Colbert says Steelers are ready for change

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the NFL's most stable franchises for years, opting for small tweaks rather than drastic makeovers. It's a formula that's worked with unparalleled success, as evidenced by the team's record six Super Bowl victories.

Still, it might be time for a change.

Following an 8-8 season that included a second-half collapse, general manager Kevin Colbert said Wednesday the gap between the Steelers and the four teams still alive in the playoffs is "significant" and needs to be addressed in the next six months. "Are we close to those teams? No, because we haven't played since the first week of January," Colbert said.

Colbert insists he's not overreacting. Sure, the Steelers could have salvaged a postseason berth with a play here or there. Only they didn't. And he's not sure that's a bad thing.

"When you're 12-4 and a playoff team, you get mesmerized by your success and maybe you're a little reluctant to change," Colbert said. "Not that you don't try to upgrade every year. We were 12-4 (in 2011) but we were eliminated in the first round. In reality we went just one week deeper than we did this year."

It's the kind of downward trend the Steelers have largely avoided in the last two decades, though Pittsburgh has been through a very regular pattern this millennium, missing the playoffs every three years: 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012.

If the pattern holds, the Steelers are locks to play into January and beyond in 2013 and 2014. Colbert doesn't expect it to just happen organically. At a place that goes by the motto "the standard is the standard," it certainly was not met in 2012 by the players on the roster, the coaching staff or the front office.

While there are no plans to make any major moves within the organization -- though offensive coordinator Todd Haley and assistant general manager Omar Khan are up for jobs with other teams -- expect to see some familiar faces move on during the offseason.

"If we don't change 8-8, if we don't change the roster that produced 8-8, we'd be silly to expect a better result if we've got the same group of guys," he said. "We can't box ourselves in and limit what we potentially could do."

Colbert stressed the issue was not effort or preparation, but results. The Steelers were 3-5 in games decided by a field goal. They needed to sweep Cincinnati and Cleveland at home in the final two weeks of the season and only earned a split.

The defense struggled early in the season. The offense struggled late. Save for a three-week stretch in the middle of the year -- wins over the Bengals, Redskins and Giants -- Pittsburgh was very much an average team. While defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's unit was No. 1 in the NFL in yards allowed, it created just 20 turnovers, with four of those coming in a meaningless season finale win over Cleveland.

"We weren't great in takeaways but we were No. 1 in a lot of different areas," he said. "Was it good enough? No."

Though injuries cost Pittsburgh starters 52 games, which Colbert said was 11th-most in the league, he's not using it as an excuse. He pointed out four playoff teams had starters miss more playing time. Pittsburgh's staff will meet on Thursday to evaluate the injury situation to see if anything can be done from a preventative standpoint but Colbert knows they're simply a part of the game.

So is the salary cap. The Steelers have just started the process of accessing where they'll be when the cap is officially set and Colbert anticipates to be somewhere around the $121 million mark. He declined to comment specifically on Pittsburgh's impending free agents -- including wide receiver Mike Wallace -- but doesn't expect to place the franchise tag on anyone.

"When you're 8-8, I don't think we had too many franchise players," he said. Colbert has some sense of what the free agent market will look like, but the Steelers have rarely made a splashy signing in the spring. They prefer to build through the draft, and Colbert said there are no positions that are off limits. That includes perhaps looking for someone early in the draft to serve as a backup to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who missed three games this season with a sprained shoulder and dislocated rib.

"We won't close the door on any position in any round," Colbert said. "We can't."

**Ouch~ read more at:http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8850437/pittsburgh-steelers-major-player-changes-kevin-colbert-says

yep, will be a lot different team after the 2014 season. big salaries will be gone Steelers will get their salary cap in order and rebuild for the next playoff run.

don't know what kind of season the Steelers will have in 2013 but i think the change will be more about the future then next season.

This is no surprise I think we all knew that they would be changes coming up. Some will be hard because they will be some long time veterans that will not be in a Steeler uniform.

Change now or change later. Eventually you have to change.

The Steelers are still evaluating players and planning how to get into salary-cap compliance by the March 12 deadline. The cap is expected to be similar to a year ago, around $121 million per team. The Steelers are projected to be at least $10 million over that right now.

They will get under it, Colbert said, through contract terminations and likely extensions and reconstructed contracts.

He sounded as if none of their impending free agents will get contract offers before they can hit the open market March 12.

"We won't know what an individual player will cost until he gets out there," Colbert said. "Going into this thing, we're not married to anybody."

The Steelers have a gaggle of starters who will become unrestricted free agents, including wide receiver Mike Wallace, cornerback Keenan Lewis, offensive tackle Max Starks, running back Rashard Mendenhall, nose tackle Casey Hampton, inside linebacker Larry Foote and offensive lineman Ramon Foster.

Colbert said using the franchise (or transition) tag to prevent any of them from signing elsewhere, is "very doubtful.

"In my mind, when you're 8-8, I don't think you had too many franchise players."


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steeler-roster-shake-up-coming-670718/#ixzz2IFnVJLcf


• On the running game, which produced its fewest yards in nine seasons: "Where we were in the running game last year was indicative of the talent at the position. ... That group of players didn't produce the way we anticipated they would."

• The decision to cut running back/return man Chris Rainey will not be reversed (it can't be done officially until Feb. 4), no matter what the legal outcome of his battery arrest in Florida: "We felt it was time to do it ... we felt the need to make the move when we did. The decision has been made."

• On Steelers executive Omar Khan being a finalist to become the New York Jets general manager: "We're extremely excited for his opportunity. He's earned it, he's very knowledgeable about how this business works -- I mean the football business, not just the business side of it. He's been very strong in salary-cap administration, but he's also observed and learned a lot about how the player-personnel side of things works. We think he's ready, and, if he gets the opportunity, good for him. If he does, we'll have to act accordingly."

• For the first time since they drafted Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, Colbert would not rule out drafting a quarterback in the first round. "We won't close the door on any position in any round. We can't ... Once we get into free agency and the draft, I don't see any position that's off limits."

• Colbert noted that the Steelers had fewer injuries than some playoff teams. "We were not the only team that had injuries. Teams that had more had better results." He said the amount of injuries "really wasn't unique to us."

• The Steelers, once dead-set against restructuring contracts that pushed cap hits into the future, have made it a routine part of doing business for five years or so. They will continue to do it, but Colbert said it carries a danger. "You have to be careful. Sooner or later, you have to pay the debt. You never want to get to a point where you have to gut your team and start over. We want to compete for a championship every year."

• The Steelers signed one of their free agents. Cornerback Justin King of Monroeville, Gateway High School and Penn State, signed a one-year contract for his veteran minimum.


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steeler-roster-shake-up-coming-670718/#ixzz2IFmA9qYO[i]

I have been thinking if there wasn't a run on quarterbacks this year that Pittsburgh could go after one. Now it the time to start grooming him for the future. I am not saying that it is top priority but it wouldn't surprise me if it happens.

imo 2nd or maybe the 3rd round could be the target for a QB in this draft. but who knows come draft day QBs could shoot up everyones draft boards.

still thinking Landry Jones QB Oklahoma could be a good fit in Haley's offense.

Tyler Wilson Qb from Arkansas if he's avalaible in R2 I'd take him