Over the next few weeks Steelers Sanctuary will be providing our version on how to fix the mess that is the 2021 Pittsburgh Steelers. There’s no shortage of things that need fixing with this franchise heading into next season. We will be taking a step by step approach on the moves we feel need to be made going forward.
Step one in this series will be to trade Mike Tomlin. Sound crazy? There is precedent for trading high profile head coaches in the NFL. The Oakland Raiders traded Jon Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002, and got quite the haul for him. This franchise needs a new direction in terms of the coaching staff anyway, why not profit from this change? Here are the details of what a trade would look like, and how it would affect the team:
The Trade:
As we mentioned earlier, a move like this is not without precedent. The the Oakland Raiders received two first, and two second round picks for Jon Gruden in 2002. The similarities between these two situations are astonishing. Both the Raiders and Steelers were coming off crushing playoff losses. Jon Gruden had only one year left on his contract, just as Mike Tomlin has right now. Both are thought to be at the very top of the NFL coaching profession as well. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/jon-gruden-trade-raiders-buccaneers/lx7i1j2be78t1k73pnzge6wnn
Imagine what a haul like that could do for this franchise right now. There would be no shortage of teams interested if the Steelers were willing to trade Mike Tomlin. The NFL currently has seven head coaching positions open right now. That’s seven teams Kevin Colbert could pit against each other to get maximum return in a trade. Let’s take a look at a few of the trade possibilities:
Jaguars:
A swap of first round picks, the Jaguars third round pick, and a 2022 second round pick.
Jets:
The Jets second overall pick.
Falcons:
Falcons fourth overall pick, and a 4th round pick.
Lions:
Lions seventh overall pick, plus a first in 2022.
Chargers:
Chargers thirteenth overall pick, second round pick 2021, and second round pick in 2022
Any of these potential trades would be a windfall for this organization. The assets obtained in this kind of trade would give the team exactly what they need for a quick and painless rebuild. Including a replacement for Ben Roethlisberger, which has to be a top priority moving forward. Any other scenario involves a long and painful process back to Super Bowl contender.
The Why:
A rebuild in Pittsburgh is long overdue. We called for one after the 2018 season when Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell left the team, and Ben Roethlisberger’s contract was nearly up. It’s time for the Steelers to blow it up Three years later, this franchise has backed themselves into a corner with a mess of a salary cap. No money to spend, an over the hill quarterback, and a major talent set to leave via free agency.
The only real asset this team has that would bring any substantial return is their head coach. A trade involving Mike Tomlin would be the quickest way to jumpstart the remaking of this roster. It is in fact the only way to get the next franchise quarterback, without the pain of one or more losing seasons.
All this, and we have not yet mentioned the real reason to trade Mike Tomlin. The fact of the matter is its time. Mike Tomlin is a very good NFL head coach, but his time has passed in Pittsburgh. This franchise needs a new, more modern direction in terms of coaching. Running old and tired derivatives of the Dick LeBeau defense just doesn’t cut it anymore. Not to mention the absolutely unimaginative offense this team employs. Tomlin’s loyalty to his coordinators, and unwillingness to modernize his approach has made this team predictable and stagnant. A change of scenery would benefit both Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. Especially if that change brought back much needed assets for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
NOTE: Stay tuned for step two in the “Fixing the Steelers” series by Steelers Sanctuary. Next we tackle the in-house free agents and roster cuts.
Bull shit. Tomlin ant get us in this situation the general manager fucked the team up. Tomlin don’t make no decisions. Then you want to trade him for a white privileged coach. Fuck out of here. Get rid of bens bum ass. Another example of white privilege. The new Rooney’s generation was white privilege too the ant like dan and Art Sr. They grew up poor and treated people fairly. The new generation chose the jocky over the horse’s letting Bell and brown go. And chose to stick with Ben. A old washed up no Accuracy and can’t move any more and don’t want to get hurt. Art sr. And Dan would have never done that. When Terry Bradshaw was loosing it they got rid of him. He’s better than Ben. When Troy and Hines wanted 1 more year the said no. But you want to get rid of Tomlin. Bull shit. That white privilege talking. Check tolins record. And you want to bring in some. White coach how ant really done shit but bet his old team that keep the same plays and Audibles when he coached them the year before. From a die hard steelers fan. And not a yenzer.
Tomlin calls the defense. Have you watched how this defense has played in the playoffs lately? I’ll remind you, almost 100 points given up in the last two games. Oh and how had Bell and Brown done since they left? I rest my case.