Chadman's 2013 Off-Season Analysis Thread...

[Chadman]

Hawaiiansteel agrees with Ruthless' applauding Eddie's use of the third person when responding to Chadman.

Chadman appreciates Hawaiiansteel agreeing with Ruthless in applauding Eddie's use of 3rd person when responding to Chadman... full circle?

[Chadman]

Now, to get back on track after the mutual back-patting society break in play..

[Chadman]

2013 NFL FREE AGENTS: OL

OT Brandon Albert (Chiefs)
OT Sam Baker (Falcons)
OG Allen Barbre (Seahawks) SIGNED EAGLES
OT Khalif Barnes (Raiders)
OT D'Anthony Batiste (Cardinals)
OT William Beatty (Giants) RESIGNED GIANTS
OT Demetress Bell (Eagles) CUT
OC Joe Berger (Vikings)
OT Jordan Black (Redskins)
OT Kevin Boothe (Giants)
OT Eben Britton (Jaguars)
OT Jamon Bushrod (Saints)
OT Rashad Butler (Texans)
OG Antoine Caldwell (Texans)
OG Cooper Carlisle (Raiders)
OT Gosder Cherilus (Lions)
OT Ryan Clady (Broncos)
OT Ryan Considine (Ravens)
OG CJ Davis (Broncos)
OT Leonard Davis (49ers)
OG Kyle DeVan (Titans)
OG Derrick Dockery (Cowboys)
OG Brandyn Dombrowski (Chargers)
OC Jon Dorenbos (Eagles)
OT Demar Dotson (Buccaneers)
OT King Dunlap (Eagles)
OC Andrew Economos (Buccaneers)
OG Ramon Foster (Steelers)
OC Dylan Gandy (Lions)
OG Nate Gardner (Dolphins)
OG Tyrone Green (Chargers)
OG Rex Hadnot (Chargers)
OG Leroy Harris (Titans)
OT Ryan Harris (Texans)
OT Corey Hilliard (Lions)
OT Tony Hills (Colts)
OT Kyle Hix (Patriots) CUT
OG Russ Hochstein (Chiefs)
OT Winston Justice (Colts)
OC Dan Koppen (Broncos)
OC Doug Legursky (Steelers)
OG Andy Levitre (Bills)
OG Kory Leichtensteiger (Redskins)
OT Phil Loadholt (Vikings)
OT Sean Locklear (Giants)
OT Jake Long (Dolphins)
OG Lance Louis (Bears)
OG Deuce Lutui (Titans)
OC Todd McClure (Falcons)
OT Bryant McKinnie (Ravens)
OT Pat McQuistan (Cardinals)
OC Brad Meester (Jaguars)
OG Brandon Moore (Jets)
OC Don Muhlbach (Lions)
OG Richard Ohrnberger (Cardinals)
OG Eric Olsen (Saints)
OT Frank Omiyale (Seahawks)
OG Stephen Peterman (Lions) CUT
OC Mike Pollack (Panthers)
OT Tyler Polumbus (Redskins)
OG Chilo Rachal (Bears)
OG Garrett Reynolds (Falcons)
OG Jamey Richard (Patriots)
OT Barry Richardson (Rams)
OG Chad Rinehart (Bills)
OT Dennis Roland (Bengals)
OT Geoffrey Schwartz (Vikings)
OT Jonathon Scott (Bears)
OG Jarrod Shaw (Browns)
OG Matt Slauson (Jets)
OT Andre Smith (Bengals)
OT Jason Smith (Jets) CUT
OG Chris Spencer (Bears)
OT Max Starks (Steelers)
OG Reggie Stephens (Bills)- SIGNED RAVENS
OT Will Svitek (Falcons)
OG Donald Thomas (Patriots)
OT Jeremy Trueblood (Buccaneers)
OT Robert Turner (Rams)
OG Steve Vallos (Jaguars)
OG Louis Vasquez (Chargers)
OC Fernando Velasco (Titans)
OT Sebastian Vollmer (Patriots)
OG Brian Waters (Patriots)
OT Guy Whimper (Jaguars) CUT
OG Chris Williams (Rams)

[Chadman]

2013 NFL FREE AGENTS: DL

DE Cliff Avril (Lions)
DE Dave Ball (Titans)
DE Kentwan Balmer (Redskins)
DE Justin Bannan (Broncos)
DE Michael Bennett (Buccaneers)
NT Ron Brace (Patriots) SIGNED REDSKINS
DT Alan Branch (Seahawks)
DE Desmond Bryant (Raiders)
DT Chris Canty (Giants) CUT
DE Andre Carter (Raiders)
DT Shaun Cody (Texans)
DE Kenyon Coleman (Cowboys)
DE Keyunta Dawson (Titans)
DE Mike DeVito (Jets)
DE Glenn Dorsey (Chiefs)
DE Legar Douzable (Titans)
DE Nick Eason (Cardinals)
DT Dwan Edwards (Panthers)
DT Ron Edwards (Panthers) CUT
DT Sedrick Ellis (Saints)
DT Andre Fluellen (Lions)
NT Aubrayo Franklin (Chargers)
DE Robert Geathers (Bengals)
DE Wallace Gilberry (Bengals)
DT Kedric Golston (Redskins)
NT Casey Hampton (Steelers)
DE William Hayes (Rams)
NT Sammie Hill (Lions)
DE Vonnie Holliday (Cardinals)
DE Jason Hunter (Broncos)
DE Isreal Idonije (Bears)
DE Lawrence Jackson (Lions)
DE Cullen Jenkins (Eagles) CUT
DT Ricky-Jean Francois (49ers)
DT Antonio Johnson (Colts)
DE Michael Johnson (Bengals)
DT Spencer Johnson (Bills)
DE Jason Jones (Seattle)
NT Ma'ake Kemoeatu (Ravens)
NT Terrence Knighton (Jaguars)
DE LP Ladouceur (Cowboys)
DT Derek Landri (Eagles)
DT Trevor Laws (Rams)
DE Vaughn Martin (Chargers)
DE Ryan McBean (Ravens)
DE Turk McBride (Saints)
DT Tony McDaniel (Dolphins)
DT Henry Melton (Bears) RESIGNED BEARS
DE Shawn Merriman (Bills)
DT Roy Miller (Buccaneers)
DT Fili Moala (Colts)
DE Kyle Moore (Bills)
DE Jesse Nading (Texans)
DT Amobe Okoye (Bears)
DE Jaqua Parker (Browns)
DE Martin Parker (Giants) CUT
DT Mike Patterson (Eagles) CUT
NT Shaun Rogers (Giants) RESIGNED GIANTS
DE Frostee Rucker (Browns)- Released
DE Brian Schaefering (Cowboys)
DE Trevor Scott (Patriots)
DE Richard Seymour (Raiders)
DE Matt Shaughnessy (Raiders)
DE Lawrence Sidbury (Falcons)
DT Sealver Siliga (Broncos)
DT Pat Sims (Bengals)
NT Shaun Smith (Chiefs)
NT Isaac Sopoaga (49ers)
DT Randy Starks (Dolphins)
DE Darryl Tapp (Eagles)
DE Osi Umenyiora (Giants)
DE Kyle Van Den Bosch (Lions) CUT
DT Vance Walker (Falcons)
DT Ty Warren (Broncos)
DT Corey Williams (Lions)
DT Kevin Williams (Vikings)
DE Jarius Young (Titans)

[Chadman]

2013 NFL FREE AGENTS: LB

Xavier Adibi (Titans)
Lorenzo Alexander (Redskins)
Antwan Applewhite (Panthers)
Antwan Barnes (Chargers)
Nick Barnett (Bills) CUT
Connor Barwin (Texans)
Chase Blackburn (Giants)
Michael Boley (Giants)- Released
Jasper Brinkley (Vikings)
Keith Brooking (Broncos)
Ricky Brown (Ravens)
Victor Butler (Cowboys)
Jonathan Casillas (Saints)
Zac Diles (Titans)
Tim Dobbins (Texans)
Justin Durant (Lions)
Dannell Ellerbie (Ravens)
Moise Fokou (Colts)
Larry Foote (Steelers)
Keyaron Fox (Texans)
Dwight Freeney (Colts)
Scott Fujita (Browns)
Omar Gaither (Raiders)
Tavares Gooden (49ers)
Larry Grant (49ers)
Quentin Groves (Cardinals)
Gary Guyton (Chargers)
Mario Haggan (Rams)
Clark Haggans (49ers)
Geno Hayes (Bears)
Erin Henderson (Vikings)
Leroy Hill (Seahawks)
Thomas Howard (Bengals)
Robert Jackson (Redskins)
Bradie James (Texans)
Brandon Johnson (Steelers)
Brad Jones (Packers)
Edgar Jones (Chiefs)
Akeem Jordan (Eagles)
Bryan Kehl (Chiefs)
Sergio Kindle (Ravens)
Niko Koutouvides (Patriots)
Paul Kruger (Ravens)
Manny Lawson (Bengals)
Paris Lenon (Cardinals)
DeAndre Levy (Lions)
Kaluka Maiava (Browns)
Rey Maualuga (Bengals)
Rocky McIntosh (Rams)
Gerald McRath (Titans)
Marvin Mitchell (Vikings)
Kirk Morrison (Bills)
Calvin Pace (Jets) CUT
Mike Peterson (Falcons)
Shaun Phillips (Chargers)
Brady Poppinga (Cowboys)
Keith Rivers (Giants)
Nick Roach (Bears)
Barrett Ruud (Texans)
Jordan Senn (Panthers)
Bart Scott (Jets) CUT
Scott Shanle (Saints)
Brandon Siler (Chiefs)
Ernie Sims (Cowboys)
Dan Skuta (Bengals)
Daryl Smith (Jaguars)
Anthony Spencer (Cowboys)
Bryan Thomas (Jets)
Brian Urlacher (Bears)
Erik Walden (Packers)
Jamal Westerman (Colts)
Phillip Wheeler (Raiders)
Tracy White (Patriots)
Leon Williams (Chiefs)
Chris Wilson (Redskins)
Will Witherspoon (Titans)

[Chadman]

2013 NFL FREE AGENTS: DB

CB Michael Adams (Cardinals)
SS Will Allen (Steelers)
CB Will Allen (Patriots)
FS Alan Ball (Texans)
FS Ronde Barber (Buccaneers)
FS Josh Barrett (Patriots)
SS Yeremiah Bell (Jets)
CB E.J. Biggers (Buccaneers)
CB Zach Bowman (Bears)
FS Omar Brown (Ravens)
CB Sheldon Brown (Browns)
FS David Bruton (Broncos)
CB Darius Butler (Colts)
FS Jarius Byrd (Bills)
CB Chris Carr (Chargers)
CB Antoine Cason (Chargers)
SS Patrick Chung (Patriots)
CB Nate Clements (Bengals)
SS Chris Clemons (Dolphins)
CB Marquise Cole (Patriots)
SS Sean Considine (Ravens)
CB Derek Cox (Jaguars)
FS Chris Crocker (Bengals)
FS Tyrone Culver (Dolphins)
FS Craig Dahl (Rams)
CB Travis Daniels (Chiefs)
FS Louis Delmas (Lions)
SS Quintin Demps (Texans)
FS Abram Elam (Chiefs)
CB Bradley Fletcher (Rams)
CB Drayton Florence (Lions)
FS Eric Frampton (Cowboys)
CB Dominique Franks (Falcons)
FS Matt Giordiano (Raiders)
CB Cedric Griffin (Redskins)
CB Brent Grimes (Falcons)
CB Joselio Hanson (Raiders)
CB Kelvin Hayden (Bears)
SS Chris Hope (Falcons)
CB Chris Houston (Lions)
SS James Ihedigbo (Ravens)
FS Tanard Jackson (Redskins)
CB Quentin Jammer (Chargers)
CB Mike Jenkins (Cowboys)
CB Chris Johnson (Ravens)
FS Rashad Johnson (Cardinals)
CB Adam Jones (Bengals)
CB Brandon King (Jaguars) CUT
CB Jacob Lacey (Lions)
FS LaRon Landry (Jets)
CB Patrick Lee (Lions)
SS Jom Leonhard (Broncos)
CB Keenan Lewis (Steelers)
SS Corey Lynch (Chargers)
CB Elbert Mack (Saints)
FS Derrick Martin (Patriots)
SS Sherrod Martin (Panthers)
CB Rashean Mathis (Jaguars)
CB Brice McCain (Texans)
CB Terrence McGee (Bills) CUT
CB Leodis McKelvin (Bills)
CB William Middleton (Jaguars)
SS Michael Mitchell (Raiders)
CB Antwaun Molden (Jaguars)
CB D.J. Moore (Bears)
CB Sterling Moore (Cowboys)
SS William Moore (Falcons)
CB Ryan Mouton (Titans)
FS Ryan Mundy (Steelers)
CB Captain Munnerlyn (Panthers)
CB Terrence Newman (Bengals)
CB Christopher Owens (Falcons)
SS Charlie Peprah (Cowboys)
SS Kenny Phillips (Giants)
CB Tracy Porter (Broncos)
CB Jerraud Powers (Colts)
CB Glover Quin (Texans)
FS Ed Reed (Ravens)
FS Kerry Rhodes (Cardinals)
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Eagles)
CB Stanford Routt (Texans)
SS Anderson Russell (Panthers)
FS James Sanders (Cardinals)
SS Jamarca Sanford (Vikings)
SS Bryan Scott (Bills)
CB Sean Smith (Dolphins)
CB Shawntae Spencer (Raiders)
CB Aqib Talib (Patriots)
CB Greg Toler (Cardinals)
CB Marcus Trufant (Seahawks)
CB Justin Tryon (Giants)
SS Ray Ventrone (Browns)
CB Cary Williams (Ravens)
SS Madieu Williams (Redskins)
FS George Wilson (Bills) CUT
CB Brian Witherspoon (Giants)
CB Charles Woodson (Packers) CUT

[Chadman]

As players sign, Chadman will go back & fill in where each FA moves to, and will give you, the viewer, as current a list as possible of the players that remain available..

[Chadman]

Next we'll look at those players that will be considered 'top notch' FA's- the best of the group, and most likely the biggest money-earners:

QB- Only 1 name stands out, and that is Joe Flacco of the Ravens. Chances are, the Ravens won't let him hit FA, but if he does, there could be a number of teams that might chase him. The best of the rest might be Matt Moore from the Dolphins... but pickings are slim in FA.

RB- Steven Jackson (Rams) & Reggie Bush (Dolphins) are probably the biggest names at RB. Not convinced Bush will command top dollar, but Jackson should be well courted. Behind them is a list of RB's that will provide servicable play, or perhaps greater- Chris Ivory (Saints), Rashard Mendenhall (Steelers) & Shonn Green (Jets). Danny Woodhead (Patriots) might get some interest as a 3rd down type (Chadman likes him as a potential rotation RB for the Steelers) & Mike Goodson & Felix Jones might also gather a bit of interest. One guy Chadman wouldn't 'hate' if brought in is Lions RB Kevin Smith, who is struck with the injury stick, but looked pretty good running & catching in limited opportunities.

WR- There's a list of guys that will probably become pretty rich here- Victor Cruz, Dwayne Bowe, Mike Wallace, Greg Jennings & Wes Welker should all get significant pay through FA this season. Denario Alexander & Brian Hartline might garner some interest.

TE- There's plenty of quality at TE, without any star players (Unless Tony G comes back). Martellus Bennett, Dennis Pitta, Dustin Keller & Brandon Myers might all get some interest. Because they are similar in quality- they might actually bring the demand down on whoever is deemed top option- just through simple supply & demand laws. Jared Cook & Delanie Walker might get a bit of second-tier interest.

OT- There's going to be some money here- Jake Long, Sebastion Vollmer, Andre Smith, Ryan Clady, William Beatty & Phil Loadholt top the list- and all should command some good money. Just below these guys are Sam Baker, Brandon Albert & Sean Locklear. If a team is looking for an OT, there are plenty to choose from. This 'MIGHT' make it easier to re-sign Max Starks, or at the worst, find another FA to at least hold the back-up OT spot next season (Barry Richardson, Gosder Cherilous or Bryant McKinnie- for example). Wonder who might take a flier on Eben Britton?

OG- Plenty of value here, without any real stars. Andy Levitre & Louis Vasquez are probably the pick, but Ramon Foster, Kevin Boothe, Brandon Moore, Donald Thomas, Tyronne Green & Ryan Lilja are all good quality options. Chris Williams & Geoff Schwartz interest Chadman as Steelers options- both are G/T types who can help cover what is a constantly injured OL.

OC- Pickings are slim here, but Fernando Velasco might be the pick of the bunch.

DE- The top of this group is very talented- Anthony Spencer (DE or OLB), Michael Johnson, Michael Bennett & Cliff Avril will demand top money- and likely get it. Avril rejected a 3 year $30m contract mid-season, giving some indication where the market might sit for these guys. There's a whole bunch of older guys after them that might generate some interest, Dwight Freeney for example. One guy that might surprise with a bigger payday is Wallace Gilberry, who had 6.5 sacks with limited playing time. Not a lot here for the Steelers.... but if they let Harrison go, is it worth kicking the tyres of Shawne
Merriman... just to see?

DT- Henry Melton & Randy Starks might be the best 2 here. Not the greatest bunch of FA's of all time. Interesting to see a few 1st round 'busts' in this group- Glenn Dorsey, Sedrick Ellis, Amobi Okoye & Alan Branch. On a side note- if there was anyone in FA at NT Chadman would like to see brought in, Branch would be on the list. He's not what he was expected to be, but he's pretty solid against the run.

LB- Paul Kruger, Phil Wheeler, Daryl Smith, Brad Jones & Dannell Ellerbie will be the top rated LB's this off season. Not exactly the greatest collection of talent- but handy. Below these guys is players like Urlacher, Larry Grant, Connor Barwin, Thomas Howard, Manny Lawson & Justin Durant. Barwin might be interesting, if he can prove last year's 'down year' was a fluke. Some value options for the Steelers might include Victor Butler, Ernie Sims, Rey Maualuga, Brandon Siler or even Keyaron Fox.

CB- Unfortunately for the Steelers, Keenan Lewis is probably the top guy available. If he hits FA, he won't last past 2 days. Sean Smith, Leodis McKelvin, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Chris Houston, Aqib Talib & Tony Carter might be solid fall-back options, but none will get the interest Lewis will likely see. A couple of Vet Old-heads in Jammer & Terrence Newman might get some support. Antoine Cason & Mike Jenkins have never lived up to their draft rankings. One guy that might slip by due to injury last year is Brent Grimes.

FS/SS- Jarius Byrd might be the best FA available. Someone will pay him well. Deshon Goldson & Louis Delmas are very solid players, while Glover Quin, William Moore & Kenny Phillips are all young enough to draw a good contract. Ed Reed will be interesting if he hits FA. Chadman would not be against the idea of signing Patrick Chung to play the 3rd Safety role next season, and take over Ryan Clark's spot after next year.

[supersteeler]

Chadman,
You put a lot of work into this, but I doubt the Steelers will be courting FA's or be aggressive in that option. The only FA I think the Steelers might possibly pursue is RB, but I'm thinking the Steelers will attempt to sign their own first.
Someone here mentioned Ivory, he could be a possibility as the draft appears to be loaded with situational RB's but not enough of feature backs outside of a few.
If we could get a feature back to carry most of the load, I think Dwyer might be on the outside looking in. Redman seemed to be more reliable getting that third and short first down at least when he was healthy. Something is wrong when a back asks to come out so much as Dwyer has done so I don't look for him to be here.
Ivory might be a good option for the Steelers, we'll see.

[Chadman]

Chadman,
You put a lot of work into this, but I doubt the Steelers will be courting FA's or be aggressive in that option. The only FA I think the Steelers might possibly pursue is RB, but I'm thinking the Steelers will attempt to sign their own first.
Someone here mentioned Ivory, he could be a possibility as the draft appears to be loaded with situational RB's but not enough of feature backs outside of a few.
If we could get a feature back to carry most of the load, I think Dwyer might be on the outside looking in. Redman seemed to be more reliable getting that third and short first down at least when he was healthy. Something is wrong when a back asks to come out so much as Dwyer has done so I don't look for him to be here.
Ivory might be a good option for the Steelers, we'll see.

Given the Steelers financial position, you are probably right- chances are that FA for the most part will be an exercise in retaining their own more than grabbing players from other rosters..... which leads nicely into the next part of the analysis- the Steelers history in FA during the Colbert/Tomlin era..

[Chadman]

Mike Tomlin was hired as Steelers HC in January 2007, to a team that was, by and large, pretty solid across the board. Given that the Steelers have never been big FA players, not much was expected during the FA period- and the Steelers didn't disappoint. The 'big' FA signing was Sean Mahan, brought in to be the starting OC. Now, Mahan's success, or lack of it, is well documented. But what is interesting is that the Steelers identified an area on the roster that needed upgrading, and the Steelers went about trying to fix it through FA. Anthony Madison & Andre Frasier were also brought in, and both proceeded to hold ST's roles for a few seasons with the Steelers.2008 saw the Steelers bring in a few extra FA's than 2007- Byron Leftwich, Mewelde Moore, Keyaron Fox and Justin Hartwig. OK, let's be honest- none of these guys are 'big name signings', but once again, like Mahan previously, these guys were brought in for specific roles. In fact, Hartwig makes it 2 years from 2 that the Steelers sign a FA to fill a starters role.2009 saw the Steelers bring in a few more FA's, and once again, no big name guys among them- Joey Galloway, Sean McDonald, Keiwan Ratliffe and Alex Stepanovich. Unlike previous years, none of these FA's were signed to become starters, and to be honest, they really didn't contribute much. It would seem that the year after winning a SB, the team was more focused on retaining it's OL guys like Starks, Colon & Kemoeatu.2010- the 2009 season was one of disappointment, resulting in the Steelers going 9-7 and missing the playoffs. The result in FA was that the Steelers got more active, signing several FA's including Antwaan Randle-El, Arnaz Battle, Shaun Suisham, Flozell Adams, Jonathon Scott, Larry Foote and Will Allen. While only Suisham was signed to be a starter, at various points of the season Adams, Scott & Foote contributed as starters. This might be the season to use as a guide- the Steelers combated missing the playoffs by bringing in greater depth & competition through FA without really breaking the bank on any 1 player. The result of this? The Steelers returned to the SB, only to lose this time.2011 saw the Steelers go back to being part players in FA, signing only Jerricho Cotchery of any note. That said, Cotchery is another example of the level of FA the Steelers tend o bring in- a low budget role player.2012 didn't bring too many big name FA's once again. Leonard Pope & Brandon Johnson were low budget players brought in to add depth, and as the year went on Plexico Burress, Josh Victorian & Demarcus Van Dyke were added to the roster. Victorian was possibly the biggest FA contributor last season.

[Chadman]

Ok, wow... that last post was ugly to read- sorry guys, that's what you get for working off an I-Pad apparently..

There are, of course, 2 sides to every goof FA history story- the guys you sign (covered previously), and the guys you lose or re-sign. The Steelers have proven to be... frugal... at signing other teams FA's, but how have they gone with losing or keeping their own?

In 2007, the Steelers lost John Kuhn, Sean Morey, Tim Euhus, Marvin Philip, Rodney Bailey & Joey Porter to other teams. While losing a guy like Porter would normally be considered a bad loss, the Steelers made no real play at keeping Joey as they had already decided to move forward with James Harrison. So really, the lost players to other teams was very minimal. As for re-signing, Max Starks, Najeh Davenport, Tyrone Carter & Brian St Pierre were retained. Starks was a starter, Carter & Davenport had non-starting roles, but both were contributors. All in all, the Steelers really lost nobody of significance to FA, but retained those FA's that played roles for the team.


2008 saw the Steelers part ways with Alan Faneca, Clark Haggans, Brian St Pierre & Allen Rossum in FA to other teams. On paper, that looks bad, but history will tell us that no effort was made to retain Haggans who was replaced by Woodley, and Chris Kemoeatu promoted by the Steelers to replace Faneca with no real effort made to keep him on the roster. So again, while the Steelers lost some 'big name' FA's, it was really more a planned progression more than any team taking players from the Steelers. Trai Essex, Nick Eason & Travis Kirschke were all re-signed - all 3 guys were part of the DL/OL rotation. What we see, 2 years in a row, is the Steelers not losing players they want to keep.


In 2009 the Steelers actually lost a number of players to other teams- Byron Leftwich, Nate Washington, Najeh Davenport, Anthony Madison & Bryant McFadden. In fact, it's quite possible to make the argument that Nate Washington is the most successful post-Steeler in modern NFL history. But again, while the Steelers lost these players- only McFadden was considered a starter, and he was phased out by Willie Gay anyhow. The Steelers managed to re-sign Max Starks, Willie Colon, Chris Kemoeatu, Charlie Batch & Keyaron Fox- all either starters or primary back-ups. Once again, the Steelers did a great job of keeping those they wanted to keep.

History repeats itself again in 2010- the Steelers lose a few players to other teams- Deshea Townsend, Willie Parker, Jeff Reed & Carey Davis, but with the exception of Reed (who had been playing the part of lunatic rather well at this point) all these players were lost with the progression plan in place- Willie Gay moved up to starter, Rashard Mendenhall stepped in for Parker.. On the other hand, the Steelers re-signed Ben, Charlie Batch, Willie Colon, Nick Eason, Casey Hampton, Willie Gay & Ryan Clark- 5 starters & 2 back-ups. Once again, the Steelers did a great job of not losing the guys they want to keep.

2011 saw the Steelers lose Matt Speath, Keyaron Fox, Nick Eason & Crezdon Butler. With perhaps the exception of Speath, the Steelers already had replacements for each of these players on the roster. On the other hand, Mewelde Moore, Willie Colon, Shaun Suisham, Lawrence Timmons, Ike Taylor, Willie Gay, Jon Scott & Troy Polamalu were retained. By now, Chadman is sure we are starting to see the pattern forming..

Lastly- 2012. Lost from the Steelers to other teams were Willie Gay, Wes Saunders, Toney Clemons & Jamon Meredith. Retained by the Steelers were Byron Leftwich, Max Starks, Ryan Mundy & Doug Legursky. Remembering that Keenan Lewis was scheduled to step in as starter, Saunders was cut & Clemons was nicked off the PS, only Jamon Meredith was really 'taken away' from the Steelers.

[supersteeler]

Again,
The Steelers only have money to shop at K-mart not Saks of fifth Ave.

[Chadman]

Again,
The Steelers only have money to shop at K-mart not Saks of fifth Ave.

Agreed, but they were in the same position last year, and are tight against the cap nearly every year. The key is that th Steelers rarely,if ever, lose players they have not planned on replacing. The question is, who have they prepared to lose this season?

Certainly there is a progression plan in place for Max Starks, with 2 second round OT's brought into the team in 2 years. And if the Steelers were to move on from James Harrison, the Steelers have Worilds in the wings ready to stp in. Foster is covered by DeCastro. Does Allen cover Lewis? How hard will they try to re-sign Lewis as a result? Sanders replaces Wallace? McLendon replaces Hampton?

The 2 positions where the Steelers have FA's that do't apper to have a 'ready to step in replacement' are at RB & at ILB. Now, the Steelers might feel Spence is the future, but coming back from injury, Chadman is not convinced they'll turn it over to him right away. At RB, the Steelers will tender both Dwyer & Redman, but they have given no indication that either is the long-term solution, in fact Colbert even identified them as an area that needs improvement.

Chadman's point- look for the Steelers to re-sign Foote to hold ILB for Spence until he is ready, and look for a low-range upgrade in FA at RB. It would not surprise Chadman if th Steelers make very little real effort to sign Starks, and if the dollars are not there, the Steelers won't mortgage the future for Lewis if they have a guy ready to step in like Cortez Allen. Given the way the Steelers have done business in the past, some back-up type players that can help on ST's might also be brought in at low cost.

One thing Chadman has not brought up yet- the Steelers very rarely, if ever, go into a Draft without some kind of solution in place for every roster spot. That is to say, the Steelers will not have a genuine opening at a starting spot prior to the draft.

[supersteeler]

Agreed, but they were in the same position last year, and are tight against the cap nearly every year. The key is that th Steelers rarely,if ever, lose players they have not planned on replacing. The question is, who have they prepared to lose this season?

Certainly there is a progression plan in place for Max Starks, with 2 second round OT's brought into the team in 2 years. And if the Steelers were to move on from James Harrison, the Steelers have Worilds in the wings ready to stp in. Foster is covered by DeCastro. Does Allen cover Lewis? How hard will they try to re-sign Lewis as a result? Sanders replaces Wallace? McLendon replaces Hampton?

The 2 positions where the Steelers have FA's that do't apper to have a 'ready to step in replacement' are at RB & at ILB. Now, the Steelers might feel Spence is the future, but coming back from injury, Chadman is not convinced they'll turn it over to him right away. At RB, the Steelers will tender both Dwyer & Redman, but they have given no indication that either is the long-term solution, in fact Colbert even identified them as an area that needs improvement.

Chadman's point- look for the Steelers to re-sign Foote to hold ILB for Spence until he is ready, and look for a low-range upgrade in FA at RB. It would not surprise Chadman if th Steelers make very little real effort to sign Starks, and if the dollars are not there, the Steelers won't mortgage the future for Lewis if they have a guy ready to step in like Cortez Allen. Given the way the Steelers have done business in the past, some back-up type players that can help on ST's might also be brought in at low cost.

One thing Chadman has not brought up yet- the Steelers very rarely, if ever, go into a Draft without some kind of solution in place for every roster spot. That is to say, the Steelers will not have a genuine opening at a starting spot prior to the draft.

I agree with every work you typed....good job Chadman