Day No. 4 Free Agency Update
Apparently refreshed after sending the coaching staff to a ski resort for the weekend, the Pittsburgh Steelers suddenly dove into the free agency pool on Monday.
It wasn’t like the Steelers suddenly opened the vault and started throwing the Rooney money around. No, they followed the pattern that’s been a franchise principle since the start of free agency back in 1993. They’ll sign unrestricted free agents, but they won’t be the big names for the big contracts.
They zero in on role players that will help fill out what is largely a home-grown roster. They did that in a big way on Monday, signing WR Arnaz Battle, WR Antwaan Randle El (right), S Will Allen, OT Jonathan Scott and re-signing safety Ryan Clark.
Those are not the type of names that will flash across the scroll on ESPN all night. Battle is 30 years old and will be in his eighth season. With San Francisco for 88 games in the last seven years, he caught more than 35 passes only twice and has 178 catches for 2,150 yards and 11 TD catches. Randle El came into the league as a Pittsburgh draft choice and returns after several mediocre seasons in Washington.
Allen was drafted and played six seasons in Tampa Bay. He’ll be 28 in June and is very good on special teams. Scott started a handful of games for the Bills last year. Clark was a starting safety for the Steelers last year, who was allowed to become a UFA and spent part of Monday in Miami talking with the Dolphins. But he decided to re-sign with the Chiefs.
Combined, those five players signed deals that wouldn’t even equal half of the guaranteed dollars ($42 million) that the Bears will pay DE Julius Peppers.
Here’s the rest of the action from Monday around the NFL:
- BENGALS – re-signed DT Tank Johnson.
- BILLS – signed OT Cornell Green (Raiders) to a 3-year, $9 million contract.
- BROWNS – acquired QB Seneca Wallace from the Seahawks for an undisclosed late-round choice in the 2011 NFL Draft.
- BUCCANEERS – acquired WR Reggie Brown from the Eagles for a 6th-round choice in the 2011 NFL Draft.
- CHARGERS – claimed RB Marcus Mason on waivers (Redskins).
- CHIEFS – re-signed WR Chris Chambers.
- COLTS – released G Ryan Lilja.
- EAGLES – re-signed WR Jason Avant.
- JETS – re-signed TE Ben Harstock.
- LIONS – signed CB Jonathan Wade (Rams); released DE Dewayne White; re-signed WR Brian Clark.
- PANTHERS – released FB Brad Hoover.
- RAIDERS – released WR Javon Walker and DE Greg Ellis.
- STEELERS – signed UFA WR Arnaz Battle, UFA S Will Allen, UFA WR Antwaan Randle El, UFA OT Jonathan Scott and re-signed UFA S Ryan Clark.
- VIKINGS – signed K Rhys Lloyd (Panthers). He was an RFA, but was not extended a tender offer by Carolina.
While the rest of the league is making moves, the Chiefs are resigning players from the stellar 2009 season. Some of them anyway. Vrable, Copper, Chambers. Look out 2010. We’ve really improved. No wait. We stayed the same. Sort of, maybe, almost, no not really. I guess the superior coaching will take the same team all the way next season. All the way to 4-12.
LOL Bob. I must say it is good that they re-signed at least these 3 players even though they all need to be replaced with better personnel. Winning 10 games in 3 years is not going to get many UFAs to look at your organization for long. The way I look at it the only way they are going to improve is to do something bold. They need work out a trade for Branden Marshall (2th and 5th). They have to get 5-6 new starters from the draft–
1st Berry S,
2a Cody NT;
2b Marshall WR; –(Bowe Marshall Chambers and Charles/Fargues/Jones…WOW!)
3rd Beadles LOG, move Waters to Center
4th Calloway OT move him to ROG unless they sign a FA.
5a Schofield OLB, (move Varbel inside w/ Johnson);
5b Easley Slot WR
I’d like to see us bring in Ryan Lilja for a visit. He’s only 28. It was a huge mistake when we let him go the first time.
BobGretz, did you mistakenly allow Rin to have alternate IP address?
Does Brad Hoover have anything left in the tank?
I wouldn’t mind bringing in a guy like Lilja because we lost Alleman, instead of letting go of Indukwe who I thought Alleman outperformed hands down. We also lost a decent starter and good back up in Wade Smith I think he went to Houston or I know he at least flew over there for a visit. Vrabel may be a coach on the field but two sacks at OLB isn’t going to get any team any closer to the super bowl when the guy is 36. He needs to be a solid back up.Greg Ellis would perform better and he is younger by two years. I know I am nit picking but I was just hoping for a little more action than resigning our guys and that bieng it. I know we need to build through the draft but are current players need some additions. I am not saying the way to fix our problem is free agency and I know it will be a better class next year but we need all the healthy competition for starting jobs around here that we can possibly get. Good job getting coaches but I do not want to sit through another year of a lot of conservative action.