Steelers Free Agency 2013: Steelers made a play for Jake Long
By Matt Shetler
It’s been a typical free agency period for the Pittsburgh Steelers, by that I mean cheap inexpensive depth signings without adding any players who could offer a major impact to improve a disappointing team.
That what makes it interesting is that they reportedly made a play at attempting to sign one of the better players that was on the market.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Steelers “made a play” to get premier offensive tackle Jake Long, just before he agreed to terms on a four-year, $36 million deal with the St. Louis Rams.
Just before OT Jake Long agreed to a four-year deal worth up to $36 million with Rams, Steelers made a play to try to get him to Pittsburgh.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2013
Aug. 4, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Jake Long (77) during a scrimmage at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
With that being said, I have a hard time believing it was too serious of a play, although adding one of the better tackles in the NFL would have been quite the grab for Steelers’ general manager Kevin Colbert.
Likely, it was nothing more of an inquiry, as the Steelers don’t have the cap space available to even come close to signing Long to a deal.
However while they certainly didn’t come close to landing Long, it will be interesting to see if the Steelers will be in on the next best two tackles available- Andre Smith or Sebastian Vollmer.
Smith and Vollmer weren’t going to sign until Long set the market and are still available.
However when it comes down to signing a tackle in free agency, it usually results in another one-year deal for Max Starks, something that could still happen.