Steelers Free Agency Report: Gay weighing four options, close to decision

GAY CLOSE TO DECISION

Steelers cornerback William Gay is getting close to making a decision on his future. Gay who visited the Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos this week, tweeted tonight that he is done taking visits for now. Gay has multiple offers on the table, according to an NFL source.

While the Steelers are a longshot to retain Gay, they have remained in contact with agent Jerrold Colton throughout the free agency period and have interest in resigning Gay. However, the team won’t pay much to keep him and if Gay returns to the Steelers, he’ll be leaving money on the table after making $735,000 (including signing bonus) last season on a one year deal. Gay though has yet to rule the Steelers out who would like to retain him for depth purposes on a two or three year deal.

The Steelers have high hopes for Cortez Allen to make a strong bid for a starting cornerback spot opposite Ike Taylor and the team feels Keenan Lewis is still improving on the outside after just one full season in a top-3 cornerback role.

The Steelers are also intrigued by Curtis Brown’s potential in a nickle back role, a spot the Steelers coaching staff feels is where Brown will be best suited in his NFL career. He’s a player the coaching staff feels can help the team on third downs next season.

Where Gay is still viewed as a fit by Steelers brass is at nickle back due to the lack of veteran depth in that area, and Gay would also provide depth on the outside if Allen isn’t able to make the jump to a starter role. Gay has also been discussed this off-season internally in a possible free safety role in the future, although it would be an unlikely role for him.

— Tim Tebow is a New York Jet after all, despite talks hitting a snag today. The Jets who reached an agreement with the Denver Broncos early Wednesday afternoon, backed out of the deal before it went through the proper league channels, after failing to realize the language in Tim Tebow’s contract where they would have to pay the Broncos $5 million. The two sides though have officially completed the deal tonight.

According to ESPN, “the holdup In Tebow’s contract was a $6.2 million salary advance, of which $1.2 million already has been paid by Denver, sources told Adam Schefter. The difference of $5 million is still advanced against his future salary, and that burden would shift to the Jets in a trade. The Jets, sources said, believe the Broncos should owe Tebow that money.”

Now the two sides are believed to have come to an agreement that has both teams splitting the $5 million. Denver will reportedly receive a 4th and 6th round pick and the Jets will receive Tebow and a 7th round pick.

— The Denver Broncos have signed former Bengals wide receiver Andre Caldwell to a two year deal. Caldwell, 26, caught 37 passes for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns last season. The Broncos are not showing any interest in Mike Wallace.