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Hines Ward

49K views 202 replies 35 participants last post by  Danesdad 
#1 ·
I'm seeing reports, that the Steelers are not going to retain Hines heading in to the 2012 season. Which doesn't make me very happy at all really, the guy has done nothing but be a good teammate, and football player the entire time he has been in Pittsburgh.......He is also willing to take a big pay cut to finish out his career with the Steelers, and he can still play football contrary to popular belief.....Im not sure what gives???
 
#2 ·
He was a good player ONCE, but he has out played his usefulness. He's too injury prone and has no speed left. He should do what is good for the team and play one play during the next regular season than retire. Can't be to many teams out there than wants a wide receiver his age. Better to go out when your a Steeler than some other team.

He should leave and take Troy with him also. Troy can't cover anymore and his tackling is a joke. Maybe they can get someone who can actually lift an arm over his head and knock the ball down

The NFL isn't what have you done for me in the past but what can you do for me in the future. Both players aren't doing the team any good by hanging around.
 
#3 ·
That's strange imo. He has been a loyal Steeler and a fine football player his entire career. While he is not as fast as the young guys, or as tough as he used to be, he can still be a great 3rd down possession receiver.

It's a shame but happens to many good players. Money and entertainment outweighs the integrity of the sport in the NFL.
 
#4 ·
spunky said:
He was a good player ONCE, but he has out played his usefulness. He's too injury prone and has no speed left. He should do what is good for the team and play one play during the next regular season than retire. Can't be to many teams out there than wants a wide receiver his age. Better to go out when your a Steeler than some other team.

He should leave and take Troy with him also. Troy can't cover anymore and his tackling is a joke. Maybe they can get someone who can actually lift an arm over his head and knock the ball down

The NFL isn't what have you done for me in the past but what can you do for me in the future. Both players aren't doing the team any good by hanging around.
Too injury prone? Hines has missed 1 game in the past four years. I guess we should unload Pouncey, Ben, Mendenhall, Harrison, Woodley, Timmons, Keisel, Colon, and anyone else that dared get injured playing professional football.
 
#5 ·
spunky said:
He should leave and take Troy with him also. Troy can't cover anymore and his tackling is a joke. Maybe they can get someone who can actually lift an arm over his head and knock the ball down
There is definitely an emotional tie to Hines,but I do believe his time has come. He will probably play this year with another team, find out it isn't for him, get re-signed by the Steelers for a one day contract and retire as a Steeler, which is as it should be.
Like it or not. football is a business, and it was evident this year that Hines is not in the Steeler's future plans. He simply was not used much.
As for taking Troy with him....Ridiculous.
 
#8 ·
No, the DUI had NOTHING at all to do with it, if it does happen. Santonio had one problem after another, after another, and eventually the Steelers decided he just wasn't worth the trouble, particularly in the offseason they unloaded him.
 
#9 ·
He was a good player ONCE, but he has out played his usefulness. He's too injury prone and has no speed left. He should do what is good for the team and play one play during the next regular season than retire. Can't be to many teams out there than wants a wide receiver his age. Better to go out when your a Steeler than some other team.
That is pure ridiculousness.......I'll bet that half of the teams in the NFL would be happy to have a player of his caliber for a few years...........The reason he did not play much this year, is because he didnt fit in to BA's heave the ball 90 yards down field offense.........

The guy is still an outstanding receiver, sure he isnt as fast as he once was, but he is the best in the NFL at finding soft spots in zone defenses....and he has rock solid hands......not to mention the fact that he blocks better than 95% of the Steelers linemen......

Maybe they could retain him as a guard to replace Kemoeatu.....
 
#10 ·
From what I could find yesterday, this is all based on a Jason La Canfora report to NFL Total Access. But, you have to wonder who is his source. Hines has said he'd restructure - maybe even the league vet minimum $400k (?). At that price why would they say goodbye?

Personally, I think it's a slow news period.
 
#11 ·
Personally, I think it's a slow news period.
Me too, but most of the times when La Canfora reports stuff is happening it ends up being true....so I guess time will tell..........I honestly cannot see them just throwing him away when he is willing to restructure.......but then again....
 
#12 ·
Why retain him and waste a roster spot for a WR who wont be playing special teams?

Maybe Haley will talk the office into letting him stick around?

What if he restructures, and he just cant cut it in camp or preseason? Do they cut him? Doubt it.

He just may get a one year lease with a new OC in town.
 
#13 ·
Hines has played special teams before, and would probably be willing to do it again. In fact, when he did play special teams, he was a monster at it, and was a terrific hitter. In any case, we still need chain moving wide receivers, and Ward is good at it. They were 90/196 on 3rd down last year. That's not good enough. Why is it like that? Because our system was designed, by Arians own admission, for every play to go to the end zone, not to gain 5 yards. Problem is, very few plays did go to the end zone, or get 5 yards. Because of the "throw deep every play" mentality, we had a lot of 3rd and 25 situations. In a normal offense, Hines is just fine. In the Patriot system, he'd flourish, because it values intelligence and precision over simply being able to blow the top off of the coverage and try to make a big play. They gave Bettis another year, and he was a situational player, taking up one of only 3 RB spots. They can find a place for Hines. I will say that Hines is not worth a $4 million cap hit, and he knows that also, and has stated he'll rework his contract.
 
#14 ·
Hines ability to block was one of the reasons the running game was so successful in years past. He was hated by other teams but they would have loved to have him in their huddle. It has been said that he worked with the younger receivers to teach them that blocking is a very big part of winning.

I would hate to see him go the way of Franco and a few others.

He will be in the Hall of Fame someday.
 
#15 ·
Loyalty has become a thing of the past. They can make it work to keep Hines and do so in a capacity that he is still a productive and contributing factor to the team.

When he is unable to contribute to the team, it's time they talk and both come to that realization. He's not there quite yet.
 
#18 ·
steelerfan58 said:
They were 90/196 on 3rd down last year. That's not good enough. Why is it like that? Because our system was designed, by Arians own admission, for every play to go to the end zone, not to gain 5 yards. Problem is, very few plays did go to the end zone, or get 5 yards. Because of the "throw deep every play" mentality, we had a lot of 3rd and 25 situations.
I hate to drag this thread off course, but have to call "foul" on this statement. You have no proof to support that what you are saying. Your dislike for Ariens system seem to get in the way of the facts. Sure BA said on many occasions, that all plays are designed for touchdowns. But, it's silly to believe that some of what he was saying was not tongue in cheek. Regarding third down conversions. Since 2003, only three teams have had a third down conversion rate of better than 50% (NO 2011, Indy 06, and Minnesota 04). The Steelers in 2011 had a conversion percentage of 45.92% - that's good enough to be number 4 in the league for the regular season. During BS's tenure, the Steelers were in the top ten in third down conversions 3 of 5 years. Apparently, they must have been completing a lot more of the 3rd and 25's than you give them credit for. Arians is gone. Be happy, and move on.
 
#19 ·
I am very happy that he's now history. Hopefully, they learn from that disaster. And they did complete more 3rd and 25s than most teams, but the point is, you never should be in those situations. How many of those happened when Cowher was in charge, and a professional OC was calling the plays?
 
#20 ·
I provided facts and stats. You can only respond with feelings based on your dis-like for the coach. Funny too that for some reason you felt you needed to drag Cowher into this. It was Cowher that brought BA to the Steelers (as a position coach). He must have seen something in BA that you can/will not. It is still amazing you can call a Super Bowl winning OC a disaster. Sure he did things we could all question, but what OC doesn't (other than the Whiz)?

You can look up the third down conversion stats up for Cowher coached teams. I bet that you'll find the % of third downs converted were close and fluctuated just as they did in BA's time here. One other thing you will notice. The best two third down conversion percentages in the past ten years happend under BA's watch. Not bad for a guy you would consider an amateur. Oh, I forgot this was all done with Cowhers players......
 
#21 ·
Hines is just fine. In the Patriot system, he'd flourish, because it values intelligence and precision over simply being able to blow the top off of the coverage and try to make a big play.
That was why Hines was forced out this year, he doesn't have the legs to burn coverage deep anymore, and that is all that BA wanted to do........regardless of what anyone says, Hines is still a good solid receiver, he is good at finding soft spots in zone coverage, in short yardage situations, and critical situations, and he has good hands........
 
#22 ·
hall of fame? if its going to happen, it'll happen because, for his time and considering that the steelers were run first team, he was productive. definitely not first ballot. by the time he gets in, receivers like larry fitzgerald or andre johnson will have blown up ward's stat to look rather pedestrian. that'll make it hard for him to stand out as one of the greatest. i'm sure ward was a great teammate but the hall of fame isn't for great teammates and above average player. the HOF is for the greatest players ever to play the game that were also incredible professionals who bettered the league in their time. he was a good player that defenses had to respect so it won't surprise me if he gets in but its not a lock.
 
#23 ·
hall of fame? if its going to happen, it'll happen because, for his time and considering that the steelers were run first team, he was productive. definitely not first ballot. by the time he gets in, receivers like larry fitzgerald or andre johnson will have blown up ward's stat to look rather pedestrian. that'll make it hard for him to stand out as one of the greatest. i'm sure ward was a great teammate but the hall of fame isn't for great teammates and above average player. the HOF is for the greatest players ever to play the game that were also incredible professionals who bettered the league in their time. he was a good player that defenses had to respect so it won't surprise me if he gets in but its not a lock.
Get Real, he owns all of the receiving records of the best franchise in NFL history.........better than 2 hall of fame receivers, Swann and Stallworth
 
#24 ·
Dan Castle said:
hall of fame? if its going to happen, it'll happen because, for his time and considering that the steelers were run first team, he was productive. definitely not first ballot. by the time he gets in, receivers like larry fitzgerald or andre johnson will have blown up ward's stat to look rather pedestrian. that'll make it hard for him to stand out as one of the greatest. i'm sure ward was a great teammate but the hall of fame isn't for great teammates and above average player. the HOF is for the greatest players ever to play the game that were also incredible professionals who bettered the league in their time. he was a good player that defenses had to respect so it won't surprise me if he gets in but its not a lock.
Now Dan, get real. Hines is one of the best blocking/physical WR's in the history of the league. He's one of only 19 WR's to date to reach the 12k yard mark. One of only 8 to make 1k catches. And, one of only two to reach the 1k catch mark and multiple Super Bowl wins (Jerry Rice is the other). He may not be a first ballot HOF'er, but he will make the hall.
 
#25 ·
Fitzgerald and Johnson have physical skills that Hines could only dream of. that being said Fitz and John have to dream that they could play healthy for 14 years, have two rings,one SB MVP, and a game changing rule named in their honor cause they physically hurt to many defenders.

First ballot? UNLIKELY
Once he has seperated from the game, and his whole body of work is viewed, you are going to have to havea darn good arguement to keep out.
 
#26 ·
eddie spaghetti said:
Dan Castle said:
hall of fame? if its going to happen, it'll happen because, for his time and considering that the steelers were run first team, he was productive. definitely not first ballot. by the time he gets in, receivers like larry fitzgerald or andre johnson will have blown up ward's stat to look rather pedestrian. that'll make it hard for him to stand out as one of the greatest. i'm sure ward was a great teammate but the hall of fame isn't for great teammates and above average player. the HOF is for the greatest players ever to play the game that were also incredible professionals who bettered the league in their time. he was a good player that defenses had to respect so it won't surprise me if he gets in but its not a lock.
Now Dan, get real. Hines is one of the best blocking/physical WR's in the history of the league. He's one of only 19 WR's to date to reach the 12k yard mark. One of only 8 to make 1k catches. And, one of only two to reach the 1k catch mark and multiple Super Bowl wins (Jerry Rice is the other). He may not be a first ballot HOF'er, but he will make the hall.
With Dan's logic Bettis should be held out of the HOF too. By say, year 2050, I'm sure another running back will have broken a few of Bettis' records.

Hines has already marked himself as "one of the best" for his position.
 
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