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And with pick #18 in the 1st round the Steelers stepped up to the plate. They took the big and agile center from Florida, Maurkice Pouncey. Thank You very much!
This was on my wish list from last year when the kid from California was in the pool. Ironically Pouncey is even better. And so perhaps the Pittsburgh tradition continues. Webster then Dawson, and now Pouncey. I really think this is the guy. Good bye Hartwig and good riddance. You are a heads up guy but I always thought you were a fraud.
Let me remind you off some history of Justin Hartwig: (From a 2009 post of mine)
Now granted he was the 2002 6th round pick for the Titans. And to his credit he played well for the Titans at times. In his breakout 2003 campaign Eddie George got his 7th 1000 yard rushing season and the Titans allowed a low 25 sacks on the year. And no, I do not know how many of them came through him. But I do know that after 47 starts in 3 seasons he signed as a free agent in Carolina. Tennessee did not keep him? In 2003 he was part of the 4th ranked offense. In 2004 they were the 11the ranked offense. In 2005 they were the 17th ranked offense. See a pattern here? Now was that all Hartwig? Probably not.
For in 2006, Hartwigs first season in Carolina, the Titans plummeted to 27th in the NFL in offense. That was also the Rookie season for QB Vince Young however. In fact the rushing game increased from 95 yards rushing per game in 2005 to 138 yrds rushing per game in 2006. 5th in the league in rushing in 2006. Of course some of that is naturally from running more with a Rookie QB who is also a rushing QB.
In 2007 the Titans continued to run well but the offense was still stale with again QB Vince Young. And with out Hartwig they ran the ball well in 2008 at 137 yards per game. Kerry Collins didn’t exactly light up the sky with passing numbers but he also did not look up at the sky from being sacked a lot. The Titans went 13 and 3 in 2008.
The point I am making here is no one in Nashville was crying over Hartwig’s departure. They improved in their record when he left every season. 8-8 in 2006 and 10 – 6 in 2007, and as we mentioned 13-3 in 2008. Granted they are a weak 5 and 7 this season (2009) but that is 1 more win then they had in 2005 with Hartwig, and even with the 2004 season! Again in the breakout season, Hartwig could brag over the 12 and 4 year. But it dropped off there after and the Titans did not keep the young center to fix it. Again that is not all his fault so let’s look at the Carolina experience.
In his defense he ended up being injured for the 2006 season in Carolina. The Panthers went 8 and 8 and ranked 24th in offense. In 2007 with Hartwig at center they went 7 and 9 and ranked 27th in offense. They did gain 11 more yards on the ground but it was a mediocre 14th rushing ranking in the league. And again was this all Hartwig’s fault? Not exactly all his fault. But Carolina released him for a younger, 2nd year player. Of course money may also have played into that.
So he arrives in Pittsburgh and I see what I see. The rushing is not that great, for a Super Bowl contender and a lot of sacks that seem to come up through the middle. Is he horrible? No he is not, he has made some good plays. But overall? He is a weak link to me. And am I alone in this?
Certainly not! When the 2009 draft came around all the pundits were expecting the Steelers to take the stud Center. They didn’t take a center true in the 1st round, but they did take a center or 2 even later on. So why they may not have felt as strongly as I and the Mel Kiper’s of the world they obviously saw what his previous employers saw. So why did he start again?
SO as you can see I for one was happy with the Pouncey choice! Yes we desperatley need to upgrade some defensive positions but this guy could not be overlooked. Nor could the position.
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What to do, what to do?
Let’s first discuss the 6 game suspension for Ben Roethlisberger. Personally I felt it was going to be a 4 game suspension with the possibility of reducing it to 2 games.
The old if you seek counseling and be a good boy we will cut your suspension always works. You can’t force a guy to get help when it comes to non bargained violations like sexual morality. Now most sports leagues have mandatory counseling that comes with substance abuse suspensions but again that is because the Players Unions agree to that.
So in order to get someone to seek help for sexual morality judgments you need to put the pressure on them. The commissioner has done that only he took it a little further than I thought he would. But essentially he has done the same thing. Only instead of 4 games to 2 he started the bar at 6 games. As for Ben he would be stupid to not take the counseling so he can reduce the suspension. Will it help? No one knows. If he takes it seriously then it could help.
So now what? Trade him? If you can get a pick in the top 3 of the first round I would send him packing and take one of the defensive stud lineman. Seriously I am tired of a grown man acting like he can do no wrong.
That said I don’t care if they keep him. He is still a top 5 QB in this league. Although I am tired of him and Arians pretending Ben is the second Dan Marino.
Assuming we keep Ben you still need to land a stud in the first round.
I mentioned a few of the guys I like for the first round. Of course I am doing this in the context of the 18th overall pick. Some guys that I would want will clearly be gone by then.
So of the guys who could be there let’s review. ROUND 1 – Pick 18
- Earl Thomas – DB from Texas – this guy can flat out play Scouts In #7
- Dan Williams – DT from Tennessee – did not mention him the other day because I think he will be gone Scouts Inc #14
- Maurkice Pouncey – C from Florida – I think Hartwig is part of the O line problems Scouts Inc #14
- Kyle Wilson – DB Boise St – very good, a little small though Scouts Inc #20
- Jared Odrick - DT from Penn State – pretty good Scouts In #28
- Anthony Davis – OT from Rutgers – I’m tired of the O-line frankly. So why not bring in a solid big Offensive tackle. He is one of the better available Scouts Inc #25
- Mike Iupati – OG Idaho – Can’t say much about him other than he is massive. Reports claim he is highly rated overall. All mock drafts have him high teens to early 20′s in the first round. – Scouts Inc #17
- Kareem Jackson – DB Alabama - was he good just because he was on a great defensive? Or as some, including me, think he was part of the reason why the Crimson Tide D was so good. Scouts Inc # 18
- Brandon Graham – OLB Michigan Scouts Inc #16 – Could be one of those LB/DE types. He wants to be like Dumervil in Denver. Don’t know that Steelers need this as much as other needs.
- Taylor Mays – DB USC fast and big. I see this guy as over rated though. He fell off at USC one of the best defenses in the country! Still most so called experts have him ranked fairly high. Scouts Inc #27
NOTES:
- A couple of these picks would have even more value if the Steelers slid down a few picks to take them and acquired a later round pick for doing so.
- Also there are a couple really good RB’s, DE’s and other LB’s in this region but I don’t see that as a good move at this point.
Okay now for ROUND 2: PICK 20 (52 overall)
- Linval Joseph DT East Carolina – a giant with a little speed – maybe a little raw at this point though
- Chris Cook – DB Virginia – 6′ 2″ 212 pds with very good speed – nice fit for Steelers secondary
- Morgan Bennett – S – good size and instincts
- Vladimir Ducasse – OT – Giant among men. Projected from pick 35 to 55.
- Tim Tebow – QB Florida might not be a bad pick if he fell to #52. I am not a Tebow believer though.
- Jahvid Best – RB California – good RB that I would take if he fell into mid 2nd Rd
- Terrence Cody – DT Alabama – Mountain of a man. Not fast but could be a clogger.
- Lamarr Houston – DT Texas – Some have him in the 1st Rd
- Damian Williams – WR USC – not the fastest but regarded as the most fundamentally sound
- Brandon Ghee - DB Wake Forest Not big but not small either
- Toby Gerhart – RB Stanford – 6′ 0″ 231 power back
3rd Round: Pick 18 (82 over all)
- Chad Jones – DB (S) LSU – offered a baseball contract from the Houston Astros. He is a great athlete with some return abilities too.
- Ed Veldheer – OT Hillsdale – maybe a reach though. I just saw 6′ 8″ and 312 pounds. Reportedly a good athlete and he was invited to the combine.
- Jon Asamoah – OG Illinois 0 projects to either side in the NFL
- Al Woods – DT LSU – He has been moving up in pre draft reports but I am not sure about him though.
- Jordan Shipley – WR – Texas – smallish wide out with return abilities
- Ricky Sapp – OLB Clemson – he’s an edge rusher type LB
- John Jerry – OT Mississippi projected as NFL guard. His brother Peria Jerry was a 2009 1st rounder and plays for the Atlanta Falcons
- Taylor Price – WR Ohio fast and strong wide out. Gets to full speed in a hurry
- Austin Lane – DE Murray St – 6’6″ and room to put on some girth. With Ziggy Hood in the fold Lane may not make sense
- Ben Tate – RB Auburn – I like this guy. Yes we have Mendenhall but this 220 pd masher also runs a 4.34 40! Hey with Willie Parker gone we need a 2nd fiddle. Many compare him to Marion Barber. Nice except I hope that doesn’t include the injuries.
- Aaron Hernandez – TE Florida – solid player but do we really need a tight end?
All in all the Steelers have a nice chance to land a couple starters at need positions with their first 3 picks. The Tebow prospect is just a side thought.
The Steelers have 1 pick in all 7 rounds and 4 total in the 5th round. Maybe they could move up a few spots in the 1st or 2nd for a definite player they want/need.
Let’s do this!!!!!!!!!!!!
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