Willie Colon and Jonathan Scott Will Return

Posted on July 28, 2011 by adam

On Tuesday the Steelers managed to take care of their No. 1 priority in free agency when they agreed to terms with Ike Taylor on a four-year contract. On Thursday, following the release of left tackle Max Starks, they managed to secure another of their key free agents by agreeing to a five-year contract with Willie Colon.

The deal is worth $29 million as originally reported by NFL Network’s Jason Laconfora, and he according to Ed Bouchette — via Twitter — turned down a larger ($3 million larger) contract offer from the Chicago Bears.

Along with Colon, the Steelers also agreed to terms with Jonathan Scott.

We all feared the worst when Scott had to take over at left tackle after Starks went down with a neck injury, and while he wasn’t exactly Walter Jones out there, he managed to at least hold his own and not completely embarrass himself. So there’s that.

Colon missed all of last season due to an Achilles injury, so there has to be at least a little bit of concern for him. Prior to the injury, however, he was probably the Steelers’ best offensive lineman based on his 2009 performance.

Another point of interest: According to Mike Tomlin, every draft pick is signed with the exception of first-rounder Cameron Heyward and third-round pick Curtis Brown.

It’s nice to have football back…

Related posts:

  1. More Willie Colon, Flozell Adams and Right Tackle News
  2. Here’s an Idea: Let’s Move Willie Colon to Guard!
  3. Willie Colon Ain’t Comin’ Back to the Burgh (or Is He?)
  4. Never Write in Absolutes, Especially on Willie Colon
  5. Welcome to the Jonathan Scott Era
This entry was posted in 2011 steelers, Free Agency, Offseason and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.
  • Rob D

    What is going to happen with the LT position>I am guessing they are trying to get Starks back at a much better number. Surely they don’t think J.Scott can start for a full season, do they?

    Signing COlon…I can’t figure out what it is about him but he’s a team favorite and I just give up understanding it. I didn’t understand why DeWayne Washington was a Steeler either so…deja vu

    • Canadian Steeler

      I’m not completely horrified at the thought of Jonathan Scott as our LT next year, but I’d definitely worry about the depth behind him. I was worried when Starks went down against the Bengals, but our year didn’t fall off a cliff after that, because having a good backup in Scott. 

      What are we looking at this year were Scott to go down? Tony Hills or Marcus Gilbert? Flozell doesn’t seem interested in returning as the backup swing tackle.

      • Hutch

        I tend to think that the Steelers are in a better position at tackle than last year. Keep in mind that almost no one thought J. Scott would make the team last year, much less end up as the starting LT for most of the season. 

        At least now the Steelers have a high draft pick at tackle in Gilbert, a guy with a lot of starting experience in their blocking scheme in Scott, and an old angry – but huge! – man in Flo who could play LT if the Steelers were desperate. 

        And, of course, Super Bowl participant Tony Hills. 

  • Kacevedo47

    Jonathan, we are backing you and hope the best for you this season! Your neighbors, Homer and Kristi across the street!

  • Gretz

    Nick Eason has apparently signed with the Cardinals. Of course he has. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UR6KXGPFIFYZSVJNCXCJNHDQJQ Bob Costas

    Flozell has apparently been cut.  I’m officially confused.

    • Anonymous

      He’s expensive this year. Now the Steelers are in kind of a sticky situation at tackle. Colon is a rith tackle. Adams played well there, but do they think he can move over to left? It’s was his position for most of his career, but he’s old and slow. Seems they conclude he can’t. Assuming Colon starts, which he will, Adams is a pricey backup, so he’s cut.

      So what about left tackle? Well Jonathan Scott started much of last year, and he showed himself to be a quality backup, but way below the bar for a starter. Every other known quantity is worse. Marcus Gilbert is a left tackle, but he’s a rookie who’s just missed a whole lot of training time from the lockout, and you don’t know he’s even going to pan out.

      What do you do? Do you start Scott, suffer through a year of that, and hope Gilbert is ready to start next season, or if he develops extremely well sometime this season? Pretty risky. Do you find some free agent to play LT this season as a stopgap and hope Gilbert is ready to start next season? That’s less risky, but who do you get, Matt Light? Leonard Davis? Would they be any better than Scott?  Do you go after a known quality left tackle? The only guy I notice who really seems to fit is Jared Gaither. I would love having him on the team, but I think he’d be expensive, though maybe not more expensive than Max Starks + Flozell Adams have freed up. If you do that, you probably use Marcus Gilbert as a guard, which isn’t so bad considering he was a second rounder and trying him everyone on the line has already been indicated as the plan.

      Possible, but I think unlikely, is that Chris Scott is ready to step up.