There’s plenty to say about players that may or may not be here as the 2010 season starts, and today we’ll take a look at the teams free agents, and an early ‘yes’ or ‘no’ if the player will be here or not:
QB Charlie Batch UFA – No. Batch has been a good leader off the field, but he cannot stay healthy, and once again this year the team could have used him in the that Baltimore game. Dennis Dixon showed that he’s worthy of being this teams backup in 2010, so Batch really won’t be needed, unless he’s willing to be a clipboard holder.
RB Willie Parker UFA – No. I was impressed with the way that Parker handled himself when he easily could have cried and whined about being the backup to Rashard Mendenhall. He then helped the team out with a big game vs the Dolphins in what will go down as his last game as a Steeler. Some team will think he can be a starter, and he might be, and will throw money at him.
TE Matt Spaeth RFA – Yes. He hasn’t had a ton of shots to catch passes as Heath Miller is the big pass catching TE on this team, but Spaeth along with David Johnson are solid backup TE’s, and if Miller ever goes down, Spaeth can step in and I think he’ll do fine. The team will tender him a deal and keep him.
PK Jeff Reed UFA – Yes. There were some rumblings the team wasn’t happy with Reed’s issues off the field, but the bottom line is he’s the best kicker in Heinz Field history, and has made a lot more big kicks in big moments than he’s missed. They may franchise him to keep him around.
P Daniel Sepulveda RFA – Yes. Best punter the team has had since Mark Royals, the team will give him a competitive tender, and he’ll stick around. He had a great season bouncing back after the injury shot down his second year with the club.
OL Darnell Stapleton RFA – Yes. Can play more than one spot in the line, and despite missing part of the year with an injury, the team will pay him to have him back.
DL Casey Hampton UFA – No. While Hampton has been a force in the middle for years, he’s getting older (32) and it’s time to start moving on. He’ll command some big bucks on the free agent market, and the team hasn’t always been thrilled with his off the field weight issues. His leaving will create a hole in the middle.
CB William Gay RFA – Yes. It was a tough season for Gay, who moved into the starting lineup with the departure last offseason of Bryant McFadden. This isn’t to say that he won’t be better in 2010, but the team really needs him to step up, or they will have to start looking at options at that spot.
CB Deshea Townsend UFA – Yes. This is a tough one, but despite being 34 the team needs him for depth on a unit that was not very good last year. They even had him starting late in the year when William Gay was benched. I can see them bringing him in for a discount price, while other teams won’t look to spend much on a 34-year old corner.
SS Tyrone Carter UFA – No. If there is one thing we learned about Carter in 08, he’s not Troy Polamalu. Having the chance to step in and make an impact with Polamalu out, Carter was out of position on a number of plays, and missed tackles on even more. The team needs depth, but Carter was not good enough to earn another contract from the Steelers.
FS Ryan Clark UFA – No. Another very nice player the Steelers inked from the Redskins a few years back, but Clark’s best days are behind him. The team signed him in 2006, and he’ll be 31 in October of 2010. I think the club got tired of seeing him either out of position on plays, or missing big hits instead of giving them. They will take a look at Ryan Mundy at that spot.
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carydog
January 6, 2010 at 10:04 pm
The only “no” you have that I would like to see back is Clark. Like everyone else on the D, he’s better when Troy is in the lineup, and he’s tough and physical. Parker and Hampton are good, but I know they won’t be back.
Beano
January 6, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Hate to tell you, Justin Hartwig is not a free agent. Signed a new deal in September.
Mike
January 6, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Anyone think they may consider cutting farrior? Fox filled in nicely for timmons a few times. Fox is younger and faster. Obviously not as experienced but the steelers have had a history of getting rid of people when they were no longer able to help the team. Just a thought. ALso, Beano is right, hartwig signed an extension before the season began.
Beano
January 6, 2010 at 10:56 pm
Also Ratliff is now with the Bengals, just FYI.
Matt Loede
January 6, 2010 at 11:30 pm
Thanks Beano!
Shawn
January 7, 2010 at 11:25 am
The only one that I disagree with is Hampton. I think they will franchise him and he will be back for at least one more year.
mark
January 7, 2010 at 11:32 am
This is an off season of much upheaval in Pittsburgh.But that could be a good thing for a team that did not perform to expectations. 2 coaches are gone and there should be 1 more to go. I think Batch should become the new QB coach with an eye towards a coordinators job in the future. Why not? Also, Clark,Carter and Parker are goners but Hampton just might be a Steeler next season. I believe it would be a BIG mistake to see Jeff Reed walk. He is a clutch kicker and that is something that cannot be discounted at Heinz field.Sepulveda will be back, I have no doubt about that. As for Farrior, that will be something of a tough cut. Farrior belongs along side the great Steeler LB’s of history but is not getting younger…or better. Would he want to stick around in a reduced role with a pay cut? I want Farrior in Pittsburgh next year but under those terms. On to Gay now. The Steelers cannot afford to get any thinner at DB next season. Because Lewis and Burnett were not contributors (unless you count the drop by Burnett against the Raiders that cost us a win),I cant imagine Gay or Townsend will be elswhere next season.I would want Parker back under the same terms as Farrior, but he believes he can start in the league and he deserves a chance to do that. Parker can still make a 2 back system dangerous. I have said all season that Carter is a career back up and to try to have him fill Troy’s shoes is a mistake. Problem was, Carter wasnt even filling his own shoes. He was slower and out of position too much for a player with his experience.I understand that asking him to fill in for an all time great is asking a lot, but he hardly made a play of note all year. That’s unacceptable.Same goes for Clark. He had a couple of picks, but was looking for hits more than the ball. He was a bit slower to the ball too.Truth is guys, when Troy is on the field he can make me look like a good player and I’m 41! Guess what, I am NOT a good player and never could be. The team needs to look at players who can hold their own when Troy isn’t in there. This season, the defensive secondary looked lost and tentative. This team needs a better, stronger, faster and more physical secondary. If that is addressed, the rest just might fall into place.
One last question I have is why dont the Steelers ever trade players before they can walk away? This happened with Foote last year, why not Hampton or even a Farrior this season? I mean If the Petriots can let a Richard Seymour go and gather draft picks, why would the Steelers let a Hampton go and gain nothing for it? Any one with a ideas to why this happens in Pittsburgh?
Brian
January 7, 2010 at 12:11 pm
I would love to see Batch return as the Steelers QB coach. He is a Pittsburgh buy, has Ben’s ear, knows the offense, and is well respected.
Ken Anderson retired, so there’s an opening.
Do this, Tomlin!
Brian
January 7, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Typo: That should have been, “He is a Pittsburgh guy” (not “buy”).
mark
January 7, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Much upheaval this off season but this is a good thing! The team so underachieved that status quo cannot be accepted.I agree that Batch as a QB coach is a perfect fit and gives him the opening to become a coordinator down the road. Lets get to the free agents.Carter,Clark and Parker are goners. I am not ready to close the door on Hampton yet. As for Reed, it would be a huge mistake to let the best kicker in Steeler history not named Anderson to leave. Yes, he is a knucklehead but he is clutch and has done extremely well at Heinz field. That cannot be overlooked. Sepulveda will be back too. He is a 4th round pick that has not let the team down and bounced back very well from injury.I imagine Gay and Townsend will be back for no other reason than the team is too thin at DB to let one or both go. Burnett and Lewis were not contributors at all (unless you count Burnett dropping a game winner as “contributing”?)so their ability to gain experience last year was lost. Carter was exposed as an aging DB. To ask him to fill Troy’s shoes was asking too much but he didn’t even fill his own shoes last season. For an experienced veteran to not make 1 significant play in 11 starts is not acceptable.Clark has the same resume this season. Sure, he had a few picks but was often out of position, slow to the ball and looking for hits instead of the ball too many times. Guys, Troy can make me look like a good player and Im 41 years old.That does not make it right to put me out there! The Steelers need to have players in the secondary that can hold their own. This was not the case this past season and the absence of Troy compounded that.Younger, faster and more physical players are needed in the defensive secondary. Lets talk about Parker now. Parker thinks he can be a starter and he deserves every chance to prove that. Parker can still be a dangerous player in a two-back system. I would welcome him back if he took the same road that I hope Farrior takes. That of a reduced role,reduced payed player in Pittsburgh. Both players can go into Steeler history as productive, if not genuine super Steelers. But, they are both aging and not getting any younger…. or better. Now that the coaching changes have taken place in Pittsburgh, its time to focus on the signing of players,both our own and other free agents. The shortcomings this past season can be fixed with the right choices. The team started the right way by firing 2 incompetents and can right the ship between March and June!
DrGeorge
January 7, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Brian is right about Batch; he has already been functioning as a QB coach and seems atuned to Ben’s psychology. I agree with Shawn on Hampton, despite his age and the cost, simply because there is no one available who can match even his diminished skills. To keep him happy, they may structure a three year deal rather than using the franchise tag, if the guaranteed money is reasonable. Carydog is right about Clark; we can’t afford to make too many changes and Clark has tread left on his tires. He plays well with Troy.
Townsend’s age has slowed him markedly; Gay is simply unable to play CB effectively against the taller receivers. I would part with both of them. Carter is still effective in the dime, but can be replaced through the draft.
Farrior is still a force against the run; using Fox on passing downs in his place might extend Farrior’s career and possibly improve short zone coverages. Since LeBeau did not do this during the season, Fox may not be a major improvement. A veteran FA upgrade seems the most likely fix, since it takes a year or two to groom a rookie ILB.
That would leave DE, S, and OT to be addressed in the early rounds of the draft, with the other needs filled thru FA.
ergomesh
January 8, 2010 at 5:37 pm
only thing i thinkg different is the franchise big snack for next year so they can get a rookie preped
He said he wants to say also so maybe a 2-4 year deal is in the making howeever i wouldn’t like that we have to many over 30 already
cb
January 10, 2010 at 9:50 am
i dont know what you were watching this year but neither gay or townsend could cover my 83 year old gradmother in the paking lot tailgating after drnking a six pack (my grandmother not them). its moves like letting mcfadden go that put us in this spot. let them both go! wasting a draft pick on that punter was another mistake. finally if we dont start runnig the ball again we will lose alot more fourth quater leads and games. let the offensive guru bruce a. think about that for a while.
arrow
January 11, 2010 at 5:01 pm
I agree that Batch would make a good QB coach, and think that would be a logical fit.
Parker is definatelly gone.
I think they will resign Townsend for close to the vetern minimum. He has definatelly lost a step, but I think he can still provide some needed depth as a 4th corner/backup safety.
The Steelers usually keep all their restricted free agents, so I expect them to all be back.
Gay is a 3rd corner at best (as he was last year), but it won’t cost them much to keep him, so they will.
They won’t franchise Jeff Reed, and won’t overpay to keep him. I think they will either get a long term deal done with him, or let him go. If he goes, they may bring in a couple low price free agents to compete.
I think that Carter is gone, but they will keep Ryan Clark (probably a short term deal). I just don’t see the Steelers going into the draft with Ryan Mundy as the only option if they don’t get a good safety that can start immediately in the draft.
The Steelers may franchise or transition tag Hampton to keep him for another year. I don’t see them doing a long term deal since Hampton wants a lot of money and the Steelers have been arguing with him on conditioning and weight the past couple years. If they don’t keep Hampton, Chris Hoke will start next year, and they will draft someone to be a backup. Hoke has played very well in spot duty and when Hampton has been hurt, so I wouldn’t be suprised to see this.
Mathew Cowdery
November 22, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Well, it didn’t go quite like you said it did. Parker, Stapleton, Townsend, Carter, …and Jeff Reed? So my question is, how many compensatory picks will this get us!
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