kernowboy
03-05-2008, 04:12 AM
This is how I’d like to see the opening day roster, with speculated signings and draft pics - obviously all my own preferences.
Could this roster - assuming we have some but fewer injuries than last year, take us deep into the playoffs?
I know it is early but it is always interesting to speculate. I have put rational behind my decisions.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
I have included the remaining Free Agency signings I would like to see, plus the draft picks including the speculated compensatory picks marked with a *<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
QB Edwards, Harrington, BPA (R7*)<o:p></o:p>
WR Evans, Reed, Parrish (KR/PR)<o:p></o:p>
WR B Johnson, Adarius Bowman (R3), Keith Brown (R7)<o:p></o:p>
TE Royal, Troupe, John Carlson (R4)<o:p></o:p>
LT Peters, Pearson<o:p></o:p>
LG Dockery<o:p></o:p>
C Fowler, Miller (R6)<o:p></o:p>
RG <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Butler</st1:place></st1:City>, Barton (R5)<o:p></o:p>
RT Walker, Estes<o:p></o:p>
RB Lynch, Jackson, Wright<o:p></o:p>
FB Kreider, Schouman<o:p></o:p>
K Liandell<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
RE Schobel, Jeremy Thompson (R4*), Andrew Studebaker (R7)<o:p></o:p>
DT McCargo, S Johnson<o:p></o:p>
DT Stroud, Dre Moore (R2)<o:p></o:p>
LE Kelsay, Denney<o:p></o:p>
SLB Crowell, Lehman<o:p></o:p>
MLB Posluzny, DiGiorgio<o:p></o:p>
WLB Mitchell, Ellison<o:p></o:p>
RCB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie (R1), Youboty, Zemaitis <o:p></o:p>
LCB McGee, Greer<o:p></o:p>
FS Simpson, Wendling<o:p></o:p>
SS Whitner, Scott <o:p></o:p>
LS <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Warren</st1:place></st1:City> <o:p></o:p>
P Moorman<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
QB: Assuming the trade of Losman, we need a QB who can step up. Harrington has been a bust but has had an unfair rap. Phil Simms and Dan Marino have said he can be a good QB if given the tools and an OL which won’t get him killed, whilst the situations he has faced in <st1:City w:st="on">Detroit</st1:City>, <st1:City w:st="on">Miami</st1:City> and <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Atlanta</st1:place></st1:City> have been a joke. He’s young enough to push Edwards and step in if necessary under the right circumstances. Draft a 3<SUP>rd</SUP> stringer<o:p></o:p>
WR: Sign Bryant Johnson, draft Bowman and also Keith Brown, both of whom have height and can bring some physicality to our receiving corps<o:p></o:p>
TE: Signing Ben Troupe and drafting John Carlson, who now looks like he might be available in Round 4 will be a revolution here.<o:p></o:p>
OL: We need proper depth at LT, so I’d sign former Jags started Mike Pearson who will be cheap, is a true LT, and is only 27. I’d pick up Drew Miller who can play C/G in the draft as he’s intelligent and one of the bigger players here, plus Kirk Barton who brings leadership. Unfortunately most of the Centers in the draft are small.<o:p></o:p>
RB: Is set but bring in veteran Dan Kreider to smash holes for Lynch and have Schouman learn under him<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
DE: Using our supplementary pick I would draft Jeremy Thompson, who really stepped up in his senior year, plus Andrew Studebaker who is a very small school bet, who could be interesting. Before you flame remember Jared Allen was the 126<SUP>th</SUP> pick in 2004.<o:p></o:p>
DT: Having grabbed Johnson and Stroud, I’d make one final move. With the injury history of our starters, I’d draft Dre Moore and look to trade or cut Kyle Williams. <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moore</st1:place></st1:City> brings more size, more speed and more athleticism and could also play LE in emergency. Starting with Williams if Stroud got injured is not an option<o:p></o:p>
LB: Mitchell is in place, but I’d like to bring in Teddy Lehman on a 1year deal. With the injury history of Crowell and Posluzny, we could be starting our backups with no-one left. Lehman has started and played very well before injury, can cover SLB and is a STeamer. If he really steps up and we decide not to resign injury prone Angelo to big money, at least this position won’t be desperate.<o:p></o:p>
DB: Draft DRC in R1. I’d also bring in Alan Zemaitis. Cut by the Bucs at the last moment having suffered injuries in his rookie season, the former 4<SUP>th</SUP> rounder has the size (6ft2) and the intelligence to be decent depth in the Cover2. At Safety, I want to see Wendling moved to his college position of FS to push Ko and bring size (6ft1, 219lbs), and have Bryan Scott resigned as decent depth and size behind Whitner <o:p></o:p>
ST: Sign a proper LS. Greg Warren is a RFA, the Steelers already have another LS under contract. No more bad snaps for Moorman please<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Flame away
Could this roster - assuming we have some but fewer injuries than last year, take us deep into the playoffs?
I know it is early but it is always interesting to speculate. I have put rational behind my decisions.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
I have included the remaining Free Agency signings I would like to see, plus the draft picks including the speculated compensatory picks marked with a *<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
QB Edwards, Harrington, BPA (R7*)<o:p></o:p>
WR Evans, Reed, Parrish (KR/PR)<o:p></o:p>
WR B Johnson, Adarius Bowman (R3), Keith Brown (R7)<o:p></o:p>
TE Royal, Troupe, John Carlson (R4)<o:p></o:p>
LT Peters, Pearson<o:p></o:p>
LG Dockery<o:p></o:p>
C Fowler, Miller (R6)<o:p></o:p>
RG <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Butler</st1:place></st1:City>, Barton (R5)<o:p></o:p>
RT Walker, Estes<o:p></o:p>
RB Lynch, Jackson, Wright<o:p></o:p>
FB Kreider, Schouman<o:p></o:p>
K Liandell<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
RE Schobel, Jeremy Thompson (R4*), Andrew Studebaker (R7)<o:p></o:p>
DT McCargo, S Johnson<o:p></o:p>
DT Stroud, Dre Moore (R2)<o:p></o:p>
LE Kelsay, Denney<o:p></o:p>
SLB Crowell, Lehman<o:p></o:p>
MLB Posluzny, DiGiorgio<o:p></o:p>
WLB Mitchell, Ellison<o:p></o:p>
RCB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie (R1), Youboty, Zemaitis <o:p></o:p>
LCB McGee, Greer<o:p></o:p>
FS Simpson, Wendling<o:p></o:p>
SS Whitner, Scott <o:p></o:p>
LS <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Warren</st1:place></st1:City> <o:p></o:p>
P Moorman<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
QB: Assuming the trade of Losman, we need a QB who can step up. Harrington has been a bust but has had an unfair rap. Phil Simms and Dan Marino have said he can be a good QB if given the tools and an OL which won’t get him killed, whilst the situations he has faced in <st1:City w:st="on">Detroit</st1:City>, <st1:City w:st="on">Miami</st1:City> and <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Atlanta</st1:place></st1:City> have been a joke. He’s young enough to push Edwards and step in if necessary under the right circumstances. Draft a 3<SUP>rd</SUP> stringer<o:p></o:p>
WR: Sign Bryant Johnson, draft Bowman and also Keith Brown, both of whom have height and can bring some physicality to our receiving corps<o:p></o:p>
TE: Signing Ben Troupe and drafting John Carlson, who now looks like he might be available in Round 4 will be a revolution here.<o:p></o:p>
OL: We need proper depth at LT, so I’d sign former Jags started Mike Pearson who will be cheap, is a true LT, and is only 27. I’d pick up Drew Miller who can play C/G in the draft as he’s intelligent and one of the bigger players here, plus Kirk Barton who brings leadership. Unfortunately most of the Centers in the draft are small.<o:p></o:p>
RB: Is set but bring in veteran Dan Kreider to smash holes for Lynch and have Schouman learn under him<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
DE: Using our supplementary pick I would draft Jeremy Thompson, who really stepped up in his senior year, plus Andrew Studebaker who is a very small school bet, who could be interesting. Before you flame remember Jared Allen was the 126<SUP>th</SUP> pick in 2004.<o:p></o:p>
DT: Having grabbed Johnson and Stroud, I’d make one final move. With the injury history of our starters, I’d draft Dre Moore and look to trade or cut Kyle Williams. <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moore</st1:place></st1:City> brings more size, more speed and more athleticism and could also play LE in emergency. Starting with Williams if Stroud got injured is not an option<o:p></o:p>
LB: Mitchell is in place, but I’d like to bring in Teddy Lehman on a 1year deal. With the injury history of Crowell and Posluzny, we could be starting our backups with no-one left. Lehman has started and played very well before injury, can cover SLB and is a STeamer. If he really steps up and we decide not to resign injury prone Angelo to big money, at least this position won’t be desperate.<o:p></o:p>
DB: Draft DRC in R1. I’d also bring in Alan Zemaitis. Cut by the Bucs at the last moment having suffered injuries in his rookie season, the former 4<SUP>th</SUP> rounder has the size (6ft2) and the intelligence to be decent depth in the Cover2. At Safety, I want to see Wendling moved to his college position of FS to push Ko and bring size (6ft1, 219lbs), and have Bryan Scott resigned as decent depth and size behind Whitner <o:p></o:p>
ST: Sign a proper LS. Greg Warren is a RFA, the Steelers already have another LS under contract. No more bad snaps for Moorman please<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Flame away