[FOF7] Re-Doing things the Steelers way

[Olsson]

1972:



1972 summary:

A pretty decent season but our passing game killed us yet again. We need a game manager at least. Our defense was incredible all season long. The season ended in the divisional playoffs against Joe Namath and the Jets.

1972 Rookie Watch:

Franco Harris won rookie of the year after we went with him at RB. Little was moved to WR. The other rookies had small roles this season.

Super Bowl:

Joe Namath wins MVP honours as the Jets beat the Cowboys 13-10 in a game where Cowboys had 78 penalty yards.

Steelers record notables & honours:

Franco Harris - Offensive rookie of the year
Leading the league in rushing
Leading the league in passing defense
Leading the league in total defense
Leading the league in points against

[Olsson]

2062 Offseason:

Staff:

We keep the same guys around

Free Agency:

We have a depleted squad. We target the following players:

RB Altie Taylor - Re-Signed
WR Karl Noonan - Signed
C John Fitzgerald - Signed
G Jim Harvey - Re-Signed
T Dave Foley - Signed
DT Kevin Hardy - Signed
DE Rolf Krueger - Signed
ILB Bob Matheson - Signed
CB Walt Sumner - Signed
S Clareence Scott - Signed
LS BJ Spencer -

Draft

The draft looks very deep, we might be able to get two great players despite sitting at 25th.

At 19th WR Drew Pearson is still sitting there. While our QB situation wont get any better maybe a good reciever can do the trick.¨

We send 1.25 + 3.26 + 5.27 + 6.26 to Arizona for their 1.18 + 7.23 and while it's a major risk with his 97 volatility we believe in him. We haven't hit anything with our lower picks since Lamonica anyway :-)



With 2.25 we select Randy Logan, S.



4.25 Ken Stone, S
7.23 Nick Mike-Mayer, K
7.25 Don Strock, QB

[Olsson]

1973:



1973 summary:

A rocky start with injuries depleting our secondary. Our running game once again fared well, and after Archie Manning stepped in at QB he managed the games well. However.. In the divisional round he threw away the game with 3 picks.

1973 Rookie Watch:

Drew Pearson played 13 games and had 66 grabs for 693 yards and 4 scores.

Super Bowl:

In an eventful Super Bowl with 700 yards total offense and 6 turnovers the Giants beat the Titans 37 to 13.

Steelers record notables & honours:

Leading the league in points against

[Olsson]

1973 Offseason:

Thread went lost. Here's a recap.

We signed Emmett Mason as a new Head Coach. Also we lost a lot of players to free agency but managed to sign a couple of the important ones. In the draft we traded up to get Jack Lambert and in the scond round we took Danny White.

[Olsson]

1973:



1973 summary:

We rode the back of Franc Harris. He delivered over 2000 rushing yards and earned the League MVP. We finished 12-4 the steeler way. Defensively we were very good against the run.

1973 Rookie Watch:

Jack Lambert played 6 gamet but didn't really make a big impact.

Super Bowl:

We can't contain Larry Brown who rushes for 137 yards. Meanwhile our offense is held in check by a nice Seahawks defense.

Steelers record notables & honours:

Franco Harris - League MVP
Franco Harris - Offensive player of the year
Leading the league in points allowed
Leading the league in rushing yards

[Olsson]

1974 Offseason:

Staff:

We sign a new DC. Brad Fransson is our man.



Free Agency:

We have the key players signed and are signing primarily for depth:

RB Altie Taylor - Re-Signed
LG Jim Riley - Signed
C Willie Parker - Signed
RT Kevin Hunt - Signed
DE Jack Youngblood - Signs for MIN
CB Walt Sumner - Re-Signed

Draft

We sit at 31st and the draft seems pretty weak. There's talent at S.

Our needs are: QB, RT, RDE, WLB, FS, SS

We sit with a choice of going CB Rod Perry or C Joe Fields and in the end we believe Fields will become a better player. Also our C is aging and Fields should be a nice replacement.



With 2.31 we select Mike Fuller, S. We had T Sehlby Jordan in our minds but we need youth in our secondary.



3.31 Jeff Hart, T
4.31 Dave Pear, DT
5.31 Leanord Thompson, WR
6.31 Alan Pringle, K
7.31 Scott Laidlaw, RB

[Olsson]

1974:



1974 summary:

Once again we had a strong defense, but our offense wasn't up for it. Archie Manning had to many turnovers and it was easy for the opposition to close down Franco Harris. 8-8 was a fair result after our disastrous start.

1974 Rookie Watch:

Joe Fields started 5 games due to injuries and played very well. Mike Fuller played 4 games and played great. Fuller will be our starter next year.

Super Bowl:

Atlanta Falcons comes in as the 6th seed and wins the bowl 21-13 against the Jets in an very equal Super Bowl.

Steelers record notables & honours:

Leading the league in passing yards against
Leading the league in yards against

[Olsson]

1975 Offseason:

Staff:

We keep the staff

Free Agency:

Despite our 8-8 season we once again think we have our squad ready and only need depth and some key positions. Here's our targets:

TE Raymond Chester - Re-Signed
RT Don Morrison - Signed
ILB Dick Absher - Re-Signed
WLB Grady Allen - Signed

Draft

We have the 18th selection but at 16th T Jackie Slater is still there. He's the only interesting player on the board. If he's gone so is our draft. He fits our needs greatly.

We move 1.18 + 4.15 + 5.18 for 1.16 and select him



In the second round we have the following targets:

DE Ed McAleney
G Wally Pesuit

We're set on G so we select DE McAleney



3.16 Pat Tilley, WR
6.17 Bob Horn, MLB
7.16 Tom Perko, OLB

[Olsson]

1975:



1975 summary:

A so-so season that started bad and then the injuries just kept coming. Somehow we managed to get into the playoffs without a bunch of our stars. And then we went on a great run and ended with our 3rd Lombardi Trophy

1975 Rookie Watch:

1st rounder Jackie Slater played from the start and he went through his rookie season with 0 sacks allowed at LT. WOW. 2nd rounder Pat Tilley chipped in with 757 on 72 catches. All other rookies played sparingly

Super Bowl:

Two of this years best defenses lined up and very fitting, 2 of the 3 touchdowns in the game was defensive scores. We controlled the game and Archie Manning gets his first ring over Bob Griese.

Steelers record notables & honours:

[Olsson]

1976 Offseason:

Staff:



We sign Charley Farr as an assistant coach. He's previously been with division rivals Ravens.

Free Agency:

Even though we've just won the Super Bowl I believe we have several needs on our team. We start by Franchising WR Drew Pearson.

Tony Dorsett sits at the top of most peoples boards, and we have too many needs to list.

Free Agency Targets:

RB Eric Torkelson - Signed
TE Charlie Young - Signed
LG Charlie Pratt - Signed
DE Lyle Alzado - Signs with JAX
MLB Willie Harper - Signed
WLB Rice Floyd - Signed
FS Randy Logan - Resigned

Draft

We have the last selection in the first round. It's a weak draft so we're not confident going in.

We end up going NT with Charlie Johnson



In the second round we go Safety:



3.32 Ezra Johnson, DE
4.32 Scott Studwell, MLB
5.32 Kurt Allerman, MLB
6.32 Sam Adkins, QB
7.32 Allan Leavitt, K

[Olsson]

1977:



1976 summary:

We really are overperforming at the time. Last year we won the SB with an injury-riddled team. This year we had maybe the worst team in 10 years, yet we went on to win back-to-back championships. And to be honest. I don't know how :-D

1976 Rookie Watch:

None of the rookies made any real impact however 1st rounder Charlie Johnson will get the nod at NT next season.

Super Bowl:

Archie Manning gets his second SB MVP as he lead the team to a 30-20 victory over the Bears.

Steelers record notables & honours:

Lead the league in rushing yards

[Olsson]

1978 Offseason:

Staff:

We stick with our SB winning coaching staff.


Free Agency:

We once again franchise Drew Pearson. We have enough cap space to do so.

As last year we have a long list of needs, but apparently other teams do too. The biggest needs are DE, SLB, CB and FS

Free Agency Targets:

QB Tracy Woods - Signed
FB Sam Cunningham - Signed
C Art Kuehn - Signed
RG Jim Reilly - Re-Signed
DE Julius Adams - Signs with ATL
DE Brison Manor - Signed
ILB Tom Hicks - Signed
WLB Drew Mahalic - Signed
CB Bobby Brooks - Signed
CB Rick Byas - Signed
SS Tony Peters - Signed
LS Corey Howard - Signed

Draft

We have the last selection in the first round. We think we have found good depth in the draft this year

With the 32th selection our choices are DE Doug Betters or DE Art Still. We decide to take Art Still. His is physically better and we believe there's more upside to him than Doug Betters.



At 2.32 the highest rated QB is still around. We pick him with our 2nd rounder.



3.32 Mark Dennard, C
4.32 Doug Greene, S
5.32 Jimmy Cefalo, WR
6.32 Tim Mazzetti, K - Got suspended for a season right after the draft :-/
7.32 Archie Reese, DE

[Olsson]

1978:



1978 summary:

As mentioned our team wasn't great last year but we managed to win the SB again. This year was a nother case. Great on defensive and offensive yardage but turnovers killed us. And due to age and 5 early season-ending injuries our cohesion was bad and we ended with a poor season. Let's hope this is the year we can get a good QB in the draft. Age and high wage demands will see us loose a lot of starters from the SB years. It's time to rebuild.

1978 Rookie Watch:

QB 2nd rounder Doug Williams started 4 games due to an injury to Manning. He went 0-4 in that stretch. All other rookies played sparingly, however we anticipate Art Still to become a larger factor next year.

Super Bowl:

WR Charlie Joyner singledhandedly beats the Bengals 31-16 in the SB. He catches 12 balls for 187 and 2 TD's

Steelers record notables & honours:

Lead the league in rushing yards

[Olsson]

1979 Offseason:

Staff:

OC Danny Stephens gets the HC gig at the Jets

We bring in Bennett Champman as our new OC



The rest of the staff stay the same

Free Agency:

A plethora of needs. We'll try to first and foremost secure Franco Harris on a cheaper contract and get a couple of marquee players for our defense.

Our targets:

RB Franco Harris - Re-Signed
TE Jack Novak - Signed
WR Jim Robinson - Signed
K Alan Pringle - Signed
DE Jack Youngblood - Signs with ARI
WLB Derrel Luce - Signed
CB Ray Rhodes - Signed

[Olsson]

Draft

Even though we had a 5-11 season we only sit at 7th. We consider moving up to first to take Joe Montana. We think a lot but decide not to move up. If Montana falls to 2nd we will move to get him. 1st overall Oakland already have a very good QB in Ken Stabler. He's getting older though.

And Oakland selects..... DE Mark Gastineau...

We decide to move up to the 2nd spot. We make the following trade with the Arizona Cardinals

To Cardinals: 1.7 + 2.6 + 3.5 + 4.4 + 2nd 1980
To Steelers: 1.2

And with the 2nd overall selection of the 1979 draft the Pittsburgh Steelers select... Joe Montana, QB, Notre Dame!



Other selections:

5.07 Dave Hoffman, G
6.04 Tony Franklin, K
7.05 Bob Jensen, TE

[Olsson]

1979:

Season summary disappeared :-(

We went 6-10 though.

[Olsson]

1980 Offseason:

Staff:

We stick with our current coaching staff.


Free Agency:

We cut Franco Harris and Archie Manning to because we feel they're not value for money

Free Agency Targets:

QB Mike Phipps - Signed
RB Joe Washington - Signed
WR Pat Tilley - Resigned
WR Leonard Thompson - Signed
G Tom Glassic - Signed
G Ken Huff - Signed
P Chuck Ramsey - Signed
DE Greg Boyd - Signed
DT Louie Kelche - Signs with TEN
CB James Hunter - Signed

Draft

We have a plan going into the draft. We're not sold on the top talent of the draft so we'll trade down and secure a second rounder or two. If things go according to plan we will pick 3 offensive players with our first three picks.

We start with the following trade:

To Steelers: 1.20 + 2.4 + 2.20 + 4.20
To Redskins: 1.6 + 3.7

In the first round we hope that one of the four Guards we're sold on drops in our lap.

When our number comes up at 20th there's three of the guards left. In the meantime the reciever we're sold on sits near the top of the reciever rankings. We want this guy bad. We go WR Art Monk with our 20th selection.



With 2.04 we select G Brad Budde



After this we make the following move as we need to secure our target no. 3.

To Steelers: 2.10
To Lions: 2.20 + 4.6 + 7.6

And then we select FB Curtis Dickey



4.20 - Doug Martin, DE
5.08 - Dave Collins, OLB
6.07 - Greg Cater, P

[Olsson]

1980:



Yeeeep. That pretty much sums up the season.. Here's our season Summary.



1980 summary:

Injuries, Injuries, Injuries. Our two best O-Line men played a combined 6 games and the rest of our offense besides Cool Joe isn't really that good.

1980 Rookie Watch:

1st rounder WR Art Monk started 4 games and chipped in with 436 yards and two scores. He didn't make the impact we hoped in his rookie season. LG Brad Budde missed the season with a groin injury in preseason. FB Curtis Dickey played the full 16 games.

Super Bowl:

Earl Campbell and the Texans beat New Orleans 13-6 in a tight affair with under 500 combined yards. Terry Bradshaw gets sacked 7 times by Houston.

Steelers record notables & honours:

None

[Olsson]

1981 Offseason:

Staff:

We stick with our current coaching staff.

Free Agency:

We have fewer needs thant the last few years.

Free Agency Targets:

WR John McKay - Signed
G Charley Hannah - Signs with CHI
DE Brison Manor - Signed
OLB Larry Gordon - Signed
CB Mike Haynes - Signs with IND

Draft

We hold the 4th pick. Our needs are TE and WR. But there's not really any obvious stars in the draft. We also would like to get better at RB, G and T. There's better depth here. We might try to trade down and pick up another high pick.

After LB Mike Singletary goes at 2nd we start working the phone. We talk to Arizona and Cleveland in the hope we'll be able to work out a deal getting us an extra 1st rounder.

After 5 minutes of negotiation with the Browns we strike the following deal:

To Steelers: 1.15 + 1.28 + 2.14
To Browns: 1.04 + 3.04 + 4.04 + 7.04

We have a bunch of players we like but not really any we're sold on at 4th. With the trade we should be able to pick up a good RB and a solid LB in the first round. As the pick arrive there's still the option of T Mark May. He looks amazing. We believe we can pick up a RB in the second round. Let's go Tackle!



Well.. We have a bunch of options with the 28th pick. However a guys that has fallen far down and has been under our radar gets selected. We go BPA and select S Kenny Easley from UCLA



With the 2.04 pick we select G Russ Grimm



With the 2.14 we select OLB Rickey Jackson. We plan to move him to WLB to become a fierce pass rusher.



5.04 - Robb Riddick, RB
6.04 - Jim Jensen, WR

I'm VERY satisfied with the players from this draft. As we're pretty satisfied with out Safeties we move Easley to CB he has the size and speed to do so.

[Olsson]

1981:



1980 summary:

A championship won the Steeler way. A decent offense and a great defense. The defense turned it up a notch in the playoffs and the opposing teams had 314, 134 and 228 yards of offense in the playoffs.

1981 Rookie Watch:

5th round RB Robb Riddick played well and had 142 carries for 647 for a whooping 4.56 average. CB Easley had 4 interceptions and was great in the latter part of the season. He had an important int in the SB. 1st rounder Mark May only allowed 2 sacks in his rookie season and G Russ Grimm played well at G. All other rookies played sparingly.

Super Bowl:

Our defense stepped up and held Chicago to 228 yards. Lead by Will Cureton who only had 12 completions in 37 attempts, Chicago couldn't overcome the offensive shortcomings as earlier in the season. Montana wins the MVP as he plays a great game 26-37-322, 2-0. His favourite target was Art Monk with 145 yards.

Steelers record notables & honours:

None