Thanks to J.J. Cooper of AOL Fanhouse for putting this together. Me doing these roundtables with J.J. and Ryan Wilson of FanHouse and Heels, Sox and Steelers is like Daughtry touring with Led Zeppelin and Metallica. It’s fun being the assistant quality control coach to their GM and head coach.

Anyway, here it is:
Thanks to the miracle that is the Internet, JJ Cooper (of FanHouse), Ryan Wilson (of FanHouse and Heels, Sox and Steelers) and Neal Coolong (of DieHard Steel) were able to spout off to each other about the Steelers’ first-round pick, Rashard Mendenhall.

JJ Cooper: Ughh overall the NFL Network coverage is good, but Brian Billick being there is bad

Ryan Wilson: He is dreadful. i mean, the guy’s found the cure for insomnia.

JJ: Mike Mayock keeps picking every pick right

Ryan: that guy’s a freaking genius.

JJ: (after Gosder Cherlius goes to the Lions): well…it’s Otah or Uh-Oh

Ryan: I don’t think i’ll feel very good about that.

JJ: I think trading down sounds great

Ryan: true that.

Ryan: (as the Steelers go on the clock) What do you think, mendenhall? If so, how long until FWP starts crying like Tommy Maddox in ‘04?

Neal Coolong: (as the Steelers go on the clock, at the same time as Wilson): Thomas or Mendenhall??It’s gonna be the one Dallas doesn’t take!

Cooper: Balmer or Thomas. No Mendenhall — he’s another Willie Parker

Neal: He’s bigger, though.

JJ: But he’s not a true power back. The anticipation is killing me.

As the pick is announced.
JJ: I’m sick. Well sick may be a little strong, but we need an OG…we need a C…we need a DE…we need a S…we need a CB….RB is a luxury.. And we have a back on our roster right now that rushed for 1,500+yards two years ago.

Ryan: i don’t know jack about him, any reason you hate him other than he’s a RB?

JJ: He’s a Big 10 back

Ryan: Oh, right.  ugh.
JJ: Mendenhall seems like a good value pick, but he doesn’t fit our needs

Ryan: yeah. i hate the pick on principle, but i can’t get too worked up about it considering how everything else played out in front of them.

Neal: He’s by far the best player on the board. That same back you’re talking about had 321 carries before he broke his leg with two games left.He’s the best player available, and there’s no way he should have fallen that far

JJ: True…but there is depth at RB in this draft. A second or third round pick would be able to step in and be a solid No. 2 RB.Now you have controversy–who’s the No. 1 back….you have them competing for carries

Neal: I WANT them competing for carries! That means one of them doesn’t have to get their leg broken on the second carry of the game (edit: I was trying to provide a dramatic example of what happens when a back is given the ball 25 times a game over the course of the season)

Ryan: so what’s worse: mendenhall or timmons? i’m going with timmons because there were options.

JJ: Mendenhall’s a better player so I’ll say Timmons

Ryan: I’m with you; Timmons was a reach. I don’t care what Tomlin says. Mendenhall, I mean, what the hell are you going to do? Plus, it looks like WRs will be around forever now.

JJ: But now we have a need that will go unfilled

Ryan: If nothing else, FWP can stay away from the Curse of 370.