The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's John Harris writes what Steelers fans have known for a while now: cornerback Ricardo Colclough just wasn't working out. And it really came as no shock when the team released him a few weeks ago. Harris adds:
At first glance, Colclough's release was viewed as business as usual in the NFL. It's a process that occurs all the time -- a team cutting loose a player who once held great promise. However, the decision to release Colclough is an admission that the Steelers reached too high to fill a need instead of drafting the best available player in selecting Colclough in the second round of the 2004 draft.In hindsight, sure, the Steelers reached on Colclough, but to say they did it instead of drafting the best available player is just ... well, silly. First, how do we know Pittsburgh didn't have Colclough listed as the best available? Second, and more importantly, who else should they have taken? It's one thing to call them out, it's also helpful to offer alternatives to support your argument.
A quick perusal of the 2004 draft shows that between Pittsburgh's two picks -- Colclough at No. 38 and Max Starks at No. 75 -- there wasn't exactly a cornucopia of talent floating around. Of the 37 players drafted, only Bob Sanders is a Pro Bowler, and at the time, the Steelers didn't have a need for safety. (Although, there's a case to be made that there's always a need for Bob Sanders. Duly noted.)
Other not-completely-awful players available: Jake Grove, Greg Jones, Madieu Williams, Darnell Dockett, and Shawntae Spencer. Obviously, any of these guys would've been better options than Colclough, but nobody was clamoring for them back in April '04. And frankly, other than Sanders, it's not obvious any of these players qualify as "the best available" with the No. 38 overall pick.
