The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

[BurghFan]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

Yeah, very devastating injuries for the Steelers. Gonna have to make some free agent moves. Maybe bring Dwyer back and see if any decent centers are available. As far as Ben airing out 40-45 times, well, he's gonna need time to set up and find his targets and he wasn't getting much of that after Pouncey went down.

[LambertandHam]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

Yeah, very devastating injuries for the Steelers. Gonna have to make some free agent moves. Maybe bring Dwyer back and see if any decent centers are available. As far as Ben airing out 40-45 times, well, he's gonna need time to set up and find his targets and he wasn't getting much of that after Pouncey went down.

Supposedly Dwyer left under bad terms, we'll probably see Batch brought back. The gameplan was working on the first drive, and even the last when TEN was in prevent D.

Ben is going to have to win these games on his arm.

[TheRealHST]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

On paper, it seems like we had a decent draft....hopefully JJ gives us some kind of pash rush........hopefully Le'veon can plow in between the tackles...hopefully Wheaton can get open and actually catch the ball.....with our safeties being 100 years old, Shamarko was a much-needed addition.....didnt care much for the Landry Jones pick but i understand it....hopefully Justin Brown isnt Limas Sweed Jr.

I dont care much for Jones either. He just seems like a journeymen in the making. I want them to develop Moye. He is a huge target and something the Steelers really need. As far as the safeties? its time for Ryan to go and Troy is not to far behind. That pains me to say

[TheRealHST]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

Published: Nov. 8, 2013 at 09:28 a.m.
Updated: Nov. 8, 2013 at 12:14 p.m.
Dick LeBeau has support of Steelers' defensive leaders

Marc Sessler
Around the League Writer

After the Pittsburgh Steelers allowed the New England Patriots to roll up 55 points on their defense in a Week 9 loss, coach Mike Tomlin hinted that changes are coming to a unit that's been a model of consistency during his reign.

"Those people who are lacking effort won't be playing," Tomlin said Monday. "It's just that simple. I am angry, disappointed."

Tomlin was speaking of his players, many of them aging ungracefully on a defense that's allowed 34-plus points in three separate games for the first time since 1989. Some have wondered if Tomlin's disappointment also extends to the work of longtime coordinator Dick LeBeau.

LeBeau, who turned 76 years old this season, has taken Pittsburgh's swoon "very hard," according to safety Troy Polamalu, but Steelers players this week rallied to defend their coach.

"Somebody has to take the blame," linebacker LaMarr Woodley said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "That's just the way it is when you're having a bad season. Last season, I was the one to take the blame. It comes with the territory. Now people want to blame the defensive coordinator."

Said safety Ryan Clark: "There's nothing anyone can say outside our group about coach LeBeau that bothers us. We know what kind of man he is. We know what kind of work he puts into us, not just as football players but as men. We don't have to defend him. His resume speaks for itself."

We'd need to hear something more tangible from Tomlin before questioning LeBeau's future in the Steel City. Since his arrival in Pittsburgh in 2004, LeBeau's crafted the NFL's most-feared front, with a scheme as creative as it is overpowering. The problem -- today -- isn't LeBeau, it's a host of overripe players tangled in with younger but lesser talent at every level of the D.

We're not sure Pop Warner himself could do much more with what LeBeau's been given to work with.

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[LoWw]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

Time to go LeBeau! Thank you for everything you've done, but it's time for a change! I agree that there is a lack of talent in some positions but playing 10yds off of WR's for years has caught up to him with these Spread offenses taking advantage of that type of defense. He's not solely to blame as Tomlin is responsible as well.

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[TheRealHST]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

Time to go LeBeau! Thank you for everything you've done, but it's time for a change! I agree that there is a lack of talent in some positions but playing 10yds off of WR's for years has caught up to him with these Spread offenses taking advantage of that type of defense. He's not solely to blame as Tomlin is responsible as well.

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Painful to agree with

[SteelersFreak]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

Time to go LeBeau! Thank you for everything you've done, but it's time for a change! I agree that there is a lack of talent in some positions but playing 10yds off of WR's for years has caught up to him with these Spread offenses taking advantage of that type of defense. He's not solely to blame as Tomlin is responsible as well.

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Meh, if there's anyone here that's the least to blame its LeBeau. The front office has failed to get players the past few years that play well in LeBeau's system. The refusal to draft another physical corner being one of the biggest problems, along with a failure to develop talent on the defensive line in recent years.

I do agree its time for a change though.

[TheRealHST]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

Meh, if there's anyone here that's the least to blame its LeBeau. The front office has failed to get players the past few years that play well in LeBeau's system. The refusal to draft another physical corner being one of the biggest problems, along with a failure to develop talent on the defensive line in recent years.

I do agree its time for a change though.

They had a good young corner but let him go to the Saints. I won't forgive that. ..and then to bring in William Gay made even less sense

[TheRealHST]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

ARE YOU SERIOUS? WOW...




Published: Nov. 10, 2013 at 10:32 a.m.
Updated: Nov. 10, 2013 at 11:17 a.m.
Big Ben likely to ask for trade by Pittsburgh Steelers

Marc Sessler
Around the League Writer
It's nearly impossible to imagine Ben Roethlisberger in anything other than black and gold, but he might not be a Pittsburgh Steeler forever.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Big Ben is "incredibly frustrated" with the direction of the franchise, according to Steelers sources. It's not just coordinator Todd Haley, but the entire offensive coaching staff that has the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback discouraged.

Team sources expect Roethlisberger to ask the Steelers to explore a possible trade in the offseason, Rapoport was told. Pittsburgh fielded trade offers for Big Ben last offseason and the team expects to answer the phone again in 2014.

Still, the Steelers have no intentions of trading Big Ben, per Rapoport, unless they can replace him with another franchise passer.

NFL Media columnist Michael Silver told NFL Network's "NFL GameDay Morning" that Roethlisberger's contract is an issue. Scheduled to make $12.1 million next season, his relatively low salary comes with a high cap number, so a restructuring is likely on the horizon if he sticks around.

Silver was told Big Ben ideally wants to finish his career with the Steelers, but if Pittsburgh winds up shopping him, look for the Arizona Cardinals to come calling. Coach Bruce Arians is one of Roethlisberger's best friends, and they worked wonders together in the Steel City.

It would be stunning to see Roethlisberger play anywhere other than Pittsburgh, but stranger things have happened. Just ask Peyton Manning.

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[MrMBrown]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

Report: Roethlisberger frustrated with direction of Steelers

Posted by Mike Florio on November 10, 2013, 10:53 AM EST
Getty ImagesAt a time when the NFL’s attention has been focused almost exclusive on the drama in Miami, a quarterback who knows a thing or two about drama has stepped back into the spotlight.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger isn’t happy with the team’s current direction. The concerns, per Rapoport, go beyond offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
According to Rapoport, a trade request could be coming in the offseason. While the Steelers reportedly won’t be inclined to do it unless they can replace Roethlisberger with a franchise quarterback, it’s hard to keep a quarterback on a team if the quarterback doesn’t want to be there.
His concerns aren’t surprising. In recent years, the Steelers have tried to change the offense to diminish the passing game and return the focus to the running game.
The seeds for a potential conflict were planted not when the Steelers created an oil-and-water relationship between Roethlisberger and Haley but when the Steelers tried to force offensive coordinator Bruce Arians into retirement after the 2011 season. As we understand it, the Arians-Roethlisberger relationship had become a problem for the organization, with Arians believed to be more concerned about helping the quarterback rack up stats at the risk of helping the team win games.
Some believe that Arians’ desire to help Roethlisberger become the MVP of Super Bowl XLV contributed to the team’s failure to win the game.
Most recently, Roethlisberger has expressed concern about the team’s use of the Wildcat offense. With teams that have true franchise quarterbacks rarely if ever taking the ball out of the franchise quarterback’s hands, the shift could be viewed as a belief in the ‘Burgh that Roethlisberger no longer occupies a spot at the top of the sport.
Ben’s recent insistence that Tom Brady must be regarded as the best quarterback in the game because he has three Super Bowl wins carries a clear implication that Roethlisberger sees himself as tied for No. 2 with Eli Manning.
The question now becomes whether Roethlisberger is destined to no longer be the No. 1 quarterback in Pittsburgh. If not, an Arians reunion in Arizona makes the most sense — especially since that could be the best way for the Cardinals to keep Larry Fitzgerald.
Assuming the spotlight in Glendale would be big enough for both of them.

[TheRealHST]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

Should have kept Arians...wow..I should have known that Wildcat stuff in the Ravens game was odd but I didnt think it was this bad.

Looking at Haleys off the field problems as well also, Im not sure why the Steelers would keep him. If it comes down to my franchise QB and my OC, the OC has to go.

[TheRealHST]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread



NOTE: Florio always bashes the Steelers in his articles on them
Did Roethlisberger trade rumor come from Steelers?

Posted by Mike Florio on November 12, 2013, 3:25 PM EST
Ben
AP
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger continues to talk about the report that he could ask the team to explore trade options after the season ends. Even though he doesn’t want to.

“I’m tired of it,” Roethlisberger told 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. “It upsets me. I have no idea where it came from, and I wish I could find out where it came from because it’s so stinking upsetting. It just fires me up. Where do people make this stuff up from?”

Here’s an idea. What if the Steelers leaked the report to create an offseason market for Roethlisberger, in the event the Steelers need a viable Plan B to extending his contract?

Consider the specific report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network: “Steelers sources expect Big Ben to ask them to explore trade options after 2013. They fielded offers for him last offseason. Could again.”

Steelers sources. Not sources close to Roethlisberger. Steelers sources.

“I’d retire before I’d accept a trade,” Roethlisberger said Monday, via Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I mean, it would have to be something really, really unbelievable for me to even consider it.”

Here’s something that Roethlisberger possibly would regard as “really, really unbelievable.” With the Steelers needing cap space and Roethlisberger having only two years remaining on his deal and Roethlisberger due to make $12.1 million in 2014 and $11.6 million in 2015, the Steelers will need to extend his contract after the season, and they quite possibly will offer Roethlisberger something far less than he thinks he’s worth.

In Roethlisberger’s mind, that could be “really, really unbelievable.”

Think about the potential gap between Roethlisberger’s perceived value and the team’s assessment of it. He regards Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as the best quarterback in the game because he has three Super Bowl wins. This implies that Roethlisberger regards himself as tied for No. 2 along with Giants quarterback Eli Manning, since they each have two.

The top of the market for quarterbacks currently exceeds $20 million per year. Guys who have won one or zero Super Bowls are making that much or more. Ben isn’t. Ben may very well want to be.

Indeed, during his Tuesday appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Roethlisberger danced around the question of whether he’d take less to help the team and stay in Pittsburgh.

“I’m so ignorant when it comes to that stuff,” Roethlisberger said. “I do what my [agents] tell me and obviously I’ll have my input for thing. But I’m so ignorant to those things. Honestly, my job is to play football.”

If Roethlisberger and/or his agents decide that he wants to be paid commensurately with men who have achieved less than he has and if the Steelers decide not to offer that kind of money, the Steelers will need a viable alternative. And if the Steelers are receiving offers in the offseason for Ben, an alternative path emerges.

Now that the story has emerged, the end result will be the same as if the Steelers launched an auction for Roethlisberger’s services. And the Steelers will have plenty of leverage, because their official position remains that they want to keep him.

Sure, they want to keep him. But not at the level of compensation he’ll want to receive under a new contract.

[tripwire]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

Can't believe after all he's accomplished for this franchise, the Steeler brass cannot see that Ben needs to be the focal point of the offense. Give him the damn keys to the car, bring in an OC that can work with him and his skill set, (wait, they had one). This offense sleeps early in games when Haley is calling the plays. It's no coincidence that they look much sharper when Ben starts running things in the no huddle.

Wake up Rooneys. You're going to chase this guy away, only to regret it for years to come.

[BlackNGold]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

So with Woodley now being placed on IR, many are speculating that his career as a Steeler may be over and he will be cut in the off-season.

"The Steelers on Tuesday placed linebacker LaMarr Woodley on injured reserve with a calf injury, his second calf injury in the past month and a half - two different legs.

The move, in effect, will end Woodley's career with the Steelers. Expect him to be released with a designation for the move to be made after June 1.

They will move forward with Jason Worilds at left outside linebacker and do whatever they need to keep Worilds, a free agent at season's end, in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers basically gave everyone a look at what direction they were leaning with that decision a couple of weeks ago when Woodley returned from his first calf injury and they kept Worilds at left outside linebacker instead of simply putting Woodley back at his old spot. Woodley was rotated with rookie Jarvis Jones at right outside linebacker, with that also being the plan last Sunday against Cincinnati.

Woodley lasted just two plays against the Bengals before injuring his calf attempting to bat down a pass.

The Steelers are about $7 million over the 2014 cap with 41 players signed, including Woodley, who accounts for $13.5 million of that number. By releasing him post June 1, they can push $8.6 million of his cap hit into 2015.

Woodley's 57 career sacks rank seventh on the Steelers' all-time list, but he has just nine sacks in his last 26 games, including five this season, after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 8 of the 2011 season. He had 44 sacks in his previous 56 games prior to the hamstring injury.

To replace Woodley on the roster, the Steelers signed fifth-year linebacker Jamaal Westerman, who was released Dec. 10 by Buffalo."

Thoughts?

[kehlis]

Re: The Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

Only problem with that is Worilds will quite likely be signed in free agency by someone else before June 1st.

I don't see him just waiting around for the Steelers to cut Woodley.