Ian Whetstone, the resident capologist at SteelCityInsider.com, found that the Steelers have restructured the contract of cornerback Ike Taylor, freeing up $430,000 in cap space by giving him that money in signing bonus instead.
It's been something the Steelers have done a good job of doing over the years as a way to free up space.
© SteelCityInsider.com's Jim Wexell has confirmed the rumors that were being bandied about the Steelers media room Monday that running back Gary Russell was released due to a run-in with the law.
Russell apparently was staying with a friend at a Columbus, Ohio home that was raided by police. A large stash of marijuana was found.
Russell apparently has not been charged with any crime, but the Steelers did not want the situation to become a distraction.
© Director of football operations Kevin Colbert did not deny that the Steelers talked to the Buffalo Bills about wide receiver/return man Roscoe Parrish, but said that they have contact with all teams leading up to the draft to find out who might be available.
That said, the Steelers are very tight against the salary cap and a trade is unlikely.
That would explain why the Bengals were so quick to nab him...
ReplyDeleteAre they going to cut Santonio too?
ReplyDeleteYeah it does highlight the fact that better players get more leeway. I like James Harrison alot but I think threatening a woman is a bigger deal than pot.
ReplyDeleteyou werent there - dont judge James - how do you know the girl didn't provoke it?
ReplyDeleteMedia like Wexell covering the Steelers are funny. Make the owners out to be saints when someone who stinks like Russell has a "run in with the law". And then say they dont want a distraction. Santonio could have caught the SB winning touchdown with a blunt in his mouth and he would have still been given the key to the city. I would have much more faith in these guys covering the team if they said it like it really was. Russell stinks, released. Meanwhile, he wasn't arrested so how was it going to be a distraction? Funny.
ReplyDeleteRussel's house was reportedly found with 6k worth of chronic in it. Much more than "I smoked in my SUV yesterday," or aggravated assault.
ReplyDeleteIf I recall, neither Harrison nor Holmes were arrested or changed either. And again, it's simply less of a distraction to have fought with a girlfriend or admitted to police that you had smoked the previous day than it is to have $6,000 worth sitting in your basement.
I don't condone any of their actions. And I was a huge Russel fan. But even I can't figure out a way to excuse that large an amount of weed in the house you live in.
Dale, if Percy Harvin is available at 32 (due to his pot problem), is there any chance that the steelers would take him?
ReplyDeleteI hope the answer is no.
There are character concerns with Harvin to be sure. I'm sure they've done their homework.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Russell situation, they were looking to make a cap move to sign Batch and free up some cash.
That he happened to get in trouble at the same time and is at a position with depth did not work well in his favor.
As for the Holmes situation, he was suspended for a game by the team. How many other teams would have taken that step? Not many.
Harrison's case, meanwhile, was a he-said, she-said domestic abuse case in which the charges were dropped.
They were far different than Cedric Wilson walking into a crowded bar and assaulting somebody with 100 witnesses. There's no doubt what went on there.
Dale,
ReplyDeleteI am having just a little bit of trouble in my mind figuring out where these 3 items match.
1. Trading for Roscoe Parrish.
2. Taking a WR on Day 1.
3. Looking into signing Joey Galloway.
It almost seems like the organization is trying to bring in a depth WR, but a guy you take in round 1,2, or 3 aren't depth guys.
Do you buy into the article this morning in the paper (tribune) that they may actually draft a WR early or is this just an organizational smoke screen?
Dale,
ReplyDeleteRestructuring Taylor's contract to get $420,000? Doesn't seem like a whole lot of money if you ask me. I don't think that would even cover Vet min. for a year. Why not get a contract going with Starks too free up some money?
On a side note. I had some pretty cool stickers made up with the number 6 and the steelers logo in the middle of the circle of the 6. Would like to send you one.
Zeke
Couple that 420,000 with the money saved by releasing Russell and you have Batch's contract.
ReplyDeleteThe Steelers aren't into smokescreens at this point. They don't put any information out there. They're on total lockdown.
As for the sticker, Zeke, you don't have to send me one. But if you feel the need, you can send it to me at the paper.