Steelers' first step to tender Colon
Countdown to free agency
Thursday, February 26, 2009
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A new round of NFL free agency begins a minute after midnight tonight and it should be another one-sided affair for the Steelers, whose doors open mostly outward this time of year.
The Steelers have not signed any of their potential free agents and they can begin negotiations with other teams tomorrow. Among their more attractive free agents are cornerback Bryant McFadden, guard Chris Kemoeatu, wide receiver Nate Washington, quarterback Byron Leftwich and tackles Marvel Smith and Trai Essex. All may leave in free agency.
The Steelers are not expected to release anyone for salary cap purposes.
Before they can begin losing free agents, though, they will take care of some bookkeeping with their restricted free agents, and that could prove mildly interesting.
Willie Colon is their most important restricted free agent. He has two years as their starting right tackle and likely will receive a high contract tender today.
The dollar values of the one-year tenders are usually what determines whether a restricted free agent signs elsewhere and, if he does, what the Steelers will get in return.
If a restricted free agent receives a tender, the player still can sign with another team. If he does, his current team has seven days to match the contract or decline and receive draft picks in return.
There are four categories of one-year tenders for restricted free agents, all carrying the right to match any offer: Low, $1.01 million would bring a draft pick in the same round the player was drafted if they do not match; Medium, $1,545,000, would bring a second-round pick; High, $2,198,000 would bring a first-round pick; and Highest, $2,792,000 would bring picks in the first and third rounds.
Since Colon was drafted in the fourth round, he likely will receive the high tender of $2,198,000, or about a fourth of the amount Max Starks, the man he beat out at right tackle the past two years, will receive from the Steelers as their franchise player.
Starks, who signed his franchise tender shortly after he received it last week, is the Steelers' only experienced tackle under contract.
The Steelers have one other starter who will become a restricted free agent, fullback Sean McHugh. Although listed as a tight end, he overtook Carey Davis by midseason as their starting fullback, even though they don't use fullbacks much.
If he receives a tender, a low one would cost another team a seventh-round draft choice if he signed and stayed.
Safety Anthony Smith would bring a third-round pick with a low tender, although he did not suit up for any of the postseason games. He played little on defense in his third season after rotating with Ryan Clark at free safety.
Guard Jeremy Parquet would bring a seventh-rounder and cornerback Anthony Madison would bring nothing if they were given low offers, although neither may see a tender from the Steelers today.
NFL free agency
â-- What: Period during which teams are permitted to talk with free agents from other teams.
â-- Begins: 12:01 a.m. Friday.
â-- Ends: April 17 for restricted free agents; July 22 for unrestricted free agents.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09057/951824-66.stm
Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com.
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