chase claypool

***Rollers*** · 04-25-2020, 11:11 AM

Good pick. I like it

04-25-2020, 03:02 PM

That was a bad pick for you guys. Walter from Walter Football rated it a C, and I agree. Cam Akers and Ohio State's Dobbins were on the board. Pittsburgh needs a RB way more.

***dbsfgyd1*** · 04-25-2020, 11:41 PM

(04-25-2020, 03:02 PM)Jbsptfn Wrote: That was a bad pick for you guys. Walter from Walter Football rated it a C, and I agree. Cam Akers and Ohio State's Dobbins were on the board. Pittsburgh needs a RB way more.

I’m not surprised at all at this pick. We’ve been looking for TEs since Heath Miller retired. The reason is to force the defense to take a player or two out of the “Box”, or keeping them from playing downhill.

The bedrock of our running game is the counter trap and we have not been able to run it with success with the likes of Jessie James, Ladarius Green, and Vanette just to name a few. Not that I’m expecting Claypool to be a power house blocker right away, but he has the size, speed, and strength to become one. In the meanwhile, we’ll just have to deal with a kid that has the makings of a dang fine move TE.

Our rushing attack will be just fine with a better QB play than what we had last year. Besides, RBs are somewhat fungible in today’s game.

***SteelThePain82*** · 04-26-2020, 03:39 PM

(04-25-2020, 11:41 PM)dbsfgyd1 Wrote:
(04-25-2020, 03:02 PM)Jbsptfn Wrote: That was a bad pick for you guys. Walter from Walter Football rated it a C, and I agree. Cam Akers and Ohio State's Dobbins were on the board. Pittsburgh needs a RB way more.

I’m not surprised at all at this pick. We’ve been looking for TEs since Heath Miller retired. The reason is to force the defense to take a player or two out of the “Box”, or keeping them from playing downhill.

The bedrock of our running game is the counter trap and we have not been able to run it with success with the likes of Jessie James, Ladarius Green, and Vanette just to name a few. Not that I’m expecting Claypool to be a power house blocker right away, but he has the size, speed, and strength to become one. In the meanwhile, we’ll just have to deal with a kid that has the makings of a dang fine move TE.

Our rushing attack will be just fine with a better QB play than what we had last year. Besides, RBs are somewhat fungible in today’s game.

On the 1 hand, I can't help but think about how we let Dobbins go to the Ratbirds and Denzel Mims to the Jets (where he'll be tutored by Hines Ward)..

That said, I'm optimistic about Claypool. He has rare speed for a man of his size!
While I like his willingness to play TE, I don't think we'll see that happen on the regular (outside of an injury to Ebron or McDonald).
With his credentials, I think you're gonna see him lined up outside to force teams to respect the deep ball, opening up the running game, and drawing coverage away from JJSS, DJ, and Washington.
I'm not ruling out that they'll train him as a TE as well (perhaps line him up as a wing now and again), but I suspect he'll be a pass catcher first and a blocker second.

Best case - Claypool develops into the 2nd coming of Calvin Johnson, worst case - he becomes Kelvin Benjamin 2.0

We needed an injection of speed to our offense. Though I had hoped it would be Mims, the potential that Claypool brings intrigues me.
As for RB, I had hoped that we would be able to land somebody like AJ Dillon or Antonio Gibson, but McFarland could be just the game-breaker we've been lacking in the backfield...

At least there are no "Artie Burns" or " Jarvis Jones" sized reaches evident with this class. Time will tell how it all pans out. Pi_clover

***Chucktownsteeler*** · 04-28-2020, 03:30 AM

Good to great pick. Time will tell. With the Big 3 due contracts next year this may end up being a great insurance policy if we lose Ju-Ju. Can't sign them all.

***SteelThePain82*** · 04-28-2020, 04:24 PM

(04-28-2020, 03:30 AM)Chucktownsteeler Wrote: Good to great pick. Time will tell. With the Big 3 due contracts next year this may end up being a great insurance policy if we lose Ju-Ju. Can't sign them all.

I'd love to see JJSS continue his career in Pittsburgh but my head and my gut are telling me that he'll likely end up seeking employment back on the West Coast after his rookie contract expires (hopefully with a Championship ring on his hand!)

***Chucktownsteeler*** · 04-29-2020, 02:18 AM

I agree, I heard a rumor they were shopping him to the 9ers before the draft but it may have been fake news.

The following will need to be signed next season and TJ takes priority: TJ, JU-JU, Connor, Heyward, Dupree, then in a year Minkah.

Can't keep them all and I think they may also be getting a little worried that Ju-Ju may go A-B on them.