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Packers Offered Steelers Second-Round Pick For WR Chase Claypool

November 1st, 2022 at 5:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers ended up standing down at Tuesday afternoon’s deadline, but they are believed to have made a substantial offer to try and upgrade their receiving corps.

Green Bay offered Pittsburgh a second-round pick for Chase Claypool, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (on Twitter). The Packers saw their reputation for success work against them. The Steelers took the Bears’ offer of a second-round pick, per Silverstein, because they believe Chicago’s 2023 selection will be “considerably higher” come April. Both the Bears and Packers are 3-5, but one team is amid a rebuild and the other attempting to cling to contention status.

Not exactly a hotbed of deadline activity, the Packers were pursuing receiver upgrades for several days before Tuesday brought the Claypool news. But the team was believed to be in strong position for Claypool as of Tuesday morning, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. A Bears offer emerged Tuesday morning, and the Steelers ended up focusing on a deal with Chicago. Claypool’s through-2023 contract is now on the Bears’ payroll.

The 6-foot-4, 238-pound receiver was rumored to have been made available late this summer, and rumblings about his potential to be moved persisted until the deadline. Claypool, 24, has back-to-back 800-plus-yard seasons on his resume, passing James Washington for a regular Steelers role. Rather than help Kenny Pickett develop, the Notre Dame product will be used to assist Justin Fields in his progression.

Aaron Rodgers has lobbied for the Packers to add pass-catching help, with the team amid its worst stretch of the Matt LaFleur era. Green Bay has seen its receiving corps struggle when at full strength, and it finished its Buffalo matchup without Allen Lazard and Christian Watson. With Randall Cobb on IR, the Packers do not have much in the way of available talent at the position.

Calls for the Pack to improve their post-Davante Adams receiving corps have come since Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling departed in March. Adams said the Packers’ extension offer exceeded the Raiders’ terms, and Green Bay made a late push to keep MVS. The team then proceeded to use both its first-round picks on defensive talent, extending the streak of no first-round receiver picks to 20 years. Green Bay traded up to No. 34 for Watson, but injury issues have led to the North Dakota State product missing extensive time as a rookie.

The deadline does not close the book on receiver additions, but unless the Packers are prepared to wait on Odell Beckham Jr., they will need to climb out of this hole with the pass catchers they have. Green Bay pursued Beckham during his November 2021 free agency and was connected to Brandin Cooks this year. Cooks and the Texans may not be on good terms right now, so it will be interesting to see what happens with that partnership. For now, however, the Packers have come up empty at a key point on the NFL calendar.

Steelers To Acquire CB William Jackson From Commanders

November 1st, 2022 at 1:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Steelers have pulled off another trade before today’s deadline, this time on the defensive side of the ball. Pittsburgh is acquiring cornerback William Jackson from the Commanders, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). In follow-up, he tweets that a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick is heading to Washington in exchange for a conditional seventh-rounder in the same year.

[RELATED: Steelers Trade WR Claypool To Bears]

Jackson, 30, had long been the subject of trade speculation. The veteran was reported to be on the lookout for a change of scenery, leading to his name being included in discussions between Washington and interested teams. In recent days, however, signs began to point to no deal materializing in time, which would have led to a different parting of ways.

Earlier today it was reported that the Commanders were prepared to release the former first-rounder in the event an acceptable deal didn’t materialize. Instead, he will now head back to the ACF North, with the Steelers picking up the remaining $2.75MM in guaranteed money on Jackson’s deal. Another two years remain on it after this season, though a move aimed at lowering his 2023 cap hit ($15.75MM) will surely be coming this offseason.

Jackson began his career with the Bengals, operating as a full-time starter for three-plus seasons. His performances there helped pave the way for his big-money deal last offseason, but things have changed quickly regarding his situation in the nation’s capital. He has gone from an every-down defender to a healthy scratch in a matter of weeks, making this move a more minor one from Washington’s perspective than his contract would suggest. The Commanders will move forward with the likes of Rachad Wildgoose, Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste heading their CB room.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, will see another veteran added to their secondary. Jackson has plenty of starting experience, but could also fill a rotational role alongside Ahkello Witherspoon, Levi Wallace and Cameron Sutton. The Steelers will provide Jackson the fresh start he was likely to receive via free agency anyway, while bringing in useful depth on their defense.

Steelers Send WR Chase Claypool To Bears

November 1st, 2022 at 12:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

After dangling Chase Claypool in trades this offseason, the Steelers will indeed move on from the former second-round pick. They reached an agreement to send Claypool to the Bears, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

The Bears are paying up to see how Claypool will look in their offense, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com adding Chicago will send Pittsburgh a second-round pick (Twitter link). Teams had heard Claypool was available for a third-rounder, per Albert Breer of SI.com, but multiple offers may have come in, as the Bears will part with a future second.

This trade transpired quickly, with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac adding the Bears called on Claypool on Thursday morning (Twitter link). The Steelers will likely receive the higher of the Bears’ two 2023 second-rounders, noting (via Twitter) that Chicago’s original Round 2 choice (not the Baltimore pick obtained for Roquan Smith) will go to Pittsburgh.

While Chicago has made two major seller’s trades over the past several days, the rebuilding team will have Claypool under contract beyond 2022. The big-bodied wide receiver’s rookie deal runs through 2023, giving the Bears a season and a half of potential evaluation time. The Bears let Allen Robinson walk this year and brought in a host of midlevel veteran options — trade acquisition N’Keal Harry among them — but Dan Graziano of ESPN.com adds the team had been searching for another wideout to work with Justin Fields (Twitter link).

Pittsburgh will move on from the Notre Dame alum, a move that is set to make second-round rookie George Pickens the team’s top complementary wideout. The Steelers have Pickens signed through 2025 and the recently extended Diontae Johnson locked down through 2024. These two will be the main pieces fostering Kenny Pickett‘s development, until the next Day 2 Steelers wideout arrives of course.

The Steelers added Day 2 receiving talent in 2017 (JuJu Smith-Schuster), 2018 (James Washington), 2019 (Johnson), 2020 (Claypool) and 2022 (Pickens). The organization has an extensive track record of finding and developing receivers, so collecting another asset for one not in the long-term plan makes sense. The Bears will pair Claypool with Darnell Mooney, whose rookie contract also runs through 2023.

At 6-foot-4, 238 pounds, Claypool is one of the biggest receivers in NFL history. He showed bright flashes as a Steeler, having exceeded 800 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons, but has also been inconsistent. The Canadian pass catcher came through for the team during its upset win over the Buccaneers, catching a go-ahead touchdown pass and multiple third-down tosses from Mitch Trubisky earlier this month. Through seven games, Claypool sits at 32 catches for 311 yards and one score.

This move stands to equip Fields with a 24-year-old No. 2 wideout. Chicago’s receiver strategy this offseason proved interesting, with Fields not exactly being set up with talent the way other young quarterbacks were. Third-round pick Velus Jones has three catches thus far this season, and the rest of Chicago’s receiving corps — Harry, Equanimeous St. Brown, Byron Pringle, Dante Pettis— consists of veteran retreads. In terms of additional draft capital, the Bears still have the extra fifth-round pick from the Smith trade, the 2023 fourth-rounder they acquired from the Eagles for Robert Quinn and 2023 sixth they grabbed from the Chargers for Khalil Mack.

Steelers Sign Practice Squad K Nick Sciba; Chris Boswell Ruled Out

October 29th, 2022 at 4:29pm CST by Ely Allen

The Steelers included kicker Chris Boswell on their injury report yesterday as he deals with a groin injury, and it appears that injury will hold him out of tomorrow’s contest in Philadelphia, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Without Boswell, Pittsburgh did not have a healthy kicker on its roster, forcing the team to make some last second roster adjustments.

The emergency situation resulted in the signing of former Wake Forest kicker Nick Sciba to the team’s practice squad. Sciba spent the offseason in Pittsburgh, after going undrafted, knowing that his performance evaluations would likely be most useful to other teams around the league in need of a kicker, as the Steelers had just rewarded Boswell with a shiny new contract. Still, Sciba composed himself well enough throughout camp to warrant a phone call from the team when they needed him most.

Sciba was extremely reliable through four years in college, missing only 9 of 89 attempted field goals and setting the NCAA record for career field goal percentage with 89.9%. He also set a college football record with 34 made field goals in a row. He never missed a single extra point, converting all 193 attempts. The question for Sciba comes from his leg strength. Through his first three years at Wake Forest, Sciba never hit a field goal over 46 yards, and over his whole career with the Demon Deacons, he never hit a field goal of 50 yards or longer. He did make a 52-yard kick in the Hula Bowl all-star game, but teams still had questions about his leg strength coming into the NFL.

Boswell is missing time for the first time since he sat out of three games in 2020. The last-second nature of the ruling seems to indicate that he shouldn’t be expected to be out long, but the Steelers will have Sciba to lean on either way.

Sciba will be one of the Steelers’ gameday elevations along with defensive lineman Carlos Davis, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. In order to make room for Sciba on the practice squad, the Steelers released practice squad wide receiver Josh Malone.

2022 NFL Cap Space, By Team

October 28th, 2022 at 12:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Days away from this year’s trade deadline (3pm CT, Nov. 1), a few teams have made some in-season moves to bolster their rosters. Several squads have also restructured contracts this season to create additional space. That extra room will matter as most teams will consider adding or subtracting costs before Tuesday’s deadline.

Here is how teams’ cap-space numbers (courtesy of OverTheCap) look ahead of the deadline:

  1. Cleveland Browns: $33.72MM
  2. Las Vegas Raiders: $10.35MM
  3. Carolina Panthers: $9.79MM
  4. Atlanta Falcons: $9.71MM
  5. Philadelphia Eagles: $9.47MM
  6. Denver Broncos: $7.79MM
  7. Pittsburgh Steelers: $7.69MM
  8. Indianapolis Colts: $7.23MM
  9. Dallas Cowboys: $7.16MM
  10. Chicago Bears: $7.08MM
  11. Green Bay Packers: $6.6MM
  12. Miami Dolphins: $6.16MM
  13. New York Jets: $5.71MM
  14. Los Angeles Chargers: $4.97MM
  15. San Francisco 49ers: $4.95MM
  16. Los Angeles Rams: $4.93MM
  17. Arizona Cardinals: $4.76MM
  18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $4.3MM
  19. Washington Commanders: $4.26MM
  20. Kansas City Chiefs: $3.86MM
  21. Seattle Seahawks: $3.71MM
  22. Jacksonville Jaguars: $3.67MM
  23. New Orleans Saints: $3.61MM
  24. Cincinnati Bengals: $3.31MM
  25. New York Giants: $3.26MM
  26. Detroit Lions: $3.25MM
  27. Baltimore Ravens: $3.07MM
  28. New England Patriots: $2.19MM
  29. Houston Texans: $2.09MM
  30. Buffalo Bills: $1.93MM
  31. Tennessee Titans: $1.59MM
  32. Minnesota Vikings: $852K

The Browns have held the top spot for months, and the gulf between their cap-space figure and the field almost certainly stems from a desire to carry over cap space before Deshaun Watson‘s cap number spikes from $9.4MM to a runaway-record $54.99MM. Cleveland has recently been linked to creating more cap space. Interest has come in for Greedy Williams, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, and Kareem Hunt. Although the Browns did not grant Hunt’s summer trade request, it may now take only a fourth-round pick for Cleveland to deal its backup running back.

Another potential seller could move up on this list while creating some additional space in 2023. The Broncos are believed to have made Jerry Jeudy available. Unlike fellow trade chip Bradley Chubb, Jeudy is under contract for 2023 (on a $4.83MM cap number). Denver appears more likely to move Chubb. That departure would remove the franchise tag from the team’s equation in 2023 — barring a tag for fellow 2023 UFA-to-be Dre’Mont Jones — thus freeing up more free agency funds. It will be interesting if the Broncos, if they are to move Chubb, agree to eat much of his fifth-year option salary. George Paton‘s club took on most of Von Miller‘s 2021 money to increase draft compensation.

The Eagles are still near the top despite acquiring Robert Quinn. Philadelphia is paying just $684K of Quinn’s contract, which now runs through 2022 instead of 2024. Chicago is on the hook for $7.1MM. The Bears are on track to have a gargantuan lead on the field for 2023 cap space. They are projected to hold more than $125MM next year, according to OverTheCap.

New Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney checks in at just $784K on their 2022 cap sheet. The former Giants first-rounder’s figures bump to $1.9MM (2023) and $2.53MM (’24). Kansas City recently restructured Travis Kelce‘s deal, creating some wiggle room for the Toney addition. The Chiefs, who did not touch Patrick Mahomes‘ deal this year, restructured Kelce’s contract twice in 2022. Thursday’s trade hit the Giants with a $2.33MM dead-money charge. Toney will count $3.67MM in dead money for the Giants in 2023.

The Panthers picked up nearly $19MM in 2022 dead money via the Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey trades. Unlike the Eagles and Bears, last week’s Panthers-49ers McCaffrey swap did not involve Carolina taking on additional salary. McCaffrey’s offseason restructure dropped his 2022 base salary to the league minimum; the 49ers have him on their books at just $690K. McCaffrey’s record-setting extension will still represent $18.35MM in dead money on the Panthers’ 2023 cap, but his nonguaranteed base salaries from 2023-25 ($11.8MM, $11.8MM, $12MM) transferred fully from Carolina to San Francisco.

On the subject of 2022 dead money, the Bears lead the way with $80.32MM. The Falcons added to their total this month, however, by trading Deion Jones to the Browns. That deal saddled the Falcons with $11.38MM in additional dead money — accompanying the franchise’s record-setting Matt Ryan dead-money hit ($40.53MM) — and ballooned Atlanta’s overall total to $78.57MM. Ryan is off the Falcons’ books after this year, but Jones will carry a $12.14MM dead-money figure in 2023.

Steelers Designate OLB T.J. Watt For Return; WR Calvin Austin’s IR-Return Window Closes

October 26th, 2022 at 3:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

T.J. Watt has run into multiple injuries since the season began. A pectoral issue in Week 1 initially put the reigning Defensive Player of the Year’s season in jeopardy, and a subsequent knee surgery lengthened his recovery timetable. But Watt took another step on the road back Wednesday.

The Steelers opened Watt’s practice window, designating him to return from IR. Pittsburgh has three weeks to activate Watt. Not doing so would result in the perennial All-Pro missing the rest of the season.

The latter outcome will take place for Calvin Austin. Pittsburgh has let the fourth-round rookie’s designated-for-return window close without an activation. Austin sustained a foot injury in August, and the Steelers will give him a full season to heal. He reverts to season-ending IR.

Hopes of a potential Week 6 Watt return ended up being too optimistic, with the knee surgery changing his recovery outlook. But Watt returning to practice now will be a nice benefit to the Steelers. The team has a Week 9 bye, so it would not surprise if Watt is held out until Week 10. But the sixth-year outside linebacker can be activated at any point in the next three weeks. The Steelers have not used any of their injury activations yet. Austin’s shutdown increases Pittsburgh’s flexibility over the season’s final three months.

Watt, 28, is building a Hall of Fame resume. While he may not have solidified first-ballot Canton status like J.J. Watt just yet, the youngest of the NFL’s Watt brothers has earned first-team All-Pro recognition in each of the past three seasons. T.J.’s 52 sacks from 2019-21 are on another level from the rest of the league; Aaron Donald‘s 38.5 sit second in that span.

A Ravens draft target as well, Austin totaled back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons at Memphis. The Steelers, who have established a long-running track record of wide receiver development, took Austin despite drafting George Pickens two rounds earlier. While Wednesday’s news represents a setback, the 162-pound rookie’s progress in Pittsburgh’s offense will be worth monitoring in 2023.

Steelers Unlikely To Trade Chase Claypool?

October 25th, 2022 at 3:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Diontae Johnson and Antonio Brown have been exceptions for the modern Steelers, who usually move on from wide receivers during or after their rookie contracts. One of the many productive wideouts to come through Pittsburgh in recent years, Chase Claypool is being rumored as a departure candidate ahead of his contract year even beginning.

Mentioned in trade rumors at multiple junctures over the past week, Claypool is one of the buzzier relocation candidates ahead of next week’s deadline. Teams continue to look into the big-bodied receiver, per Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post. But Claypool should not be expected to be moved, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic writes.

The Steelers bucked their years-long trend of moving on from receivers after their rookie deals by extending Johnson at $18MM per year. Johnson is signed through 2024, while second-round pick George Pickens is locked in through 2025. Claypool’s rookie pact runs through 2023, and Pickens’ emergence has helped produce the rumblings Claypool could be available. The Steelers are even believed to have made the 238-pound target available this summer, but it is clear they are aiming for a strong offer.

One of the many Day 2 wideout draftees to flash while in Pittsburgh, Claypool appears likely in the early stages of an audition. With Johnson signed, Pickens chosen and the prospect of the Steelers hitting on yet another second- or third-round receiver looming, Claypool’s second contract will likely come from another team. But the Steelers are keen on keeping as many weapons around Kenny Pickett as possible, La Canfora adds. A trade would obviously interfere with that goal.

Pittsburgh separated from multiple starting wideouts via trade during Kevin Colbert‘s GM run, sending Santonio Holmes to the Jets and dealing Martavis Bryant to the Raiders. They also traded Sammie Coates to the Browns in 2017. Current GM Omar Khan was in Pittsburgh’s front office for these moves.

Claypool, 24, has back-to-back 850-plus-yard seasons on his resume, which has naturally made him an attractive trade piece. For now, a Johnson-Claypool-Pickens aerial corps stands to help Pickett progress. Claypool has seen his yards-per-catch average crater post-Ben Roethlisberger; it sits at 9.5 (28 catches, 266 yards, one touchdown) through seven games. Still, unless the Steelers are blown away, it seems likely Claypool will enter his 2023 contract year on the team that drafted him.

Potential Trade Candidates: Cooks, Claypool, Jeudy

October 23rd, 2022 at 12:33pm CST by Ely Allen

Franchises looking for an upgrade at receiver should have their opportunities before the trade deadline comes, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. While the Panthers seem determined to hold onto D.J. Moore, it appears that Texans wideout Brandin Cooks, Steelers receiver Chase Claypool, and Broncos pass catcher Jerry Jeudy are all names generating interest in the trade markets.

Cooks is in his third season with his fourth NFL team after getting traded three times before. If Cooks does get dealt again, he’ll tie running back Eric Dickerson for the most trades in a career with four. Cooks has been dependable as a top target at every stop of his career. There have only been two seasons, one being his rookie year, in which he failed to reach 1,000 yards receiving. He’s a veteran that can lead a room and add production on all levels of the passing game.

Claypool is in his third season with the Steelers after getting drafted out of Notre Dame. Claypool exploded onto the scene as a rookie, racking up 873 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns. He continued a lot of the same production in his sophomore season, totaling 860 yards but only found the endzone twice. This year, with new quarterbacks, Claypool’s on track to finish along the same stat lines, but, with rookie wideout George Pickens starting to out-produce him, the Steelers may be seeing Claypool as an expendable asset.

Jeudy is also a third-year receiver who was expected to have a breakout year this season for the Broncos. His production has been plenty serviceable so far this year, but, as Denver’s offense continues to sputter, the team might be shifting into sell-mode. Jeudy represents one of the more talented and promising assets in Denver. If quarterback Russell Wilson fails to get the Broncos to be more competitive, Jeudy and his rookie contract could be headed somewhere new.

There are plenty of teams who are hungry for some new receiving options. The Ravens have been relying on Devin Duvernay and Demarcus Robinson as Rashod Bateman deals with injuries. The Packers has seen injuries hurt their production, as well. They’ve been utilizing Allen Lazard alongside a mix of whoever is healthy out of Sammy Watkins, Randall Cobb, and a pair of rookies. Also in the NFC North, the Bears could certainly use some proven playmakers to supplement a receiving corps led by Darnell Mooney and Dante Pettis.

We’re bound to see some fireworks as the trade deadline nears. It’s starting to look like the stars may align to move some productive pass catchers to needy homes.

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Jones, Ravens

October 21st, 2022 at 1:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

A bit of a controversy developed in Pittsburgh this week. Mitch Trubisky and Diontae Johnson engaged in a shouting match during halftime of the Steelers-Jets contest, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes, adding that this provided the impetus for Trubisky’s benching. Mike Tomlin did not confirm or deny a shouting match between the quarterback and the team’s highest-paid wideout ensued, though Johnson essentially confirmed a football-related argument took place. But The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly adds the dispute was not the deciding factor in the 16th-year coach moving to Kenny Pickett for the second half of that game. Johnson wanted more targets from Trubisky in that Week 4 game, Dulac adds, leading to the team’s original starter standing up to the fourth-year receiver.

Tomlin benched Trubisky primarily due to his underwhelming performance during the season’s first month, with Kaboly adding he had already decided to go with Pickett. Trubisky sat throughout Week 5 but played well when reinserted into Pittsburgh’s lineup following Pickett’s Week 6 concussion. Despite a bounce-back relief effort against the Buccaneers, Trubisky is set to return to the bench. Pickett cleared concussion protocol Friday and is in line to start against the Dolphins, Tomlin said. Levi Wallace and Pat Freiermuth also cleared the protocol, arming the Steelers with key starters.

Here is the latest from the AFC North:

  • It looks likely Deion Jones will make his Browns debut Sunday. The team held off from activating the recently acquired linebacker from IR last week, giving the longtime Falcons starter more time after designating him for return. Jones is progressing fast in Joe Woods‘ defense, per linebackers coach Jason Tarver (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, on Twitter). Tarver said Jones could be in position to wear the green dot, signifying headset communication, in the near future. The Browns, who lost Anthony Walker to a season-ending injury in Week 3, acquired the six-year Atlanta cog for merely a 2024 pick swap.
  • Cleveland will be without multiple Pro Bowlers against Baltimore, however. The Browns ruled out Wyatt Teller and Denzel Ward for their divisional matchup. Teller is battling a calf strain, while Ward will miss a second consecutive game due to a concussion he suffered in Week 5.
  • Ben Powers has operated as the Ravens‘ left guard this season, winning a training camp competition. While 2021 third-round pick Ben Cleveland was nominally in that battle, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes the younger Ben in this matchup did not mount a serious push at winning the job opposite Kevin Zeitler. The Ravens have been frustrated with Cleveland’s inability to practice consistently due to injuries, Zrebiec adds. Cleveland missed the first week of training camp due to a failed conditioning test and has missed the past two games due to a foot injury. The Ravens did see Cleveland return to practice Thursday. Cleveland, who started four games last season, has not played an offensive snap this year. Baltimore was holding a three-player competition for the job Powers won. The third entrant, Tyre Phillips, is now with the Giants.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/20/22

October 20th, 2022 at 5:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Dallas Cowboys

Pittsburgh Steelers

Basham suffered a quad injury in Week 1 that landed him on injured reserve. The defensive lineman joined the Cowboys last season, finishing with 39 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 17 games (six starts). The 28-year-old saw time in 18 defensive snaps in Week 1 before suffering his injury.

Kazee landed on IR after the preseason, and he now has a three-week window to return to the roster. The defensive back joined Pittsburgh this offseason after spending the 2021 campaign in Dallas, where he had 52 tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles in 17 games (15 starts).

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