Harrison Gone

[SteelBucks]

Trade Ben to Arizona for a first and second this year and first and second next year so we can fully rebuild instead of being average for the next 5 to ten years.....I'm only 1/2 kidding.

And return to the Cliff Stoudt days of terrible Steelers Quarterbacks. You build a team around a franchise QB, not around Charlie Batch.

[Chadman]

It's not all doom & gloom. There are some promising players on the roster.This current situation was always going to come about at some point once they started restructuring contracts on older players. Once bitten...

[Mister Pittsburgh]

And return to the Cliff Stoudt days of terrible Steelers Quarterbacks. You build a team around a franchise QB, not around Charlie Batch.

Or grab a Russell Wilson or Colin Kaepernick after the first round....

[SteelBucks]

Or grab a Russell Wilson or Colin Kaepernick after the first round....

Or end up grabbing a Tee Martin after the first round. As you can see, the years of having great Steelers teams with lousy quarterbacks has wore on me.

[papillon]

And by that time.. Ben is on the downside of his career.

This is what worries me. It's one thing to replace a couple players. It's a whole different story when your trying to replace this list at a minium.

Wallace - I think he is to 1-dimensional but he's still at #1 on some teams and a #2 on the others.
Mendy - I'm not a fan but he's still our best back
Harrison - Our best OLB. He was the James of old towards the end of the season and he is one of the very few players on this defense that can create turnovers
Hampton - A staple of this defense for many years. He's replaceable at this point but by who?
Taylor - I would keep lewis over Ike because of age mostly. Why keep a player that has 1 year left over another that is entering his prime? Ike is a very good coverage guy but he is NOT worth ANYWHERE close to 9 mil.
Lewis - This is the Steelers own fault. They signed some poor contracts and they hung onto old players to long which is now costing us the ability to sign our young players. Historically, the team was good about knowing when to release old players in order to sign the up & comers. Not so much anymore.

Tendered the following:

RB Jonathan Dwyer: Original round (sixth round)
P Jeremy Kapinos: No tender
NT Steve McLendon: Right of first refusal (no compensation)
RB Isaac Redman: Right of first refusal (no compensation)
LB Stevenson Sylvester: No tender
WR Emmanuel Sanders: Original round (third round)

What will the Steelers do if both Dwyer and Redman get better offers that the Steelers can't match? Will they even have a running back on the team? They could be forced into an RB at 1.17. Jumping the gun and signing AB before they had to just to spite Wallace may come back to bite them.

Pappy

[papillon]

Trade Ben to Arizona for a first and second this year and first and second next year so we can fully rebuild instead of being average for the next 5 to ten years.....I'm only 1/2 kidding.

I wouldn't be against it at this point. Ben won't be enough to make this team competitive for the next 2-3 years and he won't have any value by then or he may be in the infirmary and unable to play.

The offense will be without its best WR, RB, TE and LT to start the season. Hopefully, none of the linemen get injured and they at least begin to gel and work together on a regular basis.

Pappy

[Mister Pittsburgh]

I wouldn't be against it at this point. Ben won't be enough to make this team competitive for the next 2-3 years and he won't have any value by then or he may be in the infirmary and unable to play.

The offense will be without its best WR, RB, TE and LT to start the season. Hopefully, none of the linemen get injured and they at least begin to gel and work together on a regular basis.

Pappy

I just feel like we can hold onto Ben and be average for the next few years then search for a QB and players to fill all our holes, or trade him while he remains significant value and we could be aided greatly from the return. The Steelers philosophies don't mesh we'll with spending top dollar on a QB in a salary cap league. With wanting to have an all star defense with expensive pieces and a strength in running the ball which requires an awesome line and top notch RB, the QB becomes less important.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

and now all the mocks will have OLB early - lol

I've been saying I wouldn't be surprised if it looked like "Timmons-Woodley" for a while... Knowing Spence's situation looks questionable, it's sounding like I may be a genius (which I already knew)...

[Oviedo]

It's not all doom & gloom. There are some promising players on the roster.This current situation was always going to come about at some point once they started restructuring contracts on older players. Once bitten...

Yep. THey rolled the dice one too many time trying to get "one more season" from these veteran players. It didn't work and now it is time to go in a new direction. As you say, when you play that game this is bound to happen eventually.

However, not all is lost. Remember a couple of years ago when the Ravens blew up their roster? We all predicted they were done. They stayed competitive and we know what just happened.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

I can understand what you guys are saying about trading Ben, but I have to disagree. It's hard to find a franchise QB who gives you a legitimate shot at winning championships. It's easier, in my estimation, to replace the other pieces of the team.
Yes, it looks like it could be tough going in the near future, but if we hit on a high percentage in this upcoming draft, things could turn around and we might be contending again before long. I think we'll see how good our coaches really are, what with all the younger players that we will be forced to get on the field.

[Oviedo]

I can understand what you guys are saying about trading Ben, but I have to disagree. It's hard to find a franchise QB who gives you a legitimate shot at winning championships. It's easier, in my estimation, to replace the other pieces of the team.
Yes, it looks like it could be tough going in the near future, but if we hit on a high percentage in this upcoming draft, things could turn around and we might be contending again before long. I think we'll see how good our coaches really are, what with all the younger players that we will be forced to get on the field.

Yes. No way I ever trade Ben. I remeber all too well the 80s, 90s and 2000-2005 when we could do nothing because our QB play was below the league standard.

Change isn't always bad. It's not like the veterans they are cutting have been lighting up the league the past two years.

[pittpete]

YES, LETS TRADE BEN.
We have a talented backup QB waiting in the wings.
Oh, wait we don't have anyone.
I give up, you people are just plain assinine.
Sorry, I know everyone is entitled to their opinions, this being a forum and such but the ridiculousness of getting rid of your 30 year old franchise QB is MORONIC.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

YES, LETS TRADE BEN.
We have a talented backup QB waiting in the wings.
Oh, wait we don't have anyone.
I give up, you people are just plain assinine.
Sorry, I know everyone is entitled to their opinions, this being a forum and such but the ridiculousness of getting rid of your 30 year old franchise QB is MORONIC.

[lloydroid]

I have to say, hearing Harrison speak about him departing, he was quite reasonable and logical - not the ranting lunatic he often is. I am guessing that is because he is now auditioning for a new team, so he doesn't want to come across as negative. I mean, this is the guy who turned down a visit to the White House, because, and I quote, "He (the president) wouldn't have invited us if we didn't win the Super Bowl." (That is kind of the whole point: You get invited when you win the SB, James.)

Any how, they interviewed him on ESPN, and said he was really going to miss his teammates, etc. Farewell, to one of my favorite Steelers OF ALL TIME. Oh, and asked if he thought he was a Hall of Fame level player, he scoffed it off and said "No way, that is way up there. I am no where close." I think he is selling himself short. If I were him, I would have said, "At my peak play, I think I could be worthy, but I just didn't have enough years to be considered." That is the truth. Had he offered his level of play of 2005 for 4-5 more years than he will, he would he a Hall of Famer, in my opinion. I mean, easily.

[kindlecatsb'ng]

Oh my

hood, mclendon and keisel
Woodley, foote, timmons and worilds
Allen, polamalu, Clark and Victrian

Wallace- gone
Mendy- gone
Harrison- gone
Hampton- gone
Taylor- probably gone
Lewis- can't afford

It's going to be a long few years until things get back on track

Pappy

Just back in country to this news. Very true, Pappy, this is going to be like the bottom of the AFC North for a few years. Very sad state of affairs.

Kindle