Kaspers Korner

Rumours have been flying around about former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher’s return to the National Football League.  The Steelers did the classy thing by announcing that they will not block his return to the NFL.

Cowher had one year left on his contract when he retired from the NFL.  When a coach tries to return to the NFL most teams want compensation, because the coach had time remaining on his contract.

It was unexpected, but very good news none the less.  Cowher served his one year out of football, and the Steelers have found a very good head coach to replace him in Mike Tomlin.

With the Steelers announcing that they will not block Cowher’s return the next two questions are when, and for how much.

Most likely his return would be for complete control over the football operations of the team.  Also, with the likes of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and Washinton Redskins owner Dan Snyder needing better head coaches Cowher could command of the likes of $10 million from a desperate club that wants to win.

However, according to Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney his return will most likely be sometime after 2009. 

Cowher and Rooney still have a good relationship, and talk very frequently.  His return has come up in talks between the two, and he has stated to Rooney that he is very happy with what he does.

Most likely Cowher has realized that what is more important than football is family.  You only get once to watch your kids growup, and with Cowher winning a Superbowl, he is most likely taking the time to be with his family.

Also, he is a involved on Sunday’s still by being in the studio crew on CBS.  That for now is most likely fullfilling his craving for football.

One day Cowher will return to the NFL, but that will not be likely for another couple of years.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a banged up team that everyone that pays attention to football knows about.  However, that has not prevented them from messing around with the injury report.

It has been widely known that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has a bad shoulder, and so does running back Willie Parker.  According to Pro Football Talk.com neither of the two are on the injury report.

Even the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Parker will wear a brace on his shoulder, becasue he dislocated his shoulder in a game on November 3rd against the Washington Redskins. When Parker’s shoulder dislocated it also tore his labrum, which Parker has denied.

It is getting to be a problem everywhere.  Even to the point of ridiculousness.  A lot of coaches are being confronted with reports from sources within a team, but still they deny the report.

People are not stupid.  If a player does not practice all week people know that player is not going to play. 

However, coaches treat the media, and the people that way for the simply trying to get an advantage on their opponent that week.

Get real coaches you are not fooling anyone.  Everyone has a training staff that can asses the situation from their office.  Also, teams are just going to find out some way anyways. 

In the end the only people that it is affecting is the fans at home.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost some key players for the season in running back Rashard Mendenhall and guard Kendall Simmons.  Now, the Steelers face the decision of how to compensate for their losses.

The replacement of Rashard Mendenhall will be the easy part.  That is due the availability of free agent running backs Saun Alexander and Cedric Benson.  Neither of the two have yet to sign with a team.

The hard part is the replacing of Simmons.  The Steelers were already hard pressed for quality lineman.  Now, there are going to be desperate, as the quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is on pace to be sacked 60 times this season.

At that rate the only place the Steelers will be going is the golf course at the end of the season.  The reason is the same as in the Saint Louis Rams situation.

Quarterbacks that get hit a lot eventually get ancy in the pocket.  When that starts to happen the ball is released earlier than normal, thus the pass is usually incomplete, or intercepted.  That is exactly the problem with Rams quarterback Marc Bulger, who was benched this past week for back up Trent Green.

Unless the solution for the Steelers is ihouse, then it is going to be a long year for the Steelers.

The Rooney family has pretty much owned the franchise for its entire existence, except for a couple of years.  Now, four of the five Rooney brothers have a huge decision to make.

Four of the Rooney brothers have to sell their interest in the team, because of owning gambling businesses.  They now face a friday deadline this week, which was imposed by interested buyer Stanely Drunckenmiller, according to radio station KDKA in Pittsburgh.

The decision is huge for the game of football.  Either take less money from their other brother, or accept the $800 million dollar offer from Druckenmiller.

If the team is sold to Druckenmiller it would send a message that passing a team on to family members is impossible, because of taxes.

Their options are limited, because the city of Pittsburgh is not a rich city, and there are not many billionaire owners like Druckenmiller.

If they sell it to him it will be a sad day for the NFL.

Four of the Rooney brothers are looking to sell their share of the Pittsburgh Steelers, due to them owning businesses with gambling.  Now, the story has took a 180 degree turn in favor of Dan Rooney.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Allegheny County Controller Mark Patrick Flaherty has accounced that the county will seek reimbursement of $281 million in construction costs, they incurred for building Heinz Feild, if ownership changes outside of the Rooney or McGinely family.

There are two ways that the Rooneys can avoid paying the money.  First, they can sell their stock to their brother Dan.  Or, new ownership could agree to the Steelers remaining in Pittsburgh for the next 75 years. 

What it means is that the the value of the stock, to the Rooneys, is going to be no more than $108 million, after paying their share of the $281 million back to Allegheny County.

In the end it means that they can get more pocket money for their share in the Steelers from their brother Dan, than they can get from New York investor Stanley Druckenmiller.  Unless, Druckenmiller pays way beyond what is the actual value of the team, or agree to the 75 years, yeah right like that is going to happen. 

Ben Roethlisbeger lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl Championship just a few seasons ago.  That would be his goal again for this upcoming season.

“Hopefully, we win the Super Bowl.  That’s my goal this year and I think we’ve got the personnel for it,”  Roethlisberger said at his youth camp.  With that being said the real question is that a reasonable thing to expect.

The statement is very true in fact.  They do have the personel on both sides of the football to win another championship.  The thing is though can they stay healthy. 

Offensively there are three questions.  First, can Willie Parker stay healthy as he is a smaller running back, and did break his ankle last year.  Secondly, how much will the departure or guard Alan Faneca affect the team.  Finally, will rookie running back Rashard Mendenhall, and wide receiver Lima Sweed, have a impact on the offense this year.

Defensively the only thing that has changed is that starting outside linebacker Clark Haggans signed with the Arizona Cardinals.  However you need to remeber this is the Steelers, and they are the premier franchise when it comes churning out pro bowl linebackers.  They let linebacker Joey Porter go to see him stuggle converting to a lineback in a 3-4 defense.

The only questions that remain is something out of the players, and coaches, hands.  That being the condition of the turf.  It was in pretty bad shape.  However, this is football it was meant to be played on grass, and if a field turns into a mud pit it is apart of their job description to deal with it. 

If the players, coaches, and fans do not like this then go watch the Arena Football League.  As the saying goes war can be hell.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have always been known for their defense.  Now, it seems that the Steelers will have to be creative as teams have figured out their defense.

The defense has slipped the past two years going from 47 sacks in 2005, when they went to the Superbowl, to 39 in 2006, and 36 in 2007, according to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is going to make changes to the defense in two ways.  First, Lamar Woodley will replace Clark Haggans as the starting left outside linebacker.  Secondly, there will be changes schematically, like that LeBeau will be constantly move the linebackers around. 

It seems teams have figured out the defense, and if the Steelers are going to be successful again they will have to come up with new things.

Audio version of blog, all you do is click the icon and the play button on the next page

http://boomp3.com/listen/dxrji0j/kk-steelers-april-twenty-nine

The Pittsburgh Steelers did not need much in reguards to holes on their team.  What they got will certainly make them a threat offensively next year.

The Steelers needed another back to compliment Willie Parker, and got that with running back Rashard Mendenhall with the 23rd pick in the first round.  Mendenhall was thought of to go much higher, but a huge run at offensive tackle allowed him to slip down.

Then in the second round the Steelers took wide receiver Limas Sweed.  Sweed in his senior season hurt his wrist again, and that hurt his production in the six games he played, before he had to shut it down.  Getting Sweed again gives them a tall wide receiver option, after they loss Plaxico Burres a couple of years ago to free agency.

In the second day they planned for the future in the third round taking outside linebacker Bruce Davis.  Then in the fourth round took offensive tackle Tony Hills.

In all a solid draft for the Steelers.

According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette the Pittsburgh Steelers have not spent a first round pick in 19 years.  However, if running back Jonathan Stewart has a Willis McGahee slip the Steelers just might break that drought.

According to Bouchette, “If not for the toe injury/surgery, Stewart would be a top 10 pick.”  Thanks to that injury Stewart just might fall into their lap.

However, the concern is what other teams think of the injury.  If other teams think that it is not serious, then they will most likely snag Stewart with their pick. 

If Stewart was not there at the 23rd pick then offensive line will probably be the place to go, since they lost guard Alan Faneca to free agency, and Jeff Hartings to retirement. 

In the end it is anyones call on what is going to happen, and a lot can happen between now and then.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a team for years that have been to the playoffs constantly, which is amazing looking at the number of players they let go over the years.  The reason for that is their front office have perfected a system.

John Harris of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review had an insight peice this week as to how the Pittsburgh Steelers work.  After reading it one can conclude that if Bill Cowher were to return to coach in the National Football League he would not be as successful as he was with the Steelers.

The Steelers have a system in place that rivals the New England Patriots when it comes to drafting.  One that could even surpass the Patriots, depending on the out come of Spygate.

The Steelers understand that when a player’s level of play is declining, and when his contract is up ususally, to let the player walk when they reached the end of a contract in their 30’s.

When a player is near the end of a contract, in their 30’s, the Steelers do one thing.  They sit back, and look at where the player’s level of play is, look at what their contract demands are, and then evaluate if it makes sense for them.

The Steelers usually take three different kinds of avenues.  First, if a player has a high cap number near the, or wants a big contract, and if they feel his level of play is declining they will cut the player, as in linebacker Joey Porters case, or let them walk like offensive guard Alan Faneca, and the numerous linebackers over the years.

Second, there is a player like defensive end Aaron Smith, who signed a $24.5 million contract extension.  The reason they resigned Smith is that they expect his level of play to be high for several years to come.

Finally, there is the case of linebackers James Harrison, and James Farrior.  Harrison, who turns 30 in May, has two years left on his contract, but his numbers are less than $2 million each year.  Farrior, who is near the end of his career, has a contract that actually reduces from the previous year.

Farrior might be the only guy outside of a quarterback that will retire with the same team.  The reason he simply understands what the Steelers expect contract wise, and feels that the small things in life are worth more than any big pay day.

Eventhough, they locked up quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a monster deal that will not hurt how they operate.  That is good news for Steeler fans, because you got to have that kind of system in place when you find a franchise quarterback like Big Ben if you are going to make the playoffs for years to come.