Here Is some more insight. Besides Faneca being three years younger, and a little bigger... Lets flash back to august 2004. We gave a guy that got CUT by Arizona 20mil for 5 years. http://content.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/playerdetail.aspx?lname=kendall&player=1291 Over the first three years, he collected 9.2 mil. And lets face i don't blame the Jets it was Pittsburgh, then the three signings last year that set this market
3 reasons I'm kind of cool with his age now: 1. He's in shape still. 2. His body type is ideal for the guard position, and actually seems like a longer lasting type. 3. He's a technician as well as a mauler. 4. No major injuries. He's started every single game since '00. 5. He's a prideful player, which probably means he'll pay to earn that money...I tell myself that I guess. 6. Good Steelers D and O-line are usually tough, long lasting, and have aggressive, competitive mindsets. 7. Gut feel. I still think I'd like Jacob Bell more, but supposedly were targeting him too.
Faneca is STILL a very good player, probably still in the top 10 OGs in the league, but he is not the best anymore. In fact, I think he got into the Pro Bowl because of his name and his legacy. I think that guys like Hutchinson, Shawn Andrews, Deihlman, Logan Mankins, Chris Snee, and others play at a very high level. I have trouble considering Faneca is the best when Darnell Dockett simply abused him for 4 quarters. I know everyone has bad games, but this line was average at best all season. It is not the line we saw in 2005. I think Faneca has always had the benefit of playing between two really good guys and when he had Smith and Hartings on either side, they were excellent.....place Sean Mahan beside him and he looks a little less stellar. The good news is, you put two excellent guys on either side of him....and he will probably play well. Another fear many fans had was we have saw guys like Dermotti Dawson and Jeff Hartings go whole careers with minor injuries and then get that long deal @30 and begin to break down. Dawson was done 2 seasons after his final deal was signed....he never had an injury to that point. With 23M guaranteed, you have to hope he plays every year of that deal.
