Steelers MMQB: NFL Offseason News
By Kim Myers
James Harrison won’t be in the Steelers huddle the next time Pittsburgh takes on Cincinnati. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
What We Learned This Week in the NFL Offseason:
- Former Steelers DPOY LB James Harrison is now a Bengal
- Jets deal Revis to Bucs
- Weekend arrests include broadcaster Al Michaels and Ravens LB McClain
- Steelers 2013 Regular Schedule released
For those who were missing James Harrison already, he won’t be far away. The former Defensive Player of the Year, the owner of the longest interception return in Super Bowl history, the man who said in an interview that if Roger Goodell was on fire he wouldn’t piss on him to put it out, our favorite often-fined linebacker has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. The idea of seeing Harrison in those god awful stripes is certainly stomach-turning, but not as terrifying as the fact that he will be lined up against our O-line trying to get to Ben twice this season. I’m not one of those bitter Steelers fans who now hates him and wishes bad things fall upon them. He signed with the Bengals, that’s bad enough. I wish James success in the remainder of his career and hope that he didn’t plan on winning anymore playoff games because that’s just not a thing in Cincy.
The New York Jets completed their trade of former Pitt CB Darrelle Revis to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday evening. The Bucs then signed Revis to a 6 year deal worth $96 million with no guaranteed money, making Revis the highest paid CB in NFL history. The Jets received the Bucs 13th pick in Thursday’s draft, as well as a conditional 4th or 3rd round pick next year. My thoughts on this deal are that the Tampa Bay secondary just got markedly improved, while the Jets…well I just assumed the Jets will continue to be the circus side-show they have been even with a new GM. Revis is coming off of an ACL injury, which could make this a risky move by Tampa, but after finishing last season with the worst pass defense in the league; this is a risk worth taking.
During the offseason there in inevitably a number of player arrests that occur for one reason or another. My MMQB would look more like a police blotter if I mentioned each arrest every week, and remember the NFL and Roger Goodell does not suspend or punish players arrested for DUI’s or DWI’s; which is the most common arrest for NFL players. This week a name hit the news with a DUI arrest that you wouldn’t have guessed; iconic broadcaster and SNF anchor Al Michaels was arrested on DUI Friday night in California. Michaels’ breathalyzer was close to the legal limit so he was released on his own the next morning. No word from NBC on whether or not Michaels would be disciplined at all for this misstep. This next one was just too ridiculous, I couldn’t not mention it. Newly acquired Ravens LB Rolando McClain was arrested for the third time in his hometown this weekend. Apparently McClain’s hobbies include returning to his hometown of Decatur, Alabama and getting arrested for one thing or another. This time it was disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The Raiders released McClain earlier this month and the Ravens scooped him up on account of their LB core pretty much just consisted of Terrell Suggs and his giant gums. I’m sure McClain will stay out of trouble now that he’s in Baltimore. You know, from now on.
The Steelers 2013 Regular Season schedule was released this week and the prime games include a Thanksgiving evening matchup in Baltimore against the Ravens and a Week 2 Monday Night Football early divisional matchup against James Harrison and the Bengals in Cincy. Mike Wallace returns to Heinz Field as a Dolphin on December 8th and the Steelers will travel to London to face the Minnesota Vikings on September 29th. All I can say is that if the Ratbirds Thanksgiving day game goes into overtime for the love of God someone make sure the ref hears the correct call on the coin flip.
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