OT: Things not happy in Steeler land

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Looks like we have a third member of the 'I have to eat,not making Billions,Don't want to play for them anymore' club.

Alan Faneca,arguably the best OLT in the game is not happy with the contract extension offered by the Steelers and may sit out or demand to be traded like Samuel or Briggs.

Its very Rare when a player from Pittsburgh is discontent-they usually pay them enough to keep those players happy ,Seems like one of the best in the game is asking for huge $$$ and probably won't get it,especially with the new coaching staff there.

Where would Faneca fit best? - I know we won't be looking because we have a future all-pro in Mankins at the spot - They are saying Arizona and Maybe Miami are the choices right now for trade bait.

Also just heard there is discontentment in Pittsburgh as Rothlisberger and his new coach are not in agreement for what offense the Steelers are supposed to do,Ben wants a high flying passing offense while Tomlin wants a smash mouth type ball control one like the Steelers have been doing since they were a franchise,Bet Ben will want out when his contract expires if he has a rocky relationship with Tomlin like Elway and Reeves had.

Looks like the ship is sinking in Pittsburgh before Tomlin even has his first regular season game.

IMO Ben is ridiculous in thinking he can have a Bengals type offense,He has no Chad Johnson,Houshmenzada or Chris Henry there,Ward is good but not enough.

All is not happy there,May be a very rough year for the Black and Gold - and good because I hate them

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Actually the Rooney's reputation truly is that of skin flints when it comes to paying for players - which is why drafting and developing draftees has been so important in the Steelers recent runs at success. A couple of years ago they had Ward threatening a holdout that ended when he got the highest ever signing bonus for a Steeler - I think it was $9M.

As for old face plant, I read the other day where he was touting how relaxed his new HC was and how he never got along with the Chin... WEll a lot of his teamates worshipped Chin and are still not happy that one of his many qualified staff didn't get the replacement job. Left to it's own devices Ben's ego spells coach killer. His rookie season Cowher managed him beautifully. Then he started behaving like the franchise and Cowher struggled with him. I think the kid is so stubborn and headstrong Cowher gave up post superbowl feeling managing Ben was a thankless job. That may be one reason Whisenhut seemed to prefer moving on to moving up in Pittsburgh. I recall after Ben's rookie season they parted company with El in part because he and Ben were freelancing and creating their own little play book sans Cowher and the coaching staff.

I have a feeling they'll have a hard time holding on to Polamalu going forward. At the Pro Bowl he was making puppy dog eyes at BB, still openly dejected about life in Pittsburgh after Cowher (said he could hardly fathom it). Like Faneca he is probably also ticked that Grimm didn't get the HC job. He and Faneca are both FA in 2008, and Casey Hampton is up in 2009. They all apparently have expressed interest in being paid at the top of their tier. Troy is said to be looking for Ed Reed money plus a dollar (6/$45M). Both he and Faneca were expecting to be extended this year (which is apparently what Pittsburgh has done in the past) but in the current cap flush and the absence of coach Chin they may have a real hard time coming to terms with either. If they don't trade one now they will have to choose one to franchise next season - and that one could still force a trade under the tag.

 

[DaBruinz]

I could have sworn that Faneca was a left GUARD, not a Left TACKLE. Other than that, I am not surprised. Faneca is a dominating presence and I'd trade the Pats #28 and Neal for Faneca and the Steelers 2nd round pick in a heart beat. A line of Light, Mankins, Koppen, Faneca, and Kaczur/O'Callaghan would be downright dominating.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I could have sworn that Faneca was a left GUARD, not a Left TACKLE. Other than that, I am not surprised. Faneca is a dominating presence and I'd trade the Pats #28 and Neal for Faneca and the Steelers 2nd round pick in a heart beat. A line of Light, Mankins, Koppen, Faneca, and Kaczur/O'Callaghan would be downright dominating.

Correct,My mistake-Wrong letter after OL' '

 

[DarrylS]

I could have sworn that Faneca was a left GUARD, not a Left TACKLE. Other than that, I am not surprised. Faneca is a dominating presence and I'd trade the Pats #28 and Neal for Faneca and the Steelers 2nd round pick in a heart beat. A line of Light, Mankins, Koppen, Faneca, and Kaczur/O'Callaghan would be downright dominating.

You are right the NFL and ESPN bot agree,

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/play....espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4288

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I could have sworn that Faneca was a left GUARD, not a Left TACKLE. Other than that, I am not surprised. Faneca is a dominating presence and I'd trade the Pats #28 and Neal for Faneca and the Steelers 2nd round pick in a heart beat. A line of Light, Mankins, Koppen, Faneca, and Kaczur/O'Callaghan would be downright dominating.

I really don't think we can afford a guy like Faneca unless he is more interested in winning a championship and not the $$$.

We need most of our cap left for rookies and late cheap 'off the street pickups' which you know we are going to do.

 

[DaBruinz]

I really don't think we can afford a guy like Faneca unless he is more interested in winning a championship and not the $$$.

We need most of our cap left for rookies and late cheap 'off the street pickups' which you know we are going to do.

The Pats only need about 4.5 million in cap space for the rookies and some of that comes from the top 51. The Pats currently have over 8 million in free cap space. You don't think that would be enough to sign Faneca? I do. I also think that Faneca would go somewhere else for less money because of how disappointed he is with the Steelers. And I think coming to New England would put a smile on his face. Because he knows that he'd be in a situation where the Patriots would be perennially in the play-offs and the hunt for the SuperBowl. He also knows that with the Pats, he'd not have to worry about Brady trying to Free Lance the way Rothelingsburger did.

Also, take into consideration that the Pats will, more than likely, free up cap space from Samuel signing a long term deal AND they could re-structure Brady's contract or Colvin's contract to get more money.

 

[VJCPatriot]

I could have sworn that Faneca was a left GUARD, not a Left TACKLE. Other than that, I am not surprised. Faneca is a dominating presence and I'd trade the Pats #28 and Neal for Faneca and the Steelers 2nd round pick in a heart beat. A line of Light, Mankins, Koppen, Faneca, and Kaczur/O'Callaghan would be downright dominating.

Umm yeah except we'd have to PAY him. I don't see the Pats paying 6M a year for a guard or whatever is the going rate in today's crazy market.

 

[DaBruinz]

Umm yeah except we'd have to PAY him. I don't see the Pats paying 6M a year for a guard or whatever is the going rate in today's crazy market.

Faneca is still under contract for this year. He's an ALL-PRO. I could see the Pats paying him because he's a fantastic player and someone who could be a leader on this O-line and help them dominate.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Umm yeah except we'd have to PAY him. I don't see the Pats paying 6M a year for a guard or whatever is the going rate in today's crazy market.

I agree. Not that it wouldn't be nice, and not that we couldn't make it work cap wise with some creative bookeeping, but giving him that kind of money could cause problems with Light and Koppen (who gave a home town discounts) not to mention Mankins down the road, or even Warren and Wilfork. As BB says, we can afford any player provided we are willing to accept the inevitable resulting tradeoffs. Faneca is 30 and likely has 3-4 more highly productive seasons in him, but he would likely also be looking for a signing bonus in the high teens and upwards of the $7M per AAV lesser players already got this season, which the Pat's are reluctant to bestow on all but the most elite of this core. He is due to make $3.4M in salary this year plus a $1M roster bonus he already received in March. He has multiple pro bowl and all pro honors and a ring. He likely wants his money.

Now if Polamalu were to shake free in 2008 at just 27 and want to play SS for 6-7 years for a great HC who is a defensive genius, that is more likely a player BB would extend himself for (expecting like AD the player was truly motivated to play here to the point of returning the favor by taking a few dollars less than the most he could get). OG in the present market, not so much.

 

[dhamz]

Faneca is still under contract for this year.

That is irrelevant for any team trading for him.

He is threatening to sit out if the Steelers don't tear up his deal. Any team that trades for him will do so knowing that they would be tearing up his deal.

 

[Triumph]

There are too many other teams that need OL help that have way more cap space than NE. Cleveland for one. Also, KC needs a G since Shields just stepped down (they could increase their cap space by unloading T Green).

I just dont see NE going after him when they have a history of developing inexpensive OL.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

That is irrelevant for any team trading for him.

He is threatening to sit out if the Steelers don't tear up his deal. Any team that trades for him will do so knowing that they would be tearing up his deal.

Poor Faneca hasn't really threatened anything yet, just skipped a voluntary mini camp (albeit with a new HC) because his contract extension talks are apparently stalled relatively miles apart. I doubt they trade him, more likely they agree not to tag him given how high the tag is spiraling for OL under the guise of continuing to work out an extension during the season. Polamalu is the one they likely tag anyway, since the tag is a few million less for SS and he's only 26, unless they decide to meet his agents demands for Reed plus a dollar.

I do think it was an OK consolation to missing the SB though that several disgruntled and disappointed probowlers got to work for BB last February. Belioli always has an eye on the market including veterans potentially looking for a change of scene and headed for potential contract strife. Now they know he's no ogre.