It was kind of a newsy day on the South Side today to let's dig into some of the major topics.
I found it interesting that the Steelers cleared about $6 million in salary cap space by restructuring the contracts of tight end Heath Miller, placekicker Shaun Suisham and wideout Antonio Brown.
Brown's deal, in particular, was revealing.
While Miller and Suisham had straight restructures done - turning salary into signing bonus - Brown's deal moved $2 million of his 2016 salary moved to this season to up his pay to $8 million,
He's now scheduled to earn $6.25 million in 2016 and will have one year remaining on his contract after that. But this move tells me the Steelers are likely to negotiate a contract extension with their star receiver after the season is completed.
* The money freed up could be used on a contract extension with left tackle Kelvin Beachum.
The Steelers entered the day with a decent amount of cap space, between $10 and $15 million, though it's tough to keep track at this time of year. Picking up a little over $2 million for new placekicker Josh Scobee was an added expense.
But the Steelers still would like to get something done with Beachum. Perhaps that will happen in the next few days.
* I really think Martavis Bryant is sorry for the position he put the Steelers in with his suspension for smoking marijuana. He has talked to his teammates about it and they are understandably upset with him.
But when Bryant continues with his "I don't know how this happened" act, as he did again Tuesday, it comes off as disingenuous.
Mike Tomlin was forthcoming about the situation Tuesday. Bryant should have been as well. It would make his statements about not wanting to put the team in this situation again a little more believable.
Then again, it doesn't matter if the fans and media believe him. It only matters if he has the trust of the team.
That obviously is shaken. Hence the selection of wide receiver Sammie Coates in the third round of this year's draft, something Tomlin said was a reaction to Bryant's pending suspension.
* Scobee hasn't played for a winning team since 2007. The Steelers haven't had a losing record since 2003.
Think the former Jacksonville kicker is a little happy today?
* Tomlin said he is a little concerned that his presumed starting safeties, Mike Mitchell and Shamarko Thomas, haven't been on the field at lot together in this preseason.
He's not, however, concerned enough to play them together Thursday against the Panthers, saying they got plenty of time together in the offseason.
We'll find out if that's the case in a week and a half in New England.
18 comments:
Dale, waiting on your projected 53. Here's mine:
Steelers Final Projected 53-man roster & practice squad:
3 QBs - Ben, Vick, Jones
3 RBs - D. Williams, J. Chisholm (or vet RB after final cutdown), Archer (Bell doesn't count because of 2 game suspension)
1 FB - W. Johnson
3 TEs - Miller, Spaeth, J. James
4 WRs - AB, Wheaton, Coates, DHB (Martavis Bryant doesn’t count due to 4 game suspension)
9 OL - Beachum, Foster, C. Wallace, DeCastro, Gilbert, Legursky, Big Al, Vet G/OT picked at final cut, Pouncey (to IR/designated to return list after 53 is set)
6 DL - Heyward, McClendon, Tuitt, L.T. Walton, McCullers, vet DE after final cutdown (J. Mauro, Alex Carrington, R. Bryant?)
5 OLBs - Deebo, JJ, Moats, Bud, Chickillo
5 ILBs - Timmons, Shazier, Willaims, Spence, L.J. Foyt
6 CBs - Allen, Gay, Boykins, Blake, Grant, Fogg
5 Ss- Mitchell, Thomas, W. Allen, R. Golden, R. Ventrone
3 Specialists - Berry, J. Scobee, Warren
When Pouncey is moved over to the reserve/designated to return list, then I add WR Shaqim Phillips as the final spot on my 53.
Practice Squad:
WRs – T. Murphy, ?
OL – B.J. Finney, Mitchell Van Dyke
RB – J. Harris
TE – C. Clear
S – G. Holliman
DL – J. Kruger, E. Hemer
OLB – HoJo
I say 8 OL and 5 WRs
Garvin's not getting cut
Do you think Chickillo makes the team?
Do you think Chickillo makes the team?
Dale, I have to believe that if you fail two drug tests and are aware that you will continue to be tested and if you fail another one you will lose 25% of your annual salary, and yet you smoke again anyway, then you have a problem of some kind. Is anyone talking about that? Does the team or the league mandate any type of assessment in this situation?
This is a pretty good explanation of the policy in effect when Bryant probably failed his first drug test.
http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/02/the_nfl_does_not_test_players_for_recreational_drugs_during_the_season.html
The 4 game suspension jibes with it, not the current policy that went into effect 9/2014.
Patrick finally gets his long-kicking kicka...
The cover 2 defense might want to sit down with the front office to discuss how they went about fixing the holes that developed in their plans.
The cover 2 defense might want to sit down with the front office to discuss how they went about fixing the holes that developed in their plans.
I know it's easy to point fingers and scratch your head on how anyone could fail
a test multiple times with so much to loose. Now that we know that the team knew
that this was coming down the pipe, it makes total sense that we grabbed Coates when we did.
I don't know if Bryant is truly sorry or he is just a young kid with a bad attitude but what I do know is. It's easy to judge someone else on their actions while we judge ourselves on our intentions.
Time will tell if he will be the nest S. Holmes..
The way Tomlin spoke makes me wondered if this is something more than Marijuana.
~SBK
Dale, you mentioned this earlier and I kind of poo-pooed it. But now that the Steelers have traded a 4th and 6th round picks next year, do you think the Steelers could trade Vince Williams or Terrence Garvin at the cutdown for a 6th or 7th round pick next year and just keep L.J. Foyt instead?
That is what Gerry Dulac was saying in his chat today and he specifically mentioned that maybe Garvin could be on the move. I'm sure LeBeau wouldn't mind having either in Tennessee right about now. Not sure Vince Williams fit in the Steelers Cover 2 pass D.
imo, Williams is a run stopper and that's about it. very little pass coverage ability there.
Just to read it for myself, I found the current policy at the NFLPA website. The interesting thing is that a player can be put in stage 1 solely for behavioral issues. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall reading/hearing anything about Bryant having failed a drug test at the combine or being a bad egg in college. Maybe somewhere between being drafted and now, Bryant got in with the wrong crowd and this is the Steelers' way of getting him straightened out.
Sorry DaTruth but there's no way we keep 10 LB's and Garvin isn't one of em. Dude has been having a good preseason IMO.
I have been a proponent of moving one of the inside linebackers for some time now - since before the draft. IF they can get something for one. It would certainly be a benefit since they gave up a couple of draft picks.
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