Gay appears to be returning to Steelers

By Ed Bouchette / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It appears that cornerback William Gay will be rejoining the Steelers after spending one season with the Arizona Cardinals.

Gay has changed his Twitter account information to label himself a "cornerback of the Pittsburgh Steelers." Asked on Twitter by former teammate Ryan Mundy if he is coming back, Gay answered "Yea." He also wrote on Twitter that "I'm glad I didn't sell my condo in Pittsburgh."

He will be at the Steelers facility on the South Side today.

Jerrold Colton, Gay's agent, said that there is interest in the Steelers but would not say whether Gay has come to contract terms with the team yet.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/william-gay-appears-to-be-returning-to-steelers-677772/#ixzz2MXcYpFVP

Wow I just love the soap opera between the Steelers and Cardinals seems like we just switch players back and fourth. Not sure how I feel about this just yet Gay had his ups and downs with the Steelers. I still want to draft a good corner in the draft this year.

maybe Lake can show him how to play safety?

Gay and the Steelers belong together


Also, he's awful

Gay is TERRIBLE. I hope this doesnt mean we are not bringing back Lewis. This would be a ridiculous head office move.

I'm OK with the move if it's for depth. We sure could have used Gay last season when we were down to Josh Victorian. But I hope this isn't a sign that Lewis is as good as gone.

Wallace108 wrote:

I'm OK with the move if it's for depth. We sure could have used Gay last season when we were down to Josh Victorian. But I hope this isn't a sign that Lewis is as good as gone.

It could be a sign that Gay is a valuable backup to Lewis!

stlrtruck wrote:

Wallace108 wrote:

I'm OK with the move if it's for depth. We sure could have used Gay last season when we were down to Josh Victorian. But I hope this isn't a sign that Lewis is as good as gone.

It could be a sign that Gay is a valuable backup to Lewis!

Now that I think about it, I don't believe Gay is being brought back as a potential starter in place of Lewis. If Lewis leaves, Cortez Allen likely will be the starter. Gay would be around for depth, or an insurance policy in case Allen bombs. If Lewis stays, we're suddenly strong at corner for the first time in like forever.

Here's what's weird about this.

Gay becomes a free-agent last year and there was some talk about him going to Titans but he ended up at Cardinals.

Now Cards realease him for "Salary cap" reasons.

He resigns with Steelers for a "pittance" or so the story goes, because he wants to be a Steeler.

Now I wonder. If he was that good with the cardinals, they wouldn't have let him get away or at least re-signed him for substancially less. Cardinals didn't want him, why are the Steelers bothering with this crappy player. Supposedly to add "depth"? What sort of depth exactly is that. As a backup to the starter, starter gets injured, Gay comes in to give the "big plays'. Ya, right! And Tomlin will just shrug and say "The Standard is the Standard"

Gerry Dulac ‏@gerrydulac:

William Gay's deal: 3 yrs, $4.5million, $500k signing bonus.

fer69 wrote:

Gerry Dulac ‏@gerrydulac:

William Gay's deal: 3 yrs, $4.5million, $500k signing bonus.

I bet he don't make it 3yrs.

William Gay reunites with Steelers 'family'

By Gerry Dulac / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Cornerback William Gay spent only one season away from the Steelers, comparing it to going away to college and being homesick. But he is back and glad to be reunited with his "family."

And he might have cornerback Ike Taylor to thank.

"When he heard the news about me getting released by Arizona, he called me and was like, 'What do you need me to do?' " Gay said. "He thinks he's my agent. So he ended up calling Kevin Colbert himself and said, 'Hey man, you need to get Will Gay back.' "

Gay, who played on two Super Bowl teams with the Steelers as a nickel back, signed a three-year, $4.5 million deal that includes a $500,000 signing bonus Monday to return to the team that drafted him in the fifth round in 2007.

"That put a smile on my face -- knowing the team that drafted me wanted me back," Gay said.

At the very least, the decision to re-sign Gay, 28, gives the Steelers some veteran presence on the depth chart and security at nickel back if Keenan Lewis is not re-signed in free agency.

But it also could indicate the Steelers are concerned about the possibility of not being able to re-sign Lewis, who is an unrestricted free agent.

In addition, it points up the team's lack of confidence in cornerback Curtis Brown, a fourth-round pick in 2011 who struggled in 2012 in the nickel defense when Taylor was injured.

Brown was the extra defensive back in sub packages when Cortez Allen moved into the starting lineup to replace Taylor. But Brown would be shifted to the outside in the nickel defense and Allen would move to the slot.

With Gay, the Steelers could keep Allen on the outside if Lewis does not re-sign.

"They said come back and let's go, let's compete and win games," Gay said when asked what his role will be in 2013. "That's all I want to do -- run out of that tunnel with [number] 22 on."

Gay isn't the first Steelers cornerback to follow this route.

In 2010, they re-signed Bryant McFadden after he left in free agency to play one season in Arizona.

McFadden struggled in his return to the Steelers, though, and was eventually replaced by Gay in the starting lineup.

In Arizona, Gay started 15 games in a defense coached by Ray Horton, his former position coach with the Steelers. He had eight passes defensed, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

In five seasons with the Steelers, mainly as a backup, Gay started 37 games and had 235 tackles, three interceptions, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He also started three of eight postseason games he played in and was part of two AFC championship-winning teams and the winning Super Bowl XLIII team.

"I came in to win," Gay said. "Just to be back with your family, the guys you grew up with in this league, that's going to be fun."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/william-gay-reunites-with-steelers-family-677948/#ixzz2Men5Xceh

Quote :

And he might have cornerback Ike Taylor to thank.

Ike better be careful about going out of his way to get other CBs on the roster. There's already quite a few people who think it's a good idea to cut him in order to re-sign Lewis. He's at that stage of his career when job security becomes a little shaky.

The bright side is with Gay on the roster, we'll have a lot of fun a bitch'n and a complain'n every time he gives away the big play and the other team goes marching up the field.

We need players like this.....otherwise things would be real dullsville. My wife is looking forward to me yelling at the TV screen.

Interesting that with CBs they have a statistic bout "number of tackles". I think Gay's like 57 tackles.This is a real crappy statistic for a CB. Essentially means that you let the opposing WR catch a whole lot of passes. No catch, no tackle. Of course, there's probably some WR catches that he didn't tackle (maybe more than a few), and maybe he made a few tackles on the open field.

This is why statistics like this are so misleading.

I know hes not revis but I would rather have gay as our corner than Victorian or van dike or whatever his name is

fer69 wrote:

I know hes not revis but I would rather have gay as our corner than Victorian or van dike or whatever his name is

fer69 wrote:

I know hes not revis but I would rather have gay as our corner than Victorian or van dike or whatever his name is

The fact is he played well with Carnell coaching him if memory serves me right. He will be a good insurance DB I believe. We still need to sign Lewis.

Well, looks like I have a lot of research to do.

I go away for a week and all THIS happens?!

bayz101 wrote:

Well, looks like I have a lot of research to do.

I go away for a week and all THIS happens?!

Don't go away no more.

Galax Steeler wrote:

bayz101 wrote:

Well, looks like I have a lot of research to do.

I go away for a week and all THIS happens?!

Don't go away no more.

I say go away during the draft, and maybe something good will come of it.