FO acting differently this pre-season ...

[winwithd]

that's my thought as well... "the window is closing... we're going to do as much as we can NOW to get 'er done"...

Now, I'm wanting to know how they're going to figure how to trade up for Ben's replacement in the next draft...

Didnt the Ravens once win a super bowl with Trent Dilfer? Landry Jones has shown improvement each season! Werent we more competitive with Jones at QB vs the Pats at midseason then we were with Ben in the playoffs? No need to overreact and mortgage the future to find our next QB when we may already have.

[Captain Lemming]

Hey Captain - lots of good points but what I really wanted to say is I finally was able to read one of your posts from top to bottom because it had zero "all caps" words and phrases in it - thank you!

Too funny.
However, you give me premature credit. You know I can't make a post that long without going caps somewhere. I "still" went all caps once once my friend.

[Captain Lemming]

that's my thought as well... "the window is closing... we're going to do as much as we can NOW to get 'er done"...

Now, I'm wanting to know how they're going to figure how to trade up for Ben's replacement in the next draft...

So true.
We have never once signed a highly drafted Browns corner or attempted to upgrade our starting tight end with a veteran, it is suddenly so very urgent......oh wait.. didn't we do that LAST SEASON??

Again the only difference is who became available and the cap space to pay them.

(Sorry San Antonio for the caps....I can't stop myself).

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

So true.
We have never once signed a highly drafted Browns corner or attempted to upgrade our starting tight end with a veteran, it is suddenly so very urgent......oh wait.. didn't we do that LAST SEASON??

Again the only difference is who became available and the cap space to pay them.

(Sorry San Antonio for the caps....I can't stop myself).

Well, I guess you aren't called Cap'n Lemming for nothing!

[Eich]

Well all that and to win one for Dan.

Yes, one for Dan as well as Harrison. Send him out with a ring. Hopefully these have become some uniting factors on the team.

[Furious]

Yes, one for Dan as well as Harrison. Send him out with a ring. Hopefully these have become some uniting factors on the team.

Ageed.... for Dan, Ben and Jimmy Hate.

[RuthlessBurgher]

New approach emerges for Steelers as preseason dust finally settles

A lot has changed in Pittsburgh since the clock reached zero in the AFC Championship Game in January. Those changes run deep, all the way down to team philosophies. A murky long-term outlook has given rise to a short-term approach geared to immediate success. The question now is, “will it work?”

by Mike Frazer

Sep 6, 2017, 9:15am EDT

Maybe it’s the tactical necessity of “Win now” for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are staring down the barrel of a reality with their franchise quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, nearing the end of his Hall of Fame-worthy career. Perhaps it’s simply a shift in philosophy now that Art Rooney II is the de facto head of the organization. It might even be a long-term, strategic shift in perspective for Head Coach Mike Tomlin and General Manager Kevin Colbert now that roster cut-downs are no longer a two-step process.

Whatever the reason, one noticeable change emerged during the last week in Pittsburgh. Past production has taken a backseat to future potential. Let’s momentarily marvel at the what, rather than hash through the why.

With Saturday’s 4:00 p.m. deadline to finalize 53-man rosters around the league, the Steelers broke tradition in numerous ways. Cuts began leaking early, with the first rumored moves being the releases of running backs Knile Davis and Fitzgerald Toussaint. More news leaked out as Friday evening rolled along, but the biggest news would come on Saturday.

As Saturday morning progressed, we were alerted first that cornerback Ross Cockrell, and then wide receiver Sammie Coates had been traded for draft picks. Both were intended to be season-long starters in 2016; both are young and had demonstrated at least competency in their jobs. But Cockrell had become a victim of shifting defensive approaches, with the team publicly stating they want to run more man coverage in 2017. Coates, meanwhile, had struggled with injuries. In the past, these issues wouldn’t have been enough to cause the Steelers to jettison the players in question. But with Roethlisberger very publicly contemplating retirement this past off-season, it’s possible there’s a collective realization that the team-building philosophies more prevalent in baseball and hockey, where near-term success often takes precedence over long-term planning, now are more appropriate for the Steelers.

Maybe they were paying close attention to the Penguins, who have won the last two Stanley Cup Finals by continually evolving their roster and approach, adjusting to available personnel and to other teams. Sometimes old dogs can learn new tricks.

Now, I’m not saying the Steelers were the only team active in the player market on Friday night and Saturday morning. Far from it, really. With the new NFL policy of a single, enforced roster cutdown, it makes good sense. Any capable player who gets cut is going to find himself in high demand, so it makes sense to find a team in particular need of that player’s services and cut a deal. Better to end up with something when the dust settles, after all.

Despite the fact that a change in approach made sense, though, the Steelers have typically rolled to a practiced, long-thought-out methodology, eschewing the personnel practices followed elsewhere in the league. This time, though, they embraced the change in rules and found opportunities to make the team better, both now and in the future. It’s that kind of wheeling and dealing that has endeared Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford to a notoriously finicky Pittsburgh fanbase, and now it looks like the Steelers might begin to follow suit.

But, as I said before, what truly stands out this year is that the Steelers are prioritizing potential over proven production. Cockrell and Coates both have started for the team, and each was replaced — Cockrell by rookies Cameron Sutton and Brian Allen, and Coates by Justin Hunter, who hasn’t exactly excelled so far in his NFL career, but who showed up in a big way early and late in the 2017 preseason.

Cockrell and Coates aren’t the only ones, either. Other players who have started games for the Steelers who ended up being cut on Saturday include receivers Demarcus Ayers and Cobi Hamilton, tight end David Johnson, and Toussaint. For Ayers and Hamilton, their replacements are a combination of Hunter and Martavis Bryant, who is returning from a year-long suspension. But Johnson’s replacement is Vance McDonald, who was acquired from the San Francisco 49ers earlier this week for a pittance. McDonald was adequate in San Francisco, even with less-than-stellar quarterbacks Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick throwing to him, so the potential is definitely there. And Toussaint was replaced by both James Conner, a 2017 third-round draft pick, and Terrell Watson, who was one of the two most exciting players for the team during the preseason, but who failed to stick with the Cleveland Browns, of all teams, last year.

Finally, there was a single player to make the cut who might be wise to consider himself officially on notice. Corner back William Gay is facing a huge push from former undrafted free agent Mike Hilton. Despite failing to stick with both the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots in 2016, Hilton showed up to camp ready to play, and exceeded all expectations. In all aspects of his game — coverage, run defense, rushing the passer and as a gunner on special teams -- Hilton simply stood out for all the best reasons. If he’s not the primary slot-cornerback on opening day, Gay will likely be on a very short leash in that role after a less-than-inspiring preseason.

But, none of that is unexpected with a team facing so many changes beyond the roster in such a short period. From ownership to future key retirements, it’s easy to see a need for adjustments given the finite nature of the Steelers’ current timeline. The fact is, their steady leadership has taken multiple hits. Long-time team patriarch Dan Rooney’s passing earlier this year came at the same time when it became obvious that their quarterback is only willing to commit to the 2017 season. It’s not an enviable position for the team but, at the same time, they now get to behave like a team with nothing to lose. There’s a certain freedom in that.

As the adage goes, “when you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” And what the Steelers almost always have gotten is playing second fiddle to the New England Patriots. Changes in approach were necessary to buck that trend and, with an uncertain future on the horizon, that message was heard, loud and clear.

Whether it’s for better or worse remains to be seen. But as for the shift in approach, mission accomplished.

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/pittsburgh-steelers-opinions-reactions-news-updates/2017/9/6/16248970/new-approach-emerges-for-steelers-as-preseason-dust-finally-settles-ross-cockrell-sammie-coates-nfl

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Not sure we've given up much.
Haden was a FA and McDonald we got a pick also.
Coates and possible Cockrell add picks also.

However my theory is I'd give up a pick for a "potential" for a proven player anyday

My point exactly Sid, so let me jump on.

Football is not like other sports (mostly baseball or hockey) where going for broke means dealing young minor league prospects for proven major leaguers. There is no minor league system, so the currency you are dealing in is future salary cap space and draft picks. Looking at the three recent acquisitions...

Haden was a FA signing, so no draft pick loss. In year one he has a small cap hit of $3.166M. This means that it is a one year "prove it" deal. If he plays well and shows that he has recovered from injury then his cap hit each of the next two years is a touch under $12M. Fair value for a top tier type corner. If he does not prove himself then the team is on the hook for a dead cap hit of $3.8M next year, and they walk away after one year (or $1.9M if they walk away after the second year). $3.8M is not a hit you want to take, but it also does not handcuff you at all in the future. If they team cuts him, they can even designate him a post June 1 release and spread the hit as $1.9M each of the next two years. Not a huge risk.

McDonald cost the team very little in trade value. They gave up their fourth (which will hopefully be late) and received the 49ers fifth round pick (which will hopefully be early. Realistically you slide down somewhere between 10-20 picks on the third day, depending on number of compensatory picks awarded. Also, when acquiring a contract via trade, the original team assumes the dead SB money cap hit. So, the Steelers can cut him at anytime and not worry about the cap consequences. He will cost a bit over $2.6M this season, not bad for a guy who might be your number one TE. If he is, the cost escalates to $4.6M next year and as high as $5.5M in the final two years. That is around what they were willing to give to Green to play TE, and they can cut McDonald at any time if they don't like the way he is playing. No risk.

JJ Wilcox also cost very little in trade. Like McDonald, his contract can be terminated at any time without cap ramifications. His cap hits if on the squad are $2.375 and $3.125 each of this year and next. If he plays up to it then fine, if not cut him. No problem. As far as trade compensation goes, the Steelers slide from their sixth round pick to the Bucs seventh rounder. No big deal that late in the draft. Again, this is more about the money, and the fact that he gets cut at anytime without cap penalty. No risk.