Steeler restructures---committing cap suicide

**Crabcake** · 02-28-2013, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by bmorecareful

- The Steelers HAVE a "young core" in place to build around.
- with an extremely young, talented, and cheap OL to protect him.

Both exaggerated statements. Pittsburgh's OL could conceivably be good if they were ever healthy, assuming DeCastro is a good guard. Injury prone is not a characteristic you can just overlook though. They have some pretty good young players, but their "young core" is not even close to the better "young cores" in the NFL. Baltimore, San Francisco, Green Bay, Houston, Seattle, and Washington all look far better in terms of young talent.

**Shambla** · 02-28-2013, 05:30 PM

I'm on the side that thinks the Steelers are still capable of making a Super Bowl run. Ben was 14-3 TD:INT through the first half of the season and was playing at an MVP level. The defense that gets the "they're too old" moniker every year was #1 in yards and #6 in points.

I don't see the Steelers as a team that's dropped off greatly talent wise since their 2010 Super Bowl appearance but I think they have a year or two left for one more push before they drop off the cliff. Eventually this time bomb will go off for three reasons:

I'm prognosticating a little here but I think Ben is fitting to be in a wheelchair by the time he's 35. He's always concussed and injured and has played one season of 16 games. If you look at 2011 I think he cost his team the season with ineffective play (via injury) against the 49ers and against the Broncos. Last year he sits for 3 games, the Steelers drop 2 of them and narrowly miss the playoffs.
Eventually the Steelers old defense will get too old and the players will age out. They'll still be good but not as good as they've been in the past.
All of the salary cap issues outlined throughout the thread. While it does seem like a bad business practice, I don't think it's the worst thing in the world - mortgage the future a little bit if you think you can go all the way.

Now, while I do think the Steelers are capable of making a playoff run, I don't think they will. Most likely Ben will get hurt because they keep gambling with his run around play style and a leaky O-line. I also don't get the whole Haley over Arians thing. I know Pittsburgh fans didn't like Arians pass happy ways but I thought it worked out pretty well for them.

**moose10101** · 02-28-2013, 05:53 PM

If Ben stays healthy, the Steelers can win 10-11 games and make the playoffs. His health depends in large part on how well his O-line plays and on whether they have an effective run game. Neither of those is in any way a sure thing. It's likely that he will miss multiple games. If that happens when they're hitting a weak part of their schedule, they can still sneak in. If not, they're probably hosed.

Of all the teams that are considered "playoff caliber", the Steelers probably need more things to go right than any other team.

**AirFlacco** · 02-28-2013, 07:18 PM

Good point.

**lobachevsky** · 02-28-2013, 07:55 PM

Just FTR, IMHO the über-clever bon mot the OP was casting about for (& very nearly found) is "suicide by cap"--& it deserves to be referenced as such in all future correspondence...

**LukeDaniel** · 02-28-2013, 08:20 PM

True or False. During the 2011 and 2012 seasons, Troy Polamalu was a good NFL safety.

**bacchys** · 02-28-2013, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by BigPlayReceiver

I'll believe that PIT is dead when I'm reading the autopsy.

You and me both.

And it better have a picture of the stake through their heart...

**Dade** · 03-01-2013, 09:01 AM

Don't we sing this song every year. Every year the Steelers are up against or over the cap...restructure alot of deals...and somehow remains competitive. They may have missed the playoffs last year but they were far from being a bottom feeder. A couple plays here and there and they make the post season.

I'll believe the Steelers are dead when I see the body.

**JMUpurkfool** · 03-01-2013, 09:04 AM

Originally Posted by LukeDaniel

True or False. During the 2011 and 2012 seasons, Troy Polamalu was a good NFL safety.

I think he would have to be on the field to be considered good.

**wickedsolo** · 03-01-2013, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by JMUpurkfool

I think he would have to be on the field to be considered good.

Zing!

**NCRAVEN** · 03-01-2013, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by JMUpurkfool

I think he would have to be on the field to be considered good.

Not true. He made the pro-bowl one year when he missed... like half the season. And I think he won DPOY that same year. Could be wrong on that one though.

**JAB1985** · 03-01-2013, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by NCRAVEN

Not true. He made the pro-bowl one year when he missed... like half the season. And I think he won DPOY that same year. Could be wrong on that one though.

He missed 2 games I believe the year he won DPOY (2010), which Reed missed 6 and arguably had a better season (12 less tackles, 1 more INT).

I think TP has turned a corner where he just cant stay healthy. People say stuff about Reed all the time, but the guys still out there and still making an impact even if its not at a world class level anymore. Cant say the same about TP.