NFL Thread

[Jammin]

Agreed, it's like a prize fight every time we play regardless of the records. But usually both teams are winning, so the stakes are high.

What is your outlook for this year? I know they had cap trouble. Do you think someone will pay the price to sign away Mike Wallace?

I think if somebody was going to outbid the Steelers for Wallace it probably would have happened already. Though to be honest I don't think that would be a big deal either way. It would be a loss but we are still pretty deep at wide receiver. Wallace is probably the best we've got but Antonio Brown isn't far behind.

The problem for us is the defense front and naturally O-line. There is going to be a lot of new faces on D next year and that's always worrisome.

And if we don't fix the O-line issues players like Suggs are going to end every play sitting on Roethlisberger's head; which is significantly less funny when you are a Steelers fan.

[xi0]

I think if somebody was going to outbid the Steelers for Wallace gong to happen it probably would have happened already. Though to be honest I don't think that would be a big deal either way. It would be a loss but we are still pretty deep at wide receiver. Wallace is probably the best we've got but Antonio Brown isn't far behind.

The problem for us is defense and naturally O-line. There is going to be a lot of new faces on D next year and that's always worrisome.

You would think that, but sometimes they wait until Free Agency sort of plays out to see whether a team is willing to give up a first rounder to acquire his rights and whether that 1st-round pick could be used to get a WR in the draft instead...would be cheaper anyways. I'm not sure Wallace is worth a 1st rounder really.

It's always the O-line there. And it seems most of the people they cut bait with were old and couldn't stay healthy. Those are the easiest decisions to free up cap room.

[Kaiten]

Wallace will not be signed away, not only would he cost a first round pick but the contract would have to be to large for the Steelers to match. If he were unrestricted he would have commanded a contract similar to Colsten, Garcon, and Jackson. No one would want to pay $20 million guaranteed plus a first round draft pick for a wide receiver.

There is no question that the cap penalties was collusion. 2010 was an uncapped year, as per terms of the collective bargaining agreement there was no cap on pay roll. A backroom deal was struck among the owners to freeze pay roll, an agreement not negotiated with players nor part of a legal document. They also agreed to retroactively punish any team that violated this gentleman's agreement. That is a fairly open and shut case of collusion. When this reaches the arbitrator the law favors the Redskins and Cowboys. Even with Anti-trust exemption the NFL has a very flimsy case.

New Mock Draft: http://www.fftoolbox.com/nfl_draft/u...?mock_id=11986

Yes I have the Vikings taking Blackmon third. Adam Schefter is predicting they will take him over Matt Kalili and I have learned that his predictions almost always come true. If he is right Cleveland will get a ton of offers for the fourth pick. I doubt they will agree to move down any lower than eight, where they can at least get Melvin Ingrim or Quinton Coples. In my opinion Luck, Griffin, Kalil, Claiborne, and Richardson are the only elite prospects in this draft.

[Jammin]

Good news for the Steelers fans today. Jericho Cotchery has been resigned on 2 year deal(for a modest $3 million)

I love this move! He is the kind of wide receiver that I think every team could use, and I'm pretty glad no team picked him up. Last year he was a very reliable player for the Steelers who showed that he had great hands and a willingness to accept the more humble aspects of being an NFL wideout(he's not a guy who freaks out when he doesn't get a lot of targets and he's not afraid to block or tackle) but whenever he was needed he ready to go.

He was a good player for us last year and I'm excited to see him don the black and gold again.

[xi0]

It makes sense with Ward retiring. A good signing for depth, but not anything exciting about it. The Steelers operate this way though, and it works.

[Kaiten]

As long as they get Wallace signed to a long term deal it is a good signing. Wallace and Brown on the perimeter with Cotchery in the slot is a damn good receiving corps.

[xi0]

Don't forget Emmanuel Sanders either, he was more productive than Cotchery was last season.

[Kaiten]

Ah, I did forget Sanders. Put him in the slot, bring Cotchery in as the fourth receiver. An even deeper receiver corp than I thought.

[gnut]

you guys happy with your team's draft?
my dolphins stunk it up again...i don't know...it all smells like red tide..,.

[Jammin]

Steelers got absurdly lucky; not that I'm complaining.

We needed some pieces for the O-line and a young nose tackle to develop and we got it all.

• 1st round by some miracle David DeCastro (guard) fell to the Steelers at 24.
• 2nd round we got Mike Adam's (offensive tackle) a guy with first round talent that fell in large part due to him failing a drug test; a college student smoked pot does not seem like big deal to me.
• 3rd round we got Sean Spence (linebacker) he's very light and fast linebacker.
• 4th round we traded up for Alameda Ta'amu (nose tackle) hopefully a successor for Casey Hampton down the road.
• 5th round we got Chris Rainy (Running back) a faster undersized running back and possibly a good special teams player.

[BASED Shinigami]

Ahh so who's ready for NFL season to start!? I got my money on the Patriots to win it all!

[FrostyMouse]

Ahh so who's ready for NFL season to start!? I got my money on the Patriots to win it all!

While I'm a Pats fan, I don't see us winning.

[kakashi919]

I'll be betting on Ravens again!

Though it would be nice if Raiders, Bucaneers and Panthers could do some damage

[FrostyMouse]

I'll be betting on Ravens again!

Though it would be nice if Raiders, Bucaneers and Panthers could do some damage

The Raiders and the Bucs haven't made the playoffs since they were each in the SB, and the same holds true for the Panthers whose last playoff appearance was the SB loss to the Patriots, I believe.

[Jammin]

Ahh so who's ready for NFL season to start!? I got my money on the Patriots to win it all!

My pick would be the Texans. They were really good last year and, by all indications, they will be better this year.

Pat's look good, as always, but I just don't think it will happen. I feel like they will look unstoppable and in the regular season and then inexplicably lose in the playoffs, not really sure why I think that. For the Ravens I don't like their run defense this year, especially with Suggs out, which seems odd to say.

Though I'm a hardcore Steeler fan and always hope for them to win, I don't think this is our year. The team seems improved overall but our running back situation is not great and our offensive line I think is still a year away from being "a good NFL offensive line". We got a shot but I wouldn't put money on it. Especially by the time a seasons worth of injuries pile up.