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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Brandon Boykin Retires?

July 5th, 2018 at 11:56am CST by Zachary Links

Brandon Boykin‘s NFL career appears to be over. The former Eagles and Steelers cornerback is suiting up for the American Flag Football League this summer, according to Geoff Mosher of The Score. 

Boykin, 28 next week, was a fourth-round pick of the Eagles in 2012. In 2013, he turned in a career year with 47 tackles, six interceptions, and 16 passes defended. In 2015, he landed with the Steelers and had his least productive year with just 21 total stops. He has not seen live action since, though he signed deals with the Panthers and Bears in 2016 and the Ravens in 2017.

Boykin has not formally announced his retirement, but it sounds like he has moved on from the NFL.

“It’s fun, man. You talk about playing flag football, that’s what you grew up doing,” said Boykin of the upstart summer league. “You can play the game in its truest form and have fun and compete with people all over the world, not have a helmet on and just enjoy the game. That’s what players want. That’s what’s so enticing about it. You can still make money playing a game that’s truly a game.”

The flag football league is made up of four teams, composed of former professional athletes. The team that wins the title will face the amateur champs July 19 in Houston in “the Ultimate Final.” Boykin is a member of Ocho, a team captained by Chad Johnson. They’ll face Michael Vick‘s Roadrunners on Saturday night in the professional semifinals.

July 16 Marks NFL’s Franchise Tag Extension Deadline

July 4th, 2018 at 12:59pm CST by Zachary Links

This year, the deadline for teams to reach extensions with franchise tagged players falls on July 16. If the following four players do not agree to new contracts in the coming days, they will be ticketed for free agency in 2019:

For Bell, the absence of a deal all but guarantees that he will be allowed to explore the open market next season. That’s because this is the second year in a row that Bell has been hit with the tag. He’ll make $14.544MM this season if no extension deal is reached, but a third tag would cost Pittsburgh more than $20MM. For the rest, the possibility of a second franchise tag remains, though the requisite 20% increase could prevent teams from applying the tender.

The rules of the franchise tag dictate that teams have until mid-July to hammer out an extension with players. If not, the two sides are barred from engaging in contract talks until after the season has concluded.

From 2013-2017, 16 of the league’s 33 franchise tagged players agreed to extensions before the summer deadline. This year, it’s hard to say whether deals will be reached for any of the players in question. Bell is looking for a deal that will reflect his production as a top running back and a No. 2 wide receiver. The defensive ends, Ansah and Lawrence, know that teams are willing to overpay for quality edge rushers in free agency. Joyner, meanwhile, may be content to let the Rams control his fate since he’ll either make $11MM+ this year and hit free agency, or earn $25MM through two franchise tags and reach the open market in 2020.

Then again, a serious injury could derail any member of this quartet, so there’s something to be said for financial security over monetary upside. Joyner, in particular, could be quietly eager to sign a multi-year deal after watching a dismal free agent safety market play out this offseason.

What we do know for sure is that the next 12 days will be worth monitoring.

Poll: Will Steelers Extend Le’Veon Bell?

June 30th, 2018 at 4:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

As could be expected given the events of the past 1 1/2 years, the Le’Veon Bell/Steelers saga is coming down to the wire. By July 16, Steelers fans will almost certainly know if the two-time All-Pro running back will be a long-term Pittsburgh resident.

Thus far, the signs haven’t been especially promising. Although Bell is optimistic about an extension being finalized, Pittsburgh-based reporters are skeptical about the team committing at the rate Bell seeks. Devonta Freeman‘s $8.25MM-per-year deal represents the current ceiling for long-term running back pacts, but Bell could be angling for $17MM annually in what would be an unbelievable markup for this position. He also might merely want something north of his new franchise tag number ($14.5MM), which would still double as a seismic increase for this job compared to the top rates of the recent past.

The Steelers appeared closer to reaching the finish line with Bell last summer, when they reportedly offered him a deal that would have paid him $42.5MM in its first three years and $30MM across the first two. Bell will be collecting just more than $26MM on his two-franchise tag arrangement between the 2017 and ’18 seasons. The 26-year-old ball-carrier, though, said the Steelers’ top 2017 offer was for $13.3MM per year for the life of the contract. While that still would have represented a seismic raise for the running back market, and was a $1.1MM AAV increase from Bell’s 2017 franchise tag rate, Bell wanted his contract to reflect his contributions as a receiver as well.

Bell then caught a career-high 85 passes — his second 80-reception season — and stayed healthy throughout a dominant slate that doubled as the Steelers’ best since their 2010 AFC championship campaign. But he also added a career-high 406 touches to his odometer. The Steelers have used him as an old-school workhorse. Despite that helping Bell’s statistics, his usage rate may be hurting his long-term value.

Although Kevin Colbert expressed optimism back in March the Steelers would extend Bell, it’s possible that given the way these talks have progressed the team views him as a high-end short-term rental rather than someone who will still be an elite player into his late 20s or early 30s.

However, the Steelers don’t have a ready-made Bell replacement lined up. That would be unrealistic, since the former second-round pick’s been one of the best backs of the decade. But would it be better for a team that’s struggled on defense for years to let Bell walk in 2019 and devote most of that money to helping its weaker unit? Or is Bell essential to Pittsburgh keeping its Super Bowl title window open?

The Steelers may well be the Patriots’ top threat in the AFC, but might this be the last season where Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Bell are teammates? Bell and the Steelers not agreeing to an extension by the July deadline would put the running back on a Kirk Cousins path, with a 2019 tag number exceeding an untenable $20MM, and make Cousins’ former Michigan State teammate a unique free agent just as he was this year. Or, will Bell back down from his lofty price point and lock in some multiyear guarantees while he’s still in his mid-20s?

Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!

Will Steelers and Le'Veon Bell agree to extension by July 16?
No 73.58% (440 votes)
Yes 26.42% (158 votes)
Total Votes: 598

Steelers Eye Morgan Burnett As Pure SS

June 30th, 2018 at 2:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Le’Veon Bell demanding $17MM per year, less than three weeks could remain for Steelers fans to view the All-Pro running back as a long-term asset. Following the July 16 franchise tag deadline, Bell could be headed toward rental status this season and 2019 free agency. The Steelers are not about to authorize a $17MM-AAV deal for Bell, Paul Zeise of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, adding that the only chance of an extension being hammered out is if Bell comes off that price. Judging by the lack of communication between the parties since their pre-draft re-up talks, Zeise notes it’s clear the Steelers are going to hold their line. Bell is optimistic about a deal, but Zeise notes he appears to be the only one. The Steelers may not be able to replace Bell, but the gap between he and either James Conner (or a future successor) may not translate to Pittsburgh paying its running back what he wants. Bell’s $17MM-per-year price is more than twice what current running back salary leader Devonta Freeman makes.

  • The Steelers do not believe Morgan Burnett is the same player he was at his Packers apex, and they don’t plan on asking him to perform like it, according to Tim Benz of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Keith Butler is planning for the 29-year-old safety to assume some of the responsibility Ryan Shazier used to, working as a quality run-stopper and patrolling the middle of the field on passing downs. However, the plan is for Burnett to play strong safety and for the likes of Sean Davis and Terrell Edmunds to have deep-middle responsibilities at free safety, per Benz. Edmunds played a hybrid-type role late in his Virginia Tech career, which would appear to overlap with Burnett’s job description, but it appears the Steelers are confident the first-rounder will be able to grow into a true free safety.

Latest On Unsigned First-Round Picks

June 26th, 2018 at 8:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Only six percent of 2018 NFL draft picks remain unsigned, and 71% (12-of-17) of those contract-less selections are first-rounders. For a certain slice of those unsigned first-round picks, especially those selected near the back end of Day 1, Seahawks rookie running back Rashaad Penny‘s contract is playing a role in negotiations, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains.

While the three players selected at pick Nos. 23-25 (Patriots offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn, Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore, and Ravens tight end Hayden Hurst) each garnered significant fourth season base salary guarantees, Penny — who was chosen with the 27th overall pick — actually saw his fourth season salary guarantee percentage decrease when compared to 2017’s No. 27 selection, Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White, per Florio.

The NFL’s new collective bargaining agreement implemented slotted rookie contracts which make negotiations a breeze, but there’s a still a bit of wiggle room. First-rounders selected near the end of the first round won’t often get the entirety of their fourth season base salary guaranteed, but that’s an area where agents can press for a bit extra in talks. Penny’s representatives, clearly, didn’t do so, which could now lead other teams with unsigned first-round picks to withhold guarantees.

Here are the unsigned first-round picks chosen after No. 20 overall:

Overall, the amount of fourth season guarantees shouldn’t stand in the way of getting deals for the above players done, as the dollar amounts in question are in the thousands, not millions. But the lack of signed contracts does speak to the small area of available negotiation still left in rookie pacts, and is something to watch as the offseason progresses.

Le’Veon Bell Optimistic About Contract Talks

June 26th, 2018 at 10:14am CST by Zachary Links

With less than three weeks to go before the deadline for a pre-season extension, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is feeling fairly optimistic about a deal coming together. 

“Obviously, the people in the organization try to do what’s best for them and I’m trying to do what’s best for me,” Bell said on NFL Network (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com). “We’re working on it. We’re a lot closer than we were last year at this time. That’s what I’m happy about. None of that matters if we don’t get it done. Hopefully we’ll try to get something done. That’s what I’m looking forward to. I got confidence we’ll get it done. I want to do it.”

Bell is currently set to earn $14.5MM this year after being franchise tagged for a second straight year. The two sides have until July 16 to reach an accord on a long-term deal. If that doesn’t come to fruition, the two sides won’t be able to reconvene until after the season.

The dynamic running back is reportedly seeking $17MM per year on a new deal, a number that reflects his work as a top-flight running back plus his production as a receiver. Last year, the Steelers were only willing to offer him a $60MM deal with $42.5MM coming in the first three years of the pact. It’s not clear how much of that proposal was to be fully guaranteed at signing.

After the two sides were unable to reach agreement last July, Bell stayed away from the team until the last minute. This year, Bell has given mixed messages about what he’ll do if a deal doesn’t happen.

“Yeah. You know regardless that’s what I want to do,” Bell said when asked whether he’ll report to training camp. “I don’t want to have the replications of what happened last year. But if that came down to that, obviously I got to do what I got to do. Take my stand and protect myself. I don’t want to have to do that. I want to go to camp and play for the Steelers long term.”

Latest On DB Brandon Bryant

June 25th, 2018 at 2:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Mississippi State defensive back Brandon Bryant is making his case to NFL scouts in advance of the NFL’s supplemental draft. On Monday, 40 scouts from the Rams, Browns, Falcons, Jets, Giants, 49ers, Redskins, Colts, Steelers, Saints, Jaguars, Texans, Raiders, and Ravens watched Bryant audition, Chase Goodbread of NFL.com tweets. 

There may have been even more clubs on hand to watch Bryant work out, according to Tony Pauline of Draft Insider (on Twitter). Pauline hears there were “about 20 teams on hand” and he hears his 40-yard-dash times ranged from the high 4.3’s to the low 4.4’s. He also conducted five separate one-on-one meetings on Sunday.

Bryant established himself as one of the top safeties in the SEC in his time with the Bulldogs. Across three years, Bryant compiled 157 tackles and five interceptions in 37 games. This year, after Mississippi State hired Joe Moorhead as their new head coach, Bryant announced he was going pro.

This year’s supplemental draft will take place on July 11. Other entrants include former Western Michigan cornerback Sam Beal and Virginia Tech cornerback Adonis Alexander.

Steelers View Okorafor As Swing T For Now

June 23rd, 2018 at 5:50pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Continuing this afternoon’s theme of AFC North offensive lines, the Steelers appear to be close to slotting Chukwuma Okorafor as the swing tackle behind Alejandro Villanueva and Marcus Gilbert. The Steelers may be leaning toward placing Matt Feiler in as a backup interior lineman, Tim Benz of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. A third-round pick, Okorafor would then be in line to replace Chris Hubbard, the new Browns right tackle, in that swing job. “Chuks, we drafted that guy for that reason,” Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak said. “Now the young guy gets a chance kind of like Al a few years ago. And last year, Chris Hubbard got the opportunity with Marcus out. We’ve got a lot of time to work with him. Right now, that’s our guy going forward.” Gilbert’s contract expires after the 2019 season, and although Ben Roethlisberger would prefer he be re-signed in advance of his walk year, the high-end right tackle has dealt with injuries and a suspension in recent years and will be 31 in February.
  • While it’s unlikely Jordan Dangerfield will be able to keep first-round pick Terrell Edmunds off the field, he exited the Steelers’ offseason program as a first-string safety, per Joe Rutter of the Tribune-Review. Morgan Burnett missed minicamp because of an injury Mike Tomlin deemed minor. Edmunds ran with the second-team defense but is expected to get looks at safety and linebacker for a Steelers team that was deficient at those spots at the end of last season. Dangerfield is a fifth-year player who hasn’t seen action since 2016.

Poll: Who Is Patriots’ Biggest AFC Threat?

June 23rd, 2018 at 4:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Around a year ago, I asked readers who would be the biggest challenger to the Patriots’ AFC stranglehold. Seeing as they repeated as conference champions, this question seems pertinent again. And with more complications coming out of New England than there were a year ago, the Pats venturing to the Super Bowl may be more difficult this season than it was in 2017.

But who is best-equipped to end this run?

The Jaguars emerged after a decade of playoff absences to nearly stun the Patriots in Foxborough, and an argument can be made that had Myles Jack not been prematurely whistled down following his pivotal forced fumble, the upstart team would have represented the AFC in Super Bowl LII. How likely are the Jags to take the next step this season?

Their loaded defense mostly avoided injuries in 2017 and, after rumors the Jags would attempt to upgrade from Blake Bortles at quarterback this offseason vanished quickly, the franchise has the same issue at sports’ most important position. However, the reigning AFC South champions didn’t lose any cornerstone players from last season’s effort, one Allen Robinson was not healthy for, so it stands to reason they will be a factor again.

Pittsburgh may be the safest bet here, but the Steelers have run into persistent trouble in January. Though dealt tough blows in the form of Ryan Shazier‘s injury and Jesse James‘ pivotal touchdown being overturned against the Patriots last season, the Steelers’ balanced team disappointed in allowing 45 points in a divisional-round loss. Pittsburgh signed Morgan Burnett and Jon Bostic, and drafted athletic safety Terrell Edmunds in Round 1. However, have the Steelers done enough to improve defensively in time to capitalize on what could be the final year Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell are working together?

The AFC West could be as wide open as in any season since before Peyton Manning arrived in Denver, and it could feature multiple legitimate challengers for conference supremacy.

Las Vegas places the Chargers as the division’s favorite, despite the franchise having failed to make the playoffs in each of the past four years and all but one season in the 2010s. They also have by far the weakest home-field advantage in football. But, roster-wise, the Bolts boast a strong pass rush, added Mike Pouncey and selected a player whom many thought was the steal of the draft in Derwin James. Los Angeles’ similar offensive core, Hunter Henry‘s injury aside, should be a boon for the Philip Rivers-led attack to lead a breakthrough charge.

The Chiefs are on the heels of winning back-to-back division titles for the first time in franchise history, but they look quite different from their previous outfits. Kansas City traded both Alex Smith and Marcus Peters, the latter not having an obvious replacement like the former does. Although the Chiefs did add Sammy Watkins on a surprising contract to help out Patrick Mahomes, how ready will the 2017 first-rounder be to guide the team back to the playoffs in his debut campaign? Kansas City will have Eric Berry back, and the franchise added Anthony Hitchens and Xavier Williams to help the run defense before using nearly its entire draft to restock its weaker unit. But will a defense that ranked 30th in DVOA with Peters be competent enough now that the team’s high-floor quarterback is out of town?

Vegas also is bullish on the Texans, despite their four-win 2017, placing them among the frontrunners in what looks like the weaker of the two conferences. Deshaun Watson is looking to be ready for Week 1, and, as of now, J.J. Watt is on that path too. Houston strung together three straight nine-win seasons from 2014-16, with three different starting quarterbacks, and displayed considerable flash with Watson last season. But is it a bridge to far to ask the second-year quarterback to pilot the team to a legitimate Super Bowl perch?

The Titans made the playoffs, revamped their coaching staff and signed multiple Patriots cogs. They may be slightly overqualified for sleeper status. The Broncos made an attempt to pair their upper-echelon defense with a better quarterback in Case Keenum and saw Bradley Chubb fall to them at No. 5. They still employ many holdovers from Super Bowl 50, but is their window still open? Can Jon Gruden reinvigorate the recently well-regarded Raiders after a busy offseason? Does the AFC North or AFC East have a deep-sleeping candidate that could make a Jaguars-level leap?

Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!

Who is the Patriots' top threat for AFC supremacy?
Pittsburgh Steelers 29.37% (462 votes)
Jacksonville Jaguars 23.90% (376 votes)
Los Angeles Chargers 17.86% (281 votes)
Kansas City Chiefs 11.19% (176 votes)
Another team (specify in comments) 10.11% (159 votes)
Houston Texans 7.57% (119 votes)
Total Votes: 1,573

Steelers Flipping OLB Starters' Positions

June 22nd, 2018 at 9:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two key Steelers will be changing positions. Pittsburgh’s outside linebacker starters, Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt, will swap spots, with Dupree shifting to the right outside linebacker role and Watt moving to the left side, Tim Benz of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes. Dupree’s issues with being too far behind quarterbacks on outside rushes, in a league that features mostly right-handed passers, prompted Keith Butler to relocate him.

Although the Steelers exercised Dupree’s fifth-year option, the 2015 first-round pick has not lived up to expectations just yet. The Kentucky product rated as a bottom-10 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus, last season, but the Steelers will try to give him another opportunity to make good on their investment. Butler said the relative inexperience of the players involved in this switch prompted him to wait until the offseason to make this move.

  • As less than a month remains until the pivotal extension deadline for franchise-tagged players, Bell has not shown up at Steelers workouts. This was expected. But as of last week, the Steelers had yet to resume contract talks with their All-Pro running back. And Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette puts the odds at an extension occurring as longer than the sides continuing their present arrangement. Fittipaldo writes Bell not reaching a long-term agreement would again induce him to skip training camp and the preseason. Of course, Bell and the Steelers failing to come to terms this year could well mean the 26-year-old dynamo will be playing elsewhere in 2019, considering the prohibitive cost for tagging a player three times.
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