NFL Free Agency Thread

FoxboroFlyer said:

Ah, you're probably right. I've just always had an AJ in a Pats uniform infatuation going on. I may be a year or two beyond though.

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Would've loved to have seen him play with Brady in his prime, too. You're welcome to share in my absolute pipe dream of Calvin Johnson unretiring and playing his last few years with #12 instead. Lol.

manxman2601 said:

Fair point. Williams was good but he wasn't Bell good. Still think the Steelers are our biggest rival next year. And I'm still amazed at what the Jets and Broncos are(n't) doing at QB.

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I always see the "stillers" as our biggest challenge, but only because I live in Pennsylvania, and the stakes are always higher.

Truth is the Steelers aren't what we make them. They are an insecure personnel coached by a clueless individual who was hired by a crooked ownership.... They really aren't all that scary.

jboston19 said:

Would've loved to have seen him play with Brady in his prime, too. You're welcome to share in my absolute pipe dream of Calvin Johnson unretiring and playing his last few years with #12 instead. Lol.

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Never say never... Feels like something BIG...like Calvin big could happen. I'll live in that pipe dream with ya brother!

manxman2601 said:

Fair point. Williams was good but he wasn't Bell good. Still think the Steelers are our biggest rival next year. And I'm still amazed at what the Jets and Broncos are(n't) doing at QB.

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While I agree, I still believe the Broncos as well as the jets (to a MUCH lesser degree) are more of a threat than *****burgh.

FoxboroFlyer said:

While I agree, I still believe the Broncos as well as the jets (to a MUCH lesser degree) are more of a threat than *****burgh.

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With Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith as their QBs?

I'm sure Fitzpatrick ends up back at the Jets, but don't forget, they didn't make the playoffs last year, they're in cap hell, might need to trade Wilkerson and they had outstanding years from their WRs that might not be repeated. I'm yet to be convinced by the Jets. And I have no idea what the plan at QB is for the Broncos. I think the Ravens will be bigger competition than both as things stand.

manxman2601 said:

They get Le'veon Bell back.

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An injured player returning has zero to do whether or not they've improved their team this offseason. Fact is that they have not.

If the Patriots stood pat, lost a ton of starters and did nothing, just like the Steelers have, you wouldn't hear fans saying we've "improved" just because we get Lewis, Solder, Devlin, Easley, etc. back.

They lost their starting WR2, TE, 2 CBs, SS and OT. They've done anything but improve.

Todd Bradley said:

And we've got Lewis, Solder, Devlin, Easley and all our injured players back as well as all of our additions....

But that has zero to do though with them improving their team this offseason.

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I'm just saying that he's an improvement on what they had last year. I wasn't comparing him or the Steelers to the Patriots in any way shape or form.

manxman2601 said:

With Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith as their QBs?

I'm sure Fitzpatrick ends up back at the Jets, but don't forget, they didn't make the playoffs last year, they're in cap hell, might need to trade Wilkerson and they had outstanding years from their WRs that might not be repeated. I'm yet to be convinced by the Jets. And I have no idea what the plan at QB is for the Broncos. I think the Ravens will be bigger competition than both as things stand.

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Fitz back with the yets, and Sanchez with that D... Yeah I take those two over a Tomlin coached Steelers everyday.

Pittsburgh won't make playoffs this year.

Bold prediction.

FoxboroFlyer said:

Fitz back with the yets, and Sanchez with that D... Yeah I take those two over a Tomlin coached Steelers everyday.

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Agree to differ on that one.

manxman2601 said:

I'm just saying that he's an improvement on what they had last year. I wasn't comparing him or the Steelers to the Patriots in any way shape or form.

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I get that, but like I said in the updated post above, they lost their starting WR2, TE, 2 CBs, SS and OT. They've done anything but improve.

Every team has impact players returning from IR.

Todd Bradley said:

I get that, but like I said in the updated post above, they lost their starting WR2, TE, 2 CBs, SS and OT. They've done anything but improve.

Every team has impact players returning from IR.

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We shall see. I still peg them as our main rival this year, but who knows.

Todd Bradley said:

An injured player returning has zero to do whether or not they've improved their team this offseason. Fact is that they have not.

If the Patriots stood pat, lost a ton of starters and did nothing, just like the Steelers have, you wouldn't hear fans saying we've "improved" just because we get Lewis, Solder, Devlin, Easley, etc. back.

They lost their starting WR2, TE, 2 CBs, SS and OT. They've done anything but improve.

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People here have been all about getting Lewis back, just for one example. Assuming both are at 100%, Bell being back makes the Steelers better, just as Lewis being back makes the Patriots better.

No sense pretending otherwise

FoxboroFlyer said:

I always see the "stillers" as our biggest challenge, but only because I live in Pennsylvania, and the stakes are always higher.

Truth is the Steelers aren't what we make them. They are an insecure personnel coached by a clueless individual who was hired by a crooked ownership.... They really aren't all that scary.

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By my quick calculations, the Pats under Belichick are 8-4 vs the Steelers, with 4 of the wins and 3 of the losses coming at Pitt. Also, 2 of the Pats wins were playoff wins in Pitt. The Pats seem to match up pretty well vs Pitt.

Deus Irae said:

People here have been all about getting Lewis back, just for one example. Assuming both are at 100%, Bell being back makes the Steelers better, just as Lewis being back makes the Patriots better.

No sense pretending otherwise

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The Pats lost 5 of their last 8 games last year after going 10-0. We, of all fans, should realize that injuries do make a difference.

FoxboroFlyer said:

Pittsburgh won't make playoffs this year.

Bold prediction.

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Reasons ?

Deus Irae said:

People here have been all about getting Lewis back, just for one example. Assuming both are at 100%, Bell being back makes the Steelers better, just as Lewis being back makes the Patriots better.

No sense pretending otherwise

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Except I never said it wouldn't make a difference, so I have no clue what you're trying to get it. But that's all besides the point...

The question was whether or not the Steelers have improved their team this offseason. They have not.

Telling me they get Bell back doesn't change the fact that they have a weaker team than they had at the start of last season, when they had Bell anyway.

1960Pats said:

By my quick calculations, the Pats under Belichick are 8-4 vs the Steelers, with 4 of the wins and 3 of the losses coming at Pitt. Also, 2 of the Pats wins were playoff wins in Pitt. The Pats seem to match up pretty well vs Pitt.

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And the one home loss vs PitsDirt was in 2008 without Brady, and with Matty Slater fielding a KO
off the top of his head.

robertweathers said:

Reasons ?

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I think they make it...but will Ben play all 16? Most likely not and those missed games.. will they come at the end or the beginning. Could have a big outcome.

1960Pats said:

By my quick calculations, the Pats under Belichick are 8-4 vs the Steelers, with 4 of the wins and 3 of the losses coming at Pitt. Also, 2 of the Pats wins were playoff wins in Pitt. The Pats seem to match up pretty well vs Pitt.

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So, they're 4-3 at Pittsburgh under Belichick, where they happen to play this year.

Bit of a difference vs. the 4-1 record against them in Foxborough.