The Steelers reached a contract extension of six years worth nearly $10 million per season with defensive end Cameron Heyward Thursday, locking up one of their best defensive players for the remainder of his decade.
Signing Heyward before the season begins was a priority for the Steelers. Up next should be left tackle Kelvin Beachum.
Beachum has one year remaining on the deal he signed as a rookie seventh-round draft pick that will pay him $1.5 million this season.
He should receive a nice pay raise from that amount. Beachum isn't the best left tackle in the league, but he's far from being the worst.
And the Steelers really don't have anyone on the roster capable of stepping in for him.
34 comments:
Dale, extremely interested to see what Villanueva can do this training camp. Also, can Mike Adams take another step in a contract year?
Nothing and no.
People need to chill about these UDFAs. They're like lotto tickets. The chance of one doing much is very low.
James Harrison/Ramon Foster/Will Johnson/Willie Parker (Just to name a few) say "hi".
About 1 in 11 7th rounders become starters by their 3rd year. Guessing the odds for a UDFA are closer to that than any given state lottery. Say, 1 in 12, 1 in 14? About how many UDFAs they add every year. So I don't think it's unreasonable to expect one UDFA out of every class to make it. And this is year two for Villanueva. The longer he sticks, the better his odds of being that one guy.
He may be too tall for tackle. But he sure looks the part. Well put together for a guy that size. No combine type data on him, but I'm guessing he'd do very well. He's certainly intriguing, and someone I'd think anyone outside of ISIS or the Taliban would really pull for to succeed.
Also pulling for Van Dyk. For no other reason than for the "Moose and Old Ranger" reboots if both he and Villenueva make it.
Most of the local media, iirc, said earlier this offseason that it was Heyward and nobody else for extensions this offseason. That Beachum would have to wait. But the timing of Heyward's deal makes me think they're not done. That they might have one or two others. And they do have some cap space to fit someone like Beachum in (a guy with a low salary whose cap hit would likely increase quite a bit with an extension).
Gay might be another they might be thinking about. I wouldn't mind seeing a 3 year deal at $4m/y. Seems kind of low, but he's suppose to make $1.5m in salary this season, so that's a pretty big bump for this year. And if he waited to try to make it up in FA next year, he'd have to make over $5m/y to break even.
Steelers tend to structure contracts with high salaries in the backend/final year. Which they can either use to justify cutting them if they're underperforming and need the space. Or to structure an extension so the cap hit stays about the same.
In a case like Gay or Beachum, where their salary is so low I think really helps the Steelers sell below market deals. But they have to have the cap space to do this. And right now they do. Player can choose to either make $1.5m this year and take his chances at more (or less) in next year's market. Or make 3 or 4 times that right now, and potentially a little less than market next year and beyond.
Basically, the team would be absorbing part of the total cap hit early. Instead of late, like they have been doing. The cap is finally starting to climb, and the Steelers look like maybe they're finally starting to emerge from that crippling hole. I sure hope they start operating a little differently now that their financial model is changing for the better. Heyward might be the first indicator. Would like to see a 'pay as you go' type structure with his deal. But with what little we know right now of the deal, just on years and yearly average, it sure sounds like a comparatively good deal for the Steelers.
STEELCAN,
The dozen or more UDFA's that we cut every year say hi.
So does every worn out cliche that adds nothing to every conversation ever.
There's a 100% chance that the UDFAs will either succeed or fail. Thanks, I think that just about covers it.
If the STEELERS can find 1 or 2 solid UNDFAs each year, thats a win. Hey, they cant all be draft picks, especially for a team that usually isnt too aggressive in the veteranFA market. Just think of the last 2 super bowl wins, you think Parker and Harrison made big plays in those games? Me too.
Above comment by STEELCAN
He should receive a nice pay raise from that amount. Beachum isn't the best left tackle in the league, but he's far from being the worst.
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This is how teams get in salary cap trouble, by overpaying for average talent.
They won't overpay for him. If he demands too much, they'll let him walk. They rarely overpay for average talent. Their weakness is overpaying for great talent right before they get old and decline, and who can blame them trying to keep the nucleus of 2005-10 together
No way the Steelers pay Beachum top-10 tackle money. As was said above, they will let him walk if he and his agent are purely seeking money. If Beachum doesn't get a deal then we will see a LT picked in the first round next year. However I feel like if Beachum tests free agency he will disappointed to see what kind of offers he gets because of his small frame and the fact that he is vulnerable to the bull rush.
When guys like Jermey Parnell, a right tackle no less, who is 4 years older than beachum, has "good frame" but is an average talent to put it mildly and can get 31 million over 5 years then no, Beachum wont be dissapointed with what he finds in the open market!
You people are delusional if you think picking an LT in round 1 will magically replace Beachum. We've been looking for a good LT since Marvel Smith retired, ALMOST TEN YEARS GO! Every offense we had was totally handicapped by crappy LT play for years. We finally get a good LT and have one of our best offensive season EVER and you guys want to scrap the centerpiece of our pass pro? If you wanna whine about overpaid tackles look at Gilbert, not Beachum.
Beachum deserves top ten money, not top 5, but definitely top ten. He's young, good in pass pro, has never missed a game, or had any character problems.
You guys probably woulda paid Wallace over Brown cause he was taller and drafted higher, that seems to be the extent of your player evaluation.
if anyone feels beachum should receive top 10 LT money, that makes him the highest paid OL on the steeler's roster. is he better/more valuable to the steelers than pouncey? I don't know, but it's worth considering if he is gonna be paid that much money.
personally, I think beachum does a good job of limiting his mistakes. he's not dominating in any fashion, but rather consistent. I don't think that is how a top 10 LT should be described. however, if the steelers don't have suitable depth, then beachum and his agent have greater bargaining power.
As Marc pointed out, Beachum is consistent and maximizes his ability, but he's far from a franchise LT. He's maybe the 3rd best Steeler OL after Pouncey and DeCastro.
I'd rate the Steelers' offensiver proficiency to Bell being a dual run/catch threat (keeps front 7 honest) and BR getting rid of the ball quicker not so much to Beachum's play at LT.
An average LT is more important to a teams success than a great guard or center, and neither Pouncey nor Decastro is great. Pouncey is good, Decastro is above average right now. Both can pull at an elite level but can't get much push up front, which is why our redzone o can't run well.
Saying Decastro is a top ten LT is only saying he is in the top 1/3 at his position, there are only 32 starting centers in the NFL.
you may very well be correct regarding the impact/importance of an average LT. but, if you have an average LT, then pay him like an average LT which is significantly less than top 10 money.
the point is, they will likely offer him average LT money, and he and his agent may very well decline cause they could easily get more in the open market. THAT'S why he wont get average LT money, whether it is from us or someone else
It should be easier to sign Beachum when they cut Cam Thomas and have that extra $2M available under the cap. What a waste of a roster spot and Rooney's money.
And I'm fine with paying Beachum top 10 left tackle money, if you still see the arrow pointing up in h is performance as he enters into his prime. I'm not fine with paying him top 5 LT money right now.
Top 5 would be too much, I can agree on that. He's not a great run blocking tackling from what I've read.
According to Over The Cap, top 5 LT money begins at 10M per year, rising to +12M. The next five (#6 to #10 overall) run from 9.76M down to 8.5M. After that, there's eight players in a tight range, 6.85M up to just over 8M per. That last includes very average LT such as Bushrod and King Dunlap; it also contains some clearly superior players like Joe Staley and Jared Veldheer. 1.650M spans the gap from #10 to #18. Generously, that's the range within which Beachum belongs. Striking out two street free agents, Jake Long and Sam Baker, on that OTC list, call it #9 to #16. Second quartile. Kinda high, but there it is.
Rather than reflexively extending Beachum, the PS FO might consider FA. OTC lists Trent Williams, Russell Okung, Andrew Whitworth, Nate Solder and Donald Penn as 2016 UFA. Whitworth and Penn are older guys, having entered the League in 2006. The other (3) are gonna be pricey, but they're gonna be upgrades too.
If Villaneuva is a LT to be, Beachum could hold the fort this season, then test the market. IMO, he's more a swing than a build-around LT. A good swing was value, but LT money is a high price to pay.
If Villanueva, who has never played a down in the NFL and is already 26 years old, works out, then great. But you only have your franchise QB for the next 5 years tops. Don't play with that man's health and your ability to win super bowls why U have him.
Pay da man! - a top 10 starting LT salary. Confident it will get done. It'll probably be like the Cortez Allen situation, just getting done before the season starts, but it'll get done.
If we pay Beachum top 10 money (I'm talking $9M+/year) say goodbye to 2 of Bell, Bryant or AB in the next 3 years. Not enough food on the table to fill everyone's plates. Maybe the cap going up will make my worries irrelevant but I just can't see is paying everyone.
datruth:
As you know, I don't have a clue on Villanueva. He was a TE/WR at West Point, a DE prospect with the Eagles. Hasn't had a contested snap at LT, so far as i know. If anyone knows, it must be Munchak etal. If Beachum doesn't get the deal, it may be because those coaches who see AV's work each day (or Van Dyck's) project that to be (or that it will come to be) above the (almighty) line.
Football-wise, Villanueva is a young 26; life-experience-wise, an uber-vet. So to speak. Speaking to Tom's point: the 2016 Steelers will pay OC, RG and RT at or near the top of those position lists. On the plus side, they're currently paying heavy money to just two Fr7 players; on the downside, two years from now, that number must rise (or, the classes of 2013-15 will have disappointed). As Tom said: can't pay everyone.
The PS need to generate some options. Villa may be one, or Van Dyck, or some place-holding vet FA (Whitworth, Penn) following this season. What i don't want to see is a repetition of the Gilbert and Allen signings; paying (team) top 10 money to a player who really had proven nothing at all. In fairness tho, Beachum has done more than, say, Allen had this time last year. I simply question whether he's done enough. Saying that's all they've got is not the same as saying they've good at the spot. Sam Baker (18th at 6.85M) is a prime example of extending a guy who was really not extendable.
A prime example of paying for projections will be what the Steelers decide to do with Jarvis Jones. Next offseason they are going to have to decide if they want to pick up his 5th year option and I'm guessing that will be a cap hit of over $8M or so like Decastro's was. I would have to think you let Jarvis walk because some team will probably overpay him on the free market. I think that's why the Moats deal was such a great thing for the Steelers because they have him locked up the next 3 yrs and could probably get away with starting him on one side and Dupree on the other for the next 3 years with a young player or draft picks backing them up. The Steelers started Clark Haggans for a few transition years after Porter left and I think Moats is similar in terms of production and ability. (This is all assuming Harrison is retired after this season). Would love to hear what other posters think is going to happen in terms of OLB over the next few years.
After some fact checking I need to amend my comment above, Haggans played with Porter in Pitt throughout his career with the Steelers. I can't remember who Haggans replaced but he spent a few years being a primary backup and then went on to start for 3 or 4 years with the Steelers before leaving for the Cardinals and starting a few years there. Haggans only had one year of more than 6 sacks (he had 9.0 on year) and the rest were mostly 6 sack seasons which I think Moats is capable of with 60% or more of the snapson D.
Haggans replaced Gildon
~SBK
A Brief History of Steeler OLB, 1991-2014:
LOLB: Hinkle (91) Jerrol Williams (92), Green (95), Gildon (03), Haggans (07), Woodley (13) Worilds (14).
ROLB: Lloyd (95), Brown (96), Emmons (99), Porter (06), Harrison(12), Worilds (13), Moats (14).
Sourced from PFR; presumably, the player listed made themes starts at the position that year, Number in parens is last year as a starter (91 =1991, 06 = 2006, etc.).
Over a quarter century, PS has been relatively fortunate to have just (7) starters at each spot. In about half of those years, the fielding multi-year dominators like: Lloyd/Green; Porter/Gildon and Harrison/Woodley. Good times.
AS to Tom's question, what now?
IMO, Dupree will be a multi-year starter, roughly on Porter's level: an excellent all around defender but not a dominating pass rusher. IMO: he's more a right side player. If Dupree's long term running mate is on the roster (and, probably, he's not) that man is Anthony Chickillo. Chickillo has some traits (not all), primarily size and grit. Moats is an ok placeholder but does have limitations. J.Jones is, imo, much too small; very good football character and good football instincts, but lacks necessary traits. I'd like to be wrong on the guy. We'll see.
A fair number of so-called 34 teams are using veterans who, formerly, were 43 DE; exhibit A, Peppers in Green Bay. The PS may look in that direction as, to some extent, they have done. Chickillo and Joe Kruger are size guys in a way that Carter, J.Jones. H. Jones and Moats are not.
I think Muncak, arguably the best offensive line coach in the NFL, has already told the front office whether Beachum is worth the money or not and whether Villanueva is the real deal or not. I think you err on the side of caution because of Ben and the limited window that this team now has to win super bowls. I think it would be truly funny if the light goes on with Mike Adams similarly to the way that it did Keenan Lewis and he puts together a really good season. Not counting on it at all, but I have seen stranger things happen.
Are you guys serious with this idea that the Steelers are counting on Villanueva to do anything? The guy is an UDFA who never played a game. The Steelers aren't counting on him for ANYTHING. If he turns into something the coaches will be shocked!
Don't understand the fascination with udfa either. I was crucified for saying don't count on redman as a starter after he had 30 carries in a season
Yes friends, They're like lotto tickets. The chance of one doing much is very low....
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