From now on, when I hear the phrase “March Madness,” I will no longer think about college basketball. I’ll think about tracking Steelers news on Twitter during the NFL free-agency “legal tampering” period.
Because after what I saw this week, many Steelers fans have actually gone mad. Or somebody “legally tampered” with their brains.
I can’t think of any other explanation as to how some people twisted themselves into the pretzel logic that they have, suggesting that all is well on Water Street as free agency picks apart the team’s roster.
Granted, no one expected the Steelers to be a significant force in the bidding process for available players. They never are. And the NFL’s salary cap has been lowered for 2021.
But the spin coming from a portion of the fans and media who cover the team over the departures versus who is being retained is — dare I say — “maddening.”
For the last two years, Cameron Sutton was always viewed as a versatile player, who was a nice part of the secondary. But he was stuck behind better players in the starting lineup. Zach Banner was a cult-hero sixth offensive lineman who may have been worth a look as the starting right tackle last year before blowing out his knee.
Although because those two players re-signed in Pittsburgh during free agency, now I get the feeling they are being portrayed as modern versions of Rod Woodson and Anthony Munoz.
You were my #1 priority for the team. Everyone is going to see how smart the Steelers are. Awesome deal for both sides.
— Bill Kelly (@bk_maverick) March 16, 2021
Can't wait to watch you pancake the competition
— John Babjak (@BabjakJohn) March 16, 2021
a huge move, super bowl bound, baby!!!!!
— George (@tootallderr) March 16, 2021
Yeah I don't see a huge dropoff from Hilton to Sutton. I like Hilton better in run packages, but our linebackers are plenty good enough to make up that difference.
— Justin Miner (@skiminer36) March 16, 2021
cam sutton > mike hilton. fact.
— Deaf Yinzer (@deafyinzer) March 16, 2021
Meanwhile, for the past two years, we acted like Bud Dupree was part of the best outside linebacker tandem in football. Vince Williams and Tyson Alualu were useful run stuffers. Matt Feiler was miscast as a guard in 2020 and would be helpful moving back to tackle next year. And Mike Hilton was an invaluable, unique disrupter from his “blitz nickel” position.
However, all of those guys have either left for other teams or have been cut.
Now, a quick search for Dupree’s name on Twitter will show you that he’s nothing more than T.J. Watt’s wingman. Williams and Alualu are unimportant spare parts. Feiler was overpaid by the Chargers, and the Steelers made Hilton as opposed to Hilton refining his slot corner position.
These comments are insane. This isn’t a big deal. Bush & Spillane are the guys. Very little will be missed.
— 412 Commenter (@412commenter) March 16, 2021
Let’s be real, my Steelers didn’t need Bud anyway. We have 2 other top 5 defensive players in the NFL and a top 5 QB to carry our offense. We should still be super bowl favorites in my book so I’ll be betting at least $300 on us winning it all
— TheAmirWay (@AmirAbdallah20) March 16, 2021
I'm in the "no thanks" camp because of Hilton's coverage limitations - I'd rather resign Sutton
— Warren (@WarrenTMcC) March 10, 2021
Alualu is a tough loss, but the Steelers were just not going to overpay for a nose tackle who will be 34 years old this year. #Steelers
— Blitzburgh ✨ (@RenegadeBlitz) March 16, 2021
Solid backup. Not a starter though
— Cruz 🇲🇽 (@Oscarcee_) March 16, 2021
Oh, you’ll also find that it’s actually a good thing these players are all leaving. Because the Steelers will get compensatory picks as a result in the 2022 draft.
That’s right, comp picks! The bitcoin of NFL currency. The Steelers are going to comp pick themselves to a Super Bowl, folks.
Which Super Bowl? In what year? I don’t know. But whenever it happens, you watch, it’ll be because of comp picks received in 2021’s free-agency period!
So what?... we should’ve signed mediocrity to big dough? Cause that’s always worked for teams. There’s significant draft capital to be earned by letting go of over rated talent. The Steelers do well in the draft. I think you’re over reacting. Are you a millennial?
— Jahingus LeBeef (@bartimus26) March 16, 2021
Right. Because the team just bent over backward to restructure the contract of a quarterback nearing 40 years old. So the obvious thing to do is celebrate the dissolution of the roster around him in the name of comp picks that can be parlayed to help rebuild it after he’s gone.
Makes total sense.
For all the Steelers optimists that insisted the 11-0 version of the team was the “real Steelers,” and the 1-5 team that limped to the end was just an injury-dented fluke, this kinda hurts the case for 2021, doesn’t it?
If you are part of the fan population that thinks we should be hopeful for a better ending in 2021 because last year’s team was worthy of its 11-0 start, shouldn’t you all be concerned that the roster is eroding? And the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner still may leave?
I mean, I agree with some of what people are saying about the departing Steelers. None of them were perfect players. Feiler, Dupree and Hilton all probably got more on the open market than it was worth the Steelers to pay.
Let alone what they could even afford against the salary cap in the first place.
But don’t we get it now? Don’t we understand why this economic reality was so counterintuitive to making the effort to keep Ben Roethlisberger around for another year even at a reduced cap number?
The premise that the Steelers could keep Roethlisberger and retain most of their current talent while adding more around him was hogwash from the beginning. Still, people chose to believe it.
As I tried to illustrate after Roethlisberger’s deal was reworked, they would’ve had to make some of these roster decisions even if they cut Big Ben. Remember, if he was cut, his dead-money cap number was going to be $22 million. But he’s still costing them $25.9 million against the cap to play in 2021.
That’s after the salary adjustment. So when we say that Roethlisberger “saved the Steelers $15 million,” sure. He did. But by keeping him, he’s still costing them almost $4 million more this year than would’ve been the case if he was released. So is that a player or two that could’ve been retained or at least not cut?
Maybe. Maybe not. Or Roethlisberger for a tidy $4 million difference is more worthwhile to 2021’s cause. That’s fine.
And, yes, they got out of “cap hell.” But they are still in “roster purgatory,” aren’t they?
I know, I know. I’m just a “media hater.” And whatever the Steelers do is always right. As their eight seasons without a playoff victory over the last 10 years clearly indicate.
So go ahead and talk yourselves into whatever predetermined opinion you were going to have of the franchise coming out of free agency anyway. Don’t let me stop you. I’ll just be over here watching the NCAA Tournament.
Let’s see what makes more sense after the weekend. My bracket, or the Steelers 2021 depth chart.
My guess is … neither.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
Categories: Sports | Steelers/NFL | Breakfast With Benz
March 17, 2021 at 05:12PM
https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-want-march-madness-forget-basketball-track-steelers-fans-during-free-agency/
Tim Benz: Want 'March Madness'? Forget basketball. Track Steelers fans during free agency. - TribLIVE
https://news.google.com/search?q=forget&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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