With Dick LeBeau gone, Who do we look at for our D???

[ATL96Steeler]

Maxwell would be a great pickup... I doubt they will have the money for him though, and they wont know until after they resolve Ben's contract. That is priority numero uno this offseason. Ben is going to demand around $22mil/yr ($125+mil contract) because he deserves every penny of it.

I tend to agree, but Ben's deal could actually free up cap room because a lot of his money will be guaranteed anyway and can be moved out further.

IMO depends more on Worilds...if it were me, I'd spend the money on the CB and let Worilds walk.

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

Maxwell would be a great pickup... I doubt they will have the money for him though, and they wont know until after they resolve Ben's contract. That is priority numero uno this offseason. Ben is going to demand around $22mil/yr ($125+mil contract) because he deserves every penny of it.

I know Ben deserves the money but he also wants to win very badly and realizes he can't do it alone. Do you think he might give the Steelers a hometown discount if they agree to use the money to upgrade the D or extend some key young players on O?


I think it's a real possibility, he already had 1 $100+ mil contract, so how much more does he really need if he invested the first contract well. Not saying he shouldn't get paid well but maybe he takes $18-20 mil a year if it helps improve the team to SB quality. I know SB quality is hard to define and my thought depends a lot on what the cap will be next year and in the future. A higher cap means he can take more and still leave a lot for the Steelers to work with, lower cap and . . . . you get my drift.

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

I tend to agree, but Ben's deal could actually free up cap room because a lot of his money will be guaranteed anyway and can be moved out further.

IMO depends more on Worilds...if it were me, I'd spend the money on the CB and let Worilds walk.

I agree about letting Worlds walk and using his money to sign a high quality FA CB. Especially if they go 4-3 more and need less LBs on the roster next year.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I agree about letting Worlds walk and using his money to sign a high quality FA CB. Especially if they go 4-3 more and need less LBs on the roster next year.

I actually like Worilds, but his production can be replaced with guys already on the roster...if Ben's deal is structured well it should allow for them to bring in 1 premium FA and I think CB needs to be the spot as well.

 

[Psych-Ward]

Lot of teams deploy the Tampa 2...what makes it bullshit in your mind? Just curious...to your point on the DBs...they need to improve regardless of the scheme.

Typically, the [Tampa 2] players don't have the prototypical size of other NFL defenders. Instead, stress is put on speed, smarts and flawless tackling. [...] A quick defensive line is a must, but the middle linebacker position is the straw that stirs the drink.

With this being said, none of our corners possess these traits. Speed, to an extent, Smarts, if they have them they don't use them, and flawless tackling....not our DB's....LOL
As for the linebackers... we have never had that problem in the Burgh, it has just always been a DB problem....I mean we have had some great DB's just right now all we have as a bright spot is a wreckless and aged Troy.

IDK, Alt, I have always looked at the tampa 2 as sort of a zone or a prevent thing. And the only thing a prevent does is pretty much prevent you from winning.

 

[Psych-Ward]

I'd also say that if Tomlin's Tampa 2 worked so well.....
Why did they win the super bowl and then they just fell off the planet????
I mean if it was such a great scheme, should it of not worked for more than 'One' season

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Typically, the [Tampa 2] players don't have the prototypical size of other NFL defenders. Instead, stress is put on speed, smarts and flawless tackling. [...] A quick defensive line is a must, but the middle linebacker position is the straw that stirs the drink.

With this being said, none of our corners possess these traits. Speed, to an extent, Smarts, if they have them they don't use them, and flawless tackling....not our DB's....LOL
As for the linebackers... we have never had that problem in the Burgh, it has just always been a DB problem....I mean we have had some great DB's just right now all we have as a bright spot is a wreckless and aged Troy.

IDK, Alt, I have always looked at the tampa 2 as sort of a zone or a prevent thing. And the only thing a prevent does is pretty much prevent you from winning.

Maybe I have the wrong understanding of it from the back 4 standpoint...I thought each S took half the field and covered the deep ball playing roughly 20 yds off the LOS...the CB's job whether you are in m-t-m or zone was to keep the play in front of you until you reach the transition to the S...some CBs played tight bump-n-run, some played off coverage...the achilles heel was always the deep middle...the deep seam pass....lot of room for the S to cover.

With you 100% on prevent, but if the CBs are going to play soft and concede the 7/10 yd pass...it is a version of prevent....That said...the 2 deep S DEF has been around a long time...SEA runs a version of it now...but the CBs played press coverage.

 

[Psych-Ward]

Maybe I have the wrong understanding of it from the back 4 standpoint...I thought each S took half the field and covered the deep ball playing roughly 20 yds off the LOS...the CB's job whether you are in m-t-m or zone was to keep the play in front of you until you reach the transition to the S...some CBs played tight bump-n-run, some played off coverage...the achilles heel was always the deep middle...the deep seam pass....lot of room for the S to cover.

With you 100% on prevent, but if the CBs are going to play soft and concede the 7/10 yd pass...it is a version of prevent....That said...the 2 deep S DEF has been around a long time...SEA runs a version of it now...but the CBs played press coverage.

I see what your saying Alt....
Maybe I am reading to much into it, IDK.....
It just doesn't sound like something suited for our D at this present time.

 

[Psych-Ward]

I'm kind of hoping that they start to run a Hybrid 3-4, 4-3 as Face was talking about.
I just don't see good things with a Tampa 2 in the Burgh, it's not a smash mouth type of play that we are use to from our Steelers!!!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I know Ben deserves the money but he also wants to win very badly and realizes he can't do it alone. Do you think he might give the Steelers a hometown discount if they agree to use the money to upgrade the D or extend some key young players on O?


I think it's a real possibility, he already had 1 $100+ mil contract, so how much more does he really need if he invested the first contract well. Not saying he shouldn't get paid well but maybe he takes $18-20 mil a year if it helps improve the team to SB quality. I know SB quality is hard to define and my thought depends a lot on what the cap will be next year and in the future. A higher cap means he can take more and still leave a lot for the Steelers to work with, lower cap and . . . . you get my drift.

It's hard to say at this point, but we know Ben has always been the one to restructure his contracts in order to get younger people signed long term. I think he's done it 3x already? So I think at this point he has done his part, but he is a great guy so I wouldn't doubt he would do it again. I think they will come up with a good contract for Ben. Something that will push the money out and free up cap space, while also making Ben one of the higher paid QB's. Anything less that $20mil/yr would probably not fly. Omar Kahn, the mad genius behind all the contracts & cap space, will get the right deal made. He's been working miracles for a long time.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I'm kind of hoping that they start to run a Hybrid 3-4, 4-3 as Face was talking about.
I just don't see good things with a Tampa 2 in the Burgh, it's not a smash mouth type of play that we are use to from our Steelers!!!

After listening to Butler I think we're going to see more 4 man fronts with some 3 man...F/A and the draft should shed more light on it, if they don't make an offer to Worilds that could be telling...I really like the idea of getting 4 big guys in there...If I had to guess, I think Tomlin had some influence on McCullers getting the time he got at the end.

I can't say that I really care what they run in the back 4...I just know that it needs to be more simple if we're going to get better production from young players as they continue to transition from Ike & Troy back there.

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

It's hard to say at this point, but we know Ben has always been the one to restructure his contracts in order to get younger people signed long term. I think he's done it 3x already? So I think at this point he has done his part, but he is a great guy so I wouldn't doubt he would do it again. I think they will come up with a good contract for Ben. Something that will push the money out and free up cap space, while also making Ben one of the higher paid QB's. Anything less that $20mil/yr would probably not fly. Omar Kahn, the mad genius behind all the contracts & cap space, will get the right deal made. He's been working miracles for a long time.

Could you see them signing Ben to an 8-year contract to ensure he retires a Steeler and so that when he gets in his late 30's the only way he plays for another team (ala Montana, Peyton, or Farve) is if they trade him or decide to cut him and not cause he becomes a FA and can go where he wants?

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Could you see them signing Ben to an 8-year contract to ensure he retires a Steeler and so that when he gets in his late 30's the only way he plays for another team (ala Montana, Peyton, or Farve) is if they trade him or decide to cut him and not cause he becomes a FA and can go where he wants?

I think that's the main priority... To sign Ben through to retirement. So I would expect that to be a main topic of how the contract is handled. He is 32 years old, about to turn 33 in March. So I would think a 5-6 year contract should be expected. I doubt Ben would want to play into his 40's under an 8-yr contract. But rest assured, they want him to retire under the house that Rooneys built.

 

[NorthCoastSteelersFan]

Yes, I'd like to see Ben signed through to retirement. Being middle aged, I remember (with great fondness) the days when our sports heroes spent their entire careers with one team.

And I think Ben has quite a few good years left. Though he's a bit less mobile, he has IMPROVED in every other important respect. And as tough as he is, I could see him playing well into his late 30s, barring a catastrophic injury.