No, his $35M salary is guaranteed so really does them no good to cut him and to me makes no sense for Steelers to be on the hook for $35M for one year of Cousins.
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2023 Pittsburgh Steelers. Banged up team loses to Buffalo. Looking ahead to 2024 now (9 Viewers)
- Thread starter Godsbrother
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No, his $35M salary is guaranteed so really does them no good to cut him and to me makes no sense for Steelers to be on the hook for $35M for one year of Cousins.
apalmer
Footballguy
I think that cutting him in June only affects the bookkeeping on when his remaining bonus gets counted. If his remaining bonus amount was being prorated over another 5 years, then cutting him in June means it splits that remaining bonus over two years, while cutting him in May would mean all of the bonus is counted towards the 2022 cap. Because his salary was guaranteed and it's the last year of his contract, there's no proration that can be delayed, no matter when he's cut. I don't think the Viking gain anything from cutting him--his cap hit is the same as if he was sitting on the bench watching his replacement.
steelers1080
Footballguy
For me it would be exactly like this year with Najee. 15 minutes of "No, da**it. The value! The other needs!" and then, "He's a Steelers now, he has my full support." I hope it's a TJ Watt situation, by that I mean that I didn't think TJ Watt was that great coming out of college and I thought there were other prospects we should have taken instead. Obviously, I was 1000% wrong and I'm so, so glad I was. I wasn't as wrong about Jarvis Jones, Artie Burns, or Terrell Edmunds...
None of the top prospects have separated from the pack, so I'd hope we could draft them in the back of the 1st or in the 2nd. Picket, Willis, Strong, Howell, and Corral are roughly even with some being more physically gifted and others appearing to have a better grasp of reading defenses and leading an "NFL-esque" offense in college.
If are 100% taking a QB in this draft, I'd vote for trading up 5-10 spots in the 2nd and taking Carson Strong in the early/mid second. Lots of mock drafts show Strong going anywhere from pick 20 to pick 49 so that draft location is possible. He had knee surgery in 2020 due to an issue that started in high school, and while the knee was deemed structurally stable after 6 months (when he started playing) it was expected to be a 12-18 month recovery for returning to 100%. Some criticism of his game is lack of mobility, but his QB trainer (I know, biased source) Jesse Palmer said that he's just getting back to full form from the knee surgery. He ran the offense in Nevada including calling plays and making reads and had a great 27 - 4 TD to INT ratio. He appears to be the last in the pack when it comes to mock drafts right now, so if we have to take a QB, I'd like to grab him at the tail end of the tier.
Good analogy on Najee and I say that because that's exactly what I was thinking of when I read Godsbrothers post. I actually wanted Darrisaw or a move back, but when Najee as picked and he was a Steeler you bet I got excited about it. That's exactly how I'd feel if they went QB especially if like last year what they needed did not meed their draft board.
As for the top QB prospects not separating that might hold true but other day I referenced the 2017 QB class which at this point in time most people said not only was weak but the top guy was Trubisky. Turns out the draft had some great QB's and one of them was Mahomes who Chiefs and apparently the Saints were really high on and he goes 10 and Watson goes 12. . So just point that out to say while right now no one to us or Steelers FO might have separated it's possible one or more does in time.
FYI and maybe this was discussed earlier and this means absolutely nothing but just for fun two big mocks dropped yesterday, Kipers and Dane Bruglers' from The Athletic. Steelers picks in those mocks were Corral and Howell.
Mike Tomlin>>>>Brandon Staley. Staley singlehandedly cost the Chargers several wins this year with boneheaded decisions.
The Chargers arguably should have been neck and neck with KC, but couldn't get out of their own way all too often. I feel like if Staley was coaching the Steelers but the roster was the exact game, I think Pittsburgh wins 5-6 games, and is likely picking around 6th or so.
Also, while I completely agree with the ILB play being awful, and the secondary having some holes, I actually think the OL isn't as bad as people think and probably would look league average, if the QB wasn't a statue, who also didn't threaten deep.
Godsbrother
Footballguy
You and I strongly disagree regarding the offensive line. Yes Ben was a statue but that wasn't much a factor in the running game where the offensive line was being pushed into Najee immediately after the handoff. I think the pass protection was marginally better than run blocking but there were games where Ben was getting steamrolled from lineman that were either out of position, missed their assignments or that completely whiffed.
The offensive line MUST improve and rather substantially or this team is doomed in 2022.
He also got Charges a few wins this year that a less aggressive coach likely would not. Generally speaking his aggressive moves worked out more often then not, people just remember how it ended.
I think Ben's lack of mobility and deep ball, hurts the running game as much or more than the OL. When you only have to guard 20 yards or so, it puts a ton more pressure on an OL.
I don't think the OL is good by any means, but there are several teams who have it worse. The Guard play was fine, and Okorafor was decent. Moore and Green struggled for sure, but they were rookies who in theory(especially in Green's case) should get better.
I count New England, Kansas City(2nd game), Houston, and Las Vegas as games that Staley is responsible for losing.
I'm sorry but I don't know how you can know that with any degree of certainty that you can pinpoint the loss so directly. Say terms like "likely' or "probably" and that's ok but it's a team game and I can't get behind directly pinning loss on any one player or coach.
Bolded quote below is from The Athletics Chargers beat writer Daniel Popper who explains it as well I could hope and if as you say those losses you brought up are directly a result of Staley and if the wins below are directly a result of Staley(I don't think any of those things are true but lets go with it) then I'm counting that Staley went 5-4 due to aggressive decision making:
Staley also created competitive advantages through his decision making, particularly on fourth downs. He was aggressive not only because he leaned into analytics, but also because he believed — rightfully so — in his prodigious quarterback. Fourth-down failures down the stretch of this season, most notably against the Chiefs in Week 15 and against the Raiders in the finale, have created some recency bias. But on aggregate, the Chargers undoubtedly benefited from the aggressive approach. They won against the Chiefs in Week 3 in part due to decisions to go for it on fourth down. And in Week 4 against the Raiders. And in Week 5 against the Browns. And in Week 9 against the Eagles. And in Week 13 against the Bengals.
My take is he won some games and lost some games with his decision making. His main issue is not his aggressiveness or decision making. His issue is he's a defensive coach who oversaw a horrendous defense and one that got worse on his watch, that's a problem.
***sorry for getting thread off track***
That's fair. I should have started by saying, "I think" I do agree Staley's aggressiveness did a great job in the 1st KC game.
To tie back into the Steelers(as that is their thread) I think Mike Tomlin is worth soooooooo much to this team. Truth be told, I think he's the 2nd best HC in Steelers history after Noll. I think this team is always playoff caliber as long as he is around. With even decent QB play, this is a contender. With elite QB play(say a Watson or less likely Rodgers) this is a favorite.
The Steelers are also in maybe the best cap situation they've been in for a long time.
I agree with all of this.
Tomlin could walk away right now and I think he'd get in the HOF ultimately but I still think to many people these next few years will be huge for his legacy. Never quite got proper respect IMO for winning SB or even returning, to much of a thought process that he just took over a ready made contender. Cowher's obviously been gone a long long time but with Big Ben and Colbert remaining in such pivotal spots there always remained that link.
steelers1080
Footballguy
This is 100% true.
In 2 years, for the 2023 season they have hardly any players signed (21) and a wide open salary cap. The only current non-rookie contracts that continue through 2023 are: Cam Heyward, TJ Watt, and Joe Schobert (expected to be cut). That's it. Excluding Schobert's contract which everyone expects to be voided, the Steelers have just $74 million allocated with an early estimated 2023 cap of at least $214 million, giving us $140 million to work with. We would still have a lot of players to draft/sign/extend, but that's flexibility we haven't seen probably since before Ben.
Players that will be up for extensions by 2023, with contracts expiring or with 1 year left, include: Minkah Fitzpatrick, all of the current QBs, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, Tuitt and Alualu, Wormley, Devin Bush, Alex Highsmith, Cam Sutton, Chris Boswell, and most of our depth players. I would expect maybe 50% of these players to get extensions. This team could benefit from some turnover and some fresh talent that can get integrated into the Steelers culture with Heyward and Watt leading the way. I'm expecting Minkah, Diontae, Highsmith, and Boswell to get contracts, but the others are all questionable.
geneyus
Footballguy
steelers1080
Footballguy
Brandon Hunt is his protégé, I would not be surprised at all if Colbert came back as a consultant around draft time for a few years and gave input on free agency. It will probably be similar to Ozzie Newsom phasing out of Baltimore.
The Steelers FA signings the last few years have been pretty lackluster at times, but I think a lot of that was because we were so cash strapped. Farrior, Ryan Clark, Joe Haden, DeAngelo Williams, Alualu, he's signed his fair share of great players who outperformed expectations. Hopefully we can get some good deals these next few years and it doesn't result in overpaying because we finally have space. The FA class for 2022 didn't look that great at first glance.
Craig_MiamiFL
Footballguy
Still refuse they really will go into next year with red nosed reindeer as starting QB. 
If not trying to compete now (and taking a collective sheet on your fanbase by tanking the season starting Rudolph), have a fire sale.
May as well bring back Duck Hodges as the starter. At least he's got a cool nickname.
If not trying to compete now (and taking a collective sheet on your fanbase by tanking the season starting Rudolph), have a fire sale.May as well bring back Duck Hodges as the starter. At least he's got a cool nickname.
JoeSteeler
Footballguy
steelers1080
Footballguy
Why? Because his personality or his play on the field? Not sure why people think he's better than Mason, he couldn't start over Hurts who isn't great.JoeSteeler said:
Boone22
Footballguy
Are you seriously comparing Hurts to Mason Rudolph???? Hurts is miles better than Rudolph. Minshew could outplay Rudolph in his sleep.
Leeroy Jenkins
Footballguy
https://www.reddit.com/r/steelers/comments/s75ixr/in_honor_of_big_bens_last_game_in_the_nfl_heres/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
very cool graphic showing who caught all of Ben’s td passes.
one thing though, it shows Plaxico only having caught 7tds from Ben. That doesn’t seem right?
very cool graphic showing who caught all of Ben’s td passes.
one thing though, it shows Plaxico only having caught 7tds from Ben. That doesn’t seem right?
No because they only played the 2004 season together and Plax had 5 TD's that season.
higgins
Footballguy
I'm not going to claim that Canada & Rudoph are linked -or- that one's 2022 job somehow correlates to the other's but....
....there's something to be said about offensive continuity. They are obviously not currently in a good position at QB or OC. But it wouldn't surprise me if the ownership leaned against making any major swings. I have to imagine that everyone in the building knows it most imperative to totally rebuild that OL. Given that, all signs would point to relying on Rudolph -- and it (somehow) makes sense for their offense in general to stick with a little continuity (QB / OC) with the hope that the OL/ O both improve enough that they'll be better than expected next season (with the benefit that they also don't get a high-capital vet/rookie QB killed next year). Definitely not a hot take -- just sayin' you guys may wanna get used to the idea.
....there's something to be said about offensive continuity. They are obviously not currently in a good position at QB or OC. But it wouldn't surprise me if the ownership leaned against making any major swings. I have to imagine that everyone in the building knows it most imperative to totally rebuild that OL. Given that, all signs would point to relying on Rudolph -- and it (somehow) makes sense for their offense in general to stick with a little continuity (QB / OC) with the hope that the OL/ O both improve enough that they'll be better than expected next season (with the benefit that they also don't get a high-capital vet/rookie QB killed next year). Definitely not a hot take -- just sayin' you guys may wanna get used to the idea.
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steelers1080
Footballguy
They all suck. Minshew, Hurts, and Rudolph. All 3 are bad. Maybe Hurts or Minshew leads the Steelers to 1 more win next year, but none of them is a good QB. 9-10, 5-4-1, 8-14 are their win/loss records, their seasons with their most starts their QBRs were 36, 44, and 48. Minshew threw less INTs than the other two, but their TD percentages were roughly the same.
My point is that if all 3 are bad QBs, don't waste more picks or money on acquiring a different one. That's just throwing money or picks out the window that could be better spent elsewhere. Even if Minshew is 8 QBs higher than Mason on the NFL QB ranking, he's still in the bottom third. We should be trying to find our next QB that's in the top 10, probably through the draft. We don't have a Rex Grossman Bears situation here where our defense is good enough to get us to the Super Bowl.
Did you watch the Eagles playoff game? If so, you'll see the exact traits that Hurts lacks to be an actual decent NFL starter. He might be good in fantasy due to his rushing, but as a passer he is woefully inadequate. It's possible that he could improve, many young QBs aren't afforded the time. He does not currently show the ability to anticipate where to throw the ball, WRs have to be completely open before he'll let it go, and then by the time the ball arrives the defender has often had enough time to recover and make a play at it. Devonta Smith is immensely talented, and with a better QB he probably would have competed with Chase for best rookie WR. He comes out of breaks, and a better QB would have already let the ball go, but Hurts just stares him down until he's free and then throws it, leading to contested catches and pass breakups. Goedert had to spend all season making acrobatic catches while fighting off defenders.
The idea that Hurts or Minshew would lead the Steelers to a successful season is wild. Rudolph won't either, I'm not arguing that he will, just arguing that we shouldn't waste trading for Minshew while we've already got a bad QB. Minshew still has a year on his contract so it's not like he'd be a FA, and we'd have to extend him if we wanted to keep him which would probably cost more than Mason's $4 million. We have so many team needs that we can't afford to waste cap money on another QB that won't help us be contenders.
Leeroy Jenkins
Footballguy
Agreed. I would not trade for any QB not named Rogers or Wilson, and they are probably too expensive.
steelers1080
Footballguy
I feel bad for Omar Khan. The reports I've been reading have Brandon Hunt as the heir apparent to Colbert, not Khan. He saved us while we were in cap hell, finding creative ways to make the money work (even if it didn't end in a Super Bowl or sustained playoff success). I think he's more on the business side than the player acquisition/evaluation side, so that probably hampers him when being compared in-house to Hunt who has been groomed for that by Colbert for ~10 years.
If Khan gets a GM job I think he's going to succeed in stabilizing whichever team he goes to, but he'll have to bring in some savvy personnel evaluators. In my opinion if he paired with Byron Leftwich in Chicago, I think they could turn that franchise around.
If Khan gets a GM job I think he's going to succeed in stabilizing whichever team he goes to, but he'll have to bring in some savvy personnel evaluators. In my opinion if he paired with Byron Leftwich in Chicago, I think they could turn that franchise around.
i know your mind is closed on the matter, but Trubisky. he has by far the strongest arm of those guys (not sure about accuracy, but many actual NFL evaluators thought he was a better prospect than Mahomes and Watson in that draft).
won/loss record 11-3 in his 2nd season. QBR was 71. oh yeah, he made the pro bowl. you said Tomlin wants a mobile QB. he is one. he ran for 421 yards that season. he signed a 1 year contract last year at 2.5 million.
5-ish Finkle
Footballguy
Can't say I'm "pulling" for either, but if the OL play remains as poor as '21 either would likely be a better option than Rudolph. Better mobility/ability to throw on the move.
Neither are gonna make them a playoff contender though. May as well just use Haskins, honestly.
*vomit*
steelers1080
Footballguy
I would take Trubisky over Minshew for 3 main reasons:
- Trubisky is going to be a cheap free agent, we won't have to trade for him and I think he gets paid less than most of the other free agent QBs. I think it's likely he re-signs with Buffalo, especially if Daboll is still there, but if the Steelers gave him a shot to compete for a starting role that could interest him.
- He could fit Canada's proposed system that requires a mobile QB.
- He was drafted at the top of the 1st round versus undrafted. The talent evaluation coming out of college had one clearly ranked above the other. I think they were closer than that draft value implied, but Trubisky definitely has more athleticism.
steelers1080
Footballguy
Jerry Dulac apparently supports the Jordan Davis pick if he's still there at 20 (today's chat). He's projected to be gone by 20, but he could help solidify the D-line and keep O-linemen from blocking our ILBs out of the game. It would be nice if teams couldn't just double team Heyward and neutralize our D-line. Dulac suggests drafting 2 D-linemen in the top 3 picks, I doubt this happens unless the Steelers don't think Loudermilk is going to develop into a starter and they don't have faith in Adams (assuming he's re-signed). Heyward is getting older, but he is still dominating.
5-ish Finkle
Footballguy
Not gonna lie: I wouldn't hate Davis on this team. You can argue other players at 20 as being "greater needs", but he absolutely would be a worthy addition. He's not just a Hampton-esque NG, imo (not that it'd be bad if he were, necessarily. Hammy was great.), as I think he has the potential to be more impactful in the pass rush department, but even if they wanted to just bring him along slowly as a "2 down only" type of guy it could make this run D so much better. At the collegiate level, the guy just couldn't be blocked by one dude. No matter who else they have alongside him, if he could continue to command the double in the pros that's worth a ton. And all of a sudden, "Joe ILB X's" job gets a ton easier too.
Biggest deal with him is likely going to be conditioning. Georgia limited his snaps for a reason, and I think it's safe to assume it's because he would get hellah gassed if they didn't. If he can build up better endurance to go with that size and athleticism he's going to potentially be gonzo. Guys his size shouldn't move like he does.
Biggest deal with him is likely going to be conditioning. Georgia limited his snaps for a reason, and I think it's safe to assume it's because he would get hellah gassed if they didn't. If he can build up better endurance to go with that size and athleticism he's going to potentially be gonzo. Guys his size shouldn't move like he does.
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Drunken Cowboy
Footballguy
NT's are part time players in today's NFL, so I don't really think limiting minutes is a big issue. It is also why it is probably not a good pick. Davis's effect on the team next year is probably overstated. Alualu should be back. Filling the position for 3 million and not using a draft pick is so much better that Davis has to be a hall of famer for it to be remotely a good pick.
5-ish Finkle
Footballguy
I think he can more than a two down nose tackle, that was my main point. Alualu is not exactly young, or reliable, which I also think is a reason that makes Davis a better consideration, not worse. And, NFN, if we are measuring players at the 20th pick in the 1st against "needs to be a HOFer to make it remotely worth it" then its probably pretty likely anyone they take is gonna disappoint.
Its kind of a moot point anyway, since Davis is a likely top 15 pick. If he falls I dont think they need to sprint to the podium for him, but I wouldnt hate it if they drafted him either. He'd help from day one.
Drunken Cowboy
Footballguy
He has shown very little as a pass rusher.
The need to be that level comes from taking someone at such a non premium position. Taking a RB is probably the only thing worse.
The point about Alualu is not even just about him. It us that a pretty good veteran NT can be signed for a few million.
pghrob
Hail to the Chief
Accurately projecting QB prospects is an inexact skill. I am thinking back to when they drafted Rudolph with their 3rd rd pick and their inability to not select him because they had a first round grade on him (last of qbs they had rated as 1st round quality).
From wiki
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason_Rudolph_(American_football)
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Rudolph in the third round (76th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.[22] The Steelers traded their third-round (79th overall) and seventh-round (220th overall) picks to the Seattle Seahawks in order to move up three spots and select Rudolph with the 76th overall pick.[23] Rudolph was the sixth quarterback selected in 2018.[24]
Godsbrother
Footballguy
I’m not digging the Davis pick, not that I do t think he’s a good player I just think there a bigger needs.
I like the Trubisky idea as long as he comes cheap.
I like the Trubisky idea as long as he comes cheap.
Godsbrother
Footballguy
Steelers hypothetical:
Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers are the Steelers starting QB in the KC game. Do the Steelers win?
Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers are the Steelers starting QB in the KC game. Do the Steelers win?
BladeRunner
Footballguy
Godsbrother
Footballguy
Tomlin alluded to this in his presser. Steelers like to promote from within. I wonder if Jerry O throws his hat in the ring.
Godsbrother
Footballguy
After watching Rodgers in this game I don’t think he makes much of a difference at all
steelers1080
Footballguy
The way Jeffrey Simmons almost single handedly dominated the Bengals and Rashan Gary dominated the 49ers made me like the idea of a DL pick even more. If we had a monster in the middle to take pressure off Heyward and let Highsmith and Watt get after it, that could make all the difference in our upcoming Bengals games. Not allowing the opposing QB to step up in the pocket is crucial and we have no ability to make that penetration right now. Davis might not the answer there, but a high investment in DL (Rnds 1-3) wouldn't be amiss.
Drunken Cowboy
Footballguy
They do need to add to the DL. I like his teammate with a 2nd round picksteelers1080 said:
fred_1_15301
Footballguy
Godsbrother
Footballguy
steelers1080
Footballguy
He's apparently really well regarded in the NFL. I wouldn't have proposed going after any staff from the Giants, but he's been in talks about HC positions or DC openings.
Wonder if this is a sign they're not promoting Austin? It sounds like other fan bases wouldn't exactly be upset of we gave Austin the DC job: Bengals' Fans Take on Austin
Godsbrother
Footballguy
The Bengals have won 2 playoff games for the first time in 3 decades. You would think they would be enjoying that rather than worrying what the Steelers might be doing.
rockaction
Footballguy
You'd be surprised what continued and supreme success does to division rivals. The day the Red Sox had their parade in '04, Manny Ramirez held up a sign that said "Jeter is golfing today" or something like that. It drew the most cheers from the crowd, who probably ought to have been focused on their first title in almost a century. The Yankees still were taking center stage in the Sox' heads with that little nod. Granted, the Sox had just beaten them in epic fashion like nobody had ever seen, but still...
steelers1080
Footballguy
Apparently Butler was going to retire after the 2020 season but Tomlin convinced him to come back. If nothing else, I'm glad he got to see Watt tie the sack record on his watch.
In other news, more speculation is coming out that Canada will get at least 1 more year to try and improve the offense. Probably shouldn't be surprising considering we had Randy Fichtner as OC for 3 years...
I still think the Steelers are dumb for not hiring Pep Hamilton as OC. He has helped developed Andrew Luck, Justin Herbert, and Davis Mills who arguably was the best of the rookie QBs this year. The Steelers are expected to be bringing in a new QB this year or the next and will need to develop them much better than Mason or Landry or Duck or Josh. We'd offer Pep the chance to be OC instead of QB coach and he would have autonomy since Tomlin has his focus on the defense. Also, if Pep shined then we'd have a great offense, and if he got hired by another team to be HC we'd get two 3rd round picks.
In other news, more speculation is coming out that Canada will get at least 1 more year to try and improve the offense. Probably shouldn't be surprising considering we had Randy Fichtner as OC for 3 years...
I still think the Steelers are dumb for not hiring Pep Hamilton as OC. He has helped developed Andrew Luck, Justin Herbert, and Davis Mills who arguably was the best of the rookie QBs this year. The Steelers are expected to be bringing in a new QB this year or the next and will need to develop them much better than Mason or Landry or Duck or Josh. We'd offer Pep the chance to be OC instead of QB coach and he would have autonomy since Tomlin has his focus on the defense. Also, if Pep shined then we'd have a great offense, and if he got hired by another team to be HC we'd get two 3rd round picks.
Drunken Cowboy
Footballguy
If they stick with what we have at QB, I don't care who is OC because we will be bad. Maybe we just don't want to make the new guy look bad.
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