OK, it's about time I say something about the upcoming NFL draft. I haven't figured out enough for a feature-length
story to put on my home page, and a lot can happen in the next month. But for now I'm just going to get the ball rolling.
Here's what I think is going to happen. Jeff Otah of Pittsburgh will already have been snapped up by No. 23. So
the Steelers will pick Branden Albert of Virginia, who will be able to compete right away for the left guard spot vacated
by Alan Faneca. If by some miracle Chris Williams of Vanderbilt is available at No. 23, the Steelers should take him. But
he won't be.
If Otah and Albert are still on the board at No. 23, I say the Steelers should go with Otah. He's
been nursing injuries, but he has tremendous upside. Some scouts say he could start right away at right tackle. He could be
an upgrade from both Max Starks and Willie Colon. Then they could groom Otah for left tackle if they lose Marvel Smith after
2008.
If Otah and Albert are both chosen by No. 23? The only thing I'll say at this point is that the Steelers
shouldn't settle for offensive lineman Gosder Cherilus from Boston College. In that case they need to look D-Line.
Of course, a lot could change in the next four weeks, including my opinion.
Well, well, well. Look who we have coming in to work out for the Steelers.
What use could the Steelers possibly
have for defensive lineman Anthony McFarland, a 30-year-old who was out all of last season with a knee injury and was cut
by the Colts a month ago when he failed a physical?
If he failed a physical a month ago, what's he going to
do, study really hard and take it again?
So why would the Steelers be interested in McFarland? Well, guess who
he played for before the Colts. It wouldn't be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, would it? That's right. It was the Buccaneers.
And Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was the Bucs' secondary coach when McFarland played for them.
I'm tired
of Tomlin bringing in guys he's familiar with, like Allen Rossum and Sean Mahan and Mewelde Moore (we'll see how that
works out). There are 32 teams in the NFL. Tomlin is limiting his free agent search to guys he's seen. Loyalty won't
get you very far in this business. You have to bring in the best guys for the job, not guys you've had a previous working
relationship with.
Mike, dude, don't waste this new space under the salary cap on a guy who's probably
on the downside of his career.
Dan Rooney kind of put his foot in his mouth last week and made it seem like there's a double standard on the team
when it comes to domestic violence.
The Women's Center and Shelter in Pittsburgh called Rooney on his comments.
Good for them. There's no excuse for domestic violence. Now the Steelers have a community group keeping a close watch
on them.
The Steelers are desperately trying to hang on to their reputation as one of the classier franchises in the NFL by releasing
wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, who was arrested last night after allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend at a restaurant.
Wilson isn't the only Steeler involved in a recent domestic violence incident. Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison
was arrested on March 8.
It's not too hard to cut a No. 4 receiver. It's a lot tougher to cut your best
defensive player, which Harrison was last season for the Steelers. Team chairman Dan Rooney said that Wilson was cut and Harrison
wasn't because the situations are different.
That covers the Steelers for now. But what if Harrison gets into
more trouble? Would they stick to the moral high ground and cut him, too? According to an affadavit he did break down a door
and break a cell phone in half. That doesn't sound very civilized to me.
It bugs me a little that there has
been more news lately of Steelers getting into trouble with the law. I think in years past the Steelers had a lot fewer arrests
that most other teams in the league. I sort of got this idea in my head that the Steelers were better behaved because of the
franchise's reputation as a class organization. Well, the men who wear black and gold are NFL players just like the other
31 teams in the league. And while they're not all criminals, NFL players do get into trouble from time to time. The Steelers
are no different.
