2017--look ahead -- When Bryant returns

[blitzburghv5]

With the regular season winding down and the team preparing to make a run in the postseason and hopefully relatively healthy, im look towards the future with this team.

With suspensions, and injuries plaguing our roster, we have witnessed the "next man up" mantra Tomlin preaches about, and its reaped many benefits. Sammie stepped in early and made huge catches with averages that dwarfed even ole Mike Wallace. But he faded as the year grinded on. We saw glimpses of Eli Rogers (who last year before he got hurt during camp) and his crisp route running and his willingness to go over the middle and secure some big catches (we saw the biggest this Sunday). Hell, even a kid name Cobi stepped in and filled a void while another, Ayers, showed talent.

Going into 2017 summer camp there's going to be some difficult decisions to make but im sure its a wonderful problem for Tomlin to have.

Antonio Brown
Markus Wheaton (he's finished in the B&G)
Ladarius Green
Jesse James
Eli Rogers
Sammie Coats
Darius Hey-Bey
Cobi Hamilton
Demarcus Ayers
Martavis Bryant

If Bryant returns clean he will be the number 2 guy. I don't think at this point the draft will be used for any wideouts unless theres someone they really like that they cant pass up but again, its gonna be difficult for anyone FA, or otherwise to crack this roster with the depth we have at this position. IMO Coby and Ayers are the odd men out. Coats has power, size and speed. DHB has jets but is useful on STs.



That's one deep talent pool.

 

[MTC]

Hamilton and Wheaton I see as done after this season. Hamilton is raw and I liked his attitude. I cannot see him beating out Rogers or Ayers

 

[CoolieMan]

Heyward-Bey is useful on special teams, but Coates has been filing his role and could do so next season....I might be showing a little favoritism but I see

Brown
Bryant
Rogers
Coates
Ayers

with Ayers taking over the PR duties...

 

[Spike]

Until he can pass a piss test, this is all irrelevant

Draft a WR and TE 1,2

maybe a RB if Bell fails another test

all we have is Ben Bell and Brown

 

[diver]

Until he can pass a piss test, this is all irrelevant

That's right. I wouldn't be surprised if they have the opportunity to draft a big, fast wr early they do it. You cannot depend on Bryant, and Coates, what is he? It's a damn shame, because Bryant is special.

 

[Drink IRON City]

Weaton is definately gone, DHB may be gone to, unless an extremely cap friendly hit. I think Ayers will stick due to his Return abilities and his WR developing abilities. Coats and Bryant are the two ?s in my eyes.




Salute the nation

 

[Stryker]

Heyward-Bey is useful on special teams, but Coates has been filing his role and could do so next season....I might be showing a little favoritism but I see

Brown
Bryant
Rogers
Coates
Ayers

with Ayers taking over the PR duties...

I'm with you Coolie, but for different reasons. We know what we have in DHB. Excellent ST player, selfless football player. I don't see him as a reliable receiver as a #2, and now Ayres can fill his position as a dual return threat. Wheaton is gone obviously. Too bad he didn't pan out. He had the ability to be another Sanders type player.

Brown and Bryant are your outside receivers. Eli starts in the slot, with Coates/Ayres rotating in based on the package and need. I think in this system Coates will begin to shine. He was asked to do a lot this season, and he just wasn't ready. Also nagging injuries kind of derailed his productivity. From the beginning of the year, he showed he can be good, he just needs time and seasoning.

I do consider bringing in a big vet receiver this next year. I'm done rolling the dice on a rookie, when we need production now. If we can land a Jeffrey or Bolden, it makes Coates expendable (as well as Hamilton). This is an insurance policy against Bryant while making sure this team will continue to fire on all cylinders without him.

I do like Hamilton. I think he has better hands than Coates, Bryant, and DHB. He plays like a young Nate Washington, and has improved this season. The team may stand pat with who they have, and continue to develop him.

Tough choices indeed.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Until he can pass a piss test, this is all irrelevant

I rather doubt Bryant will be back. He's only marginally useful anyway since he can't seem to stay clean for very long.

 

[Tibs]

Amazing thing with Bryant, he just turned 25. He's got time to straighten things out, get back on track and still become a great NFL WR. Hopefully he's been able to get some treatment for the social anxiety/depression issues and can resume his career. On the field he's a heck of a player. In his first two years, every fifth catch he's made has gone for a TD. He is the perfect compliment to AB. He and Ben have familiarity. If he's good to go he's locked in at #2. With Eli and Ayers developing in the slot, the depth chart at WR is stacked indeed. I'm praying Bryant gets back on the field and puts all the misery behind him.

 

[Troglodyte]

Until he can pass a piss test, this is all irrelevant

Draft a WR and TE 1,2

maybe a RB if Bell fails another test

all we have is Ben Bell and Brown

Our defense needs more help than our offense. I'm all for drafting a WR in the first few rounds, but no way do I think we should use both of the first two picks on WR and TE.

We need ILBs and OLBs.

 

[machismo12]

I thought Dhb signed a nice ,friendly 3yr deal this summer ?

 

[Spike]

If we can land a Jeffrey or Bolden,.

$14M for a crippled Alshon? nah

Like the Steelers would pay him if they even got a sniff of a chance

Better to get DeSean Jackson

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/wide-receiver/

 

[Tibs]

Our defense needs more help than our offense. I'm all for drafting a WR in the first few rounds, but no way do I think we should use both of the first two picks on WR and TE. We need ILBs and OLBs.

Amen. I'd definitely go D heavy top of the draft.

 

[SteveA]

Keep the offensive weapons coming

 

[Spike]

Our defense needs more help than our offense. I'm all for drafting a WR in the first few rounds, but no way do I think we should use both of the first two picks on WR and TE.

We need ILBs and OLBs.

I don't trust the Steelers to be able to draft LB's anymore...they have failed too many times lately. Secondary, yes, we are still full of holes there, but wasting more picks on OLB's is crazy. Find another scrap heap FA if you must, but save those high picks for offensive talent.


Defense is irrelevant anyway, scoring 30+ a game is what matters now.

Go all offense, we've wasted enough picks on defense to last a decade. Still desperately need a true #2 WR, another faster Heath at TE and another RB wouldn't hurt.

oh yeah, Ben's replacement, should be looking there for sure too

DAK was a 4th rounder you know

 

[kev4heels]

Been thinking about the WR/TE situation come next year.
The more I ponder it, the more I think we take a TE in rds 1-3 next year.
Green is simply too fragile to count on him longterm. Couple that with Bryant coming back, the emergence of Eli and Ayers, and Sammie playing again...and I just don't see a high WR draft pick.
I'm looking at:

rd 1: Howard
rd 2: Leggett, Njoku, Butt
rd 3: Hodges, Everett

I really like Evan Engram but the guy is not a TE. He is in the David Funchess mold.

 

[SteelerFan448]

I watch this wide receiver corps right now and can't be that excited knowing that Bryant is dependable. Count me in with Spike that I strongly consider drafting a receiver early who can step in as the No. 2 option. Same with tight end if Green's injury issues are a long-term concern.

 

[Stryker]

$14M for a crippled Alshon? nah

Like the Steelers would pay him if they even got a sniff of a chance

Better to get DeSean Jackson

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/wide-receiver/

I lived in Philly. DeSean is a head case and locker room cancer. I don't want any part of him. He's a heck of a football player, but he lacks size, he's starting to slow, and if he's played physically at the LOS, he wilts.

Bolden is my guy. I wanted him when he was available last time. I absolutely love the way he fights for the ball in the air. Bring him in as the 3rd receiver with the ability to move up if Bryant busts out. I think this competitor would be all about playing for a contender without having to be the man.

 

[Ghost of Frenchy Fuqua]

I think Boldin is OTH, and has been for a year or two.

Pass.

 

[Spike]

Bolden is my guy. I wanted him when he was available last time. I absolutely love the way he fights for the ball in the air. Bring him in as the 3rd receiver with the ability to move up if Bryant busts out. I think this competitor would be all about playing for a contender without having to be the man.

He's a wide bodied WR - I liked him too - he's having a decent year in Detroit but he's no game-breaker anymore.

I want more top end playmakers, and the draft is where we can find them

 

[blitzburghv5]

I think Boldin is OTH, and has been for a year or two.

Pass.

Boldin has the strongest hands ever for a wide receiver...he catches everything he gets his mitts around....hes never been fast. His major attribute has been route running and strong hands. He was Kurt Warner's key third down receiver and Flacco's go-to option when he was in Baltimore.

 

[Troglodyte]

I don't trust the Steelers to be able to draft LB's anymore...they have failed too many times lately. Secondary, yes, we are still full of holes there, but wasting more picks on OLB's is crazy. Find another scrap heap FA if you must, but save those high picks for offensive talent.


Defense is irrelevant anyway, scoring 30+ a game is what matters now.

Go all offense, we've wasted enough picks on defense to last a decade. Still desperately need a true #2 WR, another faster Heath at TE and another RB wouldn't hurt.

History means nothing.

The Steelers weren't very good at drafting DBs high either but it looks like they overcame that this past spring. There have been several disappointing WR that the Steelers have drafted high as well.

Was defense irrelevant for the 2015 Broncos?

 

[Spike]

History means nothing.

Was defense irrelevant for the 2015 Broncos?

History means nothing, we have nothing like that Denver defense. They were all top paid pass rushers. We have Debo - and that's it.

 

[SteelerFan448]

He's a wide bodied WR - I liked him too - he's having a decent year in Detroit but he's no game-breaker anymore.

I want more top end playmakers, and the draft is where we can find them

I wouldn't mind a hard-nosed receiver who can go over the middle in traffic. I don't want a guy on his last legs, but that type of option would be something different than what the team already has.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

I don't trust the Steelers to be able to draft LB's anymore...they have failed too many times lately. Secondary, yes, we are still full of holes there, but wasting more picks on OLB's is crazy. Find another scrap heap FA if you must, but save those high picks for offensive talent.


Defense is irrelevant anyway, scoring 30+ a game is what matters now.

Yes, we need more fast and undersized LB's who get hurt a lot.