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Bill Cowher's All Time Drafted (and undrafted) team.

Good list... though id point out some things:

1. Dan Krieder was a good fullback, but in 2006 the steelers signed UDFA John Kuhn, who was then allowed to escape to GB after a year... he has been an all pro twice as a lead blocker and has over 500 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving to go with 21 tds, which all dwarf Kreiders stats.

2. Leon Searcy was an overall better tackle than either Marvel or Max were, despite him leaving the team for free agency and going to Jacksonville and having his career cut short... He, like Smith, had one pro bowl, but also had 2nd team all conf and 2nd team all pro honors in 95 and 99 respectively.

3. Okobi wasn't really a good pick, he flamed out as soon as he was out of the org and was a backup on some horrible lines... id rather take Kendall Gammon at C, who also was a backup, but played 14 years in the league, much of which was on special teams.

4. Kiesel might be the pick at the other DE spot, I wont argue that, but the idea he was first rounder material is silly. Maybe the fan favorite status puts him ahead of Brenston Buckner, but in pure talent Buckner had a lot more. He bounced around after leaving the steelers over a dispute, finally settling in as a pretty good DT, but he really did have a lot of talent when he chose to use it. Kiesel was a long term project that worked out, which is why he was a 7th rounder.


Al the rests were slam dunks except maybe Burress, though he would be my choice there too.
 
I'd put HInes Ward in his top-5 draft picks.

Getting (what I think) is a hall-of-fame career in the 3rd round is better than very good NT in Casey Hampton at pick #19.
 
I've always been higher on Max Starks. He won a Superbowl at each tackle spot. That puts him at the top of my list!
 
Cope said:
I've always been higher on Max Starks. He won a Superbowl at each tackle spot. That puts him at the top of my list!
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He always seemed to be on the outs with Tomlin but all he ever did was play LT better than anyone Tombert has been able to come up with.

CharlesDavenport said:
Put that list together for Tombert and you will see what so many of us have been bitching about.
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Dittos. If Colbert can't come up with five players who can contribute almost immediately this year (because that's just catching up) he should be fired, replaced with a strong GM who knows WTF, and Tomlin should be told to sit down and STFU on draft day.
 
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Most here say it's a "hit and miss" in the draft. Tombert seems to "miss" more than HIT, and we ain't talking chicks, either.



Salute the nation
 
And before anyone else wants to make this a Tomlin vs Cowher thread, neither of them even remotely come close to what Noll did in the draft with DR.
 
CharlesDavenport said:
Seriously, lets see that list for the Tomlin years
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Good idea:

QB - Dennis Dixon, it was either him or the amazing Landry Jones
RB - Lev Bell (I'm already putting him over Mendenhall)
FB - I don't know, Will Johnson?
WR - Brown and Wallace
TE - Spaeth
C - Pouncey (Shout out to Legursky)
G - Decastro, Foster
T - Beachum, and Gilbert?

NT - McLendon
DE - Heyward and Tuitt?
OLB - Woodley and Worilds?
ILB - Timmons and Shazier?, Williams? Jury's definitely still out
CB - Gay and I guess Lewis
S - Mundy and Thomas?
 
Wingman said:
Okobi was good not great and was not a worthy replacement for Dawson.
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Okobi was better than anything we had on the team when we let him go. What killed his career was his attitude. He mouthed off at the wrong time and Tomlin made an example out of him. While Madinsomniac said he was a back up on some bad lines, he was also behind a pretty good player in Jeff Hartings. He had been given some pretty good contracts to stay here as the incumbent when Hartings finally retired, Hartings retired, Tomlin said it was an open competition, and Okobi said "WTF? I'm the starter, I didn't do anything to lose the job". Had he just kept his mouth shut and played, he would have been the starter. It was so obvious he was better than Mahan, he was bigger, stronger, and faster...but in the end, dumber.
 
insaniti said:
Okobi was better than anything we had on the team when we let him go. What killed his career was his attitude. He mouthed off at the wrong time and Tomlin made an example out of him. While Madinsomniac said he was a back up on some bad lines, he was also behind a pretty good player in Jeff Hartings. He had been given some pretty good contracts to stay here as the incumbent when Hartings finally retired, Hartings retired, Tomlin said it was an open competition, and Okobi said "WTF? I'm the starter, I didn't do anything to lose the job". Had he just kept his mouth shut and played, he would have been the starter. It was so obvious he was better than Mahan, he was bigger, stronger, and faster...but in the end, dumber.
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Getting rid of Chucky for Mahem was dumber than a player claiming to be the starter by a huge margin.
 
You have to remember, that was Tomlin's first year as coach as well. He was letting everyone know it was HIS team and it would be HIS way. It was a risky move, and one that didn't quite work out once we started playing games that mattered. I'm just remembering what actually happened with Okobi.
 
CharlesDavenport said:
Put that list together for Tombert and you will see what so many of us have been bitching about.
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Tomlin's list.

OFFENSE
quarterback: dennis dixon (2008, 5:156)

dixon didn't see the field often, but when he did, he flashed the athleticism that drew the eyes of the front office. he was, however, never more than a backup.

running back: le'veon bell (2014, 2:48)

in just two seasons, bell has already broken team records. he has already earned a pro bowl berth and an all-pro selection, four annual league awards and two team awards. he was the 2014 afc co-offensive player of the year.

fullback: will johnson (2012, udfa)

tomlin's offensive coordinators don't often use a fullback, but when they do, johnson rewards them. he is also a capable receiver.

wide receiver (2): antonio brown (2010, 6:195), mike wallace (2009, 3:84)

little needs to be said about brown. in five seasons he has been a two-time team mvp, a three-time pro bowler, a two-time all-pro and was the 2014 afc co-offensive player of the year along with bell. he led the nfl in receptions and yards in 2014.

wallace was emerging before he and the team could not agree on a contract. he left the team after four years, but his best years came in pittsburgh in 20011-12. he has been selected to a pro bowl.

tight end: matt spaeth (2007, 3:77)

spaeth has been unspectactular as a receiver, but he does his job. he is, however, a very good blocker, which is what the team asks of him most.

center: maurkice pouncey (2010, 1:18)

pouncey was a fan favorite from his first snap. he was named a pro bowler and an all-pro four times each, including his rookie year.

guard (2): david decastro (2012, 1:24), ramon foster (2009, udfa)

decastro fell behind the curve a little when an injury nearly wiped out his entire rookie season. he has come back and become a very good guard, bordering on excellent.

foster went from undrafted to starter after the departures of chris kemoeatu and doug legursky, and has performed admirably well.

tackle (2): kelvin beachum (2012, 7:248), marcus gilbert (2011, 2:63)

beachum went from nearly undrafted to one of the top half of all starting left tackles in a two-year period. while far from prototypical for the position, he is exceptionally intelligent and technically sound.

gilbert hasn't been great, but he's been above average. that's been enough.

DEFENSE
nose tackle: steve mclendon (udfa, 2009)

big mac is a different type of player than casey hampton, who he replaced in 2013. "different" doesn't mean "worse." he plays a different style, and does it well. that's okay, big snack fans.

Defensive End (2): Cameron Heyward (2011, 1:31), Stephon Tuitt (2014, 2:46)

Heyward has emerged as the defacto leader of the defense and a complete terror on the field. Tuitt is just getting his feet wet, but looks promising.

Outside Linebacker (2): LaMarr Woodley (2007, 2:46), Jason Worilds (2010, 2:52)

Woodley far outplayed his first contract, but injuries ended his time in Pittsburgh after signing an extension. Worilds was never great, but always seemed to be on the cusp of breaking through.

Inside Linebacker (2): Lawrence Timmons (2007, 1:15), Vince Williams (2013, 6:206)

Timmons was one of the two best inside linebackers for several years along with former 49er Patrick Willis. He seems to get better every year and finally made the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro team in 2014.

Williams has competition in Sean Spence and Ryan Shazier, but right now Williams is the second-best inside 'backer drafted by Tomlin. He started 11 games in place of Larry Foote in 2013 and twice for Shazier in 2014.

Cornerback: (2): William Gay (2007, 5:170), Keenan Lewis (2009. 3:96)



^^^Cowher's drafted players and veteran free agents are much better.


It's not only the listed names, Cowher has some drafted players that did not make his cut! Men like Steed, Searcy, Gildon, Bruener, E. Holmes, Roye, Vrabel, and Hope that would bump many of Tomlin’s top players out of their spot. Heck, you could even put Kordell Stewart out there.

Stewart > Dixon
Searcy > Gilbert
Gildon > Woodley or Worilds
Breuner > Speath
Roye and Tuitt? Remains to be seen.
Vrabel = with Woridls
E. Holmes > V Williams
Hope > Any safety Tomlin drafted!
 
Steel G said:
If you listen to Okobi now, he was barely fit to tie his own shoes by the time 2007 rolled around. Course, that's probably because he's trying to claim money from the Steelers.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/03/steelers_must_pay_workers_comp.html

Still, once he left the Steelers he flamed right out as a player. Mahan certainly wasn't the answer and neither was Okobi.
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Bill had Dirt Dawson and Jeff Hartings as a free agent. As such he never needed to draft center for many years.
 
Coach said:
Bill had Dirt Dawson and Jeff Hartings as a free agent. As such he never needed to draft center for many years.
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He got Hartings as a replacement for Dawson and that was a good deal. Grabing a good free agent or trade to augment the draft is a huge deal. Bettis ,Farior, Hartings, Gandy, Clark were much better than any recent free agent I can recall the tombert guys getting.
 
Not trying to defend Tomlin or anything, but thats 15 drafts years vs 7... cowher had a lot of drafts that people here would bemoan badly... I was going to list every draft pick year by year for emphasis, but you can look them up on profootballreference.com if you want.. its really a lot rarer than people think to get more than a few contributors from a draft class, especially high end ones
 
madinsomniac said:
Not trying to defend Tomlin or anything, but thats 15 drafts years vs 7... cowher had a lot of drafts that people here would bemoan badly... I was going to list every draft pick year by year for emphasis, but you can look them up on profootballreference.com if you want.. its really a lot rarer than people think to get more than a few contributors from a draft class, especially high end ones
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Tomlin drafts are from 2007 to 2014. This is 8 years. I still think Cowher drafts in any 8 year stretch and free agents moves were better As stated many guys who did not make the cut for Cowher would have been Tomlin's #1 guy at several positions
 
madinsomniac said:
Not trying to defend Tomlin or anything, but thats 15 drafts years vs 7... cowher had a lot of drafts that people here would bemoan badly... I was going to list every draft pick year by year for emphasis, but you can look them up on profootballreference.com if you want.. its really a lot rarer than people think to get more than a few contributors from a draft class, especially high end ones
Click to expand...
Coach said:
Tomlin drafts are from 2007 to 2014. This is 8 years. I still think Cowher drafts in any 8 year stretch and free agents moves were better As stated many guys who did not make the cut for Cowher would have been Tomlin's #1 guy at several positions
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I have every confidence that if we give Tomlin 15 years to evaluate his drafts, on balance they will still be worse than Cowher's.
 
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