Overall Offseason Assessment as of 3/19 - Flame Away!

Spaeth the best blocking TE in the game?

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/07/15/three-years-of-pass-blocking-efficiency-tight-ends/

 

Per usual, yeah, what he said.

I also like Gradkowski and NEVER warmed up to Mendy. I always thought he was a weirdo. Not a good team guy. And his production didn't outweigh his aloofness. I think his benching at season's end followed by his departure validates my beliefs.

I've always felt Foote was underappreciated here. Goes back to like 2006 on the old board where people just villified him for some reason I could never understand.

I think people are missing the boat on the Keenan Lewis sitcheeyashin. I don't think he was an option for us. I think his mind was made up to go home to N'awlins. As far as this off-season goes, in our dealings with Keenan Lewis, I'd give us an A+ for not going way above what Nola was offering to lure him back. Kinda hard to suggest we were smart by not overspending on Wallace while suggesting we botched the Keenan Lewis situation. If we want to criticize our handling of Keenan, I think the criticism needs to be directed to the previous off-season when we didn't extend him.

 

I completely agree.

1st, Excellent post Elvis, I was gonna do one similar to this but I think you did a better job detailing each move than what I would have done.

Secondly my feeling are a little more in line with Tomlin-era's. Foote gets a higher grade as he proved he can run this complicated defense. Yes he stinks as a run defender but since we have no-one behind him we needed to lock him up a few years to groom his replacement we're drafting.

Mendy had to go, period. He may be more talented but his attitude had to go. This clears room for Dwyer to establish himself as our starter. It also gives the RB we draft a real opportunity to try and come in and realistically fight for that starting job.

Lewis was gone and the FO knew it. They also feel Allen can easily replace him. Remember Lewis had less ints than Gay and actually gave up more TD's. With Allen as #2 and Gay as #3 I feel we'll be better off in the turnover battle this year which has been a concern for a while.

I also like the Gradkowski move. Ben and all his resturctures is now a fixture here for the next three years easily. Jason Campbell would not want to sit as a back-up. Gradkowski an play well and knows his role and is okay with that.

Cajun-

 

honestly, i give them an A. last year they had tough decisions and they made them. this year the same thing. in my opinion it is why we are the model franchise in the nfl. now ask me again after the draft. it could drop to an F

 

Great post! I'm with you on Mendenhall. Even though he had his faults I was hoping we might re-sign him at a modest amount. As it turned out, he signed with the Cards for an ultra-modest amount which tells me that the Steelers really wanted rid of this guy. To me, the Dolphins look foolish and desperate signing Wallace to a $13M per year contract and allowing Jake Long to walk. Wallace will NEVER have the kind of success in Miami that he had in the Burgh, write it down. I'm not as down on the Gradkowski signing as you are. I think he'll be an adequate backup. He's a yinzer and from everything I hear, a GREAT presence in the locker room. One thing I've learned over the years is to trust the Steelers' FO. They get it right much more than they get it wrong.

 

I like Gradkowski too, but now that Hasselback is free maybe he would have been a good sign (as a backup)

 

Really a good and thought out post...... As for Wallace the fans and team are thrilled with the Wallace signing here in south Florida. Wallace with his speed and deep threat is exacty what the Dolphins needed a they didn't even blink when signing him. He seems to be really happy about coming to south Florida and a happy camper makes for a happy and better player. I know the Steelers could not afford him but I was disapointed to see him go, Ben needs all the help he can get and Wallace will be missed by him.

I like the Gradkowski signing. He knows his role as a backup and I remember the Raider game he played and beat us, he really looked good back then and I remember thinking, wow this kid could really become a good QB if he got with a better team, will see.

Mendy was our best running back but his demeanor and such was a big minus for him and the team, so I was sort of glad to see him go.


I like the Burress signing, like I said before Ben needs all the help he can get and he and Burress click together.

 

The more I think about it, I think these "off-season grades" are more appropriately directed towards LAST off-season than this one.

We made the decisions to let Wallace, Keenan Lewis, and Mendy bolt at that time.

When we are sold on a player, we make damn sure we extend them during the off-season prior to the last year on their contracts.

We let Wallace walk, we clearly weren't sold on Keenan being a stud we HAD to lock up so were willing to let him test the market, and Mendy had just torn his ACL (to accompany his character concerns) so we were planning on letting him go too. We went heavy on the o-line in the draft last year knowing we wouldn't be bringing Colon and his fat contract back as well.

92 was just a 'wait and see' (how he performed) last season. His lack of production sealed his fate.

The only real 'moves' our FO has made this off-season was with who we brought in. Some re-treads for depth (which I'm fine with) and a younger, veteran qb.

For all of the changes Colbert was talking about making from an 8-8 team, I don't really think we've made much of any. I think those changes were decided over a year ago.

 

Have we improved our team over last year so far?

 

I really like the overall assesment leading off this thread. I'll really have to watch Gradkowski to see how he fits into the whole picture here, but I agree with signing him on. Also need to acquaint myself better with some others. Glad to see Foote staying on, too, and I'm in on never understanding the griping that went on about him. (Think some tend to watch the guys who get all the notice from the commentators and miss enjoying the solid contributions of players like Foote and Taylor and some others). I don't think we're going to end up miserably over the losses from the free agency and cuts, even though we'll be missing some of our favorites. Might generate complaining among fans for the first couple of games, but I think guys will really try to grab the opportunities to step up once the season gets going. Great post, Steel Elvis, and thanks for the food for thought.

 

I do not understand where all the Foote love comes from. Opposing QBs had a Passer Rating of 121 (!) when targeting Foote this past season, 2nd worst among all LBs. I don't care how "solid" he is, as a non-blitzer proving to be a pretty big liability.

 

That is a very interesting stat that I really never looked into before but it can tell a lot about a LB and his pass coverage skills, guess he is getting slower in his older age and other teams that really know us pick up on that weakness.

 

I agree on the whole, Elvis.

One point I would take you up on is Spaeth being a big end-zone target. True, he should be - and I was very much hoping he would become one when we first drafted him. But unless he's developed mega skills whilst at Chicago, I remember his catching was less than spectacular. Perhaps a bit of focused coaching can fix this, though?

I also think that Gradkowski may turn out to be better than you think, but at the moment I can see him going either way... solid BU or another Leftwich.

 

Have we improved our team from last year up to this point with the players we have added/ retained?
Were there players out there within our budget that could have been looked at?

 

The Ravens have completely fallen apart. The Bengals and Browns are, well, the Bengals and Browns. I think Colbert and Tomlin see a window, here, where if they can keep pieces in place, and bring in pieces they know (Spaeth and Gay), then it puts them in good position. The AFC North is the Steelers for the taking. But it is a weak division. 9-7 could easily win it. The team is a division contender, not sure they're much more beyond that.

 

And I forgot to add: to make matters worse for Baltimore (and Cincy, to a degree), the Steelers have a much higher draft position.

 

doesn't really matter in this year's draft. It's so deep and untalented at the top that draft position won't have that big a factor. Also, dismissing the Bengals and Browns just because of their long term ineffectiveness is shortsighted. They both beat us last year in case you don't recall and should only improve as Dalton progresses

 

not to mention took our playoff spot from us.

 

Oh let me see AJ Green, Gino Atkins and more. A Proven WINNER 3 rd year QB getting better and more experienced, lots
of talent in Bungle land, of course you would expect this having so high of draft choices for so long. But the last 2 drafts
they have nailed it, so there talent level is better than ours, AND younger.

 

Elvis, I am not trying to one up you, I like your threads and comments and think you are very knowledgible,
all I was asking is up to this point, I think we can do better than we did. Your way to smart not to realize
that the Steelers need an infusion of talent and PLAYMAKERS.