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Roster Moves

Ex-Steelers Someone Else’s Problem Now

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NFL: FEB 06 Super Bowl XLV - Steelers v Packers

If at first you don’t succeed…

Pittsburgh West once again lived up to their nickname by signing running back Jonathan Dwyer on Wednesday. Dwyer won’t start for the Arizona Cardinals – Andre Ellington took hold of the job last season after the signing of uber-bust Rashard Mendenhall predictably blew up in Bruce Arians‘ face. Mendenhall recently announced his retirement at 26 years of age which shocked those in the media not familiar with what a colossal nutcase that soft baby really is. Hopefully, Mendy can find some joy traveling the world like Caine in Kung-Fu or whatever the hell he plans to do with all that money he stole from the Rooneys.

Dwyer was the first ex member of the Pittsburgh Steelers to sign elsewhere but he would not be the last. Over the past 24 hours, two more longtime Steelers found employment with new teams. Recently cut LaMarr Woodley didn’t remain on the market long, signing  a two year deal with the Oakland Raiders. He won’t win many games out there although he’s almost guaranteed of beating the Steelers should the they play in the near future. Defensive end Ziggy Hood also found work with one of the league’s bottom-feeders, joining the Jacksonville Jaguars.Read More »Ex-Steelers Someone Else’s Problem Now

Ike Takes Huge Pay Cut, Woodley Just Plain Cut

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And here we thought the heavy lifting was over…

When the 2014 NFL season officially begins this afternoon, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be well under the league mandated $133 million salary cap. In fact, they may even have enough money to go out and sign a couple free agents when free agency kicks off later today. The moves they made to get to this point, however, are quite noteworthy. One in a good way and one in the bad.

First, to the surprise of virtually nobody, All-Pro linebacker LaMarr Woodley was given his walking papers. When Jason Worilds signed his transition tag before the ink was dry, I theorized that he and the Steelers may have the basic framework of a long-term deal in place and were just waiting until the team got it’s salary cap ducks in a row. Regardless, despite Kevin Colbert‘s nonsensical smoke-blowing about keeping both linebackers, there was no way the Black and Gold were going to pay two OLB big money with first round pick Jarvis Jones also needing playing time. Woodley was odd-man out from the word go.Read More »Ike Takes Huge Pay Cut, Woodley Just Plain Cut

Steelers Extend Polamalu and Miller, Give Foote The Boot

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NFL: NOV 28 Steelers at Bills

So much for best laid plans…

Going into this off-season, the Pittsburgh Steelers were projected to be catastrophic twenty some odd million over the cap. First, they got some great news when the new cap number came in $10 million higher than last season. They still had some work to do after linebacker Jason Worilds signed his one year transition offer but they were within striking distance. It looked like only one major cut would be needed to get within salary cap compliance by next Tuesday’s deadline.

Well, the Steelers are under the cap with five days to spare. More importantly, they didn’t have to cut a single significant player in order to achieve it.Read More »Steelers Extend Polamalu and Miller, Give Foote The Boot

Worilds To Remain A Steeler

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yahoo_JasonWorilds

Well, that didn’t take long. One might even say it was a quick trip around the worilds.

On Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers placed their transition tag on free agent linebacker Jason Worilds. Yesterday, Worilds signed the one year $9.75 million contract that comes with being tagged. What this means is Worilds is no longer a free agent and guaranteed to suit up for the Black and Gold in 2014. It also means the Steelers have some work to do to get under the $133 million salary cap by next Tuesday’s deadline.Read More »Worilds To Remain A Steeler

Steelers Play Tag With Worilds

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Jason-Worlids

Finally, some action…

The Pittsburgh Steelers made their first big move of the off-season, placing the transition tag on free agent linebacker Jason Worilds. I’m sure many of you are asking, “What the hell is a transition tag?” Well, it’s basically the Franchise tag’s wacky distant cousin. Where the Franchise tag comes in two flavors – exclusive and non-exclusive – and all but guarantees the player stays with his original team, the transition tag is more of a high stakes game of chicken.

Franchise tags either prevent the player from negotiating with other teams (exclusive) or come with two first round picks compensation if he signs elsewhere (non-exclusive). The transition tag comes with no such protection. Worilds is free to negotiate with other teams with the only catch being the Steelers have the right to match any offer. The transition tag will save them a couple million against the cap – transition players are paid the average of the top ten players at their position vs top five for Franchise players. In Worild’s case, he’ll get $9 million as a transitioned linebacker vs $11 million he’d get as a Franchise.Read More »Steelers Play Tag With Worilds

Steelers Recycle Garbage

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The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to try and remake their fatally flawed roster through cast-offs and dumpster diving. Good luck with that. At this point, it’s growing increasingly obvious the powers-that-be didn’t have a Plan B on top of an already shaky Plan A. What a mess.

Anyway, there was a shuffling of the linebacker position with veteran Kion Wilson being released. The Steelers re-signed Stevenson Sylvester to fill his vacated spot at inside linebacker. Sylvester was a fifth rounder back in 2010 who they hoped would blossom into an eventual starter or quality back-up at ILB but did exactly bupkiss in this three years here. He was one of the final cuts when the team had to get down to the final 53 man roster. He also has a first name for a last name and a last name for a first name which makes me dislike him immediately.Read More »Steelers Recycle Garbage

Steelers Set Practice Squad

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With rosters set and the regular season looming, the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to sign eight recently cut players to their practice squad.  I make a lot of jokes about “practice squad fodder” but in today’s injury-filled NFL, the practice squad has become increasingly important. With no disabled lists or reserve rosters, the practice squad is now football’s version of AAA as the place teams can turn to when they need to call up a replacement. At least two practice squaders have been added to the main roster and seen playing time in each of the past two seasons.

Introducing the 2013 Steelers practice squad *drum roll*…Read More »Steelers Set Practice Squad

Steelers sign Zoltan, Steal Pirates’ Thunder

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The Pittsburgh Pirates are the talk of the baseball world. Their rise from hapless laughingstocks to legitimate playoff contenders is something Pittsburgh sports fans have been waiting for for twenty years. Some attribute their success to a mixture of blossoming draft picks and shrewd trades. However, smart fans know the Bucs owe their success to one man in particular:

Zoltan.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers suddenly the second most talked about sports team in the ‘Burgh, drastic steps needed to be taken. On the eve of what most experts expect to be another average season, the Black and Gold needed some of the Bucs’ mojo. So they did the only thing they could do. They signed Zoltan.Read More »Steelers sign Zoltan, Steal Pirates’ Thunder

Dwyer Not Among Your 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers

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dwyer

I didn’t see this one coming…

And, no, I’m not talking about the Patriots cutting Tim Tebow. Can anybody believe we lost a playoff game to that guy?

The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the first teams to cut down to 75 men. When it came time to set their final 53 man roster, though, they were one of the last. As I waited and waited on Saturday, I immediately grew suspicious. The longer it takes, the more likely it is the team is debating cutting somebody nobody thought would be cut.

Jonathan Dwyer, come on down. Don’t forget to bring your playbook with you.Read More »Dwyer Not Among Your 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Cut A Bunch Of Guys

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According to NFL rules, teams have until this afternoon to whittle their roster down to 75 men. The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to do things on their own timetable. Yesterday afternoon, a bunch of future insurance agents and used car salesmen got the dreaded news that they had been cut.

About a dozen players got a visit from the Turk. A few more were stashed away on injured reserve. Sean Spence, who hasn’t had a single healthy moment since being drafted last year yet continues to be on the team’s radar, was placed on the PUP list with the option of being activated after week 6. I’m not sure exactly how the new PUP rule works, I know one and only one player per season may be return after being placed on it, but I’m not sure if you have to designate which guy that is beforehand. If you do and they wasted it on Spence, then both Heath Miller and Le’Veon Bell will take up space on the active 53 man roster despite the fact neither one is expected to be ready for awhile.Read More »Steelers Cut A Bunch Of Guys