Steelers owner Dan Rooney dies

By Ed Bouchette

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/

April 13, 2017

Dan Rooney with his father, Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr., in 1966 (AP)

Dan Rooney, who succeeded his father and Steelers founder, Art Sr., as team president and rose to become one of the most powerful and beloved owners in sports, died Thursday at the age of 84.

Born Daniel Milton Rooney, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000, making the Rooneys only the second father-son combination to be enshrined. Under his leadership since the late 1960s, the Steelers transformed from lovable losers into a Super Bowl dynasty in the 1970s and remain among the most successful and popular franchises in the game.

A powerful voice in the NFL for decades, often out of the public eye, he helped settle two players’ strikes, served on many league committees and was a confidante and adviser to three commissioners. He fought to give more opportunities for minority coaches to ascend in the NFL, an effort that prompted the adoption of what is known as the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least one minority coach in the process of hiring a head coach.

Then at an age when many cut back on their activities, Mr. Rooney took on more in an entirely different field when President Barack Obama appointed him as United States ambassador to Ireland, a job he began two weeks before his 77th birthday.

Ranked for decades among the most powerful voices in the NFL, he handled himself with the kind of modesty that endeared him to colleagues and office workers alike, showing up daily at his only place of business, the offices of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Dan has always led with humility,’’ said Hall of Famer Joe Greene while presenting Mr. Rooney for induction at Canton, Ohio, in 2000. “When things go as planned, Dan is in the background. When things don’t go as planned, he’s in the forefront.”

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Rooney's rule will be legacy

By Kevin Gorman

http://triblive.com/sports/

April 13, 2017

This Nov. 2, 2014 file photo shows Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Greene, left, hugging Steelers chairman Dan Rooney following a ceremony to retire Greene's jersey number 75 at half time of an NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, in Pittsburgh. The Steelers announced that Mr. Rooney died Thursday, April 13, 2017. He was 84. (AP Photo)

Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/business/article144460784.html#storylink=cpy

As irony would have it, Joe Greene was discussing the Rooney Rule over lunch with former NFL scouting executives Thursday afternoon in Dallas.

Just two hours later, the Steelers announced that the man for whom the transformative NFL rule was named had died at age 84.

Dan Rooney was a great many things to a great many people, whether it was serving as Ambassador to Ireland or as a power broker in the NFL as Steelers chairman.

Rooney leaves quite a legacy, from his hiring of Chuck Noll as head coach to drafting Greene as the franchise cornerstone that turned the Steelers from four decades of losing to six-time Super Bowl champions.

But, decades from now, Rooney might be best remembered for forcing the NFL in 2003 to adopt a rule that requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate in the process of hiring a head coach.

“Whether it's the transformation of the Steelers or the transformation of the National Football League, opening the door for minorities to be head coaches and administrators, he probably wouldn't want to be identified with either,” Greene said. “It's a shared thing. That's the way he is, or was.

“If I had to pick one for him — with the emphasis on one for him — it would be the Rooney Rule.”

Greene was discussing the rule with John Wooten, a former NFL All-Pro guard who served as director of scouting for the Cowboys, Eagles and Ravens and is now chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an advocacy group that works with the NFL to help minorities find coaching, scouting and front-office positions.

Wooten shared with Greene what a trusted benefactor Rooney was to him and how important he had been in executing the Rooney Rule, a man who would listen to his concerns, whether he agreed or disagreed.

“When he spoke, you paid attention to him, but he spoke in a way that was very conversational, non-threatening, like there was a lot of wisdom in what he said so you listened to him,” Greene said. “There were many decisions he made for the club, for the city and for the National Football League that often go unrecognized. That's how he functioned, making tough decisions behind closed doors. When the Steelers had great times, you never saw him. When times were rocky, he was out front.”

That was Rooney, a diplomat long before he became ambassador, one who employed patience when the world around him demanded action. He was smart but shrewd. He hired Bill Nunn as a scout, then built a dynasty by drafting players from historically black colleges. He hired African-American assistant coaches like Tony Dungy and Marvin Lewis, who would go on to become NFL head coaches before the Rooney Rule took effect.

The Steelers have had as many head coaches — Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin – as the league has had commissioners during Rooney's reign. Rooney was smart and shrewd, failing to allow personal sentiment to cloud his decisions. In replacing Noll with Cowher, he chose the Crafton native over Greene, whom he considered the greatest players in Steelers history.

“When Dan told me I wasn't going to be the next head coach, I was disappointed,” Greene said. “On my 20-minute drive home from the stadium to my house, I felt quite comfortable with the decision that Dan made. I trusted that he thought he was doing what was best for the team and I trusted him enough to know that he was making the decision for his team and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Did I want to be a head coach? Yes, I did. But I had no problem with it. Dan carries that kind of trust and belief, that there's no ulterior motive behind his decisions other than doing what's right for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the city of Pittsburgh.”

When Rooney replaced Cowher with Tomlin, it could have been viewed as the Steelers implementing the Rooney Rule. But Greene believes it had nothing to do with that, other than Rooney using the process to identify bright candidates and finding one in Tomlin. That decision was rewarded a year later with a sixth Lombardi Trophy.

“With the idea and class in the way Mr. Rooney presented it, there's no bias in it,” Greene said. “The Rooney Rule was incorporated to eliminate biases. There's no guarantee about who will be heard, but there is a guarantee that you will be heard. That's all you need. As long as the participants continue to keep trying to grow the game without bias like Mr. Rooney did with the Rooney Rule, the game is going to be better.

“The Rooney Rule and the aftermath in this short period of time is just that, a space in time. We've seen some positives because of that. The door was opened to African-Americans being in administrative positions, as head coaches and coordinators. When I first started playing, I couldn't name you a black assistant coach. It's just a space in time, that something has to happen to keep the game moving forward. Having African-Americans on the football field has been good for the game. Having African-Americans in the administratrive offices, as head coaches, assistants and coordinators has been good for the game. Let's hope we continue to grow the game.”

Let's remember Dan Rooney, not just for the rule he gave the game but the way he ran the Steelers, as the face of a family business that has represented the best of our city and its people for generations.

Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at kgorman@tribweb.com or via Twitter @KGorman_Trib.

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New Steelers DL Tyson Alualu brings pedigree, flexibility

By Chris Bradford

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

March 21, 2017

PITTSBURGH – In a bit of a recurring theme, the Steelers signed a player in free agency on Tuesday who will add depth to their roster. The biggest difference between Tyson Alualu and the three other outside free agents the Steelers have signed to date is that the former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman brings considerable pedigree.

If Alualu’s name is vaguely familiar it’s because he is the former 10th overall pick in the 2010 draft.

Propelled by a strong combine showing, the former Cal star was the third D-linemen selected, after Ndamukong Suh (second overall) and Gerald McCoy (third). While Suh and McCoy have combined for nine Pro Bowl selections, Alualu has been a bit of a disappointment in his seven seasons with the Jaguars given his draft stock.

The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Alualu has 17.5 sacks and 177 solo tackles in 110 career games (88 starts). Signed to a two-year, $6-million contract prior to the 2015 season, Alualu was hardly a lock to make the Jaguars’ 53-man roster last season. Still, Alualu is a solid, durable player who should fit the Steelers’ need for him as a backup to Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and Javon Hargave.

In addition to his pedigree and experience, Alualu provides position flexibility. He played both on the end and in the interior with Jacksonville.

If nothing else, Alualu, signed to a two-year deal, is an upgrade for the Steelers who were in desperate need of D-line depth last season. With free agent Ricardo Mathews now unlikely to be re-signed, Alualu should be in the mix with fellow reserves Dan McCullers, L.T. Walton and Johnny Maxey for playing time.

Options running low as Steelers show free agency restraint

Jeremy FowlerESPN Staff Writerhttp://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/March 15, 2017

Landry Jones (Getty Images)

A breakdown of the first full week of free agency for the Pittsburgh Steelers:

Most significant signing: Backup quarterback Landry Jones. Considering the Steelers' saunter through the free-agency gate, it's fitting that their biggest signing got a modest $4.4 million over two years. The team re-signed Jones and tight end David Johnson at the start of free agency and haven't done much since. But the Jones signing is important because it's a reminder that the team views him more favorably than fans clamoring for a splashy name to back up Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers see Jones as a quality No. 2. And though they could add another quarterback through free agency and the draft, Jones' presence at least fills a need so they don't have to press for help.

Most significant loss: Linebacker Lawrence Timmons. The first draft pick of the Mike Tomlin era was a productive Steeler for 10 seasons and had a chance to return. But the Steelers weren't going to overpay for a linebacker turning 31 in May and braced for a divorce. Miami then swooped in with $11 million guaranteed over two seasons. The Steelers are betting on youth at the position with 27-year-old Vince Williams and others, but they will miss Timmons' experience and versatility. Though not the quickest linebacker in pass coverage, Timmons is a run-stopping thumper and effective blitzer who can make a few plays in zone coverage when needed.

Player they should have signed: Colts outside linebackers Jabaal Sheard or John Simon. Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower, who visited the Steelers on Tuesday, was a fantastic fit for this defense and a worthy replacement for Timmons. He might have been the edge this defense needed to vault from good to great. But the Steelers were never comfortable paying $10-plus million per year -- Hightower's price point for his extension with New England -- for an inside linebacker. Prices for the good cornerbacks were that steep, too. If money was the issue, why not beef up the pass rush with a more affordable option? Simon, a solid all-around player who fights through injury, will get between $5 and $6 million per year. Sheard, whose $25.5 million over three years comes with $12.75 million in guarantees, can line up at defensive end or outside linebacker in a 3-4.

What’s next: The Steelers will continue working the phones for supplemental help. Good second-tier linebackers Kevin Minter and Perry Riley are still available. Viable cornerback options are scarce, though perhaps players such as Morris Claiborne and Sterling Moore offer length and experience the Steelers covet. The signing of wide receiver Justin Hunter signing is intriguing because though he hasn't validated his billing as a former second-round pick, his speed would be a good fit for Roethlisberger in the vertical passing game and he won't cost much on a one-year deal. The Steelers have eight selections in a loaded draft, so the team will prioritize pro days from here on out.

Overall grade: C-plus. There's not much here to grade. There's still time to find help in several areas, and showing restraint this time of year isn't a bad thing. Let's not act like the Steelers have glaring needs at several positions. This roster is pretty good overall. But in the bloated salary-cap era, even teams like Pittsburgh have to spend some. Getting a solid press-man cornerback would have helped this team. Most of the good ones are signed already. Can't have enough pass-rushers and corners, as teams often say. Depth is required at these two spots.

Free agency has started and all I got was this lousy column

By Dale Lolley

http://www.observer-reporter.com/

March 12, 2017

Larence Timmons (James Lang-USA TODAY Sports)

It would make a great T-shirt or bumper sticker slogan for Steelers fans: “Free agency has started and all I got was a backup tight end.”

Or a backup quarterback.

Or a long snapper.

You’d think Steelers fans would be accustomed to the way the team does business by now. But no. Each year, as team after team spends millions on what is typically a misguided attempt to upgrade its roster and overcome poor drafting, Steelers fans gnash their teeth about every move.

And yet, all the Steelers have done in the free agency era, which began in 1993 – my first year covering the team - is have just four losing seasons in that time, make four trips to the Super Bowl and win twice.

That tells me they might be approaching things the right way.

So what is the Steelers’ way?

They identify the players on their own roster they’d like to retain and they make every effort to do so. Typically, they do so.

That doesn’t mean they always get it right. But more often than not, injuries have played a factor - Ike Taylor, LaMarr Woodley.

But you always know your own guys better than those from the outside. And they don’t have to learn a new system, scheme or vernacular.

The Steelers also are very cognizant of not upsetting the structure of their locker room. And by that, I mean pay structure.

For example, they’re not going to jump into the free agent market and pay a defensive player more than current defensive leader Cam Heyward. It upsets the apple cart in the locker room.

They’ll sign guys for the amount they have slotted and not a penny more. Typically, that means waiting for the market to settle a little before they dig in.

So complain about it all you like. But it’s been that way for 25 years and likely will be so for the next 25.

We should be reaching that market settling point early this week.

The Steelers had wanted to add a cornerback in free agency, but considering the going rate was around $10 million per year for average starters, that wasn’t going to happen.

After the opening flurry that has seen A.J. Buye, Logan Ryan, Stephon Gilmore, Prince Amukamara and Dre Kirkpatrick all sign deals for $10-plus million per year, the market should start to come down a little.

But who’s left at the position that’s any good or isn’t over the hill?

Not much.

Morris Claiborne of Dallas is probably the best still available who, at 27, might have some long-term upside. But he was a player who the Cowboys were looking to dump just a couple of years ago before he finally started to play well. But he’s also been injury-prone. He hasn’t played in more than 11 games in each of the past four seasons.

No thanks.

After Clairbone, you’re looking at a lot of guys in their 30s who will be better served retiring than signing another contract.

The Steelers have around $8 million in “mad money” that they can spend on free agents.

But they might want to spend some of that money elsewhere, such as on an experienced backup safety – Lardarius Webb or Jarius Byrd – or inside linebacker – Kevin Minter or Sean Spence – now that Lawrence Timmons has moved on.

Speaking of Timmons, Miami’s decision to guarantee him $11 million of his 2-year, $12-million deal pretty much meant he was out the door.

The Steelers still wanted Timmons back. And $6 million per season wouldn’t have been all that bad.

But guaranteeing that money to a linebacker who will be 31? That wasn’t in the cards.

Plus, the Steelers have Vince Williams waiting in the wings. Williams will bring a physical presence to Pittsburgh’s defense as a hitter.

Where the Steelers will miss Timmons is as a leader - though he was a quiet leader - and in terms of their depth.

Given Ryan Shazier’s injury history - he’s missed seven games the past two seasons since becoming a full-time starter - it would be nice to have an experienced backup there.

The team still has Steven Johnson, L.J. Fort and Tyler Matakevich behind Williams and Shazier, and they have some talent, but another experienced player there might not be a bad thing.

Markus Wheaton got a two-year, $11-million with $5 million guaranteed to sign with Chicago.

I like Wheaton and he’s a nice complimentary receiver. But $5.5 million per season?

The Steelers will reap the benefits of that contract and the one signed by Timmons next season in compensatory picks.

Steelers betting on youth by letting Lawrence Timmons walk

Jeremy FowlerESPN Staff Writerhttp://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelersMarch 10, 2017

Consider this forecasting the decline before it happens.

Lawrence Timmons might have one very good year left. Maybe he has two, enough to fulfill his new two-year, $12-million contract with the Miami Dolphins.

But the Pittsburgh Steelers put sentiment aside and assumed Timmons' play will probably fall off eventually, marking the end of an era for a highly productive player and the first draft pick of the Mike Tomlin tenure in 2007. Giving the 30-year-old Timmons $11 million in guaranteed money was simply too steep for Pittsburgh.

The player picked one spot after Darrelle Revis recorded more than 90 tackles in each of the past seven seasons, made a Pro Bowl and played inspired football in 2016 after shedding between 5 and 10 pounds.

But really, Timmons' improved play complicated a decision that appeared to be made back in August, when the team extended linebacker Vince Williams. The Steelers had the foresight to give Williams $2 million in base salary over the next two years knowing he can either grow into a full-time starter or remain as a productive special-teamer and swing linebacker. That way, Pittsburgh avoided having two of their top three linebackers entering free agency at once. Williams is a big hitter who's eager to capitalize on an enhanced role.

Timmons was coming off a down year for his standards, but to his credit, he increased his value with a contract year of 114 tackles, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two interceptions.

The Steelers did want Timmons back and kept in contact with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. But they weren't going to throw big money at a player turning 31 in May.

When ESPN reported earlier in the week that Timmons was visiting the Dolphins, the marriage felt pretty much over.

Timmons' career in Pittsburgh should not go overlooked. He handled many responsibilities for the defense, from run-stuffing to blitzing to covering tight ends. The Steelers will try to work Williams or an additional free agent/draft pick into that role.

If it wasn't the case already, the teeth of the Pittsburgh defense belongs to Ryan Shazier, who makes the calls in the huddle and is eyeing his first complete season to match his stunning athleticism.

Owners shouldn't ask for more money

by JOHN STEIGERWALD

https://www.indianagazette.com/

March 5, 2017

Art Rooney II (Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports)

Art Rooney II is upset.

Allegheny County government, which stole the taxpayers’ money fair and square almost 20 years ago to build his Heinz Field and the Pirates’ PNC Park, has been reluctant to cough up money for improvements at the football stadium.

The Steelers would like taxpayers to pay for a new scoreboard in the south end, an expansion of the Great Hall and new sound and WiFi systems, among other things. Rooney told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that trying to get money from the Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Sports and Exhibition Authority is “like pulling teeth.”

Rooney said this right around the time that his team was announcing that it had signed Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell to new contracts.

They’ll make $31 million combined next season. If Brown hangs around for five years, he’ll make $68 million.

That’s not unusual. The NFL made more than $1 billion in profit last year and the players deserve every penny. It’s also not unusual for taxpayers to be forced to prevent NFL teams from using their own money to build stadiums.

According to CNN Money, since 1997, about $5.5 billion in taxpayer money has been used to pay for 22 NFL stadiums.

And they’re not just used for football. NFL teams, including the Steelers, who were one of the first to do it, have learned how to promote concerts that can sell 50,000 tickets or more.

They used to rent the stadiums out to concert promoters. Now they promote the concert themselves. Finding out how much the Steelers and other teams profit from acts like Kenney Chesney, whose fans turn the city into a toilet every year, is about as easy as finding out why your favorite Washington, D.C., politician had lunch with a Russian.

Rooney says that without more money from the SEA, the Steelers won’t be able to compete for the acts that produce so much tax revenue for the city.

Rooney and the Steelers owe the taxpayers of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County a favor and should be drawing as little attention as possible to the amount of money they’ve received.

How about a little history?

Back in 1995, the Steelers and Pirates decided it was time for the taxpayers to build them each a new stadium.

In the 1995 election for the three Allegheny County commissioners, two Republicans were elected for the first time in 60 years. Larry Dunn and Bob Cranmer both ran on the promise of using no money for stadiums.

Dunn was harassed and ridiculed by the media, and Cranmer eventually caved and changed his mind.

In 1997, a referendum was held in 11 western Pennsylvania counties, and voters were asked to vote on whether their money should be given to the Steelers and the Pirates.

No won 65 percent to 35 percent.

To put that in perspective, when Ronald Reagan won 49 states to Walter Mondale’s one in 1984, the score was 58 percent to 42 percent.

That’s what is known in politics as a landslide.

Then came Plan B.

Existing money in the Regional Asset District would be used for the stadiums. A Pennsylvania poll showed that people were opposed to that idea 55-32 and 13 undecided.

There were seven members of the RAD board, and six votes were required to approve the funding. Only five were in favor, so County Commissioner Bob Cranmer got Fred Baker, who had voted no, to resign. He was replaced by David Christoper, who voted yes.

That vote was worth at least $200 million each to the Steelers and Pirates.

The value of the Steelers has tripled since Heinz Field was built.

Don’t blame the Steelers or the Pirates. They would be idiots not to take advantage of the politicians’ stupidity the way their counterparts all over the country have.

Blame the politicians.

While you’re at it, blame the media. They were cheerleaders for the theft of Allegheny County taxpayers money, and they have cheered for similar theft in every major league town in America.

Rick Eckstein, co-author of “Public Dollars, Private Stadiums: The Battle over Building Sports Stadiums” says that the editorial boards in almost every city he visited supported the public funding of stadiums, and he was amazed at the lack of interest from the local media.

Art Rooney II only goes out of his way to speak to the media when there is something in it for him and his team. Again, smart business. He knows where his friends are.

But the billionaire team owners, who have been enriched by the generosity (with other people’s money) of stupid, corrupt politicians, would be doing everybody a favor if they showed a little more appreciation for gifts already received and just shut up.

This is 40? Steelers re-sign James Harrison to two-year deal

By Chris Bradford

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

March 1, 2017

Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

PITTSBURGH -- Unlike in 2014 when James Harrison briefly retired following a one-year stint in Cincinnati, no one, absolutely no one, can accuse the linebacker of having left the game too soon.

On Wednesday, the Steelers re-signed Harrison to a two-year deal worth a reported $3.5 million that will take the 38-year-old through the 2018 season, at which point he’ll be 40.

“We wouldn’t have signed without (a second year). It was an important part of what we were doing,” said Bill Parise, Harrison’s Beaver County-based agent.

“We just want to have options. If you close out your options, you don’t have them. It’s always better to know what you’re doing.”

Given what Harrison showed last season, it’s not entirely impossible that he will serve out the length of his new contract. Harrison led the Steelers linebacking corps with five sacks to go along with 53 tackles and two forced fumbles, while playing 56.12 percent of defensive snaps.

After the Steelers’ loss to Dallas in Week 10, Harrison reclaimed his starting role at right outside linebacker, playing nearly every snap the rest of the season. Not coincidentally, Pittsburgh went on a nine-game winning streak that ended with a loss at New England in the AFC Championship.

Having won two Super Bowls and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, Harrison has accomplished everything in the league a player can, save for the Hall of Fame, which can’t be ruled out. But Harrison could be making up for lost time. He was not drafted out of Kent State and was cut several times before landing with the Steelers full-time in 2004. Harrison did not start every game in a season until 2007, when he was 29.

“James is an athlete, and athletes want to perform,” Parise said. “That is his motivation.”

Despite rumors of PED use -- he was mentioned in the since-disproven Al-Jazeera report last year -- Harrison’s workout regiment has become the stuff of legend and he is in tremendous shape for anyone regardless of age. But at some point the Steelers will look to draft his long-term replacement. That could come as early as the first round of this year’s draft when the Steelers select 30th overall.

That player likely will replace Jarvis Jones, who the Steelers selected in the first round of the 2013 draft with the original hope of replacing Harrison.

Harrison became the Steelers’ all-time leader in sacks last season and can become just the fifth player in NFL history to record one over the age of 39. That list includes Hall of Famers Reggie White and Bruce Smith, along with Clay Matthews and Jeff Zgonina. Of that group, only Matthews played linebacker.

Antonio Brown's big-money deal won't cripple Steelers

Jeremy FowlerESPN Staff Writerhttp://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/February 28, 2017

PITTSBURGH -- Now that Antonio Brown’s business plans -- reminiscent of a loud, deep, resonant sound -- are complete, thanks to a massive four-year extension, both Brown and the Pittsburgh Steelers should feel confident in this deal.

Forget the Facebook Live fiasco. The team zoned in on a Brown deal as soon as the season ended, knowing his over-the-top work ethic and his deep-rooted love for receptions would offset the antics. The Steelers met with agent Drew Rosenhaus several times over the past six weeks.

Brown's $68 million of new money, first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, includes a $19 million signing bonus that will be spread over five years to potentially assuage cap space. He'll also get the $4.71 million of 2017 salary from his previous deal, followed by the remaining $49 million or so over the final four years, for a total of $72.71 million.

The Steelers will cover themselves here. They know this contract could have some dead money attached if Brown's play declines. But the small initial salary gives Brown incentive to play well into his 30s.

Brown, who turns 29 in July, has a few things working for him in this area. His game is built on speed and quickness, with a strong base supporting his 5-foot-10 frame. This isn't a tall and lanky body that breaks down easily. Assuming he avoids knee injuries, which he has throughout his career, there's no reason he can't stay productive. He has chemistry with Ben Roethlisberger, his footwork and hands are among the league's most reliable and, hey, Larry Fitzgerald just won the receptions crown at age 33. Brown would be 33 by the time he plays out all five years, if he gets that far.

He might not, of course. But the Steelers can reassess that in two or three years, as is the case with any megadeal in the NFL. The escape door usually hits after Year 2. The Steelers were expected to have more than $30 million in cap space entering free agency on March 9. Brown's cap hit was already $13-plus-million, so the new deal should increase that slightly but not by much, depending how they account for the old signing-bonus money.

Keep in mind: For as great as Le'Veon Bell is, a few scouts told me this week they would still build an offense around Brown over Bell because of the nature of the wide receiver position in a pass-first game. While receivers are earning more, running backs generally are earning less -- and Brown's deal reflects that trend. Bell got the exclusive franchise tag on Monday, giving him and the Steelers all offseason to hash out a deal or decide if he will play on a one-year rental at $12.4 million.

The best problem for the Steelers is that they won't have to choose between the two players. And they look poised to keep their big three together for the next few years. Bell will likely get his megadeal, and Roethlisberger has another three good years left, maybe more.

Brown's distractions in the locker room or on the field have been minor in nature. His overall impact is far bigger. He is the team's biggest star -- in part because he embraces the attention, while Roethlisberger generally avoids the spotlight -- but he sells more Steelers jerseys than anyone else. And with several receivers around the league making about $15 million, the Steelers couldn't disrespect Brown by going under that.

I sensed optimism around this deal for weeks, but it got done quicker than most expected.

Brown said he's all about winning Super Bowls at this stage of his career. He'll have 68 million reasons to deliver.