Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil

[BigRob]

jimwexell James C Wexell
Learn how Steelers already dropped $6.5m in cap money by restructuring Woodley: mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=68&f… Timmons next. Great job by Omar LY.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Re: Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil

Good start...now we're only 13.5 million over the cap.

Of course, it would be nice to be UNDER the cap, and actually have a chance to get a stud FA offensive lineman...

[aggiebones]

Re: Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil

Like this every year. If we scrimped and saved like in the past and were able to bring in a nice OL, people would complain that we let some stud like Vrabel go.

Can't have it both ways. Signing your own still costs alot of money. We have successful players with 2 SBs, so they cost money. Our drafts compared to most are successful and 4 years later, they need resigned.

Our group does an incredible job considering who they have to pay for.
Look at Indy. They dump soo much in Manning that they lost all the players around him. Now nothing there. Pittsburgh doesn't bottom out and we are a threat every playoffs barring big injury bug like this year.

[BigRob]

Re: Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil

You also have to remember all of our RFA's and URFA. This will take quite a bit of cap space as well. There will still be lots of cuts.

[Oviedo]

Re: Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil

Good start...now we're only 13.5 million over the cap.

Of course, it would be nice to be UNDER the cap, and actually have a chance to get a stud FA offensive lineman...

Timmons, Troy and Hampton are probably the next logical contracts to renegotiate in that order. Like Woodley, Timmons is young enough that he will be around to see all the money.

[BigRob]

Re: Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil

Good start...now we're only 13.5 million over the cap.

Of course, it would be nice to be UNDER the cap, and actually have a chance to get a stud FA offensive lineman...

Timmons, Troy and Hampton are probably the next logical contracts to renegotiate in that order. Like Woodley, Timmons is young enough that he will be around to see all the money.

Hampton won't be restructured. The analyst have talked about this. He is in the second to last year of his deal? Simply not enough years left to restructure. His cap savings if he is cut is significant (5 Mil?).

I also think they could make enough room to take a run at Paul Soliai. He is a 3-4 Nose Tackle who is better than Hampton at this point, but is not going to command a lot of attention in FA.

They will cut him and try to re-sign him at the blue light special. Wexell is predicting Hines, Farrior, and Hamp will be asked to take the Bettis special for one more run.

I think they will cut Hines, Farrior, Hampton, Kemoeatu, Jon Scott, Mcfadden, and possibly more.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil

Good start...now we're only 13.5 million over the cap.

Of course, it would be nice to be UNDER the cap, and actually have a chance to get a stud FA offensive lineman...

Timmons, Troy and Hampton are probably the next logical contracts to renegotiate in that order. Like Woodley, Timmons is young enough that he will be around to see all the money.

Hampton won't be restructured. The analyst have talked about this. He is in the second to last year of his deal? Simply not enough years left to restructure. His cap savings if he is cut is significant (5 Mil?).

I also think they could make enough room to take a run at Paul Soliai. He is a 3-4 Nose Tackle who is better than Hampton at this point, but is not going to command a lot of attention in FA.

They will cut him and try to re-sign him at the blue light special. Wexell is predicting Hines, Farrior, and Hamp will be asked to take the Bettis special for one more run.

I think they will cut Hines, Farrior, Hampton, Kemoeatu, Jon Scott, Mcfadden, and possibly more.

Kemo and BMac for sure. I think Arnaz Battle and Will Allen are as good as gone as well. Foote's fate will likely rest upon whether or not Farrior is willing to stick around for less $$$.

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil



MarkKaboly_Trib via twitter:

Is there a person within the #Steelers organization more important than Omar Khan? He never fails, and won't this year either.

[url="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/#ixzz1loaTFbcd"]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... z1loaTFbcd[/url]

[fezziwig]

Re: Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil

What's the news with Aaron Smith ? Does he plan on coming back , is he wanted back and what kind of coin is owed to him ?

[Oviedo]

Re: Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil

What's the news with Aaron Smith ? Does he plan on coming back , is he wanted back and what kind of coin is owed to him ?

Sorry, but bringing Smith back would be a waste of the $1-2M likely required to keep him. Anyone really think he still could play in more than 8 games?

[grotonsteel]

Re: Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil

What's the news with Aaron Smith ? Does he plan on coming back , is he wanted back and what kind of coin is owed to him ?

Sorry, but bringing Smith back would be a waste of the $1-2M likely required to keep him. Anyone really think he still could play in more than 8 games?

Last i read somewhere Aaron Smith wants to come back. I think Aaron Smith re-negotiated his contract last season.

One thing though people have issue with OC, QB, OL, Db coach why does no one talk about D-line coach J Mitchell??

He has not developed a single young D-lineman in 4-5 years as far as i know. Ziggy Hood has regressed. We don't know about Heyward. We have no one behind Casey.

Steve McClendon maybe a started but we have not seen enough of him. Any other DE in the wings???

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil

MarkKaboly_Trib via twitter:

Is there a person within the #Steelers organization more important than Omar Khan?

Oh, I don't know...maybe Art Rooney, Dan Rooney, Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin, Dick LeBeau, Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu...need I go on?

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Re: Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil

Like this every year. If we scrimped and saved like in the past and were able to bring in a nice OL, people would complain that we let some stud like Vrabel go.

Can't have it both ways. Signing your own still costs alot of money. We have successful players with 2 SBs, so they cost money. Our drafts compared to most are successful and 4 years later, they need resigned.

Our group does an incredible job considering who they have to pay for.
Look at Indy. They dump soo much in Manning that they lost all the players around him. Now nothing there. Pittsburgh doesn't bottom out and we are a threat every playoffs barring big injury bug like this year.

I wasn't really complaining in my OP, just making a comment. I realize our chances of going after a proven OL in FA are slim, and I understand why...I was "wishing" out loud. And I agree that our FO does a pretty good job managing the cap. I do fear we overpaid for a couple of players, but then, one of them has agreed to restructure, so that's helpful.

When I said "it's a nice start," I meant just that...we're just getting started. Undoubtedly, there are some difficult cuts to make in the coming weeks. That's the way it is when you've got a bunch of aging stars.

Don't know if using Indy is a good example, though. We have what, $110 million invested in our franchise QB? And if he goes down, do you really think we have a lot of success? We might not go 2-14, but I'd guess we'd be nowhere close to 12-4, nor playoff bound. "We are a threat every year barring big injury bug"? Couldn't Indy say the same thing over the past seven or eight years?

[fezziwig]

Re: Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil

What's the news with Aaron Smith ? Does he plan on coming back , is he wanted back and what kind of coin is owed to him ?

Sorry, but bringing Smith back would be a waste of the $1-2M likely required to keep him. Anyone really think he still could play in more than 8 games?

Last i read somewhere Aaron Smith wants to come back. I think Aaron Smith re-negotiated his contract last season.

One thing though people have issue with OC, QB, OL, Db coach why does no one talk about D-line coach J Mitchell??

He has not developed a single young D-lineman in 4-5 years as far as i know. Ziggy Hood has regressed. We don't know about Heyward. We have no one behind Casey.

Steve McClendon maybe a started but we have not seen enough of him. Any other DE in the wings???

excellent points of view from both you guys. i never pay too much attention to position coaches but, your correct with what has he done to turn these young guys around or to have them make the next step. maybe it's the learning curve or something but, i would like to see a flash of why we grabbed these players at the number one spots.
to me ziggy this season should be more of a force in his third season. heyward too should shine somewhat if he is given the chance. i wish we could have gotten smith from the bengals before he went to the niners, that dude tears it up.

yes, aaron smith is done in my opinion and i forget what the stats are on him for how little he has actually played these past few years due to injury.
maybe they'll keep him as a backup or something because he is a vet and hoke is now gone but, you have kiesel for the vet influence and possibly hampton too if he remains with the steelers.

[steelsnis]

Re: Steelers restructure Woodley, free up 6.5mil

What's the news with Aaron Smith ? Does he plan on coming back , is he wanted back and what kind of coin is owed to him ?

Sorry, but bringing Smith back would be a waste of the $1-2M likely required to keep him. Anyone really think he still could play in more than 8 games?

Last i read somewhere Aaron Smith wants to come back. I think Aaron Smith re-negotiated his contract last season.

One thing though people have issue with OC, QB, OL, Db coach why does no one talk about D-line coach J Mitchell??

He has not developed a single young D-lineman in 4-5 years as far as i know. Ziggy Hood has regressed. We don't know about Heyward. We have no one behind Casey.

Steve McClendon maybe a started but we have not seen enough of him. Any other DE in the wings???

I disagree with you on that one. IMO, the nature of the 3/4 defense is that the 5-technique defensive ends go largely unnoticed. Because a huge component of their job is to occupy blockers at arms length long enough to read the play and free up the backers as opposed to single-mindedly rushing the QB, their performances tend to get downgraded a bit more than they should.

I think back to the 2005 season when Kiesel had a really good playoff game vs. Denver (as a backup). Everyone was really high on him, but when he was made a starter in the next couple of years everyone complained that he wasn't getting it done. Now he's an invaluable member of the D-Line.

I have no problems with Ziggy's progression thus far and from what I've seen of Heyward, he looks to be a keeper as well.

It's a very specific role that is played by these guys, and in this scheme, I think they do it well.