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| "Swaggin'" |
As one of the premiere franchises in professional sports, the Pittsburgh Steelers have always made an effort to focus on the "team" aspect of the sport. No player has ever been bigger than the Steelers, no parts as important as the sum....and that sum has been 6 Lombardi Trophies sitting neatly together in the Steelers headquarters. It is safe to say that the Rooney way (the philosophy, not the avenue) has always seemed to lead to prosperity (While Rooney Avenue now leads to Stage AE).
Whether Noll or Cowher or Tomlin, Steelers coaches have embraced the philosophy of their ownership and followed up with big wins. The team has allowed numerous players to walk in lieu of giving them big raises in the twilight of their careers. With one notable exception in Rod Woodson, the team has always been on the right side of these transactions. Woodson went on to play at a high level and win a Super Bowl, collecting huge paydays from San Fransisco, Oakland, and Baltimore along the way. The rest of the lost Steelers include players who never again had an impact in the National Football League.
The "Rooney Way" will be meeting its biggest challenge this summer, once the bickering suits are done hammering out a new CBA. On the day the deal is signed, CB Ike Taylor will become one of the most sought-after players in a thin Free Agency class. The Steelers will need to make a quick decision on Taylor, as the offers will come in from all over the map. For the first time in decades, the Pittsburgh Steelers have allowed themselves to get into a situation with a player that could make or break an entire position for the 2011 squad. Ike is the only reliable CB on the current roster, a 2-time Super Bowl champion, a guy who has both tested the wills of Steeler Nation and given us many dramatic moments. If Taylor walks, the team is in the precarious position of having perhaps the worst starting corners in the AFC.
The 2011 NFL Draft was good to the Steelers. Their 1st Round pick, DE Cameron Heyward, looks like a winner. They picked up a few project CB players in Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen, one coming in from a college career playing against top line competition, the other coming from a military institution that may as well be Slippery Rock by football standards. The current holdover roster gives us William Gay, who is quite possibly the worst all-around football player to have a roster spot in the NFL. Crezdon Butler is an intriguing talent, but has little game experience. Bryant McFadden is a solid player, if unspectacular, but not a guy who fills the bill as a #1 CB. Special Teams ace Anthony Madison is valuable in many ways, but watching him try to cover the Packers WR corps is something we have had nightmares about since February. Keenan Lewis has shown talent leading to believe he was sitting in the 3rd round of the 2009 Draft for a reason.
If the Steelers go into Latrobe with a combination of McFadden/Butler/Gay/Lewis/Madison fighting it out for the starting 2 CB slots, it won't matter how many sacks or fumbles the Defense causes, teams will simply throw the ball 50 times and utilize the bad match-ups underneath with their TE. A good pass rush is only as good as the coverage. The Steelers will spend the season playing in many 31-28 games, similar to the last 8 games of the 2009 season. Go back and watch those games vs. Oakland, vs. Green Bay, at Kansas City. That is not something Steelers fans - or players or coaches - want to relive. That was not "Steeler Football".
Ike Taylor has never been confused with a Pro-Bowl CB. He has never had good hands, nor good judgement. What he has always had is speed, and a knack for coming up with a big play in a tight spot (see SB XL, 2008 vs. Dallas, etc.). Ike has been a solid CB on one of the greatest defenses in the history of football, and despite his errors and untranslatable interviews, he is part of a legacy that will never be forgotten. The Steelers can not simply allow him to walk away to the highest bidder and leave themselves in FUBAR state. Ike Taylor knows this. Ike Taylors savvy agent knows this. The NFL and all of its teams - many hungry for secondary help and flush with the coin to make it a reality - know this.
So what are the Steelers to do?
PAY THE MAN.
The unfortunate position the team finds itself in makes it impossible to let Taylor "Swag" on out of Pittsburgh. Ike is not going to give a "hometown discount", something that he has made clear via his Twitter account. Ike Taylor is a Pittsburgh Steeler, and deserves to have his day in the Pittsburgh sun. Hope that somebody steps up to play the role of #2 CB out of the McFadden/Butler mix. Allow Madison to stay in his role of nickel back and Special Teams ace headhunter. Make the young guys fight it out for the other slots, and for all that is HOLY - CUT William Gay.
The Steelers have one more season with this current group to get that elusive 3rd Lombardi. Guys like James Farrior, Aaron Smith, Troy Polamalu, Casey Hampton.....they are at the end or close to it. The 2011 season is the final shot for a roster that could well be considered a dynasty if they can get back to the Super Bowl and come away with another crown. A QB and WR will secure their day on the steps of Canton, OH. A franchise will once again be the best in the world.
Ike Taylor may have the Steelers asses over a barrel, but they built that barrel. The "Rooney Way" will need to sit this one out, #24 is needed on the North Shore this winter.
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