After every NFL Combine is over, everyone immediately starts looking to the combine results as a form of measurement of future success. We have seen time and time again how these numbers are often forced to hold too much water in measuring the potential success. With the Steelers certainly having a need at the cornerback position early in the 2011 NFL draft, I thought it would be good to research how the current top cornerbacks performed during their combine or pro days to sort of debunk just looking at these results. I started by first looking at the top 20 all-around cornerbacks from 2010 Read more [...]

It is the Friday after the 2011 NFL Combine has wrapped up and time to get a starting point for the Steelers 2011 mock draft series. Below is what I deem to be a starting point for players I think the Steelers will have a shot at drafting in each round and their combine numbers. From now until draft day I will probably do several more versions of these as free agency shakes out and players draft stock rises and falls. I wrote about the Steelers 2011 draft needs here and will have a newer version of that as we get closer to draft and free agency hopefully takes place. Enjoy and feel free to bitch, Read more [...]

The NFL combine is now over and we start the countdown to the 2011 NFL draft in April. Without a doubt, cornerbacks and offensive linemen look to be a high priority for the Steelers this go around. It would not be surprising to see two of each drafted this year. Being as these two positions are perhaps the biggest need, I thought it would be fun to look back at the cornerbacks and offensive linemen drafted by the Steelers in the Kevin Colbert era that started back in 2000. Below are the 26 players that fit that description and some quick notes on each. Year Round Overall Player POS College 2010 1 18 Maurkice Read more [...]

I was asked last night via Facebook about the possibility of the Steelers trading up from #31 in the 1st round of the upcoming NFL draft to perhaps target a cornerback or offensive lineman they might covet and all though I really do not know how to best handicap that other than saying the Steelers have not been opposed to trading both up and down on draft day. To better illustrate this I researched out the trades that Steelers Director of Football of Operations Kevin Colbert has made since taking the reins in 2000 and it is fun to look at both the draft day trades and the players acquired on both Read more [...]

I have been getting a few questions via email, Facebook and Twitter about the state of the Steelers offensive line going forward into 2011, so I thought I would address it a post as sort of a State of the Union type piece of who is under contract, who is not and so on. As always you can refer back to the week to week offensive line grading I did play by play of the through out the entire 2010 season. Maurkice Pouncey - There really should not be any full explanation needed here as Pouncey was superb as a rookie. He will need to get a bit stronger in 2011 and work on some technique issues, especially Read more [...]

I will be releasing my first 2011 Steelers mock draft after the upcoming NFL combine, but have received several request to comment on some potential first found targets the Steelers might have a realistic shot at drafting should they stay at the #31 spot in round one. I have identified what I deem to be the Steelers 2011 draft needs in an earlier post right after the Super Bowl and see both offensive line and cornerback as perhaps the most pressing needs depending on how the draft and value presents itself. It is too easy to list the higher ranked players as targets so for this article as I Read more [...]

The Steelers now head into the offseason and will be faced with not only key decisions with several free agents, but with several players currently under contract next season and beyond as well. I have identified 6 players below I think the Steelers will have to think hard and long about in the offseason. These players, if cut, will bring salary cap ramifications with them as well assuming the new salary cap rules are some what similar to the old ones. Of course not having a CBA in place and not knowing the new salary cap rules and regulations make it hard to say what amortization they will Read more [...]

There is still labor strife uncertainty and a possible lockout on the horizon, but we are going to go ahead as if there will indeed be a draft and start talking about the Steelers 2011 draft needs. If you want to take a look at the roster and what players contracts are up and who the Steelers free agents are, just click the link. Guard - Both Trai Essex and Doug Legursky are free agents and I could see Legursky being brought back as a swing inside guy, but that is not a lock. Chris Kemoeatu was very inconsistent this year, but is under contract for a while and without a doubt will be the left Read more [...]