Now that things have died down a bit before the draft, I figured it was a good time to look at the potential roster spots on the 53 man roster that one could consider as being unsettled at this point late in March. Several of these spots will close up quickly as soon as we know how the true status of the players that are unrestricted that might be deemed restricted. Also undetermined at this time is the future of free agent Ike Taylor and veteran Flozell Adams as well. Will there be 21 actually roster spot up for grabs? Highly unlikely. In fact when the dust settles I suspect it will be easy to Read more [...]

Tackle Willie Colon - Steelers 2011 Free Agent Free Agent Classification: UFA (unrestricted free agent) *pending labor outcome* 2010 Salary Estimation: $2,521,000 Base - $2,521,000 Cap Charge Analysis: We continue on with our breakdown player by player of each of the Steelers 2011 free agents and up next up for analysis is tackle Willie Colon. If you are looking for a player that was hit hard by the labor situation this past offseason, you certainly need not look much further past Colon. Because no new collective bargaining agreement was agreed upon by March of 2010, Colon lost out on Read more [...]

Willie Colon was quoted in an article about players who are watching their spending while they are locked out. Colon had plans of purchasing a new car for himself and one for his brother, but has put off those purchases until the labor situation is resolved. Steelers Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert chatted with reporters down at the owners meeting in New Orleans and Scott Brown has the Q & A. Desmond Brown, the brother of Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, concluded his first week as a University of Pittsburgh walk-on Saturday. He is currently backing up starter Ray Graham, Read more [...]

Ed Bouchette reported this morning that punter Daniel Sepulveda was also tendered a contract last week with the other 5 players. Once again that tender could mean nothing just like the Willie Colon, Matt Spaeth and William Gay tenders as Sepulveda has 4 years accrued and is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. The only way he becomes restricted is if the NFL decides to use the 2010 free agency rules once again meaning 4th and 5th year players are considered restricted free agents and not unrestricted free agents. The tender level placed on Sepulveda is not known, but is believed to be the Read more [...]

The Steelers have tendered contracts to four more players besides Willie Colon. I explained each tender offer here of both the restricted and unrestricted free agents and what it means going forward. Ed Bouchette breaks down the NFL labor negotiations and puts them in a Q & A format that is easy to understand. He also goes over the ramifications if an agreement is not reached. Thursday evening a 24-hour extension was granted of the old CBA. The new deadline is late Friday night. Elliot Harrison of NFL.com has a detailed article on the importance of pass protection and looking past just Read more [...]

Ed Bouchette reported this morning that Steelers president Art Rooney II said in Chantilly, Va., that the club wants right tackle Flozell Adams back next season, denying a Tweet report by Adam Schefter of ESPN that Adams could be a potential cut this week by the Steelers. Rooney II was in Virginia taking part in the NFL talks when he denied the report. Adams is scheduled to earn 5 million next season and has yet to tell the team if he will return for his 13th season or retire. Adams was signed by the Steelers before the 2010 season after they lost tackle Willie Colon to an Achilles injury. Adams 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 [...]

In addition to putting a first round tender on tackle Willie Colon March 1st, the Steelers have also tendered restricted free agents tackle Tony Hills and quarterback Dennis Dixon. Also tendered were unrestricted free agents cornerback William Gay and tight end Matt Spaeth. It is currently unknown what level these players have been tendered at, but they were likely the low level tenders that would require teams to give up a draft pick for the round the player was original drafted in as compensation if the Steelers failed to match any contract offers made by other teams. Both Gay & Spaeth fall Read more [...]

Steelers free safety Ryan Clark was on 93.7 The Fan to talk about a variety of issues surrounding the team and the NFL. He also comments on Ike Taylor wanting to stay in Pittsburgh and the announcement of Hines Ward going on Dancing with the Stars. Former Steelers running back Merril Hoge was named by USA Football as the head coach of the 2011 U.S. Under-15 National Team in football. Congrats to Merril as he continues his lifes work. The Ed Bouchette Steelers chat transcript is up from this week and he talks about Willie Colon, Flozell Adams, William Gay and Emmanuel Sanders among several Read more [...]

The NFL combine is now over and we start the countdown to the 2011 NFL draft in April. Without a doubt, cornerbacks and offensive linemen look to be a high priority for the Steelers this go around. It would not be surprising to see two of each drafted this year. Being as these two positions are perhaps the biggest need, I thought it would be fun to look back at the cornerbacks and offensive linemen drafted by the Steelers in the Kevin Colbert era that started back in 2000. Below are the 26 players that fit that description and some quick notes on each. Year Round Overall Player POS College 2010 1 18 Maurkice Read more [...]

It may end up being fruitless depending on how the CBA labor negotiations go, but just in case the Steelers placed a first round tender on tackle Willie Colon Tuesday according to Jason La Canfora. Colon is currently scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent, but that could change depending on how the labor talks go. Consider this just a precautionary move right now. Colon was also deemed a restricted free agent last year after no new CBA was in place heading into the 2010 season and the Steelers tendered him a one-year contract offer of $2,521,000. He eventually signed the tender and suffered Read more [...]

John Harris takes a look at the transition tag numbers and how they could relate to soon to be unrestricted free agent cornerback Ike Taylor. The Steelers risk losing Taylor if not re-signed to a new deal or tagged with the transition tag by 12:01 a.m. Friday. Harris also talks the LaMarr Woodley and Willie Colon situations. Speaking of Colon, Post Gazette beat writer Ed Bouchette said he talked to Joe Linta, the agent of Colon, who said there is little chance of him being a Steeler in 2011. Of course Linta could just be posturing, but Bouchette seems to believe him. Colon currently is scheduled Read more [...]

I have been getting a few questions via email, Facebook and Twitter about the state of the Steelers offensive line going forward into 2011, so I thought I would address it a post as sort of a State of the Union type piece of who is under contract, who is not and so on. As always you can refer back to the week to week offensive line grading I did play by play of the through out the entire 2010 season. Maurkice Pouncey - There really should not be any full explanation needed here as Pouncey was superb as a rookie. He will need to get a bit stronger in 2011 and work on some technique issues, especially Read more [...]

I will be releasing my first 2011 Steelers mock draft after the upcoming NFL combine, but have received several request to comment on some potential first found targets the Steelers might have a realistic shot at drafting should they stay at the #31 spot in round one. I have identified what I deem to be the Steelers 2011 draft needs in an earlier post right after the Super Bowl and see both offensive line and cornerback as perhaps the most pressing needs depending on how the draft and value presents itself. It is too easy to list the higher ranked players as targets so for this article as I Read more [...]

The Steelers now head into the offseason and will be faced with not only key decisions with several free agents, but with several players currently under contract next season and beyond as well. I have identified 6 players below I think the Steelers will have to think hard and long about in the offseason. These players, if cut, will bring salary cap ramifications with them as well assuming the new salary cap rules are some what similar to the old ones. Of course not having a CBA in place and not knowing the new salary cap rules and regulations make it hard to say what amortization they will Read more [...]