Steelers restructure Lawrence Timmons contract, according to report

Who was the defensive MVP for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense last season? According to Ed Bouchette, it should have been linebacker Lawrence Timmons. We'll leave that up to debate, but one thing is for certain: the 6-year, $50 million contract that was signed before the 2011 season placed considerable stress on the Steelers salary cap, so the deal has been restructured, according to Albert Breer.

Steelers have restructured Lawrence Timmons' contract, saving approximately $5 million in cap space. Roethlisberger is next.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 27, 2013

Details aren't known yet, but before the restructure, his contract was laid out as below, per Rotoworld:

8/23/2011: Signed a six-year, $50 million contract. The deal included an $11 million signing bonus.

2013: $5.4 million (+ $2.5 million roster bonus)

2014: $6.8 million

2015: $7.5 million,

2016: $8.8 million

2017: Free Agent

As Breer points out, the Steelers will target quarterback Ben Roethlisberger next, whose contract currently looks like this, per Rotoworld:

3/3/2008: Signed an eight-year, $102 million contract. The deal contains $33.2 million guaranteed, including a $25.2 million signing bonus and a $3 million roster bonus in the second year. Also included is a clause forbidding Roethlisberger from participating in "hazardous activities," e.g. riding a motorcycle with no helmet.

2013: $11.6 million

2014: $12.1 million

2015: $11.6 million

2016: Free Agent

This is the season that contracts get re-worked, so check back early and often for more updates.