The Steelers have exercised their fifth-year option on LB Ryan Shazier

[Psycho Ward 86]

IF.....Haason Reddick, Jarrad Davis, Rueben Foster, (Tyus Bowser, or TJ Watt(can play ILB or OLB)) are there at 30, they will have to be considered as the pick. If Williams were the answer, there would not have been such a big fuss over Hightower. Hightower was made an offer. Williams is a solid backup, but he needs to be upgraded. We must upgrade our slot CB, and hopefully add a ballhawk safety in the mix. The middle of our defense is exposed in the passing game.

If the steelers were in such full blown panic mode over Timmons leaving, they would have chased more than just Hightower. The fact that they only chased him shows that they probably saw an opportunity to make a massive upgrade (and saw all the other ILB's on the market as "not worth the money/time/pedigree) but wouldnt have lost sleep over Williams starting if they failed. Kevin Minter and Zach Brown were out there, would have been significant upgrades and didnt cost much and we didnt even take a sniff. That being said, Jarrad Davis, Reuben Foster, or Raekwon McMillan are all players I will happily take if the steelers want to upgrade.

[Born2Steel]

If the steelers were in such full blown panic mode over Timmons leaving, they would have chased more than just Hightower. The fact that they only chased him shows that they probably saw an opportunity to make a massive upgrade (and saw all the other ILB's on the market as "not worth the money/time/pedigree) but wouldnt have lost sleep over Williams starting if they failed. Kevin Minter and Zach Brown were out there, would have been significant upgrades and didnt cost much and we didnt even take a sniff. That being said, Jarrad Davis, Reuben Foster, or Raekwon McMillan are all players I will happily take if the steelers want to upgrade.

How did you make the leap to "full blown panic"?

[Psycho Ward 86]

How did you make the leap to "full blown panic"?

Probably from your entire post about how Vince Williams needs to be upgraded, how we made a big fuss over Hightower, and how 5 players (1 of which is a tweener at best, 2 of which are clearly edge rushers) have to be considered in the context of William's (clearly an inside linebacker) "upgrade"

[Born2Steel]

Probably from your entire post about how Vince Williams needs to be upgraded, how we made a big fuss over Hightower, and how 5 players (1 of which is a tweener at best, 2 of which are clearly edge rushers) have to be considered in the context of William's (clearly an inside linebacker) "upgrade"

LOL!

There was a "big fuss" over Hightower. That is a fact. Hightower was offered a deal, and told it was void once he left. They were serious, not in 'panic', but very serious about the offer. I still have no idea why Brown wasn't brought in. I actually liked Brown better.
Those 5 players are my opinion. Watt, Bowser, and Reddick can all play the ILB/OLB role, so why wouldn't I include them? It really doesn't have to be one extreme or the other. There is obvious concern at ILB, that cannot be denied.

[Psycho Ward 86]

LOL!

There was a "big fuss" over Hightower. That is a fact. Hightower was offered a deal, and told it was void once he left. They were serious, not in 'panic', but very serious about the offer. I still have no idea why Brown wasn't brought in. I actually liked Brown better.
Those 5 players are my opinion. Watt, Bowser, and Reddick can all play the ILB/OLB role, so why wouldn't I include them? It really doesn't have to be one extreme or the other. There is obvious concern at ILB, that cannot be denied.

i just did.

[Born2Steel]

i just did.

Well...ok then. I stand corrected.