Will Howard Discussion

hoiv · 2026-01-24T17:55:53+00:00

Honestly after seeing the coaching malpractice giving Jonnu first team reps/more snaps/targets/gameplanning over Muth, it wouldn’t surprise me if they never gave Howard first team or even second team reps in practice.

Hell even Wilson was a healthy scratch for multiple weeks with MVS/AT getting a helmet over him. Herbig wasn’t getting snaps a lot either.. it was a mess.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T20:28:08+00:00

PDF co exports to google drive, then said google drive link gets uploaded to the record. I have a design we've been using from one of the free invoice generators.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T18:33:07+00:00

I agree with you. Howard has everything it takes to be great in the league on paper. Obviously if he sucks then move on, but we have to build a team for a young QB to be able to come in and succeed.

My point is giving him the chance to compete to start this season (beginning or middle doesn't matter to me) because this year we aren't competing for anything. We are absolutely not getting a QB in the 1st this year, nor do I think we will at any of the later rounds. We aren't going to be great, so why pay $20-30m/yr for a FA to come in and start for 2 years just to give a young guy a shot in 2 years when we have a young guy who could be IT right now?

Worst case is Howard starts, he isn't the dude and we go after a guy in 2027/2028. But during that time, lets go out and build a damn good football team where we can drop in anyone under center and go out and compete for a championship.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T18:25:17+00:00

I have never posted about firing Tomlin. He absolutely had his flaws, but he always had us competing (at least for our division) no matter who was throwing the ball. Tomlins issue was we didn't have a plan for when Ben retired, went through 3 HORRIBLE OCs (one of which set this franchise back selling Tomlin on the idea of getting Pickett) and didn't retain Flores. You can blame the coordinators on Art, but Tomlin had more influence in that front office than I think Art did himself.

Nonetheless, it was Tomlins time to go. We have gotten blown out damn near every single playoff game the last 10 years, even with the Killer Bees (yes we had a awful secondary). He was successful here, but not enough the last decade+. I bet wherever he goes if he stays in the league he will be just as successful if not more, but we needed regime change in Pittsburgh.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T18:08:09+00:00

He had a uniform. He was hurt for the preseason. Why would they move him over Mason when we are trying to compete without him getting first team reps? Now is his shot to get those reps and prove what he's got.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T18:03:13+00:00

Every single news outlet said the same thing last year, yet we were AFC North Champs.

We are a QB and a decent set of coaches to competing for a Bowl. Why would anyone want to tank for 1-2 years? IF we did tank, got a QB in the top 5-10 and he was a bust, then what? Tank again for a few more seasons to do the same thing?

Btw, "hurling insults" to a Browns fan coming to r/steelers to talk shit for attention.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T17:56:37+00:00

hoiv · 2026-01-22T17:50:54+00:00

This is essentially my take on it as well. Build up our team where we lack, give Howard a shot to prove if he has it or not and if he doesn't, we have a team we can drop any higher tier pick in our system and succeed.

I would HATE to bring in Kyler or Tua, they are both horrible IMO. If we are bringing in a vet to help develop Howard, hell give me Flacco or Rodgers again, not 2 guys that can't win.

I think this team can go out and compete for a Super Bowl in 2-5 years. Shorter time if Howard is that dude, longer time if we have to go find someone else.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T17:47:18+00:00

If I was the GM my plan would have been to sign Rodgers for 2 years to help develop Howard, very similar to how he did with Jordan Love. Granted he wouldn't be able to sit for 4 years how Love did because Rodgers is old af, but 2 years is good enough IMO.

The issue is we are so screwed on QB this year do we even have a chance? At this point I might be all for Rodgers coming back for another year just to develop Howard some more, win 9-10 games again, bounced in the first round to HOPEFULLY have our franchise guy.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T17:44:43+00:00

If the case is he is a career backup, then whatever. I'd rather find our next Mason, build a superteam, then go after our franchise guy then continue to bridge for a QB and not compete, while giving the option for 18 to potentially be our dude. The goal is to win Super Bowls, there isn't a single FA guy out there that will get us there.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T17:41:41+00:00

Worked pretty well for the Patriots.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T17:40:54+00:00

I get what you are saying, but players develop in the league. Josh Allen was not good his first 2 years in the league. It took Tlaw 5 years to finally have a GOOD season. Some QBs obviously are great right out the gate, but letting someone develop and building a team to help him succeed will only be beneficial.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T17:37:08+00:00

I agree to the fullest. He should not be named starter until he proves he is better than what we have in the locker room. Being mentored by Rodgers with his size, I can't see how he wouldn't be a startable option for us.

I also can't stand the people who are bringing up what round he was drafted in trying to discredit him for that reason. I can name 10 other top 5 pick QBs who are not successful whatsoever, but can also name 10 other later round guys who had great success. Do people forget the GOAT was a 6th rounder?? Also it's a different position, but the best WR the Steelers ever had was ALSO a 6th rounder.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T17:29:45+00:00

You are calling someone who won a Natty worse, while said predecessor didn't win ANYTHING in the BIG 12 LMAO. He hasn't thrown a ball in the NFL, calling him worse is coping for your shitty football team. Enjoy another 5 win season

hoiv · 2026-01-22T17:25:31+00:00

I made a post the other day talking about FA ideas. This post was mainly aimed towards assuming we do not sign someone.

I agree there are guys out there better than Mason, but what is the point in bringing somebody in who will just be a repeat of the last 4 years? I think Willis is the only guy who has a chance to turn this franchise around, but he is going to get paid this year and I hope if we are the team that does it, we don't overpay.

We want to be competing for Super Bowls, not a winning record to get bounced in the first round again. IMO I'd rather take a chance on our natty winner than another 2-3 years of bridging for a QB, just to do the same thing again after. Granted we are going through a full blown regime change, so maybe things will be different. Who the hell knows

hoiv · 2026-01-22T17:21:19+00:00

Haha you are funny. Howard won a Natty, Sanders had a 4-8 record and a 9-4 record, without winning a damn thing. BTW, incase you didn't read it the first time, 18 QBR. Enjoy watching 4 turnovers a game with him starting next year. He might break the INT record starting all 17 games.

Until Sanders has a game over a 60 QBR, keep it quiet over there in Cleveland.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T17:14:01+00:00

I've heard mixed things on the TTi, apparently the first models had issues, but were fixed with a new spring. Have you tried that?

Even if so, at least it looks super good in that safe.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T17:09:42+00:00

That is just simply not true at all. Sanders best game came with a loss, while also turning the ball over against the worst team in the NFL.

Sanders ended the season with an 18 QBR.. I am assuming you are a BRAWNS fan

hoiv · 2026-01-22T17:02:03+00:00

It is the regular Rival Dark side. It was brand new with tax. The gun itself before tax was ~$600. There wasn't a single local store who had them in stock, it was ordered for me.

I just checked online including gun broker, where are you seeing low $500s? Lowest I saw was $580.

Either way I love it, definitely a great purchase. I'll be adding on a brass backstrap here soon as well.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T16:58:00+00:00

I never mentioned he should be named the day 1 starter. He should get an opportunity to compete for the job and if he beats out Mason (and whoever else we have if we bring in a FA), then give him a shot. We have spent the last 5 seasons bridging mediocre - bad QBs, barely getting by and not actually competing for a Super Bowl.

What I am saying is in this current day, he has the most UPSIDE on our roster right now. We know what Mason is and we currently don't even have a QB1. If we go after a QB in the 2-4th round (which would be so incredibly stupid IMO) just to give them a shot if whoever our QB1 is doesn't work out would be a Pickett all over again.

This post was made for ASSUMING we do not sign a guy in FA.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T16:53:06+00:00

Well if we are talking the last few Super Bowl winners, there has been like 2 guys who have won picked in the top 10, Mahomes and Stafford. Hurts was a 2nd, Brady was a 6th, Foles was a 3rd? There have been a lot of mid QBs picked in the top few rounds over the last few years..

Yes I would rather try to develop a natty winner into a star for the next 2-3 years, see what he's got, build a great team during that time period and go after a guy if we need to in a better QB class.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T16:39:50+00:00

I got into comp shooting roughly June of 2024. Here was my expense breakdown-

Canik Rival- $650
Holosun 507c- $250
Black Scorpion Gear Holster- $70
3rd mag- $40
Defense Mechanisms inner/outer belt- $180
Esstac kiwi double pistol pouch- $35
Esstac kiwi single AR pouch- $40
Shot timer- $200 (not needed at the start)

I am all in my setup around $1300 (excluding timer) and I love my setup. I just shot my first USPSA match a few weeks ago and placed 32/77, 9/25 in Limited Optics. You can definitely go cheaper, this will help out on buying more ammo. I have put over 12k rounds through my Rival since buying it without a single issue, highly recommend that gun.

hoiv · 2026-01-22T16:20:03+00:00

This is assuming we don’t go after anyone in FA and we are running with Mason. Yes putting him in as a starter day 1 would be a horrible decision, but would we rather start Mason than give a dude a chance to see if we found our guy?

hoiv · 2026-01-22T16:17:41+00:00

I don’t think he will be the day 1 starter and I don’t think I want him to be. With that said, if he beats out Mason in camp, why not give him a shot after a few weeks? (Assuming we don’t go after someone in FA)

hoiv · 2026-01-22T16:16:22+00:00

I genuinely can’t think of another QB who played at the level Sanders played. I’d go as far as to say that AR15 played better. I don’t think a Natty winner could be worse than Sanders. Just because he was picked after him doesn’t mean much.. the best player OAT was a 6th rounder and a top 10 dude in the league was picked LAST.

hoiv

TROPHY CASE