NFL 2011 Draft

Cincy gets a WR and a QB in the first two rounds. It's weird they chose Dalton over Mallett, but I guess they don't want to be associated with social misfits anymore? I'll be happy if they load up on secondary in the later rounds..
 
DE, RB, OLB, DB

basically all our needs aside from DT filled in one draft assuming the picks work out.

Damn 8)
 
King Drunkard said:
So let me get this straight. The Colts drafted two offensive lineman and one defensive lineman all in succession? Madness I say!
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How do you feel about it? I honestly thought their picks were wise. They really solidified the trenches thus far, and I don't think they have any serious needs. Maybe they can get one of the top remaining safeties in the next round.

Mort Divine said:
DE, RB, OLB, DB

basically all our needs aside from DT filled in one draft assuming the picks work out.

Damn 8)
Click to expand...

Johnny Patrick will be nice. I like that LB too. The Saints have had a very disciplined draft thus far, and I admit I'm impressed.

I admit I was freaking out when the Steelers didn't take Curtis Brown in the second round because I was confident he would be gone by the 65th pick. That they got him in the third round was a huge surprise and relief. I believe he was listed as THE best player left in the draft on Mel Kiper's board when he was selected, and I believe Cameron Heyward was the best player available, at least for the Steelers, when the Steelers took him in the 1st, as well. I don't know too much about OT Marcus Gilbert other than he played with the Pounceys, visited the Steelers, and was liked. I'd like to know what kind of value he was as the 63rd overall pick, but regardless, I'm thrilled that the Steelers successfully addressed their top 3 needs in the first three rounds without compromising.
 
I'm very happy with Mason Foster in Round 3. The drama for today was over very quick for me, Dowling & Sheard were both gone in the blink of an eye. I was hoping for 1 or the other in round 2. Bowers could be the steal of the draft or never even play a down for us. It scares me that every team passed on him at least once.
 
Dodens Grav said:
How do you feel about it? I honestly thought their picks were wise. They really solidified the trenches thus far, and I don't think they have any serious needs. Maybe they can get one of the top remaining safeties in the next round.
Click to expand...

To be honest, I don't know shit about most of these players that are in the draft. I stop caring about collegiate players and how good they are and if they'll transition over into the NFL and all that jazz. It was just too much of a headache for me to keep up on. Nothing they did in college matters anymore, so I'm going to abstain from making hardline opinions about these players, especially the players the Colts drafted, before I see them play meaningful football with the big boys. However, I will say that Cam Newton is a fuckhead and is so fucking obviously a Vince Young clone it's absolutely mind-boggling that any team would be willing to spend a first round pick, let alone the FIRST PICK OF THE DRAFT on this guy. Wtf?!

Having said all that, with regards to the Colts picks, as Mike Mayock would say, "From a need and talent perspective, these guys are phenomenal." This is the first time in the Polian era I've ever seen such blatant clamoring to shore up areas of need like this. Two offensive linemen in a row followed up by a DT? Wow.

According to Polian, Castonzo was the best player on their entire draft board. He specifically mentioned that every single draft scenario he and his team came up with never once had Castonzo falling down to the 22nd pick, which leads me to believe that this guy must be really good for Polian to admit something like that. Obviously, the idea that Castonzo could bring some stability to the offensive line at arguably the most important position on the offensive line is very comforting. There needs to be some stability there considering the insane amount of juggling the coaching staff has done the past two to three seasons to try and create some semblance of organization and continuity.

Let's say hypothetically that Castonzo is as good as Polian and all the other pundits believe, this is going to be huge in the progress and longevity of this Colts team, particularly in the areas of improving the abysmal running game and protecting Peyton better. While I don't think the Colts needed to absolutely perfect the offensive line in order for the Colts to be a Super Bowl contender (they proved such in 2010), it would be nice to have a more versatile offense. This league is a passing league nowadays, so I'd be more than willing to sacrifice run production for better pass protection and continuity on the offensive line. The Colts just need to be average at running the ball, not fucking horrible, that's all.

As far as Ijalana goes, from what I've heard he's been labeled the best player or offensive lineman in the entire D-1AA, which is pretty good. I compare it to the Austin Collie pick a couple seasons ago really. He's an extremely talented guy but isn't sexy enough for other teams to jump on him. Since Castonzo is already pegged to play LT, I'm not quite sure what they'll do with Ijalana. The good news is Castonzo and Ijalana are very versatile and have experience playing both tackle and guard. What I would expect to see is Castonzo at LT, start Ijalana at LG, Saturday as center obviously, McClendon at RG (the FO and coaching staff loves McClendon), and Linkenbach at RT (his natural position). I'd say with that setup, and assuming these rookies are future all-pros, this line is pretty damn good.

The Drake Nevis pick is very intriguing. While the Colts do need to improve the interior part of the defensive line, they didn't really need a 3-tech. Moala has improved 100 fold since the 2010 season, and in my opinion, is going to be really good. Behind him there's Foster who has a knack for make key plays in crucial moments (remember that goal line stance he made against your Steelers in 2009?). What the Colts have needed is a fatass 1-tech to clog up the middle running lanes where the Colts are most vulnerable. I just don't know what to think about this pick. He's a pass rushing DT, which is exactly what Moala is, but is he better and was he actually needed? I don't know. Depth is nice I suppose, but I'm still worried about the NT spot.

What the Colts need now is a strong safety and safety depth. Bullitt is a free agent and isn't guaranteed to be back, which means the Colts have zero strong safeties signed. They had Jamie Silva as a backup to Bethea, but he blew his knee out last season on special teams and isn't really all that great anyway. They need a lot of help at the safety position in my opinion, moreso than any other position. The second most in need position is WR. I don't trust Garcon and personally I don't like him. Gonzo is still recovering from injuries and seems to have been infected with Bobzilla's injury bug. Collie is one concussion from an early retirement. Reggie White is going into the last season of his contract and, unless he signs a 3 year deal worth mediocre money, probably won't be resigned. They have a second year player in Blair White, but the guy scares the hell out of me, mostly because he hasn't played much, but the guy just has bad luck. Every time he played in Collie's spot some retarded turnover happened or he'd drop a key pass. So yeah, a WR would be nice (I was hoping for Titus Young but that didn't work out). Aside from that, I'm just hoping they pick up a running back in free agency or something.
 
I would have probably said just about everything you just said if I was giving a summary of the Colts' draft. And yes, I remember that Foster play, although mostly because he was one of the first college players that I actually followed to make it into the NFL, since he was from Rutgers. It has only been since Ray Rice that Rutgers has started to get any respect at all in the draft. I still think Foster deserved to be drafted.

I hate the Houston Texans, by the way. I firmly believe that they knew the Steelers were licking their chops at 65 as Brandon Harris continued to fall, so they leapfrogged them and nabbed Harris with 60 in a trade with the Patriots. I firmly believe the Steelers would have taken him in the 2nd round if he was there, and I suspect that they even regret not trading up, doing exactly what the Texans did.
 
Ya the Texans are a bunch of dbags man. They think they're hot shit when they win a few games but are still the same old Texans in my opinion.

So far the Steelers' draft looks like a Steelers draft. Pretty boring looking on the outside but pretty solid nonetheless.

Btw, apparently I'm the only person in the world who thinks the Patriots drafting Mallett was fucking hilariously stupid. All of the pundits on tv talked about how they have such a strong organization and how their winning attitude and success allows them to make moves like and have it pay off. While that's fine and all, that's just not true. The Patriots organization is far from perfect. They always bring up how Randy Moss was "tamed" while in New England, which is also not true. Randy Moss acted like Randy fucking Moss. Are you people blind?! He had an attitude still, he gave up on plays, he talked shit in the media. Belichick didn't control him at all. He just used his ass up for one great season and a couple mediocre ones after that and traded him off. In the end, he really has nothing to show for it. The Patriots haven't accomplished shit since 2007. Belichick is so confident he knows what he's doing that he completely ignores areas of his team they obviously need upgrading in favor of stupid shit like drafting a third string QB who may or may not be good in the NFL for the possibility of him being the "QB of the future" (probably not) or trade off in a couple seasons. While the logic is there, how the hell does that help the Patriots right now? It doesn't. Belichick is tied to the hip with Tom Brady. If Belichick thinks he has a job for life he's a delusional asshole. The day Brady retires that entire organization is going to cave-in and all these stupid moves Belichick is making are all going to be for naught.

The only reason Belichick gets away with some of these stupid moves is because other teams basically bend over and take it from him for reasons I don't know. While I won't see there's no way a team would give in to Belichick's demands in a few years if Mallett progresses, but after the Matt Cassel debacle (you know, because he's fucking HORRIBLE), I can't imagine a team being that stupid to blow a ton of picks on a third round project QB with a bad attitude (the Raiders do not apply).

So, Belichick spends a third round pick on a third string quarterback even though his defensive line is shaky at best and he has absolutely ZERO pass rushers. Genius I tell ya!
 
Cassel isn't horrible, he actually quietly had a very good season in Kansas City.

That said, outside of Solder, the Patriots had a horrible draft. Didn't address their needs in any way.

They have a 1000 yard rusher in BJGE and they draft TWO RBs? They have no pass rush, and despite having solid corners, they draft a CB...

The Mallet pick I don't even see as being all that bad, just could have been used better.
 
Damn I love the Giants draft this year. The Prince was a damn steal. Marvin Austin needs work but the dude is a beast and has some real athletic ability for a DT. Jerrel Jernigan is a stud return man and will fit perfectly as a # 4 slot and/or if Steve Smith isn't ready to come back. James Brewer is a developmental prospect with outstanding athleticism and could become a premier left tackle in time. Greg Jones is a solid pick for the Giants who could play special teams right away and might be able to take the WLB spot.
and Tyler Sash might be my favorite pick! Hard hitter plays angry and will make an immediate contribution on special teams and nickel/dime blitz packages.
 
So the draft is in the books and I've gotten a chance to do some reading and analysis on the remaining picks that the Steelers have made. I believe that their draft, after the first round, was fantastically unspectacular, in a good way. A pretty typical Steelers draft indeed. The draft broke their way pretty well, being able to acquire legitimate value players at need positions without reaching. Cameron Heyward will certainly be helping the defensive line rotation immediately, and will probably render Steve McLendon useless. I do hope that they keep Nick Eason around, because Aaron Smith has only one or two years left, and they have nobody else behind the young guys.

Marcus Gilbert is possibly an upgrade, but really it's hard to say right now. He probably wasn't much value, in fact he probably was chosen just about where he should have been, but the fact that he played with Pouncey in college could very well be an intangible bonus, and he can play any position on the line to make him and Doug Legursky the ultimate swingmen on gameday, so Gilbert should be able to get playing time as he waits for his chance to start. This most certainly spells the end for Trai Essex, and one of either Jonathan Scott or Chris Scott (a 5th round tackle last year that never saw the field) will most likely go as well, although the latter may the bumped to the practice squad. What happens with Willie Colon could be very interesting now as well. He could just as easily be let go as retained, especially depending on how the labor situation resolved the restricted/unrestricted free agent issue. IF he stays, and Flozell Adams returns for one more season, which sounds likely, he may be moved to RG, because Colon has no experience playing on the left side of the line. This would create a logjam at LG, which I believe merits an open competition. Kemoeatu should have to hold off his job against Doug Legursky, Ramon Foster, Marcus Gilbert, and Keith Williams, the Steelers' 6th round G that they drafted this year that I will touch on in a bit.

The 3rd and 4th rounds saw the Steelers grab a pair of cornerbacks with upside. Curtis Brown in the 3rd round was in my opinion the best cornerback after the top tier of corners that ended with Brandon Harris, which the Steelers missed out on taking in the 2nd by 3 picks. He is actually a better cover player than some of the higher valued prospects, such as his college teammate Aaron Williams, and, reportedly, his low college numbers were largely a result of teams throwing away from him due to his coverage abilities. I should hope that he could at least crack the nicelback spot by midseason, depending on if the Steelers manage to ultimately retain Ike Taylor and William Gay, which this analysis takes as an assumption. This would give them at least a sound dime package to help them combat the spread offense that has been creeping its way more an more into the NFL.

Cortez Allen is a taller corner that came out of The Citadel and has limited playing experience, beginning only his senior year in high school and having his football time split up by his military requirements of his university. Carnell Lake said that this was a plus and a big reason why the Steelers drafted him, because they felt that he looked very comfortable playing corner with a limited opportunity to really study his craft. They believe that he can be really coached up into a quality player in time. They say he follows the model of Ike Taylor, albeit not quite as fast, who was also a 4th round pick with limited playing experience. If nothing else, these two players should light a fire under the asses of Crezdon Butler and, especially, Keenan Lewis, because if they don't step up, they may see the curb. This depth, however, should by no means prevent the Steelers from looking to take a corner high in the next draft as well, because they still lack top quality starters outside of Ike Taylor (who I still maintain is very underrated despite his lack of ball skills).

In the fifth round, the Steelers took yet another college 4-3 DE to convert into an OLB in their 3-4 scheme, as they did with LaMarr Woodley and Jason Worilds in the past few drafts. Chris Carter I've actually seen being mocked even as high as the 2nd round, although of course that must surely have been a stretch. My reading has led me to believe that his fall was due to his 'tweener' frame that does not easily fit into one position or another. The Steelers tend to relish this type, mainly because they tend to have the luxury to develop these players over time. Linebacker coach Keith Butler said that it usually takes 2 to 3 seasons to get a down lineman to stand up naturally. He, as well as the two corners, should be able to contribute immediately on special teams if they get a gameday hat. With this pick, that should allow Stevenson Sylvester to be fully committed to transitioning to an interior LB, which will be needed shortly with the inevitable retirement of James Farrior in a season or two. Whether or not they choose to retain Keyaron Fox, whose special teams play last year was very disappointing, also remains to be seen.

The big, nasty guard from Nebraska, Keith Williams is said to play with a mean streak, and can be a beast in the run game, but his aggressiveness become a liability in the passing game. This is something that he readily admits and has expressed a willingness to be coached up, specifically by Sean Kugler, the line coach, who tends to be extremely well liked by his players. I honestly don't see him making the game day roster, however, or possibly even the 53. He may be relegated to the practice squad depending on how many linemen the Steelers choose to keep. With a projected starting lineup of Starks-Kemo-Pouncey-Foster-Adams and quality depth in Legursky, Colon, and Gilbert behind him, there's no way he can see game time unless he earns it in camp.

Finally, the Steelers took a more or less entirely unheralded 3rd down back with their last pick, Baron Batch out of the Texas Tech spread offense. The team has made it clear to Batch what his intended role is, which is to pick up the blitz and catch passes out of the backfield on third down. If he is able to really pick it up in training camp, this should spell the end for Mewelde Moore. This pick also makes is seem more likely that Isaac Redman will get more opportunities next year, and maybe even Jonathan Dwyer.

Now, the big variable that faces every team is of course the lockout. Until the labor strife is resolved, these young players can not contribute to their teams, can not learn, can not do anything. This is especially bad news for their 3rd-5th round picks. The corners need to learn the complex coverage schemes of LeBeau and the OLB needs to learn how to play the position. Thaddeus Gibson, a 4th round pick last year, had school obligations that prevented him from entering OTAs last year, which stunted his development. He never got a chance to see the field and the Steelers were forced to cut him when they needed to replace Aaron Smith. The 49ers scooped him up before the Steelers had a chance to put him on their practice squad. I'm still disappointed over this to be honest; he's a guy that flashed a lot of potential.
 
King Drunkard said:
Btw, apparently I'm the only person in the world who thinks the Patriots drafting Mallett was fucking hilariously stupid. All of the pundits on tv talked about how they have such a strong organization and how their winning attitude and success allows them to make moves like and have it pay off. While that's fine and all, that's just not true. The Patriots organization is far from perfect. They always bring up how Randy Moss was "tamed" while in New England, which is also not true. Randy Moss acted like Randy fucking Moss. Are you people blind?! He had an attitude still, he gave up on plays, he talked shit in the media. Belichick didn't control him at all. He just used his ass up for one great season and a couple mediocre ones after that and traded him off. In the end, he really has nothing to show for it. The Patriots haven't accomplished shit since 2007. Belichick is so confident he knows what he's doing that he completely ignores areas of his team they obviously need upgrading in favor of stupid shit like drafting a third string QB who may or may not be good in the NFL for the possibility of him being the "QB of the future" (probably not) or trade off in a couple seasons. While the logic is there, how the hell does that help the Patriots right now? It doesn't. Belichick is tied to the hip with Tom Brady. If Belichick thinks he has a job for life he's a delusional asshole. The day Brady retires that entire organization is going to cave-in and all these stupid moves Belichick is making are all going to be for naught.

The only reason Belichick gets away with some of these stupid moves is because other teams basically bend over and take it from him for reasons I don't know. While I won't see there's no way a team would give in to Belichick's demands in a few years if Mallett progresses, but after the Matt Cassel debacle (you know, because he's fucking HORRIBLE), I can't imagine a team being that stupid to blow a ton of picks on a third round project QB with a bad attitude (the Raiders do not apply).

So, Belichick spends a third round pick on a third string quarterback even though his defensive line is shaky at best and he has absolutely ZERO pass rushers. Genius I tell ya!
Click to expand...

I've heard the Genius and his drafts being questioned over and again for the past decade...even by Patriot nation scratching thier heads. Who gives a shit?! I really don't think too much into the draft...its like a little game to the coach. Plus, you still have to leave room for trades, free agent signings etc. Bottom line, 4 trips with 3-SB wins built in that past decade...and the Colts how many?? And just about every year and even now when questioned and things are shakey?...the team is still right there in the mix. Not too bad...ya can't win the whole goddamn thing every year KD...jeez!
 
DE J.J. Watt (first round), LB Brooks Reed (second round), CB Brandon Harris (second round), CB Rashad Carmichael (fourth round), S Shiloh Keo (fifth round), QB T.J. Yates (fifth round)

After looking over the entire draft I think the Texans surprised me the most. Really like this draft. Picking up Harris after Watt and Reed was awesome and adding two more in the secondary can't hurt. I hear alot of good things about Keo. Yates is a project but I think he has some real skill.

...and I agree with King about the Pats. Everyone is grading them with an A. First of all, the entire league said, hey, you can have Mallett! The dude is a problem. and I understand Solder will fill a need, but the Patriots failed to address their poor pass rush at all during the draft. Did they really need another cornerback? All the cornerbacks in the world won’t help unless the pass rush up front is getting to the quarterback.

No team reached for players as badly as the Seahawks. Pete Carroll.
 
I didn't even know the Pats were graded that high for this draft. I can't say they did well or I feel excited bout it either way? Still, how many drafts have we had were top players that everyone gets all excited about...and then that player(s) ends up being a bust. Then of course there a players that are drafted in the 5th round that nobody has ever heard of...then they end up turning into great players. Its more of an overall track record in looking at how teams do? As far as Mallett?...physically and talent wise...wouldn't surprise me if he turns out in the end to be a better QB than any taken before him in this draft. Why not take a shot at him?
 
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