Firing of Mike Ryan simply makes no sense at all

By Cory Giger

http://www.altoonamirror.com/sports/altoona-curve/2019/09/firing-of-ryan-simply-makes-no-sense-at-all/

September 4, 2019

(Altoona Mirror)

This makes no sense whatsoever and is a totally disgraceful move by the Pirates organization, which has so many people who are bad at their jobs, yet they decided to scapegoat the wrong guy.

Curve manager Michael Ryan got fired Tuesday, and he was told the news by Bucs farm director Larry Broadway.

Ryan is better at his job than Broadway is at his.

So the wrong person got fired.

The decision apparently was made by GM Neal Huntington and assistant GM Kyle Stark.

Ryan is better at his job than Huntington and Stark are at theirs.

So the wrong person got fired.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle will still have a job next season.

Ryan is a better minor league manager than Hurdle is a big league manager.

So the wrong person got fired.

Hurdle is under contract through 2021. He’s safe. There’s no way Pirates ownership will fire a manager just to go away and still pay him for two years.

Huntington is under contract through 2021. He’s safe. Ditto the reasons above.

The Pirates are terrible this season — sporting a 60-78 record — and the front office needed someone to blame. So they picked the best manager in their minor league system, the best manager in Curve history and a fantastic human being who just so happens to be a western PA guy and who loves all things Pittsburgh — including the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins.

It’s just such a dumb move on so many levels by the Pirates to fire Ryan, if for no other reason than it makes them look absolutely awful.

Ryan wins. The Pirates lose. So yeah, go fire the guy who wins. That’s good PR.

This is not, by the way, a repeat of the infamous Matt Walbeck situation in 2010. Walbeck was an odd bird who was disliked by many players and defied the Pirates’ wishes in a lot of important ways, so the organization cut him loose a week after he led the Curve to the 2010 Eastern League title.

You won’t find anyone with bad words to say about Michael Ryan.

He is humble, has a great baseball mind and works his butt off.

He is beloved by the Curve front office staff and highly respected by Eastern League personnel.

He has acted in an honorable and professional way at every step during his three years with the Curve.

He was a wonderful representative of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a wonderful representative of the Altoona Curve. He is a very bright guy who gets the big picture, can explain the big picture of baseball — and things far more important than baseball — and he understands his role in the grand scheme of things as a minor league manager.

OK. So what the heck happened?

How does a guy that I and everyone I know in this industry have tremendous respect for, a guy who honestly felt like he actually might be promoted to the Pirates’ big league staff next season — or possibly offered a chance for the second time to manage in Triple-A next year — wind up getting fired?

There is always — ALWAYS — more to every story than meets the eye. The only people who know the truth here are the Pirates’ executives who made the call, and maybe someday they’ll bother to fully level with Ryan about why they did it.

Here’s the best answer I can give you, and it involves three words: The Pirate Way.

Here’s how I decipher The Pirate Way: It’s their way or the highway.

No in between.

No flexibility.

The organization has policies in place, and you’d better follow all of them. Or else.

Hey, every organization needs policies. Every company. You can’t just allow anything and everything. There have to be rules, standards, practices.

But there also needs to be some common sense when it comes to those policies.

This is where the Pirates fail. I’m not just talking about why they lose baseball games — although parallel connections can be made — but rather, they fail because the higher ups in the organization think the world is black and white, right or wrong. No middle ground. No gray area.

Huntington, Stark and Broadway preside over a cookie cutter organization that tries to stuff everyone into a predisposed way of doing things. They worry too much about minor leaguers all having to wear their pant legs up and not enough about whether their ridiculous pitching philosophy of having everyone pitch to contact even if they have unhittable stuff is why they failed miserably getting guys such as Gerrit Cole and Tyler Glasnow to fully realize their potential.

Michael Ryan abided by the Pirates’ rules and won with their prospects, capturing two league championships. He developed them very well in Altoona, and he managed many of the players currently on the Pirates’ roster.

Yes, some of those players struggle with fundamentals in the big leagues. That, however, has more to do with the fact that the Pirates rush their guys through the minor leagues too quickly at times, when they could use more seasoning — first at high-A before coming to Altoona, then here before going to Triple-A.

Ryan has won with those guys in Double-A. He has done his job, extremely well. You simply will not find anyone who can say otherwise.

Did Ryan care too much about winning in the minors? Did he somehow sidestep the Pirates’ development philosophies for a win-at-all-cost approach?

Absolutely not.

Yes, Ryan wants to win. And he hates losing. But I cannot recall any single instance of the manager putting a player in any situation where development was sacrificed for the sake of winning.

If anything, Ryan may have ruffled feathers with the Pirates by calling out players publicly. I’m in the media, and I’ve written repeatedly how much I enjoy that he’s honest with the press, but the way the Pirates operate, I can totally see how that would rub them the wrong way.

Holding players accountable is not The Pirate Way.

Clint Hurdle tries to be everybody’s buddy and is a rah-rah manager who makes baffling decisions during games. There’s no way, no how he should have gotten a four-year contract extension two years ago. It was absurd.

Same with Huntington, who also got four extra years.

Again, absurd.

Those guys should be forced to prove themselves every year in order to keep their jobs.

Instead, the Pirates fire a guy like Michael Ryan, who doesn’t make a ton of money and has no long-term contract, in an effort to show that they are willing to make some changes because the big league team is awful.

They made the wrong change, plain and simple.

They’re too busy focusing on the unyielding, inflexible silliness of The Pirate Way to realize that.

Cory Giger can be reached at cgiger@altoonamirror.com

No need for Steelers to treat Devin Bush with kid gloves

By Mark Madden
https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-no-need-for-steelers-to-treat-devin-bush-with-kid-gloves/
September 6, 2019

How much rookie inside linebacker Devin Bush plays Sunday at Gillette Stadium won’t determine who wins the game between the Steelers and New England.

Unless it does.

At the very least, it’s an interesting sidebar that showcases the Steelers’ conservative (perhaps antiquated) philosophy of putting rookies in safe, limited roles despite their pedigree (and/or having traded up, say, 10 spots to get them).

Troy Polamalu, for example, didn’t start a single game as a rookie. He started all of them after that.

Bush is not in the Steelers’ base 3-4. Mark Barron and Vince Williams are the inside ‘backers. Bush is in all the sub packages, so he figures to play 80 percent of the snaps.

But if the Patriots would rather go up against Williams than Bush, they can use a two-back set, as they often do. That likely would keep the Steelers’ base on the field, and quarterback Tom Brady can pick on Williams (who is substandard in coverage). Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is adept at getting the opposing defense to line up as he wants.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Keith Butler can adjust and sub Bush for Williams in the base. But would they?

The notion Bush shouldn’t be force-fed all the snaps (and the accompanying pressure) when his first NFL game is in the cauldron of Foxborough against arguably the greatest (and smartest) quarterback ever isn’t an absurd notion.

But nor is the idea of gambling on talent and seeing if Bush can handle it.

Bush seems a better bet than Williams, who likely begins the season as a starter out of veteran appeasement.

The biggest factor of all the inside ‘backers could be Barron, who was part of a defense that held Brady to 262 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in the last Super Bowl. Barron has speed, savvy and solid cover ability.

But Barron (6-foot-1, 214 pounds) isn’t great against the run. He would have difficulty taking on New England fullback James Develin (6-3, 251). Williams (6-1, 234) is better suited and also decent on the inside blitz: 4 1/2 sacks last season, eight in 2017.

In terms of talent and versatility, Bush seems an obvious starter. But he’s also likeliest to sit when the Steelers are in their base.

Unless he doesn’t.

Pregame depth charts often aren’t reflected by who’s out there on Sunday. Bush playing all the snaps (or close) isn’t out of the question.

The Patriots offense could be conservative, at least early. The retirement of tight end Rob Gronkowski forces a seismic shift in gameplan and execution.

The Patriots also lost receiver Chris Hogan to free agency. Hogan has a reputation as a Steelers killer dating to his 12 catches (two touchdowns) in the 2016 season’s AFC championship game.

The Steelers defense also will be closely observed in other areas.

Safety Kameron Kelly, late of the Alliance of American Football, figures to deputize for the injured Sean Davis. Davis isn’t exactly Ronnie Lott, but the notion of an AAF product (albeit the league’s all-time single-game interception record-holder) spending his first NFL contest dealing with the wiles of Brady is frightening.

Davis’ absence trickles down to the sub packages, likely eliminating the Steelers’ “big nickel” (three safeties) alignment.

The Steelers led the NFL in sacks last season, but pressuring Brady is rare and difficult (one sack in last season’s meeting). There’s also the matter of converting that pressure to turnovers, at long-last. The Steelers reeled in just 15 last season.

A close game is probable. A splash play on defense could decide it.

Who’s more likely to make that splash play: Bush, or Williams?

Categories: Sports | Steelers | Mark Madden Columns

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The Steelers are less talented than a year ago. Their GM isn’t worried.

By John Clayton
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/09/05/steelers-are-less-talented-than-year-ago-their-gm-isnt-worried/
September 5, 2019


Devin Bush

Kevin Colbert’s first challenge was to not be intimidated by the numbers.

Last season, Le’Veon Bell sat out every game, depriving the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense of a running back who could rush for 1,300 yards and catch between 75 and 85 passes. The following offseason began with Antonio Brown demanding a trade, which would send away a wide receiver who caught more than 100 passes in each of the past six years.

Both players wanted deals that would make them the highest-paid at their respective positions. The Steelers’ general manager had to study the numbers both on the field and in the salary cap to make two critical decisions for the franchise.

“I think last year at the running back position we had roughly 150 yards less production than the year before,” Colbert said. “So the running back position was just as productive. When you take 100 catches out of your offense, the quarterback is not going have 100 less completions. Moving forward, who’s going to take those make up the difference?

“JuJu Smith-Schuster is not going to catch 200 passes. The question is whether Vance McDonald is going to catch an extra 20. Is James Washington going to catch extra 40? And how many for Donte Moncrief? We will go through the year and we will find out.”

Colbert knows the Steelers’ offense isn’t as talented as it was two seasons ago, after losing one of the game’s best receivers and one of its best running backs. But Pittsburgh still feels as though it can be an AFC contender this season, and recent NFL history is full of examples of teams that have improved their records even after losing talented contributors. Just last year, a Seattle Seahawks team that had recently parted with the likes of Richard Sherman ended up winning more games.

“I think we can be just as productive and just as dynamic because we have the quarterback in that spot,” Colbert said.

Ben Roethlisberger is at the center of everything for the Steelers. He signed a two-year, $68 million extension ensuring he’d be running the offense for the next three seasons, and a year after facilitating an offense that saw Smith-Schuster and Conner emerge as Pro Bowlers, he is once again critical to the team’s Super Bowl hopes.

But the veteran quarterback also received criticism from Brown, who claimed Roethlisberger got special treatment — including from Colbert — that was bad for the other players on the roster. If Roethlisberger is key to the team’s contender status, the last 10 months may also have served as a reminder for him, Colbert and the entire Steelers organization that they’ll need more than just Big Ben to make a postseason run.

That includes a rookie linebacker for whom Colbert made a bold trade to move up in the draft, some key additions on defense and a lesser-known cast of skill-position players that Colbert feels will be elevated by playing with Roethlisberger.

Colbert is a big hockey fan and a season-ticket holder of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s seen how guys like Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby can raise the level of play of their teammates.

“When you put players on a line with Sidney Crosby, they are all of a sudden more productive than when they have been somewhere else,” Colbert said. “You can look at it in any sport. It’s usually not the player himself, but how he performs within his unit on the team.”

[Can the Steelers actually make this addition-by-subtraction thing work?]

That has helped, Colbert says, with the team’s impressive track record for drafting wide receivers. The Steelers might be the best team in the league at identifying talent at the position, and their past finds include Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, Plaxico Burress, Brown and Smith-Schuster.

“We don’t do anything different in evaluating wide receivers,” Colbert said. “We’ve missed on a couple at that position, as many as we’ve missed on other positions. We’ve had some guys really turned into great players. I never sell short the fact when you come in with Hall of Fame-type quarterback, I think that helps.”

That history may have contributed to Pittsburgh’s comfort level will letting Bell leave in free agency and trading Brown to the Oakland Raiders for third- and fifth-round picks (although relationships with both players appeared beyond repair by that point, anyway), as did the upgrades to the roster they could make with the additional draft picks and cap room. They signed cornerback Steven Nelson to a three-year, $25.5 million contract, and he has already proven to be an upgrade in pass coverage. They also added linebacker Mark Barron and wide receiver Donte Moncrief on two-year pacts.

“We were able to add some folks from the outside that you may not have been able to add,” Colbert said.

In the draft, Colbert added a complementary running back (Benny Snell Jr.) and a wide receiver (Diontae Johnson). But the boldest move was his trade up to get inside linebacker Devin Bush at 10th overall, sending a 2019 second-rounder and 2020 third-rounder to the Denver Broncos.

“When you go into a draft, you identify six or seven player who, if you got to within their reach, you would try to trade up to get them,” Colbert said. “This year, Devin was identified as one of those players.”

Colbert said the team justified the cost to get Bush because of how important the role is that he will be asked to fill: a sideline-to-sideline linebacker the team has been missing since the injury to Ryan Shazier.

“You know, the game has changed,” Colbert said. “It’s not a vertical game as much as it is now a horizontal game. You have to be able to defend horizontally. It’s different. When we drafted Ryan Shazier, we were probably ahead of the game with his ability to make plays sideline to sideline. When you lose a guy like him, hopefully you can replace him with a Devin Bush or a Mark Barron.

“Now we are much better equipped to defend modern NFL football than we were in recent years, because now we’ve got two guys who can really cover.”

It remains to be seen if the combination of Bush’s arrival, the ascension of some younger players on offense and a revitalized Roethlisberger will be enough to lift the Steelers past the upstart Cleveland Browns and rebuilt Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North. But there should be opportunity in an AFC that appears thinner than in past years, and the Steelers seem excited by the prospect of sneaking up on those who assume the losses of Bell and Brown will derail their playoff hopes.

“I think every team has an identity,” Colbert said. “On average you add 14 to 16 new players per year. When you take away dynamic producers, someone else has to produce. It doesn’t mean you can’t be a better team. We were 9-6-1 and a non-playoff team [last season], so we’re hopeful the group we have for 2019 is better than that. That’s not acceptable for us.”

Steelers come to Tom Brady chess match with versatile pieces

By Jeremy Fowler
https://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/31155/steelers-come-to-tom-brady-chess-match-with-versatile-pieces
September 4, 2019


Tom Brady calls out signals in last year's game in Pittsburgh. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

PITTSBURGH -- New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has observed this year's Steelers defense only from a distance, but he sees what Pittsburgh fans observed all training camp:

More linebacker speed with Devin Bush and Mark Barron. An improving Terrell Edmunds in his second year. Ample pass-rushers.

And that's on top of what it could do last year.

"We couldn’t score on them last year, so obviously it’s a big challenge for us," said Belichick about the Patriots' 17-10 loss at Pittsburgh in Week 15 last season.

Steelers defenders feel there's something different about this group, which has an infusion of speed and hybrid options to match wits with Tom Brady and Belichick in Gillette Stadium. Brady never has lost to the Steelers at home.

The Steelers might finally have the defensive depth to change that trend.

"We’ve got to be the most physical team, the most dominant team when we step on the field," Pittsburgh defensive end Cameron Heyward said.

That means combating Brady when he tries to dominate before the snap.

Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin can downplay the chess match with Brady, who motions running backs like a fire drill at the line of scrimmage, rarely gets tricked and isolates matchups for star playmakers and role players alike. This early in the season, Tomlin is more concerned with refining the basics -- fundamentals, communication, eye positioning. "If we don’t, he will exploit it," Tomlin said of Brady.

But Steelers defensive backs are ready for Brady to change his playcalls at the line, and they'll have a subsequent call ready.

Versatility shouldn't be an issue for the Steelers, who have three safeties who can play linebacker and corners who can play safety -- and none of them has to guard perpetual Steeler killer Rob Gronkowski, who retired in March.

Even so, having options is crucial against New England, Pittsburgh corner Joe Haden said.

"Their running backs, they can move them around and match you up with a linebacker who’s not used to being outside the numbers," Haden said. "So it's just about being able to have pieces in position to go against mismatches."

The Steelers' success will hinge on QB turnovers. The 2018 Steelers tied for the league lead with 52 sacks but ranked 28th in turnover margin at minus-7. All during camp, assistant coaches were quick to point out that pass deflections aren't good enough; they need picks.

But the Steelers figure the more bodies flying to the ball, the more chances at taking it. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave said that adding a "stud linebacker" in Bush helps the Steelers' chances. Heyward cites cornerback depth, with free-agent addition Steven Nelson having a productive preseason and Artie Burns bolstering depth.

"I look for us to be a more complete defense," Heyward said.

Some veteran Steelers are quick to point out that playing in New England is the proverbial "just another game."

Hargrave isn't so sure. Maybe it's because his defense has something to prove.

"It’s a big game. All eyes on us," Hargrave said. "All eyes on Sunday. We’ve got a chance to show the world."

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Hype around Steelers vs. Browns is excessive but warranted

By Mark Madden
https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-hype-around-steelers-vs-browns-is-excessive-but-warranted/
September 2, 2019


(Philip G. Pavely/USA Today Sports)

With the start of the NFL season less than a week away, here’s the verdict on the upcoming battle in the AFC North between the Steelers and Cleveland: It’s a dead heat.

The Steelers either added by subtraction or just subtracted re: Antonio Brown. The former seems more likely, but it’s got to play out.

But the Steelers definitely added on defense by trading up to get inside linebacker Devin Bush with the 10th pick of this year’s draft. The ripple effect is a much quicker unit that can explode from a variety of directions.

Is that defense quick enough to take a chunk out of Tom Brady and his instant release? That’s a good first test.

The Browns either added or subtracted by addition re: Odell Beckham Jr. There’s no doubting Beckham’s talent, but there also is no denying the New York Giants and Eli Manning fell apart on his watch.

Is Beckham a winner, or just another one of “those” wide receivers? So far, it’s the latter.

Beckham is one of several potential malcontents in Cleveland. That could spread like a disease under a rookie coach. Maybe the Browns give birth to a new set of Toxic Twins, or even Toxic Triplets.

Unless the Browns win, and everybody gets his numbers. Even that might not be enough indefinitely.

The Browns’ hype is insufferable. That doesn’t mean it’s unwarranted, but star power and success aren’t mutually inclusive. How heavy will expectations weigh?

The biggest leap of faith taken by the Cleveland faithful concerns the Browns’ defense. It ranked 30th in the NFL last season.

The Browns don’t have any defensive backs who excel at inside coverage, which could be costly when JuJu Smith-Schuster lines up in the slot. Cleveland led the NFL in missed tackles last year. The Browns did add quite a bit on defense during the offseason and should be better on that side of the ball.

But seeing is believing. That should be the team motto given the reckless assumption the Browns will just keep improving exponentially after going 0-16 just two seasons ago.

Their front seven is more than legit. Defensive end Myles Garrett has 20 1/2 sacks and four forced fumbles in his two NFL seasons and actually has the talent to continue improving exponentially.

But Cleveland will concede points.

The Steelers offense will mirror the team’s training camp: organized and professional, as opposed to explosive and haphazard. That constant, selfish drone has been removed from the huddle. The costly policy of appeasement (and the forced throws it produced) no longer exists.

Can balance gained make up for talent departed?

Here’s predicting it will. The Steelers will score more points this year than last, and have a healthier run-pass balance than 2018 when they threw 67 percent of the time.

Cleveland has a cornucopia of receivers led by Beckham and Jarvis Landry but well-complemented by Rashard Higgins, Antonio Callaway and tight end David Njoku.

But don’t sleep on the Steelers’ pass-catchers. The varied skills of the group speak well, though tight end is a disaster beyond Vance McDonald. But Donte Moncrief will be better in Pittsburgh than he has been anywhere else.

All receivers are only as good as the quarterback throwing them the ball. (Brown will figure that out quickly in Oakland.)

Ben Roethlisberger is better than Baker Mayfield, and any quarterback totem pole that has Mayfield listed above Roethlisberger is just hype dipped in insanity. Roethlisberger is a nailed-on Hall-of-Famer who threw for 5,129 yards last year and had a quarterback rating of 96.5. Mayfield threw for 3,725 yards and his rating was 93.7.

But it’s also nuts to pretend that Mayfield isn’t very good.

It was Mayfield’s play upon insertion into the lineup in Week 3 last season that energized the Browns and got them to 7-8-1. It’s hard to have faith in a quarterback that barely tops 6-feet. Mayfield has a bit of malcontent in him, and if Beckham and/or Landry get in Mayfield’s ear like Brown did Roethlisberger, Mayfield might not handle it as well.

But Mayfield wins. Well, he wins some. A 7-8-1 record isn’t 16-0, and Mayfield was 1-5 against teams with winning records. His protection seems in question. Cleveland just cut its starting left tackle.

But it’s easy to forgive Cleveland’s citizenry acting like it is. They’ve been down so long, it looks like up.

But it’s easy to forgive Cleveland’s citizenry acting like it is. They’ve been down so long, it looks like up.

A key figure in the renewed rivalry between the Steelers and Browns is Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell.

After a terrible season in ‘18, Boswell kicked well enough at training camp to keep his job. But his errant booting kept the Steelers out of the playoffs, and kept the Steelers from winning at Cleveland in Week 1.

If Boswell makes his 43-yard field-goal attempt in overtime, the Steelers beat the Browns instead of tying them. The Steelers finish 10-6 and win the division. The Browns would have finished 7-9, which reads a bit worse than 7-8-1. The Steelers would now seem the better team by a bigger margin. That’s all down to one missed kick.

The funniest part: Everyone has forgotten about Baltimore, which actually won the division last season.

But the Ravens figure to be peripheral factors in ‘19. The AFC North championship will come down to Week 11 and Week 13. The Steelers and Browns play twice in three weeks, first at Browns Stadium, then at Heinz Field.

The hype will be unbearable by then. It will also be warranted.

Categories: Sports | Steelers | Mark Madden Columns

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Steelers were smart to lock up lockdown corner Joe Haden

By Kevin Gorman
https://triblive.com/sports/kevin-gorman-steelers-were-smart-to-lock-up-lockdown-corner-joe-haden/
September 2, 2019



(Getty Images)

Cameron Heyward was watching the Pittsburgh Steelers-New England Patriots game tape Sunday night as a refresher, but it ended up serving as a reminder of Joe Haden’s impact.

Haden had 12 tackles, two passes defensed andmade a picture-perfect leaping interception of a Tom Brady pass between Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski at the 4-yard line in the fourth quarter of the Steelers’ 17-10 victory over the Patriots last December at Heinz Field.

“I really thought Joe had one of the greatest games in that game,” Heyward said. “There wasn’t a lot of space for receivers. When there was, he was right there tackling. He had good run support. And he made the most critical play in the game. When you can have game-changers like that, it really sets you on fire.”

No wonder the Steelers made it their top preseason priority to sign Haden to a three-year contract worth $32 million that will keep him with the team through 2021, including a $16.8 million signing bonus that frees up salary cap space.

It was a critical play for a game-changer, as the 10th-year veteran has brought star power and stability to a position where the Steelers had neither. When the Steelers signed Haden in 2017, he replaced Ross Cockrell as the starter opposite Artie Burns.

Now, the Steelers appear set at corner for the next three seasons with Haden and Steven Nelson, who signed a three-year, $25.5 million free-agent deal in the offseason. The Steelers showed they don’t just value Haden but believe he will continue to be a productive player into what typically is a corner’s twilight.

That’s a risk the Steelers were willing to take, even if the contract is front-loaded.

“I texted him last night and said, ‘I’m inspired,’ ” Nelson said. “That’s definitely one of my goals. He’s still good, still moving around. There’s not much of a drop-off, if any. I don’t see it if there is. He’s as good as he’s always been.”

That the Steelers also believe it “meant a lot” to Haden, who turned 30 in April. Then again, when asked if he views this as his last contract, he was quick to dismiss: “Not even close,” Haden said, twice. “I feel like I’ve got some years left in me.”

The Cleveland Browns didn’t show that same faith. Haden was a first-round draft pick and the face of their franchise, but the Browns cut him before the start of the 2017 season. Haden quickly signed a three-year contract with the Steelers, the final year of which was torn up for this new deal.

“When I came here, I didn’t think I was going to leave,” Haden said, noting how Steelers coach Mike Tomlin limits the wear and tear on his veterans. “I knew when I signed a three-year extension, I had two years to come over here and ball out and try and stay here as long as I could. I really like Coach T. I love the way they run the organization here, the way they treat the vets. So all we can do is go out there and ball for them.”

The Patriots game wasn’t the only proof Haden still can play, as he called it “my best game and my favorite game last year.” But the loss to Kansas City showed Haden’s absence was as profound as his play. The Steelers allowed Patrick Mahomes to complete 23 of 28 passes for 326 yards and six touchdowns in a 42-37 loss to the Chiefs. That was the only game Haden missed, because of a hamstring injury.

Haden had 63 tackles in 15 games last season, his most in a single season since 2014. That’s the year he was voted Pro Bowl captain. That’s one reason the Steelers were willing to reward him for playing at a high level.

If Haden plays out his contract, he will make $123.8 million in career earnings, which would rank between NFL greats Darrelle Revis ($124.2 million) and Champ Bailey ($102.75 million) among the highest-paid cornerbacks of all-time.

“When I look back at it, it’s definitely going to be something amazing,” Haden said. “Right now, while I’m living in it, I’m trying to continue to let everyone know I’m worth the money, that I’m worth the contracts that I’m getting.

“It’s an honor and a pleasure to be up there with Champ and Revis and guys like that, but for me, still I’m loving the game and trying to be the best I can be, still trying to make the Pro Bowls and All-Pros and stuff like that. I’m excited I’m still playing at a high level, and the Steelers appreciate it.”

What the Steelers appreciate is the leadership Haden brings to the locker room. Not only is he one of the team’s best spokesmen — he was the recipient of The Chief Award, given by the Pro Football Writers of America chapter — but he sets the example for the rest of the players at his position.

“Obviously, he has more experience than everyone in our room,” Nelson said. “He’s not super vocal. He just shows his leadership through his play and behind the scenes. It’s good for us to have him locked up and ready to go.”

By locking up their lockdown corner, the Steelers are counting on Haden to be as good as he always has been.

You can bet he’s ready to ball.

(Chaz Palla/Tribune-Review)

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Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Kevin by email atkgorman@tribweb.com or via Twitter .

Categories: Sports | Steelers | Kevin Gorman Columns

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Steelers begin regular-season preparation minus drama of previous years

Kameron Kelly sweats Steelers cutdown day, gets 1st-team reps 2 days later

Mark Madden: Hype around Steelers vs. Browns is excessive but warranted

Chris Boswell keeps same mindset in officially retaining Steelers’ kicking job, earning bonus

Mason Rudolph ready to ‘help our team’ after Steelers name him backup QB

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