Based on the flashes he displayed throughout that stretch, the Steelers offered the 26-year-old linebacker nearly $10 million to stay in Pittsburgh this year. Because it's a transition tag, there's a chance another team will offer a better deal. Multiple teams with plenty of salary cap space could do that, and we'll learn by this time next week whether that will happen.
Meanwhile, the Steelers' braintrust juggles other roster/salary issues. It's an equation with lots of moving pieces. The big question marks are Lamarr Woodley and Ike Taylor. And it will be no surprise when some others will be released to pursue other opportunities. Ryan Clark, we'll miss you. Levi Brown, not at all.
It would be fun for us fans if the Steelers would suddenly announce the signing of new free agents such as defensive lineman Red Bryant and linebacker D'Quell Jackson, but that would be a surprise. It would be a nice surprise, but not likely to happen. Darn.
It's easy enough for us to say what the Steelers should do; not so easy to predict what they will do.
