backup
tight end. Punter Daniel
Sepulveda (fourth round) was on injured
reserve last season and choked in key situations as a rookie. But he has such a strong leg that you have to figure he'll be an asset going forward. William Gay (fifth round) started a few games last season and has
a good chance to start at cornerback in 2009. Wide receiver Dallas
Baker (seventh round) is still hanging around. The only ones completely out of the picture are defensive tackle Ryan McBean (fourth round) and guard Cameron Stephenson (fifth round). Two-year
grade: A
2008:
Last year at this time, I gave this draft a B. Running back Rashard Mendenhall (first round) showed some promise before he
got hurt. Limas Sweed (second round) was still learning for most of the season. The key here is that Tomlin says players tend to show the biggest
improvement between their first and second year. Let's hope that's
true with Sweed as well as outside linebacker Bruce Davis (third round) and offensive tackle Tony Hills (fourth round). Davis played a little on special teams last year, but stayed in Pittsburgh during the
offseason and supposedly lived in the weight room. All I can say about
Hills is "Hello, are you there?" Quarterback Dennis Dixon (fifth round) is trying to be the Official Ben Roethlisberger
Insurance Policy if Charlie Batch ever retires. He also could
be used for his "Slash" ability, so don't give up on him just yet. Safety Ryan Mundy (sixth round) is still on the payroll. The only one gone is linebacker Mike Humpal (sixth round). Two-year
grade: C-minus
Get well soon
Best wishes to Rich
Behm, Joe DiCamillis, Greg Gaither and the other nine people, as well as their families, who were injured Saturday when the
Dallas Cowboys' practice structure collapsed in heavy winds.
Behm, a scouting assistant, is paralyzed from the waist down.
DiCamillis, their new special teams coach, was scheduled to have surgery Monday for a fractured cervical vertabrae. Gaither, an assistant athletic trainer, had surgery to repair a fracture of his
tibula and fibula in his right leg.
As much as I hate the
Cowboys, I don't like to see anything like this happen.
A
4-12 record every year? Now that we can wish on the Cowboys. I also enjoyed it when the Steelers bum rushed Pacman Jones on
a kickoff return during their Dec. 7 game last year at Heinz Field.
If you don't remember what I'm talking about, slip NFL.com 20 bucks for the Game Rewind and check it out.
It's one of the hidden gems
of the Steelers' 2008 season. Pacman was already down, but the pile of black jerseys on top of him kept getting bigger
and bigger. Maybe it's just me, but it looked like the Steelers
were exerting a little frontier justice on that play. Yes, certain Steelers players have had their scrapes with the law, but the Rooneys would never tolerate a Pacman Jones.
Jones deserves a few broken bones. But the victims in Saturday's disaster didn't deserve what they got.
Could
Larry Foote be the next former Steeler in witness protection?
OK,
so maybe not everyone who lives in Arizona is participating in the witness protection program.
ProFootballTalk.com mentioned the possibility of Foote becoming the next former Steeler poached by Cardinals coach and former Steelers' offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt.
TANGENT
WARNING: Speaking of the Cardinals, they were the only team whose picks I accurately predicted in both rounds of
my two-round mock draft. But being the man of honor that I am, if the Cardinals ever offered me a player personnel job, I'd take a whiz on Whisenhunt.
He may be able to take former Steelers players, but he'll never get their fans! For the record, I got 13 out of 32
right in the first round of my mock draft, including eight of the first 11. END OF TANGENT
The Lions and Colts also were mentioned as possible landing spots
for Foote.
With Lawrence Timmons ready to take over as
a starter at inside linebacker, Foote knows his playing time will diminish, so he wants out of Pittsburgh. The Steelers tried unsuccessfully to trade him during the draft.
So now the Steelers will hang on to Foote through this weekend's mini-camp and make a last-ditch effort
to trade him. If they can't trade him, then they'll release
him.
The former Detroit Pershing Doughboy says he wants
to play for the Lions. But they only offered a seventh-round pick for him during the draft. That's how highly they think of him. The Lions would be stupid to not want Foote, who will turn 29 on June 12.
He and Ryan Clark were the unsung heroes of the Steelers defense.
He started every game for the last five years.
On one hand,
it's time for Timmons to be more than just a part-time player. On the other hand, I don't think this will be a case
of the Steelers letting go of a veteran at just the right time. I
think Foote has a lot left in the tank.
At least this saves
the Steelers $2.9 million in salary cap space for 2009 and gives them one less free-agent worry. The number of players who
will be free agents after next season is down to nine. That list includes
Heath Miller, Casey Hampton, Willie Parker, Brett Keisel, Justin Hartwig, Ryan Clark, Jeff Reed, Willie Colon and Max Starks.
This
might be a good time to mention that Hines Ward is now a virtual lock to retire a Steeler after the 33-year-old agreed to
a four- or five-year contract extension. This bit of news got lost
in the shuffle during draft weekend.
Also, below are the
13 undrafted free agents the Steelers signed. Most of these names I'm typing for the first and last time, but hopefully
there's a hidden gem somewhere. Click on the link to find info
on Ramon Foster.
Steven Black, WR, Memphis; Jeff Bradley, DT, Western Carolina; Mark Erstmeyer, LS, Pittsburgh; Ramon Foster, OT, Tennessee; Cedric Goodman, WR, Georgia; Tyler Grisham, WR, Clemson; Tom Korte, LB, Hillside; Kevin McCabe, QB, California of Pa.; Steve McLendon, DT, Troy; Isaac Redman, RB, Bowie State; Mike Reilly, QB, Central Washington;
Andrew Schwartz, LB, Portland State; Derrick Richardson, S, New Mexico
State
Last but certainly not least, it didn't take
the NFL schedule makers long to fuck with our plans on autumn afternoons. The Steelers' game at Cincinnati on Sept. 27 has been moved from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. That means the Steelers won't play a 1 p.m. Sunday game until Oct.
11 in Detroit, which will be Phil Luckett Day at Ford Field, not to mention a possible reunion with Larry Foote.
The Steelers plan to cut inside linebacker Larry Foote, but keep him through
their mandatory minicamp this weekend in hopes of possibly trading him.
This story, broken by ProFootballTalk.com
and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is developing by the minute. I'll have more later. But for now, here's
one thing I'll miss hearing from Larry Foote:
The only bad thing about the Steelers' draft is that it made me wish I had made the train ride from Yonkers to
see it in person.
Almost every pick the Steelers made was worth a loud cheer and a wave of the Terrible Towel.
But I read that fans start lining up at Radio City Music Hall at midnight the morning of the draft. I figured fuck that. I'll
just stay home, watch it on TV and blog live.
So on a gorgeous, summer-like weekend, I stayed in my studio apartment
and blogged for about 14 hours on Saturday and another eight or nine hours on Sunday, when the Steelers made eight of their
nine picks.
Why does the first nice weekend of the year always come on draft weekend?
Here's a look
at the Steelers' picks, with most of the information coming from Scott Wright's Draft Countdown, NFLDraftScout and
my own stream of consciousness.
FIRST ROUND 32, Evander "Ziggy" Hood,
DT, Missouri (6-foot-3, 300): For the second year in a row, the Steelers catch a player unexpectedly falling in the
first round. Last year, it was Rashard Mendenhall dropping to 23. This year it's Hood, who I had going to the Falcons
at 24 and NFLDraftScout ranked as the 26th best player on the board. ... A prototypical Steelers' defensive lineman in
that he's more likely to be a solid contributor than a star. The Steelers don't need stars on their D-Line. They just
need guys to keep blockers occupied while the linebackers get the glory in the 3-4 defense. ... Hood also has a Steelers-type
toughness. After getting hurt his sophomore year, he played with a screw in his foot.
THIRD
ROUND 79, Kraig Urbik, OG, Wisconsin (6-foot-5, 328):In this draft, the Steelers have chosen a Ziggy
and a Sonny, an A.Q., a D.J. and a guy named Mike Wallace (as Mike Tomlin says, Steelers football is 60 minutes).
But for some reason out of the nine names this is the one that sticks in my head the most. Maybe it's because it's
the toughest sounding name of all the Steelers' picks. Maybe it's because Wisconsin is known for churning out good
offensive linemen. ... In 2005, Urbik became the first freshman in nine years to start on the Badgers' offensive line.
... When Urbik was hurt in 2008, the Badgers lost five of six games, then won three out of four when he returned. ... Urbik's
a hard worker who plays with a mean streak. ... The first guard the Steelers have chosen in the draft since they lost Alan
Faneca. ... He also can play right tackle. 84, Mike Wallace, WR, Mississippi (6-foot-0, 199): A legitimate
vertical threat who can return kicks, which is something the Steelers need. ... Not a great route runner and can drop passes,
but with Nate Washington gone, it's nice to see the Steelers won't sink or swim with Limas Sweed or Martin Nance
as the No. 3 receiver. 96, Keenan Lewis, CB, Oregon State (6-foot-1, 208): Physical, good in run support.
... Gets his hands on a lot of passes but not a lot of interceptions. ... Not the greatest tackler. ... Also might be able
to play some safety. ... A New Orleans native whose family had to evacuate during Hurricane Katrina.
FIFTH ROUND 168, Joe Burnett, CB, Central Florida (5-foot-9, 192): Another guy who can return
kicks. Four-year starter had three career punt returns and two career kickoff returns for touchdowns, and then there's
the 16 career interceptions. ... A good athlete, was nominated for the McDonald's All-American game in basketball. 169, Frank Summers, FB, UNLV (5-foot-9, 241): Hopefully this pick will help spare the Steelers the embarrassment
of getting knocked backwards trying to run the ball in from the 1-yard line. ... I wanted the Steelers to get this guy badly.
He's been called a "bowling ball" of a running back and a "junior Bus." Gary Russell tried, but he
wasn't really the short-yardage back the Steelers needed. ... Summers can run, block and catch passes.
SIXTH ROUND 205, Ra'Shon "Sonny" Harris, DT, Oregon (6-foot-4, 298): This pick
is one of the reasons for the "minus" in the Steelers' A-minus grade. ... Even after they got Hood in the first
round, I said the Steelers needed another body for the aging defensive line. Harris meets that qualification in that he has
a body. ... He's an underachiever who started just one year in college. ... Stamina is a concern and he doesn't have
a great work ethic. But he's a good athlete with a lot of upside. It's going to take some coaching.
SEVENTH ROUND 226, A.Q. Shipley, C, Penn State (6-foot-1, 304): Like Summers, this is an undersized
guy who was on my radar as a late-round pick, and someone I would have cheered loudly for had I been at Radio City Music Hall.
... Justin Hartwig's done a nice job at center, but he's not going to hold down the position for a decade or more
like Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson and Jeff Hartings. Since Hartings retired after the 2006 season, there's been an interlude
in the Steelers' center tradition. Perhaps it will take a Penn State guy like Hartings to restore that tradition. ...
Shipley makes up for his lack of size with technique. Scott Wright's Draft Countdown calls him "the type of guy you
hate to doubt." ... An overachiever. ... Won the 2008 Rimington Award as the nation's top center. I'm surprised
he stayed on the board as long as he did. 241, D.J. Johnson, TE, Arkansas State (6-foot-1, 260): This
is the other reason for the "minus" in the Steelers' grade. ... Although not a need this season, they could
have used an inside linebacker or a safety with Larry Foote and Ryan Clark potential free-agent departures after next season.
... As a tight end-fullback hybrid like Sean McHugh, Johnson is a redundancy. His only chance to stick will be if he can prove
he's better than McHugh.
I feel better about this year's draft than I did about last year's. After
Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed, I hadn't heard of any players the Steelers picked last season. This year, I recognized
the names of all the players picked by the Steelers except for Johnson. Maybe it's because I did more research on prospects
this year. Or maybe it's because unlike last year, the Steelers addressed areas of need in this draft.
Of course
it's way too early to declare the 2008 draft a bust. I think Mendenhall could be the Steelers' running back of the
future. I think Sweed has a chance to win the No. 3 receiver spot. And don't give up on Bruce Davis and Tony Hills just
yet.
The 2007 draft is looking really good after two years. Lawrence Timmons, LaMarr Woodley, Matt Spaeth
and William Gay all were factors in the Steelers' championship in one way or another. Punter Daniel Sepulveda will probably
regain the starting job after missing last season with an injury. And Dallas Baker is still hanging around.
As
far as this draft goes, I'm giving the Steelers an A-minus because they addressed all the needs I outlined on April 1.
I ranked the Steelers' needs as 1) Defensive line 2) Wide receiver 3) Cornerback 4) Offensive line 5) Short-yardage back.
They got two defensive linemen, a wide receiver, two cornerbacks, two offensive linemen and a short-yardage back.
The ESPN analysts aren't mentioning the Steelers among the draft's biggest winners or losers. That's because
they didn't make a big splash. They just got the job done.
Ryan Succop (is it pronounced Suck-Up?) is this year's Mr. Irrelevant. The Kansas City
Chiefs chose him with the 256th and final pick of the draft.
Penn State offensive tackle Gerald Cadogan and Iowa
defensive end Mitch King went undrafted. The Steelers got two interior offensive linemen and two defensive tackles in the
draft, but no offensive tackle or defensive end.
Could Cadogan and King be on the Steelers' radar as undrafted
free agents? The phone lines are lighting up.
I'll be back soon with summaries of all the Steelers' picks,
and maybe some news on undrafted free agents.
In the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft, the Steelers picked an A.Q. and a D.J.
With their 241st and final pick, the Steelers chose tight end D.J. Johnson of Arkansas State. They chose Penn State center
A.Q. Shipley with the 226th pick.
Since all of their top five needs were filled, I anticipated the Steelers
going either inside linebacker or safety with their final pick, since they might be areas of need next season with free agency.
So at first I was a little perplexed with this choice, since they're pretty well stocked at tight end and I'm figuring
they'll find a way to re-sign Heath Miller after next season.
But Johnson is a good blocking tight end who
could end up as an H-Back or fullback in the NFL, so he could be another short-yardage weapon for the Steelers. Let's
not forget the Steelers goal-line woes last season.
The selection of Penn State center A.Q. Shipley in the seventh round (226th overall), officially
makes this a kick-ass draft for the Steelers.
I'm not saying it's 1974-caliber, but this isn't a bad
way to commemorate the 25th anniversary of that draft.
Scott Wright's Draft Countdown, which as I said earlier
is a very user-friendly draft site, calls Shipley "the type of guy you hate to doubt." At 6-1, 304 pounds he lacks
ideal size, but he compensates for it with technique. He's definitely a guy in the Steelers' mold.
So now
the Steelers have drafted a Ziggy and a Sonny as well as a Mike Wallace and an A.Q.
All five of the needs I outlined
at the beginning of draft season have been filled. The Steelers have picked two defensive linemen, two offensive linemen,
two cornerbacks, a wide receiver and a short-yardage back. And they still have one more pick.
I haven't filled
in the seventh-round picks yet, sorry. But I had to run out and get a sandwich.
Now the Steelers have chosen a Ziggy and a Sonny in this draft.
With the 205th
pick in the draft, the Steelers chose defensive tackle Ra'Shon "Sonny" Harris from Oregon.
The Steelers
brought this guy in for a workout and I wasn't crazy about him from what I read. He only started for one year, stamina
is an issue and he doesn't have a great work ethic.
Still, I said a couple of posts ago that the Steelers needed
another body for the D-Line. Harris qualifies in that regard
We got 10 picks left before the Steelers pick at 205.
Here's my board, in
order of value:
1. Gerald Cadogan, OT, Penn State: Good offensive lineman, but dedication to game
and killer instinct have been called into question. Steelers still need a tackle, in my opinion. 2. A.Q. Shipley,
C, Penn State: Maybe this is the guy who restores the Steelers' tradition at center. Justin Hartwig could keep
the seat warm for him until he's ready. Shipley might be a little undersized, but the whole is greater than the sum of
the parts. 3. Mitch King, DE, Iowa: Remember when I was talking about Iowa's uniforms looking like
the Steelers? That was at the start of the third round. It seems like days ago. Well, King wouldn't have to change his
colors. He's too small to be a tackle and too slow to be an end. But it says he has a "non-stop motor." That
sounds like a good thing, even though I still don't know what a "motor" is (anybody know?). 4.
Vance Walker, DT, Georgia Tech: Does everything well and nothing great. He's probably better than King, but I'm
ranking him below King because the Steelers already got a defensive tackle in Ziggy Hood. Now they could use a defensive end. 5. Michael Bennett, DE, Texas A&M: Good tackler, but underachiever with minor character concerns.
With the 169th pick of the draft, the Steelers selected UNLV fullback Frank Summers. Yeah, I know they took Central
Florida cornerback Joe Burnett the pick before that, but I'll get to that in a second.
I wanted Summers badly.
He's 5-foot-9, 241 pounds. He's been called a "bowling ball of a running back" and a "junior Bus."
He's the type of short-yardage back the Steelers haven't had since Jerome Bettis. I was hoping that cutting Gary Russell
was a sign the Steelers were going to grab Summers. I see fan-favorite potential here.
Now the only thing that
tempers my enthusiasm about Summers is that he likely still would have been there in the seventh round, or even as an undrafted
free agent. So this might have been the Steelers' first reach of this draft. I think they still need to draft an offensive
tackle and another body for the defensive line. They have three picks left to do that.
With the 168th pick, the
Steelers chose Burnett. He's an All-American and a four-year starter with 16 career interceptions, three career punt returns
and two career kickoff returns for touchdowns. I like the pick. The Steelers can put to bed their pursuit of cornerbacks and
returners, but they still need some beef in the trenches.
Their remaining picks are in the sixth round (205th overall)
and seventh round (226th and 241st).
While we wait for the Steelers to make their fifth-round picks, here's a summary
of who they've taken so far, with help mostly from Scott Wright's NFL Draft Countdown, a very user-friendly draft
site.
First round (32nd overall) Evander "Ziggy" Hood, DT, Missouri (6-3,
300): Tough guy. Played seven games his sophomore year with a screw in his foot. Does everything well but nothing
great. Not likely to be a star but rather a solid contributor, which makes him a perfect fit as a Steelers' defensive
lineman. Their job is to plug holes and keep blockers occupied while the linebackers wreak havoc.
Third
round (79th overall) Kraig Urbik, OG, Wisconsin (6-5, 328): A mauler who fits well in a power running attack.
Four-year starter in the Big Ten. Plays with a nasty edge. A good pick.
Third round (84th overall) Mike Wallace, WR, Mississippi (6-0, 199): Tenacious interviewer, but isn't Mike Wallace, like, 80 years old?
Just kidding. This isn't the "60 Minutes" Mike Wallace. This is a guy who's a legitimate deep threat and
also can return kicks. Good to see that the Steelers aren't going to sink or swim with Limas Sweed and Martin Nance to
fill the void at No. 3 receiver.
Third round (96th overall) Keenan Lewis, CB, Oregon State (6-1, 208):
Good size, good ball skills, good against the run, smart, but not a great tackler. The rankings of cornerback prospects are
puzzling. I was lobbying for Mike Mickens of Cincinnati here. But it really is hard to argue with the Steelers' moves
at this point.
The Steelers addressed the offensive line by getting a guard. But I'd like to see them get a
tackle somewhere in the later rounds, and maybe another defensive lineman. All of their major needs have been addressed.
Here's a complete list of the first four rounds. From now on the draft list
will only be on my most recent post. I deleted it from all the previous posts because it was taking forever to scroll down.
With the 96th pick, the Steelers have selected Keenan Lewis, cornerback out of Oregon State.
Despite a run on cornerbacks late in the third round, Mike Mickens is still on the board. Interesting.
So
with their first four picks, the Steelers have addressed their top four needs, defensive line with Ziggy Hood, offensive line
with Kraig Urbik, wide receiver with Mike Wallace and cornerback with Keenan Lewis.
They don't pick again until
the fifth round, where they'll have two picks. Then they pick once in the sixth round and twice in the seventh round.
With their top four needs addressed, the Steelers should use their remaining picks to double up on any of those needs,
particularly offensive and defensive line, and maybe get a short-yardage back. UNLV fullback Frank Summers in the seventh
round, maybe?
Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati:
Bearcats' career leader in interceptions (14) and interception return yards (296). A.Q. Shipley, C, Penn
State: This could be the Steelers' center of the future, and he could be gone by the fifth round. Keep in mind
the Steelers don't pick in the fourth round. Gerald Cadogan, OT, Penn State: Good offensive lineman,
but dedication to game and killer instinct have been called into question. Lawrence Sidbury Jr., DE, Richmond:
An intriguing prospect. Dominated Football Championship Subdivision title game, but that was a lower level of competition.
If the Steelers pick him, they probably wouldn't have to worry about D-Line for the rest of the draft since they got Ziggy
Hood in the first round. Jamon Meredith, OT, South Carolina: They got a guard. Now let's get a tackle.
Meredith's been called soft, but I think he's worth picking. Jason Phillips, ILB, Texas Christian:
Inside linebacker will be a need at some point with James Farrior not getting any younger and Larry Foote a possible free
agent departure. Jasper Brinkley, ILB, South Carolina: See Jason Phillips. Herman Johnson,
OG, LSU: At 364 pounds, would make Casey Hampton look skinny. But they already got a guard. T.J. Lang,
OT, Eastern Michigan: Overachiever who might end up being a guard D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt:
Should be taken only if Mike Mickens is gone. A risky pick.
Another reason for picking Mike Mickens at No. 96, assuming he's still around,
is that cornerback was an area of need last year, and the Steelers didn't draft one.
Nothing against William
Gay, but with Bryant McFadden gone, cornerback is more of an area of need next year. Their No. 3 corner is Deshea Townsend,
who will be 34 next season.
They did get Kiewan Ratliff from the Colts. But I think Mickens is a good value at
the end of the third round.
With the Steelers' sights now set on the 96th pick, here's my new board, adding
players who would be of value at the end of the third round:
Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati: Bearcats'
career leader in interceptions (14) and interception return yards (296). A.Q. Shipley, C, Penn State:
This could be the Steelers' center of the future, and he could be gone by the fifth round. Keep in mind the Steelers don't
pick in the fourth round. Gerald Cadogan, OT, Penn State: Good offensive lineman, but dedication to
game and killer instinct have been called into question. Lawrence Sidbury Jr., DE, Richmond: An intriguing
prospect. Dominated Football Championship Subdivision title game, but that was a lower level of competition. If the Steelers
pick him, they probably wouldn't have to worry about D-Line for the rest of the draft since they got Ziggy Hood in the
first round. Jamon Meredith, OT, South Carolina: They got a guard. Now let's get a tackle. Meredith's
been called soft, but I think he's worth picking. Jason Phillips, ILB, Texas Christian: Inside linebacker
will be a need at some point with James Farrior not getting any younger and Larry Foote a possible free agent departure. Jasper Brinkley, ILB, South Carolina: See Jason Phillips. Herman Johnson, OG, LSU:
At 364 pounds, would make Casey Hampton look skinny. But they already got a guard. T.J. Lang, OT, Eastern Michigan:
Overachiever who might end up being a guard D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt: Should be taken only if Mike
Mickens is gone. A risky pick.
With the 84th pick, the Steelers chose Mississippi wide receiver Mike Wallace.
Well, Mike Tomlin did say that Steelers football is 60 minutes.
He wasn't on my board, but the Steelers
did need to pick a receiver somewhere.
Details to come.
Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati:
Bearcats' career leader in interceptions (14) and interception return yards (296). Gerald Cadogan, OT, Penn
State: Good offensive lineman, but dedication to game and killer instinct have been called into question. Lawrence
Sidbury Jr., DE, Richmond: Dominated Football Championship Subdivision title game, but that was a lower level of
competition. If the Steelers pick him, they probably wouldn't have to worry about D-Line for the rest of the draft since
they got Ziggy Hood in the first round. Herman Johnson, OG, LSU: At 364 pounds, would make Casey Hampton
look skinny. T.J. Lang, OT, Eastern Michigan Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma Chip Vaughn, S, Wake Forest
They've addressed the defensive and offensive lines, now it's time for the
Steelers to go cornerback and pick Mickens.
Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati: Bearcats' career
leader in interceptions (14) and interception return yards (296). Gerald Cadogan, OT, Penn State: Good
offensive lineman, but dedication to game and killer instinct have been called into question. Lawrence Sidbury
Jr., DE, Richmond: Dominated Football Championship Subdivision title game, but that was a lower level of competition.
If the Steelers pick him, they probably wouldn't have to worry about D-Line for the rest of the draft since they got Ziggy
Hood in the first round. Herman Johnson, OG, LSU: At 364 pounds, would make Casey Hampton look skinny. T.J. Lang, OT, Eastern Michigan Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma Chip Vaughn, S, Wake Forest
The Steelers chose offensive guard Kraig Urbik of Wisconsin with the 79th pick in
the draft.
Well, OK, he's a guy who I valued more at the end of the third, but as a Steelers pick in general,
I approve.
Redskins just took Kevin Barnes, so here's my updated board for the No. 84 pick:
Mike
Mickens, CB, Cincinnati: Bearcats' career leader in interceptions (14) and interception return yards (296). Gerald Cadogan, OT, Penn State: Good offensive lineman, but dedication to game and killer instinct have
been called into question. Lawrence Sidbury Jr., DE, Richmond: Dominated Football Championship Subdivision
title game, but that was a lower level of competition. If the Steelers pick him, they probably wouldn't have to worry
about D-Line for the rest of the draft since they got Ziggy Hood in the first round. Herman Johnson, OG, LSU:
At 364 pounds, would make Casey Hampton look skinny. T.J. Lang, OT, Eastern Michigan Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma Chip Vaughn, S, Wake Forest
I just tried to call Mike Tomlin to tell him to pick Mike Mickens, but the line is
busy. They must already be doing that.
Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati: Bearcats' career leader
in interceptions (14) and interception return yards (296). Kevin Barnes, CB, Maryland: Dropping because
of an injury his senior year. Would be a good value. Gerald Cadogan, OT, Penn State: Good offensive
lineman, but dedication to game and killer instinct have been called into question. Lawrence Sidbury Jr., DE,
Richmond: Dominated Football Championship Subdivision title game, but that was a lower level of competition. If the
Steelers pick him, they probably wouldn't have to worry about D-Line for the rest of the draft since they got Ziggy Hood
in the first round. Herman Johnson, OG, LSU: At 364 pounds, would make Casey Hampton look skinny. T.J. Lang, OT, Eastern Michigan Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma Chip Vaughn, S, Wake Forest
A lot of the guys who I'd like to see in a Steelers are remaining on the board. Here's
my board, with a little background on the top five at this point. Picking at 79 and 84, the Steelers might be able to pass
on someone and have another chance to grab him five picks later.
Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati:
Bearcats' career leader in interceptions (14) and interception return yards (296). Kevin Barnes, CB, Maryland:
Dropping because of an injury his senior year. Would be a good value. Gerald Cadogan, OT, Penn State:
Good offensive lineman, but dedication to game and killer instinct have been called into question. Lawrence Sidbury
Jr., DE, Richmond: Dominated Football Championship Subdivision title game, but that was a lower level of competition.
If the Steelers pick him, they probably wouldn't have to worry about D-Line for the rest of the draft since they got Ziggy
Hood in the first round. Herman Johnson, OG, LSU: At 364 pounds, would make Casey Hampton look skinny. Antoine Caldwell, C, Alabama T.J. Lang, OT, Eastern Michigan Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma Chip Vaughn, S,
Wake Forest
