Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

[hawaiiansteel]

Time is now for Steelers' Clark


Published on 02-16-2010
By John Harris, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW


You're Ryan Clark, starting free safety with the Steelers the last four seasons. This is your story.

You're an unrestricted free agent who wants to finish your career in Pittsburgh. Of course you do.

Joining a new team would mean uprooting your family and learning yet another system — your fourth in nine years.

You won a Super Bowl with the Steelers. But so did former free safety Chris Hope, who said all the right things about wanting to finish his career with the Steelers but left for more money with the Tennessee Titans.

You really have to hope the Steelers don't have someone in mind to replace you the way they knew how to replace Hope.

Remember who that was? You, of course.

You hope the Steelers aren't stuck on Ryan Mundy, who is working out at West Virginia with his college coach, Bill Stewart. You hope the Steelers prefer your experience and understanding of the defense to Mundy's relative youth and lack of prime-time experience.

You hope the Steelers' brass values your friendship with fellow starting safety Troy Polamalu.

You hope the Steelers are fixated on drafting nose tackles, linebackers, offensive linemen and cornerbacks. But not safeties.

You hope that USC safety Taylor Mays is off the board when the Steelers select at No. 18 in the first round. You hope the Steelers' brass continues to have selective amnesia if safeties Morgan Burnett of Georgia Tech and Myron Rolle of Florida State are available in later rounds.

Spending a high draft pick on a safety would make it difficult for the Steelers to bring you back.

Polamalu earned $6.495 million last season. The transition tag for the position is a little over $6 million, which is what it would take for the Steelers to retain you if they don't re-sign you to a long-term deal.

The chances of that happening are remote, no matter what your agent thinks.

''We can all conjecture they're not going to pay two safeties a lot of money. Well, why wouldn't you?'' your agent, Joel Turner asks. ''You pay two defensive linemen a lot of money. You pay two linebackers a lot of money. You can only afford to have one safety? You're not paying two free safeties. You're paying a strong safety and a free safety. You need one of each for the defense to work well.

''We're not asking for a fortune. We're just asking for a fair deal. If they're not fair, I'll be shocked.''

If the Steelers re-sign Clark and nose tackle Casey Hampton, I'll be shocked. Tagging both players for next season would run in excess of $13 million.

Good luck with that happening.

Remember, the Steelers could have re-signed Clark a year ago after winning Super Bowl XLIII. Instead, they re-signed tight end Heath Miller and defensive end Brett Keisel to long-term deals.

Still, the Steelers' loss could result in Clark's financial gain.

If Clark can wrap his mind around the idea of wearing a different uniform next season, the idea of 31 other potential employers in the NFL, it could ease the sting of not returning to the Steelers.

After all, a paycheck is a paycheck.

The NFL is all about timing, so this is a great time to be a free safety with free agency only a week away.

New Orleans likely will franchise Darren Sharper, taking the best free safety off the market and putting more potential free-agent dollars in Clark's pocket.

Last year, safeties Gibril Wilson (five years, $27.5 million) and Yeremiah Bell (four years, $20 million) were the big winners in free agency.

It's Clark's turn to cash in.

''If that's the money those guys are making, then Ryan's worth more,'' Turner says of Wilson and Bell. ''Ryan is the best free safety available in unrestricted free agency. There are some guys who are younger, but Ryan's it.''

Sure, Clark wants to finish what he started with the Steelers. Maybe he'll have the opportunity to do just that.

More likely, Clark will move on to another team, and the Steelers will repeat their familiar game plan of replacing a key starter with a younger, less expensive version.

It is a cold, calculating business model with little thought given to sentimentality, but it's what works for the Steelers.

Clark can console himself with fond memories and a larger paycheck.

[NW Steeler]

Re: Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

If Clark is looking for that kind of money (5-yrs/$27.5 mil), than he won't be coming back. Take THAT to the bank.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

This part of the article is just dumb, since the free agent signing period begins 3/5/10, while the draft isn't until 4/22/10 to 4/24/10. A decision on Clark, one way or the other, will be made in the next two months, before the draft occurs.

You hope the Steelers are fixated on drafting nose tackles, linebackers, offensive linemen and cornerbacks. But not safeties.

You hope that USC safety Taylor Mays is off the board when the Steelers select at No. 18 in the first round. You hope the Steelers' brass continues to have selective amnesia if safeties Morgan Burnett of Georgia Tech and Myron Rolle of Florida State are available in later rounds.

Spending a high draft pick on a safety would make it difficult for the Steelers to bring you back.

If Clark's agent thinks he's getting over $5 million per year here, he's nuts. Would you call the signings of Wilson and Bell successful? Ask Dolphin fans if those two safeties are worth a combined $10 million per year. Parcells typically knows what he is doing when it comes to personnel moves, but those were two pretty stupid signings.

Last year, safeties Gibril Wilson (five years, $27.5 million) and Yeremiah Bell (four years, $20 million) were the big winners in free agency.

It's Clark's turn to cash in.

''If that's the money those guys are making, then Ryan's worth more,'' Turner says of Wilson and Bell. ''Ryan is the best free safety available in unrestricted free agency. There are some guys who are younger, but Ryan's it.''

We don't allow other teams' poor fiscal responsibility to impact how we do business.

When the Bills signed Derrick Dockery and the Browns signed Eric Steinbach to silly $7 million per year contracts for guards, it did not impact how we dealt with Faneca, even though Alan was a better guard than those two guys.

Stupid contracts given to Gibril Wilson and Yeremiah Bell for $5 million per year for safeties should not impact how we deal with Clark, even if Ryan may be a better safety than those two guys.

A stupid contract given to Sebastian Janikowski for $4 million per year for a kicker should not impact how we deal with Reed, even if Jeff may be a more accurate kicker than him.

At least we will have the transition tag that can be used on Reed if he feels that he is suddenly worth more. Clark is not worth what a franchise or transition tag would cost for a safety, so he will walk if he feels that anything less than what Wilson or Bell got is an insult, since we are not going there. If that is the case, I will hope that Eric Berry slips down to around #10 and we trade up to get him. Otherwise, we will be taking a long look at Earl Thomas in the first or Nate Allen or Chad Jones in the second.

[Shoe]

Re: Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

If Clark is looking for that kind of money (5-yrs/$27.5 mil), than he won't be coming back. Take THAT to the bank.

I agree; the agent said why not (pay Safeties that much), but it's quite clear--it would be suicidal to do that, particularly going into a final year before the work stoppage in '11. IF I WAS AN OWNER, I would essentially treat this season as a wash.

In other words, if I win the SB, great... but I'm not necessarily looking to put "the best" product out there on the field, if it means committing money beyond this year.

I will consider franchising fa+boy; I actually don't care if he leaves either, cuz like I said: All I'm interested in this year is financial.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

If Clark is looking for that kind of money (5-yrs/$27.5 mil), than he won't be coming back. Take THAT to the bank.

I agree; the agent said why not (pay Safeties that much), but it's quite clear--it would be suicidal to do that, particularly going into a final year before the work stoppage in '11. IF I WAS AN OWNER, I would essentially treat this season as a wash.

In other words, if I win the SB, great... but I'm not necessarily looking to put "the best" product out there on the field, if it means committing money beyond this year.

I will consider franchising fa+boy; I actually don't care if he leaves either, cuz like I said: All I'm interested in this year is financial.

For what it's worth, if there is a lockout in 2011, the owners still get their $5 billion from the networks even if no games are played, but they do not have to play their players a dime.

[NW Steeler]

Re: Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

For what it's worth, if there is a lockout in 2011, the owners still get their $5 billion from the networks even if no games are played, but they do not have to play their players a dime.

Wow. I never thought of that. I guess the owners don't really give a crap whether or not there is a season on 11' then, do they? The fans will come back, no matter what. It won't have near the effect that it did in baseball.

[Shoe]

Re: Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

For what it's worth, if there is a lockout in 2011, the owners still get their $5 billion from the networks even if no games are played, but they do not have to play their players a dime.

Wow. I never thought of that. I guess the owners don't really give a crap whether or not there is a season on 11' then, do they? The fans will come back, no matter what. It won't have near the effect that it did in baseball.

I didn't realize that either. Wow.

[Oviedo]

Re: Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

If Clark is looking for that kind of money (5-yrs/$27.5 mil), than he won't be coming back. Take THAT to the bank.

I agree; the agent said why not (pay Safeties that much), but it's quite clear--it would be suicidal to do that, particularly going into a final year before the work stoppage in '11. IF I WAS AN OWNER, I would essentially treat this season as a wash.

In other words, if I win the SB, great... but I'm not necessarily looking to put "the best" product out there on the field, if it means committing money beyond this year.

I will consider franchising fa+boy; I actually don't care if he leaves either, cuz like I said: All I'm interested in this year is financial.

For what it's worth, if there is a lockout in 2011, the owners still get their $5 billion from the networks even if no games are played, but they do not have to play their players a dime.

It's called being smart businessmen and knowing how to negotiate contracts. That is how they became millionaires and billionaires. The players will lose this without a doubt. The only question is how much will they screw up the game for the fans before they realize they have lost.

[Chadman]

Re: Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

If Clark isn't re-signed, does anyone think Sean Jones of the Eagles, and before that the Browns, could be an effective short-term option while a rookie is drafted to learn & eventually take over?

Or, is there any real chance that Ryan Mundy is given a shot?

[NW Steeler]

Re: Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

If Clark is not re-signed, the Steelers HAVE to sign a free agent FS no matter what they plan to do in the draft. I'd be willing to bet that if Clark is looking for 4-5 mil per season that the Steelers will say good luck and look elsewhere. I wouldn't be surprised if they drafted a FS and a SS in this draft, at least for depth.

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

If Clark isn't re-signed, does anyone think Sean Jones of the Eagles, and before that the Browns, could be an effective short-term option while a rookie is drafted to learn & eventually take over?

Or, is there any real chance that Ryan Mundy is given a shot?

The 28-year old Sean Jones could be a very effective option as he can play both the FS and SS positions in case of an injury to Troy. He is a playmaker, I read somewhere that Jones ranks third among safeties behind only Baltimore's Ed Reed and St. Louis' Oshiomogho Atogwe in interceptions since 2006.

Jones, listed at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, had his best season in '06 when he finished with 107½ tackles and five interceptions. He is an UFA after signing a one-year $3 million contract with the Eagles last season. If he's willing to sign a similar contract with the Steelers I would be all for it.

[steeler_george]

Re: Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

Clark is going to sign a fair deal with us.

Reason #1, his medical condition. Although, he has been pretty durable, that unfortunate reaction in Denver will scare off a lot of teams. Look at last year, the coaches benched him, in precaution in Denver. So that eliminates all of the AFCW and teams with games in Denver this year. Are there any other high altitude cities in the NFL?

Reason #2, his talent. I would say he is an average to above average FS, nothing special.

Reason #3, deep draft class of safeties. Probably find better talent and potential in this draft than what he can offer.

Reason #4, money talks, but he has a good thing going here in the Burgh playing with one of the best Safeties in the game, one of the best defenses in the game, and a possibility of more rings.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

If Clark isn't re-signed, does anyone think Sean Jones of the Eagles, and before that the Browns, could be an effective short-term option while a rookie is drafted to learn & eventually take over?

Or, is there any real chance that Ryan Mundy is given a shot?

The 28-year old Sean Jones could be a very effective option as he can play both the FS and SS positions in case of an injury to Troy. He is a playmaker, I read somewhere that Jones ranks third among safeties behind only Baltimore's Ed Reed and St. Louis' Oshiomogho Atogwe in interceptions since 2006.

Jones, listed at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, had his best season in '06 when he finished with 107½ tackles and five interceptions. He is an UFA after signing a one-year $3 million contract with the Eagles last season. If he's willing to sign a similar contract with the Steelers I would be all for it.

O.J. Atogwe could be a possible upgrade option as well. He's an interesting case. Last year (when players only needed 4 accrued seasons to reach unrestricted free agency), the 4 year vet was unrestricted, and the Rams kept him with a franchise tag. This year, the 5 year vet is a restricted free agent (since he now would need 6 accrued seasons to be unrestricted in this capless environment).

They can keep him with a RFA tender, but instead of it being in the $2 million range (like Colon's RFA tender), they'll have to give him a 10% raise to keep him with an RFA tender. The franchise number for safeties last year was $6.34, so in order to tender him, the Rams would need to pony up nearly $7 million. They may decide not to do that, and then he would be free to sign elsewhere.

[ANPSTEEL]

Re: Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

Personally, I think Kennan Lewis was drafted to play FS.

If he can actually play corner- then all the better.

The key question is: Is he ready in season 2, to be the starter??

IMO- Clark is given a mid to low offer, which he can vastly improve upon in the FA market.

So- I'd look for DeShae to be resigned to a very cap friendly deal- as insurance if Lewis isn't the guy- in either role.

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Time is now for Steelers' Ryan Clark

Clark is going to sign a fair deal with us.

Reason #1, his medical condition. Although, he has been pretty durable, that unfortunate reaction in Denver will scare off a lot of teams. Look at last year, the coaches benched him, in precaution in Denver. So that eliminates all of the AFCW and teams with games in Denver this year. Are there any other high altitude cities in the NFL?

Reason #2, his talent. I would say he is an average to above average FS, nothing special.

Reason #3, deep draft class of safeties. Probably find better talent and potential in this draft than what he can offer.

Reason #4, money talks, but he has a good thing going here in the Burgh playing with one of the best Safeties in the game, one of the best defenses in the game, and a possibility of more rings.

i'm with you on this one, Ryan Clark is an average to above average FS, nothing special at all. Instead of stepping up in Troy's absence, he was one of the DBs on the field when we surrendered all those 4th quarter leads. I just don't see us paying him big money.

I would rather look for another veteran S in free agency or wait until after the draft and see if we could pick Earl Thomas in the 1st round or Nate Allen in the 2nd.