Comments on: Starks, Foster, Colon all may go in Steelers’ offensive line shakeup

By: popsyoda

popsyoda — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 00:50:04 +0000

Imagine you are coming out of college to start your career.
The first “supervisor” you work with isn’t popular with everyone, but you and him have immediate success that lasts several years – in fact, you reach the top of your chosen profession.
Over these years, the two of you develop a strong friendship, and trust each other deeply. The company that you both work for however, becomes uncomfortable with how close you are, even though his immediate supervisor is fine with it, because he gets credit for your success.
The company owner makes the calls, and soon, without consulting you, or at minimum ignoring your wishes, they force him out and hire another.

Wouldn’t you find it difficult to adjust? Maybe you harbor some resentment that affects how well you perform?
At minimum, you really have no level of trust in your new boss, and he requires you to do your job in some different ways than your old friend. No surprise then, when the results are mediocre at best.

Moving forward, if you are a professional, you do your best to succeed, and hopefully, you get some new tools to work with that mesh better with your boss’s plans.
After all, these things take time.

For Ravens fans:

“You” = 7 Ben
“Supervisor/Boss” = Bruce Arians
“His boss” = HC Tomlin
“Company owner” = Artie Rooney

By: bobzilla1001

bobzilla1001 — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 22:07:32 +0000

As a Steelers observer, I was impressed with Flacco’s ability to avoid the 49ers’ fierce pass rush, extend plays and throw TD passes in the Super Bowl. In my opinion, Flacco’s o-line was awful against San Francisco…
I can’t recall Roethlisberger ever playing an entire 16-game regular season. Not saying he never has, I just don’t remember him ever doing so.

By: Nofoolnodrool

Nofoolnodrool — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:24:18 +0000

Flacco never missed an NFL game in his career, yet ben has only ever played one 16 game season and that year they watched the playoffs from home.

Never let it be said you use logic. How many QB s make it thru their career without injury my mentally challenged friend? Flacco is good as long as his line holds up, but it only takes a Pollard type hit to change everything…so thanks for your sage post there troll…time to return to your spot under the bridge?

By: stoogy

stoogy — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:14:45 +0000

Not worried about the line or the steelers, Flacco is one hit from the IR… I can hear the baby ravenator cryin already…cheers

Flacco never missed an NFL game in his career, yet ben has only ever played one 16 game season and that year they watched the playoffs from home.

By: Nofoolnodrool

Nofoolnodrool — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 01:41:24 +0000

So let me get this straight you win a Super Bowl and you become all knowing, a sage, and a god( oops rev ray I misspoke you are god to raven fans) . Funny no other fan base acts this way.. Funny how raven fans are carping about no respect..

When tools like the raven trolls push their non stop trash it ruins the intent of the thread but…sigh

Not worried about the line or the steelers, Flacco is one hit from the IR… I can hear the baby ravenator cryin already…cheers

By: Nofoolnodrool

Nofoolnodrool — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:24:43 +0000

So let me get this straight. The steelers win with Batch vs the Ravens and that is the highlight of your season? Hahahah, I’ll take a loss to Charlie Batch EVERY YEAR if it means a lombardi awaits. What a pathetic rant. Enjoy the years of mediocrity that await you.

We all know the highlight of your day is a steeler thread to comment on. If you have as many highlights as we have had its hard to pick one that is best. You being still in high school this year is pig heaven for you with a Super Bowl win. So, is the condo with mom and ravenmuscle or just you and mom?

By: ravenator

ravenator — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:49 +0000

By: dachozen1

dachozen1 — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:40:24 +0000

They need to draft talent at the skill positions. The Steelers have all small, slot receivers. They dont have any physical underneath receivers. I’d like to see them get a 6’4′, 210lbs that runs a 4.4 forty. However, they’ve been able to do it with a smaller receiver like Ward. Boldin has taken on that role for Ravens. Steelers have no good running backs and a bad o line. I’d like to see Ben play behind a good line for 1 yr…

By: Nofoolnodrool

Nofoolnodrool — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:36:27 +0000

After watching the steelers for over forty years I am not the least bit concerned with the re tooling that is needed. You can’t stay on top as long as we have without paying the price. For you newer social media fans winning the moment is more important than winning the battle. The young raven mouth breathers boasting and puffing their just post pubescent chests weren’t alive to see their first SB win so ignore their constant childish rants. So relax, we will be back…remember how we all felt going into Baltimore this year with Charlie Batch…. Come on have more faith… We will be fine..
Retool the line be aggressive..so far all this talk is from the outside not the inside …about as reliable as the tool Ravenator.

By: jmblosser82

jmblosser82 — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:51:35 +0000

It’s hard to win when the first few games you defense was sift and gave 2-3 games away. Before Ben got injured he was putting up great numbers, he did his job. During his 3 game recovery they only looked awful against the browns and should’ve swept the ravens. After he came back he was still hurt and didn’t get back into rhythm. In the last 40 years the steelers had what 4 losing seasons and missed the playoffs how many times, and never had them in back to back seasons. Yea the ravens are ahead in the rivalry in the last 2-3 seasons but don’t forget how the steelers owned you before that. Ravens will be in trouble when they have to win the game with Flaccos arm cause after they overpay him they won’t have enough for anyone else. Not putting my money on the steelers for the division yet but you can bet they will be in the playoffs.

By: bobzilla1001

bobzilla1001 — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:20:05 +0000

Never mind who the O-line starters might be, with Colon, Starks and Foster headed out the door, what are the Steelers going to do for depth? Doug Legursky?
This organization has got to cease with its sweeping yearly purging without having suitable replacements in place.

By: steel6curtain

steel6curtain — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:59:27 +0000

steelerfanjo….do you even watch football? offensive line, other than QBs, are the most important part to an offense there is, without them an offense cant function. if you really dont know this, maybe you should find something else to do sundays between september and february

By: Nofoolnodrool

Nofoolnodrool — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:40:59 +0000

Wow steelers are going to be so soft this year. That oline will be so weak. Might as well give me a chance to play. How much worse can it get?

1 2
Report comment

I guess if we had a fourth string QB he could have beaten slashing Rays team this year. It’s ok to brag now but you were hiding from old Charlie batch back then fan boy…how quickly you forget..

By: engymassx

engymassx — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:15:10 +0000

The team has been working on the O-line for what; The last 10 yrs ? Haven’t got it right yet… will believe it when I see it.

By: ravenator

ravenator — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 19:49:09 +0000

Wow steelers are going to be so soft this year. That oline will be so weak. Might as well give me a chance to play. How much worse can it get?

By: citizenstrange

citizenstrange — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 19:14:47 +0000

Nobody will talk about the $110 million dollar franchise elephant in the room.

1) A quarterback who could not get a win in a HOME game of playoff like win or go home importance when the Steeler defense held the Bengals to SIX POINTS.

2) A quarterback who could not get a single win when when the defense gave up over 17 points. A quarterback who is never going to win any shootouts.

3) A quarterback who could not get his team into the playoffs despite having the number one defense in the entire NFL. Not only not get his team into the playoffs but miss them so badly they were eliminated after 15 games making them play an utterly meaningless finale.

By: stainlessstill

stainlessstill — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:36:43 +0000

I love the fact that it takes a year for the Steelers to be mediocre for somebody else in the division to do something. Hah, and to think those two teams beat us on flukey breakdowns in those games we lost. Ravens can’t get out of facing Ben not ONCE every year. Shame shame to the people to ever count out Pittsburgh. People will never learn.

By: Deb

Deb — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:34:55 +0000

Not unexpected. We have a new o-line coach, a new offensive system, and we’re stacking with younger players. Colon should have packed his bags a couple of years ago. He’s always been overrated, and we never should have kept wasting that kind of money on a guy who’s played only a handful of games in three seasons.

Max has been a solid player, but he may find himself getting a callback if he’s needed. It’s happened before.

By: shotgunformation5wide

shotgunformation5wide — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:00:22 +0000

My question is….. If the Steelers were looking to rebuild/jettison veterans…. Why did they not forfeit/play all rookies in that last game versus Cleveland. If they had, they’d be drafting 12th, 44th, etc..

Anyway, who am I to question …after all this is the rumor mill.

GO STEELERS!!!

By: themackstrong

themackstrong — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:41:23 +0000

Like Pittsburgh Seattle had a terrible o-line, we drafted some young talent in the first and 3rd rounds. Brought excellent zone blocking coaches (Gibbs and now Tom Cable) and now year 3 in we have one of the best offensive line’s in football. Steelers already have the core in (Pouncey, Decastro and Gilbert) maybe a true left tackle and you’ll be right on track. Their are a few of those in this draft. I think from a protection stand point, you will be there after even a year if everyone stays healthy.

By: myspaceyourface

myspaceyourface — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:19:50 +0000

dirtydrynn27 – I think you need to go back and take a 2nd look at the last SB the Steelers were in.

They completely outplayed the Packers. The Steelers made too many mistakes. They were still only one play away at the end from overcoming all the mistakes.

By: thestatsishere

thestatsishere — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:05:44 +0000

They are all old and injury-prone. They have to go, but the Steelers new line isn’t something to be excited about.

By: theroc5156

theroc5156 — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:00:59 +0000

I’m a Bengals fan and hate the Steelers. That being said, I really don’t think this is a big deal. Roethlisberger is at his best when out of the pocket anyway, so perhaps having a subpar line is a good thing for them?

They haven’t had a very good line in quite a while. If these guys were great then I would be happy, but actually, I want these guys to stay with the Steelers.

By: swagger52

swagger52 — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:51:44 +0000

It is so much fun to bask in the glow of the Lombardi, with stories of the Steelers bygone days. Roethlesberger better figure out how to do the Kapernick, because he is going to be running for his life the whole season.

To be a rival, don’t you have to at least win some of the important games versus the Ravens? I have my eye on the Browns, they appear so much more dangerous than the Steelers, because they want to pay Flacco millions.

By: steelcurtainn

steelcurtainn — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:47:04 +0000

Its fun to watch all the haters after the steelers have an 8-8 season. aaahhhh, Jealousy at its finest when you have 6. Ben has never had a losing season in his career and this year wont be no different, the steelers will be right in contention for a division title. I’d say some of you the posters on this thread need to worry about your own team falling to the bottom of the division and not the steelers.

By: ialwayswantedtobeabanker

ialwayswantedtobeabanker — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:39:14 +0000

I know we’re cap-jammed, but we are in no position to kick some of these offensive linemen to the curb.

I’m aware of Colon’s injury situation — but he was playing strong on the interior before someone in either the Ravens or Chargers game dove on his knee from behind (while he was engaged). Filthy.

But Willie can bring it, and only he and Pounce still bring the nasty. Kemo used to, but he lost so much effectiveness – so we had to let him go. But Colon can ball – and he’s only like 26 or so. We need to hang onto Willie.

Foster’s play was decent too. It’s just hard to imagine that we’re in a position to discard players at one of our weakest positions year in and year out.

I like Starks, but don’t know what we can afford him.

In a very related story, all our years of renegotiating contracts forward is now coming back to bite us in the butt. We basically borrowed for short term gratification, the short term is over and what was formerly the long term is now our immediate future – and we have to pay the piper. Still, we can’t let Colon go – it’s not like he carries a cap-busting contract.

By: ravenmuscle

ravenmuscle — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:25:45 +0000

To whom it may concern. The Ravens are NOT in cap hell. They will sign Joe to a long term deal and make cap room to extend Boldin…resign Ellerbe….resign Reed…AND sign another team’s mid-level type free agent.

Ozzie is a genius at doing this kind of stuff.. None better.

What Ozzie would never do is sign a Mario Williams or Haynesworth to some rediculous deal….we keep our own and sign the midlevel guys to fill holes at low prices.

Bye bye Kruger and Cary Williams…been nice knowin’ you…enjoy your $8 million deals elsewhere.

By: cfletcher33

cfletcher33 — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:17:08 +0000

I really like the direction the line is going in. We need to get younger. I feel if we can just stay healthy up front we can develop into a pretty good line.

By: steelerdeathstar

steelerdeathstar — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:08:48 +0000

I think the key to the ‘revamped’ Steeler O-line will be remaining reasonably healthy, and being able to play as a cohesive unit for all or at least most of the season.
The basic talent is there, the experience will come rather quickly, and Jack Bicknell, Jr is a good and proven coach. The foundation for the whole thing will be durablity…

By: joemammy

joemammy — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:06:15 +0000

You are talking about keeping Roethlisberger upright in the physical sense, right?

Not in any moral or ethical way, I’m sure.