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Minor NFL Transactions: 5/13/22

By | at May 13, 2022 7:50 pm

Today’s minor moves around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears 

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Signed: CB Abu Daramy-Swaray

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks 

Washington Commanders

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NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/22

By | at May 13, 2022 5:51 pm

Several more mid- and late-round picks agreed to terms on their four-year rookie contracts Friday. Here are the latest agreements:

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

  • LB Malcolm Rodriguez (sixth round, Oklahoma State)
  • LB James Houston (sixth round, Jackson State)

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

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Steelers Sign Round 2 WR George Pickens

By | at May 13, 2022 4:15 pm

The Steelers continued their trend of Day 2 wide receiver investments with George Pickens, and the former Georgia pass catcher is now under contract. Pickens is the first Steelers 2022 draftee to sign his four-year rookie deal.

Pittsburgh let former Day 2 picks J.J. Smith-Schuster and James Washington walk in free agency, turning instead to Pickens, who will join ex-second-round pick Chase Claypool and ex-third-rounder Diontae Johnson as the Steelers’ top targets. Given the development of non-first-round receivers in Pittsburgh in the fairly recent past — a list that also includes Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders — Pickens will be expected to contribute early.

Some teams had Pickens off their respective draft boards due to character concerns, and the three-year Georgia cog fell in the draft due to the ACL tear he sustained during spring workouts last year. But Pickens did not sit out his junior season, rehabbing to be a contributor late in the Bulldogs’ national championship campaign. Prior to the ACL setback, Pickens was poised to make a run at the 2022 first round. He totaled more than 1,200 receiving yards and notched 14 touchdown receptions as an underclassman. This year, the 6-foot-3 target ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash at the Combine.

Pittsburgh’s Pickens pick may also be indicative of potential plans with Johnson, who is going into a contract year. The Steelers did re-sign Smith-Schuster to a one-year deal in 2021 but have famously been stingy with second contracts for receivers. Brown’s two extensions mark the exception. Pickens and fourth-round pick Calvin Austin III supply rookie-contract talent here. Johnson has said he wants to stay with the Steelers beyond his first contract. Two years remain on Claypool’s rookie deal.

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Steelers Conduct Second GM Interviews With Brandon Hunt, Omar Khan

By | at May 12, 2022 4:19 pm

The Steelers’ thorough general manager search has seen a few outside candidates receive second interviews. Ryan Cowden (Titans), John Spytek, Andy Weidl (Eagles) and former Bills GM Doug Whaley have met with the Steelers twice about their GM vacancy.

The team still has two of its own staffers as candidates, however. Omar Khan and Brandon Hunt have gone through second interviews for Kevin Colbert‘s old job, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. These two surfaced as the initial candidates for the job and remain in the mix several months later.

Khan, who serves as the Steelers’ vice president of football and business administration, has been with the team since 2001 and has served as a central figure in the team’s contract negotiations. Other teams have reached out to him about their GM vacancies over the past two offseasons. The Bears met with Khan this year, and the Panthers and Texans interviewed him in 2021. Khan was on the doorstep of being hired as Houston’s GM, but the franchise changed course and pivoted back to Nick Caserio at the 11th hour.

Hunt is up for two jobs in Pennsylvania, being in contention for a high-ranking gig in the Eagles’ front office. The Steelers’ pro scouting director, Hunt is in his second stint with the team. He began interning for the team in 2005 and returned in 2010. Hunt also met with the Raiders about their GM vacancy this offseason.

Here is how the Steelers’ expansive GM search looks as of Thursday afternoon:

  • Morocco Brown, college scouting director (Colts): Interviewed
  • Ran Carthon, director of player personnel (49ers): Interviewed
  • Ryan Cowden, vice president of player personnel (Titans): Conducted second interview
  • Ed Dodds, assistant general manager (Colts): Interviewed 2/4
  • Joe Hortiz, director of player personnel (Ravens): Interviewed
  • Brandon Hunt, pro scouting director (Steelers): Conducted second interview
  • Omar Khan, vice president of football and business administration (Steelers): Conducted second interview
  • Dan Morgan, assistant general manager (Panthers): Interviewed
  • Jerry Reese, former general manager (Giants): Interviewed
  • Louis Riddick, former director of pro personnel (Eagles): Interviewed
  • Rick Spielman, former general manager (Vikings): Interviewed
  • John Spytek, director of player personnel (Buccaneers): Conducted second interview
  • Andy Weidl, vice president of player personnel (Eagles): Conducted second interview
  • Doug Whaley, vice president of player personnel (XFL): Conducted second interview
  • John Wojciechowski, co-director of player personnel (Packers): Interviewed
  • JoJo Wooden, director of player personnel (Chargers): Interviewed
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Steelers To Conduct Second GM Interview With Andy Weidl

By | at May 12, 2022 11:53 am

The list of general manager candidates receiving second looks from the Steelers continues to grow. Pittsburgh is set to interview Eagles vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl again, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link).

A Pittsburgh native, Weidl began his front office career with the Steelers in 1998 as a player personnel assistant. His time with the team was short-lived, as he went on to have scouting stints with both the Saints and Ravens. In 2016, he joined the Eagles’ front office, ultimately being promoted to his current role three years later.

Weidl was named an interviewee in February as the Steelers cast a wide net in search of Kevin Colbert‘s replacement. His connection to the Steelers, and success the Eagles enjoyed during his tenure there, make him a logical candidate for the vacant GM position. If he were to leave, he would continue a significant exodus of key front office personnel suffered by the Eagles this offseason. The list of executives moving on to other franchises includes Brandon Brown, Ian Cunningham, Catherine Raiche and scouting director Casey Weidl, Andy’s brother.

This news adds Weidl to the pool of candidates receiving extra consideration, a group which now has four members. Here is an updated look at the search:

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Minor NFL Transactions: 5/11/22

By | at May 11, 2022 7:40 pm

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Claimed (from Giants): TE Rysen John
  • Waived/failed physical: TE Jesper Horsted

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Claimed (from Colts): TE Eli Wolf
  • Waived: WR Chris Blair

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

  • Claimed (from Lions): TE Matthew Sokol

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Comments Closed Baltimore Ravens Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Jacksonville Jaguars New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants Pittsburgh Steelers Transactions

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/10/22

By | at May 10, 2022 9:21 pm

Today’s minor transactions:

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

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Steelers To Conduct Second GM Interview With Doug Whaley

By | at May 9, 2022 9:05 am

Another candidate for the Steelers’ general manager position has emerged. The team will be conducting a second interview with Doug Whaley, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). 

[RELATED: Steelers To Hold Second Interviews With Cowden, Spytek]

Whaley began his tenure in NFL front offices with the Steelers. He was hired by Pittsburgh in 2000 as a pro personnel coordinator, beginning years of tutelage under outgoing general manager Kevin Colbert. One decade later, he joined the Bills under the titles of assistant general manager and director of pro personnel, which he held for three seasons before becoming general manager.

Whaley’s tenure at the helm in Buffalo saw plenty of roster and coaching staff turnover. In 2015, he was part of the group that hired Rex Ryan as head coach – a stint which lasted less than two full seasons. More encouragingly, he was also involved in the hiring process for Ryan’s replacement, current HC Sean McDermott. It was during the latter’s first season that the team matched its best record under Whaley at 9-7.

Despite the lack of team success on the field – a result, in part, of decisions like trading up to draft Sammy Watkins fourth overall and signing Marcell Dareus to a lucrative contract – Whaley received an extension after the 2016 season. That came amidst speculation regarding his job security, ultimately becoming a moot point one year later. He was fired immediately after the 2017 draft.

That was the last time Whaley worked in an NFL front office. After a brief stint as a recruiter for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, he was hired as a part of the re-started XFL. After the announcement of another re-booting of the league, it was announced in November he would regain his role working alongside the likes of Russ Brandon and Marc Ross.

With the news of a third second-interview candidate in Pittsburgh, here is an updated look at their search:

22 comments Pittsburgh Steelers XFL

Contract Details: Jarrett, Akins, Green, Verrett, Smith, Trubisky

By | at May 7, 2022 6:50 pm

Here are some details on deals recently reached around the NFL:

  • Grady Jarrett, DT (Falcons): Three-year, $50.47MM. The contract, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, includes a guaranteed amount of $34.47MM consisting of a $16.5MM signing bonus and the full amounts of the 2022 and 2023 base salaries worth $1.47MM and $16.5MM, respectively. The deal includes roster bonuses of $1MM each due on the fifth day of the 2024 league year and the 2025 league year. Jarrett’s base salary for the 2024 and 2025 seasons will see an increase of $500,000 each if he makes the Pro Bowl in the 2023 or 2024 seasons, respectively.
  • Jordan Akins, TE (Giants): One-year, $1.09MM. The deal, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, is composed of a base salary of $1.04MM with a signing bonus $50,000. Under the veteran salary benefit, Akins will only have a salary cap hit of $945,000.
  • Rasheem Green, DE (Texans): One-year, $3.25MM. The contract, according to Wilson, includes a guaranteed amount of $1MM consisting of a $500,000 signing bonus and $500,000 of the base salary worth $1.5MM total. Green will receive a $500,000 workout bonus and a per game active bonus of $44,177 for a potential season total of $750,000.
  • Jason Verrett, CB (49ers): One-year, $1.04MM. Verrett’s deal has an injury waiver which leaves none of the money guaranteed for the 30-year old who has spent his fair share of time on the injured reserve during his career. Under the veteran salary benefit, Verrett will only have a salary cap hit of $895,000.
  • Geno Smith, QB (Seahawks): Refiled one-year, $3.5MM. Original details posted here. The deal, according to Wilson, has a signing bonus of $500,000 and a base salary of $1.26MM. The contract lists a roster bonus of $1.69MM and a workout bonus of $50,000. Additionally there is a Week 1 roster bonus of $585,000 due to Smith on September 15. Smith will receive a per game bonus of $30,000 whether active or inactive with that bonus increasing to $65,000 if Smith is active for a low season total of $510,000 and a potential season total of $1.12MM if Smith spends the entire season on the active roster. We mentioned Smith’s $3.5MM worth of potential incentives in the first post, but Wilson details that those incentives will be based on playtime, playoffs, passing yards, and whether or not Smith is voted to the Pro Bowl.
  • Mitchell Trubisky, QB (Steelers): Incentive details for two-year, $14.29MM contract. Original details posted here. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the incentives are as follows: in 2022, Trubisky is due $1MM if he hits 60% of the team’s playtime, $1.5MM if he hits 70%, $2MM if he hits 80%, $2.5MM if he hits 70% and the Steelers make the playoffs, and $4MM if he hits 80% and the team makes the playoffs. He’ll earn an additional $250,000 if he makes the Pro Bowl. If Trubisky hits the 60% mark of playtime in 2022, he’ll earn a roster bonus in March of 2023 worth $1MM. That roster bonus elevates to $4MM if he triggers the 70% bonus from 2022. The same playtime, playoff, and Pro Bowl incentives will be in place for the 2023 season, as well, just without the following year roster bonus.
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Eagles Eyeing Jim Nagy, Brandon Hunt For Executive Roles

By | at May 6, 2022 12:00 pm

The Eagles have experienced another offseason of significant losses in their front office. Two of the names they are considering to help fill the voids are Jim Nagy and Brandon Hunt, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

McLane reports that both Nagy and Hunt are in consideration for the position of vice president of football operations. That role was vacated earlier this week when it was reported that Catherine Raiche would be joining the Browns as, in essence, their assistant general manager.

The team has already interviewed Nagy, who is most well-known around the league for his contributions to the NFL Draft. For the past three seasons, Nagy has served as director of the Senior Bowl, the annual all-star game held in Mobile, Alabama which is a staple of the pre-draft process. Before that, he worked as an area scout for the Seahawks, so he would be familiar with an NFL front office.

The same is true, of course, with Hunt, the pro scouting director of the Steelers. He has a long, accomplished tenure with the organization, leading many to believe he is a serious contender to succeed Kevin Colbert as Pittsburgh’s next general manager. He has already interviewed for the position once, and may do so a second time as the team’s search heats up. As McLane notes, Hunt was a finalist for the director of player personnel job in Philadelphia in 2016.

If either candidate were to be hired, they would “report to general manager Howie Roseman“, leaving VP of player personnel Andy Weidl at the head of the team’s scouting department. With that said, Weidl – whose brother Casey was just fired from his position as scouting director – has been named as a candidate for the GM job in Pittsburgh, where he began his career.

Overall, the way the Eagles re-stock their front office, and the effects it has on their cross-state rival, will be worth watching as the offseason progresses.

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