BTSC Daily Six Pack - Big Snack Fires First 'Bullet'

The more I think about it, the more it seems he’s gone. When was the last time a “good” Steelers player finished the last year of his contract, and re-signed with the Steelers?? By “good”, I mean you can’t count guys like Deshea.

May force us to focus on Dan Williams in the draft.

is taking a similar approach to faneca. We all see how that ended. Heres to hoping Chris Hoke can fill in next year.

• I had posted about Moore being the Steelers one time OC several months ago and it shocked several readers. Didn’t know that was such obscure info. Once Bradshaw left and Moore was saddled with Cliff Stoudt, Mark Malone and Bubby Brister he was run out of town on a rail. Funny how Peyton Manning turns you into a genius.

• Maybe the NYG for Cowher. I think he is more interested in Carolina. At any rate Cowher has repaid his debt to the Rooney’s and the Steelers Nation in full. I wish him well in whatever endeavor he chooses. I just hope he doesn’t make a mistake and spoil his legacy.

• J Peazy can’t help but run his mouth. It’s in his DNA. Happy he got his pay day and we got Deebo. Like Cowher, I wish Porter well. We don’t win XL without 55 chasing down Manning and others repeatedly during the run.

• I really hope we sign Snack. I don’t know where we will find someone to man NT next year. Major pressure to draft a NT with the #1 and I don’t like HAVING to draft a position. Of course with all the teams switching to 3/4 and an uncapped year in 2010 I am sure someone will give Casey a big snack.

Speaking of Carolina, I think management should call up Peppers and be like, You’ve already made enough money for your grandkids grandkids, sign a reasonable contract here, join Harrison, Woodley, and Timmons in the 3-4, and enjoy the at least 1 more superbowl the Steel is likely to win in the next couple of years. Dude would be a monster in Black and Gold after Lebeau’s boot camp. Having said that, I know it won’t happen.

The main reason I wouldn’t want to draft Tebow is that we’re going to have to listen to all the hype and speculation of how we’re going to use him. That and there are still useful players in the 3rd or 4th round. I think Jacksonville is more likely to take him in the 3rd or 4th round.

I’ve said this elsewhere, but Hampton is not doing what Faneca did. The tag would be a slap in the face because Art Rooney II told him he wouldn’t do it. If Hampton had been bitching for 15 months about how he was in the last year of his contract and how he didn’t know if he was going to be able to feed his kids on $6M/yr instead of $7M/year, and then he mailed it in all year because he had a new coach and OL coach, then he’d be Alan Faneca.

Hampton has been graciously quiet on this issue until the past month, and even then he’s spoken very quietly and calmly. He doesn’t sound pissed. He’s not saying things like “yeah, there pretty much hasn’t been any discussion to speak of”. He may leave, but I still think he has a better chance of signing than not.

When I was in 6th grade a friend and I went to the Offense-Defense football camp at the University of Fairfield in Connecticut. There were a bunch of pros there serving as counselors — Dave Casper, the TE from the Raiders, an Eagles LB named Jerry Robinson, Mike Haynes, the great defensive back, Ron Yary, the big lineman from Minnesota, and Franco Harris. It was great practicing with these guys as our “coaches.” The moment I remember most, though, was an interaction I had with Tom Moore. It was after dinner one night and a bunch of us were just goofing around in the parking lot playing some 7-on-7 touch. Tom Moore — I didn’t have any idea who he was at the time — came walking out of the cafeteria and passed us. He watched for a minute, and then when we huddled up he ducked his head in and said to the kid who was playing QB for us, “Throw a post route. They’re playing you without a safety.” Sure enough, when we broke the huddle there was no safety in the middle of the field and our QB hit one of our guys in stride for a touchdown. I don’t remember thanking Moore or speaking with him afterwards, but at meetings that night my friend pointed him out to Jerry Robinson and asked who he was. Robinson said, “That’s the wide receivers coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He just won two Super Bowls, man.” So I guess whether it’s a parking lot or the NFL Tom Moore knows how to light up a defense…

I’ve been saying for a while that we should Joey back. Maybe one more mediocre year at MIA, we can pick him back up for the cheap. Tell him that he can make up the difference in pay by pawning all the SB rings he’ll be getting.

I too, live in NC. Agreed Peppers wasn’t worth the money last season, but he wasn"t shy about wanting out of Charlotte last offseason and they tagged him anyway. You give that guy something to play for, Like a ring, and he’d be out there tearing heads off of shoulders.

The whole NFL compensation system is a delicate balance between players and clubs, tweaked and re-negotiated through the years. There are poison pills on both sides, etc. The Franchise Tags are important tools that the Steelers should have at their disposal. The Hampton situation is a perfect time to use it. If Art II did tell Hamp that he was not going to get tagged, then we are not deploying a tool that was meant to be used in these situations. If that is not true, and Hamp is squeezing and guilting the Steelers into not using the tag, then I am disappointed in that. He should be tagged according to the rules of the game without reservations, and then they can talk about spreading it out over three years. One way or the other, I am disappointed in this whole situation. If players are going squeeze the clubs about franchise and transition tags, then the clubs should give them back at the bargaining table and get something else that they don’t have to feel guilty about.

I laughed at the part where he said that Tebow could be a huge weapon in Bruce Arians offense. Lol. Just as big of a weapon as Dennis Dixon was? What could Tebow do with Arians’ crappy play calling? Any thoughts?

I was just a few years out of college when Tom Moore first became a Steeler coach and I always though he did a good job as OC. A lot better than BA anyway. But I’m afraid I completely missed the Chuck Nolan era.

As for Cowher, I still don’t like that he walked away from Pittsburgh, his own hometown, where he could have coached the Steelers forever. If he comes back to coach elsewhere, I wish him a short and unsuccessful stint with a team that pays him way more than he’s worth. Can you tell I’m bitter?

And I guess we’ll see how much class Big Snack has. There’s something to be said for staying in a Steeler uniform your whole career. And there’s a lot to be said for not saying anything before or during contract negotiations. Casey’s a great player but nobody is irreplaceable—and not many teams want a nose tackle who’s old, overweight and expensive. Casey should cool it; he’s starting to sound like Joey Porter.