By Cian Fahey It is unlikely that Mike Wallace leaves the Pittsburgh Steelers when free agency begins next week but the chance remains as Wallace is a restricted free agent (breaking news I know). In my mind, there are two teams who could likely make a run at Wallace. Those teams are the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers. If the Patriots sign Wallace, the Steelers will get the 31st pick in the draft. If the 49ers sign Wallace, then the team will get the 30th overall selection. The Steelers would have the option of using that selection on a receiver but wouldn't be forced to because Read more [...]

According to Pittsburgh Post Gazette beat writer Ed Bouchette, the releases of veteran wide receiver Hines Ward, defensive end Aaron Smith, linebacker James Farrior and guard Chris Kemoeatu were made official last Friday at 4 p.m. There had been some uncertainty of when it would be official, but now we know it is. That of course means that all four were free at that time to start negotiating with other teams, and as Bouchette reports, it appears that Kemoeatu and his agent Ken Vierra are already talking to a few teams. Bouchette also said that Smith is expected to retire and that is not surprising Read more [...]

With the 2012 free agency period drawing ever so closer, we continue on with our player by player analysis of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2012 Free Agents. We our deep into the analysis of the Steelers unrestricted free agents and we now move forward with the unrestricted group by taking a look at quarterback Dennis Dixon. Check the links at the bottom of the post to see the other Steelers free agents that we have already covered. Player: Dennis Dixon Position: Quarterback Experience: 4 Years Free Agent Status: Unrestricted 2011 Salary Cap Hit: $1,200,000.00 2011 Season Breakdown: Read more [...]

The Buffalo Bills have agreed to terms today with unrestricted free agent wide receiver Stevie Johnson on a new five-year, $36.25 million contract with $19.5 million guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. With that contract now in place, we now have a solid starting point for what Pittsburgh Steelers restricted free agent wide receiver Mike Wallace will be expecting as far as his new deal goes. The average year breakdown of the Johnson contract, which is very dangerous to use as a measuring stick until the full structure is released, comes to $7.25 million. In his first four seasons Read more [...]

Monday (correction that deadline is the 13th, not today) the deadline for restricted tenders to be issued around the league and while several eyes will be fixed on wide receiver Mike Wallace, and his expected first round tender, the Steelers two undrafted guards, Doug Legursky and Ramon Foster, will also be an interesting tender decision to watch as well. As Ed Bouchette pointed out on Saturday, with the cap room that the Steelers have right now, they could now decide to place second round tenders of $1.927 million on both Legursky and Foster instead of right of first refusal tenders on them Read more [...]

By Cian Fahey The Pittsburgh Steelers added the names of Hines Ward, Aaron Smith and Chris Kemoeatu to a lengthening list of players who will not return for the 2012 NFL season. Smith, Kemoeatu and Ward join Bryant McFadden and Arnaz Battle as casualties of the team's bloated salary cap. However, now that Omar Khan, the team's cap manager, has managed to bring the team below the expected salary cap, the team must begin to look at its own free agents. The Steelers are in the unusual position of needing to focus on their restricted free agents moreso than their unrestricted free agents. Prior Read more [...]

Scott Brown, from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,  reported on Thursday that the Steelers had productive contract talks this past week with Jack Scharf, the agent of unrestricted free agent wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, at the 2012 NFL combine. Cotchery signed a one-year deal with the Steelers after the start of training camp last year and saw a little more than 300 snaps on offense in 2011. Cotchery has expressed several times since the 2011 season ended that he would like to return to the Steelers in 2012, and that he is hoping for a multi-year deal. He also noted that he would like to Read more [...]

The 2012 free agency period is getting ever so close so we will continue on with our player by player look at the Pittsburgh Steelers 2012 Free Agents. We are well into our analysis of the Steelers unrestricted free agents and now continue forward with that group by taking a look at tackle Max Starks. Check the links at the bottom of the post to see the other Steelers free agents that we have already covered, both restricted and unrestricted. Player: Max Starks Position: Left tackle Experience: 8 Years Free Agent Status: Unrestricted 2011 Salary Cap Hit: $2,619,000.00 ($2,000,000 Read more [...]

Pittsburgh Steelers punter Jeremy Kapinos announced on Twitter Wednesday that he had received his one-year exclusive rights tender offer from the team and now we know that the Steelers other two exclusive rights free agents, running back Isaac Redman and nose tackle Steve McLendon, have also received their one-year tenders as well. The news comes via Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and those tenders were expected. An exclusive rights free agents is defined in the CBA as any player with fewer than three Accrued Seasons as of the end of the 2011 League Year. If an exclusive rights free Read more [...]

Gerry Dulac from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported on Twitter today that Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said today that it's possible both Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch could be back in 2012 to back up starter Ben Roethlisberger. Dulac quotes Colbert as saying, "I hope so. I think they're open to that." Colbert said it's possible both Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch could be back in 2012. “I hope so. I think they’re open to that."— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) February 23, 2012 Both Leftwich and Batch are unrestricted free agents and they both figure not Read more [...]

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert addressed the media today at the 2012 NFL combine and of course he was asked about restricted free agent wide receiver Mike Wallace. Colbert said the Steelers were going to do everything that they can do to keep Wallace with the Steelers. He told the media today that Wallace has the same goal as the Steelers do, and that is to get a deal done so that he remains in Pittsburgh. As far as the options that Colbert has in regards to a first round tender or the franchise tag, Colbert said that they have still not ruled out using the franchise, but Read more [...]

San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke joined Adam Schein and Rich Gannon on SiriusXM NFL Radio today at the 2012 NFL combine for an interview. Baalke was asked in an indirect way about Pittsburgh Steelers unrestricted free agent wide receiver Mike Wallace and his comments that he made on Wednesday about his willingness to play for another team. Schein acknowledged in his questioning that he knew Baalke could not mention Wallace by name, but he asked him if that kind of wide receiver, who is a deep threat, would be the kind of wide receiver he would be looking for in the offseason. Read more [...]

By Christina Rivers Last week, I posted an article about Rashard Mendenhall's unfortunate position within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization that took quite a bit of heat.  While pointing out that Mendenhall was sometimes viewed by fans as not having the team's best interests at heart and the fact that he'd been criticized for public comments, I also pointed out the obvious; Mendenhall will sit on the PUP list for all or most of the 2012 season.  Mendenhall will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2012 season, and Steelers Depot writer Dave Bryan even suggested that Mendenhall may Read more [...]

We are knee deep with our player by player look at the Pittsburgh Steelers 2012 Free Agents as we get ever closer to the beginning of the 2012 free agency period. We are well into our analysis of the Steelers unrestricted free agents and now move forward with that group by taking a look at running back Mewelde Moore. Check the links at the bottom of the post to see the other Steelers free agents that we have already covered, both restricted and unrestricted. Player: Mewelde Moore Position: Running back Experience: 8 Years Free Agent Status: Unrestricted 2011 Salary Cap Hit: $575,000.00 2011 Read more [...]

The Pittsburgh Steelers have started tendering a few of their free agents as punter Jeremy Kapinos reports via his Twitter feed that he has received his one-year tender. He stated in the tweet that he is excited and preparing to be a Steeler for another year. Kapinos signed back with the Steelers in early November after punter Daniel Sepulveda suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee. Kapinos also had replaced the injured Sepulveda in 2010 because of another knee injury suffered by Sepulveda. Kapinos was back with the Steelers in training camp this past season and was released during the final Read more [...]