All’s well between Steelers and three Bs
Ben Roethlisberger leaves the field after the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots on Sunday in Foxborough, Mass. The Patriots won, 36-17, to advance to the Super Bowl.
Associated Press
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin (left) runs the team from May to January, but once February rolls around, general manager Kevin Colbert (right) takes charge.
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� That month of discontent following the Steelers无毛视频� loss in the AFC Championship Game?
Poof.
All gone.
General Manager Kevin Colbert waved his magic wand Thursday and said all无毛视频檚 well with the perceived discord that involved star players Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le无毛视频橵eon Bell.
The defense that was torched by Tom Brady?
Well, that remains a work in progress and Colbert said he无毛视频檒l address it in the upcoming player procurement period, either in free agency or the draft.
But, back to the triplets.
Roethlisberger, who was contemplating retirement a few days after the loss in New England, isn无毛视频檛 a worry to Colbert, who said 无毛视频淚 am hopeful and confident that Ben will be back.无毛视频�
The bigger question might be Roethlisberger无毛视频檚 backup. Landry Jones is a free agent, and Colbert said 无毛视频淲e would love to have Landry be able to stay in the mix. But right now we have two quarterbacks under contract, so will we add a young one in some form or fashion, absolutely. When? It无毛视频檚 hard to say.
无毛视频淎gain, we have to balance that (draft) class against other positions. But sooner or later, we will have to address that. Ideally, the organizations that have been successful through eras have been ones that had the guy in place. San Francisco went from Joe Montana to Steve Young. Green Bay went from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers. So, if you want to be a continuously successful organization, you should have the successive quarterback planning in place.无毛视频�
Colbert also said the team is currently in negotiations to extend the contract of Roethlisberger无毛视频檚 No. 1 target, Brown, who无毛视频檚 about to enter the final year of his current contract.
无毛视频淲e told Antonio last year that his (talks) would be accelerated, and he would be made the priority, and that无毛视频檚 where he is,无毛视频� Colbert said.
Brown, of course, was in hot water with Mike Tomlin following the playoff win in Kansas City, when Brown streamed the coach无毛视频檚 post-game speech on Facebook. But, apparently, all is forgiven.
无毛视频淚 can say, unequivocally, that we want Antonio to retire as a Steeler, just like we want Le无毛视频橵eon to retire as a Steeler,无毛视频� Colbert said.
Bell ended the season with a sports hernia injury that knocked him out of the AFCCG in the first half. He无毛视频檚 contemplating surgery, but, as Colbert explained, 无毛视频淵ou don无毛视频檛 want to do a surgery if it无毛视频檚 not a unanimous (decision). 无毛视频� These types of things sometimes are better off just healing on their own.无毛视频�
It无毛视频檚 a 6-8 week recovery process, and by that time Bell could be the proud owner of a brand new mega-contract.
Bell could enter the free agent market on March 9, but if the Steelers can无毛视频檛 reach a long-term agreement before then they无毛视频檙e expected to slap the franchise tag on him. That would put Bell under contract for one year at $12.4 million. The Steelers could negate it with a multi-year deal by July 15, and cap experts believe any such contract would average close to that same $12 million per season.
无毛视频淓ven if we were to use the tag on Le无毛视频橵eon, we would certainly want to do something long-term and have Le无毛视频橵eon be a Steeler for life,无毛视频� Colbert said, adding that, 无毛视频淲e have no reservations about Le无毛视频橵eon, not his durability or his ability. He无毛视频檚 grown, I think, tremendously off the field. And I think, I hope, he continues to grow in those areas. But there无毛视频檚 no hesitation to having him be with us, hopefully, for his whole career.无毛视频�
As for a secondary that allowed Brady 384 passing yards, three touchdown passes and a QB rating of 127.5 in the AFCCG, Colbert expects to make additions.
无毛视频淲e know we have three guys coming back at cornerback,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭he rest of the guys have potential or are unproven. So can we add? Absolutely we can add in that area. That will be something we surely will be looking at, along with other positions.无毛视频�
One of those returning cornerbacks is 2015 second-round draft pick Senquez Golson, who missed his rookie season with a shoulder injury and last season with a lis franc foot injury.
无毛视频淎nytime a defensive back, wide receiver or a skill guy gets a foot injury, you无毛视频檙e a little concerned,无毛视频� Colbert said. 无毛视频淒oes he go from a 4.4 to a 4.45, or a 4.5? We won无毛视频檛 know that until we see him out there, so I无毛视频檓 a little more apprehensive.无毛视频�
Colbert touched on other issues.
n On tight end Ladarius Green, who missed the last five games with a concussion:
无毛视频淲e don无毛视频檛 play until August, so he无毛视频檚 got time to heal properly. 无毛视频� He无毛视频檚 excited about being able to come back and being able to play.无毛视频�
n On the comforts of being an estimated $30-35 million under the projected salary cap:
无毛视频淵eah. I think we无毛视频檙e in a different world. 无毛视频� We don无毛视频檛 have to make any moves to get in compliance with the cap.无毛视频�
n On re-signing potential free agent Lawrence Timmons:
无毛视频淲ould we love to have him stay? Absolutely. Does it all fit? I think we can make it fit. At what cost? He has to see what his market is. 无毛视频� We have nothing against him finding out but let无毛视频檚 stay in touch as we go through the process. I would love to see him finish his career here. I think he would, too.无毛视频�
n On the upcoming draft (NFL Combine begins March 1):
无毛视频淩unning backs are a pretty good group. Wide receivers, always great numbers. 无毛视频� Offensive interior linemen, not great depth. Offensive tackles aren无毛视频檛 as good as they have been. The secondary, again, because of spread offenses, you get a lot of spread defenses, a lot of cornerbacks and safeties in this group. Outside linebackers, we think there is a good group. 无毛视频� Inside linebackers, not real deep. Defensive line is not as deep as it was last year.无毛视频�