The Steelers have plenty of work to do in order to get ready for free agency in a few weeks, and from all accounts it sounds like it’s going to be tough for the team to avoid losing most of their 18 free agents.
Today Ed Bouchette wrote about the Steelers restricted free agents, which include the following: Jonathan Dwyer, Jeremy Kapinos, Steve McLendon, Isaac Redman, Emmanuel Sanders, Stevenson Sylvester.
Everything seems to point to the Steelers making tenders to McLendon, Sanders and Sylvester. They almost have to in order to make sure they don’t get plucked by another team.
As for Dwyer and Redmen, that may be the toughest call to make. The team would have to put a 6th round tender on Dwyer, while on Redmen it would mean a $2.023 million tender.
Bouchette says the Steelers probably will put a No. 2 tender at $2.023 million on McLendon, which would likely mean he won’t go anywhere.
As for Sanders and Sylvester, they will get tenders, the team can’t afford to lose Sanders with Wallace basically gone, and they need LB help, and that’s why Sylvester will stick around.
All in all, it’s hard to see any other big shocks in that department coming, but who knows how right now this team is thinking with free agency closing in.
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DrGeorge
February 14, 2013 at 10:22 am
The last list of 19 free agents (published here two weeks ago) didn’t have McLendon on the list. Anyone else get missed?
The Steelers do need help (meaning greater speed) at LB, but Sylvester would be easier to replace through free agency-draft than Dwyer or Redman. With Rainey gone and Mendenhall as good as gone, I don’t think Tomlin will toss the rest of his backfield without having someone in hand who is better than they are. Considering how light and injury-prone Sander is, I doubt that his value in free agency is all that great or that he can’t be replaced as readily and inexpensively as Sylvester. I don’t see any urgency to get into a bidding war for either one.
Matt Loede
February 14, 2013 at 11:50 am
DrGeorge,
The list published before were the 18 UNRESTRICTED free agents, the list concerning this post is for RESTRICTED free agents…you will notice Redman and Dwyer were not on the previous list as well.
Hope that clears it up!
Thanks!
Matt
George H
February 15, 2013 at 9:09 am
I expect atleast one of the two running backs to be tendered primarily bc there’s no one else, unless the FO resigns Mendy cheaply which I would be surprised to see happen. My guess would be Dwyer although i think redman might be better suited in a 3rd and short role. Of course this assumes that Mendy is gone and we draft a rb somewhere between rd 2-4. I like Lacy, but im not sure how well he firs into a zone blocking scheme. i also like Stephan Taylor from Stanford. Hes wuick snd built like Ray Rice. Sanders will be back again due to depth and potential. McLendon will also be back bc he will be the starting nt. I’ve said it a bunch of times before, I expect huge things from McLendon.
George H
February 15, 2013 at 9:12 am
Apologies about the typos. The iPhone likes to screw around with my autocorrect
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