Revisiting the Draft - 2013

[Mojouw]

Remember when it was a bad idea that we picked Bell over this guy?

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/8441/arthur-brown

I certainly remember questioning the wisdom of the pick. Now Bell is one of the up and coming complete RB's in football and Brown is going to be a special teamer.

Really drives home how this is all a crap-shoot sometimes.

[GBMelBlount]

Really drives home how this is all a crap-shoot sometimes.

How true.

I am still not completely sold on Bell though.

Hopefully he has a breakout year.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRdWIpOruJP35ntNoka-hW7mRjBpx-6wtO3ehvSCIIOMSfauddakg

[st33lersguy]

To be fair though (and I know I am going to get a backlash for saying this), they passed on Eddie Lacy who was the higher rated running back at the time because of injury concerns and he ends up playing in more games and putting up better numbers. I want to see Bell improve on his rookie year before I brag about him

[Mojouw]

To be fair though (and I know I am going to get a backlash for saying this), they passed on Eddie Lacy who was the higher rated running back at the time because of injury concerns and he ends up playing in more games and putting up better numbers. I want to see Bell improve on his rookie year before I brag about him

Excellent point. Lacy and Bell will be a source of constant comparison because of that draft relationship. Lacy only had 176 more yards from scrimmage (rushing+receiving) in 2 more games played. While I think that Lacy is the superior runner, Bell is the better receiver. Although both players have room to narrow those gaps.

Bell does need to improve, but I think he is one of the most intriguing young backs in football. Very few guys can handle all 3 downs.

[SteelerFanInStl]

To be fair though (and I know I am going to get a backlash for saying this), they passed on Eddie Lacy who was the higher rated running back at the time because of injury concerns and he ends up playing in more games and putting up better numbers. I want to see Bell improve on his rookie year before I brag about him

This is where I've been at from the start with Bell. He's the better all around back but Lacy has been a better runner so far. I'd like to see Bell pass him in that also. These two will be forever linked in my mind.

[BigNastyDefense]

I think Bell will be better than his rookie year.

I think the offensive line as a whole will get better. Very few backs can gain decent yardage with an offensive line that's still figuring out who/what they are. Our offensive line didn't gel until the second half of the season last year. He had an up and down year, but he showed some flashes. And if he didn't miss three games he likely would have been a 1k yard back. I expect him to be that this year, at least 1300 yards and 10 TD's rushing/receiving. If the line is as improved under Munchack as they say, I expect Bell to do at least that.

He's the better all-around back than Lacy. Lacy right now is the better runner, but I think Bell can catch up in that regard. I don't think Lacy is ever going to be a better receiver than he is now, it's just not who he is. But Bell can become a better runner.

[TMC]

Excellent point. Lacy and Bell will be a source of constant comparison because of that draft relationship. Lacy only had 176 more yards from scrimmage (rushing+receiving) in 2 more games played. While I think that Lacy is the superior runner, Bell is the better receiver. Although both players have room to narrow those gaps.

Bell does need to improve, but I think he is one of the most intriguing young backs in football. Very few guys can handle all 3 downs.

I think the big difference between the two, for me, is that between the tackles, Lacy is more of a grinder, a bruiser. Bell shows a little of that Mendenhall, where he will look to slip in a crack or bounce and it can get him caught sometimes. Not a horrible thing completely, but I think Lacy just grinds a few more yards there. I also think that bigger backs that can actually grind yards, usually have a higher floor in the NFL than guys that look for creases or bounce.

But, Bell is certainly the better all around back. I have little doubt in that now, a year into the NFL. I thought it then because I thought he had better hands, but there is little question in my mind now that Bell is far superior as a receiver and more of an every down back than Lacy is. So, in that aspect, his value is greater because he can be played in any situation, any down and distance, on any location on the field. Lacy is more limited, IMO.

As for who I wanted in the second, not going to sit here and state it was Bell or Lacy, because I thought Bell would be there in the 3rd. Not saying now that he would have been, but at the time I thought he would have been. And, I liked Bell, Ball, Lacy, and Lattimore. I thought if we missed on the first three in the third, we could catch Lattimore in the 4th. Of course, Lattimore has not done a thing, so that could have been a severely flawed strategy.

As for who I loved, I mean absolutely wanted (talent wise) in the first and would have been all over in the 2nd....Keenan Allen. I had a severe man crush on him. I thought he had great hands, ran great routes, and what he did after the catch was pretty rare. He was my #1 WR. For a long time, until the knee and some character issues were leaked, he was the guy I wanted in the first. I would have happily taken him in the 2nd.

With all that said, I do have to state that if the Steelers had taken Allen and then missed on Bell/Lacy/Ball in the 3rd, and taken Lattimore in the 4th, it is very possible that whomever they took in the 3rd and Lattimore could have flopped. I do not think that will be the case with Bell and Wheaton. In fact, it appears that those two could become staples of the offense for a while. So, cannot really argue what they did. It appears they had a sound strategy in those two rounds and it could pay off pretty big.

[TMC]

I also want to add this, since it appears to be the statement of where we may have been wrong thread....every draft there is one or two players that make me go WTF? I mean some picks that just make me wonder who the hell is running the show. Last year, the one pick that made me do that was Jarvis Jones. I did not think he could shed blocks well enough, lacked that burst off the snap, lacked athleticism, and had a pretty serious injury history. I thought the risk was too great and, in discussions with some other draftniks, had pretty much come to the conclusion that if the Steelers passed on him in the first, he would not make it to the second and I was too afraid of the risks to invest a first. So, he was a do not draft guy to me. I think he has a great chance to make me wrong. I hope so. I think bringing in Joey Porter to coach Jones was a stroke of genius. I mean, here you bring in a coach that believes in putting in the strength work, has all the tools in his basket, knows how to play the position probably as well as any linebacker the Steelers have had there in a long time. Harrison could play it, but I do not know if he understood it like Porter. Porter mentoring Jones is brilliant and to me, that cannot be understated. It is equal to getting Munch for the OL, because Porter just has everything to give that a guy like Jones needs. He has the intensity, the work ethic (especially in the weight room), the tools and knowledge of the game, and the on-the-field intensity. Jones is a cerebral LB. He should just soak in everything Porter has to say. I think it was a brilliant move by Tomlin and without that move, I wonder if Jones would progress as quickly. In essence, to me, Porter will help Jones make my questioning of his selection look foolish. And I like it.

In 2012, Adams, Spence, and Rainey were the guys that drew my ire. I thought Adams could be a decent RT, but I did not like him at left. I also hated the lying to the team, the failed drug test, all that crap. He was a do not draft to me. I thought Spence was too little. I thought he would get hurt and stay hurt, lacking the size to truly play. Now, the gruesome injury aside, I truly love what Spence is doing right now. That young man is playing. I did not see this in his college film and missed the boat on his ability to translate his game. Now, and this sounds horrible, but I do think his injury helped him. To me, he looks thicker, better put together. Before the injury, he looked like a safety. Now, I think he is stronger, he damn sure takes on blockers like he has balls that hang to his knees. Liking this guy more and more. If Shazier has the goods to keep him on the bench, then we are all set at ILB for a while. And, I could see Shazier and Spence being your two ILBs in the future. I know this, if Spence continues to play like he is, I would not let him walk when his contract is up. I would trade someone and would not be upset if the Steelers decided, in a year, to go with Spence/Shazier. Just saying. As for Rainey, he is a dumbass. I hated his size. Still do, but it was his inability to act like a decent human being that killed his career.

In this draft, the guy I dislike is Archer. I think his size and skillset will be difficult for him to overcome. To me, he is a small RB. I just do not like RBs that small. As a WR, he is unpolished. I continue to see people touting his abilities and pumping him up, but they also overlooks statements where Tomlin crawled his ass about struggling on deeper passes. They overlook the fumbles in camp and the muffed punts (one fumbled punt and one where he just failed to catch it). His punt returns were bad and I do not see him being the guy. In review, he had one where he made the catch and have over 12 yards between him and the first gunner. He got 1 yard. That cannot happen. To me, that pick is a head scratcher. Sure, he can handle the slot and quick hitters. It is what he does well. He runs well from the backfield. Just wonder if he can be durable enough in that role. Dunno. Just feels like a luxury pick. I would have rather went with a bigger RB or a more polished WR, even if they ran slower. As a SC guy, I loved Bruce Ellington. The 49ers are raving about him. I just think a guy like Ellington could have been your slot receiver in 2 seasons when Moore leaves. In a draft as deep at WR as I have seen in a long time, they take a project at WR in the 3rd when more polished guys were there. Hope I am wrong, but I just do not see that pick.

The good news is, for the most part, I like the last two drafts. I think they have some guys who could end up being the foundation for another decade. That is pretty good news. It will take them a little while to get there, a season or two, but then you should be solid for the next 5-7.

[Mojouw]

Apparently Bell just needed to lose weight?

Also, didn't we all convince ourselves that Kelvin Benjamin wasn't going to work out in the NFL?

[Edman]

Lacy is a good bell cow "between-the-tackles" back, but Bell is more complete.

[86WARD]

Apparently Bell just needed to lose weight?

Also, didn't we all convince ourselves that Kelvin Benjamin wasn't going to work out in the NFL?

Yeah...lol. All his speed came from losing weight.

I was NOT convinced. Loved the kid. Was hoping he'd go in Round 2 to the Steelers but all his talk shot him up into the first round.

[Dwinsgames]

Apparently Bell just needed to lose weight?

Also, didn't we all convince ourselves that Kelvin Benjamin wasn't going to work out in the NFL?


I liked Benjamin from a physical standpoint , my biggest issue was I thought he was ...

1) over hyped based on size

2) lacked concentration and reliability

he always seemed to make the tough catches look easy and the easy catches look impossible

thus far he has proved me wrong on both accounts (and I will line up for my serving of crow ) however 3 games does not make a career

[Count Steeler]

Maybe the change in RB coaches also helped.

[Dwinsgames]

Maybe the change in RB coaches also helped.

naaaa no way Kirby Wilson is the leagues best RB coach ( Vikes current starter is killing it with his 3.0 YPC ) and only left because of Haley ( careful not to get to wet from the dripping sarcasm )

[Steelerette]

Maybe the change in RB coaches also helped.

It's tough to argue against this. A while back I posted some numbers and Wilson's tenure here couldn't even hold a candle to Hoak's. In comes Saxon who has had amazing results almost everywhere he went. Sure it helped that he had Larry Johnson, Adrian Peterson, etc., but you would be very hard pressed to make a case against Saxon.

If we're lucky Saxon teamed up with Munchak can make our running game as much of a given as Denver's used to be back in the day.

[HollywoodSteel]

Bell really impressed the hell out of me last night. Maybe it's just because I'm comparing him to everyone we've had since we lost the Bus, but I really like this kid. He sees a hole and hits in when he should, waits when he should, reverses when he should, commits to running to the edge when he should… in short, he has vision. That's really what Mendy lacked. He seemed to make all the wrong decisions where as Bell makes the right ones.

[GBMelBlount]

Bell really impressed the hell out of me last night. Maybe it's just because I'm comparing him to everyone we've had since we lost the Bus, but I really like this kid.

He sees a hole and hits in when he should,

waits when he should, reverses when he should, commits to running to the edge when he should… in short, he has vision. That's really what Mendy lacked. He seemed to make all the wrong decisions where as Bell makes the right ones.


So did Mendy...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkB8y-WbqfY

[86WARD]

So did Mendy...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkB8y-WbqfY

That was my favorite Mendy Moment. Other than that...he was garbage.