Pittsburgh Steelers: A Realistic Look at Linebacker James Harrison's Future

The Pittsburgh Steelers started the week around $25 million over the projected $124 million salary cap but have managed to shave about $10 million by cutting cornerback Bryant McFadden and wide receiver Arnaz Battle and restructuring the contracts of linebackers LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons.

However, the team is still a ways off in getting under the cap and still has to figure out how to tender a long-term deal to wide receiver Mike Wallace, their top-priority free agent.

While a number of players are under threat of being released or restructured to save cap space— including wide receiver Hines Ward and nose tackle Casey Hampton, among others—one name that hasn't come up as often as it should is that of linebacker James Harrison.

Harrison, who will turn 34 in May, has been one of the most fearsome players in the Steelers defensive front for the last eight seasons, and he really came into his own in 2007. But age and injury have left him slowed, and it might be getting to the point where the team needs to seriously consider retaining him in 2012.

Steelers cap guru Omar Khan understands the importance of retaining continuity on the Steelers' roster, and he's one of the best in the league when it comes to crunching numbers. He's not afraid of moving on from what he perceives as dead weight, even if that means confronting a player and person as legitimately scary as Harrison.

Harrison isn't dead weight, mind you; but his best playing days are behind him and he stands as a very real example of the ways the Steelers defense is aging. There is youth on that side of the ball, to be sure, but Harrison's role as an outside linebacker requires him to have a certain level of agility and burst to go along with his intimidating personality that he's been running out of.

James Harrison Stats, 2008-2011

Year	Games	Tackles	Sacks	FF
2008	15	101	16	7
2009	16	79	10	5
2010	16	100	10.5	6
2011	11	59	9	2

One look at his stats from the last four seasons shows how his production has declined. What stands out the most is the drop in total tackles and forced fumbles.

Granted, Harrison missed five games in 2011 with a broken orbital bone and a one-game suspension, but he still would have been quite shy of 80, let alone 100, tackles this year would he have played in all 16 games.

The Steelers have a solid backup for Harrison in Jason Worilds, who would be a starter on any other team. Worilds is heading into his third year, will be 24 years old at the start of the 2012 season and is 20 pounds heavier and two inches taller than Harrison.

He's also owed under a million dollars in salary this year.

Harrison, in contrast, is pushing the $10 million mark in salary and bonus this year. Spotrac projects his 2012 payday to be a $9.43 million cap hit on the Steelers this year, with the true number probably not too far off.

Think about it: Worilds had 38 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble in 2011, with his primary role being to start in place of Harrison and Woodley when they were injured (or, in Harrison's case, suspended), and doing so while earning 10 percent of what Harrison was paid.

That means Worilds has a ton of value for the Steelers this year and represents the greatest reason why the team wouldn't shoot itself in the foot by parting ways with Harrison.

Harrison is one of the most visible faces of the Steelers organization and is beloved by fans and likely his teammates as well. But ultimately, an NFL team is a business enterprise, beholden to its budget.

While it seems anathema to suggest the Steelers release one of their most iconic and successful defensive players, all good things come to an end.

Warren Sapp declared the Steelers defense as "old, slow and over" at the start of the 2011 season, partly due to Harrison's age and decreasing effectiveness. While he was wrong that time, another year with Harrison in decline while commanding such a huge payday may be more harmful to the Steelers' bottom line than letting him go.

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