OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: Sneaking up onto training camp

xlm34

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As exciting as it would/will be to land a player of Aituk’s skill I can’t help but dread how Pickens is going to handle this. Not immediately, but this time next year when he wants a new contract.

I’ve always just assumed they’d trade him next offseason and recoup the assets they spent for Aiyuk. Maybe he’ll be reasonable about his contract situation or the Steelers will be willing to pay bigger money for two WRs but I don’t know about that.
 

Buddy Bizarre

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I’d expect a player to also be included in that. A second and and fifth would be a fleecing by Khan and a complete botch job by the niners.

Reminds me so much of the EK65 situation with the Pens. Dude basically said he only wants to play with a select number of teams so his value craters. Then gets shipped out for essentially peanuts.
If I'm a SF fan, I'm furious over this haul.
 
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Coastal Kev

There will be "I told you so's" Bet on it
Feb 16, 2013
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As exciting as it would/will be to land a player of Aituk’s skill I can’t help but dread how Pickens is going to handle this. Not immediately, but this time next year when he wants a new contract.
They can ship his butt out next offseason and get back a two or even a one if he studs out this season.
 
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SomeDude

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I’ve always just assumed they’d trade him next offseason and recoup the assets they spent for Aiyuk. Maybe he’ll be reasonable about his contract situation or the Steelers will be willing to pay bigger money for two WRs but I don’t know about that.
George Pickens strikes me as a lot of things. Reasonable is not one of them.
 

xlm34

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Reminds me so much of the EK65 situation with the Pens. Dude basically said he only wants to play with a select number of teams so his value craters. Then gets shipped out for essentially peanuts.
If I'm a SF fan, I'm furious over this haul.

Even the contract is completely reasonable if (big if) true. If he signs for 28 and the niners were offering 26, how do they not just close that gap instead of trading him.

It doesn’t seem like he desperately wanted out. He just wanted paid.
 

T1K

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Even the contract is completely reasonable if (big if) true. If he signs for 28 and the niners were offering 26, how do they not just close that gap instead of trading him.

It doesn’t seem like he desperately wanted out. He just wanted paid.
I think feelings were hurt during the negotiations. Guaranteed money is also surely a factor.
 

Peat

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We talkin' 'bout the guy who's been orchestrating his exit from a team with which he's under contract for the past six months?

I know, I know, but if, say, Pickens was doing the Steelers this way...

I mean I'm not delighted about the part where Aiyuk sulked his way off of a legit SB contender over 2m per year and whatever hurt feelings that gave him, but right now there's a ton of NFLers who threw fits over money and then immediately went back to normal once that was settled. There's usually some disruption to their play from not training properly but the attitude is fine. I can't think of an exception, although I'm sure there is one.

There's a pretty limited number of guys who's done as much immature stuff in public as Pickens.

So.. yeah. Yeah, I feel pretty certain that he's a better player to have in terms of conducting himself as a pro and by quite a bit.

I also think it's quite likely that the Steelers' decision that they wanted a WR1, an elite guy, for that room rather than collecting a solid WR2/3 from somewhere is linked to that. Probability is that Aiyuk isn't supporting Pickens, he's replacing him, and the team aren't giving Pickens a second contract which opens up the possibility of Pickens demanding a trade next off-season. Given Pickens' talent levels, that's a pretty odd choice until you look for reasons and come up with his much touted immaturity issues.
 

JTG

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This offense is insanely elite if Russ can return to some type of form.

Really curious to see how Herbig does at C.

In a fight between him and Dejan, who are you pulling for?
Both of them to throw two haymakers and simultaneously knock each other out.
 

Buddy Bizarre

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I mean I'm not delighted about the part where Aiyuk sulked his way off of a legit SB contender over 2m per year and whatever hurt feelings that gave him, but right now there's a ton of NFLers who threw fits over money and then immediately went back to normal once that was settled. There's usually some disruption to their play from not training properly but the attitude is fine. I can't think of an exception, although I'm sure there is one.

There's a pretty limited number of guys who's done as much immature stuff in public as Pickens.

So.. yeah. Yeah, I feel pretty certain that he's a better player to have in terms of conducting himself as a pro and by quite a bit.

I also think it's quite likely that the Steelers' decision that they wanted a WR1, an elite guy, for that room rather than collecting a solid WR2/3 from somewhere is linked to that. Probability is that Aiyuk isn't supporting Pickens, he's replacing him, and the team aren't giving Pickens a second contract which opens up the possibility of Pickens demanding a trade next off-season. Given Pickens' talent levels, that's a pretty odd choice until you look for reasons and come up with his much touted immaturity issues.

I'm HUGE Pickens fan so my glasses are obviously colored a different way.

I view Pickens as no different than most WR's. They have a big ego when they aren't involved. When they inserted MR and started opening things up last year, his effort and attitude changed dramatically.

So I don't think Pickens being threatened by BA will impact him as much as people think. If he gets upset when BA is here, I think it will solely be to him not having enough balls thrown his way vs BA's presence alone. Whoever the WR2 is won't get a ton of work and that's not going to sit well with these upper tier WR's.
 
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T1K

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Pickens isn’t a target earner. He’s a big play guy. This is gonna open up a lot of space for GP.

I don’t think he’s worried about a new contract yet. He knows how important this year is for him to put up stats in order to get that big pay day.
 

Empoleon8771

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I just wouldn't keep Pickens if you end up bringing in Aiyuk and pay him WR1 money.

Just trade Pickens for picks and draft a WR to replace him. Go with Aiyuk, Wilson and that newly drafted WR as your main WR group.
 
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Ryder71

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So, you ppl are worried about the WR group of 2026 and this deal isn't even official?
 

Son Goku

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I just wouldn't keep Pickens if you end up bringing in Aiyuk and pay him WR1 money.

Just trade Pickens for picks and draft a WR to replace him. Go with Aiyuk, Wilson and that newly drafted WR as your main WR group.
How about no. The whole point of getting Aiyuk was to strengthen our WR core

Trading Pickens would be the stupidest mistake we could ever make
 
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Empoleon8771

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Depending how this year goes I’d be open to extending Pickens. The Steelers cap situation is very healthy for the first time in forever.

It depends on what he costs of course, but I can't think of the last team who has won anything while paying 2 WRs over $20 million a year.

I think bringing in Aiyuk to be their long-term WR1 and eventually trading Pickens for draft picks to draft a new WR is the smart play with the cap. You'll have your proven #1 WR locked up and have guys like Wilson and that newly drafted WR with the Pickens pick as cheap WRs on rookie deals.
 

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