Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

This coming schedule is ridiculously tough...

Unfortunately, I find them to be lucky to win 7 this season...could get ugly for Tomlin...Fast.

 

Post Gazette is still hammering out articles on the Grass Field...



http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08043/856769-66.stm

 

I'm excited about the free agent talk such as Justin Smith, and Williams from the Bengals.. The Steelers rarely go for anyone in the offseason so this news def. excites me and I hope we get Justin Smith at least.

 

I would love Smith! I like the thought of Wahle to replace Faneca if they can't come to an agreement.

I was looking at the Free Agent Centers that will be available...I would love to see them sign Jeff Faine...I know he is UFA...not sure if he is Tagged by the Saints.

Newberry and Weigmann are available too...but they're up there in age.

If they signed Justin Smith, Jeff Faine, a G of some sort and draft an O-Lineman in the first round...I'm doing back flips...

 

Wishlist...

My Offseason Wishlist:

Sign:
C - Jeff Faine
DL - Justin Smith
WR - Bryant Johnson (maybe Ernest Wilford or Justin Gage)

Release or Let Go: Alan Faneca (unfortunately, this is unavoidable,) Cedric Wilson, Clark Haggans, Dan Krieder (maybe resign him at a lower cost,) Willie Reid.

Extend Roethlisberger's contract. Sign Max Starks

Draft:
OL with first pick...Jeff Otah, Pitt. ?
CB Justin King with #2 (or Antoine Cason)

I realize this is wishful thinking...

:icon_redface:

 

500! Wanted to post in the best thread ever!! :icon_cheesygrin:

 

Maybe they can get Antonio Bryant hes a nice receiver when he wants to be, But yea im excited that they are going to probably get rid of Haggans (or keep him would be best) but cant wait to see Harrison and Woodley both starting at OLB that pass-rush is going to be fierce.

 

I posted this already...but I would sign Bryant to a minimum contract that is cap friendly and incentive filled. He played at Pitt and was damn good there...maybe the environment would help.

He's a little (very little) taller than what we have at 6-2, 188lbs...

Justin Smith?!?

 

Not sure which way the Steelers will go next year. I didn't see us having the season we had this year. I think they played a little beyond their abilities this year and it showed against the Jags.
There are quite a few question marks going into next year and a tough schedule too boot. I love Willie Parker but am still not sold on him as an every down back. OL was not great last year and our linebackers were too small. I like the LB's but they got moved around by Jacksonville. I do agree with Ben and his view of a big wr too. We need one to run a fade when it's called for.
Defense started out good last year then faded. CB's played better than past years but fading defense in second half of the year doesn't win championships.
We'll see what the Steelers do in free agency and draft and then it will be easier to judge where they might end up record wise.

 

Yea im not sold on Willie either his vision isn't that great people on the outside just see his final stats for the game but really on 10-15 of his runs he goes absolutely no where then breaks 4-5 good runs that make him look like he was solid all game, he def. can become that back but I thought his was better his first starting season in 05' then he was this season.

 

Yup and that wasn't even one of the biggest question marks for them. I am worried about next year's team. could be good, could be mediocre. If Parker adds some size and they can get someone to help carry the load I'd feel better but who knows how he'll come back fomr a broken leg too.
Sigh....I am talking myself down...lol.

 

If they go into next season with this 2007 team, they'd be lucky to win 6 with the schedule they have.

My feelings are that on both sides of the ball, they got dominated at the line of scrimmage. That HAS to be addressed!!!!!!

They were 9th in the league at Scoring Points/Game (not bad...)

In 4 of their 7 losses, the defense lost it on the final possession of the game...that never happened in the past.

The best free agent lineman out there is obviously Faneca...we had him last year and it didn't help...will they be able to replace him? No...can the line improve with out him? Yes.

Jeff Faine at Center would be HUGE! They could move Mahan to his natural position, Starks signing would help, Kemeoutoaotoaooeoosoa will help and drafting someone like Otah would be huge.

I'd be happy with Justin Smith and Jeff Faine...but you know the Steelers never make a huge splash in Free Agency, so that is probably a little too hopeful...

I have a lot of confidence in Willie Parker. I would rather not see him in there on third down and see Davenport play that, but the whole thing is irrelevant if the O-Line doesn't do well.

 

Any of you guys know where I can get an authentic 75th Anniversary Jersey? They sold out on the Steelers website. I saw a bunch of "crap" jerseys on eBay, but I want the real deal...the $275.00 jobber.

 

NFL Scouting Combine: Pitt offensive tackle interests the Steelers
Sunday, February 24, 2008
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08055/860020-66.stm

INDIANAPOLIS -- Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert said that in most years, a team drafting No. 22 is not likely to get a big-time offensive tackle prospect, but this year is different.

April's draft is considered to be loaded at the tackle position -- particularly at the top, with as many as five tackles considered potential first-round picks -- and the Steelers could have one fall into their lap.

That player could very well be Pitt's Jeff Otah, who is ranked among the top five tackles and is considered to be among the top 25 overall prospects, as well.
Otah, who played only two seasons at Pitt after transferring from Valley Forge Military Academy's Junior College, has watched his stock rise dramatically the past year and the fact that he hasn't played much football -- and thus has a lot of room to improve -- is probably as big of a reason as his size (6 feet 6, 322 pounds) and athleticism.

"Jeff had an interesting career because he came out of junior college and we heard about him a little bit as a junior and paid attention to what he was doing," said Colbert, who is at the NFL Scouting Combine this weekend.

"But, then he continued to get better and better during his senior year. And he is a very interesting prospect because he probably hasn't played his best football yet, because he is not a really experienced guy as far as playing football, so there is probably a lot of upside left in him.

"But, this is the best group of tackles I've seen in 24 years collectively, and I thought it was a good group even before the juniors were added to it. Those guys enhanced what we really think is a strong group."

Otah, from New Castle, Del., is one of the least experienced players at the combine because he didn't become an offensive lineman until he was a senior at William Penn High School. Before that, he played two seasons of junior varsity football as a defensive tackle, but he was a star basketball player.

But even though he played only one season of football -- and then only played three games because of a broken hand -- his size and his athleticism were enough to get him recruited by Valley Forge.

He quickly blossomed into one of the best tackle prospects in the country and by his second season he had attracted scholarship offers from Oklahoma, South Carolina, Maryland and West Virginia. But he chose Pitt because he believed Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt's NFL background would be an important factor in his development and also because the Panthers had an immediate need at tackle. After struggling early in his first season at Pitt, Otah was named first-team All-Big East as a senior.

"The thing about Jeff is he is big, he is strong but he also understands how to play the game," Wannstedt said. "I just wish I had him for two more years so we could work with him even more, but coaches will view his potential upside as major asset and he'll be impressive at the combine."

Otah is ranked behind Michigan's Jake Long, Boise State's Ryan Clady and Southern California's Sam Baker, but his stock could rise this weekend with a good workout because he has the size and athletic ability to become a dominant tackle. Otah, however, disputes the idea that he is inexperienced to the point where he wouldn't be ready to play as soon as the upcoming season.

"I'm not raw, I know a lot of people have been saying that, but I think I am a good player," he said. "I played at the highest level of college football in an NFL system for the last two years so I am not just straight raw. And to be a good defender in basketball you have to have good feet and I always played great defense, and people have always told me that I have good footwork."

 

Wonder if anyone will catch their eye on day two?

 

I'm hoping maybe a CB to eventually replace Townsend? Maybe one of these guys would hang around that long? Aqib Talib, Mike Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie?

I doubt they'll be there...but maybe a Justin King out of PSU?

 

I think they are going to go for Chavez Jackson from LSU in round 3 but hes probably a slot cb in the NFL at best , he jumps every route so he will either get a int or give up a big play in most games, But im always welcome to seeing a LSU player in Pittsburgh since we losing Faneca :cry2: .

 

Don't know much about him...but Jackson saounds like he could give me an ulcer...

 

Don't need another one who can't cover well enough that he needs to jump routes. We could use a shut down corner. I could care less about picks in comparison to not having a good pass defense.
Last year we had a better pass defense because for a good part of the year they got pressure on the qb. When they don't get pressure our db's aren't able to cover long enough.
That hasn't really changed and if it doesn't we are going to face some trials on defense again next year. The D started off great but faltered near the end of the season. I think this D was on the verge of being great and ended just ok.
3 things the D needs:
1- More size in front 7
2- Shut Down Corner
3- Help at safety for Troy

 

Well we need Troy playing like Troy.. last 2 seasons that hasn't been the Polamalu I know.. Injuries killing him, he needs a healthy season to get back to dominant safety status.