Steelers 2024 Offseason Thread

[dodint]

That particular example just speaks to his mindset. He knows better than the staff, just shut up and let him cook.

[Morkle]

He cooked better than KP, and if the team doesn't want to waste Watt/Minkah and that defense, they gotta get someone who can throw TDs.

[Morkle]

I guess the other thought is that this is a ploy to get Chicago to lower the price on Fields...

[dodint]

They chose to waste Watt, Minkah, and Heyward when they coddled Ben and didn't bring in a successor until after he left the building. We're just discussing the flavor profile of this particular **** sandwich.

It's cherry-picking with hindsight, but the Steelers took Chase Claypool a few spots ahead of Jalen Hurts when Ben was 38 years old.

[Morkle]

Oh, do not disagree at all - but they do have a chance to try and course correct. They can essentially continue to build their line, with a cheap above-average QB and then draft another here a year from now, etc.

[genoscoif]

They chose to waste Watt, Minkah, and Heyward when they coddled Ben and didn't bring in a successor until after he left the building. We're just discussing the flavor profile of this particular **** sandwich.

It's cherry-picking with hindsight, but the Steelers took Chase Claypool a few spots ahead of Jalen Hurts when Ben was 38 years old.

You know what they say about hindsight...
Jalen Hurts was hot garbage in his first couple years. He would've been receiving the same criticisms and doubt that are now on KP.

I don't think they really coddled Ben. I think they were in a bad situation, but never got bad enough to land the next 'can't miss' QB. They were in limbo for basically the last 2-3 years of Ben. I guess they could've gone a different direction sooner, but I don't think that would've guaranteed any different outcome today.

[Morkle]

They've always been in limbo though, until they get past this no-losing season bit, they're always a mid round pick team.

[Troy Loney]

I don't think they really coddled Ben. I think they were in a bad situation, but never got bad enough to land the next 'can't miss' QB. They were in limbo for basically the last 2-3 years of Ben. I guess they could've gone a different direction sooner, but I don't think that would've guaranteed any different outcome today.

This is just semantics. They let him go out on his own terms and he seemed to reject the idea that he should be helping to groom his successor.

But to be fair, how many teams have actually managed to execute the transition from their long term franchise QB.

[dodint]

Which begs the question is Tomlin an exceptional coach or not? Like, which is it? Exceptional coaching (and player management, Colbert) should be able to at least try.

[count2infinity]

Source of the post But to be fair, how many teams have actually managed to execute the transition from their long term franchise QB.

Green Bay has done well... outside of that, I can't think of one. Maybe the Colts from Manning to Luck, but that didn't last long.

[dodint]

Transitioning from Alex Smith to Mahomes went pretty well. It wasn't a popular decision at the time. I doubt Mahomes would be as potent now if they expected him to start his rookie year.

[count2infinity]

Yeah. Back to back good+ QBs are more common. GB had back to back HOF locks (Favre--> Rodgers) and Love is looking like a phenomenal next man up, but time will tell.

[Morkle]

Favre > Rodgers
Flacco > Jackson
Rodgers > Love
Smith > Mahomes
Bledsoe > Brady

[Troy Loney]

Transitioning from Alex Smith to Mahomes went pretty well. It wasn't a popular decision at the time. I doubt Mahomes would be as potent now if they expected him to start his rookie year.

Alex Smith is also just a different tier.

But yeah, the Chiefs have made the rest of the league look like idiots for getting Mahomes where they did.

[dodint]

I also understand the reality of wanting to get as much starting time out of your most expensive player on their ELC. I just think from a talent development aspect it only works for the absolute best players and it does a ton of harm to the potential of the rest.

[Troy Loney]

Source of the post But to be fair, how many teams have actually managed to execute the transition from their long term franchise QB.

Green Bay has done well... outside of that, I can't think of one. Maybe the Colts from Manning to Luck, but that didn't last long.

Manning to Luck is not what I would consider an executed plan. Manning got hurt and the Colts sucked so much that they got the first pick. And in the year with an absolute can't miss QB prospect. So they let Manning go chase a SB elsewhere. And I mean, Manning won in Denver. Colts haven't won anything since he left.

[Troy Loney]

Favre > Rodgers
Flacco > Jackson
Rodgers > Love
Smith > Mahomes
Bledsoe > Brady

The Rodgers -> Love situation was a mess. It worked as Love was good this year. But it didn't look good for a while.

Both times for the Packers they drafted a QB in the first, and their franchise guys became cancers.

Flacco and Bledsoe, they lost their jobs to better players. Not sure if that was a transition plan.

[count2infinity]

Source of the post But yeah, the Chiefs have made the rest of the league look like idiots for getting Mahomes where they did.

This happens sometimes. Take Brady for example.

The vast majority of great QBs are taken in the first round. Which makes first round misses so frustrating.

[Morkle]

Favre > Rodgers
Flacco > Jackson
Rodgers > Love
Smith > Mahomes
Bledsoe > Brady

The Rodgers -> Love situation was a mess. It worked as Love was good this year. But it didn't look good for a while.

Both times for the Packers they drafted a QB in the first, and their franchise guys became cancers.

Flacco and Bledsoe, they lost their jobs to better players. Not sure if that was a transition plan.

In the grand scheme of time and bumpiness, I don't think any of the teams mentioned would have it any other way.

I just considered it as limited time before finding their next franchise QB.

[Troy Loney]

I would just argue that the post-Ben era was always going to suck.

It sucks that Pickett flopped, but the hit rate on a late 1st round QB is not great. Especially when you're forcing him in to action by having a dogshit QB room.

Pickett could have probably had an Andy Dalton type career in a better scenario, but he's so obviously a limited player at qb. If they can upgrade with Russ for basically nothing, let Pickett sit and watch an actual NFL qb for a year. If Russ works, then you pay him out for 2 years or something. If not, then Pickett gets another shot.

[Troy Loney]

Source of the post But yeah, the Chiefs have made the rest of the league look like idiots for getting Mahomes where they did.

This happens sometimes. Take Brady for example.

The vast majority of great QBs are taken in the first round. Which makes first round misses so frustrating.

Yeah, Brady and Purdy are in that same boat there.

I think the league missing on Allen and Purdy is more egregious, teams knew they were top prospects. Think about some guys that team's sold out to move up and take (Lance/Young).

[tifosi77]

Like half of Wilson's Legion of Boom era teammates came out of the woodwork to say what a s**t teammate/person he was upon his departure from SEA, and that was really before any of the negativity associated with DEN had really even manifested. By Halloween of 2022 it was open season on Russell Wilson's character and integrity in a way that I frankly cannot recall happening with a superstar QB1 before. That's an enormous red flag. The way he sort of openly campaigned for MVP votes was very unseemly imo, and also speaks to what kind of guy he must be in the room. So on and so forth.

He had an enormously impressive 9-year run in SEA, like HoF worthy stuff (he's one of two qualifying QBs in the history of the League to maintain a career passer rating in triple digits; one of five to win 75 games in any 7-year chunk of their career, etc). And as much as people goof on him for how bad he was in DEN, he put up 26 TD against 8 INT in 2023; the Steelers as a team have gone 25 against 23 in the past two years combined. As a player, he doesn't need 'rehab' so much as he needs a new address where the head coach is competent and has his back. The idea this guy would come in as what amounts to a UFA into a QB competition with a 3rd year player with no real valid claim to the flag is kind of laughable, and is an extremely homeriffic take. (I can see the public face of his signing being "There will be a competition", but the reality will be there will not so much be a thumb on the scale as much as the scale will be taped down.) Because otherwise there's no incentive for Wilson, unless he just wants to sit back and collect his $38mm with little/no effort. But he strikes me very much as a 'legacy' guy, and there's no denying the last two years have dented the public perception of him, and that won't sit well with the guy who openly campaigned for MVP votes. So he would be an immediate and undeniable upgrade in just about every conceivable on-field metric except age, and would negate (or at least offset) the positional advantage every other divisional team currently has over PIT.

But..................................................... that locker room stuff is just too much for me. It hangs a giant asterisk around his neck.

[tifosi77]

You know what they say about hindsight...
Jalen Hurts was hot garbage in his first couple years. He would've been receiving the same criticisms and doubt that are now on KP.

The main difference is lots and lots of people thought Jalen Hurts had the talent to develop into the QB he became in 2022. The population of those who hold the same view towards KP's upside is markedly smaller and generally fits into a very specific niche demographic.

[Ad@m]

Patrick Peterson gone.

[Troy Loney]

Mitch Morse (bills former center) in for a visit