Saturday is finally here, after 7+ months of watching college ball, read everything on the ,net, my work is done. Time to sit back and pray that Colbert gets it right.

Some things I have running through my mind.... Connor Barwin, has to go to the Patriots, Belichick gave up Vrabel, Barwin is a converted TE, that plays LB and a productive pass rusher, he replaces Vrabel in an eerie sort of a way. Will he go early at 23, or will Barnicle Bill wait until 35.

I only see 2 RB in the first round, unless someone picks Welles early, and only 4 WR, maybe 3. I see all 4 top OT gone in the first 10-11 picks. Sanchez may go numer 2 overall, stay tuned. There will be a total of 7 OT taken in round one, no Guards, hopefully a Center. All 3 Quarterbacks will be gone by pick 19, Aaron Curry if not taken by KC or Cleveland, may fall much further than expected. After all what is the value of a middle LB compared to a play maker or a blind side protector?

The one team really that could trade trade trade is Cleveland, they have on disgruntled WR, and two starting Quarterbacks, they also have no pick in the third round, and need bodies.  I think they are asking too much for Quinn and Edwards, but by tomorrow at 4:40 the price might come down. I think Crabtree goes to the Seahawks, regardless of what else happens. If the Browns keep their pick, I am thinking Tyson Jackson if KC takes Curry.  I think Washington, NYJ, and the Broncos are all looking to get a QB tomorrow.  I think KC tries to trade back, dangling Sanchez out there for the greedy, only if the Rams take Jason Smith instead of Sanchez.  KC has no picks in the second round, look for Peoli to find a way to get a second round pick.

Two Names Stand out to me tomorrow. Alex Mack, Ziggy Hood.  I do not see anyone else that wows me, like Mendenhall did last year. Even if Heyward-Bey is still on the board, I like Mack and Hood better.  I hope we wait on Ron Brace, that back injury just scares me. We are the YouTube Sheep when it comes to Jarron Gilbert, some of the negatives are glaring problems, like taking games and plays off, all we want to remember is the guy squatting 650 lbs. and jumping out of a swimming pool. Unless Heinz Field goes to  Aqua Turf, I don't see that as an advantage.

In case anyone missed it, Tyson Jackson is going in the top 5 Either KC or Cleveland. He is the most ready to step in and play DE in the 3-4, which I think is a weak class. All the "experts" say DE is deep. Oh really, most of these guys 250-270 are not fits for the scheme, they could be a 4-3 end or an OLB in a 3-4, I just don't see Robert Ayres achoring a 3-4 like Mayock suggests.  Ziggy Hood palyed on a crappy team and never quit. He is not a pash rusher, but he is relentless and a hard worker. I still like Mack, but Hood is a good backup plan.

NY,

100% correct on Clady coming out of Boise State...

Looking at the updated Prospect ratings on the CBS site..  I see that Phil Taylor DT 6-4 340lbs is on the rise..  I need to see this kid play - anybody see him play yet this year?  I do think Baylor is in a bowl game and will do what I can to watch him play..  He is currently ranked as the #24 prospect in the draft.... 

THey also have a rising arrow on NY's kid Dontay Moch OLB Neveda..  Kid is fast 4.38 40  (Al Davis do these rankings?)- But did they watch this kid play?  He really is very raw and looks clueless as a OLB.  Ranked currently as the number #37 prospect - me - I wpuldn't think about him till after the 4th round...

One game I will be watching closely is Penn State vs Florida - Want to see the interior line play again of both Mike Pouncey and Stefen Wisniewski.   Besides - I have a senior at Penn State and I think my baby girl will be going there next year..  I have failed as a parent - WHy not Pitt?  At least they are both steeler fans!  
 

enjoy,

bb

Logan isn't a WR, he plays some of the gadget plays and a few relief plays as an RB. Best still has some effects from turf toes (both feet) Logan surprising, well to some, hits the hole pretty good. Certainly not a player you want on every down, but as a change of pace guy he does quite well. He also is incredibly hard to see when running the ball. Have to create a package for him, and he executes it well so far.

People were mentioning Jaquizz Rodgers before as a change of pace back. IMO Stefan Logan is about the same build, and is awfully fast. I see a lot of simliarities.

The bowls start saturday...  December 18th...  A couple of minor games.  Besides that Penn State vs FLorida game the other game that is can't miss for me is Wisconsin VS TCU..  Lot's of players to watch in this game that have the potential to be drafted and drafted in the first 3 rounds.... 


Ya - I'll watch Oregon vs Auburn.. but for whatever reason - I'm not as interested in this one...

enjoy,

bb

Thanks a ton, BB. I almost hope Kuechly is gone well before our selection. Terrific linebacker, but I'd almost rather hope Vontaze Burflict slides so we can take the guy with the energizing attitude and superior pure talent to Kuechly.

There are two clear cut first round to fringe first round talents, both you mentioned then there is hightower,plagued by injuries but had one hell of an 09 season, if he can get past the slump from last year look to see him rise. i think when it comes to pure physical skill set, vontaze is heads and shoulders ahead but Kuechly is not that far behind, and furthrermore he diagonoses the plays better from what i saw, albeit i didnt watch AZ state that much last year, these are just the first round of thoughts that came to mind.

i believe all three are juniors? so they may very well not even come out this year.

Here is someone who is really making me think, Knile davis out of arkansas, a bigger back someone who may draw the attention of both our respective franchises in the second, he could be real good, he does have an injury of sorts, buti cant remember the severity, so ill look around. Trent richardson, who was spotted by either bb or ny, i forget, is basically almost the consensus number one...and we saw him first.

while watching cal for you know who, there is another guy that appeared in my teastained notebook, Trevor Guyton, may be a solid second day pick, fringe second, perhaps higher if he has a good year. really solid frame and i think he can build on it. what impressed me was his burst if you will, he gets of the ball real quick and uses his hands better than a few higher rounds ends i have seen. 

oh and while watching richardson at bama, check out their end,  Quinton Dial, he flashed. raw but something may be there.

i was intrigued by davonte holloman BUT DUI etc etc idiot moron etc etc.

Ray ray armstrong out of miami? just watch him and tell me he isnt around the ball.

2k
 

There are two clear cut first round to fringe first round talents, both you mentioned then there is hightower,plagued by injuries but had one hell of an 09 season, if he can get past the slump from last year look to see him rise. i think when it comes to pure physical skill set, vontaze is heads and shoulders ahead but Kuechly is not that far behind, and furthrermore he diagonoses the plays better from what i saw, albeit i didnt watch AZ state that much last year, these are just the first round of thoughts that came to mind.

Just between myself and Everyone else here, Nico Johnson IMO is the Crimson Tide linebacker to watch. One of my favorites, he's a 3-4 ILB in every way who plays OLB in Bama's defense. If Hightower's injuries become a problem, I don't get too excited over Courtney Upshaw. For whatever reason he kinda reminds me of Brandon Spikes.

Alabama's defense is utterly insane, but not everyone will translate to the NFL.

Here is someone who is really making me think, Knile davis out of arkansas, a bigger back someone who may draw the attention of both our respective franchises in the second, he could be real good, he does have an injury of sorts, buti cant remember the severity, so ill look around. Trent richardson, who was spotted by either bb or ny, i forget, is basically almost the consensus number one...and we saw him first

Based on developments in camp and the offseason, I'm starting to think the Steelers may not pursue a RB at all in the draft next year. I agree Knile Davis is interesting though.

while watching cal for you know who, there is another guy that appeared in my teastained notebook, Trevor Guyton, may be a solid second day pick, fringe second, perhaps higher if he has a good year. really solid frame and i think he can build on it. what impressed me was his burst if you will, he gets of the ball real quick and uses his hands better than a few higher rounds ends i have seen.

 

I noticed Guyton as I was intensely studying DL behind the curtain while the rest of you were on extended vacation.  He's small right now, but another 10-15 pounds is probably all he needs to get NFL ready. Probably a 4th rounder unless he can keep his quickness with added weight.

Ray ray armstrong out of miami? just watch him and tell me he isnt around the ball.

He's drawing comparisons to Sean Taylor. Seems about right to me. Fierce hitters, so-so in coverage. I see a 2nd rounder, but right now his status is everywhere, even as the best safety in the nation in the middle of the 1st. Of course, the safety class next year is crap, so I don't blame anyone who thinks he in fact is the best safety in the nation.

Add Marcus Sales the the list of talented diva WR's who cannot stay out of trouble.

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/
entry/13682485/31149450

Seriously, is there possibly a correlation between WR and douchebagery?

For all the naysayers who kept pushing for a CB, the second highest rated player in the group, Prince Amukamara just broke his foot. How valuable is the medical check that teams do. How much bad luck can a team have, all part of the game.

I intially wanted us to take Derek Sherrod instead of Cameron Heyward, really worried about his arm injury, but that is why I have a keyboard instead of a clipboard.

Oh and I still think Davon House will be a solid CB, not sure why he slid, but I think he has the talent. Rated as high as a second rounder, he did not go until round 4, after Cortez Allen I might add. Then again Ian Williams and Mark Herzlich did not even get drafted.

NY, I can think of a couple reasons why House slid. His level of competition sucks and his tackling is subpar.

As for Amukamara, ouch. I made it no secret that I wanted no piece of Aaron Williams in the first. In Buffalo, he'll probably die on the vine sooner rather than later.

I intially wanted us to take Derek Sherrod instead of Cameron Heyward, really worried about his arm injury, but that is why I have a keyboard instead of a clipboard.

Sherrod isn't much of a run-blocker, as you know, and I don't think pass-protecting is as valued by our coaching staff as it is by others. If we evaluate Sherrod and he does well in Green Bay, I don't think we should lament over passing on him for the simple reason that he is in a better situation in Green Bay than he would've been here. I'm glad we took another defensive lineman, though, as opposed to reaching to fill the most apparent need as determined by outsiders. Unlike the Panthers, our organization doesn't adjust its war board to satisfy the qualms of the press.

Kendricks sees action early

Published: August 04, 2011 @ 1:53am

By Howard Balzer

Rookie tight end Lance Kendricks has been getting plenty of reps with the first team and has also been getting noticed as a blocker.

When asked about developing a relationship with Kendricks, quarterback Sam Bradford said, "I think it's probably a little early to say that. I mean we're four practices into it. (But) Lance has done some great things. He has been asked to do a lot as well. I think he's probably taken more reps than anyone else on our offense. It seems like that every time I look out there he's in there.

"Whether he is at Y (usual tight-end alignment), he's at F (slot), he's playing wide receiver some. I think he's done a great job, he's physical. He really stood out to me yesterday when we put the pads on and we had the Ram Drill. He was in my line and the first time he went he absolutely destroyed his defender. I think two guys later we were looking for someone on offense and he came running back up to get some more. It's things like that, that really turn you on to a guy like that."

---

Just some news from St. Louis. 

"Whether he is at Y (usual tight-end alignment), he's at F (slot), he's playing wide receiver some. I think he's done a great job, he's physical. He really stood out to me yesterday when we put the pads on and we had the Ram Drill. He was in my line and the first time he went he absolutely destroyed his defender. I think two guys later we were looking for someone on offense and he came running back up to get some more. It's things like that, that really turn you on to a guy like that."

---

Kendricks was "my guy" back in December 2009, I watched him beat the elite athletes of Miami and said... PLAYER.

Here is Turd McShat's view on Kendricks.   what an icehole tan man is.

What he brings: Kendricks is an H-back type who doesn't offer much as a blocker and will never be dominant in that area, but he has the skill set to become a productive receiving option. He is quick enough to separate underneath and runs well after the catch, and he also has the speed to stretch the middle and tracks the deep ball well.
How he fits: QB Sam Bradford loves to have a TE as a safety blanket, but right now he has an overrated starter in Daniel Fells, and a promising but raw young guy in Michael Hoomanawanui. With Josh McDaniels running the offense, the TE position needed to be much more productive and Kendricks is that guy.

I noticed Kendricks blocking, sealing the edge, and he moves well on his feet. He will put on weight as he matures and his soft hands and route running are already there. Not a dominant blocker but willling and effective is what I noted, notice how waaaay off McShart is?  Kendricks worked well next to Gabe Carimi and was not lined up as the H-Back all that often, and I watched a lot of Wisconsin ball. McShat pulls everything he says out of his azz so far his elbow is permanantly stained.  ESPN must pay this little snot his salary in Cracker Jacks?  Still cannot believe ANYONE tunes into ESPN for draft coverrage or analysis, they as useless as Pink Biker Jackets.

Demo,

One other thing Turd McShat failed to notice about LK lining up. Notice the Rams have Kendricks in the F slot (Flanker/WR#3). Remember the beginning of last year when the Badgers were thin at wideout, Bielema used Kendricks as a fill-in and he did really well. At least the Rams correctly scouted him, and did not rely on a warm steaming pile of horse manure published by the Extremely Sucky Peckerhead Network.

nyb

Mikel Leshoure is done for the year, another one bites the dust.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmyyZ7Eh3IQ

Torn Achilles tendon. Not something we know is easy from which to recover. We could have an unexpected bust on our hands here, unfortunately.

Whizzer Spaeth did not work out, the guys we have in camp are backups or H-backs, look for Colbert to draft a TE in April. Who do you like?
Here are some names to watch in the upcoming College ball season.

Rhett Ellison- USC
Coby Fleener- Stanford
Kevin Koger- Michigan

some sleeper TE's:  Josh Chichester- Louisville, Chris Jeannot- New Hampshire, Beau Reliford -FSU.

NY, I already talked about my support for Orson Charles, but I also am interested in Michael Egnew, David Paulson, Coby Fleener, and Blake Ayles. Next year's class should be similar to this year's.

There is a kid at Mizzou that I thought looked like a good prospect?  Egnew maybe?

enjoy,

bb

Spaeth did not work out, the guys we have in camp are backups or H-backs, look for Colbert to draft a TE in April. Who do you like?

Ny, what round would you target a TE in? I'd like to think we'd draft secondary help(cb and safety)  and NT early on before we take a TE. Maybe round 4, anyone come to mind?

BBM,

Round 4 sounds right, that is where we got Whizzer.

Rhett Ellison is projected in round 4.

Kevin Koger is projected in round 6.

Jeannot and Relliford will most likely go undrafted.

BB,

Michael Egnew is the kid out of Mizzou, middle to late 3rd round right now.

NY

Ny, what round would you target a TE in? I'd like to think we'd draft secondary help(cb and safety)  and NT early on before we take a TE. Maybe round 4, anyone come to mind?

What's a need in the present may not be a need in the future. If we're gonna study next year's draft, we have to observe the present, including contracts, injury, and growth potential, and go from there. Just because we picked a first-round DE doesn't mean we won't need another one next year. Likewise, just because we're supposedly weak at one position now doesn't mean we should lock the position into an early round.

Like it or not, the Steelers don't like to take a corner early. Can you blame them? The last two they took in either of the first two rounds were Bryant McFadden and Ricardo Colclough. Our corners don't play in a scheme that allows them to work like other corners do. In fact, in our defense, their role is fairly insignificant. Just because we think the corners suck doesn't mean we should hope the Steelers reach for a corner in the first round, considering there are never any shutdown corners late in the first round and anyone we could pick would likely not be an improvement on what we have - just an expensive alternative that at first would satisfy certain fans.

Meanwhile, tight end is pointless past Heath Miller. With a strong second TE, two-TE sets could be utilized to create mismatches and add another dimension to our offense. The consensus is that we need a second receiving TE for that very reason.

Would you rather have a TE with loads of potential or some rag-tag corner who won't do anything our corners do already?