quoting BURGH43STEL:

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quoting wardismvp:

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 Although Heath Miller is a top 5 TE, the Steelers do not

utilize there TE as effectively as other teams do. We will get him signed,

The poster that suggested we use Spaeth to replace miller must

be on something, Spaeth couldn't block when he came here and still can't block.

Look for his stay as a Steeler to be over with this year.

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They utilized Spaeth to replace Miller for 2 games last season. Were the coaches on something then? Spaeth will be the next guy in line if Miller gets injured this season.

I guess you don't think the guy can improve his blocking skills? This will only be his 3rd season in the league. I believe he can improve. Some of you act like every guy that comes into the league are supposed to be finished products. I am glad the coaches don't give up on players so quickly.

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If Miller ends up walking in two years I hope you're right about Spaeth.

I also hope that you're right about Spaeth becoming a better blocker because right now he stinks.

i think if mchugh shows some stuff this year he could over take spaeth as the # 2 guy this year. we have two young guys also. sherrod ,who didn't look bad in preseason last year and our 7th rounder johnson from this year.   that tells me they are looking.   we also had the guy that got in trouble.  he was soon shuffled out of town.   mchugh is a big guy too.   he caught some passes last year.   spaeth didn't just miss some blocks last year, he about got our backs and ben killed on complete whiffs.    he also dropped a perfect pass on a slant for a TD.   where's ben cunningham when you need him? 

quoting DraftAntajH:

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Heath will be a RFA at the end of the year. The Steelers aren't in danger of losing him. I'd gladly take a 1st round pick as compensation if someone wanted to sign him away from us.

Heath is a very good and balanced TE. But he is not an integral part of this franchise. You can't sign everyone.

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miller is one of the best tight end in the league . better than gates and gonzales (too old). i would prefer to sign miller than have a first round pick .

If the Steelers don't find a way to keep Heath, I will lose a lot of respect fo that FO.  Heath is a Steeler and I don't think he'll cut and run because some other team will pay him a couple of million more.  I believe winning and playing for a class organization is much more important to him.  As for Spaeth being a capable replacement, that comment is laughable!

  Don't worry, our OC will continue to destroy the offense and careers. 

quoting JackAttack 5958:

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If the Steelers don't find a way to keep Heath, I will lose a lot of respect fo that FO.  Heath is a Steeler and I don't think he'll cut and run because some other team will pay him a couple of million more.  I believe winning and playing for a class organization is much more important to him.  As for Spaeth being a capable replacement, that comment is laughable!

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So, you will lose a lot of respect for the FO over a player? I really don't understand that thinking. They have loss fan favorites and franchise caliber players in the past. Did you lose respect for the organization? Most times it is business & not personal. Guess it is hard for some fans to separate the two.

Will you lose respect for Heath if he wants to test the market for more money or a better opportunity? A couple of million more is a lot of money. I can't blame the guy if he wants more money and a better opportunity. His career can end on one play. Not sure if winning or playing for a class organization is more important to him. If that were the case, I think he would take the vet minimum. As a player and from a business perspective, he has to make the best decision for himself and his family.

If that means playing for the Steelers or another team, so be it.

they let bruener go. i still have his jersey in my closet, or my kids now.  a game jersey to boot.  200 bucks at the time.   personnally i root for the steelers and not just the players.  they have to make these tough decisions from time to time.   they have the franchise tag they could use and most likely will if they have too.   sometimes these guys want to stay , because they have a home here and children in school and wives that are from here and like it here.  there are other things that make these guys stick around if the money is close or a little less then somewhere else.  stability.  he's from virginia , i believe.   he's not far from family i would assume.  

quoting mac daddyo:

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they let bruener go. i still have his jersey in my closet, or my kids now.  a game jersey to boot.  200 bucks at the time.   personnally i root for the steelers and not just the players.  they have to make these tough decisions from time to time.   they have the franchise tag they could use and most likely will if they have too.   sometimes these guys want to stay , because they have a home here and children in school and wives that are from here and like it here.  there are other things that make these guys stick around if the money is close or a little less then somewhere else.  stability.  he's from virginia , i believe.   he's not far from family i would assume.  

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Through a mutual friend, I was able to meet Heath during his rookie season, and from the comments he made months after the initial NFL draft, through training camp, & throughout the season, this young man isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He was priviledged to be drafted by the Steelers & the Rooney family, immediately felt a 'family' atmosphere, and wanted to extend his career within the Steeler's organization.

Having said that, do I think it's possible for him to move on to more a richer environmet? Yes, by all means & I for one wouldn't begrudge him of that. However, this young man appears to be well grounded, humble, and genuinely respectful of the opportunity given to him.

In my opinion, I can honestly see him accepting a moderate increase to stay within an organization that will provide him with ample opportunites for championship-style football in the forth coming years.

Having said that....I hope the Rooney's reward Heath with a long term, financially stable contract, satisfactory to both parties if not before training camp this year, shortly afer the playoff run of '09-'10

quoting BURGH43STEL:

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quoting kevdude86:

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quoting BURGH43STEL:

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quoting FreeTibet:

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It is tricky. He seems very loyal, and has won two super bowls with the Steelers. He is a huge part of our running game, but we all know how underused he is in the passing game. He has probably the best hands on the team, and is very underrated after the catch. He always gets the most yards possible. I personally can't believe we allow him to go with only 2 or 3 catches per game. He should be pulling in 6 or 7. He's better than Jason Witten; he deserves more recognition than Jason Witten.

It depends what he wants. If he wants more fame, more catches and more touchdowns, he'll have to leave. He could probably also make more money elsewhere, too, although I don't think Pittsburgh will completely stiff him. They seem to understand that he is crucial to us, even if they don't throw him the ball.

And yeah, that article was complete B.S. Just a very bored writer.

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Why is he underused in the pass game? There are not enough balls to go around. Miller is the 4th or 5th option on the team after the RB's and WR's. He is the 3rd option in the passing game. Should he be the first or second option before Ward or Holmes? I don't think so. It is what it is. If they cannot get a deal done, I think Spaeth is a capable replacement. They cannot get afford to keep everyone.

I disagree that he is a better TE than Witten. They are closer to comparable TE's.

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I think the first comment calls into question the credibility backing the second.

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Are up am expert? I surely am not but I do usually have rational views. I try not to be to much of a homer.

This is not about my credibility. My opinion is that Spaeth is an adequate enough TE to replace Miller. He had a couple of decent games filling in for Miller last year. One area that Spaeth can improve is as a blocker. Spaeth is a another guy that does not get to showcase or maximize his talents on this team because of all the other weapons. You ever think that one reason they drafted the guy was because there was a chance they could not get a deal worked out with Miller?

Is Miller clearly better than Witten? I don't think so. I think they are comparable players.

Some fans act as though Miller is a must sign. I don't think that is the case. I don't think Miller deserves to be the highest paid TE in the league. That might be what he and his agent are requesting. Ben, Polamalu, Holmes, and a few other guys probably fit into the must sign category. I don't think a 3rd option is the passing game is a must sign player. I do hope they can work something out but not at the expense of losing players like Holmes and Woodley.

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What about at the expense of losing extremely sub-par players like Colon and Keomatu? At the start of this offseason the OC made it a priority to resign two of the worst offensive linemen in the league. The money we wasted on both players would have been more than sufficient to lock up Heath Miller

quoting kevdude86:

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quoting BURGH43STEL:

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quoting kevdude86:

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quoting BURGH43STEL:

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quoting FreeTibet:

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It is tricky. He seems very loyal, and has won two super bowls with the Steelers. He is a huge part of our running game, but we all know how underused he is in the passing game. He has probably the best hands on the team, and is very underrated after the catch. He always gets the most yards possible. I personally can't believe we allow him to go with only 2 or 3 catches per game. He should be pulling in 6 or 7. He's better than Jason Witten; he deserves more recognition than Jason Witten.

It depends what he wants. If he wants more fame, more catches and more touchdowns, he'll have to leave. He could probably also make more money elsewhere, too, although I don't think Pittsburgh will completely stiff him. They seem to understand that he is crucial to us, even if they don't throw him the ball.

And yeah, that article was complete B.S. Just a very bored writer.

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Why is he underused in the pass game? There are not enough balls to go around. Miller is the 4th or 5th option on the team after the RB's and WR's. He is the 3rd option in the passing game. Should he be the first or second option before Ward or Holmes? I don't think so. It is what it is. If they cannot get a deal done, I think Spaeth is a capable replacement. They cannot get afford to keep everyone.

I disagree that he is a better TE than Witten. They are closer to comparable TE's.

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I think the first comment calls into question the credibility backing the second.

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Are up am expert? I surely am not but I do usually have rational views. I try not to be to much of a homer.

This is not about my credibility. My opinion is that Spaeth is an adequate enough TE to replace Miller. He had a couple of decent games filling in for Miller last year. One area that Spaeth can improve is as a blocker. Spaeth is a another guy that does not get to showcase or maximize his talents on this team because of all the other weapons. You ever think that one reason they drafted the guy was because there was a chance they could not get a deal worked out with Miller?

Is Miller clearly better than Witten? I don't think so. I think they are comparable players.

Some fans act as though Miller is a must sign. I don't think that is the case. I don't think Miller deserves to be the highest paid TE in the league. That might be what he and his agent are requesting. Ben, Polamalu, Holmes, and a few other guys probably fit into the must sign category. I don't think a 3rd option is the passing game is a must sign player. I do hope they can work something out but not at the expense of losing players like Holmes and Woodley.

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What about at the expense of losing extremely sub-par players like Colon and Keomatu? At the start of this offseason the OC made it a priority to resign two of the worst offensive linemen in the league. The money we wasted on both players would have been more than sufficient to lock up Heath Miller

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Seems that some fans have a hard time understanding what the franchise was thinking. I will try to shed some light on what they were thinking. After all, they are intelligent people who know more about the biz of football than any of us. They may not be popular decisions with fans but there is a purpose behind their decisions.

If you lose Colon and Keomatu, who will replace those players this season? They gave Colon a one year tender. This gives them the option to start Colon or if another player beats him out, they will have someone with starting experience behind the player that wins the job.

Last season was Kemo's first season as a starter. I guess they think he has some upside. That's why they decided to give him an extension. Not like his contract is breaking the bank. Again, what other option did they have on the roster? They are not going to have all pros at every position.

Fans see one perspective but the organization evaluates things differently. I think they felt as though the Oline played fairly well towards the end of the season. Maybe they want to evaluate how well the 5 starters play together this season?

You really believe it was the OC's priority to sign Kemo and Colon? How much power do you think the OC has when it comes to resigning players? He probably had some input but I doubt the decision was left up to the OC. Maybe the organization thought resigning the Olinemen were the priority? I guess so because they felt it was easier to get deals done with those guys. Colon was a RFA and they reached a deal with Kemo they liked.

If you give Heath the money you gave those players, who do you bring into replace those 2 Olinemen? Those guys have experience in the system and I think Tomlin likes that. The salary cap probably influenced some of the decisions they made before they resigned Starks.

Why do fans get so upset about these things when all the organization tries to do is put together the best team they can every season? If they can get a deal done with Heath, it is all good. If they cannot, it will not mean the end of the Steelers. That's how I think some fans come across.