Stillers Nation

• Green Bay paid Charles Woodson $10.5 million to sign on the dotted line in 2006.
• Carolina paid Ken Lucas $13 million and Baltimore paid $11 million to Samari Rolle in 2005.
• In 2004, Champ Bailey got $18 million (yes, EIGHTEEN MILLION just to sign his name) from Denver, Ahmed Plummer got $11 million from San Francisco, and Antonine Winfield $10.5 million from Minnesota.

Now the question in Stillers Nation is:

Is Ike worth an eight-figure signing bonus?

The answer is to come in the weeks and months ahead. What we do like about this situation is the fact that Ike has backed himself into a corner (no pun intended). He now has to put up or shut up. If he wants to be paid top dollar as he and his agent currently believe he is worth, then he will have to go out and play better than he has thus far (did you see Larry Fitzgerald eat his lunch last Saturday?). We know he led the league in passes defended last year, but he also had a knack for dropping gimme INTs.

In all likelihood, even if Ike has a sub-par season, some other team will step up to the plate and throw out "mad money" to lure him away from the Steelers (i.e. Anwtaan Randle El getting $27MM). But, if he does produce this year (which we hope he does), then he will have rightfully earned the big payday. So, suffice it to say, things aren't looking too good for Ike to remain a Pittsburgh Steeler after this season.

In the wings are Bryant McFadden and Ricardo Colclough, who we should all being paying closer attention to during the regular season, as one of them will most likely be a starter when the 2007 season rolls around.

# posted by MAC @ 6:00 AM