The Steelers finished off the draft today by taking six more players, bringing their total to nine in the draft.
Pittsburgh began the day by trading a fourth and sixth round pick to Washington to select nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu.
Next came Florida RB/WB Chris Rainey, Colorado WR Toney Clemons, Oregon TE David Paulson, Texas A&M CB Terrence Frederick and SMU G Kelvin Beachum Jr.
In the hours following the draft, the team signed 12 rookie free agents. Included in that list were Pitt LB Brandon Lindsey, Duquesne WR Connor Dixon, punter Drew Butler of Georgia, CB Terry Carter of Louisiana Tech, safety Robert Golden of Arizona, defensive end Ikponmwosa Igbinosun of Southern Connecticut, offensive lineman Ryan Lee of Furman, WR Marquis Maze of Alabama, placekicker Grant Ressel of Missouri, LB Adrian Robinson of Temple, OT Desmond Stapleton of Rutgers and DE Jake Stoller of Yale.
I loved the move up to get Ta'amu. He's a big nose tackle who fits right into their defense as a guy who can occupy two interior linemen and keep the inside linebackers clean.
Rainey should also be able to make this team as a PR/KR while also offering competition for a fifth WR spot and change-of-pace running back.
Clemons has an outside shot to make it as well if he proves he can play special teams and be the fifth wideout.
53 comments:
Can't remember a draft where we had so many BPA match our needs as a team. Colbert at his best once again.
Ta'amu best pick of the day. He'll develop into a good solid player. Rainey could be the opening day returner and Clemons could be a real sleeper.
Dale, is the UDFA Stapleton from Rutgers a brother of former Steeler Darnell Stapleton?
Agree, the draft happened to dovetail nicely with Steelers needs and wants this year.
Some thoughts...
*They still seem ridiculously thin at WR. Clemons is intriguing though. Really like that pick.
*Frederick and Beachum too. Very productive in college. Good be late round gems.
*I guess the developmental QB will have to wait until next year...
*...safety too.
*Love the Ta'amu pick. Hopefully he makes an immediate impact.
*Adams...who knows. High risk, high reward. Doesn't seem like a Steeler to me. Hope I'm wrong.
*Saw some of Spence's highlights on youtube. Yeah, he's legit.
*DeCastro...couldn't have asked for anything more in the first round. Still shocked he was there at #24.
Great draft coverage, Dale!
I'm sure the Steeler broadcast team is praying Ikponmwosa Igbinosun doesn't make the squad.
Clemons is interesting considering his cousin, Breaston, was a Haley favorite.
NTs need to be good enough to draw double teams in the first place, not just handle them. Ta'amu won't be effective if he can be blocked by just 1 interior OL.
They aren't that thin at WR. Cotch, Wallace, Brown, Sanders, camp competition for 5th spot
They are thin at ILB and safety IMO
This was a great draft. The need for an elite guard was absolute and I don't know that the history of the sport has provided a better solution to such a pressing need.
I think they took a bit more risk at 2 and 3 given the absolute lock they got in round one
Adams is an interesting case. Sold a ring he owned, got a discount on a tattoo, got stopped with a pipe in his car and tested positive for pot at the combine.
I'm the first to admit I'm not subservient enough for football or the military but is this really a problem in and of itself or is the indicator of a lack of intelligence and ability to understand consequences the real issue? Kids party in college and the NCAA demand that the poor stay and play poor until they have served their time should in itself be illegal and is morally wrong.
I'm not sure why he would be a better prospect if he had rich parents and drank until he blacked out every night.
Or sometimes a kid just gets caught up or in with the wrong crowd...
I have a feeling that Cameron Hayward weighed in on this as well. He is such an intense and focused young man, I cannot believe he would advocate for someone he didn't believe would help the team. This draft could be one that is looked back on as a really important piece of the Steeler's tradition.
Has any Steeler player ever had as much input on draft picks as it seems Pouncey has?
I think that Clemons has a legitimate shot. Wallace, Brown, Sanders, Crotch, and Clemons looks really good to me.
The WR from Alabama might have something to say about who wins the fifth spot. He's a talent. Shows how deep this draft was at WR.
Yes, Stapleton is Darnell Stapleton's brother.
very nice draft for the steelers.
decastro solid gold. the adams pick makes a lot of sense. a real offensive line!
spense will be interesting. does he have the speed to move to SS - probably not.
rainey a diamond in the rough? btw, don't the steelers suddenly seem to be very fast on offense?
ta'amu = 2 OL = many tackles for timmons/foote/sly.
the "hope" that comes from the draft is always fun. but, really, doesn't this team seem poised for monster seasons the next 3-4years!!??
Dale,
Do you have any concerns w them taking "character issue" players? I liked a ton of what they did but taking on Adams and Rainey sounds risky after they lost a TON lof leaders in the locker room.
I don't have a problem with any of these "character issues" picks. These guys are kids. Stuff happens and kids make mistakes. Grown men make mistakes. Adams begged to be a Steeler. Childhood dream come true. I don't think he will eph that up. Rainey sent a "Time to die" text. I don't know all of the details, but I haven't read he showed up on her doorstep brandishing guns. I didn't hear about any rabbits boiling on her stove either. Sometimes we say/text stuff out of anger but we don't really mean. This was a solid draft. We all can't wait for the preseason to get here.
Adams would have bee a good pick at 1.24, he is a steal at 2.24, I am surprised so many are down on the pick, 6'8" and a pure left tackle with the feet to go with it, are you kidding me? Gilbert better get comfortable on the right side. Adams got caught up in a bad culture with a bunch of other dumb kids doing dumb stuff, that's it, the Steelers will have no problem getting him emursed in the Steeler culture and doing things the right way. All of this "concern" will soon be forgotten, this kid is legit. You can not teach the kind of size and athetisism Adams has.
Adams-DeCastro-Pouncy-Colon-Gilbert
I understand that everyone makes mistakes but when you do it 3 freaking times including before the most important interview in your life that bothers me. He only told these teams this stuff after he knew he was busted anyway.
With Rainey i can see his bcuz every guy has had some girl just do you wrong and totally piss you off.
I've seen just 1 or 2 d-bags ruin great teams.
Ben seemed to learn from his mistakes. Why can't Adams?
Adams is a younger version of Max Starks and I mean that in the way best way possible.
Fresh
U truly think Ben is a different person?? Or is it prob smoke and mirrors??
Spence is an inside backer. Not a strong safety. Not an outside linebacker. He's a run and cover guy on the inside like Timmons.
Gives them the option to slide Timmons over in the future if Sylvester doesn't work out.
I don't have a problem with Adams in the second round after hearing his story. Kid begged for a chance with the Steelers. He screws that up, he'll have to live with it the rest of his life.
As for Ben changing, I do believe he has made an effort to be a better person. Maybe it's a facade, but I know he's been way better to deal with. Also haven't heard the stories that we used to hear all the time. He has been a better teammate as well.
i hear what you're saying about spense, dale. i just mentioned the move to SS based on other speculation.
he appears to be fast for a LB and he may have good instincts. however, i just don't see him having the strength to fight off NFL blockers inside.
he seems to be better suited as a MLB in a 4-3 scheme where he needs to have the quickness to go sideline to sideline and drop into coverage on the TE's.
I'm cool with the Spence pick too (not that it matters what I think). Being smart and fast sounds a like a good combo. He is going to get stronger too. Let the kid develop, he just got drafted. As long as he can get to the ballcarrier and hold him up a bit, the others can swarm to help out.
I am not going to second guess anything the Steelers do. They have brought me a lot of good memories, favorite players, games, and championships. Go Sixburgh!
I started reviewing game tape on our new draft class, and specifically Ta amu. He definitely is as advertised re stuffing the run & tying up blocers, but two other aspects of his game REALLY stood out to me: 1 his first step qickness is VERY impressive for such a big man, that I think he could be a 3 down lineman when they do 2 DTs in passing situations and you just let him shoot the C/G gaps and be disruptive. 2 I was impressed with his motor, always chasing the ball carrier anywhere on the field.
How about big snack and Ta amu on the field at the same time! :)
I think we got 3 future starters out of this draft. When you typically draft 7 guys, that is pretty good. If we get special teams and depth from 2 more, we have had a great draft. If you switch our 3rd and 4th rounders, it can change your view of the draft.
Spence, Rainey, and Clemons all have shots at making the team and contributing in some way.
Kuechly-6'3 242
kendricks 5'11 239
wagner 6' 241
Johnson 6'1 241
Burfict 6'1 248
David 6'1 233
Yeah, Spence is WAY undersized, LOL
The guy is a player, plain and simple, 110 tackles last year, he has better numbers than most, great quicks, and is a ball hawk with great instincts. Thankfully our FO does their homework and does not rely on one persons opinion of a guy being "undersized" Watch the tape, and quit drinking the combine koolaid, spence also had a bad shoulder at the combine, his strength is fine. Tinnons is 6'1 and 23, farrior is about 6'1 and 225-FYI
I am stronger than Spence and Im 40
Having watched the tape on David Paulson, I truly believe he will make this squad. I am seriously impressed.
People need to think 2 to 3 years down the road with each of these picks and what they can be. If you take that approach with Spence, you will have a 5'11, 245 lb. 3-down LB. Think London Fletcher (who is 5'10'', 245 lbs). I'm much more comfortable taking a guy who is a striker and plays fast but a little undersized as a rookie rather than take a Hightower who is 265 lbs. as a rookie and will be a 285 DL before it is all over with. Using that 3-year rule, then this should be Stevenson Sylvester's time to make a move if he is ever going to be a starter in this D.
I just have to say this, If you go and look up Spence on Youtube, it has a Kansas State game from last year. Other than one stop in the back field, it is painful watching him get run over and out witted.
Don't get me wrong, I love this draft, but I will be shocked if he is still playing football next year unless he switches position.
I'm glad we got Castro over Hightower...but Spence over Hightower is a ridiculous notion...
mr lolley
fans have been clamoring for colon to be a rg instead of a rt for years while the steelers keep saying nope. do you think this is the year they might do that ? especially if adams looks good at lt.
i think they will put gilbert at lt, but i'm hoping adams impresses and decastro is put in at lg. colon at rg and gilbert at rt. that would look really nice.
how do you see the starting lineup on o-line ?
i never said spence was undersized, but rather may lack the strength to fend off NFL caliber blockers.
in spence's own words, he said he can bench 225lbs. 19 times when healthy...wow!!! that still puts him near the cellar for this year's combine, when healthy.
now, i understand how narrow sighted the combine is when it comes to evaluating a "football player." and i do have extreme confidence in the steeler's FO. but everyone, including colbert, misses on draft picks from time to time.
spence's highlights are fun to watch and he's a fast LB. but i personally think he's peaked. i don't see him adding much more muscle...he went from 211lbs. as a freshman in college to 231lbs. now. on a 5'11" frame i don't see him adding much more. i don't think he will get any faster or quicker.
imo, he will be a good backup. very useful in obvious passing downs or against pass heavy teams and he will be dynamite on special teams.
then again, i'm not a GM for an nfl team.
Obviously the skill sets are different but for what it's worth, Plaxico is a very big receiver and he couldn't do a single rep on the bench. I think the kid has the skills to be very good on ST and be an option as a nickel linebacker. works for me.
Regarding Spence, as Casey Hampton likes to say, "the tape don't lie".
I agree with adamg, Spence is a football player and he has the tape to prove he's a legitimate contender to start someday.
Like I keep saying people who look at combine number or believe those commentators reading off a sheet, "oh, he's too small. he's weak", etc Don't know football or don't care to know. Like adamg quoted, when it comes to Sean Spence the tape don't lie, the kid is quick, fast, has great instincts, and does not get caught in traffic often. He is also rarely fooled by misdirection and play action. It is absurd to think the difference between 25 and 19 reps makes a huge difference. Maybe he just did not have a great weight coach, he could increase that by 10 in 3 months with the right coach...and who cares? The tape don't lie. And for the record. Lawrence Timmons was also an outside linebacker prospect, and was 3#s heavier than Spence and slower than Spence, and we all know how quick Timmons is. Spence will get his chance on special teams like all rookie linebackers in Pittsburgh. Will he be the next great Steeler linebacker? We will see, but if he is not, it will not be because he is 5'11" and pushed up 12 reps at the combine.
first, let's be clear i am not saying spence will be a bad player. i never said he was undersized. i just don't see him as a future starter. please re-read my post if you didn't understand it the first time.
second, when you all say "watch the tape" or "the tape don't lie" are you referring to the "highlight plays" for spence's college career? do expect to see anything less than good plays? have any of you watched him play the last four years or watched every single one of his plays? i doubt it.
could he be the next great steeler LB...sure, look at james harrison as an example. but the nfl, including the steelers, passed on him 85 times for one reason or another. as i said before, i think he's peaked.
but then again, i'm not an nfl GM, and neither are you.
he said he can bench 225lbs. 19 times when healthy...wow!!! that still puts him near the cellar for this year's combine, when healthy.
i don't see him adding much more muscle..."
Marc,
You can't be serious? Have you not seen the LB's grow 25% from college to the NFL? He still has room to be faster and stronger and bigger..
are you serious? that would put spence at 5'11" and 288lbs.
the guys that add a lot of weight/muscle are taller guys with larger frames. think jason taylor from akron. not short guys who are already stacked. might he add some more muscle?...i expect he will. but not that much that it makes a huge difference.
if spence turns into a pro bowl caliber LB i'll be the first to admit i was wrong...and wouldn't be the first time either.
time will tell.
by the way...did you see that suggs is out for next season?
he's gone, they lost johnson to free agency and lewis is yet another year older (no matter how much hgh he consumes).
their defense will take a step back next season.
marc, I was not specifically speaking to you, I was speaking in general, as I have seen this assumption on several sites over the last several days. Spence will not put on much weight if any, 230# on a 5'11 frame is adequate, he will gain strength and benefit greatly from an NFL weight and nutrition program (not 25% weight gain) he will most likely stay around the same size to keep his quickness so he can use it on special teams which is where he will be for a couple years. When I say the tape don't lie, I refer to a player who had over 100 tackles in two consecutive season a feat only done by 5 other LB's from the U, and they have had some good ones, also his quickness, they will cover him up like coach said and use him to cover TE's and RB's something Farrior struggled with as he aged. having him available in passing downs with timmons could be helpful to the secondary (I am not suggesting this happens this year) quick linebackers who can cover will become more important as more teams continue to be creative with the passing game. It is a copycat league.
The fact that the Ravens lost their DC and Suggs this offseason can't help them much.
Having Suggs on the sidelines should make things easier on our rookie olinemen too. Should we decide to start them.
marc, the coaches watch more than highlight tapes, which, I'm sure you know. They watch tape of every intricate detail. If it wasn't there on the tape, showing he was a football player first, I'm sure the Steelers would have passed on Spence.
adamg,
like i said before, i have the utmost confidence in the steelers front office.
but, i'm also sure they watched every play and every intricate detail of bruce davis, limas sweed, anthony smith, matt spaeth, kraig urbik, etc., etc. all 2nd or 3rd rounders that were only ever backups at best on the steelers.
imo, spence will be a backup and situtional player.
If the NT was taken in the 3rd and spence the 4th are we having this discussion?
if they drafted him in the first round i would still be saying i see him as a backup player.
Should we go through at the second and third round hits as well? Teams miss on players. It happens.
Why don't you wait and see how he plays on the field before you lump him in with Alonzo Jackson and Limas Sweed?
Anthony Smith, Urbik and others mentioned are actually still in the league. They didn't work out with the Steelers. Doesn't mean they were bad picks. Just didn't fit here.
my goodness, my original comments were basically that i don't see him as a future starter, but still a productive player. while others seem ready to annoint the kid as the next great steeler LB, referring to his game tape (highlight reel) as evidence.
i am simply pointing out what you just said dale, even the steelers will miss at times.
Marc, you're certainly entitled to your opinion, I'm just not sure you're any closer to an accurate opinion than those who are ready to anoint Spence the next great Steeler linebacker. The tape looks good but his size seems to cause some concern for his detractors. Dale is right, we won't know until the kid suits up, in fact we wont know until year two or three who is right. Time will tell...
Steelers might be one of the harder teams to make in the league, drafted or not. Each year any open spots they fill with free agents before the draft
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