SB Nation - Dan Klecko

Philadelphia Eagles 53 man roster by the numbers

JasonB — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:35:19 -0000

The Eagles have made their cuts and whittled their roster down to 53 men. However, just because those guys survived cut day, doesn't mean they'll actually be on the team come September 13th. Let's look at some positions where changes are still likely to be made.

Wide Receiver - The Eagles currently have 7 WRs on their roster and are only likely to start the season with 6. Desean Jackson, Kevin Curtis, Jason Avant, & Jeremy Maclin are all locks. The guys not guaranteed a spot are rookie Brandon Gibson, Reggie Brown, and Hank Baskett. Since Gibson wasn't cut with the first round and wouldn't be valuable trade bait, it may actually be safe to assume that he made the team. It's likely that the Eagles held onto Reggie and Hank(esp the former) since those guys may have some trade value to fill another spot.

Tight End - The Eagles currently have just two TEs on the roster. That will not be the case for very long as the Eagles will carry a 3rd TE on their roster. Whether it's through trade or free agency, I'm guessing we'll find out who that guy is before the weekend is out. Considering that Tony Curtis was signed just before the preseason game against Jacksonville, the Eagles will go into this season with just one TE(Celek) that was on the roster at least 3 weeks before the season.

Defensive Tackle - After cutting loose Dan Klecko, the Eagles DTs are Broderick Bunkley, Mike Patterson, & Trevor Laws. Two starters and one backup. That said, there's a decent chance that they may not add another DT. The Eagles love rotate DEs inside to DTs on passing downs. Darren Howard, Victor Abiamiri, & Juqua Parker have all done it in the past. Those guys, especially Howard and Abiamiri, could be defacto backup DTs. Last year, it seemed that Darren Howard played more inside than he did outside... I'd look for the Eagles to add a couple DTs to their practice squad just in case.

Quarterback - The Eagles currently have 4 QBs on their roster, but due to an exemption Michael Vick does not count against the 53 man roster. While Vick is on the exempt list he can't practice with the team, so obviously the Eagles will be looking to take him off as soon as possible. I'm sure that over the next day or so they'll be trying to trade A.J. Feeley to make room for Vick. If they can't swing a deal, they'll probably just outright release him.

Schefter: Dan Klecko cut

JasonB — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:28:53 -0000

ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that Eagles' DT Dan Klecko has been cut

Goodbye to one of the good guys: Eagles cut DT/FB Dan Klecko.

2009 NFL Cutdown Day- Open Thread

BigBlueShoe — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:26:53 -0000

By 6pm today, all NFL teams must trim their rosters down to 53 active players. At noon tomorrow, teams may begin making claims for waived players. Teams can also begin signing players to their practice squads.

For the Colts, they've already begun cutting down the roster, releasing Dante Hughes, Steve Justice, and Nick Graham. They need to make 19 more cuts to get to 53. This is your open thread for the Colts cuts and other teams roster moves. We could see some very interesting roster changes, like the Titans cutting Mitch King and Mark Jones.

Throughout the day, we'll update this frontpage story with news about Colts players cut.

[UPDATE]: And the first surprise cut today is Adrian Grady.

[UPDATE]: The Bills have cut former-Colts running back Dominic Rhodes. Also, PTF's douchebag-in-chief, via fellow douchebag extraordinaire Tom Curran, is saying the Colts have cut Marcus Howard. No confirmation yet.

[UPDATE]: The Eagles have cut ties with Dan Klecko.

[Shake UPDATE]: Marcus Howard, John Matthews and Walter Mendenhall have been cut.

Colts watching the waiver wire?

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:50:37 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

6 months ago: Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Deion Branch pulls in a catch during drills, Wednesday, June 10, 2009, at a NFL football minicamp at Seahawks headquarters in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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Contrary to popular myth, Bill Polian does indeed sign free agents. He just doesn't do so in March, when supposedly "marquee" players are looking for big paydays, like Albert Haynesworth did recently. No, the time when Bill Polian typically signs free agents is early September. This is when Big Bill looks over the waiver wire, finds someone a team probably should not have cut, and snatches the players up faster than a rabid hawk can snare a blind field mouse.

We've seen Bill Polian pluck up players like Dan Klecko, Rocky Boiman, Daniel Muir, Justin Forsett, and Ryan Lilja in year's past. These guys might not be household names, but they are the kinds of players that can help a team win football games. In the case of Klecko, Boiman, and Lilja, these guys helped the Colts win a Super Bowl. Muir currently is a primary reserve on the defensive line, and Forsett was claimed last season only to be cut again because of injuries to other players. Forsett is back with the Seahawks, and is a significant part of their running back rotation and special teams.

With the economy in the crapper and the prospect of an uncapped year looming, clubs are less and less likely to retain high priced veteran players unless they are marquee players. This means there is the potential for somewhat well-known players, like Seattle's Deion Branch, to find themselves cut from their clubs. In Branch's case, check out this article from The News Tribune:

So far, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Nate Burleson, Deion Branch and Deon Butler are likely in, with Courtney Taylor, Ben Obomanu and Jordan Kent fighting for the last couple of spots.

Or perhaps Branch could be on his way out.

The veteran will make $5 million this season to be Seattle’s third receiver and the Seahawks have a lot of depth at the position. So they may live with five receivers and let Branch go to keep a player at a different position.

You all might recall that Branch was the MVP of Super Bowl 39 back when he played for the Patriots. He left New England via free agency in 2006, and has struggled to stay healthy while he has played for the Seahawks.

It's somewhat shocking that Branch has lost his starting job to the "immortal" Nate Burleson, and $5 million is an awful lot to spend on a third WR. While I doubt the Colts would make a play for Branch (even though he bought a home recently in Indiana), it gives you a bit of an idea as to the caliber of players who might get cut in the comes days and weeks.

2009 Colts Training Camp: Notes (and Tweets) from 8/7/09 Morning Practice

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:05:18 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

4 months ago: FILE -- This is an Aug. 4, 2009, file photo showing Indianapolis Colts receiver Anthony Gonzalez during the NFL team's football training camp in Terre Haute, Ind. Gonzalez spent the offseason watching videotapes of his friend, Marvin Harrison. Now Gonzalez must replace him. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

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Once again, Eric Hartz and the rest of the free world thumb their collective noses (and middle fingers) at Bill Parcells (and the North Korean-like regime that runs the Miami Dolphins) by Tweeting live from training camp in Terre Haute. Here is a summary of Eric's chirping from Rose Hulman:

It's another walk-through-like practice, focusing on specific situations. Today, they are working on goal-line offense and defense.
Goal-line defensive line seems to be Raheem Brock, Daniel Muir, Ed Johnson, and Keyunta Dawson.
On offense, they used both Daniel Muir (312 pounds) and Eric Foster (275 pounds) as fullbacks in different packages. For a big guy, Muir moves very well. In one drill, Foster caught a Dan Klecko style TD pass.
Colts are using I-formation on goal-line. Tom Moore seems to want to do more power-running.

Eric also had his nightly chat with fans last night at around 8pm (the time when we had our podcast... sorry for the competition Eric... hehe). We have a summary of some of Eric's thoughts about the jump. We also expect some regular Stampede Blue contributors to chime in today on their thoughts from camp. More after the jump...

By the way, can you tell that Parcells' @ssholish treatment of fans has really gotten under my skin? Seriously, what a douchebag. If I were a Dolphins fan, I'd organize a group of two hundred fans to show up and, at the same time, all of us whip out our mobile devices and start Twittering live from camp. Then, as Dolhpins "security" starts getting all Iranian Army on us, we take pictures. Then, later in the day, we post the pics on our blogs and send them out to Yahoo, CBS, etc. with the tagline "Dolphins public relations at their finest."

Parcells is a great football mind, but a serious Grade-A prick. Anyway, here's a summary of Eric's chat:

Biggest surprises in camp as the first week closes-- Taj Smith, Daniel Muir, Mike Hart
The biggest question mark heading into camp was the offensive line, but the group seems healthy and both Mike Pollak and Tony Ugoh have looked impressive.
Philip Wheeler seems firmly entrecnhed as the SAM backer, and looks much better in coverage.
Biggest concern is punt coverage and FG holding. Eric doesn't seem to have a lot of faith in Pat McAfee. McAfee is holding for FGs, which he has never done before. So far, he is struggling.
Peyton Manning's knee is fine. Legs look very strong. Practicing roll-outs more.
Jamie Silva is the upback on special teams. This likely means people should include him on any mock 53-man rosters.
Austin Collie continues to get most of the reps at slot receiver. Pierre Garcon is backing up Reggie Wayne.
Despite struggling with FG holding, McAfee has a stronger leg than Tim Masthay.
Dante Hughes needed a strong camp to retain his job, and he is indeed having one. Right now, Tim Jennings and Hughes are backing up Marlin Jackson and Kelvn Hayden. The guys outside looking in are Michael Coe and T.J. Rushing.

For more, read Eric's chat. Be sure to kiss the ground he walks on if you ever get a chance to meet him. his daily Tweets and chats from camp are gold!

Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp Preview - Defensive Tackle

JasonB — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:36:27 -0000

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This is the next installment in our series of 12 positions in 12 days previewing the upcoming Eagles training camp. Rookie and selected vets report to Lehigh July 26th and each day leading up to that date we will bring you a preview of a different position battle.

With the offense behind us it's time to move onto the defense. We start today with the defensive tackles.

The Bodies

Brodrick Bunkley, Jervonte Jackson, Dan Klecko, Trevor Laws, Mike Patterson

I'll also add Darren Howard and Victor Abiamiri to the list. Neither are DTs, but both will spend some time playing inside in certain packages.

Presumed Starters

There's not too many starting jobs up for grab on this Eagles team and DT isn't one. Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley will start after a very solid 2008 that saw the Eagles defense finish 3rd overall and 4th against the run. While Bunkley and Patterson didn't provide much of a pass rush combining for just 2.5 sacks, but they did prove to be immovable objects in the run game and freed up the linebackers to make plays. There's little doubt that the development of a guy like Stewart Bradley last year was partly due to the fact that the two DTs kept blockers off him.

As a pair, Bunkley and Patterson trailed only the Williamses in Minnesota in total tackles.

New additions

Jervonte Jackson, brother of center Jamaal Jackson, was signed as an undrafted free agent.

Dan Klecko isn't a new addition, but he's back to being a DT after finishing last year as a fullback.

What to watch for

This camp is going to be about what guys can fill different roles on the interior of the defensive line. Last year when he started the year at DT, Dan Klecko did a nice job as a situational pass rusher. Can he provide that spark again?

Darren Howard actually led the Eagles in sacks last year, many of which came when he lined up at DT in pass situations. It will be interesting to see how much of that success he can replicate this year and if anyone else can fit into that role. The prime candidate would be Victor Abiamiri, who did have some success in the second half last year lining up both inside and out. However, Abiamiri should be fighting for a starting job at DE, so the focus will be on guys like Klecko and second year man Trevor Laws to spell the starters.

Previous position previews

Interior Offensive Line

Offensive Tackles

Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp Preview - Fullbacks

JasonB — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:00:21 -0000

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Much like punt returner in 2007, the Eagles went into 2008 without an actual fullback on the roster. Tony Hunt was converted from RB a week prior, which was an experiment that didn't go well. He was replaced by converted DT Dan Klecko, who was better but still not "good" Later in the season, Kyle Eckel was added from the Patriots but Eckel worked mostly as a short yardage running back and never really played the fullback position.

The bodies

Leonard Weaver

Kyle Eckel

Marcus Mailei

Presumed starter

Much like punt returner in 2007... it took the Eagles a year to add an accomplished player at the fullback position. Enter Leonard Weaver. Weaver was a pro bowl alternate in 2008 and having played under Andy Reid mentor Mike Holmgrem in Seattle, he comes already equipped with an intimate knowledge of the Eagles style of West Coast offense.

Anyone who followed this site during free agency knows that I thought this move was a no brainer.

Weaver's skill set should fit the Eagles offense very well. He's a very good blocker, a capable run blocker, can carry the ball effectively when asked(career YPA 4.5), and most importantly has great hands catching the ball out of the backfield. He should provide McNabb with an option and an outlet at position where he really has had one since.... who knows when?

New additions

Marcus Mailei - Alectheman wrote a great article on Mailei that will provide you with more insight to the player that I probably ever could. I suggest you check that out.

What to watch for

The battle for starter probably won't be a battle at all. Leonard Weaver is all but guaranteed to be the starting fullback opening day, but there are several things worth watching in camp with Weaver. First is his lead blocking. While it would be wrong to say Weaver is poor lead blocker, it is the part of his game with the most room for improvement. He's an excellent pass blocker, a good receiver, and a capable run blocker. He's improved in that area every year in the league... can he take the next step this year?

It will also be interesting to see how Weaver is used in the offense. Andy Reid will surely be salivating over another good pass catching option and it could be exciting to see the job Weaver can do as a safety valve for McNabb. When given the chance to carry the football last year, Weaver did a solid job. Will he get any carries in the Eagles offense? All things to watch for.

As for the battle at backup... The problem for Kyle Eckel & Marcus Mailei is that there likely won't be a backup FB position to fight for. The Eagles will probably not want to carry an extra fullback on their roster, but the guys can make the team in other ways. The Eagles are always looking for standout special teams player, there's the practice squad for a guy like Mailei, and Eckel could still find a job as a running back on the team.

Previous position previews

Quarterback

Bird Droppings 5/27/09

JasonB — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:00:12 -0000

Former Eagles RB Ricky Watters

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Andyreidswaistline came up with a "cool banner" for our new Bird Droppings feature...

Former Penn Stater and current Eagles undrafted hopeful Josh Gaines is profiled.
Jeremy Maclin talked with NBC10 about his new team and his new QB.
It seems that whatever position Dan Klecko is asked to play is "the best position" for him...
Former Eagles RB Ricky Watters has become a mentor to newest Eagles RB Lesean McCoy. Both were star running backs at Bishop McDevitt HS in Harrisburg. He talked about the rookie to PE.com.
The Eagles are working out small college punter/kicker Zach Thiry who led the nation in yards per punt as a possible camp invite.
Anquan Boldin to Drew Rosenhaus: "You're fired!" How many agents who got dumped for Rosenhaus because they couldn't force a trade or a get a new contract are chuckling a bit today?
Jack Ikegwuonu is upset that what he sees as a bogus court case over an incident in college is still hanging over his head... He finally decided to speak out about it. After reading the story, the case is absolute nonsense. Even the so called "victim" of the theft Jack is accused of told police that it never happened. Jack's brother, who was also charged with theft in the case, was acquitted in 10 minutes.

Can we learn something from the Eagles depth chart?

JasonB — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 13:00:12 -0000

Before I break this down I want to offer this caveat. The depth chart on the Eagles website is unofficial. After last year's PFT fueled mini controversey over the depth chart(read about it here and here and here) the Eagles have tried to make it very clear that the depth chart doesn't mean much...

However, it is fun to pick apart isn't it? Plus, you can't tell me that there hasn't been some thought put into it...

Here's the latest changes

- Todd Herremans has been moved to starting LT.

- Max Jean Gilles and Mike McGlynn are first and second string LGs respectively.

- Stacy Andrews is the starting RT.

- Leonard Weaver is the starting FB

- Dan Klecko is listed as a DT and no longer on the depth chart as a FB.

- Sean Jones is listed as a SS

- Quintin Demps is the starting FS

Obviously it's all subject to change and of course it's all unofficial, but the positions all make sense to me. I would not be at all suprised to learn that this is exactly what the Eagles are thinking.

State Of The Steelers Roster: The Defensive Line

Blitzburgh — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:25:34 -0000

Like I did last year on BTSC, I again plan to take a crack at breaking down the state of the Steelers roster heading into the free agency period and the build up to the NFL Draft. The objective is to take a look back at the most recent play by position, the ages and contract statuses of the relevant players at that position, and then make some reasonable evaluations of what the Steelers front office may do moving forward in the immediate and intermediate future. Let's start it out with a look at the unheralded but consistently impressive defensive line.

TOP 5 STEELERS DL IN 2008

Player	Age	2008 Cap Hit	2009 Cap Hit	Years Remaining
Casey Hampton	31 (Sept)	$ 5,378,043	$ 6,652,000	1
Aaron Smith	32 (Apr)	$ 4,755,760	$ 3,950,000	3
Brett Keisel	30 (Sept)	$ 3,151,340	$ 4,998,000	1
Chris Hoke	32 (Apr)	$ 1,481,240	$ 1,675,000	3
Travis Kirschke	34 (Sept)	$ 983,360	$ 1,300,000	1

There's more...quite a bit in fact...after the poll and the jump. Hold off on voting until you read on however. Seriously. Mike Tomlin disapproves of short-cuts. So should you.

Yikes. I'll take some Infusion Of Youth for $500, Alex.

In all actuality though, we're in pretty darn good shape in 2009. Provided the DL doesn't get ravaged by the injury bug any more so than it did early on in the 2008 season, this DL is a very safe bet to anchor another top 5 rush defense and again pave the way for special statistical seasons for our attackers on the outside - Wood and Deebo.

Let's see...Keisel's got a good year in him in 2009, regardless of his future after that. When healthy he's still got a motor that runs with the best of them and can disrupt some things in the passing game with his vertical leap and above average sense of timing. Aaron Smith again proved his truly special durability and value in 2008. Casey Hampton recovered from an abysmal start to his year after showing up to camp out of shape. By year's end, after coming back from injury and benefiting from some needed rest at the end of the season, Hampton again helped anchor one of the NFL's very best rush defenses - not to mention occupied blockers alongside Smith so that James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley could do their thing against single coverage most of the time.

Still, you can count on replacements being secured for Kirschke, Keisel, and as we'll debate later, even Hampton in this coming Free Agency period and in the Draft. And of course, there will be intense competition for one of the final 53 roster spots and practice squad spots amongst a crop of undrafted free agents and former practice squad journey men that our scouts feel are worth keeping an eye on. That will all play out as it will. But by looking at the top 5 on our depth chart above, it sure looks like the Steelers will use two of their top five picks on defensive linemen, be it at DT or DE.

2008 KEY DL RESERVES - Age; 2009 Cap Hit; Years Remaining; 2008 Cap Hit

Nick Eason - 28 years old; $678,000; 1 year remaining; $667,300

Orpheus Roye - 36 years old; 2009 Free Agent; $485,000

Reserves Analysis:

A special shout out to Nick Eason, who played in 15 games this year and did all that was asked of him, beginning with a highlight game in Week 1 against the Texans registering 4 tackles and 1/2 a sack. Obviously I don't see the Steelers extending Eason for multiple years, but who knows exactly what might happen to him in 2009 and 2010 more notably. It depends on a myriad factors, including but not limited to our Draft decisions this year; the development (or lack of) from 'project' type young'ns, what he'd be willing to sign for, etc. We'll see. After seemingly being frequently frustrated with Eason in 2007, I distinctly remember Eason doing much better in 2008, as well as reading several reports about how he had impressed his coaches with his progress this past year. So hopefully he'll be ready to go again in 2009 if called upon. And if that's all we can count on from him, I'd be more than content and satisfied with his tenure in Pittsburgh.

(When you're coming off a Super Bowl victory, it's so much easier to give a salute to guys like Eason than when your team came up short, is it not? Ha! Kidding aside, he was a contributor in many ways to this Super Bowl, even if those ways were smallish in magnitude. Eason played some ST as well don't forget. But yeah, point stands..much easier to be pleased with reserve contributions when you win!)

As for Roye? Good signing. Good risk-reward play by the Steelers brass. Surely some younger player will at least have the chance to knock him out of the mix in 2009, but if Roye decides to stay in shape and play again in 2009, he'll surely find an opportunity to do so on someone's depth chart, be it in Pittsburgh in an emergency role or elsewhere.

Not yet mentioned: Scott Paxson. A DT that the Steelers acquired undrafted out of Penn State. Hopefully a year with the Steelers strength and conditioning coaches has helped Paxson put on some serious weight and strength to that 290 pound frame of his that he entered the league in.

<aside>Wow, just realized that I referred to a 290 pound person as undersized. RIDICULOUS</aside>

There's no way to really know just yet, but what the organization thinks of Paxson could have some bearing on the ranking of the Steelers numerous contingency plans that they head to the war room with when the 2009 Draft is held in New York City a few months from now.

SALARY COMPARISON ACROSS NFL

The following is an ordered list of DTs ranked by their 2008 cap hit. This is just me providing you with consolidated information to get a better idea of what kind of scratch we're talking about market value wise when evaluating the likelihood of certain Steelers players being extended. Their ages are included as well. There are no clear as day patterns here or anything like that - there's a wide mix of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd contract type players here and lots of different conclusions can be drawn.

DEFENSIVE TACKLES / NOSE TACKLES

Dan Klecko (PHI) - $10,651,720 (28 years)
Pat Williams (MIN) - $8,400,124 (36 years)
Albert Haynesworth (TEN) - $7,250,003 (27 years)
Cornelius Griffin (WAS) - $6,166,333 (32 years)
Tommie Harris (CHI) - $6,031,862 (~26 years)
Kris Jenkins (NYJ) - $5,900,000 (29.5 years)
Marcus Stroud (BUF) - $ 5,668,706 (30.5 years)
CASEY HAMPTON (PIT) - $ 5,378,043 (31.5 years)
Rocky Bernard (SEA) - $ 5,066,626 (~30 years)
Gerard Warren (OAK) - $5,000,000 (30.5 years)

I don't even want to know whyy Dan Klecko earned close to $10 in bonuses last year, so let's consider that an insane outlier and just look at the rest of the list. Pat Williams is getting paid because all he does is clog gaps. Just like Casey Hampton. Even at the tender age of 36 though. Williams signed that big deal with Minny when he was 33 years old, which would roughly be the same for Hampton when he becomes a free agent in 2010. What it's really going to come down to is two things: 1) Will Hampton accept a deal that continues to pay him in the top 10 at his position, rather than the top 5 or top 3 even? If the answer is a yes then it may just come down to 2) If he shows up to camp in shape. If he does..as in like, really in shape and eager to pull his weight in a run at a repeat, then it very well could happen.

Onward.

DEFENSIVE ENDS

Julius Peppers (CAR) - $ 14,137,500 (28 years)
Aaron Schobel (BUF) - $ 8,723,555 (~31.5 years)
John Abraham (ATL) - $ 8,501,920 (30.5 years)
T-Sizzle Suggs (BAL) - $ 8,475,000 (26 years)
Jared Allen (MIN) - $ 8,002,531 (~27 years)
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (GB) - $ 7,726,828 (~31.5 years)
Jason Taylor (WAS) - $ 7,500,000 (34.5 years)
Luis Castillo (SDG) - $ 6,989,380 (25.5 years)
Mario Williams (HOU) - $ 6,881,720 (24 years)
Richard Seymour (Pats) - $ 6,836,720 (~29.5 years)

23rd. Aaron Smith (PIT) - $ 4,755,760

41st. Brett Keisel (PIT) - $ 3,151,340

Well, first of all, let me acknowledge that we're talking about a bunch of players playing in different schemes - some in the 3-4; some in the 4-3. Their perceived value as measured by contract$ is consequently different, with 4-3 DEs being the guys who get the kind of pub that the LaMarr Woodley's and James Harrison's of the 3-4s get.

Nevertheless, we can still all agree on these two things - Aaron Smith's a total bargain. He's infinitely more durable than Richard Seymour, who's basically considered the gold standard for 3-4 DEs. And he makes less money. And oh yeah, he's better than him too.

As for Brett Keisel. While valuable and an integral part of our defense in his peak years of 27-30, I don't think he's worth the coin to keep into his 30s given what we know about the Steelers scouting personnel and their ability to find outstanding talent. Hey, Brett Keisel was a 7th rounder himself don't forget.There's one possibility that hasn't yet really been discussed amongst Steelers Nation and that's this: it's not likely, but we may start seeing players taking less money, slightly that is, to go to teams with dynamic young coaches that are creating environments that players want to be a part of. Money talks, BS walks. I hear ya, believe me, but with the economic climate the way it is and with the uncertainty surrounding the Collective Bargaining Agreement's pending expiration...well, let's just say expecting recent years' trends to hold is not the safest of bets in my opinion.

CONCLUSIONS:

Let's count our lucky stars that DE Aaron Smith is locked up through the 2011 season, when he'll 35 years of age. I honestly wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Smith remains productive until he's closer to 40 than 35. He's so durable. 2007 was the first year of his career that he missed even one game after tearing his biceps against New England.

What about Casey Hampton? Well, let me just say this first. I think that it's too frequently that we immediately discount the possibility of guys in their 30s coming off their second contract to get extensions. 'The Steelers just don't do that' is what's usually said. Well, that's true but not universally. There's another myth out there that the 'Steelers are cheap and don't pay their older players.' Also not true. Here are the Steelers league rank in terms of payroll the past five years: 2008: 6th; 2007: 9th : 2006: 23rd ; 2005: 10th ; 2004 22nd.

The reality is the Steelers seem to be flexible with their spending limits. We've seen that with James Farrior, who signed a long term deal with substantial guarantees. And we're about to see it with James Harrison, who most would have said a year ago at this time was likely to be headed elsewhere after the 2009 season. Myself included. I'll hold off on fleshing this out, but let's just say I believe we're entering a four year window where the Steelers can legitimately achieve dynastic greatness. As in perhaps two more Super Bowls; and being a touch more conservative, let's just say the opportunity to host playoff games and make a run for the next four years as Ben enters his prime years, Santonio takes his game to the next level, Woodley and Deebo continue to reign terror on the league, our offensive line gets cleaned up, etc. etc. There's one area on the team where there's less certainty about 2-4 years down the road and that's the defensive line. We've got Aaron Smith for the run at greatness. I'd imagine that someone will get drafted on Day 1 this year to fill in for Brett Keisel in 2010, as well as a 2nd Day selection or two to compete for jobs with guys like Kirschke, Eason, Paxon.
Shoring up the offensive line, finding a replacement for Keisel, and since so many of you want to see B-Mac let go, a CB to fill in for him, AND for DeShea as he gets well into his mid 30s..well, there's only so many picks we have. (This is why we need to re-up either B-Mac or Big Snack..period. Can't let both walk and expect to accomplish our other goals this Draft.) So as it relates to Big Snack Hampton, I'll stop here and just say that I hope we find a way to keep him around to help us achieve those lofty goals floating out there in our most optimistic of projections. Guys like Snack don't grow on trees. In fact, they don't even come around every year; or five years really. He's that good when healthy. And at just 31 years of age, I hope like hell we at least keep the door open for re-signing him late this summer. What I'd do? See what kind of shape he shows up to Latrobe in after a summer of basking in Super Bowl glory. He was embarrassed last camp. Show up ready to eat, figuratively speaking on the field, then sign the dude and let him retire a Steeler and make a run at Canton having worn just one jersey.

Thoughts?

-MB (Blitz)-

behindthesteelcurtain@gmail.com

Poll

Casey Hampton gets re-upped before Week 1 of the 2009 NFL season, assuming he shows up to camp in much better shape than last year.

True

573 votes

False

248 votes

821 votes | Poll has closed