Who stays.. Who goes..... How are they replaced???

With the sting of our season prematurely ending, a lot of questions need to be answered about our roster from top to bottom, including coaches...… Do we hit the reset button and go to a full rebuild... do we replace a few key areas and reload.... and do we have replacements at certain positions already on the roster.... let's take a look at a few possibilities
feel free to insert anyone that I may have missed

Offense:
Ben: does he retire or does he come back for another go.... I personally think he should retire. This draft is rich with high end talent at nearly every position.... My fear is that the F.O. and coaches may look at Mason Rudolph's game against the browns and stand pat, which IMHO, would be disastrous.. If Ben does hang em up, I say look to the draft

James Connor: I personally think he's gone... another to be replaced in the draft

JuJu: Also think he's gone...….. This yrs. draft may be even stronger at wr than the last one, plus, no one questions our ability to find wr talent

Vance McDonald: has a club option, which i'm pretty sure the team will decline.... I personally feel they need to keep him, if only for the fact that without him, there is no other TE on the roster that passes for a decent blocker... I also believe they need to find a complete TE in the draft to add to Vance and Ebron

Alejandro Villanueva: Gone..... yes, he has declined, but even decent LT's get overpaid in this league, and someone out there will pay for his services... We replace him with a draft pick or a healthy Zach Banner

Zach Banner: speaking of ………. yes, he resigns and will either be our LT with Chuks on the right, or we draft the next LT and put Banner on the right

Matt Feiler: gone.....… Someone will sign him to be a T, which is his best position, and we will not be able to match it..... as far as G is concerned, Keven Dotson has proven to be one of the building blocks that we need to resurrect our O-line's glory days.... still need to find depth though, and that will be in the later rds of the draft or a FA

Maurkice Pouncey: hinted in another thread that he will retire..... If that's the case, I believe Hassenaur will replace him for next season and his real replacement won't be found until 2022

Jordan Berry: will be resigned for one more yr

Josh Dobbs: we will let him walk..... Another qb will arrive in the draft, and probably a veteran FA


Defense:
Bud Dupree: More than likely gone, as we have been expecting all season... even though he's coming off ACL surgery, big time edge rushers are hard to come by, and someone will break the bank for him... after losing the season due to injury, he will want more insurance than a franchise tag..... Obviously, Alex Highsmith will be the heir apparent, but we have never hung our hats on one lber…. we will still find someone to push Highsmith in the draft

Tyson Alualu: will be resigned for approx. 2 yrs., while we draft and develop his replacement this yr.

Joe Haden: Cap casualty..... while still effective, he won't be worth the astronomical figure he'll be making next season if we keep him..... cutting him will allow us to resign his replacement, which will probably be Cam Sutton

Mike Hilton: With a Haden cut, we should be able to keep Hilton and Sutton

Chris Wormley: Resigned for another yr

Sean Davis: Probably walks again....look for a veteran FA

Cassius Marsh: resigns for 2 yrs

Jordan Dangerfield: gone …. replaced by another UDFA project

Avery Williamson: resigned for 2 more yrs..... kind of want to see what he can do with a full Camp, once Devin Bush returns

Ulysees Gilbert: cut.……. your best ability is availability and he just isn't reliable for more than 2 games in a row.... hate to say it since he has a world of potential, but it is what it is.... Bush, Vince, Williamson, Marsh is a pretty good rotation


There you have it.....….. would love to hear some extra opinions

 

Heres what I would do. This differs wildly from what I think the Steelers will actually do.

Offense:
Ben: Ben should retire. If he chooses not to, his hand should be forced. I would sign a veteran backup to compete with Mason, and then give Rudolph his shot in 2021. If for some reason Deshaun Watson is on the trading block, I would go all in to try and get him.


James Connor: I would not re-sign James Conner, but I am guessing the Steelers will.

JuJu: Gone. Even if not for his antics, the Steelers can not afford him. The position is deep and there will be plenty of talent available in the draft.


Vance McDonald: Gone. Unless Vance wants to come back at an extremely friendly number.

Alejandro Villanueva: I think AL stays. He is still a better Tackle than Chucks or Banner IMO. Im not sure Al is ready to hang em up yet.

Zach Banner: I think Banner stays and competes again with Chuks at camp.

Matt Feiler: I also think Feiler stays. Bringing him back gives the Steelers a lot of options. Maybe he gets moved back to Tackle and Dotson starts at Guard.

Maurkice Pouncey: Gone. Will retire

Jordan Berry: Gone. time to find a more consistent Punter

Josh Dobbs: I would let him go. Steelers probably won't


Defense:
Bud Dupree: If a deal cannot be reached I would tag Bud yet again. He is worth it.

Tyson Alualu: will be resigned

Joe Haden: will stay with a restructured contract.

Mike Hilton: will be resigned

Chris Wormley: Resigned for another yr

Sean Davis: Probably walks again

Cassius Marsh: gone

Jordan Dangerfield: will be resigned

Avery Williamson: resigned as insurance policy to Vince and Bush

Ulysees Gilbert: gone

 

Pouncey, AV, Ben, JuJu, McDonald gone.

Re-sign Bud, Sutton, Banner, Conner, Alualu maybe Feiler, Williamson and Haden.

Extend Haden and Nelson

Restructure who you can.

Draft OL, RB, TE DL in the first four rounds.

Go to Super Bowl

 

Teams are not lining up to sign Conners. He will be back.

I’d let Bud test the market. If he doesn’t get what he wants, offer him team friendly, but fair, deal to see if he will sign. He will be out half of the season and teams don’t have the luxury of waiting given the tight salary cap next year.

 

The Steelers are underwater with the cap, the last thing they're going to do is sign expensive, 1-year contracts. Anyone they sign/extend will push money into future years.

Bud is gone, get used to it. Good news is that Highsmith is ahead of where Bud was as a rookie.

 

The Steelers are in this situation every year. Every year they find ways to make it work. This year will be no different.

 

I wouldn't keep Marsh, he was terrible vs the Browns, I would keep Gilbert for another year he's cheap.

 

At this point it does not cost you anything to keep Gilbert, you do have the injury risk, but his cost is really just above the minimum. To much potential talent to just cut, cost nothing to be on the 90 man roster.

 

how soon you guys forget...……….. let me remind you of another defender with all world potential that couldn't stay healthy.... Mr. Senquez Golson.... slot corner, hands of glue..... not afraid to lay a hit down.... also couldn't stay healthy and was replaced by his college teammate Mike Hilton...….. Talent means nothing if it isn't realized...….. as I said earlier..... Your best ability is availability.... no one will waste any amount of money, no matter how small on a player that can't be around

 

Defense:
Bud Dupree: If a deal cannot be reached I would tag Bud yet again. He is worth it.

To tag Bug a 2nd year would be around 24 million, cannot put that kind of money in a player that might only play 8 to 10 games.

 

I can agree, but it costs nothing to have him on the 90 man roster. Nothing is guaranteed until the season starts, just so not see the rush.

 

IMO Haden and Nelson are perfect candidates for extensions.

 

I really liked the way Mason and Dobbs played together in the Browns game. I think a smart OC, could build a wining team around that type of play, if he had a good defense to rely on.

I also see Conner coming back for very little money, but JuJu will get big money by some team that has money to burn.

They will extend Haden's contract, and Hilton will return because there is just not much of a market for a 3rd CB who will never, ever be a starter.

Imagine how different it could have been if the Steelers FO, would have ignored Ben's recommendations and went with Mike Munchak as O.C. when Todd Haley was let go. After being passed over for the job Munch quietly served out his contract and then left.

 

If it were up to me, I would do the following;


Resign Cameron Sutton, Derwin Gray, Zach Banner, Chris Wormley (yes I am serious) and Jordan Dangerfield (very underrated and without him, this Special Teams unit is a disaster)



Cut Joe Haden, JuJu Smith Schuster, Bud Dupree, Big Al, Vance McDonald, Cassius Marsh, Sean Davis, UG3, Jordan Berry, Mike Hilton, Tyson Alualu and Matt Feiler.



Restructure the likes of Tuitt and Heyward. Not much else.




Head into the draft with the following needs;



Offensive Tackle

Offensive Center

Cornerback

EDGE

Running Back

Tight End

Wide Receiver



Not in that order. Just going by needs here. Draft BPA based on these. Continue from there.

 

I think you need to go into training camp where everyone needs to fight for a starting spot. No free ride's.

 

Man U got them dam near bring back everyone it want happen not even close

 

Isn't Wormley signed for another year? I'm guessing you meant this as Wormley starting in place of Alualu at nose tackle, which I get. I'm not sure I'd want to do what you suggested, but they may not have much of a choice, depending on what it would cost to keep Hilton and Alualu.

 

I believe Wormley is a free agent

 

My bad. You are correct.

 

Alualu had a 3.6 mil cap hit and Wormley 2.1
I'm guessing both of those guys could be retained if we want them back?
We could easily get 45-50 million freed up by making a handful of moves.

 

Heyward is signed through 2024 and has been restructured:

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/pittsbu...gned a 4,average annual salary of $16,400,000.

Tuitt is signed through 2022 has been restructured:

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/pittsbu...gned a 5,average annual salary of $12,000,288.

After their performance on Sunday I would stray away from restructuring them but if one it would be Tuitt.

Pushing to much into the future.

Nelson could be restructured as well as Haden.

I would try to sign Sutton.

Entertaining bringing Dupree back on a franchise? Highsmith will do just fine. And cost very little. And is ahead of the curve.

If they force Ben's hand on retirement or releasing the team will have some cap room. I feel they will not and he will be back sucking every last penny on a retirement tour.

Oh, and what to do now with Watt? He will play under the 5th year and they could franchise him the following year and work a contract then. He is going to get paid a boatload and can they work this in for this year and field a team to contend?

Lots of issues to deal with...

 

I had really high hopes for Wormley. I kind of want to bring him back and see what another year might do. Alualu took a while to settle in here too.


Speaking of Alualu ... he is playing great, but he is getting up there in age. We better bring in an heir apparent soon before he falls off the cliff.

 

I don't know. I'm assuming that Juju and Bud are gone. Even after letting your best two FA's walk, they're still gonna have to do some financial gymnastics to bring back some of your other FA's. They're not gonna have money to bring in outside FA that might help the team.

So they can only retain some of their lesser FA's. FA's that made up the team that were part of the worst collapse that I've ever witnessed? Wow, things don't look great moving forward. I've never been a blow it up guy, but I don't think the status quo is the answer this time.

Let some guys walk. Make a couple strategic trades to shave cap and pick up some draft capital. Obviously draft well. You do those things and I think you can turn things around fairly quickly. Like I said in another thread, look at what Miami did in just a couple years. They made a few trades, that were probably painful, but strategic. Now they have a nice young team with two 1st's(including 3rd overall) and two 2nds in this years draft. And have lots of cap room.

It can turn around relatively quickly but you make to make some painful moves sometimes. You don't have to burn it to the ground, but the status quo isn't always the best option.

Guys I would be willing to trade if you get a decent deal:
D. Johnson
Washington
Hayden
Nelson
Tuitt
DeCastro
Edmunds

It would hurt to lose some of those guys, but a rebuild can be painful.