Former Steelers LB James Harrison Retires
Former Steelers great James Harrison is calling it a career. The linebacker, who most recently suited up for the Patriots, announced on Instagram that he is retiring from football. 
Of course, we’ve been down this road before with Harrison. The linebacker also “retired” in 2014, only to return months later and play for another four seasons. This time, his announcement comes with the hashtag “#2ndAndFinalRetirement.” Harrison cites his family as the primary reason for his retirement, stating that he has “missed way too much for way too long.”
Earlier this month, Harrison indicated that he would wait until after the draft to sign with a team. It’s possible that the veteran, who will turn 40 in May, didn’t find the kind of interest that he was expecting.
Harrison leaves the game after a remarkable 17-season career. After going undrafted in 2002, the undersized linebacker hooked on with the Steelers and spent the bulk of his first two seasons on and off their practice squad. In between stints with Pittsburgh, he also spent time with the Ravens and the Rhein Fire of the NFL Europe.
Over time, Harrison developed into a key player for the Steelers, but it was not until 2007 that he became a full-fledged starter. In that season, he earned his first of five Pro Bowl appearances. The veteran would go on to win two Super Bowls with the Steelers as the anchor of their defense and secure two First-Team All-Pro nods.
Harrison spent the vast majority of his career in black and yellow, but also suited up for the Bengals in 2013 and wrapped up his career with the Patriots in 2017 when he was surprisingly cut late in the season by Pittsburgh.
We here at PFR wish Harrison the best in retirement.
NFL Draft Rumors: Bears, Nelson, 49ers, Key
Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson visited the Bears on Thursday, Josh Norris of NBC Sports tweets. Nelson would be a logical consideration for Chicago at No. 8. New Bears offensive line coach Harry Hiestand served in the same role at Notre Dame while Nelson was in school and Nelson has said that he would like to play for him again.
Here’s the latest batch of NFL Draft news:
- The 49ers, who worked out LSU pass rusher Arden Key earlier this week, hosted him on a Top 30 visit on Friday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Key’s stock may be falling in the eyes of NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, who pulled him from the latest edition of his Top 50 list, but Key still seems to be very much in the mix for the first or second round. As of this writing, The 49ers own the No. 9 pick in the first round and the No. 59 pick in the second round.
- OSU defensive end Sam Hubbard will visit the Bengals on Friday, per Rapoport. For what it’s worth, Hubbard has also fallen out of Jeremiah’s top 50 after being ranked No. 41 in the previous edition.
- The Bengals took former Notre Dame tackle Mike McGlinchey to dinner on Thursday night, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com tweets. The Bengals already made one major tackle acquisition when they traded for left tackle Cordy Glenn, but McGlinchey could be in consideration as they look to fortify the other side of the line. The Bengals own the No. 21 pick in the draft, which could be the right range to select him.
Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict Loses Appeal
Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2018 season, per a league announcement. This means that Burfict has lost his appeal to overturn his ban for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. 
Burfict is no stranger to suspensions, but this marks his first ban for PEDs. In the past, Burfict has been sidelined for violations of league safety rules. Between injuries and suspensions, Burfict has missed 28 regular season games over the past four years. That tally will climb to at least 32 this year.
Despite it all, Burfict remains one of the very best linebackers in the NFL. In 2017, Burfict managed 69 tackles and 1.5 sacks in ten games.
In theory, the suspension could have financial implications for Burfict beyond the missed paychecks. Now that he has lost his appeal, the guarantees in his three-year, $33MM contract will void. With that $11.3MM guarantee off the books, the Bengals have the ability to move on from Burfict without dead money left on the cap. The 27-year-old (28 in September) is slated to be under contract with the team through 2020.
Although he is out for the first four games of the year, Burfict will be permitted to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games. This marks the third consecutive year in which Burfict will serve a suspension to start the season.
Bengals Ask Eric Reid About Anthem Issue
Safety Eric Reid met with the Bengals on Monday to discuss football as well as some non-football matters. Bengals owner Mike Brown personally met with Reid and asked him whether he’ll kneel during the 2018 season, Mike Florio of PFT hears. 
Reid, who previously indicated that he will not kneel this year, was unwilling to commit on the spot. He ultimately left without an offer, even though he sensed that defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and other coaches were interested in signing him and didn’t care much about his anthem protests.
However, late in the visit, head coach Marvin Lewis asked Reid if he wants to clarify anything that Reid told ownership regarding the anthem. Reid said that he had nothing to add and the visit ended soon after.
Things have stalled in free agency for Reid and it’s likely that his participation in protests during the national anthem are a factor. Reid is reportedly willing to return to the Niners on a one-year deal and that may wind up being his best option. There have been some discussions on that front, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears, though SF pitched a deal for a lower guaranteed rate than the one he had in 2017. Reid, meanwhile, wants to match his $5.676MM salary from last year, according to Florio.
Bengals Not Serious About Eric Reid?
- The Bengals are meeting with safety Eric Reid, but they may just be testing the waters. A contract offer is not immediately on the horizon and the Bengals may wait on any other veteran signings until after the draft, Jim Owczarski of The Enquirer hears. With eleven picks in the draft, the Bengals could find a young cost-controlled rookie safety. Alternatively, the Bengals can preserve their projected trio of sixth-round compensatory picks in 2019, if they wait until May 8 to make a veteran signing.
Eric Reid To Visit Bengals
Eric Reid‘s first stretch of NFL free agency has not been a smooth process, but the veteran safety will make what is believed to be his first visit of the offseason soon.
The Bengals plan to meet with Reid, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The safety market remains in a strange spot, with players like Reid, Kenny Vaccaro and Tre Boston unsigned a month into free agency and NFL offseason programs beginning.
Reid’s unemployment has been notable because of his involvement in the Colin Kaepernick-led protests that have occurred the past two seasons. Reid acknowledged this may affect his market, but the five-year starter had not been connected to any teams thus far this offseason despite having a Pro Bowl under his belt and having graded well last season.
The 26-year-old safety has made 69 starts in his career. He bounced back from a season-ending 2016 injury to return to San Francisco’s starting lineup last season. The 49ers experimented with Reid at linebacker as well, but his primary work has come at safety since being taken in the 2013 first round.
Cincinnati has both of its 2017 starting safeties, Shawn Williams and George Iloka, under contract for this coming season. Pro Football Focus graded both as slightly above-average safeties, slotting Reid ahead of each. Rapoport reports (via Twitter) the Bengals are hoping to use more three-safety looks, having pursued Kurt Coleman earlier in free agency, and a Williams/Iloka/Reid setup would be one of the better trios in the league if Reid were to agree to terms. Rapoport adds this visit has been planned for a bit.
Tyler Eifert's Incentives Could Be Daunting
Some more clarity regarding Tyler Eifert‘s incentive-laden Bengals contract emerged. The tight end’s deal contains some interesting benchmarks for financial rewards, ones that would seemingly be within reach should Eifert stay healthy. The sixth-year tight end has $3MM in possible performance incentives included in his one-year agreement. Additionally, $62.5K will come Eifert’s way for every game he plays.
- Cedric Ogbuehi may be shuttled back to right tackle, a position at which he previously said he wasn’t comfortable. The former first-round pick will compete with both Cordy Glenn and Jake Fisher for the starting tackle jobs, per Marvin Lewis (via Owczarski), but the 16th-year coach said the team expects Glenn to start on the left side. Ogbuehi has started 25 games over the past two years but has dealt with injuries in both, and each season involved him being in a rotation rather than being a full-time player throughout each campaign. Owczarski notes it’s unlikely the Bengals pick up his fifth-year option, which is expected to be for nearly $10MM.
Da'Ron Payne To Visit Bengals
- Alabama DT Da’Ron Payne, an excellent run-stuffer who has the skills to become a quality pass-rusher as well, will meet with the Bengals tomorrow, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
NFL Draft Rumors: Broncos, Darnold, Vea
The Broncos sent GM John Elway, coach Vance Joseph, and other top executives to watch Sam Darnold work out in Los Angeles on Friday morning, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Darnold, the youngest of this year’s top quarterback prospects, appears to be a strong candidate to go No. 1 overall. It could be a longshot for the Broncos to land him at No. 5, but stranger things have happened and there’s also the possibility of Denver moving up in the order. As a redshirt sophomore, the USC product completed 63.1% of his passes for 4,143 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Here’s more NFL Draft news:
- The Redskins will meet with USC running back Ronald Jones on Monday, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. Team president Bruce Allen attended Jones’ pro day earlier this week and apparently came away impressed. Most believe that the Redskins will target a defensive player at No. 13 overall, so Jones might not be in the cards for Washington unless they trade down or acquire an additional pick in the back half of the first round. Jones, who has garnered comparisons to Jamaal Charles for his running style, is among this year’s top players at the position.
- LSU cornerback Donte Jackson has upcoming visits with the Broncos, Bills, Buccaneers, Panthers, and Packers (Twitter link via Jared Tokarz). Jackson ranks 28th on the top 50 list of NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah and impressed with a 4.32 second 40-yard-dash at the draft combine.
- Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea will visit with the Bengals on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
NFL Draft Rumors: Jackson, Patriots, Rudolph
Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson may have erred by opting to go through the NFL draft process without an agent, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com writes. Jackson will avoid paying a portion of his rookie deal to a representative, but in an effort to save some cash, he could be hurting his draft position, which would negate the savings on the standard 1.5% fee.
Reportedly, Jackson struggled in breaking down X’s and O’s on the white board in meetings with teams and his Wonderlic score was poor. Some say the Wonderlic is meaningless, but some execs still use it as part of their evaluation process and an agent would have had him prepped for the test and other aspects of team interviews. An agent would also help to push the narrative that Jackson should be considered above some of this year’s top quarterbacks, including USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, and Wyoming’s Josh Allen.
Ultimately, Jackson’s decision will look like a smart one if he winds up going in the top half of the first round, Corry argues. But, based on what we’ve heard so far, that doesn’t seem likely. It’s notable that the Texans, who are already armed with a star QB in Deshaun Watson and don’t pick until the third round, recently had a private workout with Jackson.
Here’s more NFL draft news:
- South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst will visit the Panthers on Friday Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Carolina owns the No. 24 overall pick and they could use that selection to give themselves a potent tight end with receiving ability. Greg Olsen will start for the Panthers this season, but he is 33 and entering a contract year. In the past, Olsen has fought for a revamped deal, so it’s conceivable that he will look to push the market next March. Even if Olsen is retained beyond 2018, the Panthers need to consider the future of the tight end position.
- The Patriots, who now own two first-round picks, recently had a private workout with Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph, Rapoport tweets. Rudolph hasn’t garnered as much attention as this year’s top four QBs, but he is a potential first-rounder. Rapoport hears that he has been extremely busy with meetings and workouts, a possible sign that his stock is climbing.
- Rudolph will also have a top 30 visit with the Bills this weekend, according to Rapoport (on Twitter). The Bills own picks at 12 and 22, so he could be in the mix for one of those spots. Rudolph has also met with or had workouts for the Chargers, Saints, Giants, Steelers, and Bengals.