hawaiiansteel
02-26-2010, 01:38 AM
TribLive
Hampton signing a win-win for both sides
February 25th, 2010
The Steelers scored their first significant victory since the 2009 season when they signed nose tackle Casey Hampton to three-year, $21.2 million contract Thursday.
The deal locked up one of the Steelers’ most important defensive players for the foreseeable future. It also allowed the Steelers to avoid any unpleasantness that might have occurred had they used the franchise tag on Hampton, one of the most popular players in the team’s locker room.
Hampton told the Trib late last month that he either wanted a multi-year deal from the Steelers or the freedom to hit the open market without any of the restrictions that come with a franchise or transition tag.
“It’s going to be a problem if I get franchised,” Hampton said at the time.
Whether that meant Hampton skipping all of the team’s offseason practices or even holding out of training camp, the Steelers will fortunately never know.
They were able to sign Hampton to a deal that is fair to both sides and should allow the ninth-year veteran to retire as a Steeler.
As for when the Steelers start looking for an eventual replacement for the five-time Pro Bowler, it could start as early as this year.
This draft class is flush with defensive tackles -- director of football operations Kevin Colbert said he has never seen one deep at that position in 26 years of scouting -- and the Steelers haven’t ruled out addressing any positions other than quarterback and tight end when it comes to their first-round pick (No. 18 overall).
“Anything we did in free agency,” Colbert said, “is not going to change our philosophy of trying to draft defensive players."
Hampton signing a win-win for both sides
February 25th, 2010
The Steelers scored their first significant victory since the 2009 season when they signed nose tackle Casey Hampton to three-year, $21.2 million contract Thursday.
The deal locked up one of the Steelers’ most important defensive players for the foreseeable future. It also allowed the Steelers to avoid any unpleasantness that might have occurred had they used the franchise tag on Hampton, one of the most popular players in the team’s locker room.
Hampton told the Trib late last month that he either wanted a multi-year deal from the Steelers or the freedom to hit the open market without any of the restrictions that come with a franchise or transition tag.
“It’s going to be a problem if I get franchised,” Hampton said at the time.
Whether that meant Hampton skipping all of the team’s offseason practices or even holding out of training camp, the Steelers will fortunately never know.
They were able to sign Hampton to a deal that is fair to both sides and should allow the ninth-year veteran to retire as a Steeler.
As for when the Steelers start looking for an eventual replacement for the five-time Pro Bowler, it could start as early as this year.
This draft class is flush with defensive tackles -- director of football operations Kevin Colbert said he has never seen one deep at that position in 26 years of scouting -- and the Steelers haven’t ruled out addressing any positions other than quarterback and tight end when it comes to their first-round pick (No. 18 overall).
“Anything we did in free agency,” Colbert said, “is not going to change our philosophy of trying to draft defensive players."