By G.Stryker
SteelerNation.com
There are drafts when the Pittsburgh Steelers move, make trades, and acquire players. There are also times when they just barely miss out on players due to the moves of other teams. As we revisit different Steelers drafts, we will take a look inside into what made those moments both special and memorable.
In 1994, the Steelers had 10 draft picks in seven rounds. They gained three extra picks that season because they decided to part ways with two players, Tim Worley and Adrian Cooper. Worley, the 7th overall pick in the '89 NFL Draft was traded to the Chicago Bears during the '93 season for a conditional 4th or 5th round and a conditional 6th or 7th round pick in this draft. Cooper, a promising young tight end was traded to the Minnesota Vikings the month before the draft for 3rd and 6th round picks.
Worley never lived up to his 1st round billing. His propensity to fumble, along with the fact that he was injured often, cut his production dramatically. When he was suspended for the entire 1992 season for missing two mandatory drug tests, Worley was already placed on a short leash. Since he was barely contributing after the first five games of the 1993 season, he became expendable, (33 yards on 10 carries and 13 yards on three catches) and the Bears reached out for a trade. Worley was released from the Bears after fives games in 1994 due to his off field issues leading to multiple arrests. His production with the Bears turned the first conditional pick into a 5th round pick, and the 6th/7th pick was never awarded. Even so, with that 5th round pick, the Steelers were able to select Myron Bell.
Bell was a hard hitting safety that quickly became a sub-package star and spot starter. He enjoyed eight years in the NFL, playing two with the Cincinnati Bengals. While he didn’t put up amazing numbers, if you had the pleasure of watching him play, you got used to the loud crack when he made tackles. As a 5th round pick, Bell ended up being a more productive player than the 1st round pick of Worley, so it was good that the Steelers gained some value with this trade.
In today’s NFL, we’re not used to seeing so much draft value earned from a player that wasn’t a starter. The Vikings were very high on Adrian Cooper. Offering 3rd and 6th round draft picks for a player who saw less and less action behind Eric Green, was an offer the Steelers couldn’t refuse. Minnesota saw Cooper as a starter and he would go on to start 24 games in two seasons. Though his receiving yardage increased, he never became the productive tight end the Vikings envisioned him to be. Cooper would play his 5th and final season for the San Francisco 49ers, and only registered one catch for 11 yards.
The 6th round pick ended up being linebacker Eric Ravotti, who only managed two sacks on two starts in three seasons before leaving football. The 3rd round pick was used on another linebacker, Jason Gildon from Oklahoma State University. This pick ended up being the home run of the Steelers '94 draft. Not only would Gildon go on to play 10 years and earn three Pro Bowl accolades along with one All Pro team, he would also go on to become the Steelers all-time leader in sacks with 77. That number would stand until James Harrison passed him with 80.5 just a few years ago.
Overall, you never know if trading players for picks will turn out in your benefit. In 1994, those trades ended up working out perfectly for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
#SteelerNation
