Aug 23, 2016 2 min read

PITTSBURGH – Before the regular season, the Steelers were expected to sign one or two key players heading into their final contract year.

Inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons, guard David DeCastro and running back Le’Veon Bell were among those expected to get a new deal.

Instead, it was reserve inside linebacker Vince Williams who agreed to a new three-year deal Tuesday.

Terms were not immediately available for the 26-year-old Williams, who spent his first three seasons in Pittsburgh as a special teams ace and spot starter. He’s scheduled to make $675,000 this season, the final year of his rookie contract.

The signing of Williams could spell the end of Timmons’ days as a member of the Steelers, something Timmons foreshadowed earlier in training camp.

Asked what he would do with Williams if he were a general manager, Timmons replied, “I would start him.”

Timmons, a former Pro Bowl player and head coach Mike Tomlin’s first first-round draft pick in 2007, has appeared in 142 career games, including 110 starts and is entering the final season of a 6-year contract he signed in 2011.

The 30-year-old Timmons is scheduled to earn a base salary of $8.75 million this year but his salary cap value is $15.1 million, thanks to several restructures of his deal to help the team with cap space in previous seasons.

Timmons ceded play calling duties to fellow inside linebacker Ryan Shazier last season. Shazier also replaced Timmons as the nickel and dime inside linebacker, meaning Timmons was often off the field on third-downs.

As a result of his decreased playing time, Timmons had 119 tackles last season, down from 141 in 2014, though he also had five sacks and an interception.

If the Steelers are going to continue to keep Shazier on the field on a full-time basis, keeping Timmons at his current rate or anything close to it might not be necessary. Timmons is one of the top five inside linebackers in the NFL this season in terms of compensation.

Williams, a sixth-round draft choice in 2013, has appeared in 47 career games, making 13 starts while recording 130 tackles and two forced fumbles.

Meanwhile, the clock continues to run for the Steelers to get deals worked out before the start of their regular season Sept. 12.

General manager Kevin Colbert recently said several times the Steelers will stick to their longtime policy of refusing to discuss contract issues once the regular season begins.