Steelers Notes: Bell, Green, Jones, Vaughan
The Steelers don’t have many reasons to trust Le’Veon Bell at the moment, argues Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, and it’s possible that sentiment infects contract talks with the pending free agent. Earlier this week, Bell saw his suspension reduced from four games to three, but that doesn’t excuse the missed drug tests, DUI, and marijuana busts, as Fowler writes, adding that Pittsburgh “probably won’t know what to expect from him off the field until he proves it over time.” On the flip side, the Steelers laud Bell for his work ethic and his interactions with fans, so he’s clearly not a character problem in the traditional sense of the term. How exactly Pittsburgh views Bell and his off-field questions could affect his future with the club and any negotiations the two sides might have over the next seven months or so.
More from the Steel City:
- Tight end Ladarius Green went on the record to deny that he’s been dealing with headache issues, and once again reiterated that it’s an ankle injury that’s been keeping him on the PUP list and off the field. Reports have indicated that Green is suffering from the aftereffects of multiple concussions, and has even contemplated retirement, another storyline that Green challenged. “I am wondering who said this,” Green told Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune. “I don’t think I spoke about retiring no time soon. I am only 26 so I don’t think I am retiring anytime soon.”
- Though Bruce Gradkowski could be sidelined for some time after tearing his hamstring, the Steelers figure to stand pat with Landry Jones as their backup quarterback, writes Fowler in a separate piece. Jones was solid during training camp, and as Fowler adds, the veteran QB market is extremely thin. Pittsburgh did sign Bryn Renner earlier today, but that was primarily a reaction to third-stringer Dustin Vaughan suffering a broken thumb, tweets Kaboly.
- Last week, veteran linebacker James Harrison — along with Packers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers — agreed to future interviews with the NFL about an ongoing PED investigation. Harrison went on to blast Roger Goodell, referring to the commissioner as a “crook” and saying he’d like to have the interviews televised.
Chiefs Tweak WR Rod Streater’s Deal
The Chiefs have made an adjustment to wide receiver Rod Streater‘s contract, and in doing so, created nearly $4MM in cap space, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Under the terms of the restructure, Streater’s 2016 cap number dropped from $4.8MM to $810K.
[RELATED: Chiefs Claim S Brock Vereen From Patriots]
While details of the reworking aren’t immediately clear, it’s very likely that the Chiefs altered some of Streater’s incentives from “likely to be earned” to “not likely to be earned,” thus lowering his cap charge while keeping the incentives intact. Such designations are based on the prior season’s performance, but because Streater caught only pass for eight yards in 2015, it’s doubtful that his amended incentives were of an individual nature. In other words, any reception-based incentive for Streater would be considered “likely to be earned,” because any total he reaches in 2016 would match or exceed last year’s production.
As such, it’s more probable that the altered incentives were team-based, such as wins, touchdowns, or offensive yards/points. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap explained on a recent podcast, the NFL contractual bargaining agreement contains a highly convoluted rule regarding team incentives, especially when a contract contains several such clauses (as Streater’s reportedly does).
It’s difficult to parse exactly how the Chiefs finagled the language in Streater’s deal without knowing the specifics of the pact, but the net effect is that that Kansas City now has more financial wiggle room with which to work. If Streater does end up meeting his “not likely to be earned” incentives, the Chiefs will see a cap adjustment for the 2017 campaign.
Streater, 28, will certainly have a chance to improve on his 2015 numbers during the upcoming season, as the Chiefs don’t have much in the way of experience in their receiving corps behind Jeremy Maclin. Streater reportedly “looked great” when filling in for an injured Albert Wilson as the club’s No. 3 option in early August, and will compete with Chris Conley, Wilson, DeMarcus Robinson, and De’Anthony Thomas for targets.
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Chargers’ Jeff Cumberland Done For Season
Chargers tight end Jeff Cumberland will miss the entire 2016 season after tearing his Achilles in Friday’s night preseason game against the Cardinals, as Cumberland himself announced on Instagram (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune).
[RELATED: Updated San Diego Chargers Depth Chart]
Cumberland, 29, agreed to a one-year, minimum salary benefit deal with San Diego earlier this year after being released by the Jets in early March. The Bolts drafted tight end Hunter Henry in the second round of the draft two months after signing Cumberland, so the veteran likely would have been relegated to quite a bit of special teams duty had he made the squad. Indeed, Chargers tight end coach John McNulty said in June that Cumberland was “still carving out” his role as he competed with Sean McGrath, Asante Cleveland, and Tim Semisch.
Always viewed as more of a blocker than a receiving threat, Cumblerand caught a total of 78 passes for the Jets from 2012 to 2014, starting 38 games for the team during that stretch and racking up 10 touchdowns. However, he saw his number called a whole lot less in 2015, as Ryan Fitzpatrick didn’t use his tight ends much. Cumberland had just five receptions on 14 targets in 2015.
Cumberland wasn’t the only Charger to go down in last night’s contest, as Gehlken also reports (Twitter link) that seventh-round rookie Donovan Clark suffered a torn ACL on Friday and will be out for the season. Clark, an offensive lineman out of Michigan State, had been expected to compete for a backup role, or perhaps spend time on the practice squad.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jets Release Bernard Pierce From IR
The Jets have released running back Bernard Pierce, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). New York had placed Pierce on injured reserve earlier this week, so the club clearly reached an injury settlement with the veteran back.
[RELATED: Jets sign RB Lache Seastrunk]
Pierce was signed by the Jets late last month as running back depth, but his hamstring injury kept him from getting on the field and showing what he can do. The 25-year-old appeared in seven games with the Jaguars in 2015 and totaled just six carries for 11 yards. Pierce spent the first three seasons of his career with the Ravens after they used a 2012 third-round pick on him, and he showed significant promise as a rookie. That year, the ex-Temple Owl averaged 4.9 yards per rush on 108 attempts. Pierce added a combined 802 rushing yards the next two seasons in Baltimore, but on a meager 3.3 yards per carry.
In May, the NFL handed Pierce a two-game suspension, though the reason for the ban was not disclosed. In the past, Pierce has dealt with substance abuse issues and he was arrested for a DUI charge prior to the 2015 season. If he latches on with another club, he’ll have to serve that ban with the new team, but he can also complete the suspension as a free agent.
The Jets have already found a capable replacement for Pierce, as they agreed to sign former Falcons running back Antone Smith last week.
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Browns Suspend CB K’Waun Williams
WEDNESDAY, 7:41pm: Williams’ agent, Evan Krakower, has issued a press release regarding his client. The entire statement can be found on Twitter. Part of it reads, “It is extremely puzzling that the Browns comments have ignored the significant treatment they have provided K’Waun to his ankle up to the night in question.”
Krakower continued, “In light of his previous service to the team and his injury history, we believe the Browns suspension and fine are excessive in nature at best, and totally unwarranted at worst. A punishment of this excessive nature of a player, with aprevious exemplary record on and off the field, is inappropriate. Therefore, Mr. Williams will be appealing this fine and suspension through the appropriate channels.”
6:23pm: Williams had a second opinion on his ankle at the Cleveland Clinic on Wednesday, and a specialist told him that he’ll have to undergo surgery to remove bone spurs, his agent told Cabot. Williams, therefore, will appeal the punishment the Browns handed him. However, University Hospitals – not the Cleveland Clinic – is the team’s hospital, tweets Cabot.
TUESDAY: The Browns are suspending cornerback K’Waun Williams for two weeks as a result of an “ongoing dispute” regarding his standing with the club, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Williams, whose suspension is for conduct detrimental to the team, will also be docked one game check.
[RELATED: Browns, Desmond Bryant discussing 2016 payment]
As Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com details, Williams’ future with the Browns is now in jeopardy following an episode last week. After Williams suffered an ankle injury during an intrasquad scrimmage, he declared himself out for Cleveland’s first preseason contest, a decision which irked the club’s management. The Browns listed Williams’s absence as due to a personal reason, and the third-year pro hasn’t returned to camp since.
“We’ll talk about that at a different time,” head coach Hue Jackson said Tuesday. “I just think there are a lot of mixed messages that are going on as far as all that’s concerned. We’ll deal with it, and I’m sure we’ll all talk about it at the appropriate time.”
While some sources have told Cabot that the Browns are under the impression that Williams may retire, other sources told the Cleveland.com scribe that Williams was merely away seeking a second opinion on his ankle. Indeed, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal hears (Twitter link) that Williams will get a new opinion on his injury tomorrow. Williams, who has served as the Browns’ slot corner in each of the past two seasons, was reportedly unhappy that trade acquisition Jamar Taylor had been playing ahead of him in nickel packages, tweets Rapaport.
Williams, 25, figures to appeal any suspension or loss of pay, according to Cabot (Twitter link).
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Offseason In Review: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have long been one of the NFL’s model organizations, with stability among their ownership group, front office, and coaching staff proving paramount to their success. Kevin Colbert is the fourth-longest tenured general manager in the league, while Mike Tomlin has the fifth-longest tenure among head coaches. Consistently among the contenders for the AFC crown, Pittsburgh entered this offseason with a mandate to get younger on the defensive side of the ball, while suspensions for two of its young offensive stars threatened to throw a wrench in its plans.
Notable signings:
- Ladarius Green, TE: Four years, $20MM. $4.75MM guaranteed.
- Ramon Foster, G: Three years, $9.6MM. $2.75MM guaranteed.
- William Gay, CB: Three years, $7.5MM. $1.9MM guaranteed.
- Robert Golden, S: Three years, $4.95MM. $1.25MM guaranteed.
- Ryan Harris, T: Two years, $3.9MM. $675K guaranteed.
- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR: Three years, $3.8MM. $400K guaranteed.
- Bruce Gradkowski, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Greg Warren, LS: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Steven Johnson, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $25K guaranteed.
- David Johnson, TE: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Ricardo Mathews, DE: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Given that the Steelers had only about $10MM in available cap space heading into the offseason, it was always unlikely that the club was going to be a major player in the free agent market. And sadly, Pittsburgh’s one major external addition isn’t delivering returns as of yet, as tight end Ladarius Green hasn’t practiced this summer as he continues to deal with chronic headaches. Green, 26, suffered two concussions in the the span of two weeks last September, so the logical conclusion is that he’s still coping with the aftereffects of those brain injuries.
At least one report has indicated that if the headaches persist, Green could contemplate retirement, and while his long-term health is certainly the most important issue in this situation, there is also a financial component involved. If Green retires, he’d have to return his signing bonus to the Steelers, but the situation becomes more murky if Pittsburgh simply releases him. If the team feels that Green wasn’t forthcoming about his injury history at the time of signing, they’d have an argument to recoup the bonus, or at least a portion of it.
Of course, Green’s potential absence will also limit the Steelers’ offense, as he’d been set to add a new dimension to a unit that will already be without Martavis Bryant and Le’Veon Bell for varying amounts of time. Green posted 37 receptions for more than 400 yards in a limited role with the Chargers, and could’ve seen those numbers rise as he took on a full-time job with Pittsburgh. If he’s not a factor in 2016, the Steelers will instead turn to Jesse James, Xavier Grimble, and FB/TE David Johnson, who returns to the Steel City after two years in San Diego.
Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey may also see more targets if Green is sidelined, as DHB is back with the Steelers after inking a three-year deal. Now 29 years old, Heyward-Bey 
clearly never lived up to his draft billing after being chosen seventh overall in 2009, but he can still serve as a depth option and special teams player. He saw 39 targets last season, and that number figures to stay relatively stagnant, as though Bryant is suspended for the season, DHB is still behind Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, and Sammie Coates among the club’s wide receivers.
With so many of Pittsburgh’s skill players facing availability questions to start the season, the club’s offensive line could be doubly important, and veteran guard Ramon Foster will be a key factor on that front five after re-upping on a three-year pact. Foster will be entering his eighth season with the club, and he’s been remarkably durable — he played every offensive snap in 2016, and he’s appeared in 75 of 80 possible games since becoming a full-time starter. After he graded out as the No. 16 guard in the league last season (per Pro Football Focus), it’s a little surprising that the Steelers only had to invest $3.2MM annually to re-sign Foster.
Joining Foster in the offensive line room will be tackle Ryan Harris, but it’s still unclear whether the former Bronco will act as a starting option or serve as a backup. Harris 
emerged as Denver’s left tackle after incumbent Ryan Clady went down for the season, and helped stabilize the club’s offensive line on the way to a Super Bowl title. With the Steelers, Harris will compete with Alejandro Villanueva, who started 10 games at left tackle for Pittsburgh as a 27-year-old rookie. So far, it sounds as though the two are neck-and-neck.
One offensive player who probably won’t contribute much during the upcoming season is veteran quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, who is dealing with a “sizable” hamstring tear suffered in the Steelers’ first preseason game. Gradkowski, 33, also missed all of last season with an injury, and his absence means Landry Jones will be the club’s clear cut No. 2 quarterback. If Pittsburgh feels the need to add another arm, Michael Vick — who played for the team last season — is still sitting on the open market, though Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link) doubts that Vick will end up with the Steelers.
Safety Robert Golden, meanwhile, wasn’t re-signed with the thought that he’d be starting, but the makeup of the defensive backfield has changed enough that Golden will once again be counted on to to play a large role. 
Second-round rookie Sean Davis had been ticketed to take Golden’s place as Pittsburgh’s strong safety, but following a serious injury to cornerback Senquez Golson, Davis is likely to see most of his action at slot corner, meaning Golden will see a heavy snap count in the back end.
A convenient line of logic might dictate that linebacker Steven Johnson could play a key role as a top backup behind Ryan Shazier and Lawrence Timmons given that he comes over from the Titans, whose defense was led by former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. However, Johnson only saw 27 defensive snaps last season, meaning he’s simply a special teams piece. Veteran defensive lineman Ricardo Mathews, then, is a much more likely candidate to see snaps, as he should be the third defensive end behind Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt.
Continue reading about the Steelers’ offseason…
Dolphins Eyeing Stephen Tulloch
As they search for depth before the beginning of the regular season, the Dolphins are considering free agent linebacker Stephen Tulloch, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Miami wanted to bring in Tulloch for a workout recently, but the club made it clear that it would only consider a cheap deal, which Tulloch apparently isn’t willing to settle for at the moment.
[RELATED: Offseason In Review — Miami Dolphins]
Tulloch, 31, hasn’t drawn much interest on the open market since being released by the Lions in early July. While he’s been tangentially linked to openings with the Cowboys, Tulloch’s only real negotiations have been with the Eagles, who employ his former head coach, Jim Schwartz, as defensive coordinator. Philadelphia was said to be in heavy negotiations with Tulloch as of 10 days ago, but no deal has been struck as of yet.
In his fifth year in Detroit, Tulloch started all 16 games, racking up 108 total tackles, one sack, and two fumble recoveries. However, he wasn’t quite an every-down player, as he saw time on less than 70% of the Lions’ defensive plays. Tulloch also graded out relatively poorly in Pro Football Focus’ rankings, placing as the No. 54 inside linebacker among 97 qualifiers.
As Roster Resource details, Miami is currently projected to start Koa Misi, offseason acquisition Kiko Alonso, and Jelani Jenkins at linebacker, with Spencer Paysinger, Zach Vigil, James-Michael Johnson, and others in reserve. Tulloch, if not a clear backup, would likely serve as an early-down run-stuffer were he to sign with the Dolphins. If Miami is still looking for a low-cost alternative to add to its front seven, as Jackson writes, other free agents such as A.J. Hawk, DeMeco Ryans, Curtis Lofton, and Joe Mays could be of interest to the club.
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South Notes: Saints, Moore, Dotson, Kuhn
Given that the Saints first-round rookie Sheldon Rankins will be out for six-to-eight weeks after suffering a broken fibula, New Orleans could look to the free agent market to augment a defensive line interior that currently includes John Jenkins, Nick Fairley, C.J. Wilson, and Tyeler Davison. One potential replacement — Tony McDaniel — came off the board this weekend when he signed a deal with the Seahawks, but Cullen Jenkins, Henry Melton, C.J. Mosley, and Sammie Lee Hill are among the veteran options that could be on the Saints’ radar, as Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com suggests. One other candidate, from my vantage point, might be former Brown Randy Starks, whom Pro Football Focus assigned the highest grade among unsigned interior defenders.
Here’s more from the NFL’s South divisions:
- Colts linebacker Sio Moore has a “pretty significant” hamstring injury, according to head coach Chuck Pagano, the fourth-year pro figures to be sidelined for a meaningful amount of time, writes Kevin Bowen of Colts.com. As such, D’Qwell Jackson and Nate Irving will probably serve as Indy’s starting inside linebackers in the club’s 3-4 scheme. As Roster Resource shows, the Colts have several other options on their depth chart, including Josh McNary, Antonio Morrison, and Junior Sylvestre.
- As part of his three-year extension, Buccaneers right tackle Demar Dotson scored $4.25MM in full guarantees, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Another $4.25MM, presumably guaranteed for injury only, becomes fully guaranteed on March 13 of 2017. Dotson’s new pact has a total value of $16.5MM, and will keep the 30-year-old in Tampa through 2019.
- Titans offensive lineman Josue Matias will require season-ending knee surgery and will be placed on injured reserve, head coach Mike Mularkey told reporters (link via the Associated Press). Matias, a 2015 undrafted free agent who spent last year on Tennessee’s practice squad, is facing a six-month recovery.
- John Kuhn‘s one-year deal with the Saints is worth $985K with no signing bonus, Nick Underhill of the Advocate tweets. As such, the veteran fullback is eligible for the minimum salary benefit, meaning he’ll only count for $600K on New Orleans’ cap.
Reaction To Dorial Green-Beckham Trade
The Titans shocked the NFL world earlier today when they dealt 2015 second-round wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham to the Eagles in exchange for offensive lineman Dennis Kelly. Let’s take a look at some of the reaction to the surprising trade:
- The Titans were consistently disappointed in Green-Beckham’s work ethic, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, who adds that DGB repeatedly disregarded instructions to work out harder over the offseason and to enter training camp in the proper shape. Head coach Mike Mularkey confirmed that sentiment, telling reporters, including Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com (Twitter link): “We had many conversations about that and it never did click in.”
- However, DGB never did have issues with missed meetings or lateness, tweets McCormick. Rather, Green-Beckham just never mastered the Titans’ offense during his year-plus with the squad.
- Trade talks between Tennessee and Philadelphia began last week, per McCormick (Twitter links), and general manager Jon Robinson says the deal boiled down to the fact that the club had a surplus at wide receiver and a need along the offensive line.
- The presence of rookie Tajae Sharpe seems to have played a large role in the trade, as McCormick tweets that DHB had lost reps to Sharpe in practice. Indeed, DGB was behind Rishard Matthews, Sharpe, Kendall Wright, Harry Douglas, and Andre Johnson on the Titans’ depth chart, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- According to Robinson, the deal wasn’t intended to send a message to Tennessee’s wide receiver corps, or to make a statement to the team as a whole. Rather, the GM says he was simply trying to improve the Titans’ roster (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com).
- The Eagles, meanwhile, had been searching for receiver help for some time, and had even offered a “nice deal” to veteran Anquan Boldin before he signed with the Lions, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman isn’t taking much of a risk by acquiring DGB given that he can easily be waived, but the trade shows the weak state of the Eagles’ wide receiving group, opines Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Colts Exploring Wide Receiver Market
The Colts are eyeing available wide receivers after waiving Josh Boyce earlier today, as head coach Chuck Pagano told reporters, including Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, earlier today. “We have some young guys that we want to focus on a little bit,” Pagano said. “And there’s some guys out there that we’re looking at as well.”
[RELATED: Impact Rookies — Indianapolis Colts]
Indianapolis, of course, was burned by last year’s veteran wide receiver addition, as Andre Johnson posted the worst season of his 13-year career, managing only 41 receptions for just over 500 yards before being released this spring. Reserve option Griff Whalen was also cut this offseason, meaning the Colts have little in the way of depth behind T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief, though 2015 first-round pick Phillip Dorsett will be asked to play a lot more than the 212 snaps he saw last season. As Roster Resource shows, Quan Bray, Chester Rogers, Josh Stangby, and Mekale McKay are next in line behind Indy’s starting trio.
Several veteran wideouts, including Anquan Boldin and James Jones have found new homes this week, but other options such as Roddy White, Devin Hester, Marques Colston, Brian Hartline, and Denarius Moore still remain on the free agent board. Both White and Hester recently reiterated their desire to continue playing in 2016, and Hester claimed seven clubs have already reached out to him. One other intriguing name could be Vincent Brown, who was recently released with an injury settlement by the Saints — Brown spent last summer on the Colts roster before being let go during final cutdowns, so he could be a familiar face for Indianapolis, provided he’s healthy.
After Pagano made his comments regarding the wide receiver market, the Colts made another roster move, replacing pass-catcher Andre Debose with fellow wideout Andrew Opoku. It’s entirely possible that Opoku was the receiver Pagano was referring to, but clearly veteran free agents are also plentiful.
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