Ah yes, El Mock Magnifico is finally here, with 2 weeks to go til the draft. One messican’s attempt to foretell the events to unfold in the upcoming 2012 draft. Much consultation with the Aztec God’s took place. I also tried hitting up the Mayan Gods, but they seem to be gearing up for some big event in November.

El mock as always represents a realistic view as to who will be available when the Steelers make their pick, using the help of sites such as CBS sportsline, ESPN, and Walter Football. Sure I could pick DeCastro in the 1st and Bobby Wagner in the 2nd, but come on now. A high emphasis is placed on individuals who represent the Steeler tradition (smart, tough-minded, hard-nosed, high effort characteristics). No trades are taken into account.

So without further pomp and circumcision, I give you El Mock Magnifico….

1st Round – Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia, 6’-6", 345 lbs

Someone is gonna fall to us. There will be a run on one of the premium positions, maybe QB’s, maybe CB’s. Gone are DeCastro, Kuechly, Barron (would pick him if he were here), Stephen Gilmore (him too), J. Martin (someone will snatch him), and Poe. Available still are Cordy Glenn, Hightower, Mike Adams, and a few of the other projected late round DT’s.

There would be little argument that with those players, we’d take Glenn. The real argument is whether he would really be there at #24. I think so. I believe, even though he could possibly play OT, most teams that would eye him in the 1st, would project him to OG, rather than OT. The OG position is typically not highly sought in the 1st round, and this year the position is pretty deep. Again, someone will fall, and a projected OG is the best candidate for this. And it’s not that far of a fall for Glenn, who most mocks have going at about #20. Glenn’s size, athleticism, and the all important "position flexibility" make him too good to pass up.

Really skeptical about Hightower being drafted as high as #24. Although his size and leadership are intriguing, he still moves like a 265 pounder, and his 3-cone and shuttle times were atrocious. Scouts say he seems to play zone coverage very well, but would be a huge liability in any man coverage. I just think at #24, he’s got too many minuses.

Really love me some Kevin Zeitler. But dammit, at #24 he’s just too much of a reach. A shame because he would make the PERFECT Steeler. I think I’d take him over Hightower.

2nd Round – Josh Chapman, NT, Alabama, 6’-1", 316 lbs

Gone are Bobby Wagner (would love to snag this guy), Zeitler, and Amini Silatolu. Available are Chapman, Alameda Taamu, Jared Crick, and Trumaine Johnson (I had a hard time passing up a guy who’s mother’s named Lynn Stallworth). Many will say this is far too early to draft Josh Chapman. Not me. He won’t be there in the 3rd. No worries, take him in the 2nd and don’t look back. I consider taking Chapman in the 2nd a fine example of the Steelers getting an excellent injury bargain.

Chapman is the perfect fit for a Steeler NT: Stoudt at the point of tact, cock-strong, and physical. His torn ACL is the only reason he’s projected as a 3rd rounder, otherwise there would be talk of us taking him at #24. The fact that this guy played through the season with a torn ACL is a testament to the guy’s mental toughness and dedication to his team. Hell, the injury was a blessing in disguise to us. It showcased his toughness and allowed him to fall to us in the 2nd.

With Casey recovering from a torn ACL, why on earth would we draft another NT with similar injury? Such thinking is short-sided foolishness. Chapman will anchor our defense for the next decade. I like him much more than Alameda Taamu and 5 years from now there will be no question we made the right choice.

3rd Round – Markelle Martin, FS, Oklahoma St., 6’-1", 207 lbs.

Almost made the 1000 pounds in the 1st 3 rounds, but I found this safety too good to pass up. Would have liked Mychal Kendricks ILB, but he is gone. Markelle Martin however, is yet another injury bargain for the Steelers. A right knee injury has kept him from performing at the combine or pro-days and he is flying way under the radar. Martin is a smart, big hitting safety who can cover. He excelled in big games, and won Player of the Game in the 2010 Alamo Bowl.

4th Round – James Michael-Johnson, ILB, Nevada, 6’-1", 241 lbs.

This guy is a tough, aggressive football player with good size and athleticism and is a vocal leader. He’s good value in the 4th and would have the potential to take over Farrior’s role as the future captain of the defense.

5th Round – Marvin McNutt, WR, Iowa, 6’-3", 216 lbs

McNutt has excellent size and hands to be a nice possession receiver and possibly the endzone threat we’ve needed for oh so long.

6th Round 193– Nate Potter, OT, Boise St., 6’-6", 303 lbs

A project OT. Could turn into something with some strength conditioning.

7th Round – Akiem Hicks, DT, Regina (Canada), 6-5", 318 lbs.

An incredibly gifted but raw DE that the Steelers can hopefully develop into a solid player.

These my friends are the young men who will be chosen to continue the legacy and traditions of the Black and Gold. The Aztec Gods cannot be any clearer on this.

Messican’s 2012 El Mock Magnifico is still a month away, but here’s a very interesting prospect for the Black and Gold.

Trumaine Johnson, CB, Montana

Combine Measurables

• 6’-2", 204 lbs.

• 4.50 time in 40 yard dash.

• 33.25" long arms.

According to NFLDraftScout.com, "Tru's physical attributes make him a likely pick in the top half of the 2011 draft as a press or zone corner in the Ike Taylor mold." Except, he is a former WR with strong hands. He is a big WR, with good speed, excels in OFF coverage, and is strong in run support, i.e. the PERFECT Steeler CB. And here is the most freakiest thing about this guy….

His mothers name is LYNN STALLWORTH!!!!

He is projected to go in the 2nd round, right about where the Steelers pick at #56. Even though he does NOT fit the "Thousand Pounds in the 1st 3 Rounds" strategy, and we seem to be set at corner, there can be no denying the signs. The football Gods cannot be any clearer on this!

Since there seems to be a high interest in MOCK drafts (really, what else is there to talk about during this time of the season), I thought I would put together a post to show the results of some of the well known MOCK drafts.  Its fun reading the experts mock, but really whose input should we put the most faith into?  Do the so-called experts (Kiper, Mayock, McShay) really know what they're talking about? 

We read these mocks because we generally would like to have an idea on who's going where and who the Steelers realistically have a chance to get. 

That being said, how do you go about grading a MOCK draft?  My system gives a score that for EACH pick, calculates the difference (absolute value) from where the author predicted the player to be drafted and where he ACTUALLY was drafted.  I sum up the differences, and the lower the score, the better the mock draft grade.  I also looked at a couple of other stats:  Quantity of players that were correctly picked to go at the EXACT draft spot, Quantity of players correctly predicted to go in the 1st round, etc.

The MOCK drafts I analyzed were the guys from ESPN, NFL Network, CBS Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, Scout.com, Ed Bouchette, and National Football Post.  I also included Big Jay, because I always think he's as good as these experts and wanted to compare.  Seton Hall's is included as well.  That guy has done a ton of research, but he's a 17 year old kid, and it would be interesting to see how his work stacked up with the experts too.  The BTSC Community MOCK is in too.

For this experiment, I also included in MOCK draft of a clueless IDIOT.  Someone who doesnt watch game film or even college football for that matter, but reads a lot of draft websites.  I will myself play the part of the IDIOT (I know, I know, not a stretch for me).  But it's to see if a dolt can do just as good a job picking as the experts.  And besides, the only reason I did a mock, was to enter the BUD LIGHT contest.

Some guys did only 1 round, some did 2 or 3.  Only Todd McShay, Big Jay, and Seton did a full 7 round mock.  A few minor adjustments.  Seton's mock only had 250 picks (instead of 254), so for the full draft analysis I used 250.  He also skipped 159.  If an author picked a guy that didnt get drafted, I treated it as if the player got picked at 255.  Big Jay picked Demarco Murray twice, so I adjusted for that.  So without further ado, here are the RESULTS. 

BEST FIRST ROUND SCORE.

 

1	Don Banks	-141
2	Todd McShay	-147
3	Mel Kiper	-165
4	Ed Bouchette	-169
5	Chad Reuter	-180
6	Brian Baldinger	-181
7	Mike Mayock	-181
8	John Crist	-184
9	Chris Steuber	-190
10	Big Jay	-191
11	Rob Rang	-192
12	Na.l Football Post	-193
13	Bucky Brooks	-213
14	Steve Wyche	-225
15	Charles Davis	-240
16	Steelermessican	-252
17	Pat Kirwan	-255
18	Seton Hall	-294
19	BTSC Community	-365

 

HIGHEST NUMBER OF FIRST ROUND PICKS AT THE EXACT POSTION

 

Continue reading this post »

In keeping with the spirit of Steelchamps "Predict the Score" posts, this one asks readers to predict the Steelers draft.   Pick 1 player that the Steelers will draft for each of the 7 rounds.  The points will be as follows:

1.  Having your player get drafted, regardless of which round.  If you predicted he would get drafted in the following round, you get these points.

      Round 1     11pts

      Round 2     12pts

      Round 3     13 pts

      Round 4     14 pts

      Round 5     15 pts

      Round 6     16 pts

      Round 7     17 pts

2.  Bonus pts for if the players gets drafted in the exact round you predicted.

      Round 1         1pt

      Round 2,3      2pts

      Rounds 4-7   3pts


The scoring is weighted to show that it is harder to pick the later rounds than it is to pick the earlier rounds.  For example, if I correctly predicted Steelers to draft Watkins in the 1st, I get 11 pts + 1 bonus pt = 12pts.  If I predicted Steelers to draft Zac Lee in the 7th, and Steelers draft him in the 6th, then I get 17 pts, but no bonus points. 

Now if some are convinced that the Steelers will trade down in the 1st, then they are free to show no 1st round picks, and 2 second round picks.  You can show your picks going in any of the rounds, just as long as the # of picks =  7 (to keep a level playing field).  By predicting TWO picks in the 2nd round, you actually have higher possible points to score, and this seems fair as it rewards you if you are going out on a limb and predicting a trade.

GRAND PRIZE:  The winner is allowed to change his user name to SteelerMelKiperJr

Messican's entry is from El Mock Magnifico

1.  Danny Watkins

2.  Bernard Burton

3.  Lawrence Guy

4.  Austin Pettis

5.  Chris Culliver

6.  Mario Harvey

7.  Zac Lee

Good Luck!!

Ah yes, El Mock Magnifico is finally here, with 2 weeks to go til the draft. One messican’s attempt to foretell the events to unfold in the upcoming 2011 draft.  Much consultation with the Aztec God’s took place (as well as from the gut). And even though my last year's mock did not hit on any of the draft picks, this year's version will be different.

El mock as always represents a realistic view as to who will be available when the Steelers make their pick, using the help of sites such as CBS sportsline and ESPN. Sure I could pick Pouncey in the 1st and Dowling in the 2nd, but come on now. A high emphasis is placed on individuals who represent the Steeler tradition (smart, tough-minded, hard-nosed, high effort characteristics). No trades are taken into account.

 

So without further pomp and circumcision, I give you El Mock Magnifico….

 

1st Round – Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor, 6’-3", 310 lbs

 

 

via www.nfldraft101.com

I can already hear the boos and roar in Steeler nation. It’s as if the Eagles had selected Donovan McNabb all over again. But before you say "Damn messican, what you smoking?", hear me out. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY, thing I hear people saying negative about Danny boy is his age. (He’s 26 and turns 27 in November). So he’s 4 years older than the average senior coming out? We’ll talk later about this, but first his UPSIDE.

 

Watkins will simply be the smartest pick available at #31. Gone are Jimmy Smith, Derek Sherrod, Nate Solder, and Muhammad Wilkerson. Available still are Aaron Williams, Cameron Heyward, and Martez Wilson. Williams is 2nd on my list and I think he MIGHT become a good FS for the Steelers. But he’s a PROJECTION at safety. And when would he start contributing? Year 2, 3? In the end, I found Watkins too good to pass up.

 

Watkins has ALL the Steeler attributes we look for and brings a unique athleticism to the position. He did not play high school football, he played hockey and rugby in Canada. Instead of college he spent 4 years as a fire fighter, where he lost his 2 front teeth. (No front teeth?! Remember the last guy we drafted with no front teeth?) He’s been playing football for only 4 years, but yet mastered the LT position at Baylor (that means he’s a quick learner). Tough, physical, strong, high effort, uniquely athletic, and described as "gregarious", this guy will be a starter at RG from DAY 1 and will pay immediate dividends. Has a lot of position flexibility that Tomlin loves and could play either guard position or RT. His athleticism gives Kruger and Arians all kinds of options. Watkins, Pouncey, and Kemo would make for one FORMIDABLE interior line. Just look at the guy, how can you say he’s not ALL Steeler?

 

So he’s 26. That just means the POSSIBILITY of him playing 12 years for us is reduced to say 8. I say possibility, because it is NOT a given that young rookies will eventually play 12 years with us. They may end up leaving after his rookie contract in search of bigger payday, like Burress or Santonio (he was leaving if he didn’t get traded anyway). Others get their career cut short by injury (Kendall Simmons).

 

More importantly, this guy starts NOW (just how Rooney mandated several years ago from his rookies) and contributes to the team while Ben is still in his PRIME. We have a super bowl championship window over these next 5-6 years, and Watkins gives us the best chance to bring home the Lombardi.

 

One minor upside for the Steelers on the age issue is that the Steelers avoid the monster 2nd contract. After Watkins’ rookie contract, he will be +30 and won’t be in as good a bargaining position. Sure I’d like it better if he was 22, but that is why he falls to us at #31. Steelers would never draft a guy his age in the 1st round? Just because they haven’t’ in the past, doesn’t mean they won’t. It was also said several years back that a 6th seed never has won the Super Bowl.  Click here for a good argument if Danny is too old for us to draft. 

 

A lot of mocks show Watkins going in the 1st round, so this messican is not totally loco here. My biggest fear is that New England snatches him up before us, as they know the value of tough, smart, disciplined guys.

 

2nd Round – Brandon Burton, CB, Utah, 6’-0", 190 lbs

 

via ogdraft.files.wordpress.com

Gone are CB’s A. Williams, Curtis Brown, Harris, House, the all popular Dowling, and FS Rahim Moore. Burton would be a solid fit with the Steelers as his good size, speed, and feet would improve the coverage problems in the secondary. He’s the son of an engineer and doctor. He’s smart and was a vocal leader on his team. He’s got some technique issues and was not as productive as he should be, but the hope is that with proper coaching he should be a solid contributor in his sophomore season.   I think he'll be a great fit in our zone blitz scheme.  Maybe he’s smart enough to learn LeBeau’s system quickly to contribute as a rookie.

 

Steelers have shown an interest in Burton, as they met with him at the combine. I'm worried too that the damn Patsies snag him before we do, as he also fits their profile.

 

3rd Round – Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona St., 6’-4", 305 lbs.

 

 

via media.scout.com

Has excellent size and toughness. He’s got a lot of physical tools, but is still technically raw. A guy with a lot of upside, but like most D-lineman we draft, NOT a starter from day 1. He’ll need a lot of work, but with Smith, Keisel, and Ziggy in front of him, we have time. Could turn out to be special in a few years, a guy who could do some damage in the trenches. Has been diagnosed with dyslexia, ADD, and maturity issues, but he’s comes a long way to improve on those areas. With the depth of DL’s in this draft, Guy should be there at the bottom of the 3rd and well worth the pick.

 

4th Round – Austin Pettis, WR, Boise St., 6’-3", 205 lbs.

 

via media.idahostatesman.com

Dude is a TD machine, catching 39 in college. Uses his big body well, excels in traffic, and has huge strong hands. Will be a red zone demon. Not a burner and needs work on his route running, which is why he falls to us in the 4th. Think of him as the anti-Limas. Hard for him to get open, but the dude will catch everything in sight, especially in traffic. Would help BIGTIME with our red zone issues and fits nicely as a counter to Wallace. Pettis was one of the guys that the Steelers brought in, so there is definitely interest there.

 

5th Round – Chris Culliver, FS, South Carolina, 6’-0", 200 lbs

 

via cache4.asset-cache.net

Really big on this guy as a late round gem. Culliver has good size, good instincts as a safety, and ran a 4.36. He switched to corner last year and did OK. Gives Carnell a lot of tools to work with. If he can mold this guy into shape, with THAT speed, it could be scary. I also like Chris Conte who is a bit more polished, and if he is available here, he should be considered as well, but I think he’s gone by now.

 

6th Round – Mario Harvey, LB, Marshall, 5’-11", 250 lbs

 

via cdn.bleacherreport.net

This aggressive, energetic, play-making linebacker was nicknamed "THUMPER". But what really got everybody’s attention was his 4.46 forty time. The Steelers are supposedly bringing him in for a visit. Just hope he is there this late, as his stock could be skyrocketing.

 

7th Round – Zac Lee, QB, Nebraska,

 

via d3kds9trhs762r.cloudfront.net

This one is my special gift to Momma Rollet. Enjoy.

 

So in summary, this is what El Mock Magnifico gives us.....

1. Stud OL that will start Day 1 and solidify the interior through Ben's prime.

2. Solid corner who may contribute as a rookie and should develop into a starter.

3. Gifted DL who will replace Kiesel in a few years.

4. Red zone target who will get us 6, where we typically settle for 3.

5. An athletic safety with sub 4.4 speed.

6. One thumper of an LB at 250 lbs and 4.4 speed.

7. Stud muffin for Momma.

8. And no DAMN KICKER.  (Sorry but seeing him in every steeler mock drives me loco).

Yes, the Aztec gods have done well. Stay thirsty my friends.

Wexel is reporting that he was informed by a Steelers source that Aaron Smith's injury was a "lucky one" in that it was a combination of a partial tear of the muscle and tendon.  The team is expecting him to return in 8-9 weeks.

This is TREMENDOUS news and means he may be back as soon as game 14.  Smith's play is so crucial to the success of our defense.  We all saw the dropoffs in 2007 and 2009 when he got hurt.  Would not be surprised to see the same this year.  Sure, without him, we'll still be a solid defense, and Troy will make some plays.  But WITH Smith, our defense is at another level.  We are the smotherin, dominant, shutdown, scaryazz D that we've seen this first 6 weeks.

These next 8 weeks for the team will be a lot like the first 4 weeks without Ben.  The defense was so dominant those 4 weeks and had to carry the team.  For these next 8, the offense wont have to quite carry the team, but it will have to shoulder more of the load.   Big Ben is more than capable and ready.   If we can keep rolling just enough to be in playoff position by the time Smith gets back, we will be set to do some serious damage in January.  And the experience that Ziggy gets through those 8 weeks should go a long ways in his development.

Just think, come late December,we will have a fresh Aaron Smith, a seasoned Ziggy, and a battle tested offense.  All set for a DOMINANT January run.  Love our super bowl chances with Smith back.  You should be as Giddy as this messican is.

Okay I realize everyone's probably seen enough mocks already to make them puke. But please, try to swallow one more with the Messican's El Mock Mangifico. One thing about my mock is that it's pretty conservative on who's available when its time for the Steelers to select. I've seen some mocks that are just loaded with guys that just wont be there. It would be nice if we could get Sean Lee in the 4th, but hey it just aint happenin. For El Mock Magnifico I've used the prospect rankings of NFLDraftScout.com and Scout.com as reference points to “guestimate” when someone is available.

 

Another thing about my mock is that I tried to select solid character guys: guys that are smart, have strong work ethics, or have shown good leadership qualities. Contributions to special teams is also a theme in this mock.

 

1st Round - Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State

 

Note: Potential Steeler prospects off the board are DWilliams, McClain, Haden, the 3 OT's, and Earl Thomas.

 

Picking the 1st round was probably the most difficult. Anyone's who's read any of my comments before will know I've argued pretty hard on getting a lineman. I was onboard early with Iupati back in January. I thought getting the most dominant interior lineman in the draft at #18 was the way to go. But even though Iupati is clearly a dominant run blocker, he needs some work on his pass protection, (he got abused by Geno Atkins in the Senior Bowl). And even though he has the potential to develop into an OT, there's a bit too many question marks to consider him at #18.

 

Pouncey is the only other interior lineman to consider in the 1st. . He is well rounded, could start off at guard, and would eventually replace Hartwig. But in the end, I didn't think he had as much value to the Steelers as Kyle.

 

I really like Jared Odrick and the thought of him teaming with Hood for years to come is enticing, but at #18 he is a slight reach, and in THIS draft there is absolutely no reason to be reaching. I really do like this guy, but I'll talk more about this situation in my 2nd round selection.

 

Kyle Wilson eventually trumps all for me because at #18 IMO he presents the most value and helps fill a need position. You can never have too many good CB's in this pass happy league, and we barely have ONE in Ike Taylor. Yes we drafted Burnett and Lewis last year, but they were mid-round guys, who (like William Gay) will be #2 corners at best. Adding Wilson significantly upgrades the CB position and lets Gay, Lewis, and Burnett battle it out for the nickel and dime slots. And remember, Ike is in his final year.

 

What I really like about Kyle is that he is a PLAYMAKER, something we desperately needed from the secondary last year. He is strong in all facets of the position: fast, smooth in the hips, with a great closing burst. He is not the best run support corner available in the draft, but I don't think he's terribly deficient in this area though (Chad Steuber of Scout.com even writes “He's willing to the do the dirty work and will step up in run defense.”) Kyle comes to play in the biggest games and had an excellent Senior Bowl. Yes, he is a bit cocky, but I think we could use a little bit of swagger in the secondary and I trust the veterans to keep that part of his personality in check a bit. The fact that he's one helluva punt returner is just icing on the cake. I just noticed Hi5's post on Kyle before posting. Check it out for further info.

 

The guys is just solid in all areas and some even consider him as good a pick as Haden. At #18, I dont consider him a reach. NFLDraftScout has him ranked at #20 and Scout.com has him at #21, and we all know CB's typically get picked higher. As far as his character, I see him as a guy with a strong work ethic. After an early incident in college, he “re-dedicated” himself and has continually improved all aspects of his game. Warning: if tatoos turn you off, well this might not be your guy.

 

2nd Round – Alex Carrington, DE, Arkansas St.

 

With this draft being so rich in DL talent, I just couldn't see the Steelers passing up a DL in the 1st 3 rounds, not with the age of their starters. Carrington is a perfect fit in the 2nd round. He's a big, strong run-stuffing DE and can hold the line of scrimmage to free up plays to be made by the LB's. He doesn't have the explosion or pass rushing skills I think that Odrick has, but for what the Steelers need him to do, I dont think thats much of an issue. In the end, I just didnt see the Steelers gaining a whole lot by taking Odrick in the 1st, when this guy would be available in the 2nd. I think Wilson-Carrington trumphs Odrick-Burnett selections in the 1st 2 rounds.

 

He's also a smart guy that graduated with a 3.52 GPA. He is a father to a young son, so he's probably pretty mature for his age, and should not be out setting up VIP areas in night clubs. He also played on special teams in college.

 

Thanks to Big Jay for first tipping me off to Carrington..

 

3rd Round – Donald Butler, LB, Washington

 

I'm sure we've seen plenty other mocks that have my first 2 selections in them, but Butler is the one that seperates El Mocko Magnifico from the others. I've been pimpin this guy for months now, and he has slowly been climbing up the charts, especially with a solid Senior Bowl and a killer combine. Kiper now has him as the #3 rated ILB, behind McClain and Daryl Washington. Butler has excellent strength (eye popping 35 reps at the combine), good 4.6 speed, and is great in pass coverage. He has the size, skills, and athleticism IMO to play either the Buck or Mack position, and in college he played all 3 LB positions. Tomlin will LOVE his versatility.

 

With his athleticism, he has special teams STUD written all over him, and he played in 3 special teams units at Washington. He makes big plays in big games. He was voted team captain last year and is considered extremely bright by his coaches. Would love to see this guy in the Black and Gold.

 

4th Round – Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia

 

If there's any choice where there is a question of availability, it is this one. This former TE was considered a 2nd round talent a few months ago, but after displaying extremely bad footwork at the combine, he is now considered to be a 4th round prospect. He improved somewhat on his Pro Day, so his stock may rise slightly. With this pick, the Steelers can get a project that Krugler can hopefully turn into our next starting LT.

 

5th Round – Ted Larsen, C, NC State

 

This guy is another El Mock Magnifico special. I've been touting him pretty good for some time now. He's been slowing moving up the charts and I'm starting to worry a bit about him still being there in the 5th. Kiper has moved him from the #5 center to #3 and for good reason. He's a converted DT and has only been playing C for 2 years. He's got good size (6-3”, 305 lbs), great upper body strength, and will not be bull rushed. He's a high motor guy. I'm convinced he will be a mid-round steal. Getting him here is one reason I'm passing on Pouncey in the 1st.

 

5th Round Compensatory Pick – Myron Rolle, SS, Florida St.

 

This one's for all the Myron lovers out there. I'm really not a big fan of him, but I'm willing to thrown a late 5th round pick on him. I think he'll still be on the board. Could be good on special teams too.

 

El Mock Magnifico goes only 5 rounds deep. Anything past that is really just BPA. Other guys I really liked in the mid rounds, but had to back off of were Montario Hardesty (shy and has a spin move reminds me too much of Mendy), John Jerry (game sounds too much like Urbik), and Torrel Troupe (Hampton signing killed this).

 

Feel free to give some feedback. If you just want to acknowledge agreement you can just shout “ORALE HOMES!”. Or if you think I'm way off you can say “Damn Messican, what you smokin?” Above all, I just hope it makes for entertaining reading.

Just saw on the NFL network that the accuser is refusing to meet with the police.  It also says that the accuser has not spoken to the police since the night of the incident.   Does anyone have any more details on this?

Maybe she was really drunk that night and was why she was screamin "assault", but when she sobered up she wanted to rescind the whole thing, but it was too late.  If this is the case, Big Ben should be looking pretty good, and I'd have to say "HALLELUJAH!"  Make no mistake, I think Ben needs to start growing up and being more responsible, especially at night.  But hopefully, this scares him straight, and gets him on the right path.

I woulda posted this on the existing FanPost about Big Ben that is currently up, but there are about 200 comments on there already, and most of them involve some catfight between 2 girls named Hi5 and swiss.

Read on several sites that the Steelers will tender thier punter Sepulveda the lowest possible offer of 1.176 million.  If another team signs him away, the Steelers get NOTHING in compensation (not even a 4th round pick).

This news is probably a bit of a shock to Steeler fans, but myself personally, I havent felt that he has been a top notch punter in the league, YET.  Maybe its just me, but it always seems he doesnt get enough hang time on his punts and the other teams return guy always has a good 10 yards from anyone when he catches it.  Punts far but not enough hang time.  Did seem pretty good though inside the 20.  With him being a 4th round pick, and going on IR one season, I thought they would have given him more time. 

The Steelers did recently sign another punter to the roster, so maybe they are high on the new guy?

News out late yesterday according to Scout.com.  See attached link

http://pit.scout.com/a.z?s=68&p=9&c=2&cid=950261&nid=4314031&fhn=1

Didnt expect this to happen.  Guess the coaching staff see a logjam and Guard with Essex, Urbik, Foster, and Legursky in the mix.  I think the emergence of Foster at RG, coupled with the fact that maybe they are higher on Legursky at C, has led to Stapleton being the odd man out.  Plus they may have thoughts of picking up an interior OL in the draft.

Franchise him and then if we are fortunate to draft Dan Williams, maybe we can look at offers to trade him?  This is similar to what Pats did with Cassel last year.

Have very little to lose IMO, except making Snack a little angry.  If we can't get Dan Williams or another replacement candidate NT in the draft, then we can look at working out a 3 or 4 year deal with Big Snack, and try to backload it (similar to Farrior's deal).

If we do get Dan Williams, then maybe we can trade Snack for a 2011 3rd rounder.

Any thoughts?