Bit Parts - How Colbert Stays Ahead of the Game

In the past few weeks, while other teams were pursuing bigger names at bigger price tags with bigger inherent risks, Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert was busy re-signing his own 3rd tier free agents.  Big news?  Hardly, especially around the league.  Big deal?  You bet, as Colbert has once again positioned himself to operate with a great deal of flexibility in the upcoming NFL Draft.

It's the Colbert way, and the results make it hard to argue against.  Sure, there have been a few hangers-on whose performance didn't match even their moderate salary.  Clint Kriewaldt jumps immediately to mind, a guy who didn't have much speed or agility to begin with but was given a moderate extension later in his career to provide ILB depth and continuity on special teams.  He became a poster child for the special teams' lack of athleticism, a point that was driven home when the coverage teams improved in his absence. 

But by and large, Colbert's bit signings have fortified team depth and have allowed him to draft the best player available.  In one case, Colbert re-signed a linebacker to a moderate veteran contract to be a backup and core special teamer, a signing that was overlooked by league observers.  That player was James Harrison.

Last year, Colbert targeted free agents from other teams.  Mewelde Moore, Justin Hartwig and Keyaron Fox not only helped the team win the Super Bowl, they gave Colbert the freedom to take Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed when each fell in the draft.  Neither player filled an immediate need, but both have pivotal roles moving forward.

This year, the signings have come from within.  Andre Frazier received a moderate deal to return as a backup linebacker and special teams stalwart.  Fernando Bryant returns as a passable 4th corner with a ton of experience.  Arnold Harrison, if healthy, can be a versatile backup in the linebacker corps while also contributing to special teams.  And Trai Essex was re-signed for peanuts this week giving the Steelers an experienced backup capable of playing four positions on the offensive line.

On their own, these signings won't put fear into the hearts of teams waiting to knock the Steelers from their perch.  What they do provide is a ton of draft-day flexibility that will prevent Colbert from having to make panic picks.  Without Frazier and Harrison in the fold, outside linebacker was a legitimate need.  Without Bryant's new deal, finding a cornerback would capable of playing right away would have been a necessity.  Without Essex, the offensive line depth would have included not a single player who has ever taken a regular season offensive snap in the NFL.

Don't get me wrong.  Offensive line and cornerback will certainly be addressed early in the upcoming draft.  However, Colbert won't be painted into a corner in any round - if the talent doesn't meet the pick, there's no pressure to pull the trigger and make a selection based on need instead of value. 

This especially matters at the cornerback position.  Absent Bryant, the Steelers would have likely pursued an experienced big-school corner ready to contribute.  Unfortunately, the only corners fitting that description near the end of the first round are likely to be smaller corners like Alphonso Smith and D.J. Moore.  Good players?  Yes, I like them both.  But the Steelers already have smaller corners in William Gay and Deshea Townsend, what they need is a bigger guy that can possibly replace Ike Taylor in a few years.  Those types of corners are out there (Sean Smith, Sherrod Martin, Don Carey), but they'll all need some time under the tutelage of Mike Tomlin and Dick Lebeau before they're ready for big roles.  Bryant's re-signing bought the Steelers some time and the freedom to get their type of player.

The Steelers return 44 of the 53 players from their Super Bowl roster.  That's a mind boggling number in the free agent era.

To that 44, add in Rashard Mendenhall and Daniel Sepulveda who were on injured reserve, plus injured/cut/re-signed/practice squad players such as Ryan Mundy, Arnold Harrison and Doug Legursky and pretty soon you've got a 2009 roster that is pretty much ready to go right out of the box, pre-draft.  Plus, Charlie Batch and Keyaron Fox both have a good chance at being re-signed as free agency moves along. 

Of course, guys like Jason Capizzi, Jeremy Parquet and Scott Paxon have uphill battles to make the squad again next year.  But all 3 of those guys, for better or worse, were on the roster at the time of the Super Bowl, which should at least make for some good competition; the incoming class of rookies will be working to push guys with rings off the roster.

Colbert is set up to work the draft board in a variety of ways.  He can stay put and take the best players regardless of position.  He can move around in pursuit of players he covets with the knowledge that he doesn't have to fill holes with numbers for the sake of filling them.

Against the backdrop of this draft-day freedom is the issue of 2010, an issue made cloudier by the lack of a new collective bargaining agreement.  Colbert faces a large class of free agents, including Max Starks, Willie Parker, Hines Ward, Casey Hampton, James Harrison and Brett Keisel.  The small signings made this year give Colbert a much better chance to get a head start on next year beginning on April 25th.  He's able to draft a player at a position that is not an immediate need with the idea that they'll learn for a year before they have to play much, which is what we saw this past year with Mendenhall and Sweed having what amounted to redshirt seasons.

For most teams, free agency is the penalty for drafting poorly.  In Colbert's case, free agency is the penalty for drafting too well, as the team simply cannot afford to keep all the drafted players (and undrafted players) who pan out.  By making moves that go unnoticed by national observers, Colbert does a great job at making sure he's got a chance to re-stock the roster proactively, working a year ahead while other teams flail around trying to correct their past mistakes.