Is Hines Ward Worth His Salary Cap Value This Year?

by Michael Bean on Nov 5, 2008 5:33 AM EST

Absolutely he is. At least in my estimation.

According to the cap figures I've looked at, Hines Ward's cap hit for 2008 is approximately $6.7 million dollars. That is a decent chunk of our team's projected alloted $116.7 million dollar salary cap total, no doubt. But is the investment a wise one? Look, there's an undeniably a reasonable economic argument to be made based strictly on statistical output. For the money, Hines may be falling a tad short of the dollars he's commanding. But it goes so much deeper than that.

If you really want to talk economics and return on investment, I'd gladly argue that maintaining the Steelers brand of one of loyalty, family and stability is far more important than saving $3-$10 million dollars in the short run, or whatever it might cost to keep Ward around through, say, 2012.

Whatever it takes to keep Hines Ward in Pittsburgh until the day he retires will be recouped many times over by the maintenance of that special brand and image that the Steelers exude all across our country, and slowly but surely, even the world.

Here are five reasons why I say yes, Ward is worth every cent, and why we better find a way to make sure he retires a Steeler.

1) His 2008 numbers have actually been quite solid

Hine's stats through the first half of the season (broken jaws and other punishing blocks not included):


	Receiving								Kickoff Returns							Punt Returns
G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	Lng	TD	KR	YDS	AVG	Lng	TD	PR	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
8	34	445	55.6	13.1	49	5	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Now, are those #1 type numbers? Not necessarily, though it's important to remember the struggles we've had on offense. We're not one of the more prolific passing teams in the league (24th in the league at 181.4 yards per game). Yet, he's on pace for nearly 900 yards, exactly 10 TDs, and close to 70 catches. If you look at his career stats, you'll notice these pro-rated numbers are about on par with what he's averaged the past three years, which is roughly 70 catches for 950 yards and 7-8 TDs. Hines has had a few drops and has struggled against our NFC East opponents (as well as Baltimore), but he's also made big plays in nearly every game we've had, including our MNF win against the Redskins, where he caught several critical 3rd down grabs in route to our 23-6 victory.

2) Leadership:

Ah, now we get into murky intangibles for the moment. But it's true. Sorry. Hines is another coach on this team. I won't dig up all the articles right now, but this offseason during camp, there were numerous articles discussing how hard Hines worked with guys like Nate, 'Tone, and Limas. Sure, Holmes veered off track and acted selfish this year with his marijuana arrest, but for all the doubters about Holmes out there, the fact is is that he'd be blowing up in a pass-happy effective offense. He's shown the ability to be a deep threat, a possesion receiver over the middle, and one of our most valuable facilitators on offense. By that I mean teams up to this point have been willing to roll the dice and let us try to beat them deep with Nate Washington because of Holmes.

Anyway, Hines is the heart and soul of this team more so than any other player, coach, or executive not named Rooney. To let him go would be a TERRIBLE move as we approach a window (in my opinion) where we could be close to being as dominant as any team in the league provided we learn how to close a bit better against good teams. Hines needs to be a part of that. He has a SB ring and still commands the most respect out of any guy on our offense, Ben Roethlisberger included.

Really? Don't think that extra couple Mil is worth it?

3) Perception with players

If we can't find a way to compensate Hines fairly while still maintaining the financial viability of our team, there is literally no hope to retain good talent moving forward. Why? It sends a message to our players. The message being 'we don't care what you've done for us in the past or what intangibles you bring to the team dynamics, if you're on the downside of your career or at all capable of commanding higher value elsewhere, we're foregoing the effort and just letting you go.' Seriously, it's hard to keep guys like James Harrison, Bryant McFadden, Heath Miller, etc if you show no loyalty to arguably one of the 15 most important players in your franchise's history.

I can't emphasize this enough. We all chalked up the Alan Faneca decision to a 'business decision' with little to no dissent. Sure, some have voiced their longing for Faneca's presence during our struggles this year, but when the decision was made, most everyone was on board with it. That's fairly remarkable really when you consider how much Faneca meant to our team's consistent success during his tenure in Pittsburgh. The one thing I would say is that offensive linemen are so damn expensive these days that us being priced out is justifiable from a PR perspective. WRs? Not as expensive in the first place, and certainly not unselfish ones like Ward who robust endorsement packages each year, particularly in his local market. Bottom line, I don't think any excuse will fly if Ward is at all ready to sit down at the negotiating table to find common ground.

Are we really ready to do the same with Hines?? I mean, are we ready to just let Hines walk and say 'ah, he was getting old and too pricey for just 50 catches and 5 Tds.' I sure the hell am not. #86 better retire as a Steelers player. A part of my faith and love of the team depends on it.

Who cares about me though. What about guys like James Harrison? Ike Taylor? Aaron Smith??? Or better yet, LaMarr Woodley. Kid seems grounded. Can you see him wanting to go down as the best Steelers pass rushing LB ever? I could. But not if we set a precedent early in his career that the organization really doesn't act flexible when it comes to special players and personalities on and off the field.

4) Age can be deceiving/He's not THAT old

There's no doubt players start to slow down once they pass the 28-30 year mark. Happens in just about every sport. However, it's not quite the same as it was a few decades ago. Today's sports science allows players to be much more productive in the age range of 30-35. Hines is only 32 years old. Terrell Owens? About to turn 35, and two of his better years as a pro came in the last two years. Ward's definitely a step or two slower than he was in his mid 20s, but there's no reason why he still can't be a fantastic complimentary WR threat on this offense for another couple of years if he wants to be.

5) Is he really overpaid?

Let's took at some of the other high salaries on our team to get a better feel of whether Hines is earning too much money.

Kendall Simmons = ~$5 million
Max Starks = ~$6.9 million
Marvel Smith = ~$6.6 million
Troy Polamalu = ~ $6.8 million
Ben Roethlisberger = ~ $8 million
Casey Hampton = ~$6.4 million
Brett Keisel = ~ $4.1 million
Aaron Smith = ~ $4.7 million

So, as you can see, Hines is definitely one of the higher paid players on the team. If we were to resign him after next year, it would certainly need to be at a reduced price. But for now, my opinion is that he's still more or less worth it. We find certain guys that are 'glue guys' and we find ways to keep them around. It's what we did with Farrior and Bettis, and I presume it's what we'll do with Ward. There's just no way that guy finishes his career somewhere else.

One final thought as it relates to Nate Washington and Santonio Holmes. In my humble opinion, unless Nate is willing to play for less money, I think he'll be the odd man out. And if you ask me, he'll chase the dollars elsewhere, and I wouldn't blame him. We have money invested in both Holmes and Sweed, and we're going to try to find a way to make them be major contributors for us in the future at all costs. Washington on the other hand, has already in a way allowed us to play with house money. He's been so much better than advertised for a guy out of Tiffin College. We've recouped our investment in him and then some, but as for Holmes and Limas, we've still got a ways to go before we break even.

I think it would be foolhearty to expect that Nate can do many of the things that Hines can do as a #1/#2 type WR. He benefits from LBs being committed to Hines and Safetys keeping an eye on Holmes. Seriously, look back at his catches. Most all of them are in single coverage. I think the front office believes that Limas can fill that role of Nate Washington and then some the next several years while Hines winds down, which would only require us to find another Nate Washington type prospect in the next several years.

That's not much to ask compared to replacing the heart and soul of your franchise who still manages to play the game so violently and competitively that he's knocking out 1st round defensive players and provoking thugtastic players into calling for his head.

Simply put, Hines gives us an identity and personae that I'm not ready to relinquish. Certainly not now while our offense still has little to no identity.

As important as Lambert, Bradshaw, Harris, Swann, Lloyd or Greene in the team's illustrious history. Not that the Rooneys need reminding. At least I hope.

One last thing...

5a) Is there a better community guy than Hines?

No need to elaborate here. Pittsburgh loves Hines. Hines loves Pittsburgh. And he shows it. I wrote the same thing last week after the crushing loss to the Giants. We all have to do our part to keep this Steelers brand special.

Hines sets the tone for us all.

Just some thoughts? Yours?

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Hines

I’m quite sure it will be up to Hines whether he stays in Pittsburgh or not.

He complained about the number of pre-season games this summer, he continues to get " days off " during the week because of consideration for his age and his performance running routes and picking up ‘hot routes’ are becoming questionable.

He is still a sound if not excellent blocker and will probably be a coach in the future if his mentorship of young players is any guage.

If his contract demands are reasonable then I’m sure we all agree to an extension. If he wants to continue to be paid as a top receiver, can you say " remember Franco ".

The Rooney’s are still one of the most loyal owners toward their players in the NFL but they have never been known to go overboard for any player and put themselves at risk of losing others.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong !

by SteelChip on Nov 5, 2008 7:54 AM EST reply actions

Compare

HInes is overpaid compared to his production, but I don’t think that’s a problem. Every team has overpaid and underpaid players. By definition, this means every team pays some players more than their production merits. The key to the Steelers success is overpaying character guys, like HInes. When your overpaid players are cancers and underachievers like DeAngelo Hall, Pacman Jones, Donte Stallworth, and Chad Johnson, that’s when you worry. If your overpaid players are guys like Hines, you are in pretty good shape.

by CarlWeathersMustache on Nov 5, 2008 8:44 AM EST reply actions

In my words

I live my life by three words…………, FIRM, FAIR & CONSISTENT! Hines Ward is and has always been consistent! For that alone he is worth keeping in the black and gold!!!

GO STEELERS!!!

Every day brings future to past, every breath leaves me one less to my last. DT

by usmcsdi69 on Nov 5, 2008 9:23 AM EST reply actions

The Case Against Ward (making over $7M next year, that is)

Since this post was undoubtedly inspired by some comments I made elsewhere, I’ll state the opposing side.

I like Hines Ward. He’s been one of the quintessential Steelers for a long time. He’s been a very solid possession receiver, a great blocker, and a good teammate and leader. However, he’s costing us $6.7M this year, and over $7M next year. To compare, Reggie Wayne is averaging about $6.67M/year with his deal and Steve Smith is averaging about $7.5M/year. Both are 3 years younger and more productive than Ward. Chad Johnson is averaging just under $6M/year. I’m not suggesting I’d rather have him, but he is one of the best receivers in the league, even if he is insane.

Ward signed his deal after holding out in the same off-season Plax left. That gave him an awful lot of leverage, and his contract reflects that. As is typical, the last 2 years of the deal have been escalating in price while his production has been slowly going down, taking him from a slightly overpaid possession receiver to a grossly overpaid slowing down veteran team leader.

This is a different case than players like Javon Walker, DeAngelo Hall, etc who signed bad contracts. Ward’s contract made sense for the first 3-4 years. Those contracts never made sense and were huge mistakes. If the Raiders cut those guys, they’ll be on the hook for tens of millions of dollars of guaranteed money and get nothing for it. If we cut Ward in the off-season, we’d have between $1M and $2M of dead money and save $6M against the cap next year.

I don’t know what our cap situation next year looks like (please, please get steelersalarycap.com up), but we’re going to have to dish out some serious dough this off-season, and I’m sure we could use $6M. Bryant McFadden may not be cheap to hold onto. If we let Starks walk, we’re talking about a rookie LT and another year of Colon at RT. Are we going to let Kemo leave and hope Simmons isn’t even worse when he comes back from IR? Is Nate Washington worth keeping around? What happens when James Harrison, who is making about $1.5M this year and next, holds out after breaking the single season sack record? Colon and Miller are UFA’s after 2009; should we think about extending them? Meanwhile, Roethlisberger is going to count $15M against the cap in 2010 and 2011, so we need to start planning for that now.

James Harrison, Bryant McFadden, Max Starks, Hines Ward. If we had to pick 3 of those guys to be around next year, the third spot is a tossup between Starks and Ward to me. I’d rather have Ward, but we’d be more okay at WR without him than we would be on the OL without Starks. What if we could only keep 2?

I think it’s very likely that Ward will renegotiate his contract and stick around. He won’t command a whole lot on the open market, and after several years of an above-market deal with us, you’d think he’d be fine taking a lesser deal to retire a Steeler. If he doesn’t want to take a pay cut, though, I’d like to see us invest our money elsewhere.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on Nov 5, 2008 9:47 AM EST reply actions

The Case For Ward (Without Addressing the Cap - the numbers are too vague at this point)

BadMaafala,

You bring up some very valid points for reasons to consider passing on extending Ward for his current dollars. But i think there are some very valid reasons that he is worth what he is asking for:

1. You wanted to compare Ward’s numbers against teams and players that pass 5 to 15 times more per game (ie. the Colts, Panthers, Bengals) than the Steelers do. Then of course you are going to have less numbers, but lets really look at the numbers:

Ward – Targeted – 58 times for 34 receptions, 445 yards and 5 TD’s
Pitt QB – 221 Pass attempts, 127 completions for 1632 yards and 12 TD’s

Wayne – Targeted – 71 times for 43 receptions for 586 yards and 4 TD’s
Colts QB – 294 Pass attempts, 183 completions for 2008 yards and 12 TD’s

Smith – Targeted – 59 times for 33 receptions for 613 yards and 4 TD’s
Panthers QB – 231 Pass attempts, 140 Completions for 1781 yards and 9 TD’s

Johnson – Targeted 65 times for 37 receptions for 349 yards and 4 TD’s
Bengal’s QB – 300 Pass Attempts, 182 Completions for 1536 yards and 7 TD’s

The bottom line is that Ward gets looked at 25% of the time and catches 60% of the balls thrown to him and about 1 in 7 is for a TD. Also, Ward has more TD’s than all of those guys, and he has 42% of all of the receiving TD’s for the team. So who is the go to guy in the passing offense? Look how much less the Steelers pass the ball compared to everyone else, but then you look at Ward’s recpt, yds, and TD’s and they seem on par if not better in statistical comparison.

2. Another reason for Ward besides the STATS that support him, is that there is nobody that will go across the middle for that first down reception knowing that he is going to get drilled, like Hines Ward. NOBODY! That is priceless in and of itself, especially at his age.

by Sithlord on Nov 5, 2008 1:38 PM EST up reply actions

I tend to look at Ward a lot like Farrior. Team leader, lots of football smarts. Makes some big plays when they are asked of them, etc. etc. The two are very comparable on opposite sides of the ball. If Farrior is fine making $5 million I think Ward should be too.

I don’t think there is any way Ward leaves. He’ll stay, he’ll take a pay-cut, and he’ll still be a millionaire and be able to keep up his wardrobe.

by steelguy99 on Nov 5, 2008 10:00 AM EST reply actions

They’re also about the same age. In fact, maybe they should just rewrite the contract and scratch the name “James Farrior” out. Think of the extra lawyer fees they’d save, though I’m not a fan of the guaranteed money and think it wouldn’t be as necessary for ward who I think would command less on the open market than farrior.

http://post-gazette.com/pg/08235/906231-66.stm

by steelguy99 on Nov 5, 2008 10:04 AM EST up reply actions

Heh, the place where I found that link was a blog that suggested that Foote could slide over to Farriors spot after Timmons takes over. That is why I get my steelers news from this site.

by steelguy99 on Nov 5, 2008 10:06 AM EST up reply actions

Missing Players

I think the o-line misses Russ Grimm more than we miss Faneca

Let's Go!

by jacksteel on Nov 5, 2008 12:28 PM EST reply actions

BINGO!

by JHolmes on Nov 5, 2008 2:19 PM EST up reply actions

I love Hines Ward but...

1. First of all, let me say that I’ve appreciated what Hines has brought to the table during his career. I’ll elaborate on some of these points.

- He’s been money in the playoffs. That’s a special quality. If the Steelers had more players like him, they would have possibly won more than one Super Bowl. If you don’t believe me, check out his playoff stats:

11 games, 67 rec, 896 yards, 8 td (projects to 97, 1303, 11.6 over a 16 game season)

Compare that to someone like Marvin Harrison’s playoff stats, who I’ve always thought was overrated:

15 games, 62 rec, 862 yards, 2 td (and that’s in 4 more playoff games!)

- I agree that Hines has brought a lot of intangibles to the table like toughness, leadership and being the best blocking wr in the NFL most of the time.

2. But Hines is aging, and aging fast. He may only be 32, but look carefully at his play.

- Many fans have probably noticed that he often drops a pass now and then. It’s been happening too long for it to be a fluke. Often times this can be a sign of declining skills (reaction time) in a wr.

- We know that the Steelers passing offense is struggling. The offensive line could play better , Ben could check down more often, Arians sucks, etc. But anyone notice that Ward often doesn’t get much separation from the db. When tv shows the downfield replay, find Ward. He’s often blanketed. I think that Arians may run those bunch formations partly because Ward has such a tough time beating a db off the LOS.

- Ward isn’t having a tough time because teams are game planning to take him away. Opposing teams fear Holmes more than Ward. Jax had Mathis follow Ward around in the playoffs last year. The Redskins had Carlos Rogers on Holmes for the most part on Monday. This may also be why Holmes isn’t having the truly breakout year many were expecting. It’s not easy when you are the focus of the opposing pass defense.

- While I love his blocking, toughness and his intangibles, a wr needs to be able to get open and catch the ball. Otherwise, he’s not very valuable.

- Suggesting that he should be extended to 2012? I shudder to think what Ward’s skills will be like 4 years from now. If that’s the case, it better be a contract will allow the Steelers to cut Ward before then without taking on too much dead money against the cap. That leads me to…

3. I have no problem with Ward retiring as a Steeler, but he will have to accept a pay cut.

- At this point in his career, Ward is a nice complementary wr. Off the top of my head, Ward now reminds me of someone like Ricky Proehl. His skills will only decline as we move forward. He should be paid as such.

- Bettis retired a Steeler in part because he took a pay cut and accepted a reduced role. Will Ward? I’m not so sure.

- Other players like Rod Woodson wanted to still be paid like a premier player even though their play didn’t warrant it any more. The Steelers chose to let Woodson walk when they couldn’t come to an agreement. (Yes, I realize that Woodson still went to a few more Pro Bowls after he left the Steelers. But that was after he had a very mediocre year with SF and then realized that he better move to safety, which he wasn’t willing to do with the Steelers.)

- If Ward won’t take a pay cut, the Steelers have no choice but to let him go. The Steelers brand of tradition and loyalty has been built over decades. That’s not going to change becuause they cut Ward. (Porter, who in many ways was the emotional leader of the defense, was let go and it didn’t cause a revolt amongst the Steeler players.)

- The Steelers are up against the cap almost every year. Everybody is in love with this defense. Well, it’s going to take money to keep guys like Harrison, Woodley, Timmons, Mcfadden etc. It’s already likely we lose Mcfadden after this season. If we keep signing guys like Simmons to 5 mil/yr (I still don’t understand that one) and then overpay Ward to retire as a Steeler, you likely will have to lose somebody else.

by steeler1275 on Nov 5, 2008 1:27 PM EST reply actions

lots of good thoughts in there

My mention of 2012 was just a number. Farrior got a 5 year extension remember, yet its unlikely he plays out every down of that contract.

As for Porter being let go – totally different. Hines embodies the Steelers organization. Porter was well liked by players but a little misunderstood by fans. And he was HARDLY the community guy that Hines was.

by Michael Bean on Nov 5, 2008 2:34 PM EST up reply actions

yeah but,

You don’t pay guys $7M+ for their impact on the community. Hell, I’ll have a community impact if they want to pay me that. We overpaid him without complaining partly because of his role with the team, which is fine. His production just isn’t lining up with his cap value in 2009. I think it’s a very similar situation to Porter except Ward is making more.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on Nov 5, 2008 4:56 PM EST up reply actions

I think he'll restructure, for sure

As for paying for community impact, I agree, you don’t do that. BUT, I’d imagine it definitely influences the team’s decision to decide to sit down at the negotiating table.

by Michael Bean on Nov 5, 2008 5:37 PM EST up reply actions

The 86

I agree Hines worths every dollar.
He has been a big influence for Ben, Santonio and other in the group without leaving apart he leaves the heart in every game played.
I don’t thing he is aging probably as you said have lost some steps but he continues playing hard everygame and as I mentioned the influence in those games
He want to finish his career in Pittsburg not as Faneca or other that prefered to look other options
I hope Mr Rooney keeps him for more years

by ninke on Nov 5, 2008 2:10 PM EST reply actions

This is a business.

Plain and simple. If he doesn’t take a pay cut, then he’s going to GET cut. He got his big shiny contract in 05, which was well-deserved. Now it’s time to take one for the team. Harrison and McFadden will be more important to the team, long-term, than Hines. You can’t mortgage your team’s future over sentimental BS. The Rooneys and Colbert know that.

by JHolmes on Nov 5, 2008 2:36 PM EST reply actions

nodobys denying that

The post says both sides better be willing to SIT DOWN to make something work.

by Michael Bean on Nov 5, 2008 2:38 PM EST up reply actions

I'd like to add...

He already worked a deal out before. And he said he wanted time and I think he’ll be just as cordial this time around.

by Mechem on Nov 5, 2008 8:59 PM EST up reply actions

Be smart

The thought of Hines cracking back on one of our linebackers while wearing Ravens or Browns colors is too disgusting to even consider. The frightening thing to me is the number of teams out there that are in much better cap space than the Steelers that could overpay for Hines in return for those exact intangibles we covet as Steeler fans. That being said, the unstability of the labor agreement between the owners and players leads me to believe that there will be an uncapped year in 2010, as the owners can, and likely will, opt out of the current agreement at the end of the 2009 season. This has led to some crazy deals by a few teams, led by that psycho in Dallas, to make deals that would put them in dangerous cap position for 2010, but not worrying as they believe that either the cap will be gone, or at the very least, expanded under a new collective bargaining agreement.

What does all this mean for the Steelers and Hines Ward? With a little give and take, an extension should be able to be worked out to keep him comfortable financially with the bonus of finishing his career as a Steeler. Does anyone doubt that Hines will have to be removed from the field on a stretcher or cart before he gives up? I’d rather have 100% of a diminishing #86 than a lesser percentage of some of the freakishly talented prima donnas patrolling the position in other places. He is a huge piece to our offensive puzzle that is outside the boundaries of primary receiver, complimentary receiver, slot guy, whatever. I think the Farrior extension speaks volumes about a somewhat softening of the traditional front office stance regarding aging players. Good guys who are playing at a high level with off the chart intangibles can and will be taken care of. If Hines can overcome the pride aspect of being paid comparable to other #1 WR, like Farrior did with his deal, this should not be too difficult.

"Steeler Nation= We are better than you!"

by il_steeler_fan on Nov 5, 2008 2:36 PM EST reply actions

All of the points against Ward

seem to believe that Ward will not re-work a deal. I think he will. What would make the most sense this offseason would be an extension with the majority of Ward’s salary for this year written in as a signing bonus. That way he gets paid what he would have gotten for the year up front anyway, but the cap hit is spread over the next 3-5 years. I would think that a 5 year deal with a $7M signing bonus, but a significant reduction in yearly salary would make sense to Hines at this point in his career.

If I’m wrong, and he won’t re-structure his deal, then he probably will be cut. But, if that happens, I’ll be disappointed in both him and the team.

by WolfpackSteelersFan on Nov 5, 2008 5:51 PM EST reply actions

like ure logistics. think they'll do something like that

by Michael Bean on Nov 5, 2008 5:59 PM EST up reply actions

we'll see

But Ward has always had that chip on his shoulders that he doesn’t get the respect he deserves. Remember the little blow-up after Ben asked for taller receivers? He’s a sensitive man (he gets manicures for pete’s sake). He’ll be delicate to approach when asking him to take a pay cut.

What I wonder is whether they can do anything similar to what Green Bay did with Favre (or tried to). Basically pay him something extra to be a “member” of the steelers organization for years to come.

by Chicago Steeler on Nov 5, 2008 6:02 PM EST up reply actions

True

But, we also saw what the Bus did, and he loved Bettis. I have to think that he will realize that he can’t be paid like a top WR when he’s not one any longer. And, he won’t be paid like that anywhere else.

by WolfpackSteelersFan on Nov 5, 2008 6:05 PM EST up reply actions

yea

True. Teams wont overpay for old WRs that wont necessarily sell tickets or merchandise.

by Michael Bean on Nov 5, 2008 6:23 PM EST up reply actions

Even

Woodson ended up having to settle for less money than the Steelers offered him. I don’t know what he was getting with the Ravens, but he could have stayed with the Steelers for more than he got at SF.

by WolfpackSteelersFan on Nov 5, 2008 7:36 PM EST up reply actions

Basically exactly like farriors deal.

by steelguy99 on Nov 5, 2008 6:10 PM EST up reply actions

I guess

I don’t remember the terms of Farrior’s deal, but yeah, along those lines.

by WolfpackSteelersFan on Nov 5, 2008 7:36 PM EST up reply actions

farrio

I think he was in the 5-years 30-35 million range?? Maybe a little less money, but I think the deal was somewhat back-loaded, making us not on the hook for nearly all that amount.

by Michael Bean on Nov 5, 2008 7:46 PM EST up reply actions

That sounds right

now that you remind. Given Hines’s age, I would expect it to be less than that.

by WolfpackSteelersFan on Nov 6, 2008 11:45 AM EST up reply actions

yeah

Most of my prattle was based around the thought of what if he doesn’t take the pay cut? I think my main point is that we can’t afford to spend $7-8M on Ward next year, going against the main initial point of Blitz’s post. By the end, we’re basically agreeing that Ward will probably follow Farrior and restructure.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on Nov 5, 2008 10:02 PM EST up reply actions

Two words:

Brett Favre. By that, I mean that Hines Ward finishing out his career as anything OTHER THAN a Steeler would be as wrong as Brett Favre in a Jets uniform.

He may be slower, he is older, his numbers may be dropping — whatever. He is also the heart of this team. He has been for years, and he will continue to be as long as he’s around. Was Faneca? Yeah, not so much.

I also notice that when Ben has been crazy blowing it lately, as he was in the first half against Washington, Hines seems to be the one person with whom he can still connect. And sometimes that one connection can get him back on track a little.

In any case, he’s worth keeping. Like Bettis and Bradshaw and Bleier and all those other black and gold legends, his legacy should be synonymous with the Steelers alone.

by DistrictSteelerFan on Nov 5, 2008 8:53 PM EST reply actions

I know they will resign this guy

Bottom line is this, there are some players you can live without. And then there are your true franchise players. Hines is the latter.

I love that the Steelers business model is “If you aren’t a franchise guy, then we probably have a dude on the bench capable of replacing you and we can let you go”

Burress, Yep we did that. Porter? Same there.

It works. But the only way it works is if you reward those deserving.

Hines to me is honestly the face of the offense. I cant imagine it any other way. I have never seen a receiver smile after every play. After every bone shattering hit, hes smiling. After every flip through the air he smiling. After every hit he springs back up like a rubber ball and has been durable and tough. Pittsburgh in every way.

Its these types of people who should retire in the colors that made them who they are and who they will be remembered by.

by Mechem on Nov 5, 2008 8:55 PM EST reply actions

badmaafala

I’m not even going to bother arguing about what you said about ward not even worth it but you say colon sucks (which he does) in one sentence then say what are we going to do without him when he becomes a free agent makes absolutely no sense keep ward get rid of idiots like that who are getting ben killed every week

by billsteelcity on Nov 5, 2008 10:00 PM EST reply actions

Hey, it could happen. I mean we gave Simmons a lucrative extension…

In all seriousness I was just going through and listing upcoming UFA’s. Colon could still make a decent guard, although we’ll probably never know. He’s a starter right now, and if we let him go, we’ll have to draft someone or sign someone to replace him. We don’t have infinite draft picks.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on Nov 5, 2008 10:11 PM EST up reply actions

Holy crap is that hard to read without punctuation.

by steelguy99 on Nov 5, 2008 10:44 PM EST up reply actions

Selling Nate Short

You compared Hines’ salary to lots of Steelers, but why not Nate’s? I read that Nate is making around $1.4 million this year. With that as his starting number, the Steelers wouldn’t have to pay much for lots of production. You can say what you want about the quality of the coverage against Nate, but it isn’t easy to catch a deep pass in every game you play in. And that is what Nate has done each of the last four games. Two when he was the number 2 receiver, if Colon doesn’t hold.

I hope Hines can work out a deal with the Steelers, but I don’t know why you would assume that Nate can’t. He could get a pay raise and still be value.

by buddytoledo on Nov 6, 2008 1:02 AM EST reply actions

Is this a joke?

When I first saw this headline I was immediately provoked to a response. Hines Ward is STILL our best WR on this team, PERIOD. He is still one of the very best WR’s in the NFL, PERIOD. Santonio Holmes was supposed to supplant Hines as the #1 guy but has failed both on and off the field. Hines Ward has done EVERYTHING right and he is a Pittsburgh icon, every bit as much as Lynn Swann and John Stallworth.

Ask any coach in the NFL what they think of Hines Ward and every one of them will say they would LOVE to have him on their team. The guy IS football, he epitomizes everything a football player should be. He’s 6’0" tall and 215 lbs but he plays like a linebacker.

Hines isn’t going to be one of those guys who demands top money, but the impact he has on this team as a leader and player, well, you just can’t put a price tag on that.

by UNCsteeler on Nov 6, 2008 1:47 AM EST reply actions