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Steelers might need to change the way they handle player contracts.

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by Steel4Blood, Apr 22, 2019.

  1. Steel4Blood

    Steel4Blood Well-Known Member

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    http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...puts-pittsburgh-steelers-culture-in-spotlight

    Good article on this link about how the Steelers always used to get away with team and cap friendly deals because the organization was one that everyone wanted to play for.
    Now everyone wants to be paid what the market demands. (i dont blame them for this) but this has never been the Steeler way unless it was a QB.
    Do the Steelers need to look at their philosophy on paying there elite players other than QBs to keep the new generation of elite players in Pitt.? There will always be the select few that will take team friendly deals but i think the amount of those players have seriously dwindled.
     
  2. Da Stellars

    Da Stellars Well-Known Member

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    I'm not buying this current narrative that is going around the media about the Steelers Contracts.

    We never got bargain superstars because everyone wanted to play for us.

    First off, we never even signed any big time free agent or young stars to second contracts until Heinz Field was built. It was a revolving door with the 90's players. Rooney's don't have that kind of money to throw around like some teams.

    Ward was never given top WR money because he was never a top 5 receiver in the eyes of anybody around the league except us fans who knew what he brought to the table.

    Should AB be paid like a top player, yes...but its his fault for signing the contract he originally did. His fault, not Steelers.

    Ultimately, I think Steelers knew they couldn't afford Levbell, you can't pay everyone, and they tried to hold on to him with the franchise tag as long as they could, they should have just let him walk after the very first tag.
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2019
    • Agree Agree x 3
  3. 58stillers

    58stillers

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    Disagree. The teams that traditionally spend big in free agency, write player friendly contracts with heavy guarantees..... traditionally suck.

    Until the Steelers start putting up crappy numbers like Oakland or Cleveland, don't expect any changes.
     
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  4. troybellringer55

    troybellringer55 Well-Known Member

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    When you start seeing teams that are paying these guys the big guaranteed money. Not get back on the investment you will see a change.

    When guys play 3-4 games and miss 12-13 due to an injury, owners are not going to like to eat that money.

    Look how much money Jimmy G. got from the 49ers playing only 2 games. That can't sit well.
     
  5. SteelersFanIrl

    SteelersFanIrl Well-Known Member

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    I’m not disagreeing with you but injury can befall any player regardless of what type of contract they have. Jimmy G was just unlucky.

    The CBA will probably dictate the policy in the end there may be a move towards more guarantees across the board eventually.
     
  6. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    It has never been about who spends the most. It has been about who spends their money the most efficiently. That is a rule of the NFL.


    There is a reason "Super Teams" never pan out in the NFL; too many variables.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. OX1947

    OX1947 Well-Known Member

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    NFL is about coaching and QB. Defense is non-existent in the NFL other than the Super Bowl this year because of what happen in the NFC title game.

    Right now the Steelers have a top 5 QB and a C- coach. Either you have some crazy luck or you need a B coach to win it all with a top 5 QB.
     
  8. Steel4Blood

    Steel4Blood Well-Known Member

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    I understand Hines was never a top 5 receiver , but in this day an age players that are as good as ward was will deman top money. Hines could of gotten more money from another team if he wanted but chose to stay with the Steelers. Im just saying i think that kind of player is a dying breed.
    If less and less players are willing to take team friendly deals then the steelers will be forced to start changing the way they do business or Pitt will just be a revolving door of people forcing trades or leaving after their rookie contract is up.
     
  9. LambertsDentist

    LambertsDentist Well-Known Member

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    The Steelers signed an extension to some receiver a couple years ago (his name escapes me at the moment). Said receiver got a pretty hefty signing bonus (read- guaranteed money) and a year later forced a trade. The team is now eating a huge amount of dead money in cap space as a result. Tell me again why we need to offer more guatenteed money to players.
     
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  10. Wardismvp

    Wardismvp Well-Known Member

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    The Steelers have always been at the cap. There is only so much money to go around
    and sometimes you lose players you would like to keep.
     
  11. Da Stellars

    Da Stellars Well-Known Member

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    Pouncey is the highest paid center in the league.... Steelers pay their players.
     
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  12. Smitch89

    Smitch89 Well-Known Member

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    They need to change a lot of things
     
  13. thorn058

    thorn058 Well-Known Member

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    It's going to be interesting to see if this is the general progression of contracts in the NFL or is it a response by players and agents to the rookie salary cap. Before the cap you had these rookies who had never set foot on a pro field demanding these huge contracts and signing bonuses and with most of themy teams knew by year three if they were worth it and worth getting another huget contract or if they were due for the harsh reality of a pay cut.

    Now they don't get that 40 million dollar signing bonus and the fifth year option, franchise tags and so on you get players angling for that big second payday since there isn't a first one.
     
  14. AFan

    AFan Well-Known Member

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    There is a salary cap, and the Steelers spend up to it. So they spend as much as anyone else in the league.

    The issue is how you spend your money. The more you spend on bright, bright stars, the more holes you have in your lineup. It's a trade off, and it's a system that rewards you for not making mistakes.

    If like the Steelers, you have a coach and a GM that can expect strong job security, you don't have to make splash signings or desperate ones to save your job. If you know you could get fired next year if things don't turn around you're more likely to offer risky contracts to the next free agent Messiah. If you overpay, somebody else cleans up the mess, not you.

    This off season, many fans have expressed an impatience that Tomlin's and Colbert's jobs seem assured, that as a team they aren't agressive enough in free agency or in trading in the draft to fill perceived needs. And fair enough, some of that criticism is warranted. But there is downside.

    For 45 yrs, this team has mostly contended, and hasn't had a 4-12, 2-14 like season. I'm not sure many would accept an agressive go-for-broke off season, that could easily end up in a 1st round or divisional round playoff loss, but results in 3-4 yrs of 3-13 to 6-10 seasons. If you run your business like everyone else, you'll the results that everyone gets.
     
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  15. Steel4Blood

    Steel4Blood Well-Known Member

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    There is a difference in making a splash in Free agency and players starting to want new contracts 2 years before their new deal is up. I agree the Steelers shouldnt change too much in Free Agency. My concern is players starting to realize they have alot of power like AB did. We got very low value for the best receiver in Football. I think most other teams would of handled the situatuon better and gotten a better return. The Steelers are so set in their ways of not negotiating new contracts beofre 1 year unless its the QB. What happens when all the star great players start following in AB's footsteps and are constantly wanting new contracts half way through their current one. Will the Steelers change their ways if this becomes the norm for star players.
     
  16. Steel4Blood

    Steel4Blood Well-Known Member

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    Steelers are always at the cap but for some reason we now have only 2 all pros on this team. Id say Decastro and maybe Cam Heyward. And Cam may be starting to regress due to age and injuries this year. If he does we have one all pro in my book and thats decastro. Our Secondary and Linebackers have been consistently week and our TE position has been consistently unsure. I would expect if the Steelers are always at the cap and paying the players the right salary we would have some better playmakers at this point. Hell, i believe our best defensive player this year is still on his rookie deal TJ Watt. So the Steelers need to get better at paying the right players. If they wouldnt have picked up the 5th year on Bud hell they could of made a move on a real playmaker in the secondary or linebacking corp. Its not about being at the cap if your paying the wrong players.
     
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  17. Vox Ferrum

    Vox Ferrum Well-Known Member

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    Agreed, but doesn't the CBA determine that every team has to spend a certain % of the cap every year? They can carry over a certain amount, but there still has to be that % spent. So the idea of certain teams (Steelers) being cheap is a misnomer. It comes down to how a team allocates it's cap dollars, develops it's 'cheaper' labor through the draft, and building around those they choose to keep.
     
  18. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    It does. 95% of the salary must be spent. That being said though, this still does not necessitate the fact that some teams will literally smash their proverbial piggy bank. It is not worth it.



    How the Steelers handle the cap is merely an illustration of the short comings with some of the contracts; namely the man in my avatar. I do not believe he was off the books until 2017. Antonio Brown too but his set of circumstances are an EXTREME outlier.



    As you said, build through the draft. Free agency is not meant to be the premiere fix but the stopgap plan; an indirect extension of the draft. Why?! Whatever happens in Free Agency ususally can dictate whatever a teams draft plans are.
     

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