Steelers’ Ryan Harris Retires
Offensive tackle Ryan Harris inked a two-year, $3.9MM deal with the Steelers in free agency last March. Twelve months later, he’s retiring, according to Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post (Twitter link).
Harris, who will turn 32 on March 11, only appeared in five games and didn’t record any starts in his lone season in Pittsburgh. Despite that, he told Mike Klis of 9News that playing for the Steelers “was a dream come true.” The Steelers placed Harris on injured reserve in early October on account of a shin issue. Injuries were long problematic for Harris, who underwent three back surgeries and dealt with other ailments during his career, as Klis notes.
“It’s been a long journey,’’ Harris told Klis. “You have to overcome injuries. That’s the NFL. The injury rate is 100 percent. You have to have belief, you have to have a great surgeon, you have to have belief in yourself. You have to take the small increments, the changes in your flexibility for months. You have to take it in stride and it made me a better professional and it made me a better man.”
Prior to joining the Steelers, Harris logged a combined 110 appearances and 70 starts with the Broncos, Texans and Chiefs. The majority of his work came in Denver, which selected the ex-Notre Dame standout in the third round of the 2007 draft. Harris started in 50 of 62 appearances as a Bronco, with whom he had tenures from 2007-10 and 2015. In his second stint with the Broncos, the 6-foot-5, 299-pounder started every game and collected a Super Bowl ring.
“Everything I had been through to everything we had accomplished was phenomenal,” Harris said of Denver’s latest championship-winning team.
Continued Harris: “I’ve really worked hard to put my family in a good place for retirement. I’ve been planning for this since Day 1 in the NFL. I’m fortunate. Not that many guys get the chance to retire. This is that time.’’
Steelers’ FAs Likely To Test Market
While the Steelers have prevented running back Le’Veon Bell from reaching free agency, it doesn’t appear they’ll be able to keep their other unsigned players from hitting the open market. The club isn’t close to re-signing any of its free agents-to-be as March 9 approaches, two sources told Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Steelers’ list of unrestricted players includes linebackers Lawrence Timmons and Jarvis Jones, running back DeAngelo Williams, quarterback Landry Jones and wide receiver Markus Wheaton, among others. Pittsburgh began talks with Timmons in February, but it will be a challenge to stop the productive defender and careerlong Steeler from heading elsewhere for his 11th NFL season.
“Would you like to have him stay? Absolutely,” general manager Kevin Colbert said in regards to Timmons last month. “Does it all fit? We can make it work, but at what cost? He’s never been a free agent. I’d like to see him finish his career here and he would too.”
Although Jarvis Jones has disappointed since going in the first round of the 2013 draft, having totaled only six sacks in 50 appearances, he’s likely to encounter a favorable market, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
As is the case with Timmons, Colbert has indicated he’d like to have Landry Jones stick around, though it might behoove the four-year veteran to look for a clearer path to playing time someplace else. Jones appeared in a combined 15 games the past two seasons, but barring retirement, Ben Roethlisberger is entrenched as the Steelers’ starting signal-caller.
As for Bell, the Steelers aren’t in any rush to start talks on a long-term deal with the franchise-tagged running back, per Dulac. That runs contrary to a Thursday report from NFL.com’s Aditi Kinkhabwala, who relayed that the two sides are “heavy into negotiations.” The Steelers have until July 15 to lock up Bell.
49ers, Redskins, Cowboys To Discuss Cousins, Romo?
In what would be a stunning turn of events, a scenario in which the 49ers acquire quarterback Kirk Cousins from the Redskins could lead to Washington landing fellow signal-caller Tony Romo from the Cowboys, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It would be a three-team trade that would see the Redskins send draft pick compensation to the NFC East rival Cowboys for Romo (Twitter links).
While Romo’s a longtime star and a four-time Pro Bowler, the more significant passer changing hands in this deal would be Cousins. The Redskins placed the $23.94MM exclusive franchise tag on Cousins to prevent him from negotiating with other teams, but the two sides haven’t yet come close to a long-term agreement. That might lead Washington to shop Cousins, whom it could lose in free agency next year, though the 49ers reportedly aren’t willing to both surrender a haul of draft picks and sign him to a mega-deal. The Niners own the second pick in this year’s draft and are are set to select two more times in the top 70 (Nos. 34 and 66).
For his part, the 28-year-old Cousins would welcome a trade to the 49ers, which would allow him to reunite with Kyle Shanahan. The rookie head coach has long been a Cousins fan and coached him as Washington’s offensive coordinator from 2012-13. While Cousins was a backup during that two-year span, he emerged as a high-end starter last season and is coming off a campaign in which he completed 67 percent of passes, nearly reached the 5,000-yard mark (4,917), and tossed 25 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
Unlike Cousins, Romo has barely seen the field the past two seasons. Shoulder injuries limited the soon-to-be 37-year-old to four games in 2015, when he struggled with five TDs against seven picks, and he suffered a broken bone in his back last August and ended up attempting just four passes on the season. Romo returned in November, but wunderkind rookie Dak Prescott had usurped the starting role for good by then.
With Prescott entrenched under center, Romo will likely be on his way out of Dallas soon. If it’s via trade, he’ll still be due base salaries of $14MM, $19.5MM, $20.5MM in each of the next three seasons, but none of that money is guaranteed. As CBS Sports’ Joel Corry reported last month, any team acquiring Romo would have to take on his salary for 2017 before reworking his contract. The Cowboys, though, would likely allow that club to have contract-related discussions with Romo’s camp before the trade.
Falcons To Place Second-Round Tender On Taylor Gabriel
The Falcons will apply a $2.81MM second-round tender to restricted free agent wide receiver Taylor Gabriel, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Doing so will entitle Atlanta to a team’s second-round pick if that club signs Gabriel to an offer sheet and the Falcons don’t match it. Gabriel told McClure he’d like to be a “Falcon forever,” though, and the two sides will be able to negotiate a long-term contract if they want.
The speedy Gabriel just finished his first season in Atlanta, which claimed him off waivers after the Browns jettisoned him leading up to Week 1. That proved to an excellent move for the Falcons, with whom Gabriel averaged a lofty 16.5 yards per catch on 35 grabs and scored seven touchdowns (six receiving, one rushing) in 13 regular-season games. The 26-year-old then added another nine catches for 171 yards in the playoffs for the NFC champions.
Since entering the NFL in as an undrafted free agent in 2014, the 5-foot-8, 167-pound Gabriel has amassed 99 catches, 1,441 yards (14.2 YPC) and eight scores scores in 42 games.
Extra Points: Saints, Jags, 49ers, Falcons
Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks is drawing trade interest from multiple teams, but it would take something “real significant” for New Orleans to deal the 23-year-old, head coach Sean Payton told the team’s website (video link). Still, Payton didn’t deny that talks have taken place and he says the Saints are “always listening,” particularly when there are opportunities to improve their defense.
More from around the NFL:
- Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell says safety Jonathan Cyprien and cornerback Prince Amukamara will hit the open market, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets. The 26-year-old Cyprien was the more impressive of the pair in 2016, when he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ seventh-best safety and amassed 126 tackles and four pass deflections over a career-high 16 starts. Amukamara, 27, often had difficulty staying healthy as a Giant from 2011-15, but last year he appeared in his most games (14) since 2013. And though he failed to record an interception for the first time, Amukamara did rank a respectable 42nd among PFF’s 112 qualified corners.
- The 49ers plan to transition cornerback Jimmie Ward to free safety in 2017, GM John Lynch told Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “We’re excited to give (Ward) an offseason to say, ‘Let’s give this a go,’” said Lynch. “That doesn’t preclude him from playing nickel in some situations, or moving around. I think he brings some great versatility.” Safety isn’t foreign to Ward, who played the position at Northern Illinois and then started a game there with the Niners as a first-round rookie in 2014. As a cornerback, the 25-year-old has logged 34 appearances (18 starts) and two interceptions. PFF rated Ward as the league’s 46th-best corner last season. The Niners will have to decide by May whether to pick up his fifth-year option for 2019.
- Unless the Lynch-led 49ers acquire a bona fide starting quarterback in free agency or via trade, there will be pre-draft speculation that the team could use a high-round pick – perhaps the No. 2 overall selection – on a signal-caller. Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer stands as one of the top QBs in this year’s class, and Lynch lavished praise on him Thursday (via Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today). “Last night we had an interview with DeShone Kizer,” he said. “This whole thing is not about an interview, but if we’re grading him on that alone, he blew the doors off of it. He’s an impressive young man. His film is impressive, too.” Lynch also called the QB class of 2017 “very talented,” which runs counter to the notion that it’s among the worst ever.
- The Falcons are likely to re-sign defensive lineman Courtney Upshaw sometime in the next week, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Upshaw joined the Falcons on a $1.25MM deal last year and went on to post modest numbers (23 tackles, a forced fumble and a half-sack) in 13 appearances and five starts.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Packers Likely To Lose J.C. Tretter
It appears center J.C. Tretter‘s tenure with the Packers is on the verge of ending. The free agent-to-be has drawn interest from at least seven other teams at the combine this week and figures to price himself out of Green Bay on the open market, reports Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentintel.
[RELATED: Top 50 NFL Free Agents]
Prior to last season, Tretter had garnered only three starts in 24 appearances since the Packers selected him in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. But Tretter started the Packers’ first seven games in 2016, during which he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ ninth-best center, before suffering “significant MCL damage” in his right knee and missing the rest of the season.
Fortunately for the 26-year-old Tretter, it doesn’t look as if his knee will be a problem going forward. Tretter underwent arthroscopic surgery at Dr. James Andrews’ clinic in Alabama on Jan. 17, and Andrews didn’t find any cartilage or structural damage, a source told Cohen.
With Tretter about to depart, Green Bay will turn to Corey Linsley as its starting center next season, per Cohen. Linsley has far more starting experience than Tretter, having lined up with the Packers’ No. 1 offense in all 38 of his appearances. He missed the Packers’ first nine games last year and then came back just as Tretter went down. Linsley’s presence will obviously soften the blow of Tretter’s forthcoming exit.
Jets To Release Brandon Marshall
The Jets intend to release wide receiver Brandon Marshall, reports Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday (Twitter link). Marshall is now in line to become the seventh veteran the Jets have moved on from since late last month. The rebuilding club previously cut ties with cornerback Darrelle Revis, center Nick Mangold, offensive tackles Ryan Clady and Breno Giacomini, kicker Nick Folk and linebacker Erin Henderson.
As was the case with the other six vets, the fact that the Jets are moving on from Marshall isn’t particularly surprising. However, the Jets would have preferred to keep him, it seems, as a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter) that they offered Marshall an extension. But Marshall requested his release, tweets Martin, and his exit will save Gang Green $7.5MM in 2017.
Marshall is just two years removed from a 109-catch, 1,502-yard, 14-touchdown 2015, but his numbers declined significantly last season as a member of an anemic passing attack. All told, Marshall hauled in 59 grabs on 128 targets, posted only the third sub-1,000-yard season of his career (788), and only totaled three TDs. But he did once again exhibit durability, appearing in at least 15 games for the ninth time, and notch a yards-per-catch average (13.4) better than his career total (12.8).
Now set to hit the open market, the 32-year-old Marshall should become one of the most sought-after pass catchers available, joining fellow wideouts like Alshon Jeffery, Kenny Stills and Terrelle Pryor, among others. Marshall is more established than any of them, having combined for a whopping 941 receptions, 12,061 yards and 82 touchdowns across 11 seasons with the Broncos, Bears, Dolphins and Jets. The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder hasn’t yet played with an elite quarterback, making his lifetime output all the more impressive, but that could change if he hooks on with a contender in free agency. He’ll also look to snap the league’s longest active playoff drought for an individual (167 games) with his next employer.
Pauline’s Latest: Bengals, Chiefs, Seahawks
The latest pre-free agency buzz from Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com….
- There’s a “belief” that the Bengals will make Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan their No. 1 target in free agency. The durable Ryan just finished his fourth straight 16-game season, one in which he logged 13 starts, 92 tackles and two interceptions, and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 16th-best corner (112 qualifiers). PFR’s Zach Links regards the 26-year-old as the 10th-best free agent in the upcoming class.
- After re-signing safety Eric Berry and guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif to mega-deals this week, Chiefs general manager John Dorsey has told people at the combine that he won’t dip into free agency. If true, that could take the Chiefs out of the running to re-sign defensive tackle Dontari Poe.
- On the heels of his productive season of his career in 2016, Cowboys defensive lineman Terrell McClain is drawing significant interest – including from the Seahawks and Falcons – as free agency approaches. McClain, 28, put up personal-best totals in starts (15), tackles (39), sacks (2.5) and forced fumbles (two) last year.
- The Bills and restricted free agent running back Mike Gillislee are amid discussions regarding a long-term agreement. Even though he’s stuck behind LeSean McCoy in Buffalo, Gillislee would like to spend the rest of his career there, per Pauline. Gillislee has been quietly excellent with the Bills the past two seasons, having averaged 5.7 yards per carry and scored 11 touchdowns on 148 rushes.
Latest On Jimmy Garoppolo, A.J. McCarron
While the Patriots are reportedly unlikely to trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, they haven’t ruled out moving him if the right offer comes along, a league source told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. New England is likely to want at least a first-rounder for Garoppolo, writes Cabot, who hears that the team has already received one preliminary “offer.” However, a deal is unlikely to come together during the combine.
The Browns, 49ers and Bears, who are set to pick first, second and third in this year’s draft, have drawn the most connections to Garoppolo this winter. Cleveland has seemingly shown more interest than anyone else in Garoppolo, and it could help the club’s cause that it has a second first-rounder (No. 12 overall) that it could dangle to land the 25-year-old.
Should they fail to reel in Garoppolo, the Browns could look for a signal-caller via free agency, elsewhere on the trade market, or in the draft. Cabot reported earlier Thursday that they’re eyeing North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky at No. 1 overall, and she now adds that the Browns could inquire about Bengals backup A.J. McCarron.
Although the Bengals aren’t necessarily aiming to trade McCarron, they might do it if they receive at least a second-rounder, and they wouldn’t be averse to sending him to a division rival, a source told Cabot. Moreover, McCarron “would love” to reunite with Browns head coach Hue Jackson, Cabot notes. McCarron played under Jackson when he was the Bengals’ offensive coordinator from 2014-15.
Eagles, Beau Allen Talking Extension
The Eagles are discussing a contract extension with defensive tackle Beau Allen, reports Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. That could be a sign the Eagles are preparing to lose fellow defensive tackle Bennie Logan in free agency, McLane suggests.
[RELATED: Logan Among PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents]
Of the two linemen, Logan has easily has the more established NFL track record. Since the Eagles chose him in the third round of the 2013 draft, Logan has picked up 51 starts in 59 appearances. Logan has started in each of his appearances dating back to his second year, and he’s coming off a 24-tackle, 2.5-sack, two-forced fumble season over 13 games. The 27-year-old ranked a lowly 84th in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 127 qualified interior D-linemen last season, but it didn’t help that he dealt with a groin injury. Now healthy, Logan figures to encounter a robust market in free agency, where the NFC East rival Redskins could be among the teams that pursue him.
The Eagles aren’t in imminent danger of losing Allen, who’s signed through next season, but he has impressed de facto general manager Howie Roseman during his three-year career.
“We’re excited about Beau, both in his ability to be powerful in the run game but also his athleticism to work edges,” Roseman said Wednesday. “He has pass-rush moves. With an increased opportunity, we think he’ll be an even better player to our team.”
Allen, 25, hasn’t missed a game in three years and finished with personal bests in tackles (29) and starts (three) in 2016. PFF ranked him as the league’s 57th-best interior D-lineman, 27 spots higher than Logan. Moreover, Allen saw significant action in multiple phases, as he amassed 412 defensive snaps and another 142 on special teams.