Starks Tweets, "I'm Back!"

[SteelCrazy]

Where's Flozell and Starks?

We need to sign both of these guys now! We could cut Farrior to make some room in the cap. Honestly, Farrior is not a necessity anymore. He's barely playing at an average level. And we have enough top quality LB's to easily replace him in the middle.

This line we have is going to get Ben killed unless the start coming together and finding each other. Essex is the slowest LT in the league. Kemo gets in his own way. Pouncey is playing below his level because of the incohesiveness of this line......Gawd!!!! We need HELP!

:tt1 :tt1 :tt1 GO STEELERS!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE:
Starks Tweets, "I'm Back!"

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to deal with an offensive line plagued by injuries and lack of experience this season by signing veteran Max Starks to the team.

Although no official statement has been released by the team, Starks posted a tweet Wednesday morning that said, “Good morning, Steelernation!!!! It is with great pleasure that I thank you for your prayers and support! I'm back!”

The line problems led to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger being sacked five times and spraining his left foot during the team’s 17-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Despite the injury, head coach Mike Tomlin expects Roethlisberger to play on Sunday when the struggling defending AFC champions host the Tennessee Titans (3-1).

The same can't be said for linebacker James Harrison, who needs surgery to repair a fractured orbital bone near his right eye and will be out "for a number of weeks."

Harrison sustained the injury in the third quarter of the Houston game when the forepad in his helmet came down and struck him in the eye as he collided with a Texans player.

The 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year returned to the game, but was ineffective at times as Houston drove the length of the field to score the winning touchdown.

The 33-year-old groused the Steelers (2-2) "stink" afterward but gave no indication of significant damage. Tomlin indicated he won't know how long Harrison will be out until after the surgery.

"I told y'all it's wasn't a concussion!! Lol I'll be ok in time," Harrison tweeted on Tuesday shortly after the announcement.

The Steelers will slide Lawrence Timmons over from his inside linebacker spot to replace Harrison and start veteran reserve Larry Foote in Timmons' place.

Not exactly the way the Steelers wanted to start a pivotal stretch. They have been manhandled in losses to Baltimore and Houston and were relatively unimpressive in wins over woeful Indianapolis and Seattle.

Tomlin stressed the need to return to fundamentals after his team allowed Houston's Arian Foster to rack up 155 yards, the most the team has surrendered to a single back in nearly eight years.

Getting back to basics while putting familiar faces in somewhat unfamiliar places will be difficult, though the defensive line should get a jolt from nose tackle Brett Keisel.

The veteran is expected to play after missing the past two weeks with a knee injury. Yet Tomlin isn't hailing Keisel's presence as reason to think the defense's problems stopping the run are over.

"We have capable men who play who need to do a better job," Tomlin said.

And do it better quickly.

The Steelers are second in the league in yards allowed but are 22nd against the run, giving up a whopping 4.8 yards per carry, well above the 3.0 yards per attempt they gave up last season.

"There's a fine line between performing well and substandard," Tomlin said.

"Some of the mistakes are mental, some of them are physical. They're not centrally located in one person or position but when you add those things over the course of a football game you get 8-10 snaps where somebody is letting you down either mentally or physically and you have an opportunity to give up some big yards."

It's the kind of opportunities the offense hoped it would have this season. It hasn't happened. Roethlisberger has thrown three touchdowns and five interceptions and endured a pounding from opposing defenses in the process.

The battered offensive line could take a step toward normalcy if left tackle Jonathan Scott and right guard Doug Legursky return from a shoulder injury.

They'll be charged with providing better protection for Roethlisberger, who injured his left foot on Pittsburgh's penultimate drive.

He stayed in the game but wore a protective boot afterward. An MRI on Monday showed no breaks, though he may be limited in practice early in the week.

Backup Charlie Batch will get a package of plays just in case Roethlisberger suffers a setback, but he played the second half of last season with a fractured right foot and had no major issues.

Whoever is on the field, at any position, will need to respond with the kind of spirited performance the team has lacked at times during the first month of the season.

Still, Tomlin stressed it's the first month. The Steelers are concerned, but not panicked.

"We are not going to make something out of this that it's not," Tomlin said. "We understand that we are capable of playing better. We expect to play better. We know where the solutions lie, of course within us, and how we prepare and ultimately how we perform

http://www.wpxi.com/sports/29392729/detail.html

[Pahn711]

We've had this conversation since the season started. Tomlin very adamantly declared last Tuesday that they are not concerned about their o-line depth and if they do pursue free agent tackles, it will be "practice players" not veterans. Now, if their stance changes based on the continued poor performance on the line, who knows, but I doubt it.

There have been reports that the Steelers have been in contact with Flozell's agent, but it sounds like he is happy in retirement unless they pay him big money, which they will not do and probably cannot afford. I haven't even heard of a single report where Stark's agent has been contacted by the Steelers, so I think its safe to assume they aren't interested.

[steelz09]

Is Tomlin watching the same game that everyone else in the country is watching.

He should be concerned because this season, the 100 million dollar franchise QB, and Tomlin's job is in jeopardy (at least it should be) if this continues.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Didn't MN take a look at Starks last week or so?

I guess they don't have as much of a need as we do, or maybe it's a physicial thing?

[Shoe]

I know Tomlin made a firm comment against Max Starks, basically saying there is no chance we sign him. As for Flozell, who knows...

I hope his confidence is based on some hope that he thinks these guys improve. (i.e. Jonathan Scott getting better).

[Pahn711]

Is Tomlin watching the same game that everyone else in the country is watching.

He should be concerned because this season, the 100 million dollar franchise QB, and Tomlin's job is in jeopardy (at least it should be) if this continues.

Tomlin's job is only in jeopardy in the world where you are the Owner of the Steelers :lol:

[RuthlessBurgher]

We need to sign both of these guys now! We could cut Farrior to make some room in the cap. Honestly, Farrior is not a necessity anymore. He's barely playing at an average level. And we have enough top quality LB's to easily replace him in the middle.

This line we have is going to get Ben killed unless the start coming together and finding each other. Essex is the slowest LT in the league. Kemo gets in his own way. Pouncey is playing below his level because of the incohesiveness of this line......Gawd!!!! We need HELP!

:tt1 :tt1 :tt1 GO STEELERS!

It has been mentioned in numerous threads already that cutting veteran players after week 1 of the season saves no money under the cap.

[SteelCrazy]

We need to sign both of these guys now! We could cut Farrior to make some room in the cap. Honestly, Farrior is not a necessity anymore. He's barely playing at an average level. And we have enough top quality LB's to easily replace him in the middle.

This line we have is going to get Ben killed unless the start coming together and finding each other. Essex is the slowest LT in the league. Kemo gets in his own way. Pouncey is playing below his level because of the incohesiveness of this line......Gawd!!!! We need HELP!

:tt1 :tt1 :tt1 GO STEELERS!

It has been mentioned in numerous threads already that cutting veteran players after week 1 of the season saves no money under the cap.

Sorry, I havent had time to read 5 threads, let alone several....I'll try to stay current in the future. Is there anyway to come up with a little cap room?

[Pahn711]

I know Tomlin made a firm comment against Max Starks, basically saying there is no chance we sign him. As for Flozell, who knows...


As far as I know, he only made a firm commitment against seeking an experienced player who could come in right away and start. He went into no specifics on particular guys, just saying they might seek "practice players."

If there is a report out there saying Tomlin did say something more specific, I'd like to see it....

[steelz09]

Is Tomlin watching the same game that everyone else in the country is watching.

He should be concerned because this season, the 100 million dollar franchise QB, and Tomlin's job is in jeopardy (at least it should be) if this continues.

Tomlin's job is only in jeopardy in the world where you are the Owner of the Steelers :lol:

So Tomlin gets all the credit when they're winning but when they're losing he gets a free pass?? So when they're losing it's the Lebeau's and the secondary's fault. The offense is Arian's fault and it's Colberts fault for the team's age problem. Come on.... he's the HC. He's the leader! He doesn't want change. The guy is spineless. He's a pushover that has allowed this o-line to decline every year and do nothing. Let's not forget that keeping Arians around was another bonehead decision. And he's such a genius secondary coach (his background) and it shows (sarcasm).

[Eddie Spaghetti]

I would be happy with tony hills at this point.

cutting him in favor of chris scott looks like a big mistake.

[steelz09]

I would be happy with tony hills at this point.

cutting him in favor of chris scott looks like a big mistake.

Ding Ding Ding.... we have a winner. Yet another bonehead personnel decision.

[pfelix73]

Glad I'll be at the Big Ketchup bottle this weekend, because I think some of the subtle changes that they made in the 2nd half of the Texans game might actually help the running game......

Wolf was on the radio this morning and he was saying that they changed a few blocking assignments up front.... Won't go into detail on what- because it might be over your heads. :lol: just kidding, folks... Only thing is, that DJ is included in one of the changes....

Along with Redman in there at RB, we might actually see a running game this coming Sunday... Although I did just hear that #34's injury isn't that serious, but maybe he'll cry like a baby and they'll leave him out this weekend...

Oh, and as far as Starks and Flozell goes- we gotta move on from those 2- they are in our past..



:tt1

[Eddie Spaghetti]

trying not to play the hindsight game, but I never understood the move given our OT situation.

you had Colon coming off a severe injury, a 2nd round draft pick and Jonathan Scott. That's downright scary. Then you cut a guy who by all accounts showed up in great shape and at least had some time in the system.

all for another OG that looked completely overmatched in the time he was given.

just don't get that one.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

trying not to play the hindsight game, but I never understood the move given our OT situation.

you had Colon coming off a severe injury, a 2nd round draft pick and Jonathan Scott. That's downright scary. Then you cut a guy who by all accounts showed up in great shape and at least had some time in the system.

all for another OG that looked completely overmatched in the time he was given.

just don't get that one.

$$$$
Probably the Steelers' biggest bonehead move of the offseason.

[hawaiiansteel]

kudos to CanadianSteel for finding out where Flozell and Starks are: :Clap

http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/6660/billboarda.jpg

[Pahn711]

So Tomlin gets all the credit when they're winning but when they're losing he gets a free pass?? So when they're losing it's the Lebeau's and the secondary's fault. The offense is Arian's fault and it's Colberts fault for the team's age problem. Come on.... he's the HC. He's the leader! He doesn't want change. The guy is spineless. He's a pushover that has allowed this o-line to decline every year and do nothing. Let's not forget that keeping Arians around was another bonehead decision. And he's such a genius secondary coach (his background) and it shows (sarcasm).

I'm not gonna argue with you about this, you aren't being reasonable. Of course it starts and ends with Tomlin, but you want him to fire the two coordinators (one of which is a hall of famer) that less than 8 months ago helped them reach a super bowl.

If this persists the entire season, I am inclined to agree that Tomlin needs to clean house this offseason, but not now. Its only four games into the season and firing these guys now will not help us . Both BA and Lebeau have been talking about retiring, Tomlin may not even need to fire them. But again, its early, save the panic and knee jerk reactions for a more substantial body of work.

[Dee Dub]

It has been mentioned in numerous threads already that cutting veteran players after week 1 of the season saves no money under the cap.


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[SteelCrazy]

It has been mentioned in numerous threads already that cutting veteran players after week 1 of the season saves no money under the cap.


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Hang me damn it...I'm an idiot! No one answered my question about how we could save money....Smart ass remarks is about all you can get.

[RuthlessBurgher]

It has been mentioned in numerous threads already that cutting veteran players after week 1 of the season saves no money under the cap.


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Hang me damn it...I'm an idiot! No one answered my question about how we could save money....Smart bad word remarks is about all you can get.

You can have veterans on long term deals convert base salary into bonus, which is spread out over the length of the contract, cap-wise. Earlier this season, Ben, Harrison, Keisel, and Kemo did this earlier this pre-season to save us some cap space when we were trying to sign guys like Ike, Colon, Woodley, Timmons, and Troy. With the news that signing Max Starks is imminent now (and the other thread stating that we only have $750K in cap space), I suppose some others will have to do this in order to fit Max in now. Not sure who, though (maybe Heath or Hampton?)

[hawaiiansteel]

Report: Max Starks Visits Steelers Could Sign Soon

by Dave Bryan on Tuesday, October 4th, 2011


WPXI-TV Sports Director Alby Oxenreiter is reporting via Twitter that former Steelers tackle Max Starks visited with the Steelers this evening and is expected to re-sign with the team soon. Starks was released by the Steelers prior to the start of training camp as he was reportedly over weight and still trying to recover from his neck injury that sidelined him most of the 2010 season. Starks has reportedly lost quite a bit of weight and recently worked out for the Vikings.

The Steelers could use any help on an offensive line that has been ravaged by injuries and poor play. Both Doug Legursky and Jonathan Scott were sidelined last week against the Texans with injuries and Trai Essex was forced to start at left tackle in the the absence of Scott. The Steelers also lost Willie Colon after the week 1 loss to the Ravens due to a biceps injury.

Once notion, if indeed Starks does re-sign, would be to let him play right tackle and shift rookie Marcus Gilbert over to left tackle. Gilbert was drafted to end up at left tackle eventually and he got plenty of work there during the preseason. Starks originally played right tackle for the Steelers before eventually moving over to the left side.

http://burgh.us/8dw

[SteelCrazy]

Wake-up call: Steelers near deal with Starks
October, 5, 2011
Oct 58:00AM ETEmailPrintComments19By Jamison HensleyEvery morning, grab a cup of coffee and get your AFC North wake-up call here:

The Steelers are close to re-signing offensive tackle Max Starks to help their banged-up line, according to multiple reports coming out of Pittsburgh.

Starks visited with the team only a few months after the Steelers reportedly released him for being overweight. He has apparently lost 60 pounds and is near his listed playing weight of 345 pounds.

There is a question about Starks' role. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Starks isn't being signed to be an immediate starter. But the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that it's unclear whether Starks will challenge for a starting job or just provide experienced depth.

Every starter on the Steelers' offensive line has missed practice time at some point this season, and Pittsburgh was without three starters from the season opener this past Sunday in Houston. Starting left tackle Jonathan Scott looks like he will return Sunday after missing the last game with an ankle injury, coach Mike Tomlin said.

Hensley's slant: This whole situation confuses me. Still scratching my head on why the Steelers didn't make this move for Starks earlier, and I'm not sure about the team's continued fascination with Scott. He has given up 18.5 sacks in his past 29 games, including 3.5 in three starts this season. Every team in the AFC North has shored up the blind side (the Browns' Joe Thomas, the Bengals' Andrew Whitworth and the Ravens' Bryant McKinnie) except the Steelers.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_ ... ith-starks (http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/32803/wake-up-call-steelers-near-deal-with-starks)

[SteelCrazy]

OT Starks Meets With Steelers, Tweets 'I'm Back'

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to deal with an offensive line plagued by injuries and lack of experience this season by signing veteran Max Starks to the team.

Although no official statement has been released by the team, Starks posted a tweet Wednesday morning that said, “Good morning, Steelernation!!!! It is with great pleasure that I thank you for your prayers and support! I'm back!”

The line problems led to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger being sacked five times and spraining his left foot during the team’s 17-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Despite the injury, head coach Mike Tomlin expects Roethlisberger to play on Sunday when the struggling defending AFC champions host the Tennessee Titans (3-1).

The same can't be said for linebacker James Harrison, who needs surgery to repair a fractured orbital bone near his right eye and will be out "for a number of weeks."

Harrison sustained the injury in the third quarter of the Houston game when the forepad in his helmet came down and struck him in the eye as he collided with a Texans player.

The 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year returned to the game, but was ineffective at times as Houston drove the length of the field to score the winning touchdown.

The 33-year-old groused the Steelers (2-2) "stink" afterward but gave no indication of significant damage. Tomlin indicated he won't know how long Harrison will be out until after the surgery.

"I told y'all it's wasn't a concussion!! Lol I'll be ok in time," Harrison tweeted on Tuesday shortly after the announcement.

The Steelers will slide Lawrence Timmons over from his inside linebacker spot to replace Harrison and start veteran reserve Larry Foote in Timmons' place.

Not exactly the way the Steelers wanted to start a pivotal stretch. They have been manhandled in losses to Baltimore and Houston and were relatively unimpressive in wins over woeful Indianapolis and Seattle.

Tomlin stressed the need to return to fundamentals after his team allowed Houston's Arian Foster to rack up 155 yards, the most the team has surrendered to a single back in nearly eight years.

Getting back to basics while putting familiar faces in somewhat unfamiliar places will be difficult, though the defensive line should get a jolt from nose tackle Brett Keisel.

The veteran is expected to play after missing the past two weeks with a knee injury. Yet Tomlin isn't hailing Keisel's presence as reason to think the defense's problems stopping the run are over.

"We have capable men who play who need to do a better job," Tomlin said.

And do it better quickly.

The Steelers are second in the league in yards allowed but are 22nd against the run, giving up a whopping 4.8 yards per carry, well above the 3.0 yards per attempt they gave up last season.

"There's a fine line between performing well and substandard," Tomlin said.

"Some of the mistakes are mental, some of them are physical. They're not centrally located in one person or position but when you add those things over the course of a football game you get 8-10 snaps where somebody is letting you down either mentally or physically and you have an opportunity to give up some big yards."

It's the kind of opportunities the offense hoped it would have this season. It hasn't happened. Roethlisberger has thrown three touchdowns and five interceptions and endured a pounding from opposing defenses in the process.

The battered offensive line could take a step toward normalcy if left tackle Jonathan Scott and right guard Doug Legursky return from a shoulder injury.

They'll be charged with providing better protection for Roethlisberger, who injured his left foot on Pittsburgh's penultimate drive.

He stayed in the game but wore a protective boot afterward. An MRI on Monday showed no breaks, though he may be limited in practice early in the week.

Backup Charlie Batch will get a package of plays just in case Roethlisberger suffers a setback, but he played the second half of last season with a fractured right foot and had no major issues.

Whoever is on the field, at any position, will need to respond with the kind of spirited performance the team has lacked at times during the first month of the season.

Still, Tomlin stressed it's the first month. The Steelers are concerned, but not panicked.

"We are not going to make something out of this that it's not," Tomlin said. "We understand that we are capable of playing better. We expect to play better. We know where the solutions lie, of course within us, and how we prepare and ultimately how we perform."

http://www.wpxi.com/sports/29392729/detail.html

[steelz09]

So Tomlin gets all the credit when they're winning but when they're losing he gets a free pass?? So when they're losing it's the Lebeau's and the secondary's fault. The offense is Arian's fault and it's Colberts fault for the team's age problem. Come on.... he's the HC. He's the leader! He doesn't want change. The guy is spineless. He's a pushover that has allowed this o-line to decline every year and do nothing. Let's not forget that keeping Arians around was another bonehead decision. And he's such a genius secondary coach (his background) and it shows (sarcasm).

I'm not gonna argue with you about this, you aren't being reasonable. Of course it starts and ends with Tomlin, but you want him to fire the two coordinators (one of which is a hall of famer) that less than 8 months ago helped them reach a super bowl.

If this persists the entire season, I am inclined to agree that Tomlin needs to clean house this offseason, but not now. Its only four games into the season and firing these guys now will not help us . Both BA and Lebeau have been talking about retiring, Tomlin may not even need to fire them. But again, its early, save the panic and knee jerk reactions for a more substantial body of work.

You kinda missed my point (i didn't want to fire both coordinators) but I don't want to highjack this thread... my further explanation is in the "Tomlin Take Control or be Fired" thread....

I wasn't