Now that June 1 is finally here, we can now close out the unrestricted free agent additions and losses of the Pittsburgh Steelers for the offseason as it relates to what will be used in determining compensatory draft picks next offseason. Remember, unrestricted free agent players signed from this point forward no longer count.
As you can see by the list below, the Steelers signed five unrestricted free agents from other teams and lost seven of their own. Lance Moore, Brice McCain and Adam Podlesh do not count as free agent additions as far as the compensatory formula goes as all three were street free agents because each had been released by their former team.
When looking forward at trying to calculate what the Steelers might receive in the way of compensatory picks next offseason, you really have to try to see which players lost will cancel out players signed, as nobody knows exactly what the formula is that the league uses.
For example, I think there’s a good chance that Mitchell cancels out Sanders and that Blount cancels out Woods. Thomas could quite possibly cancel out Cotchery and it makes sense to have Heyward-Bey cancel out Johnson, if both make the final 53 man rosters. In reality, Moats will likely cancel out Dwyer.
That leaves us with a balance of Hood and Clark as losses. Hopefully both stay healthy, start and play well in 2014.
It’s probably better to stay conservative when guessing compensatory picks, so if it works out like above, I’m going to guess that the Steelers will receive two compensatory draft picks next offseason with the round designations being a fifth and a seventh.
URFAs Added
Mike Mitchell – Mitchell signed a five year, $25 million contract that included a $4.75 million signing bonus and $500,000 roster bonus.
LeGarrette Blount – Blount signed a two year, $3.85 million contract that included a $950,000 signing bonus.
Cam Thomas – Thomas to a two year, $4 million contract that included a $1 million signing bonus.
Arthur Moats – Moats signed a one year, $795,000 contract that included a $65,000 signing bonus.
Darrius Heyward-Bey – Heyward-Bey signed a one year, $795,000 contract that included a $65,000 signing bonus.
URFAs Lost
Ziggy Hood – Signed a four-year, $16 million contract that did not include a signing bonus.
Emmanuel Sanders – Sanders signed a three year $15 million contract that included a $3 million signing bonus.
Jerricho Cotchery – Cotchery signed a five year, $8.015 million contract that included a $2.25 million signing bonus.
Al Woods – signed a two-year, $4 million contract that included a $1 million signing bonus.
David Johnson – Johnson signed a two-year, $1.7 million contract that included a $220,000 signing bonus.
Ryan Clark – signed a one year, $1.02 million contract that included a $65,000 signing bonus.
Jonathan Dwyer – Dwyer signed a one year, $795,000 contract that included a $65,000 signing bonus.
