On to the Offseason

Well the season didn't turn out how we all hoped, but be honest, if in the preseason I would have told you what our injuries were going to be, you would have thought 8-8 was a pipe dream. But as the thread title stated, we are in the offseason. What do we need to be doing? Here are my thoughts, and please share your and for the members that are more knowledgable in the cap and draft area please let me know where I am off base.

1) Clearing up cap space, whether that is releasing underperforming overpaid players ie Foster, Mcdonald, Barron and Chicklo or restructuring some other contracts, we are going to need some money. I am seeing that we have about 4 million, assuming that is after Brown's contract is coming off but I am sure there were contract structures that inflated this year for that reason. Also want to say I am not as down on the players I mentioned, but their performance doesn't match their money, and there has to be some blood letting somewhere. Any other contracts that need addressed from my cap experts?

2) Getting Ben healthy or Getting Rudolph better prepared. I am in the camp that think Ben will be back, and maybe not at 100% physically but even his mental side of the game will cover a lot of the warts we had. Hopefully this is a few years down the line, but if we are riding with Rudolph, lets get him a QB coach, someone to help him see what he needs to, to work on his mechanics, whatever he needs. I don't think He was as bad as people want to make out. The Cleveland game was rough, but there are HOF QB's that have those games to. It happens, this is the NFL, not every day will be yours.

3) Resigning our own. Bud finally woke up, and I am sure some of that was due to it being his contract year. I am in the camp of franchising him until we can either develop Skipper or Ola, or find a replacement for him. I am resigned to losing Hargrave, and while it suck, this is how it is in todays NFL. Tuitt and Heyward are the contracts on the DL, and while I am a fan of what Hargrave has done for us, can't pay big money to a 2 down player. If I am correct, it is also Watt's 5th year option. Signing this man to an extension is a priority. Luckily I don't think we will have to pay him like his Big Brother, he will be getting a sizeable raise. 5 year 70 million sound about right? I didn't notice anyone else of note coming up for UFA, a few Restricted FA that will need tendered. Hilton, Banner, Feiler headling them. I think the two OL will get minor extensions, Feiler replacing Foster, Banner and Chuks fight to see who is RT an top Back up.

4) Filling our needs, I see it being Stud TE, RB to add to the stable, OL depth, depth for the rest of the roster. I can't see us making a splash in FA because of the cap situation. One name that has intrigued me is Austin Hooper from th Falcons. Calling out to my cap experts again, Is he considered elite therefore commanding more then we can afford? I see him as a Heath type, solid at everything not specatacular, so shouldn't command Kelce/Ertz money. I don't really want to sign a RB in FA, get them in the draft, which I think considering what I see our needs are, we are positioned in the draft nicely for it. Elite RB's and TE's seem to routinely go in the second and beyond rounds. The first round seems primarily for Pass Rushers, Corners, QB's and elite OL. I can see going BPA on the offensive side of the ball for the entire draft. Load up to pair with our defense for a run the next two years.



Tell me what everyone thinks, what I missed, what we need.

 

Hey dexter402.

I have said this several times regarding the Nose Tackle position that Hargrave mans. First, I think that he has done an excellent job for us. However, I personally want a true "Prototypical NT" built like Casey Hampton to anchor down that position. The response that I usually get back is that Hampton's build, and style of play, for that position has become "obsolete" in this day and age because he would be good for one maybe two snaps per series.

My counterargument would be that Casey required multiple O-Lineman to handle him which causes havoc. So lets say he is on for one or two plays per series but it leads to a sack or yardage loss and now puts the opposing team into a long 2nd or 3rd. Then IMO the job got done. This is just my way of looking at the NT position being incorporated into our Defense. Once again, Hargrave has done a commendable job for us and maybe there is a place for both types of NTs to compliment one another on our Defense. Take care.

STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

Apologies in advance as I'll be rambling here, but glad you bring up Hampton, because his decline and then retirement coupled with Troy's departure produced a noticeable drop off for the Steelers D for many years. I know many here felt that Shazier was the key to a re-fortified D but his playing time record was similar to Conner's with several injuries plaguing a consistent level of play. Had he not had the catastrophic injury, I'm thinking his career would have unfortunately paralleled what we're seeing from Conner (and had with Bell). While we're all feeling pretty giddy about the way the Steelers D jelled this year after the arrival of Fitz and pretty much shut down the deep pass threat that has haunted the Steelers for many seasons, the result was that opponents found another weakness in the run D (up the gut) that was not exposed earlier because the passing D was so pee poor. This is where Big Snack or a comparable talent would sure come in handy.

 

Jordon Scott from the Ducks might be a good choice for NT. I'm a duck homer but I think he could do well.

 

Lets see how bad this organization and coaching staff can screw up this off season

 

I hope the Steelers can bring some Free Agents that can help. It's been a really long time since we had a really successful Free Agent signing that panned out well. Doesn't have to be a splash signing because Steelers never do that nor will they have cap room even with cuts, to make one.

I would love to see a successful James Farrior or Ryan Clark, or a Jeff Hartings type signing.

No more Lardius Green or those types.

 

The tight end position is in tatters. McDonald is signed through 2022. His salary for 2020 is 7,127,500. Dead cap would be 2 mill. He just cannot stay healthy. I would like to see them go after Eifert.

Wouldn't have been great to have Jesse James around? Can Gentry turn into a playmaker? Vannet is an UFA and really was traded for due to the lack of depth. They have a couple on the practice squad.

This is just one of the issues that has to be addressed going forward.

 

I know I will get some flack over this but in my opinion the Steelers front office needs to change there 1933 thinking and catchup to the present day. As all of us has noticed that most teams in the NFL do not play around with coaches and players. You are given so much time to show your talent and perform well or your out. This thinking of keeping the same person in the front office to continue to constantly bringing in the wrong personal and having a head coach who has not done anything to change things by his side giving his ok.

At this rate, I doubt we will another SB in a long,long time. I personally think that Ben will help next year but he will not be the same and a year older. He actually has three strikes against him now before the season gets here. Age, returning from injury that probably will affect his throwing and accuracy, and trying to come back after a year off plus extra weight will be hard to overcome. And I’m not really convinced that Ben wants to go through all that training after what he has seen this year and may inherit next year.

Just my thoughts.

 

Careful their are some who are just loving the last decade...

 

tried to find a Tomlin dog chew toy for my two pits but was unsuccessful

 

Hey MojaveDesertPghFan.

Your quote is Spot-On:

• "that opponents found another weakness in the run D (up the gut) that was not exposed earlier because the passing D was so pee poor".
• "This is where Big Snack or a comparable talent would sure come in handy".

I have been trying to get this point across here several times with little to no support from my fellow Steeler Comrades here. It is not that the other posters 100% disagree with my position. It is primarily that it is not "Cost-Effective" to have a player of "Hampton's Mold" for a low percentage of snaps. Once again, he would at the minimum, draw two blockers; which frees up the linebackers and/or secondary personnel to wreck havoc with the blitz. And that is just the QB aspect of it. To your point, of stumping the run, it is acknowledged and equally as critical. I remember when we averaged giving up less than 70 yards per game rushing with Hampton in there. Wow! Now, if we could get back to that, and that new found "Passing D" that we have established after years of not having one, then Wow again!

My stance is "Quality vs. Quantity". Again, if a "Hampton-Like NT" can produce a stop,yardage loss and/or sack, on 1st and/or 2nd downs, and now put the opposing "O" in a long 2nd or 3rd, then the job has been completed on his part. Now, you bring in Hargrave or whomever (I hope we retain him) to finish up the series whether that is for one or two downs as well. It would be a great complimentary tandem IMO; mix and matching the different NT prototypes.


STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid

 

If your dogs knew what cliches were ...I’m sure they’d be able to chew on some of his for a while...

hope you’re feeling better......

 

I'm not sure Eifert is who you'd want, if you're looking for a TE that can stay healthy.

 

Season is over and we need to find a laugh once in awhile.....here goes....

 

Want his address?

 

It's more of a 1969 and on thinking. The Steelers had 10 coaches in the first 30 seasons.

 

Really long time ? Steve Nelson? This past year

 

16 rec.142 yds....0 TD's...People please stop with the Jesse James...He is beyond bad

 

Yes, but that was with Detroit. His last few years with the Steelers he had 39, 43 and 30 receptions. That might be what people are referencing.

 

I'm one that hated losing his reliability. Would've been nice had he stayed... Not ground breaking but nice.

 

Hey CK13.

Yeah, I was also hoping that they would have kept Jesse James around. Also, I really am a "huge" Vance fan. However, we all know about his availability issue due to injuries. Given that, it did not seem to matter much this season anyway due to the fact that our TEs were not utilized effectively from what I witnessed. Vance and James would have been a very formidable tandem and our young QBs' best friends. Still scratching my head over this brilliant coaching move this season. Were Vance and Vannett used more for blocking this past season? If so, I did not notice it.

STEELWINDS AKA The East Side Kid