Congrats Najee Harris

I knew he would say that.

 

6.79

Accuracy and precision count

https://www.si.com/nfl/steelers/news/pittsburgh-steelers-informed-najee-harris-fifth-year-option

I found other articles confirming this number

The ones stating 6.7 or 6.8 etc generally said “about or near”

And if there is a prize I still want a “Dumb Ass” button right along with the like agree etc

 

It was closer to $7 million, and the reason is deciding to take the cheapest route possible at the position. There was a reason they continued to start him over Warren and give him more carries, too.

 

Najee 2024 as a RB

14th in yards

135th in average

24th in AP yards

All in all a pretty pedestrian running back

Facts not opinion

The Steelers obviously made the right call in declining the 5th based on stats alone

Toss in his attitude and it’s a great decision

 

I can not fathom at this point how anyone with even a modicum of football knowledge would still think the Steelers should have used the 5th on Najee

Although I may have answered my own question

Let’s see if anyone still disagrees and I’ll understand completely

 

Putting aside your usual rudeness and insulting way of communicating, you really need to learn the difference between fact and opinion. Pedestrian is an opinion, not a fact. Also, you are taking those numbers out of context. All that happened with erratic quarterback play and only one receiver defenses had to respect, making it far easier for defenses to stack the box. They also happened behind an offensive line that struggled with injuries and inconsistency. You are comparing Harris to running backs who didn't face those issues.

You are choosing some facts that fit your argument and ignoring the ones that don't to reach a conclusion that doesn't hold up. That is before we even get to the use of hindsight in your argument.

Your argument ignores that the Steelers have many other needs to deal with this offseason and most of them were things we could see coming a year ago. They need a starting quarterback. They need at least one starting receiver. They need one or two long-term options on the defensive line. They need a starter at cornerback. They need a slot corner. They might need even more help on the offensive line, too. That is why there was value in cost certainty for a solid running back who can handle a starter's workload, something Warren hasn't shown he can do. Perhaps you being unable to fathom that discussion is simply a weakness on your part, one that calls your own modicum of football knowledge into question.

Don't get me wrong. There is a good argument to be made the other way. The most important one is that this year's class of running backs is deep, so maybe this is the year to move on. That assumes a rookie can step right in and at least split carries with Warren if not take on the starter's role. Those who keep insisting Tomlin won't start a rookie are forgetting that he did so with Harris.

That said, it is absolutely fair to argue that the Steelers should have kicked can down the road one year at running back while they fixed the other positions. The fifth-year option on Harris is relatively cheap. They still could have drafted his eventual replacement in the third or fourth round, but they could have put a higher priority on their many other holes. Can you fathom that?

 

I fixed it for you

 

Good. It's regular butter. I hate Kettle Corn.

 

I said it once and I will say it again ... we go into the draft again this year with the same holes to fill. We can never move forward from the same positions. We had 4 years to find his replacement. In this draft, you can't take a chance that you will find a Najee replacement unless you pick a rb in the 1st or 2nd rd. But, we can't because we have more pressing needs.

 

I wrote it for all to see. If he chooses to stick his head in the sand, that is his loss. I don't have much respect for that choice, but I will be respectful to the board and leave it at that.

I think if they trusted Warren to handle a starter's workload, we would have seen it by now. At the very least, we would have seen him take on a heavier load when Harris had to leave that game against the Bengals. Instead, they gave the extra work to Patterson.

That they started Harris over Warren is evidence that they don't feel better about Warren. That they didn't rely on Warren in the one game Harris had to leave early is evidence that they don't feel better about Warren. They feel better about saving money at running back to apply it elsewhere.

When they were both healthy in 2023, Harris carried the ball over 100 more times than Warren. Warren has never even averaged 10 carries per game in an NFL season. The most he has handled was 8.8 carries per game in 2023, so that makes it very clear that Warren has not shown us he can handle a starting role. A starter in the NFL, even if he is sharing the role, has to be able to handle more than that. You claim that he can easily handle 15-to-20 carries per game even though he has only carried the ball 15 times in a game once in three NFL seasons. This past season gave us even more reason to question what Warren can handle as he battled two injuries that kept him out of two games and severely limited him in others, so you are trading in a back who is extremely durable for one who is not.

We've been over the average per carry thing before. Both backs struggle against a stacked box. The difference is that Harris faced them a lot more often because he got more of his carries on first and second down and in formations with three tight ends. He also got almost all of the short-yardage work, which cuts into his average, too.

Just because the Steelers think they can go the cheap route effectively at running back doesn't mean it will work. We saw them try that at wide receiver last season. How did that work out for them?

The funny thing is you claim I have some bias against Warren that doesn't exist. I am a big fan of Warren's, but that doesn't mean I'm going to con myself into believing he can do things he hasn't shown us he can do. He is fantastic in his current role, but that doesn't mean he can hold up and produce at the same level if they ask him to double his workload.

 

You already know my intellectual ceiling is other people's floor; so I'll bite. To me it's not about thinking Harris is anything more than average. It's the concern over whether they can fill all of the needs they have while also now needing to find two to fill the RB room (I'm considering Patterson done). That's not saying they can't do it, but after their struggles most of last summer getting a productive WR2 I'm concerned.

As for fair value, it really depends on what method of valuation you're using. I trust OTC to be in the ballpark, and their metric has had him valued at or above $7M since his rookie year. So they've already banked enough through his first four years, that if he took a backseat to Warren and whomever they draft/sign they still come out ahead.

That said, I do support them trying to get better at the position. Just concerned about the list of needs.

 

Im not opposed to resigning him

I just believe the 5th year option was not the right approach

And it appears that is true

 

Seems like nobody I know likes kettle corn. I'm in the minority.

 

Not sure what you mean.

 

Just because they chose not to take that approach doesn't mean they were right. They chose to move Johnson without a viable replacement at receiver last season. That was clearly the wrong decision.

Things could change, but every indication so far is that it will cost more than $7 million to re-sign Harris. If they can get him cheaper, then the gamble worked out for them, but that seems very unlikely at this point. The running back market could easily be more player-friendly this season than it was last year. We saw two running backs sign as free agents and make a huge impact last season and Barkley got his big payday yesterday. Harris certainly won't be taking a team-friendly discount.

 

Some people will argue with a brick wall just to feel important

The bricks know better than to listen

 

Is it possible that they want a RB that better fits what Smith wants to do? Rather than give a big raise to a guy that doesn't really move the needle for you offensively.

In 2022, the Falcons drafted Allgeier in the 5th rd to help Patterson, their lead rusher in 2021. He eventually took the lead and rushed for over 1000 yards as a rookie, despite being a bigger, slower back similar to Harris. Although he ran a 4.60 forty, he showed vision and created his own space, averaging 4.9 ypc. This with Mariota and Ridder as his QB's. Harris doesn't create anything, and I'd be surprised if he could crack 4.7. Of course he wouldn't run a 40 at gunpoint.

Anyway, even after getting great value with a rookie 1000 yard rusher with lots of potential, Atlanta turned around the very next season and drafted Robinson with the 8th overall pick. I remember thinking at the time, what are they doing? But obviously Smith wanted him bad enough to draft him that high. I'm assuming because Bijan could do things that Smith wanted to do and he saw a chance to upgrade the offense's potential.

I can't believe a team wouldn't want to pay big money for a RB who's painfully average. It's crazy. Isn't it bad enough that we have s*** at QB, do we need to keep running captain quicksand out there after a big pay raise?

 

Hahahaha, Captain Quicksand.

 

There was many in the local media who said they thought the Steelers should've picked up Najee's 5th year option.

 

I agree with you there are some really dumb media members

 

I never said they were dumb but there are some dumb fans of the Steelers .