Steelers Lounge Podcast #44.1: 1st-Round Recap — Frank Pollard

Posted on April 29, 2011 by ryan

Hey, hey, hey, it’s a Steelers Lounge podcast: We Got Cam Heyward Edition. Because we had nothing better to do in the wee hours Friday morning than to recap watching a bunch of guys in suits talking for four hours.

So here we are.

We all agree that Heyward is a great pick, discuss how we were giddy little schoolgirls at the prospect of landing Prince Amukamara, wonder why anybody would trade up to get Mike Pouncey, and look ahead to Friday when the Steelers pretty much have to take a cornerback in the second round (although they shouldn’t trade up … too far to get one).

Late-night pontificatin’ starts promptly…

Steelers Lounge Podcast #44.1: First-Round Recap

Steelers Lounge Podcast

As always, thanks to everybody for subscribing to the podcast (do it now if you haven’t) and if you want to send questions, comments, complaints or whatever about the show, email us here.

Related posts:

  1. Steelers Lounge Podcast #13: Steelers-Saints Recap — a Bunch of Little Stuff
  2. Steelers Lounge Podcast #11: Steelers-Dolphins Recap — Big Ben Fumbled!
  3. Steelers Lounge Podcast #22: Steelers-Ravens Recap — John L. Williams
  4. Steelers Lounge Podcast #5: Steelers-Buccaneers Recap: We’re Livin’ in Charlie Batch’s World
  5. Steelers Lounge Podcast #9: Browns-Steelers Recap: Ben Survives Colt
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  • Randy Steele

    Good podcast, gentlemen. I think it’s your best yet. And having the draft as some fresh, newsy meat to chew on really helped give your show a clear drive and focus (excuse me while I mix my metaphors). I really liked that bit you added from Zeirlin’s story that analyzed the Steelers’ drafting technique in Round 1.

    And now while everyone is clamoring for a CB in R2 and a project OG/OT in R3, which I don’t disagree with up to a point, let me ask you this: If the Steelers’ approach to the draft in R1 is so successful no matter where they pick in the round, why shouldn’t they follow the same BPA-heavy strategy throughout the draft?

    Chasing need without heed is a blueprint for disaster, isn’t it? Haven’t we seen that little horror movie countless times?

    While we generally laud Colbert & Co. for their prowess in Round 1, their results are generally less than spectacular in the following rounds, true? That’s usually when they start trying to pick for need to fill in some of their blanks, isn’t it?

    So how’s that been working? I think at best you’d have to admit the results are mixed.

    So why not follow the Round 1 strategy throughout each round? Why not let the draft come to you and then pick the best player on your board?

    • Mike L

      I hope it is alright if I reply to your questions. The Steelers assign grades based on talent but also add points based on need. So you might have a situation where Heyward is a 92 and +3 need, while Brandon Harris is an 87 but +6 need. Heyward wins. Now you have to throw in outside factors, drafting a 1st rd QB or RB would be a big slap in the face to the two guys currently on the roster. Another issue is the drop of talent at a position and this year FA leverage. If the Steelers don’t draft a CB until rd 5 then it makes it more difficult to sign Ike Taylor.
      There are many teams looking at CB in the second rd an you bring up a good point, if all those graded as 2nd or 2nd-3rd are being drafted, do the Steelers have to look to trade up or take BPA and hope for the best in the 3rd. Who might be looking CB in the 2nd? Cowboys, Texans, Lions, Raiders, Broncos, Bucs, Eagles, Seahawks, Falcons, Bears. That is quite a few teams, many who passed on Prince A because of depth (quickly evaporating) of CB in the 2nd.

      • http://www.steelerslounge.com/ ryan

        Great note, Mike L.

      • Randy Steele

        Thank you for your thoughtful reply, Mike. And, yes, I agree with you, but my fear in general is that too many points get assigned to “Need” as the draft moves on, and I think that when the screw-ups begin to happen.

        A lot of teams have problems in their secondary–it’s the product of the modern, premier quarterback, pass-happy NFL game. And CBs are going to get snatched up in a frenzy during Round 2 tonight.

        But does that mean you reach for one because you have problems at that position, too? I’m just sayin’ that that’s when you’re most liable to make a big mistake.

        Remember one of life’s little rules: You can’t have everything. And that applies to football just like anything else. Even if we draft a CB in Round 2, there’s little chance he’ll make a difference any time soon, if ever.

        And, Ryan, Ricardo Colclough (and probably Limas Sweed, too) will forever go down as one of the Steelers’ greatest mysteries. He had all the physical skills he needed to be a good NFL cornerback, but apparently the noise inside his head was too loud to let him play.

        • DjAnyReason

          One thing that happens that you may be discounting, Randy, is that as the draft goes on the apparent differences between players shrinks. BPA can make sense when you’re choosing between a 92 and an 87. When your choice is between a 73 and a 72.8, or between 4 different 67s, how do you make that choice? In the first case, are you so confident in your own scoring that you draft totally against need for that 0.2?

  • http://www.steelerslounge.com/ ryan

    Thanks, Randy. I was so tired I sounded drunk. Maybe I should do every podcast at midnight or have a six-pack before taping.

    Anyway, to your larger point: yeah, I don’t disagree — the Steelers would probably make out best by staying calm and waiting to see what falls. The specter Ricardo Colclough is forever looming. As for Colbert’s track record, thanks for bringing that up. It’ll give me a chance to trot our some work we did in recent months.

    The Definitive Kevin Colbert Draft Resource

    Taking a Closer Look at Kevin Colbert’s 4th-Round Draft Haul Since 2000

    Steelers Ain’t Bad at Moving Up (and Down) Draft Board

    14 Years of Steelers Cornerbacks and the Draft

  • Randy Steele

    Also, you mentioned the remark Colbert made about the list of players the Steelers had drawn up whom the front office felt were difference-makers and wondered whether Heyward was one of them. Bouchette reports:

    “Colbert said he included him (Heyward) in one of those 20 “special players” he mentioned on Monday.”

  • Randy Steele

    One last thought (and please forgive me for talking so much), but do you want to know what I like best about the Heyward pick? It’s that the Ravens didn’t get him.

  • Anonymous

    I was hoping for Sherrod (one Amukamara and Carimi were gone anyway). But with the new information I guess Heyward was probably the right choice.

  • Anonymous

    I was just watching the Steelers press conference. Mike Tomlin is suppressing a grin. Given that and the speed with which they got the pick in, I’m guessing they think they have an all-pro on their hands.

  • DJAnyReason

    One downside to the Steelers mock draft strategy: it doesn’t allow for the kind of knowledge that best enables you to trade into advantageous positions. If the Steelers have a better idea of who everybody else is going to take, then they could have a better idea of when it might make sense to trade up or down to position themselves to get a player who best fits their need.

    Of 7 total Colbert-Cowher drafts, the Steelers moved up or down 3 times in the first. Of 5 Colbert-Tomlin drafts, the Steelers have stayed put every time.

  • Callouswhisper

    Quit worrying about SMith his resume is worse than Talib, Kindle, Bryant or anyone else. He is going to a crappy ego centric locker-room. The media BS perception of Lewis as a locker room leader is a fallacy. In Billick’s last two years, Reed and Lewis were at each others throats. Smith wont get any mentorshup from those two despite what ESPN bobbleheads tell you. Ravens took a mamouth risk, and given last season crappy draft a really stupid one when Carimi and Sherrod were on the board.

  • Callouswhisper

    Additionally OL is just as big a need as CB. The Sb was decided by less than a TD, two huge missed blocks in that game gifted Pack a TD and prevented Steelers taking a lead. As bad as secondary looked OL makes those blocks Steelers likely win.

  • http://www.steelerslounge.com/ ryan

    Callouswhisper,

    Solid point on Smith and Ray-Ray. I said as much last night: you don’t go to Baltimore for mentoring. That’s like hanging out at a meth lab as part of a drug rehabilitation program.

    More solid points on the Super Bowl. If Kemoeatu didn’t get blowed up, Ben doesn’t throw the pick-six early (did Kemo also miss an assignment on Mendenhall’s fourth-quarter fumble, too?). Still, all the media folk can tell us is that the DBs cost the Steelers the Super Bowl. Look, B-Mac had a rough year and the Pats absolutely pimp-slapped Willie Gay, but Aaron Rodgers made two or three stick throws in the SB — passes that would have been completions against Revis — but he also didn’t do much for, what, the first 20 minutes of the second half.

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