Poll: Opinion about Big Ben's remaining years

Well with the poo storm that Ian (the sensationalist) Rapoport started on Sunday the discussion of Ben and his remaining years as a Steeler has become a hot topic for discussion. I am curious about some of your feelings and wanted to throw a poll together to gauge what people's thoughts are. I am going to put up five responses with the last one being a general other tht you can feel free to comment on. If any of you have something that you think should be a response let me know and I will try to add them in.

So here is the basic question.

Why do you want Ben to finish his career in Pittsburgh?

Keep in mind that this isn't a rehashing of the trade talks but more of a line of thought that follows the can they afford to extend him, keep restructuring, and so forth need to get cap relief and allow him to finish as a Steeler knowing that sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. I realized in typing up the polls options that not everything is cut and dry and that some need some explaining.

The first strip away all the non essentials, Been to three SB and won two, going 15-1 his rookie year, all the stuff that makes up the legend of BB. Look at this season as one season and evaluate what you would give as a GM based on just this year.

The second is fear lots of mentioning of the twenty year gap of horrible to average QB play for the team and many not wanting to go back to it. As Mac said holding on to Ben far past his usefulness just because of fear.

Third his legacy with the team which would be like option one with all the stuff added back in.

Fourth is self explanatory.

 

I voted

Best player the team has, should build around him

 

I voted the Bradshaw to Ben gap. That was a looooong quarter century! Ben is still a very good quarterback and if we get a stud LT and can keep him upright and give him more time to throw, he's still got a few productive seasons left. I would, however, entertain trade offers IF we thought someone may overpay for him like the Raiders did for Carson Palmer and we were reasonably sure that we could replace him with a Teddy Bridgewater or someone of that caliber. While there are no guarantees, we'd at least have someone that we could rebuild around.

 

i voted the legacy one .. the steelers are ben and ben is the steelers ,let's take everything he has before think about another qb . the contract money is another story , if he ask more than what is affordable means my vote was wrong

 

I voted "Other," but looking at it, closer, I'd say "His legacy with the team."

 

So this thread is only for those who want to hold onto him too long and have a large contract extension act as a ball and chain and stunt the growth of a full 53 man roster?

SF ousts Montana, wins SB
GB ousts Favre, wins SB
Colts oust Manning, gets Luck

 

No this thread is just my curiosity as to what people's reasons are for keeping him till he retires. More than a few have said in other threads that if he is traded or cut it amounts to the end of the world. Hence the fear factor. Looking at the voting many still believe he is the best player on the team and they should be building around him.

 

I can't vote anything in good faith. I want the best for the Steelers and at this point, we don't know what Ben's demands to finish his career here might be.

 

No. The Steelers were around before Ben and will be here long after he's gone. He's aSteeler, but not the Steelers.

 

I voted other for now. we really don't have to decide for two and a half years. age happens. I think we will know how he's playing in the 2015 season and can make that extension then. i'd also still be in favor of drafting one if it worked out right early in this draft.

 

Yes, but SF had Young on the roster, GB had Rodgers on the roster, and the colts suffered a "we suck for luck" 1-15 year to get him. We do not have a worth replacement on the roster and high picks aren't always "franchise material" See Cleveland, see Rivers, see Newton, Bradford, etc. There is no guarantee that we will get a franchise worthy QB, and Ben will likely go win another ring with another team. We gave up on Unitas and passed on Marino. This team needs to keep Ben.

 

I agree with this, Rush. This is the reason why I'd love to see us take Mariota this year (if we have the chance). Then we would have the ability to let Ben walk. Until we have a reasonable (young) replacement, we cant even entertain the option of cutting ties with Ben.

 

We have "Dirty"Laundry Jones. A fourth round pick last year. Didnt you hear SGS? According to some on here...He our is our savior.

Im lobbying for Blake Bortels from UCF. If he is there for us in second..I like it!!!!!...There in third....No brainer!!!

 

he is the steelers in this era , i know he can be replaced (with better or worse qb) and we will not change the name of our franchise but he is the bradshaw of this era , so i would like to dump him when he will not have anything left in tank not now .

 

do you think he will not want an extension 2 years before the end of his contract ?

 

"Dirty Laundry" Jones ... I like it Myron.
Here's a pic to go with that moniker ... :thumbsup:

 

Yes, but those players didn't fall in their laps. SF traded for Young while Montana was still winning Super Bowls and GB drafted Rogers in the first round with Favre having similar tenure to Ben. Guess I'm looking for the Steelers to have a succession plan. Ben will be 33 when his current contract expires. I'd prefer we groom a backup, rather than paying him $20M/ yr when he's 34 -39 years old.

 

I bet he would but why extend him now? he's got two years left.

 

It seems that the vast majority feel that he is the best player on the team and that they should build the team around him for however much longer he plays.

 

I want him to remain a Steeler because I remember the years of bad QB play with the likes of Kent Graham, Tommy Maddox, Kordell Stewart, Bubby Brister, Jim Miller.

 

how long would it free up cap relief is the question. he will still be eating up a ton of the available money throughout his extension. why not wait until the 2015 seasons end to evaluate where we stand. if he truly doesn't want to leave we could offer that deal at that time, and also know if we need to keep drafting qb's.

 

Legacies don't win SB's, if they did Favre would still be in GB throwing INT's and Rodgers would be on another team probably winning playoff games. There's one goal in football, to win games. Ben can still help us win games for now, but that window is quickly closing and an argument can be made that he is one of the biggest problems with this current team.

 

However, it doesn't seem like folks are overly enamored with Ben's play so far this season.