Brown Checks Back In

As poor as he looked the last few weeks he looked just as great yesterday . It was one of the best performances I have ever seen ....Him and Ben are very special together , so I think the Steelers will have to break form and pay him up next season...

How much do you guys think he will get and what moves can the Team make to create some Cap Space ? How much can we save by cutting Cortez...

 

I know Cortez got $25million but I'm not sure how that broke down per year. But this is year 2 of that deal right? For the record, I wouldn't even mind taking a hit just to get that bum off our team. If he's not gonna get it together then it's time to let him walk. I don't know if it's "mental" or not but whether it is or aint it's time that he gets on the field and earns that money.

 

To be a star receiver they have to have a star quarterback throwing the ball to them, when it works both the QB and receiver have great stats, and AB still has two years left on his contract so it's too soon to talk money..........

 

Yep they probably will want to get paid , but if Brown holds out it will kill our season next year... How many years do you think Ben has left ? I think we are approaching a win at all cost window before we have to go into rebuild mode ...What makes Ben so great is exactly what has me worried... His ability to move in the pocket and shrug off hits is what make s him ..How many more lower body injuries can he take ?

 

Usually the Rooney's wait till there is one year left on the deal. They might make an exception. Don't forget Bell will enter his final year next season.

 

Spoken like a true preacher. lol

 

I don't think he holds out, he wants to be the best ever so I think both sides get together and get an extension done that's good for the team and AB. I'm sure with the cap going up we can find a way to pay AB and Bell whIle signing other important pieces like Decastro, etc.

 

If I'm not mistaken he has some sort of restriction on his free agency, not that I think it's going to come to that. A lot of money for a RB is way less than a lot of money for a WR. I'd expect him to be locked up easily for about 8-9mil a year.

As for AB I'd be more inclined to extend him after the season is over. Absolutely no reason to wait another year and let the market go up, although he will still be expensive for sure. Somewhere around the 14mil/yr Dez just signed for. Lets lock him up til he's about 32-33 and then see from there.

 

Yes indeed to the OP. AB showed several versatile sides yesterday - great downfield separation ability - great sideline toe tapping presence (unlike Crabtree on two of his catches) - great bravado going over the middle down near the goal line (very Hines Ward-like) - and great ability to find the ball in the air when his head was down long after the ball was tossed (gotta credit Ben on those as well). Can't imagine how gaudy his stats would have been if BB hadn't overthrown him on two long chucks. Very beastly performance.

 

I think this approach would be a mistake. The clubs who field consistent contenders make it a practice to always be rebuilding. It's no easy task replacing a Roethlisberger, but you don't overload your resources to fit a small window of time at the cost of the next several years; there are simply too many variables in play that cannot be controlled.

The Steelers built a successful franchise by finding and developing talent. They do not sign splash free agents, and while they do attempt to retain their own higher profile players, they recognize a value ceiling at which other positions begin to be compromised should they grossly overspend.

You just have to be careful in selecting when and how much you spend to stock a team on any given year. Injuries can hit at any time. Momentum can be fickle. You do your best to ensure a well-rounded team to give yourself the best chance of winning, which is why the draft is so important - and why I'm so critical of squandered picks thrown at the Archers, Boykins, and Scobees. Those type of picks can be used to find young talent capable of becoming contributing members of the roster, and every once in awhile you'll turn up a Brett Kiesel, Antonio Brown, Darren Perry, etc.

 

Yeah I'm such a fundamentalist for thinking someone should earn their money and not set on their butts and collect a check.

 

They just gave AB some upfront money this year, they shouldn't give him a extension just yet. They need to re-sign DeCastro, and if they cut Cortez that might be 4 million in dead money. They would be better off spending money in free agency to make a Super Bowl run in 2016.

 

It is going to take a lot of money to sign AB, see Julio Jones contract.

 

So Jones got 47 Million guaranteed and it was a 5 year deal ... Is a 5 year deal the most that can be signed ? If not why not hit AB with a 6 year deal if he insist on getting paid now ? Is there a rule that 5 years is the most ?

 

AB deserves top pay,...Period! I just hope that he is blessed with good health during his career ....AND HE WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS THE GREATEST

 

It is possible that Ben's injury was a blessing in the long run. AB got a chance to see what other QBs have to offer and may not be as inclined to run to the money. Could be worth it to him to sign for a reasonable offer so that he and Ben can continue to have that special connection. Maybe...

 

No, I think it's about the players not wanting to sign for 6. The market for their position can change a lot over a half decade, and it opens another opportunity for them to get paid. It makes no sense to sign too many years into your 30's, then not have value. You still have value in your early 30's and can probably sign a 3-4 year deal at a good price if you're still producing.

Basically it's all about maximizing their money.

 

Yeah. I doubt his version of "reasonable" may be different than yours haha AB's next contract is going to be the most expensive at the position. I think he's earned it too. "Reasonable" would be simply matching the highest paid WR salary.

If it's not going to come from us, there will be teams lining up to throw money at him.

Personally I'd do it. With AB, Ben and Bell, we will always have a dynamic offense. He's at least tied for the most important player on our team not named Ben (Bell).

 

Lower body hits is the key, every defensive coach in this league tells his players don't try to tackle Ben high or he will shake you off, hit him low to get him down, that's why it's key for Ben to throw the ball quick to avoid defenders.....

 

That's what I thought... With that being said if he had to have his money now I would push for him to sign a extra year ...It seems fair to me. If he wants his deal done early and his money early then the Team should get a extra year option for bending the rules to get him paid now.....

 

Seems like a fair trade off to me.

 

Salary Cap implications come into play,
It is very hard keeping a championship caliber team together when
a handful of players are making the majority of the money. See
Seattle. I thought they would dominate longer than they did, 2
back to back but now that everybody is getting paid they have returned to the pack?
This is why scouting, player evaluation is SO IMPORTANT. YOU MUST FIND
THOSE LATE ROUND GEMS.

 

No rule but, (like someone said before this post) there will be players with their hands out all over the league if we extend AB early