Pittsburgh Steelers: Handling of LaMarr Woodley, Ike Taylor Key To 2011 Chances
As attention, except in Green Bay, turns from the 2010 NFL season to the labor talks and the road ahead to the 2011 season, it's time to start looking at player contracts, extensions, and the infamous franchise tags.
In Pittsburgh, two of the team's defensive players are currently through with their contracts and will be looking for big paydays in the coming weeks and months. The way the team chooses to handle LaMarr Woodley and Ike Taylor will go a long way toward creating the team's future.
Here's a look at each player's case for either an extension or a franchise tag.
Ground Rules
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Okay, before we get into what each player deserves, let's take a look at what some of the key parts of this system are:
The Rules
1. Clubs can designate one franchise OR one transition player (tag them) in any given year
2. The contract offered by the player's current team decides what kind of franchise player he is
3. If a player is "exclusive" (unable to sign with another team), he is given a salary equal to the average of the top five salaries at his position or 120% of his previous year salary (whichever amount is higher)
4. If the player is not exclusive, he can negotiate with other teams. The original team has the opportunity to match any offer he receives and, if they do not match it, they receive two first round picks in return.
I'm not going to get into the rules for a transition tag because they are similar and the Steelers rarely apply that tag to a player. The only major difference is that the salary figures are taken from the top 10 salaries at the position, not the top five and that there is no exclusivity option.
Ike Taylor, CB
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Experience: 8 years
2011 Statistics: 66 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble forced, 2 interceptions
Analysis
Taylor has been with the Steelers since he was a second round pick in the 2003 draft. He's been a starter since the 2005 season and has started all but one game for Pittsburgh since the 2007 season began. He's been a solid, if unspectacular player who has the reputation of being able to cover the opposition's best receiver.
He's not a shutdown corner, but he gets the job done.
The Deal
Taylor is looking for one last big payday. Corners usually get one or two big contracts depending on length. This would be Taylor's second big deal. The problem is that, barring an extension, he's gone. There's no way the team can justify tagging him.
Corner, along with wide receiver and quarterback, is among the highest paid positions for an NFL player. Last year, the NFL's official salary for a corner with the franchise tag was $9.566 million. As a point of comparison, Taylor made an average of $4.5 million over his now-ending five-year pact.
Worse, the tag will be higher this year thanks to the contract of Darrelle Revis. The Steelers will not pay a player who is not a franchise cornerstone that much money.
LaMarr Woodley, OLB
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Experience: 4 years
2010 Statistics: 50 tackles, 10 sacks, 3 fumbles forced, 2 interceptions
Analysis
Woodley has steadily improved and has become a mainstay of the Steelers defense. He's teamed with James Farrior, James Harrison, and now Lawrence Timmons to form one of the scariest and most effective linebacker corps in the NFL.
He's a lot younger than Harrison and is likely to get even better as he continues to work in this defensive scheme. There's nothing he can't do as a linebacker. He's adept at the pass rush and also at pass coverage and is one of the best run stoppers in the league.
The Deal
Woodley made $550,000 in the final year of his rookie contract from 2007. He was, by far, the NFL's best bargain at linebacker. Now he's looking for a big payday and he will get it somewhere if he doesn't get it here.
What about tagging? Well, the 2010 tag for linebackers was $9.608 million. Woodley is worth that money, but it would be much easier on the team to extend his deal and keep him locked up for the long term. Pittsburgh doesn't traditionally negotiate extensions early, so the fact that they didn't extend Woodley before the season shouldn't be a factor in negotiations.
There's a strong belief that the team promised to take care of Woodley once the CBA situation gained some clarity, so now would be the time to start talking about a deal.
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What Do We Have In Place If They Leave?
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So what happens if one or both players leave the Steelers?
Well, at linebacker the answer is almost definite. At corner, there's a likely answer, but not a certain one.
If Woodley Leaves
Jason Worilds was drafted last year in the second round and had a good enough rookie season to make many believe he could step in and be a part of the starting group once either James Harrison or LaMarr Woodley depart. Woodley's departure in free agency would place him at the top of the list to start opposite Harrison.
Worilds has a similar skill set to Woodley and is a speedy edge rusher who can get to the quarterback or drop into pass coverage. I haven't seen enough of him against the run to say if he's as good as Woodley in all phases of the game, but the general belief is that, once he's ready, the drop-off from one player to the next would be negligible.
If Taylor Leaves
As much as Taylor isn't worth the money the team would pay him in a franchise tag, his value to the team is great. There isnt' a lot of depth at corner.
The key man in this situation is Crezdon Butler, drafted last year.
Butler had a good training camp and preseason against players who weren't making their respective teams. That tempers my feelings about his camp showing, but the guy certainly has upside. If the Steelers draft a corner in the first or second round, letting Taylor walk and handing the job to one of Butler, Keenan Lewis, or a new player wouldn't be so bad.
So What Is The Best Choice?
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The easy answer is to keep both players. But it's not that simple.
Woodley is probably more valuable because he is younger, but you can argue that he's more expendable because of the solid depth behind him. I'd like to see the team keep him and allow Worilds to develop into James Harrison's replacement. Harrison is already past 30, so it's reasonable to think he may only play another five years at most.
Taylor, at eight years, will only get one more big contract. That makes him more likely to compromise on an asking price. Woodley has time to make the money, Taylor may not. He's going to want a front-loaded deal that pays him the most in the first years in case he has to or decides to walk away.
The team should approach both players early, see what the asking prices are, and decide who to go after first from there. I believe that Woodley's price will be higher but that he'll be more willing to deal, so I'd discuss things with him first and try to get a quick deal in place.
The Steelers could also choose to tag either and then let him sign with someone else, but it's a risky proposition. Teams are leery about surrendering two first round picks for anyone and wouldn't likely do it for Taylor because of his age and skill shortcomings. If they tag one of them and no one offers them a deal, then the Steelers are stuck paying off the contract.
It's going to be a game of cat and mouse with both, but in the end I think the Steelers will get Woodley on a four or five-year deal and will either let Taylor walk or get him signed to a two or three year pact without a ton of guaranteed money.
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