Steelers Extend Miller, Polamalu; Cut Foote In Salary Cap Moves

Everyone just stay calm. What you smell from the South Side is just the smoke coming from the pens of Omar Khan and GM Kevin Colbert as the Pittsburgh Steelers cut costs.

The biggest two names involved in the process are strong safety Troy Polamalu and tight end Heath Miller as each signed three-year extensions, first reported by NFL Network's Ian Rappaport and the National Football Post's Len Pasquarelli and since confirmed by Steelers.com.

Miller, who's negotiations were first announced Tuesday, is now to receive base salaries of $1.02 million in 2015, and $4 million in both of the subsequent years. Though, from what I've gathered, there is no guaranteed money in 2015 and 2016.

More immediately important is that his Salary Cap number down to $6,133,166 for this year. That is an approximate $3.4 million Cap savings from the previous $9.5 million Cap hit the Steelers were due to take.

The normally sure-handed Miller is essentially set up to retire a Steeler now. He is considered by many, most of whom tend to say "yinz" a lot, to be the best all-around tight end in the game. Something that one of his former coaches still touts. - http://tinyurl.com/kgck3c9

Polamalu, currently 32 years old, signed a similar extension. His was a three-year extension that lowers his 2014 Cap number by $4.5 million (it was $10.887M).

Per The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette from his Twitter (@EdBouchette) account, "Polamalu gets no new money to extend his deal by 2 years. #Steelers converted $6.75M of his $8.2 M '14 salary into bonus. Gets $1.5 M base."

Entering the final year of his four-year, $36.5 million contract, the guy with the hair, who had been very erroneously rumored to be cut. The City of Bridges would have seen jumps from some and burnings of others if the Steelers had made that move.

But, the man who is tied for seventh all-time on the Steelers interception list and who was rated by Pro Football Focus as the No. 5 safety in the league last season will retire a Steeler.

As for the other moves, it was announced first thing Wednesday morning that free safety Will Allen re-signed with the team, according to he and his agent Blake Baratz.

In just 12 games last season after returning to the team from Dallas, Allen, 32 in June, had 35 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass defense. His solid, veteran play and leadership will be needed again as the Steelers look to get younger in their secondary.

Speaking of getting younger, the Steelers announced the release of veteran inside linebacker Larry Foote. After signing a three-year extension last season, If It Ain't Steel said that he would likely only see one year of that deal. One year later...

He was set to earn $1.5 million this season. This gives the Steelers a Cap savings of $833,333 minus the $666,667 still owed him (dead money).

His ruptured biceps injury, and the steadily improved play of 2013 sixth-round NFL Draft choice Vince Williams, made his departure a sure thing.

The 11-year Steeler will be 34 in June and may hang up his cleats. He leaves with 621 tackles, 21 sacks, 19 PDs, nine FFs, seven FRs, three INTs and a safety for his career.

Offensive lineman Levi Brown was released as expected. The 2013 mid-season acquisition from the Arizona Cardinals never played for the Steelers and will clear $6.25 million from the Cap.

Curtis Brown, third-round Texas product from the 2011 Draft, never really panned out and was cut. His release frees up $645,000.

Injuries played into his exit as well. NFL writer and reporter Brian McIntyre reported via his Twitter (@brian_mcintyre) account that the "Steelers released Levi Brown and Curtis Brown with "Failed Physical" designations."

Add the money saved from the extensions, which essentially just moves money forward, to the contract cuts and the Steelers shaved approximately $15,628,333 million from the Cap and are very close to being compliant.

Next up are the contract situations with cornerback Ike Taylor, outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley, the re-signing of wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery and people keep suggesting another extension, one for someone named Ben...

McLendon Isn't 280 And It Isn't 4:20 In Pittsburgh

"I'm back." - Michael Jordan

"I'm thinkin' about makin' a comeback." - Muhammed Ali, The Greatest

"Don't call it a comeback!" - LL Cool J

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening, Steeler Nation. We at If It Ain't Steel have come out of rehab following a nervous breakdown to get back into the ring and we're coming out swinging. Not pulling punches, just throwing haymakers!

On Wednesday, Pro Football Talk posted what seemed to be a well-written article regarding Steelers nose tackle Steve McLendon. The problem is that they listed McLendon at 280 pounds. He isn't 280 lbs. and hasn't been for about a year now.

The article "Steelers’ Steve McLendon: I can play nose tackle at 280 pounds." Not that McLendon didn't say those words, because I'm sure he did. My problem is that I can't find the actual quote. I've looked over the Internet and can't find those specific words within an article, just those eight words.

Everything I'd read, and that I've written, to this point has been that McLendon had bulked up the last year and a half. He was supposedly closer to 300 lbs. last year and is reportedly around 320 lbs. now. Don't believe me? Ok, that's cool. But you should believe Jim Wexell of Steel City Insider and Steelers Digest and Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, a couple of guys who spend a little bit of their time around the team and facilities.

On his Twitter page Wexell tweeted this in response to Pro Football Talk's article: "@jimwexell: Steve McLendon can play nose at 280 http://t.co/uTjFhJpQ Because he's 320."

He then tweeted this: "@jimwexell: McLendon's actually 325. Been listed at 280 since was URFA in 2009. Listing must be reason so many media predicted Steelers would draft NT."

The "listing" comment has real validity. Do the eyeball test, people. Did Big Ben LOOK like he was 241 lbs. a couple of years ago? I would have debates with fellow fans about his weight...but we were debating about 250 lbs as opposed to 260 lbs. I would venture to guess that, using the eyeball test, McLendon looks at least 300 lbs when watching him on the field.

Now, what about Kaboly? What'd he have to say? "@MarkKaboly_Trib: #Steelers NT Steve McLendon weighs 325-330 pounds."

He also touched on the original weight listing when he tweeted, "@MarkKaboly_Trib: Don't believe weights on #Steelers roster. They don't change them after initial rookie weigh-in."

Even if he isn't quite the 330 lbs. claimed by Kaboly, the Steelers coaches certainly have confidence in McLendon. We quoted Steelers defensive line coach John Mitchell in a previous blog post saying as much. It was after the NFL Draft when he praised and defended McLendon. Read what Mitchell had to say here: http://t.co/2sClOgUG

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Wednesday morning, a respected member of the media, when speaking of this Thursday's NFL Supplemental Draft, suggested something the Steelers might do. He surmised, "What if Steelers surprised everyone & took Josh Gordon in tomorrow's supplemental draft. Big receiver. Would send loud message to Wallace. He's there in the 6th RD they better take him."

My response to that when I read it was an expected one: What are you smoking?!?

Actually, that's an easy answer: the same thing Gordon, the 6'3" 225-pound former Baylor wide receiver who ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at his pro day Tuesday, was smoking that got him suspended. The suspension which led to him being in Thursday's supplemental draft.

"It (suspension at Baylor) was due to a failed marijuana test," Gordon told the Houston Chronicle after his Pro Day work out Tuesday. "It was against school policy, of course, and I was (suspended) in the summer. I've definitely put that part of my life behind me. I don't plan to ever go back there. It was a difficult time, but I learned from it, and I've moved on."

Ok, I'll buy what you're selling. You did it in under 420 characters too. The Steelers, though, have already invested some green in purple, and they won't do it again. Sacrificing a draft pick for a weed-smoking risk won't happen. Not judging him at all, I just know it won't happen. Especially since there's varying opinions on his worth in the first place.

He's projected to go in the third round to the Cleveland Browns, according to Sigmund Bloom of FOOTBALLGUYS.COM, and Albert Breer of NFL.com says Josh Gordon may be "overhyped" http://t.co/G6CEqo5d

Not nearly enough to burn a draft pick (no pun intended).

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TIDBITS: Brief salary cap news from Brian McIntyre of NFL.com Tuesday, the Steelers are somewhere between $116-$117 million for the Rule of 51 number, which, according to NFL.com, puts them $3.734 million under the salary cap number.

In the report they state that the Steelers adjusted cap number is $121.195 million: the $120,600,000 base 2012 salary cap figure, plus the $506,000 remaining cap space left over from last year and other Chinese arithmetic.

Bottom line: the Steelers have room for Mike Wallace (y'all knew we couldn't do this without mentioning him) and an 11th hour move should an injury occur. Like, for instance, if I go to Latrobe and go all Tonya Harding on Jonathan Scott's leg. Not that I would, I'm just sayin...though, it would also save money in the process. Hm...

Hampton Takes A Pay Cut, Wallace Sits Back And Watches Free Agents Contracts

As Brian McIntyre of Mac's Football Blog first reported this morning, Wednesday, March 15th, Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton restructured his contract in order to free salary cap space. - http://www.macsfootballblog.com/2012/03/steelers-nt-casey-hampton-restructures.html?m=1

Only it wasn't a restructure. In actuality Hampton took a pay cut. I'd heard in the past from ones in the know that Hampton is as down to earth as they come and it wouldn't surprise them at all if something like this would happen. They turned out to be prognosticators.

Big Ben, Woodley, Timmons, Colon, and Ike were all actual restructures, meaning they got some salary turned into bonus money. Hampton's was a flat-out $3 million pay cut. And a pay cut makes more sense than restructuring in this case, because the Steelers don't want to guarantee money to an aging, injured veteran in the final year of his deal. Nonetheless, way to take one for the team, Big Snack.

Lance Williams of steelcurtainradio.com and @SteelRadio on Twitter posted this spreadsheet to show how it's charted: "Hampton Contract Reduction Breakdown" ~ http://t.co/XKThZVoC

That being the case, where do the Steelers stand where the salary cap is concerned? Also, how does it affect Mike Wallace and the potential signing of other free agents?

Based on information from Ian Whetstone of steelcityinsider.net and other sources whom I trust, the Steelers Rule of 51 number should be approximately $114.6 million, which includes all of the restricted tenders. The Steelers personal cap number I do believe is about $122.7 million, which includes the approximate amount of $500,000 carried over from the 2011 cap and the $1.6 million in extra money generously provided by the Redskins and Cowboys. (Uncapped Year-Gate?) That puts the Steelers at a round $8 million or so under the cap. Again, that's after the tenders and as of 2200 hrs PST.*

With restructures, releases and one reduction, Omar Khan has slashed a little more than $43 million off of the Steelers salary cap. In five weeks. Essentially the salary cap is Omar Khan's bitch. (Don't tell my mama I said that!)

How does this affect Mike Wallace and his situation? If another team wants to sign Wallace to an offer sheet, the signing period for this ends on April 20th. If, again, another team makes Wallace an offer and he does sign it and Pittsburgh doesn't match, the Steelers receive that team's first-round pick. These are the things we know, and admittedly it was a calculated risk that the Steelers took.

From what we've seen so far, teams picking in the approximate top half of the draft have been unlikely to give up their pick for Wallace. This isn't because he is not worth it, but because, with a rookie salary cap now, they would be trading a modestly-priced draft pick for a high-priced signing. And most teams picking in the second half of the first round don't have the cap room to offer a deal that the Steelers could not match.

In order to take Wallace away from the Steelers, a team would need to have a high cap number this year. The Steelers must match any deal as it is written. So, all it would take is a significantly high cap number and the Steelers wouldn't match it. If a team offered Wallace a deal with a cap number of around $16 million this year, the Steelers would lose its main burner.

It behooves the Steelers to get a long-term deal done. Sooner rather than later is in the Steelers best interest also. To put it plainly, it's less expensive over the long haul, as it's always cheaper to buy than to rent.

How do the recent wide receiver contracts affect Wallace and a deal the Steelers could get done? Let's look at the main ones:

Calvin Johnson - 8 years, $132 million stays with Lions (Doesn't affect Wallace. Let's move on.);
Vincent Jackson - 5 years, $55.555 million to Bucs (Real money: 2 yrs/$26 million);
DeShaun Jackson - 5 years, $51 million stays with Eagles (Real money: $4 million 2012 cap hit: $10 mill to sign along with base of $750,000 and 2012 $250,000 workout bonus.);
Pierre Garçon - 5 years, $42.5 million to Redskins (Real money: 2012 salary cap hit $4.7 million & 2013 cap hit $8.2 million; real guaranteed money just $13.25 million.); and
Brandon Marshall - traded to Bears for some undisclosed draft picks.

Wallace is better than both Garçon and DeShaun Jackson now, and is close to Vincent Jackson. Therefore, Wallace will have to get an offer somewhere in the $52-$54 million range with a good amount of guaranteed money, maybe around $16 million. Then most that would be in the form of a year one signing bonus, which could then be prorated over maybe 5 years, with the rest put into a year two roster bonus.

If none of that happens and he rides the tender of $2.74 million, they could still use the franchise tag next year if it comes to it. The Steelers still are in the drivers seat.

What else does this mean? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVS3WNt7yRU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Sorry, that was as close to "Welcome back, Cotchery" as I could come.

*Lance Williams pointed out that in 2012, each club may "borrow" up to $1.5 million in cap room from a future year. Both these amounts would be repaid in future years. This might be attractive to the Steelers to use. They didn't use it last year when it was $3 million as certain ones thought they might, but the money is there if needed. - http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_747915.html#ixzz1pE6wFlPs