I set out to write my pre-season report for the Steelers. But, once I started typing the section on the wide receivers, I realized that the report was becoming too long and disproportionally focused on oneplayer: Hines Ward.
Hence, I decided to write about the Hines Ward situation separately (and analyze the rest of the team later).
When I first heard about the Ward situation, I would have bet my life-savings on the fact that a deal would have gotten done. The two sides in this negotiation (Dan Rooney, Hines Ward) are two of the most stand-up, trustworthy, and respectable people in all of sports; hence, I felt no reason to worry. Since the Rooneys had said that Ward would be their "top priority," I was positive that the Rooneys would make Ward understand that the Steelers WOULD work out a deal before the start of the season.
Alas, a deal was not worked out, and in turn, Ward refused to report to camp. But, since the Steelers do NOT negotiate with players who hold out, all talks have ceased...which does not bode well.
The Steelers will absolutely not negotiate until Ward returns. Yet, Ward will not report to camp until he has a contract. So, unless someone flinches, this hold-out could last indefinitely.
Chances are that Ward will come to realize that there is more of a chance of Plaxico Burress beating Stephen Hawking at chess than there is that the Steelers will flinch.
Ask Mike Merriwether.
Ask Franco Harris.
Furthermore, the Steelers have certain rules that they use during negotiations, which have kept them not only competitive, but out of "salary cap purgatory" for three decades. In other words, the Steelers are not about to change their (sound) policies in order to meet the demands of one player...nor should they.
Hence, the onus is on Ward to report back to camp, in order to rekindle negotiations.
To clarify, I am not siding with the Steelers in this matter. The Steelers should have started negotiations weeks and weeks ago. That would have allowed both parties involved to have ample time to reach aconcensus....something along the lines of: the Steelers make an offer, Ward counters with a higher offer, and the process continues back and forth until the two sides arrive an acceptable deal. Had the Steelers started this process a month earlier, Ward's hold-out probably would have been avoided. But, the truth is they did not.
At the same time, Ward and his agents are not free from blame. The Steelers made the offer a week before training camp. Some might say that that the Steelers' offer was too low, but during negotiations, owners are going to try and keep as much of their own money as possible, just as the players are trying to get every penny they can.
While the Steelers offer was not what Ward wanted, it was a very acceptable opening bid.
Still, a week is, by no means, enough time to negotiate a deal. Then again, a week should have been enough time for the negotiations to get far enough along, that Ward would not have felt the need to hold out.
Yet, Ward's agents waited until right before training camp to respond with a counter-offer (which the Steelers turned down). Had the negotiations been further along, Ward could have reported, even without a contract, if the two sides had been close enough that an acceptable deal would have soon been completed. Again, this is the Steelers fault...but Ward deserves a bit of the blame, as well.
Additionally, according to Kevin Colbert, he had been in contact with Ward's agents for several months, and that those agents could have made formal proposals at any time...yet, the agents did not.
Furthermore, people keep saying that the Steelers are not treating Hines Ward as their "top priority" (as they had promised). In the Steelers defense, they signed no outside free agents (aside from Cedric Wilson)...thus, saving the rest of their money for Ward. Similarly, they signed none of their own free agents (Hampton, Randel El, Hope)...again, saving that money for Ward. Instead, the Steelers are waiting until after Ward's deal, and whatever money is left over, would be used for signing those other players.
Did the Steelers offer Ward a contract that was in acceptable range? Yes.
Were the Steelers willing to continue negotiations? Yes.
Should the Steelers have started these negotiations three or four weeks earlier? Yes.
Has Ward been vastly underpaid for the past three years? A resounding Yes.
Hence, this contract needs to not only be acceptable by today's standards, it needs to "make up" for a portion of the money Ward should have already earned (i.e. for those three years where he was making 1.6 million).