Steelers Post-Combine NFL Draft Look - Big-Play Receivers; Reality Of A Restructure

Toward the end of February, If It Ain't Steel wrote a mini-preview of possible wide receivers the Pittsburgh Steelers might look to in the NFL Draft. The thought behind it being that the organization is looking to get a big target this May. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2014/02/steelers-want-roethlisberger-for-life.html

There is no doubt that the draft is teeming with BIG-time talent. And with the departure of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders being imminent, the need to get a reliable and, as we quoted Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac as saying, a "big" or at least a "big-play" receiver.

In the weeks since writing that, though, I've fallen out of love with Florida State WR Kelvin Benjamin, but only with regard to the Steelers. "A rare combination of size (6'5", 240 LBs, 4% body fat) and speed (4.61/40)....(who is) a physical mismatch vs. defensive backs and linebackers" is someone who'll still likely go in the first round.

Just not for the Steelers.

We say that partly because if the Steelers' plethora of needs on defense - so if a WR is drafted first, he'd better be game-ready.

But we say it mainly because of the raw aspect of his game, including his propensity for drops, that lends itself to more of a bottom of the 1st-round selection. We in no way think he'll be a bust (Jerry Rice had a problem with drops in college too), just that he may not be the best fit for the Steelers.

With Antonio Brown and soon-to-be re-signed Jerricho Cotchery being the only wide receivers to be counted on, and Heath Miller being the only true tight end receiving option, who do the Steelers turn to as those potential game-ready candidates come May?

Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M: 6'5", 231 LBs, 4.53/40, 37" vertical jump, 65 receptions, 1,322 yards, 12 touchdowns (1st round) - On March 5, Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle tweeted (@ChronBrianSmith) that he hears that Evans hears he's a top-five guy: "#Texas A&M's Mike Evans said he's hearing more and more he could be a top-10 pick in #NFL draft. Met with 20 teams at combine."

If so, that's bad for the Steelers. If It Ain't Steel has thought this all along, however. Thus our initial push for Benjamin. Clemson's Sammy Watkins will be (long) off the board by the time the Steelers select, but Evans just might be around still. Playing the type of offense he did with the type of quarterback that he did, he is the most likely candidate should the Steelers go that route in round one. - http://youtu.be/wl2OfgKbEBs

Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina: 6'4", 250 LBs, 4.60/40, 24 reps/225-LB Bench Press, 62 rec, 973 yds, three TDs (1st round) - I know, Ebron isn't a WR, but he is both a "big" target and capable of the "big play." Just as importantly, he can block...and Heath isn't getting any younger.

If Evans is already gone by the 15th pick, don't be surprised if the Steelers feel the best player available is a versatile, mismatch-making tight end. - http://youtu.be/LfznL8SqDkA

Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State: 6'2 1/2", 220 LBs, 4.60/40, 39" VJ, 97 rec., 1,432 yds, 6 TDs (2nd round) - Per Frank Cooney of The Sport Exchange, Robinson is a "fluid athlete for his size with room to get stronger. Deceptive acceleration with sharp cuts to be a dangerous catch-and-go pass catcher. Physical ball carrier with balance and body strength to shake off defenders and pick up chunks of yards after contact." The biggest question surrounding him is if he has enough speed (4.60/40) to separate from NFL defensive backs. - http://youtu.be/hrV19HYDCnk

Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt: 6'3", 212 LBs, 4.46/40, 35.5 VJ, 112 rec, 1,477 yds, 7 TDs, (2nd round) - Matthews' final two seasons with Vandy were prolific. He finished as the SEC's all-time leader with 262 catches and 3,759 yards. Per CBSSports.com, Matthews has a "chiseled frame (and)...size/speed combination along with his hand/eye coordination and body control makes him an attractive prospect, showing the ability to make plays at all levels of the field and do damage after the catch."

The cousin of NFL legend Jerry Rice, who shined at the Senior Bowl, is strong (21 reps of the 225-pound bench press), has a long stride and can take a quick swing pass and go the distance. According to NFL.com's Chase Goodbread, "he's a big-time prospect." - http://youtu.be/pZhNot3CIl0

Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss: 6'2", 221 LBs, 4.4/40, 39.5 VJ, 59 rec, 938 yds, 6 TDs (2nd-3rd round) - Between game play and highlights, what jumps off the screen (no pun intended) and what tips the scale for me with Moncrief is his hops, his vertical leap. His ball-tracking ability and catching apex make him dangerous and highly desirable. Then when doing research on him, one word used often in describing his play was "sudden." - http://youtu.be/XpOHRPmhErw

And while this won't be the only piece we do on possible WR draft picks, it covers the ones we expect we might see taken at the top of the draft. To then sum up, the one we would most like to see in Black and Gold is...

Martavis Bryant (pictured), WR, Clemson: 6'4", 211 LBs, 4.42/40, 39" VJ, 42 rec, 828 yds, 7 TDs, (2nd-3rd round) - "He is a terrific athlete with the speed/size combination to create mismatches at all levels of the field." - Dane Brugler NFLDraftScout.com

Bryant was overshadowed all season by teammate Watkins, but he made the most of his opportunities late in the year, including in the Orange Bowl victory over Ohio State when he scored two red-zone touchdowns.

Point blank, Bryan is tall, lithe, has long arms (32 5/8"), is flat out fast (had unofficial 4.34/40) and can jump out of the building. He has short-area burst for short and intermediate routes, but also has the body control and long strides to take the tops off of defenses. Needs to learn to catch better with his hands instead of his body to overcome his drops, but that's pretty much the worst that can be said about him. - http://youtu.be/EBY_lsCjCT4

~ Addendum ~ There are certainly other top-flight possibilities. Ones such as USC's Marqise Lee (6'0", 192 LBs, 4.52/40, 38" vertical jump), LSU's Odell Beckham, jr. (5'11", 198, 4.43/40, 38.5 VJ), Oregon State's Brandin Cooks (5'9 3/4", 189, 4.33/40, 36" VJ) and Fresno State's Devante Adams (6'1" 212 LBs, 4.56/40, 39.5) are all smooth, shifty, speedy athletes with burst and separation ability for the big play. (They all are also possibilities, we just don't feel they're probabilities.) In other words, they're each another Antonio Brown and potentially Markus Wheaton. We believe the Steelers will look to go away form that in this draft and look toward a little more size.

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Speaking of Antonio Brown... Let's get one thing straight: players are neither in any way doing anything special, in any way magnanimous, nor especially loyal to their teams when they restructure. This is just as true with AB. All he did was take a check. Albeit one that now has the Steelers at approximately $3 million under the Salary Cap.

The restructure, for want of a lengthy explanation, is mainly an accounting measure. The team is allowed to turn a certain percentage (I believe up to approximately 90%) of the earnings a player would get for a season into a bonus that is paid as a lump sum.

The team's Salary Cap issues are eased and the player gets a new Escalade and matching suit. That's it. Nothing more (on the players' parts), nothing less (on the teams' parts).

So stop deifying the players when all they're doing is lining their pockets.

Interview Process Of NFL Scouting Combine Imperative For Steelers; Salary Cap Rises

The annual beefcake bonanza that is the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis is once again upon us and the Pittsburgh Steelers are right in the thick of it. - stele.rs/1mixDqR

All told, the entire process runs form February 19-25 - meetings and weigh-ins/measurements are from the 19th-21st, while the actual Combine workouts and drills are from the 22nd-25th.

As each player is measured, poked, prodded and scrutinized like prize cattle, we get the chance to find out which potential prospects might fit the team's needs. It is truly the penultimate event.

Then again, it could be much ado about nothing and all that is actually needed is to have watched three or more years of actual games.

In truth, the real value of the NFL Combine is the subject of debate as the players go through their various drills from the general to the specific. The real import of the Combine likely lies behind the pomp and circumstance.

The Steelers, as with all teams, will put players through assiduous medical examinations, interviews and in possibly even psychological testing.

By now, for the most part, Kevin Colbert and company have settled on their preliminary draft board, so the Combine acts as the proverbial icing. It allows them to adjust based on the aforementioned psych eval, their background, medical questions and, maybe most of all, their character.

Will he fit in with their locker room? What are his practice habits? Is he competitive? Can he learn a playbook? Can he recognize schemes and formations? Does he have a real football IQ? Etc...

Not only that, but they'll also want to know about players' work ethic.

There have been as much as eight weeks for some to stay prepared or at least to get prepared for the Combine drills. Are they?

As for the interview process itself, each team can meet with up to 60 player interviews players they specifically requested for 15 minutes at a time and players have an itinerary that lays out which team they will be meeting with and when.

The interviews can involve the particular position coach, a coordinator(s), the head coach and other personnel brass. The conversation can be as casual as can be in order to just get a feel for the player, or as technical as possible. Whatever necessary to better gauge the player.

So far, the Steelers have met with at least Arizona Wildcats running back Ka'Deem Carey, Oklahoma Sooners FB-TE Trey Millard (SICK blocker), and some guy named Kelvin Benjamin.

More to come starting Saturday.

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TIDBITS: Per ESPN's John Clayton from his Twitter (@ClaytonESPN) account, "the projection for the 2014 salary cap is now at $132 million."

This greatly helps the Steelers. When just considering the Rule of 51, the Steelers are only now $3.5 million over the Salary Cap.Add in the dead money and it's approximately $8.1 million over. Hopefully, they'll raise it again...

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In this pass-happy NFL is so pass oriented, the Nickel and Dime sub packages of the defense become paramount. The Steelers themselves used such packages approximately 60% of the time last season. The Steelers have issues at cornerback and safety (needing about least one each), and this is considered to be a top heavy draft class in the secondary that could provide starter-type help into the fourth round.

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Markus Wheaton recently had "clean-up surgery on the broken pinky finger that kept him out about a month last season. Otherwise, Colbert said, the Steelers are healthier coming out of this season than he can remember in any previous year." - Alan Robinson of the Tribune-Review

Steelers Want Roethlisberger For Life, Look To Get Him Big Target

"We've got to have Ben (Roethlisberger) retire as a Steeler. There's no doubt about that."

Those were the words of Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II last month when talking about a contract extension for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He said that he wants the franchise quarterback to finish his career where he started it.

Fast forward to Wednesday of this week and General Manager Kevin Colbert mimicked that same sentiment during an interview on 93.7 The Fan.

“We all recognize we are very fortunate to have a franchise quarterback,” Colbert said. “He still has a lot of tread on the tires. We feel great about how last season finished and we hope to build on that. It’s unanimous we all want Ben to finish his career here.” - http://tinyurl.com/lho3xsf

To win in the NFL, you need some skill as well as some luck. To win consistently in today's NFL, as in three Super Bowl appearances and two wins in 10 years type of consistently, you need great quarterback play. And the Steelers have great quarterback play.

Last season, despite his horrendous start, ended up having a very good year. He ranked among the top NFL QBs (with a minimum 290 pass attempts) in QB Rating (92.0), touchdown passes (28), passing yards (4,261), completion percentage (64.2%) and in comp. pct. when under pressure (per Pro Football Focus).

Big Ben also played every snap in throwing for those yards while setting a Steelers record for completions in a season (375). He had a 2-to-1 TD/INT ratio and becoming the franchise's career leader in TD passes (219).

Since 2004, his rookie year, Big Ben also ranks fourth among QBs in the regular season with 95 wins (T.Brady-114, P.Manning-113, and D.Brees-100), and second in Super Bowl wins.

Naturally, then, they should and do want to extend him in order to keep him in town. The question is as to when as both Rooney II and Colbert have both been confident yet non-committal.

"When both sides are able to come together on an extension," Rooney II further said. "I don't know when that will be, but there's no doubt we look at Ben as somebody who's going to be here for the long term and hopefully five or more years."

In the meantime, what is known is that, according to Beaver County Times last week, WRs Markus Wheaton, Derek Moye and Justin Brown traveled to Irvine, CA to work with Big Ben.

"It was really about (Roethlisberger) getting a feel for some of us a little bit more," said Moye. This was also done in part because Emmanuel Sanders is not expected to return. - http://tinyurl.com/mng7ntk

As far as what is known that the Steelers as an organization is doing is that they are looking to do something else that will potentially please the franchise passer.

In an interview with Adam Lefkoe of the courier-journal.com, Gerry Dulac reiterated information that If It Ain't Steel had quoted him as saying before - that the Steelers will go after a big/big-play wide receiver early in May's NFL Draft. He elaborated on what he'd formerly said.

"I believe that they are going to target a tall wide receiver in the first round of the draft. .... I don't think there's any question, Adam, that one of the guys they've liked all along is Mike Evans from Texas A&M. He's...a former basketball player, big guy - 6'5", 225 pounds. Goes up and gets the ball, very athletic."

ASIDE: As the NFL Combine has begun its measurements of QBs and WRs, with the actual pageantry beginning this weekend, we now know that Evans is actually 6'4 5/8" and 231 pounds.

Dulac continued with the other WR that he believes the Steelers want to possibly get for Big Ben when he said, "It's hard not to like Sammy Watkins, the kid from Clemson.

As Dulac pointed out, Colbert saw the (currently) 6'1", 205-pound Watkins in person earlier this year and he believes that one of the two is at the top of the Steelers list.

"When Kevin Colbert talks about wide receivers, tall WRs, he talks about guys who can play big. But there's no question the Steelers wants to get a receiver who was tall enough that makes it easier for Ben Roethlisberger to complete passes to."

The only foreseeable problem with this is that I can't see either of those players still around at pick No. 15 where the Steelers sit. Nor will the Steelers reach. If they aren't available, there are several other big WRs who could be gotten between their first and second (46) picks.

Kelvin Benjamin, 6'5"/240 LBs, Florida State: 1st round - A rare combination of size (4% body fat) and speed - says he hopes to run a 4.3/40 at Combine on Sunday. A physical mismatch vs. defensive backs and linebackers. Very smooth with the media at the Combine podium. Says he's "gonna come work everyday." - http://t.co/PAYxJEGbGk

Strong, will go across the middle, great at catching jump-balls at apex (ask Auburn), superb body control, fluid, good separation speed, adjusts and tracks well over his shoulder, very good YAC, and does not go down easy. (Not that I've followed him or anything...)

Allen Robinson, 6'3"/210 LBs, Penn State: 1st-2nd round - 2012 and 2013 Big 10 Receiver of the Year. Third-team AP All-American. "Fluid and flexible athlete for his larger frame with room to get stronger. Deceiving acceleration with sharp cuts to be a dangerous catch-and-go pass catcher," per CBSSports.com

Jordan Matthews, 6'3"/205 LBs, Vanderbilt: 2nd round - Good size/speed combination along with very good his hand/eye coordination and body control. Has pedigree as well: is cousin of Jerry Rice.

More in the coming weeks.