THE PITTSBURGH Sports CHATTER

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Now, take this for what it's worth coming from the NY Post, but interesting nonetheless...

http://www.nypost.com/sports/40440.htm

STEELERS WANT HOUSH

The Steelers already have a replacement in mind for free-agent receiver Plaxico Burress, whom they do not plan to re-sign — Cincinnati's T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Pittsburgh believes the H-Man can be just as good a downfield threat as Burress, and will certainly come cheaper. His dependable hands and selfless attitude make him a perfect fit for the Steelers' offense.

[POJO_Risin]

I thought I replied to this Va...

but look...I watched Housh...and he looked good last year...

he is a downfield threat...and if the selfless part is true...

let Burress go...fuck him...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I guess we'll see in the next week or two what their intentions will be re: Burress....

It's not like Housh will only cost them a buck and a half though.... He's going to get decent coin as well, maybe not Burress bucks, but they're going to pay to get him also....

[POJO_Risin]

Yeah...but Va...in this world...you know how much 2 million a year or so could mean (and he should make that much less than Burress)...maybe 1.5...

but you get him long-term...

I truly think Burress is going to get top 5-10 money...we'll see though...he'll end up being the top dog of most of these receivers...because of his youth...

Housh is certainly good...but there are 3 or 4 ahead of him...

lets say Plax makes 5 or 6 mil a year...you see Housh in the 3 to 4 mil a year category...which is what Pittsburgh wants to sign Burress for...

so...you end up with a HEALTHY threat...who doesn't drop as many passes...who gets along with everyone...and doesn't give us the "I got into a fight in West Virginia" headlines...

I'm so soured on Burress right now...

[POJO_Risin]

I saw an interview with House about his role on the team...and he maintained throughout the year...that he wanted to start...but realized that he was just holding the slot for Warrick, who he very often referred to as one of his best friends. He's also stated that he wants to start...but also be a part of Cincy's rebuilding...but...if they couldn't afford his salary...he'd move on. He just played his way out of the lineup...because he's going to be making as much or more than Warrick...

I'm not a huge Housh fan...but if they got him instead of Burress...I wouldn't be shedding a tear...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13997726&BRD=2305&PAG=461&dept_id=478568&rfi=6

Man with a plan
By: Mike Bires - Times Sports Staff
02/20/2005

PITTSBURGH - For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the journey toward Super Bowl XL has already begin. The process of putting together next season's roster is underway.

On Tuesday, coach Bill Cowher, director of football operations Kevin Colbert and their staffs will head for Indianapolis for the annual scouting combine to evaluate talent for the April 23-24 NFL Draft. On March 2, the veteran free agency period begins.

On that date, the Steelers and many of the league's 31 other teams must adjust their players' salary cap figures to meet the NFL's maximum. Last year, the per-team cap was $80,582,000.

"We don't know the 2005 cap figure yet," Colbert said. "They'll give it to us right around the start of the new league year, which is March 2. There's always been a bump in the cap."

Even though there's speculation this year's cap will bump up into the $85 million range, Colbert and the Steelers' negotiating team have some major decisions to make. Unlike some teams that have plenty of cap room, the Steelers don't.

Colbert said that while he and chief negotiator Omar Khan have yet to commence negotiations with any player, he's been meeting with Khan daily, and will continue to do so.

"We're OK right now. But March 2 when the new (2005) contracts kick in, you have to account for any raises," Colbert said. "So we have to make some adjustments, as we do every year."

Those adjustments mean cutting players or restructuring contracts. Those cost-cutting measures would allow the Steelers to re-sign their own free agents - they have 12 unrestricted free agents, wide receiver Plaxico Burress among them - or sign free agents from other teams who are peddling their wares on the open market.

Last season, for example, running back Jerome Bettis accepted a salary reduction of roughly $3.6 million to $1 million to remain a Steeler.

Even though he led the Steelers in rushing (941 yards) and rushed for 100 yards or more in the six regular-season games he started, Bettis will be asked to take a pay cut again if he sticks around for his 13th pro season.

Bettis, who turned 33 on Wednesday and has hinted he may retire, is under contract to make $4.484 million this season. But because the Steelers are committed to Duce Staley, whose base salary will be $2.15 million, the team obviously won't allow Bettis to return under the current terms of his contract.

Likewise for 30-year-old cornerback Chad Scott, who's scheduled to make $3.885 million next season. Scott, the Steelers' No. 1 pick in the 1997 draft, is an aging commodity whose stock had dropped even before suffering a knee injury this past season that forced him to miss nine games. If he doesn't re-negotiate, he'll be gone.

There's even speculation that some other veterans - tight end Jay Riemersma or defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen for example - may be cut due to salary cap implications.

And while trying to figure out ways to save money, the Steelers are also trying to spend it, too, by bringing back many of their own free agents or going out and signing someone else's. The only high-profile free agent the Steelers signed last year was Staley.

"This is like a game," Colbert said of dealing with the salary cap, free agency and the draft. "You prepare, but once the game starts to unfold, you adapt and make adjustments.

"When we signed Duce last year, obviously, that changed our draft plans, because running back wasn't such a priority. So what you do in free agency effects what you do in the draft."

Colbert said that teams change "almost 16 to 20 guys" each season. That was almost the case this past season for the 16-2 Steelers, who were beaten by the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. They had 14 new players on their opening day roster: Staley, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, cornerbacks Ricardo Colclough and Willie Williams, linebacker James Harrison, defensive end Travis Kirschke, safety and Ainsley Battles, punter Chris Gardocki, tight end Matt Kranchick, tackle Max Starks, guard Jim Jones, wide receiver Sean Morey, running back Willie Parker and defensive end Brett Keisel (who sat out last season with a shoulder injury).

As far as who the Steelers might sign via free agency this year, it depends on which of their own they re-sign.

In general, Colbert said the overall NFL free agent pool isn't strong ("That's because more teams are doing a better job of keeping their own players, thus there are less good players available," he said).

As of now, Colbert believes the annual draft of college talent looks strong, but reserves the right to change his opinion pending what he observes at the combine, which will be held Wednesday through March 1.

"When you go into this time period, you have to be prepared," Colbert said. "But you also have to be flexible because things can change quickly."

[Va Beach VH Fan]

http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13997794&BRD=2305&PAG=461&dept_id=478568&rfi=6

Plax may be a goner
By: Mike Bires - Times Sports Staff
02/20/2005

PITTSBURGH - Regardless of what transpires in the next few weeks, Kevin Colbert will never forget Plaxico Burress.

In the spring of 2000, just two months after Pittsburgh Steelers hired him as their director of football operations, Colbert laid the groundwork for the drafting of Burress.

The tall, athletic wide receiver out of Michigan State would become the first draft pick of the Colbert era in Pittsburgh.

Five years later, however, the Steelers and Burress have reached a crossroad.

As an unrestricted free agent, Burress will test the free agent market. Although he has yet to earn Pro Bowl honors, as his fellow Steeler wideout Hines Ward has the past four seasons, Burress will undoubtedly be offered a lucrative contract that will be too high for the Steelers to match.

When asked about the chances of retaining Burress, Colbert answered in generalities.

"I'll answer that with our general philosophy," Colbert said. "When you get good players, you want to try and keep them. We've said all along that we'll try to keep as many of our own as possible.

"But we're not always going to be successful doing that just because of the economics. Another team with a different (salary) cap situation may make it impossible for you."

Several teams - the Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys among them - need help at wide receiver. On March 2 when all franchises must adjust to the 2005 salary cap, one of those teams just might make Burress an offer he can't refuse, or an offer the Steelers can't match.

And remember, that after the Steelers lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, Burress said he had probably played his last game in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers could slap a "franchise" tag on Burress. But historically, the Steelers aren't advocates of franchising players.

Each team is allowed to name one franchise player at a one-year contract that's the average of the top five highest-players in the league at his position. If the Steelers tag Burress as a franchise player, they would have to pay him $7.8 million this season.

It's unlikely they'll do that.

First of all, it's unlikely the Steelers will pay anybody that kind of money. As of now, the three highest-paid contracts on the team belong to running back Jerome Bettis ($4.48 million), center Jeff Hartings ($4.2 million) and tackle Marvel Smith ($3.95 million).

Secondly, the Steelers aren't going to pay Burress more than Ward, who's led the team in receiving in each of the past five seasons and ranks second on the franchise's all-time receptions chart.

Even though Ward has one year left on his existing contract - he's due to make $1.668 million this season - the Steelers have promised to re-negotiate his contract before the 2005 season begins.

"Officially, I can say we have a franchise tag at our disposal. But we're not real big on it," Colbert said. "We don't like to use it if we don't have to, because really, you want to come to an agreement that the organization and the player and his agent are happy with. And if you use the franchise tag, you have to have that amount of (salary cap) room available because that's usually a big number."

Only once in Colbert's five years with the team have the Steelers exercised their franchise-player option. That was in February of 2002 when they tagged outside linebacker Jason Gildon, who was cut by the Steelers last June. But a week after franchising Gildon three years ago, the Steelers removed the tag by signing him to a five-year contract.

If a player receives a franchise tag, he may sign an offer sheet from another team. But the original team has the right to match that offer. If the original team declines to match the offer, it receives two first-round draft picks.

If the Steelers want to franchise Burress, they must do so by Tuesday.

Free agency starts March 2.

If the Steelers don't re-sign Burress, they will likely sign one of the NFL free agent wide receivers or select a wideout in the early rounds of the April 23-24 draft.

"The free agent group of wide receivers as it as stands right now isn't a real deep group," Colbert said. "But in the draft, at this point in time, we think it's a good group."

As far as wanting to keep Burress in Pittsburgh, Colbert said that's the Steelers' intention.

"Plax being the first guy we picked when I got here has nothing do with it," Colbert said. "If he helps the team win as he has done, we want to keep him."

But ultimately, it's going to come down to dollars.

[POJO_Risin]

keep the dollars...draft...or Housh...fuck Plax...he shouldn't get anywhere near Ward dollars...that's just ridiculous...

and 7.85 as a fucking franchised player?

Fucking Indy this year...and raising that figure...bunch of gay faggots...

[POJO_Risin]

Okay...Mason and Rolle both out there...I'm sure Pittsburgh will be looking at both...although Mason is more of a Ward-like receiver...

and Rolle...never liked him...but would be an upgrade...would depend on who we dump...and what we have to sign...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Sportsbeat was saying tonight that Plax will NOT be franchised....

You can throw Coles in that WR mix as well, along with Porter probably....

[POJO_Risin]

Screw Coles and Porter...they both talk as much as Plax...and drop MORE balls if that's possible...

They need a deep threat yes...but one that other teams take seriously...

[POJO_Risin]

You know...all these receivers in the free agent market aren't going to help Plax get the money he wants...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Porter resigned with the Raydahs, so much for him...

[POJO_Risin]

Why would you want Porter anyways?...ugh...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I think he was a by-product of a shitty offense for a deep threat WR....

Anyway, I don't like the idea of a 1st or 2nd round WR, he just ain't gonna be ready to play, and having Randle El or Hines in Plax's spot wasn't exactly fluid offensively speaking...

Of course, they won all those games he was out though....