Vince Williams Restructured Contract

[pittpete]

https://steelersdepot.com/2019/03/steelers-restructured-contract-of-ilb-vince-williams-to-create-cap-space/

[Buzz]

https://steelersdepot.com/2019/03/steelers-restructured-contract-of-ilb-vince-williams-to-create-cap-space/

probably getting ready to sign the 3rd string TE from the Jags

I'd love to see us upgrade Bince's position, but looks like he's the guy for another year or two. Well, at least he's good at the blitz.

[fordfixer]

Just kicking the can down the road.

[Steel Maniac]

https://steelersdepot.com/2019/03/steelers-restructured-contract-of-ilb-vince-williams-to-create-cap-space/

2.8 freed up.

[RuthlessBurgher]

We are paying him the same amount of money overall regardless, so this just now means that he counts $2.8M less against this year's cap (when we are dealing with the weight of AB's $20M+ in dead money on our cap) and then $1.4M more in each of the next 2 years (when AB's dead money charge is officially off the books). Makes sense to me.

[Oviedo]

Need to be getting rid of VW not extending. I understand you can’t fix everything at once but we need two new ILBs

[RuthlessBurgher]

Need to be getting rid of VW not extending

We didn't extend his contract at all. He was signed until the 2021 season as of yesterday, and he's still signed until the 2021 season as of today. Just redistributing the payments for cap accounting purposes.

[flippy]

Need to be getting rid of VW not extending. I understand you can’t fix everything at once but we need two new ILBs

I think Vince is unfairly crapped on by a lot of folks. I think he's got a good attitude, works hard, and is the kind of player every roster needs. I don't fault him for being used beyond his abilities at times, but I still think he's solid.

Reminds me of Larry Foote. No one used to like Foote either, but the guy worked hard and always competed just like Vince. Not everyone is a HOF player or even a ProBowler for that matter. Just get better on the DLine and in the secondary and Vince is fine in his role imho.

[pittpete]

I think Vince is solid also..
When you ask him to play as a 3 down LBer and put him in an untenable position thats when he gets exposed.

[pittpete]

Scouting report on Vince from back in the day

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1607684-vince-williams-scouting-report-nfl-outlook-for-florida-state-ilb


Weaknesses


Over-aggressiveness gets Williams in a lot of trouble. When he guesses wrong, he will take himself completely out of a play. Williams' eyes wander, leading him to abandon his area of responsibility, often with bad results. He will bite on play fakes and can be lured into no man's land. Williams seems to prefer eluding blockers to taking them on. He sometimes gets so focused on his destination that he leaves himself open to being blown up by blockers he doesn't see. He might not have the foot speed and range to be a three-down linebacker.

[SidSmythe]

I think Vince is unfairly crapped on by a lot of folks. I think he's got a good attitude, works hard, and is the kind of player every roster needs. I don't fault him for being used beyond his abilities at times, but I still think he's solid.

Reminds me of Larry Foote. No one used to like Foote either, but the guy worked hard and always competed just like Vince. Not everyone is a HOF player or even a ProBowler for that matter. Just get better on the DLine and in the secondary and Vince is fine in his role imho.

That's bc fans think they can have a future HoF'er at every position.

I too think VW is a solid player with a great attitude and willingness to get dirty. He's also very durable.

[Buzz]

That's bc fans think they can have a future HoF'er at every position.

I too think VW is a solid player with a great attitude and willingness to get dirty. He's also very durable.

I know we can't have a future HofF'er at every position. Just would be nice to have average or better NFL players at every position. Look, I like VW's personality, and I think he's probably an above-average blitzer -- but IMO, he's a below-average ILB in all other facets. And I'm not sure we're any better off at the other ILB position.

[fordfixer]

We are paying him the same amount of money overall regardless, so this just now means that he counts $2.8M less against this year's cap (when we are dealing with the weight of AB's $20M+ in dead money on our cap) and then $1.4M more in each of the next 2 years (when AB's dead money charge is officially off the books). Makes sense to me.
I understand why they did it. I just don’t agree with it, you gotta take the hit sometime.

[Disco1981]

VW is not " horrible " ...But he is no Larry Foote

[Oviedo]

I know we can't have a future HofF'er at every position. Just would be nice to have average or better NFL players at every position. Look, I like VW's personality, and I think he's probably an above-average blitzer -- but IMO, he's a below-average ILB in all other facets. And I'm not sure we're any better off at the other ILB position.

I agree with all of this. Is VW really much better than Bostic? If so, not by much

[hawaiiansteel]

Vince Williams Embracing ILB Competition Saying If You Don’t, ‘You’re A Loser’

By Matthew Marczi
Posted on May 25, 2019

Vince Williams could be having flashbacks to 2014, entering his second season, when the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Ryan Shazier and immediately plugged him in as the starter over him. Williams was a sixth-round pick but had been the primary starter as a rookie the previous year after Larry Foote was injured, and he felt he deserved an opportunity to keep his job.

This year, they signed Mark Barron in free agency, and then they traded up in the first round to draft Devin Bush. And there have been plenty of times during the first week of OTAs in which both Barron and Bush were on the field running with the first-team defense while he was watching.

He’s not sweating it. He welcomes it.

“If I wanted to have better stats, I could’ve (gone) to a sorrier team and I could’ve been the best linebacker on one of those units”, the eighth-year veteran told Kevin Gorman for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “The more great linebackers you have on one team, the better your team is. Anybody who don’t think like that, you’re a loser”.

And when he says ‘loser’, he means somebody with a losing mentality, somebody whose goal in this game is not to be a winner and to be a champion. Because, as he made it very clear to Gorman when he interviewed the linebacker during OTAs, that above everything else is what drives him forward.

“I want to win. Make sure you write this: I want to win. I’m a winner. Losing sucks. If you make 200 tackles and you lose, you’re a loser. Vince Williams is a winner”, he said. “There ain’t no egos. No need be coy about it. We didn’t make the playoffs last year. We feel like we’re a championship-caliber unit. So everybody is embarrassed and pissed off”.

Last season, the Steelers got off to a hectic 1-2-1 start to the season before rattling off six straight wins, at which point they were in position to control their fate for a bye week for the second season in a row. Only this time, they stalled to the finish line, losing four of their final six games, going 9-6-1, and missing the postseason.

Much of the blame does lie on the defense, which surrendered the game-winning or -tying points in the fourth quarter of five of the seven games that they failed to win. The offense also led multiple comeback drives in the fourth quarter, one or two of which the defense gave back.

It’s certainly quite possible that the additions of Barron and Bush could eat into Williams’ playing time. long-term, it might even cost him his starting job. If that makes the team better and helps them win, however, he’s going to support it and he’s going to do what he can to make those on the field be better versions of themselves. Because that’s what leaders, and winners, do.


https://steelersdepot.com/2019/05/vince-williams-embracing-ilb-competition-saying-if-you-dont-youre-a-loser/

[NorthCoast]

Maybe VWill isn't a gamechanger, but there is a lot to like about a guy that shows up, puts 100% into his game, and is a professional that takes his role seriously.

[8467thekraken]

'embarrassed and pissed off”.

2019-20 Steelers mantra.

[Northern_Blitz]

Maybe VWill isn't a gamechanger, but there is a lot to like about a guy that shows up, puts 100% into his game, and is a professional that takes his role seriously.

Feels like he's been pretty healthy too.

I think I probably under-rate him. He's a legit starter in the league even if he's not spectacular. It's not like he's Dirty Red.

I just don't think he's a 3 down guy like Bush will hopefully be (eventually at least).

[Steel Maniac]

Need to be getting rid of VW not extending. I understand you can’t fix everything at once but we need two new ILBs

Boom..........he’s not starter material

[hawaiiansteel]

Boom..........he’s not starter material

he's not a 3-down ILB because he's a liability in pass coverage.

I think VW will be on the field on running downs and Barron And Bush will be out there on passing downs.

[Steel Maniac]

he's not a 3-down ILB because he's a liability in pass coverage.

I think VW will be on the field on running downs and Barron And Bush will be out there on passing downs.

Im hoping they push him all the way off the field into a mere back up role. He's not good on early downs either. Hes not a starter

[Oh wow]

This isn’t true. VW is fine on early downs. He isn’t a star but he isn’t a liability like some portray him.

We can’t have Hofers at every position.

[Northern_Blitz]

This isn’t true. VW is fine on early downs. He isn’t a star but he isn’t a liability like some portray him.

We can’t have Hofers at every position.

I agree that Vince is solid but not spectacular.

But, I also hope that the new adds are better and push him to a depth role.

[phillyesq]

This isn’t true. VW is fine on early downs. He isn’t a star but he isn’t a liability like some portray him.

We can’t have Hofers at every position.

It's the role that Larry Foote played on the defense for years. The difference here is that the rest of the cast on defense isn't as strong.

[Oh wow]

It's the role that Larry Foote played on the defense for years. The difference here is that the rest of the cast on defense isn't as strong.

I agree 100%.

[Steel Maniac]

It's the role that Larry Foote played on the defense for years. The difference here is that the rest of the cast on defense isn't as strong.

And that goes back to why we don't need him then ; We don't have a cast strong enough to cover for him. When a team comes in determined to run the ball, he's not legit.

[Oh wow]

You always need a Larry Foote on defense.

[Oviedo]

In a league where every down is potentially a passing down, Williams may not be a liability but he is less than optimal. Good team guy but he is just a guy. Nothing else.

[Steelerphile]

In a league where every down is potentially a passing down, Williams may not be a liability but he is less than optimal. Good team guy but he is just a guy. Nothing else.



Just a guy. does that imply you could go into the stands and point at a "guy" vending or sitting there and say hey "guy" suit up, want to
play linebacker for the Steelers. We just have V Williams who is also just a "guy" so you could do just as well as him, I reckon.

I think some fans are just unable to see how a player like Williams is important because of their short-sighted thinking.

We are all hoping Devin Bush comes in a plays great, but he is a rookie after all, so there is a little bit of doubt as to how he will actually perform. He is speedy
but not especially big and he is smart. But does everyone think he can come into the NFL and start all 16 games and play every down,
even if he is looking pretty good? He is on the smallish side, and it is very possible and even likely, that he will
get nicked up and start wearing down along the line.

Having a solid veteran like V Williams to share the load is really invaluable.

So lets see what the veterans linebackers on the Steelers have done the last two years.

Certain fans keep disrespecting Williams but he has very solid numbers in 2017 to 2018.
164 total tackles; 12.5 sacks; 19 tfl; 24 QB hits

Fans want Mark Barron to play every down also?: also on the smallish side. His numbers from 2017 to 2018.
145 total tackles; 2 sacks; 10 tfl; 3 QB hits

They needed to add talent to the roster at ILB but having a solid veteran like Williams to rush and get sacks and tfl should be a component.
The Steelers led the league in sacks last year and I do think they are probably going to try to be up there again this year. Barron is not your
sack guy. Bush got 3 sacks last year in college.

Should he be expected to get 4 or more sacks this year? I doubt he will get 10 or something extraordinary.

I think fans are foolish to want a two man rotation at ILB and to push "just a guy" completely to the bench.

[flippy]

Certain fans keep disrespecting Williams but he has very solid numbers in 2017 to 2018.
164 total tackles; 12.5 sacks; 19 tfl; 24 QB hits

Fans want Mark Barron to play every down also?: also on the smallish side. His numbers from 2017 to 2018.
145 total tackles; 2 sacks; 10 tfl; 3 QB hits

They needed to add talent to the roster at ILB but having a solid veteran like Williams to rush and get sacks and tfl should be a component.
The Steelers led the league in sacks last year and I do think they are probably going to try to be up there again this year. Barron is not your
sack guy. Bush got 3 sacks last year in college.

Should he be expected to get 4 or more sacks this year? I doubt he will get 10 or something extraordinary.

I think fans are foolish to want a two man rotation at ILB and to push "just a guy" completely to the bench.




VW is decent, but let's not say his tackle numbers are great. Darius Leonard had 163 tackles last year alone which is 1 less than Vince had in 2 seasons.

But his 2017 of 68 solo tackles, 8 Sacks, 14 QB Hits, 11 TFL is better than any season Larry Foote ever had and his play overall is sound and serviceable.

Let's start with upgrading some others first who aren't even adequate. Like Bud Dupree for example. As long as Bud is on the team and starting, there no need to mention we need to upgrade VW.

[Steelerphile]

I think you missed my point. If the Steelers had Darius Leonard, then Williams can sit in favor of Leonard. The Steeler have Devin Bush, Mark Barron, Tyler Matakevich and Vince Williams. I am not saying Williams is a NFL star or an all pro, my argument is that he is getting too much disrepect for this group and fans saying he should sit all year and play Barron and Bush exclusively is mindless.

[ikestops85]

Just a guy. does that imply you could go into the stands and point at a "guy" vending or sitting there and say hey "guy" suit up, want to
play linebacker for the Steelers. We just have V Williams who is also just a "guy" so you could do just as well as him, I reckon.

I think some fans are just unable to see how a player like Williams is important because of their short-sighted thinking.

We are all hoping Devin Bush comes in a plays great, but he is a rookie after all, so there is a little bit of doubt as to how he will actually perform. He is speedy
but not especially big and he is smart. But does everyone think he can come into the NFL and start all 16 games and play every down,
even if he is looking pretty good? He is on the smallish side, and it is very possible and even likely, that he will
get nicked up and start wearing down along the line.

Having a solid veteran like V Williams to share the load is really invaluable.

So lets see what the veterans linebackers on the Steelers have done the last two years.

Certain fans keep disrespecting Williams but he has very solid numbers in 2017 to 2018.
164 total tackles; 12.5 sacks; 19 tfl; 24 QB hits

Fans want Mark Barron to play every down also?: also on the smallish side. His numbers from 2017 to 2018.
145 total tackles; 2 sacks; 10 tfl; 3 QB hits

They needed to add talent to the roster at ILB but having a solid veteran like Williams to rush and get sacks and tfl should be a component.
The Steelers led the league in sacks last year and I do think they are probably going to try to be up there again this year. Barron is not your
sack guy. Bush got 3 sacks last year in college.

Should he be expected to get 4 or more sacks this year? I doubt he will get 10 or something extraordinary.

I think fans are foolish to want a two man rotation at ILB and to push "just a guy" completely to the bench.




Now this is a post that deserves a "BOOM"!!

You need guys like Vince Williams on the team if you want to win. You can't have a team of all superstars ... that doesn't work. In fact I think the steelers had 2 too many superstars on the team the last few years and it hurt them in many games.

Just think back and you might realize that even though Troy P. was a great player it was Ryan Clark who cleaned up when Troy missed on those "splash" plays. He saved the team many times by making a tackle downfield after Troy missed a big hit or didn't get the interception.

I don't think some fans realize how important chemistry is and how those solid players like VW add to it to help a team win. Sure, Vince isn't a superstar but I think the steelers love having a guy like him on the team.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Once upon a time, some Steeler fans treated Ramon Foster the same way Vince tends to be viewed now. Folks always wanting to supplant them with younger, more talented replacements. But they are glue guys with leadership qualities who are willing to play their role to help this team in any way possible. Solid team guys, but not necessarily the dynamic athletes that fans pay to see.

[NorthCoast]

Now this is a post that deserves a "BOOM"!!

You need guys like Vince Williams on the team if you want to win. You can't have a team of all superstars ... that doesn't work. In fact I think the steelers had 2 too many superstars on the team the last few years and it hurt them in many games.

Just think back and you might realize that even though Troy P. was a great player it was Ryan Clark who cleaned up when Troy missed on those "splash" plays. He saved the team many times by making a tackle downfield after Troy missed a big hit or didn't get the interception.

I don't think some fans realize how important chemistry is and how those solid players like VW add to it to help a team win. Sure, Vince isn't a superstar but I think the steelers love having a guy like him on the team.

That TroyP RyanC tandem was magic. Played so well complementing each other. Clark once commented how tough it was to get in sync at first. But he got to the point he knew what Troy would do on any given look by the offense.
It's tougher now with players jumping teams so often.

[flippy]

Once upon a time, some Steeler fans treated Ramon Foster the same way Vince tends to be viewed now. Folks always wanting to supplant them with younger, more talented replacements. But they are glue guys with leadership qualities who are willing to play their role to help this team in any way possible. Solid team guys, but not necessarily the dynamic athletes that fans pay to see.

It's a weird dynamic where fans are overly critical on the guys that overachieve.

If Vince was a rotational 2 down LB, everyone would love him. But he overachieves and steps up as a leader doing more than anyone would reasonably expect, then we flame him for not being able to drop and cover a #1 WR because our DC likes to get cute and always seems to put VW in coverage against a guy the best ILB could never cover.

Foster would have been a great #6 lineman. People would have loved him coming in as an extra TE at the goal line. They would have loved that he could be serviceable at G or T and he'd probably be one of the most versatile backups that could fill in anywhere. But he worked his tail off and is a leader on the line and handles the silent count and is a big boy in the middle that can move people. But he's not quick like former LG Faneca and can't pull spectacularly. And he's actually improved in this area over time and I still think he's probably kinda playing out of position and is a better fit at T. It's kinda awkward that he's 6'6" ish and playing G. If his QB was Russell Wilson or Drew Brees, they'd probably have problems throwing over or around him. But whatever, to me he's one of the most consistent linemen on the team, but we judge him on what he can't do for whatever reason vs just appreciating what he can do.