Pittsburgh Steelers Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Steelers To Sign WR Justin Hunter

March 15th, 2017 at 10:21am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have signed wide receiver Justin Hunter, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The former second-round pick has yet to justify his draft status but the Steelers are apparently intrigued by his athleticism and speed.

The Steelers now have eight wide receivers under contract (Antonio Brown, Cobi Hamilton, Eli Rogers, Sammie Coates, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Demarcus Ayers, Canaan Severin, and Hunter), so something has got to give. Hunter probably has only a little bit of guaranteed cash on his deal or perhaps no guarantee, so it’s not a given that he’ll make the 53-man roster.

The Patriots were linked to Hunter last week, but they might have backed off their pursuit after installing Brandin Cooks at the top of their WR depth chart. Hunter closed out the year with the Bills, but we didn’t hear any word of them trying to retain him.

Latest On Dont’a Hightower

March 15th, 2017 at 9:06am CST by Zachary Links

Linebacker Dont’a Hightower is slated to choose between three offers today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’s deciding between the Steelers, Jets, and Patriots, though that’s not necessarily in order. Those close to the situation still believe he’ll remain in New England.

The Jets, apparently, have offered “far and away” more money than anyone else. Still, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, he doesn’t seem inclined to accept Gang Green’s offer. The Jets have offered more than $12MM per season, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report hears (on Twitter).

The Steelers reportedly told Hightower their offer to him would disappear if he left town without signing on the dotted line. Hightower, it seems, is either still in Pittsburgh, or the Steelers were making an empty threat to coax him into signing.

All along, the expectation has been that Hightower would circle back to the defending champs. Still, money talks and this will probably be the largest deal the 27-year-old ever signs. Soon, we’ll know the verdict.

Jets Have Largest Offer To Dont’a Hightower

March 14th, 2017 at 9:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets are likely offering the largest contract to free agent linebacker Dont’a Hightower, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, who says Hightower will sign with New York if he’s “looking for the biggest financial score.” Gang Green is willing to hand Hightower a “blockbuster contract,” per Cimini, while Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets the Jets have “far and away the most money on the table.”

Still, Hightower “doesn’t seem inclined” to accept the Jets’ offer, per La Canfora (Twitter link), which would jibe with reports indicating rival clubs expect Hightower to re-sign with the Patriots. If Hightower does sign with New York, the Jets would likely release long-time middle linebacker David Harris, paving the way for Hightower and 2016 first-round pick Darron Lee to play together in the club’s 3-4 scheme.

The Steelers are also involved in the Hightower sweepstakes, but Pittsburgh reportedly told Hightower its offer to him would disappear if he leaves town without signing on a dotted line. Hightower’s meeting with the Steelers has concluded, but it’s not readily clear if he’s left Pittsburgh, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link) Hightower is still in talks with the Steelers, Jets, and Patriots.

The Titans, meanwhile, are out on Hightower, as general manager Jon Robinson says his club never even met with Hightower.

Latest On Steelers, Dont’a Hightower

March 14th, 2017 at 4:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have made an offer to free agent linebacker Dont’a Hightower, according to Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (on Twitter). However, they don’t want Hightower to use their proposal for leverage with the Patriots. He has been told that if he gets on the plane to leave Pittsburgh without agreeing to terms, the offer will be off the table.

Hightower has been making the free agent rounds, but it certainly sounds like his goal is to return to the Patriots. After Hightower spoke with the Jets and Titans, both teams were skeptical about his willingness to actually leave New England, though the Jets still sound quite interested. The Jets may be willing to drive up the price on the rival Patriots, but the Steelers want no part of that game. They’ve made their offer to Hightower and if he does not quickly accept, they’ll redirect that cap space in another direction.

Adding a superstar like Hightower would certainly lessen the blow of Lawrence Timmons leaving for the Dolphins. Soon, we should know whether Hightower will shock everyone and join up with Pittsburgh.

Five Teams In On Nickell Robey-Coleman

March 14th, 2017 at 3:00pm CST by Zachary Links

In addition to the Vikings, the Chargers, Dolphins, Steelers, and Titans are also showing interest in defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. Robey-Coleman has found a healthy market ever since being discarded by the Bills earlier this month.

Last year, the slot cornerback earned a higher grade from Pro Football Focus than teammates Stephon Gilmore and Ronald Darby. All in all, he graded out as PFF’s No. 33 overall corner. He was set to make just $2.1MM this season, but Buffalo instead decided to cut him and save $1.65MM against the cap.

The Steelers had interest in Davon House before he signed with the Packers on Tuesday, so they are still in the market for help at corner. The Vikings are also a logical landing spot. They remain in pursuit of defensive back Lardarius Webb, but it’s possible that he could return to the Ravens on a cheaper deal.

Steelers Host WR Justin Hunter On Visit

March 14th, 2017 at 2:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Wide receiver Justin Hunter visited the Steelers on Monday, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The team also met with former Green Bay linebacker Jayrone Elliott.

Hunter, a former second-round pick, has never lived up to expectations. The Titans’ old regime believed that he had the upside and talent to be a bonafide WR1 in the NFL. The new regime, led by GM Jon Robinson, cut him loose in September. From there, Hunter had stints with the Dolphins and Bills. In 13 games, he amassed ten catches for 189 yards and four touchdowns.

The Steelers presently have seven wide receivers under contract: Antonio Brown, Cobi Hamilton, Eli Rogers, Sammie Coates, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Demarcus Ayers, and Canaan Severin. That’s a solid top five, so it’s possible that the Steelers are eyeing Hunter as a practice squad candidate. If that’s the case, then any potential deal between the Steelers and Hunter would probably take a while to go down. Before signing a taxi squad deal, Hunter will likely exhaust all other 53-man roster opportunities.

The Patriots were linked to Hunter last week, but it’s unclear if they’re still interested following the acquisition of Brandin Cooks.

Steelers Interested In Davon House

March 13th, 2017 at 11:03am CST by Zachary Links

Cornerback Davon House will visit with the Steelers on Monday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). House was let go by Jacksonville earlier this month. Green Bay reportedly reached out to him about a reunion, but we haven’t heard much on that front in recent days.
Steelers free agent linebacker Jarvis Jones is visiting today with the Cardinals, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Steelers remain interested, however, and the two sides are still in discussions. We had Jones ranked as one of the fifteen best edge defenders heading into the opening of free agency last week. The former first-round pick hasn’t justified his high selection in the draft, but he has been pretty solid against the run.

Dont’a Hightower To Visit Steelers

March 13th, 2017 at 10:11am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots free agent linebacker Dont’a Hightower is scheduled to visit the Steelers, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This will mark Hightower’s third free agent visit.

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Hightower has been making the free agent rounds in recent days, but the Jets and Titans don’t believe he’s serious about leaving New England. The Titans aren’t prime contenders for 2017 and the Jets’ odds of winning this year seem very slim, but the Steelers could hold appeal for Hightower if he is focused on winning another Super Bowl ring. At minimum, this meeting could be enough to scare the Patriots into increasing their offer.

The Steelers are currently projected to start Bud Dupree, Ryan Shazier, Vince Williams, and James Harrison at linebacker. Needless to say, room could be made for a star like Hightower.

The Steelers are down one linebacker after veteran Lawrence Timmons signed on with the Dolphins.

AFC Contract Details: Gilmore, Kirkpatrick

March 10th, 2017 at 7:48pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest contract details from the AFC (all Twitter links):

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore‘s five-year, $65MM accord with the Patriots includes an $18MM signing bonus, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. The arrangement comes with a fully guaranteed $31MM through 2018 and $9MM guaranteed for injury only in 2019. It contains up to $500K in per-game roster bonuses each year, as well (via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe).
Fellow corner Dre Kirkpatrick‘s Bengals deal, worth $52.5MM over a five years, includes $15MM in 2017, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The contract features another $2.5MM in incentives. It’s essentially a pay-as-you agreement after 2018, notes CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who adds that Kirkpatrick got $7MM to sign, $12MM in guarantees, and will make $23.2MM during the first two years of the contract.
Guard Ronald Leary‘s pact with the Broncos is worth $36MM over four years and will receive $18.75MM guaranteed, writes Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Leary will collect a $3.5MM signing bonus.
Newly re-upped Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills landed a $7MM signing bonus, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Fullback Patrick DiMarco‘s four-year deal with the Bills features $4.8MM in guarantees, more than the originally reported $4MM, per Wilson. It also comes with a $2MM bonus and an annual workout bonus worth $59K.
Safety Nate Allen‘s contract with the Dolphins is for one year and $3.4MM, relays Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
The Titans gave linebacker Nate Palmer $2.3MM over two years, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. He also received a signing bonus worth $850K.
Tight end David Johnson‘s agreement with the Steelers is worth $2.05MM over two years, per Wilson. It includes a $235K signing bonus and a $915K roster bonus.

Steelers, Marcus Cooper In Contact

March 9th, 2017 at 11:09pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Having already landed on the Jets’ radar, free agent cornerback Marcus Cooper can now count the Steelers among the teams with interest in his services, tweets Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Pittsburgh has been in contact with Cooper, according to Fowler.

The 6-foot-2 Cooper could represent a relatively affordable option for the Steelers, who haven’t displayed any willingness to splurge on corners in this year’s free agent class, per Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network (Twitter link). He likely won’t come at a pittance, though, after logging career highs in starts (15), tackles (69) and interceptions (four) in 15 appearances with the Cardinals last season. While the 27-year-old put up impressive traditional numbers, his performance didn’t wow Pro Football Focus, which ranked him 101st among 112 qualified corners.

A decent payday in free agency would be a boon for Cooper, who entered the NFL with San Francisco in 2013 as a seventh-round pick and has already been a part of three organizations. He debuted in 2013 with the Chiefs, who claimed Cooper after the 49ers cut him, and registered 21 passes defensed and three interceptions in a 16-game, six-start rookie campaign. Cooper didn’t pick off any more passes in KC, with which he combined for only 22 appearances and 10 starts from 2014-15. The club then traded him to Arizona for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2018 draft.

Cooper is the second reported cornerback to pique the Steelers’ interest since free agency began. The team is also eyeing Brandon Flowers as it looks to add to its William Gay-, Artie Burns– and Ross Cockrell-led contingent of corners.

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