Cutting Hines is not Right

[koehla]

I can't believe that it would not be worth it to have Hines back at the vet minimum.  I recognize that his production was way down last year, but his leadership and hustle and work ethic are still strong, and he is a real leader in the locker room.  He is arguably the greatest Steelers receiver ever, and I thought that the Steelers organization had more class than this.  Offer him a Bettis-style deal and let him make one more Super Bowl run as a Steeler.

[pensodyssey]

Bettis still had something to offer right up to the end-- he could punch it in from short yardage.  I'm afraid it's not the same for same Ward; he can't get the separation in close (or in the middle of the field, for that matter) to make the roster space worth while.  4th receivers are routinely asked to take on some special teams duty, and it's that much higher a priority if we are going to begin to phase AB out of that aspect of the game, or at least use him more specifically on returns.  That's inevitable, too.

Of course emotions are high; I was a child when I watched Franco in a Seahawks uniform, and Webster in a Chiefs'.  I remember feeling that something was not right.  Now I realize, it's the nature of the beast.

[aj_law]

Let's just hope Hines doesn't get to prove he's got something left in a Patriot or Raven uniform.

I fear that somewhere, Ray Lewis is blowing up Hines' celly.

[jasonic]

He got 86'd!!!

sorry   

[jonzr]

He got 86'd!!!

+1

[Finnegans Wake]

Saves us, what, $8M?

That's about the magic number we'll need to keep Wallace.  Quid pro quo.

[scballersc]

Part of me agrees with this.  I believe Hines' 2011-2012 numbers are NOT indicative of what he could bring to a team in 2012-2013.  Everyone here agrees, BA's offense was ill-advised and did not consistently utilize certain players in the correct ways; look no further than someone like Health Miller, who is somewhat analogous to the elder version of HW.  Doesn't everyone agree Miller's 2012-2013 campaign has the potential to be his best?  I do not think Arians utilized HW correctly, which, given some deterioration in his skills set (however, slight or large), really compounded HW's drop off stats-wise.  Also, whether it was a product of his age, Ward missed roughly 2 games which does not help.

Assuming Hines Ward is willing to sign somewhere at or around the vet minimum, I do think that team will be getting a player having legitimate value.  Of course this assumes they figure out how to use HW correctly.