Steelers may not keep LB Woodley when contract expires

According to reports, the Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley is unlikely to receive a new contract during this season. In that case, he will become a free agent when his current contract expires following the 2010 season. As the Steelers have a tradition of not signing free agent back, Woodley may take the chance to put on his favorite According to reports, the Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley is unlikely to receive a new contract during this season. In that case, he will become a free agent when his current contract expires following the 2010 season. As the Steelers have a tradition of not signing free agent back, Woodley may take the chance to put on his favorite New Orleans Saints jersey.

The Steelers rarely negotiate with players during the season. And while there is a chance the Steelers could put the franchise tag on Woodley, there is no assurance the tag will be included in a new collective bargaining agreement. So that’s the uncapped year complicated the whole negotiating process. In a capped NFL year, players can’t make more than 30 percent more than they did in the previous year. But in uncapped years, there will be no restriction and a team will have to think carefully before signing a new contract with any player.

To be honestly, no Steelers official deny that Woodley deserves a big extension. The Pro Bowl outside linebacker has become one of the league’s top pass rushers and he has made 25 sacks over the last two seasons for the Steelers.

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The Steelers rarely negotiate with players during the season. And while there is a chance the Steelers could put the franchise tag on Woodley, there is no assurance the tag will be included in a new collective bargaining agreement. So that’s the uncapped year complicated the whole negotiating process. In a capped NFL year, players can’t make more than 30 percent more than they did in the previous year. But in uncapped years, there will be no restriction and a team will have to think carefully before signing a new contract with any player.

To be honestly, no Steelers official deny that Woodley deserves a big extension. The Pro Bowl outside linebacker has become one of the league’s top pass rushers and he has made 25 sacks over the last two seasons for the Steelers.

Former Dallas LB Lockhart may have to stay in prison

Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Eugene Lockhart recently was arrested again, ten months after he was firstly arrested for being accused of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud along with aiding and abetting, and two months before he stands trial on Oct. 18. Since he violated the terms of his pre-trial release, he is now unavailable to freedom on bond.

This time the 49-year-old man was caught when he was having fun with a group of people wearing Michael Irvin jerseys. They seemed to be over-excited when policemen arrived and the officer doubted they were having drugs. Eugene and several other friends failed a drug test and were taken into federal custody on Friday morning. Because Lockhart was still waiting for his trial on his last crime, a hearing is needed to decide whether he should remain jailed during the waiting.

The former NFL player spent seven seasons with the Cowboys during the 1980s and used to stay with the team for a short while after retiring in 1990. He was released for off field troubles and remained out of football since then. He may face a two-year imprisonment if pleading guilty.

Jets rookie RB McKnight is trying to avoid embarrassment

The New York Jets singed former USC star running back Joe McKnight in the fourth round of NFL draft to improve the team’s running game, however, the rookie did not seem to fit the team well, and he was vomiting and cramping for most of the three days. But McKnight does not want to give up and decided to dedicate the rest of the offseason to avoid such embarrassments again.

"I went home and worked on my cardio — I did a lot of core training and running to get my wind back," McKnight told The Times-Picayune. "It’s helped me because a lot of papers described me as lazy and not hard-working. I’m still changing that perception of me."

Actually, the rookie has to work hard to at least catch up with other rookies, let alone his aim is to take some snaps from veterans like Shonn Greene, LaDainian Tomlinson and Chauncey Washington. When talking about Tomlinson, who gave up the chance of putting on Minnesota Vikings jersey to join Jets instead, McKnight was filled with admire and said that he was glad for having a chance to play with LT.

Steelers CB Taylor is expecting contract extension

The Pittsburgh Steelers do not seem like to offer eighth year veteran cornerback Ike Taylor in near future. Actually, there is not even any talk in progress, although Taylor is already in his final year of his current contract, which is worth $23.75 million. So the starting cornerback is hoping that a talk could be started within this year.

"Deep down in my heart, I want to retire as a Steeler," Taylor told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I've been here seven years. I'm a Steeler all the way. But it's on them if we can agree — be on the same page. If not, I've gotta move on."

It’s hard to say whether the Steelers would retain Taylor before the contract expires. The team has a tradition to let free agents go, no matter how accomplished the free agents were. But one the other side, Taylor has good relationship with team owner Dan Rooney and got supports from defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, who recently said publicly that the team would not let Taylor go. Who knows? Even the Green Bay Packers let their favorite quarterback to put on another team’s version of Brett Favre jersey after he failed to win a second Super Bowl title, and Taylor really needs to pray and offer something to keep his job with the Steelers.

Patriots DL coach aims at job of defensive coordinator

The New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has not yet named a new defensive coordinator, and both the team’s defensive line coach Pepper Johnson and linebackers coach Matt Patricia are aiming at the void position. While Patricia has been regarded as a candidate for a long time, it was until a recent interview that Johnson made it clear he wanted to work as a defensive coordinator.

"It is getting more and more every year," Johnson said, per the Boston Globe. "You know me, I try to stay away from the sports talk shows, I try to stay away from the newspapers as much as possible, because I get my hopes up and I start salivating at the mouth and then the phone is not ringing. But I’m prepared for whatever presents itself. I have to be, I think you have to be in this world today, period. But yeah,over the last couple years, I’m getting more and more calls and text messages. ‘Are you coming to town?' Or 'Are you leaving us?’ So I get it both ways.”

Having worked for the Patriots for many years on the defensive line, Johnson indeed is qualified to do the job. But he still has to face competition. There has been report saying that Brett Favre also likes the idea of coaching with the Patriots if he decides to take off his Brett Favre jersey for final retirement.

Steelers have to make choice for replacing ORT Colon

With starting offensive right tackle Willie Colon still lying in hospital recovering from a surgery on his Achilles tendon, the Pittsburgh Steelers may have to start and go through the 2010 NFL season without Colon. So the most important task for them now is to figure out a qualified tackle that can replace Colon at the position.

The Steelers do have a few choices. Free agent offensive tackle Flozell Adams is visiting the team and the former Dallas Cowboys tackle has a long-time experience as starter on the left side. If he is to be signed, the Steelers will be able to move offensive left tackle Max Starks to the right side as Starks used to start at right tackle in 2005 season and 2006 season. Besides, Jonathan Scott, Ramon Foster and Trai Essex are all available for promotion. Formerly starting both at left tackle and right tackle in Saints jersey, Scott is as experienced as Starks, and Essex is also likely to compete for the starting job because he started at right guard last season. Foster is a rookie but also has experience of starting at right tackle during his college football career.

Other possible candidates include third-year offensive tackle Tony Hillis and rookie tackle Chris Scott. But Hillis is in lack of real-game experience and Scott also suffered a foot injury recently and could miss most of his rookie season to recover from surgery.

Eagles WR Jackson wants a new contract

The Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson is still negotiating with his team for his new contract. With two years left on his current four-year contract that was signed during his rookie season, Jackson thinks that it is time to raise his salary to match his on-field performance. He made it clear that he was unhappy with the current progress of the negotiation.

“There has been no progress so far,” Jackson told Tyler Dunne of The Philadelphia Daily News. “I’m looking forward to just working with them and hopefully making something happen.”

Jackson can earn a total salary of $3.47 million on his current contract, and he has earned $776,000 last season, including $385,000 in base salary and a $391,000 roster bonus. If he continues with current contract, he will earn $ 805,000 ($470,000 in base salary and a $335,000 roster bonus), and that’s definitely not what the receiver wants with his current fame.

Recently appearing in Brett Favre jersey in a youth football camp, Jackson said that he would still give the Eagles some time for negotiation and wanted the deal to be done before 2011 season. Otherwise he may seriously consider joining another team during next offseason.