Todd Haley Interviews With Steelers For OC Position

[Crash]

First of all what distraction has Ben caused? If anything Art II is causing the distractions by:

A) Saying the decision on BA was Tomlin's call, when in reality it wasn't.

B) Saying to the media [and not to Ben or his position coach in private], that Ben needs to "tweak his game".

All Ben did was answer the question about Rooney's comment about his game, don't let the media's outright LIES in print cloud your judgement.

Here is the Ben interview. In the proper context.

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/?podc...dcid=CBS.PITTS

You don't get it, I think Art WANTS to trade Ben. They may have some lean years even if he's here because of age and the cap. They can get some top picks for Ben, save $60 million, and run the ball 70% of the time like people want.

John ****ing Elway had to shift gears midway through his career just to get to the winner's circle.

WHAT????? What gears did Elway shift? After Dan Reeves [Who had complete control of player decisions in his contract, which is why Charles Haley wasn't a Bronco after owner Pat Bowlen made a deal himself with the 49ers himself, which Reeves vetoed] was fired after Elway threatened retirement to Bowlen if he wasn't, [is that a distraction?] the Broncos first under Wade Phillips in 1993 and 1994, and then Mike Shanahan from 1995-1998 catered to Elway's every want and desire.

They hired Jim Fassel [Elway's QB Coach in college] in 1993 to run the West Coast Offense, the same offense Elway ran at Stanford. Hell they even hired Elway's father and gave him a cushy front office job.

They loaded up in 1993 with running backs Robert Delpino and Rod Bernstein, they also drafted 3rd down speedball Glyn Milburn because Elway wanted him. They signed free agent OL Brian Habib to a huge contract, and then traded for future HOF OT Gary Zimmerman.

In 1993 John Elway, in his first season out of Dan Reeves' dinosaur offense led the NFL in attempts, completions, and passing yards, and had his first ever 25 TD pass season. Can you imagine the uproar Tomlin would hear if Ben ever led the league in passing attempts?

"Run the ball you schmuck, we're the Stillers!"

The problem was? Denver spent all that money on offense for Elway, and their defense was aging and slow.

In 1994? They tried to steal Tim Brown away from the Raiders with an offer sheet, even went as far to offer him a full no trade clause in his contract thinking Al Davis wouldn't match the offer. Al did. When that didn't work, they went and stole Pro Bowl WR Anthony Miller away from the Chargers with the same offer sheet.

They also signed former CU Buff WR Mike Pritchard in 1994 as well for Elway even though he was coming off his best stats season EVER.

Then his buddy Shanahan [who Elway wanted hired in 1993 but Shanahan turned Bowlen down because of how it would look] was hired in 1995 and it was more of the same.

Elway wanted fellow Stanford alum Ed McCaffery at WR? Done. Elway wanted his buddy Gary Kubiak as the OC? Done.

Elway didn't shift any god**** gears, he didn't have to, what he wanted he got. In 1996 they started adding free agents to their defense. Ray Crockett, Tyrone Braxton, Neil Smith, Alfred Williams, Bill Romanowski, all added after Elway stuck his thumb in the pie for 2 years.

This whole notion that all Elway did from 1993-1998 was rely on the running game is laughable.

Look at his numbers, his best seasons were in years 11-16 when Reeves was fired. When Bowlen basically handed him a blank checkbook to spend on offensive talent around him, had Bowlen chosen Reeves over Elway after 1992? Elway would have retired, he admitted it.

http://www.pro-football-reference.co...E/ElwaJo00.htm

And before you reply? I live in Denver, I had to put up with this crap first hand.

If the Rooney's valued Ben as a player as much as Bowlen valued Elway? We'd never lose. If Ben was ever treated the way Elway was from 1993-1998 by Bowlen? JFC people in Pittsburgh would stroke out.

Hiring Fichtner is the right choice for many reasons. Not just Ben, but you also have young wides Sanders and Brown entering their crucial third seasons. Do you really want to waste the two years they've spent learning the playbook by bringing in an outsider with a system of his own? Hell no. You build on their productive starts. Brown is <> close to being a star, you can't change the system on them either.

If Ben were traded? He'd go win somewhere else. He's proven how much he elevates players around him.

I lived through 1983-2003 once. I don't wish to go through that again.

It's a QB driven league, and always will be now with Goodell's BS rules and phasing out defense.

I just wish Art II would stick to law and let his football people that he's paying to run this team do that.

If Art insists on more running and 1975 football? We are in DEEP trouble.

[Kipper]

The previous post notwithstanding, I don't see the likelihood. What the **** would we get for a QB who is possibly one good hit away from a career ending injury? Not to mention that the very idea that he'd be on the trading block would suggest that he is a malcontent with an ax to grind against the front office. Who the **** would want that, even in the QB desperate NFL?

Ben's going nowhere and he's going to accept his fate here. Besides, who in their right mind would want to assume his contract in the condition he's in?

All that said: where are we going when your ship comes in with the Big Bucks in tow, buddy? I vote for a secluded beach in Costa Rica, with scantily clad women in spaghetti string bikinis and butlers named Sherman fetching us Mai Tais!

Ben would get a huge return in a trade. nobody cares if he's been injured before, that's the nature of the soort. Every owner and GM believes their OL is better. Ben would get a huge return in a trade, just look at what so9me of these other players get in trades and then consider that Ben is an elite QB with 2 SB rings and 3 SB visits.

HUGE return for Ben.

I just don't see the Steelers maiing that move.. at all. They don't do these types of moves ad there's no indication that they will or are going to.

That said I completely agree with Crash and others that are saying Art needs to STFU. I hate when owners talk to the media about personnel decisions. I dont think it was much better for Ben to respond to the media at the length he did but to an extent he had no choice when Art decided to talk to the media and Ben having no idea what's going on. I think that we would all be in the same place that Ben is. All of this is really more a lack of communication, poor communication.

[Kipper]

Hiring Fichtner is the right choice for many reasons. Not just Ben, but you also have young wides Sanders and Brown entering their crucial third seasons. Do you really want to waste the two years they've spent learning the playbook by bringing in an outsider with a system of his own? Hell no. You build on their productive starts. Brown is <> close to being a star, you can't change the system on them either.

While i'm on the fence about Fichtner, know nothing much about him as a play calling and straegist.... You bring up a good point about learning a new Offense. That ****s with players especially ones that have been using the same system their entire career. Remember, Bruce arians didn't come in with a new Offense, he ran the same Offense that we had under Cowher that was implemented back in 1992. The Ron Erhart offense. Arians scaled the book down since it had additions from every OC that had been here since 1992 and he did it with Ben. Learning a new offense, you're telling the O-Line, young WR's and a 7th year QB to drop everything they know and adjust and learn something new... That's really not something you probably want to do right now. The Steelers aren't rebuilding so doing something drastic should be avoided.

I've never had a problem with this Offense. It can gain yards through the air, on the ground, it's show that it can rank Top 10 in scoring points... it just needs lead by a better strategist and playcaller because our point production is really lacking and never really been on par with the yardage it generates. Is Fichtner that? I really don't know. I can't see him being much worse than Arians caling plays but I don't know if he's that much better or not

[Hambert5958]

Is Fichtner that? I really don't know. I can't see him being much worse than Arians caling plays but I don't know if he's that much better or not

I dont know how Fichtner would do, but it seems that it would be a bit awkward to offer him the job after interviewing other potential outside candidates first. I mean, hey, lets emasculate the guy, great way of getting him started if he is chosen.

[Crash]

No one knows what Caldwell was interviewed for. He couldn't have been that serious a candidate if he accepted a QB job with the Ravens a day later.

Haley? Speculation is that was a mere courtesy/favor to him by the Rooney's, and that he's not a serious option either.

[Kipper]

No one knows what Caldwell was interviewed for. He couldn't have been that serious a candidate if he accepted a QB job with the Ravens a day later.

Haley? Speculation is that was a mere courtesy/favor to him by the Rooney's, and that he's not a serious option either.

I heard that speculation about Haley too.

So far all of the OC "interviews" seem to be going through the motion types before settling in house like they were going to all along. There's certainly nobody from the Pats and Giants for them to interview for the OC job so they have the entire NFL at their disposal right now

[exNCite]

Mega Millions and the Powerball??? You greedy bastard....whatta ya gonna do with ALL that cash!!!

Sign a big name FA for the Pirates.

[Crash]

Now this is what I call valuing your franchise QB.

http://plus.sites.post-gazette.com/i...-doesnt-matter

[Crash]

Alby Oxenreiter says he's told Haley is the front runner.