Steelers football blog

Steelers' Farrior wants to re-sign

Starting inside linebacker James Farrior, 33, wants to finish his NFL career with the Steelers -- even if it means he has a reduced role in the years to come. "They're always going to have somebody try and replace you," said Farrior, who has led the team in tackles in four of the previous five seasons. "That's always in the back of your mind." Farrior, who has missed just eight games in 11 years, has been with the Steelers since 2002, when he was signed away from the Jets as a free agent to replace Earl Holmes. Continue

Steelers cut Zabransky, pick up wide receiver

Before he even had a chance to make it to training camp, the Steelers released first-year quarterback Jared Zabransky and added wide receiver Marvin Allen to their practice squad as part of an NFL Europe international program.

Zabransky, a three-year starter who was 33-5 and had two undefeated regular seasons at Boise State, was signed as a free agent after the 2007 season with the idea he could compete for the No. 3 quarterback spot. But his release was not surprising after the Steelers drafted Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon in the fifth round in April. Continue

Steelers cut ties with Davenport

The Steelers' backfield is a little less crowded following the release of veteran running back Najeh Davenport. The Steelers also created some financial room by cutting Davenport, whose $1 million salary won't count against the salary cap.

Davenport was the most prominent player the Steelers cut Saturday -- the team also parted ways with safety Mike Lorello, long-snapper Jared Retkofsky and center/guard Doug Legursky -- but his release hardly came as a surprise. Continue

LT Smith in same boat Faneca was

A year later, Marvel Smith has become the Alan Faneca of 2008, with a twist. Whereas both shared the same frustration a year apart over the lack of contract negotiations, each offensive lineman reacted differently. Faneca reluctantly showed up for a mandatory minicamp, skipping one of those practices at that. He publicly expressed his displeasure, then boycotted the rest of the team's spring drills.

Smith, who as a left tackle started next to Faneca, continued to practice with the Steelers yesterday, even though they have not approached his agent about extending his contract, which ends after this season. He missed two weeks of workouts, but that was while his wife gave birth to their first child, a son, in California. Continue

Steelers should keep left tackle Smith

Reading between the lines, it looks like the Steelers want to keep tackle Marvel Smith. Smith isn't just any tackle. He's a left tackle, responsible for protecting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's blind side. Tony Hills, the player drafted as Smith's potential replacement, missed half of his senior season with a fractured leg and is a bit of a project. Furthermore, Hills, a fourth-round draft pick, might end up being a right tackle. Continue

Steelers' Starks signs one-year offer

For a team that supposedly needs help at offensive tackle, the Steelers now have three players with starting experience at the position. Max Starks signed the one-year offer the Steelers tendered him back in February when they placed the transition tag on the fifth-year veteran.

Starks is guaranteed almost $6.9 million for the upcoming season, and that represents the average of the top 10 salaries for offensive linemen in 2007 (the figure was required by the Steelers' use of the transition tag on Starks). Continue

Steelers' Washington signs one-year contract

Wide receiver Nate Washington today signed the one-year contract tendered him by the Steelers as a restricted free agent. He will earn $1,417,000 in 2008. Continue

Starks still in Steelers' plans

The Steelers remain interested in working out a long-term contract extension with offensive tackle Max Starks and will make that more of a priority after the owners meetings, director of football operations Kevin Colbert said.

The Steelers used the transition tag on Starks in February before he became an unrestricted free agent. The tag comes with a one-year tender offer that Starks can sign at any time, one that would pay him almost $6.9 million next season. Starks said recently that negotiations on a long-term deal between his agents and the Steelers were at a standstill. Continue

Steelers re-sign Eason

The Steelers added more depth to their defensive line Thursday when they re-signed Nick Eason to a two-year contract.

Eason, who had been an unrestricted free agent, played in 17 games (including playoffs) for the Steelers last season, his first with the team, and started one game in place of the injured Aaron Smith at left defensive end. The 6-foot-5, 305-pounder was credited with seven tackles in 2007. Continue

McFarland, three others visit Steelers

The Steelers had four players visit their South Side facility Tuesday, with Anthony "Booger" McFarland easily qualifying as the most intriguing of the bunch. McFarland, a disruptive defensive tackle when healthy, has played eight seasons in the NFL, and in 2006 he helped the Indianapolis Colts win a Super Bowl.

McFarland, who has played on a pair of Super Bowl-winning teams, missed all of last season after tearing a patella tendon in his knee during training camp. Continue

Wilson's release gives Steelers some salary cap breathing room

Besides sending a message, the Steelers received something in return when they terminated the contract of wide receiver Cedrick Wilson hours after he was arrested for punching his former girlfriend Wednesday night. They gained more than $2 million in salary cap room that might be used in signing a free agent or put toward signing one of their own players to a long-term contract.

As of yesterday, counting Wilson's Thursday release, the Steelers have $2.3 million in salary cap room after dipping to about $300,000 in room Wednesday. Wilson was scheduled to earn a salary of $2,085,000 in 2008 but because it is not guaranteed, that money no longer has to be paid -- players receive their salaries during the regular season -- and the Steelers' salary cap was the immediate beneficiary. Continue

Steelers' plans for Starks a mystery

Max Starks isn't any more certain of where he stands with the Steelers than he was last season when he lost his starting job at right tackle to Willie Colon, a move that the fourth-year veteran called "unjustified."

"I don't know if they have me in their long-term plans," said Starks, who has been working out in Arizona because he is not under contract with the Steelers. "That's one thing I'm trying to find out: Am I part of their grand scheme, because I don't think I was last year." The Steelers have indicated that they consider Starks a part of their future. Continue

Haggans softens stance on Steelers

Soon after the Steelers' playoff loss against Jacksonville, the agent for linebacker Clark Haggans said his client had played his last game for Pittsburgh. "He's not going to be back," Jeff Sperbeck told the Tribune-Review in January. "He had a good run, won a Super Bowl, enjoyed the people, the fans. He loved being a part of the old Steelers."

Now, Haggans is apparently leaving the door open for a return to the Steelers. Haggans, an unrestricted free agent who visited the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, is still looking for a job. Continue

Steelers reach deal with free-agent center Hartwig

A week ago, Justin Hartwig turned down an offer to remain with the Carolina Panthers as a guard so he could play center with another team. On Tuesday, Hartwig and the Steelers agreed to a two-year contract worth $3.725 million including a $975,000 signing bonus, creating a logjam at center while adding versatility to the offensive line.

Hartwig, who started 15 games at center for Carolina in 2007, will likely compete with Sean Mahan, who started all 16 games with the Steelers last season. Given that Mahan signed a $17 million free-agent deal, the addition of Hartwig could also signal Mahan's move to guard and explain why the Steelers re-signed restricted free agent Chris Kemoeatu to a second-round tender yesterday instead of offering him a multiyear contract. Continue

Steelers linemen re-sign with team

Offensive linemen Chris Kemoeatu and Trai Essex each signed his one-year tender, removing them from the list of Steelers restricted free agents. Kemoeatu will earn a salary of $1,417,000 for the 2008 season and Essex will receive $927,000.

The signings leave the Steelers with two restricted free agents - wide receiver Nate Washington and long-snapper Greg Warren. Those two have until one week before the start of the April 26 draft in order to field offers from other teams; the Steelers have the right to match any contract either might sign. Continue

Steelers' Max protection

The NFL salary cap is at an all-time high. Teams are spending money like they're playing Monopoly. Free-agent offensive tackles, especially those bearing Super Bowl rings, are supposedly in huge demand. So why is Max Starks still without a new contract? And why does it seem like the Steelers know something that the rest of us don't? Starks appeared to be in line for a significant pay increase when the Steelers made him a transition free agent at a cost of $6.9 million in 2008.

If Starks finds a buyer, it forces the Steelers to ante up nearly $7 million if they want to keep him, or lose him without compensation. The Steelers, who have legitimate offensive line concerns, gambled teams wouldn't be beating down Starks' door. Turns out, the Steelers were right. Continue

Steelers flexible with personnel decisions

Alan Faneca was 31 and seeking his third contract with the Steelers as an unrestricted free agent. Two weeks ago, Faneca signed a landmark deal with the New York Jets.

Joey Porter was approaching 30 and coming off two minor knee surgeries, not to mention being due a $1 million roster bonus entering the final year of his contract. Soon after the Steelers released him last March, Porter signed a four-year deal with Miami.

James Farrior turned 33 in January and is the Steelers' second-oldest player. He has one year remaining on his third contract and is coming off his best season since his Pro Bowl campaign in 2004. He has one year remaining on his current deal and is firmly entrenched at inside linebacker. Continue

McFadden wants to make Steelers pay

Cornerback Bryant McFadden was the Steelers' second-round draft pick in 2005. McFadden is entering the final year of his contract and has retained the one and only Drew Rosenhaus to broker a new deal.

Be afraid Steelers fans, be very afraid. McFadden's agent change is one of the most important developments facing the Steelers this offseason. Rosenhaus is a squeaky wheel among NFL agents. He has a track record for bringing attention to himself and securing big money for his clients. Continue

Steelers check out 2 more free agents

The Carolina Panthers thought center Justin Hartwig would help bolster their offensive line when they signed him to a five-year, $17 million contract as an unrestricted free agent two years ago.

But, after two seasons as a starter, Hartwig was released earlier this week as part of a shakeup on the Panthers' offensive line. Yesterday, he surfaced at the Steelers' South Side facility, meeting with the coaching staff as a possible solution to some of the problems on their offensive line.

Hartwig, 29, was joined on the South Side by free-agent safety Donnie Nickey, a backup for five seasons with the Tennessee Titans who is considered a special-teams standout. Nickey, an Akron, Ohio, native who played at Ohio State, once angered Titans quarterback Vince Young because he hit his teammates too hard in practice. Continue

Steelers sign former Chiefs LB Fox

The Steelers made their second free-agent signing Wednesday. It may be their final one unless they create room under the salary cap. The team agreed to a one-year, $605,000 deal that includes a $40,000 signing bonus with former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Keyaron Fox. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Fox primarily had been a special teams player and reserve during the four seasons he spent in Kansas City, and he should fill those same roles with the Steelers. Continue

Steelers' Smith could be in line for major payday

Finding quality offensive linemen is difficult. Costly, too. Look what former Steelers left guard Alan Faneca commanded on the open market. Thanks to the generosity of the New York Jets, Faneca, 31, is now the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL. Now consider that left tackle Marvel Smith, Faneca's former teammate and on-field neighbor, could break Faneca's record.

Smith, who turns 30 in August, will be a free agent after next season. As the salary cap continues to rise, so will players' salaries. Starting left tackles such as Smith, who has won a Super Bowl and played in a Pro Bowl, rarely hit the free-agent market. Their teams won't allow it. Continue

Steelers court free safety Crocker

As quiet as the Steelers have been during free agency, one thing that has become apparent since the signing period started a week ago is that their intent on improving at free safety. The team hosted free agent Chris Crocker on Thursday, marking the second visit this week by a prospective free safety (Eugene Wilson met with the Steelers on Tuesday).

Crocker, who has also visited the Texans, said he was impressed by what he saw and heard from the Steelers. Of meetings he has scheduled with the Broncos and Titans, the fifth-year veteran said, "Let's hope I don't have to make those trips." Continue

Two more free agents visit Steelers, but neither signs

Even though the Steelers have little room under the salary cap and have said there's little chance they'll spend much money on free agents, they continue to exercise their right to meet with them. Two more players paid visits to the Steelers yesterday, and both left the way they came in -- as unrestricted free agents without a contract: Continue

Free-agent DB Wilson meets with Steelers

In the midst of a whirlwind recruiting tour, free-agent defensive back Eugene Wilson left Steelers headquarters Tuesday without a contract. The Steelers were the second stop for Wilson, who played five seasons with the New England Patriots. Wilson has visited the Tampa Bay Buccaneeers and Steelers. He left Pittsburgh yesterday and will meet with the New York Jets and might also schedule a visit with the Tennessee Titans. Continue

Ex-Steelers guard Faneca signs with Jets

While attending the franchise's 75th anniversary gala in November, All-Pro guard Alan Faneca unofficially came to grips with the 2007 season being his last with the Steelers. "Rod Woodson said there were guys who didn't get to finish their careers as Steelers, but they'd always bleed black and gold," Faneca said Saturday night. "That resonated with me.

"Ten years is a long time. You'd like to finish it, but it's not always meant to be." Faneca agreed Saturday night to a free-agent contract with the New York Jets. The deal is worth $40 million over five years, with $21 million guaranteed. Continue

Faneca about to strike it rich in free agency

Offensive guard Alan Faneca will decide among three NFL suitors by tonight and sign a contract tomorrow or early Monday that his agent said will make him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league. Faneca, who made seven Pro Bowls in his 10 seasons as the Steelers' starting left guard, has offers from the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers.

The total amount of the deal, a source told the Post-Gazette, will average around $8 million a year and contain no less than $20 million in guaranteed money. The three teams are talking about contracts for four or five years in duration, so, depending on the length it should be around $32 million or $40 million. Continue

Steelers tender deals to four players

The Steelers all but assured that wide receiver Nate Washington and guard Chris Kemoeatu will return to the team next season with the one-year tender offers they made to the restricted free agents Thursday.

Washington and Kemoeatu can sign with another team during the free agency period, which started today at 12:01 a.m. Teams that sign Washington or Kemoeatu, however, would have to give up a second-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft for them since each has been designated a second-round tender by the Steelers. Continue

Restricted free agents in spotlight

Free agency begins tomorrow in the NFL, and, in a different twist, the Steelers' most interesting cases involve several restricted free agents. The deadline is today for teams to tender offers to their RFAs -- players whose contracts have expired but have only three years experience and not the four required to become an unrestricted free agent.

The Steelers yesterday were debating what tenders to issue to their most important RFAs. They include guard Chris Kemoeatu, wide receiver Nate Washington and offensive tackle Trai Essex. Their other two RFAs are linebacker Andre Frazier and long-snapper Greg Warren. Unrestricted free agents -- guard Alan Faneca, for example -- become free tomorrow to sign with any team without the Steelers having the right to match the offer or receive compensation in return if they do not. Continue

Faneca set to move on after 10 seasons

Those weren't dollar signs Alan Faneca saw yesterday, but a decade's worth of memories. His days with the Steelers have come to an end, and he will sign elsewhere, almost surely accepting another team's offer Friday, the start of another round of free agency in the NFL.

The Steelers could have made him their franchise player and forced him to work for them at least one more year. But they decided they could not pay him the kind of money he will earn as a perennial Pro Bowl guard and did not want to have him as a forced laborer. There has been virtually no contract talks going on because of it. "No, nothing's happening," Faneca said yesterday from his home in Louisiana. "I've been preparing for this day for a year now; it is what it is." Continue

Steelers' changing of the guard

Ordinarily, the Steelers attempting to re-sign reserve guard Chris Kemoeatu would barely rate a mention entering free agency. These are not ordinary times for the Steelers.

Seven-time Pro Bowler Alan Faneca, the top free-agent guard, is as good as gone. Last week the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Bears are considering signing Faneca to a huge deal. Additional teams are expected to enter the Faneca sweepstakes. Continue

Steelers sign QB Zabransky, WR Trannon

The Steelers have officially signed quarterback Jared Zabransky and wide receiver Matt Trannon to their offseason roster. Zabransky, who led Boise State to a stirring victory over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, spent part of last season on the Texans' practice squad. The 6-6, 235-pound Trannon, who was a two-sport standout at Michigan State University, spent time on several practice squads last season. (Tribune-Review)

Accept it: Faneca is out the door

There appear to be a number of misconceptions out there about the Pittsburgh sports teams, notably that the Pirates actually might win again in our lifetime with their new management team, that the Penguins are surging in spite of their knucklehead coach and that the Steelers still somehow will find a way to keep All-Pro guard Alan Faneca. It is that third fallacy that we will address this morning. There's just no way.

No, the Steelers won't make Faneca their franchise player and keep him for one more season by paying him the average salary of the top five NFL guards, a figure that could be in the neighborhood of $8 million or $9 million. That's a very exclusive neighborhood. That's also why the Steelers generally don't believe in the franchise tag. It's a tool that's used to buy time to sign a would-be free agent to a long-term contract. The Steelers get the players whom they want at a better price without using it. Continue

Steelers' Haggans probably moving on

Clark Haggans' agent confirmed Tuesday what had become apparent during the Steelers' season: The outside linebacker will be playing somewhere other than Pittsburgh in 2008.

"He's not going to be back," Jeff Sperbeck said of Haggans, who will be a free agent in March. "He had a good run, won a Super Bowl, enjoyed the people, the fans. He loved being a part of the old Steelers." The Steelers' roster turnover will include more than just Haggans, who started the past four seasons at left outside linebacker. Continue

Steelers' Faneca ends season as hot commodity

The Steelers lost. Alan Faneca won. Faneca survived his 10th NFL season, departing Heinz Field physically intact but clearly shaken following Saturday night's crushing, 31-29 playoff defeat to Jacksonville. Faneca believed he was a Steeler for life, but he's actually on loan to the team that drafted him.

"Like I've been answering all along, I don't think it's happening," Faneca said about returning for his 11th season with the Steelers. Voted to another Pro Bowl, Faneca enters unrestricted free agency healthy. Before the season, Faneca addressed the uncertainty about playing the final year of his contract with no security and the possibility of injury. Well, he navigated that minefield and is ready to collect. As the top available guard on the open market, he's eligible to sign a contract with another team that the Steelers apparently weren't willing to offer. Continue

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Steelers hedge bets, sign Simmons to a four-year extension

Kendall Simmons fought for his starting job in training game and reaped the financial rewards yesterday. Simmons, the Steelers' starting right guard since he was drafted in the first round in 2002, signed on for four more years. The four-year extension was worth $23.1 million and his five-year contract totals $24 million, plus another $1 million in incentives. He has guaranteed money of $8.5 million with a $7.85 million signing bonus, among the handful of largest in Steelers history.

The first three years are worth $15 million. The deal was negotiated by Omar Kahn of the Steelers and Eric Metz, a Monroeville native. The deal is the last one the Steelers will complete this year. They turned to Simmons when they realized they had no chance to sign six-time Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca. Continue

Steelers need to get deal done with Faneca

Nine days to go. To when the Steelers open the regular season in Cleveland, sure. But also to management's self-imposed deadline to sign guard Alan Faneca to a new contract. There's still time to get a deal done, you know? Both sides owe it to the other to make one final try.

If this extra long preseason -- which ended happily for the Steelers last night because no significant players were injured in their 19-3 win against the Carolina Panthers -- revealed anything, it's that the team still needs Faneca, not just for this season but for beyond. Quite simply, he remains their best offensive lineman. Forget that sack he allowed to Carolina tackle Kris Jenkins in the only series he played. It happens. Actually, it happened exactly the same way two years ago in the final exhibition game; Jenkins blew by Faneca, who was left to pick up quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and tell him he was sorry. Roethlisberger survived. Faneca went on to another Pro Bowl season. The Steelers went on to win the Super Bowl. Continue

Steelers sign Troy Polamalu to five-year, $33 million

The Steelers and strong safety Troy Polamalu came to terms on a five-year, $33 million contract on today that included the richest bonus package in Steelers' history. Polamalu will earn $15.375 million in signing and roster bonuses.

The $6.7 million annual average makes Polamalu the highest-paid safety in the NFL and the highest-paid player on the Steelers. Besides being known for the flowing black hair that streams out of his helmet, is widely regarded as one of the league's top defensive players. Continue

Steelers sign RB Croom, WR Sheldon

Less than two weeks before the start of training camp, the Steelers added two players to their roster Wednesday, signing running back Larry Croom and claiming wide receiver Dan Sheldon off waivers.

Croom, who originally signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2004, has played in six career games and has 29 career carries for 76 yards. He also had brief stints with Tennessee, San Diego and the Detroit Lions' practice squad and spent the past three seasons in NFL Europe. Continue

Steelers release three rookie free agents

The Steelers released three rookie free agents Thursday. Wide receiver Eric Deslauriers of Eastern Michigan, running back Paul Mosley of Baylor and fullback Aaron Robbins of Wyoming were let go. The Steelers are scheduled to report to training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe on July 23. (AP)

Which stance for agent of Steelers' Polamalu?

Two-part question: How much do we really know about veteran agent Marvin Demoff, who represents Steelers safety Troy Polamalu? Considering his track record, how much do we want to know?

Enough to know that anything is possible with Demoff -- from a speedy contract resolution between Polamalu and the Steelers, to a prolonged contract stalemate, and all the possibilites in between. In other words, expect the unexpected. Demoff is an old-school negotiator based in Los Angeles who has a history with the Steelers, although not necessarily a great one. Continue

Fourth-round pick McBean signs with Steelers

The Steelers and defensive tackle Ryan McBean agreed to a three-year deal worth about $1.1 million Tuesday, making him the third pick from this year's draft that the team has under contract. McBean also will receive a $294,687 signing bonus.

The Steelers took the 6-foot-5, 285-pound McBean with the second of their two fourth-round picks at the end of April. A two-year starter at Oklahoma State, McBean will play defensive end for the Steelers, but he also is versatile enough to line up inside once he puts on more weight. Continue

Steelers DT Hoke lands extension

Guard Alan Faneca may be determined to leave the Steelers because of an inability to agree upon a contract extension, but nose tackle Chris Hoke has no such concerns. Hoke was given a four-year, $6 million contract Thursday that includes a $1.5 million signing bonus. He was heading into the last year of his contract.

"I feel like they respect what I do," Hoke said. "They know I work hard, that I go about my business and that I try to make the team better. "I wanted to stay here. I didn't want to go anywhere else. I want to finish my career here." Continue

Steelers re-sign Verron Haynes

The Steelers backfield got a little more crowded as the team re-signed veteran Verron Haynes. Haynes sustained a season-ending knee injury Oct. 29 in a game against the Oakland Raiders and was released in March for salary cap reasons. He had been rehabilitating his knee at the Steelers' South Side practice facility, and his signing indicates that the team is satisfied that his knee will be strong enough for Haynes to go full speed in training camp.

If Haynes is healthy he could re-claim his role as third-down back. He will join Najeh Davenport and Kevan Barlow as those vying for playing time behind Pro Bowl running back Willie Parker. Continue

Steelers, Barlow agree to deal

Kevan Barlow is no doubt eager about returning to Pittsburgh. It is anything but a given that Alan Faneca feels the same way, even if the Pro Bowl guard participates, as expected, in the Steelers' minicamp that starts today.

The two, assuming Faneca doesn't make an 11th-hour decision to skip minicamp, will command their share of attention today at practices that run through Sunday. Barlow, who signed a one-year deal Thursday with the Steelers, is trying to revive a career that stalled near the end of the five years he spent in San Francisco and the one season he played for the New York Jets. Continue

Barlow gets second visit

Free-agent running back Kevan Barlow will have a second visit today with the Steelers, who hope to sign him to a contract. If Barlow accepts their offer, he'll attend minicamp, which starts tomorrow at the Steelers' South Side complex. Barlow, who played for Peabody High School and Pitt, has played with the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets in six NFL seasons. (PPG)

Steelers meet with ex-Pitt star Barlow

Free-agent running back Kevan Barlow, who played last season with the New York Jets, visited the Steelers on Friday and could possibly sign with the team before the start of next weekend's minicamp, agent Doug Hendrickson said. Barlow, a Pittsburgh native who attended Pitt and was a two-time All-City League selection at Peabody High School, played in New York last season after spending his first five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

"They're exploring, we're exploring. There are a few other teams that we're talking to, but both sides feel it's a pretty good fit," Hendrickson said. "It's going to take a couple of days to figure out, but obviously it's a very appealing situation for Kevan. He was born and raised in Pittsburgh, grew up a Steelers fan. Franco Harris is his idol." Continue

Steelers sign 3 RBs among 11 free agents

Gary Russell was projected to be among the elite running backs in college last fall. Then came his real fall -- from academic grace and football stardom. Russell, who ran for 1,274 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2005 as a backup to Laurence Maroney at the University of Minnesota, failed to qualify academically last season. He attended junior college, but failed to re-qualify and opted instead for the NFL draft.

He was out of shape, however, and no team selected him over the weekend. The Steelers signed him as a rookie free agent when the draft ended. He'll get a real shot with the Steelers because they have little depth at the position and failed to draft a running back among their eight picks Saturday and Sunday. Continue

Starks signs $1.85 million deal with Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Max Starks signed his tender offer of $1.85 million for the 2007 season Friday, the last day the he could do so. The Steelers have not negotiated with Starks on an extension past 2007, a sign they will allow him to become an unrestricted free agent next year. By tendering an offer to the 6-foot-8, 340-pound Starks, the Steelers forced any team that wanted to sign the offensive lineman this year to give up a first-round draft pick.

Starks, a former star at Florida, was a third-round draft pick by Pittsburgh in 2004 and started every game during their Super Bowl-winning season in 2005. He started their first 14 games last season, but injured his eight knee and was replaced for the final two games by rookie Willie Colon. Continue

Steelers sign former Browns lineman Eason

Defensive end Nick Eason, an unrestricted free agent who played for the Cleveland Browns the past two seasons, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday. Eason, a fourth-round draft pick by the Browns from Clemson in 2003, was waived by Cleveland in 2004. He spent part of the 2005 season on the Denver Broncos' practice squad before rejoining the Browns late that season.

The Steelers traditionally sign players such as Eason to an NFL minimum-salary contract — $510,000 for a player with Eason's experience. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Eason would replace Rodney Bailey, who signed last week with the Arizona Cardinals. Eason had 23 tackles last season. In 30 career NFL games, he has 44 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Bailey had six tackles in 12 games as a backup for Pittsburgh last season. Continue

Steelers re-sign safety Carter

The Steelers solidified their depth at safety by re-signing Tyrone Carter to a three-year contract worth $2.4 million. The Steelers reached a verbal agreement with Carter, a seven-year veteran, on Friday, but the signing didn't become official until Monday. "It was important to keep him around and keep him in the fold," Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert said at the NFL owners' meetings. While primarily a backup to Pro Bowler Troy Polamalu at strong safety, Carter, 31, can also play free safety. He has been a key contributor on special teams, as well as in the Steelers' dime package on defense. The 5-foot-8, 195-pounder didn't visit any other teams even though he attracted interest as a free agent. Carter signed with the Steelers in October 2004 and has proven to be a more than capable backup. He started three games for the injured Polamalu last season and averaged six tackles in those games, all of which the Steelers won. Continue

Steelers will give Church a chance

When the Steelers signed Marcello Church as a free agent yesterday, they picked up a linebacker and kick-blocker who hasn't played since his fibula was broken in the Dec. 3, 2005, Atlantic Coast Conference championship game. Church, listed at 6 feet 1, 230 pounds, didn't participate in an NFL camp last summer due to his recovery from the injury, similar to one that scrubbed his 2002 season at Florida State.

Church was an outside linebacker and a big-play specialist with the Seminoles, where he played along with such current Steelers as cornerback Bryant McFadden and receiver Willie Reid. In school, he once was clocked in the same 40-yard dash time as Reid, at 4.55 seconds. Church compiled 26 tackles in each his junior and senior seasons, finishing with 4.5 sacks in 2005. He also blocked two punts in his career. Continue

Free-agent LB Boiman visits Steelers

Rocky Boiman was talking with his parents Monday night when they brought up his best game as an NFL player. They weren't reminiscing as much as pointing out that Boiman, a free agent, may end up playing his home games in the stadium where he once had a sack, an interception and a touchdown.

Boiman didn't quite return to what die-hard Steelers fans would consider the scene of the crime -- his play at Heinz Field on Sept. 28, 2003, helped the Tennessee Titans win a lopsided game -- but the versatile linebacker did visit the Steelers on Tuesday at their South Side practice facility. The fifth-year veteran, who won a Super Bowl ring with the Indianapolis Colts last season, also took a physical. Continue

Steelers re-sign special teams standout Iwuoma

The Steelers quickly filled whatever void was left by Sean Morey's departure when they signed defensive back Chidi Iwuoma to a one-year contract Friday. Like Morey, who agreed to a three-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday, Iwuoma has carved out an NFL career largely because of his special teams play.

The six-year veteran served as a special teams co-captain for the Steelers in 2004-05 but was released before the start of the 2006 season after quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's emergency appendectomy caused some unexpected roster shuffling. His loss proved to be significant, as the Steelers' special teams struggled in the first half of the season. Continue

Morey leaves Steelers for Cardinals

Sean Morey, a special teams standout and reserve wide receiver for the Steelers the past three seasons, signed a three-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday. Terms were not disclosed. Morey will reunite with former Steelers coaches Ken Whisenhunt (head coach), Russ Grimm (assistant head coach/offensive line) and Kevin Spencer (special teams) in Arizona. Continue

Free-agent Mahan signs 5-year, $17 million deal

The Steelers certainly did not take the retirement of two-time Pro Bowl center Jeff Hartings sitting down. After signing free agent offensive lineman Sean Mahan, 26, to a five-year, $17 million contract yesterday, the team is awash in centers. Mahan, who received a $4 million signing bonus as part of his deal, was told by the coaching staff that he will compete with six-year veteran Chukky Okobi and guard Kendall Simmons to replace Hartings. Marvin Philip, a sixth-round draft choice last year, also is on the roster.

A fifth-round draft pick from Notre Dame in 2003, Mahan (6 feet 3, 301 pounds) started eight games at center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004 after a season-ending injury to John Wade. He started 16 games at right guard in 2005 and 12 games at left guard last season. Continue

Polamalu, Faneca due for big contracts

In Mike Tomlin's first group interview with local print reporters after he became the Steelers' new coach, he made a point to mention three players the team can't do without. Tomlin said Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu and Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton will thrive in any defense. And he said perennial Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca is an automatic starter. Among them, Hampton, Polamalu and Faneca have been voted to 12 Pro Bowls. By stating the obvious, Tomlin identified three impact players the Steelers can not afford to lose. But like it or not, the Steelers may be without at least one after next season. Continue

Steelers, lineman close to deal; LB visits

The Steelers last night made significant progress on a contract with free agent offensive lineman Sean Mahan and the sides hope to have a deal in place by today. Mahan, a starter the past three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, would become the first free agent to sign with the Steelers this year. Linebacker Colby Bockwoldt of Tennessee also visited the Steelers yesterday but talks did not produce a contract.

They were the third and fourth players in the past two days to visit the Steelers. Mahan, who has started 36 games at both guard spots and at center for the Buccaneers the past three seasons, played in Tampa Bay when new Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was the Buccaneers' secondary coach. Continue

Steelers wade into free agency

Amid the flurry of activity sparked by the NFL free-agent signing period, the Steelers have resembled a car going 30 miles per hour on the turnpike. They have taken a decidedly plodding pace in the league-wide scramble to sign players, though their activity picked up a little Thursday when they had offensive lineman Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack and wide receiver Alex Bannister in for a visit.

The Steelers are scheduled to meet with another free agent today, as offensive lineman Sean Mahan is set to visit the team's South Side practice facility. They lost out on punter Andy Lee when the San Francisco 49ers matched the offer the Steelers had tendered to the restricted free agent. Continue

OL Mahan expected to visit Steelers this week

Sean Mahan, a versatile offensive lineman who has started 28 games the last two seasons, could become the first unrestricted free agent to visit the Steelers. He is expected to meet with team officials before the weekend, assuming he doesn't sign with another suitor or re-sign with Tampa Bay, though nothing had been officially scheduled as of Wednesday night.

• The Steelers officially announced the signing of backup running back Najeh Davenport to a two-year contract.

• The offer the Steelers tendered to restricted free agent Andy Lee is for $7.1 million over six years and includes a $1.69 million signing bonus, said Eddie Edwards, Lee's agent. The San Francisco 49ers have until Tuesday to match the Steelers' offer for Lee or take the Steelers' sixth-round pick in April's draft as compensation for the former Pitt player. (Pitt Tribune review)

Joey Porter strikes gold in Miami

There aren't many guarantees in the NFL, where contracts are made to be broken. So when the Miami Dolphins offered Joey Porter a five-year, $32 million deal with as much as $20 million guaranteed, the former Steelers linebacker realized he had found a new home. "In football, guaranteed money is the only thing you can count on," agent Jeff Sperbeck said Tuesday. "It's pretty important to all players. The money that they can call their own so they're secure." Sperbeck said Porter, who played his first eight seasons with the Steelers, has never felt more secure. Continue

Steelers make offer to Lee

The Steelers can make a little history and tap into some more after they signed former Pitt punter Andy Lee to an offer sheet yesterday. Lee, who spent his first three pro seasons punting for the San Francisco 49ers, can become the first restricted free agent acquired by the Steelers since the system began in 1993. Under NFL rules, the 49ers have until Tuesday to match the offer or waive that right and receive a sixth-round draft choice, which is what they used to draft Lee in 2003.

Length and terms of the deal were not available. The 49ers had tendered Lee a one-year, $850,000 qualifying offer. If San Francisco lets the Steelers' contract stand, Lee not only would punt again in Heinz Field but would be reunited with his Pitt special teams coach. Continue

Porter replacement search under way

The Steelers take their first steps to try to replace Joey Porter when they have a look at the guy who was displaced in New England by Adalius Thomas. Tully Banta-Cain, a 26-year-old outside linebacker with the Patriots, will visit the Steelers tomorrow. He played four years with New England and had 5.5 sacks last season, his first as a starter. The Patriots signed Thomas over the weekend. He was considered the top free agent outside linebacker after his contract expired with Baltimore.

The Steelers yesterday entertained their first player in free agency when former Pitt punter Andy Lee visited their facility on the South Side. Lee is a restricted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers. If the Steelers sign him, the 49ers would have the right to match the contract. If they declined to match, the Steelers would have to give them a sixth-round draft choice in return. Continue

Steelers mull pursuit of LB Banta-Cain

The Steelers have shown interest in unrestricted free-agent linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, according to an NFL source. Banta-Cain played outside linebacker for New England in the Patriots' 3-4 defense and he also has the versatility to play defensive end in the 4-3. The Steelers under new coach Mike Tomlin, who has a 4-3 background in the Tampa-2, are seeking players comfortable playing either the 3-4 or 4-3. With the release of outside linebacker Joey Porter, the Steelers need a veteran replacement at that position. Banta-Cain, a seventh-round draft pick in 2003, played all 16 games in 2006 (including five starts), recording 43 tackles and 5 1/2 sacks. He has 8 1/2 career sacks. Continue

Davenport agrees to 2-year deal

The Steelers signed backup running back Najeh Davenport to a two-year, $2 million contract yesterday, paying him the kind of money that should put him high in their plans for next season. Davenport, who would have become an unrestricted free agent, received a $405,000 signing bonus, a salary of $595,000 this year and $1 million next year. He is entering his sixth season in the NFL.

The Steelers signed Davenport to a one-year contract after their first game last season when Green Bay released him. He eventually became their backup to starter Willie Parker after Verron Haynes was injured at midseason. New coach Mike Tomlin has stated a preference for using two running backs, something that is becoming a trend in the NFL. Continue

Porter had to go

You can't blame the Steelers for giving Joey Porter the boot. It was the only sensible move. Let's be honest. Porter is past his prime, and there's no way the Steelers were going to extend his contract beyond this season. He turns 30 on March 22 and has missed significant parts of the past two training camps because of surgeries on both knees.

Porter would have made $5 million this season -- a $1 million roster bonus that was due next Tuesday, plus a $4 million salary. For a club so tight under the cap, better to free the cash and address a couple of problem areas. Continue