Steelers sign free agent linebacker
PITTSBURGH – The Detroit Lions, in desperate need of linebackers themselves, allowed one of their top back-up linebackers to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday. Clint Kriewaldt (pronounced Kree-walt) signed a 3-year deal with the Steelers on Wednesday. He received a signing bonus of $420,000 with base salaries of $530,000 this season, $630,000 in 2004 and $800,000 in 2005.
In four seasons with the Lions, Kriewaldt played in 49 games as a linebacker and special-teams player but made only two starts.
The 6-foot-1, 242-pounder, who turns 27 on March 16, played in 10 games last season and made 11 tackles. In his career, Kriewaldt has 39 tackles and one interception. He’s played all three linebacker positions with the Lions and will initially be used as an inside linebacker with the Steelers.
“Definitely special teams,” Kriewaldt added. “Other than that, they just want to get me comfortable with the system for now.”
Kriewaldt’s best game may have been against the Steelers. Playing in reserve of injured weak-side starter Barrett Green, Kriewaldt made a career-high seven tackles in the Dec. 23, 2001 loss to the Steelers at Heinz Field.
Obviously, the game left a bigger imprint on the Steelers than it did the Lions, who are facing the prospect of losing middle linebacker Chris Claiborne in free agency. Ironically, on the day Kriewaldt signed with the Steelers, a headline in the Detroit Free Press read: “Lions searching for a linebacker.” Both team president Matt Millen and new coach Steve Mariucci have stated that the Lions need linebackers.
“Yeah, they do,” Kriewaldt said. “We were talking with them and it’s kind of sad we couldn’t come to an understanding. I’m just happy to be here and excited. A lot of things happened today and I’m definitely excited. … I didn’t think it was going to happen this quick.”
Kriewaldt was drafted by the Lions in 1999 in the sixth round out of Division III Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he became that league’s first four-time unanimous first-team all-conference player. He finished his career with a school-record 416 tackles and also rushed for 16 touchdowns in two seasons as a goal-line running back.
Kriewaldt becomes the fourth former member of the Lions to sign with the Steelers since Kevin Colbert was named director of football operations in the spring of 2000. Colbert was the pro personnel director for the Lions until landing his job with the Steelers.
The Steelers also on Wednesday hosted 28-year-old Eric Brown, a 6-foot, 210-pound strong safety who played last season with the expansion Houston Texans.
Brown started 15 games last sason and made 60 tackles and intercepted two passes. He was a second-round draft pick by the Denver Broncos out of Mississippi State in 1998 and made the all-rookie team. He was a four-year starter in Denver before signing with Houston last August as an unrestricted free agent.
“Physical, that’s me all the way,” said Brown. “Getting up near the line, blitzing, making plays, that’s my style of defense.”
Brown has spent time at free safety but prefers strong safety.
“I want to be down. I want to be near the line, near the action,” he said. “If they want the safeties to be interchangeable, we’ll be interchangeable. But as far as I’m concerned I want to be up near the line doing what I do. That’s how I play.”