Ed Bouchette: Ok, fire away. MPM: If an offensive lineman and a running back that the Steelers like, say Jeff Otah and Rashard Mendenhall as examples, were both to slip and were available when the Steelers pick, which player would the Steelers select? Ed Bouchette: I would imagine they'd take Otah, but I would not expect him to slip to No. 23. He'll be among the top 15 taken, I would guess. I also don't now expect them to take a running back in the first round, unless by some miracle Stewart falls that far. chooch79: Ed, Might the Steelers consider WVU's Owen Schmitt as a solution to both their short yardage needs and much needed FB depth? Ed Bouchette: Yes, I think they would. I ranked him first among my fullbacks, although other boards disagree with me. That's OK. I saw this kid run and he's tough and big and has a great attitude. They have the home-run hitter in Willie Parker and I think they could get Schmitt on the third round. hinestheman: Good afternoon, Ed. I missed these chats. Need more of them ... When Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin say that they have the luxury to go after the best available player, regardless of the position - do you buy it? Shouldn't they address their needs first and pick the best available player at key position? and if no one's worthy by that time, try to deal the pick for more picks? Ed Bouchette: Well, the word "luxury" is in the eye of the beholder. New England is the one with the luxuries these days. No, I don't think you reach for a player just because of a need, not a big reach anyway. Plus, what would you identify as the Steelers' top 3 needs? Yes, both lines. But what about OLB? Have you seen the lack of depth there? Wide receiver? A bruising RB? Corner? Safety? They have needs everywhere. hinestheman: Ed, do you think they Ben will get his tall receiver wish? and if so, how early in the draft do you think they will go for such receiver? Ed Bouchette: There are some tall receivers available, and I think you can get one in the second or third round, without going first round. bdenny29: Jake Long justed agreed with the Dolphins...is he a good choice at #1? Ed Bouchette: He's the most signable athlete for the Dolphins. There was no clear-cut No. 1 pick this year, so why pay the NO. 1 pick a gazillion bucks when you can do a more conservative deal with the guy before the draft? I think it's a good move by them in a bad year to have the top pick. OBXAndy: Ed, Which college players have visited the Steelers and which round are they each expected to be selected in? Thanks. Ed Bouchette: Whoa, that's way too much for this Q/A. Boring_Draft: Ed, you sure are popular! There are never this many people in any other chat! Ed Bouchette: I heard Obama just signed on. Boring_Draft: Ed, do you go to thew draft every year? If so, how boring is it and what do you do while there and between picks? Ed Bouchette: We eat. I love draft day, not so much the days leading up to it. But draft day is electric. The interested media gathers in the press room at the Steelers and the debates begin. We have a couple of TVs on, and it's very loud much of the time. In the old days, it was more intimate and the draft took place on a Tuesday in the middle of the week. Now, everyone runs around, there are live TV shows, radio shows, live reports from the middle of the press room. By the way, it's a myth that the draft takes place in NY. It takes place at the headquarters of each of the 32 NFL teams. None of the important people go to New York; the teams dispatch someone, usually not even involved in the draft, to sit by the phone and take the card up to the commish when the pick is made back in Pittsburgh, or wherever. Boring_Draft: So, who's your pick, Ed? Ed Bouchette: You'll have to wait until Saturday morning for that (is that a good way of saying I don't know yet?). At No. 23, it's hard even for the team to know who they're going to take, especially this year. I'll try to zero in on some guys, but don't go betting the house this year on anyone. DC_Diva: Any possibility of taking Otah? Ed Bouchette: He'd look great moving next door, but I think he'll be long gone and I don't think they will try to make a move to go up and get him. Boring_Draft: If you had to guess, who are the Steelers slobbering over? Ed Bouchette: They don't slobber. Steelersfan4life: Hi Ed, thanks for the chat. Do you think with the recent signing of Max Starks and the hint that Willie Colon will work at Guard this is giving us a peek at what our offensive line may look like for next season? I would like to see a RB such as Jonathan Stewart or a WR like Malcolm Kelly from OU as our first round pick. Your thoughts? Ed Bouchette: Kelly could fall, but I think Stewart is going to stay up higher -- teams believe his toe will be fine. I'd grab Stewart on the first round, not sure about Kelly. The line should shape up like this -- M. Smith, X, Hartwig, Simmons, XX. X will be Chris K. or Willie Colon, in my opinion. XX will be Starks or Colon, with Starks looking like the man. OBXAndy: Can Capizzi, Lentz, Parquet, or Stapleton satisfy OL need in 2008? Ed Bouchette: No. Brody: I know it's crazy ... but Ben wants a tall receiver and Chad Johnson wants out of Cincy. Just please tell me it'll never happen so I'll stop thinking about it. Ed Bouchette: The Steelers would love to have him, Cincy won't trade him here, though. Taz: Hi Ed, who are some of the guys perhaps on the practice squad or buried in the 53-man roster from last year that the Steelers like and may affect how they draft? (I'm thinking D. Baker and Stapleton, but I'm curious if there are many more of those types of guys) Ed Bouchette: Not many. Gary Russell could become the No. 2 back, but there's a long way between that and April. sanholm: Ed, we read where Colbert said it would be more likely the Steelers trade down if anything in the draft. Do you believe that or do you think they'll try and trade up? Ed Bouchette: It's in my question of the day today, or at least in my answer to it. bdenny29: Do you think they try to get an "heir" to Batch? Any names that you know they could like and turn out better than the Omar Jacobs experiment? Ed Bouchette: I think that is possible, yes. Whether they do so with their sixth-round pick or wait until after the draft, they'll sign a rookie QB. bdenny29: Is Stewart the only RB you can see them going after in round 1 (assuming he miraculously falls)? Ed Bouchette: I'm thinking yes, but they did not deliver me the blueprint yet. JP_Bubba: Hi Ed, good to have you back. What's Timmons story? Will he be the player we all thought he could be? What about Woodley? Ed Bouchette: Those are questions that can't be answered yet. There was a time in Troy P's rookie year many of us thought he wasn't the player they hoped he would be. By his second season, we knew better. Same with Timmons. He's an ILB now, competing with Foote. Many believe he ultimately will replace James Farrior at some point, not this year. Woodley could be a good one. He does know how to get to the QB ND2007: Is tight end the only position the Steelers can truly ignore this weekend? Ed Bouchette: They have only six picks, so there will be plenty of positions they ignore. I don't think they're worried too much about QB. slsimon: Ed, with Moore, Davenport, Russell, and Davis, I can't see Stewart being the pick. It seems like a lot to lock up with Willie still here, no?!? Ed Bouchette: It's not like you just named the Four Horsemen on your list. Iron_City: Ed, any chance that Sedrick Ellis would still be available when the Steelers are on the board? Ed Bouchette: I think he'll be long gone. Boring_Draft: He is for change, and the Steelers are too with this pass more offense. Ed Bouchette: Change is not a four-letter word. Tom_M.: What about a CB in the 1st round? Ed Bouchette: I don't think they'll go that way, mainly because the good ones will be drafted before them. bdenny29: Not draft related, but who will be this year's James Harrison ... the big breakout star? Ed Bouchette: There is not a James Harrison every year. I would look at Woodley with an outside shot being Gary Russell. OBXAndy: How likely is trade down with Atlanta if Ryan is not taken with 3rd pick? Ed Bouchette: Anything's possible. DC_Diva: Have you heard any players professing a wish to play in black and gold? Ed Bouchette: Max Starks. Tom_M.: Do you think the Steelers are interested in Justin King? Ed Bouchette: Yes, he would be a great second-round choice for them. But, I think he'll be a great second-round choice for someone who has a higher pick in that round. Dirty_O: Do you know whether they've looked at the RB from WVU, Slaton? Ed Bouchette: Look? Yes. Draft? No. JP_Bubba: Ed, 3-4 or 4-3 next year? Sorry, but I can't help asking you non-draft questions while we have your time. Ed Bouchette: I don't know why the 4-3 questions persist. They've done nothing to indicate they want to move to a 4-3 and their OLBs are 3-4 style. steelmann58: If they feel Rusell can be a #2 back will they avoid the RB in the draft? Ed Bouchette: Not necessarily, because they don't yet know if Gary Russell can do it. slsimon: Ed, thanks for your response. One more question and I'm done. It seems like they replaced Randle El with Holmes and Reid, Porter with Timmons and Woodley, and now it's Faneca with _________ and _________. Ed Bouchette: I wouldn't hold my breath for a first-round guard. If they go OL in the first round, it would be more like Gosder Cherilus, the big OT from BC. lfhlaw: I know Colbert mentioned about trading out of the 1st round possibly to get more draft picks in 2,3,4 -- heard any rumours of who might want to move up? Ed Bouchette: No. bdenny29: What is one 1st round direction that no one is really talking about that the Steelers could go and surprise people? Ed Bouchette: OLB. Even though they drafted LB in first two rounds last year, they lost Haggans and moved Timmons inside. They have precious little depth at the position behind new starter Woodley and MVP James Harrison. marcderoe: Ed, they have only 6 picks , what are chances of trading down for extra picks? Ed Bouchette: There's a chance. GJSteeler: Willie Reid, Dallas Baker, Jeremy Bloom - do you think any of these guys are on the roster in the regular season? Ed Bouchette: Maybe. How's that for wishy-washy? I have to see what they draft first. Bloom is strictly a return guy. Reid or Baker could be their No. 4 WR if they don't draft someone. ND2007: What type of running back would the Steelers be looking at? Perhaps a bigger guy like Matt Forte of Tulane? Ed Bouchette: Not just bigger, but someone to go low and get the tough yards, goalline stuff and drive the line back. Dirty_O: Ed, are there any punters that the Steelers should consider trading up in the draft for? Ed Bouchette: No, but maybe another backup tight end on the first day? bdenny29: One name I saw in one mock draft that I loved and had not heard mentioned was Mike Jenkins, the CB from USF. Is there a realistic chance he lasts falls to 23? Ed Bouchette: I did a mock draft with some of the best beat writers in the league yesterday. Jenkins fell to 18, Houston. bdenny29: Can the Steelers repeat as division champs with such a brutal schedule? Ed Bouchette: Yes, because eveyrone else in the division plays a brutal sked. steelhead: At corner do you see William Gay competing for a starting job in the next few years, or would he be more of a dime guy? Ed Bouchette: I don't see him as a starter, but he can prove me wrong, just as Willie Williams once did. Boring_Draft: What's you user record for these chats? You were up to 47 at one point!!!!!! Ed Bouchette: I let the media worry about those records. I just take them one question at a time. bdenny29: How much input does Coach Tomlin have in who gets drafted ... and how does it compare to last year? Ed Bouchette: I think he has more input this year. I think if he really wants someone, he'll get him. hinestheman: Ed, my final question of the day -- what do you think of Gene Collier's writing? I wasn't familiar with him until a few weeks ago. He is pretty good and very funny too! Ed Bouchette: You have missed a lot, my friend. Go back into the archives and start reading his columns. It'll be the best book you read all year. Dirty_O: OK, so who'd you get in the mock draft yesterday? Ed Bouchette: Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina. Dobre_Shunka: How many years does Hines have left in him? Ed Bouchette: He's 32. TO is, what, 35, 36? I think as long as he stays healthy, Hines has a good 3, 4 years left in him. It's not like his asset is blinding speed and he will lose that as he gets older. He runs great routes, catches everything and knows how to get open. Bren: Biggest Steeler draft bust ever? Ed Bouchette: So many busts, so little time ... Jamain Stephens, Huey Richardson, John Rienstra, Darryl Sims, Keith Gary, Greg Hawthorne, Aaron Jones, Tim Worley. And those are just during my time on the beat. Dobre_Shunka: Worst team in the 2008 AFC North? Ed Bouchette: Baltimore. bdenny29: Balmer was in McShay's mock as well......do you see him more as a DE or DT? Ed Bouchette: With the Steelers, he'd be a DE. Dirty_O: Did you actually get paid for participating in a mock draft? Ed Bouchette: Hey! I get paid for everything. Dobre_Shunka: You see the PBS documentary on Roberto Clemente last night? Thoughts? Ed Bouchette: No, but I watched Antiques Roadshow before it. I'm all Clemented-out. DC_Diva: Best Steelers' draft pick ever? Ed Bouchette: Wow. Too many, not enough time. Start with the Hall of Famers and look at the drafts from 1969 to 1974 and you will find most of them. Boring_Draft: Booooooooo Ed Bouchette: How did they let a Pirates fan in here? Dirty_O: Dan Rooney felt compelled to endorse Obama. Has Obama endorsed a draft pick? Ed Bouchette: Yes, he likes Aqib Talib. Taz: Why does everybody like Justin King so much? I'm a Penn Stater, so my Lion pride loves to see everybody so hot on him, but the guy is small and wiry, while very fast. Not exactly the prototype for Steelers corners, who actually have to tackle people (unlike a former Dallas/Atlanta/San Fran star player ...). Don't you believe that will cause them to avoid King, even given the opportunity? Ed Bouchette: Check how many Super Bowl rings that Dallas/Atlanta/San Fran player has. Ed Bouchette: Good chatting with everyone again. I've gone overtime. For those in Pa., go vote. For those who are not, keep those mock drafts coming. There's nothing I like more than a good mock draft, unless it's root canal.
