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Steelers release Stai Unable to work trade, Pittsburgh waives veteran guard
Posted: Tuesday March 14, 2000 09:18 PM
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers made another salary cap move Tuesday, releasing offensive guard Brenden Stai after trying unsuccessfully to trade him and his $1.6 million salary. The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Stai had started 40 consecutive games, but became expendable when the Steelers signed guard Rich Tylski of Jacksonville. Stai's release saved the Steelers about $900,000 in cap room that helped them sign running back Richard Huntley to a $4 million, three-year deal. The Steelers insist they also are intent on re-signing Jerome Bettis, who will make $3.2 million in the final year of his four-year contract. But Huntley's signing, announced Tuesday, potentially clouds the Steelers' talks with Bettis, a 1,000-yard rusher each of the last four seasons. "Having Richard signed, along with Jerome, gives us a formidable tandem at running back," director of football operations Kevin Colbert said. "The release of Brendan Stai was necessary to create room under the cap to give us the ability to sign Richard and the flexibility to sign any future players, if necessary." But it doesn't free up enough room to keep Bettis, who is in the final year of a $14.4 million contract and, at age 28, will likely want as much or more in a new contract. Last week, the Steelers were actively working on trading Huntley to Miami. Huntley, a restricted free agent, also came close to firming up a deal with the Dolphins that the Steelers would have had to match to keep him. But shortly after he seemingly finalized the Dolphins' contract, Huntley told Miami he had decided to re-sign with Pittsburgh. Huntley said he was promised the chance to start by coach Bill Cowher, but Cowher later denied that. Huntley is almost assured now of staying with the Steelers, since all of his $1 million signing bonus would count against this season's cap if they trade him. Bettis was in Pittsburgh on Monday for minor surgery on an ankle. His agent, Lamont Smith, is expected to start contract renegotiation talks this week. What remains uncertain is how the Steelers can pay two highly paid running backs who play the same position. Bettis, 28, has rushed for 8,463 yards in seven seasons, the fourth most yards among active NFL backs. He was the Steelers' most valuable player in his first two seasons with the team in 1996 and 1997. Huntley, who will be 28 in September, averaged a team-leading 6.1 yards per carry last season. But he did not have more than 11 carries in any game, and had 200 fewer carries than Bettis last season. Most of his carries were in long-yardage situations, when defenses were playing soft against the run to prevent the long pass. The Steelers also carried running backs Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala and Amos Zereoue last season, but Fuamatu-Ma'afala was hurt most of the season and Zereoue seldom played. The Steelers recently freed up salary cap room by renegotiating the contracts of four players, a strategy they seldom employed until this year.
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