Our offense this year(skill positions)

[Parasite]

QB: Big Ben
RB: Parker, Mendenhall, Moore
WR: Ward, Holmes, Sweed, Washington
TE: Miller


I'm sorry, but that's sick! If our line improves even a little, we are putting up insane numbers this year.

[SteelerFan448]

QB: Big Ben
RB: Parker, Mendenhall, Moore
WR: Ward, Holmes, Sweed, Washington
TE: Miller, Spaeth


I'm sorry, but that's sick! If our line improves even a little, we are putting up insane numbers this year.

Fixed it for ya...

We are going to have a powerful offense next season and the skill positions will help the line out.

[Parasite]

Doh, forgot Spaeth. Yeah, in the red zone he can be very deadly.

[DerbyCityBNGfan]

I'm excited. Very excited.

[Ben#7]

Doh, forgot Spaeth. Yeah, in the red zone he can be very deadly.

YEAH, Miller 6'-5", Spaeth 6'-7", Sweed 6'-5".

That is Crazy Sick.:)

[scrapdog]

Yeah great weapons, just wish we had an offensive line to help utilize 'em.

[Smooth Criminal]

Im guessing the line will get better. Hartwig at center has to be an improvement. I really think alot of the problems on our line stemed from having a weak center. If Hartwig can be an improvement it should elevate the play of our entire line.

And we should be rushing more this year with Willie and Rashard. That should help keep Ben off as his ass.

[Miller]

It'll be a lot of talent not being utilized well because our line is so bad. Sick is also what you'll feel after the 4th/5th sack each game, about the 3rd or 4th time Parker gets tackled at the handoff, and the 3rd or 4th time he has to juke 2 guys to get back to the line of scrimmage.

[Thorndike]

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Anyway...you really wanted us to reach for some project LT in the first round, Miller? That would be great. Pick some shlep with a third round grade, let Mendenhall and his top ten grade just sitting there. Who needs him? After Willie went down last year we had....uh....diddly fucking squat!

[LineDown!]

switching to a zone blocking scheme increases our offensive line play be 25% alone....

[Miller]

As I've made clear we could have easily taken a prototype 3-4 end in Merling, or one of the very good corners still available (several of whom we brought in). Or any of the WR's which were all available. All needs. Merling even had added value (important for all the VALUE~! whores) since most people had him ranked in the high to mid teens too.

But don't actually think about this stuff, just be excited to get a guy who will not compete for the starting job and is an improvement on Davenport. The one thing everyone agreed we needed to address early: backup running back.

[LineDown!]

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[Thorndike]

Wow...you're good!

So, instead of taking a top rated RB because he'll be a back up, we should take a guy in the first with a mid second round grade...TO BE A BACK UP at DE! All this wisdom and you're not an NFL GM? How can that be?

I've stated 20 times today that I wanted us to pick Jenkins in the first. But Mendenhall makes perfect sense since we were targeting a RB and one of the top 2/3 RBs fell to us.

You're screaming about the OL and suggesting we pick a WR (which we got anyway) or a CB or a DE? That makes zero sense.

[Chicoman]

Our offensive weaponry has got to be a complete nightmare for any Defensive Coach and any Defense.

Ben has so many weapons I wouldn't be suprised if he throws 50 TD's this season. Not to mention his mobility too.

This offense with the exception of a few questions on the O-line is EXPLOSIVE!!!

I don't see many teams being able to hold us back this season on the offensive side of the football if we stay healthy.:)

[TMC]

Our offensive weaponry has got to be a complete nightmare for any Defensive Coach and any Defense.

Ben has so many weapons I wouldn't be suprised if he throws 50 TD's this season. Not to mention his mobility too.

This offense with the exception of a few questions on the O-line is EXPLOSIVE!!!

I don't see many teams being able to hold us back this season on the offensive side of the football if we stay healthy.:)

Not so sure about the DCs or defenses, but the fans of the other teams in the division are not very happy right now.

And, honestly, I am sure I have said this many times, I do not believe any rookie that would have been available at our picks would have started for us anyway. The BEST OL at #23 was probably Chilo Rachal and IF Starks plays RT, I do not know if Rachal could have beaten out Colon at LG. It would have been worse in the 2nd. Our line of Smith, Colon/Kemo, Hartwig, Simmons, and Starks was better than any guy that would have been there where we selected.

It is sad to say that, but it is true.

[Miller]

Merling had a mid-second round grade where? Most places had him in the high teens in both BPA rankings and mock drafts. Secondly our D line and backups are all over 31, and that's not even taking into account the fact that our backups there are terrible. Merling would compete at DE this year, could have pushed Keisel for a spot, and at the worst would have been the top rotational guy. He would have been groomed to be a starter next year, like every first round pick of ours usually is. Furthermore he's the exact size and technique we need for a 3-4, which is rare to find in 1st round talent. Even if he is only a rotational guy, he will take more important snaps and provide a more important role than a backup running back. We can't even run an effective rotation now, and our old D line will get older and more wore down as the game goes on and the season goes on. Which, if you weren't paying attention last year, were critical flaws our team had. Quite simply, we have to start taking D linemen high and in great numbers soon or we will be up shit creek without so much as a paddle. He would have filled a hole, filled a need, and given us flexibility in the future.

Same goes for the corners, they could have contributed in the nickel minimum, and would have been groomed to take over for Deshea (who is older than dirt) and would have protected us from having to force a rookie or Gay in there next year if McFadden leaves. They would have filled a hole, filled a need, and given us flexibility in the future.

Mendenhall on the other hand will not start. He will not compete for the starting job. These were almost the first words out of Mike Tomlin's mouth. He will not start because we have a Pro-bowl running back there. A young pro bowl running back there. A young pro bowl running back who is signed cheaply for many years. Mendenhall is not being groomed to start this year, he is not being taken with the idea that he will start in a year or so. He is being taken specifically to be a backup. It does not fill a hole, it does not fill a need, and with the players we already had we were flexible enough at the position.

And yes our O-line is still shit. Stating that is common sense. Nothing we did today fixes that. We didn't have any options in the first so I don't fault them for not getting one there. But the fact that we decided to take a luxury for our first pick meant our options were more limited and our ability to patch holes more difficult as the draft moves on. We're seeing a lot of good players we covet fall in positions we need and we don't have the picks to grab them all. And since we only have 3 early picks and 6 total our chances of grabbing a starter on the O line AND the D line are even lower. Something we could have avoided by going Merling or WR in the first then grabbing someone like Pollack in the second. Even Merling 1 and Sweed 2 would have helped in more critical areas than Mendenhall/Sweed. Instead we took a luxury in the first round. We could have plugged two holes in the first two rounds, instead of one. We spent one on a position we didn't need while there were good options available at positions we did (according to some well regarded player rankings, equal options). Now we're going to come out of the draft adding a strength to a strength and leaving other areas still weak or banking on the hopes of a 6th rounder. That's not good. For me I'd rather bet on getting a good backup RB in round six or as a RFA, instead of hoping to get a 3-4 lineman or a starting guard in rounds 4 and below.

RB is the most easily replaceable position in football and we just went first round on it. And we didn't even do it to get a starter. Now we're going to go into camp with holes at one of the positions we could have shored up through the draft because we went running back: already a strength on our team. That's the problem, not Mendenhall. I don't dislike the player, he's a good one, I dislike the fact that we took him and what that means for our already limited options.

[Tres Rios]

Just by replacing Mahampon at center makes our line better. Now if we draft say McGlynn or Zuttah next, we're even better. With that and if Smith can stay healthy, it won't be the best line but won't be horrible.

I'm still convinced 25% of our sacks last year were on Ben holding the ball because our WRs couldn't get open. Sweed helps that a ton.

[Tres Rios]

Thought Merling had/has character issues. After Najeh and Ced we probably avoided anyone with that tag like the plague.

[SteelerAl]

Miller, tell me this --- who is the backup running back for the Jax Jaguars? Are you really going to argue to M. Jones-Drew isn't as valuable as a nickle corner or "rotational" backup defensive end?

[Steelz]

Yinz seem to forget...
Ben was sacked soo many times because "he held on to the ball too long". He shouldn't have that problem this year. :)

Besides, you cant blitz a team with deep threats.


edit: But we do still need o-linemen though.

[scrapdog]

Yinz seem to forget...
Ben was sacked soo many times because "he held on to the ball too long". He shouldn't have that problem this year. :)

Besides, you cant blitz a team with deep threats.


Actually, the problem with him holding on to the ball too long last season was mostly due to the long routes the receivers were running....Ben had to wait for them to hit their spot or break. The blame there would be Arians.

[SteelerAl]

Actually, the problem with him holding on to the ball too long last season was mostly due to the long routes the receivers were running....Ben had to wait for them to hit their spot or break. The blame there would be Arians.

I lump most of the blame on Ben --- his ability to extend the play by scrambling around and eluding rushers / breaking arm tackles is a blessing and a curse. He tries to extend the play at times when he should just throw the ball away. He almost never throws the ball away (contributes to the high completion % he's had his entire career but also results in lots of sacks).

[Thorndike]

Miller, don't try to change the subject. You came on here this evening crying in every thread that we didn't improve our OL. Yet the ONLY decent option you've given to the picks the Steelers made is Merling, a DE. I'll keep saying it...that makes NO FUCKING SENSE!

When called out on that you started complaining that Mendenhall will be a back up. Whoop di fuckin' do! What do you thing Merling would be?

Thus far we've learned from you that we need help on the OL and that drafting a back up is not good. But you can't mention ONE OL that we should've drafted in our slots, and offer Merling as a better option...and he would be a back up! Whatever, man...spin and spin again.

[mallrat80]

ok, lets not be rude to him. He just prolly doesnt see that All the Offensive linemen available at pick #23 today were mid to late 2nd ROUNDERS at most. Teams reached for both Duane Brown i think his name is and Sam Baker. We got the only value there for us at 23 (other than CB)

Now, maybe miller is refering to maybe trading down and getting a high second,third or fourth round pick??? i can see that choice being better decision than drafting Mendenhall (although i like the pick) in the fact that we would have still grabbed sweed but we might have been put in a better position to grab one of the last (quality) offensive lineman in rounds three and four.

[steelberger1]

I dont see how people can bitch about this draft. BOTH of these guys were supposed to be gone by the time our FIRST pick came around. That is value folks.

I havent been this (cautiously) optimistic about a Steeler rookie class in a long time.

But we will need to get some help for the lines at some point.

[SteelerAl]

Actually, the problem with him holding on to the ball too long last season was mostly due to the long routes the receivers were running....Ben had to wait for them to hit their spot or break. The blame there would be Arians.

Ben also was sacked a lot under Whisenhunt as well --- the difference is that we didn't throw the ball nearly as much as with Arians, but Ben's sack per drop-back percentage was quite high.

[fedderone]

ok, lets not be rude to him. He just probably doesnt see that All the Offensive linemen available at pick #23 today were mid to late 2nd ROUNDERS at most. Teams reached for both Duane Brown i think his name is and Sam Baker. We got the only value there for us at 23 (other than CB)

Now, maybe miller is refering to maybe trading down and getting a high second,third or fourth round pick??? i can see that choice being better decision than drafting Mendenhall (although i like the pick) in the fact that we would have still grabbed sweed but we might have been put in a better position to grab one of the last (quality) offensive lineman in rounds three and four.

I was a guy that for ALL the weeks leading up to the draft was preaching line improvement, both offensive and defensive, but especially the O-Line.
But watching the draft unfold, it was apparent that there was a run on offensive tackles and that teams were beginning to panic and trade up to reach for players.
I'm ECSTATIC the Steelers did not follow suit simply picking out of need.
None of us, or ANY of the draft experts/gurus had the Stillas taking Mendenhall, because he was supposed to be taken 10 or so slots higher.
It was a miracle he slid to us, and we should all be grateful we pulled the trigger.
Same with Sweed. I wouldn't say "Big Biker is running the team" with this pick becuase, again, NOBODY expected him to fall this far. When we made this pick, I damn near shat myself thinking of Santonio and Sweed on the outsides and Hines and Heath on inside.
That's absolutely ridiculous!
Now, with all that wanking I just did over those picks, I question starting day two off with Bruce Davis. He's an OLB, and apparently a great pass rusher, but not much of a cover guy and plays out of position a lot.
Even though there was NO value in the first two rounds for O/D - lines, it doesn't mean they can keep getting ignored.
For those saying these new "weapons" protect QB's, lay the pipe down.
O-Lines protect QB's and we have paper mache' turnstiles for an O-Line right now.
Hartwig, or any solid substance found on the earth, is an obvious upgrade over Mahan, but that doesn't change Marvel's questionable injury history or the other lackluster, out of position performances we had last year.
Love the first two rounds, starting to see a pattern from previous years' drafts in this third round pick.

[Quick Draw]

Arians just got a lot smarter yesterday.

[markymarc]

That is a very scary offense. The red zone offense got even scarier with the pick up of Sweed. Ben has got to be giddy about running with this kind of offense. Look at what he did last season and now add Medenhall and Sweedy. Very sick man!

[cutty]

Yeah great weapons, just wish we had an offensive line to help utilize 'em.

I agree, you can have all the skill positions covered, but if you do not have any of the nastys up front, it will not be too good of a year.

[Jack_Handy]

Yinz seem to forget...
Ben was sacked soo many times because "he held on to the ball too long". He shouldn't have that problem this year. :)

Besides, you cant blitz a team with deep threats.


edit: But we do still need o-linemen though.


Hear! Hear!