Steelers bring back Starks on one-year deal

By Alan Robinson

He’s back.

Left tackle Max Starks, cleared medically to play again, signed a one-year contract Tuesday with the Steelers. Starks had surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that occurred in the upset loss to Denver in the AFC playoffs.

This is the second straight season that Starks has returned to the Steelers after being off the roster. After the Steelers’ offensive line struggled during the first month of last season, he returned to start the fifth game and was the starting left tackle the rest of the season.

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very good

Woohoo!

Yay Max. Good news all around

SWEET!!!

Now let's jettison Jonathan Scott's carcass ASAP!

Seriously, I couldn't be happier that they brought Max back. Now we have a reliable insurance policy in case Adams isn't ready to be a starter on day one. I have faith Adams will, at least, develop into a solid or better starter for us, but he may not be prepared to be the man for the season kickoff. Great news!

I absolutely agree with everyone else - excellent news about Starks. A quality OLineman, at the only position I was concerned about.

With Starks, Colon, Pouncey, DeCastro and Gilbert starting, with Adams, Legs, Foster and Essex as reserves, we have our best OLine in a decade - the one position that was a weakness, has become a strength!

Now we need to get Mikey into the fold...

Lemondrop wrote:

I absolutely agree with everyone else - excellent news about Starks. A quality OLineman, at the only position I was concerned about.

With Starks, Colon, Pouncey, DeCastro and Gilbert starting, with Adams, Legs, Foster and Essex as reserves, we have our best OLine in a decade - the one position that was a weakness, has become a strength!

Now we need to get Mikey into the fold...

I don't see Starks as a starter, in fact, Mike Adams would be at Left Tackle. Legs will probably start.

bayz101 wrote:

Lemondrop wrote:

I absolutely agree with everyone else - excellent news about Starks. A quality OLineman, at the only position I was concerned about.

With Starks, Colon, Pouncey, DeCastro and Gilbert starting, with Adams, Legs, Foster and Essex as reserves, we have our best OLine in a decade - the one position that was a weakness, has become a strength!

Now we need to get Mikey into the fold...

I don't see Starks as a starter, in fact, Mike Adams would be at Left Tackle. Legs will probably start.

You may be right - they've said alll along that Adams has to earn the LT job, but I "assumed" that Starks would get the job out of TC, with Adams taking over mid-season. Outside of Pouncey (and what we all assume of DeCastro), the Steelers usually don't start any rookies... even Ben!

Long term, though, I absolutely hope that Adams is good enough to push big Max to the bench - it will bode well for our future. Either way, I'm pretty ecstatic over the state of our line. Between Adams and Starks, and Gilbert if necessary, our LT position is pretty secure. Worst comes to worst, we could always put Gilbert at LT, move Colon back to RT, and put Legs back to LG.

I'm thinking that, despite his (numerous) injuries over the last couple of seasons, I speculated that Colon would beat out Legs for the LG. A OT is usually more talented than a career OG, due to the demands of the position - so many think Legs will sit behind Colon. It's a horse race, and the winner is all Steeler fans! We've got talent!

Lemondrop wrote:

bayz101 wrote:

Lemondrop wrote:

I absolutely agree with everyone else - excellent news about Starks. A quality OLineman, at the only position I was concerned about.

With Starks, Colon, Pouncey, DeCastro and Gilbert starting, with Adams, Legs, Foster and Essex as reserves, we have our best OLine in a decade - the one position that was a weakness, has become a strength!

Now we need to get Mikey into the fold...

I don't see Starks as a starter, in fact, Mike Adams would be at Left Tackle. Legs will probably start.

You may be right - they've said alll along that Adams has to earn the LT job, but I "assumed" that Starks would get the job out of TC, with Adams taking over mid-season. Outside of Pouncey (and what we all assume of DeCastro), the Steelers usually don't start any rookies... even Ben!

Long term, though, I absolutely hope that Adams is good enough to push big Max to the bench - it will bode well for our future. Either way, I'm pretty ecstatic over the state of our line. Between Adams and Starks, and Gilbert if necessary, our LT position is pretty secure. Worst comes to worst, we could always put Gilbert at LT, move Colon back to RT, and put Legs back to LG.

I'm thinking that, despite his (numerous) injuries over the last couple of seasons, I speculated that Colon would beat out Legs for the LG. A OT is usually more talented than a career OG, due to the demands of the position - so many think Legs will sit behind Colon. It's a horse race, and the winner is all Steeler fans! We've got talent!

I'm sorry man, and I agree. I thought you listed Adams as being a starter, as well as Starks, which is why I commented. My bad.

They wouldn't have moved Colon and given him a big deal the year prior if they weren't going to start him. Foster would start over Legursky as well.

Adams vs. Starks will be interesting to watch. Ideally, obviously, Adams wins out, leaving Starks as the backup at both tackle positions.

Dodens Grav wrote:

Adams vs. Starks will be interesting to watch. Ideally, obviously, Adams wins out, leaving Starks as the backup at both tackle positions.

Yep.
Signing Starks puts them in a great position. It's a win-win.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

I was honestly beginning to worry about the Rooneys' and Colbert's mental well-being when there were reports that they didn't intend to bring him back. I guess they did just want to see how he progressed health-wise before signing him first.

Something else lost in this is the fact that this could go a long way toward soothing Ben's sore butt about Arians being shown the door. It's no secret Ben and Starks are close friends and this could help to mend some of the hard feelings about Brucie being ousted. It certainly can't hurt and I'm sure Ben feels more comfortable and happier having Starks around.

I hope he's worked on his first step during the off-season. I saw a few games last year that he got blown off the ball by a straight bull rush where he wasn't able to even get a hand on the rusher. It's great that he's back and brings security to a line that has been demolished by injury over the last few years.

All that aside, bringing back Starks helps anchor what I feel has been the weakest link to our offense, and should help get the younger guys more leadership and direction.

I see a bunch of happy campers in here

Starks can take some pressure off and help coach Adams up too.

First he mentioned seeing a doctor, and then he immediately posted a picture of his new contract. I'm assuming the Steelers we're waiting for that last doctors notice.

I wrote an article trying to make sense of the Starks and Wallace situation and how they intertwine, trying to disentangle various threads. Sorry for posting it in both threads, but it's equally applicable to both.

Steelers' re-signing of Max Starks may also help to retain Mike Wallace

Quote :

Yesterday, knowledgeable members of Steeler Nation were pleased to hear the news that veteran tackle Max Starks had re-signed with the team on a one year deal. Though it is not the ideal scenario that he start (the hope is that rookie second round left tackle Mike Adams out of Ohio State will be ready to start week 1), it is a valuable option. In addition, the return of Starks shores up the weakest link in an otherwise very promising rebuilt offensive line that includes 4 picks in the top 2 rounds of the draft over the past 3 seasons: depth at the tackle position.

When looking at the opening day starting lineup in 2011, it is projected that there will be only one starter returning to his position when this season gets under way: All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey. Right tackle Marcus Gilbert, a rookie 2nd round pick last year, did start 13 games, but Willie Colon was the starting right tackle on opening day before being lost for the season due to injury.

Quote :

The Steelers are likely approximately $3 million under the 2012 salary cap after factoring in Starks’ speculated veteran minimum contract. The team also has the opportunity to exercise 3 $500,000 veteran salary cap credits, which, in essence, would shift $1.5 million against the 2012 salary cap to 2013. That would theoretically place the team somewhere around $4.5 million under the salary cap.

Add in the fact that Mike Wallace’s $2.7 million 1st round tender that he has not signed is already factored into the salary cap total, and that leaves the team with over $7 million against the salary cap to donate to signing Wallace. If you then consider the hypothetical release of Jonathan Scott, which seems likely with the return of Max Starks regardless of the Wallace decision, and it now approaches somewhere around the $9.5 million figure.