Bleak outlook for Harrison

I would take a great James Harrison type player ANY DAY OF THE WEEK over Mike Wallace. I like him but I'm a defensive guy. If it means sacrificing Wallace to get our D back up to snuff I would do it in a heartbeat. I'm sure I'm alone on this but I think the Steelers mystique is built on D that needs to be the image of the team. We could find a much cheaper "deep threat" than Wallace is gonna be and still have some money to pump in to the D. No 1 guy is worth paying if it's gonna be to the detriment of the team as a whole as far as I'm concerned.

 

I think what you need to do in regards to a trade is find a player on another who is in a bad scheme himself and would fit what we do. Someone young, maybe 2nd or 3rd yr player who has great upside but in the wrong scheme right now. I doubt someone is going to give us a probowler for carter, worilds and some draft picks.

 

I think what you need to do in regards to a trade is find a player on another who is in a bad scheme himself and would fit what we do. Someone young, maybe 2nd or 3rd yr player who has great upside but in the wrong scheme right now. I doubt someone is going to give us a probowler for carter, worilds and some draft picks.[/quote:sc4escge]
I'd throw Heyward in there too.

 

Yep. Our star player - who himself took several, several seasons to blossom into the beast he is today - has an injury. The most logical thing to do is to immediately trade away every player who has not been NFL MVP in their first three seasons.

 

sad to hear but not suprised by it. i also think we have to stay in house. get sly healthy. get harrison fixed and put he and DD on IR. decide which would have the best chance to play come week 10 or 11. move guys around. bring woodley and worilds to the middle to rush sometimes. have robinson and carter and robinson and worilds play outside. use brandon johnson in different packages.

 

Harrison was probably going to be a salary cap casualty anyway.

 

As long as we are thinking outside the box and trying different things I would like to see them put Carter and Worilds on the sideline and try Heyward at LB. Put him right next to Kiesel and let him rush the passer standing up from the outside. IT would force them to stop double teaming Kiesel and still allow for tehm to be tough at the point of attack against the run. Heck flip flop the two as well and let Da Beard stand up and blitz the outside while heyward is in a two point stance.

 

Hightower is a MLB anyways...not sure how that would change the OLB situation.

 

You cant do that mac...DD is already the designated player for the special IR...and you only get one. So if you IR Harrison he is done for the year.

 

I have just a couple of statements.

1. It does appear that Harrison is DONE. I could be wrong, but I think he is done.

2. I still think our problem on defense is as much about scheme as anything else. There was a time when we were so stinkin' confusing rookie QBs didn't have a chance to beat us, but the NFL has changed. That was in "you must be able to run the ball" era of the NFL. Those days are long gone. I feel like we are a defense made up of square pegs trying to play a scheme which is round holes. The players we have were successful in a different scheme in college, but that doesn't mean their weaknesses weren't hidden by that scheme.

3. Quality of talent...I think we have plenty of talent on this roster (even in Carter and Worilds), but some of these guys just aren't used to the scheme we are running still and it shows. We make mistakes. People talk about how old we are. Really? Hood, Heyward, McLendon, Carter, Worilds, Allen, Lewis. Those guys are young. The scary part is if you watch the game on Sunday....it is the vets who made the largest mistakes. Keisel, Hampton, Timmons, and Foote. Those guys were just BAD on Sunday.

4. I think our LB core is really bad right now. I knew it might be a weakness this year, but it is much worse than I thought.

5. Let's see if we can get this fixed fast and turn this year around. If not, it may be time to do something different on D. We have made the change to the 21st century by being pass more on offense, but on D we still haven't adjusted. The Giants are successful because they get pressure on the QB....we haven't done that this year.

 

Guys in the last yr of their contract and will be FAs in 2013 that peek my interest are Connor Barwin, Anthony Spencer, Cliff Avril, Daryl Smith, Chris Long, and for an immediate impact meaning, we do this at the trade deadline this yr, Dwight Freeney. A lot of these guys are 4-3 end but would probably play olb for us, not sure about chris long though. I know avril didn't sign his tender til the very end, so he can be intruiging as a trade possibility as well.

 

we could have got avril instead of bruce the bust carter in that draft (was a so obvious pick that is still make me mad ), and probably would have save us to draft worilds giving us maybe lee (another obvius pick we didn't made ) . try to think only one move what could have changed

 

Guys in the last yr of their contract and will be FAs in 2013 that peek my interest are Connor Barwin, Anthony Spencer, Cliff Avril, Daryl Smith, Chris Long, and for an immediate impact meaning, we do this at the trade deadline this yr, Dwight Freeney. A lot of these guys are 4-3 end but would probably play olb for us, not sure about chris long though. I know avril didn't sign his tender til the very end, so he can be intruiging as a trade possibility as well.[/quote:2jdqfhgg]

Long is not going to be a free agent for a number of years now (4-5 I think)...so you can cross him off your list. Barwin could be interesting though.

 

Not only do I want to trade for Rolando McClain....I would draft 3 LB's. Woodley, Foote, Timmons, Johnson, Harrison are a solid core, but Carter, Worilds, Sly all need to go.........

The Raiders were shopping McClain this offseason....he has under performed...and was in serious off the field trouble. McClain has had an up and down season this year so far...one week he was a man among boys...the next...2 tackles.....I think McClain could be the next Farrior....former first round pick who fell out of favor with his first team....But get him into the system with the coaches we have...and he will be a 8 year fan favorite.

Foote while having a solid year so far is in the twilight of his playing days (McClain would take his spot in my scenario)

Spence is a huge question mark given his serious injury and rookie status.

Sly has been measured and found lacking.

James Harrison might never play again.....given his knee just won't heal and his super high salary in 2013



3 Jelani Jenkins, LB FLORIDA
4 Zaviar Gooden, LB MISSOURI - Both these guys are sideline to sideline speed guys ...could play inside or out...and could be Harrison like with time in the gym
5 Travis Long, OLB WASHINGTON - Woodley like in size and speed off the edge.

I could take them with 3 straight picks and not lose any sleep over it.

Woodley, Timmons, McClain, Harrison?
Long, Spence, Johnson, Jenkins, Gooden

That is a really young and fast group (Spence(23), Jenkins(21), Gooden(21) with Timmons(27), Woodley(28), McClain(24) Brandon Johnson(30) as the athletic vets... and some beef in Long (22) to go with Woodley.

OUT ........... IN
Foote ..... McClain
Worilds ..... Long
Sly ..........Jenkins
Carter.......Gooden

2013 MOCK
1. David Amerson CB/FS, UNC
2. Cordarrelle Patterson, WR TENN
3. Jelani Jenkins, LB FLORIDA
4. Zaviar Gooden, LB MISSOURI
5. Travis Long, LB Washinton
6. Xavier Nixon, T FLORIDA
7. Ray Ray Armstrong, S MIAMI

HACK

 

if the raiders (big if ) trade mclain what pick you give up ? since in your draft (that i like ) all the picks are still there

 

Yes...I would do that draft with or without McClain....The Raiders trying to trade McClain in the off season....under performing/contract....but mostly because he was in big off the field trouble...and may very likely end up in jail for a small period of time...and possibly suspended by Roger when he gets back.

I would most likely offer SLY or Worilds and a future pick...either 2013 or 2014...the Raiders gave up a lot of picks for Carson and new regime will want to make team in their image......if McClain is on the roster for so many games....then maybe a 3 in 2013 or even a 2 in 2014.....if he gets suspended....a 5-7 depending on the length....but he is young enough that I think its worth the chance to rehabilitate him.

McClain is playing out of position in Oak...as they still run mostly a 4-3 with some 3-4 packages......3-4 with a strong locker room would turn his career around IMO

HACK

 

i would it in heartbeat let's hope the raiders are dumb enough but i don't think they will trade him ,he is probably the best player they have

 

anyone that thinks they are going to make a trade is crazy. thats just not how the Steelers work. they will play with the guys they have on the roster and if none of those guys can step up they will either draft a guy or sign a low cost free agent next season.

i like Worilds, but he never seems to stay healthy enough. maybe if he can stay healthy a string together 4 or 5 starts we might see something from him. Carter has done a decent job.

we have to remember that Harrison has been one of the best lbs in the game and to compare Worilds or Carter to him isnt fair to those guys.

they need to be great in their own way and they need to be good enough to help Woodley.

 

Spend 10 minutes on the Raiders board....Most want him gone....They didn't like him before his off season troubles....and they hated him after....He is having a good season so far...so I would pull the trigger as soon as they would agree to it. Many feel this is his last season with them....as he is due about 6 mill next season(from Raiders...about 4 mill to another team not on the hook for his signing bonus)....and has not lived up to his contract...they may flat out cut him considering the possible suspension. New regime...new thoughts...putting there own stamp on the team....would not surprise me to see 70% turnover out there in the next 2 years.

I have seen they looked into trading Palmer or Seymore as they are their best players...problem is they could not afford the cap hit.

The Raiders will be having the fire sale sooner than later...and have already been shuffling the roster (Hello DVD)

Which is something I am interested in....cap hit on a trade....I am sure it is lets say the Steelers traded for lets just say McClain since thats what we are talking about....I am assuming they would just be accountable for his cap hit the rest of the way ....ala 8 weeks of game checks?.....Then would have the whole off season to restructure contracts to make him fit.....He is due about 9 mill over the final two years of his contract...4 in 2013...and 5 in 2014...

To me the trade is a no brainer.....the results...who knows..maybe McClain in the 3-4 is suddenly the beast he was in Alabama...maybe he continues to be hit and miss....but this could be of Bettis/Farrior proportions....and for a team that has Super Bowl aspirations...they need to get the defense back on track ASAP before the window closes.....Either way...I am sure the Raiders would love the draft pick....and whats the odds of finding a player of McClains potential in anything after the first round?

2012 Mike Adams, Sean Spence
2011 Gilbert, Brown
2010 Worilds, Sanders
2009 Urbik, Wallace, Lewis
2008 Sweed, Bruce Davis.

5 years of 2nd and 3rd round picks..........4 starters (Gilbert, Wallace, Sanders, Lewis) 3 cuts(Sweed, Davis, Urbik) 3 guys with potential (Brown, Adams, Spence)

HACK

 

The fact that Foote has been one of our better LBs tells you just how bad the play from that position has been overall. We see complaints about Hood not doing much and Hampton and Keisel getting pushed around, but the reality is...since DL took over and this team moved to a 3/4 this defense has always been built on exceptional LB play. Fact. The Dlineman take up people and space in order to let the LBs make plays. It is true in the running game and when it comes to blitzing the QB and getting pressure. Here are the top 10 sack leaders all time for Pitt.

#1 - Jason Gildon - 77
#2 - Joey Porter - 60
#3 - Keith Willis - 59 (DE)
#4 - James Harrison - 58 *
#5 - Greg Lloyd - 53.5
#6 - LaMarr Woodley - 48 *
#7 - Aaron Smith - 44 (DE)
#8 - Kevin Greene - 35
#9 - Clark Haggans - 32.5
#10 - Chad Brown - 31

 

We all know they won't....does not mean they shouldn't


HACK

 

This is from the Raiders board.

HACK

 

i would love to see them make a trade, but their history tells me not to hold my breath.

 

While a trade like that is compelling. Not sure it helps the OLB/pass rush problem they are having right now. And I'm not one to throw the depth guys they have right now under the bus like some...just to say turn around and draft a few more guys to replace them that have NO guarantee either of being any better what they have now.