What 5 off-season moves do you want to see?

[SteelTorch]

It's 11 games in the season, and enough time I think to know what our weaknesses are. Obviously everyone has a lot of issues, but if you could name just five, what would they be?

If we want to be an even better team in 09, here are the moves I want to see:

1. Replace Willie Colon. I for one am done waiting to see when he'll finally step up. I've said all along he's garbage, and I have yet to see anything to prove otherwise. Starks is at least serviceable at LT.

2. Replace Carrie Davis. This man is a decent runner but has no blocking skills and does nothing for the receiving game.

3. Replace Kendall Simmons. Stapleton's been doing well, but he's still a bit undersized, and we might need him at center in the future. And as we all know, Simmons is a doll so we should be looking for his replacement as well.

4. Fire Arians and the O-line coach. No need to explain there.

5. Find a D-lineman. Even though are D line has been better than I expected, the fact remains that they are aging. We need to get younger at this position now.

Those are my moves. The return game could use improvement but isn't really a priority. The running game and punting situation are due to injuries but when healthy they are just fine.

So, what do you think?

[stlrz d]

Sign Bmac.

Draft OL and DL.

Look for a quality O lineman in FA.

Replace Carey Davis with a true blocking FB.

Replace the grass with some type of field turf.

[Chadman]

Hmm....Chadman needs a distraction from work...this thread will work...

5 things? Ok, obviously more than 5 moves are required, by any team, in an off-season, but Chadman's top 5 are... (Some might be a 2-part solution...but taking artistic licence, Chadman will consider them as 1 solution..)

1. Let Marvel Smith go & re-sign Max Starks to play LT. Yeah, yeah...Starks sux etc. HOWEVER, much like how the Steelers 'would never recover' from losing Faneca last year, with Smith out injured & Starks playing LT, the O-Line has not only not gotten worse, it could be argued, that with a combination of better play & better play-calling, the O-Line has IMPROVED since Smith went down. Also, this team is at a 'high point' at this stage. If you draft a rookie LT & let both Smith & Starks leave, you'll need the Rookie to step in right away...this could put the Steelers back- something that is not needed at this point in this team's development. Add to this 2 other factors- McFadden is off contract & will not be easy to re-sign, and secondly there is the small matter of the Steelers O-Line "Forgotten Man"- Tony Hills- a surefire 1st round draft pick before breaking his leg.

2. Either re-sign McFadden, or spend an EARLY draft pick on a CB. Townsend is close to done, and Gay looks like a guy that needs a couple of years at nickle before he starts (a bit like Townsend). A genuine, quality CB is needed- either McFadden or...why not a 1st round pick?

3. Draft an INTERIOR O-Lineman early- perhaps a CENTER. With Stapleton playing well, Kemo playing well...the next position in need is smack-bang in the middle. Hartwig has played well, but probably isn't a long-term option. A guy in the early rounds- Day 1, to play back-up OC & OG would do nicely. NOT A 1ST ROUND PICK THOUGH- use that on an impact player.

4. Add young D-Linemen- at least 1 of each of DE & NT. Hampton can't go forver, Hoke is the same age or older...the DE's are aging...youth is needed. With likely 4 Day 1 picks, the Steelers could get a CB, OC, DE & DT on Day 1.

5. Add a playmaking FS to the roster. Clark is solid, Smith is....not....a guy that can take the ball away from the opposition is one thing this team desperatly needs. A ballhawk FS would fit nicely.

[pittpete]

1. Replace Willie Colon. I for one am done waiting to see when he'll finally step up. I've said all along he's garbage, and I have yet to see anything to prove otherwise. Starks is at least serviceable at LT.

2. Replace Carrie Davis. This man is a decent runner but has no blocking skills and does nothing for the receiving game.

3. Replace Kendall Simmons. Stapleton's been doing well, but he's still a bit undersized, and we might need him at center in the future. And as we all know, Simmons is a doll so we should be looking for his replacement as well.

4. Fire Arians and the O-line coach. No need to explain there.

Couldnt have set it better myself except I think Stapleton is holding his own.

5. Draft a lot of OL and DL

[Jooser]

I think we should spend our first three picks on a LB, a WR, and a RB. That's the way they roll in Detroit, right Colbert? :roll:

Seriously, we need some help on the line on both sides of the ball. The OL is a laughing stock in the league right now and alot of sports writers around the country think that it's the only thing stopping us from reaching the Super Bowl this year. I agree the DL is aging, but we need to draft for OL starters first and DL depth next. It's not glamorous, but it's what needs done if we ever want to run the ball effeciently again, much less keep our franchise QB alive. I think we need to look for at least one dominating O-tackle in free agency. We gotta sign BMac and and possibly look for Keisel's replacement if he can't stay healthy.

Well, that's about it in a nutshell. Not too different than anyone else's opinion around here I guess.

Let's GO 'EERS! Beat Pitt! :D

[RuthlessBurgher]

Hmm....Chadman needs a distraction from work...this thread will work...

5 things? Ok, obviously more than 5 moves are required, by any team, in an off-season, but Chadman's top 5 are... (Some might be a 2-part solution...but taking artistic licence, Chadman will consider them as 1 solution..)

1. Let Marvel Smith go & re-sign Max Starks to play LT. Yeah, yeah...Starks sux etc. HOWEVER, much like how the Steelers 'would never recover' from losing Faneca last year, with Smith out injured & Starks playing LT, the O-Line has not only not gotten worse, it could be argued, that with a combination of better play & better play-calling, the O-Line has IMPROVED since Smith went down. Also, this team is at a 'high point' at this stage. If you draft a rookie LT & let both Smith & Starks leave, you'll need the Rookie to step in right away...this could put the Steelers back- something that is not needed at this point in this team's development. Add to this 2 other factors- McFadden is off contract & will not be easy to re-sign, and secondly there is the small matter of the Steelers O-Line "Forgotten Man"- Tony Hills- a surefire 1st round draft pick before breaking his leg.

I refuse to endorse on any plan which has Max Starks being the long term plan to protect Ben's blind side as option #1. Sorry...just can't. And I disagree that Hills was a surefire 1st round pick before breaking his leg. He might have been a late 2nd or early 3rd round prospect instead of a mid 4th, but I don't see 1st round ability from this guy whose leg is now fully healed. Perhaps he can pull a John Jackson on us, though. Look lost during his first year, then round into a solid piece of the o-line shortly thereafter. We can only hope.

2. Either re-sign McFadden, or spend an EARLY draft pick on a CB. Townsend is close to done, and Gay looks like a guy that needs a couple of years at nickle before he starts (a bit like Townsend). A genuine, quality CB is needed- either McFadden or...why not a 1st round pick?

I say either re-sign McFadden...or re-sign McFadden. When we have a young corner dripping with potential, you don't let him walk and use your top draft pick which is so desperately needed in the trenches right now. You obviously don't have any young lineman (offensive or defensive) dripping with potential, so I want to use my early picks to grab some big uglies that could potentially dominate.

3. Draft an INTERIOR O-Lineman early- perhaps a CENTER. With Stapleton playing well, Kemo playing well...the next position in need is smack-bang in the middle. Hartwig has played well, but probably isn't a long-term option. A guy in the early rounds- Day 1, to play back-up OC & OG would do nicely. NOT A 1ST ROUND PICK THOUGH- use that on an impact player.

If Alex Mack from Cal falls into the 2nd round, I would not mind trading up in the 2nd round to get him. Doubt it happens though. We'll see.

4. Add young D-Linemen- at least 1 of each of DE & NT. Hampton can't go forver, Hoke is the same age or older...the DE's are aging...youth is needed. With likely 4 Day 1 picks, the Steelers could get a CB, OC, DE & DT on Day 1.

Agreed. We need d-lineman early just about as much as we need o-lineman early. However, we officially only have 2 day one picks, since the first day only last 2 rounds now (not referring to 3rd round picks as day one picks takes some getting used to, I know).

5. Add a playmaking FS to the roster. Clark is solid, Smith is....not....a guy that can take the ball away from the opposition is one thing this team desperatly needs. A ballhawk FS would fit nicely.

Could a healthy Ryan Mundy be this guy? The only reason he did not make our roster coming out of camp was because of injury. Now that he is reasonably healthy again, we added him to the practice squad. I would think he should be able to bounce Ty Carter off the roster next season. But I wouldn't be opposed to a late round FS draft pick if he could also contribute on special teams.

[steelblood]

1. Collect Superbowl Trophy
2. Shine Superbowl Trophy
3. Collect Superbowl rings
4. Visit White House
5. Leave Kendall Simmons, Arians, and Carey Davis at the White House.

[RuthlessBurgher]

1. Collect Superbowl Trophy
2. Shine Superbowl Trophy
3. Collect Superbowl rings
4. Visit White House
5. Leave Kendall Simmons, Arians, and Carey Davis at the White House.

Are Simmons, Arians, and Davis going to be in the Obama cabinet then?

Let's see...

Kendall Simmons could be Secretary of the Interior (since he plays in the interior o-line, and is a tentative pass blocker that appears to be "Not Sure" who to block much of the time...anyone get that movie reference?)

Bruce Arians could be Secretary of Defense (since he can't coach offense, might as well try defense, I suppose)

Carey Davis could be Secretary of Labor (anybody who can hold steady employment without deserving it for as long as he has must be qualified to help get work for other folks as well)

[Steel Life]

1. Our FA's - Re-sign Kemo, BMac & Essex
2. FA - Sign Mike Goff OT (Chargers); Shaun Cody DT (Lions)
3. Draft - 1: George Selvie LB, 2: Jon Luigs C, 3: Dorell Scott DT, 4: Jordan Shipley WR
4. Coaches - Replace Arians with Tom Clements, Replace Zeirline with anyone competent.
5. Team - Replace the turf, go to a tougher-looking number style.

[Oviedo]

1. Resign Bmac, Starks and Essex. Add Kemo for the right price but we have much more depth at C and G than OT.
2. Move Colon to Guard and sign Jordan Gross for LT no matter what the cost even at the xpens eof one of the players mentioned in #1.
3. Draft DL in Round 1, OL in Round 2 and DL or OL in Round 3 depending on BPA at those positions.
4. Get a true FB. I would consider trading with Seattle for Owen Schmitt. We should have taken him last year. Admit the mistake and trade. He won't cost a lot.
5. LOck down Heath and Santonio to long term deals.

[buckeyehoppy]

1- Sign Kemo and Bmac:

Bmac, however, only gets signed if the deal is club-friendly. He has only emerged as a starter this season and he hasn't been fully healthy for a good portion of this season. There's not a lot of flexibility with Kemo. He has played himself into a starter's role and the Steelers need to keep competent OL guys.

Additionally, moving Willie to RG might be the way to go with him. He was drafted as a G and has been filling in at RT as admirably as can be expected. But he's not a long term answer at RT. I like Darnell, but he can be just as valuable backing up Kemo, Willie and Hartwig as he is starting. He'll get his playing time.

And for those who feel that Max Sucks is a solution to anything for the Steelers...R U NUTS??? He is constantly being beaten from the outside. His footwork sucks. He doesn't pick up blocks downfield. He is a waste of space. This guy has had four years to prove that he belongs. He has FAILED to do that. It will be an addition to subtract Max Sucks from the roster. Let him collect a paycheck from someone else and make them look like fools.

2- Fire Bruce Arians, Larry Zierlein and Garrett Giemont (Conditioning Coordinator):

Arians and Zierlein don't require much explanation. Their track record speaks for itself and if they remain with the team, that will say A LOT MORE about Mike Tomlin as HC than it will as these guys being assistants. Tomlin needs to put his stamp on this team. Firing Arians and Zierlein will be a huge step forward in accomplishing just that.

Not much is said about Giemont, but he is the one who is presumably responsible for the strength and conditioning of the team. Over the last two years, has anyone here been satisfied with the Steelers ability to keep a more or less healthy team on the field?

Ultimately, the responsibility for conditioning falls on individual players. But it's guys like Giemont who guarantee that they are doing it correctly. Judging from the injury list the last two years, this guy hasn't guaranteed squat and is stealing the Rooney's $$$. His firing, in my view, is as much a no-brainer as Arians and Zierlein getting launched.

3- Two new starting OTs:

The interior OL has proven to be fairly stout and the running game, when healthy and properly utilized, has proven to be an effective weapon in winning games. That is a tribute to Kemo, Darnell and Hartwig. Not that they are perfect, but they have been far from wholesale disappointment.

The tackles, however, are another story. The overall effectiveness of the passing game and the health of a throwing QB are directly attributable to the quality of the tackles.

Have you been satisfied with Ben's consistency? With the number of times he's been sacked? With Ben's overall health?

Granted, Ben needs to unload his passes a lot more quickly. But most of his problems are directly attributable to the quality of his tackles.

Willie is a stop gap at RT. He has filled in admirably, but the time for him to return to his natural position on the interior line has come over due.

Marvel is probably done...with his football career. If he plays past this year with the injuries he's had the last two years, I'd be amazed. If he does continue his career, it will almost certainly not be with the Steelers.

We will NOT discuss Max Sucks!!! He's outta here like a fart after a large meal.

That leaves Essex and Hills. Essex is, more or less, depth. A decent player, but he has basically proven that he's not much more than a back-up. Assuming he re-signs, the deal will have to be loaded with incentive clauses and low in salary and signing bonus. Hills is virtually unknown. Unless we know that he is going to emerge next season like Darnell has emerged this season then you can't really bargain on him being much better than Essex.

It is why the Steelers will need to draft an OT in the 1st or 2nd round AND sign a FA OT. The FA should be the one that assumes LT. The draft pick should be able to step in at RT. A 1st or 2nd round T should be able to handle RT right out of the box. It is the QBs weak side and the learning curve should be that much more favorable.

The addition of a competent OL coach should also add a new perspective. The Steelers should also be looking at an additional OT somewhere in Rounds 3 through 5. The anticipated comp picks from FA losses should make that a more than viable option.

4- Draft DL in the 1st or 2nd rounds:

Whatever round the Steelers draft their next starting RT in (1st or 2nd), the opposite round needs to find a DL who will at least provide depth next season with an eye toward starting in his second season.

This will be a two stage process, because the Steelers will need to take DL on the first day of the 2010 draft as well. It's not that the present Steelers DL is bad...far from it. But the present DL is aging and needs some new blood. It, at least, needs credible depth and the first day of the next couple drafts should be devoted to finding the DL that will be starting for the Steelers for the next 5 to 10 years starting in 2010.

5- Find a real blocking FB:

Dan Krieder didn't work out and Carey Davis isn't any better. One is gone and the other will be.

It would have been nice to get someone like Owen Schmitt to fill that role. That didn't happen, but there are going to be guys available in the draft. Someone like Conredge Collins from Pitt or Brock Bolen from Louisville may fit that bill sufficiently. I look at what little that has been put together as far a scouting reports for them, but the thing that stands out for me is that both may be useful as receivers out of the backfield. That and they both appear to be fairly fleet afoot for FBs.

Note: if anyone can shed some light on these two guys I mentioned, feel free to add some commentary on these guys.

But the Steelers need to find someone who can take the helm at FB. It will improve their running game and add some muscle to the Steelers overall attack.

Concluding, I think the Steelers will also need to look at drafting a CB with one of their anticipated 3rd round picks, even if they re-sign Bmac. The CB position could stand to shore up depth.

It's possible that Roy Lewis could emerge as a quality CB, but the Steelers need to quit d!cking around with this guy and plug him in to the program. He has looked good from the things I've seen from him so far and this guy could be a real jewel.

The Steelers also need to settle on the most viable artificial surface they can find for the playing surface at Heinz Field. When Heinz hosts upwards of 20 games a year, having a grass field in a northern climate (even if it is what the players want) isn't a terribly viable option. The technology exists to nearly replicate a grass field with an artificial surface and the Steelers need to look at that going forward.

[Chadman]

So, given the CONTINUING good play from the O-Line with Max Starks at LT, are we still convinced he can't be the answer?

[Oviedo]

So, given the CONTINUING good play from the O-Line with Max Starks at LT, are we still convinced he can't be the answer?

The Max hate is unwarranted. Anyone who thinks you are going to upgrade through free agency, other than Jordan Gross, or putting a rookie there next year is nuts.

Starks is probably the best solution for LT other than getting Gross which will be mega expensive. I'd still make a major run at Gross with resigning Starks as the back up plan.

Few if any rookies can step into LT in the NFL and we won't have ability to draft any of the ones who could given we will be drafting #25-32. No way to I give up draft picks to try to move up because we would have to go up too far and it would be too expensive and sacrifice other critical needs on the DL, potentially CB and OL. The best you may be able to do is draft a starting RT and you can get one of them Rounds 2 or 3 and move Colon inside where he belongs.