Players Already on the Roster

At QB Jerrod Johnson
QB Troy Smith
Ok, why did the Steelers sign these guys?
What become of Batch and Leftwich?

I say don't bring them back. Leftwich is too injry prone and not very good. The writing is on the wall, let him go.
Charlie Batch should stay around as an assistant Coach to help the new guys. Theu should draft a QB in the later rounds, 6th or 7th!

Baron Batch for Mewelde Moore. Why is Moore not gone already?

Who are you going to keep between two injured Tackles, Starks or Colon? Starks must go!!!

Redman is the answer to the running game, no need to spend a lot of money on Mendenhall. His time is also up.

Casey Hampton, same question, why isn't he gone already. Use the draft to draft his replacement and give him his walking papers.
Draft: either NT in First, Guard in 2nd, or Guard in first, NT in 2nd!! Nothing else makes sense.

Last but not least, what to do with Essex, Jonathan Scott, David Johnson, and Larry Foote. My vote is to get rid of them, don't bring them back. I say replace Johnson with a legit FB. Squnk the rest. Come on Steelers make some tough decisions!

We also need another Kicker, Suisham is going to hurt us at a very crucial time.

 

Byron Leftwhich will be back and will be the #2 QB. The guys mentioned were brought in as competition, to take Dixon's spot.

I think Smith may beat our Batch to be our #3

 

I feel like I've read something just like you from the other day in the other thread you made...oh yeah thats right...you said almost the same thing in your other thread ( viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2408 ). As mentioned there a lot of the guys are already FAs and probably wont be back. And the Steelers always have camp bodies at QB...you should know this. Though as SBD said Smith COULD become a number 3...he's better than Dixon I think.

 

if essex comes to camp in shape, i'd keep him as the main backup. he's the only guy that can play all 5 line spots. why is will allen still here is what i'd like to know. dump his sorry always hurt butt and bring on cromartie-smith.that's another million plus to put towards a FA or wallace. sign kade westons big butt and plug him in at NT with mclendon. if we lose wallace for a first rounder, bundle them up with mendy and hood and make the trade to the rams for their pick. they need defensive help. that's 4 first rounders, that should be enough to move up.

 

Didn't you already post this same thing in another thread? Who are we going to keep between Starks and Colon? Colon just restructured his contract he's not going anywhere and Starks is a free agent.

I like Redman, but he's not a #1 RB IMO. Yes he's good when he comes in for a series or two and when he has to spell our starter, but I don't see him as a full time starter.

The Steelers are already making tough decisions by cutting Ward, Farrior, Kemo, Smith, McFadden and Battle. Along with the restructuring they did with Taylor, Big Ben, Colon,and Woodley. Not to mention there are quite a few Free agents that won't be back. How much tougher do you want them to be? This has been one of the more active off seasons I've seen in a while and their is still more to come. We just can't get rid of half the team all in one season. You only get so many draft picks and we know the Steelers are not going to go crazy with Free agents nor do we want them to.

As for Batch being a coach, maybe in a couple years. And what are you basing him being a good coach on? I've heard others say the same thing about Ward, Farrior and Smith. If we make all these guys coaches what about the coaches we already have? Cut them too I guess?

 

Other than McFadden & kemo, none of the players cut were "bad or substandard", they were just old and/or injury prone. We still have dead weight (Jonathan Scott is just one) on this team that needs to be cut and replaced with some quality players.

 

Why did the Steelers sign those guys? I suppose because they would like to have options in case multiple players go down at the QB position. At least those players will be in camp and have an opportunity to learn the offense.

I find it odd that people believe the team will have capable back up players for every position. Fans expect those backups to come in and perform as well as starters. It's a good chance the players they bring on board to replace the players you'd like to cut won't be as good. Many teams don't have quality starters at positions. Fans expect the Steelers to have quality starters at every position and expect the backups and 3rd stringers to perform as well as starters.

 

yeah they will be gone when final roster cuts are made

 

one thing about it , since we now have haley here, alot of the things these new guys will be learning , they will learn with the guys that have been here. johnson would have been a pretty touted qb coming out that year. he hurt his throwing shoulder and it required surgery. it set him back as far as the draft. he holds alot of texas A&M records for passing. i'd rank him at least as good if not better then DD. at least before he got hurt. i think he was a very good pickup. we will see.

 

I was just about to post this (also about it being a cut and paste job from another thread).

I don't get where the idea that Batch will be a great coach comes from. Ward - ok, he's been mentoring the young receivers well enough. But Batch? Just because he's hung on in th eleague for so long doesn't make him a natural coach. I'd prefer we picked up someone who'd done the rounds, coached some college or done some internships etc.

 

It seems that fans underestimate what it means to learn a "new system" at the NFL level. I don't believe the Steelers are in the business of wasting money on players they don't believe can play. They sign players for reasons we may never know or understand.

 

Good point Elvis, you should always follow your board and not draft for need if a player at your position of need isn't rated highly on your board. I also don't like Macdaddyo's suggestion of trading Hood and Mendy as well as our two picks for Wallace for the number 3 pick, value wise it doesn't work out for either team and creates larger holes for the Steelers. To each there own I guess, GO STEELERS!

 

Big snack is at his career's end but he is still one of the best in the business at what he does and finding a replacement is no easy task. They've been working on it but in our system that's the core of the D.

 

let's be brutally honest here. casey hasen't been the best in the business for years. it's his own fault too. casey doesn't work out much. he's gotten huge and has lived off of being just a large mound to move. when casey first got here he was around 325. he was quick off the snap and had a technique. he ate his way out of that player. he was covered by great players which have all declined in their games. smith, even keisel's skills have deminished some. ( he's never made a full season for years.) the LB'ers are aging. all this runs concurrent with each other. this entity that was the best defense in the league needed all it's parts to work together.

we have been slowly losing these parts for years. it's now a watered down version of itself ,but still the system (which alot of people try to run it's leader out of town) is still one of the tops. most think by drafting a few players we can solve all it's trouble. folks, we had very,very,very good players on this defense at one time, all at the top of their game. there is going to be a transition period.

we can't just draft the first guy thats over 310 lbs. and expect the same results. it is time for casey to go.it was time for casey to go two years ago, but had no other player in place to take over. we have been looking. having hoke go has made this downturn twofold. we really don't need to keep drafting guys in the first round just for the sake of drafting first rounders, until we find the right guys. ziggy is a good example. ziggy is a good player, but i don't think he was ever a top first rounder at his position. at least not compared to who he replaced. heyward could be. we will see.

hightower is a good player, but i don't think (even being a first rounder) is going to be able to do what farrior did in his prime. this defense had chemistry. if we could have plugged these new guys in when our aged players had their games still intact, they could have learned from the best and possibly could have made a smoother transition. we didn't. we held onto the same aging guys far to long before bringing in top tier guys then. now we expect a new guy to come in and make it immediately the same as it was. it's too late for that.

our new defense will take time to find it's own identity. we are in rebuilding mode whether we like it or not. casey needs to go. we need a guy to learn from DLB and find his own way. we need to use some of these guys that may not be the premire picks and see if they can become the next aaron smiths,james farriors,and casey hamptons. people seem to forget smith was not a 1st rounder. keisel sat behind guys for years. they believed in the system ,worked hard and got better. we need to find these hidden gems like we did before to mix in with the 1st rounders. they may be here in the al woods, kade westons,mike blancs,morty ivy's,sylvesters,cromartie-smiths.

clinging to what was (casey) will never allow us to move forward. we have a decent core of LB'ers here. we still have a decent core of DE's here ( heyward-keisel). we need to move ziggy to where they originally thought he would be the best (NT) and use our backups to learn from the master and hope we find a couple of players out of them. just grabbing players because they are on the top of the draftnik boards, doesn't mean they have the right skillset to fit in this system. they need the right players, whether they are 4th rounders or 1st rounders to fit together. they need the skills we need them to have to do their jobs here with skills of what is already here. maybe poe and hightower are not good fits for us. maybe johnson or franklin fit what they are replacing better. maybe we have to start with a joel steed instead of a casey hampton for a while.

this won't be a quick fix. we have to start though and we need the money casey is sucking up. we are in trouble soon at safety and cb. again we have let this go on far to long. bringing mundy back and hanging on to will allen do us no good for the future. we know troy and clark are not what they once were. we have to quit turning a blind eye to these facts.

 

Mac daddyo, you are right on. You get the picture. Stop hanging on to what once was. Let those old guy go. Especially Hampton, it just makes sense. He will be 35 years old when the season starts, coming off of an ACL, he is over weight and has never been a work out warrior, and possibly starting the season on the PUP, PLEASE. A waste of money. Who would you rather have Wallace or Hampton? They need that money to be able to sign Wallace and have money to sign the rookies who will be drafted.


Does it makes sense to bring back at guy like Starks who have been hurt the last two seasons and who is over weight and injury prone? I don't think so. Its bad enough that they spent a lot of money on Willie Colon who got hurt again last season. Now they are putting their faith in him again this year to be able to come back and play. Starks should be out.

I don't care what anybody saids, there are others who need to be gone like Leftwich who has been hurt the last two seasons, too injury prone. Why should they continue to waste time on players like him. They can do better. Hoprfully, they don't make the mistake in bringing back Mewelde Moore, Larry Foote, David Johnson, Jonathan Scott, Daniel Supulveda, and Shawn Suisham who I think they can do better with an UFA.

Moore's replacement is already on the roster in Baron Batch, Larry Foote is flat out not good, Jonathan Scott is flat out not good, David Johnson needs to be replaced by a true fullback, Supulveda is just injury prone, how long will the Steelers mess around with this guy, and Suisham just has a week leg and his accuracy is in question. He will cost us a very meaningful game at some point. I know the steelers need to bring in competition at both kicker spots for camp and get Supulveda and Suisham out of town!

 

let's be brutally honest here. casey hasen't been the best in the business for years. it's his own fault too. casey doesn't work out much. he's gotten huge and has lived off of being just a large mound to move. when casey first got here he was around 325. he was quick off the snap and had a technique. he ate his way out of that player. he was covered by great players which have all declined in their games. smith, even keisel's skills have deminished some. ( he's never made a full season for years.) the LB'ers are aging. all this runs concurrent with each other. this entity that was the best defense in the league needed all it's parts to work together.

we have been slowly losing these parts for years. it's now a watered down version of itself ,but still the system (which alot of people try to run it's leader out of town) is still one of the tops. most think by drafting a few players we can solve all it's trouble. folks, we had very,very,very good players on this defense at one time, all at the top of their game. there is going to be a transition period.

we can't just draft the first guy thats over 310 lbs. and expect the same results. it is time for casey to go.it was time for casey to go two years ago, but had no other player in place to take over. we have been looking. having hoke go has made this downturn twofold. we really don't need to keep drafting guys in the first round just for the sake of drafting first rounders, until we find the right guys. ziggy is a good example. ziggy is a good player, but i don't think he was ever a top first rounder at his position. at least not compared to who he replaced. heyward could be. we will see.

hightower is a good player, but i don't think (even being a first rounder) is going to be able to do what farrior did in his prime. this defense had chemistry. if we could have plugged these new guys in when our aged players had their games still intact, they could have learned from the best and possibly could have made a smoother transition. we didn't. we held onto the same aging guys far to long before bringing in top tier guys then. now we expect a new guy to come in and make it immediately the same as it was. it's too late for that.

our new defense will take time to find it's own identity. we are in rebuilding mode whether we like it or not. casey needs to go. we need a guy to learn from DLB and find his own way. we need to use some of these guys that may not be the premire picks and see if they can become the next aaron smiths,james farriors,and casey hamptons. people seem to forget smith was not a 1st rounder. keisel sat behind guys for years. they believed in the system ,worked hard and got better. we need to find these hidden gems like we did before to mix in with the 1st rounders. they may be here in the al woods, kade westons,mike blancs,morty ivy's,sylvesters,cromartie-smiths.

clinging to what was (casey) will never allow us to move forward. we have a decent core of LB'ers here. we still have a decent core of DE's here ( heyward-keisel). we need to move ziggy to where they originally thought he would be the best (NT) and use our backups to learn from the master and hope we find a couple of players out of them. just grabbing players because they are on the top of the draftnik boards, doesn't mean they have the right skillset to fit in this system. they need the right players, whether they are 4th rounders or 1st rounders to fit together. they need the skills we need them to have to do their jobs here with skills of what is already here. maybe poe and hightower are not good fits for us. maybe johnson or franklin fit what they are replacing better. maybe we have to start with a joel steed instead of a casey hampton for a while.

this won't be a quick fix. we have to start though and we need the money casey is sucking up. we are in trouble soon at safety and cb. again we have let this go on far to long. bringing mundy back and hanging on to will allen do us no good for the future. we know troy and clark are not what they once were. we have to quit turning a blind eye to these facts. [/quote:23iswot7]

I disagree. He is still one of the best and in fact can motor that huge mass around the field when he has to. However, It is time to move on and finding his total replacement will be a chore.

Just my 2 cents

 

let's be brutally honest here. casey hasen't been the best in the business for years. it's his own fault too. casey doesn't work out much. he's gotten huge and has lived off of being just a large mound to move. when casey first got here he was around 325. he was quick off the snap and had a technique. he ate his way out of that player. he was covered by great players which have all declined in their games. smith, even keisel's skills have deminished some. ( he's never made a full season for years.) the LB'ers are aging. all this runs concurrent with each other. this entity that was the best defense in the league needed all it's parts to work together.

we have been slowly losing these parts for years. it's now a watered down version of itself ,but still the system (which alot of people try to run it's leader out of town) is still one of the tops. most think by drafting a few players we can solve all it's trouble. folks, we had very,very,very good players on this defense at one time, all at the top of their game. there is going to be a transition period.

we can't just draft the first guy thats over 310 lbs. and expect the same results. it is time for casey to go.it was time for casey to go two years ago, but had no other player in place to take over. we have been looking. having hoke go has made this downturn twofold. we really don't need to keep drafting guys in the first round just for the sake of drafting first rounders, until we find the right guys. ziggy is a good example. ziggy is a good player, but i don't think he was ever a top first rounder at his position. at least not compared to who he replaced. heyward could be. we will see.

hightower is a good player, but i don't think (even being a first rounder) is going to be able to do what farrior did in his prime. this defense had chemistry. if we could have plugged these new guys in when our aged players had their games still intact, they could have learned from the best and possibly could have made a smoother transition. we didn't. we held onto the same aging guys far to long before bringing in top tier guys then. now we expect a new guy to come in and make it immediately the same as it was. it's too late for that.

our new defense will take time to find it's own identity. we are in rebuilding mode whether we like it or not. casey needs to go. we need a guy to learn from DLB and find his own way. we need to use some of these guys that may not be the premire picks and see if they can become the next aaron smiths,james farriors,and casey hamptons. people seem to forget smith was not a 1st rounder. keisel sat behind guys for years. they believed in the system ,worked hard and got better. we need to find these hidden gems like we did before to mix in with the 1st rounders. they may be here in the al woods, kade westons,mike blancs,morty ivy's,sylvesters,cromartie-smiths.

clinging to what was (casey) will never allow us to move forward. we have a decent core of LB'ers here. we still have a decent core of DE's here ( heyward-keisel). we need to move ziggy to where they originally thought he would be the best (NT) and use our backups to learn from the master and hope we find a couple of players out of them. just grabbing players because they are on the top of the draftnik boards, doesn't mean they have the right skillset to fit in this system. they need the right players, whether they are 4th rounders or 1st rounders to fit together. they need the skills we need them to have to do their jobs here with skills of what is already here. maybe poe and hightower are not good fits for us. maybe johnson or franklin fit what they are replacing better. maybe we have to start with a joel steed instead of a casey hampton for a while.

this won't be a quick fix. we have to start though and we need the money casey is sucking up. we are in trouble soon at safety and cb. again we have let this go on far to long. bringing mundy back and hanging on to will allen do us no good for the future. we know troy and clark are not what they once were. we have to quit turning a blind eye to these facts. [/quote:35sdyw5y]

I disagree. He is still one of the best and

. However, It is time to move on and finding his total replacement will be a chore.

Just my 2 cents[/quote:35sdyw5y]

at 8 mil a year , he shouldn't wait til he has to.

 

Lets hope ben wake up and we wont need a backup this season,but if we do then batch and DD is the best duo.Better coaching .....better development and production.

 

Macdaddyo, I respect your position on Ziggy but if they move him to NT he wont be as good as Kimo was at that position for one season. Draft his replacement and go with McClendon. GO STEELERS!

 

we don't know that. he and mclendon or whoever in the rotation should do a pretty good job at it. he did it quite a bit last year. the steelers have said he was originally drafted to play some inside. theres always weston and bryant and blanc are on the roster. i'm sure we are going to get a NT in the draft or an udfa. ziggy looked like he was putting on some weight last year. maybe a sign. he needs to learn to get off blocks and ziggy may get better inside. if mclendon is in, ziggy could slide out to DE and give the other two a break. i think we'll be fine with those guys. health is the biggest downfall of this defense. they have to stay healthy and they will be good.