Something has gone haywire in the player personnel department.
Consistently bad judgments are being made on draft choices and free agents -- not only who is signed, but who is allowed to leave.
Three-quarters into this season, it's obvious the Steelers have gotten little from free agents Mike Mitchell, Cam Thomas, Lance Moore and Darrius Heyward Bey, and don't even seem interested in using some of them.
Previous success was aided by under-the-radar signings like James Farrior, Kimo von Oelhoffen and Ryan Clark. None of the acquisitions generated headlines, but they all made the team better.
The ultimate responsibility for player personnel falls on GM Kevin Colbert, but there are layers of structure beneath him. There's a disconnect somewhere in the system, which is why the Steelers are spending their third-round draft choice on seldom-seen Dri Archer.
The Pirates were plagued in the past by some bad scouting within the organization. Some of the main advisors mistook flotsam like Brant Brown and Aki Iwamura for players who could contribute on a regular basis. Football is different because coaches tape exists of every game and every play, but the idea is the same: Someone is misjudging talent. The Pirates revamped their staff, and things got better.
Maybe the Steelers need to do that. Perhaps they need to revise the process that ranks potential draft picks.
The biggest problem with this team is a lack of talent, especially on defense. That's why they're heading into the last part of the schedule needing to run the table with little realistic chance to accomplish that.
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--WEARING DOWN
Tight end may not be an immediate need for the Steelers, but it's a position they'll need to fill soon.
Heath Miller is still a reliable pass catcher, and a favorite target for Ben Roethlisberger. But gone are the days when it would take two tacklers to take Miller down. His yards after the catch have diminished greatly.
That's only natural after 10 NFL seasons. Miller's high-impact style of play only accelerates depreciation.
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--CLASS REUNION
Terry Bradshaw and Jack Lambert were the two conspicuous no-shows from the 40-year reunion of the first Super Bowl team. It's doubtful either was a big issue with the players who were on hand.
They long ago made their peace with Bradshaw's various quirks. Lambert has turned into something of a recluse.
It was fun to see some of the more obscure players from that team -- you're a real fan if you remember Dick Conn, Marv Kellum, Ed Bradley and John McMakin. They were right place/right time players scattered amid the enviable collection of stars.
Dick Stuart, the Pirates' old iron-handed first baseman, used to skip the 1960 reunions because he had some beef with the organization. But in his final years, Stuart attended when he was invited. He said, "Who knows how many more chances we'll have to get together?"
Might be a point for Bradshaw and Lambert to ponder.
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--DECISIONS DEFERRED
December used to be an especially active trading time in the NHL, to the point that players negotiated a trade embargo for Christmas week in the labor agreement.
The season nears the 30-game point, and teams get an idea of what they're lacking.
That led to a flurry of December deals, but the salary cap has crimped that activity. A lot of teams spend close to the cap, which means there isn't a lot of room to maneuver. Ray Shero used to call it trading apples for apples, meaning that if a team acquired a player with a $3 million contract, it had to purge a similar amount from the payroll.
That isn't easy, and it explains why much of the serious dealing is done closer to the trade deadline. The Penguins need at least one forward for the top two lines, but they may have to wait a while to add that player.
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--JINGLE BELL ROCK
One thing about high school football stretching into December:
The marching band kids get to work up some Christmas songs for the halftime show.
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