Now, the realistic free agent options.

If this article is accurate, many of the free agents that we discussed about Pgh signing are not options (and I never thought any of these players were).

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...m=newsletter&utm_campaign=pittsburgh-steelers

Houston? Nope.
Fitz? No.
Revis. No.
Cameron? Not.
Maxwell? Not gonna happen.

Not of those should be a surprise. The Steelers don't spend for big FA names, period. Here are the more likely possible signing options for the Steelers.

RB

Roy Helu. Nice, well rounded back. A perfect back up.
Ben Tate. He didn't do that poorly for coming for just 1 week. If he had a full camp, he could be a fine back up, although hurt a lot.
Bilal Powell. Pretty diverse. I wouldn't mind him as our #2.

WR - no one

TE

Charles Clay. Not sure if he can block well, but he definitely can make plays.

OT - There are several guys I'd love to be signed, but with the re-signing of Gilbert (worst re-signing by Pgh in years) they will probably not add an OT and that sucks. Gilbert, or Adams, is awful. They are one of the weakest links on offense. Maybe THE biggest weakness. I don't mind Beachum, as he has heart and isn't horrible (nor great, but for a 7th rounder, he's been great). But out RT spot is just the worst. They SHOULD add a OT. But they won't.

OLB

Brian Orakpo - probably too pricey.
Sean Weatherspoon

CB and S

Too many to wade through to say. But I hope they sign at least one of each.

 

I think it's important to lock up moats first at a reasonable rate and then I'd go after skrine. sheard would be another if they could swing it.

 

helu and mcphee are my favourite targets

 

Signing a legit, edge rusher who can get to the QB is very expensive. Unless you find a hidden gem, like Harrison, the price tag is just too high for the Rooneys' blood. We some how got Kevin Greene for a decent price....I don't see any of those guys out there. Houston seems like only legit OLB who can get to the QB on the market right now, and it surely will be a team with tons of space who signs him, like Cleveland, Jags, Raiders, Colts. But I do have to ask, why do other teams find ways to sign impact players but we never can? Why are we always reduced to bargain bin free agents? I do agree that going hog wild (no pun intended) like the Skins do with signing so many big name free agents is stupid. But can't a brother get a stud free agent ever? And with our recent drafts being pretty questionable, what does it leave us with? With no one on the roster who can get pressure on the QB. Worilds and Jones? That isn't cutting it.

 

first off I agree with elvis' view of the matter.

secondly, we have more established "stars" in place then some of these other teams making big splashes in free agency Lloyd. ben, AB, heath, Timmons, pouncey, DD, heyward, bell and some guys that were former stars like troy,ike eating up a lot of money overall.

we also have guys we need to sign like beachum, moats, and heyward to an extent, so we will need money for that. ben included I guess. we have used some money on bad signings it looks like, gilbert, cortez and cam Thomas. Mitchell could be included in that group.

we also had dead money tied up in guys like colon and now Woodley which takes but doesn't give. again bad signings like cortez,Thomas and gilbert and blount. they eat up money without a lot of return.

add some guys like warren and suisham and mr. clean, who are solid contributors but vets that demand a little higher price for their services and it all adds up to not a lot of money to go after other players in free agency.

 

I think you are forgetting one position, Guard. Mike Iupati from the Niners would be a HUGE addition to the team. I think Foster is no good and with Iupati, we would rule the running game. Imagine, Decastro, Pouncey, and Iupati in the interior.

 

3 times pro bowler .. he will cost too much

 

I think they are closer to one and the same player. big power guys that can't pass block. not a good fit with the more mobile less power guys we have in place.

 

We never sign guys, because the Steelers overpay the players as a whole. We pay our backups starter money and cripple the cap year in and year out. We have the knack of releasing guys at the right time, but we also overpay the the ones with diminishing skills that they keep. That's why we never sign guys. Been like that, for twenty years.

 

Most of the teams with cap space are bad teams, except the Colts. They could actually afford to sign Houston and that could be a nice step towards contending. But why is it only the Steelers are ALWAYS locked out of trying to sign a significant FA? It's the same gad damn story every freakin year, even after 3 non-winning seasons in a row. The Ravens win a Super Bowl a few years ago, and yet, can find a way to sign a premium pass rusher in Dumervil.

 

Based on the first year returns, he wasn't even the worst re-signing by Pgh in that three week period. If he can stay healthy, that will be a good signing.

 

right now c. allen is leading the way

 

the ravens purged a lot of players for a couple of years after that and signed the right ones, where we hang on to them until after it's time. ed reed for example.

 

...

Because the Rooney`s "learned their lesson", in the mid `80`s, when we were "cheap"...

We became a farm team for the NFL, by not paying high money for a starter, when we had a back-up on the bench, whose skills weren`t far removed from our starters....

Fast forward to now, and the talent on the bench, just isn`t there...

Blame whoever/whatever you want, but, that`s the problem.

Right now, we need our young players to make an impact, FAST!!!

Haven`t been doing so well at that, lately.

I didn`t realize Buster Skrine was available, until I read Mac`s comments.
He`s definiteley no the best cornerback, in the league, but, better than ours, and should be reasonably priced...

 

Ndamukong Suh?

 

We never have any money to spend because we overpay guys and then constantly restructure deals to try to recover cap room that we lost by restructuring everyone the year before and the year before that.

It's Kevin Colbert's idea of good cap management.

 

Here's the kicker ... Dumervil was actually dirt cheap. $26 million over 5 years, with $8,500,000 in guarantees.

This past season his cap number was $3,375,000 ... vs Worilds at $9,754,000

Dumervil was available for a song, and we had laryngitis!

 

Let's just hope that this free agent season nets us more than Mike Mitchell and Cam Thomas!

 

I hope we don't sign guys just to fill holes. That just leaves you with a bunch of garbage players, and f's up any compensatory picks you may have had coming your way.

 

that's my thinking bleed. he's not bad. he had 4 picks last year and if we teamed that up with gay's 3 pick 6's and maybe a couple from our nickel back, we would be doing better.

the trouble I see and keep harping on is that most teams safeties have the most picks for them, league wide. ours had ziltch. we need safety help badly. that's why I want guys like Anthony harris from Virginia and gunter from Miami and rowe from Utah or any other ball hawking type corner/ safety tweener drafted and then add a FA like skrine and a draft pick at corner.

we have to fix the backend to help out our corners. I'm not so sure we need a shut down guy at CB, nor do I see one out there. let's then have 4 guys that can play the ball at those positions instead of 1 stud which may not be out there. at least that's my take on the matter.

 

helu would be a really good addition, especially in the passing game.. with bell probably out the first 2 games, we wouldn't have to change much in the offense

 

I am leaning this way also, if they let Sheard rush the passer this could be a good thing.

 

henry melton is a free agent now .. would cost too much ?