Would Cuts and FA Signings Make Steelers Better?

I love the numbers part of the game and am not knocking your article, just clarifying some things. Max Starks was signed to a 4 year deal with 10 mil bonus, which counts equally each year against the cap. (2.5 mil a year). If we cut him before June 4, he would still count for 5 mil this year (2 years left times 2.5 mil). After Jne 4 we could split the cost ofver 2 years at 2.5 a year. Not worth cutting him under any circumstance to save only 2.4 mil this year, next year would save 5 mil. Battle would still count for 700,000 against the cap this year (same scenario with bonus). ARE makes sense because his cap hit would go from 2.3 mil to 600,000. Foote would count for 1.2 mil if cut (as opposed to 3 mil if not),. Flozell makes sense, he had no guarenteed money, so the entire 5 mil comes off the books if he is cut. Good overall article though.

I don’t think we can let Hotel go just yet, not until we are positive Colon will be able to come back and play RT. Worst case scenario is that Colon will lose enough lateral ability, not his strongest suit to begin with, and will have to be moved to RG. Solves the RG problem, but in that case we will need Flo for another year at RT while picking up the future RT in this years draft.

If Colon shows he can come back at RT, we can still keep Flo and move him to RG, which also solves the RG problem for another year at least. He is still a mauler in the run game, and moving inside might get another year or two out of him.

I would let Battle, Foote, ARE go, and Memo is Dwyer shows he is capable of handling blitz pick ups. I don’t want Mankins, Poole, and especially Sanders. Id rather see McFadden move to S.

Sure it’s a dream for us to get Nnamdi, but it could happen. He has already gotten big $. Look at things from his perspective, I’m sure he wants to win, and win rings. As long as he is in his prime he will be considered the best CB in the league, but what about his long term legacy. Without a ring he may be forgotten once he declines and/or retires. He knows coming here he will help make an elite defense one of the best ever, and have a realistic shot at winning it all every year, which will help him become an all time legend.

and with the franchise tag his cap hit will exceed $10 million. we could resign him to a different contract but it would still be at or above Harrison’s 7million

and i am not sure how much this will add to the #s. but then you also have to keep in mind that the steelers are only making about $18mm operating profit a year so this has to be a factor also. it’s not like you are the cowboys or skins making $100mm plus a year, where your problem is not the money as much as fitting it into the salary cap.

you have to give management credit for pulling off this kind of tightrope with a 2010 payroll of about $129mm, they are spending what they can. there is just no room to go out and get big time FAs like nnamdi without letting go of some you want to keep. you just cannot afford to have great players at all positions unless you can get them in the draft and get them performing very quickly before their rookie contracts are up. (like woodley who was only $550k a year). you can only afford so many big veteran contracts.

 the top 5 guys account for $46mm of salary cap (ben, troy, starks, harrison, hampton) and then woodley will be in the top 5 and possibly taylor too, someone just has to go. (whether it is aaron or flozell or whoever). very tough business, i wouldn’t want to have to make the call.

if it’s the same with how signing bonuses count, your math is off. signing bonuses will count regardless and cutting a player could accelerate what they count against the cap (ex. cutting battle would only save 1 mil)

really good players but don’t they both play in zone blocking schemes? I don’t think either is a fit for us.

Did Legursky get cut?

I am actually skeptical of a few of the salaries listed in the article. Two that stand out more than others are CB McFadden, who in 2009 signed a two year $10M deal with very little bonus money involved. I find it hard to believe that his salary last year in Pittsburgh was less than $4M. I also find it odd that Kemoeatu has such a low number when the deal he signed was only fractions less than that of Starks. I also find it very naive to think that we will have a salary cap in the NFL for the 2011 season that is anywhere north if $100M as the owners have stated they don’t want it to continue to grow to a point where most teams are so far bellow it that it is rendered useless. For that reason I believe it is critical to follow the following points to have enough room moving forward to field a team well beyond the 2011 season.

Roethlisberger, Mendenhall, Ward, Wallace, Randle El, Sanders, Sweed, Miller, J. Scott, Pouncey, Adams, Hood, Smith-see released player section also, Hampton, Keisel, Harrison, Farrior, Foote, Fox, Timmons, Worilds, Lewis, Clark, Allen, Polamalu, Warren, and Woodley (with tag) are all under already under contract thru at least 2011.

Dixon, Hills, Mundy, and Sepulveda should get max offers as restricted free agents (so we wouldn’t lose them without more than we could trade them for if they signed elsewhere)

Brown, C. Scott, Sylvester, Redman, Dwyer, Johnson, McLendon, Butler, Legursky, and Foster sign exclusive rights tenders; whatever those numbers will be for 2011 (either way they are not allowed to go anywhere if the Steelers tender them a contract in this manner)

Starks, Kemoeatu, Battle, and Smith are released prior to the expiration of the current CBA in early March to save a cap penalty (since no cap in year 2010 means no cap penalty) Please Note: Smith can only be released in this 2010 NFL calendar year if he will agree in advance to sign a deal with the Steelers that is more cap friendly moving forward. The deal needs to save Pittsburgh around $3M-$4M so that money can go toward a RB (like Ronnie Brown) or QB (like Matt Flynn if he is not max tendered as a restricted) that will cost more than the position budget would allow. If Smith would leave the Steelers would have no choice but to keep him under his current contract at around $5.25M in 2011 even though more than likely he will be the fourth defensive lineman and play no more than half the snaps at all down positions (to keep himself healthy and the three starters rested) moving forward.

Leftwich, Moore, Spaeth, Essex, Hoke, Eason, Gay, Suisham, and Kapinos are non-tendered

McFadden-around three years $12M, Taylor-around two years $10M, Colon-around four years $20M, and Batch-around two years $3M are retained with multi year deals

Madison is retained on one year deals to compete for a spot on the roster

Free Agent needs would then be CB, OT, TE/FB, RB, QB, and K

Draft needs would then be: TE/FB, CB, FS, NT, DE, MLB/OLB and K (kick off specialist)

Could anyone argue with these moves if they keep the Steelers well bellow the much lower projected salary caps of 2011 and beyond even after the team filled all free agent needs with between $14M and $20M? This plan and budget also allows for the standard rookie allotment or around 10% of your total salary. I will include bellow (in a new post) my list of top three to fill each free agent spot that I qualified as a free agent need (not a draft need) so let me know how you agree and who you think may better fill the void…include why of course!

Note that I only considered the 53 man roster and 5 IR players that are normally on the 53 in this. I fully expect the team to sign a good number of undrafted rookies and players to future contracts, including former practice squad players to compete in camp.

I left off the need at OG in the 2011 draft, I apologize for the error and correct it here.

Bellow are my top three free agents at the need positions in my previous entry:

CB Sure the best available are big names but for Pittsburgh the order should be: 1. Eric Wright 2. Chris Houston 3. Fabian Washington (ahead of Cromartie, Woodson, Bailey, and Asomugha since these four will be much too costly, much too old, or both)

OT Should be filled with value in mind like most every position filled by Pittsburgh in free agency (normally works as a prime example is Ryan Clark who has become a better safety than Chris Hope) and looks a lot like this: 1. Jared Gaither 2. Jordan Black 3. Jammal Brown

TE/FB The object here is to find a great blocker who can play in the backfield and still catch a ball a game. The following can: 1. Owen Daniels 2. Kris Wilson 3. David Thomas

RB The budget here is based on Aaron Smith, Max Starks, and Chris Kemoeatu. If more than one is kept it will be hard to sign a 1B back. If the money works out, however, I would rank my top three as follows: 1. Ronnie Brown 2. Michael Bush 3. Tim Hightower

QB Matt Flynn is tops on this list if he is not max tendered by the Packers as long as the same mistake that kept Andy Lee in San Francisco doesn’t keep Flynn in Green Bay. If he is not max tendered the offer would have to be upwards of 5 years at over $3M per season. The following is assuming that he is correctly max tendered however and looks like this: 1. Marc Bulger 2. Chad Pennington 3. Billy Volek

K Should assume with the added roster space in the new CBA that the Steelers will carry a kickoff specialist. That said the kickers are ranked as follows: 1. David Akers (sure he is transition player but worth an offer sheet) 2. Matt Prater 3. Jeff Reed (though it seems unlikely, we will be hard pressed to find a better kicker in eight to ten home games every season and would he really have missed that SB kick by that much??…I think not)

It’s going to be a very interesting off season. And we’re already behind in time because in reality, with no cap implications for the 2011 season if we cut guys immediately and negotiate new deals with them. There’s a lot of guys who would fit into that list but it seems with time running short we probably won’t be able to get that done. But there’s a lot of guys up there who we should really be attempting to do that with. Some in the guise of contract extensions and some in the guise of redressing their role on the team. Max Starks is one, he’s a guy who they could cancel the contract for and offer a longer deal to. A brand new contract, not an extension. That would SIGNIFICANTLY reduce his cap hit for 2011. Especially as he’s coming off a missed season. Other guys we should ideally look to do that with: Troy Polamalu, new contract which is in effect an extension. Lawrence Timmons too.

On the pay reduction side I’d be looking at Hines Ward and Aaron Smith. Those guys were around when Bettis took his big pay cut to stay with the team and push for a SB. I think both should be open to it. Ward is a lesser case as his cap hit isn’t anything like Smith’s but Smith, we really cannot pay him what we are scheduled to as a rotational player, which is probably what he becomes next year.

Then there’s the outright immediate cuts which I don’t look to re-sign until after the draft.
Antwaan Randle-El – he showed in the SB when he’s in the game he can still contribute. But he’s paid way too much to be the 5th WR.
Byron Leftwich – His cap hit is pretty high and I’d like to see what we do with Dixon and Batch first
Bryant McFadden – Did not live up to his wage this year but I’m not against bringing him back at a lower number. Would still be a very good nickel corner. I’d just prefer he wasn’t the starter.

The the outright immediate cuts I don’t see much value in bringing back at all
Larry Foote – fine servant but we didn’t really need him in 2010 and Sylvester looks to have some potential. We can use the roster spot to keep an extra DL kid on the roster.
Arnaz Battle – signed as cover but ended up being surplus to requirements with Sanders and Brown emerging. No need for him anymore.

Lastly if the numbers are correct then it makes no difference if we cut Batch or Flozell immediately or at anytime prior to Week 1 of the regular season. No signing bonus portion of their cap hit. I’d like to see them negotiate Flozell’s number down at some point but it’s not a pressing concern. He’s definitely worth keeping with Colon not yet under contract and questions about achilles injuries on Tackles.