According to NFL.com, Steelers salary cap specialist Omar Khan will interview for the general manager position of the Seattle Seahawks.
It's an interesting move considering Khan isn't a personnel guy. It could mean the Seahawks may be intent on giving new head coach Pete Carroll control over personnel.
Khan is a bright guy and would do well in the position. His loss would be felt with the Steelers, particularly heading into a possibly uncapped season.
And the fall of the Steelers dynasty continues.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone still think the Patriots would have "shredded" the Steelers in the playoffs? I'm telling you, the Steelers would have had about a 50% chance of making the Super Bowl if they had only pissed away one fewer game this year.
ReplyDeleteIf Khan wouldn't be in charge of personnel, would he just have the same job he has in Pittsburgh? Or would he have more GM duties?
ReplyDelete"And the fall of the Steelers dynasty continues."
I swear, I'd expect to see this on a Bengals or Ravens fansite, but not on one dedicated to the Steelers. You almost sound like you want it to happen.
The Steelers were only 1 or 2 plays away from making the playoffs. They will be back next season. The people that think they are crumbling are the same ones that keep criticizing Ben, don't think Lebeau is effective or want to move to the 4-3. They have no sense of reality. The Steelers were coming off a Super Bowl win, suffered some key injuries and had some players underperform. They'll be back.
ReplyDeleteThe Steelers are a resilient organization. Anyone who thinks the loss of Omar Khan is the end of success for this team isn't living in reality. The NFL is constantly changing and even the Steelers tend to change less than other teams, they continually evolve with their player personnel. Look at some of the coordinators we've gone through and we continue to have success. Don't panic people we have a great team with a few holes. They don't need an overhaul, just a tweak or two.
ReplyDeleteFarrior isn't getting any faster, and we need a second starting CB. Plus we have another year of Arians' terrible situational playcalling.
ReplyDeleteEd Bouchette already wrote an article saying the Steelers' window has closed.
that's crazy talk
ReplyDeleteIf Bouchette said it, it must be true. His word is law!
ReplyDeleteMaybe watching the Ravens hoist the Lombardi will light a fire under this team next year, and make them realize what an opportunity they blew this year.
ReplyDeleteAnyone watching McFadden's performance tonight against the Packers should realize the Steelers did not screw up by letting him go....
ReplyDeleteHe probably would have done better than Gay, but revisionist Steeler fans talk about him like he's an All-Pro.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what window Ed was talking about. I look at this current group as the Roethlisberger Steelers. I'd say they have another eight to 10 years on this window.
ReplyDeleteAs for Omar, the GM job would suggest he'd be running the show - save player evaluation.
As long as Hines is around, it's clear he'll never allow Ben to be the true leader of the team. We wouldn't be able to replace his on-field productivity, but in a certain sense might the team be better off without Hines?
ReplyDeleteHines will go down as one of the all-time Steeler greats. He will likely have a good shot at making the Hall of Fame. It would be a crime if he didn't retire as a Steeler.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the rift you're alluding to is as great as you described it. Hines is - and should be - a veteran leader on the team.
When was the last time a franchise QB got called out publicly by one of his WRs (not named Terrell Owens)?
ReplyDeleteHeck, Mark Sanchez already has more respect among his teammates than Ben does after six years and two Super Bowls.
The Flacco Ravens are about to win their first Super Bowl, and they seem better built for long-term success than the Roethlisberger Steelers.
ReplyDeleteI hated that Hines did that, but I don't think its enough of a reason to get rid of him. These guys are professionals -- they'll get past it.
ReplyDeleteI will say this -- I love Ben as a QB, but off the field he has a reputation for being quite the d-bag. If he isn't considered the leader of this team, it isn't because of Hines Ward.
"The Flacco Ravens are about to win their first Super Bowl, and they seem better built for long-term success than the Roethlisberger Steelers."
ReplyDeleteThe heart and soul of their team -- Ray Lewis, Derrick Mason and Ed Reed are rapidly approaching retirement. They have A LOT more rebuilding to do than the Steelers.
I really, really don't think the Ravens will get past Indy/SD.
I know we missed the playoffs this year, but the sky isn't falling.
Flacco? Flacco is awful. He's taken massive steps backwards in his development. The pick he threw yesterday was a read that most high school players make. The Patriots didn't even disguise it.
ReplyDeleteI'm more worried about the "Ray Rice/Michael Oher" Ravens than the Joe Flacco-Ravens. He's a taller version of Kyle Boller.
Anybody who is worried about the Steelers future is obviously not paying attention to the playoffs.
ReplyDeleteThere isn't one complete team in the entire field. The Steelers, without Polamalu and Smith, could have beaten any of the four AFC teams this weekend (The Ravens, who looked the best out of the four, barely beat the Steelers with Dixon at QB).
agreed, flacco has stepped back a bit. the majority of success he has had this year is dumping the ball off to rice and then benefiting from rice getting yards after the catch.
ReplyDeletei didn't think he was that great last year either though. most of his deep completions were just throwing the ball up for grabs and derek mason coming down with it.
i don't understand why teams can't stop the ravens' offense. it all runs around ray rice. take him away and make flacco beat you. most times you will win that battle.
It could be an important loss to the Steelers, although nobody is essential.
ReplyDeletegood blog, cheers from nunca podre tener un dinosaurio
"I know we missed the playoffs this year, but the sky isn't falling."
ReplyDeleteYeah. But say that to the rest of the 80 percent bandwago....I mean steelers fans
Baltimore won't get past Indy. And if they do, it is Indy in the playoffs after all, they won't get past San Diego
Dale you are correct. bravo! The window the steelers' organization is working with is Big Ben's career. How many super bowls can they get to and win during that time?
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping two more. That would be a great accomplishment. Ben does want to win he has that drive .. . but will he have the career longevity to do it?
I've seen statements before that show a complete lack of intelligence, but some of the anon comments are so stupid, they have to be fans of other teams trolling.
ReplyDelete"And the fall of the Steelers dynasty continues"
"but in a certain sense might the team be better off without Hines?"
"Heck, Mark Sanchez already has more respect among his teammates than Ben does after six years and two Super Bowls."(biggest moronic statement of them all)
Are you f***ing kidding me??? There's no falling of a dynasty. 1 - Not only was there never one to begin with, but this team is reisilient and will continue to win. 2 - Hines has one of his most productive years and we'd be better off without him? I don't care in what sense, the answer is no. 3 - And I'm ridiculously certain that if Ben was not a leader and had no respect in the locker room, they wouldn't have voted him MVP. Jeebus you idiots make me sick. If you are steeler fans and not trolls, please go cheer for another team. I hear the Jags need fans.
Good comments, Steelerark.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to start over with a new roster for the Steelers, my first pick on offense would be Hines Ward for his on-field contribution and his leadership on the team.
Troy P. would be my first pick on defense, by the way.
Steelerark, don't you know the anonymous posters are the finest ones we have here?
ReplyDeleteJust wait till you are imitated by 3 or 4 people. Then you're really popular.
The Colts and Chargers are soft, the Ravens will punch them in the mouth and run all over them. The Ravens may make the Super Bowl with Flacco having thrown fewer than 40 total passes.
ReplyDeletePlease weigh in, Dale, I have a feeling you'll agree.
I am not sure why the Ravens are getting all of this love. I think they get spanked by a very well rested team on the road. Other than Reed, their secondary is a bunch of retreads. The Colts D is built on speed, which might actually help against Rice. They were 14- 2 for a reason.
ReplyDeletechas steel
agree with chas. I think the Colts would have more problems against the Jets then the Ravens honestly.
ReplyDeleteRegardless I don't see any one of these teams beating SD right now.
did anyone know this little quirk if there is no CBA?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/extra_points/2010/01/why_the_loss_he.html
Seems kind of harsh. I'd much rather the Steelers be in the playoffs, but with the needs of this team, this coud have been a problem if they won the first game and lost later.
When's the last time you saw them sign a free agent for more than $5 million per year? It would be a non-issue,
ReplyDeleteThat is true. I didn't consider the high number. Would effect other teams more than them.
ReplyDeleteMaybe if they wanted to sign Hampton without franchising him it. But yeh, I doubt they'd need to sign two players for that amount.
I was more suprised that it even exists when I first saw it. Never heard of it.
I believe the rule applies just to free agents who aren't from your own team. For example, in that scenario, the Steelers could sign Ryan Clark, Willie Colon and Casey Hampton for whatever salary they chose, but they couldn't go out and sign two guys from other teams at more than $5 mil per year. If I'm reading this correctly, the limit is only imposed on free agents coming from other teams.
ReplyDelete(Not trying to be argumentative. This rule was unbeknownst to me as well.)
I couldn't tell from reading it if it was your FA or not either.
ReplyDeleteI think it is saying for those 8 teams, you can only sign 1 player above the number + however many of your FAs leave.
I am not sure why the Ravens are getting all of this love. I think they get spanked by a very well rested team on the road. Other than Reed, their secondary is a bunch of retreads. The Colts D is built on speed, which might actually help against Rice. They were 14- 2 for a reason.
ReplyDeletechas steel
Good comment chas. Even Ed Reed is not very good....YES IT'S TRUE. He always jumps the short routes looking for interceptions but gets beat deep a lot.
The window isn't closed. The Steelers will continue to be a competitive team.
ReplyDeleteBut I'd be surprised if any fan doesn't feel a bit like we could/should be better than what we are right now. That if this organization (from top-to-bottom) had done everything from player personnel, the draft, assistant coaching hires, to game-day decisions a little better over the last 3-4 seasons, we'd be on the verge of a dynasty.
And don't try to sell me we're a dynasty already, because dynasties don't follow up Super Bowl wins with flop seasons (unless it's a strike season or you lose your franchise QB).
I'm frustrated with the Steelers because "good enough" always seems to apply. When we didn't have Roethlisberger and throughout most of the Cowher seasons, I was happy and content with "good enough" and consistant 10-win season (at least on average). But with Roethlisberger, this organization should have hire aspirations.
In my opinion, the powers that be (probalby a little bit Art Rooney II, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin) aren't acting like that.
The sky isn't falling but I discovered something very sobering this week: The steelers haven't won a playoff game in 3 of the last 4 seasons. Granted, winning a SB the greatest achievement and we did that in 2008, but is this current group as good as we think it is.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, the Steelers have only made the playoffs in 2 of the last 4 seasons. Knowing this and how this team (with top-notch talent) couldn't make the playoffs with the lowest SOS of any team, I have to be a little worried about this team's future.
Here's my feeling about this Baltimore team - it hadn't beaten a team with a winning record until beating New England. And the Ravens had a losing record on the road this season.
ReplyDeleteI think they do have a chance to win this week - though it would take some crazy turnovers like they had last week. But they aren't beating both Indy and SD on the road.
dale, i do believe the steelers had a winning record when the ravens beat the steelers.
ReplyDeletehowever, the ravens are lucky to be in the playoffs and made a deal with the devil to beat the patriots last week. there luck will run out against the colts.
mike makes a very good point about the steelers recent history and their inability to make the playoffs this year. how can a team that beats vikings, packers, chargers lose to browns, chiefs, raiders?
i say it is total lack of leadership. when you hit slides during a season, which will happen almost every year, the leaders of the team need to pull you through. wherever that comes from, players or coaches, it needs to be there.
we don't know what really goes on in the locker room, but someone needs to take control and make a difference, imo.
I don't know if it was leadership, but something was wrong mentally with this team. It definitely wasn't a talent issue, because if they had the talent to beat SD, GB, and BAL (all without Troy), then they should have had the talent to beat OAK, KC, and CLE.
ReplyDeleteWhat possible explanation can there be for beating good teams and losing to bad teams?
"What possible explanation can there be for beating good teams and losing to bad teams?"
ReplyDeleteoverconfidence, poor gameplans/bad playcalling coupled with poor execution, pathetic kick coverage, red zone inefficiency, key turnovers given but not taken (see Taylor's dropped pick in KC and Burnett's against Oakland)
lack of a leader? start at the top with Tomlin
"The sky isn't falling but I discovered something very sobering this week: The steelers haven't won a playoff game in 3 of the last 4 seasons. Granted, winning a SB the greatest achievement and we did that in 2008, but is this current group as good as we think it is."
ReplyDeleteThey are when healthy. Think to the 3 years the Steelers didn't make the playoffs: Ben had his accident and numerous concussions in the 06 season, Smith, Clark, and Troy (I believe he had his rib injury this year) were lost at the end of the 07 season. Everyone remained healthy and we won the superbowl last year. This year we lost Troy and Smith early on and didn't have McFadden to rotate with Gay. Injuries shouldn't be an excuse, but the teams that win are the wins who are usually the healthiest. Things would be different if Troy only missed say 3 games. Having a backup any backup start for a long period of time is going to hurt.
Yes, it was everything and anything, but it had nothing to do with the defense missing two key Pro Bowlers to injury (Troy Polamalu and Aaron Smith)....
ReplyDeleteWithout them, the defense is average (win some, lose some), but with them it is the lock down super defense we saw last year.
Wow, a lot of coaching changes going on. Spanos has signed with the Skins and Butler will interview with the Dolphins.
ReplyDelete