Looking At The Steelers 2012 Free Agents

Looking At The Steelers 2012 Free Agents

 

UFAs:
Batch: likely will retire
Leftwich: sign him
Dixon: bye bye
Cotchery: keeper
Starks: ACL Injury against Denver likely his career is over
Essex: May be able to sign for cheap in August
Gay: See ya
Hoke: Done
Sepulveda: Unnecessary
Moore: Gone
Madison: let go

RFAs:
Wallace: I say let him go to the highest bidder. The guy is ridiculously soft.
Johnson: Another guy who can't catch. let him go elsewhere.
Legursky: KEEP
Foster: let him go if offered a contract elsewhere, but don't see that happening
Lewis: Will return
Mundy: Ditto
Meredith: Who's this?

 

I said something in another thread about those running Mendenhall out of town calling him soft, and how soon they'd be saying the same things about Wallace.

I was KIDDING, people. Yikes. I can't understand this sentiment. Not only can we not expect every guy to be Jack Lambert or Hines Ward on the inside, we also have to accept the fact that there is a place for guys with a different game in this sport, and that they have something of value to offer. Sometimes enormous value. He's not a soft receiver, he's a regular receiver. The fact that he's not knocking out safeties doesn't mean anything. I've never seen him wuss out going for a ball, I've never seen him get hurt on a play when he shouldn't have (actually I've never seen him get hurt at all, have I?), I've never seen him get alligator arms.

I have seen him run over the middle for passes many times, often resulting in a big play. He usually gives a decent effort in blocking. I've also seen him burn every defense he's ever gone up against, proving that the only thing that can stop him is his own quarterback. What was it, like the second play of the game when he blew right by Champ and Ben threw it out of bounds? Champ went on to make the "incomplete" gesture with his arms, as if he had anything to do with it. Wallace had 3 yards on him. People complain about his pedestrian numbers late in the season and say he disappears. Yet in every single game he gets behind the D at least once for what should be a touchdown. What else do you want him to do?

And you know what? Even if he was soft, I'd still want him. As long as he's getting 10 yard cushions from DBs that are content to give him an 8 yard gain 10 times a game, and then still burning them deep whenever he wants, he can be as soft as my dog after a bath and I'd be happy to have him.

Everyone talks about how we need to adjust to "today's changing league." In a lot of ways, I disagree with that. I don't want to throw away run stuffing nose tackles like they're nothing, and I don't want to give up on our own running game either. But one thing that is undeniably critical now is a potent passing attack. You need it to put away lousy teams when your OL can't get it done on the ground (a problem for us, if you haven't noticed), and you need it to keep up with great teams who throw for 400 yards on a bad day. There are a couple components to this:

-a franchise QB
-a deep squad of weapons that can get open and make plays with the ball
-solid offensive line play, in pass and run protection

You lose your number one receiver that draws tons of double coverage, suddenly your number two receiver doesn't look so good. And if you know how dominoes work, you'll know the whole offense suffers in ways besides the obvious loss of a deep threat and 1300 yards. We've got two out of three of the components necessary to make us every inch as good as the Packers on offense, and perhaps better. The third component is a work in progress, but it is headed in the right direction and getting better. Why would we want to lose one of the biggest parts, possibly THE biggest part of one of the two components we already have? And he's only 25! He won't even lose a step until after his next contract is up! And even then he'll still be fast!

 

I'm curious why do we want to sign left which again for?

 

Wallace will not be leaving. Starks is a gonner. David Johnson is 50/50. Not an awful player but drops half of the 8 passes he gets all year. Dixon will be gone along with Charlie,so we need a backup QB. Need a new punter if Kapinos is not the answer? May need to find a new FG kicker as well b/c Suisham is so so at best. Moore is gone. So is Foote and Farrior IMO. Mundy? Gay ? Although he had a pretty good year Im not sure what they will do? Good tackler for sure. Jerrico will DEF be here. Ward will be gone. Mendy???? Have to wait and see????

 

Jerricho will DEF be here?? As much as I like him and think he can contribute, the Steelers will have him as their #4 again. Odds are, someone will pay him and give him an opportunity at starting...he's only 29. So unless he loves the culture enough to take a lower salary to play here, he's gone...

 

I don't know what game you been watching but I've seen plenty of times where he has those alligator arms when going across the middle. He hasn't been the same since Pacman Jones lit him up going across the middle.

 

Haha snack I think that might be the most I've read in a long time.

5859 - think maybe that's why he dropped that long pass in the game against Denver last week? Hmmm. haha

 

Well, I don't see anyone else who could effectively back-up Ben, at this point. Do you? The Steelers could conceivably bring someone in. Not sure who that would be or how much it would cost. I think Byron has accepted his role as a back-up, likes the Steelers, likes Ben, and would be cheap.

As for third string...I'd be prepared to give Tyler Palko a shot at third-string, TBH, based on what I saw from him at KC. He was a gamer, despite having little practice time and game experience.

 

I've seen him "watching the road" going across the middle, waiting until he gets to the other side before looking at the QB, and then Ben throws it over his head while he's not looking. I can't remember a single play where he stopped short or didn't go for a ball due to an incoming hit. I've seen all the plays. I may have forgotten one, but if it's a pattern I don't know how I could have missed it. In any case, one or two short stops in 3 years doesn't make him soft, and my next paragraph takes care of what I'd think if he was soft.