NOW who goes? Roster - staff moves

[lifelongsteel]

I'd prioritize keeping the following:
- The young OL including Cook and S. Anderson
- The young DL
- Mount Wash
- JPJ
- Warren
- 41 + 51 +33 + Breuner
- Will Howard

Wouldn't mind having on roster:
- Muth
- Gainwell
- Skowronek (5th WR)
- Austin (4th WR)
- Pierre
- Elliott
- Boz

The big names that I would get rid of at almost any cost in order to rebuild:
- Heyward
- TJ
- DK
- Ramsey
- Queen
- Jonnu
- Highsmith
- B. Jones
- Semualo

Get rid of full staff so new coach can hire his guys

[Steelafan77]

I'd prioritize keeping the following:
- The young OL including Cook and S. Anderson ok
- The young DL ok
- Mount Wash resign early
- JPJ ok
- Warren restructure
- 41 + 51 +33 + Breuner ok
- Will Howard allow him to compete

Wouldn't mind having on roster:
- Muth restructure
- Gainwell restructure
- Skowronek (5th WR) ok
- Austin (4th WR) trade or cut
- Pierre show him the exit
- Elliott restructure
- Boz restructure

The big names that I would get rid of at almost any cost in order to rebuild:
- Heyward unless he is traded you simply can’t afford to cut Heyward
- TJ see Heyward statement above
- DK see Heyward statement above
- Ramsey he has panned out at safety so I leave him there
- Queen see Heyward statement above
- Jonnu gone like a toilet flush
- Highsmith restructure
- B. Jones give him the rest of his rookie contract to compete for tackle/guard
- Semualo becomes a F/A just show him where the exit is.

Get rid of full staff so new coach can hire his guys

Some of these are dependent on what the new HC wants to do for an identity of course.

Some players may fit the new scheme and some won’t.

[StillerDownSouth]

I'd prioritize keeping the following:
- The young OL including Cook and S. Anderson ok
- The young DL ok
- Mount Wash resign early
- JPJ ok
- Warren restructure
- 41 + 51 +33 + Breuner ok
- Will Howard allow him to compete

Wouldn't mind having on roster:
- Muth restructure
- Gainwell restructure
- Skowronek (5th WR) ok
- Austin (4th WR) trade or cut
- Pierre show him the exit
- Elliott restructure
- Boz restructure

The big names that I would get rid of at almost any cost in order to rebuild:
- Heyward unless he is traded you simply can’t afford to cut Heyward
- TJ see Heyward statement above
- DK see Heyward statement above
- Ramsey he has panned out at safety so I leave him there
- Queen see Heyward statement above
- Jonnu gone like a toilet flush
- Highsmith restructure
- B. Jones give him the rest of his rookie contract to compete for tackle/guard
- Semualo becomes a F/A just show him where the exit is.

Get rid of full staff so new coach can hire his guys

Some of these are dependent on what the new HC wants to do for an identity of course.

Some players may fit the new scheme and some won’t.

Pretty sure CAIII is an unrestricted free agent, no need signing him
Would Trade / Cut Ramsay, Watt, Queen and J. Smith....if they are going to be saddled with dead cap money now is the time to be saddled without a starting QB currently under contract....I would draft a QB in 3rd to 4th round this year and let them compete with Rudolf and Howard, maybe they hit gold, but winning 3-4 games next year would not be a bad thing...I would also consider trading this years 1st rounder for future picks, and I would target 2027 to get a QB with hopefully a top 5 pick....icing on the cake would be a team trading a 1st and 2nd for Tomlin's services, like the Giants or Raiders, then maybe they could get Mendoza this year, although I'm a little unsure of him, I think Cignetti might have made him look better than he is.

[alancac98]

Rooney should appoint himself as Chairman Emeritus and hire a true professional President of Football Operations. Don't anoint the leadership to another Rooney family member "whose time has come". It's long past time to modernize the organization and get a smart football executive to run the team.

IDK-- everything I hear says Danny Rooney is more like Dan Rooney than Art 2. A football guy.

My cousin works for the steelers. The scuttlebutt is that Danny is football through and through and hates NHALS with an angry passion. He wants rings!!! The consensus is that he did not like Tomlin - at all! We'll see if he ever gets the chance to take over and what he does with the opportunity.

[Dan Smith--BYU]

Khan really fucked up with these white elephant contracts

[955876]

Rooney should appoint himself as Chairman Emeritus and hire a true professional President of Football Operations. Don't anoint the leadership to another Rooney family member "whose time has come". It's long past time to modernize the organization and get a smart football executive to run the team.

IDK-- everything I hear says Danny Rooney is more like Dan Rooney than Art 2. A football guy.

My cousin works for the steelers. The scuttlebutt is that Danny is football through and through and hates NHALS with an angry passion. He wants rings!!! The consensus is that he did not like Tomlin - at all! We'll see if he ever gets the chance to take over and what he does with the opportunity.

Let’s us pray…

[bradshaw2ben]

Can’t cut some players due to their contracts. The dead money would kill this team’s cap for several years.

I want to immediately cut both heywards , Queen, j smith and trice.

After firing art smith and allowing teryl Austin to exit the building.

Example:

Cutting Watt, Metcalf Heyward, Smith and Queen bump your dead cap up into the 100’s of millions.

Better to restructure and ween yourself off these leaches.

FFS, Cam Heyward and Watt aren't leeches. Heyward is one my favorite Steelers. He got better with age to the point he was arguably the best dlineman in the NFL this season. Watt got the injury bug and hasn't been the same since. He still has value, and Steelers can get a an early 3rd or a late 2nd for him. I have no doubt a contender that has that "one more piece" syndrome will take him for that.

TJ Watt and Nick Bosa in SF. Who says no?

[Dan Smith--BYU]

They will suck next year, but pay attention to the foundation not the finishings.

[Steeldrama]

Rooney should appoint himself as Chairman Emeritus and hire a true professional President of Football Operations. Don't anoint the leadership to another Rooney family member "whose time has come". It's long past time to modernize the organization and get a smart football executive to run the team.

IDK-- everything I hear says Danny Rooney is more like Dan Rooney than Art 2. A football guy.

Hopefully this holds true.

I always said Art only took the ownership reigns out of sense of duty to his family.

Maybe I’m getting a little greedy here, but With Tomlin FINALLY stepping down this is an opportune time for the barely lucid mope to step down as well

Congratulations on a job…

….done

Now….

[Almighty Slacker.]

Cam Heyward will probably retire. He is borderline HOFer. He was a top 5 dlineman in the NFL this season. CH will be badly missed.

Unless PS get lucky w/a draft pick and Harmon/Benton take a massive leap the dline is going to get pounded next season.

TJ needs to be traded. Let him go to a contender. I wouldn't be averse to trading Metcalf as well, that drop last night is still irking me.

Potentially we could draft a true NT this year with a new coach. Possible with all the draft capital to go 4-3 defence instead of the traditional 3-4.

So much is in the air now, and it's making me excited for the Steelers like I haven't been for the past decade.

[955876]

Possible with all the draft capital to go 4-3 defence instead of the traditional 3-4.

It’s time. I’m ready to return to our 4-3 roots.

[Almighty Slacker.]

Possible with all the draft capital to go 4-3 defence instead of the traditional 3-4.

It’s time. I’m ready to return to our 4-3 roots.

I agree. League has changed an almost unbelievable amount since they switched to the 3-4. I had to look it up, but it was 1982, 44 years ago.

[sowhat]

this organization really sold its soul to get tomlin his .500 season.
wonder if rooney knew tomlin was going to quit before the season even started.

[CoolShades]

Khan really fucked up with these white elephant contracts

Agreed. I think those contracts had a lot to do with Tomlin, and not Khan, but that’s just a guess.

Giving Watt that huge raise was just bad business, and a bean counter like khan wouldn’t agree to that unless he was an idiot (which is possible). They had TJ by the balls.

He was still under contract. Make him play out his deal, then at the end of the year, decide if they still want him. That’s where the Steelers would be now if they did this. If they wanted to keep him, or keep him a Steeler to trade him, they could have franchised him for a year.

Giving him that massive extension smells of Tomlin intervention. So does the DK signing.

Whoever was responsible for those two deals in particular should be fired if it wasn’t Tomlin. And the only other person it could have been was Omar. So long, Omar. You won’t be missed.

[LakecrestSteeler]

I would keep Danny Smith, that's about it for coaches.

We can do better than Danny Smith. How about someone challenge for a punt return for a TD again?

If you need him for a year to stabilize sure. But we can do better. How about someone who likes the coffin corner again?

[bradshaw2ben]

Khan really fucked up with these white elephant contracts

Agreed. I think those contracts had a lot to do with Tomlin, and not Khan, but that’s just a guess.

Giving Watt that huge raise was just bad business, and a bean counter like khan wouldn’t agree to that unless he was an idiot (which is possible). They had TJ by the balls.

He was still under contract. Make him play out his deal, then at the end of the year, decide if they still want him. That’s where the Steelers would be now if they did this. If they wanted to keep him, or keep him a Steeler to trade him, they could have franchised him for a year.

Giving him that massive extension smells of Tomlin intervention. So does the DK signing.

Whoever was responsible for those two deals in particular should be fired if it wasn’t Tomlin. And the only other person it could have been was Omar. So long, Omar. You won’t be missed.

I mentioned this possibility back in the spring. Like they were loading up for one last run.

[cop1211]

Who would take on Watt’s contract, they would be stupid.
I think the Steelers are stuck with that, and Metcalf’s. What a waste of money.

[kramer]

Cam Heyward will probably retire. He is borderline HOFer. He was a top 5 dlineman in the NFL this season. CH will be badly missed.

Unless PS get lucky w/a draft pick and Harmon/Benton take a massive leap the dline is going to get pounded next season.

TJ needs to be traded. Let him go to a contender. I wouldn't be averse to trading Metcalf as well, that drop last night is still irking me.

Man, feels like the DL has been getting pounded for a decade +. Oh well, we are all gluttons for punishment here. Fuck it!

[Charles Demarr]

Can’t cut some players due to their contracts. The dead money would kill this team’s cap for several years.

I want to immediately cut both heywards , Queen, j smith and trice.

After firing art smith and allowing teryl Austin to exit the building.

Example:

Cutting Watt, Metcalf Heyward, Smith and Queen bump your dead cap up into the 100’s of millions.

Better to restructure and ween yourself off these leaches.

FFS, Cam Heyward and Watt aren't leeches. Heyward is one my favorite Steelers. He got better with age to the point he was arguably the best dlineman in the NFL this season. Watt got the injury bug and hasn't been the same since. He still has value, and Steelers can get a an early 3rd or a late 2nd for him. I have no doubt a contender that has that "one more piece" syndrome will take him for that.

TJ Watt and Nick Bosa in SF. Who says no?

I'm telling you now, if they offload TJ's contract on any team it will be the Cowboys. They are desperate for star power and pass rush on that defense. They can right the wrong of drafting Taco when they could've had Watt. Give me a 3rd and we're good.

[Steelafan77]

Of the Unrestricted free agents this off season:

The only F/A I really want back would be Kenneth Gainwell.

Samuel might require too much money, with the injury history a high risk.

Ekuale from what I saw became a reliable bench player when called in. Cheap resign depth player.

Driscoll would be that Swiss army Olineman type, cheap resign depth player.

Pierre struggled for many years to establish himself. Now pushing 30 cheap resign depth player.

QB Aaron Rodgers - gone
WR Adam Thielen - gone
G/T Andrus Peat - gone
CB Asante Samuel Jr - try to resign
WR/PR Calvin Austin III - gone
S Chuck Clark - gone
ILB Cole Holcomb - gone
TE/FB Connor Heyward - gone
DT Daniel Ekuale - resign
DT Dean Lowry - gone
TE Donald Parham - gone
LG Isaac Seumalo - gone
DT Isaiahh Loudermilk - gone
SS Jabrill Peppers - gone
G/T Jack Driscoll - resign
CB James Pierre - resign
RB Kenneth Gainwell - resign
SS Kyle Dugger - gone
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling - gone
C/G Max Scharping - gone
SS/ST Miles Killebrew - gone
WR Scotty Miller - gone
QB Skylar Thompson - gone

[CKSteeler]

Cam Heyward will probably retire. He is borderline HOFer. He was a top 5 dlineman in the NFL this season. CH will be badly missed.

Unless PS get lucky w/a draft pick and Harmon/Benton take a massive leap the dline is going to get pounded next season.

TJ needs to be traded. Let him go to a contender. I wouldn't be averse to trading Metcalf as well, that drop last night is still irking me.

Man, feels like the DL has been getting pounded for a decade +. Oh well, we are all gluttons for punishment here. Fuck it!

Honestly, I think it's as much or more schematic than anything. You look at the individual components and you'd think they should be able to not be terrible against the run at a minimum. Benton has a lot of ugly moments, but even then he's played out of position.

The Steelers basically conceded the run game to the Rats in the playoffs last year then made it all about finding the right DL to do the job. Trotted out basically the same group to stop it this year with just slightly less terrible results.

[Gonzo]

Cam Heyward will probably retire. He is borderline HOFer. He was a top 5 dlineman in the NFL this season. CH will be badly missed.

Unless PS get lucky w/a draft pick and Harmon/Benton take a massive leap the dline is going to get pounded next season.

TJ needs to be traded. Let him go to a contender. I wouldn't be averse to trading Metcalf as well, that drop last night is still irking me.

Man, feels like the DL has been getting pounded for a decade +. Oh well, we are all gluttons for punishment here. Fuck it!

Honestly, I think it's as much or more schematic than anything. You look at the individual components and you'd think they should be able to not be terrible against the run at a minimum. Benton has a lot of ugly moments, but even then he's played out of position.

The Steelers basically conceded the run game to the Rats in the playoffs last year then made it all about finding the right DL to do the job. Trotted out basically the same group to stop it this year with just slightly less terrible results.

a large problem of the Tomlin regime was the illogical inconsistencies that smacked of (maybe there were other reasons) a bullshit sales job on the owner or fans.

stating they play tough/smashmouth football when they most definitely didnt - yet not drafting and developing players and skills set that fit that
gaslighting that they dont run a U-shaped offense
firing OCs on the premise of bad results but then forcing any new hire to run the exact same thing
misconstruing attrition/ToP as tough aggressive football - it isnt it is simply wasting time and avoiding mistakes as your sole premise
blaming execution while obviously not focusing on discipline in player selection and training
stating they have historic and fabulous schemes when they dont -- its the exact same thing
easing in time after time after time after time when it has been consistently a Bad plan that results in blow outs
refusing to change anything in approach for playoff games - despite saying you dont do that
signing freirmuth a fan favorite and then bringing in Jonnu Smith who is obviously not an upgrade, mild malcontent and had one decent year
just a few of the many false premises and contradictions

in the end, it became easy to see through the bullshit ... because it was glaring that they did the same Simple thing every game every year; were obviously bullshitting with their explanations and were Happy to be 9-8. Those shots in Booth during Texans showed what I think was Rooney realizing he was very very wrong about things -- it was of course likely intentional blind ignorance/wishful and lazy thinking. I have always been curious if it was Khan that helped along/devised this trap for Tomlin thus year -- let him have his vets and everything he wants because it will fail because his Plan is bullshit and when this fails there will be no denying the real Problem

[bradshaw2ben]

FFS, Cam Heyward and Watt aren't leeches. Heyward is one my favorite Steelers. He got better with age to the point he was arguably the best dlineman in the NFL this season. Watt got the injury bug and hasn't been the same since. He still has value, and Steelers can get a an early 3rd or a late 2nd for him. I have no doubt a contender that has that "one more piece" syndrome will take him for that.

TJ Watt and Nick Bosa in SF. Who says no?

I'm telling you now, if they offload TJ's contract on any team it will be the Cowboys. They are desperate for star power and pass rush on that defense. They can right the wrong of drafting Taco when they could've had Watt. Give me a 3rd and we're good.

Make that a 2027 2nd and I'm in.

[swissvale72]

Can someone clarify...Is DK's contract still voidable? If so, send him packing.

The Cowboys are stupid enough to trade for Watt. May only get a 3rd but that would be a huge win.

I'd shop Queen too.

Bye bye fat Cam and your nepo brother.

What a great day.

I don't get the Cam Heyward hate at all. He is the best dlineman Steelers had since the Steel Curtain days and it isn't close. If he hangs them up. Love to see him hired as an assistant DL coach or something similar.

I don't understand it either other than people still pissed to him for wanting more money last summer. Fact is he's not costing them huge money and he had a hell of a season so the dude can obviously still play. Keep him.

[jebrick]

Make Khan President of Player Personal and move Weidl to GM. THey can't afford to lose Weidl

[Steelafan77]

Very similar situation to Tomlin; for Heyward and others it’s time to go.

It’s time for the Steelers to move on from these players. Either they get into coaching at some level or whatever. It’s time.

This franchise has spent good money after bad as well as sacrificing player development keeping veterans beyond their shelf life.

Like this coming season we have several over the hill vets getting paid like they were still in their prime. Heyward being one of them.

If you look at who is getting paid and what it takes to get rid of their overly compensated wage it’s alarming.

Cutting players isn’t going to be easy. Dead money cap comes into play even being creative and restructuring players.

Let’s say they cut a bunch of these over paid past their prime players. It’s bad news.

Cutting Heyward costs 4+Mil, cutting Queen costs 3+mil, J smith 3+mil, M Harrison 4+mil….really effects your bottom line cap wise.

Even cutting a player like Corey Trice who has never played a significant down in the nfl costs you money.

Obviously, this is all just opinion and we will eagerly wait to see what the next coaching staff/front office does to handle the roster going forward.

[.Kodiak]

Very similar situation to Tomlin; for Heyward and others it’s time to go.

I really think you need to sweep house of everyone who got complacent just making the playoffs [and then getting stomped].

One of the hardest REAL cultures to build in the NFL is a team that knows how to win playoff games. Tomlin inherited a team with that in spades, and leaves behind one that has virtually none.

[swissvale72]

Very similar situation to Tomlin; for Heyward and others it’s time to go.

It’s time for the Steelers to move on from these players. Either they get into coaching at some level or whatever. It’s time.

This franchise has spent good money after bad as well as sacrificing player development keeping veterans beyond their shelf life.

Like this coming season we have several over the hill vets getting paid like they were still in their prime. Heyward being one of them.

If you look at who is getting paid and what it takes to get rid of their overly compensated wage it’s alarming.

Cutting players isn’t going to be easy. Dead money cap comes into play even being creative and restructuring players.

Let’s say they cut a bunch of these over paid past their prime players. It’s bad news.

Cutting Heyward costs 4+Mil, cutting Queen costs 3+mil, J smith 3+mil, M Harrison 4+mil….really effects your bottom line cap wise.

Even cutting a player like Corey Trice who has never played a significant down in the nfl costs you money.

Obviously, this is all just opinion and we will eagerly wait to see what the next coaching staff/front office does to handle the roster going forward.

Heyward DID play like he was in his prime

[gojira5150]

Rooney should appoint himself as Chairman Emeritus and hire a true professional President of Football Operations. Don't anoint the leadership to another Rooney family member "whose time has come". It's long past time to modernize the organization and get a smart football executive to run the team.

IDK-- everything I hear says Danny Rooney is more like Dan Rooney than Art 2. A football guy.

Please oh please let that be so…

I will miss your Jibba Jabba pic What's your signature gonna be now.

[Steelafan77]

Heyward DID play like he was in his prime

Thanks for your response Swiss.

This to me is a purely subjective and debatable statement.

My question to you sir, If he was playing at a prime level why create the shitshow distraction about getting paid more?

Here’s my purely subjective, leaning towards objective but debatable statement. At the end of the day he is 36 years old. Time to hang ‘em up.