Why will we be better next year?

[steelerfaninCO]

So, off the cuff:

LT - Essex/Hills, Beatty
LG - Simmons, Kemo/Urbik
C - Hartwig, Stapleton
RG - Colon, Kemo/Urbik
RT - Essex/Hills, Fenoki

Jesus Christ Finny, I nearly lost my lunch looking at that. I mean, I guess they can't really be worse than this year, but looking at that really highlights the upcoming OL questions the Steelers are going to have to deal with.

Simmons now has had an Achilles, and ACL injuries. Sweet. And since his illness he has lost some bulk. Essex/Hills at LT/RT is just too scary to think about. Can Trai play as a starter? Who knows. We literally know nothing about Hills. Hartwig definitely played better than Mahan, but thats like following W. I totally agree about the Colon move, but as you said, doesn't seem like its going to be happening.

I'm not a darft guru, so I have no idea what kind of quality will be available at 1.32 and 2.64, but if its Mack, can Hartwig play guard, or is he only a center? The Stapleton v Simmons battle will be interesting. And who knows where the whole Starks thing is going. I don't think he will be back, and if thats the case, they gotta get an above average tackle through FA. Who's available besides Max Starks?

[aj_law]

Not sure how all that breaks out, but the guaranteed money, if split over 4, is $2.125M per.  If the first 3 years (incl. '09) sum to $15M, then the '10 salary is $5.975M: insane, when combined with $2.125M guaranteed.  The salaries from '07-'09 are prorated, likely, but average $2.875.  If the '09 is slightly higher, say, $3M, then cutting Simmons would wipe about $800K off this year's books, and about $3.8M off next year's.  That tells me that it's a "wait and see year," as they won't likely find anyone of worth for $800K (a push).  Of course, what Simmons is really worth we already know.

Thought I read somewhere that Simmons' cap hit for '09 was around 5 million with it jumping exponentially in '10.

If cutting him nets them anywhere near a million and a half savings against the cap this year, I say send 'em packin'.  It would be an even bigger savings in '10.

[Finnegans Wake]

Not sure how all that breaks out, but the guaranteed money, if split over 4, is $2.125M per.  If the first 3 years (incl. '09) sum to $15M, then the '10 salary is $5.975M: insane, when combined with $2.125M guaranteed.  The salaries from '07-'09 are prorated, likely, but average $2.875.  If the '09 is slightly higher, say, $3M, then cutting Simmons would wipe about $800K off this year's books, and about $3.8M off next year's.  That tells me that it's a "wait and see year," as they won't likely find anyone of worth for $800K (a push).  Of course, what Simmons is really worth we already know.

Thought I read somewhere that Simmons' cap hit for '09 was around 5 million with it jumping exponentially in '10.

If cutting him nets them anywhere near a million and a half savings against the cap this year, I say send 'em packin'.  It would be an even bigger savings in '10.

$2.125M (guaranteed) + $2.875 (salary) = $5.0M on the nut, so I will assume my breakout is about right. 

Cap savings in '09 if Simmons is sent packing:  $2.875M... not $800K.  I commited the age-old error of subtracting the two, when all we are on the hook for is guaranteed.  We would save the entire salary.

Which means ~$6M off the '10 books.

Saving just shy of $9M over the next two years?   

Works for me.