Per everybody, the NFL lockout seems to be coming to a close any day (hour?) now. The most boring NFL offseason in recent memory will be over and football fans will be seen high-fiving each other all across the world.
Don’t expect the Steelers front office to feel the same sense of relief though. They are going to have to work harder than they ever have in the next couple of months. From getting training camp stuff ready on short notice to making personnell decisions, much work needs to be done. It will be utter chaos for everybody.
What follows is a list of the 8 most important tasks Art Rooney II, Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin and everybody else in the front office need to accomplish in the coming weeks.
1. Extend LaMarr Woodley
Woodley is entering the final year of his contract, along with several other key Steelers. Certainly, the team would like to extend his deal for a number of reasons, including the obvious one: preventing him from hitting the UFA market next summer. The team has had a self-imposed ban on negotiating contracts during the season, so they will have a short window to get deals with with players like Woodley, Lawrence Timmons and Troy Polamalu. Woodley is only 26 and is one of the league’s top linebackers. He is going to get paid a lot of money, but the Steelers will be happy to pony up for a new deal that will keep him in Pittsburgh until his early 30s. Woodley is a huge piece of the Steelers future for years to come.
2. Extend Lawrence Timmons
Entering the last year of his contract, Timmons falls into the same situation as Woodley. He hasn’t produced as much on the field as Woodley, but 2010 was a breakout season for 94 and, at 25 years old, he is only going to get better for a long time. Timmons was a candidate for the NFL’s defensive player of the year award for the first half of last season and he will be a rock at inside linebacker for the next half decade. Timmons’ position and versatility make him arguably as valuable as Woodley for the Steelers going forward.
3. Sign Ike Taylor
I’ve touched on this issue earlier in the offseason, as have many others. The Steelers biggest weakness has been in the secondary and entering the season with Bryant McFadden and Crezdon Butler as the 2 starting cornerbacks would be a disaster. Sure, there are other free agents the Steelers could target, but none would be as good in 2011 as Taylor. He has great size, tackles well and knows the system. Yes, the Steelers might have to gave more money or years than they would like, but for a team that is still going to contend for a Super Bowl title in 2011 it is worth the overpayment.
4. Extend Troy Polamalu
Yes, I’ve ranked Polamalu’s extension below Woodley and Timmons. I believe Polamalu is the best defensive back I have watched in my lifetime, but he will be less valuable to the Steelers in 2-3 years than the two young linebackers will. Polamalu’s situation is interesting. He is obviously going to get a huge payday, but injuries, size and style of play all point to him fading fast at the end of his career. Polamalu is at the stage in his career where the Steelers have let other guys walk (Joey Porter, Alan Faneca come to mind right away). That said, I think Polamalu has meant so much to the team that he’s another player the Steelers would be willing to overpay a bit in order to keep him a Steeler for his entire career. I certainly hope that is the case, but if signing Polamalu means one of Timmons or Woodley have to walk…
5. Find a tackle
The team needs to figure out who is going to be playing right tackle in 2011. Flozell Adams is still under contract at $5 million, but he could be a cap casualty despite playing reasonably well in 2010. Rookie Marcus Gilbert could be a possibility, but how sure can the Steelers be when he hasn’t even had a practice with the team yet? Right tackle could be an gap that the Steelers look to fill via free agency.
6. Sign a running back
As I wrote earlier this offseason, the Steelers overused Rashard Mendenhall in 2010. The team needs to find somebody they trust with the football to help carry the load. Mewelde Moore is a free agent and likely won’t be back. Isaac Redman is a good internal option, but the Steelers didn’t use him a ton last year. Maybe Jonathan Dwyer or Baron Batch emerge in training camp, but I think they at least need to sign a veteran back to add somebody else into the mix.
7. Solve the special teams
Daniel Sepulveda and Shaun Suisham are both free agents. Will either return? Sepevuleda is an especially interesting case given what the Steelers paid to draft him. He has now suffered three ACL tears and was never among the league’s best punters even when healthy. Suisham performed well last year for the Steelers and could be brought back at a reasonable price.
8. Cut Steely McBeam
Tip of the cap to The Steelers n’at for the suggestion. This move is obviously crucial to any success the Steelers could have in the future. Do it.
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