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GM Kevin Colbert: 'Lot of work to be done' with Ben Roethlisberger's contract

I don't know if that's one of DK's free articles or not. But, if it is, I'd encourage folks to read it. It gives a lot more of the full content of Colbert's statements about Ben, etc. Other local writers are falling into the "clickbait" pattern of the national guys and it sucks. Because, in Lolley's article I see Colbert saying things like:

"Ben Roethlisberger did a lot of really good things last year. We're anticipating he could still do some good things moving forward"
"Going back on Ben’s 2020, he really did do some special things."
""Can he still do some special things? Absolutely. Did he do that to his expectations? He’d be the first to tell you no."

So, not quite the "lukewarm" response about Ben that the national (and some local) media are making it out to be in order to get those clicks.
 
Hoping this is much about nothing, but find it disheartening that the FO chooses to air their laundry in the press.

If they thought Ben was done, why haven't they attempted to pick up his replacement? Rudolph has shown he isn't the answer. Even if they go with a round 1 QB, at 24 it will be a crap shoot, even if
they get lucky that pick will still take time to develop, and we all know how good they are at developing talent.
 
This isn't difficult negotiations. Either you are willing to kick 20 million onto 2022 or 2022/2023 or you are not. He is not getting paid next year. He has already been paid that 20. So if you want him you gotta pay the 20 as dead cap after. I wouldn't but the deadline to decide is March. He isn't gonna play next year for 10. He might play for 15. But that shouldn't be the deciding factor. I thought he was 80 percent in a week ago. Its down to 50-50 now.
 
ZonaBurgh said:
Hoping this is much about nothing, but find it disheartening that the FO chooses to air their laundry in the press.

If they thought Ben was done, why haven't they attempted to pick up his replacement? Rudolph has shown he isn't the answer. Even if they go with a round 1 QB, at 24 it will be a crap shoot, even if
they get lucky that pick will still take time to develop, and we all know how good they are at developing talent.
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Id much rather have Rudolph than the 24th overall. At least Rudolph is a try and see. 24th overall would likely be a 3 year trial live in relationship.
 
If the goal is to get into the playoffs in 2021 then there is only 1 QB on the roster that has proven he is capable of meeting that goal. We won’t change head coaches we don’t have a running game and we don’t have Mahone’s or dare I say Brady. Our best shot is sign Ben, try to improve the oline enough to run the ball at least some, hope we can save enough defensive players to stay competitive. Does anyone really thing Rudolph can win let alone win with our ****** running game. Not even the great Brady could win with this team.


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47585975 said:
If the goal is to get into the playoffs in 2021 then there is only 1 QB on the roster that has proven he is capable of meeting that goal. We won’t change head coaches we don’t have a running game and we don’t have Mahone’s or dare I say Brady. Our best shot is sign Ben, try to improve the oline enough to run the ball at least some, hope we can save enough defensive players to stay competitive. Does anyone really thing Rudolph can win let alone win with our ****** running game. Not even the great Brady could win with this team.


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Ok but read the last line of your post. If you believe not even the great Brady could win with this team, what on earth is the point of bringing Big Ben back. You will be in the exact same situation next year with dead salary on the cap and no more clarity of the QBs on the roster. Makes zero sense. You can say that Rudolph can't play but I think he has a better chance of being an NFL starting QB than Ben Roethlisberger has of winning a SB with this roster and these coaches.
 
My apologies for not being clear. I meant Brady could not win a super bowl with is team. My previous post had no mention of an expectation of Ben winning a super bowl. Regarding Rudolph having a chance of being a starting NFL QB remember Kent Graham he was a starting NFLQB!my point is simple Ben has a proven track record of getting to the playoffs . Rudolph not so much.


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Heard on ESPN radio tonight driving home from work that Ben is due a 15 mil roster bonus on like March 15th. i was optimistic before but not now.
 
47585975 said:
My apologies for not being clear. I meant Brady could not win a super bowl with is team. My previous post had no mention of an expectation of Ben winning a super bowl. Regarding Rudolph having a chance of being a starting NFL QB remember Kent Graham he was a starting NFLQB!my point is simple Ben has a proven track record of getting to the playoffs . Rudolph not so much.


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I question if Ben could get them to the playoffs. The team will have less talent next year. But if you are not playing for a championship. What is the point.
 
Hoot said:
that is part of the 19M compensation for this year. 15M signing bonus and 4M salary.
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But I believe he is right. March 15 is the deadline. He will not Be a Steelers QB if they have not worked something out by then.
 
SteelerSask said:
But I believe he is right. March 15 is the deadline. He will not Be a Steelers QB if they have not worked something out by then.
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it is correct. I was not disputing but explaining. If he is on the roster at the start of the new year, he gets a 15m roster bonus. That plus his salary is the 19M he will be compensated in 2021. If they pay him the 15M, they aren't cutting him in camp.
 
Big part is the salary cap, I've heard anything from it staying where it is to it being as high as 200 million.

No matter who the QB is, Ben or not, the Oline, running game, and scheme has to be better! The thing that kills me watching the better offenses in the NFL, they have guys wide open, and not just a #3 WR, Hill, Kelce, Gronk, Devonte Adams, running backs leak out of the backfield, they're wide open several times a game. Their scheme gets guys open.

Just watch the Indy game vs us, Rivers had guys open everywhere, simple passes to make, our guys were blanketed, every pass had to be in a tight window. I think Ben can make all the throws, but it's the fatigue that got him, throwing as much as we did, and then when every WR has a guy on him, every pass has to have more juice on it, very few passes where he could just casually make a throw, the majority had to be almost full velocity.

Then the defense, Tomlin needs to stay the **** away from it. That playoff debacle was embarrassing, especially since a week earlier we held them to what 22 or 24 points without our two best defensive players. Then Cleveland makes a ton of adjustments without being allowed to practice or have in person meetings, we get Watt and Heyward back and they embarrass us with our head coach calling the defense, and not know what the **** an adjustment is.

There's a lot of work to do, but that goes far beyond the QB.
 
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Other teams use motion to help the O and to put the D on its heels a bit (plus it tires them out running back and forth). We started the season doing that and then stopped. I read it was because of Ben and others said it was because of Fichtner. Canada likes to put men in motion so, even if Ben doesn't like it, he better get used to it. At least, hopefully Canada will have full control of the O. Our O line definitely needs a new scheme so they can run or pass block and not tip their hand as much as they have been doing.
 
TDX27 said:
Other teams use motion to help the O and to put the D on its heels a bit (plus it tires them out running back and forth). We started the season doing that and then stopped. I read it was because of Ben and others said it was because of Fichtner. Canada likes to put men in motion so, even if Ben doesn't like it, he better get used to it. At least, hopefully Canada will have full control of the O. Our O line definitely needs a new scheme so they can run or pass block and not tip their hand as much as they have been doing.
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That's all crap, about Ben not liking it, just a worn out and made up narrative. Ben didn't want a QB drafted in round 3 when they drafted Mason, but they did it, Ben didn't want Arians fired, but they did it, Ben didn't want Haley, but they did it, Ben asked for Washington to get more snaps, his snap count went down. I'm not saying that's your stance, but they always put what's best for the team in front of everything else, including Ben.
 
The last few comments really can't be disputed if you watched any football last year. The vast majority of offensive plays run last year were easily defended, so maybe it doesn't really matter which QB is playing.

Clearly there is an issue with the OL and blocking technique, question being is that talent deteriorating or scheme? It's likely both, and I don't think it will make a great deal of difference who they draft if the scheme isn't
addressed, both offensively and defensively, and we all know that won't happen.
 
Hoot said:
it is correct. I was not disputing but explaining. If he is on the roster at the start of the new year, he gets a 15m roster bonus. That plus his salary is the 19M he will be compensated in 2021. If they pay him the 15M, they aren't cutting him in camp.
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I was probably skim reading your post. My apologies. My thoughts exactly. Ben will either be on the roster or not and we will know one way or the other in less than 26 days. My hope is not, but I won't cry about it if he is. He definitely, gives them the best chance to win games next year, but I think his presence on the roster slows the turnover (coaching/ long term QB solution) required to get the team where we want it to be.
 
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Bad thing the front office has leaked their thoughts about Ben. Ben deserves better, last year the type of offense led to the typical ending under Tomlin. Ben has had to hear it all, if HE would of won the last game against Cleveland would we have had to hear all the negative talk. Ben brought the team back, Tomlin decided to punt when we had the momentum. The defense did not do their job all night and on the drive after the punt stunk up the field. I know this may not have anything to do with the new Steelers front office take on Ben but he deserves better. What do they have in the wings for a QB, Ben money do is what it is, the schedule is not close to being easy next year. So what is the direction of the front office. Where do they feel they are gaining anything by continued beating up Ben, especially in the press. Our Steelers under this Rooney is a new image , then throw in Tomlin's philosophy, we have no image. Hard to listen to the sports word comment on a team we love.
 
black and gold apex said:
Bad thing the front office has leaked their thoughts about Ben. Ben deserves better, last year the type of offense led to the typical ending under Tomlin. Ben has had to hear it all, if HE would of won the last game against Cleveland would we have had to hear all the negative talk. Ben brought the team back, Tomlin decided to punt when we had the momentum. The defense did not do their job all night and on the drive after the punt stunk up the field. I know this may not have anything to do with the new Steelers front office take on Ben but he deserves better. What do they have in the wings for a QB, Ben money do is what it is, the schedule is not close to being easy next year. So what is the direction of the front office. Where do they feel they are gaining anything by continued beating up Ben, especially in the press. Our Steelers under this Rooney is a new image , then throw in Tomlin's philosophy, we have no image. Hard to listen to the sports word comment on a team we love.
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lot said right there.



Salute the nation
 
It seems pretty simple to me: Ben is on the record saying that he doesn't care about his salary in 2021, and how he is willing to do anything to help the team. If that were indeed the case, he would play for the veteran minimum, and immediately free up close to $18 million in cap space. The Steelers wouldn't need to wait and see how things shake out with the future of the cap, they'd have Ben at a bargain price and the flexibility to address other needs.

Evidently, Ben is not truly willing to do so, or the deal would already be done.
 
Hoot said:
Most likely hold up - not knowing what the Cap number will be. New TV deal is not signed but may well give more room to teams. Teams aren't going to finalize **** until they know the size of the sandbox. You know who else isn't going to finalize **** till the sandbox size is determined? Agents. I would not expect any news for a few more weeks.
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With the floor up 10 million still in a wait mode or should they be aggressively working the cap as I type this? I was just thinking there shouldn't be too much more of an increase if any. I am hoping they are being aggressive. As the more aggressive they are the less players they lose IMO and the more money they have to bring in talent.
 
slashsteel said:
With the floor up 10 million still in a wait mode or should they be aggressively working the cap as I type this? I was just thinking there shouldn't be too much more of an increase if any. I am hoping they are being aggressive. As the more aggressive they are the less players they lose IMO and the more money they have to bring in talent.
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Just because there isn't any external news or announcements does not mean they are waiting. I know everyone wants something, but KC is correct. They aren't going to look at this as just one player but rather the entire roster. Lots of decisions to be made and a lot of homebrew FA's - more than any year I can remember. It may not come down to what Ben is willing to do, but rather what others on the roster a willing to do. Cam and Tuit most likely need to rework deals. They will need to talk with Haden and Nelson and balance that against what Sutton and Hilton are asking. One player is just one line item on the spreadsheet. The number that matters is the total at the bottom. What we can take from this is that the team is willing to move on from Ben if they deem it best for the team or have no choice.
 
ramon foster is saying they are doing exactly what they did to get troy to retire with ben right now
 
A few years back, when Ben was playing the retirement game in the press, with the purpose of getting rid of an OC he didn't like, were you guys as critical of him as you are Colbert and Rooney now?
 
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