Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - I'm sure he'll have more later http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08234/906000-66.stm John Harris, Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_584190.html
I like the contract, especially if the front office is convinced he still has 3 seasons left in the tank. Obviously, Larry Foote now needs to be worried about his job with Timmons becoming an inside line backer.
Probably a 2 yr deal...with the frontloaded contract the way it is. The last three years are underpaying him, and my guess is, they expect him to be gone by then. Hey cpaw... I thought Timmons was drafted as an ILB (as opposed to being moved to ILB this year, like you said). He was a 4-3 OLB, which typically becomes an ILB in a 3-4. Plus, his height screams ILB for a 3-4, too.
There were a lot of questions about the defense the Steelers would be playing long term considering Tomlin's background as a Tampa 2 guy. The Timmons selection scared some people because he "fit" a 4-3 better than a 3-4 defense Plus, because of his injuries, he got off to a very slow start last season, so he didn't have a real position. Coming into this season, it was made clear that he would be an ILB. Based upon what he saw last season, as long as Dick LeBeau is around, the Steelers will stick with the 3-4.
I completely forgot about the Mike Tomlin angle... I remember that now. But even then, I thought with the Woodley selection, it was going to be Woodley in the tweener role; Timmons inside. It would be weird to see Pittsburgh not run a 3-4 as its base defense. How long has the 3-4 been used in Pittsburgh this time around, 15 years?
