An emailer brought this to our attention today:
According to Jason LaCanfora, the new “NFL INSIDER” at NFL Network…Big Snack could be on his way out of Pittsburgh. The move would save cap room, sure, but it would leave a huge hole in the Steelers defense. Our window to win Super Bowls is open right now, I don’t think you make a move like this when you have a legit chance to win another trophy.
1. Hoke is a good backup and has proven he can be a starter but I like Hampton better, sorry.
2. A move like this would mean the coaching staff believes a combo of Hood, Hoke, and Rashon Harris can fill Hampton’s shoes.
3. Finding a longterm replacement for a BEAST 3-4 DT would prove to be a tough task. Guys coming out of school in the Hampton mold are taken high in the 1st round. A number of teams are playing the 3-4 defense now and the Steelers would have to fight tooth and nail with these other organizations to grab a quality NT at some point. The Steelers could entertain the idea of switching to a 4-3.
If this went down for some reason would you see it as a huge blow to the team? Would our backups be capable of filling in and doing the job? Would this lead you to believe that a switch to a 4-3 is on its way?
Not gonna happen. I don't think we should even discuss it.
This would be a huge blow.. I agree with you hoke is a good backup but not a satisfactory replacement.
Regarding a switch to 4-3, I think that as long as Lebeau is DC, it won't be considered. After that they might take a look at their personel and see, but i think they would still try to stay a 3-4 team since they have built up consistency at defense like that and know how to get the right LBs.
This is really silly. Casey Hampton is a very important player. Hood is a development player who wont be good for another year to be able to play on an elite defense. maybe this year for any other defense…but not ours.
Hampton is the reason why running up the middle sucks against the steelers. most of the runs by the titans last year(arguably the best running team in the NFL) were next to the tackles and not center or guards…
Yea, I also dont see a 4-3 happening. Just because tomlin is the coach or because Lebeau is retiring doesnt mean we wont continue using the 3-4.
Would be shocked if this happened
No way
The whole "converting to a 4-3" rumor mill is garbage. By the time LeBeau retires, Tomlin will have more experience (scouting, coaching, game-planning) with a 3-4 than 4-3.
Don't have the personal to run a 4-3. Aaron Smith and Kiesel are your DT with Hood being your wave DT. Then your ends are very small in Harrison and Woodley. Both are tweeners who function best as OLD in a 3-4 not as 4-3 DE. Timmons fits really ell in a 4-3 but thats it. We truly aren't utilize either or 3-4 DE or are 3-4 OLB. Plus who would be the SAM backer? Don't have the personal.
totally agree. However, if you lose Hampton this year (doubt it) or next year…you might not have a real quality NT for many seasons. Do you just role out the 3-4 with Hoke or a subpar NT or do you consider switching things up? I DONT want to switch and I dont think we have the personnel either but filling the Hampton role would instantly become your top priority on D. (assuming things with ryan clark get worked out)
This draft has brought a ton of depth. We can afford to trade draft picks next year for premium. There are two big time 3-4 NT coming out next year. Grab one of them, play them with hoke rookie year, then they become our starting NT for the next ten years.
Casey Hampton will now certainly test free agency at the end of the year. IMO he's playing his last year as a Steeler. What does this mean for next year? We'll you don't find NT's easily and with 12 teams playing some form of 34 defense the Steelers will not be in a position to get a quality one in the draft without having to trade up. IMO this team has the pieces in place, as Tomlin has explained before the positional flexibility to make the shift to a 4-3 defense. Timmons is your classic Will backer and Woodley very easily would move to RDE. He's as big already as many 43 ends playing the game – just look at Freeney, Van den Bosch, Umeniyoura, Cole, etc. Ziggy Hood is your classic penetrating UT (under tackle) and you've got Harrison and Farrior to man the other linebacker positions in addition to Smith, Keisel etc to fill in the remaining line positions. Keep in mind that LeBeau is familiar with the 43 and used it while coaching the Cincinnati Bengals previously, so its not that far fetched an idea.
This makes no sense from a football standpoint. Just look at that guy – Do you think he knows football.
I think LaCanfora still thinks he's covering the Skins. The Steelers manage the cap really well and would never cut a key piece like Hampton just before the season starts.
La Canfora doesn't strike me as a guy who just makes things up though. I read his Redskins Insider stuff pretty frequently.
Cutting/trading Hampton doesn't make any sense to me but he brought it up, not us. I never even thought about the possibility because it makes zero sense.
Are you kidding Dagger? He always made stuff up when he covered the skins. Hell, nobody on the team will even talk to anyone from the Washington Post. La Canfora is terrible.
Funny you say that, he once accused us of making something up about the Skins. We've posted one *breaking news rumor* in our entire existence based on a rock solid source. That rumor quickly hit the radio, the post, etc. he later said "dont believe everything you read on the internet." in response to the post we made that got everyone all worked up. I guess we should follow his advice here and be extremely skeptical of his report :)
I really doubt this. It sounds like an off the wall comment from someone who doesn't know much about the Steelers or football in general. When I have seen La Canfora speak on NFL network he just doesn't strike me as someone that sharp football wise.
I see our possible surprise cuts being
1. Kirschke
or
2. Townsend
Check out the link:
http://www.examiner.com/x-2703-Pittsburgh-Sports-...
Hampton promises to basically "look at what other teams are willing to offer him " if the Steelers don't get him a contract before the end of the season.
lame article – that's not even keisel (it's aaron smith's number 91 in the picture).
btw, does keisel's signing mean that the steelers won't be resigning aaron smith after 2010? that sucks. i love that guy.
Yeah, I don't take too much from the article. Hampton gave the response he had to give there…keeping all options open.
Whats all this talk about if we get rid of Casey it'll be hard to replace him? Thats true,but what does switching 2 a 4-3 have to do with anything? Hoke is a solid player buts he's getting up there in age, so might point being, if that happened we'd have to look for a DT anyway. Besides Casey aint going anywhere offseason drama,Guranteed will be forgotten by week 3
If we lose Hampton it will be because he leaves via free agency. There are not that many Casey Hampton's or Vince Wilfork's out there…so it will be tough to find an good replacement. They don't grow on trees and other teams are using 3-4s so we are not the only ones looking for "the next Hampton".
I wont be calling for a switch to a 4-3 but I'm sure some people out there will be debating it. We have the personnel for a 3-4 but if you lose Big Snack next year you better find a replacement ASAP.
Not only that 'Moving Woodley To a 4-3 DE Thats Retarded!!!! A True Steeler fan would know tha 3-4 is'nt going anywhere where's the Logik in changing something we have so much sucess in I cant listen to this
Hey, maybe Sonny Harris is the answer. He has looked pretty good. 3-4 NT in training.
Curse me to death, but I wouldnt mind waching us win another superbowl this year, play 2010/11 with Hoke as the starter and if it doesnt work out (and we dont find another good NT in the draft of FA) change to 43 as a gutsy move from the 7 rings ultimate all time champions! What would we have to lose? fuck it, i wouldnt mind at all going a bit experimental after a 7th ring…but that of course would only happen if the LBs can adapt. I personally think they can and who knows, maybe love the challenge.
Hoke is like 34, he can't hold up as a starting NT for a year and maintain a high level of play.
Has anyone considered that we could franchise Hampton? If Starks was worth the tag Hampton sure is. And if we have no cap next year we will get two tags.
Don't trust JLC. I'm ecstatic that he has stopped covering the Redskins. Also, keep in mind that the dude is a Ravens fan, and in the Redskins Insider would constantly make snide comparisons of the Redskins to the Ravens.
More likely to move to a 2-5 than a 4-3. Snack wont be on the team next year, but I dont see why they would move him THIS year. They aren't going to get fair market value for him. They would most likely get about the same as if they trade Ziggy Hood away.
A bunch of morons in the news media are saying that the Steelers won't re-sign Hampton and Ziggy will play NT. It's a bunch of crap. This is an even bigger bunch of crap. They won't cut Hampton. They might not re-sign him, but they won't cut him going into the season. They don't have another NT after Hampton and Hoke. Ziggy is not a nose tackle. Sonny Harris is not a nose tackle. Those guys are 6'3", 6'4" and 300lbs or less. Completely the wrong body-types to play nose tackle. Not big enough or low enough to the ground to draw double teams in the run game.
The Steelers will either sign Hampton or draft his replacement in the offseason. We know they ain't gonna draft that left tackle they need, so what else is there to use a pick on besides a nose anyway?
This guy needs to put the crank pipe down. NO way is Hampton cut before the season starts. I think they'll try to extend him after the season, but why would you cut him? They may even draft high at the NT position for an eventual replacement.
Ziggy is not a 3-4 NT, he is a 3-gap DT converting to a 5-gap DE.
Really they are just waiting to see how he performs this year. dangle the donut in front of him all year
7 days till we stomp Lendale White and the rest of the Titans. One of the major reasons we dominate them is because of Big Snack. You simply cannot run in the middle of our D and with our LB speed it is very tough to run outside. Snack will likely not be with us next year, but to suggest that we will let him go before we get ring #7 is retarded. I have a 6 year old that knows more about FB than this guy.
This is just motivation talk. Yeah the Steelers do get frustrated that Casey doesn't come into camp in shape n yeah after 2 knee surgeries they are hesitant to give him a new contract, but if you pay any attention to the Steelers, they rarely trade their players. Case in point, they cut Joey Porter (he would have been a camp holdout) n received nothing in return, n they let Alan Faneca play disgruntled for n entire year, rather than trade him for a second round pick. The Steelers will be content to let Hampton play out this season, n then come next year, if nobody offers him crazy money, they will try n resign him. If not, they will let him walk n draft a new NT to groom……Oh n for the last time, Ziggy hood is a DE, not a NT
bouchette refers to this "report" from nfl network and (like some here) give it as much credence as vick coming to the stillers.
in bouchette's column, though, big snack is pretty sure that the steelers won't apply the franchise tag on him.
why wouldn't we do that? that seems a pretty obvious thing to do, unless tomlin is really sick of him…
Dear Jason-
You are full of it.
Hoke is better than an overweight Hampton. The problem with cutting Hampton is who backs up Hoke? Hoke is no spring chicken.
The issue is who would take Hoke's snaps if Hampton were gone. They have two NTs. Get rid off one and you have no depth , now what.
Yea right! That would have been heartbreaking, I still think if he stays healthy the Steelers will franchise Big Snack and try to find a replacement next season to work under him.. The 3-4 idea with Brett Keisel at DT is hillarious, Keisel would without question be a DE in a 4-3, he is probably more suited for that actually than he is a 3-4 DE.