Steelers Trade Marcus Gilbert To Cardinals
The Steelers have agreed to trade tackle Marcus Gilbert to the Cardinals, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). In return, the Steelers will receive a draft pick late in the sixth round. 
[RELATED: Steelers, Bills Nix Antonio Brown Trade]
The Steelers have been working the phone lines in an attempt to move Gilbert and they found a taker quickly after word broke on Friday. Gilbert, 31, has missed 23 regular season games over the last three years, but he can be a difference-maker for Arizona if he stays healthy and out of trouble with the league.
Since 2011, Gilbert has started in all but one of his games and he has graded out as a top 20 tackle in Pro Football Focus’ rankings in the past. Even in 2018, a down season marred by injury, Gilbert placed as PFF’s No. 41 tackle in the NFL.
The Cardinals’ offensive line was downright porous last offseason and the pocket failed to hold up around rookie quarterback Josh Rosen. Gilbert should help on that front, though the Cardinals – armed with the No. 1 overall pick – still have a ton of work ahead of them.
Latest On Potential Antonio Brown Trade
We know that Antonio Brown is not Buffalo-bound, but, beyond that, his situation remains murky. The Steelers still want a first-round pick for the wide receiver and “several teams” are waiting for the club to reduce its asking price before making an aggressive pursuit, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. 
The Steelers’ leverage was already weakened by Brown’s outspoken criticism of the team and his refusal to join the Bills further complicates matters. It’s hard to imagine clubs offering significant draft capital for the star player when they can’t be certain that he’ll show up for work.
Teams such as the Redskins, Raiders, and Titans were in on Brown earlier this month, but no longer appear to be in the chase. We can add the Packers to that list, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Demovsky hears the Packers have not had any conversations with the Steelers – despite their glaring need for receiver help – and won’t jump in now.
Steelers Shopping Marcus Gilbert
The Steelers are shopping right tackle Marcus Gilbert for a potential trade, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Gilbert tweeted an apparent farewell to the Steelers on Friday morning, so it sounds like a trade could be imminent.
Gilbert, 31, has missed 23 regular season games over the last three years. In 2018, a knee injury sidelined him in October, but other injuries and suspensions have limited him in the past.
When healthy and on the field, Gilbert has been a quality blocker for Pittsburgh. Since 2011, Gilbert has started in all but one of his games and he has graded out as a top 20 tackle in Pro Football Focus’ rankings in the past. Even in 2018, a down season marred by injury, Gilbert placed as PFF’s No. 41 tackle in the NFL.
The Steelers will work the phones to find a suitable deal for Gilbert and they hope he’ll cooperate with a trade, unlike teammate Antonio Brown.
Bills, Steelers Won’t Complete Antonio Brown Trade
Early Friday morning, the Bills appeared to be on the cusp of acquiring Antonio Brown from the Steelers. But, for one reason or another, the deal was scuttled. 
“We inquired on Antonio Brown on Tuesday, and kept talks open with the Steelers. We had positive discussions, but ultimately it didn’t make sense for either side,” GM Brandon Beane said in a statement. “As great a player as Antonio Brown is, we have moved on and our focus is on free agency.”
Ultimately, the deal was 86’d because Brown made it clear that he did not want to go to Buffalo, Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter) hears. Now, there are “very few options left” for the Steelers/Brown, according to a source who spoke with Breer.
The Steelers hoped to move Brown by the end of the business day, but they may have to extend their timeline. At varying points, the Redskins, Raiders, and Titans were thought to be on the leaderboard, but their level of interest is unclear. Meanwhile, it’s a bit of a time sensitive matter for the Steelers – Brown is due a $2.5MM roster bonus on March 17, so they’re hoping to unload him before that date hits. They’d also probably like to trade Brown before the start of free agency in order to have a clearer picture of their own needs and finances.
The Brown sweepstakes will roll on for at least a little while longer and it could drag for months if Brown is intent on hand-picking his destination.
Steelers To Trade Antonio Brown To Bills?
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?
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
Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions:
RFAs
Non-tendered:
- Jets: TE Eric Tomlinson
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Broncos: LB Joseph Jones, WR Tim Patrick, S Dymonte Thomas, T Elijah Wilkinson
- Packers: G Justin McCray
- Raiders: LB Jason Cabinda, K Daniel Carlson
- Steelers: OL Matt Feiler, CB Mike Hilton
Non-tendered:
- Broncos: LB Jerrol Garcia-Williams
Steelers, Ramon Foster Agree To Extension
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
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?
- 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.”