Are Changes Coming ?

[fezziwig]

Do you guys think there will be any changes with our assistant coaches or with the player personale ?

When do teams usually cut players when they have no more use for them ?

Also the real reason I started this thread, if they do get rid of Arians when, would that happen or when would that be annouced ?

I personally believe Lebeau will be here for as long as Lebeau would like to stay.

What happens with current injured players if the team wants to release them ? Is a team permitted to cut an injured players ?

[TallyStiller]

Ben's smack in the middle of an 8 year $102 million deal. Ben likes Arians. Just because we don't doesn't mean he goes anywhere. We don't get a vote.

Think we're pi$$ed? Try the folks in San Diego, who just watched Phillip the Franchise go to the mat to keep Norv Turner gainfully employed with their franchise for another season.

[NorthCoast]

Ben's smack in the middle of an 8 year $102 million deal. Ben likes Arians. Just because we don't doesn't mean he goes anywhere. We don't get a vote.

Think we're pi$$ed? Try the folks in San Diego, who just watched Phillip the Franchise go to the mat to keep Norv Turner gainfully employed with their franchise for another season.

Welcome to the new NFLBA where players decide which coaches go and which stay. That's what happens when a team makes a multi-million dollar bet on the player.

[hawaiiansteel]

MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2012

Monday news and notes


A report surfaced today that Hines Ward told his teammates he was probably retiring.

That may have been the way Ward was leaning prior to Sunday's game – if the Steelers made a long run in the playoffs.

But something tells me he'll want to come back in 2012 if the Steelers want him. He won't want to go out with a loss and without a reception.

For the Steelers, bringing Ward – at a discounted price – back could make sense.

Ward will count $4.6 million against the 2012 cap with a base salary of $4 million. If he cuts that in half, having a veteran leader behind the disappearing Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and somewhat brittle Emmanuel Sanders could be a plus. That becomes even more critical if the Steelers are unable to bring Jerricho Cotchery back.

The same thing could be said of James Farrior.

Farrior's base salary is just $2.8 million next season with a cap value of $3.8. If he's willing to take a cut, his veteran presence could be big.

So where do the Steelers find the $15 to $20 million they are going to need to get under the cap next year?

Casey Hampton is scheduled to make $4.9 million in 2012 and has a cap value of just over $8 million. That might be a place to start, particularly if the team can get a young nose tackle in the draft.

Guard Chris Kemoeatu and his $3.5 million salary would be another place to look. Then you've got Bryant McFadden ($2.5 million) and Johnathan Scott ($2.2 million), Will Allen ($1.2 million) and Arnaz Battle ($1 million) that could also free up some cash.

The Steelers have been blessed in recent years to have some veteran backups. But those veteran backups also cost more money. The team is likely going to have to go with more youngsters behind their starters in 2012.

If I had to bet, Aaron Smith and Chris Hoke will retire. Charlie Batch might as well, though the team could coax him to come back one more time if Byron Leftwich is not re-signed. William Gay probably played well enough this year to get himself a contract elsewhere (Detroit anyone?). Dennis Dixon, Mewelde Moore and Daniel Sepulveda won't be back.

posted by Dale Lolley

http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/sidelines/

[Chadman]

If the Steelers are going to make coaching changes, it'll be soon. Might even be this week.

As for personel-

Most likely gone-

Aaron Smith, Chris Hoke, Dan Sepulveda, Bryant McFadden, Arnaz Battle, Chris Kemoeatu, Mewelde Moore, James Farrior/Larry Foote (1 or both), Charlie Batch/Byron Leftwich (1 of these 2), Dennis Dixon, Max Starks or Jon Scott...or both..., Hines, Hampton..


It could be a time of upheaval as far as the roster goes.

Casey Hampton is the tricky one- they don't have a suitable replacement on the roster, and the Steelers rarely put a rookie into a starting role...Chadman's bet- Hampton comes back on a restructured contract for a couple of years.

[papillon]

If the Steelers are going to make coaching changes, it'll be soon. Might even be this week.

As for personel-

Most likely gone-

Aaron Smith, Chris Hoke, Dan Sepulveda, Bryant McFadden, Arnaz Battle, Chris Kemoeatu, Mewelde Moore, James Farrior/Larry Foote (1 or both), Charlie Batch/Byron Leftwich (1 of these 2), Dennis Dixon, Max Starks or Jon Scott...or both..., Hines, Hampton..


It could be a time of upheaval as far as the roster goes.

Casey Hampton is the tricky one- they don't have a suitable replacement on the roster, and the Steelers rarely put a rookie into a starting role...Chadman's bet- Hampton comes back on a restructured contract for a couple of years.

I wouldn't call it upheaval the Steelers played the year without those players, they just happened to be taking up roster spots, except for Farrior and Hampton.

At this point, Hoke should retire, Casey should take Hoke's spot and let McClendon be the starter.

Pappy

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers facing tough personnel decisions

By Mark Kaboly, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, January 10, 2012



When the Steelers met Monday for the final time this season following a season-ending, 29-23 overtime loss to Denver in an AFC wild-card game, it may have marked the end of one of the greatest eras in franchise history.

It was the last time the Steelers will meet as a group until May. It's almost certain that several familiar faces who had a hand in the team's five division titles, three AFC championships and two Super Bowl titles will be gone.

The organization feels the current group of players can win another championship, but realizes it probably can't afford some key veterans who helped them win 105 games during a 10-year span.

"There's always going to be changes," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Monday. "There are changes every year. I am not going to sit here and pretend like there's not going to be changes. To what extent, at this point, I am not ready to address."

Projections have the Steelers between $20-$25 million above the salary cap for 2012, with 42 players currently under contract. Only the top 51 players on an 80-man expanded offseason roster count toward the projected $125 million salary cap, which is scheduled to be made official next month.

The Steelers' current $140 million worth of salaries don't include any of their 12 unrestricted free agents, six restricted free agents, two exclusive-rights free agents or any of their April draft choices.

Translation?

The Steelers will seek a pay reduction from some high-profile names in order to comply with the salary cap, or more likely will release a number of them.

"It's bad," said salary cap guru Dave Bryan of SteelersDepot. "They are going to have to cut established guys, and the situation they are in now, even a guy a like James Harrison has to be brought into the equation, although unlikely. This team has no choice but to make some very tough decisions."

Harrison is due $5.56 million this year. He would count as a $4 million cap hit if released, which makes it unlikely he would be one of the casualties.

However, releasing veterans such as Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, Larry Foote, Jonathan Scott, Will Allen, Bryant McFadden and Arnaz Battle before the start of the new NFL year March 1 would save the organization approximately $11-$13 million.

"We will see where this all takes us," Tomlin said. "Right now, I just have a great deal of respect and appreciation for the men in that room and what they were willing to do for us this year."

The organization also has to look into signing wide receiver Mike Wallace to a long-term deal. Even though Wallace is a restricted free agent, the team likely will work on an extension heading into training camp.

Other veterans whose contracts don't expire until after the 2013 season or later — Brett Keisel, James Farrior and Hines Ward among them — could be cut June 1 to reduce the salary-cap hit.

"Formally and informally, it starts immediately," Tomlin said. "I think that's how we are wired. I love what I do. The wheels continue to turn, and it's time to start building for 2012. Informally, it's already started. That's what this thing is all about."

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... z1j4K5Rypx