ESPN reporter Adam Schefter reported earlier today that unsigned players with four or more accrued seasons are expected to become unrestricted free agents in the next collective bargaining agreement. If that indeed is the case, tackle Willie Colon, tight end Matt Spaeth, cornerback William Gay and punter Daniel Sepulveda will all likely be considered unrestricted free agents. The Steelers tendered all four players prior to the lockout starting just in case the 2010 free agency rules would be used again in 2011. Colon has 5 years accrued service and missed out on free agency last year because Read more [...]

Steelers free agent cornerback Ike Taylor was on the Get Up Sports radio show Thursday and it was a pretty candid interview. Taylor also scolded fans for always getting on the secondary and says they need to respect them more and stop being so critical. You can listen below. [audio:http://blogtalk.vo.llnwd.net/o23/show/1/539/show_1539569.mp3] Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic address what they believe are the five biggest questions facing the Steelers this offseason on the Thursday Mike & Mike Show on ESPN Radio. A few softballs here but the question about if Rashard Mendenhall is the most Read more [...]

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was present for the Wisconsin Pro Day on Wednesday as tackle Gabe Carimi, defensive end J.J. Watt and tight end Lance Kendricks were all on display. All three seem to be on the Steelers radar in one capacity or another. Despite not yet signing free agent cornerback Ike Taylor, Ed Bouchette told 93.7 The Fan that he thinks in the end Taylor will be a Steeler next year. Sports Illustrated reported that NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said Wednesday that an 18-game season is off the negotiating table in collective bargaining agreement talks with the owners. Read more [...]

According to several sources, the NFL and NFLPA agreed Thursday to a 24-hour extension of the negotiating window for a new collective bargaining agreement. The original deadline of the current CBA expiration had been 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday. The two sides now have 24-hours to come to some kind of an agreement or it looks like the NFLPA will decertify and move forward with having the owners lockout blocked. The decertification action would mean the union no longer would represent the players and the players would be giving up their rights under the labor laws and then take their chances in court Read more [...]

I know there is likely tons of confusion about the tenders the Steelers have offered Willie Colon, William Gay, Matt Spaeth, Dennis Dixon and Tony Hills, so I hope this post clears up your confusion. I will go player by player and explain each. These 5 players are the only free agents the Steelers have with 5 or less accrued seasons. Willie Colon - Colon has 5 years accrued and his scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. The Steelers placed a 1st round tender on him just in case the labor issues are extended and both sides agree to use the 2010 free agency rules that made 4 and 5 year players Read more [...]

Steelers Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert had a Q&A session with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine and met later with a small group of Pittsburgh beat writers in Indy covering the event. We will be compiling all the 2011 NFL Combine results as they come in complete with official weights and measurements. This is the 3rd year we have provided wall to wall coverage of the numbers. As expected, Steelers did not use the transition tag on cornerback Ike Taylor, but Colbert said Thursday there have been some preliminary discussions about a new contract before the collective bargaining Read more [...]

Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert says the Steelers would like to have tackle Flozell Adams back for a 14th NFL season. Colbert commented on several other things as well when Bob Labriola caught up with him recently. John Harris list some potential candidates for the vacant secondary coach position and reasons behind each. The candidates are: Chuck Cecil, Lionel Washington, Donnie Henderson, Corwin Brown and Joe Woods. Looks like Sunny Harris might make back for his 3rd training camp for the Steelers if he makes it to Latrobe. The Steelers will likely have a couple spots to fill Read more [...]

It is time to take an updated look at the current players on the Steelers roster and what season is there final year of their contract. The two big names that will talked about in the offseason of course will be outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley and right cornerback Ike Taylor. I would not expect the Steelers to do anything with any of the players until hopefully a new CBA is agreed upon. Hopefully a franchise tag will also once again be in the picture as well. In 2011, several big names will enter their final contract year in the form of strong safety Troy Polamalu, inside linebacker Lawrence Read more [...]

Charlie Batch seems to be mentoring OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Batch's brother married Pryor's cousin. The two had a relationship well before Pryor was the top recruit and player in the country. The NFL and its players' union discussed a proposal to change to an 18-game regular season during a bargaining session Tuesday. Both sides look forward to continuing these discussions and reaching a new collective bargaining agreement soon according to reports. The league and the NFL Players Association issued a joint statement about the meeting, saying that negotiations focused on several matters, Read more [...]

The 53 man roster is set for now and the Steelers are about to announce their practice squad and begin preparations to face the Altanta Falcons in week 1 of the 2010 season. Before the season starts, I wanted to take a look at the current players on the 53 man roster who are in their final year of their contract and schedules to be free agents in 2011, if a new CBA is reached and a lock out is avoided. Currently 18 players are entering the final year of their contract and I have a small blurb on each. we will revisit this list much later in the season as it surely will be changed. QB Dennis Read more [...]

It is hard to imagine that the only active starting cornerback in the NFL to win two Super Bowls would finish his career in a uniform other than a Steelers one, but that is exactly what likely will happen with Ike Taylor. Taylor is entering the final year of a $23.75 million contract extension he signed in 2006 and regardless of his play in 2010, just will not be a priority next offseason for the Steelers. It is yet to be seen what type of tag if any will be included in a new NFL CBA, but the Steelers would likely not use it on Ike anyway. A healthy, productive season by "Face Me Ike" will price Read more [...]

Today may seen like a normal offseason Friday, but July 15th is the deadline for franchise tag players to have new deals signed or they must play for the one-year tender amount offered by the team. Such is the case with kicker Jeff Reed who was given the franchise tag in February to keep the eight-year veteran from becoming an unrestricted free agent. Reed and his agent, Don Henderson were looking for a multi-year deal in the neighborhood of 4 million dollars a season, much like kicker Sebastian Janikowski received from the Raiders this offseason. With no salary cap in place and a future CBA still Read more [...]

Here we are two and half weeks away from the sound of helmets and shoulder pads hitting at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe and most of Steeler Nation is collectively freaking out over the LaMarr Woodley contract situation. ESPN North blogger James Walker reported on Monday that the Steelers will not extend Woodley prior to the start of the season and I myself have confirmed with LaMarr personally that there was nothing new as far as talks have gone. Now the Walker report might be true, but he truly is the only one reporting right now that it will not get done at all. Regardless if it does or doesn't Read more [...]

Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor and linebacker James Farrior are working with renowned trainer Tom Shaw and three Florida State draft prospects down in Florida. I hope Shaw has a fountain of youth pool. The weekly Ed Bouchette's Steelers chat transcript is up on PPG. Bouchette says he voted for Heath Miller, Jeff Reed and LaMarr Woodley for the Pro Bowl. He also thinks the Steelers will try to re-sign free safety Ryan Clark. ESPN AFC North blogger, James Walker, gives a 70% chance that the Steelers will retain free agent kicker Jeff Reed. Walker also list other under the radar free agents Read more [...]

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu will be in a second quarter Super Bowl commercial for the cable channel truTV. The spot will promote "NFL Full Contact," a new show promising a behind-the-scenes view of professional football. Let's hope there is no jinx like the Head and Shoulders/Madden/Coke Zero jinx of 2009. The latest chat transcript from Ed Bouchette is live on the Post Gazette website. Ed thinks the Steelers will make a serious push to re-sign nose tackle Casey Hampton. If you missed the news I broke yesterday, the Steelers signed CFL special teams ace Derrick Doggett to a futures contract Read more [...]