The Steelers hit pay “Dirt” at Center: Redrafting 1988

[Steeler Nation]

In this retrospective series, we’ll use 20/20 hindsight to play General Manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers to review past drafts – focusing primarily on top 2-3 selections – and personnel decisions year-by-year and redraft or implement trades based on the Steelers roster at the time.

General rule: Any “redrafted” pick will generally fall within a 15-pick range and trade propositions being realistic and attainable.

Steelers situation and needs: ​

• 1987 was the final year of the Mark Malone era – Thank God. 6 TDs, 19 INTs and a 46.4 QB Rating.
• Steve Bono was the Steelers “scab QB” and maybe should have remained the starter.
• Steelers winning record was misleading, the 8-7 winning record was greatly aided by 2-1 during “scab” games and a chance at winning the AFC Central Division was exposed after losing their final two games to the Houston Oilers and Cleveland Browns.
• 1987 broke a 17 consecutive year streak of at least 1 Steelers LB named to the Pro Bowl – at a time when the Pro Bowl meant a great deal more than it does today. This streak at LB was also something that Steelers fans took a lot of pride in.
• We did get the infamous “handshake” where Chuck Noll let Jerry Glanville know what he thought of him. (available via SteelerNation YouTube Channel or click below to view on main page)

The Steelers hit pay “Dirt” in the second round​

1988 Steelers Draft: 1st Round – #18 Overall; 2nd Round – #44 Overall

When the Steelers drafted DE Aaron Jones, he told the media that his goal was to get at least one sack in each game. He started off well on that, sealing a 24-21 win over the Dallas Cowboys with a sack. He would not register a full sack again until week 11 in 1989. The Steelers drafted 4 defensive linemen in the 1st round in the 1980s and went 0-4 in landing an impact player (and would go 13 years before using a 1st round pick on a DL again). Jones lasted with the Steelers through 1992 and would be the 2nd former 1st round pick released by Bill Cowher.

Dermontti Dawson took over the starting right guard position by midseason along side Mike Webster and then succeeded the legend at center into the next millennium. “Dirt” Dawson was named to 7 consecutive Pro Bowls, earning 6 consecutive 1st team All-Pros en route to being named to the 1990s NFL All Decade Team. Owning the second longest consecutive game streak (170 games) in franchise history – a case could be made that Dawson is the greatest center in Steelers history. No one could match his agility in how quickly he snapped it and pulled as if he were a guard. After being a finalist for 3 years, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012 and his jersey #63 has not been reissued since his retirement, making him the first of the non-dynasty era Steelers to earn that distinction.

Bill Cowher on Dawson:

“To me he was the best athlete to ever play that position. He was very powerful and explosive, just a rare combination of quickness, explosion, and he was a very dependable player. This guy hardly ever missed a game. He redefined the position.”

Bill Belichick on Dawson:

“He was one of the best players that we have ever played against at that position. He had exceptional quickness; I think that really the measure of a center is his ability to play against powerful guys that are lined up over him and try to bull-rush the pocket and collapse it in the middle so that the quarterback can’t step up. Dawson had great leverage and quickness with his hands and his feet where he did a great job of keeping that pocket clean for [Neil] O’Donnell and those guys who played behind him.”

Grade: B​

• The Steelers found OT John Jackson in round 10 and he would turn out to be one of the best OTs in franchise history, starting at LT through 1997.
• The rest of the draft was a bust, as 3rd round pick Chuck Lanza played only 2 seasons and RB Warren Williams was on the team till 1992.

Redrafting 1988: Oh – so NOW you trade for a QB (and from 1983 no less)​

The first round was a real missed opportunity: RB Thurman Thomas really slid because of a knee injury and while the Steelers were hardly the only team to make a mistake on him (7 RBs drafted ahead of him) – Thomas’ slide all the way down to #40 was a surprising development – the only difference between his day and that of Aaron Rodgers slide was ESPN kept cutting away to Thomas’ home via live feed. He would have been a great fit for the black and gold as the Steelers really were in need of a big play RB.

HOF G Randall McDaniel #19, right after the Steelers pick and given they really were focusing on the OL with this draft, it would have made for an incredible pairing with Dawson.

Immediately after Lanza was drafted in the 3rd Round, the 4 consecutive Pro Bowlers would be selected – including QB Chris Chandler. But instead the Steelers actually actively pursued a QB via trade!

• Not that it would “undo” the 1983 mistake of not drafting Dan Marino, they acquired former 1983 1st round pick Todd Blackledge from the Kansas City Chiefs for a 4th round pick.
• Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers went after a Steve Young in a 1987 trade (incidentally – Young had 10 TDs as a backup to Malone having 6 TDs as a starter in 1987), the Steelers went the discount route.

Not that it mattered – “I’m the man, write it down” Bubby Brister won the starting nod and won a lot of people over with his enthusiasm and swagger. However, the bar was set very low as he still received cheers on an 11 TD/14 INT season since he was replacing probably the most unpopular player in franchise history. If Blackledge couldn’t beat that out, it proved that the Steelers search for a QB was just not one they were taking seriously enough.



Thoughts or comments? Leave them below.

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[FSF]

For the best memory of that season:

 

[stillwright]

Ahhhh......living in past success. Nice article.

 

[Black & Gold Bleeder]

Makes you wonder why they drafted Chuck Lanza in the 3rd that year.

 

[FSF]

Makes you wonder why they drafted Chuck Lanza in the 3rd that year.

Best guess—originally Dirt was a Guard. And similar to what the Giants had done couple of years earlier (resulted in hep winning Super Bowl as both rookies started both) —they went heavy into drafting the OL to infuse young talent to take over.

But Dirt was incredibly agile in his ability to pull. Finding out he could do it from Center was unexpected. Lanza was drafted with the intention of playing C with Dirt at G, but Dawson was just too good.

 

[fedderone]

"Hit pay dirt with KDRT ( pronounced Kay Dirt )."

ANY one able to cite this obscure pop culture reference?