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Pittsburgh Steelers free-agency digest: Limas Sweed asks for trade, Larry Foote expec

mesaSteeler — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:45:05 GMT

Pittsburgh Steelers free-agency digest: Limas Sweed asks for trade, Larry Foote expects big payday
March 10, 6:02 AMPittsburgh Sports Examiner
Matt Pawlikowski
http://www.examiner.com/x-2703-Pitts...cts-big-payday

With seven receivers on the Steelers roster, Limas Sweed has asked the team to let him go.
AP FILE PHOTO

PITTSBURGH - You knew this one was coming. A day after the Steelers signed both Arnaz Battle and Antwan Randel El, the days of Limas Sweed were nearing an end.

Although there is no official word out of the UPMC training complex, a league source confirmed rumors that Sweed has indeed asked Steeler officials to be released or traded by the team.

The same source told Examiner.com that the Larry Foote saga continues, as the team would still like to have him back. The twist? Not only is he visiting Arizona today, but according toJason La Canfora's latest blog, Foote now wants a contract similar to the one that former New Orleans Saint Scott Fujita just signed with the Browns.

ESPN 970's The Sports Report out of Ashtabula, Ohio reported that deal to be a three year deal worth $14 million, something the Steelers would not offer to a player who would be a depth player.

As for the Steelers current free-agents, Nick Eason visited Pittsburgh West on Tuesday, but was no tendered a deal.

Willie Parker visited the Redskins and left without a contract. He was scheduled to visit the Chiefs on Thursday, but late Tuesday Kansas City announced they had signed former Jet Thomas Jones to a two year $5 million dollar deal.

Ironically, Pittsburgh West continues to woo former members of the black and gold to the desert and if former Steeler assistant Ken Whisenhut can pull it off, the Cardinals could have an entire former Steeler linebacking corp.

Both Joey Porter and Foote are expected to make a visit sometime today and if they both sign, they would rejoin former Steeler Clark Haggans.

Steeler News:

* Back in Black - El, who signed a three year deal worth seven million along with a $900,000 signing bonus, told media he signed with the Steelers because he was comfortable coming home. "I totally enjoyed playing before here and I know I will enjoy it now." El said. He also said he had spoken with both Casey Hampton and Hines Ward about a possible return and that they were happy.

* Great Scott - Tackle Jonathan Scott's contract also wont break the bank, as he signed a one year deal worth $540,000.

*Roethlisberger update- The girl who has accused Steeler's Ben Roethlisberger has withdrawn from college, and pretty much gone into a recluse state. An interesing sidenote, sources close to the situation have said that if Roehlisberger were to be charged in the matter, he could face anywhere from 18 months to four years in prison. As of now, the only charges are the fact he is guilty of poor judgement.

Help name a kid "Megatron"!

GoSlash27 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:20:29 GMT

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/MY-...7975442?ref=mf

We are up to 821,000 fans. :tt04:

Boldin looking forward to playing Steelers

mesaSteeler — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:03:36 GMT

Boldin looking forward to playing Steelers
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/spor..._steelers.html

Even before he has put on a Ravens uniform, wide receiver Anquan Boldin already shares the same feelings as his new teammates and fans -- a dislike for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

�I�m seeking a little revenge on Pittsburgh,� Boldin said. �They beat us in the Super Bowl, so I�m looking forward to that matchup."

Boldin played in the Super Bowl two seasons ago, when the Arizona Cardinals lost to the Steelers.

In the Super Bowl, Boldin caught eight passes for 84 yards. In his only other game against the Steelers (which came in 2003), he had eight receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown.

For the latest Ravens news, follow Jamison Hensley on Twitter. Also, become a fan of Baltimore Sun Sports on Facebook.

QB Options if Ben is Suspended?

SteelersJW — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:48:27 GMT

In the case that Ben is suspended by the NFL, even if he is not convicted of anything, who will be our QB while he sits out?

Has Dennis Dixon shown enough, is Charlie Batch planning to stay around, should we bring in a free agent, or will the Steelers pick up someone in the draft?

Tell me your thoughts

Tomlin critical to Clark re-signing with Steelers

Galax Steeler — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:50:35 GMT

Had he signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins, Ryan Clark said he was going to wear No. 43 for his new team, a salute to his safety partner for the past four years with the Steelers -- Troy Polamalu.

But, because of a timely and reassuring phone call from Mike Tomlin, Clark can go back to wearing his usual No. 25 jersey for the Steelers. And be glad when he finally gets to see No. 43 -- a rare sight for most of the 2009 season -- back in the Steelers' secondary.

Hours after signing a four-year, $14 million contract that included a $3 million signing bonus, Clark said Polamalu's absence led to a lot of problems on the Steelers' defense, including those endured by himself and other players in the secondary over a five-game losing streak.

"Obviously, we've got to have Troy," Clark said. "You can play it down as much as you want, and say the rest of us have to make plays. But Troy being out there gives us a unique look as a defense, gives coach [Dick] LeBeau opportunities to call different things. We definitely need to get him back."

The Steelers felt much the same way about Clark, especially after he visited with the Dolphins Monday.

Unarmed with even so much as a contract offer from the Steelers, Clark said he went to Miami intending to agree to a deal with the Dolphins. He was so sure he would sign with them he did not bother scheduling a visit with another National Football League team.

But, after receiving a contract offer from the Dolphins, Clark said he got a phone call from Tomlin and was told the Steelers were going to fight to keep him. Team president Art Rooney II and negotiator Omar Khan quickly put together a contract, and Clark immediately boarded a flight back to Pittsburgh, in effect, leaving the Dolphins standing at the altar.

"It was always the situation that I wanted to be here. ... I didn't want to leave," Clark said. "I think when it clicked for me, [when] I was in Miami, starting to talk contract money, and to have coach Tomlin call me and say, we're going to fight for you. To have coach LeBeau call me and say, 'I don't have control over negotiation, but don't let negotiations sour you to the point where you don't understand that we want you here.' That was big for me."

Clark said he didn't "use" the Dolphins to get a deal done with the Steelers.

And he said the Steelers' move to sign free-agent safety Will Allen to a three-year, $4.4 million contract earlier Monday had no impact on his decision. Clark said Tomlin told him a couple days earlier the Steelers were going to sign Allen, 27, who played six seasons in Tampa Bay, but not to be his replacement.

Instead, Allen will replace veteran Tyrone Carter, an unrestricted free agent who is not expected to be re-signed.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10069/1041460-66.stm

Roethlisberger, not free agents, is the key for Steelers

Galax Steeler — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:49:15 GMT

Four points need to made after the Steelers had a busy Monday, re-signing safety Ryan Clark to quarterback their secondary, bringing back Super Bowl XL star Antwaan Randle El as a fourth wide receiver and likely punt-return specialist, and bringing in wide receiver Arnaz Battle, safety Will Allen and offensive tackle Jonathan Scott to provide depth and special-teams help:

One, none of it will matter unless quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is cleared of all wrongdoing in his sexual assault case in Georgia, gets his head right again and plays the same terrific football he played last season when he threw for 4,328 yards and in 2008 when he led the Steelers to their second Super Bowl in four years.

Two, the Clark signing is terrific, by far the best of the bunch.

Three, it's a lot harder to get excited about the other four moves, although the Steelers strengthened their depth.

And four, selecting wide receiver Limas Sweed in the second round of the '08 NFL draft almost certainly will go down as a franchise draft bust.

That first observation is self-explanatory. The Steelers always will be a Super Bowl contender as long as they have Roethlisberger, who is facing his second sexual assault allegation in eight months, this one from a 20-year-old college student as the result of an alleged incident in Milledgeville, Ga., early Friday morning. They will be also-rans without him or even with him if he's at less than his best. He is the classic definition of a franchise quarterback.

The second point also should be obvious. Clark would have left a big hole in the Steelers' defense if he had left as a free agent for Miami or some other NFL destination. He's a proven player. He knows the defense. He loves playing with safety Troy Polamalu, and Polamalu loves playing with him. This is where he belongs.

No. 3 is a more debatable point, at least by those who are more devoted fans of Randle El. But this is 2010, not 2005. Randle El will be 31 in August and averaged just 6.0 yards per punt return for the Washington Redskins last season. He has talked of coming back to the Steelers as the No. 3 receiver, but that's hard to imagine. You would put him ahead of Hines Ward? Santonio Holmes? Mike Wallace? Of course, not.

Finally, the fourth point about Sweed should not be overlooked, no matter how hard it is to see in the dark shadows cast by the Roethlisberger situation. It also deserves a little more attention.

The Steelers drafted Sweed two picks ahead of Rutgers running back Ray Rice, who has become a star with the Baltimore Ravens. Now, two years later, after the additions of Randle El and Battle, there doesn't appear to be a roster spot for him.

Definitely a bust so far.

Maybe not on the same level as some of the Steelers' No. 1 picks from the past 25 years -- Jermaine Stephens, Huey Richardson, Tom Ricketts, Aaron Jones and Darryl Sims. But right there with the team's recent second-round flops -- Alonzo Jackson, Scott Shields and Jeremy Staat.

NFL coaches value productivity and reliability above all else. Sweed gave neither to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. He dropped what should have been a touchdown pass in the AFC championship game against the Ravens after the '08 season, then compounded that by faking an injury and forcing the team to use a timeout. He had another big drop that would have been a touchdown in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in September.

It was after that game in Cincinnati that Tomlin tried to get to Sweed by publicly calling him out. He talked of how it might be a long time before Sweed got back in the lineup, "if" he did. It was after that same game, you might remember, that Tomlin also had harsh public words for running back Rashard Mendenhall, the team's No. 1 pick in '08. He told the world that Mendenhall was benched on offense that day because "he wasn't on the details" that week in practice.

Well, Mendenhall responded in the best possible way. He ran for 165 yards the next week against the San Diego Chargers and finished the season as one of the Steelers' top offensive players. Sweed? Not so much. He didn't have a catch the rest of the season and left the team in December with what Tomlin described as "personal issues." Management still hasn't elaborated, leading to much speculation that Sweed was battling severe depression.

If that's true, maybe a fresh start with another team is just what Sweed needs.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10069/1041457-87.stm

Loving PFT's choice of Sweed-pic

TheRuneMeister — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:02:30 GMT

A picture says a thousand words:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...-off-the-mark/

Reeeaaally not a fan of that guy (like most people on this board). The only thing he can catch is a plane out of town. (especially after this weeks signings)

Roethlisberger's lawyer hires a team of investigators

Feed Robot — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:10:02 GMT

An attorney for Ben Roethlisberger said Tuesday his firm has assembled a team of investigators to gather information about sexual assault allegations that have been raised by a 20-year-old college student.

Read more...

The Shutdown Corner hypothetical mock draft, Part 2 (Yahoo! Sports)

Feed Robot — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:50:05 GMT

For our second Shutdown Corner mock draft, we're going throw a couple semi-likely scenarios into the mix.

Read more...

In all honesty, its all about the teammates, Ben

tony hipchest — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:23:06 GMT

Band of Brothers

i am reminded of the scene from Remember the Titans (the scene that i think was the crux of the movie) where bertier is chewing out julius for his poor attitude.

julius response was "attitude reflects leadership".

can anyone imagine troy polamalu (the man who crosses himself after every play and asks his coach for a day off of practice before the superbowl so him and his wife and make an exodus to go worship at a greek orthodox church) giving ben "high fives" for the piece of ass he nailed at a bar the night before?

would aaron smith be envious of bens escapades, after an evening with his wife and son elijah?

does hines ward have to answer to questions from interracial children about bens troubles when he visits sout korea?

antwaan randel el was brought back to the team. this is the same player who wouldnt attend the opening of hines bar/restraunt, because he doesnt drink or hang out at such establishments.

can anyone imagine james harrison having a smile or being proud when he heard of bens recent indescretions? hell, even when he was accused of bitchslapping his baby momma, it was at his own home and over baptizing his child (not that that is any excuse).

even jerome (who was accused of the same thing as ben) served as a mentor and older brother type figure.

ben received a HUGE contract to be the leader of the steelers. what about the likes of hampton, clark, harrison, ward, and even his best friend keisel who took lower than market value deals/extensions to remain a steeler?

what about young rookie mendenhall, whose hobbies include dancing and writing poetry? sure he was jacked for his watch, but it wasnt at some nightclub, it was on a lakeside walk with an actual date with a woman (kinda what normal people do).

even weed smoking, bitchslappin', jaywalkin', santonio holmes was in the hotel with his kids playing video games on the night he won the SB MVP trophy, as opposed to attending some red carpet, VIP, cristal showered club appearance.

the only thing we hear from ike taylor is how he invites fellow teammates to orlando to work out, and takes young players like madison under his wing.

lil wayne aka bill gay even seems like a choir boy.

i bet heath miller has never swatted at a fly or stepped on a bug.

is it any suprise ben has bonded with his offensive linemen? he takes them out to clubs, and to MNF raw wrasslin appearances.

after all, they are paid to protect him. and he is paid to lead them (along with all others).

the biggest difference between the 08 and 09 season i saw (other than the obvious loss of troy and smith) was that "band of brothers" attitude.

with the teams leader supposedly raping chicks, i can see where that cohesiveness may have been lost.

while i enjoy joking about the situation, it is definitely time for ben to get his act straight. 52 people +all steelernation depend on it.

party is over, ben. time to ask yourself, WWDBD? (what would drew brees do).

Steelers' headquarters hums with activity

Feed Robot — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:20:47 GMT

Tomlin critical to Clark re-signing with Steelers

Feed Robot — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:20:47 GMT

First Time in Pittsburgh, what to do?

chenzzo — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:58:32 GMT

Hey guys, my family and I are up in Pittsburgh for a couple days and it's our first time up here. What should we do?

I definitely want to go see Heinz Field and go by Primanti's, but what else is considered a "must do?"

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Someone explain this one to me.......

Shea — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:53:34 GMT

Not usually one to get caught up in the celebrity of this world .... but what the hell on this one???

Quote:

Buzz up! Lindsay Lohan Suing E-Trade for Milkaholic "Parody"Us Magazine - March 9, 2010 5:07 PM PST

Eric Ryan/Getty ImagesUs Magazine Lindsay Lohan is no milkaholic.

And that's likely why the 23-year-old star is suing financial company E-Trade for $100 million for using her name in its latest commercial about a boyfriend-stealing "milkaholic" baby.

The ad, which debuted during this year's Super Bowl in February, a baby boy apologizes to his girlfriend for not calling her the night before.

"And that milkaholic Lindsay wasn't over?" the baby girl asks before another baby girl pops into the screen saying, "Milk-a-whaaat?"

Lohan filed the lawsuit Monday, which claims the ad violated the star's rights under New York state civil-rights law.

"Many celebrities are known by one name only, and E-Trade is using that knowledge to profit," Lohan's lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia, said in a statement to the New York Post. "They're using her name as a parody of her life. Why didn't they use the name Susan? This is a subliminal message. Everybody's talking about it and saying it's Lindsay Lohan."

The spokesperson for Grey Group, which produced the "milkaholic" commercial, said that they "just used a popular baby name that happened to be the name of someone on the account team."

In the lawsuit, Lohan is seeking an injunction to force the spot off the air.

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/lindsay-lo...arody/37130?nc

Am I crazy for not getting this, or not crazy enough to???

Tomlin citical to Clark re-signing with Steelers

Feed Robot — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:40:04 GMT