Coming off a super bowl victory last season, hopes couldn't be higher for the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers, as they should be. While the team is returning 20 out of 22 starters from that super bowl run (only losing Larry Foote and Bryant Mcfadden), things begin to look bleak as we look at the possible roster a year from now. In 2010, the Steelers will have an alarming number of key players that will be free agents if these players do not re-sign.
In all, twelve Steelers will become free agents, seven of them being unrestricted. If unsigned, the Steelers would lose players like Willie Parker, Casey Hampton, Deshea Townsend, Heath Miller, William Gay, Ryan Clark, Brett Keisel, and everybody's favorite kicker, Jeff Reid. With the signing of James Harrison, who will be 32 by the start of the 2010 season, the Steelers may have put themselves in a hole salary cap wise (assuming a new CBA is put into effect and 2010 is not an uncapped year). With the Steelers right up against the cap, and rookie signings not taken care of, little wiggle room will be available to give these potential free agents a new contract.
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