First, can you give me a quick heads up on what’s going on with you?
Well, I’m still writing for Steelers.com. And Dale {Lolley} and I are still on Steeler Nation Radio of course.
Ok – let’s get started – first with the Steelers free agency moves. What are your takes on Steve Nelson, Donte Montcrief and new Mark Barron – solutions or bridge guys?
That’s a good question – I think they are between both. You can win with those guys but it probably doesn’t stop them from drafting a cornerback or wide receiver high in the draft. They were typical Steelers signings – guys you can live with and win with but who won’t stop them from taking someone else if they like them.
Nelson is a more aggressive corner than Sensabaugh, who was a tackle after the catch kind of guy. Nelson is more aggressive – he plays with more of an attitude and will try to take the ball away more. The defense is trying to make more plays and Nelson will make more plays at corner. He’ll let up more big plays, but he’ll make much more too. He’s a clear upgrade – the team would like to play more man like Haden can and he can do that.
Montcrief was a nice signing. I killed the Jaguars when they signed him for 10 million – he was inconsistent. But he played well – he was held back by their quarterback play. He can be inconsistent but he is what the Steelers needed. He’s a fast, big play guy who can play on the outside. Now they don’t have to draft a guy round one or two.
Barron was a smart move. Another fallback option like the other two signings…obviously he adds some speed to the middle of the field.
Clearly, the biggest hole is at inside linebacker wvwn with the Barron signing. What’s the solution there for the team at this point?
Part of the problem is that there were few answers in free agency. They weren’t paying Mosely $17 million or making Kwon Alexander the highest paid inside linebacker at the time. That would have been bad business.
There are two guys in the draft that are sure to help – none of the other guys are really answers after Bush or White. Bush after his workouts likely won’t be there at their pick at 20 – teams like the Giants, who pick at 17, will have interest. More guys are coveting these three-down guys than they did two years ago.
That being said, they could trade up to get him. It’s highly unlikely they use all 10 picks. They’ll likely move up in round one or two. It may cost both thirds or even a second to move up to get Bush, but they can afford that after signing Nelson and Montcrief.
Any other linebackers in the drat that could fill the bill after round one?
The more I do my homework, the more I like guys like Cashman. But I like him as a third-round pick. A guy that would play special teams first and maybe turn into a good player. But there’s no one I see as a Pro Bowl answer – there are only two guys that fill that mold.
If you don’t draft someone, maybe they can trade for a guy like Darren Lee. People forget that this was a middle-of-the-road defense with Sensabaugh, Bostic and Vince Williams starting. Add Nelson and Barron in there and any of the other guys thy add in, and this will be a better defense. Remember the best teams last year – the Saints, Patriots, Kansas City – they all had middle of the road defenses. It’s not a death knell for a team.
With all of the offseason stuff – Brown, Bell, the stories on Ben – do you think they focus on character even more this draft?
I do. I don’t think it was an accident that right before they trade Brown that they signed Pouncey and Foster to new contracts. Those guys are leaders – character guys. It was a statement – that personality and leadership matter.
I remember before the TJ Watt draft, sitting down and interviewing Rooney. Three times in that interview he talked about wanting guys who were team captains and character guys – like Sutton, JuJu and Watt. It’s not new – they’ve always wanted character guys. I mean, Bell and Brown weren’t problems for most of their time in Pittsburgh.
So you talked before about what may happen if they don’t land a guy like Bush round one. Is Burnett still going to be on this team – how else do they handle that coverage situation then?
Burnett is 50-50. If he’s smart he’ll see there are a lot of good safeties available in free agency – that he doesn’t have it so bad anymore. This is the best deal he’ll get.
Maybe they do take another safety then if they don’t land a linebacker. Edmunds or Burnett then can be pseudo linebackers. There’s no scenario that should have Bostic and Williams on the field together. They’re too similar – you need more speed. Barron will help some here. Maybe you go with your three 300-pound guys on the line and behind them play the dime.
A lot of focus on the defense…
You can’t ignore the offense. I’m worried about having enough playmakers on offense. Maybe if you don’t get that linebacker you do grab a receiver or tight end instead. The teams with the best offenses win.
I know a lot of people think that without Brown they can just run the ball more, that Ben’s not that player anymore. But you need playmakers today, and I don’t think they have enough of those guys now.
If they go playmaker early, who are the guys you’d look at? And is DK Metcalf over-rated due to his combine performance as I think he is?
I think he is – I agree yeah. I think Hakeem Butler is the best receiver in this draft.
But I think the sweet spot is in the second or third round for receivers. They’ve had great success in that round and that position.
If they do take a linebacker round one, I wouldn’t mind a tight end round two either. They need a difference-maker on offense and a tight end would let them run more 12 personnel. I’d really like to see them do more of that, feature McDonald more and draft an athletic tight end to go with him. That’s the most efficient way to move the ball now.
I don’t claim to be an analytics expert, but they do show that 12 personnel is the most effective offense. There are five-to-seven teams that run it well and get great use out of their tight ends. Pittsburgh is not in that number.
There are a number of good tight ends in the draft too – six or seven athletic tight ends I like. Maybe they can trade up and get Irv Smith in round two – that would be a good pick.
Speaking of playmakers, there is on on defense rumored to be linked to Pittsburgh…any word on Justin Houston?
It’s tough to comment on that. If the doctors say there’s no problem with Houston then you have to be excited about him. I’m not sure if it says anything that no one has signed him yet.
He’d be an upgrade over Bud – I’d love to see him in Pittsburgh if he passes his physical. Sign him to a two-year deal – maybe you can trade Bud. I love the idea of having from left to right Houston and Watt with those three guys in the middle. I think Hargrave will be a star. With Houston they would put a lot of pressure on quarterbacks and alleviate some of the concerns on the secondary.