Holmes Gets A New Home

A few quick thoughts on the Steelers’ trading of WR Santonio Holmes to the Jets for a 5^th round pick:

- Instead of trading for a 5th round pick this year, why not trade for a 4th rounder in 2011 that could be conditionally raised to a 3rd rounder if Holmes reaches certain statistical milestones (i.e., 70 catches and/or 800 yards)?  A couple reasons why I feel strongly about this: 1) I fully believe that the team will need more picks in the 2011 draft than they will in this one in order to counter likely significant free agent losses after this season; and 2) the team should expect no comp picks in 2011 after signing Arnaz Battle, Will Allen, Jonathan Scott and Larry Foote.  The Steelers already have ten draft picks this April & arguably do not have ten open spots on the final roster: why not use this trade to build for the future?

- Why don't the Steelers try to make trades with teams that historically have overpaid for players?  To this day, I can't believe the Redskins traded Champ Bailey AND a 2nd round pick for Clinton Portis.  Maybe the Steelers did reach out to teams like the Redskins & didn't find any takers.  And I realize that the trade market tends to undervalue wide receivers, as was demonstrated by Randy Moss being acquired for a 4^th round pick.  But I can’t help but envy teams that manage to take advantage of one-sided trades & wish that the Steelers could “get in on that action.”

- The Steelers now have four picks in the 5th round (151, 155, 164 & 166, the latter two picks untradeable since they are compensatory picks).  With that many rolls of the dice, the team *should* be able to draft a solid player or two.  But here is a list of players the Steelers have recently taken in the 5th round: CB Joe Burnett, RB/FB Frank Summers, QB Dennis Dixon, OG Cameron Stephenson, CB William Gay, QB Omar Jacobs, TE Charles Davis, LB Rian Wallace, DE Nathaniel Adibi, QB Brian St. Pierre, RB Verron Haynes, OC Chukky Okobi, LB Clark Haggans, QB Tee Martin, TE Jerame Tuman, WR Malcolm Johnson, DB Jason Simmons, RB George Jones, etc.  From the looks of this list, the Steelers have gotten a few keepers over the years & arguably have a reasonable percentage of success with 5th round picks when compared with other teams around the league.  But only Clark Haggans and William Gay jump out as players who have spent significant time as starters.  Several of these players are no longer in the NFL.  By trading Holmes for a 5th round pick, they essentially said "We'd rather have Malcolm Johnson or Charles Davis or [your favorite 5th round pick here] than Santonio Holmes on our roster.”  In other words, they’d rather have a player that probably won’t start at their given position (and certainly won’t start for a couple years if they ever do start) instead of having a legit #1 WR who can stretch defenses (when he’s not suspended or leaving in free agency.)  Is that a statement that most Steelers fans would make?  That's a debatable point.  When it comes to trading picks, sometimes people forget that these picks actually translate into players.  In recent years, the Steelers have not done a stellar job drafting in the later rounds (5^th round included), so they better do all they can to make this draft count.

- Sure, Holmes is self-destructing with unwise off-the-field actions, sure, Holmes was facing a four-game suspension, sure, Holmes was tarnishing the team’s public image,, sure, the team needed to send a strong message that they will not tolerate reprehensible behavior, and sure, Holmes only had one more year under contract.  The reasons to cut bait now are self-evident.  But the Steelers likely would have gotten no less than a 2012 5th round comp pick for him after he left in free agency.  With a team that’s not too different from one that won a Super Bowl two years ago (with Holmes as the MVP), are the Steelers that unwilling to keep Holmes in the hopes of one more title shot?  Or do they feel Holmes is a replaceable player, specifically by rookie standout Mike Wallace and returning WR Antwaan Randle-El?  Or replaceable by a rookie to be named later this month?  Is a 5^th round pick in hand worth that much more than a 5^th round pick next year?  I guess that depends on what you do with the 5^th round pick.  Regardless, having Holmes start 12 games for your team probably would do a lot for offensive production and, consequently, the team’s chances at making the playoffs.  I’m sure that’s something that Steelers fans will chew on as the upcoming season gets underway, especially since the Steelers’ window for winning another Super Bowl won’t stay open forever.

Believing in Miracles, Part II

Last summer, I thought I had witnessed a once-in-a-decade off-season miracle happen for the Steelers when OT Max Starks agreed to a four-year contract extension that solidified one OT position, as well as saved the team a lot of money and cap space, even though Starks had a number of compelling reasons not to agree to an extension.

I guess miracles sometimes strike twice.

NT Casey Hampton, whom I had all but written off as being signed by the highest bidder (which surely would not be the Steelers),  signed a three-year extension for roughly $21 million with $11 million guaranteed.  That’s about how much he would have been paid under the franchise tag, but probably much less than he would have gotten in the open market.  With this extension, the Steelers have their starting NT for next season and are not desperate to use an early draft pick on a NT.  Granted, they may still spend an early draft pick on a NT, but now they have more freedom to select the best player available.

Speaking of freedom to choose the BPA, the Steelers have made several other signings that may free the team further from having their hands tied in this year’s draft:

·        WR Arnaz Battle (49ers) – three years, $3.975 million: Battle can provide WR depth and help with kick coverage units;

·        FS Will Allen (Buccaneers) – three years, $4.495 million: Allen can provide secondary depth and help with kick coverage units (former ST captain for the Bucs in 2008);

·        OT Jonathan Scott (Bills) – terms undisclosed: Bills’ former O-line coach now holds same position with Steelers, so he knows what Scott brings to the table;

·        FS Ryan Clark (Steelers) – four years, $14 million – Another miracle since several press reports suggested the team’s starting free safety was as good as gone in free agency;

·        WR Antwaan Randle El – three years – Strictly a depth WR now, although offers an additional punt returning option should things become desperate.

These signings put the Steelers six-deep at WR with Ward, Holmes, Wallace, Randle El, Battle and Sweed (although Sweed might get traded or cut) and four deep at safety with Polamalu, Clark, Mundy and Allen.  It’s still quite possible that the Steelers draft a WR or safety this April in order to upgrade talent and depth.  Now, however, they don’t need to use an early-round draft pick to do it.

So where does this unexpected flurry of free agency activity by the Steelers leave the team’s “needs”?  Positions that still need emphasis in the upcoming draft include:

·        OT: Behind Starks and the RFA-tendered Colon, the team has just newcomer Scott, Hills and possibly Foster or Essex for depth, and there’s no guarantee that Colon gets signed long-term;

·        CB: the team desperately needs a starting CB opposite Ike Taylor & the solution doesn’t look like it’s going to be found in-house;

·        ILB: James Farrior’s eventual replacement may need to be in this draft class;

·        Interior O-line: with the loss of Darnell Stapleton, the team needs options in case Urbik, Foster and Legursky fail to develop into above-average starters.

·        NT: even with Hampton’s extension in mind, he’ll be 33 this season & the team has no youth developing at the position.

Positions that likely will be addressed later in the draft include:

·        RB: Parker is gone, so there’s room for another RB, particularly a fast one who can bounce outside and possibly return kicks;

·        QB: Batch may not return, so it may be time to develop another #3 QB behind Dixon (and the controversy surrounding Roethlisberger at the moment may spur the team to draft a QB earlier rather than later);

·        TE: if the team isn’t sold on Spaeth anymore, they may bring in another TE to compete with Johnson for the spot behind Miller.

·        OLB: the depth behind Woodley and Harrison currently offers very little with regards to pass rushing.

·        Punter: This is entirely dependent on the health of Sepulveda & whether he signs long-term.

The other big issue for this off-season is the annual extending-players-with-one-year-left-under-their-contract extravaganza.  Players that will be free agents next year include Santonio Holmes, Ike Taylor, LaMarr Woodley, Willie Colon, Trai Essex, Keyaron Fox and Mewelde Moore, so the Steelers have some big questions to answer concerning the future of the team.

Now That The Season Is Over….

…, and let’s face it, Steeler fans, it is over, the Steelers can start looking ahead to the offseason (and this article will look mostly at team needs and free agency.)  The number of circumstances necessary for a 9-7 Steelers (if they were able to achieve that record) to make the playoffs is mind-boggling, and honestly, after getting manhandled by the Browns, I don’t see the Steelers ending the season with a three-game win streak.

How did a team that was 6-2 become 6-7?  Injuries to Pro Bowl DE Aaron Smith and SS Troy Polamalu certainly didn’t help this season.  Cruddy special teams play also played a big role.  Getting Polamalu and Smith to return healthy & returning the ST to 2008 form will make a big impact towards returning the Steelers to the playoffs.  And those two steps won’t require any draft picks or offseason moves (other than hiring a new ST coach).

As I'm sure we all agree, keeping Ben Roethlisberger upright next season is going to have to be a major offseason priority.  For all the positive press that the offensive line received earlier this season, they got shellacked by the Browns.  Let’s face it: if Hank Poteat can sack your QB, your O-line needs help.  In addition, the rushing game was largely being set up by the pass.  If we don’t want opposing pass rushers to pin their ears back and blitz every other down, the team is going to need to resolve its deficiencies in the running game so that: (1) the play-action pass will have some impact; (2) the team can control the ball and the clock in the 4^th quarter; and (3) defenses will be kept honest rather than blitzing both the pass and the run.

However, despite still being ranked 3^rd against the run & 12^th against the pass league-wide, it actually is the defense that needs more work this offseason.  DEs Ziggy Hood and Ra’shon Harris are still works in progress, so Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel need to stay healthy and productive for at least one more year.  Free agent NT Casey Hampton likely will go to the highest bidder, so drafting or signing a monster nose tackle becomes a top priority.  The starting four LBs are set, but the depth behind them is Keyaron Fox, Rocky Boiman, Andre Frazier and Patrick Bailey.  Fox has shown he can play & Boiman has been productive in the NFL, but more competition for LB depth spots is needed.  And besides the oft-injured safeties Polamalu and impending free agent Ryan Clark, and the suddenly inconsistent CB Ike Taylor, the rest of the secondary is either inexperienced or nothing to write home about.  Tyrone Carter had one really good game this season against Denver, but an upgrade at safety certainly is possible.  Deshea Townsend and William Gay have had an up-and-down season, to put it mildly.  A stud DB that will compete for a starting job in 1-2 seasons is a high priority.

So once again, I end up recommending that the Steelers focus on drafting an OT, NT and FS/CB early.  But what about free agents?  The Steelers don’t have a history of signing too many high-priced free agents, but the team did a good job last year in picking up WR/KR Shaun McDonald and CB Keiwan Ratliff, both of whom have made contributions this season.  Similar moves could be made to round out both the WR and CB positions next season, especially if it looks like WR Limas Sweed or one of the rookie CBs (Joe Burnett and Keenan Lewis) aren’t going to work out.  A backup LB with significant special teams capabilities (lke Boiman) could be brought in.

However, this could be the year where the Steelers make one big free agent signing.  It could be the resigning of Casey Hampton, or replacing him with Ryan Pickett or Vince Wilfolk.  It could be signing a starting CB to play opposite Taylor, like Richard Marshall or Leigh Bodden.  It could be a safety to free up Polamalu to make plays, like O.J. Atogwe or Antoine Bethea.  With so many starters still present from the team’s last Super-Bowl-winning season, the Steelers may be one or two key cogs away from making another run at a title.

I’d also like to draw attention to a very good article by Blitzburgh at Behind The Steel Curtain on the Steelers’ cap situation this season.  Long story short, the league-wide salary cap went up a little over $10 million, but the amount the Steelers owed to its core players went up by more than $20 million, making the team rely on cheaply-paid youngsters to be productive in depth and rotation spots.  Sure, every team relies on rookies and young players, to some degree.  But the automatic increase in salary to the team’s star players is striking.  On the positive side, the experience the younger players are getting this season may pay dividends in the coming years.  Here’s the article: http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2009/12/9/1192678/a-closer-look-at-the-steelers.

Where It’s At (without two turntables or a microphone)

Here’s just a quick overview of where the Steelers are right now in regards to next year’s draft:

What The Steelers Currently Appear To Need From The 2010 Draft: 

O-line, Nose Tackle and Free Safety

Here is the O-line as it looks for next year pre-draft:

RT: Willie Colon (RFA in uncapped season), Ramon Foster

RG: Darnell Stapleton (RFA after this season), Trai Essex, Kraig Urbik

C: Justin Hartwig, Doug Legursky

LG: Chris Kemoeatu

LT: Max Starks, Tony Hills

That’s eight O-linemen definitely under contract for next year, with a strong likelihood that Stapleton and Colon will be retained.  So the issue isn’t numbers: it’s talent.  And while the O-line seems to have performed decently in recent weeks (Big Ben is taking an average of 2.6 sacks per week, but hasn’t taken more than 3 in the last five games & he generally has had time to throw, not to mention signs of life in the running game), there’s little doubt that this group could use a boost in talent & not simply depth.  Three sacks per game x 16 games = 48 sacks: that’s not good.  Even with the improvement in O-line play, there’s no way the team can be satisfied with an average-at-best O-line.  As a bonus, the Steelers’ tendency under Tomlin has been to let early-round draft picks develop for a year or two before starting.  Given that the Steelers have enough starting O-linemen for next season (and possibly beyond), any O-lineman drafted in 2010 will have the same chance to develop that Timmons, Mendenhall, etc. have had.

As far as the D-line is concerned, the Steelers did a good job of investing in it during the last draft, picking up DEs Ziggy Hood (who may get consideration as a NT) and Ra’Shon Harris.  Brett Keisel signed an extension this offseason & Aaron Smith is signed through 2011, plus there’s Nick Eason, so the DE spots are covered even if Travis Kirschke leaves as a free agent.  Nose tackle, however, is another matter.  Casey Hampton is a free agent after this season & Chris Hoke is a free agent after 2010, and both of them are over 30 years old.  One way or another, the Steelers will need to invest in a young NT this offseason.  Ideally, Alabama’s Terrance Cody will miraculously drop in the first round to where the Steelers can draft him, but I’m not counting on that miracle.  Other defensive tackles that may be around at the end of the first round include Marvin Austin (North Carolina), Arthur Jones (Syracuse) and Jared Odrick (Penn State), although anything could happen to their draft prospects between now and April.  In addition, none of these three currently is the space-eating NT that Cody could be, so it may take time for these three if they are chosen by a team with a 3-4 defense to find their best position.

The third priority, it seems will be to get a stud free safety.  Polamalu is a sure-fire Pro Bowler when he’s healthy, but he hasn’t been reliably healthy.  Ryan Clark has done a great job replacing Chris Hope, but both he and Tyrone Carter will be free agents.  There was much discussion in the press about signing Clark to an extension, but that did not materialize by the start of the season (and the Steelers don’t negotiate contracts during the season.)  I have read that the Steelers’ coaches and/or front office are enamored with Ryan Mundy.  However, what I haven’t read is that the Steelers are considering starting him at any point this year.  It’s possible Clark will be resigned & that he will stay healthy for the foreseeable future.  Even if that does happen, the Steelers will have a roster spot open if Carter is not resigned & they really could use the “next big thing” playing alongside Polamalu (and spelling him, when necessary.)

What the Steelers Currently Don’t Appear To Need From The 2010 Draft:

Defensive End, Tight End and Quarterback

Regarding defensive ends, see above.  With Aaron Smith, Brett Keisel, Ziggy Hood and Ra’Shon Harris, the team is in good shape.

The tight end position is deep as well.  Heath Miller just signed a big extension, Matt Spaeth will be a restricted free agent that can be brought back affordably, and rookie David Johnson has shown a lot of promise.

At QB, the Steelers have their starter in Roethlisberger and their developmental #2 QB in Dennis Dixon.  Charlie Batch is a free agent, but he may resign depending on how he feels.  If he doesn’t resign, the Steelers will be looking for an experienced veteran for the depth chart, not a rookie.  If a real stud QB drops for some reason into the late rounds, the Steelers may take a flyer on him.  Otherwise, free agency is where the Steelers will meet their QB needs.

What The Steelers Currently Could Use But Don’t Need From The 2010 Draft:

Wide Receiver, Inside and Outside Linebackers, Cornerback and Running Back

At wide receiver, the Steelers are set through at least 2011 with Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and Mike Wallace.  Limas Sweed won’t be a free agent until 2012, but he might not even last that long with the team (i.e., he might get traded or even cut.)  Shaun McDonald might get brought back as a free agent if both sides wish it to be the #4 WR.  There’s also Tyler Grisham on the practice squad.  However, I could see the Steelers using a mid-to-late round pick on a tall WR that can develop as a possession/blocking WR.  After all, Hines Ward won’t be around forever.

At the linebacker positions, the Steelers have their top three set through at least 2011: James Harrison, Lamarr Woodley and Andre Frazier on the outside, and Lawrence Timmons, James Farrior and Keyaron Fox on the inside.  Donovan Woods currently is on the practice squad & many thought he was going to make the roster, so consider him in the mix.  That leaves one spot for the next developmental LB.

At cornerback, Ike Taylor is a starter through at least 2011, and rookies Keenan Lewis and Joe Burnett are signed through 2012.  William Gay will be a restricted free agent & Deshea Townsend (whom some thought might move to free safety) is an unrestricted free agent after this year.  I anticipate that at least one of these two (probably Gay), if not both, will be brought back next season.  However, if Townsend doesn’t come back, there’s a #3 CB spot that’s up for grabs & it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Steelers draft a CB to compete for that spot.  However, they may decide to plug in a free agent like Keiwan Ratliff instead.

At running back, it’s quite possible that Willie Parker is not resigned.  If that is the case, Rashard Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore would be the top two running backs.  Isaac Redman, who already has made the jump to the roster once, currently is on the practice squad, but he’ll be very much in the running for a roster spot next year.  Frank “The Tank” Summers hopefully will return better than ever from IR to compete as well.  However, if running backs like Tim Hightower and Javon Ringer can be had in the 5^th round, it may be possible that the Steelers bring in a running back of that caliber late in the draft.  It’s also possible that the team looks for ways to include KR/PR Stefan Logan into the running game.

Summary:

If the Steelers do not draft players at two out of their three need positions (O-line, nose tackle and free safety) with their first three picks, I will be a sad panda.

Do You Believe In Miracles?

When I read that Max Starks signed a four-year contract extension that saved the Steelers roughly $3 million in cap space for the 2009 season, I clearly heard the voice of Al Michaels in my head, shouting, “Do you believe in miracles?”  An extension that was supposedly impossible for a myriad of reasons suddenly happened.  Starks gets $10 mill. in guaranteed money (not much more than the $8.45 mill. he was guaranteed under the franchise tag) and four years of not having to look through real estate listings in other cities.  The Steelers, however, get some stability at one OT position as well as a new total of roughly $8 mill. in cap space, which is more than enough to sign all the rookies (only DT Ziggy Hood remains unsigned after OG Kraig Urbik signed a three-year deal on June 29) as well as the possibility of extending another priority free agent or two and/or signing a decent free agent, if needed.

I note that Willie Colon and Heath Miller would be restricted free agents next year rather than unrestricted if the league does not approve a new collective bargaining agreement.  Consequently, the team may decide to work on extensions for those players after they deal with other impending free agents such as FS Ryan Clark, NT Casey Hampton, kicker Jeff Reed, DE Brett Keisel, RB Willie Parker and/or OC Justin Hartwig.  Or perhaps Miller and Colon would agree to more affordable contract extensions so as to avoid restricted free agency: I guess we’ll see.

Here’s an updated version of the current Steelers roster after recent cuts.  Again, veteran players in normal font, players that will be 30+ years old underlined, draft picks in bold, undrafted free agents and camp players in italics:

QB: Roethlisberger, Batch, Dixon, Reilly

RB: Parker, Mendenhall, Moore, Redman, Vincent, Logan

FB: Davis, Summers

WR: Ward, Sweed, Baker, Nance, Black

WR: Holmes, McDonald, Wallace, Williams, Grisham

TE: Miller, Spaeth, McHugh, Sherrod, Johnson

RT: Colon, Foster

RG: Stapleton, Essex, Urbik

OC: Hartwig, Legursky, Shipley

LG: Kemoeatu, Parquet

LT: Starks, Hills, Capizzi

DE: Smith, Kirschke, Harris, Reffett

NT: Hampton, Hoke, Paxson

DE: Keisel, Eason, Hood, McLendon

OLB: J. Harrison, Frazier, Woods

ILB: Timmons, Foote, Korte

ILB: Farrior, Fox, Schantz

OLB: Woodley, Davis, Bailey, A. Harrison

CB: Taylor, Ratliff, Madison, (Keenan) Lewis

CB: Gay, Townsend, Burnett, (Roy) Lewis

FS: Clark, Mundy, Richardson

SS: Polamalu, Carter

K: Reed, Czech

P: Sepulveda

LS: Warren

Given this depth chart, Heath Miller, Casey Hampton and Ryan Clark look the least replaceable, followed by Jeff Reed (a consistent kicker in a tough stadium, but not an irreplaceable, “elite” kicker in the league.)  On the TE depth chart, Spaeth is still developing and McHugh is nowhere near the receiving threat that Miller is.  Behind Hampton are some decent fill-ins in Hoke and Paxson, but the team would surely miss a top-tier NT like Hampton should they not have his services after this season (even with his recurring weight issues and advancing age.)  Behind Ryan Clark is Ryan Mundy, a late-round draft pick from last year who has receiving strong reviews from Steelers coaches but is not yet the player that Clark is (when Clark is healthy).  While the Steelers have spent draft picks at the TE position in recent years, nose tackle and free safety have been somewhat neglected positions the last couple of years.  As such, the Steelers may not have a lot of choice when it comes to signing Hampton and Clark to extensions if they want to keep the current Super Bowl window open beyond this upcoming season.  But the extra cap space from the allegedly-impossible Starks signing likely will take care of at least one of these players.  Now, more than ever, I believe in miracles.

An Offseason To Remember

The draft is done, yet the Steelers may have made their biggest improvement shortly afterward in signing WR Shaun McDonald and CB Keiwan Ratliff.  Both players provide veteran depth to replace the departed Nate Washington and Bryant McFadden.  Washington and McFadden may be more fully replaced by draft picks WR Mike Wallace and CB Keenan Lewis, but having Ratliff and McDonald around will give the rookies a little time to develop. 

In a previous article, I bemoaned the youth of the receiving corps.  McDonald adds seven years of experience in the league as well as another kick returner option to the roster.  He could step in as a #3 WR until one of the youngsters steps up.  Ratliff also adds experience behind Taylor, Gay and Townsend (who may end up playing safety) where little experience was present.

Here is an overview of the roster heading into the summer (with veteran players listed ahead of rookies until a change is warranted.)  Veteran players in normal font, players that will be 30+ years old underlined, draft picks in bold: undrafted free agents and camp players in italics:

QB: Roethlisberger, Batch, Dixon, Reilly, McCabe

RB: Parker, Mendenhall, Moore, Redman, Vincent, Logan

FB: Davis, Summers

WR: Ward, Sweed, Baker, Nance, Black, Goodman

WR: Holmes, McDonald, Wallace, Williams, Grisham, Foster

TE: Miller, Spaeth, McHugh, Sherrod, Johnson

RT: Colon, Foster

RG: Stapleton, Urbik

OC: Hartwig, Legursky, Shipley

LG: Kemoeatu, Parquet

LT: Starks, Hills, Capizzi

DE: Smith, Kirshke, Harris, Reffett

NT: Hampton, Hoke, Paxson

DE: Keisel, Eason, Hood, McLendon, Bradley

OLB: Harrison, Frazier, Woods

ILB: Timmons, Foote, Korte

ILB: Farrior, Fox, Schantz

OLB: Woodley, Davis, Bailey, A. Harrison

CB: Taylor, Ratliff, Madison, Lewis

CB: Gay, Townsend, Bryant, Burnett

FS: Clark, Mundy, Richardson

SS: Polamalu, Carter

K: Reed, Czech

P: Sepulveda, Johnson

LS: Warren, Estermeyer

While all the starters from last season are pretty much going to be the starters next season (longshot possibility that Urbik beats out Stapleton at RG), here are some interesting battles for roster spots that could play important roles in the long-term future of the team:

-         Who will return punts and kicks?  It is in the best interest of the team not to have starting WR Santonio Holmes returning punts if at all possible.  Shaun McDonald and/or Mewelde Moore can handle punt return duties until draft pick Joe Burnett is ready.  For kickoff returns, Mike Wallace likely is the KR of the future.  Two others whose best chance to make the team lie in their KR abilities: Stefan Logan was a speedy RB for the BC Lions last season & Jayson Foster has returned to the Steelers’ roster after a brief stint on the practice squad last year.  Long story short, it should warm the hearts of Steelers fans to know that, one way or another, a fullback will not be returning kicks for the team next season;

-         After J. Harrison, Woodley and Davis, there’s an open OLB spot.  It will be interesting to see which of the OLB options makes the strongest case for a roster spot;

-         OT Ramon Foster and QB Mike Reilly are the two most highly-touted undrafted free agents among the Steelers’ UDFA acquisitions this year.  Considering the team’s past success with UDFAs, it will be interesting to see how each of them does & to speculate what must happen (directly or indirectly) for either of them to make the roster;

-         CBs Fernando Bryant and Keiwan Ratliff provide experienced depth to the secondary, but will be battling draft picks Keenan Lewis and Joe Burnett for roster spots.  It seems likely that either Bryant or Ratliff won’t be on the final roster.  And is Anthony Madison automatically the odd man out, or can he beat out the players mentioned above?

-         Can either DT Evander Hood or Ra’Shonn Harris play nose tackle in a 3-4 defense?  Or defensive end, for that matter?

-         Will either Kraig Urbik or Ramon Foster be looked at as a possible right tackle?  It is not clear what the RT depth behind Willie Colon is right now.

-         Can draft pick TE David Johnson beat out Sean McHugh to be the #3 TE/blocking TE (which likely would save the team a little money and cap space)?

-         Will RB/FB Frank Summers bump RB/FB/TE Carey Davis off the roster, or will both of them have roles for this team?

As far as an overall draft grade, I’d give this class a sold “B”.  The group has talent, speed, strength, no reported major character or work ethic problems, and manages to cover the team’s most pressing needs rather well.  There isn’t a pick in this draft class that stands out as a bad one (although obviously that assessment may change over time.)  The annual debate regarding “picking for need vs. picking the best available players” is somewhat moot here since the team didn’t make any major reaches (i.e., the team chose the players at around where most pundits had them generally going in the draft) & still managed to bring in players at positions of perceived need (talent on offense & youth on defense).  Just looking at the above pseudo-depth chart (not created with any inside information about where the team has each player ranked), I think most Steeler fans should feel pretty confident that the final roster is going to be very solid.

I could nitpick and complain that the Steelers chose DE Evander Hood over OT Eben Britton and NT Ron Brace in the 1^st Round, or that the team didn’t pick CB Kevin Barnes or Asher Allen, WRs Derrick Williams or Mike Thomas, NTs Vaughn Martin or Sammie Lee Hill, or OTs Troy Kropog or Xavier Fulton in the 3^rd Round.  But had any of the Steelers’ pick been different, it would have caused dominoes to fall differently throughout the draft, so it is pointless to speculate what could have been.  The players the Steelers obtained in this draft look very good on paper (especially for picking so late in every round), and that’s all anyone could ask for in May 2009.

Getting Better With Age

Most teams in the NFL seemingly strive to get younger every offseason, cutting older veterans and stuffing their depth charts with youngsters.  There are obvious advantages, both short-term and long-term, for doing this: development of future starters, lower salaries, less wear and tear & less chance of injuries, etc.  But is it ever advantageous for a team to try to increase their age at a position?

Take the Steelers’ receiving corps.  Here are the wide receivers and tight ends along with their ages for the upcoming season (with two ages given if their birthdays occur during the season & starters in bold) and their games played/games started (to the best of my knowledge):

WR Hines Ward – 33 – 184 GP/165 GS

TE Sean McHugh – 27 – 36 GP/14 GS

TE Heath Miller – 26/27 – 72 GP/71 GS

WR Dallas Baker – 26/27 – 8 GP /0 GS

WR Martin Nance – 26 – 1 GP/0 GS

WR Brandon Williams – 25 – 23 GP/0 GS(?)

WR Santonio Holmes – 25 – 48 GP/36 GS

TE Matt Spaeth – 24/25 – 30 GP/5 GS

WR Limas Sweed – 24/25 – 11 GP (?)/0 GS

TE Dezmond Sherrod – 24 – 0 GP/0 GS

While the Steelers’ defensive line sorely needs an infusion of youth, it appears the receiving corps could use an infusion of experience.  With the loss of soon-to-be-26-years-old Nate Washington in free agency, the only WR the Steelers have over the age of 25 with any starting experience is 33-year-old Hines Ward.  Behind Ward, Miller, Holmes and McHugh, there’s a lot of question marks in this receiving corps.

It has been suggested by “experts” that wide receivers tend to bloom (if they ever bloom) in their third years in the league.  If that’s the case, this may be the year that Dallas Baker makes a significant improvement (Martin Nance was a UDFA that year as well), but the Steelers may have to give Limas Sweed and Matt Spaeth another year to develop.  Santonio Holmes and Brandon Williams were both drafted in 2006, so while they are both young, we *may* get a sense of their respective ceilings by the end of this season.  But it seems like the Steelers are dealing with a very young receiving corps & all the uncertainty that goes with it.

The defensive line has the opposite problem: too much age.  The draft offers a simple solution for that: a chance to bring in younger players to develop as depth players and/or future starters.  But trying to add age to the receiving corps would involve either signing a free agent (which seemingly is never the Steelers’ first choice) or trading with another team (which doesn’t happen a whole lot in the NFL.) 

Traditionally, the Steelers have been a team that has built through the draft, but the team also has made free agent signings that have made significant impacts on the team over the years.  Just last year, the under-the-radar signings of RB Mewelde Moore, OC Justin Hartwig and LB Keyaron Fox played important roles in getting the Steelers to a Super Bowl victory.  With improved depth in the backfield, better OC play and much better kick coverage, the Steelers were able to significantly address obvious shortcomings & position themselves for a title run.  If the Steelers can manage to bring in just one more experienced WR, possibly one that can return kicks, the passing game will look a lot more potent going into training camp & one more hole will be patched.

In this particular case, maybe the draft isn’t the answer.  Bringing in another WR that will take 2-3 years to develop may not be the best option for the Steelers, especially when their window for winning the Super Bowl is open right now.