Steelers: Agent says Clark still awaits offer from club
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Steelers safety Ryan Clark
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Ryan Clark likely will become an unrestricted free agent Friday, his agent believes, and may do so without receiving an offer from the Steelers.
Joel Turner told the Post-Gazette Tuesday that "If I had to take an educated guess, I'd say the probability of him being a free agent is greater than him being signed."
Turner began negotiating for a new contract for the Steelers' starting free safety one year ago and said he has never received an offer. With two days left before Clark can begin free negotiations with other NFL teams, the sides are nowhere near a deal.
"They haven't put actual dollar figures on paper," Turner said. "We've put together several different proposals of various levels and at this point, it's probably going to be a test of wills."
Clark told ESPN Radio 1250 that even though the Steelers identified him as a "priority" he does not feel that way because of how the negotiations have gone. He pointed to a number of Steelers who signed contract extensions last year as well as the new contract reached last week with Casey Hampton and the franchise tag placed on Jeff Reed.
"I haven't had an offer yet," Clark told the radio station's The Drive show.
"Nothing put to paper or said verbally. We want to get this deal done."
Steelers executives, including director of football operations Kevin Colbert, announced their three priorities to sign before free agency began were Clark, Hampton and Reed.
"You hear so much about being a priority and things like that," Clark said. "I mean, if you think about it, there have been a number of guys who have signed a contract and I haven't been offered -- Heath Miller, Justin Hartwig, Brett Keisel, Casey [Hampton], Jeff. So it's not like one guy got signed and the well ran dry and there was nothing they could do. It hasn't been that. If you think about priorities and prioritizing, obviously I was way down on the list as they go."
First Published March 3, 2010 12:00 am
