Steelers MMQB: NFL Offseason News
By Kim Myers
Mar 22, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in attendance in the second half of a men
What We Learned This Week in the NFL Offseason:
- Jets create another QB controversy for themselves
- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban thinks the NFL will lose popularity eventually
- The Oakland Raiders offseason is baffling
- Tomlin says Steelers aren’t done in free agency
This NFL offseason has been anything but boring. Through the first weeks of free agency there have been millions of dollars signed and dozens of player going to new teams. Now the owners are meeting together in Orlando to see how much they can jack up the game more for us fans while they put a few more million dollars in their pockets.
The New York Jets just can’t help themselves sometimes. Ok, they can’t help themselves all the time. Friday the Jets released their former #1 draft pick, Mark Sanchez, and immediately signed veteran quarterback Michael Vick. The Jets had to do something with Sanchez, who was due a $2 million roster bonus on March 25th, after drafting Geno Smith and starting him the majority of the 2013 season following the collar-bone injury to Sanchez in the preseason. Now the talk of whether or not Vick will start over Smith this season is sure to keep the Jets happy and in the news for the unforeseeable future. A possible landing spot so far for Sanchez that has been speculated is the Cleveland Browns. If that doesn’t have Butt Fumble Part 2 written all over it, I don’t know what does.
Outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, thinks that the NFL is being too “greedy” with their television contracts and that that greed is eventually going to lead to the downfall of the league.
"“I think the NFL is 10 years away from an implosion. I’m just telling you, pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. And they’re getting hoggy. Just watch. Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. When you try to take it too far, people turn the other way.” – Mark Cuban"
Clearly Cuban is venting his frustrations as the NFL begins to take over more nights of the viewing week to keep drawing more viewers away from the NBA. Not like the NBA is even in direct competition with the NFL for viewers anyway. The country is indisputably addicted to football and I’m not entirely sure that’s going to change even if the owners get greedier by the minute.
The Oakland Raiders traded their 6th round draft pick to Houston for Matt Schaub on Friday, further continuing their awesomely Raider offseason so far. They went into free agency with the most money to spend and they’ve been spending it faster than most of us spent our tax return refunds. They’re shelling out money to all the 30+-year olds with either poor past seasons, injury problems, or both. All they need to do now is make sure they draft whoever had the fastest 40-yard dash time at the Combine and they will have had the Raiderest offseason ever.
As part of the league’s Competition Committee, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is down in Orlando this week for the owner’s meetings. There he spoke about how the Steelers have done so far in free agency and hinted and their plans going forward. He explained that how free agency plays out will determine the direction the Steelers go in the draft.
"“I really just think it depends on how the rest of free agency shapes us. We have things that we feel we need to get done to insulate ourselves on both sides of the ball, and in the kicking game. And what we don’t get done in free agency, we intend to finish off in the draft.” –Mike Tomlin"
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