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Steelers have one week to match Texans' offer

Tuesday, March 19, 2002

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The Steelers must make a financial commitment unprecedented in franchise history if they want to keep kicker Kris Brown: Give him a multiyear guaranteed salary.

The Houston Texans signed Brown to a four-year, $4.7 million contract, which was filed with the Steelers and the league office yesterday. Because Brown is a restricted free agent, the Steelers have until 4 p.m. Monday to match the deal and keep him or let him go and receive a seventh-round choice in next month's draft from the Texans.

The contract includes a $1 million signing bonus, which Brown would receive up front. Signing bonuses are guaranteed money that have become standard in the league. What is rare is that the Texans also guaranteed part of his salaries in the third and fourth year of the contract.

Unlike other sports, guaranteed contracts in the NFL are infrequent. The Steelers have never given out the kind of contract that Brown signed with the Texas. Last year, they matched a contract halfback Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala signed with New England as a restricted free agent. That contract also was guaranteed, but it was only for one year.

The signing bonus and the first-year salary cap of slightly more than $1 million for Brown would be difficult for the Steelers to handle, especially for a player who was tendered a one-year salary of $563,000 at the end of February.

Brown, a Texas native, is said to prefer to play in Houston rather than kick at Heinz Field, where he missed 10 field-goal tries last season, the brunt of his league-high 14 misses. He has complained about the Heinz Field kicking surface.

On another front, the pool continues to dwindle for free-agent cornerbacks after Miami's Terry Cousin signed yesterday with the Carolina Panthers. Cousin visited the Steelers last week, as did Artrell Hawkins, who re-signed with the Bengals over the weekend.

The Steelers are negotiating to bring back free agent Deshea Townsend, their No. 3 cornerback, who has been talking with other teams, including the Texans. Jason Simmons, the Steelers' No. 4 cornerback, also remains on the market as a free agent.