Minkah Fitzpatrick

[Ron Burgundy]

He's instantly the best player in the secondary, I like the way he plays.

Now we just need 2 starting CBs, a couple more starting quality DL and a couple more LBs and they can start putting together a better defense

I'd give them 3 more drafts at 3-13 for that, lol, we on a 5 year plan

A couple first-round draft picks should fix up the secondary. Oh wait....

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

This ^^^

Edmunds is always near the ball. Not knocking the ball down, or defending the pass, or picking it off, but damn - he is near the ball.

That and $4 will get you a latte at Starbucks.

that's another thing I like about the trade. I don't think Edmunds will ever be that Polamalu playmaker but he can be Ryan Clark. Playing next to a playmaker, it should make Edmunds a much better player. The uncertainty surrounding him must have hurt him so far.

 

[Shane Falco]

This ^^^

Edmunds is always near the ball. Not knocking the ball down, or defending the pass, or picking it off, but damn - he is near the ball.

That and $4 will get you a latte at Starbucks.

What I like is Fitz’s presence and awareness allowed Edmunds to play ‘freer’ it that makes sense and vice versa. I expect these 2 to be a solid set of safeties that will solidify this secondary. Now if they scheme to their strengths is another thread

 

[Coach]

In his first game as a Steeler Fitzpatrick had an interception and a forced fumble. Pretty impressive.


In his last 16 games as a Steeler Sean Davis had 1 interception and 0 forced fumbles. And the interception was a gift throw.


Big time upgrade. Now we have a safety that can play, and he's signed for cheap. Was he worth our first-round pick in 2020?Nick Saban, called Fitzpatrick “the best leader I ever coached."

 

[Vader]

I wouldn't care if they miss out on a defender. He is a top ten defender in a lot of draft years. If a clear QB pick is there and they miss out. That would set back the franchise for a long time. This team has not drafted high very often.

A bust is a bust for me. Drafting a QB high and missing isn't worse than any other position now. It use to be before they came out with the rookie salary cap. They were giving rookie QBs millions before they played a snap. Anymore everything is slotted. So missing on a QB and missing on a LB are about the same IMHO.

Also I don't think the Steelers were going to draft QB next year anyway. Ben is coming back and they aren't giving up on Rudolph. So they wouldn't use the 1st on a QB. Maybe an OL, WR, RB?

 

[Steelworth]

Too bad our D still looks completely confused at times.

On 93.7 the Fan today, they were all over the communication issues. Even Garoppolo mentioned it in his postgame presser that he thought the defense looked confused and they ran hurry-up. That's coaching, and our coaches plain suck. There's no other way around it.

 

[slashsteel]

On 93.7 the Fan today, they were all over the communication issues. Even Garoppolo mentioned it in his postgame presser that he thought the defense looked confused and they ran hurry-up. That's coaching, and our coaches plain suck. There's no other way around it.

Many many seasons with confusion issues. Only thing I am confused about is why they didn't bring in a D coordinator in the offseason. But if the HC has his hands in the pile that would make sense why.

 

[Coryea]

So #11 is ok???

I wonder what number was he picked last year???

My point is, it's looking like we are going to be picking in the top 10, well would've been.

 

[titus]

In his first game as a Steeler Fitzpatrick had an interception and a forced fumble. Pretty impressive.


In his last 16 games as a Steeler Sean Davis had 1 interception and 0 forced fumbles. And the interception was a gift throw.


Big time upgrade. Now we have a safety that can play, and he's signed for cheap. Was he worth our first-round pick in 2020?Nick Saban, called Fitzpatrick “the best leader I ever coached."

IIRC, Pete Carroll said the same of Polamalu.

 

[Shane Falco]

Many many seasons with confusion issues. Only thing I am confused about is why they didn't bring in a D coordinator in the offseason. But if the HC has his hands in the pile that would make sense why.

If there’s anymore communication breakdowns I wouldn’t be surprised to see Butler gone and Austin or Bradley moved into place.

 

[Coryea]

If there’s anymore communication breakdowns I wouldn’t be surprised to see Butler gone and Austin or Bradley moved into place.

So Tomlin can just run the defense still, he's had his hands in this defense since LeBeau last year or 2 here, doesn't matter who the DC is.

 

[Shane Falco]

So Tomlin can just run the defense still, he's had his hands in this defense since LeBeau last year or 2 here, doesn't matter who the DC is.

Yep- but Tomlin will chop his DC and make them the scapegoat- though Butler deserves the blame as well- we all know the underdevelopment of all this first round talent on defense is a direct reflection on MT

 

[Tibs]

I know it takes 11 men, but still!

 

[Drink IRON City]

Great difference VS tomlin players.

Salute the nation

 

[mightyguru]

Interesting that Tombert aren't very good at drafting defense but they sure can identify good free agents/trade prospects.

 

[CharlesDavenport]

Interesting that Tombert aren't very good at drafting defense but they sure can identify good free agents/trade prospects.

They can recognize a talented NFL defensive player (not hard), they just don't know how to develop one.

 

[Steelworth]

I know it takes 11 men, but still!

Yeah that's no fluke.

 

[mightyguru]

They can recognize a talented NFL defensive player (not hard), they just don't know how to develop one.

Not the same thing I'm saying, although I think that is a factor. Minkah has hardly been developed by anybody but it is obvious he's going to be a great player. I'm sure they see the same traits in him that they have seen in other DBs they have drafted that have failed miserably...granted, Minkah is a blue chip draft pick.

I think that is also part of it. We never get shots at blue chip picks...period.They identify very good offensive players in late rounds but must rely on other team's FA blue chippers on Defense to offset their inability to identify defensive players in later rounds.

Once they find defensive players it's not like they get worse and it's not like these defensive players we miss on go on to greatness elsewhere either.

 

[bermudasteel]

I know it takes 11 men, but still!

Guru sums it up nicely below - my additional question, "Is there a safety coming out of college better than Minkah?" No.

Not the same thing I'm saying, although I think that is a factor. Minkah has hardly been developed by anybody but it is obvious he's going to be a great player. I'm sure they see the same traits in him that they have seen in other DBs they have drafted that have failed miserably...granted, Minkah is a blue chip draft pick.

I think that is also part of it. We never get shots at blue chip picks...period.They identify very good offensive players in late rounds but must rely on other team's FA blue chippers on Defense to offset their inability to identify defensive players in later rounds.

Once they find defensive players it's not like they get worse and it's not like these defensive players we miss on go on to greatness elsewhere either.

Exactly...

 

[Vader]

I'm a stat guy but I'm not taking those stats too seriously. They only played 2 games without him. One of those being the pats****. 3 Games with him and one of those is the bungles. So I'm not using a 2 game stat vs. a 3 game stat with completely different teams. Makes a nice poster but it's irrelevant when it comes to stat lines.