Can someone tell me how we ended up in this cap hell situation?

[sloppyjoe]

Originally Posted by SteelersCanada

I hope you realize how ridiculous you seem with what you're posting. I hope I'm being trolled for your sake.

i think you started trolling me but if it makes you feel better to make that up also, go ahead

[SteelersCanada]

Originally Posted by sloppyjoe

i think you started trolling me but if it makes you feel better to make that up also, go ahead

Since I can physically see that Woodley gained weight because of his injury and was ineffective because of his weight and injury, I'm a bullshitter. However, this makes as much sense as you pulling a conversation completely out of your ass about what Woodley might have said and, despite what numbers are telling you, you're sticking to this theory.

One of these things is not like the other.

[sloppyjoe]

Originally Posted by SteelersCanada

Since I can physically see that Woodley gained weight because of his injury and was ineffective because of his weight and injury, I'm a bullshitter. However, this makes as much sense as you pulling a conversation completely out of your ass about what Woodley might have said and, despite what numbers are telling you, you're sticking to this theory.

One of these things is not like the other.

give it up 'mr. facts'.
you didnt know his weight before the injury and you dont know it now. speculation is all you have.

[SteelersCanada]

Thanks for the sweet new nickname, I might change my username to Mr. Facts.

Woodley weighed 265 before the injury and I'm guessing he weighs anywhere between 275 - 280 now. See, that's the difference, though. I'm just speculating on his weight - the result of my logic was sound. He was playing at a higher level and record-setting pace the year he got his big contract until he was injured. The fact that you haven't acknowledged this fact yet makes me realize that you're probably not going to. You'd rather sit there and stay with your speculation about conversations that never happened and Woodley's thought process which again, you can't ever know.

It's ok, though. I get it.

[Steeler7BR]

Originally Posted by SteelersCanada

Thanks for the sweet new nickname, I might change my username to Mr. Facts.

Woodley weighed 265 before the injury and I'm guessing he weighs anywhere between 275 - 280 now. See, that's the difference, though. I'm just speculating on his weight - the result of my logic was sound. He was playing at a higher level and record-setting pace the year he got his big contract until he was injured. The fact that you haven't acknowledged this fact yet makes me realize that you're probably not going to. You'd rather sit there and stay with your speculation about conversations that never happened and Woodley's thought process which again, you can't ever know.

It's ok, though. I get it.

But you have to acknowledge that he underpeformed in a big way this year. And he has to fix that We pay him I think something around 11 mil and it's hard for every OLB to make that money worth it but he not only performed not to that level since his injuries but he is an absolut failure since then. So if he comes back to his 1st half 2011 form the next season I keep my mouth shut, but he has to produce now. We can't afford another season like that from him.

[teegre]

Woodley was not fatter this season... he just switched jerseys with Casey Hampton. Damn, y'all is dumb.

Really though, maybe it's because four people in my household have the flu (myself included), and I'm seeing things (due to lack of sleep & due to dehydration).... but... uh... is there reeeeally a debate going on about if Woodley was fatter???

I'm no doctor, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express... and, YES!!!

[TheVet]

LOL, sloppyjoe, do you watch the games? Do you know which one Woodley is? If so, was he is looking thin to you?

[SteeleReign]

Originally Posted by TRH

yet....it amazes me how much i'm STILL seeing "restructure" being thrown about on this board.

As for the big contracts - look at all that elite Brinks money we threw around - much of it coming at nearly the same time.
Ben - Troy - Harrison - Woodley - Timmons - Just those contracts alone are cringe-inducing when you think about it.
I still don't know how teams like the Patriots keep coming in way under the cap and have all this wiggle room to do anything they damn well feel like doing. We're not even in the same league as putting teams/players/money together like they do.

I think our defensive scheme lends itself to cap difficulties. Think about it. Most of our defensive players don't get the opportunity to produce until years 3,4,5. By that time, the FO must decide who to pay and who not. With only one or two years of production to gauge value, mistakes are going to be made.

The Patsies get, quite often, immediate production out of rookies and get great value for these players....in other words, a rookie making $750k producing immediately...YEARS before demanding big money. Look at guys like McCourty, Spikes, Wilson, Jones, Hightower and Chung. They are producing immediately, and on the cheap.

Combined salaries of those players? $7.3mil.
Combined salaries of Hampton, Keisel, Harrison, and Taylor? $22.7mil.

Don't flame me for bringing up the Patsies. I hate 'em, but they do find ways to make their young guys relevant right away. The Steelers used to handle personnel in a much different way than they do now. Guys hitting age 30 generally were allowed to walk. Many times to my dismay, but it was hard to argue that for the most part, those decisions didn't bite us in the ass.

I LOVE LeBeau, but is it possible to get some production out of our defensive youngsters a little earlier? That way, smarter decisions on long-term contracts can be made when the time comes.

[steelfury02]

Originally Posted by SteeleReign

I think our defensive scheme lends itself to cap difficulties. Think about it. Most of our defensive players don't get the opportunity to produce until years 3,4,5. By that time, the FO must decide who to pay and who not. With only one or two years of production to gauge value, mistakes are going to be made.

The Patsies get, quite often, immediate production out of rookies and get great value for these players....in other words, a rookie making $750k producing immediately...YEARS before demanding big money. Look at guys like McCourty, Spikes, Wilson, Jones, Hightower and Chung. They are producing immediately, and on the cheap.

Combined salaries of those players? $7.3mil.
Combined salaries of Hampton, Keisel, Harrison, and Taylor? $22.7mil.

Don't flame me for bringing up the Patsies. I hate 'em, but they do find ways to make their young guys relevant right away. The Steelers used to handle personnel in a much different way that they do now. Guys hitting age 30 generally were allowed to walk. Many times to my dismay, but it was hard to argue that for the most part, those decisions didn't bite us in the ass.

I LOVE LeBeau, but is it possible to get some production out of our defensive youngsters a little earlier? That way, smarter decisions on long-term contracts can be made when the time comes.

I believe we'll start seeing the utilization of younger guys and we'll see more trial by fire this season than ever in the Tomlin era - fantastic points - we really need to see what we have a little sooner than before - confidence building through game experience needs to be implemented - keeping guys fresh wouldn't hurt either

[SteeleReign]

Originally Posted by steelfury02

I believe we'll start seeing the utilization of younger guys and we'll see more trial by fire this season than ever in the Tomlin era - fantastic points - we really need to see what we have a little sooner than before - confidence building through game experience needs to be implemented - keeping guys fresh wouldn't hurt either

There's another reason to throw rookies into the fire. In the military we called it OJT - on the job training, Give them the opportunity to build confidence right away - as a rookie. Sure they'll make mistakes, but hopefully the veterans on the squad will make up for the rookie mistakes.