View topic - Notice anything about Pgh's signees compared to other teams?

[lloydrules Profile]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... wD9718NG00

PITTSBURGH STEELERS_Re-signed Willie Colon, T; Chris Kemoeatu, G; Max Starks, T (f); Andre Frazier, LB; Trai Essex, T; Fernando Bryant, CB; and Arnold Harrison, LB.

Every single player signed is average or below average. The only bona fide starter, period, is Kemo, and that's not even true of all teams. He would only start on perhaps 1/2 of the NFL teams.

I know it's not wise to BUILD your team through free agency. But would it kill them to sign a player or two who is actually starter quality? They are such cheap sons of bitches. Look at what they let McFadden leave for. Oh, but they started the KNOWN NON starting quality Bryant, b/c he was cheap.

[GodfatherofSoul Profile]

lol how typically Steelers fan-ish! We just won the Super Bowl!!! Chill Beavis!

[GCCSteel Profile]

We don't really have the flexibility (or need) to sign quality free agents. We re-signed Kemo, Max, and Colon to keep our line intact. Sure, it sucks, but we would be worse off releasing them. We need to build with youth, not with journeymen. In the meantime, we know what we are getting in terms of production. We don't want to risk totally rebuilding with the task of defending a title.

As to Bryant McFadden, the Steelers made no effort to re-sign him. I didn't realize he was as old as Ike. I thought he was still 25 range. I think we, as fans, may be overestimating his value. The team clearly wanted to go in a different direction. i.e. they don't see Bryant as a long term solution at CB and were unwilling to pay him as such.

Bottom line, the teams who are making plays right now are getting overpriced older players (who are anything but a sure value). We are not in a situation where we need to grab a free agent as a cornerstone of the team. We don't really have the money, and we don't really need to take that risk when we have dependable players. We will make slight adjustments, go to the draft, then fill some gaps with cheaper players after we have evaluated our position. This is the way we have always done it, and I think it is also the better option.

[toomuchmerrilhoge Profile]

Silently lurking underneath all this is James Harrison. I think Colbert needs to reserve cash to keep him for a 3-4 year deal. Probably explains why we didn't go after McFadden, and why we haven't picked up any free agent WRs, OLs.

[Rushmore Profile]

the o-line should have simply been addressed in Tomlin's first two drafts. While 2007 draft has paid defensive-dividends(Woodley / Timmons), the rest have been well-documented head-scratchers (Spaeth and a punter) and luxury picks (Mendenhall / Sweed). By drafting an o-line 3rd rounder in 2007 and a 1st and/or 2nd rounder in 2008, the need to resign the uncelebrated-Super Bowl winning line may not have been necessary.

-Rushmore

[lloydrules Profile]

I'm a little puzzled how many of you act like we don't have the ability to evaluate the quality play of B-Mac. Coaches see MORE of these players, but NOTHING matters more than how they perform in GAMES and we all see that. B-Mac played very solid football, across the board. He's not OLD, he's in his PRIME. His best football will be in his next 3 years. B Mac was a stellar college player, a solid rookie and a solid vet. Every time a game was on a line and they threw his direction, he made the play.

Any how, pissing around and not taking OL picks the last two drafts still might bite us is the ass. Yea, the perfect storm of conditions went down for us to win a ring, but we won't be so fortunate from now on. NE might be back, Ben might not hold up to getting hit 100 times again, our D might not be so tight as our backfield won't be as good, etc.

Pgh stole one last year, but that shitty of an OL won't win a ring again. You can bank on that.

[smheart78 Profile]

Pgh stole one last year, but that shitty of an OL won't win a ring again. You can bank on that.

WTF?! If Pittsburgh stole it, who did they steal it from?

[lloydrules Profile]

Pgh stole one last year, but that shitty of an OL won't win a ring again. You can bank on that.

WTF?! If Pittsburgh stole it, who did they steal it from?

They "stole it" in terms of the chances of winning it all with an OL that weak is unheard of. It is highly doubtful that another season will unfold as it did for Pgh last year. They won a ring with the worst OL to win a ring in our life time. It won't happen again. If the OL isn't better than last year, they don't win a ring; it's that simple.

[Nel Profile]

Three words: Roethlisberger, Harrison and Polamalu.

With those three guys playing again, anything seems possible to me.

[Hagerstown Steelman Profile]

So we signed some backups what is the big deal.

Who have we signed the past couple of years that have been anything but backups (atleast when they walked in the door). A few that come to mind:

M. Moore (get pickup but not a starter)
J. Hartwig (is a starter even if we draft 1st rnd o-lineman)
S. Maham (he was a keeper, right)
C. Wilson (played ok but was never a #2 receiver)
J. Farrior (may have been a trade)
R. Clark (he was a good FA pickup)

Most of these guys (and I am sure I have missed someone who has been a big contributor) are very similar in nature to what we have resigned. We sign FA's to be a role player or fill a hole but we address major deficinecies through the draft.

Do I think some others in the AFC have improved through FA? Yes I do. The only team that worries me is New England. They have a pourous defense but with the picks they have they can plug those holes.

[lloydrules Profile]

Three words: Roethlisberger, Harrison and Polamalu.

With those three guys playing again, anything seems possible to me.

"Possible" but not "plausible." Ben won't likely make it to the post season if he gets hit that many times again. Balt. was the 2nd best team in the AFC last season. My bet says who ever is the best team in the AFC Pgh will have to face will be better than the Ravens (but won't be the Ravens.) Indy, Pats or Titans (one or more) will likely be a stiffer challenge than Balt. was last season.

Bottom line: We need an OL that can open holes for the running game and give decent (not superb) pass protection.

[lloydrules Profile]

So we signed some backups what is the big deal.

Who have we signed the past couple of years that have been anything but backups (atleast when they walked in the door). A few that come to mind:

M. Moore (get pickup but not a starter)
J. Hartwig (is a starter even if we draft 1st rnd o-lineman)
S. Maham (he was a keeper, right)
C. Wilson (played ok but was never a #2 receiver)
J. Farrior (may have been a trade)
R. Clark (he was a good FA pickup)

Most of these guys (and I am sure I have missed someone who has been a big contributor) are very similar in nature to what we have resigned. We sign FA's to be a role player or fill a hole but we address major deficinecies through the draft.

Do I think some others in the AFC have improved through FA? Yes I do. The only team that worries me is New England. They have a pourous defense but with the picks they have they can plug those holes.

Farrior was team MVP just a few years ago; hardly in the so-so class of this years signings. Clark was a key component to last season's great defense. Not chump change. Hartwig is a solid starter. Those three are all better than this years signings. But that's not really even my point: Rooneys rarely want to spend the $ needed to bring in a solid FA. It takes a signing bonus of considerable size and they simply don't want to part with the jack.

And, there are several teams that could get hot and be stout challengers to Pgh. TN, Indy, SD and surely some team that we don't think will be tough could be.

[GCCSteel Profile]

Farrior, Clark, Hartings, and Moore were good pickups by the Front Office. However, none of them were big names on the market. Farrior was the biggest splash and he was just an above average player on a poor jets team. He really came into his own in Pittsburgh. I am pretty sure that all these players were picked up later in FA and were not headliners.
It can be frustrating to sit here and see other teams grab "quality" players, but the truth is that we get ours in the draft and don't let them leave. The bonus money is a huge gamble, just look at the Ravens and McGahee. They took a shot and now are stuck with an inefficient malcontent who they can't release. No thanks.

Sorry for formatting...I am on a PDA.

[No l Gravity l Profile]

Silently lurking underneath all this is James Harrison. I think Colbert needs to reserve cash to keep him for a 3-4 year deal. Probably explains why we didn't go after McFadden, and why we haven't picked up any free agent WRs, OLs.

Conserve cash? Am I missing anything or will next year (not this upcoming season) still be uncapped? I'm assuming we're trying to get a Harrison deal now to get him under contract so the Skins or Cowboys can't offer him hundreds of millions of dollars next season. But it is gonna suck being cheap with most of our team being FAs after this year...