Biggest Bust

Another new topic for Steelers Nation...

Who has been the biggest #1 draft bust for the Steelers in history? Many think it was Jamain Stephens. Others believe it was Huey Richardson. Perhaps Troy Edwards?

Thoughts?

Gabe Rivera.

Too soon?

If Gabe hadn't been paralyzed and went on to have a productive career, unless he was a perennial All-Pro, his selection would have felt like a bust knowing we could have taken Dan Marino.

As for actual busts, Jarvis Jones has to be high on that list.

Tim Worley
Walter Abercrombe
Darryl Sims

These 3 have to be up there but I think Gabe Rivera was the most impactful. The most tragic.

This is thread is going to prove why I think getting rid of Colbert is a bad idea. Yes, he gave us guys like Jarvis, Dupree, Burns and Ziggy. But he also gave us Polamalu, Ben, Hampton, Heath, Pouncey, Heyward, DeCastro, Shazier and Watt.

Let's look at the first round picks from 1980 pre-Colbert ...

1980: Mark Malone
1981: Keith Gary
1982: Walter Abercrombie
1983: Gabe Rivera
1984: Louis Lipps
1985: Daryl Sims
1986: John Rienstra
1987: Rod Woodson
1988: Aaron Jones
1989: Tim Worley
1990: Eric Green
1991: Huey Richardson
1992: Leon Searcy
1993: Deon Figures
1994: Charles Johnson
1995: Mark Bruener
1996: Jamain Stephens
1997: Chad Scott
1998: Alan Faneca
1999: Troy Edwards
2000: Plaxico Burress

From 1980 to 2000, only Lipps, Woodson and Faneca were worthy of their first round selection in my opinion.

Looking at all the first round busts from 1980 to 1990, it's no wonder the 80s were so miserable.

Is there another GM who has drafted better than Colbert in the past 20 years?

Wallace108 wrote:

This is thread is going to prove why I think getting rid of Colbert is a bad idea. Yes, he gave us guys like Jarvis, Dupree, Burns and Ziggy. But he also gave us Polamalu, Ben, Hampton, Heath, Pouncey, Heyward, DeCastro, Shazier and Watt.

Let's look at the first round picks from 1980 pre-Colbert ...

1980: Mark Malone
1981: Keith Gary
1982: Walter Abercrombie
1983: Gabe Rivera
1984: Louis Lipps
1985: Daryl Sims
1986: John Rienstra
1987: Rod Woodson
1988: Aaron Jones
1989: Tim Worley
1990: Eric Green
1991: Huey Richardson
1992: Leon Searcy
1993: Deon Figures
1994: Charles Johnson
1995: Mark Bruener
1996: Jamain Stephens
1997: Chad Scott
1998: Alan Faneca
1999: Troy Edwards
2000: Plaxico Burress

From 1980 to 2000, only Lipps, Woodson and Faneca were worthy of their first round selection in my opinion.

Looking at all the first round busts from 1980 to 1990, it's no wonder the 80s were so miserable.

Is there another GM who has drafted better than Colbert in the past 20 years?

Sorry it was Dan Rooney who trumped everyone in the draft room for drafting Ben Roethlisberger. Also from 1993 on Bill Cowher had his finger prints all over #1 draft picks.

effyou515 wrote:

Sorry it was Dan Rooney who trumped everyone in the draft room for drafting Ben Roethlisberger. Also from 1993 on Bill Cowher had his finger prints all over #1 draft picks.

Dan was there throughout the 80s. Why did all those picks suck then? Also, Cowher was there from 1993 to 2000
... they got only one good first round pick in Faneca. Then once Colbert was hired, we immediately get guys like Troy, Hampton and Heath. And later, guys like Timmons, Pouncey, Heyward, DeCastro, Shazier and Watt. If Dan and Cowher deserve all the credit, then why weren't they drafting well in the first round before 2000?

If we leave Ben out of the conversation, Colbert still has drafted 9 Pro Bowl players in the first round in 18 years. That's an average of drafting a Pro Bowl player in the first round every other year. How many Pro Bowl players were drafted in the first round in the 20 years before Colbert was hired?

No GM hits a homerun in the first round every year. Colbert has come about as close as anyone can. I can't think of another GM who has had more success than Colbert in the past 20 years.

Perhaps the problem is coaching, and not the level of talent being drafted.

Wallace108 wrote:

This is thread is going to prove why I think getting rid of Colbert is a bad idea. Yes, he gave us guys like Jarvis, Dupree, Burns and Ziggy. But he also gave us Polamalu, Ben, Hampton, Heath, Pouncey, Heyward, DeCastro, Shazier and Watt.

Let's look at the first round picks from 1980 pre-Colbert ...

1980: Mark Malone
1981: Keith Gary
1982: Walter Abercrombie
1983: Gabe Rivera
1984: Louis Lipps
1985: Daryl Sims
1986: John Rienstra
1987: Rod Woodson
1988: Aaron Jones
1989: Tim Worley
1990: Eric Green
1991: Huey Richardson
1992: Leon Searcy
1993: Deon Figures
1994: Charles Johnson
1995: Mark Bruener
1996: Jamain Stephens
1997: Chad Scott
1998: Alan Faneca
1999: Troy Edwards
2000: Plaxico Burress

From 1980 to 2000, only Lipps, Woodson and Faneca were worthy of their first round selection in my opinion.

Looking at all the first round busts from 1980 to 1990, it's no wonder the 80s were so miserable.

Is there another GM who has drafted better than Colbert in the past 20 years?

Those 80's drafts were really bad. We did get a HOF in Woodson, and Lipps was an awesome player. Eric Green had a good year or 2, he had the talent but also attitude to go with it (although all past attitude problems seem mild after AB)

LambertWardSteel wrote:

Those 80's drafts were really bad. We did get a HOF in Woodson, and Lipps was an awesome player. Eric Green had a good year or 2, he had the talent but also attitude to go with it (although all past attitude problems seem mild after AB)

Yeah, I probably should have included Green on the list of worthy first-round picks. He had attitude problems, but there's no question about his talent. Although character should factor in to a player's selection. I met Green at an autograph signing, and I could tell right away he wasn't a good dude. Just in the way he interacted with the fans. It couldn't have been any more obvious he didn't want to be there.

Looking back at all the busts in the 80s and early 90s is amazing. As great of a coach as Noll was, he could do only so much with bad and mediocre talent. Over the past 19 years, we've become so spoiled by the amount of talent Colbert has amassed that we want him gone if every first-round pick isn't a future hall of famer.

I love ALL the responses! I guess I picked a great topic!

Wallace108 wrote:

LambertWardSteel wrote:

Those 80's drafts were really bad. We did get a HOF in Woodson, and Lipps was an awesome player. Eric Green had a good year or 2, he had the talent but also attitude to go with it (although all past attitude problems seem mild after AB)

Yeah, I probably should have included Green on the list of worthy first-round picks. He had attitude problems, but there's no question about his talent. Although character should factor in to a player's selection. I met Green at an autograph signing, and I could tell right away he wasn't a good dude. Just in the way he interacted with the fans. It couldn't have been any more obvious he didn't want to be there.

Looking back at all the busts in the 80s and early 90s is amazing. As great of a coach as Noll was, he could do only so much with bad and mediocre talent. Over the past 19 years, we've become so spoiled by the amount of talent Colbert has amassed that we want him gone if every first-round pick isn't a future hall of famer.

Green would probably be more than happy to get $25 a pop, or whatever it was, for autographs now I remember a game one time where Green blocked a lineman and knocked 2-3 more lineman down with the same block. I also remember some long TD catches and never believing a guy that big was as quick as he was. But, his final lasting impression was when he was taunting Cowher on the sidelines after he had signed with the Ravens. That leaves me with a lasting negative, and, of course, there were other attitude issues.

Noll had good players in place when Cowher took over. They had a strong D, great running game, and Cowher took the same 7-9 team to 11-5 his first year. Those early-mid 90's great D's were built around Noll draft picks. Huey Richardson,the last #1 pick under Noll may have been one of the worst in the last 39 years

For me Jarvis Jones. Drafted to be the next big thing and did absolutely nothing.

Robert Boucher, Jr.

Way to many penalties. Better actor than a foosball player.

Wallace108 wrote:

effyou515 wrote:

Sorry it was Dan Rooney who trumped everyone in the draft room for drafting Ben Roethlisberger. Also from 1993 on Bill Cowher had his finger prints all over #1 draft picks.

Dan was there throughout the 80s. Why did all those picks suck then? Also, Cowher was there from 1993 to 2000
... they got only one good first round pick in Faneca. Then once Colbert was hired, we immediately get guys like Troy, Hampton and Heath. And later, guys like Timmons, Pouncey, Heyward, DeCastro, Shazier and Watt. If Dan and Cowher deserve all the credit, then why weren't they drafting well in the first round before 2000?

If we leave Ben out of the conversation, Colbert still has drafted 9 Pro Bowl players in the first round in 18 years. That's an average of drafting a Pro Bowl player in the first round every other year. How many Pro Bowl players were drafted in the first round in the 20 years before Colbert was hired?

No GM hits a homerun in the first round every year. Colbert has come about as close as anyone can. I can't think of another GM who has had more success than Colbert in the past 20 years.

Perhaps the problem is coaching, and not the level of talent being drafted.

what I've read the Chief Art Rooney wanted Dan Marino but let there drafting process play out [build the defense around Gabe Riveria like they did with Joe Green] so this time with the #10 pick and a franchise like QB Ben still on the board and the Steelers drafting process was about building the team around the defense and the run game [I forget who Cowher really wanted for the pick at this time] Dan went back to his dads thoughts and trumped every one in the room and drafted what he thought was a franchise QB Ben and that was the only time in 40 plus years Dan Rooney ever did this.

At your age and if your were a real Steelers fan you'd know this or you'er just fucking with me to get more print on your site.