Redman underpaid

I think there's a good chance that Redman is a good every down back (although he needs a complement, I don't think toughness or stamina will be an issue), and I also think there's a good chance Mendy does come back to 100%, especially if he starts on PUP. And I like Dwyer, Batch, and Rainey too. I do not see the need to add any RBs, especially if it costs us something.

But I agree we need a real fullback. It's possible Johnson shows some minor improvement in his 4th year by changing which meetings he goes to, but the truth is he'll never be as good as anyone with actual lead block experience at lead blocking, and he's already not better at receiving, which is where his advantage is supposed to be. I'm hoping Will Johnson beats him out, but he won't be a real FB either. But at least he may offer some speed. Hopefully Haley can pursuade them to bring one in next year.

 

i think a guy can learn to be a FB. even a guy with true FB blocking ability had to learn it at some point. it's not rocket science. i'd like to see boran from ohio state brought in next year though. he's a hammerhead. i too hope will johnson wins the spot. i also look for clay to make a run at the backup rb spot.

 

Doesn't it stand to reason that a RB could transition to a FB better than TE? I mean aside for recognizing holes they would also have experience at making contact better (lower) than a TE might. They also have straight pass blocking experience too.

 

Quiet, you! The company line is, "fullbacks are so extinct that we can't find one anywhere, so we need to use our third tight end for 3+ years even though he stinks at it!"

mac, I'm not saying a guy can't learn it, I'm just saying one guy trying and failing year after year after year to me says get a new guy. And while you're at it, pick someone who knows what he's doing at least. I do NOT buy that they're so hard to find. I never really understood the saying "Have your cake and eat it too," since I think that's a reasonable thing to do with your own cake, so let's just say the team has been convinced they can eat two cakes: the lead blocking cake and the above average receiving cake. Of course, the result is that they get no cake at all and we're playing with 10 cakes on offense instead of 11.

 

OS , i've said that in the past. if one of these backup RB's wants to make the team, learn to lead block. we already know they can run. it gives us options if our FB can do more than run to a hole and block a guy only. i agree, it shouldn't be that big of a transition for these bigger bruising backs. they don't have all that make a guy miss ability anyway. they head into the hole looking to run someone over.

 

i like cake.

 

wiff spwinkles.

 

wiff spwinkles. [/quote:oxgqwmqu]

I'm actually not very big on cake. Except cheesecake. If I spot a cheesecake, god help that thing because I'm coming for it.

 

I know that's the line, I just don't buy it. We threw away Kreider. We threw away Khun. We passed on Hynoski, who was in our own back yard. We intentionally ignored great prospects in favor of guys like Davis and Johnson, who theoretically offer more versatility, but don't block as well -- to put it mildly. I find it sad that so many fans are willing to sacrifice key blocks on key plays. I find it astonishing that our team is willing to do so as well. And what did we get in return? A lot of great running and receiving plays made by Carey Davis and David Johnson that couldn't have been made by Kreider, Kuhn, Hynoski, or some other big slow guy with average hands and running ability. What's that? Those plays never happened? And in the meantime Davis and Johnson have been killing us with missed blocks and costing us more points than getting us? Hmm...

I know you're not arguing against all that TE. But I think the reason we haven't had one is that the Steelers FO didn't want one.

 

I'm actually not very big on cake. Except cheesecake. If I spot a cheesecake, god help that thing because I'm coming for it.[/quote:2tfwgo6k]

Then you have never had a "Nothin' Bundt Cake" cake here in Las Vegas. I'm not allowed to buy them anymore cause my girl won't let me cause she will hoover the whole thing. So I bring home Dairy Queen Ice Cream cakes these days. Haha, man can't live off beer alone. I should know I've tried!!

 

Is that the reason Snack or was it a combination of factors? Tomlin's desire to have position flexibility at certain positions ie a fullback who can catch the ball out of the backfield as well as one that can block. Arains believe that a third TE fitting better into that role than a true fullback or lead blocker and the front office not really making an issue of it because of bigger concerns. To my mind it was Tomlin that started them down this path so when he says there aren't any out there I think he is looking for a specific type of player and not a lead blocking running back of the type we are used to.

 

Gotta agree with Tomlin_Era. FB's aren't as easy to find as other positions. FB's often aren't used in college, and of the teams that use them, few will make it to the NFL. Now obviously I'm talking about a true FB, not a hybrid FB who does everything but isn't great at any one thing.

 

i still like a RB that plays FB. they are out there. there are true FB's but like most said they are few and far between anymore. the college game changed and so did the pro game and even down to the HS level as far as lining up and running right at a team. as i've said before a guy like john L. williams would be my type of FB. he could block well. catch out of the backfield, but also when needed brought that running ability too. i still think getting rid of kuhn was a mistake. the kid from texas could have been that type last draft, i thought. borum from ohio state could be a solid FB in next years draft, though he's not the runner,pass catcher type, but a good lead blocker.

 

Well if they're not easy to find, but we have access to them and pass on them by choice, what does that make us?

 

who did we pass on snack?

 

Kreider (cut him for Davis), Kuhn (cut him for... Davis I think?), Hynoski (did not make the effort), and I didn't even do any research. Probably more. But that's three guys in like 4 years, and we can't find any? That's what we're going with? How anyone can say it's not by choice is beyond me.

For the record, maybe they tried their damnedest to sign Hynoski and he refused. But I don't remember hearing that at the time, and I didn't see anything like that when I looked for it. As far as I could tell they had him in for a visit (free because he was from Pitt) and then just didn't draft him or sign him as an UDFA. Personally, I can't imagine a FB not wanting to play for us, especially if he already lived there.

 

Well that's when we had the Arians fever and didn't want a true FB. If we could get Kreider back, I bet we would.

 

Yet, somehow the Rats end up with Vonta Leach and everyone thinks Ray Rice is so special -- Rice would be just like Mendy and Mendy like Rice had they been switched in that draft. Steeler fans would be saying how great Mendy is in Baltimore and would be wondering why Rice can't seem to get it done to their expaectations here in the Burgh. The Ravens played to all Rices strenghts and got a great FB to lead the way. We have basically wasted Mendy in BA's system, hopefully we will see him re-emerge under Haley. Mendy would be great with someone like Leach leading the way and getting designed screens and underneath routes like Rice gets in Baltimore.

 

The FB is only one of several reasons for this, but you're right. I'll take it a step further and say Mendy would be better than Rice is, if we had drafted Rice and they Mendenhall. And anyone who thinks Mendenhall is soft? Geez, you would freaking hate Ray Rice if he was on our team.

 

Alright, that may be. Maybe now they really want a FB and can't find one this year. But that's just one year. My point is that fullbacks have been around and we've told them to scram, so it's not very becoming to pull the extinction card at this point. That'd be like Brad Pitt complaining about how he can't find a wife that knows Courtney Cox. Since Arians has only been out the door like half an hour (ok, call it one offseason), not that much time has passed.

 

krieder needed cut , he had had it and was hurt alot then, he never played much after that if at all. it was time. kuhn was here for one year and wasen't a ball of fire as a FB. krieder was still here that year. we had to many RB's to keep him if i remember and he was beat out by davis. summers never really took to that role and was hurt his rookie year.