Jeff Reed Accuses the Steelers of Lying

I'm no expert in negotiating NFL contracts, but I'm guessing that accusing your current employers of lying won't help the situation down the road.

That's exactly what The League's Most Dangerous Kicker, Jeff Reed, had to say about the Steelers in an interview with the PG at camp:

"I'm not going to point anyone out or any statement out, but, yeah, I was told one thing and another thing happened," Reed said Saturday after practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. "I understand business moves, but I'm not a big fan of lying."

From my point of view, Reed should thank his lucky stars that he's still employed by this team, given his history of regrettable off-the-field decisions and the team's current stance on such situations. But no one ever accused NFL players of having sound logic.

Regardless of his past indiscretions, Reed will earn will earn $2,814,000 this season with the hated franchise tag, the average of the top five kickers and punters in the NFL in 2010.

At the time of the signing, Steeler brass indicated the desire to ink Skippy to a long-term deal, but as you can see, that just hasn't happened yet. Plus, there's the minor detail of Art Rooney II telling Reed on Friday that such a deal will not happen before the start of the regular season, which further hammers the nail in that coffin. After hearing Reed's reaction and comments, I'm doubtful that such a deal will ever be reached, and that might not be a bad thing for all parties involved.