Ask Ed: Would Steelers Trade for Browns LT Joe Thomas?

Good morning,

Saw my shadow yesterday, which means there will be six more weeks of questions about free agency. Now, your Ask Ed questions:

--- YOU: Do you think any of the old time Steelers such as Shell, Greenwood or Russell will ever be nominated by the veteran's committee anytime soon?

ED: I believe some day they may but I cannot tell you how soon. Myron Cope passionately fought hard for Andy Russell, who had some of his best years for some of the worst Steelers teams. Shell made the finals a few times but never had a lot of support, probably because so many of his teammates joined him in those finals and passed him right by. Same with Greenwood. Of the three, I think Greenwood deserves the honor first. As a young writer, I once referred to Russell as a “future Hall of Famer.’’ I could still be right.

--- YOU: Should the Steelers try to get the Browns OT Joe Thomas?

ED: No or maybe. He’s under contract through 2019 and at a very reasonable price for 2016 ($8.3 million salary, $1.2 million bonuses and $9.5 million cap) for his stature. He has expressed his frustrations over the Browns constant changing and losing and wants out. The Browns would have to trade him (they’re not cutting him) and the price is likely to be high – I would think a first-round draft pick. He’s also 31. No, I wouldn’t go for it unless their asking price is a lot lower than I think it would be.

--- YOU: Who will most likely be our biggest dead money cap hit after cuts are made? Cortez Allen? I’m having a hard time thinking of who else they might cut with a bigger contract.

ED: Yes, Cortez Allen, but that also could take awhile. He is due a salary of $4.4 million this season but there is no March roster bonus this year as there was the $3 million they decided to give him last March. So, they could see how he is in the spring and right through training camp and the preseason before deciding what to do with him, including asking him to take a paycut if they think there is anything there worth it still.  I’m on record believing he will not be on the team in 2016, but stranger things have happened. I just think that after two years of virtually no production and little action, they would want to cut their losses. 

--- YOU: Clearly Cortez Allen is history. What I don't get is that one of your PG colleagues recently suggested that this would bring salary cap savings (paraphrased) to the Steelers. Won't they incur a bunch of dead money against the cap (a la Lamar Woodley) if they let him go?

ED: Yes, depending on when they designate him as a cut or actually cut him. By cutting him, they save his $4.4 million salary both in real money and salary cap, although it depends on when they save it. Ultimately, all that signing bonus money must be counted against the cap. He is signed through 2018 and has $4.05 million left of his signing bonus to be accounted for ($1.35 M times three). If they cut him before March 9, that $4.05 million counts against this year’s cap and their savings on him for this year would be a virtual wash. If they designate him as a June cut, he would count only the original pro-rated signing bonus of $1.35 million against them this year, and thus a more significant savings of $3.05 million in 2016 (his $4.4 million salary less the $1.35 M of one-year pro-rated bonus). However, he would then count $2.7 million in cap dead money in 2017 (his remaining $1.35 M pro-rated bonus times two).

Got all that?

--- YOU: Do the Steelers have a 5th year option on Lev Bell? If they decide to throw some money his way, does that effectively scupper any chance of that big-money free agent Cornerback?

ED: No. All drafted players after the first round have straight four-year contracts. They do not have a club option for a fifth year. Those only go to first-round draft picks. If players drafted after the first round do not sign a new deal before they enter their fifth season in March, they become unrestricted free agents.

By the way, love the word “scupper,” mate.