Starkey: Steelers taking unfair hits

[zulater]

Fiscal negligence? Is that what the Steelers are being accused of?
How ridiculous.
How incredibly unfair.
Contrary to what the new order of revisionist Steeler historians are telling you, this franchise has deftly navigated the salary cap over the past decade. Its decision-makers brilliantly have combined a win-now philosophy with a willingness to part with still-productive players.
Why did they keep the core largely intact?
Because it was winning, silly!
The Steelers were in the Super Bowl three years ago. They were a botched series (home Baltimore game) away from a first-round bye in 2011. They were thick in the race last winter when a preposterous spate of injuries sabotaged their season. They haven't had a losing season since 2003.
And it's not like they've avoided tough financial decisions, parting with the likes of Joey Porter, Alan Faneca, Chris Hope, Plaxico Burress and now James Harrison.
In cases where prospective free agents were unwilling to accept less than what they could get on the open market, the Steelers simply said goodbye. Mike Wallace is a good example. He was going to chase every penny. I don't blame him, but the Steelers weren't going to play that game with a receiver.
They were going to have to make a decision between Wallace and Antonio Brown at some point — just as they did between Burress and Hines Ward — and chose Brown when it became clear Wallace was going for the gold


Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/-topstori...#ixzz2NnS3ZQ4H
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[zulater]

The Steelers' recent drafting prowess is absolutely up for debate. Their fiscal intelligence is not.
Every fan base in sports wants to win now. For the Steelers, “now” has lasted the better part of 12 years.
Consider yourselves lucky.


Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/-topstori...#ixzz2NnTR2eaE
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[NCSteeler]

Pretty good read. If Worlids , Hood and Heyward blossom this season could be a very stout one. My guess is that Hood and Heyward will play good enough but Worlids worries me. With Woodley doing his best impression of a NT, we really need someone to step up on the other side.
To me the Lewis lack of deal is the most baffling.
A. the front office has all the confidence in the world in Allen/Brown. I still would have offered near starter money with Ike's age.
B. He didn't want to be here.

[X-Terminator]

They've been playing chicken with the salary cap for most of those 12 years too, Mr. Starkey. And this year, they finally had a crash that has cost them dearly. So yeah, there has been some financial negligence in that they have held on to older players for too long, and now they are losing younger talent that they would have kept in past years. Couple that with some bad drafts, and you have a team that will be average at best. Sorry, but they deserve the criticism they are getting for that. How long this average stretch lasts depends on the FO decisions both financially and in the draft, and it's pretty safe to say that this season's draft will be the most important one in the last decade. They cannot afford to have too many misses this year - and next, for that matter.

[zulater]

They've been playing chicken with the salary cap for most of those 12 years too, Mr. Starkey. And this year, they finally had a crash that has cost them dearly. So yeah, there has been some financial negligence in that they have held on to older players for too long, and now they are losing younger talent that they would have kept in past years. Couple that with some bad drafts, and you have a team that will be average at best. Sorry, but they deserve the criticism they are getting for that. How long this average stretch lasts depends on the FO decisions both financially and in the draft, and it's pretty safe to say that this season's draft will be the most important one in the last decade. They cannot afford to have too many misses this year - and next, for that matter.

So you would have been fine if they made financial decisions that would have cost them their SB 45 appearance and a 12-4 season in 2011? And prior to getting decimated by injuries weren't the Steelers looking like legtimate contenders in 2012?

This isn't the same as the Cowboys, Raiders, or Redskins, who find themselves in cap hell for teams that did nothing, and never at any point past May looked even close.

The Steelers were keeping together a viable product with reasonable means.

That we may suffer a subpar season as a result, so what? You're the one always proclaiming how Steeler fans are spoiled. Well .....

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Pretty good read. If Worlids , Hood and Heyward blossom this season could be a very stout one. My guess is that Hood and Heyward will play good enough but Worlids worries me. With Woodley doing his best impression of a NT, we really need someone to step up on the other side.
To me the Lewis lack of deal is the most baffling.
A. the front office has all the confidence in the world in Allen/Brown. I still would have offered near starter money with Ike's age.
B. He didn't want to be here.

I'm a little puzzled by the Lewis thing as well? Maybe he wasn't as strong on tape as we thought he was?

One thing I do believe, they absolutely wanted the path clear for Cortez Allen to start next season. So if they retained Lewis they would have had to have done something with Ike.

[Bluecoat96]

You can take this for what it's worth, but this offseason will be Worlids' first FULL one. (2010- rookie, 2011- lockout, 2012- wrist injury) I will be very interested to see what he can do.

[cold-hard-steel]

Love em or leave em . Me , i love em .I would be the last one on the ship helping all of the deserters to safety. I'm stayin through the good times and the bad . Was a nice read though .

[steeldawg]

"how incredibly unfair" .......He said it himself fans want to win now! So we finished 8-8 and are watching the team being dismantled because of salary issues, we can accuse the team of fiscal negligence if we want.

[Dwinsgames]

"we can accuse the team of fiscal negligence if we want.

yep you can ... but remember this , just because somebody says it does not necessarily make it correct .... I myself disagree with some of the player movement and believe Harrison would still be on the roster had they offered him a little less of a cut .... but to go as far and say fiscal negligence for me is over the top ... again that is me ....

[steeldawg]

yep you can ... but remember this , just because somebody says it does not necessarily make it correct .... I myself disagree with some of the player movement and believe Harrison would still be on the roster had they offered him a little less of a cut .... but to go as far and say fiscal negligence for me is over the top ... again that is me ....

It doesnt mean its not correct either its just a matter of opinion, but to listen to someone cry thats not fair is silly. If fans want to say fiscal negligent or they handled the salary cap brilliantly doesnt really matter, what matters is we are watching alot young players walk while we are stuck with alot of aging guys and short term guys.

[Count Steeler]

Fiscal negligence is putting words in peoples' mouths. That is a bit harsh for Starkey to characterize "salary cap problems" as fiscal negligence. The cap problems are 2 fold, the Steelers trying to stay competitive and secondly, the cap remaining almost stagnant for the last 3 years. Had the cap increased at historical levels, the Steelers would be fine. However, due to the reigning in of the cap, they have been caught unawares. They planned according to historical levels, so to accuse them of negligence is to say that their crystal ball wasn't polished enough.

Having said that, the Steelers will be hard pressed to field a Super Bowl contender this year because of the activities of this off season. A strong draft will help, but realistically and unless we get a season's long holiday from the injury demon, we make the playoffs at best, and about 6-10 at worst.

[salamander]

If the Steelers go out and win the Super Bowl (or make the playoffs for that matter) this season, then yes, all this criticism will be unfair. But until that happens, I personally hate seeing all this young talent leaving because the team screwed up with financial decisions.

[X-Terminator]

So you would have been fine if they made financial decisions that would have cost them their SB 45 appearance and a 12-4 season in 2011? And prior to getting decimated by injuries weren't the Steelers looking like legtimate contenders in 2012?

This isn't the same as the Cowboys, Raiders, or Redskins, who find themselves in cap hell for teams that did nothing, and never at any point past May looked even close.

The Steelers were keeping together a viable product with reasonable means.

That we may suffer a subpar season as a result, so what? You're the one always proclaiming how Steeler fans are spoiled. Well .....

Yeah, and? Steelers fans are spoiled, that is pretty frickin obvious. And just because I'm questioning the team's strategy over the past decade doesn't mean I'm joining that group. Give me a break. Unlike the spoiled fans, I'm fully prepared to accept a couple of seasons of mediocrity in order to get back to the top of the mountain again, because recent history says they won't be down for long. I would just like to see them get better at cap management and talent acquisition, so that they don't get themselves in this position again any time soon, or have the down years be more protracted than they need to be.

[Spike]

I mostly blame Ben's dislocated ribs for that 8-8 record.


why did you have to threaten to kill our QB?

why?

[NCSteeler]

So you would have been fine if they made financial decisions that would have cost them their SB 45 appearance and a 12-4 season in 2011? And prior to getting decimated by injuries weren't the Steelers looking like legtimate contenders in 2012?

This isn't the same as the Cowboys, Raiders, or Redskins, who find themselves in cap hell for teams that did nothing, and never at any point past May looked even close.

The Steelers were keeping together a viable product with reasonable means.

That we may suffer a subpar season as a result, so what? You're the one always proclaiming how Steeler fans are spoiled. Well .....

- - - Updated - - -



I'm a little puzzled by the Lewis thing as well? Maybe he wasn't as strong on tape as we thought he was?

One thing I do believe, they absolutely wanted the path clear for Cortez Allen to start next season. So if they retained Lewis they would have had to have done something with Ike.

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf...happy_the.html

Read this morning, seems Lewis wanted to be in NO badly

ver since the NFL became a realistic goal for Keenan Lewis, the New Oreans native and O.P Walker standout who inked a five-year, $26.3 million contract with the New Orleans Saints on Thursday, he and Terral dreamed of Keenan playing for the Saints.

Keenan said Terral was easily the most excited member of the Lewis clan.

"He almost started crying," Keenan said. "He's been a Saints fan his whole life. He was the most excited person in the family. He was happy I turned down some of that money to come home."

Keenan said some of the credit for his development should go to Steelers secondary coach Carnell Lake and a pair of New Orleans-area natives and Steelers teammates, cornerback Ike Taylor and safety Ryan Clark.

"It's going to be hard without Ike and Ryan Clark, two guys from the area who basically took me under their wings and showed me how to be a professional,"

I know it's a side topic, but it does go to the argument that they couldn't keep the young talent. Hard to keep someone that wants to be somewhere else. I'm not sure what he's talking about where he references turning down money to go to NO, considering all we have been hearing that Steelers didn't offer a contract.

[salamander]

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf...happy_the.html

Read this morning, seems Lewis wanted to be in NO badly








I know it's a side topic, but it does go to the argument that they couldn't keep the young talent. Hard to keep someone that wants to be somewhere else. I'm not sure what he's talking about where he references turning down money to go to NO, considering all we have been hearing that Steelers didn't offer a contract.

Can't blame the guy for wanting to go play for his hometown team.

[tube517]

Keenan said some of the credit for his development should go to Steelers secondary coach Carnell Lake

Good for Keenan that he got what he wants but I think I'd rather keep Carnell Lake. I hope they do their best to keep him around for years. Problem is, Lake has made an immediate impact so he will probably get offers in 2014.

[Hindes204]

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf...happy_the.html

Read this morning, seems Lewis wanted to be in NO badly








I know it's a side topic, but it does go to the argument that they couldn't keep the young talent. Hard to keep someone that wants to be somewhere else. I'm not sure what he's talking about where he references turning down money to go to NO, considering all we have been hearing that Steelers didn't offer a contract.

Yep, and not offering him a contract probably had something to do with him desperately wanting to go to NO. Maybe he let the Steelers know his intentions. I don't blame the guy for wanting to play in his hometown. I don't think there is anything the Steelers could have done to keep him, so I don't blame the front office either.....it is what it is.

[Austin87]

Pretty good article, thanks for sharing.

[fansince'76]

They've been playing chicken with the salary cap for most of those 12 years too, Mr. Starkey. And this year, they finally had a crash that has cost them dearly. So yeah, there has been some financial negligence in that they have held on to older players for too long, and now they are losing younger talent that they would have kept in past years. Couple that with some bad drafts, and you have a team that will be average at best. Sorry, but they deserve the criticism they are getting for that. How long this average stretch lasts depends on the FO decisions both financially and in the draft, and it's pretty safe to say that this season's draft will be the most important one in the last decade. They cannot afford to have too many misses this year - and next, for that matter.

Sorry, I disagree with that. This didn't begin to become an issue until 2011 with the new CBA and the resulting flat cap since then. The salary cap in 2013 will finally be returning to the level it was in 2009 ($123 million). If the salary cap kept rising at the rate it did between 2006-09, it would easily be in the $145-$150 million range right now and we wouldn't be having this discussion. Further, the league continues to not only break, but completely shatter profit records on a yearly basis, so why shouldn't the Steelers' FO have believed that the salary cap would continue to climb at least at the same rate? Saying the Steelers' FO didn't adapt quickly enough to the change in the salary cap that the new CBA wrought is one thing and very much debatable, but saying they've completely screwed the pooch for the last 12 years as far as salary cap management is concerned is something else, and IMO, dead wrong. In fact, for a good chunk of that time, they were still dispelling the bullshit "The Rooneys are cheap!" myth.


Salary cap growth from 2000-2009:




Personally, I'm hoping for a big upward adjustment (see the $17 million jump from 2005-06) when the new TV contracts go into effect in 2014.

[Mojouw]

So who is the young talent the salary cap has caused the Steelers to lose? Mendenhall being allowed to walk was not a money decision. Wallace demonstrated that he was unwilling to sign at the amount the Steelers valued him at. Folks have posted information here that makes it look like Lewis was in a similar position -- the Steelers were never going to pay him what he wanted. So it appears that both Lewis and Wallace were not resigned regardless of cap space. There was simply no way that Pittsburgh would have ever paid Wallace $10 million per or Lewis $5 million per. I don't care how much cap space they could have -- it could be infinity -- and this team would not have broken their internal valuation figures. They simply don't do it.

That being said, Harrison and Colon were clearly cap casualties. The rest of the Steelers unsigned guys are the older types that people are screaming at them to replace anyways. Now if Sanders leaves...

I am not saying that I agree with everything the team does, but to argue fiscal negligience or some other extreme negative recquires extreme proof. Not every FA that is not signed is only a result of cap room.

[X-Terminator]

Sorry, I disagree with that. This didn't begin to become an issue until 2011 with the new CBA and the resulting flat cap since then. The salary cap in 2013 will finally be returning to the level it was in 2009 ($123 million). If the salary cap kept rising at the rate it did between 2006-09, it would easily be in the $145-$150 million range right now and we wouldn't be having this discussion. Further, the league continues to not only break, but completely shatter profit records on a yearly basis, so why shouldn't the Steelers' FO have believed that the salary cap would continue to climb at least at the same rate? Saying the Steelers' FO didn't adapt quickly enough to the change in the salary cap that the new CBA wrought is one thing and very much debatable, but saying they've completely screwed the pooch for the last 12 years as far as salary cap management is concerned is something else, and IMO, dead wrong. In fact, for a good chunk of that time, they were still dispelling the bullshit "The Rooneys are cheap!" myth.


Salary cap growth from 2000-2009:




Personally, I'm hoping for a big upward adjustment (see the $17 million jump from 2005-06) when the new TV contracts go into effect in 2014.

I think you touched on it - they didn't adapt quickly enough to the change in salary cap structure. They should have done a better job of anticipating that, since so many people believe they have the best FO in sports. Maybe saying most of the past 12 years is a bit excessive, but these decisions they've made over the past 4 or 5 years have definitely come back to haunt them. It's something they are going to have to clean up, and if it means the team stinks for the next couple of seasons, then so be it. In the end, I expect them to learn from this and do whatever they have to do to avoid this ever happening again.

[zulater]

I mostly blame Ben's dislocated ribs for that 8-8 record.


why did you have to threaten to kill our QB?

why?

[zulater]

I think you touched on it - they didn't adapt quickly enough to the change in salary cap structure. They should have done a better job of anticipating that, since so many people believe they have the best FO in sports. Maybe saying most of the past 12 years is a bit excessive, but these decisions they've made over the past 4 or 5 years have definitely come back to haunt them. It's something they are going to have to clean up, and if it means the team stinks for the next couple of seasons, then so be it. In the end, I expect them to learn from this and do whatever they have to do to avoid this ever happening again.

The team wont "stink" next year or the year after if they can keep Ben upright and relatively healthy for the majority of those seasons. They will contend for the AFC North title. Outside of the loss of Ben, nothing will keep this team from being relevant and in the playoff hunt in 2013-14.

I'm taking signature and avater bets from the first five naysayers who predict the Steelers will be eliminated from playoff contention before the last game of next season.

[Psycho Ward 86]

I'm taking signature and avater bets from the first five naysayers who predict the Steelers will be eliminated from playoff contention before the last game of next season.

thats one of the least ballsiest bets ive ever heard

[zulater]

thats one of the least ballsiest bets ive ever heard

So you want part of it?

[Psycho Ward 86]

So you want part of it?

that was sarcasm. lol. thats one of the most sided bets ive ever seen

[BnG_Hevn]

So you want part of it?

I'll take that bet. If you win, the Steelers make the playoffs. If I win, I get the prize. It is a Win-Win / win for me.

[zulater]

I'll take that bet. If you win, the Steelers make the playoffs. If I win, I get the prize. It is a Win-Win / win for me.

It's not a prize being offered, it's a signature or avater bet. You win the bet you can name one or the other for me for a month of next offseason. Of course these sort of bets are best when done between board members of opposing teams. Nothing like sticking a Patriots fan with a Steelers helmet avater or a picture of Tom Brady doing something girlish.