AB's deal I think is done

[papillon]

Could the Steelers have used AB to potentially set up their future as well? Would teams like the 9ers, Jags, Browns, Chargers, Bears, Rams, Saints, etc. be willing to part with a 1st round draft pick? Those teams, even with AB, in all likelihood are going to be in the bottom third of the league for a couple years and the 1st round pick could be good enough to select a QB for the next 10-12 years? Its a gamble and those teams probably wouldn't go for it, but it may have been worth the try.

Is an elite receiver really necessary to win a Super Bowl? Is Ben good enough to use Bryant, Coates, DHB, Rogers, Ayers, Green and Bell as receivers? Would the defense be improved enough with either a great pass rushing OLB, ball hawking safety, or shutdown CB to win a Super Bowl w/o AB?

I hate to keep using the Patriots as the example but they are the road block. I believe that if the Patriots were offered something good for Gronk that they would trade him in a NY minute if they believed it would make the team better, they just won the SB w/o him. The only player on that team that has any security is Tom Brady and rightfully so.

I think the Steeler organization gets enamored with keeping their stars as Steelers for life rather than trying to improve to win a Super Bowl. And, as a fan, I'm fine with it, because it is nice to see many of the same popular faces year after year, but winning a Super Bowl could need some different thinking.

Pappy

[Real Deal Steel]

Could the Steelers have used AB to potentially set up their future as well? Would teams like the 9ers, Jags, Browns, Chargers, Bears, Rams, Saints, etc. be willing to part with a 1st round draft pick? Those teams, even with AB, in all likelihood are going to be in the bottom third of the league for a couple years and the 1st round pick could be good enough to select a QB for the next 10-12 years? Its a gamble and those teams probably wouldn't go for it, but it may have been worth the try.

Is an elite receiver really necessary to win a Super Bowl? Is Ben good enough to use Bryant, Coates, DHB, Rogers, Ayers, Green and Bell as receivers? Would the defense be improved enough with either a great pass rushing OLB, ball hawking safety, or shutdown CB to win a Super Bowl w/o AB?

I hate to keep using the Patriots as the example but they are the road block. I believe that if the Patriots were offered something good for Gronk that they would trade him in a NY minute if they believed it would make the team better, they just won the SB w/o him. The only player on that team that has any security is Tom Brady and rightfully so.

Pappy

These are all my concerns as well. Isn't paying Brown all this money a sign of how we've allowed our wide receiver corps to deteriorate? It has never been "our way" to make anyone the highest paid player at that position. Isn't that a red flag?

[Shawn]

Its nice to know that AB is locked up for 5 more years as a Steeler and LB for one more year and Ben for however many more his contract calls for, but here's my question.
Should the Steelers be trying to keep this team together? Here's why I'm asking.
The Steelers just played a season with these three guys on the roster for the majority of the year and still were well short (based on the @ss kickin by the Patriots) of the Super Bowl. A few years back in an attempt to make a final run with a good to great defense they signed some players to contracts that became an albatross to the team and the Steelers as a team didn't make the run. Are all three players necessary to win a Super Bowl?

Could they get a top notch pass rusher to replace JH (who I love, but he'll be 39 next year) and actually put real pressure on quarterbacks and do without AB or LB?

Or, could they get a top notch safety or CB and maybe a good OLB to help in two areas that need to be addressed and do without AB or LB?

I just feel like the Patriots would have assessed this situation differently and made some tough choices but in the end made the team more Super Bowl capable. I know comparing to the Patriots isn't anything we may want to do, but they are the team that the Steelers are going to have to be able to beat to get into the Super Bowl. Would a more balanced team be better or can the Steelers ride this offense to the Super Bowl?

I think I might have tried to trade AB or LB since both were in contract years and that gave the Steelers a little leverage. If a trading partner thinks they can wait for LB to hit the market, you tag him. If a team thinks they can wait for AB to hit the market, you negotiate and sign him. The Steelers, IMO, had a chance to improve the team overall and opted for more of the same, as good as that is, it wasn't good enough to get to the Super Bowl.

Just some different thoughts from the team's perspective and not any individual player.

Pappy

Keep in mind the D is young, we were missing Heyward, Bryant, Green and Bell. 4 stars. Do I believe this team, healthy can beat the Pats? Absolutely.

[williar]

Some of the comments amaze me. First off, no superstar player is going to be retained at a "discount." You've got to pay to play! Like it or not, Antonio Brown is a superstar, WR/Playmaker. He can make plays against anybody provided he is not being triple teamed. He give this team a feared playmaker and an element of credibility amongst NFL defenses. As much as it hurted to watch us get "trashed by the patriots" do not lose perspective. We were still one game away from the super bowl. Only one other team can make that claim and that was GB, not bad company to be in.

Losing a proven commodity such as AB in his prime is certainly not going to make your team better or boost your profile. Yes, there are some (good) other receiving options out there, however (good and serviceable) replacements are not going to get us to the SB! Do you really think another receiver whether a rookine or FA is going to step in and do what AB does? Seriously? Let's be clear! We are not the patriots! Tom Brady is our QB and Bill Belichick and whoever else, in not our coach! Frankly, I have yet to ever see a team perform to their caliber with so much marginal/mediocre talent. Somehow, some way, they get it done. That is why it is called the patriot way and not the steelers way.

I personally feel the most important elements to get us over the top, looking ahead, is improving our defense, staying healthy, home field advantage, and a motivated Big Ben. Hoping as he presses toward retirement he will smell that one last opportunity (maybe) to ride he and JH off to the sunset with a ring, like he did for Bettis. Just my sentiments.

And for the poster who mentioned Wide Receivers not winning you anything? I think, Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes were our last two SB MVP's. AB made the play of the year to get us in the playoffs and SH made a plethora of plays on our 2010 run during the playoffs and SB. Just Sayin!A

[feltdizz]

No. You see what the offense did with AB and the young guys vs the Pats. Not sure why people think Ben doesn't need talent to win.

Who else do we have at WR who is a proven playmaker AND reliable? Nada

Defense definitely wins championships but not this D. Not yet. We still have a ways to go and I could see if we had to pay big money to some superstars in the defense but that's not the case.

Everyone says it's a passing league but they want to short change the WR corps because of what we did in 2005? Then after we go 7-9 everyone will complain about Ben not having any talent around him and wasting his best years.

[feltdizz]

Keep in mind the D is young, we were missing Heyward, Bryant, Green and Bell. 4 stars. Do I believe this team, healthy can beat the Pats? Absolutely.

i don't

some teams have your number. I think the Pats are in our heads and until we grow some stones we will continue to forget how to play football when we play them

[williar]

What "reeks" in all of this to me, if we would be announcing that Ben just signed another 100+ million dollar extension, right now, even at his age, there would be fanfare and hoopla all through this place. When Decastro signed his "Big" second contract nobody said a bad word about it. Even though I did not think he was worth the money he got. Here it is that are best and most reliable playmaker just got his just due, after not even being in the top 20 of the highest paid wide receivers over the past few years. And some of our fans think it is a bad thing. Oh well! We all have our perogatives!

[Shawn]

What "reeks" in all of this to me, if we would be announcing that Ben just signed another 100+ million dollar extension, right now, even at his age, there would be fanfare and hoopla all through this place. When Decastro signed his "Big" second contract nobody said a bad word about it. Even though I did not think he was worth the money he got. Here it is that are best and most reliable playmaker just got his just due, after not even being in the top 20 of the highest paid wide receivers over the past few years. And some of our fans think it is a bad thing. Oh well! We all have our perogatives!

I think most fans consider it a good thing. But, lets be honest what this is about. It's about style, the way Brown "shows out"...the look at me stuff that ruffles some feathers. It irritates some folks. I would go down another route about why that is, but honestly I don't want to open that can of worms. Because, based on Brown's play there is zero reason not to pay the man his money.

[williar]

I think most fans consider it a good thing. But, lets be honest what this is about. It's about style, the way Brown "shows out"...the look at me stuff that ruffles some feathers. It irritates some folks. I would go down another route about why that is, but honestly I don't want to open that can of worms. Because, based on Brown's play there is zero reason not to pay the man his money.

Thank you Shawn! I do appreciate your attempt at an honest explaination.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

What "reeks" in all of this to me, if we would be announcing that Ben just signed another 100+ million dollar extension, right now, even at his age, there would be fanfare and hoopla all through this place. When Decastro signed his "Big" second contract nobody said a bad word about it. Even though I did not think he was worth the money he got. Here it is that are best and most reliable playmaker just got his just due, after not even being in the top 20 of the highest paid wide receivers over the past few years. And some of our fans think it is a bad thing. Oh well! We all have our perogatives!

I'm not one who's saying the AB signing is all "bad." But I don't think it's foolish to believe that it's a lot easier to win a Super Bowl without a top-five WR than it is to win one without a franchise QB.

[feltdizz]

I'm not one who's saying the AB signing is all "bad." But I don't think it's foolish to believe that it's a lot easier to win a Super Bowl without a top-five WR than it is to win one without a franchise QB.

but since we already have the franchise QB...

I'm not really getting your point.

[Eddie Spaghetti]

haven't seen one post saying its a bad thing. just some discussion about how or if paying a WR that much $$ actually helps you win a super bowl and I believe that a valid discussion. not making the Wallace comparison but some here we adamant that no WR was worth the kind of $$ he wanted. now that its AB which some here seem to have a mancrush on, its a great signing. can't have it both ways

my position is that it had to be done to keep this team in the hunt while we have BB. if he retires halfway through, then the amount of money we will be paying a WR is foolish.

I can live with the signing and hope AB makes a similar play like he made against the ravens next year to win a Superbowl, but you can also argue the other side and question the wisdom of tyijng up that much $$ in a WR

[Eddie Spaghetti]

but since we already have the franchise QB...

I'm not really getting your point.

hey, as long as AB gets his 100, right?

[williar]

I think AB is satisfied with "fair market value." I'm sure some teams would have gladly gone above and beyond!

hey, as long as AB gets his 100, right?

[Shawn]

Thank you Shawn! I do appreciate your attempt at an honest explaination.

Well I just know how those kinds of conversations go. Many people have blind spots and don't truly understand why certain things bother them so much.