Wow- Simmons Released!

[DCSteelers]

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/09057/951915-100.stm

The Steelers today released starting guard Kendall Simmons, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Simmons had an Achilles tendon torn in the fourth game of last season and was placed on injured reserve and did not play again.

He was thief first-round draft choice in 2002 and became their starting right guard as a rookie. He remained their starter except when he spent 2004 on injured reserve and until his injury last season.

They also released linebacker Mike Humpal, a sixth-round draft choice last year. Humpal was on injured reserve with a neck injury.

$3.1M savings.. That should make the O-Line discussions fun... Saturday in our future?

[ben2hines4six]

EUREKA!!!

My prayers have been answered...Preach, was this your doing? =)

I remain hopeful that they can find someone like Saturday for a cap-friendly deal...now if they would only get rid of Colon...

[Finnegans Wake]

Excellent move.

Too bad Humpal didn't work out, but he did have the injury. 

[ben2hines4six]

I kind of feel like we just won the Superbowl all over again...what a great start to 09 for the Steelers!!

[SCacalaki]

Wow. 

So much going on the 'Burgh today with Simmons' exodus, tenders and Whitney's trade.

The 'Burgh six o'clock news is a must-see.

[otismalibu]

Was hoping this would have been about Bill Simmons being released into a pen of komodo dragons.

[LambertsFrontTeeth]

WOW. Shocked by this. Although I wasn't thrilled with the idea of Simmons returning, he at least would provide depth (as would Marvel, and he's clearly gone as well).

Is there any doubt now that we are taking multiple OL in the first 3 rounds?  Or were we just freeing up cap space to sing Essex to a whopper deal?

I'm not a fan of the idea of singing Saturday...he's just too old. Are there any other G/C out there that we might target?

[leighclay]

EUREKA!!!

My prayers have been answered...Preach, was this your doing? =)

Dude, I told you.  I sacrificed chickens.
And I didn't stop at 2...
 

[DCSteelers]

Maybe Kemo is close to an extension?  It's hard for me to imagine that they'd try and replace 2 starting guards in 1 off season.

[pensodyssey]

EUREKA!!!

My prayers have been answered...Preach, was this your doing? =)

Dude, I told you.  I sacrificed chickens.
And I didn't stop at 2...
 

Take it easy on the chickens, Leigh.  To some of us, every chick is special.

[leighclay]

EUREKA!!!

My prayers have been answered...Preach, was this your doing? =)

Dude, I told you.  I sacrificed chickens.
And I didn't stop at 2...
 

Take it easy on the chickens, Leigh.  To some of us, every chick is special.

Yeah, yeah, and every sperm is sacred.
I know, I know...
I'll cool it.
For now.
 

[steelerfaninCO]

I'm definitely surprised by this. 3 mil in cap room saving isn't bad, but could get eaten by Silverback's extension.  Does this mean they are thinking about Saturday(I hope not), or that Stapleton is OK?

Simmons wasn't that great, but why extend him last summer, only to cut him?

[jonzr]

They could always resign him for the vet min.

[RoundTripperKipper]

No Saturday. He re-upped with the Dolts. Peyton must have bitched to Irsay.

[aj_law]

Sweet.

[LambertsFrontTeeth]

Probably used us to force the Dolts' hand.

[ben2hines4six]

EUREKA!!!

My prayers have been answered...Preach, was this your doing? =)

Dude, I told you.  I sacrificed chickens.
And I didn't stop at 2...
 

LOL nice work LC!!
Doing whatever it takes on behalf of the team...nice to see!! 
 

[DCSteelers]

Did you see that this actually increases the cap hit in 2009 by 70K, due to the acceleration of the signing bonus???

It's a little more of a head-scratcher to me now.  I'll have to assume the experts know what they are doing.

[Finnegans Wake]

Did you see that this actually increases the cap hit in 2009 by 70K, due to the acceleration of the signing bonus???

It's a little more of a head-scratcher to me now.  I'll have to assume the experts know what they are doing.

Well, cap-wise, it clears some future space.  With the increase in the '09 cap, we net out ahead, too.  But mostly, this is about not ahving dead wood on the roster.  I think FO has decided it needs a thorough housecleaning. 

[Merman1983]

Yep trimming the fat. The guy hasn't been very good since his multiple health issues. I think the FO panicked into signing him when Red left, then saw that he was outproduced by a rookie FA from Rutgers.

I don't think the cap hit matters much when you can replace overpaid unproductive players with younger guys with upside, which hopefully will happen in the draft.

[aj_law]

Did you see that this actually increases the cap hit in 2009 by 70K, due to the acceleration of the signing bonus???

It's a little more of a head-scratcher to me now.  I'll have to assume the experts know what they are doing.

Well, cap-wise, it clears some future space.  With the increase in the '09 cap, we net out ahead, too.  But mostly, this is about not ahving dead wood on the roster.  I think FO has decided it needs a thorough housecleaning. 

Also, I believe that if they needed more immediate room, they could prorate the accelerated bonus hit over this year and next.

I think.

[Finnegans Wake]

Did you see that this actually increases the cap hit in 2009 by 70K, due to the acceleration of the signing bonus???

It's a little more of a head-scratcher to me now.  I'll have to assume the experts know what they are doing.

Well, cap-wise, it clears some future space.  With the increase in the '09 cap, we net out ahead, too.  But mostly, this is about not ahving dead wood on the roster.  I think FO has decided it needs a thorough housecleaning. 

Also, I believe that if they needed more immediate room, they could prorate the accelerated bonus hit over this year and next.

I think.

IIRC, that's only if he were cut post-June 1.

[DCSteelers]

Then I'm back to why not wait till June 1 for the cut?  2010 is uncapped anyways.  Maybe incentives or a roster bonus in there somewhere?

I'm happy for the move, but financially it seems not to make sense to do it right now.

[jonzr]

Then I'm back to why not wait till June 1 for the cut?  2010 is uncapped anyways.  Maybe incentives or a roster bonus in there somewhere?

I'm happy for the move, but financially it seems not to make sense to do it right now.

Maybe they wanted him to have an opportunity to sign elsewhere.

[Preacherman0]

EUREKA!!!

My prayers have been answered...Preach, was this your doing? =)

Well, I can't take ALL the credit for this.  However, I will say that I said "Oh my God!!!" and "Simmons" in the same sentence quite a bit over the last four years.

Clearly, the team simply decided the guy couldn't cut it to do what we needed him to do.  Maybe they should have waited until June 1, but I think it's better just to get it over with and move forward.  This way we know exactly what we're trying to do and there is no debate about whether or not we should keep him or cut him.

I'm just glad to see we're doing SOMETHING and apparently taking this situation with the oline seriously.  No Saturday, obviously, but maybe we have something else cookin'.

Maybe they wanted him to have an opportunity to sign elsewhere.

Or perhaps they are going to wait it out and see if they can't resing him for depth at the league minimum.

[DCSteelers]

Simmons is paying a visit to Buffalo.

http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/blogngold/default.aspx

[aj_law]

Did you see that this actually increases the cap hit in 2009 by 70K, due to the acceleration of the signing bonus???

It's a little more of a head-scratcher to me now.  I'll have to assume the experts know what they are doing.

Well, cap-wise, it clears some future space.  With the increase in the '09 cap, we net out ahead, too.  But mostly, this is about not ahving dead wood on the roster.  I think FO has decided it needs a thorough housecleaning. 

Also, I believe that if they needed more immediate room, they could prorate the accelerated bonus hit over this year and next.

I think.

IIRC, that's only if he were cut post-June 1.

Shit.  That's right.  Don't know what I was thinkin'.

[Finnegans Wake]

Did you see that this actually increases the cap hit in 2009 by 70K, due to the acceleration of the signing bonus???

It's a little more of a head-scratcher to me now.  I'll have to assume the experts know what they are doing.

Well, cap-wise, it clears some future space.  With the increase in the '09 cap, we net out ahead, too.  But mostly, this is about not ahving dead wood on the roster.  I think FO has decided it needs a thorough housecleaning. 

Also, I believe that if they needed more immediate room, they could prorate the accelerated bonus hit over this year and next.

I think.

IIRC, that's only if he were cut post-June 1.

Shit.  That's right.  Don't know what I was thinkin'.

Is it quittin' time yet?

[aj_law]

Well, I can't take ALL the credit for this.  However, I will say that I said "Oh my God!!!" and "Simmons" in the same sentence quite a bit over the last four years.

89%.

Preacher-"Switch hittin"-man.

[Finnegans Wake]

Well, I can't take ALL the credit for this.  However, I will say that I said "Oh my God!!!" and "Simmons" in the same sentence quite a bit over the last four years.

89%.

Preacher-"Switch hittin"-man.

Actually, more like 445%. 

Preach is talking about Richard Simmons...

[Preacherman0]

Preach is talking about Richard Simmons...

Easy, greasy! 

I have a rule in youth group that you have to stop and think for at least three seconds before you speak.  Maybe I need to apply that rule to "before you type" as well.

[dare2beme]

I have a rule in youth group that you have to stop and think for at least three seconds before you speak.  Maybe I need to apply that rule to "before you type" as well.

I dunno, at least for me, I require a LOT more than 3 seconds to think before I type...