Pats sign Sanders

[Chadman]

IMHO, Chadman, Flippy, Crashiggy, et al, are drumming up drama where there is none. The FO is at odds with Tomlin? Art is taking over the football operations? The only reason we're hearing this kind of stuff is because the team went 8-8 and missed the playoffs (well, we'd likely hear it from Crashiggy regardless).

Arians was shipped out because the O was underperforming. It was time for a change. Tomlin himself said he was down with the decision. I don't think he's a liar. Jury is out as to whether Haley will do any better than BA, but he gets one more season to prove himself.

Yeah, but your version is dull and only reuses Chadman's clever amalgamation of Crash's multiple personalities.

[Big Ern McCracken]

and I think you are grossly overstating sanders when you say he has shown flashes of greatness.

Not really. If you remember... Sanders cracked the lineup prior to Antonio Brown. Brown started getting his reps when Sanders went down with an injury. Sanders has made some great plays for this team, and has shown the "Flashes" that I spoke of. Whether or not he is easily replaceable is yet to be seen. Talent wise, the steelers may be able to find someone this year... as far as learning the system and getting reps with offense (to be productive)... not as likely.

[Big Ern McCracken]

I was a huge SANDERS fan until last season and his 2 costly fumbles (especially the Ravens game). I started to question his BIG TIME/BIG GAME ability in light of his "Flashes of greatness"

I agree.. he had a costly turnover or two... Same could be said for Antonio Brown, Ben throwing the two game ending pics late in the season... the combined 7-8 turnovers against Cleveland.. I don't think eny of them are exempt from the turnover deal.

[Sugar]

I agree.. he had a costly turnover or two... Same could be said for Antonio Brown, Ben throwing the two game ending pics late in the season... the combined 7-8 turnovers against Cleveland.. I don't think eny of them are exempt from the turnover deal.

I could be wrong, but I think many are thinking of the turnover to touch ratio. Manny would have had fewer touches than AB, but still the same amount of turnovers. Obviously Ben touches the ball more than anyone, so he is more likely to have at least a few mistakes.

[Big Ern McCracken]

agree with your thoughts on Ben... still doesn't excuse the piss poor decision making late in the year that cost us a shot in the playoffs. We should get more production/better decision making in those situations out of a 9 year vet.

Was not making any comparisions on the turnover to touch ratio... simply stating that they are all prone to turnovers.

[DBR96A]

Jury is out as to whether Haley will do any better than BA, but he gets one more season to prove himself.

Every new coordinator deserves at least three seasons to prove himself, especially if his system is vastly different from the old one. During the first season, all the new coordinator can do is make a couple of draft picks and spend time figuring out the strengths and weaknesses of his players relative to his system. It's not until the second season that he can really put his fingerprints on the team, because he'll have two drafts to get the kinds of players he wants, and also get rid of those who he considers unsuitable for his system. By the third season, his unit of the team will have matured into what he wanted all along.

Consider Dom Capers as the defensive coordinator for the Packers. He was inheriting a stout 4-3 defense that was good enough to help the Packers finish 13-3 and get to the NFC Championship Game in 2007. Capers is a 3-4 defensive coordinator, though, so a fundamental change in the offense was inevitable. During his first season (200, the defense regressed dramatically, and was the primary reason the Packers fell to 6-10. But by his second season (2009), the defense rebounded after he was able to acquire more of the players he wanted and get rid of the guys who were incapable of playing in a 3-4 defense. The Packers had solidified the defense enough that they finished 11-5 and made the playoffs again. By the third season (2010), the defense was now entirely his, and it was one of the best, most opportunistic defenses in the NFL that season, and they won Super Bowl XLV. (The only reason it's regressed since is because they miss Nick Collins and need to find a new FS.)

This off-season is Todd Haley's time to mold the offense more to his liking. As we can see based on the amount of roster turnover on offense, there are many players who weren't good fits for his, and they're all gone now. Four of them were starters. Any time you have four starters who aren't a good fit for an offense (or a defense, for that matter), it's probably going to be inconsistent, just as the Steelers offense was last season. Let's see how it does now that Haley's taking a more active role in shaping it.

[supersteeler]

If the Steelers intend to keep Sanders wouldn't it be better to give him a long term deal now than just match the offer sheet of N.E.?
They could reduce his base pay through a signing bonus so it wouldn't effect the cap as much right?
We could probably work out a long term deal now that would be less than it would cost next season especially if he has a strong year, and maintain some stability in the receiver corps.

[Jooser]

Roethlisberger reportedly wants Steelers to keep Sanders

Posted by Mike Florio on April 12, 2013, 8:18 PM EDT

Getty Images

Already, there are [URL="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/12/steelers-shouldnt-match-offer-for-sanders/"]plenty of good reasons[/URL] for the Steelers to not match the one-year, $2.5 million offer sheet signed by receiver[URL="http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/5885/emmanuel-sanders"]Emmanuel Sanders[/URL] with the Patriots.
Here’s another: [URL="http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/1181/ben-roethlisberger"]Ben Roethlisberger[/URL] wants the Steelers to match.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, Roethlisberger [URL="https://twitter.com/JasonLaCanfora/status/322853589640945664"]has been lobbying[/URL] coach Mike Tomlin and members of the coaching staff to keep Sanders. That’s fine, but Roethlisberger isn’t the General Manager, or anyone else in a position of influence when it comes to personnel.
Roethlisberger [URL="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2008/10/18/a-sweed-debut/"]had lobbied for a tall receiver[/URL] for years, pissing off in the process vertically-challenged (but highly skilled) pass catchers like Hines Ward. (The Steelers eventually burned a second-round pick Limas Sweed, who was long on body but short on talent.)
Roethlisberger also wanted to keep offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, whom the Steelers “retired” in 2012. Arians became the offensive coordinator in Indy, the interim head coach when Chuck Pagano was undergoing cancer treatments, and ultimately the 2012 Associated Press coach of the year.

Then again, maybe the Steelers should listen to everything Roethlisberger suggests.

Guess we know where Ben's lot of the 50/50 ballot is....

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Yeah, but your version is dull and only reuses Chadman's clever amalgamation of Crash's multiple personalities.

Got me there...

By the way, whatever happened to Crashiggy, anyways? Seems as though he likes to show up for two or three weeks, then he's gone for months... Don't always agree with him, but he keeps the board lively...

[DukieBoy]

These last several posts have been quality discussion, what this board has been built upon and what has made it so good.

Seems to me that when Hines, Farrior, and Smith left, that leadership at the team level being gone, and with a change in the offense at OC and the new schemes, the lid came off with some of these young money players, especially at WR. It seemed to me that the sense of commitment and "all in" gave way to some "me first" attitude and behavior. The players own some of this, and so does the HC and his staff.

My point of view is that Tomlin and the coaching staff (particularly the HC) have done a mediocre job of managing the young players. Mendenhall, while he offended the values and sensibilities of people with his twitter posts and some other behaviors of questionable judgement, was (is) a young player who was not well managed or developed by he coaches. I think the Mendenhall would thrive in the zone blocking scheme that is to be implemented this season.

Mendy's offenses seem small to me, compared with Ta'amu's offenses. One is gone and one is still on the team.

Also, I think if the FO valued the opinions of the coaching staff sufficiently, and if to coaching staff is competent, they could have seen what they had in Keenan Lewis and locked him into a long-term deal at what would now seem like a bargain price before the beginning of last season. This could apply to Mike Wallace two years back, and maybe to Sanders, too. All those players could help us this year, and in years to come. Now we will have to draft to replace some of them.

Following the exodus of young talent, they best find ways to lock in the good young talent that remains (Cortez Allen in particular), or we could be looking up at three teams in our division for some years to come.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

If the Steelers intend to keep Sanders wouldn't it be better to give him a long term deal now than just match the offer sheet of N.E.?
They could reduce his base pay through a signing bonus so it wouldn't effect the cap as much right?
We could probably work out a long term deal now that would be less than it would cost next season especially if he has a strong year, and maintain some stability in the receiver corps.

I would think the Steelers ought to be able to sign him to a reasonable long-term deal...the question is, do they want to? I think it would be a smart move. A receiver with his strengths should be a vital piece of Haley's offense.

[flippy]

Guess we know where Ben's lot of the 50/50 ballot is....

Ben wanting someone to stay is the nail in the coffin for that player. Although we can always get him back in a year if he Ocho Stinkos it up in NE.

[Rara]

These last several posts have been quality discussion, what this board has been built upon and what has made it so good.

Seems to me that when Hines, Farrior, and Smith left, that leadership at the team level being gone, and with a change in the offense at OC and the new schemes, the lid came off with some of these young money players, especially at WR. It seemed to me that the sense of commitment and "all in" gave way to some "me first" attitude and behavior. The players own some of this, and so does the HC and his staff.

My point of view is that Tomlin and the coaching staff (particularly the HC) have done a mediocre job of managing the young players. Mendenhall, while he offended the values and sensibilities of people with his twitter posts and some other behaviors of questionable judgement, was (is) a young player who was not well managed or developed by he coaches. I think the Mendenhall would thrive in the zone blocking scheme that is to be implemented this season.

Mendy's offenses seem small to me, compared with Ta'amu's offenses. One is gone and one is still on the team.

Also, I think if the FO valued the opinions of the coaching staff sufficiently, and if to coaching staff is competent, they could have seen what they had in Keenan Lewis and locked him into a long-term deal at what would now seem like a bargain price before the beginning of last season. This could apply to Mike Wallace two years back, and maybe to Sanders, too. All those players could help us this year, and in years to come. Now we will have to draft to replace some of them.

Following the exodus of young talent, they best find ways to lock in the good young talent that remains (Cortez Allen in particular), or we could be looking up at three teams in our division for some years to come.

I just don't get why players like Keisel, Foote, Roethlisberger even...haven't stepped up and try to take leadership. They are ones that should be.

[supersteeler]

It looks like most fans favor getting N.E.'s third round pick while the Steelers decide the case to keep him or let him walk.
Having another pick in the third round may look appealing on the surface but I'm not sure it's the best way to go at this point since we already are thin at the WR spot.

By retaining Sanders we have an experinced WR who knows the system as opposed to relying on a rookie, Plax, and Cotchery plus opposing defenses will try and put double coverage on Brown and take him out of the offense much like they did when we had Wallace.
Remember, Cotchery and Plax haven't had much playing tme in Haley's offense and if defenses are successful taking Brown out of the offense it's going to be difficult maintaining consistency.

Maybe I'm alone here but I would like to see the Steelers work out a long term deal and have some stability at that position.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

I just don't get why players like Keisel, Foote, Roethlisberger even...haven't stepped up and try to take leadership. They are ones that should be.

Maybe the players you mentioned aren't as good at leading as those who've departed...perhaps they don't command enough respect...it could be that they're not cut out to be leaders...or even that they just don't want to be leaders...

I don't think leadership is something you can force on a player, or necessarily expect from him because of his talent, seniority, or experience...otherwise, Troy Polamalu ought to be a team leader...but I don't think he is.