Hines Ward

[ironcitysteelers]

What are the chances that Ward will be in the slot by the end of the year?

[SteelerFan448]

Hines already plays in the slot. There is zero chance he isn't a starter by the end of the season.

[steelcan58]

Given his passion for contact and blocking skills he will be in the slot. Nobody does it better.

[STLRFAN78]

hines is da man!

[Bclower]

Hines will still be a starter it will be awhile till hes not like when he retires

[Steelerman58]

Hines will be playing on another team before he's #3 here.

[The Iron is Steel On!]

Hines will be the #1 receiver here until he retires in 4 to 5 years. He'll grab 70 to 80 balls this year and we're going to put up big numbers with the Parker/Mendenhall combo.

[toledosteel7]

Hines will be the #1 receiver here until he retires in 4 to 5 years. He'll grab 70 to 80 balls this year and we're going to put up big numbers with the Parker/Mendenhall combo.

I think he'll grab more than that this year with holmes and sweed making the safeties drop back. the middle will be wide open...

[Spike]

Hines already plays in the slot.

Exactly

Ben already has Sweed on speed dial? 100% chance there...

I like our redzone odds too

[thatrain]

He'll still be a starter, but he'll be our Wes Welker this year when we go 3-wide. I won't guess at how many balls he'll catch, that depends largely on his health.

As far as him being a starter for 4-5 years, not likely. This will almost certainly be his last year as a starter. He's going to have to renegotiate or he'll get cut next year. I just don't think he has the speed to play on the edge much longer, sadly.

[FistfullofRings]

Assuming Sweed plays and plays well this year, what are the chances Hines is still a Steeler in '09?

[thatrain]

Assuming Sweed plays and plays well this year, what are the chances Hines is still a Steeler in '09?

Probably pretty good. It would be a PR nightmare for the FO to let Hines slip away. That said, Hines will have to be willing to negotiate a smaller contract. There's no way, unless he shows major improvement over this past year, that they will pay him what he will be owed next year. His cap number is somewhere between 7 and 8 million I believe.

[Coryea]

Assuming Sweed plays and plays well this year, what are the chances Hines is still a Steeler in '09?

I doubt anyone will give a huge contract after this deal is up, so I see him staying here.

[Coryea]

Probably pretty good. It would be a PR nightmare for the FO to let Hines slip away. That said, Hines will have to be willing to negotiate a smaller contract. There's no way, unless he shows major improvement over this year, that they will pay him what he will be owed next year. His cap number is somewhere between 7 and 8 million I believe.

Why not, they'll probably end up giving Starks that much, at least Hines will contribute.

[pete]

Probably pretty good. It would be a PR nightmare for the FO to let Hines slip away. That said, Hines will have to be willing to negotiate a smaller contract. There's no way, unless he shows major improvement over this year, that they will pay him what he will be owed next year. His cap number is somewhere between 7 and 8 million I believe.

You're underestimating the greediness of Hines Ward.

If he isn't a starter, he'll go Ocho Cinco on us.

[DerbyCityBNGfan]

Assuming Sweed plays and plays well this year, what are the chances Hines is still a Steeler in '09?


It has less to do with how Santonio, Limas, and Nate do, and more to do with how much Hines wants to stay around and try to get that 2nd and/or 3rd ring ($). I honestly believe the two early picks put this team on a level, at least offensively, with any team in the league. For once, Brady and Manning are licking their chops at the weapons Ben has stockpiled, rather than the other way around. We will see how injuries and developments affect my confidence, but I really believe we are looking at a Super Bowl caliber team that will be competitive for a while. Hines will have the opportunity to restructure to insure a solid 2-3 years after this season, and to retire a lifelong Steeler.

[CornerBlitz]

Santonio is becoming our #1 WR and Hines going to the slot and taking a paycut will allow him to finish his career as a Steeler.

[RevBillyC]

Can we step back from punching Sweed's HOF ticket & filing Ward's social security papers?

It might be just a tad early to start projecting this kind of stuff.

[Spike]

The post-draft fever is still in effect.

I must admit never in my wildest dreams think we would have had two bigtime playmakers fall into our laps in the first 2 rds.

I'm kinda giddy myself.

[Coryea]

It has less to do with how Santonio, Limas, and Nate do, and more to do with how much Hines wants to stay around and try to get that 2nd and/or 3rd ring ($). I honestly believe the two early picks put this team on a level, at least offensively, with any team in the league. For once, Brady and Manning are licking their chops at the weapons Ben has stockpiled, rather than the other way around. We will see how injuries and developments affect my confidence, but I really believe we are looking at a Super Bowl caliber team that will be competitive for a while. Hines will have the opportunity to restructure to insure a solid 2-3 years after this season, and to retire a lifelong Steeler.

Now if we can get our Oline to perform well enough to allow us to use Miller like Indy uses Clark.

[FistfullofRings]

Probably pretty good. It would be a PR nightmare for the FO to let Hines slip away. That said, Hines will have to be willing to negotiate a smaller contract. There's no way, unless he shows major improvement over this past year, that they will pay him what he will be owed next year. His cap number is somewhere between 7 and 8 million I believe.

It never ceases to amaze me what teams are willing to pay players...

[BlackNGoldBalls]

Yeah this year will be his last in BnG i imagine

[markymarc]

Hines can line up wherever he damn well pleases. Ward is still a stud at WR plus he can only make the young ones even better especially with Sweed now.

[thatrain]

Hines can line up wherever he damn well pleases. Ward is still a stud at WR plus he can only make the young ones even better especially with Sweed now.

Ward is on the decline and has been pretty average the past few years. The new, young weapons will probably improve his game more than the other way around.

[Coryea]

Ward is on the decline and has been pretty average the past few years. The new, young weapons will probably improve his game more than the other way around.

I don't know, Holmes missed as many games as Ward did because of injuries. And Ward is so damn clutch, the bigger the moment, the bigger he plays. 10 catches for 135 yards in the playoffs vs the Jags. Ward has a few more very good years left in him.

[deljzc]

I think the front office has mishandled Ward a little bit and are positioning themselve in a pretty bad spot with him next year.

In my opinion (and take this however you want), we should have renegotiated his contract this year, before the draft, maybe one of the first things done this off-season. His salary cap him in 2008 isn't good, let alone the problem we see in 2009. Why not try to show him some good faith a little early, add two seasons to his deal and turn some of the money he's scheduled to make in 2008 and 2009 into a signing bonus and express our interest to keep a Steeler until he wants to retire.

This would open up cap space, smooth over the whole "tall WR" crap from January and avoid any big contract squabble in 2009 (which I predict is coming).

There were games, especially the big games, where Ward was our best WR still and even if we drafted a good WR (which we did), then our financial committment to Ward would have smoothed things out.

I know it's breaking FO policy to renegotiate deals with two years left, but I thought Ward was a good option to do that with and puts the Steelers in a better bargaining position (at Ward's age he can't ignore more up front money).

Next year, things just look like they are headed towards a big paycut/signing bonus squabble and now that we have Sweed, the FO won't back down.

[Steelz]

IMO, nothing will change at all... All Sweed is doing is taking Cedrick's spot. Hines will line up in the slot from time to time just like last year & Sweed will go wide out. It's going to be a match-up nightmare for d-coaches.

[markymarc]

And Ward is so damn clutch, the bigger the moment, the bigger he plays. 10 catches for 135 yards in the playoffs vs the Jags. Ward has a few more very good years left in him.

No question Ward can play at a high level for a few more years. Also, it's great to have Ward teaching the young fellows (Sweed, Holmes and Washington).

[TMC]

No offense, but Ward got paid on his last deal. I believe he signed a 4 year, 25.83M extension with a $10M signing bonus. We are carrying a $7M cap hit for Ward in 2008. I doubt that cap hit increases significantly. And, when you think we have cap money tied to players that won't be here next year, specifically Starks ($6.895M), Marvel Smith ($6.645M), and Farrior ($4.498M)....I just do not see us being pressed to release a guy like Ward.

I do also realize that Ben's extension will eat into that space, probably another $6M greater than what it is this season, but you have to pay your best offensive player. Hines is 32 right now. I am not sure of his salary next season, but I would believe that the Steelers could approach him with an extension that convert his salary into signing bonus and adds a few years to his deal, paying him in the range of $3-5M per season....and he could potentially go for that seeing that they could squeeze the final year out of him and jerk him around in free agency. I would not want to be a 33-year old guy with the prospect of chasing a new deal and changing my life when I could take a solid deal and continue on...business as usual.

You offer him a signing bonus (say $6M), add 4 years to his contract, make the salaries comfortable for both parties, and ask him to be the guy Hines has always been.

He got his payday. I think he would be more agreeable this time around.

[Coryea]

You offer him a signing bonus (say $6M), add 4 years to his contract, make the salaries comfortable for both parties, and ask him to be the guy Hines has always been.

He got his payday. I think he would be more agreeable this time around.

Exactly, I think he'll be more agreeable.

[Vis Major]

Exactly, I think he'll be more agreeable.


Based on what? He'll want to get paid again if he thinks he can get it. And he'll gripe to the media about it.

[Coryea]

Based on what? He'll want to get paid again if he thinks he can get it. And he'll gripe to the media about it.

He had every right to bitch last time, he was out producing guys making a ton more than he was and had 4 consecutive 1000 yard seasons, but was like the 30th highest paid WR heading into 2004.
That was then, I'm pretty sure after this contract he'll realize his days in the NFL are almost up and will take a friendly deal to be here.

[cutty]

Can we step back from punching Sweed's HOF ticket & filing Ward's social security papers?

It might be just a tad early to start projecting this kind of stuff.

I was thinking the same thing as I read this thread.

[cutty]

I don't know, Holmes missed as many games as Ward did because of injuries. And Ward is so damn clutch, the bigger the moment, the bigger he plays. 10 catches for 135 yards in the playoffs vs the Jags. Ward has a few more very good years left in him.

I agree, how in the hell can people say that this will be Hines last year in B&G? You are going to see his numbers get better now that the opposing defenses are going to have to respect the new weapons, if they get up to speed quickly.

[Sluzilla]

Based on what? He'll want to get paid again if he thinks he can get it. And he'll gripe to the media about it.

i agree...

[Hines57]

Any player or any worker in any industry is going to try to get as much $ as they can get in their most productive years. Anyone who doesn't isn't taking care of themselves or their family. Hopefully for the team's sake Hines will take a lesser deal for an extension so he can finish his career in black and gold.

[Coryea]

so you guys don't think he had a gripe when he was out producing WR's conistantly that were making 3 or 4 times more money than he was?

[Coryea]

Any player or any worker in any industry is going to try to get as much $ as they can get in their most productive years. Anyone who doesn't isn't taking care of themselves or their family. Hopefully for the team's sake Hines will take a lesser deal for an extension so he can finish his career in black and gold.

Exactly, he was putting up top notch number then and was like the 30th highest paid WR, he got his money. Now he's putting up mid range numbers, he's not going to ask for a killer deal.

[TMC]

Based on what? He'll want to get paid again if he thinks he can get it. And he'll gripe to the media about it.

I do not know if I agree with that. Hines did not bitch to the media (ala Faneca) over his last contract, and he was playing out a 4-year deal for $8M.....Cedric Wilson money. In fact, Ward was praised for how he handled his holdout...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/don_banks/01/31/ward/index.html

And, this was on the heels of the FO asking him to play his 3rd season under that lowball contract and they would take care of him the following year. Ward was paid.....but he still only received roughly $6M per season (the extension was roughly 4 years, 25M). Terrell Owens was signed that year for 3 years, $25M.

His contract averages $2M more a season than Hines contract did.....and they were the two stud WRs signed. Sorry, even though Ward held out, he still gave a bit of a hometown discount for a player of his caliber. And, this happened after he played the 2005 season for fucking peanuts.

Ward made enough with that deal to where I feel pretty confident he is not going to be selling pencils from a can. He can parley his final season, which carries a salary of $5.8M, into a new 3-4 season deal that pays him better than his salary in signing bonus and adds another $12-$14M to his life while keeping him where he is.

He stated after his contract was signed that he never even considered leaving Pittsburgh.

"I really didn't want the fans to get caught up in things like, 'Is this guy greedy or selfish?' '' Ward said of his holdout, adding that he never conceived of not being a Steeler. "I kind of thought both sides [came to their senses]. It's a business. There's nothing I could take personal against them, and I hope they didn't take anything personal against me for holding out.''

I have to think that both sides will find common ground again.

[Vis Major]

It took a personal call to get him in. For Hines it's about how disrespected he feels.

[Coryea]

It took a personal call to get him in. For Hines it's about how disrespected he feels.

If you've been one of the best in your field for 3 or 4 years, but have been getting paid as the 30th best, wouldn't you feel disrespected?