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Steelers Offseason Thread (1 Viewer)

Just saw this, looks like the Steelers are creating some cap room:Steelers find wiggle room under capBy Mike PrisutaTRIBUNE-REVIEWThursday, March 3, 2005 Free agency has been much more about the restructuring of contracts and the reclaiming of space under the NFL's $85.5 million salary cap than it has recruiting for the Steelers. Day 1 of the free agency period, which began at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, came and went without any official visits by free agents to the team's facility on the South Side. But, for a change, the Steelers have some breathing room under the cap. In addition to the release of cornerback Chad Scott and Jay Riemersma and the restructuring of contracts for running back Jerome Bettis and linebacker James Farrior, the Steelers have struck more cap-friendly deals with linebacker Clark Haggans, running back Duce Staley and center Jeff Hartings. In all three instances, the players gave up what they had coming in base salary in 2005 and agreed to play for the NFL minimum based on their years of experience. The differences were made up by signing bonuses. "It makes no difference to us," said Jeff Sperbeck, Haggans' agent. "It's done for salary cap purposes." Haggans, under contract through 2007, was scheduled to make $2 million in 2005 but instead will receive $540,000 and a $1.460 million bonus. That's a cap savings of $973,334. Staley, signed through 2008, was to get $2.15 million in 2005 but instead will accept $665,000 and a $1.485 million bonus. That's a cap savings of $1,113,750. Hartings, committed to the Steelers through 2006, was to work for $4.2 million in 2005 but is now on the books for $665,000 plus a pro-rated portion of a $3.535 million bonus. That's a cap savings of $1,767,500. The deals were completed about a week ago. The total savings of $3,854,584 from the Haggans, Staley and Hartings restructurings, combined with the releases of Scott and Riemersma and the cap-number reductions for Bettis and Farrior, affords the Steelers some much-needed room to maneuver. Hartings' agent, Ben Dogra, isn't certain how much maneuvering they'll do beyond bringing back as many of their free agents as possible. "I think they have a pretty good football team," he said. "I don't think they need a whole lot." Dogra partners with agent Jim Steiner, who represents cornerback Willie Williams, one of 12 Steelers exposed to unrestricted free agency. Dogra said the Steelers are "working on Williams," and that Williams "absolutely" wants to return. Inside linebacker Kendrell Bell, made expendable by Tuesday's signing of inside linebacker Larry Foote, is being pursued hard by the New York Giants, according to agent sources. Bell signing with the Giants would reunite him with former Steelers defensive coordinator Tim Lewis, who was often frustrated with Bell's play during his Steelers tenure. Two of the Steelers' unrestricted free agents are starters along the offensive line, right guard Keydrick Vincent and right tackle Oliver Ross. Vincent said at the conclusion of the 2004 season that he'd been told by the Steelers they'd be giving the job back to the player he replaced, 2002 No. 1 pick Kendall Simmons, in 2005. Vincent, in other words, is headed elsewhere. Ross likely is, as well, with the Steelers having 2004 No. 3 pick Max Starks waiting in the wings. "We only need five," offensive line coach/assistant head coach Russ Grimm said Wednesday. "We'll get five of them out there. "We would like both of them (Vincent and Ross) back, there's no question. I doubt if we'd get both of them back. Hopefully, we'll get one of them back. If we do, we do; if we don't, we don't. When it's out of your hands you just wait and then go with what you have."

 
Bettis leaning towards coming back.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-re...e/s_309856.html

Bettis said Steelers coach Bill Cowher has not tried to push Bettis toward a hasty decision, asking only that he lets the team know of his plans by June 1.
Hmmm, I was thinking there was no way the Steelers would take a RB in the first day of the draft but if Bettis is not letting them know by June 1 then I think this ups the chances that they might.
 
Bettis leaning towards coming back.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-re...e/s_309856.html

Bettis said Steelers coach Bill Cowher has not tried to push Bettis toward a hasty decision, asking only that he lets the team know of his plans by June 1.
Hmmm, I was thinking there was no way the Steelers would take a RB in the first day of the draft but if Bettis is not letting them know by June 1 then I think this ups the chances that they might.
theyll need someone in 06 one way or the other, and this is the deepest RB class i have seen in a long time - if you need an RB of the future, this is the draft to get one. to top it off, the deepest class means youre getting that RB talent later in the draft than you normally would (*except the big 3), so they will be cheaper than their real talent merits. ill be very disappointed if the steelers dont take an RB in the 2nd,3rd, or 4th rounds.
 
Bettis leaning towards coming back.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-re...e/s_309856.html

Bettis said Steelers coach Bill Cowher has not tried to push Bettis toward a hasty decision, asking only that he lets the team know of his plans by June 1.
Hmmm, I was thinking there was no way the Steelers would take a RB in the first day of the draft but if Bettis is not letting them know by June 1 then I think this ups the chances that they might.
theyll need someone in 06 one way or the other, and this is the deepest RB class i have seen in a long time - if you need an RB of the future, this is the draft to get one. to top it off, the deepest class means youre getting that RB talent later in the draft than you normally would (*except the big 3), so they will be cheaper than their real talent merits. ill be very disappointed if the steelers dont take an RB in the 2nd,3rd, or 4th rounds.
I agree. I really don't see any position which is a GLARING need right now (sure they have some needs and depth is always key, but they're not like the Browns or Dolphins) and this is a deep draft at several positions. I think the BPA approach will be huge this year.
 
Cornerback Williams signs again with SteelersMonday, March 07, 2005Pittsburgh Post-GazetteThe Steelers announced today that cornerback Willie Williams has signed a two-year contract. Terms of the pact weren't immediately announced.Williams, who is about to enter his 13th year in the NFL, started the final 10 games of the 2004 regular season and two playoff games after Chad Scott was injured.Williams was originally drafted by the Steelers in 1993.

 
Cornerback Williams signs again with Steelers

Monday, March 07, 2005

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Steelers announced today that cornerback Willie Williams has signed a two-year contract. Terms of the pact weren't immediately announced.

Williams, who is about to enter his 13th year in the NFL, started the final 10 games of the 2004 regular season and two playoff games after Chad Scott was injured.

Williams was originally drafted by the Steelers in 1993.
Hopefully Colclough starts this year and Ike Taylor grows into the #3 role, but it's good to have veteran insurance. Good news here... Willie played some pretty good ball for us last season.
 
The Steelers aren't off the charts at CB but I feel comfortable with Townsend, Colclough, Taylor & Williams. Hopefully they can focus on WR and DE now.

 
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yeah the resigning of williams should clinch that the steelers take another small school developmental guy like bartell later in the draft and focus on OL/DE or a WR they REALLY like at #30. personally i will be disappointed if they go WR at #30 unless someone like clayton magically falls to us - i wont be happy with a project like roddy white if we are passing on solid O-line depth.i see the first round priorities shaking out like this:1) DE - only spears (fat chance) and shaun cody seem to be 1st rounders out of the 3-4 DEs. maybe they would have designs on converting a guy like patterson or hawthorne, but i doubt it.2) Oline depth - ross is gone and vincent is not far behind. yes we have simmons and starks to fill their slots, but after okobi (who is backing up an OLD hartings), our line depth is weak to non-existant. i want the best available lineman at any position if cody doesnt fall to us.CB and WR, or even RB are still possibilities, but i think the list should begin and end with lineman, as both the offensive and defensive lines are the most important units to have depth at for the steelers playmaking D and power running O to control games. we can hide a weaker CB or WR because our game doesnt depend on them as much as the guys in the trenches.

 
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Steelers close in on deal with WR Reed, Williams sign contracts with teamTuesday, March 08, 2005By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-GazetteThe Steelers worked late into last night trying to sign Plaxico Burress' replacement after signing kicker Jeff Reed and cornerback Willie Williams earlier in the day.Receiver Cedrick Wilson, who had his breakout season in San Francisco last year when he caught 47 passes for 641 yards, spent the entire day and much of the evening with the Steelers as they negotiated a contract with agent Tom Condon."It always feels good to be wanted," said Wilson, 26, who believed a contract agreement could be reached sometime last night because "I am definitely interested and they are definitely interested, so let's hope so."After meeting with the coaching staff and the Rooneys, Wilson went to dinner with Kevin Colbert, the Steelers' director of football operations, and planned to stay in Pittsburgh last night. If they sign Wilson, it will seal the end of the Burress era with the Steelers. Wilson started 15 games for the 49ers last season before his left fibula was broken. He has been running the past two weeks and the Steelers passed him medically. He would join Hines Ward and Antwaan Randle El as the team's top three receivers."I like this place," Wilson said last night. "It's a winning program. That's the No. 1 thing, I definitely want to be on a winning team."San Francisco drafted Wilson, 5 feet 10 and 183 pounds, from Tennessee in the sixth round in 2001 and he moved into a starting job last season. He could replace Burress at split end or play in the slot.There were other maneuvers affecting the Steelers in free agency yesterday: Reed signed a five-year contract for $7.5 million that includes a $1.5 million signing bonus. Cornerback Willie Williams, 34, officially signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract. He received a $500,000 signing bonus and will have annual salaries of $765,000 and $1,235,000. Williams signed a one-year deal for $760,000 with the Steelers in May after he was released by Seattle and became their starter midway through last season after Chad Scott was injured. He counted just $455,000 against the cap last year. He will count $1,015,000 this year. The Steelers had only $1.7 million of salary cap room before they signed Williams. Burress failed to show up for his scheduled afternoon visit with the New York Giants, who appear to be the only serious suitors for the free-agent receiver. Burress reportedly was sick and the meeting was to be rescheduled, probably for tomorrow. Burress may have gotten sick when he heard that the Giants reportedly have proposed a six-year, $21 million contract with a $4 million signing bonus -- far below the $10 million bonus that Burress was seeking. The Vikings also may have an interest in Burress. Guard Keydrick Vincent, an unrestricted free agent, was scheduled to visit Cleveland today unless the Browns were able to come to contract terms with guard Cosey Coleman, a free agent from Tampa Bay, last night.Vincent's agent, Ken Zuckerman, also has been discussing a contract with Baltimore, and Atlanta contacted him yesterday.Reed made 28 of 33 field-goal attempts last season, making his final 17 tries. He also made all 40 extra-point tries. He made the team as an undrafted rookie after a tryout with four other kickers at Heinz Field in November 2002. At the time, the Steelers were unhappy with veteran kicker Todd Peterson. They replaced him with Reed, who was signed and released by New Orleans that summer and worked on a farm in North Carolina while he tried out for six NFL teams that fall.Reed made 17 of his 19 field goal tries as a rookie but was not as strong in 2003, when he made just 23 of 32. However, he rebounded nicely last season and the Steelers showed how much they valued him by putting the first-round tender on him as a restricted free agent.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3878)

 
Cedrick Wilson attended Melrose High here in Memphis and was one of the state's top HS QBs before he went on to star as a WR with the Vols. So he fits right in with the Hines Ward/Antwaan Randle-El mold of smallish former QB receivers. He's not quite as tough as Hines but quicker, and not quite as elusive or fast as Randle-El but a little more solid.

Adding Wilson would not give the Steelers any more variety at WR, but it would likely help with depth and prevent injuries at WR from substantially altering the game plan. He's a pretty solid citizen and a "Steelers-type guy" so I'm sure that plays strongly into the equation also.

Cedrick Wilson 2001 Scouting Report

 
Pretty cool to see a player of Chad Brown's caliber want to return to Pittsburgh. Rumor was that he left originally because his wife couldn't get good sushi here. Love to have him back at a reasonable price, though the Steelers are deep at OLB. ILB?Brown says he wants to returnAgent expects contract talks soonThursday, April 28, 2005By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-GazetteThe Steelers want to sign veteran linebacker Chad Brown, and he said he wants to come here in the worst way, but there remains one small matter standing between them: A contract.Yet Brown sounded as if he would take less money to rejoin the Steelers than he might elsewhere."The level of interest is very high," Brown said during his visit with the team yesterday. "It's tough to replicate the Steelers' experience anyplace else. This is a very special place to play, and to come full circle and end my career here would be awesome."Brown met with the coaches, and the Steelers' medical staff evaluated him. A three-time Pro Bowler, he battled several injuries the past three seasons, including a broken fibula and a knee injury that limited him to seven games last season with Seattle, but he finished the year healthy.Brown, who turns 35 in July, was released by Seattle last week after he declined to take a salary cut from $4.2 million to $1 million. He visited the New England Patriots Monday and Tuesday. The Steelers drafted him in the second round in 1993, and he became a starter at inside linebacker and outside, where he had 13 sacks in 1996 before signing with Seattle as a free agent.The Steelers start Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter and Clark Haggans on the outside, but Brown said he'd be willing to play any role for them."I don't want to end my career at a place that's rebuilding for the future," Brown said. "I want to end my career at a place that has an opportunity to really win some games and make some noise in the playoffs. "I was in Seattle for eight years and have three playoff losses to show for it. I need some playoff victories and, hopefully, a Super Bowl victory to round out this game that has given me so much."Seattle wants to re-sign him. Brown will visit New Orleans next, and Denver also has an interest. Pete Schaffer, Brown's agent, said no substantial talks with the Steelers have taken place but should soon.Charlie Batch, who signed a one-year contract Tuesday to remain with the Steelers, said he'd like to compete for the No. 2 quarterback job behind Ben Roethlisberger. "Right now, the only job guaranteed is the No. 1 spot, and that's Ben's spot. ... I can't sit back and say that I'm content at three and just happy to be here. That's not the case."--------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3878.)

 

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