Colbert Interview/Tidbits

Fascinating

 

Worst free agency period in modern-team history

So, Colbert has come out and said they are done trying to sign anymore free agents?


http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.co...bert-steelers-likely-done-signing-free-agents

Excuse me, but when did the Steelers even START free agent activity?

So now, Kevin tells us they are all done with their free agency work. Super. Let's review what you accomplished.

1. Biggest signing: a 32-year old running back to fill in as our BACK UP RB, who is coming off a whopping 2014 season of 219 yards of rushing with a 3.5 apc. Even if he wasn't coming off an abysmal season to begin with, he is to serve nothing other than a back up. They could have grabbed a rookie, who would likely be healthier, in the later rounds for dirt cheap, if they were just looking for a back up. Instead they sign an old guy who will likely be rolling in sweats game day, like Duce Staley. Don't forget, this is their most significant FA signing for the year. We should be just thrilled.

2. 2nd biggest signing, 36 year old OLB in Harrison. Don't get me wrong: I am very pleased they signed him, but the point is that he is their "big signing." This, coming off a season where their D was 18th in the NFL, 15th in points scored again (while playing one of the easiest schedules in the NFL), a pathetic 27th against the pass. In fact, our 6th-rated rush D is an illusion because teams knew they way to beat us was through the air so they didn't need to bother to rush much. (However, when teams did, we couldn't seem to stop them, if they bothered to try it.) So, forgive me if I am not overly excited that our biggest move in FA for the D was to sign a 36-year old LB (who was already on the soft, sack-lacking D last year).

3. Moats. He is a career back up LB. OK for depth, but THIS was their solution to improving our D?

4. Matt Spaeth. Our own FA and a guy who is, at best, a back up with no up side whatsoever. He is good for a few catches a season, that is it.

Other than that, we lost one of our better (best?) CBs from a secondary that was horrible last year. And we couldn't even keep our own so so CB? Sorry, we all know that the Steelers won't ever make headline free agency moves. We all get that. But this season, it appears they simply didn't even try; all they did was go through the motions trying to make it _appear_ they tried to upgrade our talent. I would actually like it better if they didn't even bother with the ruse of trying to make it look like they try. Just admit you have no interest in signing any notable FAs and call it day.

I hate to have to repeat this again, but I am in no way in favor of signing many big name FAs, like we have seen other teams do, and fail miserably, at. I just wish they would spend a little more effort at trying to improve the team with a _FEW_ DECENT starters in their most thin areas, like CB. Fact is, FAs cost money, and Rooneys don't want to spend it. And before the usual plastic goops come out and claim we don't have cap space to sign much anyone, I say BS to that. The Steelers purposely allow the cap to lose room so that gives them an excuse to do nothing in FA. Half the visits they have are nothing more than PR moves to make it look like they are trying. It's a ruse.

 

They locked up Ben, though right?

I'm fine with the Steelers addressing the rest of their needs in the draft, would have loved to have gone after a younger OLB though because as it stands I think we need to draft 2 OLB's along with 2 or 3 DB's.

 

Boy, BOTH starting OLB _AND_ CB spots are open going into camp? If that isn't a sign of trouble, I don't know what is. BOTH OLB spots are unknown in a 3-4 D (that only succeeds with superior OLB play)? If we aren't scoring over 35 each game, we will lose.

 

I guess they have hope for a Tez bounce back and are also hoping Webb can be at least what McCain was,remember he was the worst rated CB in the league the previous year. Webb at least has "pedigree" and better measurables...we shall see.....

 

I knew posting some of this would start a "fire" with some here, but wow...I'm not even going to bother commenting back on some of the stuff a couple have said...just SMH!

 

I'd rather he pick up some place better.

 

You can't look at 2014 results and determine the strength of schedule for 2015. Strength of schedule only reveals itself as the season progresses, and even then mostly in the rear view mirror.

 

Mark Kaboly @MarkKaboly_Trib · 2 h2 ore fa

After talking to Colbert on Sunday and Tomlin today, I'd be stunned if the Steelers don't take a cornerback in the first round of the draft.

 

You're definitely on to something as good as our offense was last year especially compared to our standards,what they lacked was consistency. Our O needs to be more potent from jump,we played too many games where we got off to slow starts and some we never got going at all. That is what separates the elite offenses in the league and ours....it goes without saying that a more productive offense makes the opposing O more predictable,thus making our D more successful. It's time for the O to set the tone.....

 

What scares me about the OLB spots both being available is this.. We have a 37 year old veteran going against a 25 year old. If JH and moats both beat out JJ for the starting jobs.. We have a problem. I understand injuries have hindered Jarvis's development. And for the record... I was all for this pick back when we picked him at 17 in 2013. But he has to show us something in his 3rd year. He has to stay healthy. We don't need another injury prone OLB *cough* Woodley *cough*... He needs to go into this season not just content at where he is on this team.. He needs to show some tenacity.. He just doesn't seem to show the burning desire to be what he can be.. Not saying it's not there.. But I haven't seen it..Hopefully Harrison and porter can bring this out in him.

 

I was going to argue the logic in points made previous to this one in the article/blog, but this closing pretty much rendered that pointless. So the author is maintaining the Rooneys purposely allow the cap to bloat in an excuse to not have to spend money on players? Perhaps they should look at the operating cap amount post-supposed bloat - sometime after all rookies are signed would be fine. There is very little left on the table. So basically the argument is the Rooney's are spending money to avoid having to spend the same amount of money.

Further, there's been a healthy amount of debate over some of the perceived overpays given in some of the contracts over the years. One could easily compile a short list of inefficient money spends through the tagging, extending, and signing of certain players over the past ten years, something that doesn't jive with the notion of an ownership not wanting to spend money.

 

But hey, they spend money on the weight room!

 

Interview with Colbert

 

I am in favor of them signing Ben, but he wasn't a free agent so you can't really give credit to that signing as having done something with free agents.

 

Man, I can't wait till Woodley is off the books. That contract was a disaster. That 9 million against the cap for the last two years is a serious hamstring. No pun intended.

 

But don't forget all the really bad teams they had all over their schedule last year. The Jets, Bucs, Jags, Browns, TN, Texans...not exactly the murderers row of offenses. This year they have to deal with the Pats, Broncos', Chiefs (away), SD and not to mention, Balt twice, who's offense scorched us all day in the play offs. We couldn't get them off the field. We don't have a cup cake schedule this year.

 

Did you watch that playoff game against the Ravens? Weak pass rush and terrible play by the secondary, I beg to differ in your assessment of the defense. They also gave up the most 40yd passing plays in the NFL last season.