The first week of Free Agency is in the books, and so far the Steelers are considered "losers" in my book. The reason why? The one Steelers free agent I hoped the would retain more than any other, they didn't. Rumor has it they never even made an offer. Lets look at the big players the Steelers lost.
Mike Wallace, WR/Miami Dolphins: I did not expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to keep Wallace. Last offseason they couldn't come to a long-term contract agreement with the speedy wideout and then he held out of training camp by not signing his restricted free agent tender. He wanted big dollars, more than what the Steelers could give him. Also, it's thought that he was unhappy with the fact that the Steelers gave fellow wide receiver Antonio Brown a long term deal last offseason while negotiating with Wallace. His new contract comes out to around $13M a year with the Dolphins.
Rashard Mendenhall, RB/Arizona Cardinals: Mendenhall was once the feature back for the Steelers. But then he tore his ACL at the end of the 2011 season, came back last season and looks lackluster, and ticked off the coaches and front office when he failed to show for a home game because he was upset about not being on the active roster for the game. Put that with some Twitter posts that made him look less than bright in most circles, and the writing was on the wall. I don't think the Steelers had any intent on re-signing the former first round pick.
Keenan Lewis, CB/New Orleans Saints: Losing Lewis is the reason why I feel the Steelers are losers in free agency. Lewis was young, and just had his first season as a starter where he played very well. He could have potentially become the heir to Ike Taylor as the Steelers #1 cornerback. Nobody knows who is going to replace Lewis across from Taylor. The Steelers did sign former Cardinals and Steelers cornerback William Gay. but I can't find anyone who's happy with that signing of this was intended to replace Lewis. The Steelers didn't try to re-sign him when he left for the Cardinals after the 2011-12 season. And then he had a really bad season in Arizona, so there isn't much faith in him being anywhere near as good as Lewis was last year. So I am expecting a competition between Gay, Cortez Allen, and Curtis Brown for the #2 corner spot. It's unknown how well any of those players will perform. The fact that the Steelers are rumored to not even have offered Keenan Lewis a contract tells me one of two things: they feel he isn't as good as us fans think he is, or he put his price outside of what the cap strapped Steelers could afford and they chose to not even waste their time negotiating with him.
Showing posts with label Rashard Mendenhall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rashard Mendenhall. Show all posts
Monday, March 18, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
Looking towards the 2013 season
Well, it's the day after the Super Bowl, the 2012-13 football season is officially over. And what a crappy season it was for Steelers Nation. Mike Wallace holds out of training camp and then goes on to have a rather crappy season. Ben Roethlisberger gets hurt right as the offense starts to get on a roll. We lose to the Cleveland Browns....the FREAKING BROWNS!!!!!!!!!! We miss the playoffs. The Super Bowl is a real punch to the gut...either the 49ers tie us with six Super Bowl wins or...our arch enemy, the Baltimore Ravens win it. The Ravens win it, and Ray fricking Lewis rides off into the sunset on top.
So I, for one, am glad that this season is OVER!
Now everyone is tied at 0-0. Everyone is in first place. It's time to look at the 2013 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers....and that starts with the offseason.
The Steelers have a good amount of free agents. Lets take a look at the list.
Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA's)
Mike Wallace, WR
Rashard Mendenhall, RB
Will Allen, S
Charlie Batch, QB
Plaxico Burress, WR
Larry Foote, LB
Ramon Foster, G
Casey Hampton, DT
Brandon Johnson, LB
Juston King, LB
Byron Leftwich, QB
Doug Legursky, OL
Keenan Lewis, CB
Ryan Mundy, S
Leonard Pope, TE
Max Starks, OT
Greg Warren, LS
Restricted Free Agents (RFA's)
Jonathon Dwyer, RB
Steve McLendon, DT
Issac Redman, RB
Emmanuel Sanders, WR
Stevenson Slyvester, LB
Exclusive Rights Free Agents (ERFA's)
Baron Batch, RB
DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB
Now the RFA's and ERFA's I am not worried about whatsoever. It's been years since one tendered has been signed by another team. If nobody went after Mike Wallace in free agency last year, then nobody is going after our restricted guys. Nobody on that list is going somewhere else if they get tendered by the Steelers.
Now the UFA list is one that is split into three sections: Guys I don't want back, guys I want back, and guys I want back for the right price.
Guys I Want Back
Max Starxs, OT - Max Starks isn't an elite tackle. The Steelers know that, the fans know that, and Starks himself knows that. However he is a good tackle. And if he wants to come back, and we can make the contract work with us always being up against the salary cap, then I welcome him back with open arms. Marcus Gilbert is an injury risk and Mike Adams had an up-and-down rookie year that ended on IR. Starks would compete for a starting job and at the least be an excellent backup at both tackle positions.
Plaxico Burress, WR - Burress returned to the Steelers when wide receiver depth suffered due to some injuries. Burress accepted a lesser role in the offense. With how he left after the 2004 season, many fans didn't want him back. I feel he had to earn not only the trust of the fans, but the trust of the team. I think he earned it and would be a good third receiver on the outside, moving Sanders or Brown to the slot in three-receiver sets.
Keenan Lewis, CB - Going into last season there were a lot of questions about the starting corner spot across from Ike Taylor. Keenan Lewis plays phenomenal and honestly showed that he could be a #1 CB in the NFL. If the Steelers want to remain one of the top defenses in the NFL, they have to lock Lewis up.
Doug Legursky, OL - This guy is like the little engine that could. He's an undersized offensive lineman that can play guard and center. He knows he's not a starter, but a guy that can play either guard position and center is a valuable guy to have on the team as a backup.
Guys I Don't Want Back
Mike Wallace, WR - I was hoping Mike Wallace would have one hell of a season and truly earn the big contract that he coveted last offseason. Instead, he whined all offseason and then held out of training camp...and he's been here long enough to know that the Steelers will not negotiate with a player not in camp. Then there were times during the season that he wasn't even trying. Giving up on routes, not blocking down field, not fighting for balls...hell not even trying to knock them down so they aren't intercepted. Then, in the season finale which meant little more than pride because the Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs, Wallace showed his true colors....he held himself out of the game to avoid a possible injury going into free agency. That's not something that a Pittsburgh Steeler does.
Rashard Mendenhall, RB - Mendenhall was a first round pick who had a few good years. In the regular season finale of the 2012 season, he tore his ACL. He came back this season and just imploded. He fumbled the ball three times in a mere 51 carries. Then for the game against San Diego, when he was told he wouldn't be active for the game, he chose to no show on game day. Being deactivated isn't permission to not attend the game. I feel that he wants to be gone, and the Steelers shouldn't even offer him a contract.
Byron Leftwich, QB - Leftwich has been an injury waiting to happen. He can't even hold up for one game. He's not young, nor do I feel he understands the game well enough to be of any help to Ben Roethlisberger on the sidelines. I would much rather draft someone in the third round or so and groom them to not only be the #2 QB, but possibly one day take over when Big Ben walks away from the game. Leftwich isn't worth the roster spot that he would take off.
The rest of the UFA list, I would take back at the right price. None of them would be guaranteed a starting job, and most would be just depth at various positions and play special teams.
The 2013 NFL Rookie Draft
It's now time to start really looking at the NFL draft. So here are what I feel are the teams' biggest needs, in no particular order.
Backup Quarterback - The Steelers don't have a guy who's young and can step in for a game or two if needed, nor do they have anyone that they are grooming behind Ben Roethlisberger. I think it's time to get someone, and the draft is the perfect place to do this.
Outside Linebacker - James Harrison is on the wrong side of thirty and played all last season with a bad back, not to mention he could be a cap casualty this offseason. LaMarr Woodley had hamstring issues again. I don't believe the team has the next great Steelers outside linebacker currently on the roster. Maybe they can find that guy this offseason.
Offensive Line - In the past three seasons the Steelers have taken the following offensive linemen in the first two rounds: Maurkice Pouncey (center), Marcus Gilbert (tackle), David Decastro (guard), Mike Adams (tackle). These guys should be the core of the offensive line for years to come, should turn that part of the team into the strength. However, I think we might be able to draft a better player for left guard. Foster isn't that good, in my opinion. Willie Colon can't stay healthy to save his life. And Doug Legursky is nothing more than a backup. Maybe a second round guard can be taken to put nothing but first and second round picks making holes for the run game and protecting our franchise quarterback.
Safety - Troy Polamalu is a constant injury risk. There have been rumors floating around the Twitterverse that Ryan Clark might be released this offseason, though nobody can say why. The team needs to find a young playmaker at one of the two safety positions to at least groom behind the Polamalu/Clark combo we currently have.
So I, for one, am glad that this season is OVER!
Now everyone is tied at 0-0. Everyone is in first place. It's time to look at the 2013 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers....and that starts with the offseason.
The Steelers have a good amount of free agents. Lets take a look at the list.
Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA's)
Mike Wallace, WR
Rashard Mendenhall, RB
Will Allen, S
Charlie Batch, QB
Plaxico Burress, WR
Larry Foote, LB
Ramon Foster, G
Casey Hampton, DT
Brandon Johnson, LB
Juston King, LB
Byron Leftwich, QB
Doug Legursky, OL
Keenan Lewis, CB
Ryan Mundy, S
Leonard Pope, TE
Max Starks, OT
Greg Warren, LS
Restricted Free Agents (RFA's)
Jonathon Dwyer, RB
Steve McLendon, DT
Issac Redman, RB
Emmanuel Sanders, WR
Stevenson Slyvester, LB
Exclusive Rights Free Agents (ERFA's)
Baron Batch, RB
DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB
Now the RFA's and ERFA's I am not worried about whatsoever. It's been years since one tendered has been signed by another team. If nobody went after Mike Wallace in free agency last year, then nobody is going after our restricted guys. Nobody on that list is going somewhere else if they get tendered by the Steelers.
Now the UFA list is one that is split into three sections: Guys I don't want back, guys I want back, and guys I want back for the right price.
Guys I Want Back
Max Starxs, OT - Max Starks isn't an elite tackle. The Steelers know that, the fans know that, and Starks himself knows that. However he is a good tackle. And if he wants to come back, and we can make the contract work with us always being up against the salary cap, then I welcome him back with open arms. Marcus Gilbert is an injury risk and Mike Adams had an up-and-down rookie year that ended on IR. Starks would compete for a starting job and at the least be an excellent backup at both tackle positions.
Plaxico Burress, WR - Burress returned to the Steelers when wide receiver depth suffered due to some injuries. Burress accepted a lesser role in the offense. With how he left after the 2004 season, many fans didn't want him back. I feel he had to earn not only the trust of the fans, but the trust of the team. I think he earned it and would be a good third receiver on the outside, moving Sanders or Brown to the slot in three-receiver sets.
Keenan Lewis, CB - Going into last season there were a lot of questions about the starting corner spot across from Ike Taylor. Keenan Lewis plays phenomenal and honestly showed that he could be a #1 CB in the NFL. If the Steelers want to remain one of the top defenses in the NFL, they have to lock Lewis up.
Doug Legursky, OL - This guy is like the little engine that could. He's an undersized offensive lineman that can play guard and center. He knows he's not a starter, but a guy that can play either guard position and center is a valuable guy to have on the team as a backup.
Guys I Don't Want Back
Mike Wallace, WR - I was hoping Mike Wallace would have one hell of a season and truly earn the big contract that he coveted last offseason. Instead, he whined all offseason and then held out of training camp...and he's been here long enough to know that the Steelers will not negotiate with a player not in camp. Then there were times during the season that he wasn't even trying. Giving up on routes, not blocking down field, not fighting for balls...hell not even trying to knock them down so they aren't intercepted. Then, in the season finale which meant little more than pride because the Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs, Wallace showed his true colors....he held himself out of the game to avoid a possible injury going into free agency. That's not something that a Pittsburgh Steeler does.
Rashard Mendenhall, RB - Mendenhall was a first round pick who had a few good years. In the regular season finale of the 2012 season, he tore his ACL. He came back this season and just imploded. He fumbled the ball three times in a mere 51 carries. Then for the game against San Diego, when he was told he wouldn't be active for the game, he chose to no show on game day. Being deactivated isn't permission to not attend the game. I feel that he wants to be gone, and the Steelers shouldn't even offer him a contract.
Byron Leftwich, QB - Leftwich has been an injury waiting to happen. He can't even hold up for one game. He's not young, nor do I feel he understands the game well enough to be of any help to Ben Roethlisberger on the sidelines. I would much rather draft someone in the third round or so and groom them to not only be the #2 QB, but possibly one day take over when Big Ben walks away from the game. Leftwich isn't worth the roster spot that he would take off.
The rest of the UFA list, I would take back at the right price. None of them would be guaranteed a starting job, and most would be just depth at various positions and play special teams.
The 2013 NFL Rookie Draft
It's now time to start really looking at the NFL draft. So here are what I feel are the teams' biggest needs, in no particular order.
Backup Quarterback - The Steelers don't have a guy who's young and can step in for a game or two if needed, nor do they have anyone that they are grooming behind Ben Roethlisberger. I think it's time to get someone, and the draft is the perfect place to do this.
Outside Linebacker - James Harrison is on the wrong side of thirty and played all last season with a bad back, not to mention he could be a cap casualty this offseason. LaMarr Woodley had hamstring issues again. I don't believe the team has the next great Steelers outside linebacker currently on the roster. Maybe they can find that guy this offseason.
Offensive Line - In the past three seasons the Steelers have taken the following offensive linemen in the first two rounds: Maurkice Pouncey (center), Marcus Gilbert (tackle), David Decastro (guard), Mike Adams (tackle). These guys should be the core of the offensive line for years to come, should turn that part of the team into the strength. However, I think we might be able to draft a better player for left guard. Foster isn't that good, in my opinion. Willie Colon can't stay healthy to save his life. And Doug Legursky is nothing more than a backup. Maybe a second round guard can be taken to put nothing but first and second round picks making holes for the run game and protecting our franchise quarterback.
Safety - Troy Polamalu is a constant injury risk. There have been rumors floating around the Twitterverse that Ryan Clark might be released this offseason, though nobody can say why. The team needs to find a young playmaker at one of the two safety positions to at least groom behind the Polamalu/Clark combo we currently have.
Monday, January 23, 2012
With Arians' retirement, what's going to happen to the Steelers offense?
A few days ago, it was announced that Steelers' offensive coordinator Bruce Arians would be "retiring." Rumor has it that Arians didn't have much of a choice. No matter how the retirement came about, this will be the first major coaching change that head coach Mike Tomlin has had to deal with since he became the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He retained Dick Lebeau as defensive coordinator when he took over the job, and Lebeau has not decided to hang them up yet. He promoted Bruce Arians from wide receiver coach to offensive coordinator, and now he is without an offensive coordinator for the first time as a head coach.
Bruce Arians was a lightning rod when it came to discussion between Steelers fanatics. There was a faction that absolutely hated him, a faction that loved him, and then there were those in between.
The ones that absolutely hated him felt that the offense was too predictable, wished he would use a true fullback and run the ball more, and felt that the plays he called never worked and the only plays that ever worked were the ones that Ben Roethlisberger called.
The Arians lovers felt that the offense was moving in the right direction with the league becoming more and more pass happy with each season. They felt Arians was utilizing our best player, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. And they felt that when a play didn't work it was the sole fault of the players not executing the play that was called.
I am more of an in between guy. Did I feel that Arians' offense was at times too predictable? Yes, there were times where I knew what the play was going to be before the huddle was broken. However, with the way the NFL is going under the direction of Roger Goodell (and this is a whole other blog article in itself), that focusing more on the passing game is a good idea. However, I did wish that he would have utilized a true fullback, especially in short yardage and goal line situations. Yes, there were bad play calls, but hindsight is 20/20. If the play works and gets good yardage, it was a great call....but if it ends up in a loss of yards or worse a turnover, the fans say it was a horrible play call. And that goes for any play caller, not just Bruce Arians.
Steelers President Art Rooney II has reportedly said that he wants the old offense. He wants to go back to the blue collar identity that the Steelers have had in the past. This isn't the first time Art Rooney II has given an edict to his coaches since taking over as the shot caller in the Steelers ownership structure. Just the other year, he demanded that the offense put more of a focus on running the football.
The Rooney ownership has largely stood back and let the people they hire to run the football side of things do their job. That's the way they have operated throughout most of the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have had only three head coaches since 1969 (Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, Mike Tomlin). However, they have intervened at times when they have seen it necessary, it is their money that is being spent.
However, with Art II now having the final decision over everything, it looks like his input will be offered more often than that of his father Dan Rooney..and his grandfather, Steelers founder Art Rooney. I am fully expecting Art II to be involved in the search for a new offensive coordinator since he wants to go back to the blue collar identity that has been the Steelers in the past.
My main concern is, by old offense, does he mean the "Cowherball" days where the Steelers offense looked like this: run-run-pass-punt more often than not. Do I want more balance between the run and the pass? Yeah, I would prefer more of a 45% run to 55% pass, or something close to that. Running the ball keeps the defense honest, it doesn't allow them to totally sell out to protect against the pass...and throwing the ball slightly more doesn't allow the defense to totally sell out against stopping the run.
I am expecting whoever gets hired for the job to employ a true fullback into the offense, especially with Rashard Mendenhall being injured. Our starting running back will likely be Issac Redman, and he's a power runner. I think with Redman as our starter, using a true fullback would help tremendously since I don't see us running many edge plays. Just give him the ball up the gut, let a fullback make a hole, and then Redman can blow it open even more.
One thing I really liked about Bruce Arians is that he consulted with Ben Roethlisberger about the offense. They sat down and went through the playbook...they got rid of plays that Ben felt didn't work or he didn't like. And that was the right move. Roethlisberger is the franchise quarterback of the Steelers. He is the recipient of the largest contract handed out to a player in team history. He has won two Super Bowls and been to a third.
I just hope that the new offensive coordinator brings back some of that blue collar toughness that comes to mind when you think of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But with the league becoming more and more pass happy, I really hope that the new coordinator doesn't try to be too much of a "three yards and a cloud of dust" play caller. Just strike the appropriate balance of run/pass on offense. The Steelers have the type of players to finish in the top ten in most offensive categories every year. I am expecting whoever is hired to replace Arians to make this offense the best it can possibly be.
And yes, I am going to be sending my resume to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Why not?
Bruce Arians was a lightning rod when it came to discussion between Steelers fanatics. There was a faction that absolutely hated him, a faction that loved him, and then there were those in between.
The ones that absolutely hated him felt that the offense was too predictable, wished he would use a true fullback and run the ball more, and felt that the plays he called never worked and the only plays that ever worked were the ones that Ben Roethlisberger called.
The Arians lovers felt that the offense was moving in the right direction with the league becoming more and more pass happy with each season. They felt Arians was utilizing our best player, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. And they felt that when a play didn't work it was the sole fault of the players not executing the play that was called.
I am more of an in between guy. Did I feel that Arians' offense was at times too predictable? Yes, there were times where I knew what the play was going to be before the huddle was broken. However, with the way the NFL is going under the direction of Roger Goodell (and this is a whole other blog article in itself), that focusing more on the passing game is a good idea. However, I did wish that he would have utilized a true fullback, especially in short yardage and goal line situations. Yes, there were bad play calls, but hindsight is 20/20. If the play works and gets good yardage, it was a great call....but if it ends up in a loss of yards or worse a turnover, the fans say it was a horrible play call. And that goes for any play caller, not just Bruce Arians.
Steelers President Art Rooney II has reportedly said that he wants the old offense. He wants to go back to the blue collar identity that the Steelers have had in the past. This isn't the first time Art Rooney II has given an edict to his coaches since taking over as the shot caller in the Steelers ownership structure. Just the other year, he demanded that the offense put more of a focus on running the football.
The Rooney ownership has largely stood back and let the people they hire to run the football side of things do their job. That's the way they have operated throughout most of the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have had only three head coaches since 1969 (Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, Mike Tomlin). However, they have intervened at times when they have seen it necessary, it is their money that is being spent.
However, with Art II now having the final decision over everything, it looks like his input will be offered more often than that of his father Dan Rooney..and his grandfather, Steelers founder Art Rooney. I am fully expecting Art II to be involved in the search for a new offensive coordinator since he wants to go back to the blue collar identity that has been the Steelers in the past.
My main concern is, by old offense, does he mean the "Cowherball" days where the Steelers offense looked like this: run-run-pass-punt more often than not. Do I want more balance between the run and the pass? Yeah, I would prefer more of a 45% run to 55% pass, or something close to that. Running the ball keeps the defense honest, it doesn't allow them to totally sell out to protect against the pass...and throwing the ball slightly more doesn't allow the defense to totally sell out against stopping the run.
I am expecting whoever gets hired for the job to employ a true fullback into the offense, especially with Rashard Mendenhall being injured. Our starting running back will likely be Issac Redman, and he's a power runner. I think with Redman as our starter, using a true fullback would help tremendously since I don't see us running many edge plays. Just give him the ball up the gut, let a fullback make a hole, and then Redman can blow it open even more.
One thing I really liked about Bruce Arians is that he consulted with Ben Roethlisberger about the offense. They sat down and went through the playbook...they got rid of plays that Ben felt didn't work or he didn't like. And that was the right move. Roethlisberger is the franchise quarterback of the Steelers. He is the recipient of the largest contract handed out to a player in team history. He has won two Super Bowls and been to a third.
I just hope that the new offensive coordinator brings back some of that blue collar toughness that comes to mind when you think of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But with the league becoming more and more pass happy, I really hope that the new coordinator doesn't try to be too much of a "three yards and a cloud of dust" play caller. Just strike the appropriate balance of run/pass on offense. The Steelers have the type of players to finish in the top ten in most offensive categories every year. I am expecting whoever is hired to replace Arians to make this offense the best it can possibly be.
And yes, I am going to be sending my resume to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Why not?
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