Tag Archives: Franchise
Steelers decline to use franchise tag
The Steelers pulled no surprises today when they declined to use the franchise tag by the 4 p.m. deadline to do so.
Source: post-gazette.com – Steelers/NFL
Steelers won’t use franchise tag on Mike Wallace
Last week Steelers G.M. Kevin Colbert said the team is committed to keeping soon-to-be free agent wide receiver Mike Wallace, and the franchise tag was still an option. But now that teams are free to use the franchise tag, the Steelers have reportedly decided against it. Instead, the Steelers will use the first-round restricted free…
Source: ProFootballTalk » Pittsburgh Steelers
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As Long as the Steelers Have a Franchise Quarterback, They Should be Able to Endure the Inevitable Roster Changes
As many long-time Steelers fans will tell you, one of the biggest mistakes the franchise ever made was passing on Dan Marino in the 1983 draft. Some have said that had the team drafted Marino, they may have won another title or two in the 80’s.
I have a hard time believing that. It seems to me that those 80’s squads were filled with a lot of mediocre talent, and it’s hard to picture guys like Walter Abercrombie and Weegie Thompson being part of a Super Bowl parade, but after watching some of Bill Cowher’s playoff teams come up short time and time again, maybe there’s something to that.
Cowher’s Steelers playoff teams from the 90’s and early 00’s were loaded with talent, but the one thing that seemed to keep them from winning a championship was the lack of a bona fide franchise quarterback.
When the Steelers finally drafted Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, it ended their 20 year drought in the elite quarterback department , and it soon put them over the top to the tune of three Super Bowl appearances and two World Championships.
It’s been a wonderful ride and a new golden era for Steelers fans. Unfortunately, however, the team faces major decisions regarding some legendary players, and there is a fear that the time for Super Bowl championships may be coming to an end.
However, I think the 2011 New England Patriots proved that as long as a team has a franchise quarterback, it can still be a serious Super Bowl contender.
To be honest, I thought the Patriots run as legit contenders was pretty much over. After their 18-1 campaign in 2007, the Pats failed to make the playoffs in 2008 and were one and done the following two years.
By 2011, the Patriots were seven years removed from their last Super Bowl championship, and it’s pretty rare for a team to remain in the hunt that many years later. Besides, New England’s 2011 roster looked nothing like their ’04 team as legends like Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, Willie Mcginest and Rodney Harrison were long gone.
The one constant, however, was Tom Brady. While the roster may have been younger in a lot of areas–the defense was certainly a work in progress–with Brady under center, the Patriots were able to maintain their championship level and make it to their fifth Super Bowl since 2001.
The Steelers will be forced to make some tough decisions here in the near-future, and there is no doubt that the roster will undergo some serious reconstruction.
Hey, that’s life in today’s NFL.
With free agency and a salary cap, it’s harder today than it was years ago to maintain a championship level–kudos to the Steelers for keeping the team together for as long as it has–but with a franchise quarterback, an organization can still stay in contention as long as the front office and coaching staff do a decent job in overhauling the roster.
As Steelers fans, we’ll have to say goodbye to some beloved Super Bowl heroes in the weeks, months and years to come, but with Ben Roethlisberger still in the prime of his career, we may not have to say goodbye to Super Bowl runs any time soon.
Source: Behind the Steel Curtain
Steelers could use franchise tag on RFA Wallace
The Steelers don’t have any unrestricted free agents that would make sense as franchise tag candidates. But they still may use the tag. Steelers G.M. Kevin Colbert said via Scott Brown the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the team hasn’t ruled out placing the tag on restricted free agent Mike Wallace. “Certainly Mike has done a lot…
Fitting Mike Wallace Under The Steelers 2012 Salary Cap While Wearing Franchise Tag
Since my last post on Mike Wallace, as it relates to trying to protect him via free agency, I have had a few questions about how the Steelers can possibly fit Wallace underneath the cap by the start of the new league year if they indeed were to place the franchise tag of $ 9.4 million on him.
Let’s assume that the Steelers tender all of their other restricted free agents and exclusive free agents except for Jamon Meredith at the lowest levels, which I fully expect they will do, and assume they give Wallace the franchise tag that is estimated to be about $ 9.4 million. With the current players Read more […]
Source: Yardbarker: Pittsburgh Steelers
Wallace Could Get the Franchise Tag this Offseason
The Steelers are considering throwing the never well received “Franchise” tag on number one wide out Mike Wallace, making it near impossible for the team to lose him this offseason.
Due to the new CBA, the agreement has eliminated the “First- and Third-Round” restricted free agent tender, which could result in more offer sheets for big name players – with Wallace being one of them.
Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert hinted that the team would consider using the tender on Wallace.
“Certainly Mike has done a lot to establish himself as a Pro Bowl receiver, and we want to try to keep Mike here for the long run,” Colbert said.
A “First Round” tender is worth $ 2.742 million in non-guaranteed base salary in 2012, whereas as the franchise tag for wide receivers is projected to be worth around $ 9.5 million. For Foster, his tender (available on the same link) is projected to be worth around $ 8 million.
Source: Steelers Gab
Brown Looks To Make Franchise History As Steelers Offense Struggles
With just 16 receiving yards Saturday against the Rams, Steelers WR Antonio Brown will make history.
When he goes over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, he and teammate Mike Wallace will become the first Steelers receivers ever to reach the century plateau together, when neither of them were first-round draft picks.
Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes each had over 1,000 yards receiving in 2009 (Holmes 1,248, Ward 1,167), four years after the Steelers selected Holmes with the 25th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Ward and Plaxico Burress each topped 1,000 yards in 2002 (Ward 1,329 and Burress 1,325) and 2001 (Ward 1,003 and Burress 1,008).
Brown became the second fastest receiver to reach the 1,000 career yards plateau in Week 10 of this season. It took him 19 games, while Wallace hit that mark in his 21st game, Week 7 of the 2010 season. It took Buddy Dial 18 games in 1961-62 to reach 1,000.
While it’s unlikely the duo will meet Burress and Ward’s record of 2,654 yards as Steelers teammates, they have played in a combined 68 games, while Burress and Ward had played 90 games together when they set their mark.
The individual pieces of this offense seem greater than the sum of their whole right now. Despite a bevy of playmakers, the Steelers are 22nd in the NFL in scoring offense, averaging 20.4 points a game. In the six quarters since Ben Roethlisberger injured his ankle in Week 14, the Steelers have scored 10 points.
Injuries across the offensive line can share some of the blame for sagging offensive production. Most recently, C Maurkice Pouncey has missed all or parts of the team’s last four games. Pittsburgh was a top 10 team in rushing attempts last season, but are 21st this year, with 370 (26.4 carries a game).
Pouncey says he expects to play Saturday after missing Week 15, but Roethlisberger may not. He spoke after practice Wednesday, and told the gathered media he has not been told he isn’t playing, and will prepare to start unless he hears otherwise.
Source: Behind the Steel Curtain
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NFL Notebook: Packers’ faithful are taking stock in their franchise
The Green Bay Packers have an MVP candidate in quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a Super Bowl championship won just 10 months ago and an undefeated team making a run toward another title for Titletown. The Packers now have hundreds of new owners, too.
Source: post-gazette.com – Steelers/NFL
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Several Steelers Look To Set League and Franchise Milestones in Week 14
Individual milestones don’t have any specific effect on the outcome of a game, says most players and coaches.
It’s hard to imagine, though, they don’t serve as a source of pride for the team.
If that’s the case, the Steelers are very likely to be a proud bunch in Sunday’s Week 13 game against Cincinnati.
A slew of Steelers offensive players look to top individual milestones Sunday. Most notably, WR Hines Ward needs just nine receiving yards to become the 19th player in NFL history with 12,000 receiving yards. That’s more than Hall of Fame WRs Michael Irvin, Don Maynard and Lance Allworth.
He trails Houston’s Derrick Mason by 70 yards for 18th all time, and is currently has the third-most receiving yards among active receivers (Atlanta’s Tony Gonalez is first with 13,093 and Mason has 12,061).
Fellow WR Mike Wallace needs 61 yards to break the 1,000 yard mark for the second consecutive season. He currently has 931 yards in 11 games this year, meaning he needs another 468 yards in Pittsburgh’s final five games to break Yancey Thigpen’s 14 year old club record. His 1,257 yards last year was the seventh-highest total in team history.
TE Heath Miller needs five catches to break Elbie Nicke’s 54 year old team record for receptions by a tight end. If Miller gets those five grabs, he will have gotten to that mark in 104 games. Nickel did it in 131 from 1947-57.
With 15 more completions, QB Ben Roethlisberger will break Terry Bradshaw’s team record of 2,025. Roethlisberger also needs to be sacked two more times to set the franchise high in that category as well.
OLB LaMarr Woodley needs two sacks to become the franchise’s sixth player to get 50 career sacks. If he gets that Sunday, he will have done it in just 69 games – or, 44 games faster than James Harrison, who’s currently the fastest to get to that mark (113).
Source: Behind the Steel Curtain
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