BR1986FB wrote: This was pretty much a "statement" by the Pittsburgh organization, IMO. They sure as hell weren't going to make their QB be the fall guy.

The only problem with that logic is all this was in the works before the stuff with Holmes and Ben. Randle El was signed on Mar. 8th, and he said at the time he was brought in to be the #3 receiver.

I'm so ticked right now! Anyone want a terrible towel? What about Ben then? Don't just send a message to Holmes. Then you trade him to the AFC? Wow!

Well I imagine they tried to get a lot higher pick for him.........but couldnt. By sending him to another AFC team, for only a 5th round pick...tells me there wasnt too many suitors out there wanting to take him.

I think he was set up with that bitch in Florida...but who knows where that ends up. Word is he failed drug test and will be out for 4 games, and this is the last of his contract.

I ddidnt see the steelers re signing him......at all. Getting a 5th round pick sux....but that must been all he could get out of it.

I hope he fails...and fails miserably. Even outta college I questioned his maturity and such.....3 kids with a couple diff women while still in college.....wreaks of irresponsibility....and then driving around with a big ole fatty in his ash tray.......failing a drug test in the aftercare program........allowing himself to be in the situation in florida.....

Steelers are just saying fuck it. Why dont they trade ben? Duh. he is their franchise...P L U S he is under long term deal and wont lose him after this season.

All I can say is...they won before him...won with him..and will win after him.

He isnt bigger than the organization.

Tha Voice.....you better hope they sure up the O-Line....lol. DB's are HORRIBLE too. Got a whole lotta retooling to do! They will not make the play-offs this year, bet on it!

it's only a matter of time, fatboy Ben

vball10set wrote: it's only a matter of time, fatboy Ben

Yeah, 2PM today. He will be cleared and no charges will be filed. Now go dump some frys in the hot oil and flip those burgers!

SQ_Crazies wrote:

gut wrote: I'd have let him play out his contract. That was dumb.

+1. If you aren't going to get shit for him, what difference does a 4 game suspension make? Might as well let him finish his contract and go from there. Maybe then, assuming he performs well enough, offer him a big contract that has major financial penalties for substance abuse. He'd almost have to sign it, if he wouldn't agree to the stipulations about the drugs then that'd look real bad to every other team in the league. I suppose Al Davis would probably take him, he could go kill his career in Oaksterdam and smoke mad weed. But this is definitely an epic fail by the Steelers.

If someone told you that you had cancer and that it looked bad but hadn't fully surfaced yet, would you let it hang around for a year and see what happens? The guy was a cancer to this team and a couple bad apples in the bag can make the whole thing go sour in a heartbeat. I don't think the Steelers' front office wants this kind of image for their team, nor do they want it spreading to other players with the notion that they can get away with anything. The right move was made!

This year's Steelers-Jets game in Pittsburgh just got a helluva lot more interesting. LOL

With their (Jets) O-Line, rushing attack AND Holmes and Butterfingers Braylon, if Dirty Sanchez can't succeed, he won't succeed anywhere.

A sidebar to this which should be interesting is that Braylon bitched & moaned about playing in the "Buckeye State." Will he now be overshadowed by a Buckeye after he got out of Ohio? Let the meltdowns commence...lol

this is perplexing. I'd have thought he was worth way more than a 5th.

something's not adding up.

The Jets have just become one of the best overall offenses in the NFL. Talk about highway robbery....

j_crazy wrote: this is perplexing. I'd have thought he was worth way more than a 5th.

something's not adding up.

When I first got a call @ like 6am this morning I thought the same thing...but when you add in a few things...
1. Reportes he will miss 4 games due to failed drug test.
2. Last year of his contract and expects to go to the highest bidder so there is no guarentee he will be around.
3. The fla thing that is goin on. Prolly is nothin but possibly could land him in more trouble.
4. Sending the team a message.

Steelers werent going to resign him. No way. He could play his maybe 12 games, or less, this year and lose him.

5th round pick is V E R Y low. V E R Y for this kind of caliber player. No doubt about it. Some reports there might be someone else thrown in as well.

This tells us that no team really wanted to give up much for him.

gut wrote: The only problem with that logic is all this was in the works before the stuff with Holmes and Ben. Randle El was signed on Mar. 8th, and he said at the time he was brought in to be the #3 receiver.

Please.

Randle El had no clue what they were doing. I think he was just assuming that he was going to beat Mike Wallace out.

No doubt. No way ARE knew or was told of this. He knew that Holmes/Ward were the top two guys, and he was brought in to battle for the 3 spot vs the young Wallace. A vet receiver doesnt get decent money and come in and say "im competing for the 4th WR spot". The three slot is a routine set in the offense so ya get alotta PT that way.

Plus..if the steelers were shopping Dookie around for over a month..it woulda came out I bet.
I imagine the word came down very recently that he had failed the test.

2. Last year of his contract and expects to go to the highest bidder so there is no guarentee he will be around.

If there was little interest in Holmes via the trade route, why would Pittsburgh be worried about a matching contract offer.If he is only worth a 5th round choice, what kind of contract would he be offered?


I'd rather have Holmes for 3/4 of a season and the playoffs, than a 5th round pick. I would agree that Leon Washington makes the trade less bitter.

The Jets just may be the favorite in the AFC. What a great off season they been having.

mallymal614 wrote: The Jets just may be the favorite in the AFC. What a great off season they been having.

It is definitely a fun time to be a Jets fan. Which is nice, because it's never been fun to be a Jets fan, at least not in my lifetime. My mom was only 9 years old the last time the Jets were relevant.

Prescott wrote:

2. Last year of his contract and expects to go to the highest bidder so there is no guarentee he will be around.

If there was little interest in Holmes via the trade route, why would Pittsburgh be worried about a matching contract offer.If he is only worth a 5th round choice, what kind of contract would he be offered?


I'd rather have Holmes for 3/4 of a season and the playoffs, than a 5th round pick. I would agree that Leon Washington makes the trade less bitter.

What that meant is teams werent willing to part with a high draft pick for a guy who will be around for 12 games, maybe less depending on his legal issues.

Dookie will get alot of interest and look for the highest bidder. Not many teams were willing to take a guy who wont be around long.

The Steelers got shafted and they dumbed up the trade by trading within the conference to a playoff team.

Bad trade for the Steelers. Panic move IMO. Too much bad publicity around the franchise. They want to get rid of some of it.

Poor Braylon...

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/12/holmes-trade-isnt-good-news-for-braylon-edwards/

Story on PFT also said that the Steelers called "everyone" (I'd be shocked if they called any team IN the division) and this was the best offer they got.

Low risk, high reward for the Jets if it works out. A lot less that the 1st & 3rd the Donks are asking for Brandon Marshall (who the Jets were also supposedly interested in).

What will also be interesting is how happy these receivers will be in Ryan's ground & pound scheme. I'd imagine they'd pass more but I can't imagine it would be THAT much more, even with Holmes & Edwards.

The Jets are probably the favorites in the AFC, no doubt about it.

Prescott wrote: The Steelers got shafted and they dumbed up the trade by trading within the conference to a playoff team.

This was not a trade to get a quality player or draft pick in return....What don't you understand about getting rid of someone who is a poison to your team? This was a move that had to be made because he was going to continue making a bad impression on the Steelers' organization. Considering how much he has tarnished the organization's image, I wouldn't have been too surprised if they just released him if no one was willing to offer anything in return. As an OSU fan, it's embarrassing that this guy has gone out and put a bad name to the Steelers and Buckeyes. He has all the talent in the world and continues to make irresponsible decisions that hurt himself and the people around him. Not only has he made a bad name for the Steelers, but the Buckeyes as well. Pittsburgh is lucky they even got a draft pick for this clown. I was thinking maybe someone would offer a pair of dirty socks for Holmes....Or at least it would have been polite to offer a thorough cleaning to remove all the marijuana residue he left behind.