Steelers Extend Heyward thru 2020.

[7upnext]

Any player can easily be replaced. We can replace Heyward with Cam Thomas, who only makes $2M per year. We can use the $8M savings on other players. Don't think that anyone wants that.

I think that one of the beautiful things about guys like Heyward and Aaron Smith is that they contribute greatly, in ways that are not quantified by numbers. You can't simply use the cliche that "all they do is occupy blockers". Good DEs allow guys like Harrison, Lloyd, Porter etc. to put up numbers and grab the glory.

remind me again about these amazing numbers and glory our LBs and defense overall has been putting up since Heyward's arrival. If that's the way to judge a 3-4 DE then my point stands. He's a very good, not excellent DE. Glad we have him. But it's just too much to pay imo. Even if he somehow gets better than Smith in his prime he wouldn't deserve it. It's going to come back to haunt them.

[Slapstick]

Except it won't. The game has changed since Smith played. If Heyward plays the run as well as he has and also records 7.5 to 8 sacks per year, it's a good deal...

[SidSmythe]

Except it won't. The game has changed since Smith played. If Heyward plays the run as well as he has and also records 7.5 to 8 sacks per year, it's a good deal...

JJ Watt is the new Prototype for a dominant 3-4 DE.

His deal is about 2/3's of Watts. I don't see HEYWARD getting 16 sacks.
However at this money I would want to see 10 sacks, many batted balls and teams gameplanning to slow him down.

[Oviedo]

JJ Watt is the new Prototype for a dominant 3-4 DE.

His deal is about 2/3's of Watts. I don't see HEYWARD getting 16 sacks.
However at this money I would want to see 10 sacks, many batted balls and teams gameplanning to slow him down.

I agree. I think it is reasonable to expect for that salary you get 8-10 sacks not just occupying blockers.

[steelsnis]

I agree. I think it is reasonable to expect for that salary you get 8-10 sacks not just occupying blockers.

C'mon guys. I'd hope that you're smart enough to know that it's way more nuanced than "you got money, you need sacks".

Saying a guy is getting paid X-amount of cash so now he has to have X-number of sacks isn't exactly how it works. Coaches and front offices are smart enough to know when a player is performing up to the level of his contract and it's not simply about sacks for a defensive lineman. I'd love to see Heyward with 10 sacks this season! It would be great! But to insinuate that him not getting those sacks in some way means he's not worth his contract is simply not true.

Haha most of the people on this board freak out if someone they don't like (Worilds, JJ, Gildon etc) got a sack while going up against a running back or a TE. What if Heyward gets 10 sacks this year but 5 of them are after a lineman falls down? Is he still worth it? OF COURSE HE IS

Can't base his (or anyone's) salary on an arbitrary number. This isn't a sales job where you need to sell 65 widgets a month in order to hit your quota. NFL doesn't work that way. I'm thrilled the Steelers ponied up and paid their best young defensive player to keep him in Pittsburgh for 5 or 6 more seasons. It's the right move and sends a good message to the rest of the team.

[birtikidis]

Personally, I think the talk about sacks is over rated. Sure they're great and make nifty high light reels on ESPN. But if a guy is a sieve in the running game but gets 10 sacks, I could care less.
That's the problem I always had with Worilds. Guy couldn't stop my grandmother from running off tackle, but he could get sacks. Heyward is worth every penny of that deal if he gets 1/2 the sacks he did last year. He almost single handedly shuts down runs to that side. I'd rather have a guy who shuts down the running game than a guy who gets a sack 8 times per year.

[SidSmythe]

Personally, I think the talk about sacks is over rated. Sure they're great and make nifty high light reels on ESPN. But if a guy is a sieve in the running game but gets 10 sacks, I could care less.
That's the problem I always had with Worilds. Guy couldn't stop my grandmother from running off tackle, but he could get sacks. Heyward is worth every penny of that deal if he gets 1/2 the sacks he did last year. He almost single handedly shuts down runs to that side. I'd rather have a guy who shuts down the running game than a guy who gets a sack 8 times per year.

Dwight Freeney

[birtikidis]

Dwight Freeney

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but didn't Freeney play most of his career as a 4-3 defensive end?
Also, IMO most of his career he was a terrible run defender. That entire defense was a sieve. Not nec. his fault. if they hadn't given choker manning 100m dollars they may have been able to sign some defensive players.

[birtikidis]

THE JJ Watts and Bruce Smiths are the exception to the rule. Steeler fans are an interesting group. They see a special player flourish in a system similar to what we run and they instantly expect our guys to be on the same level. Heyward is an absolute stud who is perfect for what we are trying to do. He's not a JJ Watt or Bruce Smith. Like I said if he shuts down one side of the offense and gets 4-5 sacks those are great results.

[SidSmythe]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but didn't Freeney play most of his career as a 4-3 defensive end?
Also, IMO most of his career he was a terrible run defender. That entire defense was a sieve. Not nec. his fault. if they hadn't given choker manning 100m dollars they may have been able to sign some defensive players.

My point was he could get to the QB and gave no mind to run support.

[birtikidis]

My point was he could get to the QB and gave no mind to run support.

And my point is that I'd rather not have a one dimensional player like that. Freeny was great at getting to the qb though.

[Oviedo]

Personally, I think the talk about sacks is over rated. Sure they're great and make nifty high light reels on ESPN. But if a guy is a sieve in the running game but gets 10 sacks, I could care less.
That's the problem I always had with Worilds. Guy couldn't stop my grandmother from running off tackle, but he could get sacks. Heyward is worth every penny of that deal if he gets 1/2 the sacks he did last year. He almost single handedly shuts down runs to that side. I'd rather have a guy who shuts down the running game than a guy who gets a sack 8 times per year.

I have t disagree. This is a passing league and teams pass more than ever and on potentially every down. A sack means that you have taken the most important player on the other team (the QB) to the ground before he can get rid of the ball and he has been forced to take negative yards. How by any metric is that over rated. If anything is over rated it is "stout against the run" in a league where running is for the most part a secondary part of an offense plan and usually a supporting aspect to passing and scoring. You want every player to be balanced but I'll takes a sack producer over "stout against the run" every time because sacks are game changing plays whereas tacking a runner after a 2-3 yard gain rarely ever is.

[Slapstick]

I agree. So, it's a good thing that LeBeau freed Heyward up to get some sacks and make good use of his pass rushing abilities. It's also a good thing that Butler is going to continue with this adjustment to the defensive scheme. The adjustment that LeBeau originally implemented.

[Oviedo]

I agree. So, it's a good thing that LeBeau freed Heyward up to get some sacks and make good use of his pass rushing abilities. It's also a good thing that Butler is going to continue with this adjustment to the defensive scheme. The adjustment that LeBeau originally implemented.

It's especially good that the team went forward by putting the guy on top who was willing to take it to the next level.

[birtikidis]

I have t disagree. This is a passing league and teams pass more than ever and on potentially every down. A sack means that you have taken the most important player on the other team (the QB) to the ground before he can get rid of the ball and he has been forced to take negative yards. How by any metric is that over rated. If anything is over rated it is "stout against the run" in a league where running is for the most part a secondary part of an offense plan and usually a supporting aspect to passing and scoring. You want every player to be balanced but I'll takes a sack producer over "stout against the run" every time because sacks are game changing plays whereas tacking a runner after a 2-3 yard gain rarely ever is.

You would disagree.
You're one of those fantasy football if it didn't make the ESPN high light it didn't happen guys.
Tell Marshawn Lynch that he's a secondary part of the game.