Steelers are interested in free agent CB Brandon Flowers

[polamalubeast]

A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed with Behind the Steel Curtain Wednesday the Steelers have strong interest in free agent cornerback Brandon Flowers, and a visit with team officials in the near future may be the next step.

The source said the team is trying to get Flowers out to Pittsburgh, but he is scheduled to meet with the Chargers first.

CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora also reported the team's interest, and confirmed Flowers will be in San Diego over the next two days


http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2014-steelers-free-agency/2014/6/18/5822444/steelers-free-agency-brandon-flowers-interest-signing-contract

[GBMelBlount]

Looks like we have about 6 million in cap space according to Neal Coolong:

----------------------------------

When the minor sedimentary cloud of particles of Stephon Tuitt's contract vacates our space, the Steelers will be left with roughly $6 million in cap space....

Maybe the next player is a defensive end. Someone versatile, athletic and experienced. It's not a matter of talent, but rather, of timing. And the Steelers have positioned themselves well to sit back and wait for the inevitable.

Someone good will be released, and the Steelers aren't finished yet in free agency.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2014-steelers-free-agency/2014/6/18/5820960/steelers-nfl-2014-free-agency-salary-cap

[steelreserve]

Well, I'd be interested too, for the right price. He was making over $10M a year, though. Wouldn't want to pay that much, nor could we afford it but if he's happy with half that and we're happy, then great.

If we could add a solid CB at this point, I'd say that wraps up an offseason that overall went way better than I expected.

[BigNastyDefense]

If we can get him for a decent price, and maybe have enough left to bring BK back as a rotational player at DE and I think that would wrap up offseason signings.

Flowers I think could be a good fit in the defense, especially playing zone because we play a lot of that. Word is he struggled with press man-to-man assignments in KC, so he could fit in well in the zone-blitz scheme.

[salamander]

"A source with knowledge of the situation" always makes me laugh a little. :chuckle:

[Steelerette]

You have to take anything on BTSC with a grain of salt, especially when it doesn't name concrete sources or referrals.

[Chidi29]

You have to take anything on BTSC with a grain of salt, especially when it doesn't name concrete sources or referrals.

To be fair, NFLN has reported it. They were first. And then everyone else *magically* trots their sources out. It's a hack move by BTSC, which is par for the course from Coolong.

[Dwinsgames]

I would rather see us lock up Cortez Allen long term before going outside for help and potentially costing us the services of Allen in the long run

[Shoes]

To be fair, NFLN has reported it. They were first. And then everyone else *magically* trots their sources out. It's a hack move by BTSC, which is par for the course from Coolong.


:chuckle:

[Steelerette]

Lolley has reported the interest too. I take him more seriously.

I think Flowers would fit nice in our system but right now Allen is on the cusp of burgeoning, and you've got Ike to play CB2 until Blake or Richardson are ready to step up...

He'd be an improvement this season but I don't know how you get him without screwing over Allen and/or Taylor (maybe Gay), plus handicapping our ability to get Gilbert and Allen extended.

At the end of the day it's a nice idea but other teams can offer him what we can't: more money and an instant starter spot. I'll be surprised if we land him.

[Chidi29]

Lolley has reported the interest too. I take him more seriously.

I think Flowers would fit nice in our system but right now Allen is on the cusp of burgeoning, and you've got Ike to play CB2 until Blake or Richardson are ready to step up...

He'd be an improvement this season but I don't know how you get him without screwing over Allen and/or Taylor (maybe Gay), plus handicapping our ability to get Gilbert and Allen extended.

At the end of the day it's a nice idea but other teams can offer him what we can't: more money and an instant starter spot. I'll be surprised if we land him.

Lolley tweeted it out five minutes after La Canfora did. Shoddy journalism, give first source the credit.

[steelreserve]

I would rather see us lock up Cortez Allen long term before going outside for help and potentially costing us the services of Allen in the long run

I dunno. This looks to be Ike's last season as a starter, if not his last season entirely, so in my mind we're looking for two cornerbacks and fast. Still room for Allen as long as we can get the money thing worked out.

[Devilsdancefloor]

Maybe he likes coach Haley :lol: it woul dbe nice but i agree Tez needs extended first

[Chidi29]

If the Steelers wanted to make a big splash at CB and didn't like the group they had, they would have done so in FA or the draft. Had plenty of chances. Chose not to. Says they're happy with their group.

Safety was a bigger issue than CB last year.

[steelreserve]

If the Steelers wanted to make a big splash at CB and didn't like the group they had, they would have done so in FA or the draft. Had plenty of chances. Chose not to. Says they're happy with their group.

Safety was a bigger issue than CB last year.

Well whatever we do, I hope we don't sit on our asses with $6M in cap space all season. If that means extending one or two of our own guys, then great; if not, then I hope we use it for something like this.

[Steelerette]

Safety was certainly addressed. I'm officially ambivalent I think, about Flowers. Rather use the cash elsewhere, won't complain if we do get him, but the secondary should look pretty good without him. The money may be better spent getting Keisel in here to start the season if camp keeps indicating that nothing great's happening across from Heyward.

[Chidi29]

Well whatever we do, I hope we don't sit on our asses with $6M in cap space all season. If that means extending one or two of our own guys, then great; if not, then I hope we use it for something like this.

Keisel shouldn't preclude the team from signing someone like Flowers, but Da Beard is the bigger priority right now.

[Steelerette]

The other thing to consider is

Ike Taylor
Cortez Allen
William Gay
Shaquille Richardson
Antwon Blake
Brice McCain

Okay it's an easy call to cut McCain. But it seems more likely we actually roll with 5 CBs on the 53-man... so who else do you cut? And why?

[Chidi29]

And then that's not even factoring in the fact that Shamarko can play slot corner. Golden and even Allen could in a pinch, too. Cornerback is pretty much set. Team is at least four deep in 2014.

[steelreserve]

Keisel shouldn't preclude the team from signing someone like Flowers, but Da Beard is the bigger priority right now.


And then that's not even factoring in the fact that Shamarko can play slot corner. Golden and even Allen could in a pinch, too. Cornerback is pretty much set. Team is at least four deep in 2014.

OK, I'm all for bringing back Keisel, but that's either going to happen at a minimum $1M contract or it's not. The veteran salary credit rules basically mean it's that or nothing, unless we're wiling to go crazy and pay him something like $3M, which ain't happening. As I said in some other thread, I think it boils down to whether or not Kiesel really wants to play football that badly next year. I'd bet slightly against it. The one time I was ever fortunate enough to have any personal contact with the guy, he just looked super tired. As in, not just physically tired from the game, not bitter or a jerk or anything - just a genuinely exhausted looking human being, more so than anyone else on the team, and I can hardly blame him. This was right after the season opener a couple of years ago. I would love to have the guy back, but wouldn't count on it.

Anyway. That would take up $1 million in salary and something like $520K in cap space because of the veteran rule. We could totally sign a free agent for $5M, even $6M after that deal. For a good corner, I would even support the nearly unthinkable move of restructuring or extending another player to make room. The thing is whether we need to. The word from the team is they're happy with the corner depth, but I call bullshit. Yeah, we have a lot of people capable of playing corner, but not very many capable of playing it well. Taylor - starter for one more season max; Allen - starter with our fingers crossed, maybe gone next year if he's good; all the rest are proven to be maybe OK as nickel corners but God help us if we ever have to count on them for real. That's not depth or being set for next year. I'm not exactly happy with who we have; maybe in the immediate short term we're OK, but beyond this January, forget about it. CB is one of our top positions of need, or we're fooling ourselves, and if we could do something about it now, that'd be awesome.

[Chidi29]

I know, I said Keisel does not preclude a Flowers signing.

But I dunno, no offense, but I don't think that one time looking at him being exhausted is enough to go off of. I have no idea what kind of state Keisel is in but I'd like to think he wants to come back. I'm pretty sure his agent said that he wants to continue playing, albeit he said at the time not for the vet minimum. Cold market could change that, however.

If not Keisel, what do you do at DE? Mitchell has already talked about not rushing Tuitt. And rightfully, he shouldn't be. He's 21 years old, a senior in college as Mitchell pointed out. You can't expect to get 600 quality snaps out of him.

And Cam Thomas? Pssh...I don't want him to see a lot of snaps either. He's hardly a 4/5 tech. Only played there because he was benched last year after being generally ineffective.

I'm not asking Keisel to play 500 snaps. Give me 250-300 snaps for the season. He can do that.

[86WARD]

Lolley tweeted it out five minutes after La Canfora did. Shoddy journalism, give first source the credit.

Speaking of shoddy journalism...lol

[tube517]

http://espn.go.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/7267/flowers-has-no-plans-to-visit-steelers

Yet another "Source"

[steelreserve]

dude ... you know what? Given our history of cornerbacks named Flowers, fuck this guy. He'll probably just get burned every other play and commit 50 pass interference penalties. If he wants more money than $100,000, fuck him. Truth.

[Mojouw]

Flowers did excel @ KC when they ran a zone oriented scheme. Then he sucked when they went to more man coverage concepts.

Sounds like a typical "buy-low" Steelers FA target. Don't think they will get him, but for the right price I feel it would be a great addition.

[86WARD]

Flowers would be extremely good in the Steelers scheme. He'd also be an upgrade over every CB on this roster and it would ensure that there would be some sort of talent at the position beyond this season.

[GBMelBlount]

So at what price would it be a no brainer that we could afford?

4 mil /yr?

[Mojouw]

So at what price would it be a no brainer that we could afford?

4 mil /yr?

That feels about right. Maybe play around with the way the money is allocated and lower the cap hit this year to continue to allow for some breathing room for extensions, other second wave FA signings, injuries, etc.

But the Flowers that made a couple of Pro Bowls a few seasons ago is likely worth 4 million per.

[stillers4me]

"My sources" on twitter :chuckle: are indicating that Flowers has no plans to visit Pittsburgh nor do we have interest. I can't find the tweets, they have just been random for a few days.

[86WARD]

That feels about right. Maybe play around with the way the money is allocated and lower the cap hit this year to continue to allow for some breathing room for extensions, other second wave FA signings, injuries, etc.

But the Flowers that made a couple of Pro Bowls a few seasons ago is likely worth 4 million per.

You do have to take into account that Andy Reid really has no idea how to use CBs and puts them out there and wastes their talent. See. Nnamdi Asomaghua, Asante Samuel (although Asante did have some good time there and some bad.)

Flowers may have gotten out just in time as not to head down the Nnamdi Path...

[GBMelBlount]

Do I think we will get flowers? No.

However, every day that passes his price is dropping.

If we were able to pick him up at a good value I would give us a solid "A" for this offseason.

Fingers crossed.

[LLT]

Flowers doesn't seem to fit with what the Steelers are trying to do with their defense...just saying.

[TMC]

Flowers doesn't seem to fit with what the Steelers are trying to do with their defense...just saying.

Flowers is a bit of a head scratcher. He is like a juiced up version of William Gay. The Steelers have shown a willingness to draft guys with a little better feel for man coverages lately. When you look at Cortez Allen, Richardson, and some of the others, while they can play zone, they are better man coverage guys.

Flowers struggled mightily in man coverage (as did William Gay when he left, McFadden as well). I think if the Steelers sign Flowers, it is at a bargain price, maybe a one-year deal so he can showcase his talent for a bigger payday and they can utilize him in a role he can excel.

I would think Flowers wants more than that though and would want some assurance he will see significant playing time.

[stillers4me]

481542541960298497

[Dwinsgames]

1 year deal at that

[steelreserve]

Man, it was a cheap deal too. $3M with a possible $2M more in incentives. Definitely worth it to me.

Oh well, no sense dwelling on it; never more than a what-if anyway.

[TMC]

The Chargers had Shareece Wright at one corner spot and just drafted Jason Verrett to play opposite of him. It is likely they all but guaranteed him a starting role and this would give Verrett a season to learn.

Would that have happened here? Would the Steelers have placed him in front of Ike, Cortez, or even William Gay?

Money probably was part of the equation, but in order to get paid next year, Flowers needed playing time.

[86WARD]

Would that have happened here? Would the Steelers have placed him in front of Ike, Cortez, or even William Gay?




Yes.

[LLT]

As the NFL becomes more and more a passing league...those cornerbacks who are not versatile enough to play zone AND man...are going to see their worth diminish.

Often our defense was vulnerable to teams lining up multiple receivers and hitting them on short routes if/when one of our defensivebacks had to provide a "cushion" to make up for their own glaring lack of speed and/or man-coverage ability.

The FO seems set on finding players that can play both, and if not they seem content with falling back on those with the speed to at least cover long enough to prevent the quick-short passes that eat up yardage and time.

It appears that the focus of speed on coverage and pass rushing is intentional...for this very reason. I think they are looking for our DB's to play close to the WR and stay in tight coverage long enough for the passrusher to disrupt the play or make the opposing QB throw prematurely.

I give props to Flowers...but he never seemed to fit into the FO's vision of a younger/faster defense.