Report: Jim Caldwell To Join Ravens Staff, Possibly As Quarterbacks Coach

Or, maybe Dan was leaning Tomlin the whole time while the others wanted to go the safer more established route. Dan gives in, then decides he just knows better. If anything, that is my biggest concern for this team going forward. After years of sucking, the Steelers build a dynasty when Dan takes over. Then he hires Cowher to replace Noll. If he’s the main reason that Tomlin got hired, then we may see a lot of mistakes in hiring HCs once Dan has passed on and Tomlin hangs it up.

Well, we’ll find out. I wrote in my season eulogy that this is Colbert’s biggest off-season in the 11 years he’s had the job.

There are tough decisions to be made, but the core of the team is still there. Get some more depth, give watches to a few veterans, they can still be a competitive team.

And…they may not be. It’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out.

I think the Steelers played the cap totally wrong. They seemed to have been thinking that the cap would be up this year after the new agreement. It didn’t work out that way, and bang we are way over.

They also might have kept guys longer than they should have, but I see what they were trying to do: transition the team while still having a shot at another Bowl.

I am not really optimistic about this season, but it could still turn out ok. We shall see.

Sorry for the way you guys lost. I hate Marcia Brady and the Hoodie.

Drew Brees’ signing with the Saints was the exception to the rule. And I would say their Super Bowl team wasn’t as free agent-heavy as their first NFC championship game appearance team was. Lots of the same guys on the Super Bowl team.

Darren Sharper, Vilma, Brees, are the big names that come to mind.

One thing I have said this season is that the Ravens ousted Pittsburgh in the signing of McKinnie and Gurode. Now, I know it “didn’t win you a Superbowl now did it Ratbird” but those could have been 2 very, very good pickups for you guys considering the horrors you saw from that OL this season.

I’m not talking about sexy FA signings, but how could we not bring in a OT better than J Scott?

(reaching for a bottle of Jack)

I guess not.

It’s about the dollars. We didn’t have $2.2 million to spend on a 38 year old player. We finished the year with less than a million dollars in cap space. Do you have any idea who would have not only dressed but PLAYED in New England had we beat Denver?

Me neither. They probably would have had to move offensive linemen to defense. No money, practice squad was bare. It would have been Hood, Heyward and Keisel with that Corbin Bryant guy as the only back-up to all three positions.

Without getting Roethlisberger to sign an extension and giving him significantly less money this year than he’s already slated to get (great time to fire his best friend, eh?), we’re probably between $12-$15 million over the cap. Cutting guys doesn’t save as much as you think it does, either, because you need replacements (Foote and Farrior are set for around $6 million combined, cutting them means, at best, you’re saving $5 million, and that’s with two guys at the league minimum replacing a starter and the top back-up).

We really don’t have the money to do anything but sign our own guys (probably just Wallace, and that will only be because we need cap space and his RFA tag is 100 percent guaranteed and counting against the cap.

Batch is already a more expensive position coach who counts against the salary cap and wears a jersey in pads during games. I don’t think he’ll want to take the paycut to do the same things each week.

Yeah, you’re right on the gap of retire to coach. I wouldn’t be shocked if he unretires if that muscle weakness in his throwing arm goes away.

Get involved in GM type positions, ala Elway.

And that’s what they’re going to do. I’ll reserve my boldness on this prediction until after the draft, but we’re going to furrow our brows on more than a few picks.

They aren’t far off from being able to put four on the ground, and in many cases now, they’re already doing that (sub packages). The only difference is Harrison isn’t down, but he’s at the 5-technique, like a standard 4-3 DE.

I guess I wouldn’t mind that. Now I am really intrigued to see this draft. My mind is racing.

Watch San Francisco if you want to see a team that does it the right way.

Best coached defense we’ve seen in the league probably over the last 10 years. Their front seven was so good and so versatile, Aldon Smith rotated in probably half the defensive snaps and he had 14 sacks. He rotated in because he can’t play inside and outside the way their linemen all can. I could totally see Heyward and Hood rotating in and out, Woodley and Harrison as well.

but that also means we would most likely pursue Tomlin’s favorite concept, versatility, and at least in the case of the Patriots’ example, would bypass a specialized player like Terrence Cody at NT that can only play in rushing situations.

Little trivia question of anyone knows: when was the last time the Steelers drafted a 3-4 DT in the first round before Hood and Hampton?

I would say never, considering Cowher brought the 3-4 with him in 1991, and Hampton was the first DT they drafted in the first round in his time.

Hood was a tackle in college, but they never saw him playing anything but DE in their 3-4.

Definitely a possibility

but thats what he played at Va Tech. He was tried at OLB in the 43 but had to be moved back to DE. Was actually solid at stopping the run as a DE. Not sure what changed when he came to the Steelers. Position change/level of competion probably both. I think he has the quickness to play in a 43 but only as a rush specialist, for now anyway.