The Steelers have placed the franchise tag on outside linebacker Lamarr Woodley thus retaining his rights for at least another year while they try to sign him to a long-term deal.
Some have wondered if the $10,000,000 that Woodley will automatically make next year is worth it considering Ike Taylor, their top cornerback, is also up for free agency and is reportedly looking for a big payday. The Steelers' secondary is always a target for criticism, especially after the Super Bowl XLV loss, and if Taylor's services aren't retained, the possibility of quarterbacks more frequently shredding Pittsburgh's secondary like Aaron Rodgers did in the Super Bowl could become a harsh reality.
But I think it is worth it to make Woodley the top priority. Back in 1996, Steelers pro bowl linebacker Greg Lloyd was injured in the first game of the year in Jacksonville and was out for the season. In Lloyd's absence, Chad Brown had a monster year, recording 13 sacks. He was in the last year of his contract and there was no doubt that he was going to be a major player in free agency. I remember having discussions with friends and family who thought it would be best for the Steelers to cut ties with the veteran Lloyd and do everything in their power to keep the younger Brown in Pittsburgh.
I disagreed. I thought Lloyd, who was over 30 but still had years left on his contract, would come back in '97 and continue to play at a high level for many more years.
Chad Brown did sign elsewhere, with the Seattle Seahawks, and went on to have a pretty productive career in Seattle. Greg Lloyd was injured again in 1997 and even suffered a staph infection. He was never the same and out of Pittsburgh by 1998.
So Pittsburgh not only lost the services of Chad Brown, but Greg Lloyd as well.
But the Steelers never suffer for long in the linebacker department. They've always had a rich tradition at that position going all the way back to the days of Andy Russell. Lloyd and Brown might have been gone, but Levon Kirkland was still a presence at inside linebacker and Jason Gildon stepped into the line-up and became a star and eventually the team's all time leader in sacks. Joey Porter came on the scene in 1999 and was a force for many years. When Kirkland's days as a Steeler were over, the team went out and signed James Farrior to take his place. When the team cut ties with Peezy in 2007, James Harrison was promoted to starter and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2008.
So if the Steelers always seem to make the right move with linebackers, why spend all the money on Woodley? After all, they signed Harrison to a big deal just a few seasons ago, and they have Jason Worilds and Stevenson Sylvestor waiting in the wings to continue on the team's history of excellence at the position. Why not make Taylor the top priority?
Because there are no guarantees when it comes to youngsters.
The Steelers have some exciting young linebacker prospects, like they always do, but Woodley is only 26 years old and has 39 sacks in just 4 seasons, and let's face it, folks, this defense is getting old in a hurry. There are 9 guys over the age of 30, even James Harrison, who doesn't have many miles under his belt, is 32, and in football, low miles or not, that's getting up there. Woodley represents the future and the present. He's "the now" to borrow a phrase that I cannot stand. Woodley, along with Ziggy Hood and fellow linebacker Lawrence Timmons, represents the future of the Steelers defense.
In a perfect world, I would obviously like to see them keep both Woodley and Taylor.
Taylor has made a nice career for himself. He hasn't always been the most respected and valued Steeler among the faithful because of his quirky personality and bad habit of dropping interceptions, but he's a darn good cover corner and a valuable commodity in the team's recent championship success. Besides, there really isn't anyone on the roster to come in and take Taylor's place if he does sign elsewhere.
If Pittsburgh can keep Taylor at a reasonable price, then they should try to do so, but if some team is willing to over-pay for his services, then Colbert and Company would be wise to let him walk.
One of the reasons Pittsburgh's window of opportunity never seems to close is because they almost always make the right decisions.
After Super Bowl XL, they lost both Chris Hope and Antwaan Randle El to free agency to teams that signed them to huge contracts, but in the offseason that year, Pittsburgh signed free agent Ryan Clark and drafted Santonio Holmes. Each player proved to be an upgrade at his respective position and both were key contributors to Pittsburgh's Super Bowl XLIII championship run.
Ike Taylor will be 31 years old next season, not old, but maybe a little too old for a long-term deal. One of the team's philosophies is they'd rather cut ties with a player a year too soon than a year too late.
I'm sure it would be tempting for the Steelers to reverse their priorities, roll the dice, address a more pressing need by signing Ike to a record contract in the hopes that he'd be able to play at the same level well into his 30's, let Woodley explore free agency and take the chance that Worilds, or another young linebacker, would be able to fill Woodley's shoes. But it just would be too much of a risk and this team hasn't been this successful for so long by gambling on the future.
If the Steelers lose Taylor, they would probably be worse off next year, but if they draft soundly at the cornerback position and sign Woodley to a long-term contract, there's a good chance their defense will be better off three or four years down the road.
That's been the Steeler way since free agency began in the early 90's and it's been working for them. No need to change now.
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