Justin Gilbert traded to Steelers

[6andcounting]

(09-04-2016, 11:09 AM)CageTheBengal Wrote: It might payoff I know the Bengals have cashed in on busts before sometimes a change of scenery can do wonders.. Just curious do you feel like someone dropped the ball in not replenishing the secondary after Taylor and Troy retired or just bad luck with the injuries? It seems like they never had a plan with how to fill the void left by 2 potential HoF players.

Before our 2nd round corner last year, I think byrant McFadden - in the 2005 draft - was the last high draft pick for the Steelers secondary. I've been saying for 3 years it's time to draft a corner because it's going to take a season or two before they're ready to be a full time starter. Steelers FO mishandled the situation, but the right moves they did make got screwed up by pure bad luck.

Keenan Lewis (who was a 3rd rounder) left us in FA to take a pay cut to play for the Saints. That's his home town. Good job on the FO to find a starter in a 3rd round pick; bad luck he just wanted to go home.

2 years ago the Steelers traded a conditional 5th round pick for Brandon Boykin. He was one of the better slot corners in the league. 6 picks in 2013. He had a year left on his rookie contract, but was just getting thrown off ship because Chip Kelly was blowing up the Eagles. Turns out he has a degenerative hip condition and played about 1 half for the Steelers, who made no attempt to resign him at the end of the season. More BS luck.

Then there was Antwan Blake and Brice McCain. Neither were particular great thir first year with the Steelers, but McCain made a small number of nice plays when he saw the field because of injuries. Both Blake and McCain went into FA after the season. Dolphins paid McCain 5.5 million for 2 years with 3 million guaranteed. It wouldn't have been worth trying to match that offer, so the Steelers had no choice but to let him go and just resign Blake. McCain got cut by the Dolphins a year later anyways - proving it was a bad contract. Had the Dolphins not overpaid the Steelers would have kept him for a more reasonable contract. Not that he was that good, but he would have been a bit better than Blake.

Then we finally draft a 2nd round corner, and he gets put on IR like the 2nd day of his rookie training camp. This year he will likely be placed on the "injured, designated to return" list, but again he was hurt before the first preseason game.

Our first round pick at corner this year had a few practices and just 1 preseason game of experience so far. That just sets back any chance he could contribute anything at all later in the season back even further.

*Honorable mention bad luck. Going into his first draft as an NFL Head Coach, Tomlin gives endless praise to this guy Darrell Revis. The Jets trade up right in front of the Steelers and draft him. The Steelers take Lawrence Timmons. Turned out well because Timmons has been great and Revis would have left to the highest bidder after his rookie contract anyways. The defense is better off today because of drafting Timmons over a guy who would have been long gone, but still more bad luck (kind of Tomlins fault though) with getting a decent corner.