Steelers botch Big Ben's negotiation

[stillers4me]

The Steelers signing Ben Roethlisberger to a new contract is such a foregone conclusion that their general manager essentially gave away the negotiations before they began.

What else are we to make of Kevin Colbert's comments that “Ben is going to be a better quarterback down the road than he is at this point” and calling him “a franchise quarterback that's getting better with age?”

This follows another candid Colbert comment from last July: “I don't see any circumstance of where Ben won't finish his career here.”
Colbert, never prone to hyperbole, also casually dropped in comparisons to Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

Imagine being Roethlisberger's agent, Ryan Tollner, at the negotiating table..............


Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/kevingorm...#ixzz3RZrabEvk

[Crash]

Gorman's a dope. Needs to stick with HS sports. That's his speed.

[salamander]

Uhm, pretty sure we all already knew Ben is a franchise QB. The Steelers didn't botch anything in that sense.

[86WARD]

That's a dumb article...I'm sorry...

[Crash]

Every time Gorman writes about anything other than HS sports he gets exposed for the half-wit he is.

[Butch]

LOL you all beat me to it but yes dumb article.

[Mojouw]

My head hurts from reading that crap. I'm going to drink whiskey and keep reading the article until it makes sense. Hope the bottle is still pretty full.

This guy is not very bright. There is no negotiation with QBs at Ben's level. You say a number, the agent says a #, a few bits of language are worked out and out pops another $20-25 million per year contract.

[Lady Steel]

Was there ever any question that Ben wouldn't finish his career in Pittsburgh? Why, yes, yes there was. By dumb people.

[Godfather]

He'll go sign somewhere else because the Rooneys are cheapskates.

[Lady Steel]

He'll go sign somewhere else because the Rooneys are cheapskates.

No he won't. He has a wife from New Castle and two kids. He's not going anywhere.

[X-Terminator]

I read the article earlier today, and it was so bad that it isn't really worthy of a response. This guy's a nincompoop.

[Texasteel]

I'm sure Ben's agent woke up, read this and thought, my gosh, they think Ben is a franchise QB. Gee, they what him to stay in Pittsburgh? I haven't read anything this guy has written before, but if this is an example I think he should be more worried about his own job.

[86WARD]

He saw dollar signs!!!

[tube517]

Who in the blue hell is Kevin Gorman???

[Crash]

DK posted on his Friday Insider that he heard 5-6 years $100 million.

I would hope the Steelers don't think it's a six year extension for $100 mil. That's not going to happen.

I say 5 years added, $100 mil, $36 mil bonus, $55 mil guaranteed.

[86WARD]

DK posted on his Friday Insider that he heard 5-6 years $100 million.

I would hope the Steelers don't think it's a six year extension for $100 mil. That's not going to happen.

I say 5 years added, $100 mil, $36 mil bonus, $55 mil guaranteed.

Highway Robbery!!

[Crash]

It's fair market.

[86WARD]

Not really. Maybe if his deal was completed in 2012-13. Now, it's low...but I wouldn't scoff at it if they got him that cheap.

[Crash]

$21 million a year puts him #2 behind Rodgers.

It's all about the guaranteed money and his bonus.

[86WARD]

Rodgers is currently "underpaid" by today's inflation. I wouldn't be surprised if Wilson, Ben and Luck all get more than Rodgers in their next deals.

[zulater]

I'm sure Ben's agent woke up, read this and thought, my gosh, they think Ben is a franchise QB. Gee, they what him to stay in Pittsburgh? I haven't read anything this guy has written before, but if this is an example I think he should be more worried about his own job.

Yeah. Damn now the cat is out of the bag they'll have to pay him! If only they could have kept this under their hat a little longer. Ben and his agent would have never guessed him to be a franchise qb without Colbert opening his big mouth.

That guy ( writer of the article) really must be a dipshit. Don;'t they have an editor in place to kill that sort of story before it gets out and embarrasses the paper?

[BigNastyDefense]

I am pretty sure everyone, including the Steelers FO, knew he was a franchise QB somewhere between winning his second Super Bowl and playing for his third if there was any doubt before he got that second ring.

I think there's a chance we can sign Ben for "cheap." He's taken a lot of hits, and this past season was just the second of his career that he played all 16 games. He knows that the team has never had a ton of cap room, and has always been willing to rework his contract to give the team room to sign other players. I wouldn't be shocked if he gave the Steelers a discount in the way of a contract that has more guaranteed money but keeps his annual cap hit slightly lower.

[Crash]

He's taken a lot of hits, and this past season was just the second of his career that he played all 16 games.

Actually it was his third, but the sentence in itself is taken way out of context by everyone, and it's taking cheap shots at Ben that aren't warranted.

I wish it would stop.