Steelers use franchise tag on versatile OLB Woodley

[kewldaddydave]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d...e=HP_headlines

[ebsteelers]

now lets look him and swag up

[pete74]

i wonder if we will sign him to a long contract before the season or look to replace him in the draft

[Atlanta Dan]

Originally Posted by pete74

i wonder if we will sign him to a long contract before the season or look to replace him in the draft

Yet another problem if there is no CBA by draft time - teams will not know what they gained and/or lost in free agency or how much money will be available to sign FAs once a new CBA is signed - so teams will be guessing on not only players but holes to be filled

Hard to see how they afford Woodley and Timmons when bothe are due for contract afer 2011

[TRH]

Originally Posted by Atlanta Dan

Yet another problem if there is no CBA by draft time - teams will not know what they gained and/or lost in free agency or how much money will be available to sign FAs once a new CBA is signed - so teams will be guessing on not only players but holes to be filled

Hard to see how they afford Woodley and Timmons when bothe are due for contract afer 2011

no surprise here. I agree with you that there's almost no way we sign both Woodley and Timmons later

[SteelHaven]

Originally Posted by TRH

no surprise here. I agree with you that there's almost no way we sign both Woodley and Timmons later

im sure we can if we really wanted to

[mesaSteeler]

Steelers likely keeping enviable status quo at OLB
http://www.profootballweekly.com/201...tus-quo-at-olb
Posted Feb. 18, 2011 @ 5:05 p.m. ET
By Mike Wilkening

With the Steelers placing the franchise tag on LOLB LaMarr Woodley, they will likely retain one of their more important — and younger — defensive starters. Pittsburgh has apparently given Woodley the non-exclusive franchise tag, which allows another team to sign Woodley to an offer sheet and for the signing team to give the Steelers two first-round picks if they decline to match the offer. Woodley will be guaranteed a salary of 120 percent of his 2010 salary or the average of the top five LB salaries from 2010, whichever is greater.

Woodley, only 26, has quickly become one of the NFL's better outside linebackers playing in a "30" front, and he has been outstanding when the stakes are high, notching at least one sack in all seven career postseason appearances.

Woodley's expected return likely keeps second-year OLB Jason Worilds in a reserve role. Worilds, who turns 23 in March, notched a pair of sacks as a rookie. He also added 16 tackles (11 solo) on special teams, according to club statistics. The way we hear it, the Steelers are pleased with Worilds' pass-rush ability but would like to see him develop his all-around game, especially his run-defense skills. However, as a club observer notes, the Steelers' defense isn't exactly easy to pick up, and improvement could be in the offing. Note the marked progress DE Ziggy Hood made from Year One to Year Two in the Pittsburgh defense.