Analyzing the Steelers Wants and Needs For the 2016 NFL Draft – Cornerback

Analyzing the Pittsburgh Steelers Wants and Needs For the 2016 NFL Draft –
Cornerback

By Scott Pavelle on Jan 20, 2016

It makes sense to examine Pittsburgh’s wants and needs before we get too deep into the prospects available in this year’s draft. The results may surprise you.

If you asked a hundred Steeler fans what positions the team should focus on in the draft, at least half would blurt out "Corner!" before you could finish the sentence. I’m going to argue that this common wisdom is misplaced. Corner is indeed a concern and they may well go there, but the biggest part of the problem has already been addressed. The anguish of 2015’s secondary didn’t come from lack of attention by the Front Office - it came from Cortez Allen's failure to play combined with the inevitable lag time to train up the young men who were already drafted/acquired to address this position. 2015 was the lag time. The 2016 squad is already better.

Look at it this way. A typical team carries four Corners on any given Sunday, often with a fifth who doubles as a special teams ace. So what do they have in place? There are three free agents going into the offseason:

William Gay
Brandon Boykin
Antwon Blake

I’m going to assume we keep William Gay because he’s nearing the end of his career, has made a home here in Pittsburgh that he values, and will receive something close to market value from the Steelers because his age will keep that value from getting out of hand. At least one side would have to be a fool to create any other result, and I doubt that’s true for either one.

Brandon Boykin I think will be gone. He wasn’t happy with his playing time in 2015, thinks he can get more money in free agency, and is probably right because Senquez Golson (last year’s No. 2 pick who spent 2015 on IR) is a very similar player with a lot more upside.

Antwon Blake... that’s a tough one. Mike Tomlin has a soft spot for tough, scrappy players who work hard at their craft in every practice and offseason opportunity. He tends to value those intangible assets over the physical skills that fans can measure, and most of the time he’s right. Antwon Blake has those intangibles. And he’s young enough to come back next year as a better player than the one we saw get burned so often in 2015. On the other hand, Blake often got burned because he has genuine limits on his athletic talent. It’s possible that he simply doesn’t have the ability to play much better than what he’s shown. For now I’m going to assume that results in another contract for Blake like the one he got in 2015. A fairly low, one-year "prove it" deal with a minimal bonus so the team can cut him if the younger talent proves able to beat him out.

We can discuss all this in the comments if you disagree, but I think these are the likeliest outcomes.

With those assumptions in place we can project the competition for next year’s roster as follows:

William Gay
Senquez Golson
Ross Cockrell
Doran Grant
Antwon Blake
Cortez Allen
Isaiah Frey (3rd year practice squad player)

Wait a second. Cortez Allen? Yes, Cortez Allen. He is still under contract and I see two ways reasons why he’s likely to be here next year.

First, there’s a chance that he really did suffer another season-ending injury. We’ve all been assuming that the team put him on I.R. as a smokescreen of some kind. If that isn’t true, there’s a potential No. 1 already in place. Second, I can see the front office putting the screws to young Mr. Allen in a way that would force him to renegotiate his deal.

You’ve been paid a lot of money Cortez, and you haven’t earned a dime of it. At this point you won’t get much on the open market. Frankly, you have some proving to do around here as well. Yes, yes, we know about the injuries, but who knows if that’s going to be a chronic thing? You’ve got a lot of money in your pocket; you and your family are set for life; how about you cut us a break and restructure your deal so the team can afford to take a chance on you moving forward?

If he agrees (or is willing to consider Free Safety), the odds that he'll be on the roster are actually kind of good. So yes, Cortez Allen is on the list.

That leaves a total of six or seven players competing for four to five slots. Not a lot of room for new talent. Even if you get rid of Allen and Blake, there are still four entrenched starters and any draft pick would have a very hard time seeing the field. One therefore has to ask this question: if you’re going to draft a Corner, where are you going to put him and when do you expect to see a benefit? Lord knows it won’t be in his rookie year and we plan to be Super Bowl bound in 2016!

Those are the reasons why Pittsburgh may hesitate to spend a lot of draft capital on a Corner. I think they’re likely to do it nevertheless. Here’s why...

to read rest of article:

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2016-nfl-mock-drafts-profiles-video-clips-highlights-steelers-analysis-breakdowns-news/2016/1/20/10789678/analyzing-the-pittsburgh-steelers-wants-and-needs-for-the-2016-nfl

I love how the author refers to Blake as "works hard on his craft". If your craft is giving up such a cushion that you allow 1000 receiving yards and your craft is how to miss tackles...then he really was solid at his craft.

Seriously, Blake is the biggest waste of a roster spot since Carey Davis was the H back for the Steelers offense.

The only reason Blake should be in this conversation is to say goodbye but I guess we read why Tomlin likes him. He's a con artist who has snowed Tomlin into believing he can get better.

Since we don't know how Golson or Grant will fair I think we still go CB or Safety. I'd like to see Cortez try out at safety. Worth a try since cutting him will cost us something like 5 mil in cap money.

Fans are going to flip when they don't take a CB in the first 3 rounds.

BlackAndGold wrote:

Fans are going to flip when they don't take a CB in the first 3 rounds.

Yup, and it will be like the year the Steelers ignored the O line early and drafted Mendenhall, Sweed and Bruce Davis. Ben continued to get pummelled and sacked 50 times a year.

I think Gholson and Cockrell are positive additions, but if they don't add more talent at S and CB, they will continue to be one of the bottom 5 secondaries in the NFL.

How about the suggestion of moving Cortez Allen to FS?

Besides his psychological issues, his biggest weakness appears to be finding and tracking the ball in the air. How in the name of Christ is there a possibility that anything he has done to this point shows his skill set fits the job description to play FS?




Half the time he's in great position covering a receiver, but can't find the ball and adjust to it to make a play. It's hard to imagine that can make that change. Hell, that's basically what you are doing when you play zone from a reaction standpoint, and he's struggled in that at corner.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

BlackAndGold wrote:

Fans are going to flip when they don't take a CB in the first 3 rounds.

Yup, and it will be like the year the Steelers ignored the O line early and drafted Mendenhall, Sweed and Bruce Davis.  Ben continued to get pummelled and sacked 50 times a year.

I think Gholson and Cockrell are positive additions, but if they don't add more talent at S and CB, they will continue to be one of the bottom 5 secondaries in the NFL.

You're right.

I love Will Allen. He's been a valuable player for the Steelers for years. But he's old, and the secondary needs an upgrade. If someone on the roster was better than him, they'd be playing by now. Golden and Thomas aren't the answer. The question then becomes, what do the Steelers think is best? Do they just try to find a SS to plug in, or do they move Mitchell to SS and draft or acquire a great FS?

I think Mitchell did a great job this year, but I have always believed he was more suited to SS. If they were able to move Mitchell's speed, athleticism, and crushing hits to SS and get a very good FS, I think it could really improve the secondary. I think that moving him to SS makes the most sense. Plus, now that he knows this defense and has played FS in it, he can be that much more comfortable being interchangeable at either safety position if they find another great safety that is versatile enough and talented enough to play both as well.

I'll believe it when I see it.....and with how much they supposedly value blake, I question their ability to find the right talent needed for a corner to be great in today's nfl.


I think they go TE or OL in the 1st

pczach wrote:

How about the suggestion of moving Cortez Allen to FS?

Besides his psychological issues, his biggest weakness appears to be finding and tracking the ball in the air. How in the name of Christ is there a possibility that anything he has done to this point shows his skill set fits the job description to play FS?

I'm guessing because as a corner you have to be able to turn around and locate the ball a lot of times (something he struggles with). As a FS, his job would be to keep everything in front of him, minimizing the need to turn around and locate the ball. Chances are as a FS when the ball is thrown you know it's coming, or see where it's going to be.

I honestly think with his physical abilities he's more suited to playing safety anyway. But with that said I don't think it will happen, the guy is in Tomlin's doghouse and once you're there there's no getting out.

SteelerSpartan wrote:

I'll believe it when I see it.....and with how much they supposedly value blake, I question their ability to find the right talent needed for a corner to be great in today's nfl.


I think they go TE or OL in the 1st

TE really? I think Jesse James has a higher ceiling than people give him credit for.

ImperialFan wrote:

SteelerSpartan wrote:

I'll believe it when I see it.....and with how much they supposedly value blake, I question their ability to find the right talent needed for a corner to be great in today's nfl.


I think they go TE or OL in the 1st

TE really? I think Jesse James has a higher ceiling than people give him credit for.

He impressed me those games when he filled in for Miller, honestly I didn't see that much of a drop off in blocking. And as a pass catcher, he's more of a big play threat than Miller at this point. Easily.

Steelers: Will Pittsburgh make a move to sign Trumaine Johnson?

by Jesse Kirkendall

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the 2016 offseason desperately needing to upgrade their secondary if they wish to continue the recent success they have experienced by making the post season two years in a row after disappointing 8-8 seasons in 2012 and 2013.

The organization did not waste any time by signing cornerback Ross Cockrell to a one-year contract extension last week. A solid year as one of the biggest contributors in the Steelers’ secondary earned him the deal, but Cockrell alone will not solve the team’s issues at the position. Still without contracts are William Gay, Antwon Blake, and Brandon Boykin.

To put into perspective how much the Steelers’ secondary is in need of an upgrade, we turn to Blake as a prime example. In the sixteen regular season games he started, Blake gave up 1,074 yards in coverage and missed a total of 28 tackles. These are numbers that you never want to see from any athlete, especially one that is considered starting material. While there were a few bright spots from Blake this season, these moments were few and far between.

Steelers’ Nation will debate until the end of time that the most simple way to alleviate problems in the secondary is to select a cornerback in the first round of the upcoming draft. Collegiate playmakers such as Jaylen Ramsey, Vernon Hargreaves, and Mackensie Alexander will not be available when the Steelers make their selection at 25th overall, Tre’Davious White is returning to LSU for his senior year, and Eli Apple is too raw of a defensive back to be considered a top-32 talent.

To find a cornerback that will make an impact in their secondary for years to come, the Steelers must explore their options on the free agent market.

Carolina Panthers’ cornerback Josh Norman will be the most sought after defensive back when free agency begins in early March. The Panthers will most likely retain the star athlete but, in the event that they are unable to, he will command a heavy yearly price tag if any other team in the NFL wishes to enlist his services.

Do not expect the Steelers to be one of the teams to go after him.

Instead, they will be able to find prime talent in the same conference as Mr. Norman. Trumaine Johnson, one of two premiere Los Angeles Rams cornerbacks that are hitting the free agency market, could very well be the next great acquisition the Steelers have made for their secondary since bringing Mike Mitchell aboard in 2014.

When E.J. Gaines was sidelined before the start of the season with a Linsfranc injury in his foot that required surgery, Johnson was tasked with starting on the outside across from Janoris Jenkins. Suddenly thrust into a starting role, he answered the challenge by posting the best numbers of his four year career. Starting in thirteen games he made seven interceptions, defended seventeen passes, and recorded 71 total tackles, along with a lone fumble recovery.

Hailing from the NFC West, Johnson has matched up against some very talented receivers from within his division. Wideouts such as Larry Fitzgerald, Doug Baldwin, and Anquan Boldin are only a few of the wide receivers Johnson played against multiple times this season. Notable outer-conference opponents Johnson was paired up with this season were Antonio Brown, James Jones, Calvin Johnson, and Mike Evans. The talented corner put on a display that has not been seen in quite some time from a Steelers’ defensive back.

Perhaps the most impressive performance from Trumaine Johnson this year was when he held Calvin Johnson, better known as “Megatron”, without a catch when he was tasked to cover him in the Rams’ week fourteen matchup against the Detroit Lions. Returning to the field after missing two games due to a nagging quadriceps injury, the cornerback made the All-Pro receiver look helpless at times, and continued to make a name for himself as one of the better cover cornerbacks in the league.

Johnson’s intercepted pass intended for Megatron, his fifth of the season and only pick-six of 2015, was a brilliant display of what a talented cornerback can do for a defense. Reading quarterback Matthew Stafford from the beginning of the play, he timed his play on the ball as perfectly as possible and came away with the pick. The ensuing 42 yard return for a touchdown was a culmination of patience and allowing his blockers to take care of the work for him instead of attempting something that could potentially cause him to fumble.

Including Johnson, the Rams have a total of 21 free agents to address when the time comes at the start of the new league year. With Gaines returning from his foot injury and Jenkins looking as if he is the least expensive of the two free agent cornerbacks, it is unlikely that Los Angeles will extend him a new contract offer.

The Steelers will have some space in their salary cap this coming season to play the free agent market and offer a reasonable contract to an athlete. Even more so if they are able to restructure the contracts of Lawrence Timmons and Heath Miller, who have a combined $22 million in cap hits next season. Don’t expect the Steelers to outright cut either of these players, as they are both still important pieces of the offense and defense…only not as much as their contract dictates.

The Steelers are not a team known for making a big splash in the free agency market. Finding immense talent through the draft and promoting in-house has been the tried and true method in Pittsburgh for many years, but now may be the time to take a chance on a proven, blockbuster cornerback. If Antwon Blake is asked to cover A.J. Green once again in 2016, it could lead to a Steelers’ Nation revolt that will end with the burning of Fort Pitt Bridge.

Is there a possibility that we could see Trumaine Johnson in a Steelers’ uniform next season? For the sake of Pittsburgh’s perforated secondary, one can only hope. In the coming months the organization’s intentions will become more clear, and hope could return in the form of a 6’1″, dominant cover cornerback.

http://stillcurtain.com/2016/01/27/steelers-will-pittsburgh-make-a-move-to-sign-trumaine-johnson/

voted most outstanding defensive back at the Senior Bowl:

Harlan Miller, CB, South East Louisiana

Every year at the Senior Bowl, there are some small-school defensive backs who really stand out. This year ,Miller and Northern Iowa's Deiondre' Hall were impressive performers, and Miller was tops among them. Miller (6-0, 182) has quick feet and did a nice job to run with receivers and prevent separation. For the NFL, Miller will need to get stronger. If he can some weight in the months before the draft, that could help elevate his standing even further. Miller could end up being a second-day pick.

http://www.walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2016stock.php#QxE7tUPUWujWY511.99

Trumaine Johnson would be a great fit as a FA

Prince Amukamara could be an option also. He missed 5 games this past season with a pectoral tear and a missed some games last season(forgot why) but he's still young and still has upside Imo.

Sign Weddle. He'll be a steal.

Don't like princes injury history

Johnson would be awesome if they could snag him.

SteelerSpartan wrote:

Don't like princes injury history

Me neither but, his injury history could get him on a cheap deal. A 1 year "prove it" deal would be great.

1(25) Pittsburgh Steelers: Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State

The Steelers have to upgrade their cornerbacks and get a replacement for William Gay.

In 2015, Apple recorded one interception, eight passes broken up and 33 tackles. He had some coverage lapses early on, but played better to close out the year. Apple has a good skill set and lots of upside to develop. He was very impressive for the Buckeyes in 2014 down the stretch of their title run, recording 53 tackles with three interceptions and 10 passes broken up on the year. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Apple looks like he has No. 1-corner potential.

http://www.walterfootball.com/draft2016charlie_1.php#GFpkEDxqAOjipZFo.99

BlackAndGold wrote:

SteelerSpartan wrote:

Don't like princes injury history

Me neither but, his injury history could get him on a cheap deal. A 1 year "prove it" deal would be great.

I think your Mock of Thompson could be valid as he helped himself all week in Mobile and on gameday. The other guy I could see is Eric Murray CB from Minnesota being taken in the 3rd round. He is physical, competitive, plays the run well, 6'0" and 197lbs, plus he looked like he played some decent off man coverage despite playing a lot of man to man for the Gophers.

If he can run a 4.45 or lower he could show he can play on the outside. Then again, Ross Cockrell ran a 4.55 and plays it well, yet Doran Grant ran a 4.44 and the knock on him is he doesn't have the long speed to play the outside. That is what I don't understand. I still think Grant can and should develop to a #2 or #3 CB in the NFL.

don't be shocked if we make a push for Reggie Nelson. Tomlin likes this guy and always praises him. more likely than Weddle.

steelers5895 wrote:

don't be shocked if we make a push for Reggie Nelson.  Tomlin likes this guy and always praises him.  more likely than Weddle.

I hope so. I'd love to see Mike Munchak pull Nelson by the hair all preseason.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

BlackAndGold wrote:

SteelerSpartan wrote:

Don't like princes injury history

Me neither but, his injury history could get him on a cheap deal. A 1 year "prove it" deal would be great.

I think your Mock of Thompson could be valid as he helped himself all week in Mobile and on gameday.  The other guy I could see is Eric Murray CB from Minnesota being taken in the 3rd round.  He is physical, competitive, plays the run well, 6'0" and 197lbs, plus he looked like he played some decent off man coverage despite playing a lot of man to man for the Gophers.

If he can run a 4.45 or lower he could show he can play on the outside.  Then again, Ross Cockrell ran a 4.55 and plays it well, yet Doran Grant ran a 4.44 and the knock on him is he doesn't have the long speed to play the outside.  That is what I don't understand.  I still think Grant can and should develop to a #2 or #3 CB in the NFL.

Big fan of Thompson, proven ball hawk at Boise State and best all around safety in the draft. At #25, unless someone falls, he'd fit the "BPA" motto plus "need".

Murray is talented, Thought he was going to enter the draft last year, but decided to return. One area I've see from him(have't seen much tho) is he seems to grap a lot, which shows he need to work on his technique(who doesn't?). He seems like solid run defender but also worried about ability to find the ball(only 1 career Int). I'll have to see more of him but 3rd round seems a little rich for me. That 4th-5th round seems like the best place for Murray.

Steelers projected to get just one compensatory pick in 2016 NFL Draft

By Jeff.Hartman on Feb 5, 2016

As the 2016 NFL Draft approaches, teams are granted compensatory picks for lost free agents. See how many picks, and which round, the Steelers might be granted some comp picks.

The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't a team who makes many moves in free agency, and they like to keep their own players within the organization. However, there is the occasion where a free agent will jettison to another location, and the team could be granted a compensatory pick in the NFL Draft because of that.

The Steelers didn't lose many significant pieces from their 2014 team to the 2015 roster, but one player which could bring them a comp pick is CB Brice McCain. McCain turned his one year in Pittsburgh into a very lucrative contract with the Miami Dolphins.

McCain's dismissal has the Steelers tabbed to receive a 7th round compensatory pick, per OverTheCap.com's projections, and the Steelers could use every draft pick they can get after the 2015 season drained the team of a 5th and 6th round draft pick.

The team did receive a 7th round draft pick from the New York Giants in return for punter Brad Wing, and such a situation would have the Steelers with picks in the following rounds: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 7th, 7th -- this is assuming the team gets a 7th round comp pick, as projected.

The Steelers might try to maneuver some pieces to get some more draft picks, but at a time when teams cling to picks, the Steelers could be left with a very thin batch of late round picks in the 2016 NFL Draft.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/nfl-pittsburgh-steelers-news/2016/2/5/10918340/steelers-projected-to-get-just-one-compensatory-pick-in-2016-nfl-draft

The NFL Draft Report's 2016 Cornerback Draft Class Ratings

by Dave-Te' Thomas  



Apple could be the shutdown cornerback the Steelers have been craving for since Ike Taylor retired

The early first round dark horse candidate could be Ohio State’s Eli Apple, currently drawing attention from corner-needy Pittsburgh, who will either need to trade up or hope that the red-shirt sophomore falls to them with the 25th overall pick. The first thing you notice about this Buckeye is his natural playmaking instincts. He understands how receivers are trying to attack coverage and he is a mater at reading quarterbacks' eyes when having to drop into zone coverage. He also does an excellent job of mid-pointing high-low routes.

Apple is an explosive, quick-twitch athlete with a sudden closing burst, especially when receivers catch the ball in front of him. He possesses that second gear needed to track the ball downfield and he’s fast enough to recover when gets caught out of position. Thanks to his fluid hips, he can make the smooth transition when forced to change directions quickly. When he stays under control and keeps his knees bent, is a good tackler in space.

The Buckeyes cornerback can consistently break up passes when in position, as he also has the athleticism to reach around the receiver and disrupt the action without committing the penalty. When he breaks up those passes, more often it is the result of violent hits right as the ball arrives. While not a valid ball thief, he does have the natural hands to reach out and pluck the ball to make the tough interception.

http://nfldraftreport.sportsblog.com/posts/10982555/nfl-teams-looking-to-corner-the-2016-draft-market.html