Quote Originally Posted by papillon View Post
We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. The veterans that everyone wants to release, cut or dump in some fashion are by far the best option this team has to be a winner and contender next year and, IMO, it isn't even close. You've got the glass half full and I believe that the glass is near empty with the young guys. Many were kept on the 53 simply because you have to fill the roster in my estimation, Golden, Sylvester, Robinson, Carter, et al. I hope I am so wrong that you can drudge up this thread 9 months from now and tell me, "see I told you so Pap", I just don't see it happening.

If the Steelers cut or release every veteran that has been proposed on this board they will be fortunate to win 6 games and that will be because Ben is worth about 4-5 games a year, with an average quarterback and the young defense for which everyone is clamoring they would win about 2 games. None of these younger players were even pushing a veteran for playing time, Hood and Heyward were handed playing time because Smitty retired otherwise, they'd probably still be waiting for Smitty to retire. Hell, Keisel was the best defensive lineman the Steelers had and he's 34 and has been a good player, but no one is mistaking him for the Hall of Fame.

No one could dislodge Harrison at 85% in his own words he was playing and rehabbing. Damn, how do you not push Harrison out of a job if he isn't 100%? Because, he's still the best OLB they have, thankfully, Timmons is playing very well or Harrison would be the best LB on the team at 34.

Hampton in all reality shouldn't have seen any snaps unless an injury occurred and, yet, he was a two down NT this past season with relief from McClendon on third down.

Going younger just for the sake of going younger is a recipe in my mind for more than one or two down years. You hope they develop and if they don't you're drafting to replace a player that was drafted to replace a player and that's never a good thing.

Like this year, the Steelers need an RB and a WR, they drafted Mendenhall and Wallace to be those guys, now they have to draft their replacements. I know the cap situation is burdensome and is the biggest reason for all of this, but the reality, IMO, is that if they clean house this year the Steelers will need the current young guys to become the players they were expected to be or hope they hit it big in the draft.

Pappy
Very well said.