Kernan L says the Steelers made...

[steelfin]

I agree with Shawn...We need to keep Lewis if possible.

He is one of the young and hopefully up and coming players on the roster. He had a great year.

Cortez Allen is another young player that added some spark later in the season.

[Chadman]

Torn on this one- only 1 years solid production under his belt, but obviously a good player. Would really like him back, priority #1, but the Steelers need to be sensible in the value of his contract.

Steelers will need to weigh up a few things- how long can Ike play for, is Cortez ready, what will the market value Lewis at, did he make enough plays....

[fordfixer]

By Ed Bouchette / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[url]http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/on-the-steelers-lewis-wants-starter-money-668741/[/url]




One season, two very different sets of circumstances for two high school teammates who came to the Steelers in 2009.


Mike Wallace was a bona fide star, a Pro Bowl receiver in 2011 offered tens of millions of dollars by the team he turned down in 2012. Keenan Lewis reached nickel back status in his third season, playing only in passing situations. The team offered him nothing but the required one-year tender as a restricted free agent in 2012.


Today, they are poised to become unrestricted free agents, and Lewis might even find himself in as good a position as his former classmate at Perry Walker High School in New Orleans. Lewis went from obscure backup cornerback to having such a good season in his first as a starter that he should be among the top handful of cornerbacks available in the 2013 free-agent market that opens March 12.


Lewis played for $1.26 million last season, a middle tender from the Steelers compared to a top tender of $2.7 million Wallace earned. Some team could have signed Lewis as a restricted free agent and given the Steelers a third-round pick as compensation. No one offered him a multiple-year contract to stay or leave, not the way the Steelers did with Wallace. Lewis is OK with that because he would not have attracted the kind of deal he will this year.


"I didn't want a contract in 2012," Lewis said Wednesday from his New Orleans home. "I was just a nickel back. I probably would have told them to hold up on the contract anyway because I wanted to really establish myself as a starting cornerback.


"I didn't want nickel-back money, I wanted starter money."


Lewis left his exit interview with coach Mike Tomlin on New Year's Day feeling good about the team's desire to sign him to a new contract.


"I'm hoping they do something so I can get back," said Lewis, who led the NFL in passes defensed. "They said they wanted me to come back."


Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert is famous for his consistent reply to questions as to which free agents he wants to keep: All of them. They never do, of course. But Lewis is young, 27 in May, and looking like someone who can continue to partner with Taylor, 33 in May, and then succeed him as their top corner. It has been quite some time since the Steelers could count on two good cornerbacks and, with Cortez Allen playing the nickel, they look to have three.


Lewis first must heal from a sprained medial collateral ligament that will not require surgery. He predicted he will start running in a month.


Tomlin, Lewis said, told him that he blossomed in 2012. "He basically said I became a true professional, how I went about my business watching tape, my confidence grew and proving I could play. He figures I can be one of the best in the league. Now I know exactly what to work on. My goal is to be compared to the best corners, the Ike Taylors and Darrelle Revises."


Tomlin also told him the areas in which he needs to improve, catching the ball the major one. Tomlin likely told that to all the cornerbacks because they intercepted only three of the lowly team total of 10. Cortez Allen had two, Taylor one, Lewis none.


Veteran safety Will Allen noticed a big difference in Lewis the past two seasons. "I think he has built a lot of confidence. He is playing the ball a lot better. He has gotten better on his press technique. ... He is tall, long and fast. He has all the tangible things to be a great cornerback."


Lewis credits secondary coach Carnell Lake for helping him turn his game around. Lake joined the staff in 2011, and the pass defense has ranked No. 1 in both of his seasons. "Coach Lake got there, and he helped me out tremendously, stayed after work, watched tape with me. My career took off from there. The game started to slow down."


The free-agent game will speed up soon enough, and though Lewis said he loves playing for the Steelers, the Rooneys, Tomlin, Lake, etc., he also naturally wants to earn what he can.


"I want what I feel I deserve. I'm not trying to ask for way more. If they can work out a good deal with my agent, I'll be here. I'll always give them top priority because they're the team that drafted me.


"Some teams will try to speculate how much I should get. That's what [my agent is] for. I'm not going to speculate on $20 million, I'm not going to speculate on $50 million. I'll let him work the numbers out from what I put on tape and my ability."


Futures market


The season has ended for the Steelers, but the season of signing players to futures contracts has just begun.


The Steelers signed six players to contracts for the 2013 season, players who were either not on teams or on their practice squads at the end of the season. They signed offensive linemen Joe Long and Justin Cheadle, wide receivers Derek Moye and Bert Reed, and cornerback Isiah Green. All five had spent time on the Steelers practice squad in 2012.


They also signed Pittsburgh native Ross Ventrone, a defensive back. He spent portions of his rookie season in 2010 and in 2011 with the Patriots active roster and practice squad. New England released him during last training camp, and he was not on a roster last season.

[thor75]

Lewis led the NFL with 23 passes defensed. I don't remember a Steeler DB having a number that high. I think the next step for him is to get in position to bring some of those down for INTs. Since he is around the ball, I think it is very likely that he can improve that stat. I think he will be back to the Steelers, personally. No reason for him to leave the Steelers, which are a premier organization where he is now an established starter and try to get established somewhere else. I think he is smart enough to see that and whatever deal he gets, it will be more more than he can spend anyway.

I agree, who wouldn't want to be the starting corner for the NFL's #1 pass defense. That says a lot and will be a prideful factor. He seems to love working with Carnell Lake and he can only get better. I'll take one year as a proven starter over drafting someone who may or may not cut it.

[feltdizz]

Gotta keep Lewis... we finally get a young DB who can see the ball and knock it out of the air and it's a toss up to keep him?

[hawaiiansteel]

Pittsburgh Steelers Number One Offseason Priority Should Be Cornerback Keenan Lewis

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Syndicated Feeds

When the Pittsburgh Steelers have a disappointing season, there are always differing opinions on the cause. Was it the offense? Was it the defense? All great questions that fans continually ask, while complimenting them with what can be done to get the team back on top.In looking back at 2012, the situation leading to the demise was a combined effort. Injuries to key players took a toll, players had off years, and some of the coaching decisions were suspect. Yes, every facet of the Steelers had an off year in one way or another.

Through all of that, one player did show up and raise his value to the Steelers moving forward and may be their most important unrestricted free agent. Cornerback Keenan Lewis rose from the depth chart and entrenched himself as possibly the Steelers best cornerback.

Yes, Ike Taylor is tremendous, and still has some tread left on the tires, but, Lewis proved he is possibly ready to step into that role. Unlike his high school teammate Mike Wallace, Lewis signed his $1.26 million tender last offseason and reported to camp ready to roll and roll he did. In fact, he played so well that he may have priced himself out of Pittsburgh as he enters the unrestricted free agent field as one of the top available cornerbacks in the NFL.

However, the Steelers have always found a way at keeping the talent that they want, and the franchise tender that once may have had Wallaces’ name on it, may end up going to his childhood buddy. Yes, the Steelers may lack depth at both positions wide receiver and cornerback, but they could ill-afford to lose Lewis, as it was clear at the end of the season, that even with a lack of depth the team was less prepared in the secondary when Taylor, Lewis and slot-corner Cortez Allen were banged up.

The 27-year old cornerback has the skill-set to flourish in the Steelers system. When they couple that with the development of Allen, the players could give the Steelers a solid starting tandem into the future once Taylor (33) starts to slow-down.

Of course, general manager Kevin Colbert may have to pull a rabbit out of his hat to keep Lewis, and he likely will. Even if they have to break the bank with the franchise tag, one thing is certain; unlike his former high school teammate, Lewis earned this chance and this contract and more importantly, seems to have a desire to stay in Pittsburgh. He is definitely priority one heading into the offseason.

[URL]http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/pittsburgh_steelers_number_one_offseason_priority_ should_be_cornerback_keenan_lewis/12587212[/URL]

[BATMAN]

A mistake by not locking him up long term, So it may be hard to keep him.

I agree with him. They knew they thought well enough of him to develope him, and keep him on the team. They should have offered him a contract last season. I said the same thing about Wallace too. You knew two seasons ago Wallace was going to need a contract, why not when they wouldn't demand so much ?

[pittpete]

I agree with him. They knew they thought well enough of him to develope him, and keep him on the team. They should have offered him a contract last season. I said the same thing about Wallace too. You knew two seasons ago Wallace was going to need a contract, why not when they wouldn't demand so much ?

How could they have signed him to a long term deal w/o knowing what they had?
He proved this year he deserves a well paid contract.
Hopefully he will get it from the Steelers.
From the above article

However, the Steelers have always found a way at keeping the talent that they want