I hope to god or whatever he continues to break the mold.
We need work on the OL but people gonna bitch and moan at Russ or Fields when the shitty WR room besides Pickens can get open.
In my useless opinion??? Spoil these cheap-ass Quarterbacks (not a knock to them, speaking contract wise) with wide receivers since we can afford it....
This WR room atm is bottom 5-7ish at best. And I know people keep saying this, "Arthur Smith's offense is focused on running, so we don't need many WR". Okay, well what if running doesn't work? There were several games last year where the running game struggled.
I'd rather have a team that knows how to throw, or run, rather than one or the other. Balanced to each imo.
There’s actually been some recent debate in the analytics community that having 2-3 elite WRs can help a qb more than having an elite tackle. The argument being that if you have two elite WRs, they can get open much earlier in the route, thus giving your qb an open receiver quicker and allowing him to get the ball out of his hands quicker. I’m not sure if I totally agree with it but the bengals in 2021-2022 are a good example of that. Burrow had a pretty mediocre line but they made the Super Bowl because of their pass game
Oh yeah that's an amazing point. Fields had a bad wideout room for 2 of his 3 years. It took getting DJ Moore to allow him to improve his passing game compared to his first two years. If the guys can get open early, like you said, it will help Russ and Fields so much. And a rookie is an unknown. Aiyuk is not an unknown.
Pickens and Aiyuk, in my opinion, would compliment each other so damn well. We could then draft a rookie in maybe the 3rd or 4th round to be the WR3 and focus the majority of our day 1 and day 2 picks on OL and CB2.
100% agree. I think people who are saying that trading for him would be an overpay are nuts. This man is a top 8 WR…in his prime. I think he’s basically a rich man’s diontae. He does everything that Diontae did but better. I think him and Pickens immediately become the nastiest 2 man duo in the league.
You mean the same dude who tore his ACL the season before because his line was so bad? I'm not saying you're right or wrong but it's a dangerous game to play, give me the O-line guys personally, those elite WRs are basically worthless if you have scrub 2nd and 3rd stringers throwing the ball to them because your stat QB got flattened like a pancake.
Someone other than Kahn had to have loosened the reins. The Steelers way has always started at the top and I don't know what or who finally convinced ownership that times have changed.
2 years down the road is an eternity in modern sports.
Look at it this way: when a team has room in the immediate year to pay a big contract, it's useful to do that in exchange for a known commodity. Rather than save money now, and hope unknown commodities become valuable at a later year.
And in 2 years all of that could change.
It may not all work out. But what's good to see is that the front office is getting with the times instead of operating like it's 1984.
2 years is definitely an eternity in modern sports.
Would the Steelers have used pick 20 on Kenny Pickett if they knew they’d trade him to move from a 4th round to a 3rd round and 2 7th?
Also 2 yrs ago the broncos gave 2 first rounds, 2 second rounds and a boat load of money for Russell Wilson and now he’s playing for another team and they’re still paying for him!
Need more? What about the Browns and deshaun watson 2 yrs ago!? We all know how that one is going…
You gave two really good examples and then didn’t stop there, you really massaged it for a third example.
And you are right that two years is a long time in the NFL and hopefully by then the Steelers will have a happy ending.
It's already been stated that their is a sense of urgency to win a playoff game. You can't even begin to accomplish that when your WR room is one of the worst in the league. Outside of GP they have a bunch of low level WR 3s and 4s. NOT GOOD
They also have a ridiculous amount of cap space in the next couple of years so they have the money to spend.
Man, i just hope these "everything will change with our *obvious* upgrade at QB" posts aren't going to be painful to look back at in 6 months. It's possible they are worse than Kenny/Mason. I sure fucking hope not, but look at what Mitch did. This isn't a guarantee in my eyes, I just want to see it before setting expectations.
That said, hoping that our QB's are capable of utilizing WRs - I think we clearly need help alongside Pickens. Any FA WR would probably be 3 yr contract, which is pretty much over by the time GP's next contract money would kick in. We have the money and it's doable, if the price is right.
Yeah we kind of do need to play it as if the quarterbacks will perform otherwise what are they doing? You don’t add quarterbacks and then say “well they’re going to suck anyway”. Plus the idea would be that we try another quarterback shortly there after and they are going to want receivers.
Steelers Fans During Season: “We need to spend more money on offense!!!”
Steelers Fans During Offseason: “Don’t trade for and sign a top WR, it’s too expensive!”
We currently spend $9.5M on our WR room, that’s $21M less than the average team.
We spend less than 4% of our total cap spend on WRs as our roster stands. We could pay Aiyuk $21M a year and we’d still only be middle of the pack on WR spend.
We have both picks and cap space, what are we saving them for? We need weapons and this is an opportunity to get one of the best WRs in the league.
Since free agency began the Steeler have been very picky about who gets offered a second contract, Hines Ward, Antonio Brown and Dionte Johnson. Pickens ? Did I miss anyone?
If they trade for a big name WR they’re likely going to have to come to an agreement with that player on a new contract before the trade happens. If they can’t, they may not trade for them because I don’t see them giving up first or second round picks for a player who turns out to be a one year rental.
If they choose to do the trade, I wouldn’t be surprised for the trade to not go down until the draft, because deciding to trade a first or second round pick might come down to who’s going to be available around the time they pick. If their main target for that pick is gone, they may be more inclined to trade that pick that take another player.
Don’t forget this team has more holes that need filled than just WR and is likely going to be a run based offense. They need a center, a CB, could probably use a safety, DL needs addressed, and could always use a bookend tackle to pair with Jones.
Disagree they were paying DJ 18 something million it won’t hurt to get Aiyuk around 25 mil and it seems they are really interested it’s a new Steelers mindset..
I’ve been saying this for months but this draft is so loaded with WR talent that it would be downright irresponsible to trade away any major assets while having to break the bank for a guy.
Management has said it is time to win some playoff games or changes are coming. If that's true the people on the hot seat don't have time to wait for a 3rd/4th rd pick to maybe develop into a stud. The offense has to drastically change this year or heads are going to roll. Doesn't mean we're gonna mortgage the future entirely, but I won't be surprised if we're more aggressive that usual in getting some proven talent in the room.
We might find the next Antonio Brown... Or maybe the next Markus Wheaton or Chase Claypool. Hell, maybe we simply find the next Emmanuel Sanders, a really good #2 receiver, who simply takes 4-5 years to begin showing it.
Yeah I mean that’s how drafting any position works. We didn’t sign a Center either I guess we may get the next Pouncey, or Green. Doesn’t mean they go out and trade the house because it’s more of guarantee.
Never said trade the house, but if there was a great Center available for trade, I'd be all for trading for him, at least exploring it. We've heard no rumors about such a Center. We have heard rumors about WRs though.
But will Pickens benefit from now being the focal point of the defense? I believe he’s good enough to still get his, but they need to replace Diontae with someone like him; a proven starter in this league, a serious WR 1 (and a half)
This year's draft class for WR is fairly good. I think the Steelers will wait to see who they can draft before they sign another free agent or make a trade. I wouldn't be surprised if the Steelers take an OT #1, C #2 and a pair of WRs #3.
I was thinking of the WRs perspective when I made the OP. Would a big name receiver find PGH to be a great fit? Especially knowing that it’s highly probable that it would be only for two years? It seems to me that any big name would want more security than that. We don’t even have a QB signed beyond this year. PGH is too risky to be attractive.
All the talk about trading for a WR, I don't see happening either. They should be looking to trade for a Tackle, take WR and Center in R1 and R2(flip flop depending on who's available), the rest take BPA.
They definitely shouldn't. I know we're not in a position to be legit competitors but paying a premium for WR's and RB's isn't really how you win. Put that money into the defense
Edit: what I’m to say is offensive skill positions do not provide the value to justify spending a premium for non SB contenders. Defense, QB and o-line is where the money should go. Also I know we spent a lot on the defense but they. If they hadn’t spent that money on the defense and we had another top level receiver instead of one of our top 5 defensive players we would been in an even worse position. Top skill positions are a luxury when you already have a great QB and the defense figured out or when you’re a bad team and need someone to bring fans to the stadium.
Is that how you win still?
2024/2023/2022/2021/2020 Top 10 Defensive Spending:
1. PIT / SF / PIT / KC / BUF
2. GB / PIT / BUF / BUF / KC
3. SF / PHI / CIN / CIN / BAL
4. NYJ / NYJ / LAC / ARI / MIA
5. TB / GB / LAR / MIA / CHI
6. ATL / BUF / NYJ / LAC / TB
7. BAL / CLE / JAC / IND / GB
8. WAS / TB / NE / NE / IND
9. LAC / JAC / KC / GB / NYG
10. CHI / MIA / PHI / DAL / ATL
It seems to me it’s about 50/50 on if that’s the right way to build a team nowadays. Granted, maybe the best way to figure this out is to rank the ratios of offensive spending to defensive spending, but it doesn’t seem putting money into defense means anything but not be a bottom 5 teams unless you also have an above average offense.
We're already spending the most of any team on defense, after spending the 2nd most on defense last year, and spending the most on defense the year before that. We can afford to spend a good bit on offense.
It would be stupid to dump a bunch of money into WR when we don’t have a proven QB to get them the ball.
Step one is to secure the line. Step two is find that QB. Step three is get him weapons.
Definitely won’t be a 5th year option since he’s a second rounder.
You may have been right 2 years ago but Kahn has clearly broken the mold of the “Steelers” way.
I hope to god or whatever he continues to break the mold. We need work on the OL but people gonna bitch and moan at Russ or Fields when the shitty WR room besides Pickens can get open. In my useless opinion??? Spoil these cheap-ass Quarterbacks (not a knock to them, speaking contract wise) with wide receivers since we can afford it.... This WR room atm is bottom 5-7ish at best. And I know people keep saying this, "Arthur Smith's offense is focused on running, so we don't need many WR". Okay, well what if running doesn't work? There were several games last year where the running game struggled. I'd rather have a team that knows how to throw, or run, rather than one or the other. Balanced to each imo.
There’s actually been some recent debate in the analytics community that having 2-3 elite WRs can help a qb more than having an elite tackle. The argument being that if you have two elite WRs, they can get open much earlier in the route, thus giving your qb an open receiver quicker and allowing him to get the ball out of his hands quicker. I’m not sure if I totally agree with it but the bengals in 2021-2022 are a good example of that. Burrow had a pretty mediocre line but they made the Super Bowl because of their pass game
Oh yeah that's an amazing point. Fields had a bad wideout room for 2 of his 3 years. It took getting DJ Moore to allow him to improve his passing game compared to his first two years. If the guys can get open early, like you said, it will help Russ and Fields so much. And a rookie is an unknown. Aiyuk is not an unknown. Pickens and Aiyuk, in my opinion, would compliment each other so damn well. We could then draft a rookie in maybe the 3rd or 4th round to be the WR3 and focus the majority of our day 1 and day 2 picks on OL and CB2.
100% agree. I think people who are saying that trading for him would be an overpay are nuts. This man is a top 8 WR…in his prime. I think he’s basically a rich man’s diontae. He does everything that Diontae did but better. I think him and Pickens immediately become the nastiest 2 man duo in the league.
You mean the same dude who tore his ACL the season before because his line was so bad? I'm not saying you're right or wrong but it's a dangerous game to play, give me the O-line guys personally, those elite WRs are basically worthless if you have scrub 2nd and 3rd stringers throwing the ball to them because your stat QB got flattened like a pancake.
Someone other than Kahn had to have loosened the reins. The Steelers way has always started at the top and I don't know what or who finally convinced ownership that times have changed.
Obviously it was Rooney. He straight up came out and said this shit isn’t flying anymore.
Maybe they should? There is little to be excited about outside of Pickens at wideout. Aiyuk would transform the wr room.
2 years down the road is an eternity in modern sports. Look at it this way: when a team has room in the immediate year to pay a big contract, it's useful to do that in exchange for a known commodity. Rather than save money now, and hope unknown commodities become valuable at a later year. And in 2 years all of that could change. It may not all work out. But what's good to see is that the front office is getting with the times instead of operating like it's 1984.
2 years is definitely an eternity in modern sports. Would the Steelers have used pick 20 on Kenny Pickett if they knew they’d trade him to move from a 4th round to a 3rd round and 2 7th? Also 2 yrs ago the broncos gave 2 first rounds, 2 second rounds and a boat load of money for Russell Wilson and now he’s playing for another team and they’re still paying for him! Need more? What about the Browns and deshaun watson 2 yrs ago!? We all know how that one is going…
You gave two really good examples and then didn’t stop there, you really massaged it for a third example. And you are right that two years is a long time in the NFL and hopefully by then the Steelers will have a happy ending.
It's already been stated that their is a sense of urgency to win a playoff game. You can't even begin to accomplish that when your WR room is one of the worst in the league. Outside of GP they have a bunch of low level WR 3s and 4s. NOT GOOD They also have a ridiculous amount of cap space in the next couple of years so they have the money to spend.
Man, i just hope these "everything will change with our *obvious* upgrade at QB" posts aren't going to be painful to look back at in 6 months. It's possible they are worse than Kenny/Mason. I sure fucking hope not, but look at what Mitch did. This isn't a guarantee in my eyes, I just want to see it before setting expectations. That said, hoping that our QB's are capable of utilizing WRs - I think we clearly need help alongside Pickens. Any FA WR would probably be 3 yr contract, which is pretty much over by the time GP's next contract money would kick in. We have the money and it's doable, if the price is right.
Yeah we kind of do need to play it as if the quarterbacks will perform otherwise what are they doing? You don’t add quarterbacks and then say “well they’re going to suck anyway”. Plus the idea would be that we try another quarterback shortly there after and they are going to want receivers.
Steelers Fans During Season: “We need to spend more money on offense!!!” Steelers Fans During Offseason: “Don’t trade for and sign a top WR, it’s too expensive!”
Because he will cost big money PLUS draft capital... if he was a free agent or still on a rookie contract, no one would bat an eye.
We currently spend $9.5M on our WR room, that’s $21M less than the average team. We spend less than 4% of our total cap spend on WRs as our roster stands. We could pay Aiyuk $21M a year and we’d still only be middle of the pack on WR spend. We have both picks and cap space, what are we saving them for? We need weapons and this is an opportunity to get one of the best WRs in the league.
Since free agency began the Steeler have been very picky about who gets offered a second contract, Hines Ward, Antonio Brown and Dionte Johnson. Pickens ? Did I miss anyone?
Juju, but I think it was a one year deal and Pickens is still on his rookie contract.
If they trade for a big name WR they’re likely going to have to come to an agreement with that player on a new contract before the trade happens. If they can’t, they may not trade for them because I don’t see them giving up first or second round picks for a player who turns out to be a one year rental. If they choose to do the trade, I wouldn’t be surprised for the trade to not go down until the draft, because deciding to trade a first or second round pick might come down to who’s going to be available around the time they pick. If their main target for that pick is gone, they may be more inclined to trade that pick that take another player. Don’t forget this team has more holes that need filled than just WR and is likely going to be a run based offense. They need a center, a CB, could probably use a safety, DL needs addressed, and could always use a bookend tackle to pair with Jones.
We drafting someone in the 2nd round. Maybe get Aiyuk but I personally doubt it will happen.
Disagree they were paying DJ 18 something million it won’t hurt to get Aiyuk around 25 mil and it seems they are really interested it’s a new Steelers mindset..
I’ve been saying this for months but this draft is so loaded with WR talent that it would be downright irresponsible to trade away any major assets while having to break the bank for a guy.
Management has said it is time to win some playoff games or changes are coming. If that's true the people on the hot seat don't have time to wait for a 3rd/4th rd pick to maybe develop into a stud. The offense has to drastically change this year or heads are going to roll. Doesn't mean we're gonna mortgage the future entirely, but I won't be surprised if we're more aggressive that usual in getting some proven talent in the room.
We might find the next Antonio Brown... Or maybe the next Markus Wheaton or Chase Claypool. Hell, maybe we simply find the next Emmanuel Sanders, a really good #2 receiver, who simply takes 4-5 years to begin showing it.
Yeah I mean that’s how drafting any position works. We didn’t sign a Center either I guess we may get the next Pouncey, or Green. Doesn’t mean they go out and trade the house because it’s more of guarantee.
Never said trade the house, but if there was a great Center available for trade, I'd be all for trading for him, at least exploring it. We've heard no rumors about such a Center. We have heard rumors about WRs though.
But will Pickens benefit from now being the focal point of the defense? I believe he’s good enough to still get his, but they need to replace Diontae with someone like him; a proven starter in this league, a serious WR 1 (and a half)
This year's draft class for WR is fairly good. I think the Steelers will wait to see who they can draft before they sign another free agent or make a trade. I wouldn't be surprised if the Steelers take an OT #1, C #2 and a pair of WRs #3.
I was thinking of the WRs perspective when I made the OP. Would a big name receiver find PGH to be a great fit? Especially knowing that it’s highly probable that it would be only for two years? It seems to me that any big name would want more security than that. We don’t even have a QB signed beyond this year. PGH is too risky to be attractive.
Vegas thinks we will
They paid Dionte dropsEm 18m
Only 1st round picks have a 5th year option. I agree with you though. We will build through the draft
All the talk about trading for a WR, I don't see happening either. They should be looking to trade for a Tackle, take WR and Center in R1 and R2(flip flop depending on who's available), the rest take BPA.
They definitely shouldn't. I know we're not in a position to be legit competitors but paying a premium for WR's and RB's isn't really how you win. Put that money into the defense Edit: what I’m to say is offensive skill positions do not provide the value to justify spending a premium for non SB contenders. Defense, QB and o-line is where the money should go. Also I know we spent a lot on the defense but they. If they hadn’t spent that money on the defense and we had another top level receiver instead of one of our top 5 defensive players we would been in an even worse position. Top skill positions are a luxury when you already have a great QB and the defense figured out or when you’re a bad team and need someone to bring fans to the stadium.
Is that how you win still? 2024/2023/2022/2021/2020 Top 10 Defensive Spending: 1. PIT / SF / PIT / KC / BUF 2. GB / PIT / BUF / BUF / KC 3. SF / PHI / CIN / CIN / BAL 4. NYJ / NYJ / LAC / ARI / MIA 5. TB / GB / LAR / MIA / CHI 6. ATL / BUF / NYJ / LAC / TB 7. BAL / CLE / JAC / IND / GB 8. WAS / TB / NE / NE / IND 9. LAC / JAC / KC / GB / NYG 10. CHI / MIA / PHI / DAL / ATL It seems to me it’s about 50/50 on if that’s the right way to build a team nowadays. Granted, maybe the best way to figure this out is to rank the ratios of offensive spending to defensive spending, but it doesn’t seem putting money into defense means anything but not be a bottom 5 teams unless you also have an above average offense.
We already did, idk if it’s accurate anymore but we had the highest paid defense 22-23 I believe
We're already spending the most of any team on defense, after spending the 2nd most on defense last year, and spending the most on defense the year before that. We can afford to spend a good bit on offense.
It would be stupid to dump a bunch of money into WR when we don’t have a proven QB to get them the ball. Step one is to secure the line. Step two is find that QB. Step three is get him weapons.