It’s been a long time since I’ve...

[R~O~N]

Hello my friends, Romans, and Countrymen...alas, after a brief sabbatical I’m happy to announce, that thanks to the powers that be, I have been accepted back into the good graces of the Steelers Fury family. Yes, just like the prodigal son, I’ve returned.... For that, I am most thankful. Seriously.

That being said, oh how the mighty have fallen. Mike Tomlin and his merry band of idiots have dragged this team into the depths of hell, as I predicted he would half a decade ago. At the time, an unpopular opinion, but I knew it was only a matter of time before people started to see things my way. He’s scapegoated, lLebeau, Arians, Haley, and rest assured Butler will be next. He’s already assumed control of what was once a proud and mighty defense. Now, we’re trading away picks at an alarming rate, and it remains to be seen whether or not it’ll prove to have been worth it. Thus far, we’ve traded away two 1sts, a 2nd, a 3rd, and a 5th for Bush, Fitzpatrick, and Vannet. I don’t care who you are, that’s steep. So, here’s the question, barring a meteoric turnaround, does Rooney see the light, and make a move to cure the sickness that ails us, and if so, who’s out there you’d want? Last year, my make a wish was that we’d somehow have scooped up Vrabel, former player who’s donned the Black & Gold, but knows the Belichek way and has won at the highest level. Now, considering how the OL has looked, I’m all in on begging Munchak to come back, to assume his role at the top spot. What say ye’?

[K_C_]

LOVE YA, DUDE!

Glad to see ya back!

[The Riddle of Steel]

Tomlin is back next year, guaranteed. He was thanking his lucky stars once Ben went on IR. He could go 0-16 and still have a job. No doubt Butler will be scapegoated though. From all accounts Tomlin is the real DC anyway, this is the defense he built in his image. Butler will just be the fall guy.

Danny Smiff returns too.

[Steeldrama]

I agree with the OP about the STEEP price paid for Bush, FitzPatrick and now Vannett. Lotta valuable draft capital burned there.

I feel hypocritical in bitching about it because I've longed wished the Steelers would take a more aggressive approach to upgrading their roster but this all seems so reactionary and panicked. Sean Davis is hurt??? Oh Shit! Better trade for Minkah!
Just not at all a carefully executed off-season plan of assessing and addressing team strengths and weakness. It's just random hole patching like your local township road departments do every spring.

I'm a draft guy. I hated the return the Steelers received for Antonio Brown particularly TE Zach Gentry. I get it. Gentry was only a 5th round pick but if you have enough conviction to use that pick on a player why less than 6 months later are you burning a 2020 5th round pick on another TE, Nick Vannett???

Did Tomlin/Colbert honestly not know that McDonald is prone to injury or that Grimble is not an NFL caliber TE??? Screams of poor off-season planning, desperation, and PANIC.

Yep. I see panic. I see Colbert no longer giving a fuck because he's got one foot out the door. Where was this aggressiveness when Ben was in his prime and AB wasn't a complete psycho? A bold move or two THEN could've gotten Lombardi #7 instead of 9-7 so Tomlin doesn't have his first losing season.

I agree with '95. Time to "Cut the head off the snake."

[Donnie Brasco]

Funny how we have all these trades but didn't think to do that in 2017 when our offense was kicking ass yet our defense sucked?

[Steeldrama]

Also in the OP, the question was posed who to replace Tomlin.

Before I hire, I fire. Send Colbert out to pasture. I don't blame him for recent draft failures as much as Tomlin handpicking people over players. Then compounding the problem by failing to develop a lot of what I believe to be his handpicked players.

Anyway, I'm a Chris Ballard fan so I'd hire his right hand man Ed Dobbs who himself had past success in Seattle.
Allow Dobbs or whoever the newly appointed GM is to select his own coach so they can work in tandem to bring my beloved Steelers back to past glory.

Coaches??? Oh I don't know. Of course Lincoln Riley's name is interesting. Not a huge fan of the "air raid" offense but the guy sure seems to have his shit together. He's on the brink of having 3 straight Heisman winning QBs. He'll cost a lot but what the Steelers have going for them is PAST reputation. A hot commodity like Riley can pick his team. He's not going to sell his services to the terminal dregs of the league like the Cardinals, Bucs, and Bengals.

Cowboy's OC Kellen Moore another name I've thrown out there. I like that he's got the genius rep without the hair gel.

[COR-TEN]

Funny how we have all these trades but didn't think to do that in 2017 when our offense was kicking ass yet our defense sucked?

I'm not so tuned into other teams, or their practice squads, or even players looking for a job, but maybe nobody worth it was available?

It seems the Fitz trade was well worth it, imo. He instantly upgrades the defense, and it only took 4 days. Trading up for Bush cannot be judged just yet. Their are players that have never played together before. The TE situation is a bit trickier. I just looked at the seahawks depth chart, and have only one active TE, two on IR, and they just traded away Vannett. Wha?

[fractalsteel]

Everyone agrees it is time for Tomlin to go.
If it is true he is making 7 million a year I can't see EMR getting rid of him with years left on the deal. If he would do that it would signal to me that he is SERIOUS about winning.

[R~O~N]

LOVE YA, DUDE!

Glad to see ya back!

Thanx, my guy!

[Ice]

One thing we have working in our favor in hiring a new coach is one of the most frequently bitched about items at Steelerfury. They will hold on to a HC for pretty much 2.5 coaching lifetimes, at the least. NFL job, storied franchise, Joe Paterno-level job security. If they wanted a top guy, it wouldn't be a hard sell. Honestly, you could pretty much say the same for our GM position. Pretty much no other team in the league can.

[StillerDownSouth]

I'm all for showing Tomlin, Butler, and Fitch the door, but why does everyone think Munch would make a good head coach when he has failed miserably as a head coach, some guys are meant to be position coaches for a reason.

[bradshaw2ben]

I'm all for showing Tomlin, Butler, and Fitch the door, but why does everyone think Munch would make a good head coach when he has failed miserably as a head coach, some guys are meant to be position coaches for a reason.

I only say it might work for short term because of the buy in from the offensive leadership guys, including Ben.

[Jobu]

If it ever happens, it won’t, I want a young hungry head coach with fresh ideas and approach. And give him the keys. He gets to pick his own staff from top to bottom. No recycled dinosaurs....and that’s coming from a dinosaur.

[Lynch]

https://youtu.be/TgECpxr1IVY

[Obviously]

Everyone agrees it is time for Tomlin to go.
If it is true he is making 7 million a year I can't see EMR getting rid of him with years left on the deal. If he would do that it would signal to me that he is SERIOUS about winning.

I don't think he cares so much about the money as he cares about perception. Again, he and the organization are enamored of this "three coaches in 50 years" shit. They and the sports media may be the only ones. He's also worried about how he'll look firing an African-American coach with a huge winning pct and has never had a losing season. Personally I don't give a shit about any of that and would have fired his ass after the 2013 season. But EMR isn't me, obviously, and 10 to 1 that's his thought process.

[fractalsteel]

Everyone agrees it is time for Tomlin to go.
If it is true he is making 7 million a year I can't see EMR getting rid of him with years left on the deal. If he would do that it would signal to me that he is SERIOUS about winning.

I don't think he cares so much about the money as he cares about perception. Again, he and the organization are enamored of this "three coaches in 50 years" shit. They and the sports media may be the only ones. He's also worried about how he'll look firing an African-American coach with a huge winning pct and has never had a losing season. Personally I don't give a shit about any of that and would have fired his ass after the 2013 season. But EMR isn't me, obviously, and 10 to 1 that's his thought process.

Upon reflection, you are probably closer to the truth though i suspect that paying two HC's is not palatable to EMR.
At least there is one owner in Pittsburgh that isn't hamstringing his franchise.

[El Kabong]

He’s scapegoated, lLebeau, Arians, Haley, and rest assured Butler will be next.

Many on the board wanted Lebeau gone, Tomlin wanted Arians back, Haley sucked, many want Butler gone. Not sure how much scapegoating is really going on.

[Obviously]

He’s scapegoated, lLebeau, Arians, Haley, and rest assured Butler will be next.

Many on the board wanted Lebeau gone, Tomlin wanted Arians back, Haley sucked, many want Butler gone. Not sure how much scapegoating is really going on.

I wasn't exactly enamored of Ariens and I thought the game had passed Lebeau by when he left the team.

[Steelafan77]

Welcome back... Now if we could just get IC back the family reunion could go off with a BigBang!

[Obviously]

Welcome back... Now if we could just get IC back the family reunion could go off with a BigBang!

IC and Steelers4Tim, please and thank you.

[StillerDownSouth]

Welcome back... Now if we could just get IC back the family reunion could go off with a BigBang!

IC and Steelers4Tim, please and thank you.

Are we certain Jizz Mopper isn't IC?

[COR-TEN]

Welcome back... Now if we could just get IC back the family reunion could go off with a BigBang!

IC and Steelers4Tim, please and thank you.

Are we certain Jizz Mopper isn't IC?

I think there are a couple of people that are setting up multiple accounts.

[BethlehemSteel]

wow, old prodigal sons returning!!! Kill the fatted calf, summon EMR for a huge banquet.

[Jobu]

wow, old prodigal sons returning!!! Kill the fatted calf, summon EMR for a huge banquet.

Really? Because I don’t think that’s the actual case. I think Core is on to something.

[Orangesteel]

Welcome back... Now if we could just get IC back the family reunion could go off with a BigBang!

IC and Steelers4Tim, please and thank you.

Don’t forget ComputerJumpStar

[Lynch]

Personally, I miss ReTodd and Pittard.

[BethlehemSteel]

wow, old prodigal sons returning!!! Kill the fatted calf, summon EMR for a huge banquet.

Really? Because I don’t think that’s the actual case. I think Core is on to something.

I don’t disagree jobu

[stillcajun]

Welcome back Ron. Salute

[Nick79]

I agree with the OP about the STEEP price paid for Bush, FitzPatrick and now Vannett. Lotta valuable draft capital burned there.

I feel hypocritical in bitching about it because I've longed wished the Steelers would take a more aggressive approach to upgrading their roster but this all seems so reactionary and panicked. Sean Davis is hurt??? Oh Shit! Better trade for Minkah!
Just not at all a carefully executed off-season plan of assessing and addressing team strengths and weakness. It's just random hole patching like your local township road departments do every spring.

I'm a draft guy. I hated the return the Steelers received for Antonio Brown particularly TE Zach Gentry. I get it. Gentry was only a 5th round pick but if you have enough conviction to use that pick on a player why less than 6 months later are you burning a 2020 5th round pick on another TE, Nick Vannett???

Did Tomlin/Colbert honestly not know that McDonald is prone to injury or that Grimble is not an NFL caliber TE??? Screams of poor off-season planning, desperation, and PANIC.

Yep. I see panic. I see Colbert no longer giving a fuck because he's got one foot out the door. Where was this aggressiveness when Ben was in his prime and AB wasn't a complete psycho? A bold move or two THEN could've gotten Lombardi #7 instead of 9-7 so Tomlin doesn't have his first losing season.

I agree with '95. Time to "Cut the head off the snake."

These trades, getting those players, would of made more sense, in 2017 or 2018, when we where seemingly on the verge of serious contention, now it seems like you are adding deck chairs to the Titanic.

[blu]

LOVE YA, DUDE!

Glad to see ya back!

Yes, it's good to see you back, Ron. Right from the start, you knew that Tomlin would be terrible. You saw past the shades & attitude. I wish you hadn't been so right.