On Cutdown Day, Steelers Have No Obvious Targets for the Axe

[fordfixer]

On Cutdown Day, Steelers Have No Obvious Targets for the Axe

[url="http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/25/on-cutdown-day-steelers-have-no-obvious-targets-for-the-axe/"]http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/02/25/on-c ... r-the-axe/[/url]

Posted Feb 25th 2009 7:58 PM by JJ Cooper (RSS feed)
Filed Under: Steelers, NFL Free Agency
Like usual, the Steelers will likely be sitting out the heavy bidding when free agency starts. But on the day before free agency, when many teams are dumping veterans left and right to create cap room, the Steelers have no one on the roster who deserves to be cut.

If you want further evidence that the Steelers front office generally knows what its doing, take a look at this rough estimate of the Steelers salaries. There is only one player on the roster whose contract is much bigger than his on-field production. And while Kendall Simmons ($4.67 million) is overpaid, with just one other experienced guard on the roster, Simmons is going nowhere.
Otherwise, it's hard to find any of the Steelers millionaires who hasn't earned his cash. There has been some argument that Larry Foote is in danger of being dumped, thanks to the development of Lawrence Timmons, but Foote is scheduled to make less than $3 million, which is a bargain for a solid starting inside linebacker, and isn't even that bad of a deal if he gets sent to the bench because of his experience as the team's primary backup at linebacker.

The Steelers may not do a lot of work in free agency, but when it comes to evaluating its own players and figuring out which ones to keep and which ones to let leave, it's hard to argue with the Steelers' success.

[Northern_Blitz]

I said this in another thread, but IMO the reason that we're successful is that we don't sign guys to rediculous contracts that they can't play out.

We let guys go at the end of their contracts. This means that we don't get saddled with alot of dead money. This lets us retain the guys we want because we have the extra cap room. It also means that we get comp picks. This gives us a better chance of rebuilding through the draft (it's a crap shoot, but the more guys you pick, the better the chances someone will turn out). It also gives us good younger players so that we can let older guys go (and repeat the cycle).

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

I said this in another thread, but IMO the reason that we're successful is that we don't sign guys to rediculous contracts that they can't play out.

We let guys go at the end of their contracts. This means that we don't get saddled with alot of dead money. This lets us retain the guys we want because we have the extra cap room. It also means that we get comp picks. This gives us a better chance of rebuilding through the draft (it's a crap shoot, but the more guys you pick, the better the chances someone will turn out). It also gives us good younger players so that we can let older guys go (and repeat the cycle).

The one thing I do see them doing is working on Ward's contract. The more & more I here Ward I really think he won't let pride get in his way. He will be willing to do anything to restructure and retire a Steeler. He's the type of player, like Farrior, you know the Steelers are willing to give up dead money to keep him here. Probably add 2 years to his current deal with applying this years salary to bonus and gurantee the next 2 years. Could cut his cap number in half and still get what is owed to him and more. I'm watching & listening for new on this...

[RuthlessBurgher]

I said this in another thread, but IMO the reason that we're successful is that we don't sign guys to rediculous contracts that they can't play out.

We let guys go at the end of their contracts. This means that we don't get saddled with alot of dead money. This lets us retain the guys we want because we have the extra cap room. It also means that we get comp picks. This gives us a better chance of rebuilding through the draft (it's a crap shoot, but the more guys you pick, the better the chances someone will turn out). It also gives us good younger players so that we can let older guys go (and repeat the cycle).

Compare that to the Raiders, who have over $20 million in dead money on their cap this year (plus another $15 million of cap space committed to a cornerback...a d@mn good cornerback, but still...a CORNERBACK!!!). You have to admit that the Rooney and Colbert and Tomlin know what they are doing.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Cut Simmons!

[Djfan]

Carey Davis?

[stlrz d]

Carey Davis?

As you know by now, nope.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Cut Simmons!

if i had seen this earlier, i would have said "no way".

it's a virtual wash cap-wise, but, leaves the team a body short and looking for a replacement... would have expected it next year when the team could actually save some money...

[Djfan]

Carey Davis?

As you know by now, nope.

Yup.

I honestly believe he is a stud athlete. Saw him in Latrobe and all. He just seems to lack football brains to me.