william gay back with steelers

good post

 

Kinda my point. Larry Foote has performed well in his return.
Its not all bad...

 

I agree foot has played well since coming back, but how mny here was jumping for joy when we came back???, and i recall Foot being a better player when he left, than Gay was when he left. I'M just saying we dont need to run out and get the same players we let go a few years earlier every damn time, I would rather play younger players and have a poor season, than to play older players and have a poor season,... if that makes sdince to anyone .................AND I NVR WANT TO HAVE A BAD SEASON...

 

Foote was was great last season in the absence of Farrior. He really stepped up his game to a level that I didn't think he was capable of. Up to about game 9 he was my leading candidate for team MVP.

I'm gonna remain optimistic about Gays return for now. Despite the fact that he drove me and nearly every steelers fan I know absolutely nuts his first 3 seasons, his last one with the team he really stepped up his game. Plus, LeBeau uses him in alot of different packages. Just hope that DL realizes that playing Gay 10 yards off of the receiver can be a big mistake.

 

TTF, do you know what qualify's the vets for the vet exemptions? the three 250,000 dollar vet exemptions. will gay qualify?

 

I agree it's no big deal. He'll be behind Taylor and Lewis for sure, and I'm 98% sure there will NOT be an open competition with Allen. Gay will be #4 at best right from the start and will not move up the depth chart. He's good depth with experience in the system in case of injury. He's also good competition for Brown, who really needs to step up this year. I don't get the people that have a problem with this. We've all had our problems with Gay, but only as a #2 and #3. For a #4 or #5 he's above average, and light years ahead of the man he'll truly be replacing, Josh Victorian, who, in my opinion, is one of the reasons we missed the playoffs last year.

I will say that I'm not sure where the "he's a good blitzer" talk comes from. I know he blitzes a lot, but I thought it was common knowledge that it was because he was the least talented cover man on the field, and so if someone from the secondary was going to blitz, it would be him. In fact, there were times when I was convinced LeBeau was calling Gay blitzes just to get him out of the secondary. Not saying he's terrible at it or anything, but I've never seen him do anything rushing the passer that any other DB in the league couldn't do. Can't even think of a time when he quickly beat a blocker.

 

I really think they are bringing Gay here to be the nickel, which i'm ok with, but I think that means they will have to choose between.

1st- Ike or Keenan
2nd-Cortez Allen
3rd William Gay
4th and 5th- Between Brown, Victorian, Van Dyke, King

 

Ike is staying this year, at least. Are you saying they won't re-sign Lewis because of Gay?

 

I don't believe they brought him back to be the 4th corner and I don't see them resigning Lewis and keeping Ike now that they have resigned Gay. Maybe they will but i don't think its a smart choice. We have too many other areas that need money to be spent on.

 

Ike is not getting cut this year, so the only place you have to go with this is that we won't re-sign Lewis. Which is possible, I guess, although it would still be stupid. Gay is taking so little money that this won't have a significant impact on signing Lewis. And you need to have 3 starting CBs these days, which makes #4 the first real backup.

I believe they did get Gay to compete to be #4, and provide depth for injuries, and play special teams, and be here to help smooth things over if/when Ike leaves in the future. Josh Victorian started for us last year. We needed a real player. This was a good signing, even with both Lewis and Taylor.

 

I have a dumb question....
How could we have signed William Gay when Free agency doesn't open till March,12 ?

 

HA HA! Yeah that would suck if we got docked money or a pick of Goodell...maybe it it is only RFA that can't sign until the 12th?

 

I'm with you with the signing, i do like it and i do think it would be stupid to let Keenan walk, but i just think keeping both Ike and Keenan makes it tough to improve other areas of the team with our cap situation. With Gay hitting the market and them scooping him up so fast makes me think they have an idea they either won't get Keenan resigned or will cut Ike if they do.

Another reason i feel this way is because we have never invested much in our corners in the past and we believe corners are a product of this system, which seems to be true because when our corners leave they end up being terrible. I believe the Steelers love Gay in that Nickel position and feel that is his niche.

We have a lot of areas that really need money spent on and i just don't see them paying both Ike and Keenan. Cutting Ike saves 2.6 mill and signing Lewis we could get away with a cap hit around 3 mill for 2013, based on 5 years 35mill (what he was reported to be looking for).

I believe a lot of the time as fans we look at what we want to happen at specific position and in specif situations, but not how it affects the entire teams situation. I am going to start a new discussion "you play the GM". I would love seeing people think ouside the box and making the tough decisions. Bigsnack, would love to see your opinions, i know you are a dedicated steeler fan and have studied the team pretty in depth.

 

He was cut so the March 12th deadline does not apply. Similar to Breaston.

 

I think I see a position move in the very near future
for one of our cb's. This signing may cloud my draft
strategy yet again?

 

I like the move for many reasons and think Colbert should get a round of applause. I'm not the huge w.gay fan some think. I do understand his limited skillset. He is not a tight cover corner and struggles with man-to-man. But that's not LeBeau's defense and not why he's back in Steelcity.


What W. Gay brings to the table is:


1) The System- He knows it well and can step-in now if needed. As a nickel or 3rd/4th CB he provides depth and an immediate upgrade. He also can provide veteran leadership/ advice and tutor them in the system to our young CB's. A good sideline playercoach type of thing.


2) Tackles- Very good and rarely misses. Once lead the team and is always amongst the leaders. Sure many think this is because he's always getting beat and must make the tackle. Well, he has been beat before and had to make the tackle but the real reason is LeBeau's defense calls for the corners to play off/deep and to never get beat deep keeping the ball in front of them then making the tackle, hoping his GREAT Rushers will limit the QBs time, get sacked or make a bad throw. This fits Gays skillset.

3) Special Teams- He should help our special team unit immediately.

4)Experience- As a former starter for two teams and with playoff experience and knowing this system very well he provides intangibles during the week in practice and on game days and in the lockerroom some say is in dissarray. He will push Brown and Allen to get better or get left behind. He once beat out McFadden and they know that. All other CBs must now fight even harder to make the 53 as Gay just took some-ones place.

5) Position flexibility- He can be a starter if needed-thru injury but can play nickel or 4th corner and ST. I see him as a back-up at safety as well. Mundy who was heir-apparent is all but gone. Will Allen played well in Troys absent but is aging. Troy is aging and injury prone, Clark is aging and with his reckless abandonment style in laying the wood to some-one he'll probably miss a game or two. We will draft a young safety this year, count on it and it'll be 1st two rds and it Won't be Rambo. Gay's tackling skills,system knowledge,experience and Lakes coaching should help Gay be a back-up at safety and help bridge the gap in Troy's/Clarks reign to the new regime tha'ts coming.

Yep, this was a brillant move by Colbert and anyone hating the return of Gay is not really looking at the big picture. There's all upside and no downside here. Gay knows who 1st on the field ( Lewis & Ike ) and he's fine with that. He knows its a fight between him/allen & brown at the nickel and so forth and he's fine with that. He's got Black-n-Gold flowing thru his veins and is happy being on the 53 doing whatever is asked hoping to get another ring and I'm fine with that.


Cajun-

 

I think calling this a brilliant move is overstating it a bit too much. Gay was a liability in the secondary. ESPN reports him as giving up the 15th most yards by a cornerback in 2012. This was simply a safe play, which is a standard move by the Steelers. For the record, I hate this move.

Link to ESPN stat - http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/66356/wake-up-cornerback-rejoining-to-steelers

 

Now I have to find my psychiatrist # ,, god help us!! unless we're looking for a high draft pick after next season. I bet Marsha Brady is licking his lips.

 

But at the same time from what I read it makes him "cut-able" and will not hurt them much ($$$ wise) to do so.