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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Steelers readying for free agency

The NFL Network reported today that the Steelers won't use a transition tag on any players, including cornerback Ike Taylor, prior to the deadline to do so.

That means that if/when free agency opens up, Taylor will be an unrestricted free agent.

Cue the teeth gnashing.

But nobody knows what free agency will be like if/when a new CBA is put in place. The Steelers wanted to protect themselves with LaMarr Woodley, hence the franchise tag they used on the linebacker.

But a transition tag has proven to be all but worthless over the years, offering little resistance to players moving about thanks to "poison pills" that some teams put in contract offers to keep their offer from being matched.

The bottom line is that Taylor, even if he gets an offer from another team, will more than likely give the Steelers a chance to match it or at least come close. Taylor doesn't want to leave Pittsburgh, especially after seeing what happened to Bryant McFadden in Arizona.

Willie Colon's agent told the Post Gazette that the tackle has probably played his last game in Pittsburgh, but that's posturing.

It remains to be seen how much money a player coming off an Achilles' tendon injury can command on the open market.

And it will be a wide open market, with more than 600 players scheduled to hit free agency if/when it happens. We also don't know what kind of cap will be in place – if any. It could be more than it was in 2009, the last capped year. It could be less.

The bottom line is that right now, there is a whole lot that nobody knows when it comes to free agency this year.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

i thought that at least with a transition tag, if you couldn't match another team's offer, you were then compensated with draft picks.

am i wrong?

Anonymous said...

Transition tags don't have any compensation. They give the team a 7 day window to match an offer by another team. That's it.

Anonymous said...

Marc,

you're not wrong in threory, but then the "poison Pill" comes into play. If I understand correctly, you have to exactly match the other teams offer. If the other team adds a bonus clause such as "30 million dollars to be received if more than six games per year are played in Pennsylvania." With a clause like that the Steelers or Eagles contract's would be $30,000,000 more than the team offering it. The poison pill completely negates the spirit of the transition tag, and is more evidence why lawyers should all be tossed into the Ohio river, or sent to Cincinnati.

Rob

Anonymous said...

everyone always says taylor is a great cover cornerback with bad hands, diminishing the impact of bad hands on his game. a cornerback who drops easy interceptions is 75% of a cornerback. teams realize this, he's not a name (check the probowl rosters), and he is fully acclimated in one of the most complex defensive schemes in the nfl, one that specifically complements his skill set. Ike Taylor isn't going anwhere.

Anonymous said...
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Patrick said...

Ike Taylor has a lot of leverage. He knows the Steelers are screwed if he goes. He'll be asking for a lot.

I'd bet hes a goner. Unfortunately.

Anonymous said...

Why'd you delete my comment. cause I'm canadian? what a canadian can't express his opinions on a football blog where everyone has an opinion?

Dale Lolley said...

Tired of that tomfoolery

Anonymous said...

Hey Dale, How do you feel about Asomugha Nnamdi at CB for the price of a 1st or 2nd round draft pick or the the best LT thats out on the market? thanks again as always Dave W. in Las Vegas.

Anonymous said...
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Vaflyer said...

I don't know who "Anonymous" is that keeps bringing up race and Canada, but dude don't ruin this blog for everyone else just because you wanna act like a 6 year old. If you don't like the site leave. If you are going to blast the owner, at least have the common decency and manhood to put your name.

Dale Lolley said...

What you have to consider is the price tag as well. Not only are you giving up a 1 and 2, you're also looking at a contract in the $15-million per year range. That's not going to happen.

Anonymous said...

Dale, I didn't mean for a first and second round picks I meant for the dollar price of a first or second round draft choice. Do you feel he is worth the dollar cost for a proven corner back. Iguess what i'am trying to say is get a corner back through free agency and use the draft picks to fill the other needs. ala James Farrior thanks you Dave W. in Las Vegas

Comment Deleted said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Dale Lolley said...

Let's cut the crap now. If you guys want, I'll turn up the moderator settings on the blog and your comments might get put up, they might not.
Is that what we want here? Or can we act like adults?

As for equating Farrior to Asomugha, they got Farrior for a far cheaper price than what Asomugha would cost. Farrior had only been a full-time starter for one year with the Jets. Farrior's orginal deal with the Steelers was three years for $5.4 million, a bargain deal if ever there was one.

You're not going to get a bargain with Asomugha.

Jean said...

i agree with Patrick, he'll ask for alot

other_patrick said...

Dale,

Question for you:

What's the word on Flozell? If he's thinking of retiring and Colon is a question mark, that makes RT a pretty pressing need.

On the other hand if the team has Flo or Colon locked down, they can draft for a RT that can start down the road (in the case of Flo) or not at all if Colon is signed to a long deal.

Unknown said...
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Dale Lolley said...

I think when it's all said and done, Flozell will come back for one last run at a Super Bowl. But nobody knows for sure but him.

Unknown said...

Mike says some scouts think he's better than his brother; that's just talk right? I always thought of him as at least a step slower

Dale Lolley said...

I'm sure that's just talk. Mike a little bigger and he's got the nasty streak. But Maurkice is the better player.

adamg said...

I know the conventional wisdom is the Steelers want to sign Colon, but I'm not sure about that.
Even before he got hurt and when they still were thin at OT, they didn't try and sign him to a long term contract. He just got an RFA 1 year tender. One has to figure that if the Steelers believed he was a great OT, they'd have found a way to keep him for more than a year last year.

Notice that Colon is everywhere with BR? IMHO, the Rooneys have noticed it, too, and after the GA incident, I think their plan is seperate the pair by not re-signing Colon.

Anonymous said...

Yep, I've heard that theory of wanting to separate them too before. And I'm kinda starting to believe it

Personally, I think Colon is a great lineman who could help us ton. But if they are willing to go a different direction I wish colon good luck

After an injury he only deserves a small offer, and if someone else gives him a bigger one he'd be stupid not to take it

adamg said...

Flozell Adams played very, very well at RT this year and he is signed for another year. If he lets the Steelers know he's not retiring, I can see him making Colon expendable and the Steelers grooming either of the Scott boys to take over at RT.