Array title="tube517 has a reputation beyond repute">
Not surprising. If they want to keep him, they can sign him for a better deal.
Originally Posted by Dwinsgames
Enthroned Into The Good Old Boys Club - 2024
Array title="Craic has a reputation beyond repute">
Hmm.
That's interesting. I wonder if the spectre of a Le'Veon Bell holdout is lurking in the background of this decision. More likely, however, is that they like what they have in Warren. That, or they think they can get a contract signed (although it doesn't make a lot of sense to decline if that's the case).
The other possibility is simply cost. Currently, the price-tag equals a transition tag, which is still pretty expensive. But if Najee gets a second probowl nod this coming year (especially since the team looks to be refocusing on the run), his fifth year price-tag would be the same as the franchise tag.
Array title="tube517 has a reputation beyond repute">
They restructured Highsmith's contract to get more cap space.
I'm surprised they did not pickup his 5th year option. I think he is a good physical runner but needs good blocking to at least get him going. He has been very durable, is a decent receiver, good at pass protection, and rarely fumbles.
I wouldn’t think they would do it until after the season. I think the Highsmith deal was for an incoming trade…
Also remember, this is a new regime…so the “everything has to be negotiated before the season” deal could be old news…
Array title="tube517 has a reputation beyond repute">
Yeah, I think it's wait and see. They'll work trades, acquisitions throughout the summer and contracts up until season opener.
Array title="DesertSteel has a reputation beyond repute">
I’m surprised but not disappointed. I highly doubt they plan on signing him to an extension. He’s getting close to his expiration date.
Array title="oneforthetoe has a reputation beyond repute">
I was surprised when I read the news but not so much when I started reading that it could be around 7 million. If it wasn't for Warren it would be worth it. 7 million isn't a crazy amount of money, and I'd like to keep Najee but not at the expense of losing Warren. Najee might actually be the better runner in the short term but his wheels will drop of quickly because of his style
Array title="Rotorhead has a reputation beyond repute">
Unless they are close to a new deal, this confuses me. He is a solid back and our 1-2 running back group is very good. 7M isn’t a lot to keep him for another year especially with what we all think is going to be a focus on the running game. He is an ideal back for that type of offense.
new deal almost has to be incoming (or they made their best offer and are unwilling to pay his demands)
reason being ...they are not gonna rebuild the 0-line to a run blocking 0-line and hire a run heavy OC to let the work horse go and use the Thoroughbred Back to be the Primary Back I wouldn't think anyways ..............
Kenny Pickett is who I though he was .. Eagles didn't value him either , now he is a Stain at the Mistake by the Lake 3 teams in 4 years more of a shooting star than a superstar
Agreed that this makes little sense unless they think they can get an extension done for less. Recent FA RBs that are demonstrably better than Harris cost more than $7 million per as prices have crept back up.
If they don't sign him to an extension and just draft a replacement....then it goes to show that Colbert's end of tenure was even more anger inducing than I initially thought.
One can mount a reasonable argument that Pickett, Harris, and Green were all mistakes and there was likely a group within the Steelers brain trust that knew it. But they were all done to either give Ben R one last shot or to burnish Colbert's legacy. I know this is super duper really unpopular....but I am still on the fence that PF was a good pick as well. We will see if he gets an extension.
Honestly it is shaping up that I will be legitimately surprised if anyone from the 2021 and 2022 draft classes gets a second contract. That's pretty rough.
See I’m going the other way. I think they are going to give him a new contract. Over 4000 combined yards behind a sub-par line. 22 tds. Imagine what he might be able to do with a solid OLine and a real OC. I have never heard anything negative about him as a teammate. So I think he’ll get another contract.
Array title="Born2Steel has a reputation beyond repute">
Unless Najee is part of the trade deal?
Austin Ekeler got a 2 yr 11.4 million extension last year. I could see the Steelers doing something like a 2 or 3 year extension like that as its not an outrageous contract and Najee fits the offense.
But if they just roll with this is his final year and he hits FA next season, I am not that shocked. But I think of how long they took to find a RB after Bell left that having some quality back on the roster is a good idea.
Array title="ALLD has a reputation beyond repute">
They drafted the kid from GA, so they figure he will make the team at rookie pay?
All Defense!
I’m not sure you can do an extension once the 5th year option is declined…???
I also doubt he’d take a hometown discount when he knows he can test the value of 31 other teams. If he comes out and rushed for 1500 and 10 TDs, he’s probably getting, at minimum, $7M/season…at absolute minimum. Then the Steelers need to decide if they want to offer him good money or not. I think this is the same situations that Doug Martin was in when he was with Tampa.
Couldn't the team and Harris do a deal anytime between now and the end of the 2024 league year to prevent him from entering FA just like any other player?
Undrafted and doubt he has anything to do with Najee situation
That I am not sure of, I feel like there is a rule out there that if they wanted to do it that way they would have had to pick up the option and then negotiate and if they decline then he gets to hit free agency but I could have a lot of different things mixed up in my head. Wouldn’t be the first time.
I forget how Jordan Love was handled as that’s what I am trying to remember but I do recall people saying they could negotiate a deal with Fields and that’s the same situation…
Contracts for draft choices can't be renegotiated until the conclusion of a player's third regular season, which means players selected in the 2021 draft are eligible to sign new deals.
This sounds like they can be handed a new deal…where the option deal was fully guaranteed.
Ok. So they could negotiate a new deal/extension of any terms and any length. That seems like more what the Steelers would want.
Maybe something where Harris is still guaranteed $7 but spread the guarantee over 2 years or something....
Array title="Craic has a reputation beyond repute">
Also,
Don't forget that if he has a good year this year and make the probowl, that guaranteed price tag goes up to 13.5 million next year.
Or it could show that Khan is trying to enhance his reputation at the expense of Colbert by deliberately getting rid of Colbert's recent draft choices.
But the Steelers have already shown with Mason Rudolph that they will punish a player who has the audacity to want to test his value with the 31 other teams.
That was my initial thought, until I questioned it…lol. And also like Craig said, the guarantee is performances based so if they think he’s going to ball out and put up Derrick Henry type numbers in Smiths offense, it’s the better play not to take him because of the increase In guarantee monies.
2 years IMO is perfect , 3 is ok but his style of running most times doesn't last to long (Henry is an exception) that is about as far out as I would go
Kenny Pickett is who I though he was .. Eagles didn't value him either , now he is a Stain at the Mistake by the Lake 3 teams in 4 years more of a shooting star than a superstar
Okay. That makes no sense. But okay.
Definitely see Rooney signing off on Khan fueled anti-Colbert vendetta based roster purge.
Couldn't be that the dudes I listed were just not good draft picks. One was drafted to play a position he stinks at, one was the best QB in the worst QB class in recent memory, and one dude is a RB...that should have never been drafted in the first round because that is just bad business. And the last one standing is a TE with amazing hands but limited production in likely a make or break year for his future with the team.
Or we can go with your thing.
3 year, $16 million. $6million guaranteed. $3 million each of the first 2 years and $4 million the 3rd year, which they may never end up paying if they run the wheels off him.
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