2022 Off-Season Thread: The Dead szn...

[MOSteelers56]

6 hours ago, 43M said:

Yeah....last thing I want to associate Pickens with is Limas Sweed.

Tall, fast, big time program, 2nd round, now #14. Officially cursed. I’m blaming that one on you, @43M

[August4th]

14 is a ugly jersey number

[August4th]

 

[warfelg]

On 5/14/2022 at 8:25 PM, Dcash4 said:

I don’t have any to share because I watched them earlier, but I’m not sure how I can express how excited I am for Calvin Austin. Those feet man! He looks so clean in cuts. 

Also, 14 is a terrible number. Do the Steelers just hand guys whatever and they pick once cuts happen? I honestly can’t remember. But I also can’t remember a time I was this disappointed about a rookies number (for Pickens) 

Generally the draft picks keep the numbers they get because (likely) the vets all had theirs and they are given a list of what’s left. 
 

If the Steelers do what I know the Eagles do it goes like this:

-Before the draft vets can “protect” their number if they choose (usually key starters with jersey sales do this). Otherwise they are allowed to put a price on it if what it would take to sell the number. 
-Draft picks are brought in one by one in draft order. They are presented jerseys with the available numbers (to see what they look like) and a list of numbers for sale. 
-They pick based on that and go. 
 

I imagine the Steelers did something similar so likely Pickens picked 14 wanting it an not wanting to buy a number. The Steelers might still be one of the few teams that is keeping some numbers from some positions off limits. 

[Dcash4]

40 minutes ago, warfelg said:

Generally the draft picks keep the numbers they get because (likely) the vets all had theirs and they are given a list of what’s left. 
 

If the Steelers do what I know the Eagles do it goes like this:

-Before the draft vets can “protect” their number if they choose (usually key starters with jersey sales do this). Otherwise they are allowed to put a price on it if what it would take to sell the number. 
-Draft picks are brought in one by one in draft order. They are presented jerseys with the available numbers (to see what they look like) and a list of numbers for sale. 
-They pick based on that and go. 
 

I imagine the Steelers did something similar so likely Pickens picked 14 wanting it an not wanting to buy a number. The Steelers might still be one of the few teams that is keeping some numbers from some positions off limits. 

Nobody had #1 though, which is the surprising part. I get the workflow of assignment, but the number George has worn since high school was available.

I know Belichick just assigns the first drafted rookie 50 and they move on from there until the first preseason game. This felt a bit like that, but I cannot remember in the past a rookie changing his number (but I also do not pay attention that much to it).  

Pickens, Austin, Leal, Johnson, Heyward, and Connor all wore numbers that were outside of the "old norm" of position numbers but were all handed numbers that abide by those old jersey rules. I can absolutely see Pickens asking for 1 and Tomling going "lol, no" while throwing him 14. Wouldn't surprise me if the Steelers want everyone to stay within the old rules, but I hope this is just an "earn it" over the summer thing. 14 suuuuuuuuuucks. 

[warfelg]

18 minutes ago, Dcash4 said:

Nobody had #1 though, which is the surprising part. I get the workflow of assignment, but the number George has worn since high school was available.

I know Belichick just assigns the first drafted rookie 50 and they move on from there until the first preseason game. This felt a bit like that, but I cannot remember in the past a rookie changing his number (but I also do not pay attention that much to it).  

Pickens, Austin, Leal, Johnson, Heyward, and Connor all wore numbers that were outside of the "old norm" of position numbers but were all handed numbers that abide by those old jersey rules. I can absolutely see Pickens asking for 1 and Tomling going "lol, no" while throwing him 14. Wouldn't surprise me if the Steelers want everyone to stay within the old rules, but I hope this is just an "earn it" over the summer thing. 14 suuuuuuuuuucks. 

I think 1 is a unofficial retired number for Gary Anderson. 

[August4th]

my only memory of Gary Anderson was him being a great kicker who missed that FG in the NFC title game vs ATL. I always forget he played like a decade here

[August4th]

thoughts on this? and overall feeling on the 2021 class

[43M]

7 hours ago, August4th said:

thoughts on this? and overall feeling on the 2021 class

PFF is pretty awful, but at this point, they arent terribly wrong.

While I like Harris, the bottom line is he was a first round RB who didnt really accomplish much yet.   NOW, while I dont blame him at all since he was playing behind a bottom 5 OL and QB in 2021, you cant just assume he will be better based on flashes he has shown.   I am excited fir Najee in 2022, but based on 2021, you cant really say he has made us notably better yet.

Friermuth has shown he could be really good, but similarly to Najee...he has alot more to show.    Hopefully now with better arm talents and a more diverse array of weapons, he can break out even more.   Still wish we got Creed, doe.

IMO, Green is on his way to busting.    Nothing he did impressed me last year or gave me hope for him going forward.

Moore has upside, but I think his ceiling is limited.    If he can become even Max Starks caliber....which is fairly average....Ill be content...especially if Harris and Friermuth pan out.

Loudermilk and Norwood look like semi decent depth guys.   Buddy Johnson meh.   Harvin was terrible as a rookie.

Overall...I dont have an issue with PFFs grades....for now, anyway.

[Dcash4]

8 hours ago, 43M said:

Harris.... was a first round RB

This was enough in any environment for PFF to declare it a terrible draft. We could have drafted 6 Creed Humphry's after that and they still would have said it sucked. 

You're post is spot on, but I am curious why they are specifically mentioning needle movers. If we net 2 plus starters and 2-3 depth guys .... that's a terrific draft. 

They gave Tampa Bay a B-.... JTS was the only guy who really played and he was....okay. Same with the Titans -- no one played, yet B-. So you get the benefit of not playing vs playing. Not that anyone thought it would, but that PFF grading system doesn't make any sense. 

[43M]

3 minutes ago, Dcash4 said:

but that PFF grading system doesn't make any sense. 

That is basically PFF in a nutshell.

I appreciate their advance stats and metrics, but their grading systems are laughable.

[Dcash4]

16 minutes ago, 43M said:

but their grading systems are laughable.

They are and the articles they write are usually straight forward -- "well, the numbers say this!", which is always disappointing. 

I was shocked the other day I saw their guy Monson put TJ as the top edge rusher over Garrett even though TJ graded .1 lower. He actually used logic instead of just the numbers, which he defended tooth and nail last year that they proved Garrett should be the DPOY and not TJ. I will never forget that he gave Garrett credit for lower production because he played the Steelers twice with their quick ball release, but knocked availability with TJ who missed 3 games worth of time (don't worry about tying the NFL record for sacks in less time, it's a silly thing). 

They wouldn't be so bad if they applied more logic outside of numbers to things, but they rarely do. 

[BradfordSteeler]

4 hours ago, Dcash4 said:

They are and the articles they write are usually straight forward -- "well, the numbers say this!", which is always disappointing. 

I was shocked the other day I saw their guy Monson put TJ as the top edge rusher over Garrett even though TJ graded .1 lower. He actually used logic instead of just the numbers, which he defended tooth and nail last year that they proved Garrett should be the DPOY and not TJ. I will never forget that he gave Garrett credit for lower production because he played the Steelers twice with their quick ball release, but knocked availability with TJ who missed 3 games worth of time (don't worry about tying the NFL record for sacks in less time, it's a silly thing). 

They wouldn't be so bad if they applied more logic outside of numbers to things, but they rarely do. 

Unfortunately they have the horrible trait of thinking their grading system is infallible. All you have to do is use your eyes to see that TJ is the best EDGE in the league, if your calculations come out that somebody else is then that says to me you need to take a look at your calculation, not just insist that you are right and therefore the unquestionable top EDGE in the league somehow isn't the best.

[warfelg]

23 hours ago, 43M said:

That is basically PFF in a nutshell.

I appreciate their advance stats and metrics, but their grading systems are laughable.

Have you ever seen the clip where Joe Thomas goes after them? I usually think he’s an *** because he’s incredibly biased, but he nailed it spot on. 

[BradfordSteeler]

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