There has been a lot of QB talk..but could this be the best draft for LB's?

[DudeWhat???]

Clemson has Both of their OLB's going in the first round along with LSU...and all three are not top ten picks..thus at least two will make it out of the top ten...that leaves a lot of LB's available depending on how flexible our players can be...could either TJ Watt or Dupree move inside and be just as effective or even more effective? If so..skys the limit...if not ....we would need a lot of luck....

 

These OLBs 1-2 round like Sam Hubbard, Dorance Armstrong Jr., Harold Landry combined with ILB's ranked 1-2 rounds like  Josh Allen,  Roquon Smith and Rashaan Evans ...one if not some of these guys will make it to us at the bottom....are our players versatile enough that we could pick any one of them?

[jebrick]

I think this is a crappy draft to need an ILB.  There are a lot of Vince William type LBs and very very few quick LBs like Farrior or Shazier

[Magnus-Viktor]

Might be good for OLB, but Roquon Smith is about the only good ILB I can think of that I've seen.  As jebrick said, there are a lot of Vince WIlliams types in this draft.  

I think a dream scenario for the Steelers (ignoring QB) would be for Roquon to fall in 1 and Hubbard to fall in 2.  You then put Hubbard in Watt's spot and slide Watt inside.  LB corp:  Dupree, Roquon, Watt, Hubbard.  That looks solid.  But there's a good chance neither Roquon nor Hubbard are even there in 1, let alone getting them both.  I do like #99 from Clemson.  

[MOSteelers56]

18 minutes ago, Magnus-Viktor said:

Might be good for OLB, but Roquon Smith is about the only good ILB I can think of that I've seen.  As jebrick said, there are a lot of Vince WIlliams types in this draft.  

I think a dream scenario for the Steelers (ignoring QB) would be for Roquon to fall in 1 and Hubbard to fall in 2.  You then put Hubbard in Watt's spot and slide Watt inside.  LB corp:  Dupree, Roquon, Watt, Hubbard.  That looks solid.  But there's a good chance neither Roquon nor Hubbard are even there in 1, let alone getting them both.  I do like #99 from Clemson.  

Why are we replacing William with a rookie? I think people just like change for the sake of change. Williams has been solid all year AND stepped his game up even more when Shazier went out.

[JLambert58]

8 minutes ago, MOSteelers56 said:

Why are we replacing William with a rookie? I think people just like change for the sake of change. Williams has been solid all year AND stepped his game up even more when Shazier went out.

MO, I hate to break it to you, but we're not replacing Williams, we're replacing Shazier.  

[MOSteelers56]

45 minutes ago, JLambert58 said:

MO, I hate to break it to you, but we're not replacing Williams, we're replacing Shazier.  

Check what I quoted. Viktor wanted to draft an ILB and OLB and slide Watt you ILB. That seems like replacing Williams to me. 

[Magnus-Viktor]

54 minutes ago, MOSteelers56 said:

Why are we replacing William with a rookie? I think people just like change for the sake of change. Williams has been solid all year AND stepped his game up even more when Shazier went out.

As JLambert said, you're replacing Shazier with Roquon.  You also need quality depth.  You lost Silverback and Shazier already.  You don't think that Roquon and Hubbard would be good replacements for them?  You can start/play whoever earns the snaps.  But you're losing 2 guys, and just look at how slow and unimpactful their replacements are.

[MOSteelers56]

1 minute ago, Magnus-Viktor said:

As JLambert said, you're replacing Shazier with Roquon.  You also need quality depth.  You lost Silverback and Shazier already.  You don't think that Roquon and Hubbard would be good replacements for them?  You can start/play whoever earns the snaps.  But you're losing 2 guys, and just look at how slow and unimpactful their replacements are.

Oh so we lost that guy who played 40 snaps all season? How ever will we replace him?

[JLambert58]

5 minutes ago, MOSteelers56 said:

Check what I quoted. Viktor wanted to draft an ILB and OLB and slide Watt you ILB. That seems like replacing Williams to me. 

Ok sorry I missed the context.  Watt is not going to ILB.  He may line up there from time to time but he's our 7-10 years OLB as I see it.  

[Magnus-Viktor]

Just now, MOSteelers56 said:

Oh so we lost that guy who played 40 snaps all season? How ever will we replace him?

Do you really want more of Chickillo?  I was just looking yesterday at PFF's top and bottom 5 rated players at each position.  Chick was in the bottom 5.  Now that PFF means much, but my eyes tell me he didn't do much all year.  We need better depth than that! 

LB stats on the year (and yes, I know stats don't mean much):

Vince Williams - 89 tackles (69 solo), 8 sacks, 1 PDef, 1 INT, - 28 years old
TJ Watt - 54 (40 solo), 7 sacks, 7 PDef, 1 INT, 1 FF - 23 years old
Bud Dupree - 40 (31 solo), 6 sacks, 1 Pdef - almost 25 years old
Tyler Matakevich - 23 (18 solo), 1 PDef - (slow as dirt - no starts - good STer) - 25 years old
Anthony Chickillo - 19 (13 solo), 3 sacks, 1 PDef - 2 starts - 25 years old
Sean Spence - 19 (11 solo), 1 sack - 4 games, 4 starts - (he was on the street for a reason) 27 years old
LJ Fort - 11 (9 solo), 1 sack, 4 PDef - 15 games, 0 starts - 28 years old (I actually kinda like him, but he's a 28 year old career backup)
Arthur Moats - 8 (6 solo) - 14 games, 0 starts - he really disappeared this year....in the dog house???  - Almost 30 years old

So can you seriously tell me you wouldn't want to add 2 good linebackers to THAT group?????  The top 3 are the only ones worth even acknowledging, and Dupree is in a contract year next year and hasn't shown me enough to warrant a big contract that all former 1st rounders think they are going to get.  Vince is ok, but limited in range/coverage.  I am assuming Shazier won't be back.  If he is, great, but I think at this point you have to plan for him to not be back.  

[waffles7]

I don’t see us going LB early this year. I understand some of the concerns with Dupree but he is far from the weakest link our defense has to offer. I believe a TRUE FS is our biggest need, followed by ILB, and NT as I believe our defense can improve improve at stuffing the run. Even if we find us an ideal 5 Tech to groom behind Heyward and play those 3 at the same time.

 

If Shazier is unable to play next season and beyond I believe we will turn to free agency next year to address the need. Shoot we almost snagged Hightower from NE this last off-season. I don’t know whose going to be out there for the taking but I can see them taking that approach as opposed to “forcing” a pick early on IF they do not believe the value will present itself in round 1.

[steelcurtain29]

Can any of those LB play QB though?

[43M]

3 hours ago, steelcurtain29 said:

Can any of those LB play QB though?

???

No offense, but this is the logic I often get annoyed with.

Steeler fans seemingly want us to draft our biggest need early without remotely considering how the draft is likely too fall.    Steeler fans chanted we should draft LTs and CBs early for years and got mad when we didnt....even though the value at those positions was usually gone by the time we picked.    BUT THEN, we did draft a CB in the first round....and most Steeler fans whined that he was a reach...haha....funny stuff.

In terms of QB....even if Ben retires after the season, Id rather roll a year with Dobbs or a free agent than overdraft a guy like Josh Allen in the first round.     

We dont know what Ben's going to do yet, but regardless what he does, we should be taking the same approach to QB as any other position.....evaluate the biggest areas of need....evaluate the players....rank them and then stay true to the draft board.   If there is a QB available that they like.....so be it....but dont reach on a need like so many Steeler fans seemingly want.

[Chieferific]

2 minutes ago, FourThreeMafia said:

???

No offense, but this is the logic I often get annoyed with.

Steeler fans seemingly want us to draft our biggest need early without remotely considering how the draft is likely too fall.    Steeler fans chanted we should draft LTs and CBs early for years and got mad when we didnt....even though the value at those positions was usually gone by the time we picked.    BUT THEN, we did draft a CB in the first round....and most Steeler fans whined that he was a reach...haha....funny stuff.

In terms of QB....even if Ben retires after the season, Id rather roll a year with Dobbs or a free agent than overdraft a guy like Josh Allen in the first round.     

We dont know what Ben's going to do yet, but regardless what he does, we should be taking the same approach to QB as any other position.....evaluate the biggest areas of need....evaluate the players....rank them and then stay true to the draft board.   If there is a QB available that they like.....so be it....but dont reach on a need like so many Steeler fans seemingly want.

Well to be fair, Burns was a reach based on the paid draft analysts. Of course that doesn't matter because as we know, a player's value is as high as ONE team thinks it is. I don't think Burns would have lasted until the Steelers next pick and let's not forget everyone's favorite WJIII was taken just in front of them by the Bungles. Was Burns a reactionary pick or were the Steelers just going by their board? Who knows?  While I dread the idea of Dobbs starting behind Center, I agree Allen is not a 1st Rdr. 

[43M]

Just now, Chieferific said:

Well to be fair, Burns was a reach based on the paid draft analysts. Of course that doesn't matter because as we know, a player's value is as high as ONE team thinks it is. I don't think Burns would have lasted until the Steelers next pick and let's not forget everyone's favorite WJIII was taken just in front of them by the Bungles. Was Burns a reactionary pick or were the Steelers just going by their board? Who knows?  While I dread the idea of Dobbs starting behind Center, I agree Allen is not a 1st Rdr. 

Let me clarify a few things.

First off, I wasnt a fan of the Burns pick either.   Im not knocking anyone for not liking the pick.    However, so so many Steeler fans make these veiled, vague criticisms of the front office when they dont draft our biggest needs early, like they are too stupid too address them.   Such as...."Once again, our pathetic FO ignores CB in the first round"...which completely ignores draft value and how the draft fell.     So....the Steelers draft a CB.....that many didnt think was worth the pick....and they still get bashed.   Its a no win situation sometimes.

Secondly, no one wants Dobbs starting....but Im just saying Id rather see that than see us reach on a QB out of desperation.    IMO, thats why Ben paid off so well.    Cowher was bashed for not taking QB more seriously over the years, but in many cases, we werent in position to get one.    Then we finally were...and we got the right guy.

Id rather go a season without Ben and maybe finish 6-10 and get a QB worth the value than overdraft a mediocre QB who we will be stuck with for a few years until the front office is willing to admit they made a mistake.

I also think Steeler fans need to accept the fact that there is a very good chance we wont find a good QB to replace Ben for the foreseeable future.