Tony Pauline of draftinsider.net reports that several teams have expressed an interest in OLB Jason Worilds at the NFL Scouting Combine. Pauline writes, “I’m told at least at least a dozen teams here at the combine have expressed great interest in Worilds if he hits free agency.”
The demand for Worilds shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Rotoworld recently ranked him the number two free agent linebacker behind 3 time pro bowler Brian Orakpo. If Orakpo comes off the market, which I believe he likely will do soon, Worilds will likely be considered the top available free agent pass rusher, regardless of Rotoworld’s ranking.
I’ve said before that the team will very much want to get Worilds signed before free agency opens up, the weekend of March 11th, if they truly intend to sign him. They could keep him here in theory by using the franchise tag on him, but they won’t. At an estimated $130 Mil salary cap (it’s been projected as high as $132 Mil recently) the franchise tag for linebackers would be just over $11.3 Mil. That’s just not something the team can afford to do, nor would they likely if they could.
Worilds has said that he would like to stay in Pittsburgh, but suggested that he would only stay if he could be a starter. The odds aren’t in favor of him wearing the Black and Gold next season.