QB for Super Bowl run in 2024? I think we go to a proven Veteran ( Wilson or Cousins?)

Let Kenny duke it out and EARN his spot from a real QB! If he doesn't, maybe he'll learn something.

 

Well if we get one of them it sure the hell won't be a SB run.

 

Wont be with KP either

 

Too much money, Wilson on the backside of his career and Cousins just coming off ACL injury at 36 yrs old. Thanks but no thanks.

 

They are NOT going to bring either one of them in and personally I don't want either.

And really you think they are coming in to be the #2?

They are going to see what their 1st round investment Pickett can do with a new Offensive Coordinator.

And most here said the same thing.

They will bring in a #2 and say their is a challenge but lets be real here they are going to give every chance for Pickett to succeed. Even if Mason decides the compensation is right and stays on. And he will get compensated as he should if not here somewhere else.

The one thing is Mitch the Pick never sees the field in Black & Gold again. Maybe trade him for a Ham Sandwich maybe a 7th round pick. Really just an outright release would be perfect.

 

Well

Those are two bad options

 

Welcome to the board Todd

Have thick skin and have fun

 

If Cousins was early 30's and we had the situation we have at the moment I'd have love to see him in camp. With the Players we have in place plus hopefully a decent draft I'd think a younger Cousins would be a plus for us.

Alas, if your Aunt had balls.......

 

1st post comes in strong for Cousins or Wilson. Not a post shamer...but that kinda funny.

 

With what money?

 

Yeah I don’t see a SB run with cousins or Wilson either. Both are at the end of their careers and been banged up. Best chance for a playoff run is if KP catches on with a real coordinator

and TJ stays healthy for a change

 

Do either of those options make it so Pickens doesn’t fumble? This team is not SB ready. QB is only part of it. But until they fix o-line and play calling we really don’t know if the QBs we have can’t get it done.

Mind also, we have QBs on the cheap. Try building the offense while paying a QB 20 million a year or more.

 

Yea I was just looking that up. On both sporttrac and over the cap we are listed anywhere from 14 to 22 million over the CAP (looking at what the CAP may be). I really do not think this is unusual, it is the way we have dome business, will make some moves and clear space to do what needs to be done. That said I dont think you are going to see a major move in FA or a trade that could basically put us in cap hell for years, at least I hope not.

 

We can get cap compliant by dumping Chuks and tribs. They’ll need to come up with another 10million for draft picks and walking around money. That’s fairly easily accomplished as well. Trying to squeeze in a qb with a cap hit of 20-30million would take significantly more work.

 

There are ways to get into the FA market for someone if they it was warranted, a C or other position, but yea grabbing a Qb at this point would put a crimp in the budget.

 

Lol... The first Wilson that came to my mind was Zac Wilson.

I am all for bringing in Zac for the 4th arm at training camp to compete with Mitch for that 3rd spot. Should be a free agent on a 1 year vet minimum deal.

 

They don't have enough talent on the team for a SB run in 24 regardless of who the QB is.

 

Why are we seemingly looking at or even talking about washed up scrubs. A big NO to either of them!!

 

If they really wanted to it's achievable.

Extend Heyward with void years, save at least $10M against the cap
Cut Robinson, save $10M
Extend Watt three years and convert $10M of base in 2024 to signing bonus, save $8M


If Cousins wants a $30M AAV over three years before retiring, add two void years to the end and lower the base salary in the first year. So 3 years (+2 void)/$90M, $40M signing bonus:

(base + bonus proration)
$8M + $8M = $16M cap hit
$21M + $8M = $29M (would likely have to guarantee the base)
$21M + $8M = $29M
Void + $8M = $16M in dead money triggered from both void years, or designate retirement post June 1 and split it as $8M over two
Void + $8M

That said, I don't think they do it. They're not ready to give up on Kenny yet.

 

Cousins is a hell of an option. Hard to see us not be in the running for the #1 seed in the AFC with Kirk at the helm. He is EVERYTHING I wanted Kenny to turn out to be. We'd only have him for a couple years and there is a touch of risk coming off injury, but if this team decides it is in "win now" mode... Cousins is the only choice.

Russell isn't a great "win now" option. He was supposed to be "win now" for the Broncos, but wildly underperformed expectations. He is still an OK QB, but I am not certain he can be more than just a middling NFL option the next couple years.

Fields is probably the FA QB that I would prefer if we didn't want to pay Cousins. He offers the safest bet to be baseline better than we have currently with the upside of potentially growing into a Jalen Hurts type. He's young and could potentially be a long term option. Mayfield is a solid choice too, but hard to see him making it to free agency.

If we are truly looking for a FA that would seriously change our SB odds, I'd go for Patrick Queen. Holcomb and Roberts were a vast improvement, but the Steelers Defense is always better with a STUD ILB.

 

Cousins isn't washed up. There's a chance that he doesn't have a ton of time left, but he's not washed up at all. He went into 2023 coming off 2 consecutive really good PB seasons and played 8 games in 2023 throwing for 291 yards a game and an 18/5 TD-INT ratio... Our current QB has started 24 games and thrown 1 multi TD game. "Washed Up" Cousins played in 8 games in 2023 and threw 7 of them. We'd be in GREAT position with Cousins for a couple years.

 

Wilson is a hard pass for me (just in case the Rooney's are looking to me to make a decision). Cost and performance over the last few years. Seattle got rid of him for a reason.

Cousins is intriguing......but I also think he could be pretty expensive. We pick up any expensive player and we are left with crumbs for other spots as things stand right now. He also has 12 seasons under his belt. He is not the future for the Steelers. He will probably start seeing a drop off in performance soon. Where I do see some real benefit potential is if he can help develop his replacement, be it Kenny, Mason or someone else. Cousins definitely has experience.....but, can he share it?

 

This is why whoever the Steelers hire for their OC/ play caller will be the most important hire
that will happen this year. This person will be tasked with being able to get the most potential/production
out of whoever the QB will be. I hope the Steelers don't sign either one of these over priced QB's.

 

How about a punter?

 

I'm no CAP guru, and while what you say could be done, what are the long term ramifications on those void years? I know its been done, thinking of the Rams who went all in when they got Stafford (not sure it was void years) but they assembled a really good team around him, coaching and front office as well, won the SB them it fell apart quickly. Now they seem to be rebuilding quickly and it worked for them (and the Bucs when they got Brady), I'm just not sure we as a team have the talent and those 2 QB;s mentioned are the guys capable of making that run.

My point, you do something like that and it works then you get the prize, but if it fails and you are not competent in the front office, your CAP structure suffers for years trying to rebuild. Not saying its wrong, just saying the structure of the team better be sound to begin with.