Splash…get it?

The Steelers traditionally don’t make a splash in free agency, usually opting to let other teams make splashes with Pittsburgh’s players. I’m having trouble thinking of the last BIG splash the Steelers have made in free agency…hmm? I could be missing someone, but off the top of my head James Farrior seems to be the last real impact player we’ve signed as a FA.

Generally, I’m ok with this. How could I not be, I am not even a blip on the radar and I certainly don’t make personnel decisions. Whatever the Steelers have been doing usually works. Here’s where the “but” comes…but, if ever there was a time to splash rather than sprinkle I’d say based on the needs, this is the year. Granted, there aren’t many “spalsh-worthy” players (other than Moss, who I wouldn’t even want)…so a 5 out of 10 splash will be just fine.

What brought all of this to mind was this quote I came across by Kevin Colbert as reported in The Arizona Republic:

“In talking with Alan and talking with Alan’s representatives, he’s probably going to get significant money on the open market and it’s probably money that we’re not going to be able to absorb,” said Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert. “And if we did absorb it it might limit what else we can do in free agency.”

That last line jumped off the page to me. I was resigned to thinking that we will just wait on the draft…and he easily could have said that if they spent so much money on Faneca they wouldn’t have the necessary flexibility to sign draft picks and slews of FA rookie tackling dummies.

That’s not what he said. He said, free agency. I know, I know, Steelers and free agency are oxymorons. To quote Lloyd Christmas, “So you’re sayin’ there’s a chance!”