Way Too Early 2016 Offseason...draft, FA talk

[ATL96Steeler]

Well, the 2015 season is officially over...things will start to kick into gear and shift more to Colbert and team.

Key FAs

C. Thomas, McLendon, Spence, Foster, Gay, DHB, Will Johnson, Golden, Warren, Mike Adams, Beachum, W Allen, Blake, Boykin cover most of the UFAs...Garvin, Nix, Cockrell and a few others are restricted.

Out or walk, Beach, Blake, Boykins (probably will cost too much with Golson factoring for CB3). W. Johnson, C. Thomas.

Shaky ground...Cortez Allen.

Extensions...Bell, DeCastro

Key Draft Needs...NT, FS, CB, OG/T.

 

[Superbelt]

Needs in order:

SS: Will Allen is a stopgap at age 33, we need that SS of the future to be on the roster next year. That is not going to be Shamarko.
CB: Never have enough CB's, and we REALLY don't have enough.
TE: I like Jesse James, but this is still an important area of improvement for the future. A well rounded blocking capable guy like Heath, so we don't miss a beat.
NT: With McLendon in fa, it's an area to look at if he doesn't get retained.
OLB: We still need bodies here.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Needs in order:

SS: Will Allen is a stopgap at age 33, we need that SS of the future to be on the roster next year. That is not going to be Shamarko.
CB: Never have enough CB's, and we REALLY don't have enough.
TE: I like Jesse James, but this is still an important area of improvement for the future. A well rounded blocking capable guy like Heath, so we don't miss a beat.
NT: With McLendon in fa, it's an area to look at if he doesn't get retained.
OLB: We still need bodies here.

I may have said FS, but I agree on the priority for the most part...I might put NT higher if McL isn't retained...idt they really view McCullers as a 3-4 NT anymore...we didn't see much of the 4-3 hybrid Butler hinted of, but personnel didn't allow it much.

imo, this will be or should a true BPA draft...I'm a JJ guy, but when you draft need, you tend to overlook player shortcomings a tad...he's an ex. of that.

Picking mid 20s.

SS...on the early big boards, not many with 1st rd grades, we'll have to see how this shapes up.

CB...Kendall Fuller, Vtech has the size, bloodlines...Apple, OH St...Steeler pipeline in yrs past.

TE...Like JJ as well, latter rounds, I can see them adding another TE.

NT/DT/DE...I wouldn't shy away from a DL big...A'Shawn Robinson from Bama is a legit NT, but will probably be gone...never seen the Billings kid play but has a 1st rd grade...traditional 3-4 block body type, not sure what type athlete he is.

Several DE candidates that might be on the board in the 20s.

OLB...JJ imo has earned a 2nd contract...I expect them to extend him and lower his option yr cap hit. That said, Moats is average and Deebo can't deny fathertime much longer.

Another UGA boy, Leonard Floyd I've seen quite a bit...much better athlete than Jarvis, but too lean to control the edge in run support...probably project better as a 4-3 OLB.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Over the next few days I thought we could hone in on some of the Steeler's key FAs.

Sean Spence...ILB...3rd rd pick, we all know the injury history. He's developed into a great depth ILB...I would think Butler would like to continue his rotation at and depth...idk if he's a 16 gm starter in this league but I think he could get an offer 18/3/4yr range maybe more. I hope he sticks, but I understand if he can get a better deal on the open market.

Thoughts on Spence?

 

[Superbelt]

Timmons could be a cap casualty if they think they can get acceptable production from (and retain) Williams and Spence.

Timmons has a crazy cap number.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

He does...with C. Allen's dead money # around $4mil, and Timmons $6 mil or so...I see one or the other getting released but not both. I'm expecting Timmons to get extended or restructured again..29...a little risky, but I don't expect him to play with a $15 mil CH.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

ILB production with two cheaper players vs one pro bowl level...that's a good question. Knowing Tomlin's affinity to vets...they will likely find a way to keep Timmons. J. Jones cap hit is much less than I expected, it's the option yr that gets crazy I think.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Isn't there a way for the team to restructure the CH's by turning more of it into a bonus? Not exactly sure how it works but I'm pretty sure that's what most teams do to lower a CH.

Oh and btw... Good posts gents!

I haven't quite gotten my head wrapped around the season being over, so I'm not quite ready to jump on the offseason talk yet.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[Superbelt]

They can't seriously entertain anything but keeping Boswell. Young, cheap, stronger leg, cool under pressure, accurate, accurate long.

The only thing that he can do to lose his spot on this team now is crash a motorcycle into a Buick without a helmet. Suishy is gone.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Isn't there a way for the team to restructure the CH's by turning more of it into a bonus? Not exactly sure how it works but I'm pretty sure that's what most teams do to lower a CH.

Oh and btw... Good posts gents!

I haven't quite gotten my head wrapped around the season being over, so I'm not quite ready to jump on the offseason talk yet.

I feel ya, the figure the quicker I dove in, the better.

Lowering cap hits...yes, but at some point you must pay the piper. Not the capologist here, but you remember the end with Woodley...a player that had been restructured multiple times. in a nutshell you can't move restructured bonus money.

In the case with Timmons...he has a $6.3 mil restructure bonus that can't be moved and will hit the cap as dead money in '16 if released. He has $8.5 mil is salary per the last yr of his deal that can be manipulated...via extension most likely.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Steve McLendon...NT...UFA...played with a $2.8 mil CH last yr. According the PFF, he logged 379 snaps on DEF, roughly 34%. McCullers the backup NT/GL guy played 105 snaps or 9.5% of the DEF snaps.

So these guys are on the field about 40% of the time combined....not sure if I'd like to keep a McLendon at that kind of price for '16...but idk if I would spend a 1st rd pick to an interior DL unless one of the big guys fell. I has to be a cap friendly number, but I think they will meet in the middle on a 3 yr deal if he sticks.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

They can't seriously entertain anything but keeping Boswell. Young, cheap, stronger leg, cool under pressure, accurate, accurate long.

The only thing that he can do to lose his spot on this team now is crash a motorcycle into a Buick without a helmet. Suishy is gone.

I agree... Now the biggest question is, what can we get for Suishy? 3rd or 4th round pick?

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I feel ya, the figure the quicker I dove in, the better.

Lowering cap hits...yes, but at some point you must pay the piper. Not the capologist here, but you remember the end with Woodley...a player that had been restructured multiple times. in a nutshell you can't move restructured bonus money.

In the case with Timmons...he has a $6.3 mil restructure bonus that can't be moved and will hit the cap as dead money in '16 if released. He has $8.5 mil is salary per the last yr of his deal that can be manipulated...via extension most likely.

Woodley... Ugh yea don't we all. Pretty sure '15 was the last year we had to eat up his CH. IIRC that was a $8.5mil cap hit.

Last I checked the team was under the cap by roughly $1mil. And I thought I remembered reading about the NFL salary cap being raised again.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Nix & Hubbard signed to contract extensions... Also signed S Dangerfield, OT Feiler, C/G Finney (PS), DB Frey, TE Grimble, DE Lyons (PS), RB Neal (PS), WR Phillipes (PS), RB Toure (PS), and S Vinopal to reserve/future contracts.

 

[Superbelt]

Steelers' Tomlin not confident in Cortez Allen's future

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cortez Allen has been a complete bust since signing a $24 million extension in 2014. Head coach Mike Tomlin conceded Wednesday that even he isn't sure Allen can ever make an impact, let alone live up to his contract.
Allen's 2015 season last just one game due to a knee injury. In 2014, he began the season as a starter but was benched midway through the season. Tomlin, who doesn't usually get too specific when it comes to player evaluations, was blunt in his four-word answer when asked Wednesday if he's confident in Allen's ability to become an impact player.
"I'm not. We'll see," Tomlin said via Steelers.com. Scroll ahead to the 11-minute mark to see the video.
The Steelers can save $4.4 million against the cap if they release Allen after June 1. Unless he has a remarkable offseason, Allen may be as good as gone.

That's the most direct answer Mike Tomlin has ever given.

Tomlin takes time to reflect on 2015 

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I read that article on Steeler Depot...I think we sensed this last year that '15 was make or break for Allen, and he's really done nothing since getting the extension...it's time to cut the losses.

Kendall Fuller, from Vitech I would like to see drafted over Kearse in the the way too early mocks.

 

[Bridgeburner]

I think if you want to keep Bell and AB in the coming years you have to start preparing for that now.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Nix & Hubbard signed to contract extensions... Also signed S Dangerfield, OT Feiler, C/G Finney (PS), DB Frey, TE Grimble, DE Lyons (PS), RB Neal (PS), WR Phillipes (PS), RB Toure (PS), and S Vinopal to reserve/future contracts.

Nix was definitely a no brainer...thanks for the work Will.

We can look for a similar deal with Cockrell soon.

 

[Superbelt]

Nix was definitely a no brainer...thanks for the work Will.

We can look for a similar deal with Cockrell soon.

There was a place for Will Johnson and Roosevelt Nix this season. Don't see why they can't use them both again next season.

Cockrell, yes. And try to keep Boykin, too.

Blake and Allen need to go.