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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Steelers To Interview John Spytek

By | at February 11, 2022 9:17 pm

The Steelers plan to interview John Spytek for their GM vacancy, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Spytek, the Buccaneers’ VP of player personnel, has been a popular name in this cycle, but has yet to land a GM spot.

Spytek spoke with the Raiders and Vikings before they hired former Pats exec Dave Ziegler and ex-Vikings VP of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, respectively. As a top lieutenant to Jason Licht, Spytek played an integral role in building the Buccaneers’ championship roster. All in all, he’s spent six years in Tampa. Before that, he worked as a scout for the Broncos during the Peyton Manning era and as a college scout for the Browns.

In addition to Spytek, the Steelers have been connected to:

3 comments Pittsburgh Steelers Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Steelers To Interview Packers’ John Wojciechowski For GM

By | at February 9, 2022 4:02 pm

The Steelers continue to move on their GM search, with more names surfacing Wednesday. One of them is Packers co-director of player personnel John Wojciechowski.

Wojciechowski will interview for Pittsburgh’s soon-to-be vacant post, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. This would be a chance for Wojciechowski to return to Pittsburgh, where he began his personnel career in the late 1990s.

To start Brian Gutekunst‘s GM tenure, the Packers installed Wojciechowski and Jon-Eric Sullivan as his top lieutenants. Wojciechowski has been with the Packers for nearly 10 years, being hired as a scout during the 2012 offseason. He rose to a player personnel director post in 2017.

Prior to his Green Bay stay, Wojciechowski spent nine years with Dallas. His Steelers tenure predates Kevin Colbert‘s arrival, having left before the current GM took over in 2000. This is the Wojciechowski’s first known GM interview.

The Steelers sent out an interview request for Colts exec Morocco Brown earlier Wednesday. Here is how Pittsburgh’s search to replace Colbert looks:

7 comments Green Bay Packers Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Request Morocco Brown Interview

By | at February 9, 2022 9:57 am

The Steelers requested permission to interview Colts college scouting director Morocco Brown for their GM vacancy (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). If their request is granted, Brown will be one of a handful of candidates to potentially take over for longtime GM Kevin Colbert.

Brown was also in the running for the Bears’ GM search, but Chicago ultimately went with Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles. Before joining the Colts, Brown enjoyed a seven-year stint as the Bears’ assistant director of pro personnel, so he was believed to be a strong candidate. The Bears were also said to be impressed with him after his initial GM interview.

His last five years have been spent as a top executive in Indy. Brown has long been lauded for his scouting ability, which explains why the Browns retained him in 2017, even as most of the front office was sent packing. His biggest draft hits include the likes of linebacker Darius Leonard and guard Braden Smith, who contributed to some of the Colts’ very best offensive lines.

Here’s the current rundown of the the Steelers’ GM search:

  • Morocco Brown, college scouting director (Colts): Interview requested
  • Ryan Cowden, vice president of player personnel (Titans): Interviewed by 2/4
  • Ed Dodds, assistant general manager (Colts): Interviewed by 2/4
  • Omar Khan, vice president of football and business administration (Steelers): Mentioned as candidate
  • JoJo Wooden, director of player personnel (Chargers): Interviewed by 2/4
2 comments Indianapolis Colts Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Change WR Coaches

By | at February 8, 2022 9:24 pm

  • The Steelers did not renew Ike Hilliard‘s contract, per The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly (on Twitter), and hired Frisman Jackson to coach their wide receivers. Jackson will leave Matt Rhule‘s hub for ex-Temple and Baylor coaches for Pittsburgh. The former NFL wideout, after stints with Rhule at both college programs, coached the Panthers’ receivers in each of Rhule’s first two years. Hilliard served as the Steelers’ receivers coach during that span.
1 comment Arizona Cardinals Carolina Panthers Denver Broncos Jacksonville Jaguars Las Vegas Raiders Pittsburgh Steelers Tennessee Titans

Steelers To Interview Louis Riddick For GM

By | at February 8, 2022 9:53 am

The search for a new general manager in Pittsburgh has led the team to Louis Riddick. The ESPN analyst is scheduled for an interview (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network).

[Related: Steelers Interview Three GM Candidates]

The 52-year-old began his front office career as a scout in Washington in 2001. He spent seven years there, then an additional six with the Eagles. The final four seasons of that time, in which he was Philadelphia’s director of pro personnel, represent his most senior job title. He has been out of the NFL since 2013, most recently working as an analyst on Monday Night Football. Last offseason, though, he received GM interest from the Lions, Texans and Jaguars.

A Pennsylvania native, Riddick played college football at Pitt, so he would certainly represent a hometown candidate to replace Kevin Colbert. He will be the fourth external candidate to interview for the role, though there are no details on when the sit-down will take place.

Here is where the Steelers’ GM search stands so far:

13 comments Indianapolis Colts Los Angeles Chargers Pittsburgh Steelers Tennessee Titans

Steelers Expected To Name Teryl Austin DC

By | at February 6, 2022 11:32 am

You might have heard this before, but the Steelers are expected to name Teryl Austin as their new defensive coordinator. Per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a deal could be finalized today or tomorrow (Twitter link).

Austin has served as the Steelers’ senior defensive assistant/secondary coach since 2019. Just two weeks ago, it was reported that Austin would be elevated to DC to replace the retiring Keith Butler, but then Pittsburgh elected to conduct a more thorough search and do its due diligence on a few external candidates. The Steelers requested interviews with then-Giants DC Patrick Graham — who subsequently took the same position with the Raiders — Saints defensive backs coach Kris Richard, and Cowboys passing game coordinator/secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. before circling back to Austin.

Austin actually took an outside interview himself just yesterday, meeting with the Giants as a potential Graham replacement. That position may have offered him greater responsibility than the Steelers’ gig, as Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin took over as Pittsburgh’s defensive play-caller last season, but for one reason or another, it appears that Austin will remain in the Steel City.

The 56-year-old served as defensive coordinator for the Lions from 2014-17 under head coach Jim Caldwell, and during his time in Detroit, he was a regular on the HC interview circuit. His ill-fated tenure as the Bengals’ DC in 2018 caused his stock to plummet, but he is now getting a shot at some measure of redemption.

Of course, the Steelers’ D turned in an uncharacteristically poor 2021, allowing 361.1 yards per game (good for 24th in the league). Still, the unit does have some top-flight talent, and Austin’s secondary generally did a good job of limiting opposing passing games. More often than not, Pittsburgh’s run defense was the source of the club’s struggles.

8 comments Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC North Rumors: Ravens, Jackson, Browns, Steelers

By | at February 5, 2022 9:35 pm

Ravens’ general manager Eric DeCosta‘s end-of-season press conference touched on a number of subjects, including the contract extension negotiations with star quarterback Lamar Jackson. While The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec does note that head coach John Harbaugh and DeCosta make it seem as if the deal is imminent, it isn’t guaranteed that Jackson signs an extension before the start of the 2022 NFL season.

“I would say that we’re working at Lamar’s pace. He’s comfortable with where we are right now,” DeCosta stated. He did call negotiations “unusual” with Jackson essentially acting as his own agent. There doesn’t seem to be any rush to get a deal done, though. DeCosta acknowledged that the Ravens are fine with Jackson playing on his fifth-year option, and Jackson seems more focused on the team’s unfinished business after being the AFC’s number one-seed in 2020 but failing to make it to a Super Bowl yet.

Here are a few more notes on the AFC North, starting with another item out of Charm City:

  • DeCosta spoke a bit, as well, about the team’s plan to focus on offensive line this offseason. One of the things that they fear they’ll need to address is the free agency of center Bradley Bozeman. Bozeman moved from guard to center after Matt Skura signed with the Dolphins in free agency last year, and they’re afraid Bozeman’s play has priced him out of Maryland. Baltimore saw Ryan Jensen leave to become the highest paid center in football in 2018, so they’re certainly used to replacing centers. They currently have utility lineman Patrick Mekari, who has started games at all three offensive line positions throughout his young Ravens’ career, and who signed an extension late in the season.
  • Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller became close friends as they rehabbed together in Colorado Springs last offseason, dreaming about eventually playing together. According to George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal, Beckham made it clear that if they were to make it a reality, it couldn’t be in orange and brown. Miller informed Thomas that Beckham told him straight up, “Don’t come to Cleveland.” In the end, Miller was traded to the Rams and, following a nasty separation from the Browns, Beckham signed to join him in Los Angeles. The pair are now set to play in Super Bowl LVI against a team Beckham knows all too well from his time in the AFC North.
  • With longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger retiring last week, head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert represented Pittsburgh at Senior Bowl practices this week. Despite the quarterback group leaving much to be desired through some injury concerns and bad weather, Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus reports that buzz around the event is that the Steelers like Liberty quarterback Malik Willis. Willis has shown the best combination of athleticism and arm strength at practices this week and a source informed Kyed that he’s impressed in interviews, as well. The Steelers currently hold the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and could easily see Willis fall to them, as he’s been seen as a borderline first round pick since declaring. They could also risk potentially missing out on him and trade back later in the first round or early in the second and try to maximize need and value.
10 comments 2022 NFL Draft Baltimore Ravens Cleveland Browns Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Pittsburgh Steelers

Giants Interview Teryl Austin For DC

By | at February 5, 2022 2:55 pm

The Steelers interviewed previous Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for their DC role last month. Less than 24 hours after Graham’s decision to leave for Las Vegas, the Giants met with Mike Tomlin‘s top defensive assistant.

Steelers secondary coach Teryl Austin met with the Giants about their DC position Saturday, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets. Austin is both a familiar face to the Giants, having interviewed for their HC job in 2016, and could have a higher-profile role with the Steelers as well.

Austin looms as an option to succeed Keith Butler as Pittsburgh’s DC, though the organization has continued to interview candidates following a report surfaced indicating Austin was on track to land the gig. Austin joins ex-Ravens DC Don Martindale and former Bears DC Sean Desai as Giants DC interviewees thus far. Brian Daboll had hoped to retain Graham as the team’s defensive play-caller, but the Raiders — now run by ex-Graham Patriots coworkers Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler — poached him Friday.

Formerly a defensive coordinator in Detroit and Cincinnati, Austin began his NFL career in 2003 but was a college staffer for over a decade before that. The 56-year-old assistant was once a regular on the HC interview circuit; his last such meeting came in January 2018.

Austin has worked as the Steelers’ secondary coach, while assisting Tomlin in game management, since 2019. With Tomlin having taken over the Steelers’ defensive play-calling role last season, the Giants — who recently hired an offensive-minded HC in Daboll — would offer greater responsibility.

4 comments New York Giants Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Interview Three GM Candidates

By | at February 4, 2022 2:41 pm

Although Kevin Colbert‘s lengthy Steelers GM tenure will not conclude until after the draft, the team is beginning to meet with potential replacements. Three external candidates interviewed for the job this week.

Titans VP of player personnel Ryan Cowden joined Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds and Chargers director of player personnel JoJo Wooden in meeting with Steelers president Art Rooney II in Mobile, Ala., during Senior Bowl week, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes.

All three came up in at least one other team’s GM search this year. Dodds met with two other teams — the Bears and Raiders — ahead of his Steelers interview, which also likely included Colbert and Mike Tomlin, who are also in Mobile. Cowden met with the Giants last month, while the Bears targeted Wooden before hiring Ryan Poles. Steelers vice president of football and business administration Omar Khan is also a candidate to succeed Colbert.

While Pittsburgh is in need of a starting quarterback for the first time in nearly 20 years, Colbert’s impending departure vacates the team’s GM chair for the first time in more than 20. Colbert, however, is open to staying with the Steelers in a reduced capacity, Dulac adds (on Twitter). Colbert has been with the Steelers since 2000.

With the Colts since 2017, Dodds withdrew from both the Bears’ 2022 GM search and the Panthers’ search process last year. The former Seahawks exec also pulled out of the Browns’ GM search in 2020. Cowden is in his sixth year with the Titans, coming to Tennessee after 16 years with the Panthers. Wooden has been with the Chargers since Tom Telesco‘s GM tenure began in 2013.

7 comments Indianapolis Colts Los Angeles Chargers Pittsburgh Steelers Tennessee Titans

Poll: Who Will Acquire Jimmy Garoppolo?

By | at February 3, 2022 10:07 pm

Jimmy Garoppolo‘s end-of-season comments point to a departure from the 49ers, who have Trey Lance readying to start in 2022. San Francisco’s four-plus-season starter indicated a trade could happen soon. Regardless of the statuses of Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson, Garoppolo looms as an upgrade option for certain teams.

Possible blockbusters involving Rodgers and Wilson, along with what happens with Deshaun Watson, complicate matters on this year’s quarterback market. So will an underwhelming rookie crop. Will AFC teams eyeing Rodgers or Wilson be willing to make an early move for Garoppolo, or will they end up waiting out the higher-profile (and more expensive) options?

Garoppolo, 30, has battled several injuries since becoming a starter, but the 49ers going 2-for-2 in NFC championship berths during seasons in which their QB1 was largely available probably cannot be ignored. Garoppolo holds a no-trade clause and is seeking a team prepared to compete, further complicating matters.

In the NFC, Washington has continued to strike out on long-term QB acquisitions and did not make such a move last year. Washington did try, via a Matthew Stafford offer, prior to signing Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Commanders have Taylor Heinicke signed for 2022 — at just a $2.9MM cap hit — but will almost certainly acquire a veteran or use a first-round pick on a quarterback. The Commanders are also set to carry more than $31MM in cap space, putting them among the league’s top 10. Garoppolo’s through-2022 contract calls for a $24.2MM base salary next season, though his ’22 cap hit could be lowered via an extension agreement.

The Panthers saw their QB situation deteriorate to the point Matt Rhule‘s job was in jeopardy, and Sam Darnold is on Carolina’s books at a fully guaranteed $18.9MM in 2022. Carolina could also loom for Watson. The embattled Texans quarterback is not believed to have waived his no-trade clause for the Panthers, but they were prepared to make a strong offer prior to the Pro Bowler’s off-field trouble surfacing. If the Dolphins are truly off the Watson market, the Panthers would seemingly re-emerge as perhaps his top suitor.

Tom Brady‘s retirement puts the Buccaneers in play, and early odds place Tampa Bay as one of the most likely teams to acquire Garoppolo. The 49ers quarterback, who is coming off a season in which he ranked 13th in QBR, following his former Patriots teammate would certainly make for an interesting scenario. A Garoppolo extension would be necessary for the Bucs, who have nearly half their starting lineup set for free agency. Even without that contingent on the payroll, the Bucs are projected to be barely $5MM under the cap.

Having not solidified a Drew Brees successor yet, the Saints can be also considered a candidate. Their cap situation, per usual, is not in good shape. New Orleans is entering a second straight offseason more than $75MM over the cap. The team made this work last year but did not have a franchise-QB salary factoring into the equation, with Jameis Winston signing for backup-level dough.

The Steelers should also be considered the mix as a Garoppolo suitor. Although Pittsburgh extended Mason Rudolph, it is difficult to view the former third-round pick as a viable Ben Roethlisberger successor. Still, the early offseason word pointed to the Steelers avoiding the veteran-QB market. But a veteran would make sense given the makeup of an experienced Steelers defense. The Steelers are also armed with far more cap space than they had in 2021, being set to hold more than $30MM.

The Broncos are probably the most interesting team here, given their connection to Rodgers. A late-season amendment on potential Wilson destinations also included Denver. The team that has needed a quarterback for six years could attempt to pry Kirk Cousins away from the Vikings, considering GM George Paton‘s previous run as Minnesota’s assistant GM. Garoppolo, however, has experience in the type of offense Nathaniel Hackett is set to install. Any Denver Garoppolo offer would surely be withheld until it is known Rodgers is off the table.

As of now, the Browns are prepared to keep Baker Mayfield for his fifth-year option season. Are there any other sleeper teams to monitor here? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

Which team will acquire Jimmy Garoppolo?

  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28% (1,822)
  • Pittsburgh Steelers 25% (1,616)
  • Washington Commanders 16% (1,021)
  • New Orleans Saints 10% (621)
  • Denver Broncos 8% (524)
  • Carolina Panthers 6% (369)
  • Another team (specify in comments) 5% (332)
  • Cleveland Browns 3% (203)

Total votes: 6,508

52 comments Carolina Panthers Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos New Orleans Saints PFR Originals PFR Polls Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Tampa Bay Buccaneers Washington Commanders
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