Early Off-Season Discussion

[rlon]

I really think Dan Moore would make a good starting guard if he can’t handle right tackle. I don’t know what the hope is in terms of our two guards staying healthy over the next year and a half, BUT one of the options they may want to consider is to move Daniels to center next year if the draft board doesn’t fall right.

[warfelg]

5 minutes ago, rlon said:

I really think Dan Moore would make a good starting guard if he can’t handle right tackle. I don’t know what the hope is in terms of our two guards staying healthy over the next year and a half, BUT one of the options they may want to consider is to move Daniels to center next year if the draft board doesn’t fall right.

I do think G is his NFL position. More power based. His athleticism and power would crush the run game. His hips just aren’t loose enough to take the drops and recover on the edges. 

[AFF]

1 hour ago, warfelg said:

I do think G is his NFL position. More power based. His athleticism and power would crush the run game. His hips just aren’t loose enough to take the drops and recover on the edges. 

They just need to keep hammering OL/DL with high picks…that or pay up in FA which they’ve done both recently.

[43M]

8 minutes ago, AFF said:

They just need to keep hammering OL/DL with high picks…that or pay up in FA which they’ve done both recently.

I think another issue is there is no anchor or emotional leader.    

For all the crap I gave Pouncey about his play at times, he was a very good leader.

And we dont have that one dominant lineman either.   Maybe it can/will be Broderick....but right now we just have a couple solid guys and a couple below average guys.     Upgrade Cole and Moore this offseason and we might see some consistent improvements.

[3rivers]

21 minutes ago, 43M said:

Upgrade Cole and Moore this offseason and we might see some consistent improvements.

hopefully RD1 and RD2 will net a C and OT and be getting the OL to where it should be. Moore has been playing decent lately, could be a good reserve LT as long as the other OT can play RT.  C needs to be addressed though, a major issue for the problem in the run game inside, yet we have 2 very good OG's so process of elimination has C as a need. 

 

[bigben07MVP]

On 11/6/2023 at 4:47 PM, bigben07MVP said:

My rough offseason plan:

- Sign CB Jaylon Johnson and C Connor Williams in FA

- Sign a vet WR. Curtis Samuel, Rashid Shaheed, Josh Reynolds, DPJ are names that stick out to me. 

- draft a QB like Jayden Daniels, Jordan Travis, Riley Leonard, McCarthy, Quinn Ewers to push Kenny. I am comfortable spending up to a 1st on a QB if the right one is there. They probably won’t though. 

- Top priorities entering the draft (in order): Safety, QB, OT, DL, LB (this could be #1 depending on Holcomb 2024 status)

If Jayden Daniels is not a name that excited you I suggest watching the highlights from the clinic he put on against UF this past weekend. I think he has Lamar Jackson potential and will be a fringe 1st/2nd round pick at worst. He has been the best QB in college football this year. 

[43M]

1 hour ago, bigben07MVP said:

If Jayden Daniels is not a name that excited you I suggest watching the highlights from the clinic he put on against UF this past weekend. I think he has Lamar Jackson potential and will be a fringe 1st/2nd round pick at worst. He has been the best QB in college football this year. 

The way I see it is....if we get a better OC, let them decide whether to give Kenny a year or bring in a new QB that might better fit what they want to do.

If they keep Canada another year, I dont really care what they do, because I wont be watching.

[warfelg]

8 hours ago, 43M said:

Upgrade Cole and Moore this offseason and we might see some consistent improvements.

Having the right center makes all the difference in the world. Between calling out protections and slides, to being strong enough to handle one-on-one blocks, they are the second most important OL position. 

I think replacing Moore is easy - draft a RT in round 3/4 or sign one in FA. They don’t have to be special. But if we keep Cole I guarantee the line will continue to struggle. 

[43M]

28 minutes ago, warfelg said:

Having the right center makes all the difference in the world. Between calling out protections and slides, to being strong enough to handle one-on-one blocks, they are the second most important OL position. 

I think replacing Moore is easy - draft a RT in round 3/4 or sign one in FA. They don’t have to be special. But if we keep Cole I guarantee the line will continue to struggle. 

I always thought blindside tackle was the most important position on the OL, but over the years, I've become much more convinced that center is the most important piece.    It always seems that without a good center, the rest of it never comes together.   I cant count how many OLs completely turned around after finding a good center, and on the flipside, how many lines fell apart after major downgrades.

Part of the reason I was so upset we took Friermuth over Creed.    Decent TEs arent terribly hard to find.   Good centers are.

I have literally no clue what the center class looks like next year, but upgrading needs to be a top priority.    I mistakenly thought Cole was serviceable until we found an eventual long term replacement, but I was wrong.    Reminds me of Justin Hartwig who gave us one okayish year then fell off.

[warfelg]

7 minutes ago, 43M said:

I always thought blindside tackle was the most important position on the OL, but over the years, I've become much more convinced that center is the most important piece.    It always seems that without a good center, the rest of it never comes together.   I cant count how many OLs completely turned around after finding a good center, and on the flipside, how many lines fell apart after major downgrades.

Part of the reason I was so upset we took Friermuth over Creed.    Decent TEs arent terribly hard to find.   Good centers are.

I have literally no clue what the center class looks like next year, but upgrading needs to be a top priority.    I mistakenly thought Cole was serviceable until we found an eventual long term replacement, but I was wrong.    Reminds me of Justin Hartwig who gave us one okayish year then fell off.

I still think that blindside tackle is most important because it can really help a QB with their pocket presence but I would put C as 1B to LT's 1A.

The draft actually isn't all that bad in the C department.  It's deep without the super high end talent.  I do think we can get the upgrade in it though.  I think the top C will go late 2nd round.  Here's my personal rankings right now:

Jackson Powers-Johnson Oregon

Sedrick Van Pran Georgia

Zach Frazier West Virginia

Drake Nugent Michigan

Andrew Raym Oklahoma

The more I watch Jackson Powers-Johnson the more I like him and think he's well above Van Pran. I wish I could find a cut up for you on him.  His tape reminds me a ton of Creed Humphry's.  Just mean, aggressive, and athletic at the same time.  I really want to see that man in a Steelers uniform.  Van Pran is still really good, and I think he's bound to be good too but JPJ just has that little more.  Frazier is a step down because he doesn't move quite as well, a little slower and tighter hips and that impacts his pass blocking a little; but his run blocking is awesome, and more than makes up for it.

[bigben07MVP]

6 hours ago, 43M said:

The way I see it is....if we get a better OC, let them decide whether to give Kenny a year or bring in a new QB that might better fit what they want to do.

If they keep Canada another year, I dont really care what they do, because I wont be watching.

The way I see it, these past two weeks have been eye opening to me. The running game has gotten going, the O-Line is protecting well and moving people in the run game, receivers have been fine (outside of DJ’s drop), and Canada has been fine. Kenny has been the one aspect of our offense that is holding us back.

I am certainly not advocating to bring Canada back, and I still want to improve the O-Line, but I’ve seen enough with Kenny. I will be disappointed if we do not bring in another QB this offseason, although I know we won’t. 

[warfelg]

11 minutes ago, bigben07MVP said:

The way I see it, these past two weeks have been eye opening to me. The running game has gotten going, the O-Line is protecting well and moving people in the run game, receivers have been fine (outside of DJ’s drop), and Canada has been fine. Kenny has been the one aspect of our offense that is holding us back.

I am certainly not advocating to bring Canada back, and I still want to improve the O-Line, but I’ve seen enough with Kenny. I will be disappointed if we do not bring in another QB this offseason, although I know we won’t. 

I'm not against bringing in another QB, but the reason why I lean against it is we need to go get one - I kinda don't care if Kenny "holds us back" with other issues across the team to fix.  We're more than a QB away from being a contender.  I rather end up this offseason getting CB2, Benton's DL partner, ILB, RT as my primary things.

2025 still has some interesting names tied to it.  If your a Sheduer Sanders fan he'll be in that draft most likely.  There's always the rumor of Caleb Williams saying be may stay.  I think Ty Simpson, Walker Howard, and Cade Klubnik are all names to watch there.  I'd rather hit that or 2026 in a position where the team is ready and giving up 2 1sts to get to the 8-14 area for the QB (or even 3 to get to 1-3) doesn't hurt your ability to put the team around the QB.

I just don't want to end up in a Chicago/Carolina/Arizona situation where the rest of the team is only half ready to compete and you get your QB, but at the cost of potentially improving other areas.

[August4th]

Yay or Nay at looking at Kyler Murray? he'd be a big upgrade with the right OC, but that contract and trading away picks...not sure if he's worth it ..Cousins could be available, but he's older and will want a huge deal...sticking with kenny one more yr seems like the smarter decision ...maybe they trade down and grab one of the 24 QB's in the 2nd rd..I won't be opposed to that...

[43M]

23 minutes ago, bigben07MVP said:

The way I see it, these past two weeks have been eye opening to me. The running game has gotten going, the O-Line is protecting well and moving people in the run game, receivers have been fine (outside of DJ’s drop), and Canada has been fine. Kenny has been the one aspect of our offense that is holding us back.

I am certainly not advocating to bring Canada back, and I still want to improve the O-Line, but I’ve seen enough with Kenny. I will be disappointed if we do not bring in another QB this offseason, although I know we won’t. 

I dont disagree about KP, but I also hate the idea of Canada infecting another QB.   I dont fully blame Canada for KP's struggles since alot of his issues are his own shortcomings, but I dont think Canada has done him any favors, either.

[43M]

3 minutes ago, August4th said:

Yay or Nay at looking at Kyler Murray? he'd be a big upgrade with the right OC, but that contract and trading away picks...not sure if he's worth it ..Cousins could be available, but he's older and will want a huge deal...sticking with kenny one more yr seems like the smarter decision ...maybe they trade down and grab one of the 24 QB's in the 2nd rd..I won't be opposed to that...

No chance Id ever trade for Kyler.   Not a great attitude or work ethic by most accounts.