The Steelers signed FB Sean McHugh to a three year, $2.57 million contract on Friday. The Steelers had tendered $1.01 million for one year on Thursday to McHugh, but he opted for a longer contract instead of the tender. The signing bonus was reportedly $390,000. McHugh took over the starting job fullback from Carey Davis late in the season and will be the starter in 2009.
The Steelers have been in contact with Titans free agent return man and cornerback Chris Carr. Carr has also been contacted by the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Rams about his services. The Titans were first in the NFL in kickoff returns in 2008 and Carr also played a role as a reserve at cornerback. Carr averaged 28.1 yards per kickoff return last season.
The Steelers re-signed guard Chris Kemoeatu to the roster on Friday to a contract worth $20 million over the next five years. It was widely reported that Kemoeatu was going to sign a contract with the New York Jets for roughly the same amount as the Jets reportedly offered a four-year deal for $16.8 million with roughly $7 million in guarantees, but he has decided to stay with the Steelers instead. Kemoeatu will receive a $4 million signing bonus as part of his new contract with $6 million in guarantees and it helps ease the concern about the guard position on the Steelers offensive line.
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Steelers free agent guard Chris Kemoeatu and wide receiver Nate Washington are already getting looks on the market by other teams. Kemoeatu reportedly has an offer on the table from the New York Jets to reunite with former Steeler guard Alan Faneca and Washington has a visit lined up with the Detroit Lions.
As free agency officially begins at midnight tonight, the Steelers will likely be on the sidelines watching all of the action. A salary cap report earlier in the day by Adam Schefter said the Steelers were only $7,400,000.00 under the $127,000,000.00 salary cap. My Steelers salary cap estimation has them at $9,476,280.00 under the cap after the release of Simmons and Humpal and the tendering of the other five players. This leaves me off by $2,076,280.00 which I am sure is an error on my part by missing some dead money along with being off a bit on a few contracts.
Before the Steelers go after Read more [...]
The Steelers released former 2002 first round draft pick right guard Kendall Simmons and linebacker Mike Humpal on Thursday. Simmons tore his Achilles tendon in the fourth game of 2008 and was placed on injured reserve. Humpal, was a 2008 sixth-round draft pick and also was on injured reserve with a neck injury.
On Thursday the Steelers tendered contracts to three of their restricted free agents. The tenders are offered to restricted free agent players to secure the rights for the Steelers to match any contract offers made by other NFL teams. Among those who received contract tenders were offensive tackle Willie Colon, cornerback Anthony Madison and tight end Sean McHugh. Restricted free agents are players that have three accrued seasons in the NFL and have completed the terms of their current contracts. The Steelers will now have the right of first refusal and/or the rights to draft choice compensation Read more [...]
Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that the Steelers are down to $7.4 million in salary cap room after the recent tenders and roster movers. This is the fourth least in the league at this time. We will update our Steelers salary cap page with more info as it becomes available.
Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes has waived his right to a preliminary hearing on a misdemeanor marijuana charge stemming from his October traffic stop. Holmes didn't comment after his short appearance in Pittsburgh City Court. The decision now means Holmes must stand trial on the misdemeanor charge, or work out some kind of plea agreement with Allegheny County prosecutors. He remains free on bond at this time.
The Steelers reportedly met with Norfolk State cornerback Don Carey and Missouri defensive tackle Evander “Ziggy” Hood during the NFL combine. http://pit.scout.com/2/842485.html
Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on a misdemeanor marijuana charge resulting from his October traffic stop. Pittsburgh police said they found three marijuana-filled cigar blunts in Holmes' SUV when he was pulled over on Oct. 23. Police say they stopped Holmes because his vehicle matched the description of one they were looking for in a drug sting. Police reported they smelled marijuana smoke when they stopped Holmes, who was cooperative and alerted officers to the drugs. Holmes is charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana, a charge that Read more [...]
The salary cap will be expanded to $127 million in 2009. NFL teams didn’t spend as much as they were supposed to under the collective bargaining agreement the past three years so teams were notified on Wednesday that the salary cap will increase over $4 million from $123 to $127 million for this coming year. The collective bargaining agreement calls for cap adjustments down if teams spend over the cap and adjustment up if they don’t spend up to the cap. Most NFL teams believed they would see a mild increase in the salary cap, but this is bigger than teams expected. Currently the Steelers are Read more [...]
The Steelers and Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison remain far apart in negotiations, Harrison's agent, Bill Parise, told ESPN.com on Wednesday. For the Steelers and Harrison, this is one of those times, as the two sides remain far apart in contract negotiations, Harrison's agent, Bill Parise, said. "We're talking and meeting pretty regularly, almost daily, but we're having a difficult time getting to where we need to be," Parise said. "I would say talks are progressing but not necessarily yielding the results that we would expect." The Steelers are unlikely to have a deal in place with Harrison Read more [...]
Three-time Pro Bowl Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday will likely becomes an unrestricted free agent at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, and apparently wants to play for the Steelers. "I talked to Jeff after the Super Bowl, and he said if you can get me there, that would be beautiful," said Pittsburgh-based agent Ralph Cindrich. "This is a Rooney-type of guy if ever there was one." Saturday will be willing to switch from center to guard to do so. "He's happy to play guard. He started in the league at guard. He told me, 'I'll play anywhere,' " Cindrich said Tuesday. Cindrich said Saturday compares favorably Read more [...]
Video of NFL Network host Rich Eisen running his annual 40-yard dash at the 2009 NFL scouting combine. This is funny stuff right here, especially with the SimulCam.
The Steelers are in talks to keep guard Chris Kemoeatu. They are negotiating with Kemoeatu, who finished his first season as the Steelers starting left guard in his fourth year in the league. Kemoeatu's agent, Ken Vierra, said he talked Friday with Steelers contract negotiator Omar Khan in Indianapolis during the combine and "I would expect our talks will heat up in the next day or two." Vierra said one big problem for the Steelers is the NFL's salary cap. Various reports of the Steelers salary cap have the Steelers with roughly $20 million under the cap of $123 million. However, that was before Read more [...]
Steelers kicker Jeff Reed pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and criminal mischief after police said he damaged a paper towel dispenser and harassed employees at a Sheetz convenience store early Sunday. Witnesses had told police that Reed went into the store bathroom and then became irate that there were no paper towels in the towel dispenser. He began banging on the towel dispenser and shouting profanities at the store employees, even after leaving the store. Reed received a summary citation and the charges were referred to Westmoreland County District Judge Mark Bilik in Bradenville. His guilty Read more [...]
The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed the franchise tag on tackle Max Starks on Thursday, a move that will keep him from entering free agency and guarantee him $8.451 million in salary for the 2009 season. The Steelers will now attempt to work out a long-term deal with Starks, who started 11 games last season at the left tackle position. This is the second season in a row that the Steelers have used a tag to keep Starks from becoming an unrestricted free agent. He was given the transition tag last season and was paid $6.9 million.
Pittsburgh Steelers Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert just wrapped up his meeting with the media at the 2009 NFL Combine. Below are some highlights of his press conference.
On the Steelers finding the right guys to fit the system:
"They have maintained a consistent philisophy of the type of player they want. You had that continuity with coach Knoll, coach Cowher, and coach Tomlin. When you have continuity in coaching, it's easy to match the talent to the philisophy to groom players to replace other players."
"I think the Steelers always look for good players, great people, Read more [...]
The 2009 NFL Combine starts on Thursday in Indianapolis with weigh ins of height and weight measurements and interviews. We will have the complete results of the combine stats in sortable fashion. Drills and 40 yard dashes begin on Saturday. Please follow the links below to keep up to date with all of the NFL combine results as we get them.
2010 NFL Combine results are now being updated!
Offensive Linemen Combine Results
Tight Ends Combine Results
Quarterbacks Combine Results
Wide Receivers Combine Results
Running Backs Combine Results
Defensive Linemen Combine Results
Linebackers Combine Read more [...]
