warfelg Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 25 minutes ago, 3rivers said: was there a ILB in UFA that would have made some of you happy? Not really. This was a bad year to have this need. The FA class sucked, the Draft class isn't that deep, and we had our cap tied up in trying to retain Bell. Consider that some of the headliners in this draft we could have got were Nigel Bradham (5/$40mil/$14gtd overpay); Zach Brown (3/$21mil/$10gtd wasn't leaving was). Who's left? Brian Cushing (old and suspension machine); Lawrence Timmons (old and slowish); Kevin Minter (we have 2 of him already); Navorro Bowman (will be back with Oak); Derrick Johnson (old and slow). Yuck. Could even do the same thing with pass rushing OLB: Barkevious Mingo (2/$8.2mil/$4.1gtd not better than Dupree); Tamba Hali (old); Willie Young (meh); Ahmad Brooks (old and broken down). The only guy that could be a LB that I'm mad over missing out on: Alex Okafor from NO. SIgned a 2 year $6,787,500 deal with only $1,500,000. Not a run down guy but as a rotational pass rushing OLB he could have really helped us out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rivers Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 8 minutes ago, warfelg said: Not really. This was a bad year to have this need. The FA class sucked, the Draft class isn't that deep, and we had our cap tied up in trying to retain Bell. Consider that some of the headliners in this draft we could have got were Nigel Bradham (5/$40mil/$14gtd overpay); Zach Brown (3/$21mil/$10gtd wasn't leaving was). Who's left? Brian Cushing (old and suspension machine); Lawrence Timmons (old and slowish); Kevin Minter (we have 2 of him already); Navorro Bowman (will be back with Oak); Derrick Johnson (old and slow). Yuck. Could even do the same thing with pass rushing OLB: Barkevious Mingo (2/$8.2mil/$4.1gtd not better than Dupree); Tamba Hali (old); Willie Young (meh); Ahmad Brooks (old and broken down). The only guy that could be a LB that I'm mad over missing out on: Alex Okafor from NO. SIgned a 2 year $6,787,500 deal with only $1,500,000. Not a run down guy but as a rotational pass rushing OLB he could have really helped us out. Not a good year for ILB then, maybe next year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Livewire Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 I wouldn't mind either. I like them both. LVE is raw but his tools are intriguing. Evans looks like he could step in right away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VigilantZombie Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 What I feel we lack at the ILB position is a "coverage speedster" which we lost in Shazier and an Enforcer which I feel we lost in Timmons. Evans, to me, fills the Enforcer role. I agree with 43M that we need 2 new ILBs imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jebrick Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 LVE will have a higher ceiling but that is unrealized. Evans has a higher floor and lower ceiling. I really worry about Evan's injuries. I feel he will have a rookie season like Dupree. Miss 6+ games recovering from groin surgery. Top that off with his lack of athleticism shown. He is more football player than athlete but he is a Buck in the Steeler system. He might be an improvement over Vince Williams but he is not going to replace Shazier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VigilantZombie Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 If I'm wrong about Evans, he wouldn't be the first prospect I was wrong about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warfelg Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 I think the "lack of athleticism" is overblown. Pop up some tape from two years ago and you see it. Also considering he just played a full season with groin issues, never looks a step out of place, and hasn't had other injury concerns also tells me the injury thing is getting overblown too. If he drops to us we are getting a top 15 talent at 28. LVE is not that. His injury concern of nerve issues in the neck is a legit concern. He's an impressive off the bus guy. When I watch tape of his I struggle to distinguish him from the other LB's on the smurf turf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steeler Hitman Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 I am wondering 50/50: 1. If either of these guys will be there? 2. If both will be there when we pick? If either one is there I think you have to go BPA. I also remember Kevin Colbert saying that he wasn't particularly impressed with the amount of athleticism at the top round talent wise in the draft at ILB. Is an edge guy there like Hubbard who is a less athletic type of Edge, but has better natural pass rush skills at the Edge than LB? Do you go for one of the Rb's or WR's who may be there, but most of us would hate to see picked because of other needs: Guice or Chubb at RB or DJ Moore or DJ Chark at WR? Do you take a CB like Jaire Alexander or Mike Hughes? Do you choose between Reid and Bates at safety? If both are there I have Evans ranked higher than Vander Esch based on overall skills, but I would not cry if we got Vander Esch. I think Vander Esch would do well in the leadership department and is built similar to a young Jack Lambert (but actually bigger). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjfollett Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 Has anyone seen the MMQB Mock, where Peter King writes LVE has a neck issue, and teams are shying away from him? Is that really an issue, or do you think teams are floating it to push him down? https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/04/23/mock-draft-prospects-trades-first-round-mmqb-peter-king Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jebrick Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 6 minutes ago, cjfollett said: Has anyone seen the MMQB Mock, where Peter King writes LVE has a neck issue, and teams are shying away from him? Is that really an issue, or do you think teams are floating it to push him down? https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/04/23/mock-draft-prospects-trades-first-round-mmqb-peter-king I think it is the later. I understood he had a pinched nerve in a game and started wearing a neck roll/neck brace. On #BoiseSt LB Leighton Vander Esch and his medical report (he got a 4 out of 5 at the Combine)... pic.twitter.com/gdBqQxP3dP — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 16, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steeler Hitman Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 33 minutes ago, jebrick said: I think it is the later. I understood he had a pinched nerve in a game and started wearing a neck roll/neck brace. On #BoiseSt LB Leighton Vander Esch and his medical report (he got a 4 out of 5 at the Combine)... pic.twitter.com/gdBqQxP3dP — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 16, 2018 Agreed. That tells me that someone is really interested in him and is floating rumors to try to dissuade some teams. The same is said about Evans having some lingering injury issues. I don't buy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warfelg Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 24 minutes ago, Steeler Hitman said: Agreed. That tells me that someone is really interested in him and is floating rumors to try to dissuade some teams. The same is said about Evans having some lingering injury issues. I don't buy it. I still rather take the risk on an injury like Evans than an injury like Vander Esch. Any injury with nerve issues scare me far more. Those have the ability to degenerate, get bad, or continue to be bad. Shazier had issues with his left arm for a while after his stinger. Farrior always had issues after his too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitzburgh Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 Give me Evans and Fred Warner in the 3rd if you can get him there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelers22 Posted April 23, 2018 Author Share Posted April 23, 2018 I think out of all the options which may be available to us, Justin Reid is getting me the most excited in terms of nabbing a playmaker that can create some splash plays for this defense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VigilantZombie Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 Justin Reid is definitely growing on me. But is anyone concerned about possible 'protest issues'? He is after all the brother of Eric. Or does everyone feel the expectations at this level are clear enough for it to be a non issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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