No the Steelers aren't going to sign Andy Dalton

I find it really tough to compare "what if" scenarios between teams even at the same draft slots due to salary cap and team needs. Plus factor in roster building with preference to GM and HC and you have a whole slew of variables you can't possibly foretell.. Is Noah Fant a 1st round selection if Denver and Pittsburgh never trade? Does Drew Lock go where he goes? All I can tell you is what Pittsburgh did, and that is trade 1st rounders for an ILB. Were there other picks involved? sure.

 

Hey steelersrule6.

Well as you know things change in the life of the NFL day by day. Your Quote: "after the season Colbert and Tomlin both said Mason was their #2 QB". That was over three months ago. As a matter of fact, another poster put up a link here, within this thread about it. It seems to contradict what Colbert and Tomlin said since they in fact went after Dalton.


This is from Steel4blood's post within this thread. All about the Steelers going after Dalton.

The Steelers Offered him more, not the Steelers fault. He wanted to play near Texas, his home.
https://clutchpoints.com/steelers-news-pittsburgh-offered-a-better-deal-to-andy-dalton-than-dallas/


Again, if you feel comfortable with Ben's recovery, which most view as a serious injury and Mason and Duck as our contingency plans then hey that is your prerogative. Personally, I am not as comfortable with it. We are loaded on both the "O" and "D". However, we need a proven QB, a proven winner. Maybe in time Mason becomes that guy. Maybe Duck. However, in this age of Salary Cap, time is not on our side. We have a great team in place like I said with a great "D" and a very, very good "O". All with a huge question mark at the most important position… the QB. No quality QB this upcoming season more than likely expect a repeat of last season.

I was wondering how you felt steelersrule6 after the breaking news on Dalton. You and I have chatted numerous times about Dalton. Your biggest point was the 17 Million dollar price tag as being the deal breaker and making it a no-go. I agreed with you that was going to be tough to get around. You were pretty adamant that the Steelers were not going to make an attempt at getting Dalton. However, they did. My point, and again, Your Quote: "after the season Colbert and Tomlin both said Mason was their #2 QB". Now, Fast Forward to Steel4blood's post and it would seem that Colbert and Tomlin had a change of mind.

Point: Maybe Ben is not coming around as fast as Mr. Rooney and Ben stated over the past few weeks. Like I said, things change fast round the league and Steelers' Central is no exception.

Not only did Mr. Dalton accept a contract no where near the $17 price tag, he also accepted a back-up role! Many people here, and outside The Board, thought that he would no way do either. Well he did! My main point: You just never know. Now we seem to be entering the season with loaded starting groups on both the "O" and "D" and a lingering big question mark at the QB position still. Given that, they did go after Dalton, when many thought they would not. This should leave one with an open mind that they may still even go after another proven QB now.


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

Love Devin Bush the player from what I have seen so far but I’m still not convinced that trade was worth it. Devin will have to offer more value than whoever the Steelers would have picked in the 1st and 2nd rounds last year and the 3rd this year in order to make that trade a win. He will have to contribute as much as three high draft picks. I think that is very unlikely.

Those day two picks are where you build depth across your roster. Of course I can’t prove anything either way. Personally I don’t believe you should give that much capital up for anybody except a QB though, and certainly not for an ILB.

 

Well.. there you have it.


A players worth in the draft is dependent on what the team needs. For Pittsburgh, three players was worth the price of one. Pittsburgh needed that playmaker in the middle of the field after the loss of Shazier. Denver needed a proper successor to twilight Peyton Manning. So far so good for both teams.


Only reason why some state that Denver is pulling ahead is that Drew Lock now seemingly has all he needs and it will be up to him to do it.

 

Hey Turtle.

Good Stuff! However, I just can't get down with the "sacrificing" of the season putting all of our eggs in the "Ben Basket". Football only comes around once a year. So for me I really do not want to "sacrifice" the season if the scenario unfolds with a no-go on Ben and Mason/Duck as our contingency back up plans.

Look, if you "sport" the B & G I am 100% down with you. Everyone from the Stadium Vendors to upper Management. And by the way no knock on the Vendors or anyone else along the spectrum, actually nothing but love for all along the Steelers' Loyal Continuum. So, included in that would be Mason and Duck. I am rooting for both of them all the way.

As far a Dalton, I have outlined my points for bringing him in several times now so I will not go through them again. However, I think he is a huge upgrade over Mason and Duck and that he could lead us very far if was our starter. I will say this much though about Mr. Dalton:

• He is a proven winner statistically wise.
• He knows the division very well. .
• He has had very good success against the rats throughout his career and I am assuming the same for the Browns as well.
• I think he has always been on the cusp of leading the right team to a Championship. I think that the Steelers environment would have provided that for him. Remember, when Joe Haden came aboard with us? He made some comments along the lines as to how it was a night and day difference in playing for the Browns and the Steelers. IMO, Dalton would have experienced the same coming from the Bungles. You do not have too look that far to see the ineptness in their team. Even when they are winning they implode. I am pretty sure that you still remember the playoff game against us a few years ago which they seemingly had wrapped up and simply just blew? Sure you do. That is the kind of environment that he was dealing with over there. We do not operate like that. Coming here, IMO, would have elevated everything about his game, performance and psyche wise.

Again, I get your quote: "Stick me in the all or nothing group." I respect it. However, that is not my mentality. Like I said, it is a long wait in between seasons. I look for the ultimate payoff for my loyalty of waiting (smile). That being a Super Bowl victory each year. Realistic, no. Idealistic, yes (smile). Hey why else cheer IMO. I am not sitting here today thinking about our outcome for the 2012-2022 season. it is all about the 2020-2021 season right now.

Finally, and again,considering the element of time. If Ben is a no-go and we have a "flop" of a season, then that is one more wasted year with a Great "D" and a Very, Very Good and up and coming "O". However, all will be for not if the main cog, the QB, is missing. Like Tomlin and the players have stated: each year is different. With that means different rosters. We can only hold this great personnel together for so long. I can attest to that as an competitor and especially as a Coach for over forty years. We have to move now and seize the moment. We have to capitalize for the present not for two years from now per se. Tomorrow brings a whole new day and with it a whole new dynamic.


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

I honestly thought Devin Bush would have been gone before 10! In addition, in one of the mocks I did for 2019, semi final one I believe, I had the team trading up their 1st, 2nd and 3rd I believe to get him. Only major miss for me was that the third they traded was in 2020 and not 2019.

 

This is true. I think I understand the Steelers strategy and think it will both help us now and into the future.

Overall I think Colbert's done a good job as GM.

 

Agreed.


Finding one Hall of Fame player as a General Manager is simply not easy. Finding multiple ones?! Very few have done that.

 

After packing a lunch and finishing your post, (its all good though), here are my thoughts you asked for and not asked for. FIrst, yes, I was against getting another QB as a back up for a couple of reasons. First, we are where we are with what we have because that is all we can do with what we can afford. We have invested , rightfully so, in other gaps that are more vital. Just wish our OL was a little more invested in. Second, not sure it would really matter with our OL as they were a main reason for our backups struggling last year. The chemistry wasn't there as well. (see Ben's start to last year). Besides, too many roosters in the hen house could cause issues as it looks like now with Green Bay. Remember how Ben reacted when we drafted MR? Ben seems to have an attitude when it comes to this as already demonstrated. We don't need distractions.

As far as being satisfied with what we have- absolutely not. I don't know what we really have outside of Ben and we are where we are because that is all we can be at the moment. If we have another injury to Ben, it will be another 2019. So we will go as far as Ben takes us. Very few teams have a backup that will take them to the promised land if the starting QB goes out for an extended period of time. Iggles being the last example but that situation was unique. Foles is a system player and can only thrive in the Philly system. He hasn't been able to do anything with other teams. That is irrefutable. So, not confident that if will happen for us. I look at backups to be short term with limited success stop gaps unless they can develop for a time in a system that actually has a QB coach.

As far as expectations, not sure everyone shares your optimism each year as some posters predictions on seasons outcomes vary from incredibly doing well to under .500. For instance, I am looking at another 9 win season this year. Some will predict better, some worse. As far as I am concerned, if Ben goes down, I'll watch us flailing around on the gridiron but I won't go to my favorite viewing location and spend what I normally spend. The thrill will be gone, as BB King would say. OK, wake up, I'm done.

 

What if that LB turns out to be the next Lawrence Taylor?

 

99 times out of 100 they won’t though. Different era too, salary cap has changed everything.

When you have a top heavy roster full of expensive veterans like the Steelers it’s absolutely critical to have guys on their rookie deals behind them contributing. You can get genuine stars now in rounds 2-3, guys like Hargrave, Juju and Johnson, and you have them for four years on great value contracts. Those day two picks are hugely valuable for roster depth and cap management.

That said I am excited to see how Devin Bush evolves and I am glad he is a Steeler. He has All Pro potential and will hopefully Turn out to be a great player for the Steelers.

 

Hey Steel Hog.

Thank you for the informative and detailed rebuttal. It feels good to get more than a single-word or a single-sentence answer some of the times. I am not knocking anyone, I just like more in-depth chats. Given that, more does not always mean better. However, in this case it definitely adds to the quality of the discussion (smile). Sometimes a single word or sentence is all that is needed and it does the trick.

Anyway, moving on. Dalton is obviously a moot point. I do not now if I shared it with you but another poster put up a media link, which honestly I did not read, but it supposedly stated that the Steelers did make Dalton an offer yet he chose Dallas because he wanted to be closer to home. So, there goes that idea out the window. Yes, I know my season expectations are more idealistic than realistic with winning the Super Bowl every season. Given that, I would think that you would not be unhappy with that outcome though (smile).

I get what you are saying about Ben "catching feelings" when a QB is brought in. However, the world circulates around competition. I get Ben's reservations about those types of moves. However, as a professional he has to be willing to accept those types of moves. It is about what is best for the team not what is best for Ben. Personally, I hope Ben can play for us for the next ten years. The guy has done so much for this organization. I remember the QB drought between Ben and Terry Bradshaw. Do you?. It was not pretty. That is what Noll needed his last ten years or so and Cowher needed up to his last two years when he got Ben. If we had that QB, we probably have a few more rings. Probably more so with those phenomenal defenses that we had under Cowher. Although Coach Noll kept us competitive in the 80s.

You know how things changed once we got Ben and boy did they change quickly. I know I am kind of going off base here a bit but I am going to continue if you do not mind. During that drought, as you may know, we had the chance to draft Dan Marino. Man did we mess that one up. If we had Marino, he would have filled that void during Noll's last ten years and part of Cowher's early years. With Marino, I think we get a few more rings. Unfortunately, it did not work out that way.

So, we will move forward with what we have although now that we know the Steelers did make an attempt for Dalton, this tells me that they are not 100% comfortable with their current QB situation. This move completely contradicts Mr. Rooney's media statement a few weeks ago that they were not going to pursue a Veteran back-up QB. Given that, I would not be surprised if they make an attempt at someone else.


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

I don't disagree but, there's always that one time! Who thought Mahomes would turn out as good as he is? No one knew Brady would be the cheater, um, champion that he is.

 

I wouldn't put too much value is all the articles out there claiming this and that. I also read where we supposedly made an offer to Winston as well. This is right after Colbert said we're holding pat of QB's. I am surprised one wasn't posted for Newton and Aaron Rodgers coming to us. Who can you believe? If I hear Colbert say something like we offered another QB to be a back up, I'll believe it.
Otherwise, its just gossip and supposed wishful thinking.

Yes, I also remember, and try to forget, all those years between TB and BB. That is another reason why I don't think you can just bring someone in and they will duplicate the success they had previously. I too would feel more comfortable with LJones right now but that ship and long sailed. We are what we are so lets hope we don't have more issues like last year.

 

Of course. I did say in my post further up I think it’s fine for a QB if you believe he is the guy. KC moved up for Mahomes and boy did it pay off. I’m not against moving up per se, but giving up two valuable day two picks for an ILB is a bit rich for me. Steelers have depth issues at safety, ILB and nose tackle and have an ageing OLine.

Those picks would have been very useful is all I’m saying. When you look at the whole picture including the roster, cap etc I’m not sure I’d have made that move but I completely get why a lot of people wouldn’t agree. Colbert is one of the better GM’s imo so it’s not for me to say he is right or wrong. Let’s see how it plays out

 

Yeah I will need a more credible site, the same crap we was hearing that Winston got offered from the Steelers, that was a lie.

 

You guys feel Bush is worth it? Will he have a big impact in 2020?

 

He might. Personally I think after 3 years he will be challenging TJ & Minkah as the beast of the defense.

 

Should have an elite player in every position in defense.

DE- Cam
OLB- watt
ILB- bush
CB- Haden
FS- mink
SS- lol ok not all positions

should be a top 5 defense again maybe better with offense picking it up

 

My point on Bush was never about the value (in regards to what we gave up). It was about them moving up for an ILB, so I feel they should be willing to move up in the 1st round for a QB when the time comes.

 

The Bears moved up for Trubisky, was it a death sentence for them? I was thinking no but it might be.