Players lost last year

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2014/0...not-re-signed-by-the-steelers-last-offseason/

Looking back at this list, I would have liked to hold on to Lewis and Doug Legurski. Ta'amu while not on the list because he was a post camp cut also had potential and played for the Cardinals.

While Lewis leaving has been beat to death, I don't think the team really suffered from these losses. Now and in the future, we are better with Bell over Mendy, Jones over Harrison (long term), Wheaton over Wallace (because we are paying Brown).

 

I wish we'd kept Mike Wallace. Anyone agree?

 

What do you think I'M gonna say? LOL.

 

Well, since you've been the biggest Mike Wallace apologist on this board, I figured you'd come rushing to his defense.

 

That's hilarious! You know me well!

 

In all seriousness, I wish like crazy that we had kept Lewis and I'm really kind of bummed that we cut ties with Ta'amu. We CANNOT allow Worilds to get away and lose two budding superstars two off seasons in a row.

 

jeeezzzz. I read this header and was ready to start checking milk cartons to see who got lost. was it at the airport? the bus stop? home alone?

MT and the staff will need to take a better head count before pulling out.

 

A couple of small comments.

First, I don't think losing ANY of these players will be a long-term killer to us.

Second, the only player we lost I wish we could go back to who is on this list and keep is Lewis. Anyone in their right mind should feel the same. I am not saying he would have stayed or that we could have afforded him, only that having Lewis-Allen-Gay right now would be much better than having Ike-Allen-Gay, especially as we sit here today. CB would not be a need in this draft...today it is.

Third, if there was one other cut I never understood it was Ta'amu. Fangupo and him were a tie in training camp as far as I could tell. When experience and cap performance are about the same from 2 guys in camp...(ie neither really had played much), I think the player you drafted and is younger is the guy you keep. That just is common sense. I think there must have been something else we did not know that the FO did know because otherwise this didn't make sense.

 

I would agree amu and fang were in a tie and one went on a drunken rage and the other is a Mormon who doesn't drink.

 

Should have found a way to keep Lewis, I think losing him was due to trying to keep the band together too many years, probably should have gotten rid of a few guys a few years early and free up some money.

 

Da Beard is also a mormon.

 

Speaking of Ta'amu, I just read that some are predicting the Steelers to take a NT in the first round. To me, that would be a disappointment. We have far greater needs than that.

 

There's a value to culling knuckleheads from the team. The fewer the better. And if you're going to keep any, they better be big time players. Ta'amu wasn't nearly good enough to be worth the headache.

 

I wouldn't say that we have much bigger needs, but I would say that it isn't ever worth drafting a NT in the 1st rd unless the guy is an absolute freak.

 

I'm not ready to throw in the towel on McClendon yet. I think we should plug holes we know we have before making new holes.

 

with lewis it wasnt about money .. he wanted to go home to new orleans.. you know a home town discount that we couldnt compete with .. you cant blame a guy for talking less to play where he wanted.. how many of us would take less to play for the steelers rather then the bungals, brown or ravens?

HINES

 

Yeah it was his first year as a full time starter. He is going into this year knowing what to prepare for and what needs to be improved. He absolutely has the work ethic to improve. We are talking about a guy that weighed around 290 pounds when he showed up here and was never supposed to even make the team and I would say at first look the practice squad was a stretch. He has done everything he has needed to and really listened to what Hoke taught him. I think his frame could handle another 10-15 pounds that would put him around 345.

 

ahh, I would play for anyone that wanted to pay me millions to do it. it wouldn't mean I still wasn't a steeler fan.

 

Exactly

 

This is just it, it was his first year as starter. Give him a shot and use the draft to improve other areas of the team. Being as this team has more needs than draft picks, using the first round selection on a NT, that likely won't play on 3rd down, just seems to not make a lot of sense.

 

I'd rather not draft a NT in the 1st rd, but there's no way I'd just hand McLendon the job and "give him a shot". A shot is the opportunity to compete for a job and playing time. He needs to earn it, because he sure didn't earn it last season. We put "faith" in him last season and it blew up in our face. There needs to be competition for that job because there is no proven starter there.

 

No Jack. He showed what he is

 

No, lol

I wonder if keeping Legursky would helped our line woes...we may never have picked up Velasco.