Steelers will let majority of free agents hit open market

[POP]

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/p...et-many-of-their-free-agents-test-open-market

I don't have a problem with it. But I think they better at least lock Gay up; after experiencing life outside of Pgh (and coming up FAIL),
only to revive career once back in Pgh, I think they will find a way to sign him.

Foster, Beachum, Boink, Allen all will be allowed to walk.

Which brings me to this: Don't be shocked if they draft an OG round one, which will tick off most of us.

 

[Shane Falco]

22 is Gay

 

[Black & Gold Bleeder]

22 is Gay

So is 96.

 

[Coryea]

doesn't mean none of them will be back, Gay and Foster are both 31 or will be so, I'm not sure how big of a market there will be for them.

 

[POP]

doesn't mean none of them will be back, Gay and Foster are both 31 or will be so, I'm not sure how big of a market there will be for them.

Not a huge market, but if I am Balt., Cleve., or Cinci, I try to steal Gay. He would improve everyone of those teams, and hurt the Steelers at the same time.

Now, the question is: Does Gay feel loyalty towards the Steelers, enough not to make a few more bucks to join a team he has grown to hate? I say the $ difference would have to be significant.

 

[slashsteel]

Not a huge market, but if I am Balt., Cleve., or Cinci, I try to steal Gay. He would improve everyone of those teams, and hurt the Steelers at the same time.

Now, the question is: Does Gay feel loyalty towards the Steelers, enough not to make a few more bucks to join a team he has grown to hate? I say the $ difference would have to be significant.

Gay knows he fits well with the Steelers from when he left the club and it didn't work out for him.

His age also won't be endearing to teams, enough to throw decent sized money.

He'll be back

 

[Superman]

money difference of uprooting his family again, looking for a new home, new schools for his kids, etc, etc.
consider all that first.

 

[swal75]

I'm fine if we go guard again because we'd be likely to get the best one available. I'm not happy with another LB pick, because it tends to be much easier to project OL play into the NFL.

 

[swal75]

Foster/Beachum/Boykin could get us something like a 4th and two 5ths via compensation

 

[Litos]

Foster/Beachum/Boykin could get us something like a 4th and two 5ths via compensation

That would be next year, Ben would be one year older and how much would those late picks help immediately for our last couple of runs with Ben?

 

[swal75]

yeah, I don't know how exactly either. But I don't see them keeping any of those 3 guys if they're going to get more than we can spend.

 

[Coach]

Not a huge market, but if I am Balt., Cleve., or Cinci, I try to steal Gay. He would improve everyone of those teams, and hurt the Steelers at the same time.

Now, the question is: Does Gay feel loyalty towards the Steelers, enough not to make a few more bucks to join a team he has grown to hate? I say the $ difference would have to be significant.

Gay never had a big contract, so if he get's one and the Steelers do not come expect him to leave.

 

[Coach]

Foster/Beachum/Boykin could get us something like a 4th and two 5ths via compensation

Beachum looks to be a 4th. Foster maybe a 6th. Boykin maybe a 7th, just like McCain was. McLendon, if he leaves could be a 6th round pick. I think if Foster goes, McLendon stays swe are thin on DL.

Let's hope the soon to be X steelers get paid big time. And let's hope last year's rookies and practice squad players can take the next step up.

 

[Coach]

Unrestricted Free Agents

OL Beachum, Kelvin
DT McLendon, Steve
OL Foster, Ramon
CB Gay, William
S Allen, Will
LB Spence, Sean
S Golden, Robert
RB Johnson, Will
CB Blake, Antwon
CB Boykin, Brandon
QB Gradkowski, Bruce
DE Thomas, Cam
WR Heyward-Bey, Darrius
OL Legursky, Doug
QB Vick, Michael
RB Todman, Jordan
DE Geathers, Clifton
OL Stingily, Byron
K Scobee, Josh
WR Nelson, David

A guess is the Steelers will have about 7 million after we sign the rookies.

7 million might only be enough for Willaim Gay, and I'm thinking Beachum will get more that that amount as a free agent. Losing Gay really hurts our pass defense, which ranked 30th despite the luxury of facing seven backup quarterbacks.

A more realistic approach would be to keep McLendon, Golden, and try to low ball, Foster. Maybe, just maybe this is 7 million spent, but I think not. Foster will cost too much for our limited cap space. Other teams have so much more space than we do.

If we really want Foster, McClendon gets the ax, and we draft DT in rounds one or two. It's a great NT/ DT draft. Very deep. McClendon is pretty much a non-factor in nickel and dime anyway.

My best guess: McLendon, Golden, + say cheap free agent corner ( McCain ) and some fillers is what I see.

 

[Steelerfan]

so is 96.
View attachment 2182

rofl

 

[POP]

money difference of uprooting his family again, looking for a new home, new schools for his kids, etc, etc.
consider all that first.

Exactly. All things being somewhat close pay wise, he will want to stay. But if we offer, say, $2 million a year, and someone else offers $4 mill, then he has to look at that. But if no one is going to pay significantly more than Pgh, he will stay here.

If he was 27 instead of 31, we might have a bigger concern.

 

[POP]

Unrestricted Free Agents

OL Beachum, Kelvin
DT McLendon, Steve
OL Foster, Ramon
CB Gay, William
S Allen, Will
LB Spence, Sean
S Golden, Robert
RB Johnson, Will
CB Blake, Antwon
CB Boykin, Brandon
QB Gradkowski, Bruce
DE Thomas, Cam
WR Heyward-Bey, Darrius
OL Legursky, Doug
QB Vick, Michael
RB Todman, Jordan
DE Geathers, Clifton
OL Stingily, Byron
K Scobee, Josh
WR Nelson, David

A guess is the Steelers will have about 7 million after we sign the rookies.

7 million might only be enough for Willaim Gay, and I'm thinking Beachum will get more that that amount as a free agent. Losing Gay really hurts our pass defense, which ranked 30th despite the luxury of facing seven backup quarterbacks.

A more realistic approach would be to keep McLendon, Golden, and try to low ball, Foster. Maybe, just maybe this is 7 million spent, but I think not. Foster will cost too much for our limited cap space. Other teams have so much more space than we do.

If we really want Foster, McClendon gets the ax, and we draft DT in rounds one or two. It's a great NT/ DT draft. Very deep. McClendon is pretty much a non-factor in nickel and dime anyway.

My best guess: McLendon, Golden, + say cheap free agent corner ( McCain ) and some fillers is what I see.

This is why they won't be trying to sign our own FAs until they test the market: they are gonna go with those who come in at reasonable cost. Some will fetch more $ than we are willing to pay, and those will be gone (Beachum, Foster?)

With all our holes, it's gonna be tough to fill them all.

I am still waiting for a legit NT, as we haven't had one since Hampton. with the draft being deep there, it seems the timing is right to upgrade there. McLendon is OK, but not a legit stud for NT.

They will do as they always do: make sure there is no glaring holes coming into the draft, filling holes with the cheapest FAs. Then they will attempt to upgrade:

- CB
- S
- edge rusher
- OL depth
- TE
- NT
- back up RB

That's a lot to fill.

 

[Coach]

This is why they won't be trying to sign our own FAs until they test the market: they are gonna go with those who come in at reasonable cost. Some will fetch more $ than we are willing to pay, and those will be gone (Beachum, Foster?)

With all our holes, it's gonna be tough to fill them all.

I am still waiting for a legit NT, as we haven't had one since Hampton. with the draft being deep there, it seems the timing is right to upgrade there. McLendon is OK, but not a legit stud for NT.

They will do as they always do: make sure there is no glaring holes coming into the draft, filling holes with the cheapest FAs. Then they will attempt to upgrade:

- CB
- S
- edge rusher
- OL depth
- TE
- NT
- back up RB

That's a lot to fill.

Agreed on all counts, except for backup RB. Beachum, Foster, Gay and Mclendon were starters. So was Allen. Spence a nice role player. Blake was a starter, but I think complimentary toast better describes his play. Golden started a few games.

We are going to lose a lot of depth, not to mention losing Heath Miller.

There is the draft, but players who pan out often take 2-3 years.

Bad cap management could very well make the Steelers take a step backward. A terrible thing as the window in Ben's prime won't stay open for long.

Ben will be 34 on March 2nd! This means dividends for the draft might happen when he's 36.

 

[ETL75]

I'm no capologist, but we are reportedly about $8.5m under the cap. This does not include the $4m that Miller opened up for us by retiring. DeCastro is currently accounting for $8m against the cap. He is going to get extended so that number drops but at least a few $m. Then you have potential June 1st cuts of Cortez and Suisham. There is some dead money there but those moves may open up another $6m. Then there are the potential restructures (names that I've seen thrown around) to any of the following: Timmons, Pouncey, Heyward, or Big Ben.

So, I don't buy that we will only have $7m to sign FAs after the rookie class is signed.

 

[doggfather69]

I'm no capologist, but we are reportedly about $8.5m under the cap. This does not include the $4m that Miller opened up for us by retiring. DeCastro is currently accounting for $8m against the cap. He is going to get extended so that number drops but at least a few $m. Then you have potential June 1st cuts of Cortez and Suisham. There is some dead money there but those moves may open up another $6m. Then there are the potential restructures (names that I've seen thrown around) to any of the following: Timmons, Pouncey, Heyward, or Big Ben.

So, I don't buy that we will only have $7m to sign FAs after the rookie class is signed.

You took the words right out of my mouth. I was thinking almost the exact same things reading each of these posts. I'm thinking we will have around 18 to 20 mil to use once the front office makes all the appropriate moves.