Prediction for the off season

[Joey Porters Taint]

Colbert is fired. Or "retires" like Bruce did.

 

[Drink IRON City]

I think a little BIGGER shack up. Colbert / OC or DC gone / replaced. I'm wanting bigger than that, but affraid this is what we are going to get.




Salute the nation

 

[Joey Porters Taint]

Yea I hope your right. The dumbest thing they could do is nothing. It's time.

 

[Litos]

I predict one semi-big FA acquisition

 

[Steelr4evr]

I think it's time to bring in some fresh blood. Unfortunately the league is now a fantasy football fallacy of high yardage,arm tackling and high scoring. Most games I turn on are painful to watch. It's hard to go back to the old way that is now dead.... smash mouth football..R.I.P.

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

Offense has shown improvement (although WAY to inconsistent)- that being said, I would like to see Haley stick around.

DL- its not really his fault that he is working through a roster that is turning over. However, his scheme's are no longer 'revolutionary' or unpredictable. It may help to get a new pair of eyes but again, not in a particular rush to get him out the door.

MT- here thru '16 and probably longer.

Colbert- here at least thru next year

FA- We depart with the older guys. Still, we will be unable to afford any top flight guys for our front 7. We will pick up both a mid level Tackle and a mid level CB or Safety.

 

[Omar10213245]

Offense has shown improvement (although WAY to inconsistent)- that being said, I would like to see Haley stick around.

DL- its not really his fault that he is working through a roster that is turning over. However, his scheme's are no longer 'revolutionary' or unpredictable. It may help to get a new pair of eyes but again, not in a particular rush to get him out the door.

MT- here thru '16 and probably longer.

Colbert- here at least thru next year

FA- We depart with the older guys. Still, we will be unable to afford any top flight guys for our front 7. We will pick up both a mid level Tackle and a mid level CB or Safety.

I seriously doubt it, not with things "devolving" as they have been the last 3 seasons

 

[JupiterBnG]

I seriously doubt it, not with things "devolving" as they have been the last 3 seasons

The arrow is not pointing up, so to speak. It's possible that this season's record will be below the line, unless we begin turning over stones, as it were. Obviously.

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

I seriously doubt it, not with things "devolving" as they have been the last 3 seasons

I know you have your 'differences' with MT, so no reason arguing- but here is what would have to happen in that case:

We suck the last 4 games. (nothing happens)

We suck all of next year. (Colbert likely gone)

MT has one more year under contract- New GM basically makes MT audition for his job.

Thats why I say at least through '16, with a good possibility of even longer

 

[Punxsutawney]

The Steelers could lose out, going 7-9, and both Tomlin and Colbert will be back in 2015. I firmly believe that. However, if by the end of next season, the Steelers have gone four consecutive seasons without reaching the playoffs, I think both are gone.

I strongly disagree with the notion that Tomlin will unconditonally be given the rest of his contact to "turn it around." I cannot see the Rooney's trying to justify keeping a coach who, in such a scenario, will have gone four calender years without a playoff appearance and five without a playoff win.

I just cannot, especially if the defense shows no sign of improvement next year, or God forbid, continues to get worse.

The Steelers would be playing their 2016 home games in an empty stadium.

 

[thumbring]

I believe Dick LeBeau will retire, or be encouraged to retire. Tomlin stays and Haley stays.

 

[Omar10213245]

I know you have your 'differences' with MT, so no reason arguing- but here is what would have to happen in that case:

We suck the last 4 games. (nothing happens)

We suck all of next year. (Colbert likely gone)

MT has one more year under contract- New GM basically makes MT audition for his job.

Thats why I say at least through '16, with a good possibility of even longer

I just dont see it, especially the "longer" part; i simply cant accept that the rooney's would be so reticent towards the idea of canning tomlin and colbert, especially considering neither of the two are "brand new" to the franchise. If we blow it and miss out on the postseason this year, and we continue to look like a below-average team next season, I've gotta think that they'd say "ok, time for something else, this isnt going anywhere.". And fwiw, this seems to me, to be the most logical course of events, regardless of my personal feelings on the matter

 

[TDX27]

Colbert, Kahn, Haley and LeBeau are canned or "retire".

Tomlin should be on the list also - especially if they don't make the playoffs. But, I doubt he goes and I even doubt more than 1 guy is let go or leaves on their own. I have no faith in the ownership anymore. I do like stability but they have gone too far this time.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

This:

I believe Dick LeBeau will retire, or be encouraged to retire. Tomlin stays and Haley stays.

Although Colbert and Tomlin should be canned too. I think there is a slight chance that Colbert will be "retired".

 

[SteelVictory]

Tomlin will finish the contract.
They won't fire him.
Rooney's won't pay two coaches.

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

I just dont see it, especially the "longer" part; i simply cant accept that the rooney's would be so reticent towards the idea of canning tomlin and colbert, especially considering neither of the two are "brand new" to the franchise. If we blow it and miss out on the postseason this year, and we continue to look like a below-average team next season, I've gotta think that they'd say "ok, time for something else, this isnt going anywhere.". And fwiw, this seems to me, to be the most logical course of events, regardless of my personal feelings on the matter

The issue is that most owners do not make decisions week to week, unlike us fans. The team has been quite literally the definition of average the past 2 years. Not any worse, nor any better. This is despite turning over an aging roster. I know average is neither good or great, but OK considering the circumstances.

This year, the team has been slightly above average. Very slightly, but above average nonetheless.

So you have a very patient ownership that has watched its team remain at least average while it undergoes a roster change. Some of the talent on offense has begun to bud and we have now moved towards a slightly above average team. So in reality, this transition has been more graceful than others in Steeler's past. So why would they feel the need to change the formula?

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Tomlin will finish the contract.
They won't fire him.
Rooney's won't pay two coaches.

The Rooney's won't fire their first Rooney Rule hire either. Best we can hope for is they don't extend or renew his contract but then people will say "You extended Cowher's contract after he missed the playoffs three straight years so you're racist if you don't do the same thing for the black coach." Mark my words, in five more years, maybe ten, Cool Shades will still be here.
The ONLY way he'll be gone is if the day comes when he pulls a Cowher and asks for more money than they want to pay.

 

[JupiterBnG]

The Steelers could lose out, going 7-9, and both Tomlin and Colbert will be back in 2015. I firmly believe that. However, if by the end of next season, the Steelers have gone four consecutive seasons without reaching the playoffs, I think both are gone.

I strongly disagree with the notion that Tomlin will unconditonally be given the rest of his contact to "turn it around." I cannot see the Rooney's trying to justify keeping a coach who, in such a scenario, will have gone four calender years without a playoff appearance and five without a playoff win.

I just cannot, especially if the defense shows no sign of improvement next year, or God forbid, continues to get worse.

The Steelers would be playing their 2016 home games in an empty stadium.

The problem is that Tomlin's failures are largely based on perception, and not reflected in the results to date under his tenure. If the Steelers do go 7-9 this year, it'll be the first season below .500 under Tomlin's watch. Tomlin will still have an overall winning record in the regular season, and would still be one of a relative few active head coaches that can claim to have won a Super Bowl. I think we all see that the line is trending down right now (obviously), but the Rooneys traditionally haven't been disposed to react quickly to these kinds of things, and I think being their "Rooney Rule" hire will give Tomlin some added insurance. I will not be surprised at all (disappointed, maybe, but not surprised) if they extend his contract after this season, in keeping with their usual pattern of extending a coach with one year left. At worst, if the Rooneys really don't have a lot of confidence in him, the extension will be a short one. If they offer him one additional year, that might be the signal that he has limited time to turn things around. But if they extend him for a more typical 3-4 years (I think that's typically been how they've done it over the years), he's almost guaranteed to stick around for the duration and probably get extended again several years on if the decline doesn't continue.

You know and I know that he makes horrible in-game decisions, poorly manages the clock, doesn't make adjustments well, and hasn't been able to keep the team in line in terms of discipline. Now weigh that against the fact that he's 78-46 (.629) in the regular season, and 5-3 in the post-season with a SB win. Coming into this season he was ranked in the top 10 on the coaches' power ranking. And finally, seriously ask yourself who would be available to replace him and be expected to do better? In a vacuum, where you don't consider lots of inter-related issues or worry about realistic solutions moving forward, yes, a 7-9 season should absolutely demonstrate that Tomlin is sliding the wrong way and maybe it's time to part ways. I think the Rooneys take a bigger-picture view, though, so I don't see Tomlin going anywhere.

 

[Omar10213245]

The issue is that most owners do not make decisions week to week, unlike us fans. The team has been quite literally the definition of average the past 2 years. Not any worse, nor any better. This is despite turning over an aging roster. I know average is neither good or great, but OK considering the circumstances.

This year, the team has been slightly above average. Very slightly, but above average nonetheless.

So you have a very patient ownership that has watched its team remain at least average while it undergoes a roster change. Some of the talent on offense has begun to bud and we have now moved towards a slightly above average team. So in reality, this transition has been more graceful than others in Steeler's past. So why would they feel the need to change the formula?

Because this is a different day and age, than in 1975. I don't, for a second, think that the Rooney's are so bereft of situational awareness, that they don't understand that today's football market is all about "now now now" and the "24-hour news cycle". The Rooney's surely understand that there's a fine line in this league between "awful" and "excellent", that EVERYONE has talent on their rosters (well, everyone except Oakland, lol). I think that Rooney Jr. has a better pulse of the team than we give him credit for, and I don't think it's lost on him that our drafting and player progession/development has been consistently below the mark for the last few seasons. That's why they'd need to "change the formula".

 

[F83]

let go Taylor, possibly Troy, re-sign McCain 3 years 5 mill, sign Fa LT Roos 2 years 10 mill and 1 vet S to replace possibly troy.

 

[GMC]

I can't make up my mind on Colbert. What's happended since Cowher left? Has he lost it? Never had it? Were they a great team or was Bill the mastermind? If it was the latter, then there is room for improvement. But if it's the former, then I'm afraid things may actually get worse if he leaves.

I firmly believe that unless someone resigns, next year's staff will look the same.

 

[antdrewjosh]

The Rooneys havent changed their approach to anything. They still treat free agency the same. They still handle their coaches the same. Only thing thats slightly different is that they keep who they want but even still they wont overpay. I dont think they care about the fans who want change now now now or the 24 hr news cycle. They believe in their tried and tru method of doing things. Especially since other teams big spending and constantly changing coaches hasnt resulted in championships.

 

[steelhurt]

Much too early to make any predictions on the off season changes if there are to be any changes. We have to wait and see how this plays out; do we end up 8-8,7-9 missing out on the playoffs again or do we miraculously win out and win the division?

I'll tell you this though, if we take former scenario and lose out on the playoffs it will be much worse than last year missing the playoffs. The reason being we finished on o high note going 6-2 and there was hope and promise for 2014 and the arrow was pointing up, but ending up 8-8 this year would be finishing up very poorly from going 6-3 to 8-8 would mean we went 2- 5 down the stretch and the arrow points downward.

The real problem lies with poor talent and that's not Lebeaus' fault in any way shape or form. He can only coach what they supply him and the supply stinks the last 8 years. So you have to go to the source and that's the scouting, Colbert and Tomlin. With an 8-8 or worse finish they will revamp scouting department, but not fire or force retirement on Colbert and will not fire Tomlin. The scapegoat will most likely be Lebeau who will be asked to resign.

Colbert and cool shades will get another year and both be on the hot seat next season for sure.

 

[TAS]

Everybody stays. This will be mikes last stand before our next Rooney rule hire.

 

[Stryker]

I predict one semi-big FA acquisition

Like Mike Mitchell? SMH...