If Gay leaves in free agency. Pick the choice that best defines what you think.

[Coach]

If Gay leaves in free agency. Pick the choice that best defines what you think.



1 ) A glass half empty type of view. We lost our best cornerback by far, and a domino effect will happen while Grant and Golson get their feet wet in NFL games. There's nothing proven that either Golson or Grant can play in the NFL.
Our pass defense as a unit ( last year ranked 30th ) just went from bad to worse. Gay did not give up one touchdown last year and has a high amount of game changing pick sixes. He also knows the system and has been durable.


2 ) A moderate type of view. Gay is a solid player, but nothing special. There will be a drop off in the coverage units, but nothing catastrophic. The Steelers can win with his replacement and hold teams to a similar amount of points against whether it's a cheaper free agency corner or a current developing player on the roster.


3 ) A glass half full type of view. Gay is overrated and looks good partly because the other players were easier pickings or new to the system. Give Golson and Grant the 2nd camp, and add deploy Cockrell in coverage where needed and the cornerback position will be better off without Gay in the 2016 season.

 

[Fiji Mariner]

4) whoever plays opposite Blake looks awesome and is rarely targeted as Blake is picked apart play after play.

 

[nooneuno]

Gay is going no where. Last time he left as a FA he lasted one year, got cut and came back. He's not stupid he knows the best option right now in his career is to stay a Steeler.

 

[AggieSteel]

Agreed that he's not going anywhere, but option 1 if he does

 

[Stryker]

Coach, this would be better as a poll.

 

[Coach]

Agreed that he's not going anywhere, but option 1 if he does

I'd lean toward option 1 if he left. While I think Gay might offer a little hometown discount, do you think he's stays if the Steelers offered 6 million a season, and another team offered say 8 million a season?

Does he stay or go? I say go and take the 8 million.

The franchise amount at corner is worth $13,838,000

Gay's agent will be demanding at least as much as Cortez Allen received. Somehow the Steelers gave Cortez Allen a five year 26 million contract. That's over 5 million a year! Do we have the cap space to retain Gay? At the 5 million mark, perhaps the Steelers can just barely afford to keep Gay. Well above the 5 million a year mark and the Steelers might opt to keep Foster and McClendon instead as a plan B.

The over the cap website says

Total Cap Number: $155,854,485 (Top 51: $149,554,485 for the Steelers ). Asume we save 2-3 million in cuts and another 2 million is shifted money toward the future. That would give us just 9 in cap space. That's not a lot as look at how many free agents we have! Depth can be an issue, plus money needs to be there to sign the rookies. The guys in bold either start or are good reserves / ST players. If you look hard enough there's an extra play here.



Steve McLendon

Cam Thomas

Ramon Foster

Bruce Gradkowski

Antwon Blake

Robert Golden

Will Johnson

William Gay

Will Allen

Michael Vick

Mike Adams

Clifton Geathers

Darrius Heyward-Bey

David Nelson

Byron Stingily

Doug Legursky

Jordan Todman

Al Bundy

Sean Spence

Brandon Boykin

Terence Garvin

Kelvin Beachum

Christopher Hubbard

Ross Cockrell

Mitchell Van Dyk

Rob Blanchflower

Kevin Palmer

Rosevelt Nix

 

[Coach]

Coach, this would be better as a poll.

I seriously thought of a poll, but I value board feedback over a poll on this type of question because it could be viewed as a negative post by some.

On a poll, it would be easy to say option 3. But put your name to it, and it becomes a bit more honest of a reply. At least, I think so.

 

[SteelerFan448]

The Steelers are a better team with Gay in the defensive backfield than they are without him. They aren't going to dump 2/3 of this unit, so if Gay doesn't return, you can assure that Blake will be back and in a prominent role.

 

[Steeltime]

Option 1, if for no other reason than losing both Gay and Boykin almost forces the Steelers' draft process. A team NEVER wants to go into the draft thinking that it "must" draft a certain position. (Are you listening, Troy Edwards?!?)

 

[Litos]

Out with the gay, in with the Boykin.

Now seriously, coach do you think the Steelers lose gay and would not sign another FA?
Do you really think any team would give gay 6 or more millions? He's no spring chicken
Finally I already answered you in another thread how the Steelers can open more than 20 millions in cap room and it wouldn't take nuclear science to do it. So why you keep saying that we will have Only 4 to 9 millions available?

 

[oicu8ad]

I'd say Option 1.5 (somewhere between 1 and 2). I'd really like to know what we have in Senquez. Does he know the playbook backwards and forwards? Hopefully it's been a full year of watching, and studying.

How times have changed? Everyone pimping how important Gay is now, but I seem to remember when Gay was thought of around these parts in the same light as Blake is currently thought of.

 

[Stryker]

People still give opinions the same way in a poll

 

[Drink IRON City]

People still give opinions the same way in a poll

Cope, I know you are a VERY smart ombre....... Coach isn't going to do anything to make sense (at times). Except the fact that we will have these "good" but unconventional THREADS. It keeps our world turning.




Salute the nation

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Coach, stop with your cap assessments or learn how our front office operates.

If we give Gay 6 million we have overpayed and I doubt other teams are waiting to pounce at him with 8 million a year-I'll eat crow if I'm wrong.

We will free up more than 2-3 million the wat we move money around.

The Cortez cut alone will free up a good amount of space, couple that with the restructures of Ben's deal, reworking Timmy and getting a long term deal in place to lower DeCastro's number and we have room right there for resigning a, the draft class and value priced free agent or two.

 

[Coach]

Coach, stop with your cap assessments or learn how our front office operates.

If we give Gay 6 million we have overpayed and I doubt other teams are waiting to pounce at him with 8 million a year-I'll eat crow if I'm wrong.

We will free up more than 2-3 million the wat we move money around.

The Cortez cut alone will free up a good amount of space, couple that with the restructures of Ben's deal, reworking Timmy and getting a long term deal in place to lower DeCastro's number and we have room right there for resigning a, the draft class and value priced free agent or two.

Fiji,

Okay noted. How do you like your crow, steamed or baked? We are currently 3.5 million over the cap, give or take a few hundred thousand. Please consider. Cutting Allen and reworking other deals might only give us enough space to sign the rookies and NFL minimum type of free agents. So yeah we'll fish for guys other teams cut. Late year Cockrell was a true find. This year I doubt we'll get as good a player.

Unless Gay plays for 2-3 million a year, I think he's changing teams.

 

[Litos]

Fiji,

Okay noted. How do you like your crow, steamed or baked? We are currently 3.5 million over the cap, give or take a few hundred thousand. Please consider. Cutting Allen and reworking other deals might only give us enough space to sign the rookies and NFL minimum type of free agents. So yeah we'll fish for guys other teams cut. Late year Cockrell was a true find. This year I doubt we'll get as good a player.

Unless Gay plays for 2-3 million a year, I think he's changing teams.

coach you can't be that dense. Just cutting Cortez will give more than enough money for rookie signings. Then you have all the restructures and extensions. There'll be more than 4 millions available come FA period

 

[Coach]

coach you can't be that dense. Just cutting Cortez will give more than enough money for rookie signings. Then you have all the restructures and extensions. There'll be more than 4 millions available come FA period

Litos,

Cutting Allen and reworking other deals might only give us enough space to sign the rookies and NFL minimum type of free agents.

4-5 Million under the cap, after all, moves sounds about right. That is enough for the rookie deals and maybe 2-4 bottom free agents that will play for close to NFL minimum. Essentially you are agreeing with me.

Now for some fun. Let's say you have 5 million over the cap. This thread has our free agents. Tell me who you think we could re-sign.

 

[Litos]

Litos,



4-5 Million under the cap, after all, moves sounds about right. That is enough for the rookie deals and maybe 2-4 bottom free agents that will play for close to NFL minimum. Essentially you are agreeing with me.

Now for some fun. Let's say you have 5 million over the cap. This thread has our free agents. Tell me who you think we could re-sign.

1. I'm talking about More Than 25 Millions in resigning, restructures and cuts, not 5 or 10 Millions, in that crazy thread of yours I answered you player by player how would those moves be, just like the Steelers FO always do
2. go to the OTHER Thread you just started with the same discussion, there's my answer to who we might re-sign

 

[Black & Gold Bleeder]

Al Bundy

Need to get that guy...

 

[madinsomniac]

Seriouly can someone please merge all the free agency threads... We only need one right now

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Fiji,

Okay noted. How do you like your crow, steamed or baked? We are currently 3.5 million over the cap, give or take a few hundred thousand. Please consider. Cutting Allen and reworking other deals might only give us enough space to sign the rookies and NFL minimum type of free agents. So yeah we'll fish for guys other teams cut. Late year Cockrell was a true find. This year I doubt we'll get as good a player.

Unless Gay plays for 2-3 million a year, I think he's changing teams.

A 2 year 7million deal with a million in bonus is plenty to get the deal done for his skill set, maybe 3 year 10 million if you want a lower cap hit this year. Paying much more than that and you are over valuing his services. I'd throw the same deal at Gay and Boykin with the 2 year deal to Gay and a 3 year 10 million at Boykin and whoever finds the pen first wins a contract. Gay is not a 6m a year corner, definitely not 8m as you have suggested. He may get more, if he does I hope it is not us overpaying. If I am wrong on this one I'll take my crow grilled with a nice sauce to cover it up.

The cap numbers you keep throwing around are not only inconsequential as we have done no restructures yet but the numbers you have are off as well. Wait a few weeks and you'll have a more accurate working number. Right now your just spewing Lion/Browns type speak. Cmon man, is this your first offseason? You gotta know better

 

[Coach]

A 2 year 7million deal with a million in bonus is plenty to get the deal done for his skill set, maybe 3 year 10 million if you want a lower cap hit this year. Paying much more than that and you are over valuing his services. I'd throw the same deal at Gay and Boykin with the 2 year deal to Gay and a 3 year 10 million at Boykin and whoever finds the pen first wins a contract. Gay is not a 6m a year corner, definitely not 8m as you have suggested. He may get more, if he does I hope it is not us overpaying. If I am wrong on this one I'll take my crow grilled with a nice sauce to cover it up.

The cap numbers you keep throwing around are not only inconsequential as we have done no restructures yet but the numbers you have are off as well. Wait a few weeks and you'll have a more accurate working number. Right now your just spewing Lion/Browns type speak. Cmon man, is this your first offseason? You gotta know better

That's what I wanted to read. Thank you. I think Gay is worth a more than 3.5 million a year, or 2 years for 7 million.

He's a good starting corner, See what they go for in free agency. The Titan's appear to be way under the Cap. LeBeau is likely a fan of Gay's. Just saying...

 

[Fiji Mariner]

I think Gay is worth what he gets paid. Last year his number was 1.5 with 166k in bonuses. I think Gay likes it in the Burgh and a fair deal would be 2 year in the 4.5 range with 500k as bonus. He outperformed his contract last year and that would be about 150% which is a substantial raise. I could see us overpaying up to the 2/7 or 3/10 I suggested previously, but yo suggest 6-8 is absurd.

Gay may like LeBeau but I don't think he wants to waste away down in TN on that team with the chance for a SB here, a massive overpay could change his perspective, but he is a system guy. System guys usually don't command lock down corner $...just because we massively overpriced Cortez doesn't mean we need to repeat our mistakes.

 

[SteelChip]

I think Gay is worth what he gets paid. Last year his number was 1.5 with 166k in bonuses. I think Gay likes it in the Burgh and a fair deal would be 2 year in the 4.5 range with 500k as bonus. He outperformed his contract last year and that would be about 150% which is a substantial raise. I could see us overpaying up to the 2/7 or 3/10 I suggested previously, but yo suggest 6-8 is absurd.

Gay may like LeBeau but I don't think he wants to waste away down in TN on that team with the chance for a SB here, a massive overpay could change his perspective, but he is a system guy. System guys usually don't command lock down corner $...just because we massively overpriced Cortez doesn't mean we need to repeat our mistakes.

I can't believe we are even talking about a B rate corner back that is 31 years old and displayed all year that his wheels were fading. He's lucky to even make the team next year let alone bust out in free agency...again. Damn guys, are we that desperate that scraps are now culinary delights ?

As far as I'm concerned, this juvenile display could be his last in da Burg and I wouldn't mind a bit.



It's time to move on to some real talent back there and stop depending on marginal players the likes of William Gay, he doesn't even show up on PFF's top 75 FA's fur Christ sake.

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Wouldn't break my heart either Steel Chip, and I really hope we don't overpay him. I'd much rather bring back Boykin to go with Cockrell outside and slip Golson into the slot. Slap a high pick playmaker at S on the backend and focus on generating pass rush.