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Colbert and Tomlin discuss the draft

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AggieSteel

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http://www.steelers.com/videos/vide...rs-draft/38a122a5-c1d9-4943-b03a-debcf70d1318

Sorry if already posted

This is the post-draft presser

Some interesting nuggets here like:
-Emphasizing they will not reach just for a position
-Confidence in Bostic and Dirty Red, essentially a "hey let's not panic, we have players here" type of statement
-Confidence that Edmunds and Allen can both play subpackage linebacker as well as base safety, and special teams
-They valued Rudolph very highly, up there with the first round QBs
-They've been scouting Okorafor for over a year, like him a lot
-They were sure to bring up Keion Adams, seems like they still have high hopes for him, consider him essentially a 7th rounder this year
-Think Washington can come in and compete right away, play inside or outside

I'm sure there was a lot more there, but those were the main takeaways I got out of it
 
Thanks for posting.......



Salute the nation
 
I will agree. Kion flashed last preseason. Hopefully he can build on it.
 
Besides the QB, all can contribute this year in some form or fashion if they earn it.

And even Rudolph to a lesser degree. If he lights a fire in preseason he could move to the backup position.

Really no limits to what can be earned. Some players learn quicker than others. Those ones will see the light of day sooner.

Players like Washington will get slot reps at least, and earn the outside spot at worse.

JaySlash can help possibly help if Bell starts off slow from missing camp.

If you zoom in in some form or capacity outside of OLBer (which they considered Adams in the mix) all your need positions were addressed.

Part of ILBer responsibilities can be filled within the two S's drafted.

And if you think about sub package football.

Would you prefer a slowish ILber in coverage or a speedier S in coverage?

I know which one I prefer.

You might have had players you liked more.

But they took players they thought would strengthen the team in weak areas.

Secondary was really weak three men left. Three men entered.

WR became a weakish with ELi and Bryant leaving. Two were brought in capable. If you count JaySam's capability.

Many bitched about Landry and they brought in a possible upgrade.

Many asked how the **** Big Dan was still on the roster. And they brought in competition for him.

Swing T left, so instead of handing Hawkins the job, they brought in competition.

I'd say they addressed concerns pretty well...........
 
AggieSteel said:
-Confidence in Bostic and Dirty Red, essentially a "hey let's not panic, we have players here" type of statement
Click to expand...

Plus there are guys like Mychal Kendricks still out there for possible trade, I wouldn't rule out Colbert having something like that up his sleeve.
 
NEWSColbert Credits Tomlin For Keeping Steelers Focused On Their Draft Board
ByMatthew MarcziPosted on April 29, 2018 at 9:00 am
7 Comments
I don’t think I need to explain that putting together a draft value board is an inexact science, especially when you’re talking about putting one together for a specific team. While focusing on just the players themselves and not the fit or the need cuts down on the number of variables involved, teams setting up their draft boards work a complex and imperfect balance in preparing to make selections.

This is some of what the Pittsburgh Steelers talked about yesterday during the post-draft press conference held by Head Coach Mike Tomlin and General Manager Kevin Colbert, and some of their comments help to paint a clearer picture as to how positional value relates to rankings.

One thing Colbert said was that it was largely a credit to Tomlin as to how the Steelers drafted this year in trying to keep them focused on their board. “Coach was awesome throughout this process in saying ‘no, let’s respect the board, and let’s look at who’s the best players available and we’ll adjust from there’”, the general manager said of his long-time working partner.

Asked about the team’s failure to address the inside linebacker position in the draft, he offered, “if there’s positions available to us when we’re picking and they fit and they’re at the right spot, great. If they’re not, we’re not going to reach”.

It’s easy to talk about this in light of how the first round unfolded, after four off-ball inside linebackers came off the board in the first 25 selections. It was the most to be drafted in the first round in over a decade and left Pittsburgh short-changed, as they reportedly were prepared to try to move up to secure Rashaan Evans, their first-round target.

Many wanted the Steelers to take an inside linebacker once we got into day three, but with a couple of notable names still on the board, for example, they took safety Marcus Allen even though they already drafted Terrell Edmunds in the first round. But Allen was clearly the highest-rated player left on their board.

Another good example of the value dynamic at play was the discussion that Colbert offered regarding their third-round selection, tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, whom many felt was a reach because of his average tape, in spite of his impressive physical traits.

“Chukwuma was visibly a highly-regarded player at a position where we wanted to add competition”, Colbert said, but that doesn’t mean he was head and shoulders above anybody else they felt they could have taken when not discussing positions.

“When I’m saying he was above some other folks, there might have been somebody equal to or close, but those positions we weren’t really considering at that point. So it’s not like he was three rounds above somebody. I mean that may be a difference of…maybe half a round”.

We have this discussion every year, but there is no such thing as a true ‘Best Player Available’ draft, and even the Steelers acknowledge this. They don’t create their boards this way and they don’t make their selections this way. It would be foolish to adhere to such a strategy zealously. Roster-building, especially for a talented team, is more complicated and nuanced than that.

And Tomlin helped them to keep focused on their board as they strayed this year. So if you don’t like who the Steelers chose, feel free to blame him for 2018.

http://www.Invalid Link - Check SN ...eeping-steelers-focused-on-their-draft-board/
 
So they had a chance to move up to take their 1st rd target in LB Evans but never pulled the trigger, good to know
 
C+ compared to way more B and above grades in a deep draft. You can hope and dream all you want but to many big reaches drafted players by these two. We passed better players and teams after us graded much higher so don't blame position of draft. Does anyone really believe this was a good draft for Steelers??? Tomlin and Colbert can explain all they want big question no MLB drafted how do you explain that and draft two safety, when you picked one up in the off season.
 
I would like the front office to panic a little bit. Good is the enemy of great.

I thought that JAX loss might trigger some kind of urgency on the D problems, but no, we're good, don't panic, we have players, we'll have a winning record...

We're soft and stupid on D. That needed to be addressed.
 
Spike said:
So they had a chance to move up to take their 1st rd target in LB Evans but never pulled the trigger, good to know
Click to expand...

Had a deal with Carolina. Tennessee jumped us making the deal with Baltimore..Baltimore wasnt going to help us
 
black and gold apex said:
C+ compared to way more B and above grades in a deep draft. You can hope and dream all you want but to many big reaches drafted players by these two. We passed better players and teams after us graded much higher so don't blame position of draft. Does anyone really believe this was a good draft for Steelers??? Tomlin and Colbert can explain all they want big question no MLB drafted how do you explain that and draft two safety, when you picked one up in the off season.
Click to expand...

I thought they explained that pretty directly.
 
Supersteeler said:
It was. Three times. In free agency.
Click to expand...

Well really two times, but two times in the draft too. That is four bodies that can combine to upgrade a soft aged broke-down unit.
 
Look... I don't love this draft, but i like it... i know the tantrums about Ilb and D in general, but I don't think the available players were going to be upgrade on what we have as backups now.... they wanted an ILB in the first... they got a rising versatile safety who can pkay the ilb cover roles and some of the runstopping ones... they needed a wr to replace Bryant.. they got a very solid guy in the second...

Knock a QB pick all you want, but most years this guy is an absolute first rounder... all his weaknesses are coachable...

the Ot rankings were all over the place, but our guy had a third round grade in several publications and tons of upside and the perfect coach to get it out of him... this guy could be a steal long term

Allen went lower than expected... he was great value and allows the team to move one safety to ilb if they need to... he was the best tackling safety in the draft too...

The Rb position needed addressed and we got a guy who fell because of straight line speed... not skill or ability and he is multifaceted...

We took a ton of versatility and potential... its not a great immediate home run type of draft but it may be key in the transition period we are almost at....
 
slashsteel said:
Well really two times, but two times in the draft too. That is four bodies that can combine to upgrade a soft aged broke-down unit.
Click to expand...

We also signed the Safety from the Giants. That was the 3rd.
 
Spike said:
So they had a chance to move up to take their 1st rd target in LB Evans but never pulled the trigger, good to know
Click to expand...

It's not like shooting a gun with a loaded chamber. The other team has to accept your offer, and it looks like a bunch of teams took better offers, or wanted to pick where they were.
 
It doesn't matter anyway - last year was our year -creampuff schedule and Ben, Bell, AB and O-line injury free all year.

This year we might get to 8-8, hope for 9-7 to win division.

We will likely lose to Pats, Saints, Jags, Atlanta, Tampa and maybe KC and Chargers too.
 
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