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LLT
06-09-2010, 04:01 AM
Willie Colon has cloudy future with Steelers
By John Harris, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, June 9, 2010



Joe Linta, the agent for right tackle Willie Colon, said he doesn't believe his client will ever secure a long-term contract with the Steelers.

Colon, a restricted free agent who signed a $2.5 million tender for this season, is destined to play for another NFL team in another year or two, according to Linta.

The Steelers have two more days of offseason practices this week before breaking until the opening of training camp July 30.

"Willie obviously loves Pittsburgh. He would love staying there for the long-term. But as of right now, they have not made any decisions that they want him there long-term," Linta said.

A fourth-round draft pick in 2006, Colon has emerged as the Steelers' most dependable offensive lineman. He is the only blocker to start every game under coach Mike Tomlin — 54 consecutive starts, including the playoffs.

Colon's backup is veteran Jonathan Scott, who has 14 career starts with Buffalo and Detroit. This is Scott's first season with the Steelers, who drafted rookie tackle Chris Scott — no relation to Jonathan — this year in the fifth round.

"Jonathan's role will be very similar to what it was in Buffalo," said offensive line coach Sean Kugler, who was Jonathan Scott's position coach with the Bills. "Jonathan started some games at left tackle. He also started some games at right tackle. ... So having the value of being able to play both and be effective at both gives him a good chance."

It is Linta's contention that while he believes Colon ranks among the top right tackles in the NFL, the Steelers don't share his opinion in terms of presenting a contract in line with Colon's production level.

Linta said there haven't been any negotiations about a new contract for Colon -- and no talks are planned between Linta and negotiator Omar Khan.

"Omar and I have exchanged recipes over the year, but we've never talked about Willie's contract," Linta said.

Per club policy, the Steelers don't discuss the status of contract negotiations with their players.

"It's pretty obvious to people that know football that Willie, if he's not the best, he's among the top three right tackles in the league," Linta said.

As for the difference in opinion in Colon's value, Linta said he isn't upset with the Steelers, who can still sign Colon to a long-term deal.

"I'm not upset. Willie's not upset. That's the choice they made and I'm respectful of it, and so is Willie," Linta said. "They're not doing anything wrong. They're allowed to not call us."

Because the 2010 season is an uncapped year, there will be uncertainly in 2011 about Colon's status as a free agent.

If a new collective bargaining agreement isn't reached by March 1, Colon again will be a restricted free agent in 2011. However, if an agreement is reached at a later time, it isn't known if Colon will become an unrestricted free agent or retain his restricted status.

"The ball's in their court," Linta said of the Steelers. "The ball's only in Willie's court when he becomes a free agent."

Note: The Steelers signed veteran long snapper and linebacker Matt Stewart to a one-year contract and released long snapper Jared Retkofsky. Drafted as a linebacker by Atlanta in the fourth round in 2001, Stewart is a six-year veteran who played for Cleveland in 2005-07. He was in the Cardinals' and Cowboys' training camps the past two seasons.


http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_685055.html

Psycho Ward 86
06-09-2010, 09:22 AM
I dont see why it should be. Good O-lineman have been hard to come by the last 4 years, we should be keeping the core of this O-line intact (Kemo, Colon, Pouncey)

steelpride12
06-09-2010, 09:26 AM
It would be a shame to not lock him up the next 4+ years for the Steelers. He was a bright spot on that line last season and losing him would only make our line diminish.

BlastFurnace
06-09-2010, 10:29 AM
It's going to depend on how Foster develops. I believe that Foster can play Tackle and Guard. If he develops this season, I could see him sliding over and taking over for Colon if Colon's salary demands exceed the $6 to $7 Million a year range. I think a fair deal for Willie is 4 years/24 Million.

El-Gonzo Jackson
06-09-2010, 10:36 AM
WOW !!! Isnt this the same Colon that most here blame for holding and going offsides all the time??? I thought that most would want him gone for being such a bum of an O lineman? :sarcasm:

OK, I have supported and identified Colon as a solid RT for the past few seasons, but the reality is that if he is a RT....then he is just a RT. They are not the most valuable position players in the NFL and that is whey I expect Chris Scott or Johathon Scott to be the RT in a couple seasons.

I'd love to have Colon stay, but would rather the Steelers put a serviceable rookie in there and save the money for some other contract like Woodley's. I honestly would have rather had Kyle Calloway from Iowa drafted in the 5th than Chris Scott.

El-Gonzo Jackson
06-09-2010, 10:39 AM
It's going to depend on how Foster develops. I believe that Foster can play Tackle and Guard. If he develops this season, I could see him sliding over and taking over for Colon if Colon's salary demands exceed the $6 to $7 Million a year range. I think a fair deal for Willie is 4 years/24 Million.

I dont think we are gonna see Foster play RT. He played it in college, but if you watch Foster in the time he got in a couple games last season you will see that he has slower feet than Kemo. He'd be a pylon at RT IMO, but there are a lot of other guys that can play RT on the roster right now. Jon Scott, Chris Scott, Tony Hills, Trai Essex, Kyle Jolly. I dont think the Steelers will overpay Colon, even though he is our best O lineman.

MasterOfPuppets
06-09-2010, 10:55 AM
verron carey ( RT miami) got a 6 year 42 mill, 15 mill guaranteed deal. i'd image colon, or colon's agent wants something similiar.

BlastFurnace
06-09-2010, 11:00 AM
verron carey ( RT miami) got a 6 year 42 mill, 15 mill guaranteed deal. i'd image colon, or colon's agent wants something similiar.

Ouch...if that is the case, c-ya Willie

xX-TSK-Xx
06-09-2010, 12:12 PM
Its too bad we couldn't get anything done earlier this year and just front loaded the hell out of it.

My feeling is Colon will stay. Seems to me like he and Ben are real good friends. $7 mil a year seems like a reasonable deal for both sides.

SteelKid_212
06-09-2010, 01:03 PM
Willie Colon has cloudy future with Steelers
By John Harris, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, June 9, 2010

"It's pretty obvious to people that know football that Willie, if he's not the best, he's among the top three right tackles in the league," Linta said.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_685055.html

does anyone else agree with this???

El-Gonzo Jackson
06-09-2010, 01:35 PM
verron carey ( RT miami) got a 6 year 42 mill, 15 mill guaranteed deal. i'd image colon, or colon's agent wants something similiar.

I think the Steelers are only paying Max Starks something like $5mil average to play LT. I really doubt that they will pay Colon $6-7million to play RT.


does anyone else agree with this???

I agree, but the problem is that you can throw out a bunch of names of guys that play RT and are just as good, if not better. Stinchcomb, Carey, Pashos, Columbo, Otah etc. You can also throw out a bunch of names of guys that do a good job like David Stewart, Damien Woody, Eben Britton, Gosder Cherilus, etc and arent exactly worth $7mil a season.

Draft a rookie, get him ready and plug him in. Or get a vet. Chris Scott, Jon Scott...........problem solved.

steelpride12
06-09-2010, 02:54 PM
I think he is worth the money we expect him to want to be paid ($6-7 Mill). He is one of the top 5 in the league at his position at RG and I think the Steelers with an already struggling line cannot afford to let him go and entrust in a free agent or a rookie.

Chidi29
06-09-2010, 03:08 PM
Keep in mind that his agent just wants to stir the pot a little bit. The #1 goal of an agent when he isn't working out a new deal is to keep the attention on his players and make the team look like the bad guys.

I'm all for paying Colon. He deserves it. He struggled early in his career, but was our best lineman last year (Even the coaching staff agreed with that) and is a above average run and pass blocker. He had some struggles at the end of the year but overall, he was a borderline Pro Bowler.

Being able to keep a line together is very important. It needs to be a cohesive group. To me, one of the few positions where that is really important. Heck, look at the beginning of last year compared to the middle of the season. We couldn't run for crap in the first two games. After that, as guys started to gel and worked out the kinks, we got better. The Giants are a perfect example. Not any big-name guys by any means, but they have played together for a long time, gelled because of that, and have been a top line the past couple years.

If you're going to pay Max a ton of money, if you paid Kemoeatu $20 million (When he hadn't even earned a starting job) you better be willing to pay for a guy you actually know can go out and do the job. Now if you want to wait the year to make sure he continues the level of play he was at last year, that's fine with me, but don't let the guy walk.

A lot of fans talk about the need to get back to the power running game. I'm not one of them, but for those who are, you aren't going to reach that goal by letting your best lineman walk.

TatarMongol
06-09-2010, 10:24 PM
I wonder if him was around when Ben was foolin in the bathroom would effect his situation.

HometownGal
06-10-2010, 07:38 AM
WOW !!! Isnt this the same Colon that most here blame for holding and going offsides all the time??? I thought that most would want him gone for being such a bum of an O lineman? :sarcasm:



I would be one of those folks. :thumbsup: ;)

Whether he stays or goes doesn't matter to me one iota. If he is indeed our best OL, that really doesn't say too much for our OL imho. Personally, I think he makes too many costly mistakes at the most inopportune times to warrant a $7 mil a year paycheck. Sorry.

Texasteel
06-10-2010, 08:20 AM
The one thing that would concern me about loosing Colon is that we have drafted a replacement and I'm not sure I am comfortable with the FAs we have signed.

steelpride12
06-10-2010, 08:23 AM
The one thing that would concern me about loosing Colon is that we have drafted a replacement and I'm not sure I am comfortable with the FAs we have signed.
Exactly my point. Sure we could someone to replace Colon for a cheaper price tag, but it would be a risk we can't take. Just throwing someone to the wolves a FA or rookie is just not the chance to take for the OL.

Texasteel
06-10-2010, 08:32 AM
Exactly my point. Sure we could someone to replace Colon for a cheaper price tag, but it would be a risk we can't take. Just throwing someone to the wolves a FA or rookie is just not the chance to take for the OL.

I know you all are tired of hearing this from me, but if they decide they can not sign Colon I think OT becomes our #1 priority in the draft or FA market next year.

Psycho Ward 86
06-10-2010, 08:34 AM
Lol, i like how people are just throwing in numbers and everyone is falling suit and assuming that $6-7million a year is what he wants.

First of all, nobody legitimate said that.

Second, to those who are so eager to let him go, who do you expect to replace him with? And what if that replacement goes down, who's next in line? It's going to be the ragtag O-line of '08 all over again.

steelpride12
06-10-2010, 12:48 PM
I know you all are tired of hearing this from me, but if they decide they can not sign Colon I think OT becomes our #1 priority in the draft or FA market next year.
Yes, but if we do he is going to want the same money Colon is asking for without proving anything on the field. At least Colon have proved his worth and we can trust in him.

El-Gonzo Jackson
06-10-2010, 01:11 PM
I would be one of those folks. :thumbsup: ;)

Whether he stays or goes doesn't matter to me one iota. If he is indeed our best OL, that really doesn't say too much for our OL imho. Personally, I think he makes too many costly mistakes at the most inopportune times to warrant a $7 mil a year paycheck. Sorry. No worries, but I think its mostly perception than reality. I once charted an entire season where Colon was villified for holding or going offsides "all the time". It turned out to be something like 9 infractions for around 85 yds. While on the other hand, Hines Ward had more penalty yardage for holding and unnecessary roughness calls in the same year.

Colon is and always has been a much better player than most give him credit.....but at the end of the day he is just a RT and they are not that hard to replace.



The one thing that would concern me about loosing Colon is that we have drafted a replacement and I'm not sure I am comfortable with the FAs we have signed.

Chris Scott is a big mauler that played LT at Tenn and can easily transition to RT in 2 seasons. Jonathan Scott is a guy with NFL experience that can play both sides. I may be the biggest Colon supporter here, but have no problem if he leaves after this season.

El-Gonzo Jackson
06-10-2010, 01:16 PM
I know you all are tired of hearing this from me, but if they decide they can not sign Colon I think OT becomes our #1 priority in the draft or FA market next year.

Kind of reminds me of when Lloyd, Gildon, Porter all retired or moved on. There are replacements waiting already. RT is an easier spot to replace than LT. Scott, Scott, Jolly, Hills, can all play RT, although I dont know if Hills makes the cut this year and Jolly will probably be on the PS.

Psycho Ward 86
06-10-2010, 01:16 PM
Chris Scott is just an all-round sluggish piece of work. Huuuuge project if you ask me. And hasnt he been playing guard at OTA's, like all of the scouts expected him to play?

El-Gonzo Jackson
06-10-2010, 01:19 PM
Chris Scott is just an all-round sluggish piece of work. Huuuuge project if you ask me. And hasnt he been playing guard at OTA's, like all of the scouts expected him to play?
I personally wanted Kyle Calloway in the 5th instead. Where is Scott playing in OTA's??? RT perhaps??

Here is the official scouting report on him from NFL.com

Scott has played a lot of football at Tennessee as a starting left tackle, but he lacks the lateral range and foot agility to play on the left side at the next level. He is a powerful blocker who generally wins the battle once he gets his hands on opponents and can simply engulf or smother ends when blocking down for the run. He is quick to read blocking schemes and takes good angles to get to where he needs to be, but he will struggle when he needs to recover and right himself against good movement by defensive ends. He has enough going for him to eventually become a starter on the right side but will need some work on his footwork.

Psycho Ward 86
06-10-2010, 01:22 PM
Kind of reminds me of when Lloyd, Gildon, Porter all retired or moved on. There are replacements waiting already. RT is an easier spot to replace than LT. Scott, Scott, Jolly, Hills, can all play RT, although I dont know if Hills makes the cut this year and Jolly will probably be on the PS.

We dont know what Chris Scott and Jolly are made of yet. Hills can barely even dress for games and hasnt sniffed the field yet. Hardly any of us know jack about Johnathan Scott. It's about quality, not quantity. Tony Hills is almost indefinitely incapable of contributing, and Scott and Jolly could pan out who knows? But the chances of it happening their 2nd year (by which time Colon would be gone if we let him go)? Pretty slim. Even so, say if one of them turn out to be a good RT, we need depth too, and i dont think we have that behind Colon.

Psycho Ward 86
06-10-2010, 01:23 PM
Even as a guard in the NFL, i think Chris Scott will be a really slow one.

HometownGal
06-10-2010, 01:28 PM
No worries, but I think its mostly perception than reality. I once charted an entire season where Colon was villified for holding or going offsides "all the time". It turned out to be something like 9 infractions for around 85 yds. While on the other hand, Hines Ward had more penalty yardage for holding and unnecessary roughness calls in the same year.

Colon is and always has been a much better player than most give him credit.....but at the end of the day he is just a RT and they are not that hard to replace.


Cool Gonz. :drink: I respect your opinion here. I just never saw what all the hoopla about Colon was and you're absolutely correct - RT's aren't that hard to replace in the grand scheme of things.

MasterOfPuppets
06-10-2010, 01:56 PM
. Hardly any of us know jack about Johnathan Scott. It's about quality, not quantity. .
thats why i did a google search. it lead me to a bills MB, where scott compliments were nonexistent. infact it was just the opposite. most of the comments reguarding scott were of the "worst tackle ever", and "thank god he's gone", variety. the bills fans , at least on that board, feelings about scott were about the same as what was expressed around here about shawn mayhan. guess we'll have to wait and see for ourselves.

SteelMember
06-10-2010, 02:42 PM
I am of the opinion that players come and go. The better ones usually play the left side and usually make more money doing so. Our team has seen some capable RT's in the past, and although Colon is a very good player, it still comes down to him playing RT, and therefore more expendable. Even if he were the "best" RT in the entire league, he still wouldn't deserve LT money. And that's all it will come down to... money, and how much of it he wants. I would hope he was going to accept a reasonable offer to remain a Steeler, but he may be looking out for his future more than he likes staying on this team.

IUSteel
06-10-2010, 04:16 PM
It's a RT. I realize we want stability and by no means is Colon garbage, but the difference between a pretty good RT and a great RT isn't the same as most positions. Honestly, if we had a good interior (which we may possibly have) OR a stud LT (which we obviously don't), would anyone want to be paying him money? If we had the money for other players, I'd love to keep Colon. Unfortunately, we simply don't.

Psycho Ward 86
06-10-2010, 05:21 PM
Why is Colon so dam expendable just for playing RT? Which two RT's on this roster not named Willie Colon is everyone so confident in?

We've all of a sudden gone from crying out for an O-line to tossing out our best o-lineman. :jerkit:

IUSteel
06-10-2010, 05:47 PM
Why is Colon so dam expendable just for playing RT? Which two RT's on this roster not named Willie Colon is everyone so confident in?

We've all of a sudden gone from crying out for an O-line to tossing out our best o-lineman. :jerkit:

It's a series of ifs I think. If we can keep him and sign the more important players, by all means. Someone has to go to sign these guys coming up though, and if a starter has to go and if Colon is asking for the speculated amount...well, goodbye Colon. We're losing a good RT, which is like losing a mediocre LT. It sucks, but it's not the end of our line.

That said, if he's not actually trying to break the bank then I'd love to see him stay.

El-Gonzo Jackson
06-10-2010, 06:23 PM
We dont know what Chris Scott and Jolly are made of yet. Hills can barely even dress for games and hasnt sniffed the field yet. Hardly any of us know jack about Johnathan Scott. It's about quality, not quantity. Tony Hills is almost indefinitely incapable of contributing, and Scott and Jolly could pan out who knows? But the chances of it happening their 2nd year (by which time Colon would be gone if we let him go)? Pretty slim. Even so, say if one of them turn out to be a good RT, we need depth too, and i dont think we have that behind Colon.

Basically for a RT, you just need a guy that is a strong run blocker, as most teams run more to the right than left....and a guy with enough size and good footwork to keep rushers going around them wide so the QB can see where they are in the pass rush process. Essentially all the guys that I mentioned (with the exception of Jolly) fit that bill right now.

Tony Hills, despite what most think, is a good run blocker and has the footwork to play RT.
Jon Scott has played LT in the NFL and is perfectly suitable to play RT, which is why Kugler probably wanted him in camp.
Chris Scott I was not impressed with as a pass protector at LT, but is a mauler in the run game and has size to play RT in the NFL. He just needs experience and could get that after a year
Trai Essex is the other wildcard here. He could get extended again and shift outside to play RT. Or, if he is let go, somebody else has developed.

IMO, Willie Colon has less physical tools as a pass protector than any of the other 4 mentioned, but just outworks, outbattles and out hustles most on the O line to be successful. He is truly IMO, average talent...amazing effort!!! I'd like him back, but again he is not irreplaceable.

El-Gonzo Jackson
06-10-2010, 06:34 PM
Why is Colon so dam expendable just for playing RT? Which two RT's on this roster not named Willie Colon is everyone so confident in?
:
Johathon Scott and Chris Scott. I'll even say Trai Essex can play RT just as good as Colon.

Steely McSmash
06-10-2010, 07:56 PM
Is the 30% rule that's affecting Woodley's contract in play for Colon?

I'd personally say he's worth $5m/year. I felt that the FO overpaid to keep Kemoeatu and they'd be foolish to pass on Colon. We'd be unstoppable if we had 4 other guys with his mean streak. Of course I don't think it's a disaster if they don't extend him before his final year. His agent is just trying to stir the pot.

Chidi29
06-10-2010, 07:58 PM
Is the 30% rule that's affecting Woodley's contract in play for Colon?

I'd personally say he's worth $5m/year. I felt that the FO overpaid to keep Kemoeatu and they'd be foolish to pass on Colon. We'd be unstoppable if we had 4 other guys with his mean streak. Of course I don't think it's a disaster if they don't extend him before his final year. His agent is just trying to stir the pot.

No. Colon is a RFA. His tender is around the 2-2.5 million mark if I recall.

The Duke
06-10-2010, 08:44 PM
No player is irreplaceable, but we just don't have anyone to replace Colon with at the moment

I truly hope he stays. Unless Chris Scott shows something this year, or Tony Hills for that matter (unlikely), they have to find a way to resign him

Texasteel
06-10-2010, 11:06 PM
Chris Scott is a big mauler that played LT at Tenn and can easily transition to RT in 2 seasons. Jonathan Scott is a guy with NFL experience that can play both sides. I may be the biggest Colon supporter here, but have no problem if he leaves after this season.


I hope your right, and you probably are. We should know a lot more after TC.

solardave
06-11-2010, 04:42 AM
verron carey ( RT miami) got a 6 year 42 mill, 15 mill guaranteed deal. i'd image colon, or colon's agent wants something similiar.



sorry, no can do IMHO. I thought Colon had a good season last year but before that he was subpar. He may only be getting better but I have to agree with El-Gonzo that we have a lot of other capable guys waiting in the wings. His window just may be closing.