will TJ stay?

JMO, I don't buy it. We beat some of those same teams earlier in the year, and we've had our way with some of those teams , year after year.
So what I'm getting at is....if we are so vanilla, and don't scheme anything, would we not be the same year after year, anytime you played us, so why would it ever work, and not just sometimes.
Example: Ravens, or Browns.....why would it work over, and over against them, but then in the post season not. If it's the same old same old, we'll they've seen it for years, and years, why let it ever beat you.
I hope I'm explaining myself correctly.

 

I'm not buying that Watt can get 22 sacks in the regular season and win DPOY, but in the playoffs he needs a different scheme to make some splash plays. What's the excuse for Heyward and Minkah not playing like All-Pros in the playoffs?

 

TJ isn't going anywhere. They'll get a deal done.

 

Scheme? Welp ask the player why he only plays from one spot. That sure limits what you can do scheme-wise.
Garrett seems to have no qualms playing all over the line.

 

What I see in general is more complexity in some teams with respect to their schemes. If you have a more diverse system, you don't have to show all of its facets to the same extent during the regular season. This makes it harder for opponents to study them all on film when prepping for the playoffs. Similarly, if you don't have a lot of variation, it's easier to identify what's being run and try to plan against it.

 

This.


Rather, this statement or make T.J. Watt the highest paid non QB in all of Football. For that matter, Pittsburgh might wanna hurry it up a bit. Dallas will extend Micah before long and Micah himself is looking to become the highest paid non QB. By how much versus Myles Garrett remains anyone's guess.

 

let's hypothetically ask this question. say we can't come to terms with TJ this offseason, would anyone be in favor of trading for say trevor lawrence? baker mayfield? curt cousins? another? if the chance arose.

 

Mac, Next time coach ask you to hit the slopes in Latrobe
Just Say No.

 

The Bucs aren't trading Mayfield. I doubt the Jags are trading Lawrence for an aging edge rusher, even one as great as Watt.

 

I would trade for Baker or Lawrence, yes. I have enough confidence in our ability to find edge rushers to make that trade at this point. Nothing against TJ at all. Last time his contract came up he went against his agent and signed because he just wanted to play. If this time becomes a standoff, trade him.

 

No. But thanks for asking.

 

Why not ask for Mahomes for Watt while we are at it?

 

You wouldn't trade Watt for Mayfield?

 

Why not!

 

It's easier to compete for championships with a QB on a rookie deal unless it's someone like Mahomes, so no I wouldn't trade Watt for a QB. I think TJ ultimately gets a new deal done before camp, but with as much as JJ is talking about the business wide, it wouldn't surprise me if this is the last season TJ is in Pittsburgh.

 

that is all the more reason to get something for him now. something we need like a QB. we have guys that could take TJ's spot. no maybe not quite TJ but we have talent at that spot. what we don't have is a franchise QB. rookies are nice but vets are much more reliable. i'd take lawrence in a heartbeat. i'd make that trade. especially if TJ's heart is part way out the door with this team. this contract means something different to him at this point i have a feeling.

 

Let Arth and Smith have Lawrence? Would be unfair.

 

I hear what you're saying. It's just easier to build a championship caliber team with a QB on a rookie deal.

 

How about the greatest defender to never win a playoff game? Shaping up that way lol

 

Him and cam are ghosts in the playoffs sadly. Watt is broken down by then and our scheme is bleh

 

Maybe the Steelers have a hold in? Roll the Bones. Let him play out the year.

 

Hell no.

 

It's clearly about the money this time around because there's no chance for a ring anytime soon.

 

Keep in mind that at this point, Watt is not signed. It is going to take an insane amount of money to get him signed, which is a huge risk given his injury history and the way he finished 2024.

It's a moot point, anyway. The Bucs wouldn't make that deal.

 

Written by a guy (Andrew Brandt) that negotiated contracts for an NFL team:

Myth No. 2: Elite players should take less to “help the team win”

No.

Less cap? Sure. Less cash? No.

If top players, especially quarterbacks, want to facilitate the signing of other important players on the team—we can debate whether that is their role, but even if we allow for it—there is a way they can easily do that, and hundreds of players have. They can simply do a cap restructure of their contracts: converting their large salaries into signing bonuses, thereby pushing out cap charges into the future years through proration. These are cap restructures done by every team in the NFL. The player receives the exact same money he was scheduled to receive, sometimes even with better cash flow and an earlier payment schedule.

So, you ask, what is the myth? Well, the myth is that a player needs to take less cash—not just cap—to help the team. There are fans, media and, unfortunately, even players who believe this, and it is wrong.

Taking less cash only hurts the player and helps the owner, who is paying less than he should. NFL owners all have assets worth over $2 billion; they do not need players to sacrifice any cash in their contracts. It is quite enough for players to help the team to provide more cap; they certainly do not provide them more cash.

Two players come to mind immediately. I have talked often about Tom Brady and the Patriots over the years. He not only did several cap restructures, but for some reason (there are many theories), he also took less cash compared to other top-echelon quarterbacks from those days. And the Patriots (1) did not need the cash and (2) were a mid-to-low payroll team throughout those years.

The present-day comparable is Patrick Mahomes, owner of a ridiculously long and highly undervalued contract. Mahomes, whose contract was under market soon after he signed it and locked himself in for 12 years, talks often about helping the team sign other players. To Patrick: Cap restructures do that; do not sacrifice your cash earnings!

So when you read about a player saying he “took less” to help the team sign other players, know that he is being bamboozled by the team, or his agent, or the media, or whomever. He can always sacrifice short-term cap, but he is only hurting himself—not the team, not other players—by taking less money.