Did yinz know the Steelers tried to trade up twice last year for a corner?

[slashsteel]

Bob Labriola answers a fans queston

JEFF BUSCH FROM FAIRFAX, VA:
In several 2015 mock drafts, it appeared the Steelers were one of the only teams eyeing a first-round cornerback and that Marcus Peters was going to be their guy. Three cornerbacks in the first 18 picks later, the Steelers had to look elsewhere. Is it time for the Steelers to move up in the draft to grab a top cornerback?

ANSWER: It amuses me when fans write, “Is it time for the Steelers to move up,” in a draft as if it’s their choice alone. When it comes to making a trade, it takes at least two to tango. In fact, in last year’s draft, the Steelers were trying to trade up in the first round to pick a cornerback, but the player they had targeted was Trae Waynes of Michigan State, but the Minnesota Vikings picked him before the Steelers could find a trading partner. Then in the second round, the Steelers also were trying to trade up for a cornerback, and this time their target was Jalen Collins of LSU. A deal couldn’t be worked out in that situation, either. Just because it didn’t happen, don’t think the Steelers weren’t interested in trying to make it happen.

I didn't remember or didn't know both Waynes and Collins were targeted........


I know personally sometimes I am like why didn't they trade up for this and that player.... So at least we know they did target a weakness and go after it............

 

[obxsteeler]

Sometimes people forget it takes 2 to trade. And sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make.

 

[Troglodyte]

I always laugh when people argue "they should have traded up/down" like a dance partner is a God-given right.

EDIT: Should have read entire article, I just repeated the guy.

 

[madinsomniac]

Yes, its like signing a free agent... people always say "we should have signed so and so, but there are plenty of times that person simply doesnt want to play for a certain team or live in a certain place. outside of drafting you dont really have much control, and even there a player has an out if they dont mind sitting a year

 

[DBS1970]

I was unaware of it.

 

[ianv2012]

Just goes to show how many fans think the NFL works like it does in Madden.

 

[nitsuj1225]

I can understand the Peters and Waynes situations since they were picked before the Steelers had a chance to take them but Jalen Collins is no excuse. They passed on him once and then "couldn't trade up" to get him in the 2nd. If he was coveted and at a position of a huge need, why not take him with the first pick and take the trading out the equation if trading is so hit or miss? Must be because Mel Kiper would call it a reach so we can't take him there. And the way I see it is if the guy you like most likely won't be there with your next pick, taking him the round before to ensure you get him is not a reach.

Granted Bud fell so he was most likely higher on the draft board than Jalen so I can't fault the Steelers for taking BPA round 1. But to blame not being able to take Jalen solely on not being able to trade is ignorant when he was passed on in round 1 and taken only 10 picks into the 2nd. The guy had a late 1st/early 2nd grade. It's not like he was picked only 1 or 2 spots before our pick in the 2nd.

 

[nitsuj1225]

Yes, its like signing a free agent... people always say "we should have signed so and so, but there are plenty of times that person simply doesnt want to play for a certain team or live in a certain place. outside of drafting you dont really have much control, and even there a player has an out if they dont mind sitting a year

i.e. Keenan Allen yet fans still want to blame the FO for not bringing him back

 

[Max Power]

Trae Waynes played mostly special teams for the Vikings. They're breaking him in slow on the Corner. Would have had same learning curve if Steelers would have picked him. Also it would have meant no Bud Dupree.

 

[Litos]

I can understand the Peters and Waynes situations since they were picked before the Steelers had a chance to take them but Jalen Collins is no excuse. They passed on him once and then "couldn't trade up" to get him in the 2nd. If he was coveted and at a position of a huge need, why not take him with the first pick and take the trading out the equation if trading is so hit or miss? Must be because Mel Kiper would call it a reach so we can't take him there. And the way I see it is if the guy you like most likely won't be there with your next pick, taking him the round before to ensure you get him is not a reach.

Granted Bud fell so he was most likely higher on the draft board than Jalen so I can't fault the Steelers for taking BPA round 1. But to blame not being able to take Jalen solely on not being able to trade is ignorant when he was passed on in round 1 and taken only 10 picks into the 2nd. The guy had a late 1st/early 2nd grade. It's not like he was picked only 1 or 2 spots before our pick in the 2nd.

disagree, Bud was the better talent so it would have been a mistake to take Collins and the stats show it as he barely saw the field, no passes deflected, no interceptions.
If you take this as your premise (that Bud is better than Jallen) then the only way to draft jallen was via trade, they tried, couldn't happen, can't blame them

 

[Coach]

I wanted to trade up to get Peters. Wish we did. 2016 could be replay.

 

[nitsuj1225]

disagree, Bud was the better talent so it would have been a mistake to take Collins and the stats show it as he barely saw the field, no passes deflected, no interceptions.
If you take this as your premise (that Bud is better than Jallen) then the only way to draft jallen was via trade, they tried, couldn't happen, can't blame them

I don't disagree with you. If strictly going BPA, you are correct.

There does come a point in time where position does matter though and I think it's getting to that point where "reaching" on a 1st round CB is not something anyone would complain about if the guy wouldn't be there at 2.25. I'm not saying Jalen was the answer, I'm just bringing him up on the fact the Steelers obviously targeted him for some reason based on the article posted. If we're willing to take Golson in the 2nd last year when he had a 3rd/4th round grade, it's not inconceivable to take a corner round 1 who has a late 1st/early 2nd grade and take trying to find a trade partner out of the equation.

With that said, I don't buy the "it's almost impossible to trade" argument. There were 7 trades last year in the 2nd round alone involving 14 teams. To say it's tough to find a trading partner is a little naive considering almost half the teams in the league traded a 2nd round pick last year.

 

[FordFairLane]

I heard about them trying to trade up for Jalen Collins in the second but the Panthers offered a better deal to the Rams so they moved up for Funchess. If you look at Collins and his 17 tackles I don't think he would have been a difference maker last year for us but would have played more than Golson.

 

[ark steel]

Bob Labriola answers a fans queston




I didn't remember or didn't know both Waynes and Collins were targeted........


I know personally sometimes I am like why didn't they trade up for this and that player.... So at least we know they did target a weakness and go after it............

NO NO NO!!!1 They don't know what they are doing and refused to trade up due to arrogance on Tombert's part.

Trae Waynes is who I wanted. Don't know how he did last year, though.

 

[Drink IRON City]

You see, the STEELERS know much more about their needs than we do. We here can second guess all day long but, until we have something at stake, would we be so generous as some here seem to think we need to be. HIND SIGHT IS 20/20, fore sight is blurry at best when it comes to the draft.




Salute the nation

 

[ZACKB]

They also loved the corner the Browns took 2 years ago, and he stinks....

 

[Litos]

I don't disagree with you. If strictly going BPA, you are correct.

There does come a point in time where position does matter though and I think it's getting to that point where "reaching" on a 1st round CB is not something anyone would complain about if the guy wouldn't be there at 2.25. I'm not saying Jalen was the answer, I'm just bringing him up on the fact the Steelers obviously targeted him for some reason based on the article posted. If we're willing to take Golson in the 2nd last year when he had a 3rd/4th round grade, it's not inconceivable to take a corner round 1 who has a late 1st/early 2nd grade and take trying to find a trade partner out of the equation.

With that said, I don't buy the "it's almost impossible to trade" argument. There were 7 trades last year in the 2nd round alone involving 14 teams. To say it's tough to find a trading partner is a little naive considering almost half the teams in the league traded a 2nd round pick last year.

I would support going for need if the difference in talent is small but when there is a real difference no way. I think the Steelers rather gamble later but the first round must be a solid pick

 

[Max Power]

NO NO NO!!!1 They don't know what they are doing and refused to trade up due to arrogance on Tombert's part.

Trae Waynes is who I wanted. Don't know how he did last year, though.

See Post #9 above.

 

[SteelerAl]

I think they were much more serious about trading up in the 2nd round than the 1st round. I really would like to see them take a CB in the first round this year, but it does scare the hell out of me because it seems like CB (at least in recent years) is a more bust-prone position than others. It just seems like a CB taken in round 3 or 4 has as good a chance to make an early impact as a guy taken in the mid-to-late first.

We really need Bud Dupree to make a huge leap in year 2.

 

[wig]

Just goes to show how many fans think the NFL works like it does in Madden.

Don't know about the console versions but the PC versions always had a bug. If you were winning and offered a draft pick for a trade EVERYONE would trade with you no matter how badly they were doing. So what you wanted to do was put together a package offering your 1st for somebody else's 1st and say, 5th or 6th. Then look at week 6 for the team with a 0-6 record. Trade with them. Chances were pretty good you'd win the Superbowl that season AND have the #1 pick in the draft.

If you did that with ALL your picks you could pretty much have the top picks in every round. Helluva way to restock your team.

I think by Madden 08 or 09 they caught on a little bit and the absolutely 'Worst' team in the league wouldn't trade with you unless you identified them early before week 4 or so.

 

[Supersteeler]

They also loved the corner the Browns took 2 years ago, and he stinks....

So did everyone else. Drafniks were slobbering all over him leading up to the draft and he was considered a "no brainer" pick at that point. Just one of the many examples of drafting not being an exact science.

 

[SteelerAl]

Randy Gregory of the Cowboys has been suspended for four games for violating the substance abuse policy. A few people on this board had aneurysms when we passed him up in the draft last year.

 

[SteelerFan448]

We really need Bud Dupree to make a huge leap in year 2.

He's the most important young player on the roster. The Steelers didn't get a pass rusher when they took Jarvis Jones, so they really need Dupree to develop into a monster and soon.

 

[Steelz]

I knew they were trying to trade up for a early 2nd round pick but I thought they were after the safety the Giants traded up for, Landon Collins. Surprised they wanted a corner there.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Can't fault them taking Dupree even if Peters had fallen to them. I loved Peters and wanted him as the pick but pass rush was and still is a bigger need. Pass rush is the most important part of any defense. If you don't have a pass rush, it's like having a bad QB. You can try to mask it with schemes but eventually you'll get exposed.

What i don't like about that blurb is hearing that the steelers did want a CB bad enough to trade up and then a bunch got drafted and they took Senquez. I hope that doesn't make Senquez the new Troy Edwards.

I get it that it takes 2 to trade but you also have to give to get. I don't want the steelers pissing away picks but they can't be tightwads either if they see a player they really like and need. The Eagles traded up in RD 2 and grabbed a CB. They moved up 5 spots and it cost them two 5th round picks.

Carolina was 1 pick behind the steelers in Rd 2 last year. They moved up to 1 pick ahead of where the Falcons took Jalen Collins. It cost them their 3rd and 6th rounder. So for the steelers, that would have cost them Sammie Coates and Leterius Walton.

I get it that they saw WR as a need and had Coates highly rated but if they had a 1st round grade on Jalen Collins, then they should have tried harder to move up for him.