Would like to be a fly on the wall for Ben's next contract negotiation

[zulater]

Talk about someone who holds the all the cards!

"And I want Todd to wash my car every Tuesday, and make sure my golf shoes and clubs are clean if the weather if right."



Seriously whatever Ben is making he's underpaid.

[polamalubeast]

his contract ends after the 2015 season, so it's a little early to think about his next contract!

[Moose]

You're right. The terrible thing is the FO has wasted year's preparing a young QB to take his place. Holding on to Batch/Lefty for some ungodly reason. And now it's showing. If Ben is unable to come back, or he decides to retire ( which can happen), the Steeler's organization is doomed for the next few year's.

[zulater]

his contract ends after the 2015 season, so it's a little early to think about his next contract!

Excuse me, I'm just being a little flippant.

Anyway the next time Ben plays and throws a cringe worthy pick or takes an ill-advised sack remember what he's working with. And how bad the offense looks without him! Ben makes chaos work! He's got no choice but to throw into tight windows because sometimes no one is getting open!

Take the motto with me. In Ben we trust!

[86WARD]

Wow...been saying for two years now that the Steelers should've bucked up and got a serviceable back up and drafted a QB to have some depth behind Ben. Leftwich and Batch aren't worthy of NFL roster spots...they just aren't....and now it's not only showing the truth, but it's showing how important Ben is to this team and how far the drop off is from Ben to Batch...horrible.

[steelreserve]

You're right. The terrible thing is the FO has wasted year's preparing a young QB to take his place. Holding on to Batch/Lefty for some ungodly reason. And now it's showing. If Ben is unable to come back, or he decides to retire ( which can happen), the Steeler's organization is doomed for the next few year's.

Why is that terrible? If they drafted a young QB to take his place, he'd just leave at the end of his rookie contract if he was any good. Or if not, you've wasted a draft pick. They're kind of stuck in a position of looking for the best veteran they can get to sign a one or two year prove-it contract, or go with questionable young guys. Most teams with a franchise QB are in that exact same position. Every once in a while, you get in some situation where a guy like Matt Cassel or Kevin Kolb or Matt Flynn is your backup and does well enough that you can get something back for him ... but even then, usually all you've done is cause a hell of a lot of commotion to get a second-round pick, if that was even any better than the pick you used in the first place.

Having said that, we definitely need to look around for better veteran backups than Lefty and Batch. They are just useless at this point.

[Moose]

Why is that terrible? If they drafted a young QB to take his place, he'd just leave at the end of his rookie contract if he was any good. Or if not, you've wasted a draft pick. They're kind of stuck in a position of looking for the best veteran they can get to sign a one or two year prove-it contract, or go with questionable young guys. Most teams with a franchise QB are in that exact same position. Every once in a while, you get in some situation where a guy like Matt Cassel or Kevin Kolb or Matt Flynn is your backup and does well enough that you can get something back for him ... but even then, usually all you've done is cause a hell of a lot of commotion to get a second-round pick, if that was even any better than the pick you used in the first place.

Having said that, we definitely need to look around for better veteran backups than Lefty and Batch. They are just useless at this point.

Yea, I see your point as far as getting a young QB in a draft and then letting him sit for year's on the bench. But I just don't understand ass old Batch hanging around and Lefty, who's made of glass and get's hurt when someone slaps him, holding a back up job spot. Neither are worth a crap. I know when Ben goes down, everyone else on the team should step up a notch or two to keep the team going, but as we've seen the past week's, the team isn't doing it. Ben is the key, but 1 man shouldn't make or break a team, and if we had a back up QB that shows strength, discipline and confidence, maybe the rest of the team would follow.

[BlastFurnace]

If the O'line doesn't get better and he doesn't learn to get rid of the ball, there will be no next contract. He'll be too beat up.

It's a shame, because they aren't a good team without him.

[steelreserve]

Yea, I see your point as far as getting a young QB in a draft and then letting him sit for year's on the bench. But I just don't understand ass old Batch hanging around and Lefty, who's made of glass and get's hurt when someone slaps him, holding a back up job spot. Neither are worth a crap. I know when Ben goes down, everyone else on the team should step up a notch or two to keep the team going, but as we've seen the past week's, the team isn't doing it. Ben is the key, but 1 man shouldn't make or break a team, and if we had a back up QB that shows strength, discipline and confidence, maybe the rest of the team would follow.

I don't get having Batch and lefty either. They may be stuck in the position of looking for cheapish veteran QBs for backups, but they need better cheap veterans than that.

[X-Terminator]

If the O'line doesn't get better and he doesn't learn to get rid of the ball, there will be no next contract. He'll be too beat up.

It's a shame, because they aren't a good team without him.

He's actually done that this season, which is why he has taken fewer sacks and hits than in years past. It was a completely freak accident that caused his injury. If there's one thing that Haley's system has done, it's kept Ben upright most of the season.

[pepsyman1]

If the O'line doesn't get better and he doesn't learn to get rid of the ball, there will be no next contract. He'll be too beat up.

It's a shame, because they aren't a good team without him.

Bens sacks are way down this year and the Oline has definitely shown improvement, especially considering the overwhelming injuries (yet again). If I'm not mistaken, old man Charlie was only sacked once yesterday. The Browns played very smart on defense yesterday, they overplayed the run and dared us to beat them with Batch, which we obviously weren't prepared to do.

[stillers4me]

We suck without Ben

I'd say it's time to resurrect this.............

[Psycho Ward 86]

How ironic is it that the ONE year that Ben is finally getting comfy in the pocket and not getting hammered every game is the year he misses multiples games for the 1st time ever?

Seriously, if Arians were still here id be asking "Will Ben still be alive by 2015?"

[Dwinsgames]

Seriously whatever Ben is making he's underpaid.

2013 cap hits ...

Big Ben - 11.6 Base, Cap hit, 20.6.
Lamarr Woodley - Base 9 Cap Hit 13.24
Troy Polamalu - Base 7.5 Cap Hit 10.38
James Harrison - Base 6.5 Cap Hit 10.35
Ike Taylor - Base 6 Cap Hit 9.45
Willie Colon - Base 5.5 Cap Hit 7.65
Lawrence Timmons - Base 5.37 Cap Hit
Heath Miller Base 5.16 Cap Hit 7.95
Ryan Clark Base 3.5 Cap Hit 4.75
Antonio Brown Base 2 Cap Hit 6.2

Cap hit from those players, 84.13 Million. That's roughly 2/3 of the current salary cap on these 10 players.

[Count Steeler]

2013 cap hits ...

Big Ben - 11.6 Base, Cap hit, 20.6.
Lamarr Woodley - Base 9 Cap Hit 13.24
Troy Polamalu - Base 7.5 Cap Hit 10.38
James Harrison - Base 6.5 Cap Hit 10.35
Ike Taylor - Base 6 Cap Hit 9.45
Willie Colon - Base 5.5 Cap Hit 7.65
Lawrence Timmons - Base 5.37 Cap Hit
Heath Miller Base 5.16 Cap Hit 7.95
Ryan Clark Base 3.5 Cap Hit 4.75
Antonio Brown Base 2 Cap Hit 6.2

Cap hit from those players, 84.13 Million. That's roughly 2/3 of the current salary cap on these 10 players.

And some around here are willing to give Wallace 11-12mil. Doesn't leave much for the rest of the 42 players.

[Dwinsgames]

And some around here are willing to give Wallace 11-12mil. Doesn't leave much for the rest of the 42 players.

well some people on internet forums will always try and convince you one player is bigger than the team ...

the reality of it is your only as good as your collective 53 man roster ...

give me 45 real good football players 3-4 really really good players and the balance in athletes who can do 1 or 2 things better than almost anyone else be it special teams or a pass rush specialist etc etc and financially the way the league is setup with a salary cap that is all you can ask for ... you can not have the best of the best at every spot on the field you have to temper expectations and play to your strengths

[X-Terminator]

2013 cap hits ...

Big Ben - 11.6 Base, Cap hit, 20.6.
Lamarr Woodley - Base 9 Cap Hit 13.24
Troy Polamalu - Base 7.5 Cap Hit 10.38
James Harrison - Base 6.5 Cap Hit 10.35
Ike Taylor - Base 6 Cap Hit 9.45
Willie Colon - Base 5.5 Cap Hit 7.65
Lawrence Timmons - Base 5.37 Cap Hit
Heath Miller Base 5.16 Cap Hit 7.95
Ryan Clark Base 3.5 Cap Hit 4.75
Antonio Brown Base 2 Cap Hit 6.2

Cap hit from those players, 84.13 Million. That's roughly 2/3 of the current salary cap on these 10 players.

Thank God the Steelers have Omar Khan crunching the numbers. Because otherwise they would be in big, big trouble.