Bleed Black and Gold

Mike Wallace all but gone from the Steelers?

The Show — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:46:49 +0000

Mike Wallace did an interview today with Sirius Satellite Radio where he made known that he would like to remain with the Steelers but is fully aware that it very well could not happen. Wallace went with the “it is a business” line. He seemed resigned to the fact that the Steelers do not have the money to keep him even if he would like to stay.

“(Pittsburgh is) where I would like to be, but we all know that it is a business and you have certain things you have to handle,” Wallace said. “So if I have to go elsewhere, you know Pittsburgh will always be in my heart, but I have to do what I have to do.”

Wallace did make known though that he only wants to go to a contender. He was asked about the Patriots and the 49ers. He said, “most definitely” when answering about joining those squads. He wanted to go to a team that he could “put over the top.” So even if it is about the money, Wallace will only play for someone who is a winner or is on the verge of winning. He does not want to go to a lower level team even if they can pay excessive dollars. That makes me feel a little better.

Wallace did make known that his agent Bus Cook and the Steelers are working on a contract for Wallace. It is good that they are already in talks. That gives the team and Wallace 20 days to get a deal done. If they can not get a deal done by March 5th Wallace could still be given the Franchise Tag if the Steelers can find the money. Wallace did not sound optimistic though about the situation.

“Yeah, we are talking, but I don`t know how far they are going to get right now because of the situation,” Wallace said. “I know that they are working hard trying to take care of it, but I don`t know. We`ll see.”

Now this could just be posturing from Wallace. Bus Cook has been down this road before. He knows he has to put the pressure on the Steelers to make this happen. He also knows that if he does not push that the money will be there when Wallace hits free agency.

Someone still has to decide to pay Wallace. Both of those teams that were mentioned above could pay him more then the Steelers could afford. This is starting to get a head of steam. That head of steam is going in the wrong direction though. I hope the Steelers get the deal done but it looks more and more likely that Wallace is headed out the door.

Hines Ward pleads guilty to reckless driving instead of DUI

April O'Neil — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:19:06 +0000

Last summer, Hines Ward was arrested for suspicion of a DUI in Georgia. This morning he plead guilty to reckless driving according to the Pittsburgh Tribune. The prosecution dropped the DUI charge. Ward will have to pay a $2,000 fine and perform 80 hours of community service.

Here is a quote from Ward’s lawyer:

“We are grateful for the outcome,” Andrew Ree, Ward’s personal attorney and manager, said in a statement. “By dropping the DUI charge it is clear that the prosecution did not have sufficient evidence to proceed. Hines has always maintained that his ability to drive was in no way impaired and we are pleased that the facts support his innocence. He is thankful to his legal team and to all who stand by him. Hines has a great respect for the legal system and is also grateful in particular to the state for the professional manner in which they handled this manner.”

Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley Meet

The Show — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:29:46 +0000

Ed Bouchette is reporting via twitter that Todd Haley and Ben Roethlisberger have finally met. Wooo hooo!!! Now we do not have to talk about this any more. They have met and we will not have to hear about this non story that became national news for no reason again.

The Steelers will not have to deal with these questions any more and can go scout players at the Combine in peace. This was the best move. Get it over with. Let the offseason move on. Now lets get started working towards number 7.

Willie Colon restructures deal to save Steelers cap space

The Show — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:03:40 +0000

Steelers offensive tackle Willie Colon was at the Steelers facility today. It is being reported via the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that Colon has restructured his contract to save the Steelers $2.85 million in cap space.

Colon was due to make $5.7 million against the cap this year. He had $4.5 million in base salary. He has removed $3.8 million from his base salary and turned it into future bonus money. His cap number this year will be $2.85 million.

The Steelers were reported to be $11 million over the cap as of last week. This brings them down to $8.15 million left to get under the 2012 salary cap. They have until March 13th to do so.

Todd Haley not permitted to reach out to Ben Roethlisberger for a meeting under new CBA

The Show — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:42:46 +0000

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review if Ben Roethlisberger wants to meet Todd Haley he needs to go to the facility and meet him. Haley is not permitted to reach out to Roethlisberger and ask him to meet. All he can do is call and say hello. They are allowed to have contact but Haley can not initiate a meet until April 16th. That is when the Steelers can start organized offseason workouts.

While Haley is permitted interaction with players during the offseason, under the new collective bargaining agreement, Haley can’t request a meeting with any of them, including Roethlisberger.

Haley is not allowed ask for a meeting with anyone on the roster. If they wish to find him inside the Steelers facility they are more than welcome to. It can not be an organized meeting unless requested by the player. So Ben get off your butt and go make contact with Haley.

Can we be done with this story now?

2012 NFL Scouting Combine Schedule

The Show — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:02:26 +0000

The 2012 NFL Scouting Combine starts on Wednesday in Indianapolis. The first group to arrive is the Special Teams, Offensive Linemen and Tight Ends. They will be the first group through the process. They start orientation on Wednesday. Medical and Weigh Ins will be on Thursday. Also included on Thursday will be media sessions along with interviews with teams. The NFLPA meeting will be Friday with more interviews. Workouts will be on Saturday for Group 1. Each other group will follow in a day later. They will go through the same schedule. Here is the group schedule.

Workout Schedule:

Saturday- Offensive Linemen, Tight Ends and Special Teams
Sunday- Running Backs, Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers
Monday- Defensive Linemen and Linebackers
Tuesday- Defensive Backs

Workouts will run on NFL Network each day from 9:00 am until 7:00 pm.

Report: Roethlisberger and Haley still have yet to speak

The Show — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:37:42 +0000

In the who gives a crap category of the month, Mark Kaboly is reporting new offensive coordinator Todd Haley and Ben Roethlisberger have yet to meet. Kaboly also states that he does not think Roethlisberger has any intention of making the first move.

I am getting tired of this story. If Roethlisberger is so worried about talking to Haley quit being a high school girl and walk down the hall and talk to him. If you have to go in after he leaves and read his schedule next to his office and randomly see him in the hallway the next day then so be it. Say hello and get this junk over with. That way you can pretend like you didn’t make the first move.

Haley is not that hard to find. Antonio Brown found him in the locker room and took a picture with him. If Roethlisberger is in the building as often as he claims to be working out to get ready for next year he could easily run into him.

Haley is getting ready for the scouting combine and looking at prospects. Guys that could help Roethlisberger get to another championship. The combine is this week. That is more important right now then having to go seek out Roethlisberger and bow at his feet. Ben looks more and more like a whining baby every day. You have not heard a word out of Haley. Ben is the one who keeps bringing it up. He is the only person making this a story. Get over yourself and find him if it is so important to you.

Get this over with.

Penguins sign James Neal to six year contract extension

April O'Neil — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 15:58:10 +0000

The day after James Neal scored his 30th goal of the season he was rewarded with a 6 year $30 million contract extension reported by the Penguins this morning. The deal begins with next season and runs through the 2017-2018 season with an average of $5 million per year. Neal was acquired last season in a trade with the Dallas Stars, and was quite underwhelming in his first year with the Pens, scoring only 6 points in 20 games.

This season though he has hit his stride and played better than anyone expected. He currently has 26 assists and 30 goals this season, for a total of 56 points. It doesn’t hurt that he has the hands down best player on the ice this season centering him in Evgeni Malkin. The thought of having these two play together for years to come should make Penguins fans just downright giddy.

Will the Steelers choose Mike Wallace and the future or the past?

The Show — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 20:45:35 +0000

It has become blatantly apparent that Mike Wallace either has to get the franchise tag or sign a new contract before the start of free agency or there is a damn good possibility he will be in another uniform next season. It did not matter which channel I turned on or which site I looked at over the past two days. They all are hyping the same thing. Mike Wallace being a restricted free agent will likely land him on another team.

Wallace can only receive a first round tender from the Steelers as protection. That is a small price to pay for a 25 year old wide receiver who can blow the top off of the defense. Wallace is going to be a prime candidate on the market. It is a good year for wide receivers with Vincent Jackson, Wes Welker, Reggie Wayne and others out there. Most are about to hit or are over 30. Wallace is about to hit his prime. The production a team will get out him will well exceed everyone else on this list.

There seems to be four team names that come up all in most sources for Wallace’s services. They are Baltimore, San Francisco, Cincinnati and New England. Two teams in the division, our most hated rival outside the division and then a team on the brink of being a championship contender. All of which even with no poison pill have the cap space to give Wallace a front loaded deal that the Steelers will not be able to match. Especially the Bengals who are around $44 million under the cap. It puts the Steelers in a very vulnerable position.

The Steelers are still roughly $11 million over the cap as it stands. They will need $9.6 million to franchise Mike Wallace as that is the number for receivers this season. The Steelers need to remove over $20 million in salaries to make this happen. That means some heads are going to have to roll.

Cuts/Restructures to get under the cap and keep Mike Wallace:

Hines Ward- $3.39 Million
Casey Hampton- $5.89 Million
Larry Foote- $3 Million
Aaron Smith- $2.1 Million
Rashard Mendenhall- $2.23 Million (this could be Jonathan Scott, about the same cap charge)

That right there gets the Steelers to around $16.61 million. Add to that a Ben Roethlisberger restructured contract and you are now under the cap and still have Mike Wallace. All of these guys minus Hines Ward are in the last year of their contracts. Mendenhall and Hampton are injured and will miss part if not all of the season anyways. Foote and Smith are both going to be situational at best. Ward is the number 4 receiver. While it will be a loss of guys who have been here for a long time all of which are replaceable. That hardest being Hampton but Ziggy Hood is expected to take that spot if the Steelers do not draft a Nose Tackle.

That will put the Steelers right back at the salary cap though so they will still need to make some more moves to sign some now needed free agents, restricted free agents and draft picks. That could come from a Troy Polamalu restructure for the unrestricted free agents. When it comes to the draft picks the Steelers will have some time. They can work a new deal with Mike Wallace to cut his cap number way down the same way they did with LaMarr Woodley last year. They will also get $2.39 million back when Chris Kemoeatu is released after June 1. If the Steelers were to draft Dont’a Hightower they would also be able to part ways with James Farrior giving them another $2.82 million. That should give the Steelers enough to sign all the draft picks and the restricted free agents.

That is to keep Wallace around. If we were to lose Wallace there is not much of an upside. They lose a playmaking receiver. They lose a weapon. A team that we have to compete closely with would get him if he stayed in the AFC. We may have to face him twice a year. If you had to find a bright spot it would be a draft pick. It would be the original first round pick of the team that takes Wallace. Cincinnati would have to give up 21, Baltimore 29, San Francisco 30, and New England 31. The best out of that would be Cincinnati but I wouldn’t want to face Wallace twice every year. Our best hope would be San Francisco even if it is a lesser pick.

That means it is time to make a decision. You can either Franchise Tag Mike Wallace and keep him or you can keep your old guard who will be around for one more year maybe and loose Wallace. It is a choice that needs to be made quickly though. You would think it would be an easy choice. Wallace is too good to lose. To keep around guys who even if they help this year will not be helping in future years where Wallace could be around for 6 or 7 more years is just crazy to even have to think about.

Your call Mr. Rooney. The future or the past?

Will the Steelers upgrade the offensive line?

The Show — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:29:24 +0000

The Steelers could really upgrade the offensive line this offseason. The question is will it happen. The Steelers have needed upgrades on the offensive line for years. This is another good reason Bruce Arians is gone. Arians was happy with the offensive line. He has called Willie Colon “as good a right tackle as there is in this league” and has said about Doug Legursky, ”If he were four inches taller he’d be in the Pro Bowl. As a football player he’s one of the best we have.” Arians did not know his butt from a hole in the ground when it came to the offensive line. He over valued these guys horribly. That was one of the reasons it was help back.

It has not been until the last two seasons that they have attempted to make the upgrades. Drafting Maurkice Pouncey and Marcus Gilbert has really improved the offensive line. It is time to take the next step. Where will the next upgrade come?

The upgrade is not coming at center. Maurkice Pouncey is the center. He has been named to the Pro Bowl in both of his seasons with the team. He was named first team all pro this year. He is the Steelers center until further notice. So the upgrades are going to come around him.

It also does not seem like the Steelers are going to upgrade at tackle either. They plan on moving Marcus Gilbert to left tackle next year. He will replace Max Starks who is an unrestricted free agent. They also have Willie Colon who they plan to play at right tackle. The only chance I see of an upgrade at offensive tackle is if Mike Adams out of Ohio State falls to them in the draft. He would be the left tackle and Gilbert could go to right tackle where he belongs and Willie Colon could either move inside to guard or hit the road.

It looks like the upgrade will most likely come inside at guard. The Steelers have Ramon Foster and Doug Legursky who are both restricted free agents this year. They will most likely both get the lowest tendered offer. Legursky is a guy you want on your team. He can play all three interior positions and is a good guy to have as a back up. He is not a starter in this league though unless at center. That is not happening with Pouncey. Foster seemed to develop in his second year but ended up in Tomlin’s doghouse and was not a starter at the beginning of 2011. Once he became a starter again he played great at the start of the season but faded late. He did not seem to improve again at the end of the season.

Both of these positions can be upgraded. This is the year to do it as well. The Steelers could have a retooled offensive line with two new guards next season. The Steelers could take to the draft and get some good talent at one of the positions. They could get guys in the first, second or third round and have them possibly start next season. Some targets the Steelers could look at would be Cordy Glenn, and Peter Konz in round one. David DeCastro will not make it to our pick. In rounds 2 and three there is an abundance of guys who could start on this team. Guys like Kelechi Osemele, Senio Kelemete, Nate Potter and my personal favorite Brandon Washington. You are probably asking where is Kevin Zeitler on this list. He is almost the same guy as Kraig Urbik who we did not give a chance so I have taken him out.

The Steelers do not have to stop there either. There are a number of good guys in free agency. It will just depend on what our salary cap will allow. The best of which will be out of our price range in Carl Nicks. The guy I would want on this team is Ben Grubbs. Grubbs would bolster this line tremendously and would hurt Baltimore just as bad by losing him. If we target one guy in free agency at any position it should be Grubbs. He is only 27 and is a great blocker.

Any upgrade would be nice. As strapped as the Steelers are for cap space it will be hard to do in free agency but there is nothing wrong with young guys in the draft. Here is what I would love to see our offensive line look like next season in best case scenario.

Left Tackle- Marcus Gilbert
Left Guard- Ben Grubbs
Center- Maurkice Pouncey
Right Guard- Brandon Washington
Right Tackle- Willie Colon

I went with Gilbert instead of Adams because I do not see Adams falling that far if we got him though I would be ecstatic. We can pick up Grubbs in free agency. Then spend a second round pick on Brandon Washington. I will live with Colon for one more year I guess. This would be a serious upgrade next year though and we can get a right tackle the following season.