Menudo Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Polamalu close to signing Steelers looking to lock up safety by the start of training camp Wednesday, July 18, 2007 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Troy Polamalu wanted to return to the West Coast to be near his family when his contract expired after this season, or so rumors have had it. If so, he will return for visits only. Polamalu, the most unique strong safety in the NFL and among its best, has come so close to a contract extension with the Steelers that sources close to the negotiations believe he will sign a new deal around the opening of training camp Monday. Terms of the contract were unavailable but it likely will put him near the top among the Steelers' best-paid players. Polamalu had one season left on a five-year contract he signed as the Steelers' first-round draft choice in 2003. He was scheduled to earn a salary of $1,088,000 this season, which could be one-tenth of the signing bonus he will earn with a new deal. Polamalu made the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons after becoming a starter in 2004. He helped turn the Steelers' defense into a work of confusion for opposing offenses. Coordinator Dick LeBeau deploys Polamalu all over the field and takes maximum advantage of his quickness, speed and instincts. Polamalu often lines up in one spot and ends up in another at the snap of the ball. He has been used as a deep safety, linebacker, cornerback and pass-rusher. There were times when he lined up on the outside of the defensive end on the left side and, just as the ball was snapped, sped to his right and blitzed from that side. Polamalu, 26, was born in California, grew up in Oregon and played at Southern California. There were rumors the past year that he would play his final season with the Steelers, then sign with a team on the West Coast. Polamalu always denied that, saying he was happy playing for the Steelers and noting he made his year-round home in Pittsburgh with his wife Theodora. Signing the popular Polamalu to a contract extension is crucial for the Steelers, who enter a transition period under new coach Mike Tomlin and some of their roster veterans. They released captain and linebacker Joey Porter in March while another captain, six-time Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca, publicly ripped the team for not negotiating a contract extension and skipped all but the required spring practices. Some players have wondered about the organization's commitment because of the actions involving Porter and Faneca. Faneca is one of three starters on the offensive line who enter the final years of their contracts, along with guard Kendall Simmons and tackle Max Starks. No progress has been reported on any of those talks and no more negotiations are expected to take place this year. Two other starters, linebacker Clark Haggans and fullback Dan Kreider, also are on the last year of contracts. Polamalu's deal might be the last one consummated in 2007 for a Steelers veteran. The Steelers previously signed starting defensive end Aaron Smith and backup nose tackle Chris Hoke to contract extensions before they entered the final year of their old deals. While contact was made between the agent for Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers this spring, club officials privately indicate that a contract extension for their quarterback likely will not take place until next year, when he has two seasons left on the deal he signed as a rookie in 2004. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco Billy Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 (edited) Yeah, that's all well & good until we all find out that Polamalu is linked to Vick & giving dogs herpes from drinking out of false bottom water bottles passed off under the name of Ron Mexico, and then flipping off Goddell at his hearing. Edited July 18, 2007 by Bronco Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted July 18, 2007 Author Share Posted July 18, 2007 Yeah, that's all well & good until we all find out that Polamalu is linked to Vick & giving dogs herpes from drinking out of false bottom water bottles passed off under the name of Ron Mexico, and then flipping off Goddell at his hearing. Hey, if we DO hear about all those thing, please let him have his due process before we form our opinion of him. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wolf Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 (edited) Hey, if we DO hear about all those thing, please let him have his due process before we form our opinion of him. Thanks in advance. Uh-oh...simple logic time here fellas... Michael Vick is to broncosn05 as Troy Polamalu is to...? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?? Edited July 18, 2007 by The Wolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffian Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Good to see that Polamalu will stay in the fold for Pittsburgh. He is an impact player on a defense that lacks them with the departure of Porter and the unknowns at the LB position regarding Harrison and the Timmons/Woodley project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 Great news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 Uh-oh...simple logic time here fellas... Michael Vick is to broncosn05 as Troy Polamalu is to...? I'll take a stab at this. Dan Pastorini? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 Uh-oh...simple logic time here fellas... Michael Vick is to broncosn05 as Troy Polamalu is to...? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?? We keep Menudo's I mean Steelers fans sexual preferences quiet around here. Don't ask don't tell you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexgaddis Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 Why is that big news? Polamalu is an average safety at best...I will bet you that he is out of the league within 3 years... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengal Mania Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Papaumoumou is a bad ass safety. There, I said it. Ed Reed a couple years ago was even better, and still now is pretty fargin' good. There are some other excellent safeties in the league, but right there are 4 games against the Bengals. Ouch. I was hoping the Bengals Madieu Williams would approach that level, but I think it is not to be. He's a good player, and a great person to boot (raising his little brother after mom died), and that'll have to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted July 24, 2007 Author Share Posted July 24, 2007 Polamalu has signed a 5 year extension. The largest contract and signing bonus ever given by the team. It's nice to see one of the good guys in this league get rewarded. Camp Tomlin / Day One: Polamalu signs 5-year extension Extends his stay, signs richest contract in team history Tuesday, July 24, 2007 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Peter Diana, Post-Gazette photos Troy Polamalu is all smiles during running drills in Steelers training camp yesterday at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. Click photo for larger image. Sweat dripped off Troy Polamalu's face as news hounds surrounded him on the grassy Chuck Noll Field yesterday, peppering him with questions about all that new money. The five-year, $33 million contract with the $15,375,000 in signing and roster bonuses he received from the Steelers yesterday makes him the highest-paid player in team history and the highest-paid safety in the NFL. His signing bonus of $10,975,000 is the largest the Steelers have ever paid, topping the $9 million they gave Hines Ward two years ago. The sun beat down on him as if it were Southern California, a place Polamalu reportedly -- erroneously -- wanted to play when his contract with the Steelers ended. "This is home," Polamalu said softly. "I didn't want to be a player that was jumping from team to team. I've always felt comfortable here. This organization and the tradition they have here is very legendary in that sense and I always wanted to be part of that." Polamalu and the Steelers completed a rather smooth, non-public contract negotiation that for a couple of weeks seemed destined to get done by the opening of training camp. The deal was reported just before the Steelers took the practice field at Saint Vincent College yesterday afternoon for the first time under new coach Mike Tomlin. It also contrasts sharply with the contract impasse the club has had with six-time Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca. He reported on time yesterday, reiterated this will be his final season with the team and said he's not frustrated that Polamalu received a contract extension and he will not. "No, I'm happy for Troy and that's the way it works. Troy deserves it and I'm happy for him." Polamalu said he wishes Faneca could also achieve an extension. "I feel for Alan," Polamalu said. "It's a shame. He has a wife and kids and a lifestyle to uphold. You hope you can get something done that's fair." Leading the way in running drills, Alan Faneca is followed by Kendall Simmons and Ben Roethlisberger yesterday. Click photo for larger image. Polamalu, who has made every Pro Bowl since he became a starting strong safety in 2004, said that's precisely what he was looking for in his deal. He had one year left on his 2003 rookie contract. The Steelers tore that up and created a new five-year deal that binds him through the 2011 season. Under his old deal, he was to earn a salary of slightly more than $1 million this year. His new deal will pay him $600,000 in salary this year. "First and foremost, it mattered to me that it was a fair contract. A lot of people are making a lot of money out there. I wanted it to be very fair and I wanted it to be here. Those were the most important things." He said there now is more pressure on him to continue to perform at a high level. "It means that I have to work harder and go out and earn it. That's what it means to me," Polamalu said. "So it's very exciting, especially for my wife and me. We feel very welcome in the city and I think this contract really puts our roots down here." The Steelers made Polamalu their top priority almost as soon as last season ended and have been quietly negotiating for one month with agent Marvin Demoff. "Troy Polamalu is a very special football player who has been a key ingredient to our success over the past few seasons," Steelers president Art Rooney said. "We are excited to know he will be a Steeler for many seasons to come." At 5 feet 10 and 207 pounds, Polamalu plays a unique brand of safety, lining up in various positions. Coordinator Dick LeBeau has designed many of his defenses to take advantage of Polamalu's ability. "I think both sides are very happy to get this done very peacefully without any feelings hurt or anything like that," Polamalu said. Dan Rooney, the team's chairman, also was pleased with the contract. "It's a tremendous thing," he said. "He's a great person and a great player. He means an awful lot to the team on the field and off." Polamalu's contract may be the last one the Steelers negotiate this year. They have not held talks with any other veteran who has one year left on their contracts. Those include starters Clark Haggans at linebacker, Kendall Simmons at guard, Max Starks at tackle and Dan Kreider at fullback. They previously extended the deals of defensive linemen Aaron Smith and Chris Hoke this year. They've also made it clear that they will not open negotiations to extend the contract of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger until next year, when he has two seasons left under the six-year deal he signed as a rookie in 2004. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffian Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 (edited) Good signing. Polamalu is arguably one of the best secondary players out there at any position, and his penchant for punishing opponents is much appreciated by the locals. They locked up a good one. Note: Woodley looks like he could be a real find. He was excellent in the RB/LB contest yesterday morning. That kid has a whole boatload of moves to beat max protect (including killing the RB en route to a sack). Edited July 25, 2007 by Ruffian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Swerski Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Great move by the Steelers. This guy is having a HOF-caliber career thus far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted July 25, 2007 Author Share Posted July 25, 2007 Good signing. Polamalu is arguably one of the best secondary players out there at any position, and his penchant for punishing opponents is much appreciated by the locals. They locked up a good one. Note: Woodley looks like he could be a real find. He was excellent in the RB/LB contest yesterday morning. That kid has a whole boatload of moves to beat max protect (including killing the RB en route to a sack). Woodley has done nothing but drop jaws since he arrived for off-season workouts. He is the real deal, and the Steelers are extremely excited about what they have seen thus far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonkis Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 grassy noll. That's funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Monarch Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 I was happy to see they locked up Polamalu for 5 more years. I really like his reckless style, as long as he's not knocking himself out laying big hits on people. Hopefully scrambled egg brains don't end his career early like Hoge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted July 25, 2007 Author Share Posted July 25, 2007 I was happy to see they locked up Polamalu for 5 more years. I really like his reckless style, as long as he's not knocking himself out laying big hits on people. Hopefully scrambled egg brains don't end his career early like Hoge. He hasn't had any concussion issues since coming into the NFL. There were some minor concerns from his college days, but, it hasn't been an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Monarch Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 He hasn't had any concussion issues since coming into the NFL. There were some minor concerns from his college days, but, it hasn't been an issue. I wish that were the case, but he got one last year.....which made his fifth confirmed concussion of his playing career. Hopefully his last... http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2665886 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted July 25, 2007 Author Share Posted July 25, 2007 I wish that were the case, but he got one last year.....which made his fifth confirmed concussion of his playing career. Hopefully his last... http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2665886 I didn't say he hasn't had any. Most players have concussions. I just said that it hasn't been the problem in the NFL that many worried it would be. That said, 5 over his career is definitely a cause for some concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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