Pittsburgh Steelers Offseason - Part 1

Because I know all of you are here for hard-hitting football analysis, particularly as it applies to the Mighty Black and Gold.

Addressing the major developments since the start of the free agent period....

First off, a hearty bon voyage and a load of thanks to perennial All-Pro guard Alan Faneca. The guy's been nothing but an animal for the better part of the last decade, but the time was nigh for him to go. He was dissatisfied with the Steelers' unwillingness to extend him a long-term mega-deal, but the bottom line, Alan, is that the Steelers just don't do that. We all know that they WILL sign their stars to long-term big money deals, but not when you hit your 30s and your play starts to decline. If you're a star already and in your 20s, the Steelers will lavish that kind of money on you, not at this point in your career, when your play has already shown signs of dropping off. Sorry. 4 years at around $25 million is all he could have expected, which is why it was time to move on.

As for the Jets, who dropped the monster 5 year, $40 million deal on Faneca, which makes him the NFL's highest-paid OL, good luck. Faneca will be an instant upgrade over whatever turnstile you guys had at LG last year, but at this point in his career, he's not much more than a good pulling guard. He doesn't get to the second level and crack MFs the way he used to in the run game, and he's gone from average to below average in pass protection. This is a deal that looks good now, but in 2-3 years, that $20+ million in guaranteed money may make you wonder if this isn't Neil O'Donnell all over again.

And finally, the big, big news of the day - Mewelde Moore is coming to town! Just kidding. Well, no, he is signing today, but that's not the big news. Roethlisberger has been extended through 2017 to the tune of $102 million ($36 mil guaranteed) over 8 years. This is more money than "Hunky" Tony Romo got and puts him in the high-rent Peyton Manning/Michael Vick (how funny is that deal now?) neighborhood. That gives me pause as a fan of a traditionally cautious franchise, but this is a deal the Steelers absolutely had to make. Roethlisberger established himself last year as probably one of the top 3 QBs in the NFL (definitely top 5 at any rate) and at the age of 26 (yesterday - happy birthday, dude) is entering the prime of his career. This extension guarantees he'll remain a Steeler into his mid-30s, at which point he'll be unceremoniously dumped for someone younger, latch on in Kansas City, Seattle, or New York for 2 years, then retire. The guy is the face of the franchise, one of the faces of the NFL, and a top-tier player at a premium position not yet in his prime. There would have been mutiny among Black & Gold faithful if this guy was allowed to walk, and the Rooneys knew it. While the dollar figures are mind-boggling, that itself serves another purpose, which is to help shed the "overly frugal" tag that often causes potential top free agents pause when considering Pittsburgh. The Steelers will take care of their own when needed (see Polamalu, Troy.)

Now, Tomlin, Colbert, and crew had damn well better turn their attention towards the OL early and often in this draft. Don't be surprised when the Steelers' first pick is spent on one of the following players : Brendan Albert, Gosder Cherilus, Chris Williams (the tackle from Vanderbilt, not the beer-swiller from New Hampshire,) Jeff Otah, Ryan Clady, or Sam Baker. In fact, I'd wager even money right now on one of those 6 guys against the field.