Colbert speaks out

[mesaSteeler]

NFL from the sidelines
http://nflfromthesidelines.blogspot.com/
After hobnobbing around the NFL in the press boxes and sidelines, sports reporter Dale Lolley will let you know the insider scoop. Dale can also be heard as a sometime host on ESPN 970-AM. Follow him on Twitter at dlolleyor.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Colbert speaks out

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said today that the team has had internal discussions about the future of wide receiver Hines Ward, but that no decision has been made about whether Ward will be part of the team in 2012.

Colbert also had a couple of other interesting statements.

First, he's not counting on Rashard Mendenhall to return healthy in 2012 after suffering an ACL tear in the final game of the regular season.

Second, the team will not sign any of its free agents before the March 13 deadline.

In the case of Mendenhall, that means the Steelers will likely be looking for a running back in the offseason - either through the draft or free agency.

It's a safe approach for Colbert to take. Assume Mendenhall won't be back healthy, and if he is, it's an added bonus.

As for the free agent statement, it helps make a case for the Steelers to keep Ward.

Yes, Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders are under contract, but with Jerricho Cotchery set to become a free agent, there's no proven depth behind them.

[mesaSteeler]

The Steel Mill
News and updates about the Pittsburgh Steelers

http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/2012/02/13/3-questions-with-kevin-colbert/

3 questions with Kevin Colbert
February 13th, 2012

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert touched on a number of subjects Monday during a wide-ranging interview, including wide receiver Hines Ward (no final decision has been made on his future with the team), Rashard Mendenhall (he will likely open 2012 season on PUP list) and the Steelers’ offseason plans (OK, he didn’t get real specific on these). Here are three other questions that Colbert answered:

Q: Will the Steelers be a contender in 2012?
A: I hope so. Every team is unique, every team is different. What our team will be in training camp at St. Vincent, I don’t know what it will be. Every year you don’t know what you’re competition’s going to be so all we try to do at this point is to add as many good players as we can and then we’ll take our chances.

Q: Are you surprised at how much work you’ve had to do with the salary cap and will it hinder you in putting the roster together?
A: We’ve seen this coming for awhile and we knew we were going to have to make some serious adjustments after this past season because the previous season we didn’t have a salary cap and really we took some liberties that year that we probably would not have been able to in a cap season and some of that carried over into this year. Moving into this year we knew we were going to have serious issues that we were going to have to deal with. I think with a combination of terminations and restructurings that we’ll be able to handle this along with doing new business with our own potential free agents and possibly some others from the outside.

Q: How much of it is a priority to sign Mike Wallace to a long-term contract?
A: Any of our young players that have opportunities of getting contracts elsewhere, especially when they’re young, ascending players, sure we want to keep them and they all become priorities. Certainly Mike has done a lot to establish himself as a Pro Bowl receiver and we want to try to keep Mike here for the long run.

– Scott Brown

[Curtain_of_Steel]

First question: He hopes so? Thats comforting

Second question: The cap issue shouldn't be taking this long, cuts are cuts. They are players that flat out need to be cut. Unless keeping them for a few extra weeks aids in cap relief, whats the point. However based on his comments, there are some big saving cuts coming.

Third: Don't like the sound of this one at all. I'm getting the feeling they think Wallace will be loyal and not do some front loaded gig to force their hand. But based on his 2000 yard comment early in the season, I think he is going to be about the numbers.

[Bayz101]

First question: He hopes so? Thats comforting

Second question: The cap issue shouldn't be taking this long, cuts are cuts. They are players that flat out need to be cut. Unless keeping them for a few extra weeks aids in cap relief, whats the point. However based on his comments, there are some big saving cuts coming.

Third: Don't like the sound of this one at all. I'm getting the feeling they think Wallace will be loyal and not do some front loaded gig to force their hand. But based on his 2000 yard comment early in the season, I think he is going to be about the numbers.

1) He's the GM. I'd put your faith and hope's in Tomlin to make us a contender.

2) We shaved off the biggest portion of our Cap penalties in a very short time. The cut's will come, who care's how long there taking. It's not going to be a breeze to shave off 25 million dollars, but that's what we've made it so far. Take it as it is, it's certainly not bad. Could be a lot worse.

3) If he does try and play them for the money, let his ass walk or trade him away. We don't big-headed money hungry youngsters. Look what happened to Holmes when his head got too big.