As reported last week, the Steelers have signed linebacker James Harrison to a new contract.
The deal is for six years at just over $51 million, including $20 million in bonus money, making him the highest-paid defensive player in Steelers' history.
A two-time team MVP, Harrison is also the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
With Harrison signed, the Steelers will now turn their attention to signing some of their other 11 starters who are entering the final year of their contract.
Topping that list will be getting a deal done with tackle Max Starks, the team's franchise player. Starks is set to earn $8.5 million in 2009 and the Steelers would like to lower that number with a long-term deal.
12 comments:
Dale, do you think this deal will come back to bite them? Do you buy into the notion that Harrison doesn't have as many miles as most 31 year olds, so he could hold up for 4+ more years?
I know the Steelers don't pay players for what they've done, but rather, what they're going to do -- and I agree wholeheartedly with that philosophy -- but really, they owed this guy. I'm glad the deal got done.
so....hows the steelers cap looking like?
Harrison trains harder than anyone. I don't think this deal will be a problem/
As for the cap, I'm sure it's tight, but the cap during the offseason is constantly changing.
I would imagine a whole lot of money moves around in the next month or 2, starting with Starks. They just won't have the room for rookies or filling the roster if a bad injury occurs.
And that seems to happen every year.
Silver back is a mule... He has and will continue to work harder than anyone on that team. This contract will motivate him even more.
Zeke
Dale,
Curious to know what you think the order of priority will be for the Steelers in working out extensions for those in the last year of their deals. Here is my guess:
1. Starks
2. Heath Miller
3. H. Ward (to free up money & reduce cap number)
4. B. Keisel
5. C. Hampton (to free up money & reduce cap number)
6. Ryan Clark
7. W. Colon
Also, do you think the Steelers would consider a 5'9'' corner like Alphonso Smith from Wake Forest at no. 32? I just can't imagine him going up for a jump ball in the end zone against Larry Fitzgerald or other big WRs. Then again, maybe he'd catch some of those INTs that Ike drops every year.
Thoughts?
Dale,
Any word on how the contract is structured?
With the possibility of the uncapped year, Miller might not be the priority we think. He'll only have completed his fifth season and will be restricted instead of unrestricted, same thing with Colon.
Players will need six years to be unrestricted, even if they've already been a restricted free agent.
As for Harrison's contract, the salaries can't go up more than 30 percent in any season. Hence the bonus money, which I'm sure is built in like Polamalu's contract, with roster bonuses and such.
Harrison's deal is a bargain IMO. Bart Scott just signed for 6 yrs, 48 million. Bart Scott is an overrated scrub. He's not even close to Harrison's elite level. The way Harrison trains and with his nasty demeaner, I see no let up in his game for many years.
Curious, is Harrison the Steelers first MVP? I cannot recall whether we ever had a player be offensive or defensive MVP.
Joe Greene, Mel Blount, Jack Lambert and Rod Woodson have all won it before I believe... Can't think of any others.
James Harrison won NFL Defensive Player of the Year
other Steelers to win this award:
Mean Joe Greene (twice)
Mel Blount
Jack Lambert
Rod Woodson
Terry Bradshaw is the only Steelers player to win the NFL MVP award
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