NT Steve McLendon visits with the Green Bay Packers

[hawaiiansteel]

Steve McLendon visited with the Green Bay Packers

By Neal Coolong on Apr 17 2013

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A failure to match any offer sheet given to restricted free agent Steve McLendon would not yield compensation for the Steelers.

Baltimore Sun and Scout.com writer Aaron Wilson tweeted Wednesday Steelers restricted free agent nose tackle Steve McLendon visited with the Green Bay Packers.

No offer sheet has reportedly been signed, but the visit itself, combined with the lack of compensation, could make the fourth-year player an attractive option for a team in need of defensive line depth - like the Packers.

If McLendon signs an offer sheet the Steelers do not wish to match, he will leave without compensation since he was not drafted.

This comes as something of a surprise, considering the general lack of playing time McLendon received from the Steelers in 2012. The tender offer itself, $1.3 million, is the same amount given to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who signed an offer sheet with the New England Patriots that the Steelers eventually matched.

Running backs Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman also were given original round tender offers. Dwyer signed his quickly after it was given, but Redman has not yet done so.

McLendon was considered to be the likely starter at nose tackle this year.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/4/17/4236726/steve-mclendon-visit-green-bay-packers

[thor75]

I certainly appreciate Hampton's contributions over the years but I don't want him to return. I hope McClendon stays so it doesn't give us another hole to fill.

Plus I was going to draft a NT for Green Bay in the mock, lol! A

[Chadman]

Interesting. After paying up for Sanders, the Steelers might be over the barrell on this one if the Packers sign him for anything close to $2m- they won't have the cap space without releasing or restructuring another player.

To be completely honest- Chadman isn't overly upset at the prospect of losing McLendon, whose value appears to be held in higher account by the fans than his stats or onfield performance indicate it should be.

AND.... if he goes, there WILL be value at NT early in the draft- maybe even in Round 1.

[phillyesq]

Treason!! Pull the tender right now!!

<sarcasm>

[Chadman]

Treason!! Pull the tender right now!!

<sarcasm>

Chadman sits, waiting for Antonio Brown to go to the media about this one...

[flippy]

Chadman sits, waiting for Antonio Brown to go to the media about this one...

Going to the media...the Steelers way....

This one does make you say WTF? Why would you tender your projected starting NT @ $1.3M? That's the key to the whole 3-4.

Although to Chadman's earlier point, I'm not really gonna miss McClendon that bad if he goes. I never thought he fit the 3-4 NT position. And I'm not sure the coaches did either.

One thing I did notice last season, as Casey got healthy and recovered from his injury, that's when our D started playing significantly better. Makes me wonder if we should bring Casey back for one more year? I still don't see us having any answer yet.

The one guy on the roster that I think could be the biggest surprise of this season might be Fangupo. Fangupo is to Casey as Cortez is to Ike.

[thor75]

Is Jonathan Jenkins from Georgia a possibility if McClendon leaves before the draft?

[Chadman]

Is Jonathan Jenkins from Georgia a possibility if McClendon leaves before the draft?

Actually, after watching some film on him, not that impressed with Jenkins. For such a big guy, he doesn't hold the line that well.

Hankins out of Ohio fits better.

[thor75]

Actually, after watching some film on him, not that impressed with Jenkins. For such a big guy, he doesn't hold the line that well.

Hankins out of Ohio fits better.

OK, think he's still available at 48? Not sure I'd go with either at 17.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

I wouldn't care much either way on this. I'm fine going to camp with McLendon as the projected starter, otherwise we go in with two projects in Fangupo and Ta'amu, the idea of moving Hood inside as has been discussed often and tried sparingly, and the possibility of a draft pick. McLendon is not hands down better than the rest.

[hawaiiansteel]

Ed: Might Steelers Lose NT McLendon?

THURSDAY, 18 APRIL 2013 WRITTEN BY ED BOUCHETTE

Good morning,

The biggest surprise when the Steelers issued their restricted free agent tenders in March wasn’t the $1.3 million salary they pledged to Emmanuel Sanders, it was the same amount they gave Steve McLendon.

Now it may show they made yet another mistake.

McLendon visited the Green Bay Packers on Wednesday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

The deadline for signing an RFA is Friday, and should the Packers sign him the Steelers defense will have taken another big hit to its front.

There is no compensation involved if the Packers sign McLendon to an offer sheet. The Steelers merely have the chance to match within five days.

McLendon is projected as the Steelers starting nose tackle and some believe he outplayed Casey Hampton last season in a limited role. He’s one of those gems the Steelers dug out of the undrafted pile, spending his first few years bouncing around between their practice squad and the 53-man. Now that he’s polished and ready to go, the Steelers allowed him to be susceptible to getting plucked off their team.

They would have had to tender him a $2 million contract in order to really protect him because that would have put a second-round draft choice on him as compensation. Since he wasn’t drafted, the lower tender yields no compensation, unlike the Sanders situation.

The Steelers gambled on that lower tender even though Casey Hampton was a free agent and Alameda Ta’amu faced jail time. Perhaps they are confident that Ta’amu can replace Hampton at nose tackle if they lose McLendon, or that they could even re-sign Hampton. He played for a reduced salary of $1 million last year, which means they could actually save money and cap space by bringing him back and letting McLendon go.

The Packers run a 3-4 defense and are packed with former Steelers players/coaches on their staff: Dom Capers is defensive coordinator, Kevin Greene their linebackers coach and Darren Perry the secondary coach.

Why they would want McLendon, though, when they have 26-year-old B.J. Raji? Maybe because Raji, whil he has two years left on his contract, 2014 is voidable and he can leave as a free agent after this season.

http://plus.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/pro-sports/steelers/120798-ed-might-steelers-lose-nt-mclendon

[BigRob]

Ed: Might Steelers Lose NT McLendon?

THURSDAY, 18 APRIL 2013 WRITTEN BY ED BOUCHETTE

Good morning,

The biggest surprise when the Steelers issued their restricted free agent tenders in March wasn’t the $1.3 million salary they pledged to Emmanuel Sanders, it was the same amount they gave Steve McLendon.

Now it may show they made yet another mistake.

McLendon visited the Green Bay Packers on Wednesday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

The deadline for signing an RFA is Friday, and should the Packers sign him the Steelers defense will have taken another big hit to its front.

There is no compensation involved if the Packers sign McLendon to an offer sheet. The Steelers merely have the chance to match within five days.

McLendon is projected as the Steelers starting nose tackle and some believe he outplayed Casey Hampton last season in a limited role. He’s one of those gems the Steelers dug out of the undrafted pile, spending his first few years bouncing around between their practice squad and the 53-man. Now that he’s polished and ready to go, the Steelers allowed him to be susceptible to getting plucked off their team.

They would have had to tender him a $2 million contract in order to really protect him because that would have put a second-round draft choice on him as compensation. Since he wasn’t drafted, the lower tender yields no compensation, unlike the Sanders situation.

The Steelers gambled on that lower tender even though Casey Hampton was a free agent and Alameda Ta’amu faced jail time. Perhaps they are confident that Ta’amu can replace Hampton at nose tackle if they lose McLendon, or that they could even re-sign Hampton. He played for a reduced salary of $1 million last year, which means they could actually save money and cap space by bringing him back and letting McLendon go.

The Packers run a 3-4 defense and are packed with former Steelers players/coaches on their staff: Dom Capers is defensive coordinator, Kevin Greene their linebackers coach and Darren Perry the secondary coach.

Why they would want McLendon, though, when they have 26-year-old B.J. Raji? Maybe because Raji, whil he has two years left on his contract, 2014 is voidable and he can leave as a free agent after this season.

http://plus.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/pro-sports/steelers/120798-ed-might-steelers-lose-nt-mclendon

Maybe Ed is a big douche bag like we all know. Steelers just signed Mclendon to an extension. Was probably their plan all along.