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By JoeThornburg · Posted
Well played. The graphic speaks for itself. I like how this pairs with the discussion about teams chasing unproven talent in the draft, particularly at QB. People talk about reaching, but that's exactly what we have seen in the QB market this last decade and as a Steelers guy, I've been one of the biggest detractors about not overpaying for the position, and I think we are all aware of how bad Pittsburgh is going to be next year. If they prove me wrong, hats off but the light at the end of the tunnel in this case is an inbound freight train. Spread that money around. That's a huge reason why Tom Brady has been so successful in his career, because he's always made good money but never tried to set the market so the team could put 21 other guys on the field. That another reason I think it makes sense for them to resign their LBs and go after one (1) big name in FA. Whether that's DE/LT/CB or WR. I'd prefer to see that money go to a trench position because you can find value there in FA. Although I'm more apt to sign a LT as edge/DE guys tend to taper off after they get the bag, same as running backs. Clowney and Matthews are probably the best examples of this. People are talking about Rhodes being an outlier at his age. It's true, but look at how easy the front made it for him. After pedestrian '18-'19 campaigns he put up a paltry 52% completion rate in '20. Pittsburgh had the same success in the 2000's (albeit in the 3-4) with a strong front 7, and some rando named Polamalu running wild on the back end. Their corner play was average at best but they could hit and tackle. That's why I am also personally high on Rock Ya-Sin. He's got that edge but needs a little polish. Granted he got benched but he can be fixed if he's utilized properly. He'd be a beast as a press corner, but that doesn't always translate in a zone scheme. I think Sherman could teach the young man a thing or two about how to play that position and yeah he's 33 but he's in the same situation as Rhodes and might not cost as much. It's at least worth testing the waters to see what kind of value you may get from signing him. Although, he hasn't always been the best locker room guy, he's mellowed out a little too. Also, if Pittman can clean up his route running a little, which won't be too big of a stretch, you could have your boundary end sitting right in front of you. He can definitely beat guys 1v1 with his range. @Lawrence Owen also discussed the possibility in his stream this past Tuesday about getting Mack to resign on a prove it deal. That would give the Colts potentially the most lethal backfield in the NFL and make everyone's life on the outside easier, especially if you consider how good Doyle is in the run game. That's another reason why I haven't said much about the TE position because he might not have the same skill set that Clark had back in the day, but his attitude and toughness remind me a lot of him. Then you've also got Pascal running around like the energizer bunny underneath without too much risk, with Hynes on the roster to keep the flat in the back of the opposing defense's collective head. It's all about putting players in their wheelhouse. I honestly haven't seen a team since the 05-08 Steelers in a better position to make the rest of the league raise eyebrows across the league using this same humble approach to the draft and FA. I really hope they get this offseason right because I see a Lombardi or two in the future for this young and very exciting football team. -
By EastStreet · Posted
Doubt we chase a big FA. Doubt we draft one early either. Maybe if we solve for DE in free agency I could see a 2nd rounder. Or if we turn out first rounder into two 2nd rounders or a 2nd and 3rd. IMO, if TY leaves, it'll be because he's asking for too much, or we simply run out of money. Purely my opinion, but I think Houston, Autry, and Rhodes are all higher priority re-signs than TY from a productivity and value standpoint. -
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It's been a few years now. Let's re-grade. Rock Ya-Sin grade C+ - I don't think Rock is a bad player. Unfortunately, Rock hasn't learned in the past two years that the NFL game is called much differently then college. A lot of the grabs he got away with don't fly here and that gets him beat rather that's a PI call or a long completion. Rock has shown good coverage when he turns his head and he's a solid tackler, but he still has a lot to work on. Ben Banogu Grade D - Banogu had flashes his rookie year with obviously his biggest play being his strip sack on Flacco, but was a heathly scratch for basically his entire 2nd year which tells me coaches didn't like his work ethic and/or how he practiced which is concerning to me because he was already a project player to start and now he's going through the same hurdles as Tyquan Lewis. Parris Campbell - Grade incomplete - I don't know what to make of Campbell. The kid is a playmaker, however he has had unfortunate injuries to start his career. I still think him and Pittman can be our future at the WR position, but Campbell has a big year 3 ahead of him to prove he can stay healthy and produce. Bobby Okereke Grade B minus - Bobby imo gets the most hype from our coaches and some of it is warranted, but Bobby doesn't exactly scream difference-maker to me like the colts do. He's a solid LBer with average/good coverage ability, but his play recognition and ability to shed blocks leaves a lot to desire. He's a good rotational/situational LBer, but I dont see a 3 down LBer. Khari Willis Grade A - Willis imo is best player in this draft class. Willis has produced since his rookie year and continued into this year as well. He's a hard hitting box safety who has continuously disrupted plays. I can see Willis and Blackmon making a great combination for years to come. Marvell Tell - Grade incomplete - Tell had a nice start to his rookie year, but he opted out last year so it's a wait and see approach to understand what we have. E.J Speed - Grade B - Speed has mostly played STs, but him along with Franklin and Adams have given us a really good Special Team unit. Gerri Green, Jackson Barton, Javon Patterson Either no longer on the team or practice squad player. -
By EastStreet · Posted
@chad72 one other thing I'd strongly recommend considering, is having a lottery for the Colts (instead of first come first serve). I can't remember how we did it, but I know we gave everyone a chance. We did have several fans from other teams participating, and we made exceptions for them (since no one else had strong feelings about the teams they wanted). So for us, NFLFan would have the option for MN, some of the Charger fans could pick LAC, etc.. -
By EastStreet · Posted
I'd love to see EJ emerge. He's definitely got the measurables. I just have tempered my expectations knowing he's a small school dice roll. Thought we'd see him get some time last year, but instead still saw small bits of the other depth guys. there's some decent FAs that IMO would be an upgrade, and wouldn't cost a bunch. If we could pick up a guy from a cap squeezed team like Jaylon Brown for like 8Mish a year, I think he'd be perfect for our scheme and a 3 down guy. An aging vet like Perryman or KJ Wright might work out too on a modest short term deal. Perryman might be just a 2 down guy, but his coverage was not bad at all last year. We're in a 4-2-5 set 60+% of the time already. We've never used the SAM a lot even with both Walker and Oke. In 2019, it was Walker at MIKE on 1st and 2nd (and short yardage), Oke at MIKE on 3rd (and obvious passing downs), and then Oke sometimes at SAM vs teams that ran the edge a lot or obvious run downs. Last year Oke started eating into Walker's 2nd down snaps, and we simply played lite more. Purely my opinion, but you don't want to see Adams or Franklin taking MIKE snaps unless it's an emergency. And definitely not Glasgow. And keep in mind that EJ is still pretty thin. Oke is undersized already at MIKE. EJ is taller than Oke, but 10lbs lighter. Perhaps EJ put on some good weight, but IMO, his lack of power/strength is likely a factor keeping him off the field. He's probably more suited for WILL than MIKE to be honest. If he can pack 15-20lbs of good weight on, and keep his twitch, he could make for a very nice MIKE. It'll be interesting to see if he's made progress in the offesason. Walker was the QB of the D in 2019, and it was him in 2019 and 2020 that filled in at WILL when Leonard was out. That was a little surprising to me as Oke was "billed" as faster and rangier... Peculiar... Anyway, his asking price is not what concerns me. He's not going to command a lot in this market, and he's not ranked in the top 200 FAs (PFF) either. What my gut tells me is he'd rather play in 3-4 where IMO he'd be much more productive, and would fit his skill sets better. Better fit for him, and probably more lucrative long term. He also can't be happy with Oke eating into his snaps, especially when Oke isn't playing well. Anyway, I really don't want to see Oke playing early downs. He got tore up early downs at MIKE when Leonard was out. If he's our 3 down guy, I can see teams running right at him.
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