Jacksonville Jaguars free agent running back Maurice Jones-Drew is reportedly back at the Pittsburgh Steelers facility for another round of talks on Thursday and by the end of the day, we should know whether or not he’s been signed.
The UCLA product has had his share of injuries over the course of the last few years, but according to Ed Werder of ESPN, Jones-Drew is now “in good physical condition” and is being “deliberate” in his approach to free agency.
The Steelers could certainly use an experienced running back to back up and spell starter Le’Veon Bell, and based on what Jones-Drew has shown he can do in the past, he would figure to be a fit. If he can stay healthy.
The Steelers enter Thursday with just over $2 million in available cap space to spend, but if that’s not enough, they do have other options, as nearly $4 million can be freed up by restructuring the contract of linebacker Lawrence Timmons.
It is unknown what Jones-Drew is looking for when it comes to money, but the Steelers could give him a fair signing bonus and a second-year roster bonus in order to entice him to sign. In other words, he might have the opportunity to earn more than $5 million over the course of the next two seasons if he can stay healthy and perform well in 2014. Being that he’s about to turn 29-years-old in just a few days, that might be an offer that he seriously needs to consider.
