2019 NFL off-season thread

Tomlin's teams have lacked discipline for years. He let Roethlisberger get out of hand. He let Brown get out of hand. He cost his team games in a myriad of ways this season. I'm certainly not absolving Roethlisberger of blame. He's an idiot, and sadly that idiot is the leader on that team, but the idea that it somehow absolves the coach from any blame is ridiculous. Tomlin is a good coach, but even the message from a good coach wears thin in time.

 

Because in most cases owners don't really look at things from a football decision standpoint, they are thinking of Ben as they want him to be a "lifelong Steeler" and an ambassador for the team and all this other shit. He was the QB on teams that got them a couple of rings and they feel indebted to him. Which is why I tell OOP I think Tomlin's hands are tied when it comes to Big Ben. And wait until the next coach comes in -- the one that the owners ask Ben who he wants to be the coach -- and things will get worse before they get better.

QB win these battles regardless of the coach. Brady won his tug-o-war with Belichick a couple years ago. But Brady, luckily for the Patriots, and Belichick are so motivated by winning that they can move on and continue to win. I don't see Ben as that sort of player.

 

You are making far too many assumptions in that post and what seems to be a claim that only the quarterback is responsible for the issues in the locker room and not the coach is truly ludicrous.

 

I never said only the quarterback is responsible for the issues in the locker room. I said I agree with another poster that Big Ben and his commitment to shitting on his teammates in public is the primary cause of the issues in the Steelers locker room. I also said Tomlin has some blame, which you conveniently ignore. Cool. You don't agree that's fine, you clearly think that once Tomlin is gone the Steelers locker room will turn into the utopia it's always been. I don't believe that. I think Ben is going to be the issue until he retires because the team's lacks good vocal locker room guys.

 

This narrative of Roethlisberger shitting on teammates in public is load of crap, too. He was flat-out wrong in his commentary on the interception against the Broncos, but that's pretty much it. He said James Washington needs to learn to trust his hands and run through the ball, which was absolutely correct and it was a way of encouraging a rookie. That is a "commitment to shitting on teammates?" Give me a break.

My issue with Roethlisberger is based on the reports of him talking crap on Brown in practice, too. He's not a strong leader and he's in that position due to his experience. Tomlin should have pulled the plug on the radio show long ago.

Regarding what I think will happen once Tomlin is gone, please stop trying to read my mind. You suck at it. That locker room as never a utopia, not even during the 1970s. It's not just about locker room culture, either. It's about sloppiness on the field and a lack of preparation for crappy opponents. His record against bad teams is unacceptable and those failings left the Steelers out of the playoffs this season.

You don't have much of a grasp of the situation or my reasoning for wanting Tomlin gone. That's not me trying to read your mind. That's me reading your posts.

 

Brown is claiming the meeting with Rooney happened and both sides agreed that a trade is the best way to move forward. Nothing from the Steelers and I don't trust a word from Brown or his agent, but let's assume this is true. Unless the Steelers have at least a tentative offer from a trade partner offering fair value, this is an idiotic decision by the team.

 

I don't know, OOP. Saying "we'll try to trade you" isn't a guarantee. And since any resulting offers are likely to be very low ball indeed, the team then can go back to Brown and say, "look at how these teams dissed you. We both know you're worth way more than that." Might not work as a palliative, but it gives them a position to defend.

 

That's possible, though some of the other comments coming from "sources" have Brown calling for a big-money contract extension from his new team. It seems as if he is overestimating his worth. It seems as if Brown's real goal is to get more money, or at least more guaranteed money, and the Steelers have already proven they aren't going to give him a penny more than what is in his current contract.

 

It takes a special kind of dumbass ignorance to quote this about leaving a multimillion dollar contract to sign a multimillion dollar contract. Bell is a simple SOB, but even he should have the slightest smarts to avoid making a total douche out of himself. Nah. He’s that much a schmuck.

 

For once, we agree on something. Bell has always been a special kind of stupid. This is a guy who got arrested for driving while he was high and responded by saying he didn't think you could get a DUI for marijuana.

The sad part is some team is going to throw way too much money on the guy despite all of his asinine behavior. Of course, now there is a rumor that he has put on nearly 40 pounds, but that's just a rumor.

 

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert's comments seem to fit that notion. If he sticks to this, I will be satisfied.

Colbert sets parameters for trading AB

“Really, the summation of (the meeting) was that we’re all disappointed that we’re at this point,” said Colbert. “How things transpired – we’re all disappointed. Antonio is disappointed. We’re disappointed. As to what contributed to the disappointment, I’ll leave that between us on our side and his side. Respectively, we did agree to look into a trade (as) the best course of action for both sides. And when I say that, what was put out yesterday was partially true. The point we made to Antonio was that we love you as a player and we thank you for what you’ve done for us over the past nine years. We’re disappointed we didn’t get you a Super Bowl, and I still think you’re a Hall of Fame candidate, and I’m disappointed that may not happen with us.

“But the other point we made (to Antonio) was that (while) we’re open to shopping around the league to see what may be available in exchange for your services, by no means are we going to make a trade or any type of move that will not be beneficial to the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. Specifically, we will not be discounting you on the trade market, and we certainly will not be releasing you. All that being said, we’ll take a positive approach. If someone has a sincere interest and they want to make a move – either a significant draft pick, or a set of picks, or a significant player plus picks – and we think it will benefit the Pittsburgh Steelers in the long run, then we’re all in. If not, then we’ll make that decision at that point.”

 

I've seen multiple people have the Bears in on Bell and Brown (not together). Not sure I buy that at all.