Where do the Steelers start their restoration project?

[stillers4me]

Let the reclamation project begin. But where to start?

At 2-6, the Steelers have little room to accomplish anything over the second half of the season except maybe to avoid a total meltdown and escape reaching the franchise's worst record since the 1970 NFL merger (5-11 in 1988).

Yet what tools are available to coach Mike Tomlin as he tries to avoid the bottom falling out? He made several changes a month ago. He can't change the quarterback, he already changed the running backs, he can't change the receivers or tight ends. He made one performance change in the offensive line and injuries continue to force his hand on others there..............

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[Count Steeler]

We could bring in another punter.

[ALLD]

Switch uniforms with the Bengals.

[Mistah Q]

Where? In the front office...

[Dwinsgames]

Where? In the front office...

THIS !

Colbert has to go , Omar and his lets just pay the interest payment on these players and push the principal into the future needs to go ( try running your personal finances that way and see where it gets you ) ... hint bankrupt in 10 years or less

Upgrade the scouting department , new guys and more of them ( we have one of the smaller scouting departments in the league and it shows because after the first few rounds while other teams are still drafting we are guessing ) Yes folks even a blind squirrel finds the occasional nut and Colbert is that blind squirrel rounds 5 -6- 7 .....

[Seven]

I don't think this team is a "restoration project." It doesn't need to be gutted. It needs a touch up, though. Team building is pretty simple itself. It's the execution that's hard. First you need to identify your cornerstones. To me, they are Roethlisberger, Bell, Brown and Miller on offense. Heyward, Timmons, Jones and Thomas on defense. Jones and Thomas are risks, but you have to assume they are going to be the players you drafted them to be at this stage. Next you have to identify outliers, players that you can reasonably jettison without too much consequence. I don't know the contract specifics, but guys like Taylor, Clark and Woodley are probably players you are looking to offload IF possible. Then you look for value. I think players such as Velasco and Gay are value players. Guys that bring more to the team than you are paying them. Keep them around, fit them into your plans any way possible. From there, you look at which positions would most assist your cornerstones. So on offense, you're going to be looking at offensive tackle obviously due to the lack of success Adams and Gilbert have had but also because that makes the most sense positionally to help out the skill positions. On defense, depending on what fat you were able to cut, you probably want to address another pass rusher or defensive back - whatever player you feel is going to assist in stopping the pass most efficiently. That's the route I would take to this process. Specifically, I would be attempting to acquire a veteran tackle before the draft, then using the flexibility that player provides to decide which way I want to go in the early rounds.

[Steeldude]

Start with the O-line. Put in some serious overtime on evaluating offensive linemen for 2014. I am referring to tackles.

The defense needs a leader, an ILB and a CB. I also think it's time for a new DC. It would make it easier if Lebeau decided to retire.

As for Haley, I don't care either way. I don't know of many OCs that are going to find success with that dreadful O-line.

Firing the GM and/or HC may or may not be the answer. You have to find a quick replacement if you do give them the boot. Who would it be? Whoever accepts the job has his work cut out for him. The team handed out some overpriced contracts and as a result they are in salary cap hell. It would be nice if they found a Chuck Noll to clean house. If there is a new HC I hope he isn't another buddy-type who rambles on like a politician.

[NCSteeler]

It starts with the Rooney's telling Kahn, Colbert and Tomlin they want a plan. If I'm the owner I put them on notice right now, for each of your prospective roles , I want a plan not for Sunday but for next season, for this offseason, for the draft. What are we doing, what do we need? If they can't provide me a solid plan they get replaced. I wanna know how the Cap is going to be handled, we can't go into another offseason in Cap hell. The last 2 years we have HAD to cut vets just to make money for draft and new deals for younger guys. We NEED to make this a draft where we go get OUR guy instead of siting pat and getting BPA. Too many times we sat tight with plenty of picks in late rounds, well guess what late round picks rarely make a SB caliber roster, trade those picks and get me THAT guy, that is going to make the team and make a difference. Problem is it's too late to some degree, we now have room for an entire draft class on this roster.

OT, NT would be tops, if we traded our whole draft to get starters at these positions we would be better off.

[steelreserve]

Kahn needs to be fired and beaten up. Then we need all of 2014 just to let bloated contracts expire, and hopefully we'll find a way to get rid of Woodley along with it. Kiss Pouncey goodbye because we'll never afford him, and start figuring out which rookies from 2012 and 2013 we want to keep. Hope we draft better next year, I guess.

[Mojouw]

Does any one actually thing Khan was behind all these contracts? He has zero decision making power. He is put in a room to sign the guy the football side of the shop tells him to.

Further, there is no way that the Rooneys were not fully aware of what the cap implications of all the financial decisions were the past several years. Does anyone really believe that the front office and coaching staff (their top employees!) were allowed to spend their family money without the Rooneys' signing off? If I remember correctly, for the members of the family involved with the Steelers, this is their primary business. They are not absentee new money status symbol owners (Jerry Jones, Dan Snyder, etc) they are old-school football men.

The Steelers post 2010 or so pushed all their chips into the middle and bet the house of bringing home multiple Lombardi trophies.

I will never be convinced that this decision was not approved at the Rooney level.

I am not saying Colbert, Khan, Tomlin, etc are not without blame -- but some perspective needs to be held on to.

If it is a gut job required to improve this team, then the Rooneys themselves can not be excluded.