and lets face it........i dont think even the steelers would get rid of their franchise player. No way. Its one thing to get rid of a WR who is one step away from a year ban, in the last year of his contract and will only be able to play at most 12 games...and said receiver wont be resigned as he will go to the highest bidder and we know Pittsburgh wont be that.

As much as we d like to say...get him the hell outta town and off our team........that isnt going to happen especially without any arrests let alone convictions.

This pisses us all off...it really does.....as a season ticket holder we sent in a letter of disgust..not like that will do any good...but in the end...he is our QB....he is a dirtball who has some very questionable morals if he continues to get young college women drunk and nailing them. Tens of thousands drunken hookups happen each weekend across college campuses and across the country. Looks like ben and this chick is one of them. Him being so big and her pretty petite from what I gather prolly left some residual effects.........it isnt uncommon for some bruises to happen after some wild fun.

It is what it is...a young, famous, rich individual who preyed on a drunk college chick. They were drunk...he put himself in this position to be in trouble and she evidently put herself into a position as well to be taken advantage of. Im not blaming her at all....but if you drink so damn much you are incoherant then shit can happen.

Brandon Ghee

- 6'0 192

- 22 years old/turns 23 in June

- Steelers have shown significant interest in Ghee, attending his Pro Day and bringing him in for a visit

- Good size. Long arms. Excellent all-around athlete based on the workouts. He ran a 4.45 at the combine but has been clocked in the 4.3 range. Also performed well in the shuttles, cone drills, broad jump, etc.

Steelers will have 11 picks in the NFL Draft

1 (18)
2 (52)
3 (82)
4 (116)
5 (151)
5 (155)
5 (164)
5 (166)
6 (188)
7 (225)
7 (242)

I think there is a good chance they'll try to get one more in the Top 100.

Steelers beat writer Ed Bouchette is a good beat writer but not really a draft expert, but here is his rundown of some of the top prospects at each position.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10108/1051157-66.stm

These are the players I feel the Steelers are most likely targeting in the first round.


Mike Iupati, G, Idaho
- Powerful run blocker. Steelers want to re-emphasize the run and they need a guard that can pull.

Maurkice Pouncey, C/G, Florida
- Seems like the Steelers could confidentally go in this direction and not look back. Pouncey has the size, skills and intelligence to anchor the line for a long time.

Joe Haden, CB, Florida
- They would need Haden to slip. They would also need to understand why he slipped and disregard it.

Earl Thomas, S, Texas
- The Steelers would only draft him if they believe he can move to CB.

Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
- Gives great effort but there is some question whether he's a true No. 1 NFL corner.

Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama
- Seems to be making a late push into the first round, with his ability to cover and tackle.

Jon Asamoah, C/G, Illinois
- Smart player with good character and versatility, but may be a reach in the first round.

Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
- I doubt the Steelers choose Tate with their No. 18 pick, but there is a possibility of trading down in the first round or trading up in the early second round.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10109/1051697-100.stm

Limas Sweed was back on the practice field Monday.

He was placed on injured reserve late last season for an issue not related to an injury.

Non wrote: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10109/1051697-100.stm

Limas Sweed was back on the practice field Monday.

He was placed on injured reserve late last season for an issue not related to an injury.

2010 is saved if he can play....

Safest pick, although not a glamorous pick, would be Pouncey. Then do what you have to and take Tate in the 2nd round.


Also I read somewhere that Sweeds issue involved depression.

I might catch some flak for this but I wouldn't mind drafting Blount, the rb from Oregon with a later round pick.

Al Capone wrote: Safest pick, although not a glamorous pick, would be Pouncey. Then do what you have to and take Tate in the 2nd round.


Also I read somewhere that Sweeds issue involved depression.

That was the general concensus over the winter that it was depression. Knew it wasnt injury, and not an "illness" so that was a decent guess.

I dont look for him to really contriute tho.

BOuchette, in his chats during the season, hinted that he drops alot in practice too because he would alwasy comment that he practiced like he played ecause people would ask if he makes catches in practice.

I do hope that this is Limas' break out year. So much potential, not sure why he has yet to blossom in the NFL. He has a great mentor in Hines, maybe he should hang out with him some more.

Joe Haden

- 5'11, 193

- 21 (just turned 21 on April 14)

- Ran a disappointing 4.57 in the 40 at the combine but was in the high 4.3/low 4.4 range at the Gators Pro Day.

- Registered 77 tackles and three interceptions as a sophomore and 57 tackles and four interceptions as a junior. Also had three sacks last season.

- Could potentially be an all-around cornerback who can cover top receivers, intercept passes, tackle and blitz.

I posted this earlier in this thread, back in January, but might as well re-post it.

Just an unofficial evaluation of the Steelers recent drafts.


last six first round picks

2009-Ziggy Hood
2008-Rashard Mendenhall
2007-Lawrence Timmons
2006-Santonio Holmes
2005-Heath Miller
2004-Ben Roethlisberger

I said 6 for 6 back in January and I'll stick to that despite the Holmes and Roethlisberger mess. Even with the troubles, both players were instrumental in leading the team to the victory in Super Bowl XLIII.


In the second round, the Steelers have done surprisingly terrible in recent years.

2009-no pick, traded down
2008-Limas Sweed
2007-LaMarr Woodley
2006-no pick
2005-Bryant McFadden
2004-Ricardo Colclough

Only one second round pick in the last six years is a starter on the team currently. Woodley is the only one. Twice no picks. And two cornerbacks that didn't stick long-term. This is a troubling trend.


Here's the third rounders...

2009-Kraig Urbik
2009-Mike Wallace
2009-Keenan Lewis
2008-Bruce Davis
2007-Matt Spaeth
2006-Anthony Smith
2006-Willie Reid
2005-Trai Essex
2004-Max Starks

Some significant hits and misses here. Keenan Lewis is a player that still has good potential I think. He looked good in training camp and preseason but was banged up most of the regular season. Urbik looks like a bust. Wallace was an excellent find. The Spaeth pick made me angry at the time and I've never backed off of that. The Steelers got handcuffed when that pick came around because four WRs came off the board right before their pick. They then reached for Spaeth. Smith and Reid were expected to be long-term solutions and never panned out.


I feel in rounds 4-7 you should be able to go 2 for 4. If you have more than four, you should be able to get 3 at least.


2009
5-Joe Burnett
5-Frank Summers
6-Sunny Harris
7-.A.Q. Shipley
7-David Johnson

Too early but they have some work to do to get 3 out of 5. Burnett, Harris and Johnson are all potential long-term players. Summers will get another shot.

2008
4-Tony Hills
5-Dennis Dixon
6-Mike Humpal
6-Ryan Mundy

With Dixon being a good backup QB and Mundy looking like a solid swing safety, this goes down as an adequate late-round draft, 2 for 4.

2007
4-Daniel Sepulveda
4-Ryan McBean
5-Cameron Stephenson
5-William Gay
7-Dallas Baker

Even if you count Gay as a good pick, along with Sepulveda, that's only 2 out of 5. Fail.

2006
4-Willie Colon
4-Orien Harris
5-Omar Jacobs
5-Charles Davis
6-Marvin Philip
7-Cedric Humes

Only Willie Colon. This was an awful draft in the late rounds. 1 for 6.

2005
4-Fred Gibson
5-Rian Wallace
6-Chris Kemoeatu
7-Shaun Nua
7-Noah Herron

Only Kemoeatu. 1 for 5. Fail again.

2004
5-Nathaniel Adibi
6-Bo Lacy
6-Matt Kranchick
6-Drew Caylor
7-Eric Taylor

Terrible. 0 for 5.

Traditionally the Steelers have been able to find those diamonds in the rough in the draft. And that, at best, is hit or miss. I believe anyone you draft after round three that is a success in the NFL is bonus.

It's interesting because if you go through the drafts, it doesn't seem like that great of work.

But the results are there. Two Super Bowls in the last five years. Six playoff appearances in the last nine years.

I find it interesting the number of players from the 70s teams that didn't come from major colleges.

For example:

Joe Greene from North Texas State
Jack Lambert from Kent State
John Stallworth from Alabama A&M
LC Greenwood from Arkansas AM&N
Dwight White from East Texas State
Ernie Holmes from Texas Southern
Mel Blount from Southern University
Donnie Shell from South Carolina State
John Banaszak from Eastern Michigan
Sam Davis from Allen University

I'm wondering if Toby Gerhart can improve his blocking enough to be used in that way, at least some of the time.

Sort of like Mike Alstott, who was overrated as a blocker, but could still do it enough to be on the field with the other tailback.

I've read some mixed scouting reports where some say forget it, he's a running back, and others say he's capable of playing some fullback/h-back.

I didn't see this yesterday.

Golden Tate said playing for the Steelers would be an ideal situation.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/18/golden-tate-says-playing-in-pittsburgh-would-be-an-ideal-situation/

"I'll be going into a great situation because I would be learning from a guy that I like to model my game after, Hines Ward. I don't think it could get any better than that. I'm going to have the chance to help the team but also learn the game more from a veteran. In my eyes, this would be an ideal situation, and I could definitely see myself going there and wearing black and gold."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10110/1051842-66.stm

Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette says wide receiver is not high on the Steelers draft board.

This is probably a smokescreen, although I do think they like some of the receivers they brought in such as Emmanuel Sanders, who could be available in the 4th round.

Non wrote: I didn't see this yesterday.

Golden Tate said playing for the Steelers would be an ideal situation.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/18/golden-tate-says-playing-in-pittsburgh-would-be-an-ideal-situation/

"I'll be going into a great situation because I would be learning from a guy that I like to model my game after, Hines Ward. I don't think it could get any better than that. I'm going to have the chance to help the team but also learn the game more from a veteran. In my eyes, this would be an ideal situation, and I could definitely see myself going there and wearing black and gold."

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/20/leak-of-steelers-schedule-puts-saints-game-against-world-series/

Steelers-Saints would blow the World Series away

Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac also says the Roethlisberger ruling will be given on Wednesday

Kyle Wilson

- 5'10, 194

- 22 years old/turns 23 in May

- Productive four-year starter for Boise State, contributing at cornerback and kick returner. He had 11 career interceptions and three punt return touchdowns.

- Not a burner but has good quickness and quick-twitch athleticism. Also did 25 reps.

- Displays toughness and versatility, but may be an overachiever and not a true No. 1 cornerback at the next level.

Adam Schefter reports that the Steelers have traded a seventh round pick to the Bucs

for Byron Leftwich

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5119960

Steelers now have 10 picks but three quarterbacks other than Ben Roethlisberger to compete for the starting spot during the suspension

Leftwich saw limited action for the Steelers in 2008, but completed 21 of 36 attempts for 303 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for a 104.3 passer rating. He also picked up a Super Bowl ring.