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Steelers left tackle Marvel Smith sounds like a man who expects to finish his career somewhere other than Pittsburgh.
Smith is heading into the final year of his contract, and he and the Steelers are not close to an extension. And with the Steelers’ general policy of refusing to negotiate deals during the season, Smith tells the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review “it’s pretty much guaranteed” that he will leave after the season, barring a long-term deal suddenly coming to fruition within the next couple of weeks.
Added Smith’s agent, Ken Zuckerman, “He doesn’t like change and would definitely be open to working out a contract before the season. However, once the regular season starts with no extension in place, he will be forced to enter the free-agent market.”
The key issue for Smith is whether he can stay healthy. He missed five games last year because of a back injury, but after surgery, Smith says he has plenty of good years left.
He may play those years for a new team.
August 21st, 2008 at 10:56 am
Smith is not that great and he’s not going to get Faneca money. That said, I wish the Steelers would make an effort to resign more key players. Every year they just let them walk. Good one’s too, remember Chris Hope?
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Rating: 2.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
August 21st, 2008 at 11:05 am
He needs to be resigned.
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Rating: 3.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
August 21st, 2008 at 11:16 am
IF his back is healthy he needs to be resigned. There aren’t a lot of good left tackles just floating around. He would be harder to replace than Faneca.
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Rating: 4.4 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
August 21st, 2008 at 11:24 am
With the emergence of Timmons and with him being able to capably take over for Farrior next year, re-signing Smith should have been a higher priority than re-signing Farrior.
Tony Hills doesn’t look like the answer to replacing Marvel.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
August 21st, 2008 at 11:27 am
agreed, smith should be re-signed, as well as farrior too. i’m with the camp that believes the steelers just let too many of these guys walk year after year. soon the lack of loyalty is going to come through to the players side too. both farrior and smith have given alot to this organization and should at least be offered something, whether it’s fair market value or not. you can’t draft enough good players every year to just step right in and replace everyone who is in the last year of their contract.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
August 21st, 2008 at 11:30 am
Even though the steelers typically don’t, I would also hope they would consider using the Franchise tag on him next year.
After they made one of the worst moves in professional football this year and gave BACKUP Max Starks the transition tag for 7 mill, I would hope they wise up and spend an extra couple million on the franchise tag for one of the most important positions on the field. And you know, he’s even a starter!
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Rating: 4.6 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
August 21st, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Now that Farrior has agreed and will sign new deal, maybe they will
put their focus on Marvel Smith. Still two weeks before season starts.
Plenty of time to get something done.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
August 21st, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Why sign Smith now? Let him play out the season and if his back holds up work out a deal or tag his ass. You don’t want to get caught giving big money to a guy whose back may give out this season. Next year Starks $7 million will be coming off the books. They could easily just give that to Smith.
With 4 draft picks in the top 3 rounds next year the Steelers are setting up for another string of runs through the playoffs. All they need to do is extend a few more guys like Smith, McFadden, and Kemoeatu.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
August 21st, 2008 at 1:02 pm
People still live in Pittsburgh? I thought it already rusted away.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
August 21st, 2008 at 1:21 pm
The most likely scenario is that they have already or soon will tell Marvel and his agent the tag is coming but we want to work something out long term. I bet a deal gets done if health is not an issue. They want a deal to hedge against an onset of new injury, and that would not be a prudent business move for Colbert & Company, especially with ownership in flux.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
August 21st, 2008 at 6:38 pm
sneezy i mean sleazy, oops no I mean qweezy, Yes people live in Pittsburgh still. Which i am sure is better than the hole you crawled out of. Here is a thought maybe you should crawl right back in there, with your little ignorant rust comments.
& JPeezy you are dead on. I think Kemo needs to be extended before the regular season. So we don’t risk losing two OL, in the worse case scenario come free agency next year……………..
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
August 21st, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Kemoeatu and Colon I do believe will be restricted FA’s after the season, so they aren’t going anywhere. Still should extend them though. Smith as I said before needs to show he is healthy. He makes 6 mill a year now, so a franchise tag only ups that to 7 million. McFadden is the one I am worried about hitting the open market.
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Rating: 2 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
August 23rd, 2008 at 8:32 am
No Kemo is a UFA as is Marvel as is McFadden as is Nate Washington………..
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 1 rating(s)