OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: Sneaking up onto training camp

[Ryder71]

To be clear there isn't one credible source corroborating Filliponis assertions.

Why do you suppose that is?

Again, he said it was a done deal. Clearly that wasn't true. He lied!

 

[Empoleon8771]

Letting Pickens have one year and then flipping him at the draft would probably be wise. He will be a problem leading up to his contract year. I've kind of given up on him being a good soldier.

Get Aiyuk, let Pickens pump up his stats, flip Pickens at the draft and recuperate Aiyuk picks. Maybe draft a WR or Austin and Wilson prove they are the answer.

The best thing to happen is Dan Moore will be included in a deal and Jones can play.

Yeah the Steelers have been so good at drafting WRs that I don't really see a need to pay 2 WRs a ton of money. Have Aiyuk as your #1 WR and just rotate between 2nd-4th rounders and UFAs as your #2-#4 WRs.

I wouldn't be mad if they kept Pickens and ran with Aiyuk, Pickens and Wilson as their top-3 WR long-term, but I also don't really think you need to pay Pickens to be that WR2.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Yeah the Steelers have been so good at drafting WRs that I don't really see a need to pay 2 WRs a ton of money. Have Aiyuk as your #1 WR and just rotate between 2nd-4th rounders and UFAs as your #2-#4 WRs.

I wouldn't be mad if they kept Pickens and ran with Aiyuk, Pickens and Wilson as their top-3 WR long-term, but I also don't really think you need to pay Pickens to be that WR2.

How much was the Ben. How much of that was Colbert drafting wr every year

 

[Empoleon8771]

How much was the Ben. How much of that was Colbert drafting wr every year

Not at all? The Steelers have been a WR factory for like over 2 decades now.

This team has never had any sort of issues getting good #2/#3 WRs with 2nd or 3rd rounders. They've hit on far more guys than they've missed on in the past 25 years. It's a huge list:

-Pickens (2022 2nd)
-Claypool (2020 2nd)
-Johnson (2019 3rd)
-Juju (2017 2nd)
-Bryant (2014 4th)
-Sanders (2010 3rd)
-Brown (2010 6th)
-Wallace (2009 3rd)
-Holmes (2006 1st)
-Randel El (2002 2nd)
-Burress (2000 1st)

Even their misses like Wheaton, Washington and Austin are still serviceable depth WRs as well, with Wheaton even having 2 seasons of solid #3 WR production.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Not at all? The Steelers have been a WR factory for like over 2 decades now.

This team has never had any sort of issues getting good #2/#3 WRs with 2nd or 3rd rounders. They've hit on far more guys than they've missed on in the past 25 years. It's a huge list:

-Pickens (2022 2nd)
-Claypool (2020 2nd)
-Johnson (2019 3rd)
-Juju (2017 2nd)
-Bryant (2014 4th)
-Sanders (2010 3rd)
-Brown (2010 6th)
-Wallace (2009 3rd)
-Holmes (2006 1st)
-Randel El (2002 2nd)
-Burress (2000 1st)

Even their misses like Wheaton, Washington and Austin are still serviceable depth WRs as well, with Wheaton even having 2 seasons of solid #3 WR production.

Your definition of hit is alot different than mine

 

[Empoleon8771]

Your definition of hit is alot different than mine

If that's not "hitting on a draft pick", I have no clue what is.

Of that entire list, every one of those WRs is either an active player in the NFL or put up 4000 receiving yards over their career outside of Bryant. And Bryant would have done that had he been able to not smoke his career away.

 

[Ryder71]

I think Roman Wilson will be a very good player for us. With his injury however it'll likely delay his ascension into the starting line up. Hopefully he can play in our final tune up against the Lions.

 

[WickedWrister]

 

[Ryder71]

Right, so Filliponi's erroneous tweets about it being a done deal is BS! Dulac said so, Shefter, Saunders and several more.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I’m not that confident it’ll get done if the flip/3rd team angle is true

 

[Peat]

I’m not that confident it’ll get done if the flip/3rd team angle is true

Looks like the last NFL three way was 2017...

... so we're due!

And was around this time of year. Maybe somewhere there's a team whose young WRs are pushing and they're willing to let go of a guy...

...

Eh, yeah, I can't be super optimistic either. And my completely unscientific principle is that when you reach the blaring loud part of a contentious trade, you've got 72 hours to complete it before someone's emotions get the better of them and they just won't or they realise there's absolutely no way to get it done at their price and they won't budge. I have zero idea if that has any backing but it sounds right. We're, what, halfway through?

 

[MrBrightside]

Please just end it one way or the other.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Please just end it one way or the other.

I don’t understand why we wouldn’t use our players why not add Wilson and Daniels and a 2nd you are trading depth guys

 

[bambamcam4ever]

I don’t understand why we wouldn’t use our players why not add Wilson and Daniels and a 2nd you are trading depth guys

Daniels is a starter..

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Daniels is a starter..

We have multiple guys who can fill in for him. They already told him they weren’t going to discuss an extension. McCormick and Anderson are already playing RG when he is out

 

[T1K]

The stuff I’ve read about Aiyuk is that he has burnt some bridges in the locker room through all of this stuff. To me it seems like they’re just holding him hostage until they can find a WR from a 3rd team to flip the picks for. At this point I’d be shocked if Aiyuk played for anyone else other than the Steelers.

 

[Andy99]

We have multiple guys who can fill in for him. They already told him they weren’t going to discuss an extension. McCormick and Anderson are already playing RG when he is out

Because Daniels is a way better player than those two guys rn and they haven’t seen either of those guys play in an actual NFL game…I mean if they really impress in the preseason and first game or so, I could them trading him but not now…I think they’re in a better position to trade a defensive player actually, like Highsmith…the offense has too many starters on cheap contracts

 

[Ryder71]

Please just end it one way or the other.

At least you're quoting a trusted Journalist!

Anyhow, if we can't be bothered with giving a player back just forget the whole damn thing.

Khan made a mistake by getting rid of Johnson BEFORE he had an apt replacement. OTHERWISE he's had a great off season. But that was an unforced error and I said so at the time.

This drama for six months could have easily been avoided.

 

[Ryder71]

I don’t understand why we wouldn’t use our players why not add Wilson and Daniels and a 2nd you are trading depth guys

I'm not trading Wilson period. CA3? Yes, He can be a deep threat and we wouldn't need him if Aiyuk was in the fold. No reason whatsoever we couldn't include him.

I would offer a 2hd, a 5th and CA3. Considering the contract we'd be paying out that's more than fair, and if not, START THE BUS!

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Because Daniels is a way better player than those two guys rn and they haven’t seen either of those guys play in an actual NFL game…I mean if they really impress in the preseason and first game or so, I could them trading him but not now…I think they’re in a better position to trade a defensive player actually, like Highsmith…the offense has too many starters on cheap contracts

Highsmith would be to much dead money they literally restructured his contract around the draft when they were talking about getting a wr like Aiyuk
Your right outside of issace the entire line will be on there rookie deals could see Herbig brought back as cheap depth but Muth is going to get paid

I'm not trading Wilson period. CA3? Yes, He can be a deep threat and we wouldn't need him if Aiyuk was in the fold. No reason whatsoever we couldn't include him.

I would offer a 2hd, a 5th and CA3. Considering the contract we'd be paying out that's more than fair, and if not, START THE BUS!

Ca3 doesn’t help them. They need an X not a slot

 

[T1K]

 

[Ryder71]

Highsmith would be to much dead money they literally restructured his contract around the draft when they were talking about getting a wr like Aiyuk
Your right outside of issace the entire line will be on there rookie deals could see Herbig brought back as cheap depth but Muth is going to get paid


Ca3 doesn’t help them. They need an X not a slot

Then I guess this is all for nothing.

 

[Peat]

The stuff I’ve read about Aiyuk is that he has burnt some bridges in the locker room through all of this stuff. To me it seems like they’re just holding him hostage until they can find a WR from a 3rd team to flip the picks for. At this point I’d be shocked if Aiyuk played for anyone else other than the Steelers.

Don't suppose you've got some links?

Would fit with what the beat reporter said about Aiyuk's presence wearing Shanahan down. I wonder if at some point teams will arrange it so they can prevent guys from holding in. Holding out sucks but at least it's out of sight, out of mind.



Also this stuff about Daniels being expendable because Anderson and McCormick played some LG while Seumalo had veteran days off - not Daniels, but Seumalo - is wild. We don't need Aiyuk because Austin's had a great training camp if we want to go that route.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

I feel like Khan’s sense is Aiyuk has the 9ers frustrated and aggravated. So he made a line in the sand, “No players. How badly do you want rid of him?” And the delay is SF just not wanting to get taken to the cleaners.

I’m tired of the speculation too but glad Khan is not budging (even though I personally would include Austin).

 

[MrBrightside]

I feel like Khan’s sense is Aiyuk has the 9ers frustrated and aggravated. So he made a line in the sand, “No players. How badly do you want rid of him?” And the delay is SF just not wanting to get taken to the cleaners.

I’m tired of the speculation too but glad Khan is not budging (even though I personally would include Austin).

I'm all for being a tough negotiator and appreciate the patience demonstrated by Khan. At the same time, the idea that Calvin Austin would be a deal breaker in a trade for a top 10 WR in the NFL is utter silliness.