Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

[phillyesq]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

Deciding between Max and Colon is going to be difficult next year. In a vacuum, of the two, I'd prefer Starks to a guy who played just one game in two years.

However, the Steelers are going to have some cap issues that they will have to address. I think that Colon got a pretty sizeable bonus (can't recall offhand) and cutting him will result in a cap hit. Starks, on the other hand, will be a UFA. Nobody signed Starks this year, but after the way he has stabilized the line, I'd think he'll get some offers.

This offseason will be a real challenge for Kahn and Colbert trying to manage the cap and put together a solid team.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

Colon signed a 5 year - $29M contract with a $6M SB. To cut him next year his cap hit will still be $4.8M which makes it that much less that you can give to Starks.

Steelers do not sign big time long term contracts and then cut the player the following year. That is a Washington Redskins move.

[fezziwig]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

This is no surprise coming from me, " I never thought Colon was worth the paper his check is printed upon. "
Cut the guy and if he wants to compete for a guard position let him. Don't know if that is possible with his current contract or not but that would be the best I would allow for him.
My real opinion would be let Colon go and never look back.
Sign Starks if they can or possibly we can find someone with a good resume to take Starks place also. I'm tired of the castoffs we get or try to plug in so, if they can't find a proven tackle to take Starks place then, they might as well keep starks.

The other trouble with Colon that I forgot to mention, once guys start getting injured it's usually more of the same. Get rid of Colon, Farrior, Arron Smith and start the youth movement.

[focosteeler]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

I say let him compete for a spot, guard, tackle whatever. If he can make the line up as a starter good, if he is the backup guy for the G or T during the game keep him. if not, try to trade him. gotta try and get something out of him

[steelz09]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

Colon will never play guard. The Steelers have said on several different occasions that Colon can not play guard. To be honest the guy cant play tackle either. I have no idea why he was resigned. Hes a false start, holding machine with poor footwork.

I never could see why anyone thought Colon was so great. Gilbert is already > Colon, IMO, and will get better. Unless someone gets hurt before next season, I'd cut Colon loose and try to re-sign Starks.

I completely agree. Colon was never that good.

I think Starks is more valuable. We all saw the results of not having Starks playing LT. What were the results of not having Colon? Fozell > Colon. Gilbert > Colon. 2 years without Colon equals two years of better RT play. I can't say the same for Starks replacements.

[phillyesq]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

Colon will never play guard. The Steelers have said on several different occasions that Colon can not play guard. To be honest the guy cant play tackle either. I have no idea why he was resigned. Hes a false start, holding machine with poor footwork.

I never could see why anyone thought Colon was so great. Gilbert is already > Colon, IMO, and will get better. Unless someone gets hurt before next season, I'd cut Colon loose and try to re-sign Starks.

I completely agree. Colon was never that good.

I think Starks is more valuable. We all saw the results of not having Starks playing LT. What were the results of not having Colon? Fozell > Colon. Gilbert > Colon. 2 years without Colon equals two years of better RT play. I can't say the same for Starks replacements.

There is one small change to the equation next year if you consider Gilbert at LT.

The choice will likely be:

Gilbert LT, Colon RT
or
Starks LT, Gilbert RT

[steelz09]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

I'd choose Starts @ LT and Gilbert @ RT

The only decision would be is to have Colon at LG. If not, then draft a G early.

You could have:

Starks @ LT - Proven
Legursky, Colon, Rookie, Foster @ LG - I like these options
Pouncey @ C - Proven
Legursky, Colon, Rookie, Foster @ RG - I like these options
Gilbert @ RT - A rookie that's getting better and has a lot of promise.

To me, I like these options. The only question is at guard. Kemo should be cut and maybe Colon. Foster has been ok and Legursky is adequate as well. Foster is probably better but Legursky is a valuable back-up at center and can pull.

If the Steelers plan to cut Kemo and Colon (or trade him), we'll still be ok especially if we draft a guard early in the draft.... a guard that can pull. I would probably add a tackle as well... either via draft or a vet back-up.

[NJ-STEELER]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

Colon signed a 5 year - $29M contract with a $6M SB. To cut him next year his cap hit will still be $4.8M which makes it that much less that you can give to Starks.

Steelers do not sign big time long term contracts and then cut the player the following year. That is a Washington Redskins move.

wouldnt they have an injury settlement thing with that contract. if he gets hurt for the season again, i would bet the FO has an out

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

Wow...Problems with too many OT...Who would have thought!

Kemo is out after this year. Colon will be here long term unless his injuries have slowed him down. They expect full recovery. Colon was playing his best football before his injury this year. Starks is having a very solid year but don't expect a big contract in his direction. He wil sign a 2-3 year deal at a bargain for the Steelers. So where does Gilbert fit? Well...Many options. The Colon to G theory could have possibilities. However, if Colon is healthy I expect him to stay at RT. A better theory may be to move Gilbert to LG if he truely is slated to be the LT of the future. A year on the left side will be helpful in the transition. In that scenario, Pouncey, Colon, Gilbert, & Starks are cleary the top 4 out of 5 OL and they are all on the field. I am not one who likes messing with chemistry on the OL by moving people around...But I am one who wants the best 5 on the field. No matter how you look at it, there will have to be some moving if Colon & Starks are in the plans. Finally...A good problem on the OL.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

They expect full recovery.

That's what they said after his injury last season. Lots of $$ for a player who isn't on the field.

Colon was playing his best football before his injury this year.

???
Colon hardly played this year--his injury happened so early on, I can barely remember that he was around.

Starks is having a very solid year but don't expect a big contract in his direction. He wil sign a 2-3 year deal at a bargain for the Steelers.

I hope so. After all, the Steelers paid him extremely well for a couple of years in the past, so it's not like he hasn't made money off them.

So where does Gilbert fit? Well...Many options. The Colon to G theory could have possibilities. However, if Colon is healthy I expect him to stay at RT. A better theory may be to move Gilbert to LG if he truely is slated to be the LT of the future. A year on the left side will be helpful in the transition. In that scenario, Pouncey, Colon, Gilbert, & Starks are cleary the top 4 out of 5 OL and they are all on the field. I am not one who likes messing with chemistry on the OL by moving people around...But I am one who wants the best 5 on the field. No matter how you look at it, there will have to be some moving if Colon & Starks are in the plans. Finally...A good problem on the OL.

It is better to have too many good OL than not enough; you're right about that. However, I think Gilbert has already surpassed Colon at right tackle. Despite all the talk of Colon moving to G, I've seen little indication that this is a move the Steelers believe would work well. I understand there will be a big cap hit to release Colon, which sucks. I didn't understand why they were so anxious to sign false-start Willie to a big contract this past offseason...I have to wonder a little bit about this team's ability to evaluate OL talent. At least it appears they made a good decision in drafting Gilbert.

[WindyCitySteel]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

Colon was playing his best football before his injury this year.

???
Colon hardly played this year--his injury happened so early on, I can barely remember that he was around.

He had a holding call and a false start in Baltimore before getting hurt.

[Shoe]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

Kemo is out after this year. Colon will be here long term unless his injuries have slowed him down. They expect full recovery. Colon was playing his best football before his injury this year.

"Colon was playing his best football..."? How can you say that, when he went down so early and has basically been invisible to us for the past two years? Logic says that his "best football" (which was pre- his injuries, pre- his signing his big contract), his best football is behind him. That being said, he may still have some value, especially if he can play Guard and stay healthy... I think that's the key. Whether he can stay healthy or not.

As to Arians comments about Gilbert, of course he knows way more about the player than we do. But you have to realize that the coach is going to talk his guy up, and give him confidence, etc. I frankly haven't been sold on him yet. I'm hopeful though.

And lastly, I want to publicly commend Max Starks. I've always been hard on the guy, but there is no doubt that he's done a solid solid job. And he's only bound to be more solid, as the weather temperature goes down. The cold weather lends itself to the big plodding guys, rather than the fleet, agile guys.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

That's what they said after his injury last season. Lots of $$ for a player who isn't on the field.

Colon hardly played this year--his injury happened so early on, I can barely remember that he was around.

I hope so. After all, the Steelers paid him extremely well for a couple of years in the past, so it's not like he hasn't made money off them.

It is better to have too many good OL than not enough; you're right about that. However, I think Gilbert has already surpassed Colon at right tackle. Despite all the talk of Colon moving to G, I've seen little indication that this is a move the Steelers believe would work well. I understand there will be a big cap hit to release Colon, which sucks. I didn't understand why they were so anxious to sign false-start Willie to a big contract this past offseason...I have to wonder a little bit about this team's ability to evaluate OL talent. At least it appears they made a good decision in drafting Gilbert.

Can't predict the injuries. Colon was a durable OL for a full 4 years. That injury last year was a terrible freak injury. Since his injury this year was not associated with that one it is a run of bad luck. The dollars spent isn't anything that can be frowned on. It happens all over the league to every team. Injuries happen...It is a violent sport...Contracts are always a risk. That's why players don't like playing on tags & tenders and teams don't like guranteed money.

He played his best ball in the preseason. I still remember Tunch & Wolf talking about his nasty streaks and how he looked like he was taking the injury out on anyone lined up over him. He was finishing in the Baltimore game.

I don't think what Starks made in the past has any impact on what he will make if he signs a new deal. Starks wants to be here...He knows he won't get a deal much better anywhere else. He also knows the Steelers won't throw big dollars at him, especially in guranteed & bonus, because of the reason they released him in the first place. That is on him. Starks also knows that Gilbert is on the roster so if he wants to stay...He will have to stay at the Steleers price.

Gilbert is playing very good. He isn't playing at the same level of Colon. I think Gilbert's ceiling is far higher than Colon because I too believe he can play LT with some experience & coaching.

[Oviedo]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

Colon signed a 5 year - $29M contract with a $6M SB. To cut him next year his cap hit will still be $4.8M which makes it that much less that you can give to Starks.

Steelers do not sign big time long term contracts and then cut the player the following year. That is a Washington Redskins move.

The big cap hits for 2012 with questionable value to the team are Ward ($4.6M), Hampton ($7M), Smith ($5M), Kemo ($4.4M), Foote ($3.6M) and Farrior ($3.8M). I don't include Colon and his $5M hit because cutting him would force too much dead money into 2012. I think you have to dump the others though even though you will eat some dead money. This team needs to get younger and free up some money for the rising stars not the fading ones.

The real driver will be what does it take to retain Mike Wallace. I'm thinking at least $7-8M per year. I also would break the standard procedure and get Antonio Brown under contract sooner rather than later but I doubt that happens.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Re: Should we keep Willie Colon or let him go?

Kemo is out after this year. Colon will be here long term unless his injuries have slowed him down. They expect full recovery. Colon was playing his best football before his injury this year.

"Colon was playing his best football..."? How can you say that, when he went down so early and has basically been invisible to us for the past two years? Logic says that his "best football" (which was pre- his injuries, pre- his signing his big contract), his best football is behind him. That being said, he may still have some value, especially if he can play Guard and stay healthy... I think that's the key. Whether he can stay healthy or not.

As to Arians comments about Gilbert, of course he knows way more about the player than we do. But you have to realize that the coach is going to talk his guy up, and give him confidence, etc. I frankly haven't been sold on him yet. I'm hopeful though.

And lastly, I want to publicly commend Max Starks. I've always been hard on the guy, but there is no doubt that he's done a solid solid job. And he's only bound to be more solid, as the weather temperature goes down. The cold weather lends itself to the big plodding guys, rather than the fleet, agile guys.

Don't be a product of watching the ball. Colon was playing his best ball through the preseason. I gurantee Colbert was smiling from the box. He is young and we all knew where he was before the last two years. If he is healthy...He is one of the Steelers best OL. There is no debate.