Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback William Gay signed a two-year contract last offseason with the Arizona Cardinals during the free agency signing period. He won\’t, however, see the second year of that deal as he was released on Friday as the Cardinals attempt to get under the salary cap.
Gay, who was an unrestricted free agent last offseason, was rumored to have turned down a one-year offer for the minimum to stay in Pittsburgh. He chose instead to sign a two-year deal with the Cardinals worth $3.2 million. That deal also reportedly included a $500,000 signing bonus. His signing with the Cardinals also reunited him with former Steelers defensive backs coach Ray Horton, who was the defensive coordinator at the time.
Gay was scheduled to make $3.2 million in 2013 after a playing time escalator bumped his salary well over the original $1.475 million he was originally set to earn.
Now that Horton is the new defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns, that could possibly be the next landing spot for Gay as a backup and special teams contributor. Only if he takes the minimum, however.
Could Gay return to the Steelers on a non-guaranteed one-year deal for the minimum? Anything is possible, I suppose, but the Steelers seem to have moved on with young cornerbacks DeMarcus Van Dyke and Josh Victorian as depth players that also play on special teams.
Should unrestricted free agent Keenan Lewis ultimately be re-signed, the Steelers will have him, Ike Taylor, Cortez Allen and Curtis Brown as their top four cornerbacks with Van Dyke and Victorian fighting to provide depth. Should Lewis wind up elsewhere, then Gay might be considered an option for depth purposes and special teams.
