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Sunday, March 08, 2009

McFadden signs with Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals signed former Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden to a two-year contract Sunday worth a reported $10 million.

McFadden made eight regular-season starts last season while helping lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl victory over the Cardinals. He had 54 tackles and one sack despite missing six games due to an arm injury.

McFadden returned from his injury and started the final three regular-season games and also all three of the Steelers’ postseason games. He also had three tackles in the Super Bowl.

The 27-year-old McFadden was a second-round draft pick by the Steelers in 2005 out of Florida State.

McFadden's loss leaves the Steelers with Ike Taylor, William Gay, Deshea Townsend and Anthony Madison at the cornerback position.

13 comments:

Patrick said...

I'm a little ignorant as to the going rate for corners, but that deal sounds like it would of been platable and good for the Steelers to match.

A little confused by this one. A good plyaer left for what is relatively speaking, not a ton of money. And a 2 year deal with him would be good. At 29-30, he will be starting the down part of his career.

Am I crazy Dale? Was this just too much for the Steelers to offer considering Gay is waiting in the wings?

Anonymous said...

What do you think of Darius Butler?

He would kill 2 needs at once, because he can return too. Every time I see him I think he is a top 20 talent, but never hear about him.

Anonymous said...

Darius Butler in the 1st round I meant.

Anonymous said...

Dale,

What round, if any, do you think the Steelers will/should receive a compensatory pick for losing Faneca? Will it wash because of us signing Hartwig & Mew Moore? Any word on who is talking to Leftwich and Batch?

-Sasquatch

Anonymous said...

According to PFT, the Dolphins and Ravens are high on Butler, so we'd probably need to trade up to get him.

Insidepittsburghsports.com says the Steelers offered BMac a longer contract with more guaranteed money, but I guess he wanted to roll the dice with a shorter contract so he can hit the FA market again sooner. Though I don't see why the Steelers wouldn't have offered to match the deal the Cards gave him. Doesn't make sense to me.

Dale Lolley said...

Hatwig was released, so I don't think he counts againt the comp picks. Clark Haggans pretty much cancels out Moore, though Moore did make a few starts and Haggans didn't.
I'd guess a four for Faneca.

InsidePittsburghSports is guessing. $5 million a year would have made McFadden the Steelers' fourth-highest paid defensive player behind Polamalu, Hampton and Ike Taylor. They couldn't do that and then extend Harrison as well for a guy who couldn't win the starting job outright from Deshea Townsend.

Anonymous said...

Do you think BMac ever got a fair shot to beat out Deshea, or were the coaches just overly deferential to Deshea's veteran status?

Also, if Harrison truly wants Haynesworth/Roethlisberger money as reported by Ken Laird, he won't be re-signing here.

Dale Lolley said...

He got a fair shot. He just didn't take the job.

Harrison won't get a $100-million contract, not even close.
But Haynesworth's deal is actually four years for $48 million. He won't see the rest of it.

Anonymous said...

Fair enough, I guess the coaches weren't as high on BMac as we fans were. It's just strange to see Kemoeatu, who basically sucks, get a new contract while BMac, who always seemed to play well when called upon, gets shown the door.

I also don't like that we're now forced to use a high draft pick on a CB. If we had re-signed BMac, we could have focused totally on the OL. I mean, we have to find a LT who will be ready to go in 2010 or we'll be forced to franchise Starks again!

Anonymous said...

Dale,

Any chance the team looks at Dre Bly as a scrap-heap pickup? I know he was routinely toasted in Denver. But they had no pass-rush. If not Bly, would the team consider re-upping Fernando Bryant? The team is lacking depth at the position.

Anonymous said...

This is a deep draft in c-backs stay with the plan 1st 2 rounds o-line, d-line.......unless..

datruth4life said...

Dale, any news on CB/KR Chris Carr from the Titans or CB Leigh Bodden visiting the Steelers this week?

If I know Kevin Colbert like I know Kevin Colbert, I expect that Carr and Bodden will be offered a 4-year deal at the amount of money that BMac turned down.

Also, does losing BMac change the dynamics of the team's draft that much, particular on the first day. I expected them to go OL and DL in the first two picks. If DE Jarron Gilbert is there at no. 31, I don't see the Steelers passing on him as that young 3-4 DE they've been searching for the past 5 years.

Now, they might be forced to take a corner in the 2nd round who could end up playing big minutes this year.

Thoughts?

Anonymous said...

Just read that Galloway is visiting today.