Ed Bouchette's Steelers chat transcript: 4.19.11
Tuesday, 19 April 2011 14:36
Written by Dan Gigler
http://plus.sites.post-gazette.com/i...anscript-41911
Ed Bouchette: Welcome. After a few minutes of wrestling with coveritlive to convince it to let me log in, I made it. Let's begin.
mac: Ed, hearing a lot about Steelers looking to move up in draft cause Ike Taylor is all but gone according to reports once cba is done. CB from Miami or Colorado a possibility.
Ed Bouchette: I'm not hearing the same things you're hearing about Ike Taylor. Steelers aren't looking to move up right now. That won't come until next week. What you may hear is typical chatter because they call every single team before the draft to see if they're interested in any kind of trade. They always do that. I like the kid from Miami and Peter King just made him their pick, perhaps beating me to the punch. Forget the kid from Colorado, they might not even have him on their board.
BOSTON_ACCENT_GUY: Ed: if Steelers do land new brother Pouncey who's starting spot would he replace?
Ed Bouchette: Not much chance of that happening but he would probably go to right guard.
Bruce: Everyone and their brother has mock drafts these days and when it comes to the Steelers there are probably 20-30 names being thrown out as the first round pick. Have you ever seen such differing opinions on the Steeler pick, or is this normal?
Ed Bouchette: Well, with so many people having the Internet at their fingertips and can throw out mock drafts, it's not unlikely that a team drafting at No. 31 is going to have a lot of different names next to it. I'd say stick with the people who know the Steelers best, although chances are good they will get it wrong too.
Drew: Ed, I'm not thrilled with any of the players that I've seen linked to the Steelers at pick 31...how realistic is it that you think they trade pick 31 to a team in the top 10 of the 2nd round that needs a QB...and get an extra pick or two later in the draft?
Ed Bouchette: I don't look for that to happen but I would never rule it out.
Jim from Biglerville: Cornerback looks to be what the majority of the "experts" think they'll take. Who do you like more, Smith Harris or Williams?
Ed Bouchette: I like Harris. He's smaller than the others but here's one thing he can do -- cover the damn receiver. Let's forget about corners who can stop the run and go for one who can stop the pass for a change. Smith, as I said, has some issues and while he has top 15 talent, he won't go there. Williams, to me, is a safety in waiting and if you need a cornerback, why draft a guy who will wind up playing safety?
Pirates Popodopolus: Not too long ago in a slog, you said to disband the Pirates. The Buccos are 8-8. Your precious Red Sox are 5-10. Care to eat some crow with some humble pie for dessert?
Ed Bouchette: Sorry you didn't get my little joke. I wrote that when the Pirates got off to such a good start. Maybe you should head over to that chat, where they will appreciate your outlook a little more.
jmn51: Ed, you recently reported that the Steelers have a genuine interest in defensive back Aaron Williams from Texas. I agree with your opinion that the Steelers should not take a safety in the 1st round. Do the Steelers scouts believe that Williams has the potential to be a starting cornerback in the NFL?
Ed Bouchette: Lot of people are picking Williams for the Steelers and the Steelers may indeed pick him. He just would not be my preference, but they have a good track record in the first round and if they pick him, they obviously HAVE to think he's a potential starter at cornerback initially.
Big Wednesday: Ed, the schedule comes out tonight! I can't wait to find out what MIGHT be. Anyway, have there been any leaks or rumors you can report on? I am particularly interested in when the Steelers are supposed to come to my town Indianapolis.
Ed Bouchette: No. Once again, NFL.com will scoop us all with its own schedule.
Hoges ghost: Ed, I keep reading about how DL is a "huge" need for the steelers. I just don't get it. Kiesel played great last yr. Big Snack played well all season and showed up, well, BIG on the fourth down goal line stop vs the Jets. Yeah, I know Smitty has gotten hurt, but Ziggy began to look the part as last season wore on. Aren't there much greater needs to be addressed in Rd 1?
Ed Bouchette: Not if you're looking down the road 2-3 years.
Jim from Biglerville: Why not have Smith from Colorado on their board?? He's 6'2'' and can run a 4.4, that kind of physicality is exactly what the steelers look for.
Ed Bouchette: He looks great on the field. Go do your homework on him otherwise.
tallslowguy: Ed, we've heard so little about potential draftees' visits to the Steelers. Will they visit with the allotted 30 athletes? Also, why the secrecy?
Ed Bouchette: Steelers football people love their secrecy -- keeping stuff from you, the fans. Every team knows what every other team is bringing in for visits. The Steelers know this. They prefer to keep it secret, something that has developed lately. I have no idea what purpose this serves other than to deny their fans a chance to follow them. Maybe it's so they don't what you to know they want to draft the next Limas Sweed.
Army01: Will Dan Rooney insert himself in the collective bargaining process to get things moving?
Ed Bouchette: As I've said before, I don't see that happening. Dan's doing other things, you might have heard, and does not know the other side the way he did when he was dealing with the late Gene Upshaw. Plus, son Art is on the negotiating team now.
Bruce: Have you ever asked the Steelers to sit in their war room during a draft?
Ed Bouchette: No, because I know what the answer would be. They let no one in, not even their own NFL Network. They once had a live camera showing what was going on in there as they picked their first-rounder. You would never know they were even choosing anyone there was so little activity and so little change in their expressions.
10 pizzas times 12 bucks: With ROOT SPORTS taking over what was FSN, any chance Big Stan Savran gets Sportsbeat back? I love Stan. Also, is he a nice guy in real life?
Ed Bouchette: The same people who owned FSN Pittsburgh are the same who own Roots with its ridiculous theme that they root for the home team, just like you -- the people who root for your home team by the way have their main office in the state of Washington. It's my understanding that their contract with the Steelers is up and they no longer will broadcast the Tomlin press conference, nor do a Tomlin coach's show. In fact, they may do absolutely nothing with the Steelers at all. Yes, Stan is a good, nice man.
Not that interested, but: Ed, do you cover the draft from the Steelers offices so you can do those phone interview with the picks?
Ed Bouchette: Not only do all of us cover the draft from the Steelers offices in Pittsburgh -- so do the Steelers. Mike Tomlin, Kevin Colbert, Art Rooney, all the scouts and coaches are all there. They send a couple of non-football front-office people to New York with a telephone. When it's their turn, they call those people, give them a name and they hand it in. It's all for show in New York.. There aren't any people there who actually make football decisions.
Bruce: Lots of colleges have recently unveiled statues of former players and coaches. Any chance the Steelers would consider one for Chuck Noll?
Ed Bouchette: I'm not big on statues -- the Pirates have three; I'm still waiting for the Bert Blyleven statue -- but if you had to put another one or two up, Noll and Joe Greene would be my choices.
Wild Bill: Hello Ed, Do you think that the pending rookie salary cap makes draft picks in general more valuable than before because the players taken cost less?
Ed Bouchette: Only about a dozen or so are going to cost less and in the long run, those guys might cost more because the union will fight to have a contract limit on number of years for those guys, so instead of, say, 5-year contracts they will have 3-year contracts and if you get a great QB like maybe St. Louis has, you are going to pay through the nose anyway.
Yoi-face: I read some stuff by your buddy Gerry D...he wrote that Randle El would probably get released....does that mean we grab a WR in a middle round...or does that mean that Sweed's injury is progressing?
Ed Bouchette: I don't know that it means anything other than Randle El fell to No. 5 last season behind the two rookies and that's not where you want a veteran like that to be.
Shawn: Good Afternoon Ed, I for one would love to see a shakeup in our secondary. What are the chances the Steelers have a new starting corner opposite Ike this upcoming season, whether it is Butler, Lewis, or a draft pick(in my opinion this is the least likely)?
Ed Bouchette: Probably a good chance, but I would not think a change in one position should be labeled a "shakeup.'' If that's the case, they've had a "shakeup" in each of the past two seasons.
Nun: A moment ago you wrote "He's smaller than the others but here's one thing he can do -- cover the damn receiver." Please with the language...children are reading.
Ed Bouchette: This is P-G rated.
Chooch: Is Favre waiting for the CBA to be resolved before he unretires yet again?
Ed Bouchette: You really came to this site to ask THAT question?
StillSad: If we had a game overseas, would we find that out tonight?
Ed Bouchette: We already know they are going to put Tampa vs. Chicago in London and there will be no other games overseas. Ireland is not under consideration.
Daquido_Bazzini: Ed....Last week you mentioned to watch out for Ike Taylor and Houston. Do you think signing him is going to be a bigger problem than first expected?
Ed Bouchette: I just believe they will re-sign him.
