Drafting and Development Problem

[SteelerFan448]

The Steelers have issues outside of head coach and drafting and development is probably at the top. When Kevin Colbert joined Bill Cowher, the Steelers built the foundation to future championships through the drafts. By my count, the only current players drafted by the Steelers on at least a second contract are Cam Heyward, TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Pat Freiermuth (I apologize if I missed anyone). That's bad.

We all know how bad Colbert was at the end and the failure of first-round picks highlighted by Punx in another thread. Edmunds, Bush, (Fitzpatrick), Harris, Pickett, Jones, Fautanu has gotten the Steelers very little return on investment. You figure Harris will walk this year and there's a chance the Steelers trade Pickens during the offseason.

Khan/Weidl appear to be on the right track, but there are still some questions with player development.

2023
Joey Porter Jr. and Keeanu Benton at least look like solid starters with higher upside than they displayed in year 2.
Darnell Washington, Nick Herbig, and Cory Trice have all shown to various degrees impact reserve players.
Broderick Jones is still developing and hopefully year 3 is his breakout year.

2024
The Steelers had lost seasons from Troy Fautanu and Roman Wilson. That's tough for 2 of your top 3 picks to miss the season.
Zach Frazier and Payton Wilson had very good rookie years and should continue into the future.
Mason McCormick faded as the season progressed, but he entered the lineup a year early. He should still be able to develop into a solid starter for years to come.

We can at least see a pattern with the new front office to build the roster with premium positions with the team's premium picks. For the most part, analysts and fans have believed the Steelers got good value out of their last two drafts. That brings development to the forefront. Few second contracts and the lack of development from players (or entire units such as the offensive line) is a concern. It's hard to feel confident with this team building a contender if they can't develop and retain their current talent.

 

[Black & Gold Bleeder]

boz?

 

[SteelerFan448]

boz?

He wasn't drafted by the Steelers.

 

[Fiji Mariner]

The Steelers have issues outside of head coach and drafting and development is probably at the top. When Kevin Colbert joined Bill Cowher, the Steelers built the foundation to future championships through the drafts. By my count, the only current players drafted by the Steelers on at least a second contract are Cam Heyward, TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Pat Freiermuth (I apologize if I missed anyone). That's bad.

We all know how bad Colbert was at the end and the failure of first-round picks highlighted by Punx in another thread. Edmunds, Bush, (Fitzpatrick), Harris, Pickett, Jones, Fautanu has gotten the Steelers very little return on investment. You figure Harris will walk this year and there's a chance the Steelers trade Pickens during the offseason.

Khan/Weidl appear to be on the right track, but there are still some questions with player development.

2023
Joey Porter Jr. and Keeanu Benton at least look like solid starters with higher upside than they displayed in year 2.
Darnell Washington, Nick Herbig, and Cory Trice have all shown to various degrees impact reserve players.
Broderick Jones is still developing and hopefully year 3 is his breakout year.

2024
The Steelers had lost seasons from Troy Fautanu and Roman Wilson. That's tough for 2 of your top 3 picks to miss the season.
Zach Frazier and Payton Wilson had very good rookie years and should continue into the future.
Mason McCormick faded as the season progressed, but he entered the lineup a year early. He should still be able to develop into a solid starter for years to come.

We can at least see a pattern with the new front office to build the roster with premium positions with the team's premium picks. For the most part, analysts and fans have believed the Steelers got good value out of their last two drafts. That brings development to the forefront. Few second contracts and the lack of development from players (or entire units such as the offensive line) is a concern. It's hard to feel confident with this team building a contender if they can't develop and retain their current talent.

Tomlin requires finished products
He’s said as much
Not his job to coach guys up

So development doesn’t matter to Art Deuce…
May as well trade all picks for established veterans like they did way back in the day pre Noll when the Steelers really sucked out loud.

This organization is being run into the ground by an incompetent owner-HC combo

Doesn’t matter who they draft

 

[Drink IRON City]

Great Post ‘448, thanks for all your great ones along the way. I appreciate yaz.

Bozwell was signed by Houston, not through the draft (2014)

Coach Tomlin doesn’t bring in top flight Offensive or Defensive coordinators. For what ever his internal reasoning is, he brings in lower degree brains and the trickle down affect is they in turn bring in lower assistants and on down the ladder.

Eventually the ball boy can do the job of many and works for less pay.

Tomlin has said “ if they don’t know by now, we can’t help them”.

Many here have said that these guys are professionals and shouldn’t need coaching up. I scream out bull-****.

Coaching up is taking and improving what ever the degree of play, to being better. Obviously all world players don’t need nearly as much as the average player but still need the tweek. It’s this attention to detail that Coach Tomlin & his staff don’t seem to notice or put the work into stepping them up.

In season 23’, TJ Watt was running himself right out of the play, consistently. It got to where the opposing tackle just rode him straight on back and the RB could just under-cut and get outside. It happened way too often to be a fluke. On the Pat McAfee show, JJ Watt talked about it openly and also talked to TJ about and worked with him on a technique to combat it. TJ found gratification in the “coaching up”, albeit from outside organization.

The better the Coordinators, the better the hires on down the line……. That all translates into player Developement and coaching up.


Salute the nation

 

[Lloyd]

The Steelers have issues outside of head coach and drafting and development is probably at the top. When Kevin Colbert joined Bill Cowher, the Steelers built the foundation to future championships through the drafts. By my count, the only current players drafted by the Steelers on at least a second contract are Cam Heyward, TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Pat Freiermuth (I apologize if I missed anyone). That's bad.

We all know how bad Colbert was at the end and the failure of first-round picks highlighted by Punx in another thread. Edmunds, Bush, (Fitzpatrick), Harris, Pickett, Jones, Fautanu has gotten the Steelers very little return on investment. You figure Harris will walk this year and there's a chance the Steelers trade Pickens during the offseason.

Khan/Weidl appear to be on the right track, but there are still some questions with player development.

2023
Joey Porter Jr. and Keeanu Benton at least look like solid starters with higher upside than they displayed in year 2.
Darnell Washington, Nick Herbig, and Cory Trice have all shown to various degrees impact reserve players.
Broderick Jones is still developing and hopefully year 3 is his breakout year.

2024
The Steelers had lost seasons from Troy Fautanu and Roman Wilson. That's tough for 2 of your top 3 picks to miss the season.
Zach Frazier and Payton Wilson had very good rookie years and should continue into the future.
Mason McCormick faded as the season progressed, but he entered the lineup a year early. He should still be able to develop into a solid starter for years to come.

We can at least see a pattern with the new front office to build the roster with premium positions with the team's premium picks. For the most part, analysts and fans have believed the Steelers got good value out of their last two drafts. That brings development to the forefront. Few second contracts and the lack of development from players (or entire units such as the offensive line) is a concern. It's hard to feel confident with this team building a contender if they can't develop and retain their current talent.

23 is dependent on how Fraudlin manages Jones, so far he gets a D. It's yet another case of Shades screwing up playing a guy out of his natural position all so he can give one of his "buddies" starting time, even though ratings companies have him rated at the bottom of LTs every year. For 24, Fautanu also has a low grade so far. Good try working on the OL. but it's not working out so far. Analysts may like that we tried to improve the tackles on the OL, but thus far, not seeing any progress. But looking at OLmen development so far, the lack of progress is on Fraudlin and Meyers, considering what guys have done once they escaped from here.

 

[SteelerFan448]

23 is dependent on how Fraudlin manages Jones, so far he gets a D. It's yet another case of Shades screwing up playing a guy out of his natural position all so he can give one of his "buddies" starting time, even though ratings companies have him rated at the bottom of LTs every year. For 24, Fautanu also has a low grade so far. Good try working on the OL. but it's not working out so far. Analysts may like that we tried to improve the tackles on the OL, but thus far, not seeing any progress. But looking at OLmen development so far, the lack of progress is on Fraudlin and Meyers, considering what guys have done once they escaped from here.

The investment does not match the production.

First round: Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu
Second round: Zach Frazier
Fourth round: Dan Moore and Mason McCormick
UFAs: James Daniels (currently the 11th highest paid RG) and Isaac Seumalo (currently the 11th highest paid LG)

They had some injury issues, but the unit as a whole should've showed some progression from last year to this year as well as growth throughout the year. I don't believe we've seen enough.