Grading the Steelers' Draft

This year, the Steelers had 9 draft picks. The Steelers drafted David DeCastro (OG 24th overall), Mike Adams (OT 56th overall), Sean Spence (LB), Alameda Ta'amu (DT), Chris Rainey (RB), Toney Clemons (WR), David Paulson (TE), Terrence Frederick (CB), and Kelvin Beachum.

David DeCastro being welcomed to the Steelers

David DeCastro

To the Steelers' surprise, DeCastro fell to the 24th pick in the draft. The Steelers had valued him highly and were extremely glad that they were able to draft him. DeCastro is pretty much good at everything. Another plus is that the Steelers really needed a guard because they had released Chris Kemoeatu earlier this offseason who had been their starting guard. DeCastro should be an instant upgrade for the Steelers.

Mock Draft Picks 17-32

Picking up at 17, here is how I project the first round of the draft to play out.

17. Bengals- Michael Floyd, WR (Notre Dame): If Floyd makes it to the Bengals, look for them to add Floyd opposite of A.J. Green.

Ben could use a better offensive line in 2012.
Will the Steelers draft an O-lineman in 2012?

18. Chargers- David DeCastro, OG (Stanford): The Chargers need help at guard, and DeCastro could be the fix for the Chargers.

19. Bears- Dre Kirkpatrick, CB (Alabama): The Bears could use Kirkpatrick if he falls to them at 19.

20. Titans- Alshon Jeffrey, WR (South Carolina): I feel like many people are overlooking one of the best players to come out of the SEC in Alson Jeffrey.

21. Bengals- Dontari Poe, DT (Memphis): If Poe slides to 21, the Bengals could take a risk by grabbing the talented Poe.

22. Browns- Kendall Wright, WR (Baylor): After potentially snagging Richardson in the first round, the Browns could continue adding offensive firepower by bringing in the speedster Wright.

Mock Draft Picks 1- 16

On April 26th, the first round of the NFL draft will begin. Every year scouts, websites, and even fans come up with mock drafts. While I often disagree with many of them, I still like to look at them to see different opinions on how the first round of the draft will fall. On that note, I have created my own mock draft, and here it is.

Colts' fans have been looking forward to the
2012 NFL Draft since the middle of last season.

1. Colts- Andrew Luck, QB (Stanford): No need to explain, everyone knows this is happening.

2. Redskins- Robert Griffin III, QB (Baylor): Another obvious selection here.

3. Vikings- Matt Kalil, OT (USC): A highly rated offensive tackle to defend Christian Ponder's blindside for many years to come.

4. Rams (via trade from Browns)- Morris Claibourne, CB (LSU): I see the Rams trading ahead of the Bucs to steal away the highest rated defensive back in this year's draft.

5. Buccaneers- Stephon Gilmore, CB (South Carolina): The Bucs want Claibourne, but will have to settle for Gilmore here.

Examining the Steelers' Schedule

Today, the NFL released the schedule for 2012-2013 season. Here is the Steelers' schedule:

The Steelers will have to wait until
Week 11 until they see the Ravens

Week 1: Sept. 9    at Denver     (8:20pm) NBC*
Week 2: Sept. 16  vs Jets         (4:15pm) CBS
Week 3: Sept. 23  at Raiders    (4:15pm) CBS
Week 4: Bye Week
Week 5: Oct. 7     vs Eagles     (1:00pm) FOX
Week 6: Oct 11    at Titans      (8:20pm) NFL Network*
Week 7: Oct 21    at Bengals   (8:20pm) NBC*
Week 8: Oct 28    vs Redskins (1:00pm)
Week 9: Nov 4     at Giants      (4:15pm) CBS
Week 10:Nov 12  vs Chiefs       (8:30pm) ESPN*
Week 11:Nov 18  vs Ravens     (8:20pm) NBC*
Week 12: Nov 25 at Browns     (1:00pm) CBS
Week 13: Dec 2    at Ravens    (4:15pm) CBS
Week 14: Dec 9   vs Chargers  (1:00pm) CBS
Week 15: Dec 16 at Cowboys  (4:15pm) CBS
Week 16: Dec 23 vs Bengals    (1:00pm) CBS
Week 17: Dec 30 vs Browns     (1:00pm) CBS

*Denotes nationally televised games

Just how good are the Steelers right now?

Strengths

Ben Roethlisberger is a huge asset
for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Obviously, the Steelers have been a successful team in the recent past due to their defense. Year in and year out, the Steelers put one of the best defenses on the field. In 2012, the Steelers will once again have a solid defense. Many people claim that the Steelers are getting too old on defense, but it never seems to matter as the defense continues to produce.

The Steelers also have two rising stars at wide receiver. Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown both eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark last season, and barring a Mike Wallace holdout, they should both be able to do it again. These two receivers will provide both stability and production to the Steeler's offense.

Lastly, the Steelers have an exceptional quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger. Although he sometimes holds on to the ball too long, he is a huge asset for the Steelers. He has already led the Steelers to two Super Bowl titles, and if he is surrounded a talented team, there is no reason that the Steelers shouldn't get another championship.

Weaknesses

Although the Steelers have a very good team put together, they do have several weaknesses. First off, the offensive line is not up to par for the NFL. The Steelers have not had a dominant offensive line for years, and they have done little to address it in the recent past. Although the addition of Maurkice Pouncey helped, the offensive line continues to need help at almost every other position. This offseason, the Steelers released Chris Kemoeatu (an offensive guard), making their offensive line even worse off than it was entering the offseason.

The Steelers have a very good cornerback in Ike Taylor, but they need another corner to play on the other side of the field. The Steelers currently have 3 other cornerbacks on the roster. In a best case scenario, one of the three is able to step up and become the long term answer for the Steelers.

So how good are the Steelers?

Right now, I would say that the Steelers are probably looking toward a 10 or 12 win season. However, depending on how well the Draft goes, the Steelers could get quite a bit better. Right now, the Steelers are definitely a playoff team with the potential to be a contender for the championship. 

The Draft: Why it's so Important

Building a Team

Ike Taylor doesn't know who will be
starting opposite of him in 2012. 

Starting on April 26th, at 8:00pm, the NFL Draft will begin. The Steelers have 10 selections in the 3 day event that is the NFL Draft. The Steelers have quite a few options with how they should spend their draft picks. Unfortunately, this means that there are "holes" in their roster. Starting in the first round, the Steelers could draft a cornerback, a linebacker, a nose tackle, an offensive lineman, a wide receiver or a runningback.

Cornerback

The Steelers could draft a cornerback to replace William Gay, who is no longer with the team. However, many people fail to realize that the Steelers have recently drafted several cornerbacks that have not had much playing time. The Steelers have Curtis Brown, Keenan Lewis, and Cortez Allen, all of whom have received little playing time. This means that the Steelers will probably go in another direction in the first round.

Linebacker

The Steelers could opt to draft a linebacker, presumably to be a long term replacement for James Farrior, who was released by the team. However, the Steelers still have Larry Foote on their roster, who has started for the Steelers at inside linebacker in the past. Also, they have Stevenson Sylvester and Jason Worilds as reserve linebackers who they have recently drafted. This leads me to believe they will target another position in the first round of this year's draft.

Mike Wallace: Does he have a long term future in Pittsburgh?

Restricted Free Agency

As of right now, Mike Wallace has not been offered an offer sheet in restricted free agency. If a team would offer him an offer sheet, the Steelers would have the opportunity to match the offer sheet. However, if they couldn't match the offer sheet or if they chose not to, they would receive a first round draft pick in this years NFL draft. At this point, it seems unlikely that any team will attempt to claim him, so it would appear that he would be a Steeler for at least one more season. 

However, he could still choose to not sign his restricted free agent tender and he could hold out for a long term deal. He would only make 2.742 million dollars this year, far below what he would be making if he were able to be an unrestricted free agent. If he does hold out, he would be aiming to ink a long-term deal with the Steelers, which may not be possible at this point in time because the Steelers have almost no spare salary for this year. If he does hold out, he would probably choose to play the last 10 weeks so that he could become an unrestricted free agent in 2013.

What will Happen Next?

The Steelers want to keep Mike Wallace, but Wallace has expressed his desire to be one of the highest paid wide receivers in the NFL. Next year when Wallace is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent, the Steelers will once again be struggling to be under the salary cap. This year, they restructured several players' contracts so that they could be under the salary cap this year. However, this pushes money that would have been counted against the Steelers this year into future years using signing bonuses. Also, next year's salary cap is projected to remain the same as this year or to rise very slightly. These two things point towards the Steelers once again struggling to be cap compliant in the early months of the offseason. When Wallace finally is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, the Steelers might simply not have enough money to pay him. In my opinion, Mike Wallace is about to play his last season in Pittsburgh, which is a sad pill to swallow. 

Offseason Moves: The Business of Football

Salary Cap Compliance Struggles

The Steelers have already made several roster moves this offseason. Heading into the 2012-2013 NFL league year, the Steelers were over the salary cap. Under NFL rules, the Steelers had to be under the salary cap by March 13th, so the Steelers had to make some roster moves to get under the salary cap.

The Steelers used several methods to get under the salary cap. They were able to restructure deals with several players under contract (Ben Roethlisberger and Lamarr Woodley among them), but they also had to release several players. The Steelers released defensive lineman Aaron Smith, linebacker James Farrior, and offensive guard Chris Kemoeatu. Hines Ward was also released by the Steelers, which prompted his retirement in what was probably the hardest offseason move for the Steelers to do. However, football is not just a game, its a business too.

Eventually, the Steelers were able to get under the salary cap with enough room to sign a few guys and hopefully enough to sign their draft picks. The Steelers have recently agreed to terms with free agent wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, free agent guard Trai Essex, and free agent offensive guard/center Doug Legursky (all of whom played for the Steelers last year). They also signed free agent tight end Leonard Pope who played for the Chiefs last year.

Overall, the Steelers have had to make some tough choices this offseason. They have had to cut veteran players who have played their hearts out for the black and gold to get under the salary cap. However, now that the unpleasant business of salary cap cuts should be over, the Steelers can focus on preparing for the 2012 NFL Draft.

Welcome It's A SteelersBlog!!

First of all I'd like to welcome anyone and everyone to It's A SteelersBlog! I am Aaron Clemons and I will run this blog with some help from Shane Clemons, who writes for Bloguin's football blog, This Given Sunday http://www.bloguin.com/thisgivensunday/.

This blog will be entirely dedicated to everything Steelers. This blog's goal will be to cover the Steelers' actions as closely as possible. In the near future I will be posting on what the Steelers have already done this offseason to catch everyone up on what is going on with the Steelers. Thank you for visiting It's A SteelersBlog!