Asked and Answered: March 7

STEFAN PISOCKI FROM WILMINGTON, DE: A recent question posted in Asked and Answered made mention of the career of nose tackle Casey Hampton. Assuming we agree that Joe Greene and Cam Hayward are the Nos. 1 and 2 defensive linemen ever to play for the Steelers, who would be No. 3?
ANSWER: First of all, we do not agree that Joe Greene and Cam Heyward are the two best defensive linemen in franchise history. While I count myself as a staunch admirer of Heyward as a player and a person, his career is ongoing, and you’re also discounting Ernie Stautner and his place in franchise history. Stautner served in the Marine Corps during World War II and after being a second-round pick in the 1950 NFL Draft out of Boston College, he established himself as the Joe Greene of his era. A physically dominant defensive tackle, Stautner’s profile was lowered because he did his work for bad teams. He was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee – again, as an interior defensive lineman on a team that finished above .500 four times in his 14 seasons – and the Steelers retired his jersey in November 1964.

JAY SIMMONS FROM DALTON, GA: For player evaluation, how much weight do the drills at the Combine carry vs. film analysis by team scouts. Is the Combine just another excellent marketing activity to keep the NFL in the forefront of sports news 24/7/365?
ANSWER: The NFL Combine has value to teams because it’s an efficient way to compile comprehensive medical information on all draft eligible players, plus the coaches and scouts get up-close contact with guys they’ve been studying on video. It provides accurate heights and weights. The primary purpose of the entire pre-draft process is still about identifying football players, not picking a track-and-field team, so it’s unwise to become overly impressed with how players perform in shorts in a controlled environment. But if the Combine can be packaged and promoted and sold to the public by the NFL, that’s a side benefit.