Free Agency Frustrating For Steeler Fans

By Lucas Campbell (steeler depot)

After the first few waves of free agency have came and went, now is about the time the die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan probably wants to bang their head off the wall.
With dire needs at both cornerback and outside linebacker, the team stood by and did nothing, watching even some of the mid-tier names like oft-injured Brian Orakpo and Jabaal Sheard get swallowed up by other teams. It’s like handcuffing a starving man in a buffet line. Orakpo signed for 4-years and $32 million, and although injuries have somewhat derailed him, the thought of him healthy and playing in the Titans’ defense under Dick LeBeau and Ray Horton should frighten Andrew Luck and company in the AFC South.
With only Jarvis Jones and Arthur Moats at outside linebacker, most will wonder why the team didn’t offer Orakpo a one year, “prove it” deal, considering they have more cap space this year than any season in recent memory. They could have even more cap space after the extension is given to Ben Roethlisberger, which news just broke on as of this writing. Now, the only realistic option looks to be to call up James Harrison, who has previously stated he’d return for one of two teams-Tennessee or Pittsburgh. With Tennessee locking up one of their own edge rushers in Derrick Morgan we an cross the Titans off that list. On the other hand, Tennessee won’t be looking for a pass rusher with their second overall pick, likely dropping one of the draft’s top rush prospects to Pittsburgh at 22.
What about the secondary? With a patchwork bunch last year of massive underachiever Cortez Allen, Brice McCain, Ike Taylor, Antwon Blake and William Gay, opposing teams scorched Pittsburgh through the air. And it doesn’t look any better either, with Taylor retiring or playing for LeBeau or elsewhere, McCain signing with the Miami Dolphins, and the team does nothing to fortify the position. However, they did make an “inquiry” to Darrelle Revis’ camp, but one can imagine how that conversation went down. With the cornerback options dwindling as well, one affordable option was Chris Culliver, but as of this writing he was scooped up by the Washington Redskins. Keenan Lewis and Patrick Robinson remain two other intriguing options, especially Lewis, who’s already played for Pittsburgh and is familiar with the defense and locker room. If he’s available in any fashion, whether for a fourth or third round pick, by all means the team should be all over that. He’s an instant starter, and a good one, at a position of need. He’s without question better than any corner the team currently has on the roster. One of those picks should be spent on a known item, instead of a developmental project or a luxury scatback like last year’s third rounder, Dri Archer. This seems like a much smarter idea than spending a potential first round pick on a questionable prospect like Marcus Peters.
Basically the whole point here is that the team is seemingly satisfied with the players it has at crucial positions, and is wasting the best years of Roethlisberger’s career in an attempt to “develop” their homegrown players. Last year’s example of that with Allen was an abomination. By the time these players are developed and the defense regains some sort of edge and swagger, Ben will be retired or on his last legs. Who knows how much longer he’ll play, maybe until 40 like Peyton Manning. Maybe he’ll ride off into the sunset in the latter years of his career like John Elway. The point is, with how atrocious the play has been at those respective positions, you’d think the front office would be proactive in finding solutions while Ben’s window is still open. A true franchise quarterback doesn’t just grow on trees, and look how many years the team went until they finally found one in #7. As of now, bringing back Harrison seems to be the only logical one outside of the draft, and perhaps Robinson, or Lewis, if they’re still available by the end of this sentence.




This post is so true I couldn't have said it better myself.....

 

That doesn't describe at all how I feel and I'm a diehard Steelers fan!

 

They take the same approach every year, so knowing that, it's not that frustrating.

 

I am a die hard steel fan and a season ticket holder to boot....but the fact is the defense is not good. If you want to take four years to develope there defense through the draft. Then you leave very little window with Big Ben as your QB. That's the point of the article.

 

Exactly my take . If you have the Franchise QB then you need to be more aggressive to fix the holes around him . Most of those are on Defense and we did nothing . I would add that the FA market looks a lot better than it used to and a Team that wants to win will need planned money to play the market .

 

Like I said in another thread I think they are banking on Allen coming back around. If he really was hurt all last year then that would explain a lot. Also from what I heard they have very high hopes for this Lemon kid as the outside pass rusher we are missing.

 

Cortez will not play good as #1 or #2 CB, in fact he never has . Gay will never play good as #1 or a #2 CB . Mitchell looks like more of a FS of Old all hit and very little coverage with poor angles while the ball is in the air Troy well he is bad in coverage and has clearly lost the speed to make any splash plays in coverage. Shamarko bad angles , looks lost , confused, and timid .

That's one great group is it not ? Not to mention the OLB position . In short if you believe Cortez will play good outside chances are you will not like what you see. Even if by some miracle he becomes a good outside CB next year what about all the poor play all around him ?

If we don't get any help on D in the FA market we need to seriously consider trading future picks to get better caliber DB'S or more high Caliber DB'S in this draft .

 

They build through the draft. This has been the Steeler way since the immortal Chuck Noll.

I really don't believe that they are satisfied. The Defense is going to be a work in progress with a lot of new faces. And with a new D coordinator. And without Ben signed before FA, who would you have brought in? The inquired about Revis. He went for the money as he always does. Orakpo? Come on. Injured by the 3rd game if he makes it that far. So who else? I believe they will build this through the draft this year and have a force for years to come. Sure they could have brought in more but just maybe they didn't fit into their plans. I am excited to see how the D shapes out. For a fresh start. It was time...

 

Times change....adapt or die. We can't keep doing things we did in the 70s. Time is running out on Ben he can't play forever. I love people who say can't wait to see this defense this years it's going to be better. Then when the season starts they are screaming at the tv saying how bad someone sucks........

 

Lots of good DB'S got signed .We would have signed a lot them if we could have IMO .I think the we build through the draft is a crutch because the Team has no cap space . If we do intend to build by the draft we need to be doing everything we can to get better at it .

We need to be targeting specific positions as the way new rookie deals are structured you don't have as long for your guys to get up to speed as you used to . BPA as a result should only be used when you have a stacked roster and can afford to take the BPA.

 

I love they way they do free agency. Teams out of the gate overpay. When is the last time a team spent big an won a championship? I remember a couple of years ago the raiders and browns were considered playoff teams cause the " won free agency". Both still pick in top 10 next year. Why over pay for a mid tier guy just to fill a spot. Draft a guy u like, coach him, and play him. Let's give butler a chance to do it. It works guys. Bottom line. That's why we don't pick in top 10

 

Would I like them to be a bit more active in FA? At times, yes, but this was not the year to find anything out there on the defensive side of the ball that would be worth pursuing with the money that must be spent for those players.

Orapko? Someone is out bidding us anyways so why even bother?

Revis? Forgetaboutit. Price is out of the Steelers willing to pay range.

Lewis? I believe he left on a sour note. I think there was a "don't let the door hit ya on the way out" mind set. JMHO.

Bottom line. Steelers are not completely cheap. They are just wise.

Now if you want to talk offense and what we got at RB. I've already let it be known that I would have much rather pursued Gore more than I would DeAngelo Williams. Williams just seems like the same back to me as Bell where as Gore is more punishing. Again. JMHO.

 

Look at the Broncos and New England offseasons last year. They had the tit for tat FAs signing war. This year they can't do much. There may not be as many hills and valleys with the way the Steelers do it. But they can be steady and not throw a bunch of money at one player then not have the funds to plug another hole the following year.

 

Why would Orakpo sign a 1 year, prove it deal with the Steelers when the Titans offered a 4 year, $32 million deal? The Steelers are not going to throw that kind of money at a guy who is a crapshoot. I think this is a microcosmic example of why the Steelers aren't big players in the early days of free agency. If teams want to throw that kind of money after players that are oft injured or are on the decline, have at it! How many Super Bowls have the Titans won again?

 

it's par for the course... we're never all that active during free agency, so seeing all these people on the board every off season complaining about the lack of activity on our part is a bit of a head scratcher

 

It's not frustrating for me at all. Let Dan Snyder spend millions on free agents and continually come up with nothing to show for it. The Steelers' formula works!

 

This seems right.

 

You may want to watch copying full articles from other sites...its usually best to just link to it or post the first few lines and a link...I've seen a number of places get in trouble for that.

Anyways...the way they do things is no surprise and I'm not worried at this point and freak out like a lot of people do. Just R-E-L-A-X as Rodger told GB last year, haha!

 

the problem is the inactivity on free agency has coupled with bad defensive drafts .. if jarvis was a start olb and worilds would have been better player and resigned .. we wouldn't have the olb problems .. same with cbs ..allen was overpaid and busted , shamarko is a mistery .. and we didn't spendt picks on others good cb .. even at ilb spence williams and shazier are not stars too.. basically we nailed only on heiward and tuitt .

 

Signing free agents costs more money than signing draft picks. THAT is the primary reason for why the Rooneys operate this way.