Put aside sentiment and the respect for past service to the team and ask one question: Will this player consistently help the Steelers win games in 2015?
Strip it down to that cold truth, and it becomes apparent it's time to cut ties with four defensive players who have served the franchise well.
--Brett Keisel was a late signing because the staff wasn't quite sure it had enough depth on the defensive line. Keisel did OK until his season was ended by a torn triceps muscle on Nov. 30.
That's a tough injury to come back from, especially when the player will be 37 in September. The Steelers wasted two years hoping Aaron Smith could rebound from a torn muscle, and that experience should have taught them something.
The Steelers thought they were done with Keisel last season, but necessity brought him back for an encore. This time the split should be final.
--James Harrison re-signed with the team weeks after he went through the formality of a paper signing so he could officially retire as a Steeler.
It wouldn't seem like the hard-as-nails Harrison would be the type to inspire a lot of sentiment, but his return was a story that grabbed a lot of people. He played reasonably well for 36 years old, and his presence seems to have meant something in a locker room that had lost the concept of Steelers toughness.
But Harrison also missed games because of injuries. It's also been revealed that Jason Worilds wasn't allowed to rush the quarterback as much because he had drop back for pass coverage that Harrison couldn't provide.
The Steelers have invested heavily in outside linebackers in recent drafts. Both Jarvis Jones and Ryan Shazier have had problems getting on the field because of injuries.
They're the future, though, and they have to play. The Steelers should submit those Harrison retirement papers again and move on.
--Troy Polamalu's decline has been noticed by everyone except network commentators. Maybe they're mesmerized by the flowing hair, but they still wax about his ability to attack from many different angles. Yet splash plays have become rare as age and mileage have taken an obvious toll. Polamalu may get a call from the Hall of Fame in a few years. But he shouldn't get one from the Steelers with an invitation to return for 2015.
The defense continues to evolve, and the focus is now on the secondary. It needs help, and it's unlikely to get it from Polamalu at age 34. It's always sad to see a great career wind down, but it's inevitable, too.
--Ike Taylor maintains he's lost nothing from his game. Of course. He plays cornerback, and that position is all about confidence. Corners play on the edge and they have a different mentality. Even if they get beat on a play, they firmly believe they'll make the next one.
Taylor has been loyal, saying he considers himself a Rooney. Chairman Dan Rooney, who is not known to get gooey about things, is said to consider Taylor one of his all-time favorite players. It's worth noting that Dan Rooney once fired his brother because he thought the move would make the Steelers better.
There should be a place for Taylor in the organization. This formerly no frills operation now has its own media platforms on the Internet and television. Make Taylor a part of that, to share his gems like, "You only get a once in a lifetime opportunity so many times." Put him on TV. Put him on radio. Just don't put him back at corner.
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--NO INTEREST?
There are currently six head coaching vacancies in the NFL, and each one has about six likely candidates listed.
Yet Todd Haley's name hasn't been mentioned prominently for any of them. This is a guy who has head coaching experience, has just directed on the NFL's most potent offenses and seemingly has a desire to run his own show again.
It seems odd that nobody seems to be interested.
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--MISMATCH
Poor Dri Archer.
He ran the ball against the Ravens in last Saturday's playoff game, only to have Terrell Suggs wrestle the helmet off his head while making the tackle.
The visual effect was that of the brave little guy who foolishly wandered onto the playground where the big kids were playing.
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