OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: Doritos Bowl Match Up - Taylor Swift vs San Andreas Fault

[Josey Wales]

Dobbs was brought in by Arizona to be their starter and another NFL team acquired him to start after an injury. There are a lot of teams with horrible QB options.

Rudolph would get a chance to start somewhere if he wants to go that route. For someone who won’t “anoint” a QB, Tomlin already anointed Kenny as the Steelers starting QB. Then again, Kenny will be hurt again by week 3, so maybe he should just come back.

Arizona had him starting because they were Tanking & their Starting QB was out for a while with an Injury/Surgery

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Mr is a fa Mitch is getting cut so off course right now KP is Qb1 they will bring in Mason or some vet to compete for the job. Mason has made 10 million in his career so I think 3-21 gets him back here. Or 2 for 16 like Hinkee got in Atlanta

Dobbs made 2 million this season

 

[ZorkEnchanter]

They are so going to hire Leftwich.

Of course, and keep the entire staff of buddies who haven't improved anything?

OL? nope. the OL coach should be shot to the moon
Receivers? maybe... they seem to drop a lot of f***ing passes.
TE? Do we have them?
RB? Kinda but like everyone has said, who in the f*** keeps running into a stacked line over and over

The entire staff should be shit-canned but they are buddies so whatever.

 

[SomeDude]

Arizona had him starting because they were Tanking & their Starting QB was out for a while with an Injury/Surgery

Yes and other teams will have similar situations this year. Any team that would consider Mason Rudolph as a starting option is clearly not in a good place, but there are teams that would.

I never said he could go to a contender or good team.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

If you really think a young up-and-coming OC candidate who has designs on a head coaching job is going to pick a job with this QB situation over one where he could work with an established starter, your head is even further up Tomlin's butt than previously believed. It absolutely matters, and it's not like this is a situation where a guy has a history of success and fell on hard times. Pickett was a marginal prospect who's been less than marginal throughout his career.

Ok wheres the cant miss Qb that has a OC position open. Smith worked with tanahill he might see something in KP. Bevel might want call plays again and leave Miami. Kubak might see Cousins in Mason

 

[SomeDude]

Of course, and keep the entire staff of buddies who haven't improved anything?

OL? nope. the OL coach should be shot to the moon
Receivers? maybe... they seem to drop a lot of f***ing passes.
TE? Do we have them?
RB? Kinda but like everyone has said, who in the f*** keeps running into a stacked line over and over

The entire staff should be shit-canned but they are buddies so whatever.

The fact Danny Smith has been around for so long and seemingly has a job for life with our special teams truly being special, and not the cool kind, sums up the Tomlin era.

 

[Pens1566]

MR doesn't need to be a starter to go to another team ...

Just one that pays him, or that has a reasonable chance at competition, or that has a staff that knows what they're doing, or that doesn't have an org that has kinda sorta been throwing him under the bus for a few years now.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Of course, and keep the entire staff of buddies who haven't improved anything?

OL? nope. the OL coach should be shot to the moon
Receivers? maybe... they seem to drop a lot of f***ing passes.
TE? Do we have them?
RB? Kinda but like everyone has said, who in the f*** keeps running into a stacked line over and over

The entire staff should be shit-canned but they are buddies so whatever.

Typically the new oc fils out the offense coaching staff. So they could all be fired

 

[Pens1566]

Ok wheres the cant miss Qb that has a OC position open. Smith worked with tanahill he might see something in KP. Bevel might want call plays again and leave Miami. Kubak might see Cousins in Mason

Not an OC, but Herbert w/Chargers.

And there are a few similar spots that will absolutely have better QB options available from the draft.

 

[Empoleon8771]

If you really think a young up-and-coming OC candidate who has designs on a head coaching job is going to pick a job with this QB situation over one where he could work with an established starter, your head is even further up Tomlin's butt than previously believed. It absolutely matters, and it's not like this is a situation where a guy has a history of success and fell on hard times. Pickett was a marginal prospect who's been less than marginal throughout his career.

People will roll their eyes at this because people here hate Tomlin, but working under Tomlin would likely be a terrific resume adder for any coach with head coach aspirations.

 

[xlm34]

I get all these QBs want to start, but man if I’m Mason Rudolph I’m taking a nice backup role on a team with an established starter and just coasting.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

MR doesn't need to be a starter to go to another team ...

Just one that pays him, or that has a reasonable chance at competition, or that has a staff that knows what they're doing, or that doesn't have an org that has kinda sorta been throwing him under the bus for a few years now.

Tomlin lied to him and almost ruined his career then the fans shit all over him, but “loved” him when he came in to rescue the team from Tomlin doing Tomlin things.

He’d be brain dead to come back if he has even one legit offer elsewhere.

 

[pistolpete11]

I get all these QBs want to start, but man if I’m Mason Rudolph I’m taking a nice backup role on a team with an established starter and just coasting.

I'd say...

competing for the starting job on a decent team > clear back up on a good team > starting on a shitty team


I think those are his options. As usual, it will probably come down to money, but I'd say it's 50/50 he's back.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Tomlin lied to him and almost ruined his career then the fans shit all over him, but “loved” him when he came in to rescue the team from Tomlin doing Tomlin things.

He’d be brain dead to come back if he has even one legit offer elsewhere.

How did he lie to him. Mason wasn’t good at practice his biggest defender in the media Foster says that. He didn’t process well but what he did do was do work on his own at a camp in California where he improved his footwork he improved his touch on slants and crossers he used his time on the bench to learn to process

I get all these QBs want to start, but man if I’m Mason Rudolph I’m taking a nice backup role on a team with an established starter and just coasting.

Chase Daniels made good money doing this. Batch extended his career

 

[WickedWrister]

He went on IR end of Oct.

That is barely a little over four months when FA starts.

Recovery time is 6-9 months and he recently said he hopes to be ready for OTAs, but not be mobile… just be able to throw in non contact 7-7 drills.

If he doesn’t fully recover, now you have a lot of guaranteed money sitting against your cap, because he won’t come in on some one year, prove it deal.

All that risk for a 35 year old QB with one playoff win isn’t being desperate?

Definitely beg to differ.

Yeah like I said I'm not pounding the table for the guy. He would be like my plan B. Which means the Vikings or some other team (maybe ATL if Belichick goes there) would probably be above us in the pecking order.

Cousins has made BANK off MIN and WAS being unwilling to commit to him long term, but desperate enough that he's been able to cash in basically every other year since 2017 which has seen QB contracts sky rocket.

My whole point was basically that in the post-Ben era we're now part of the NFL QB middle class. Even that's generous, we got bottom 5 play from that position for the majority of the year. Every NFL team that doesn't have a franchise QB should be desperate.

What does "kick the tires" mean? I don't know, bring him in for a visit March 15th. Talk to his agent at the very least and try and gauge contract demands. We shouldn't refrain from exploring the market because our options at QB as is simply isn't good enough. But I didn't really get that vibe from the Tomlin presser so this whole thing is moot.

Still holding out for a buy low on JF though, especially if this report that CHI is looking at Kliff Kingsbury for their OC. Caleb Williams' coach at USC.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The situation with Rudolph is obvious: if he’s given a chance to compete with Pickett for the QB1 position and is given an appropriate contract for that role (like 2 years at $7 million a year), he’ll stay. If the Steelers give him a crappy offer or crappy role, he won’t stay. Fans booing him in 2019 when he wasn’t playing well means nothing for him potentially re-signing.

 

[ZorkEnchanter]

The fact Danny Smith has been around for so long and seemingly has a job for life with our special teams truly being special, and not the cool kind, sums up the Tomlin era.

Exactly... I legit can punt better than that fat dude but he's a buddy so we keep him.

You see where I'm going. This staff is lazy, it's exactly what N. Harris said. Even the players are calling it out... "And if your RB is literally begging to for an Adult in the Room/Discipline" then there is a real big problem.

If Tomlin cleaned house, I'd give him an ounce of credit but he's as complacent as Rooney. Just squeak into Playoffs is the goal.

In any of the last few PLAYOFF GAMES... Anyone on this staff could have stood up with any kind of competent gameplan.... but we've seen nothing. His staff for 5-7 years just keep getting rag-dolled. There is literally no argument to this.

 

[T1K]

I think people are grossly exaggerating how much Rudolph having like 2 or 3 good games is going to make other teams want to make him a starter.

Mike White had 4 games on par with Rudolph in 2022-2023 but signed to be Tua’s backup in Miami.

For many of these backup QBs, they’re not far away from being out of the league. I doubt Mason is expecting a real QB1 opportunity, but he has certainly confirmed he can be a successful backup in this league. This little run he went on stopped him from having to grind it out in the UFL, or whatever that league is called now.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Exactly... I legit can punt better than that fat dude but he's a buddy so we keep him.

You see where I'm going. This staff is lazy, it's exactly what N. Harris said. Even the players are calling it out... "And if you RB is literally begging to for an Adult in the Room/Discipline" then there is a real big problem.

If Tomlin cleaned house, I'd give him an ounce of credit but he's as complacent as Rooney. Just squeak into Playoffs is the goal.

I saw a comment in Reddit a few days ago that made sense for why this is the case. When Tomlin came in, there was a well established veteran group that maintained discipline on the team and held players accountable. Tomlin didn’t want to upend the balance of the early teams, so he continued to let the veteran players maintain discipline. The issue is that those veterans retired and the new veterans (especially Ben) just didn’t step up as leaders to maintain that environment.

This isn’t excusing Tomlin whatsoever, but I think it would explain it to an extent. The player leadership of the late Cowher/early Tomlin all retired and that leadership was not maintained whatsoever with the new leadership group.

For many of these backup QBs, they’re not far away from being out of the league. I doubt Mason is expecting a real QB1 opportunity, but he has certainly confirmed he can be a successful backup in this league. This little run he went on stopped him from having to grind it out in the UFL, or whatever that league is called now.

Exactly, spot on. Exactly what I was thinking with him.

 

[pistolpete11]

Regarding looking for an experienced OC, that cuts both ways. Experience is good, but what's the reason he's available if he's good?

Theoretically, I could get behind someone who was a good OC, took their shot at being a HC, and then got fired because it didn't work out.

Josh McDaniels
Frank Reich
Arthur Smith

Are the names that would fit that description this year. Hard pass on McDaniels. His offenses were good only when he had Brady in New England.

The other 2 I don't know a ton about.

 

[WickedWrister]

Exactly... I legit can punt better than that fat dude but he's a buddy so we keep him.

You see where I'm going. This staff is lazy, it's exactly what N. Harris said. Even the players are calling it out... "And if your RB is literally begging to for an Adult in the Room/Discipline" then there is a real big problem.

If Tomlin cleaned house, I'd give him an ounce of credit but he's as complacent as Rooney. Just squeak into Playoffs is the goal.

In any of the last few PLAYOFF GAMES... Anyone on this staff could have stood up with any kind of competent gameplan.... but we've seen nothing. There is literally no argument to this.

Yeah Harvin has gotten way too much leash. 3 years of basically what, bottom 5-10 punting? On a team where field position is everything. But TBF Tomlin was asked about him in the last question of the presser and basically said he hasn't been good enough. He gone.

The situation with Rudolph is obvious: if he’s given a chance to compete with Pickett for the QB1 position and is given an appropriate contract for that role (like 2 years at $7 million a year), he’ll stay. If the Steelers give him a crappy offer or crappy role, he won’t stay. Fans booing him in 2019 when he wasn’t playing well means nothing for him potentially re-signing.

Yeah I don't think the market will be huge on him. He's probably shown less than a guy like Taylor Heinicke who got a 2x7 last year. That playoff game in 2020 has been getting him paid ever since.

If we're to take Tomlin at his word, it sounded like his opinion of MR has changed dramatically since the beginning of the season. Hell, we just let him start a playoff game. We probably represent his best chance at a continued starting job in the NFL.

 

[T1K]

Regarding looking for an experienced OC, that cuts both ways. Experience is good, but what's the reason he's available if he's good?

Theoretically, I could get behind someone who was a good OC, took their shot at being a HC, and then got fired because it didn't work out.

Josh McDaniels
Frank Reich
Arthur Smith

Are the names that would fit that description this year. Hard pass on McDaniels. His offenses were good only when he had Brady in New England.

The other 2 I don't know a ton about.

Frank Reich is a yes, hard pass on the other two.

 

[WickedWrister]

BB and McDaniels surely reunite in 2024.

 

[pistolpete11]

I saw a comment in Reddit a few days ago that made sense for why this is the case. When Tomlin came in, there was a well established veteran group that maintained discipline on the team and held players accountable. Tomlin didn’t want to upend the balance of the early teams, so he continued to let the veteran players maintain discipline. The issue is that those veterans retired and the new veterans (especially Ben) just didn’t step up as leaders to maintain that environment.

This isn’t excusing Tomlin whatsoever, but I think it would explain it to an extent. The player leadership of the late Cowher/early Tomlin all retired and that leadership was not maintained whatsoever with the new leadership group.

Hey man, you should just read my posts. I said this same point months ago

 

[T1K]

The way Arthur Smith utilized Pitts, Bijan, and London made very little sense given the draft capital they used to get those guys. Plus he’s a silver spoon, son of a billionaire (yes I’m salty and had bijan in some fantasy stuff)