Harris: Lackluster drafts costing Steelers

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By John Harris

Re-signing restricted free agent Emmanuel Sanders to a one-year, $2.5 million contract is out of character for the Steelers, and not just because fellow receiver Antonio Brown thinks so.

“I don't think that they really like guys that don't do things their way,” Brown said Friday on Sirius XM NFL Radio, two days before the Steelers matched the New England Patriots*' $2.5 million offer to Sanders. “There's a certain professional way that they go about their business, and I don't think that they make decisions with guys that don't go about things in the way that they should. So in my opinion, I don't think he'll come back. It's just not smart to get a guy for one year at a price that you can get a guy for four years.”

Brown was fooled, along with the rest of us. It's a mistake to assume we know how the Steelers operate, because we don't anymore.

These are desperate times for the Steelers, who never engaged in bidding wars for their own players until, apparently, now.

Because of a lack of depth at receiver and repeated misfires in the draft, the Steelers need Sanders.

Agent Jordan Woy tweeted that Sanders is the NFL's first restricted free agent in three years to receive a contract offer.

It makes you wonder why they didn't sign Sanders to a new deal instead of allowing the Patriots* to establish the market for the Steelers' own player.

If the Steelers value Sanders so highly, why did they give him a low tender, which would have resulted in them receiving a third-round draft pick instead of a second-round tender? Making New England hand over a second-round pick would have lessened the chances of the Patriots* signing Sanders to an offer sheet.

Instead, the Steelers were in the unfamiliar position of overpaying to retain a receiver they had undervalued.

Why the rush to judgment for the Steelers? Bad draft picks forced the team's hand.

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/johnharris/3844036-74/steelers-draft-sanders#ixzz2QccWGRLu
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The team should ban Antonio Brown from talking to the media.

If I were Sanders, I think I'd be slightly offended by Brown's remarks. But then again, I'm not Sanders.

I'm just hoping that this signing doesn't turn into another Mike Wallace scenerio at the end of the year. I don't follow the draft, but I keep hearing that this class is not that impressive. Keeping Sanders another year, and then finding the next Hines Ward next year isn't such a bad move. If our season pans out the way I think it is going to, we will be in the position to get some great picks next year -- maybe even first

Well, in Brown's defense, his remarks aren't exactly false, but they're certainly somewhat offensive.

bayz101 wrote:

Well, in Brown's defense, his remarks aren't exactly false, but they're certainly somewhat offensive.

If it was a quote from Wallace instead of Brown, would it be a drop quote?

Sorry. I couldn't resist a newspaper reference.

Please don't turn it into a Wallace thread we had plenty of those last year

Dec. 8th 1:00 pm Dolphins come to town

Wallace108 wrote:

bayz101 wrote:

Well, in Brown's defense, his remarks aren't exactly false, but they're certainly somewhat offensive.

If it was a quote from Wallace instead of Brown, would it be a drop quote?

Sorry. I couldn't resist a newspaper reference.

I'll tell you what it wouldn't be:

A surprise.