While the Steelers look to get back to the postseason in 2013, there’s plenty of players that will be thinking about their future for not only this season but beyond.
There’s a number of players that could get extensions that will be up for them in 2014 according to Ed Bouchette of the Post-Gazette, but if any do will be another question.
Last season the team wanted to try and get Mike Wallace under a deal, but couldn’t come to terms, and winded up giving his money to Antonio Brown.
Will one of these key vets get a deal before the end of camp? Good question.
As Bouchette points out – here’s the key players that could get a deal or the team could let go free agency.
Emmanuel Sanders, Ziggy Hood, Jason Worilds, Ryan Clark, Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer and Brett Keisel.
Let’s take a look at each, along with a percentage on if a deal with the player percentage wise will get done.
Emmanuel Sanders – Bouchette is right on that this is the player the team wants, and frankly needs the most. With losing Wallace and trying out a rookie in Marcus Wheaton that will take time to get started in the NFL, Sanders is a player that needs to be a part of this teams future. He won’t like that he won’t get paid as much as Brown, but he should get a solid deal. Percentage of getting a deal done: %60 percent
Ziggy Hood – He’s been a starter the last two seasons and a former first-round pick, but let’s be honest, he’s not been a superstar on a defense that really could use him to step up and be an impact player this next season. He’s got the talent, no question, but will he finally reach that potential? Or will he have another so-so year and the Steelers let him test the market? It’s up to him. Percentage of getting a deal done: %35 percent
Jason Worilds – He enters camp today as a starter, but he’s got the teams first round draft pick of the team, Jarvis Jones, waiting in the wings. Jones is another player with talent, but has to step up and show it by holding off Jones and taking over James Harrison’s spot opposite of LaMarr Woodley. Worilds looks the part of a big-time player, now again it’s on him. Percentage of getting a deal done: %20 percent
Ryan Clark – Not going to happen. At least not in camp this season, as Clark is getting older, and the team can continue to start to train his eventual replacement in the defensive backfield. If there’s one thing this team does right, it’s not overpay for ‘older’ talent, and that’s the spot that Clark falls in going into this season. Percentage of getting a deal done: %0 percent
Jonathan Dwyer – Bouchette said he might have an issue even making the team if he doesn’t have a huge camp, so it’s a no-brainer that he is not going to get a new deal anytime soon. Dwyer can do himself a great favor by having a great camp to make it next to impossible for the Steelers to release him in five weeks. Percentage of getting a deal done: %0 percent
Isaac Redman – His agent in the Post-Gazette says today that Redman wants to stay with the team, and looks like the back means it with the fact he’s taken on a new training system and has lost some weight to be faster. Likely to wind up as the number two behind Le’Veon Bell, Redman is in an interesting spot. He clearly isn’t on tap to be a starter in the league anytime soon, but if he’s willing to take less to stay with the Steelers, they should look to keep him. Percentage of getting a deal done: %30 percent
Brett Keisel – Maybe now the emotional leader of the defense, Keisel will have a tough time stepping up enough at age 35 to do enough to make it worth giving him a new deal. If he’s going to come back at 36, it’ll be a one or at most two-year deal – but it won’t be a long term deal this camp coming his way, much like Clark. Percentage of getting a deal done: %0 percent
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Jalen
July 26, 2013 at 10:21 pm
I agree with most of your assessments but there are a few caveats that I have (won’t go into percentages): I think Sanders’ future is not only largely contingent upon Wheaton’s development but Justin Brown’s as well. Even if Cotchery and Burress are not with the team in 2014, it doesn’t matter because you will have A. Brown and Wheaton and then Justin Brown (that’s three). Throw in Gilreath and even Moye and with the extra $ you could pick up a low-rate journeyman to be the number four..I.e., A. Brown (1), Wheaton/Justin Brown (2/3), the low-cost NFL WR journeyman (4) and Moye and Gilreath battle for number (5). All this, again, HIGHLY contingent upon Wheaton’s and Justin Brown’s development. It’s very rare in the NFL to see a team have two young, big money contract WR’s both in their prime(s).
P.S. Also, Justin Brown and (Derek Moye) are potential red zone weapons of which we have none (Okay, really, how much of a red zone weapon has Heath Miller been through the years…GREAT TE…HELL MF YES but to me always seemed a little lacking in the leaping/agility ballparks to be a type of Jimmy Grahamesque type of matchup nightmare in the red zone…HInes Ward was a legitimate red zone weapon and obviously Burress was his first time around so not signing Sanders if the aforementioned J. Brown et al develop isn’t such a bad thing.
The only problem with Ziggy Hood not getting re-signed is after Keisel leaves, there is not a whole lot of depth behind him. Ideally this fat bastard, Ta’amu, will shine like the spherical sun he is and be a 2-down NT allowing McLendon to move over to a 5-technique situationally…Also, that Nick Williams kid from Samford could develop and show Hood the door, if none of that happens, then they might need to take ANOTHER DL high in next year’s draft where there could be other needs (i.e., ILB, WR/TE, DB);
This is my favorite one because it’s so totally speculative…Woodley has, once again, eaten too many pancakes (both literally and from opposing O-linemen)…Worilds was REALLY good last year at the LOLB spot. What if there was some way (probably not because of contract legalese and $$$) they could unload him and his big $ contract, move Worilds over to the left side and continue to develop this Adrain Robinson who they are/were high on!?!?!? Just sayin’.
Agree about Keisel and Clark 100% but I would flip-flop Redman and Dwyer because I’m not giving a (big money) contract to a RB who is pushing 30 when I have one who’s 24…Yeah he needs to be in shape but if Pittsburgh was so really sure he wasn’t coming back then why do they keep TRYING to light a fire under his ass by PUBLICLY putting it out there that he needs to be in better shape. It’s like telling a fat girlfriend that you know you’re going to dump to please, please, please lose weight! I’d be like keep eating you not with me pretty soon anyway so why do I care! Be someone else’s headache! They like Dwyer which is why they WANT him to get in shape!