Steelers Restructures, Corner Needs, Cuts

The NFL offseason is underway and as we prepare to evaluate combines, free agency, and the draft Steelers season never truly ends. We’ll be busy looking around for mentions of your Black & Gold so we’ve got you covered. Here’s your Steelers Morning Huddle for Thursday, Feb. 26^th.

Moving some money around

The Steelers were busy working on the cap space on Wednesday afternoon. ESPN’s Scott Brown says that the Steelers saved almost $4 million in 2015 salary cap space by restructuring the contract of right tackle Marcus Gilbert. The Steelers need to be in compliance with the 2015 salary cap, which is projected to be at or around $140 million by March 10^th. The PPG’s Ed Bouchette and CBS Sports’ Jason LaCanfora reported that Gilbert’s wasn’t the only contract restructured by the Steelers on Wednesday.

PIT was under 89% but just completed restructurings for Gilbert, Pouncey and Mitchell saving $9.5M in cap space and moving over threshold
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) February 25, 2015

Steelers also restructured contract of safety Mike Mitchell. With his and Marcus Gilbert redone, created cap room of nearly $6.2 M for '15
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) February 25, 2015

To be clear, Gilbert still gets all his $ due him in '15. Restructure merely bookkeeping to push cap hit into future, make room in '15.
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) February 25, 2015

Looks like could be almost $9.5 million in room so far. As Ed Bouchette explains, the cap saving has little to nothing to do with Ben Roethlisberger’s impending contract extension, as his contract extension will be an extension/restructure and will also create more cap space.

Everyone needs a cornerback

Mike Prisuta explains that there is no such thing has having too many good cornerbacks in today’s NFL. That, unfortunately, isn’t the situation the Steelers are currently in. The NFL has become a passing league and the wide receivers are becoming bigger and more physical, which means the defensive backs need to grow in size as well.

Prisuta explains that the best combination for a successful cornerback in the league today is a player who can combine speed with great technique. Whether or not the Steelers can find that guy in the 2015 NFL Draft, is a whole other story.

Get aht!

We are inching closer to the start of free agency which means teams are going to start cutting players to create the cap space needed to sign either their own free agents, or go out and snatch players who are hitting the market. Chris Wesseling from Around the NFL details the potential AFC players who could be cut in the next few weeks.

Already cut from the Ravens was wide receiver Jacoby Jones, most notably known to Steelers fans as the guy Mike Tomlin almost tripped during a kick-off return on Thanksgiving of 2013. Wesseling also suggests potential cuts coming could be names like LaMarr Woodley from the Raiders, Mike Wallace, from the Dolphins, and Haloti Ngata from the Ravens, who has a giant cap number the Ravens will try to reduce with a restructured deal.

From the Steelers the potential cuts listed were wide receiver Lance Moore, who has asked for his release from the team after not being utilized much in 2014, Brett Keisel and Troy Polamalu. The Steelers certainly would like Keisel and Polamalu to make it easier on them and decide to retire, and I think fans might want it that way as well.

Next: Steelers Looking Beyond Polamalu

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