Ed Bouchette's Steelers chat transcript
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Ed Bouchette: Welcome to the post-minicamp chat. Let's begin
RavenHater: Hi Ed. There were some very interesting points you made on the PG+ side about the impact of the CBA on free agents. If there is no CBA in place could this be an attempt by management to break the union? Are two sides even talking?
Ed Bouchette: If they're talking, they're doing it very quietly and very secretively. Management does not WANT to break the union. It's in its best interests to have a union. Without one, there would be no draft, for one thing. The courts would strike that down quickly, along with many other anti-trust issues team sports would face without unions. Art Rooney Sr. once told me he encouraged the players to start their union. No, this is merely a disagreement over the percentage the players receive -- which the owners agreed to under the previous CBA extension and quickly concluded they gave away too much. Now they want some back and the union is not about to give in to that without a fight.
Amos_P_Swanson: Ed...Still no rumblings of a Colbert and/or Tomlin extension?
Ed Bouchette: As I wrote on PG Plus this morning, I've heard nothing and I'm not sure they will even do an extension with Mike Tomlin this year.
Amos_P_Swanson: Besides the QB situation....What would be your main area of concern with the Steelers after glancing at them in mini-camp?
Ed Bouchette: Believe me, you get nothing out of watching minicamp to conclude anything about the coming season. I would say the concerns are the same, the offensive line, the cornerbacks, mainly. They did address both in the draft and trade.
Mark - 72 Steeler Fan: do you feel the steelers are comfortable at wideout, no tall wideout (except heath)
Ed Bouchette: I do not think they are bad off at wide receiver. They have young, fast receivers and a good mix of veterans. Mike Wallace is Pro Bowl material, but he has to build on his good rookie season. Plus, it may make they turn to the run a little more.
screenwriter: Ed, Will the Steelers get a roster spot exemption for the games that Ben Roethlisberger misses?
Ed Bouchette: Yes
screenwriter: Ed, Mr. Art Rooney basically stated that younger players need to develop quicker. Will we see more snaps in summer camp and pre-season for younger players or will they just have more study time in the film room?
Ed Bouchette: I think that was a message to the coaching staff to do a better job of developing them. How they do that is up to them. Often -- and this is not peculiar to just the current Steelers staff -- coaches tend to lean on the veterans who "know the system" rather than put a young player with more talent on the field who might make assignment mistakes. That is human.
First Published May 4, 2010 2:23 pm
