the steelers better just say no

Aaron smith said he's not sure if he is done yet. He said he drives down the road and finds himself fantasizing about playing football. He went on to say that had the steelers not put him on ir he would be playing now. Smith aid the steelers would have to tell him or strongly hint that he is done. I say he is done he i think he is due to make 4 mil next year. The steeler better tell him he is done he didnt look good at the begining of the year and i dont want to pay him 4 mil just to look at him on the sidelines. The article is in the trib i would link it but it would be the mobile version.

 

Keep him for a pay cut

 

It would have to be a hefty pay cut because at this point he wouldnt start.

 

Thanks

 

I love Smith but I think its time to ride off in to the sunset. I drive down the road fantasizing that my wife is about 20 years younger and has mad skills with a stripper pole but all I find when that happens is getting smacked by her or drifting off into a ditch.

 

iowasteeljim, almost always good for a laugh.

 

I like his thinking. He isnt arrogant and says those guys now are going to be great.

 

He is done, The Steelers will be on youth movement. Plus they don't have any money to just blow due to the Salary cap.

 

I'd love to have him back...... on the cheap. He is such a class act.

 

He'll still be more effective than Ziggy. Youth doesn't always mean "better".

 

I'd keep him for the vet minimum. He's not stupid, he knows what's up. He has no ego. He knows he's ended up on IR almost every year recently.

If he's really in it because he wants to play football, why wouldn't he come back for the minimum as a backup? Here's a list of his accomplishments:

-Decade-long starter
-Two Super Bowl wins as starter
-One of the best players at his position ever, and a top 20 Steeler (a tough list to crack!)
-Several big paychecks and millions in the bank, to make sure his family is taken care of forever
-Role model and tutor to his future replacements

We will still need a defensive lineman to take his place on the active roster. Why not him? Why get some Nick Eason clone when you can have Aaron Smith? He'll not only be a player-coach for Heyward and Hood, he'll still be a more effective rotator than some other 4th stringer. He was effective early this year, although people around here don't like to admit it.

What's the worst case scenario if we sign him cheap? He rotates in for maybe 12 snaps a game or so, does a mere adequate job because he's so old, helps us out on goal line D and goes on IR after week 8. I'll take that over some roster filler.

Keisel - Hampton - Hood - Heyward - Smith - McLendon ... 6 DL will keep everyone fresh.

 

Vet minimum i would take him back but no way at 4 mil

 

I really enjoy the contribution of Aaron Smith through all the years but I think it's time for him to go. I don't know what games some people were watching but he was very ineffective from the start of the season until he got hurt. He was constantly moved off the line of scrimmage and seem like a shell of his former self. The steelers usually know when it's time to move on from aging players. He has a great resume with us, it will never be another but i think its time to go.

 

Pretty much how I feel. But, if they pick diamond in the rough in the draft or find something with real up-side and we would have to make a decision, I'd cut him and bid him a fond farewell and make room for the future.

Then offer him a coaching job along with Batch and Ward. Keep those players around for guidance of all things Steelers.

 

I think about 6 to 10 of the current Steelers ought to think
about getting on with their lifes work. If they think they can hang on
they are in for a rude awakening. Hell the Steelers cut Franco, Webby,
and they were HOF. There is only about 4 players on this team that are indespensible
and Aaron Smith isn't one of them.

 

no way smith is done get him out of here.....Ziggy is the man now

 

Ziggy is alreadt getting the smith treatment he is playing really good football and gettong no credit for it.

 

I agree that smith's play at the beginning of the year was not up to par. However, I think the undiagnosed neck injury may have played a large role in his performance. What's to lose by bringing him back for training camp and seeing how much he really has left in the tank? Like the rest of you, though, I think he has to agree to a substantial pay cut first.

 

smith was a little rusty, as were most of the defense early on. he was starting to play good football again at the time of the latest injury. i think he still has worth and so does hoke IF both can comeback from these injuries. both will have to take a hit in the pocketbook too. let's say casey is shopped around. ziggy is moved to the nose and heyward gets on the field with keisel. these two could be very good backups for us. this would leave us in decent shape with mclendon,smith and ziggy and hoke able to play either nose or DE in this system. it also gets our two first rounders on the field with veteran leadership and knowledgeable backups behind them. we also have a couple of youthful guys that are learning in corbin bryant and al woods learning from the best. win win.

 

Mr. Smith was a great Steeler. But, as Charles Henry Noll would say, it's time for him to get on with his life's work.

 

We are not chomping at the bit to have to replace him as we have 2 guys waiting in the wings to play. As the #3/#4 guy on the depth chart to stay and teach and help the younger guys grow, you bring him back at low salary if he is willing. He may look at you and say, I want to come back at the 4 mill, but that isn't acceptable. We have gotten basically ZERO football out of you in 3 years....you owe us some time on the cheap. His 4 million for next year was only there to reduce things out over time. He has made his money, time to play for one more Super Bowl on the cheap or go home.

 

What exactly qualifies as "really good football"? Fact is Ziggy makes very few plays. Very few! He's hardly ever is around the play and shows up as a spectator only after the play is over, usually with his hands on his hips. Watch him tomorrow. You'll see what I mean.

 

It better be a diamond in the rough, like a 6th or 7th rounder or UDFA, because if we pick another DE before then I'll go bonkers. We have too many other needs to be spending any significant draft pick on another DE. If we go DL at all it needs to be NT.

But yeah, if he's beaten out by somebody new, let him retire and give him a (possibly) phony injury to retire under, and see if he's a good fit as a coach. I imagine he is because he's such an incredibly smart player with great technique, but I have no idea really.