Offensive Line spending allocation

[MightyGiants]

Rich, not necessarily. Some teams have much better talent evaluation at certain positions. I remember KC revamped their O line and got much better the next year.., I am sure there are others. Schoen and company can not draft good O linemen, or keep the ones they have (Zeitler balling in Detroit), if their lives depended on it... they are clueless!

That's a good point, although it's odd that the problem spanned 3 different GMs and many different coaches

[coggs]

Rich, not necessarily. Some teams have much better talent evaluation at certain positions. I remember KC revamped their O line and got much better the next year.., I am sure there are others. Schoen and company can not draft good O linemen, or keep the ones they have (Zeitler balling in Detroit), if their lives depended on it... they are clueless!

Zeitler was a cap issue, but I hated the decision to move on from him when it happened.

[Bob In PA]

I remember KC revamped their O line and got much better the next year..

GD: True, but it's easier to get free agents to come to a good team than a bad team. That's the conundrum.

Once your ship is sailing in the wrong direction it's really hard to turn around. Having said that, it's amazing how quickly you can turn around if you have that one "spark plug" in the right spot.

They need a great draft and must get lucky with the lower picks (a few better-than-expected surprises).

And so we wait...

Bob

[uconnjack8]

Steelers drafted 3 OL in 2024 year that all were starters this season

[Bob In PA]

Steelers drafted 3 OL in 2024 year that all were starters this season

uconn: The Steelers are, always have been, and always will be, a top three NFL franchise.

As a small market team, they, like the Packers, both of whom play in the cold, have little room for error.

How they do it is a mystery to me UNLESS I conclude (as I am prone to mention from time to time) that there are "shenanigans" going on in the background of this particular monopoly. Wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Bob

[MightyGiants]

Zeitler was a cap issue, but I hated the decision to move on from him when it happened.

I think Zeitler is an example of the Giant's bad medical staff.  Towards the end of Zeitler's NYG career, he was starting to show signs of age-related performance decline (in his case, playing worse toward the end of seasons).  Yet, he leaves the Giants and has been able to perform well for another 4 years. 

[coggs]

uconn: The Steelers are, always have been, and always will be, a top three NFL franchise.

As a small market team, they, like the Packers, both of whom play in the cold, have little room for error.

How they do it is a mystery to me UNLESS I conclude (as I am prone to mention from time to time) that there are "shenanigans" going on in the background of this particular monopoly. Wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Bob

Steelers are not really a small market team in the sense the Pirates are a small market team.

[Bob In PA]

Steelers are not really a small market team in the sense the Pirates are a small market team.

coggs: Like the Cowboys, Steelers DO have fans all over the place (unlike the modern-day Pirates), but do you have another reason for saying that? They're still surrounded by a lot of nearby teams and the population is the same (although football is much more popular than baseball, the audience is still quite small). Bob

[coggs]

coggs: Like the Cowboys, Steelers DO have fans all over the place (unlike the modern-day Pirates), but do you have another reason for saying that? They're still surrounded by a lot of nearby teams and the population is the same (although football is much more popular than baseball, the audience is still quite small). Bob

Because they draw people from all over western PA, into southeast Ohio.  Revenues are not a problem for them.  While someone half-way between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh may claim the Pirates are their favorite team in MLB, unless they are a diehard, they are not following like people follow the Steelers.

[uconnjack8]

Big market and small market are really not an issue for NFL teams because of revenue sharing.  Huge signing bonuses can be an issue depending on owner wealth which is not connected to market size. 

The Mara's are not near the top in wealth of NFL ownership although they are in a big market. 

All salary cap money is generated from shared revenues.

[MightyGiants]

In baseball, you have tiers of teams, with the big-market teams enjoying an advantage over the smaller markets.

In football, the shared revenue model has shown that there is a pretty level playing field, with small market teams like Buffalo, Greenbay, Pittsburg, and KC all enjoying sustained success.  Conversely, big market teams like NYG and the Jets have suffered a decade-plus of futility.

One of the lesser talked about aspects of the field leveling was the last CBA.  The last CBA pushed up the salary cap floor (the minimum amount teams needed to pay for players).   Prior to 2011, the bigger market teams with their little extra income from non-shared sources and the deep pocket owners enjoyed a bit of an advantage.   

[Bob In PA]

Big market and small market are really not an issue for NFL teams because of revenue sharing.  Huge signing bonuses can be an issue depending on owner wealth which is not connected to market size. 

The Mara's are not near the top in wealth of NFL ownership although they are in a big market. 

All salary cap money is generated from shared revenues.

uconn: I'm aware of all that as well (and I know you know PA lol) but the economy out west is not the same as in and around Philly. There is a lot less money (big steel and bituminous coal struggling, etc.). Bob

[MightyGiants]

The only true economic advantage some NFL teams enjoy over others is the state income tax rate.  Teams in states without or with very low-income tax rates enjoy a salary cap advantage over those teams in states with higher tax rates.   The state income tax lowers the available cap space for a team by the percentage lost to those taxes.

[Bob In PA]

The only true economic advantage some NFL teams enjoy over others is the state income tax rate.  Teams in states without or with very low-income tax rates enjoy a salary cap advantage over those teams in states with higher tax rates.   The state income tax lowers the available cap space for a team by the percentage lost to those taxes.

Rich: I'm probably not making my point very well. Notwithstanding revenue sharing and taxes, there is simply "less money" in Pittsburgh than elsewhere.  They are unable to buy as many hot dogs and T-shirts as the crowds elsewhere. So they NEED to have fans beyond their geographical "territory" in order to do as well as many or most other NFL franchises. Bob  @uconnjack8  @coggs

[coggs]

The only true economic advantage some NFL teams enjoy over others is the state income tax rate.  Teams in states without or with very low-income tax rates enjoy a salary cap advantage over those teams in states with higher tax rates.   The state income tax lowers the available cap space for a team by the percentage lost to those taxes.

Even that is quelled some with the jock tax.  Plus signing bonuses are taxed differently, as well.  A player on the C*wb*ys still pays tax to NJ, PA, MD, when they play division games on the road.  I am sure California hits them as they have training camp in California.