Three little Bugatti Boys walking in the zoo;
A dolphin sprayed one and then there were two.
Two little Bugatti Boys sitting in the sun;
One was covered by a patriot's shade and then there was one. - paraphrased from Ten Little Indians
The New England Patriots have signed Pittsburgh Steelers restricted free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to a one-year offer sheet, according to Steelers.com and other sources. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the amount of the contract "shouldn't scare the Steelers," meaning that it is within the range that for them to be able to match it, which they have to do by Sunday. This was confirmed by fellow ESPN reporter, Ed Werder.
"Expect Steelers to match Patriots offer sheet and retain WR Emmanual Sanders," wrote Werder. He's vital after loss of Mike Wallace and offer easy to match."
It has since been confirmed that the amount of the deal is for $2.5 million, which, being that the Steelers Salary Cap numbers include his tender, they can match. So, as Schefter said, the Steelers shouldn't be scared to match it. However, money may not only be the issue.
If they choose not to match it, the Steelers would receive the Patriots third-round pick. Sanders was given an original round tender offer in free agency, worth $1.33 million. The Steelers have a little less than $2 million in cap room available, and the decision could simply be made based on that.
They also, though, need to consider what their not-many-years-left-in-his-prime franchise quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, must feel about this. No Rashard Mendenhall, no Mike Wallace, whom Big Ben said the Steelers would miss, and now potentially no Manny?
They offered Manny an original-round tender instead of a first-round tender. If they truly wanted him that much, they would have given him the higher tender like they did Wallace last season. Are they willing to do a tabula rasa, take the Patriot's 91st pick and draft from the admittedly deep wide receiver class? They haven't exactly been stellar in that category of late. Only 21 (22 if Manny stays) out of the last 59 players Kevin Colbert has drafted, spanning the Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin eras, are still with the team, and none from the 2008 draft class.
I, for one, am a believer in known commodities over unknown ones and would prefer to keep him. It means having a player whose attributes you're familiar with, who already knows the system and is already comfortable with the receiver on the other side and with the aforementioned franchise quarterback.
Like the orchestrator of this offer sheet himself, Bill Belichick said at March's annual meetings: "It’s a lot easier to watch a guy in the NFL perform and translate his skills for your team than watch a guy in college perform because of the discrepancy in the passing game."
At the same time, though, it is only a one-year deal, and Manny is going to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year anyway. Since he has actually signed the offer sheet, that means he has seriously entertained the idea of leaving. That means that there is no guarantee he will be back after next season, unless a long-term deal is signed after June 1st when the Salary Cap money from the release of Willie Colon kicks in. So the Steelers could assure themselves of some return on their investment by not matching the offer.
Like Albert Breer of NFL.com tweeted earlier, "If Pitt is gonna match, they'd likely figure whether Sanders is just in for '13 or long-term. Third-rounder under their control for 4 yrs." So, is the Manny cup half full or half empty?
There is more to come on this and If It Ain't Steel will be offering more on this regarding the draft side of things and what keeping Manny could mean.
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TIDBITS: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was named to the NFL Competition Committee on Tuesday. Will it cause Steelers' players to complain a little less? (No) - http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/09/mike-tomlin-joins-competition-committee/
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Steelers nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu was sentenced Thursday to 18 months of probation and will spend four days in a program that's an alternative to jail. He still, though, may get further attention from the NFL. - http://www.postbulletin.com/sports/national/college/steelers-ta-amu-gets-probation-in-drunken-crashes/article_0c56e603-29d9-5cb0-806d-153facf714a3.html
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The Steelers worked out two running backs recently: UCLA's Jonathan Franklin and one we've highlighted before, Michigan State's Le'Veon Bell.
In four years, the 5'10" and 205-pound Franklin rushed for 4,403 yards on 788 carries and had 31 touchdowns. He ran 4.46/40 at the NFL Combine and also showed good leg strength with a 31.5" vertical and a 9'07" broad jump.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that that the Steelers were one of five teams to put Bell through a private pre draft workout.
The 6'1 1/2" and 230-pound Bell, ran a 4.6/40, and showed good overall strength at the Combine by posting a 32 ½-inch vertical jump, 9’3” broad jump and bench pressed 225 pounds 24 times.
He rushed for 3,346 yards and 33 touchdowns on 671 carries at Michigan State. For our complete breakdown of him, read here: http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2013/03/do-recent-pro-day-visits-indicate-who.html
Showing posts with label Ed Werder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ed Werder. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Steelers Confirm Wallace Won't Be Traded; LaMarr Woodley Talks Defense
It seems Mike Wallace has even less leverage than he had before...if that's possible.
"Mike Wallace is not available for trade", Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told ESPN's Ed Werder.
If It Ain't Steel never thought so anyway. Neither proposed it as a possibility nor insinuated as much in an article. We are aware, though, that there were rumblings along those lines. Disgruntled Steelers fans had suggested it enough, but there was even such a suggestion by another Ed.
Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette posted the article "Trading Wallace Best For Both Sides" in which he suggested a scenario in which it could be accomplished. He wrote: "The Steelers give another team or teams permission to talk to Wallace to try to work out a deal. If they do, Wallace would sign his one-year tender with the Steelers, who then trade him to the other team."
Interesting. Intriguing. Impossible.
Not a chance it happens. Not just because of what Colbert said, but because, even as Bouchette would say later in the article, it sets a bad precedent. A move like that is all that would be needed for other players to refer to Wallace's situation and pout and hold their breath until they got what they wanted. It's a bad move and a potential distraction.
Another reason it won't happen is because no team is going to pay the necessary money and fork over the draft choice. Steelers can win as they are right now. Wallace is a luxury, not a need, and they will wait for him to report.
When will that be? Wallace has until 4 p.m. EST on November 13th to sign his tender or he will not be permitted to play in the NFL this year and would still be a restricted free agent next year.
Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Friday wrote that Wallace’s asking price is in line with the five-year, $55,555,555 contract signed by Tampa Bay receiver Vincent Jackson. Jackson’s deal basically breaks down to $26 million guaranteed over the first two years. The Steelers would be looking more in the $8 million per year range.
My guess is that it's still possible. The cap space is about $1.5 million, after the $8.5 million signing bonus given to Antonio Brown, with another $2.742 million already on the books from the Wallace tender. So, there's basically about $4.25 million in salary cap space. Just enough room for $10-$15 million guaranteed in a Wallace contract.
I don't know if it's probable, but it's possible. Much more possible than a trade.
~
LaMarr Woodley spoke on the 2011 Steelers defense recently and had some very honest comments. Comments we'd suggested also regarding the ability of numbers to be deceiving.
"The ranking was high, but I don't think we played good defense last year", Woodley said. "We didnt get that many turnovers, we didn't get to the QB that much. So I dont know how we were ranked that high."
From your lips to God's ears. The Steelers defense, as you remember, was ranked No. 1 last season in terms of yards allowed.
"Last year it happened a lot," Woodley continued, "we gave up a lot of big plays at crucial times. If you want to be a great defense, you have to cut out the big plays."
What did Mark Twain once say (or actually attribute to Disraeli)? "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
The fact that so few passing yards were allowed masked their being gutted on the ground. They allowed more yards on the ground than they had in years. A very unSteeler-like 99.8 yards per game. Add the lack of turnovers and the fewest sacks in eight year and you have a team who's one-and-done in the playoffs.
Woodley's assessment is correct, therefore, that sacks and turnovers, splash plays, are major keys to taking the defense to that next level that it was so obviously lacking last season.
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Remember Greg Lloyd's nickname? "Just Plain Nasty." Well, Willie Colon wants to bring back to Pittsburgh that moniker, but to apply it to he, Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro - the Steelers new interior offensive line.
Colon stated, "Being in the interior along with Pounce and DeCastro, we will have a chance to really show our aggressiveness. And we plan no doing it....I think we're a team that's gonna run the ball a lot more."
Personally, I like that statement. A lot.
"Mike Wallace is not available for trade", Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told ESPN's Ed Werder.
If It Ain't Steel never thought so anyway. Neither proposed it as a possibility nor insinuated as much in an article. We are aware, though, that there were rumblings along those lines. Disgruntled Steelers fans had suggested it enough, but there was even such a suggestion by another Ed.
Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette posted the article "Trading Wallace Best For Both Sides" in which he suggested a scenario in which it could be accomplished. He wrote: "The Steelers give another team or teams permission to talk to Wallace to try to work out a deal. If they do, Wallace would sign his one-year tender with the Steelers, who then trade him to the other team."
Interesting. Intriguing. Impossible.
Not a chance it happens. Not just because of what Colbert said, but because, even as Bouchette would say later in the article, it sets a bad precedent. A move like that is all that would be needed for other players to refer to Wallace's situation and pout and hold their breath until they got what they wanted. It's a bad move and a potential distraction.
Another reason it won't happen is because no team is going to pay the necessary money and fork over the draft choice. Steelers can win as they are right now. Wallace is a luxury, not a need, and they will wait for him to report.
When will that be? Wallace has until 4 p.m. EST on November 13th to sign his tender or he will not be permitted to play in the NFL this year and would still be a restricted free agent next year.
Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Friday wrote that Wallace’s asking price is in line with the five-year, $55,555,555 contract signed by Tampa Bay receiver Vincent Jackson. Jackson’s deal basically breaks down to $26 million guaranteed over the first two years. The Steelers would be looking more in the $8 million per year range.
My guess is that it's still possible. The cap space is about $1.5 million, after the $8.5 million signing bonus given to Antonio Brown, with another $2.742 million already on the books from the Wallace tender. So, there's basically about $4.25 million in salary cap space. Just enough room for $10-$15 million guaranteed in a Wallace contract.
I don't know if it's probable, but it's possible. Much more possible than a trade.
~
LaMarr Woodley spoke on the 2011 Steelers defense recently and had some very honest comments. Comments we'd suggested also regarding the ability of numbers to be deceiving.
"The ranking was high, but I don't think we played good defense last year", Woodley said. "We didnt get that many turnovers, we didn't get to the QB that much. So I dont know how we were ranked that high."
From your lips to God's ears. The Steelers defense, as you remember, was ranked No. 1 last season in terms of yards allowed.
"Last year it happened a lot," Woodley continued, "we gave up a lot of big plays at crucial times. If you want to be a great defense, you have to cut out the big plays."
What did Mark Twain once say (or actually attribute to Disraeli)? "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
The fact that so few passing yards were allowed masked their being gutted on the ground. They allowed more yards on the ground than they had in years. A very unSteeler-like 99.8 yards per game. Add the lack of turnovers and the fewest sacks in eight year and you have a team who's one-and-done in the playoffs.
Woodley's assessment is correct, therefore, that sacks and turnovers, splash plays, are major keys to taking the defense to that next level that it was so obviously lacking last season.
~
Remember Greg Lloyd's nickname? "Just Plain Nasty." Well, Willie Colon wants to bring back to Pittsburgh that moniker, but to apply it to he, Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro - the Steelers new interior offensive line.
Colon stated, "Being in the interior along with Pounce and DeCastro, we will have a chance to really show our aggressiveness. And we plan no doing it....I think we're a team that's gonna run the ball a lot more."
Personally, I like that statement. A lot.
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