Are you ready for more talk about sexy free agent players that the Pittsburgh Steelers might add this offseason? No, I\’m not talking about linebacker Bart Scott, who was released by the New York Jets on Tuesday.
The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Tuesday that they had released wide receiver Steve Breaston, a Woodland Hills graduate, and he is exactly the kind of potentially cheap free agent player that the Steelers would consider signing this offseason to bolster their depth.
Breaston was a healthy inactive for the Chiefs in six games down the stretch in 2012, and caught just seven passes for 74 yards on 15 targets. The Michigan product, however, had his best years when he played for Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley in 2008 while a member of the Arizona Cardinals and 2011 in Kansas City.
Haley thought so much of Breaston back in 2011 that he signed him to a five-year, $22.55 million contract that contained $9.5 million in guaranteed money. Breaston was scheduled to earn a base salary of $3.8 million in 2013, but he can forget getting a deal like that right now.
The Steelers still have veteran Jerricho Cotchery under contract for 2013, but there is a chance that he could become a salary cap causality at the beginning of March as he is due to earn a base salary of $1 million. If that indeed were to come to fruition then Breaston could be a minimum contract free agent addition.
Free agent players such as Breaston are the kind that the Steelers add during the offseason. The 2012 high profile signing made by the Steelers was tight end Leonard Pope, who curiously also played under Haley in both Arizona and Kansas City.
Do I think it is for certain that Breaston will be signed? No, but these are the kind of free agent players that the Steelers would like to add, if they add any at all. They\’re inexpensive depth guys that understand the system.
| Receiving | Rushing | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tm | G | Rec | Yds | Lng | Yds | TD | Lng | RRTD | Fmb | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | ARI | KR/PR | 16 | 0 | 8 | 92 | 11.5 | 0 | 22 | 0.5 | 5.8 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | ARI | PR/WR | 16 | 9 | 77 | 1006 | 13.1 | 3 | 58 | 4.8 | 62.9 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1014 | 3 | 1 |
| 2009 | ARI | PR/wr | 15 | 6 | 55 | 712 | 12.9 | 3 | 45 | 3.7 | 47.5 | 2 | 44 | 0 | 25 | 22.0 | 2.9 | 0.1 | 756 | 3 | 2 |
| 2010 | ARI | WR | 13 | 11 | 47 | 718 | 15.3 | 1 | 37 | 3.6 | 55.2 | 3 | 35 | 0 | 17 | 11.7 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 753 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | KAN | WR | 16 | 13 | 61 | 785 | 12.9 | 2 | 43 | 3.8 | 49.1 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 25 | 25.0 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 810 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012 | KAN | wr | 10 | 4 | 7 | 74 | 10.6 | 0 | 24 | 0.7 | 7.4 | 74 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| Career | 86 | 43 | 255 | 3387 | 13.3 | 9 | 58 | 3.0 | 39.4 | 10 | 120 | 0 | 25 | 12.0 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 3507 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 4 yrs | ARI | 60 | 26 | 187 | 2528 | 13.5 | 7 | 58 | 3.1 | 42.1 | 9 | 95 | 0 | 25 | 10.6 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 2623 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2 yrs | KAN | 26 | 17 | 68 | 859 | 12.6 | 2 | 43 | 2.6 | 33.0 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 25 | 25.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 884 | 2 | 1 | |
