I love Willie ... BUT

[vcuram]

I think the problem with some of Willie's poorer performances last year was Whiz had no counter for the run blitz on early downs.  Screens were really hit or miss, and the predictable tendencies for the offense made runblitzing a no-brainer for opposing DCs.

I remember a lot of us saying this last year.  We also talked about how Whiz didn't have any quick-hitters against the pass blitz, either.

Looking back at his time here, I think Whiz was highly overrated by the football world.  Maybe not so much with Steeler fans, but the national media thought he was/is an offensive genius.

[Hercules50]

As for the lack of FAs or high draft picks invested in the line, evidently the team believes it can draft these guys on Day 2 and coach 'em up.

I suppose.  The only real problem with that is that isn't how they did things during the late 90s and early 00s when that front five was solid.  At one point, that group had a bunch of 1st rounders and top talent.  Gandy, Hartings, Smith, Faneca, Simmons were all first rounders, I think.  

You simply can't go from that to trying to mold marginal players into good or great players and expect to maintain your dominance.

Where's the next stud lineman on their roster?

Oh, I agree.

I'm just guessing what the team's strategy has been.  

[LambertsFrontTeeth]

The scary thing is that if we aren't willing to pay Faneca -- who admittedly is gettin a little old -- then the FO is clearly not going to be willing to pay any other top-flight FA O-lineman.

Assuming that anyone top-flight is even available!  After last year's payday bonanza for a bunch of questionable OL players, I'd guess that many teams will just extend the contracts of OL guys that will be up, willing to pay now rather than suffer later.

We better hope that the OL depth in the 2008 draft is very, very deep.  

[Finnegans Wake]

I think with Faneca, as with many other FA losses, it's age.  You get to that precarious nexus of increasing age, decreasing skills, increasing salary demands in the C$3... And not that Faneca's lost his edge in any big way, but I think the FO is clearly looking to restocking in the draft.  We go OLB in R1 and R2 in 2007, and will likely push hard for OL in 2008, same way.

2007 is good at OT, maybe less so at OG, but we'll see.

Hey, is Todd Fordham still out there?

[buccobenny]

The problem, imo, is calling Faneca a "top- flight OL" he was one of the best without question three, maybe even two years ago. But go back and look at the games last year. He was beaten.... often. The problem is Fanaca wants paid for "how good he's been"... not how good he is right now. And the Steelers just don't do that, no matter who you are. (see Lake, Carnell)

I disagree sometimes with the front office (not adressing the O-line or the secondary in the draft for instance) But they have gotten this one 100% right.  

[LambertsFrontTeeth]

I don't dispute that Faneca (at least the 2007 version) is a shadow of the 2004 version. However, is there any doubt that he is by far the best player we have on the O-line?  

I don't have a problem with the FO not signing him -- I understand the reasons, and agree with them. What concerns me is the (seeming) lack of urgency to REPLACE him...and the other members of this group of underachievers.  

[JackSplat]

He was beaten.... often

i would attribute most of those occasions to the guy on his right having ceramic knees and the guy on his left smelling of icy hott all the time.

kind of hard to do you job when your helping out the guy next to you more often than not because they physically cannot do theirs

[pensodyssey]

kind of hard to do you job when your helping out the guy next to you more often than not because they physically cannot do theirs

That, and having to go to work with a "kid".  Plus now that Grimm is gone who's going to give "Big Red" his sponge baths after practice?

[Hercules50]

[...] the guy on his left smelling of icy hott all the time.

 

Seriously, doesn't Marvel look like he's 40?

Everyone talks about him, too, like he's this really old player. He's 29!
 

[JackSplat]

Plus now that Grimm is gone who's going to give "Big Red" his sponge baths after practice?

umm hello! Larry Zierlein ring a bell?  Little did anyone know that "email" was nothing more than pictures of fan's bright orange landing strip from"bath day with larry".  coincidentially, just happen to fall on the same day as "operation jock swap"