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Present shape of the team

W

Wingman

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Right now it does not seem (to me) that the team has in any way improved itself over last year. Last year we were blessed with an easy schedule and got in to the playoffs to lose to the ravens in the first round. Our team was not a powerhouse by any stretch of the imagination. Since last year we have lost starters and significant role players to free agency and it does not appear that the replacements are on the team at this time and that we have been unable to bring in any talent that looked like a lock to be their replacement.

Does anyone on here see signs of improvement in the roster yet? Does it look like we will need to find several starters in this years draft? We have not been able to do that in the recent past, what would indicate that it will happen now? Had some things taken place prior to the start of free agency such as contract restructures that could of allowed the team to make a play in free agency we could have improved at least one position prior to the draft which would have been a huge step in the right direction. Right now it looks like we will be picking really high next year if things continue.
 
0 signs of improvement. Drafting towards the end of the rounds this year. Toughest schedule in the NFL. Starting RB will be suspended a couple games to start the season. No money to sign anyone that'll help much.I just don't see it this year. Probably a rebuilding year and a top 5 pick next year.
 
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I'm glad you noted the "present" shape of the team ... It's March, too early for the sky to be falling on any NFL team (except the Browns). Hopefully they make some moves to help on defense, but the offense except for back-up RB is fine. Now, if the constitution of the team is the same at the end of camp and we have not found any reason to be encouraged by the growth in JJ, Shazier, Allen and/or a few of the others, I'll agree then that the sky is probably getting a lil too close for comfort.
 
Year after year we see the Steelers among the short list of teams with the least amount of cap space available. Year after eyar we see a drastic restructuring of large contracts just to get under the cap. Accordingly, we never have any opportunity to imporve the roster with any meaningful free agents. I can't blame Kevin Colbert this year for not being able to make a move (although the cap hit he just restructured on Pouncey will be a critical problem next year).

Kevin Colbert's most significan problem right now is Kevin Colbert of last year.

Kevin Colbert's biggest problem next year will be Kevin Colbert of 2015.

This team has historically been incredibly poor at cap management. Adding to the problem is the recent trend of poor drafting and poor retention of younger (cheaper) players. We keep kicking the can down the road year after year.

Maybe Colbert can take a math class at Robert Morris this spring?
 
Colbert has turned into Donahoe his brain is mush now, we need a new gm not much left on the market out there for a starting caliber LOLB but with Butler saying a 4-3 is going to be used he can surely go get him Clayborn and a vet CB, and a back up SS so we don't have to wait on Troy.
 
I'd like to explore the signing of Jordan Cameron and yes I realize we're suppose to be concentrating on the defensive side of the ball but if you can get Cameron for a decent contract, then that is one less position to worry about in the draft. Also, I lie him and Miller on the field at the same time plus he would be the heir apparent to Heath. If we're going to spend some in F/A then spend it wisely and not on chumps like Cam Thomas sort of players. Also the Patrick Robinson think makes sense to me. Bring him in on a 1 year deal if you can. DE Angelo Williams although I'm not too excited about a 32 year old injury prone running back, I guess he makes sense as a legitimate backup and spot starter. I just hope he's not in sweats more than a uniform. Return man seems to be the hot topic too. Forget the nonsense about Percy Harvin. He's not coming here on the cheap to return kicks and be the 4'th receiver. Nada! Ain't happening. I would have loved to have gotten Jacoby but that didn't take long for him to disappear. This will be interesting.
 
steelhurt said:
I'd like to explore the signing of Jordan Cameron and yes I realize we're suppose to be concentrating on the defensive side of the ball but if you can get Cameron for a decent contract, then that is one less position to worry about in the draft. Also, I lie him and Miller on the field at the same time plus he would be the heir apparent to Heath. If we're going to spend some in F/A then spend it wisely and not on chumps like Cam Thomas sort of players. Also the Patrick Robinson think makes sense to me. Bring him in on a 1 year deal if you can. DE Angelo Williams although I'm not too excited about a 32 year old injury prone running back, I guess he makes sense as a legitimate backup and spot starter. I just hope he's not in sweats more than a uniform. Return man seems to be the hot topic too. Forget the nonsense about Percy Harvin. He's not coming here on the cheap to return kicks and be the 4'th receiver. Nada! Ain't happening. I would have loved to have gotten Jacoby but that didn't take long for him to disappear. This will be interesting.
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cameron went to the dolphins, 15 millions for two years
 
Litos said:
cameron went to the dolphins, 15 millions for two years
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Waaaay too much money for a TE with concussion problems. He's one hit away from retirement and sticking the Dolphins with a nice cap hit.
 
Yea I liked the Cameron idea but yep too much money. Say one thing about the steelers this free period, they are throwing money around like its made from manhole covers.
 
Less than one week into FA, the Steelers never look like they have improved. We all know they never make a big splash in FA. This year is no different. Wait until after the draft and then we can talk a little about if they have improved.
 
TDX27 said:
Less than one week into FA, the Steelers never look like they have improved. We all know they never make a big splash in FA. This year is no different. Wait until after the draft and then we can talk a little about if they have improved.
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This.

It's sad that some of you still dont get it. How many teams that win the free agency 'Super Bowl' actually live up to expectations?

The main thing is for us not to lose anything significant. The only thing that we lost was an average OLB and a #3 CB. Compare that to our division counterparts.
 
I don't want us to be the team who "wins" free agency with big splash signings. What I do want is for us to at least fill a need or two with some low-key, high-value signings. We have too many holes to sit on our hands completely.
 
Colbert AND TOMLIN are to blame. This is a joke. Like others have said, I'm fine with not "winning" free agency. But to do NOTHING is inexcusable.
 
bmoritz said:
Colbert AND TOMLIN are to blame. This is a joke. Like others have said, I'm fine with not "winning" free agency. But to do NOTHING is inexcusable.
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Than what, pray tell, would you have done differently?

Who would you have signed this offseason- considering the $$ tag of these players?

There are teams with almost 10x's the cap space that we had. Hard to convince any professional to come and work for less money than they are worth in the open market.
 
Well, we just signed our franchise QB so I guess we got a little better.
 
I would have signed Graham. He signed pretty cheaply and would have filled our need.
 
ZACKB said:
I would have signed Graham. He signed pretty cheaply and would have filled our need.
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First, he was traded.

While Graham is a beast, would you trade Pouncey (who is better than Unger) and our 22nd pick for a receiving tight end?

You would weaken our line (which is finally beginning to play well), and take away an opportunity to improv the defense by trading the pick, only to land a big receiver which we may already have in Martavis Bryant.
 
Bigappleyinzer said:
This.

It's sad that some of you still dont get it. How many teams that win the free agency 'Super Bowl' actually live up to expectations?

The main thing is for us not to lose anything significant. The only thing that we lost was an average OLB and a #3 CB. Compare that to our division counterparts.
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How many times have we heard, here, that losing player X would be addition by subtraction? I'm sure those words have been used regarding Worilds. There ya go, better.
 
SteelBuckeye said:
Waaaay too much money for a TE with concussion problems. He's one hit away from retirement and sticking the Dolphins with a nice cap hit.
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Par for the course w the Phins, the only team worse at FA spending and ultimate 2-yr release of overpaid FAs is Tampa.

As for our present state, due to some hasty overpayments of our own unproven or uneven talent we are where we are. Drafting and 'forward thinking' is a present weakness (as Del so aptly pointed out).

I think we will automatically be better on offense (even with zero moves so far) because I expect Brown, Ben and Heath to give us the same proficiency as last year while I expect Wheaton, Bryant and the next man up at WR to be an improvement over Moore/DHB. Maybe Washington can be what he was at Mizzou which was an excellent blocker as well as a decent red-zone target?

On defense, addition by subtraction MIGHT make us better too. We were playing better D down the stretch as newer players got more PT on D. Our Dline will be better if all are healthy and Tuitt can be as disruptive as he was in college. Our OLB situation is already similar to where we were at this stage last year, IMO. Nobody expected Worilds to blow the world away...and he didn't. Jones will have an opportunity to show us he was worth the pick but if not, Moats (and hopefully) Deebo will be there as an instant improvement if he doesn't. I have no clue how either would do IF forced to the LOLB position BUT Worilds didn't exactly set the bar very high. A draft pick could easily be an improvement there.

The middle LBs will definitely be better as our 2 primary Macks will both have a year of playing time under their belts. Our secondary definitely will be better, IMO, even if we don't sign another CB or Safety because I think we lost a few games having a 'not completely healthy' Cortez Allen starting and a 'over the hill' Ike on the field as well. Blake got some decent playing time and looked to me to be better than McCain. Hopefully Cortez will be better too (he certainly cannot be worse).

I think having Troy off the field will force us into a more conventional use of a SS and Shamarko is gonna be a good one IF he can stay healthy. Mitchell 'should be' better as well with a year in our defense AND with not having to deal with Troy playing every spot on the field EXCEPT SS which puts a lot of pressure on the FS.

Our punter should be more consistent and maybe even adequate at holding for kicks which automatically improves our STs.

Now, we are still stuck with a daft FO/HC team going into the draft BUT do any of us really believe a Rookie is gonna be an upgrade in year one at any of our need positions? Best we can hope for is a 'future' starter who can show he was worth the pick. This FO/HC does seem to land a decent future starter (by luck perhaps) in the later rounds. Last year, Bryant's contributions outweighed Shazier and Tuitt's. AB, Beachum, Wallace and...maybe Cortez could be counted as well. Hope we get lucky again this year!

Also, who knows how much our D will improve with our new DC? He has been touted as "The guy" so he will have a tough schedule to prove his management of talent and scheme. I loved DL but he was pretty set in his schemes and why not? It worked when we had the talent to run it. Now, we have replaced the talent with seemingly non-scheme-fit players. Maybe Butler can see a better way to use the players we have?
 
Litos said:
cameron went to the dolphins, 15 millions for two years
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I did not know that obviously. Holy **** I'm starting to sound like our coach. "Obviously". Yeah, 15 mill for 2 years is too much for him.
 
Really? Did anyone see last year? We're the #3 offense and #1 pass attack in the league that lost ZERO players on offense.

Think we were good on O last year, wait till this year when everyone had a year to learn (Bell, Wheaton, Bryant).

Defense could always use improvement, though I'm interested to see what Butler's D will look like and how he plans to use the players.
 
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