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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Steelers To Trade Antonio Brown To Bills?

March 8th, 2019 at 1:34am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers and Bills are closing in on a trade that would send Antonio Brown to Buffalo, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. However, we have conflicting word on the potential deal. No deal is imminent between the two teams, one source tells Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (Twitter link) and another league source termed it “unlikely.” 

The Steelers have discussed a Brown deal with the Redskins, Raiders, Titans, and other clubs, but the Bills were not previously thought to be on the radar. Apparently, things heated up this week and the Bills showed intent interest in getting a deal done.

As of this writing, we don’t know whether a deal is going down for sure. We also don’t know if a deal will be done by Friday, as previously reported. A Brown-to-Buffalo trade could involve the swapping of first-round picks (the Bills own pick No. 9, Steelers have No. 20), but it’s all speculative at this point.

Brown, 31 in July, earned his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl selection in 2018, finishing with 104 catches, 1,297 yards, and a league-leading 15 touchdown receptions. In Buffalo, he’d automatically bolster a WR group that is presently led by Zay Jones and Robert Foster.

No Hard Deadline For Antonio Brown Trade?

March 7th, 2019 at 9:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although previous reports have indicated the Steelers were planning to trade Antonio Brown by Friday, the club does not have a solid deadline in place to deal its superstar wideout, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link), who adds the Steelers are still discussing Brown with multiple clubs.

As of Thursday afternoon, no team was considered the favorite to land Brown, reports Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who also disputed that Pittsburgh is demanding a first-round pick in talks. However, a number of clubs may have begun to drop out of the running. The Redskins, Saints, Titans are all thought to be out on Brown, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Tennessee “seriously contemplated” a trade for Brown, per Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com, but it doesn’t appear the Titans will land him.

Reading between the lines, it’s entirely possible the Steelers aren’t receiving offers they deem acceptable. A number of teams have been mentioned as possible suitors for Brown, but given that no favorite has emerged, it’s fair to wonder if Pittsburgh will need to lower its sights. The Steelers are motivated to move Brown before March 17, when he’s due a $2.5MM roster bonus.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/7/19

March 7th, 2019 at 7:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions:

RFAs

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

Steelers, Ramon Foster Agree To Extension

March 7th, 2019 at 4:48pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s a busy day in Pittsburgh. After reaching an extension with Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers agreed to a new two-year, $8.25MM deal with Ramon Foster, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Before the deal, Foster was set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 13. 

[RELATED: Steelers, Maurkice Pouncey Agree To Extension]

Ben Roethlisberger‘s front line is now well set for the next couple of years. Foster, who earned $3.591MM last season, is now inked through his age-35 campaign.

Foster has been largely healthy throughout his Steelers career and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 16 ranked guard in the NFL last season. His pass blocking, in particular, was exceptional. Foster’s 84.5 pass blocking score was good for seventh amongst all qualified guards, per PFF, slotting him ahead of big names like Brandon Scherff, Quenton Nelson, and Andrew Norwell.

Meanwhile, tomorrow figures to be even busier for the Steelers. The club intends to trade star wide receiver Antonio Brown by the end of the week and they’re reportedly pushing for a first-round pick in return.

Steelers, Maurkice Pouncey Agree To Extension

March 7th, 2019 at 4:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers and Pro-Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey have agreed to a two-year extension worth $22MM, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With a new money average of $11MM per season, Pouncey is slated to become the NFL’s highest-paid center in 2020, provided that he is not leapfrogged in the interim. Pouncey was already signed through 2019, so the new pact will take him through the 2021 season.

Pouncey, not to be confused with brother Mike Pouncey of the Chargers, has been with the Steelers since being drafted No. 18 overall in 2010. He has earned a Pro Bowl nod in every full season since then, giving him seven selections in total. Pouncey also earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 2011 and 2014.

Last year, Pouncey ranked as the No. 14 center in the NFL, a bit below his usual spot. Still, he passed the Steelers’ naked eye test and the club is moving to keep the 29-year-old (30 this summer) in the fold for years to come.

Earlier this week, the Steelers took another step towards continuity on the offensive line by assigning a second-round tender to B.J. Finney.

Steelers To Move On From Ramon Foster?

March 7th, 2019 at 1:21pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg
  • The Steelers tendered B.J. Finney at the second round level yesterday, which could mean the writing is on the wall for Ramon Foster. While he isn’t “totally ruling out” a return for Foster, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, thinks the Finney tendering will make it hard for Foster to come back (Twitter link). Foster has been a starter on Pittsburgh’s offensive line for most of the past ten seasons, but Fowler writes the Steelers wouldn’t pay $3.095MM, the amount of Finney’s tender, “for someone they don’t intend to play.”

John Kuhn Announces Retirement

March 6th, 2019 at 8:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Longtime NFL fullback John Kuhn has retired as a member of the Packers, Green Bay announced today.

“John was a terrific football player and tremendous teammate who contributed to many years of success for the Packers,” Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “He was a true professional whose work ethic and leadership set a great example both on the field and in the locker room. We want to thank John and his family for all they did for the Packers and in the community as well as wish them nothing but the best.”

While he’s best known as a member of the Packers, Kuhn actually began his career with the Steelers after going undrafted in 2005. He appeared in nine games with Pittsburgh (all in 2006) and won a Super Bowl before joining Green Bay in 2007. Kuhn went on to spend the next nine years with the Packers, earning another Super Bowl title in the process. All told, Kuhn handled 196 carries for Green Bay, scoring 24 total touchdowns while collecting three Pro Bowl nods, one first-team All-Pro selection, and one second-team All-Pro berth.

Kuhn signed with the Saints in advance of the 2016 campaign and wound up spending parts of two seasons with the club, appearing in 18 games over that span. He didn’t play in the NFL in 2018, though he did express interest in doing so. PFR extends its best wishes to Kuhn as he enters retirement.

Steelers Tender RFA B.J. Finney At Second-Round Level

March 6th, 2019 at 5:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers have placed a second-round tender on restricted free agent offensive lineman B.J. Finney, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Finney will now collect $3.095MM for the 2018 campaign once he signs his tender. Theoretically, he could sign an offer sheet with another club, but that team would have to be willing to surrender a second-round pick in order to pry him away from the Steelers. While Finney proved himself as a capable reserve last season, it seems incredibly unlikely another team would be willing to sacrifice that sort of draft capital.

A former undrafted free agent out of Kansas State, Finney has appeared in 43 games over three seasons in Pittsburgh, but has made only nine total starts. Finney has typically earned excellent grades from Pro Football Focus, but sample size is an issue, as he’s never topped 300 offensive snaps in a single season.

That could change next year, as Finney may have the opportunity to take over for Ramon Foster at left guard. Foster, 33, will become an unrestricted free agent next month, and if he lands elsewhere, Finney will likely slide into the Steelers’ starting lineup.

Steelers Want First-Round Pick For Antonio Brown

March 6th, 2019 at 3:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers are still seeking a first-round pick for Antonio Brown, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) hears. However, Rapoport does not specify whether the Steelers would ultimately accept a lesser offer. 

One has to imagine the Steelers would be willing to take less, especially since they plan on moving AB by Friday. As Rapoport notes, the Steelers’ strong desire for a first-round pick may tilt things even further in the Raiders’ favor since they are armed with three choices in the top 32.

A Wednesday report indicated that things are heating up in the Brown sweepstakes with three new teams having joined the mix in the last 48 hours. However, we have some conflicting word on that front. It’s a “one team race,” a league source tells ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link), with other teams deciding “the price was too high.”

One way or another, it feels like the Steelers/Brown saga is about to near its conclusion.

Steelers To Trade Antonio Brown By Friday?

March 6th, 2019 at 9:36am CST by Zachary Links

It sounds like Antonio Brown won’t be with the Steelers for much longer. Teams that have spoken to the Steelers about a potential Brown trade have been told that a deal is expected to be in place by Friday, league sources tell Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 

This week, the Raiders and Redskins emerged as real contenders for Brown while the Broncos, Cardinals, and Eagles appear to be out of the mix. The Jets, who were previously linked to Brown, are no longer interested, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Still, Rapoport hears that three new teams have joined the fray in the last 48 hours.

It’s surprising to hear that the Jets are pulling out of the Brown sweepstakes given their ample cap room and clear need for a playmaker. Mike Maccagnan, a GM who was given a reprieve despite a spotty track record in the draft and free agency, needs to show results in 2019 in order to keep his job, and a Brown trade would have been a clear move towards winning right now.

At this time, it certainly appears the Raiders are in the lead for Brown given their consistent interest throughout the process and their clear need for receivers. They also have $72MM in cap space – giving them the room necessary to absorb AB’s sizable contract – and a stockpile of draft picks that can be used to outbid other suitors.

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