Steelers football blog

Steelers talking to Taylor

The Steelers have had preliminary discussions with cornerback Ike Taylor about a new contract that would prevent him from becoming an unrestricted free agent, director of football operations Kevin Colbert said today.

The Steelers will not use the transition tag on Taylor, which would pay him the average of the top 10 cornerbacks in the NFL, or $11,817,000, in 2011. They had until 4 p.m. today to do so. (ppg)

Woodley gets the tag

The Steelers put their franchise tag on linebacker LaMarr Woodley, which may or may not mean anything depending on what occurs in the next collective bargaining agreement.

That designation would, under the old rules, guarantee that Woodley plays for the Steelers another season with his salary determined as the average of the top five linebacker salaries in the league in 2010. A year ago, that was $9.68 million and should range around $10 million in '11. He made $550,000 last season, the fourth and final of the contract he signed as a rookie.

The current CBA expires March 3, and there is no guarantee a franchise tag will exist under the new rules. Without that tag, Woodley would become an unrestricted free agent -- again, provided players in the new CBA can become unrestricted after four seasons. (PPG)

Steelers sign P Daniel Sepulveda

The Steelers signed former Penn State punter Jeremy Kapinos today to replace Daniel Sepulveda, who will have surgery Friday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and was placed on injured reserve.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Kapinos, a three-year NFL veteran who played for the Indianapolis Colts earlier this season, “met the criteria we’re looking for” in a tryout.

The 6-foot-1, 233-pound Kapinos averaged 44.5 yards on four punts, including a long of 55 yards and placed two inside the 20-yard line for the Colts Nov. 1 against Tampa Bay.

He spent four games in 2008 and all of last season with Green Bay, where he averaged 43.8 yards on 66 punts, with 15 landing inside the 20 one blocked, in 2009. (Tribune)

Leftwich back with Steelers

When the Steelers gathered for their team meeting at 2 this afternoon, quarterback Byron Leftwich joined them.

Leftwich, released on Saturday in a procedural move, could start Sunday's game in Tampa. The Steelers announced later that they had re-signed Leftwich and released defensive tackle Steve McLendon. (PPG)

Leftwich cut, Steelers plan to resign on Monday

Byron Leftwich was released by the Steelers on Saturday, but his stay away from the team likely will only last a day or two.

Leftwich was cut so the team could add defensive line depth on the 53-man roster for today's game against the Tennessee Titans. To that end, Steve McLendon was signed from the practice squad.

The Steelers plan to re-sign Leftwich on Monday or Tuesday. As a vested veteran, Leftwich can't be claimed off waivers by another team.

Until he sprained an MCL in the preseason finale, Leftwich was on track to be the starter while quarterback Ben Roethlisberger served his four-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. The Leftwich injury vaulted Dennis Dixon into the starting role for the season opener against Atlanta. Dixon will start against the Titans, with Charlie Batch serving as the backup. (Trib)

 

Steelers trim roster, Hartwig gone

What had become obvious over the final two weeks of the preseason became official Saturday when the Steelers set their 53-man roster.

The Steelers released Justin Hartwig, who had started 35 consecutive games at center, clearing the way for rookie first-round draft pick Maurkice Pouncey to become the starter.

Pouncey will be the first position player to open the regular season as a starter under fourth-year coach Mike Tomlin.

The Steelers had originally planned to play Pouncey at right guard and eventually move the 6-foot-4, 304-pounder to center. But Pouncey performed so well at center after opening training camp at guard that Hartwig became expendable.

The Steelers tried to trade Hartwig for a draft pick but were unable to get anything for the nine-year veteran.

There were no real surprises among the 10 other players the Steelers released to get to the 53-man limit, though four of those cut opened the 2009 season with the team. (Trib)

Steelers sign Flozell the Hotel

The Steelers came to terms on a two-year contract with veteran tackle Flozell Adams this afternoon and he will arrive in training camp with them this weekend.

Adams, 35, is a five-time Pro Bowl left tackle with the Dallas Cowboys. The Steelers signed him in response to losing starting right tackle Willie Colon for the season with an Achilles tendon injury.

It's unsure whether the Steelers will use Adams on his natural left side or the right. Max Starks, their starting left tackle, started in 2005 and 2006 at right tackle for the Steelers so if they put Adams on the left side, Starks would move back to the right. continue

Big contract year for Ike Taylor

Whenever cornerback Ike Taylor contemplates his NFL future, he envisions finishing his career with the Steelers.

"Deep down in my heart," Taylor said, "I want to retire as a Steeler."

However, as the team's only defensive starter eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, Taylor, 30, could put himself in line to receive a big free-agent payoff. And that might be too rich for the Steelers, who have yet to offer a contract extension.

"I've been here seven years," said Taylor, the only active starting cornerback in the league to win two Super Bowls. "I'm a Steeler all the way. But it's on them if we can agree — be on the same page. If not, I've gotta move on."

Taylor will not be a holdout when training camp opens July 30. Some players use the threat of holding out as a bargaining chip during negotiations, but Taylor — who restructured his contract the previous two offseasons to allow the Steelers to sign Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison and running back Rashard Mendenhall — will report with his teammates. Continue

Reed expecting an extension

All seems quiet on the contract front with the Steelers, except with kicker Jeff Reed. There is nothing doing with other players such as LaMarr Woodley, Ike Taylor and Willie Colon.

Those three could become unrestricted free agents in March. Taylor will, unless he signs a new contract. Woodley and Colon might, depending on whether there is a new collective bargaining agreement.

Reed's agent met with Steelers executives Kevin Colbert and Omar Khan in Pittsburgh Tuesday and believes the team wants to negotiate a multiyear contract before July 15. As the franchise player, Reed must sign a new deal by July 15 or his one-year tender of $2.814 million will take effect. Continue

Steelers reacquire CB McFadden from Arizona

Those scratching their heads — or pulling their hair out — as the Steelers neglected one of their biggest areas of need through the first four rounds of the NFL Draft found out why early Saturday afternoon.

Using the pick they got for Santonio Holmes two weeks ago, the Steelers re-acquired cornerback Bryant McFadden in a draft-day trade with the Arizona Cardinals.

"I expect to come in there and do what I did when I was there — play quality football," McFadden said yesterday.

McFadden helped the Steelers win Super Bowls in 2005 and 2008 and is only 28 years old. The bad news for the Steelers is that the Cardinals were willing to give up McFadden and a sixth-round pick in exchange for a fifth-round pick. That suggests the return of McFadden won't be a cure-all for a group that combined for just two interceptions in 2009 - and didn't have any until the final game of the season.