OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: Congrats to KC, but Kelce was the real winner winning Swift

[JTG]

To be clear, I have zero issue with them and find the politically-motivated angst over it all to be exhausting. I was just questioning whether it's all worth it to Kelce - dating the biggest celebrity in the world would be kind of cool for about 20 minutes and then I think it would be exhausting.

And no, she's not disappearing anywhere.

Kelce thrives on the spotlight. He loves it.

She's a billionaire. I could see her stepping away for a while. She's added shows like crazy on her current tour and her shows are insanely long.

She falls into the Adele category of modern artist. The longer she is out of the spotlight between albums, it just makes the future explosion that much bigger.

 

[MrBrightside]

Kelce thrives on the spotlight. He loves it.

She's a billionaire. I could see her stepping away for a while. She's added shows like crazy on her current tour and her shows are insanely long.

She falls into the Adele category of modern artist. The longer she is out of the spotlight between albums, it just makes the future explosion that much bigger.

You do know she has a new album coming out in April, right? And that this tour continues at least through all of 2024? She's not going anywhere - maybe she'd take a year off if she got pregnant or something but there's just no way.

 

[JTG]

You do know she has a new album coming out in April, right? And that this tour continues at least through all of 2024? She's not going anywhere - maybe she'd take a year off if she got pregnant or something but there's just no way.

I said after he retires, and he's not retiring any time soon.

 

[Wattsburgh]

I wouldn’t mind Fields since Tomlin won’t pass the ball anyway. The Steelers rushing attack would definitely improve. Both statistically and overall smash mouth keep the Defense off the field wise. But I’m not giving up anything more than a 4th round pick to do so.

 

[pistolpete11]

Araiza would have been perfect here. He very seriously is a cheat code, and I think he ushers in an era of football where it's cool to be a punter and kids are going to want to do it. You're seeing a little bit of that already. He's going to show how much a punter can change the dynamic of the game. I think this dude is about to change what special teams looks like.

I liken Araiza to Barrasso in 1990 - if a team dumps a puck in, Tommy dumps it back out. It's just so demoralizing. Araiza can accurately drop punts up to 60 yards and if he just gives it the gusto, he can go about 20 yards further than that. Having a guy like that giving his defense a long field all the time...huge.

I think you're right. It happened with kickers at some point, why wouldn't it happen with punters, too? It used to be "Wow! That dude kicked a 50 yard FG!" Now, dudes are kicking 60-yarders and multiple 50-yarders in the Super Bowl like it's nothing.

Both seem like cheat codes and frankly, I don't think I like it. I'd rather the game depend more on the offense and defense than kickers. Maybe they should take some air out of the balls or something.

 

[JTG]

I think you're right. It happened with kickers at some point, why wouldn't it happen with punters, too? It used to be "Wow! That dude kicked a 50 yard FG!" Now, dudes are kicking 60-yarders and multiple 50-yarders in the Super Bowl like it's nothing.

Both seem like cheat codes and frankly, I don't think I like it. I'd rather the game depend more on the offense and defense than kickers. Maybe they should take some air out of the balls or something.

Adam Vinatieri started in and Tucker has finished it. Having a kicker that is clutch is huge, and having a punter that can consistently get his team out of a jam by flipping the field is going to be next. If you just think about us running the ball effectively and being able to sustain drives and get points most of the time, coupled with a defense that is rested and can get after the QB. It's just another element that makes it so difficult. KC just got so much better.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Araiza would have been perfect here. He very seriously is a cheat code, and I think he ushers in an era of football where it's cool to be a punter and kids are going to want to do it. You're seeing a little bit of that already. He's going to show how much a punter can change the dynamic of the game. I think this dude is about to change what special teams looks like.

I liken Araiza to Barrasso in 1990 - if a team dumps a puck in, Tommy dumps it back out. It's just so demoralizing. Araiza can accurately drop punts up to 60 yards and if he just gives it the gusto, he can go about 20 yards further than that. Having a guy like that giving his defense a long field all the time...huge.

What is bizarre that Tomlin didn't upgrade on Harvin is that he emphasizes field position so much. The way he approaches football would seem to mean he would value a punter more than other teams. So why would he let such a poor punter continue to kick?

Yet another situation where his actions don't match his words aka "We don't live in our fears"

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

You do know she has a new album coming out in April, right? And that this tour continues at least through all of 2024? She's not going anywhere - maybe she'd take a year off if she got pregnant or something but there's just no way.

Funny, my wife and I were analyzing the Kelce/Swift thing the other night during dinner (she's a therapist so she loves this shit).

We pitched a bunch of theories:

- Kelce is just a f***boy and is doing this just to say he nailed TSwift
- Swift likes bad boys and her ability to maintain a healthy relationship is skewed bc she didn't grow up as a "normal" child by any stretch. Big time Arrested Development

 

[Peat]

What is bizarre that Tomlin didn't upgrade on Harvin is that he emphasizes field position so much. The way he approaches football would seem to mean he would value a punter more than other teams. So why would he let such a poor punter continue to kick?

Yet another situation where his actions don't match his words aka "We don't live in our fears"

He did bring in another punter tbf. Harvin won that pre-season competition by being genuinely good, then promptly went back to normal after 4-5 games. I guess he could have brought in another punter again after week 12 or so but I can't be that exercised about it. He punted him off the island rather than giving him another chance that's fine by me.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

He did bring in another punter tbf. Harvin won that pre-season competition by being genuinely good, then promptly went back to normal after 4-5 games. I guess he could have brought in another punter again after week 12 or so but I can't be that exercised about it. He punted him off the island rather than giving him another chance that's fine by me.

They could have Azaria come in for a tryout during the season/after he was cleared.

 

[Josey Wales]

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Ian Rapoport

@RapSheet

Salary cap news:The NFL announced that the 2024 Salary Cap will be $255.4M per club, with an additional $74M per club payment for player benefits, which includes Performance Based Pay and benefits for retired players. Total 2024 player costs will be $329.4M per club, or more than $10.5B league-wide. The unprecedented $30M increase per club in this year’s Salary Cap is the result of the full repayment of all amounts advanced by the clubs and deferred by the players during the Covid pandemic as well as an extraordinary increase in media revenue for the 2024 season.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

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Ian Rapoport
@RapSheet

Salary cap news:The NFL announced that the 2024 Salary Cap will be $255.4M per club, with an additional $74M per club payment for player benefits, which includes Performance Based Pay and benefits for retired players. Total 2024 player costs will be $329.4M per club, or more than $10.5B league-wide. The unprecedented $30M increase per club in this year’s Salary Cap is the result of the full repayment of all amounts advanced by the clubs and deferred by the players during the Covid pandemic as well as an extraordinary increase in media revenue for the 2024 season.

There was speculation the cap would blow up this off season going back a couple yrs, so not exactly a big shock it jumped this high.

 

[WickedWrister]

Cap doubling every 10 years is wild

 

[Peat]

They could have Azaria come in for a tryout during the season/after he was cleared.

Possible that was a PR decision taken above Tomlin's head. Or possibly not.

Either way, I can live with this level of inefficiency correcting mistakes. If he'd brought him back for another season that'd be very different but he didn't.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Idk, I don't particularly care enough about a punter to argue about whether or not they should have brought in Araiza. I think it's bullshit it took this long for Araiza to get another chance, though.

Anyway, the sharp rise in cap is really good news for the Steelers if they decide to be aggressive. It looks like they currently have about $7.5 million in cap space, while they still have the ability to clear out more money from cutting Cole and Robinson. Cutting those two puts them at $22 million in cap space.

 

[JTG]

If they cut Cole and Robinson, they can still restructure a few big salaries. I haven't looked that closely at free agency, but if they can restructure and clear some room, they could bring in some real help. Extend Cam. They can restructure TJ, Minkah, Larry O, and Highsmith I believe. My calculations around rough, but it seems like they should have around 85m...? I have to be wrong.

 

[xlm34]

Damn 255 is great news. I think it was originally projected to be low 240s.

They could get seriously aggressive in free agency. Although double edged sword because now some teams may be able to keep some of their higher priced guys.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

So roughly 7 under with still Robinson 10 million and cam 22 million cap hit. Could go shopping and get a mlb safety and and DL depth piece

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Idk, I don't particularly care enough about a punter to argue about whether or not they should have brought in Araiza. I think it's bullshit it took this long for Araiza to get another chance, though.

Anyway, the sharp rise in cap is really good news for the Steelers if they decide to be aggressive. It looks like they currently have about $7.5 million in cap space, while they still have the ability to clear out more money from cutting Cole and Robinson. Cutting those two puts them at $22 million in cap space.

We've seen this before, and not just in football. The rise in the cap is nice. But in the past that just meant that prices went up for free agent adds as everyone's cap went up.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Possible that was a PR decision taken above Tomlin's head. Or possibly not.

Either way, I can live with this level of inefficiency correcting mistakes. If he'd brought him back for another season that'd be very different but he didn't.

I guess we have different levels of "inefficiency". I'd argue we lost about a good 100+ yards of FP compared to a marginally better punter. Didn't dive into the stats, but it seems about right.

100 yards is another TD that may have come in handy somewhere....

 

[xlm34]

Steelers released Mason Cole. Not really a surprise that they want a new center but I’m kind of surprised they straight up released him.

Good move tho.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think it's a given they're using their 2nd on a center in the draft, even if they have to trade up for it. I'd be surprised if Frazier from WVU wasn't their center for next year.

That pick is as predictable as Porter Jr last year or Pickett the year before.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

JPJ at pick 20 would feed families

 

[Colonel Mustard]

Wow was literally going to say earlier that i dont see them cutting Cole. Shows how much i know

 

[Peat]

I guess we have different levels of "inefficiency". I'd argue we lost about a good 100+ yards of FP compared to a marginally better punter. Didn't dive into the stats, but it seems about right.

100 yards is another TD that may have come in handy somewhere....

Completely tangential pedantry but the Steelers only lost two games by a single score. The odds are against that TD mattering. Fine margins don't mean so much to a team is uncannily successful when it comes down to fine margins and gets blown out when it doesn't.

But more to the point, yes, we do. I don't really expect any NFL head coach to start chopping STers midway through the season. I expect slowness. It's just how they operate. He should have been gone after last season. That's the inefficiency. I can live with a guy being a season late on non-back breaking stuff. Most of them are going to do it pretty regularly.

Incidentally, I'd also add that Mann, the punter who Harvin beat in a pre-season battle, ended 8th in EPA and 4th in Net Yards per punt. Further evidence for my anti-pre season battle stance.