ORLANDO, Fla. -- When the Steelers picked up the fifth-year option on Ryan Shazier's rookie contract last spring, it did so with the intent on signing him to a long-term deal in the future. But doing so also meant Shazier's contract became fully guaranteed if he suffered a major injury in 2017 and became unable to play in 2018.
Unfortunately for both Shazier and the Steelers, that became reality Dec. 4 of last season when he suffered a serious spinal cord injury in a win at Cincinnati.
The Steelers have already declared that the linebacker won't play in 2018, locking in his salary at a guaranteed $8.71 million. The Steelers are tight against the salary cap but have no intentions of doing anything with Shazier's contract -- such as an extension -- for relief.
"Potentially, depending how the deal was done," Kevin Colbert said Sunday at the NFL meetings when I asked him about potential cap relief by signing Shazier to an extension. "But you know, Ryan’s recovery is first and foremost. He continues to rehab at a very aggressive pace. We’re happy he’s not only doing that but he’s participating in football activities that he’s allowed to do at his own choosing. We encourage that because he wants to stay involved with the team."
Shazier remains hopeful he can return and play football at some point in the future. And after the 2018 season, the Steelers would no longer retain his rights. But the team has continued to work with him on his rehab process. He's been a regular visitor to the Rooney Sports Complex, sitting in on meetings with the coaching staff and scouts as they talk about the draft.
Last week, he even went to the Pitt pro day and evaluated talent with the team's scouting staff. Colbert said he found Shazier's evaluation of players useful and could see the team doing similar things with other players in the future.
“There is a certain level of what they think they know. They may know, but a lot of times when they get behind the scenes and see in the in-depth studies that have to go on to make those kind of predictions, I think they respect it a little more," Colbert said. "I can’t speak for Ryan, but I think he learned some things about the evaluation process and it really has opened our eyes that we should involve our other players and talk about the evaluations, so when they are prepping for their own opponents that they may have a different way to go about their evaluations as well.”
DECISION LOOMING ON DUPREE
Colbert said the Steelers still haven't made a decision about whether they will pick up the fifth-year option on linebacker Bud Dupree, but the team still has some time to decide.
Part of that decision, which must be made by May 3, could depend on what the team does in the draft at the end of April. But Colbert said the Steelers still have high hopes for Dupree.
“(There have been) I think, I don’t want to say inconsistent, there’s been some highs, there’s been some health issues that he’s had to fight through," Colbert said. "Bud is just scratching the surface of what he can be. Playing another season with T.J. (Watt) and Bud playing with T.J., I think those two will help each other grow as this thing continues to unfold. There’s more of what Bud wants to get out of himself and we want to get out of Bud, but part of that has been health-related and he has some different issues that’s been holding him back. But pairing with him and T.J. together will benefit them both.”
Dupree recorded a career-high six sacks in 15 games in 2017 and has 14.5 in 38 career games, but time is running short for him to show he's capable of being the next in the long line of Pro Bowl players at outside linebacker for the Steelers.
The Steelers are considering flipping Watt and Dupree at the outside linebacker positions to better take advantage of the talent of both. Their hope is that Dupree will finally put together the kind of season they hoped he could when they selected him in the first round of the 2015 draft. If they don't pick up his option year and that happens, the Steelers run the risk of losing him.
“I don’t know if it is protecting ourselves more than just anticipating him having that good year," Colbert said. "He has shown us enough signs that can happen and will happen. I am much more encouraged by Bud Dupree’s potential than I am concerned about it.”
BOSWELL'S STATUS
Much like Le'Veon Bell, the Steelers wanted to get a long-term contract worked out with placekicker Chris Boswell. But they also knew they could protect themselves with Boswell's rights if they tendered him an offer as a restricted free agent.
The team did so in the days leading up to the opening of the free agency period, placing a second-round tender offer on Boswell. But the Steelers also would still like to get a long-term deal completed with the kicker before the regular season begins.
"We knew we were going to give him the offer," Colbert said. "That might be something we address after the more urgent business is taken care of and we see where we stand after that business is complete. It’s still an open process, even at this point."
