Max Starks Signs 4 Year Contract With Pittsburgh

Great news today in Steeler Nation, the financial details of the contract have not yet been released, but according to ESPN.com the contract is estimated at four years 26.3 million dollars with 10 million dollars in guaranteed money. This will certainly free up cap room and allow the Steelers to focus on signing Heath Miller to a long term extension, as well as signing our first round draft pick Ziggy Hood.

4 months ago drinkyourmilkshake 26 comments 0 recs |

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I shudder to think of the signing bonus, but to get this deal done, and to get it done now, bodes very very well.

Hello big money, here comes your extension.

Don't worry about the haters. Haters only hate.

by steelguy99 on Jun 23, 2009 12:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

Good for the front office, but the terms are only ok. What was his assumed hit for the franchise tag? Is there any savings at all this year? I mean, the rest of the years seem to be pretty generous to the organization, at ~$5 mil/yr, so thats good, but what does it buy us in real cap space this year? Anything at all?

Guns don't kill people. Lamar Woodley kills people.

by BostonWahoo on Jun 23, 2009 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

4 yrs 26.3 million

by Jett on Jun 23, 2009 12:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

source?

I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!

by drinkyourmilkshake on Jun 23, 2009 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

sorry i put it on the next one

by Jett on Jun 23, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4281262

by Jett on Jun 23, 2009 12:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

this is great news

I was really skeptical that Starks would sign a long-term deal since he was due to earn so much for this season alone. But I was always hoping they could work something out, both because it provides some stability on the O-line as well as the cap room to sign others such as Miller.

by nycsteeler on Jun 23, 2009 12:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Can't believe it either

I have posted numerous times that Starks will not sign a deal because he gets so much guaranteed this year, why not wait it out until next year to sign. Comeuppance is a cold mistress, indeed. But I am ecstatic that I was wrong.

We now have our best starting lineman locked up (although that says something about the state of our line) and have some cap room to extend some players. I think Heath’s deal is done before training camp, although I’ve been wrong before.

by CarlWeathersMustache on Jun 23, 2009 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think we can thank his wife-to-be.

Don't worry about the haters. Haters only hate.

by steelguy99 on Jun 23, 2009 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

$10 mil guaranteed…that’s an incredible deal the steelers brokered given the franchise hole they put themselves in.

Don't worry about the haters. Haters only hate.

by steelguy99 on Jun 23, 2009 1:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

yep, now watch out the deal the get for LeCharles Bentley

I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!

by drinkyourmilkshake on Jun 23, 2009 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Have to wait until FWP is traded first.

Don't worry about the haters. Haters only hate.

by steelguy99 on Jun 23, 2009 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Willie Parker for TJ Duckett, straight up. I have a source that wishes to remain nameless.

by NYSteelersFan4 on Jun 23, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wait until the final numbers come out on this ...

I bet Starks ended up getting more guaranteed money than the 10M that the earlier reports are showing. I bet that $10M is probably the signing bonus with some more dollars guaranteed, but I’ll wait to see the final details.

This definitely should open up some space to get some other deals done. I look for Heath, Reed and possibly Clark to be the first to get deals done. I think talks on new contracts for Keisel and Big Snack will drag on until the end of camp and might not get done this year.

by datruth4life on Jun 23, 2009 1:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That's a lot of donuts

by 36chambers on Jun 23, 2009 1:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Great news...

Now on to HEEEEATH!!

by NYSteelersFan4 on Jun 23, 2009 1:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Happy For Max

Always felt Max was a serviceable lineman. Always felt that Z&A unfairly castigated him to the bench so they could play lesser talent like Essex and Colon. Always held it against Z&A and used it as evidence that they have no clue on evaluating talent.
Happy for Max that he now has a long term deal and some security. Happy for the FO that they finally got the coaches to come around and evaluate Starks properly. Also thrilled we will free up a little cap space either here or down the road and can now concentrate on other areas of need.

When You Run The Ball Good Things Happen

by 5020 on Jun 23, 2009 1:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What a relief .. .. ..

Now let’s get the rest of the men signed.

Personally, the only remaining contract, other than Zigford, that I would like to see extended this camp is Heath’s. The others can all wait. Maybe Reed. I should think he’ll be expecting somewhere north of what Houston just extended our old "friend’ Kris Brown (reportedly 4 yr / $10 million). He certainly deserves to be paid better from my perspective and I very much want to keep sheetz around but I dunno if the FO has cleared up that kind of scratch for this season.

There is no spoon

by chewiesteeler on Jun 23, 2009 1:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

This also means...

That Max won’t be in the discussion to franchise or transition next year, which keeps those tags open for others (one if CBA is reached or two if not). That’s another advantage to this signing. Considering we were already in the hole for $8 this year, $26 over four years might be an indication that Max indeed honored a commitment to get a longer deal done, and if that’s true, he’s the kind of guy we want to stay in the family.

Thoughtful discussion with a sense of history

by maryrose on Jun 23, 2009 2:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

This is a great signing. Starks was the Steelers best OL last year and plays LT and still has an upside. Even if he doesn’t improve this still works.

Good job Pittsburgh!!!

by Cols714 on Jun 23, 2009 2:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Props to Big Max...

I’ll echo what maryrose mentioned and say that we should all give props to Big Max for signing a reasonable deal. He easily could have waited this out and made the franchise pay for the dilemma we got ourselves into. Instead, he did what appears to be a rather selfless thing (in relative terms… I get that $10 million guaranteed is not entirely selfless). If the flexibility to sign others (Heath!) his contract provides brings us another Lombardi, he should immediately be named team MVP. You’re a good man, Max Starks!

by cliff harris is still a punk! on Jun 23, 2009 2:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Good for him.....

Starks has improved in the last couple of years, but I’ve always thought he was lazy. Again, he’s improved now but in the past I remember him either looking the wrong way or simply standing around while Ben was in trouble. I can’t be the only one with this opinion of him…

He’s a very intelligent guy though, I’ll agree on that. His career will not stop after he’s done playing. I’ve always figured that his character was one of the main reasons we were keeping him around.

When I say who dey, you say we dey. @ChrisFAbbott

by sn0wballz on Jun 23, 2009 3:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes, but.

I’m happy he got signed (franchise-tagging him was ridiculous), but I’d be a lot happier if we had used that money to sign Big Snack or Big Money. Hampton is an upper-tier nose tackle, while Starks is a serviceable swing tackle. Spending this money on Starks might mean they can’t make a deal for Miller or Hampton, which would suck.

by zacharai on Jun 23, 2009 4:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Big money will not take much to sign, and it’s funny that you mention him because the extra money coming off the cap will most likely go directly to him.

I appreciate the sentiments for Big Snack, but I think it would have been more appropriately placed a few years ago. Big snack is past his prime and is franchiseable for a very reasonable rate.

Don't worry about the haters. Haters only hate.

by steelguy99 on Jun 23, 2009 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Starks got $10M signing bonus; might be more money in guarantees

Guys, according to this report, Starks got a $10M signing bonus. I think there will probably be some other guaranteed money in this deal when the numbers finally come out, but it is looking like a pretty good deal for both sides. Kelvin Colbert seems to be pleased with where the deal leaves the club as well.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_630716.html

by datruth4life on Jun 23, 2009 5:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs