Feb 16, 2017 4 min read

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The Steelers have made signing Antonio Brown to a contract extension a priority and that’s a bit of a surprise.

I assumed the team would work out a new deal with Brown, who is scheduled to make $4.7 million in 2017. But I also figured it would come after some of the more pressing business – ie. new contracts for Le’Veon Bell and Lawrence Timmons – were taken care of.

But GM Kevin Colbert said Thursday the team is actively working on a new deal with Brown but hasn’t opened negotiations with anyone else.

We do, however, know that the Steelers have until March 1 to use their franchise tag, which is what is expected to happen with Bell.

That will give them until July 1 to work out a long-term deal with Bell, something Colbert said the team is very interested in doing.

Look for that to get done, as well.

As for Timmons, Colbert admitted that some players want to go through the free agency period, even if they have no intention of signing elsewhere, at least one time in their career.

They want to see what life outside of Pittsburgh is like. They want to be wined and dined. And, more importantly, their agents want to create a market for their services.

Brown’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is in Pittsburgh. Look for that deal to get done pretty quickly. I’m guessing four-years and $60 million will be the range.

@ Colbert also said that, unlike 2016, when the Steelers viewed the return of Senquez Golson as getting an additional second-round draft pick, they’re not necessarily counting on Golson’s contributions in 2017.

Part of the reason for that is because Golson suffered a foot injury, unlike last season when he was returning from a season-ending shoulder issue.

As Colbert correctly noted, that’s something that could cause a decline in his speed, which, for a cornerback, could be damaging to his long-term prospects.

The Steelers have their top three cornerbacks – Artie Burns, Ross Cockrell and William Gay – under contract for 2017. But beyond that, they have a lot of unproven guys.

The guess here is that they draft another corner in the second or third round this year because, as Colbert noted, there is more than one way to improve pass defense. That would mean improving the pass rush.

I expect an edge rusher in the first round and a corner in the second with a running back coming in the third round.

If not in that order, certainly those three positions.

Interestingly, Colbert listed those three positions and wide receivers as the strongest areas in this year’s draft.

@ Colbert was optimistic about Ladarius Green. And he reiterated that it was not a concussion issue that landed Green on the PUP list to start last season.

Colbert said Green’s ankle took longer than expected to work into shape but that it was probably a three- or four-week thing. But the Steelers were cautious with him because he was coming back from a major surgery and missed all of OTAs and training camp.

The Steelers were aware of Green’s past concussions but he played at least a dozen games in 2016 for San Diego after suffering a pair of concussions in September.

@ The Steelers are working under the assumption that Ben Roethlisberger will return until they hear otherwise.

Colbert said the team will add a young quarterback to the roster this season – as it does pretty much every year – it’s just a matter of where.

But anyone who thinks the Steelers are going to panic and automatically select a quarterback with the 30th pick in the draft because Roethlisberger mentioned that he needs time to think about next season, hasn’t been paying attention to how this team operates.

I expect the Steelers to get much more active in acquiring a young quarterback in the draft next year, when Roethlisberger has just two years remaining on his current contract.

And next year’s QB class, which could include players such as Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen and Lamar Jackson, looks like a very good one.