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GBMelBlount
05-23-2014, 07:16 AM
James Harrison acknowledged on "NFL Total Access" two months ago that he wants to rejoin the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2014 season.



He's not the only one hoping for a return to the Steel City.

Cornerback Ike Taylor said Tuesday on his weekly TribLive Radio show that Santonio Holmes and Harrison have expressed a desire to come back to the Steelers.

"It's for sure the both of them want to come back. I've talked to both of them," Taylor said, adding that he's worked out with the two free agents in Orlando this offseason.

It's been six years since Harrison and Holmes made the two biggest plays in Super Bowl XLIII.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000352882/article/taylor-holmes-james-harrison-want-steelers-return

fansince'76
05-23-2014, 08:22 AM
No thanks to Holmes, but I wouldn't mind having Harrison back for depth, not to mention the nastiness he'd bring (and this defense has sorely lacked that of late).

tube517
05-23-2014, 09:10 AM
They can do their tour of duty in Arizona then Harrison and Sandoobio can apply for the intern special assistant junior deputy coach positions in 2015

Sent from a Galaxy Note 2

GBMelBlount
05-23-2014, 09:42 AM
Does Holmes have anything left in the tank?

Has he matured?

Could he contribute and be had at a bargain price?

Steelerette
05-23-2014, 10:21 AM
Does Holmes have anything left in the tank?

Has he matured?

Could he contribute and be had at a bargain price?
The answer to all three questions is probably yes

But unless we're going to carry 6 WRs I would rather either have DHB, or see if Justin Brown or Jasper Collins goes and earns that last spot. DHB is great insurance in case Archer doesn't deal well with punt returns. And if he does, DHB makes a great dual threat. I don't think that's Santonio's forte... and between Wheaton, Bryant, and our young guys like Moye, Justin Brown, Collins, etc, we're already counting on one or two guys to emerge to fill Santonio's other roles.

GBMelBlount
05-23-2014, 10:24 AM
The answer to all three questions is probably yes

But unless we're going to carry 6 WRs I would rather either have DHB, or see if Justin Brown or Jasper Collins goes and earns that last spot. DHB is great insurance in case Archer doesn't deal well with punt returns. And if he does, DHB makes a great dual threat. I don't think that's Santonio's forte... and between Wheaton, Bryant, and our young guys like Moye, Justin Brown, Collins, etc, we're already counting on one or two guys to emerge to fill Santonio's other roles.

Do you think Holmes could be a number 2 receiver?

Steelerette
05-23-2014, 10:29 AM
edited to add: I won't be mad if we add Santonio. I'm just not sure he fits into the overall strategery.

- - - Updated - - -

Santonio could be our number 2 receiver, and across from Brown that would be pretty danged decent. But it might be a mistake. The future has to be Bryant and Wheaton, and we need to give those guys a chance.

There is a pretty valid argument in favor though, and that is Ben. He's maybe still in his prime but for how much longer? His career is clearly, age-wise, on the downslope... we're already dealing with an O-line situation that's a bit of a project but it looks like we're solid at RB for the first time in a while so we have to surround Ben with as many proven weapons as we can.

But... Santonio is still only 5'11". So is Wheaton. If we feel good about Wheaton it doesn't happen IMO. Especially if we want to get both Wheaton and Bryant involved in those main formations, to be across from Brown.

GBMelBlount
05-23-2014, 10:59 AM
Thanks.

If Holmes is still good enough to be a number 2 receiver FROM DAY 1 and the price is right I think it is worth considering.

This might help us out of the gate and gives our other guys another year to develop and for someone to emerge as a legitimate #2 and take over the reigns.

Do I think this will happen? No. Still, it gives us something to talk about in the off season....yawn.

steelreserve
05-23-2014, 11:47 AM
I'd take Holmes back; I think he'd do well in this situation. Looking back, he was probably always a #2 receiver, or maybe a #1A, who had a great season in his contract year. He spent the past 4 years trying to be the #1 receiver with a series of shitty quarterbacks, so of course his production has been disappointing. As they say, if you can trade draft picks for NFL players, you take the NFL player, which is essentially what we'd be doing (shoving on of the younger guys onto the bench) We don't really know if Wheaton, Benjamin, Moye, etc. will be any good, or even DHB for that matter, so that's the trade-off. Personally, I'd take him over DHB in a second, so that's my hope.

Harrison - great guy, but I'm not sure where he'd have a role on this team. We have like 50 linebackers now, and of the four likely starters, two are making $10M a year and the other two are recent #1 draft picks, so it's hard to see him displacing any of them. It really seemed like his production was dropping off last year too, so Arizona is probably a better place for him.

Steelerette
05-23-2014, 01:36 PM
I think there's more room for Harrison than there is for Santonio. We have a lot of LB but a lot of them are ILB... Carter is nothing special, and I probably take a Harrison to play situationally, over Carter who is only the third stringer anyways... because honestly our backup OLB is Moats not Carter. And if we get two OLB injuries then I almost feel we're better off getting someone off waivers or the practice squad, than Carter who by now we know, his ceiling is pretty much meh.

I think there's still room for Keisel too. I mean... yes I'm excited abouut Heyward and Tuitt, maybe Thomas is a DE too since we got crowded at DT... but then we have who, Arnfelt? Ehh...

Count Steeler
05-23-2014, 02:18 PM
Sign them both. If they don't get injured in the warm ups, we are good to go.

steelreserve
05-23-2014, 04:32 PM
I think there's more room for Harrison than there is for Santonio. We have a lot of LB but a lot of them are ILB... Carter is nothing special, and I probably take a Harrison to play situationally, over Carter who is only the third stringer anyways... because honestly our backup OLB is Moats not Carter. And if we get two OLB injuries then I almost feel we're better off getting someone off waivers or the practice squad, than Carter who by now we know, his ceiling is pretty much meh.

I think there's still room for Keisel too. I mean... yes I'm excited abouut Heyward and Tuitt, maybe Thomas is a DE too since we got crowded at DT... but then we have who, Arnfelt? Ehh...

eh. All four of our starting LBs plus Moats can play OLB if necessary. Harrison would be an extra. Maybe if a couple guys got injured he could get us out of a jam, but I don't know if it's worth carrying him all year on the off chance.

Keisel might make the most sense of any. Right now it looks like our starters are Heyward, Tuitt and Thomas, and if any of them get hurt, or Tuitt isn't ready, we basically have no depth at all. McLendon did well for a random pickup, but we have to face the fact that he's pretty pedestrian as far as NFL linemen go. McCullers could be a steal, or he might be a bust, but in either case, he's maybe 20% to contribute anything at all this season.

Psycho Ward 86
05-23-2014, 08:42 PM
Even if holmes all of a sudden decided to become an angel hell no should we take him. He suffered the most severe type of lisfranc injury. commonly ends careers or erodes players until they are all but dead. santonio holmes has been in the latter stage for years now. the lisfranc is just a nail in the coffin.

GBMelBlount
05-23-2014, 10:20 PM
Even if holmes all of a sudden decided to become an angel hell no should we take him.

He suffered the most severe type of lisfranc injury. commonly ends careers or erodes players until they are all but dead.

santonio holmes has been in the latter stage for years now. the lisfranc is just a nail in the coffin.

If he is only gradually eroding like an embankment or topsoil, then perhaps we can get a year out of him.

http://blogs.egu.eu/palaeoblog/files/2013/02/scratch.png

Psycho Ward 86
05-23-2014, 10:39 PM
If he is only gradually eroding like an embankment or topsoil, then perhaps we can get a year out of him.

http://blogs.egu.eu/palaeoblog/files/2013/02/scratch.png

he's been eroding for years now. high risk low reward (if any) imo

st33lersguy
05-24-2014, 08:38 AM
If he is only gradually eroding like an embankment or topsoil, then perhaps we can get a year out of him.

http://blogs.egu.eu/palaeoblog/files/2013/02/scratch.png

Couldn't top 500 yards last year and hasn't topped 750 yards since being traded. The vast majority of his skills have eroded

GBMelBlount
05-24-2014, 08:43 AM
Couldn't top 500 yards last year and hasn't topped 750 yards since being traded. The vast majority of his skills have eroded

The Jets were 31st in the NFL in passing.

Didn't even break 3,000 yards.

Steelerette
05-24-2014, 08:56 AM
I'm not worried about Holmes' skills. He was on the freaking Jets. IMO he has a decent bit left in the tank if he lands in the right situation.

However, I think bringing him in will take away from what we're trying to do here, and not be the best move for us unless maybe, and even this is a maybe, we're going to carry 6 WRs.

Butch
05-24-2014, 09:07 AM
I'm not worried about Holmes' skills. He was on the freaking Jets. IMO he has a decent bit left in the tank if he lands in the right situation.

However, I think bringing him in will take away from what we're trying to do here, and not be the best move for us unless maybe, and even this is a maybe, we're going to carry 6 WRs.

Exactly!!! He burned his bridge with us a long time ago. Why give him a chance to showcase his talents with us ever again? Remember he credited himself with singlehandedly winning Superbowl 43, I doubt that leopard has changed his spots. To bad too because I think him and Ben were an incredible duo who could play street ball and frustrate d coordinators around the league.

Psycho Ward 86
05-24-2014, 11:49 AM
LISFRANC. INJURY.

i dont think people realize how career ending the severe ones are.

GBMelBlount
05-24-2014, 12:15 PM
We can rebuild him.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP4toCFmrAo

Steelerette
05-24-2014, 01:46 PM
LISFRANC. INJURY.

i dont think people realize how career ending the severe ones are.

Heard you. Not worried about it. Don't exactly want Holmes back but not for this reason.

HollywoodSteel
05-24-2014, 02:21 PM
Exactly!!! He burned his bridge with us a long time ago. Why give him a chance to showcase his talents with us ever again? Remember he credited himself with singlehandedly winning Superbowl 43, I doubt that leopard has changed his spots. To bad too because I think him and Ben were an incredible duo who could play street ball and frustrate d coordinators around the league.

Did he really say that? I'm sure he said some stupid stuff, but that would kind of surprise me if he credited himself with singlehandedly winning anything. I'm not doubting you, Butch, but is it possible you're remembering the quote wrong or the context? I'll try and look it up. If he really did say that then it's one of the dumber things a former player of ours has ever said.

Psycho Ward 86
05-24-2014, 05:03 PM
severe lisfranc injuries cant be rebuilt. id rather take a player with 2 acl tears. and remember, at least plax was on good behavior before we took him back. santonio bitched and moaned more than ever with the jets. only reason he would want a job with us is because no one else wants him

GBMelBlount
05-24-2014, 05:17 PM
severe lisfranc injuries cant be rebuilt. id rather take a player with 2 acl tears. and remember, at least plax was on good behavior before we took him back. santonio bitched and moaned more than ever with the jets. only reason he would want a job with us is because no one else wants him

Thanks for the info.


Now I do not know if these procedures are being used by the NY Jets. I can tell you, I like you, wish the Jets and Santonio Holmes the best and hope to see him on the field soon.

The good news is that Lisfranc should not end his career and he should eventually recover completely.

***

Lewis G. Maharam is one of the world's most extensively credentialed and well-known sports health experts. Better known as Running Doc™, Maharam is author of Running Doc's Guide to Healthy Running and is past medical director of the NYC Marathon and Rock 'n' Roll Marathon series. He is medical director of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. He is also past president of the New York Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/running-doc-ways-speed-healing-lisfranc-foot-injuries-article-1.1432654#ixzz32fqVHDF7

Dwinsgames
05-24-2014, 06:09 PM
We can rebuild him.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP4toCFmrAo

he is in prison for Murder now

Psycho Ward 86
05-24-2014, 06:29 PM
Thanks for the info.

cant be rebuilt as in he's not going to be a good player anymore. name me some skill position players who have been productive after suffering a SEVERE lisfranc injury. have fun with that on google.

im amused that the idea is even being entertained.

GBMelBlount
05-24-2014, 07:02 PM
Here's one.

Santonio Holmes.

He averaged 42 ypg. last year.

Same as Heath Miller.

Sanders averaged 46 ypg.

Didn't even need to google. LOL.

GBMelBlount
05-24-2014, 07:09 PM
he is in prison for Murder now

I didn't know he was in prison D.

This is the guy that said he shot his wife by accident, right?

I don't watch the news or read the paper.

I get all my "facts" here on Steelers Universe. :chuckle:

HollywoodSteel
05-24-2014, 07:46 PM
I didn't know he was in prison D.

This is the guy that said he shot his wife by accident, right?

I don't watch the news or read the paper.

I get all my "facts" here on Steelers Universe. :chuckle:

Oscar Pistorius's murder trial isn't over. It's been postponed to June 30th pending some psych evaluations. See, you don't need any other source to get your news. :)

GBMelBlount
05-24-2014, 10:38 PM
Oscar Pistorius's murder trial isn't over. It's been postponed to June 30th pending some psych evaluations. See, you don't need any other source to get your news. :)

Where else to get the inside scoop but "Hollywood?" :wink02:

Chidi29
05-24-2014, 11:15 PM
Holmes has nothing to do with talent (though that's swiftly declined and he notoriously took a long time to recover from injuries - frustrated their coaching staff). It's based on principle.

He violated the trust of the team by getting caught with weed again. We ostensibly told him not to do it after the first time and he did anyway. To maintain credibility and respect to the rest of the coaches and players, we can't sign him back. And I can't see any situation where we would.

HollywoodSteel
05-24-2014, 11:19 PM
Holmes has nothing to do with talent (though that's swiftly declined and he notoriously took a long time to recover from injuries - frustrated their coaching staff). It's based on principle.

He violated the trust of the team by getting caught with weed again. We ostensibly told him not to do it after the first time and he did anyway. To maintain credibility and respect to the rest of the coaches and players, we can't sign him back. And I can't see any situation where we would.

I think that's a very good point. We basically traded him away for nothing because of a character issue. It's not like he can undo that, so what has changed since then? I can't say I loved the move at the time, but if we sign him back now it's like saying that getting rid of him the first time was unwarranted.

Steelerette
05-24-2014, 11:37 PM
I think that's a very good point. We basically traded him away for nothing because of a character issue. It's not like he can undo that, so what has changed since then? I can't say I loved the move at the time, but if we sign him back now it's like saying that getting rid of him the first time was unwarranted.

More like he's served his time. I mean we brought Plax back after he was in prison for illegal firearms possession... getting rid of Holmes was in part a product of a nightmare year for PR. It's old history and he hasn't had any "legal trouble" in over four years now. His foot could be more of a concern than that... but last season he had the highest YPC of his entire career.

I don't feel like bringing Holmes back would be the right move for the team... I'm ready to move forward with Wheaton and Bryant. But I think people are reading way too much into character and health issues.

Chidi29
05-24-2014, 11:52 PM
More like he's served his time. I mean we brought Plax back after he was in prison for illegal firearms possession... getting rid of Holmes was in part a product of a nightmare year for PR. It's old history and he hasn't had any "legal trouble" in over four years now. His foot could be more of a concern than that... but last season he had the highest YPC of his entire career.

I don't feel like bringing Holmes back would be the right move for the team... I'm ready to move forward with Wheaton and Bryant. But I think people are reading way too much into character and health issues.

Plax was under a new coaching staff and while he had his issues, didn't burn bridges quite the way Holmes did. His gun problems weren't with us either.

It's like getting back together with your ex. Just a bad idea.

HollywoodSteel
05-24-2014, 11:57 PM
More like he's served his time. I mean we brought Plax back after he was in prison for illegal firearms possession... getting rid of Holmes was in part a product of a nightmare year for PR. It's old history and he hasn't had any "legal trouble" in over four years now. His foot could be more of a concern than that... but last season he had the highest YPC of his entire career.

I don't feel like bringing Holmes back would be the right move for the team... I'm ready to move forward with Wheaton and Bryant. But I think people are reading way too much into character and health issues.

I guess you could say Holmes served his time, but he didn't have the best attitude in NY, so it's hard to say that he's become a better character guy since we tossed him. I think the Plax thing is different because we didn't get rid of him for a character issue (we just couldn't afford both him and Ward at the time), so we never had to really answer questions about being all talk or something about character stuff. It seems like we'll look a little weird, tossing a guy for character issues and then bringing him back without real evidence that he's a better team guy now than when we got rid of him.

But I don't really feel strongly about it one way or the other. I'm just saying from a management standpoint, they could be looking at it like that. It might be different if he showed the greatest attitude with the Jets. But he didn't.

Craic
05-25-2014, 10:23 AM
I guess you could say Holmes served his time, but he didn't have the best attitude in NY, so it's hard to say that he's become a better character guy since we tossed him. I think the Plax thing is different because we didn't get rid of him for a character issue (we just couldn't afford both him and Ward at the time), so we never had to really answer questions about being all talk or something about character stuff. It seems like we'll look a little weird, tossing a guy for character issues and then bringing him back without real evidence that he's a better team guy now than when we got rid of him.

But I don't really feel strongly about it one way or the other. I'm just saying from a management standpoint, they could be looking at it like that. It might be different if he showed the greatest attitude with the Jets. But he didn't.

Well, the thing about Plax was that there WERE attitude issues with him. I remember an interview with him where he was frustrated with the run-heavy offense and said, "This is Pittsburgh, and that's just how it's going to be." Then left via free agency. He also freelanced with Ben, against the coaches wishes on the field (another set of reports). But no, there were no moral/legal/league issues with him. Santonio's big problem was pot. However, in the years since his four game suspension, he's not been suspended one time, and you can guarantee that he's been tested. So I don't see much of a difference there between them. They both had to grow up and start making different choices. The both did.

The character issue then, is being able to show up and work without threat of suspension from substance abuse. He hasn't had that issue since leaving Pittsburgh. Seems there is real evidence then of it changing. That doesn't mean I necessarily want to see him here. Like others, I'd rather see new blood get the chance. But it is what it is.

fansince'76
05-25-2014, 11:29 AM
Well, the thing about Plax was that there WERE attitude issues with him.

:iagree:


I remember an interview with him where he was frustrated with the run-heavy offense and said, "This is Pittsburgh, and that's just how it's going to be."

I remember that interview vividly as well. It was during his self-pity poutfest in the locker room immediately following the 2004 AFCCG, "'cause he ain't gettin' enough touches" (after alligator-arming a sure TD pass). :coffee:

I was already pissed off that the Steelers lost that game, and that interview got me even more pissed off. :mad2:


Then left via free agency.

And then dissed Pittsburgh as a "racist city," a charge even Hines Ward took the time to call out as complete bullshit (http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2005/08/30/Steeler-Notebook-Contract-progress-crawls-for-Ward/stories/200508300172), despite being in the middle of his own contract holdout at the time:


Burress off base

Ward said Plaxico Burress was off the mark when his former teammate accused the Steelers of putting him in "shackles" and their fans of racism.

Burress told WTAE-TV's Jon Burton recently that, with the Steelers, "I felt my opportunities were kind of limited, so to speak, and at times, I kind of felt myself like playing in shackles. They weren't going to change, and I wasn't going to change."

Burress, who signed as a free agent with the New York Giants after five years with the Steelers, told Burton that "I was never really liked in that city. I mean, I don't think I was liked as a person. I was kind of seen as a black kid, young African-American, cornrows, drives fancy cars, wears diamond earrings, things like that. They just kind of based their perception off of what I drove and what I did and things like that. All those things were never a part of any other player on that team but me."

Ward, who wears matching 2-carat diamond earrings himself, said the only prejudice Steelers fans show is against players who do not produce.

"As far as the city and him with cornrows and stuff, they love everybody. You go out there and perform, regardless of race, color, ethnic, how you wear your hair, they don't care. The fans here know football. They know the guys who produce and give it all they got and they appreciate it. To sit there and say the city had it out against him, I don't really go along with that. I saw a lot of No. 80 jerseys in the stands."

Burress, in the interview with Burton from Giants training camp in Albany, N.Y., said fans got down on him after he dropped a pass in the end zone in the AFC championship game in January and they never let him forget it.

"It kind of seemed like everything was thrown on my back off of one play that I didn't make," Burress said, "and I took that kind of personal, from the people in that city and some of the things that were said about me."

It's different with the Giants, he said.

"I fit New York more than what I fit Pittsburgh. Nobody's worrying about my big truck or my Rolls-Royce or what I have on. That makes me feel good. People just accept me how I am instead of looking at me and judging me."

Burress also told Burton that the team needs to sign Ward to the long-term contract extension he's seeking.

I hadn't read this article in quite a while - this killed me as well:


Burress, in the interview with Burton from Giants training camp in Albany, N.Y., said fans got down on him after he dropped a pass in the end zone in the AFC championship game in January and they never let him forget it.

"It kind of seemed like everything was thrown on my back off of one play that I didn't make," Burress said, "and I took that kind of personal, from the people in that city and some of the things that were said about me."
The city never let him live that drop down? WTF? He left via free agency two months later, for Christ's sake. :doh:

For all the flak the FO has gotten of late for its personnel moves, keeping Ward and letting Burress walk back in '05 was another one they got right.

salamander
05-25-2014, 12:43 PM
No to both for me.

Psycho Ward 86
05-25-2014, 02:12 PM
Here's one.

Santonio Holmes.

He averaged 42 ypg. last year.

Same as Heath Miller.

Sanders averaged 46 ypg.

Didn't even need to google. LOL.

are you actually implying thats any good? remind me how he did on the entire season. oh thats right. also are you actually implying sanders is actually any good? even wallace was better than sanders in their respective final seasons in pittsburgh. lol

GBMelBlount
05-25-2014, 05:37 PM
One year out from a liz franc injury and could arguably the 2nd best receiver on our team day 1 of the season.

I will stand by my original statements that he is worth considering as a stopgap solution IF they don't feel there is anyone ready to step in as a legitimate #2 receiver.

LIZFRANC. INJURY. or not.

Dwinsgames
05-25-2014, 07:59 PM
Oscar Pistorius's murder trial isn't over. It's been postponed to June 30th pending some psych evaluations. See, you don't need any other source to get your news. :)

hell I thought he was found guilty already , I do not watch the news either seen the story on dateline ID or something like that

XxKnightxX
05-27-2014, 02:35 AM
hell I thought he was found guilty already , I do not watch the news either seen the story on dateline ID or something like that

Pistorious is done. He's a cold blooded killer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

86WARD
05-27-2014, 05:33 AM
Pistorious is done. He's a cold blooded killer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yet...he's more welcomed than Santonio Holmes by some Steelers Fans...

HollywoodSteel
05-27-2014, 08:41 AM
Yet...he's more welcomed than Santonio Holmes by some Steelers Fans...

Let's not get crazy here. First we need to determine if he can return punts.

GBMelBlount
05-27-2014, 09:06 AM
Let's not get crazy here. First we need to determine if he can return punts.

LOL

Count Hogan
05-27-2014, 12:18 PM
There's nothing that ever said to me that Harrison would be a good mentor for anybody, but we've got Porter for that role. Harrison will bring some intensity and and a voice of veteran leadership though, and will be great in pash rush and goal line packages. We already know what we have in Carter, and that's a mediocre player. Unless HoJo comes in and earns himself a roster spot, there's no reason not to bring in Harrison. He won't be our top pass defender but unless we get a couple of injuries, nobody's going to ask him to defend the pass. What he's going to do is come plenty cheap and give us a veteran shot in the arm in a spot where we're otherwise relying on a bunch of youngsters.

That's a whole lot of bang for your buck two-ninety-eight, brother.