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polamalubeast
07-27-2014, 10:48 AM
Are you buying that Roethlisberger will just flick this aside?

I’ll be candid: I’m not.

On June 12, when I asked his thoughts on an extension the same day Maurkice Pouncey got his six years and $48 million, this was the answer: “I can only control what I control. I’m here to play football. If there’s something important that happens, then I’ll let my agents tell me. But other than that, I just have to play the game.” Unless I’m mistaken, there wasn’t anything in there about “faith” that the front office will do the right thing in 2015 or about “putting people on the field through free agency” or about being “the best team we can possibly be.” That guy on that day was hoping for an extension that would allow him to fulfill what I believe is a genuine, heartfelt wish to spend his full career in Pittsburgh.

There is no doubt in my mind Roethlisberger wanted that extension now, rather than when entering the lame-duck season of his current contract.

Hence, there’s no doubt in my mind that Roethlisberger is disappointed. Perhaps deeply so.

I’ll go further: Some of what was in Rooney’s statement was sheer malarkey. (And no, not Mike Mularkey, wiseguy.)

Rooney wrote that he met with Roethlisberger right before the Pouncey signing to explain that a Roethlisberger extension would be put off “so that we could address a number of players who were going into their last year in 2014.”

Not many among us are capologists, but it doesn’t require being Omar Khan to see that, even though Roethlisberger is making $12.1 million this season — sixth-most among all NFL QBs — he counts $18.9 million against the cap. Even if Roethlisberger had signed for terms approximating those of the Ravens’ Joe Flacco (six years, $120.6 million) or the ridiculous amount the Bears are paying Jay Cutler (seven years, $126.7 million), there’s precious little chance he’d have counted a penny more against the cap in 2014.

Now, the Steelers almost surely will have more space in 2015 because of a growing cap, as Rooney indicated in the statement. But here, too, extra cap space in 2015 has nil impact on 2014.

If you ask me, this was yet another power move by the front office. And it’s another in a series, not least of which was firing Bruce Arians a couple years ago, then instructing Roethlisberger he had to change his game, then basically ignoring his pleas to add big-time receiving help.

And in the more general sense, this was Rooney declaring that he won’t be backed against a wall to extend any player, even Roethlisberger, until that player has only one year left on a contract.

Say what you will about the merits of that mindset, but let’s at least call it what it is.

At any rate, here’s Roethlisberger again saying all the right things, doing all the right things. Just as he has in advancing his relationship with Haley to the point the two call each other “friend.” This offseason, he’s dropped some weight — he declined to tell me how much — to ensure he still has his trademark mobility at age 32, he’s emerged as a leader in every sense, and he sounds eminently determined to carry the Steelers, if need be, past the 8-8 stigma.


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http://dkonpittsburghsports.com/2014/07/26/column-ben-smiles-through-another-snub/

X-Terminator
07-27-2014, 12:44 PM
Yep. Art II going to the media to attempt to quiet any controversy over Ben's contract did absolutely nothing to prevent that same media from doing their damndest to try to create one. So predictable.

blackngldblood
07-27-2014, 04:47 PM
Yep. Art II going to the media to attempt to quiet any controversy over Ben's contract did absolutely nothing to prevent that same media from doing their damndest to try to create one. So predictable.

That's the media's job now a days, don't ya know? No responsible reporting. Just conjecture to get link clicks. And I like Dejan! BTW, it's all media not just sports media. Pathetic....

BigNastyDefense
07-27-2014, 07:25 PM
If this is the way Art II wants to do business, that's the way it's going to be done.

I think the Steelers FO wants to make sure Ben retires a Steeler, and I think Ben wants to retire a Steeler. He doesn't want to wear another team's jersey. The Steelers FO likely doesn't want that either. Maybe leaving one year on the contract before negotiating is the way Art wants to leverage a bit of a discount out of Ben.

MrPgh
07-28-2014, 09:56 AM
If this is the way Art II wants to do business, that's the way it's going to be done.

I think the Steelers FO wants to make sure Ben retires a Steeler, and I think Ben wants to retire a Steeler. He doesn't want to wear another team's jersey. The Steelers FO likely doesn't want that either. Maybe leaving one year on the contract before negotiating is the way Art wants to leverage a bit of a discount out of Ben.

Compared to what other QBs of his caliber are making, Ben is already taking a discount. There's no reason for him to take a penny less of what his market value is. Time for the Steelers to step up and pay him.

fansince'76
07-28-2014, 10:40 AM
I’ll go further: Some of what was in Rooney’s statement was sheer malarkey.

Funny, that's the exact same opinion I hold of most of these pieces I read.

Can you teach me to read minds too, Dejan?

86WARD
07-28-2014, 12:50 PM
Dumb story...