Latest On Aaron Donald, Trumaine Johnson
The Rams have made a substantial extension offer to Aaron Donald, Les Snead said (via Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com).
Donald remains a camp holdout, and the most recent news coming out of Los Angeles hasn’t moved the needle much on a re-up for the dominant interior defender. Dialogue between the Rams and Donald is ongoing, however, Snead said.
“We want Aaron here and we want to make him a Ram for a long time,” Sean McVay said, via La Canfora, “and in the little bit of time I’ve spent with him it doesn’t take long to see what kind of a special player he is, based on the tape, and what kind of person he is and how much he loves the game of football and his teammates. That’s why we want to get it figured out.”
The 26-year-old defender is due just $3.225MM this season. That number rises to $6.892MM in 2018 because of the fifth-year option. But Donald, a two-time All-Pro, has obviously proven he’s worth top-market money. Ndamukong Suh‘s six-year, $114MM — negotiated while Suh was a UFA — remains the standard for interior defenders. Von Miller‘s six-year, $114.6MM deal represents the high for all defensive players.
La Canfora added the Rams are open to making a trade as well. Shedding Trumaine Johnson‘s $16.742MM franchise tag salary would be an avenue to clear cap space — the Rams hold just $3.78MM at present — and La Canfora reports the Steelers are among the teams inquiring about a possible deal for the sixth-year corner. While that wouldn’t exactly be in Pittsburgh’s draft-centric nature, and La Canfora doubts L.A. would pull the trigger after the Gaines deal, Johnson has proven himself to be an upper-echelon corner. The Steelers return their cornerback trio from last season in Ross Cockrell, 2016 first-rounder Artie Burns and William Gay
Steelers Expect Le'Veon Bell By Regular Season
A recent report from a Denver radio station indicating that the Broncos are trying to trade for Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron is “150% false,” a source tells Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (on Twitter). Denver GM John Elway also took to Twitter to firmly deny the story. The Broncos seem content to roll into the season with either Paxton Lynch or Trevor Siemian as the starter. Meanwhile, the asking price on McCarron has been outlandish in the past. The Bengals were said to be seeking a first round pick for him earlier this offseason.
More from the AFC:
- “All indications” are that Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will avoid opening the regular season on the physically unable to perform list, GM Chris Ballard informed Tom Pelissero of NFL.com on Wednesday (Twitter link). This isn’t the first time Ballard has expressed confidence on this issue, though a report last week suggested Luck’s shoulder could force him to begin the season on the PUP list. Either way, it’s up in the air whether Luck will play Indianapolis’ Week 1 tilt against the Rams, per Ballard.
- The Dolphins and contract-year wide receiver Jarvis Landry still haven’t engaged in serious extension negotiations, and there’s a good chance he won’t get a new deal this year, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. By signing Jay Cutler, the Dolphins subtracted $10MM in carryover money from next year’s cap. That figure could increase to $13MM if Cutler hits his incentives this season. Cutler’s presence will make it more difficult for the Dolphins to lock up Landry, then, as will the fact that the wideout is under investigation for battery. Landry’s off-field situation doesn’t faze the Dolphins, suggests Salguero, though he nonetheless points out that it would be wiser to extend the slot target if and when he’s cleared of wrongdoing.
- The Steelers expect running back Le’Veon Bell to end his holdout just before the regular season starts, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In the meantime, the franchise-tagged star isn’t helping himself by staying away from training camp, GM Kevin Colbert told Bouchette. “Really, a holdout does not benefit him in any way,’’ Colbert said. “So, again, I hope that he sees the benefits of being here and comes in here sooner than later.” Because Bell hasn’t signed his $12.12MM franchise tender, the Steelers can’t fine him for any missed practices or preseason games. Bell’s already set to miss their first preseason contest Friday, but Bouchette notes that head coach Mike Tomlin probably wouldn’t have played him anyway. In the unlikely event Bell’s holdout lasts into the regular season, Pittsburgh will be able to dock him one-17th of his $12.12MM salary (about $713K) for each week missed.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Martavis Bryant Gets Preseason Clearance
Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant has taken a step toward full reinstatement. The NFL cleared him Wednesday to participate in preseason action, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert announced (Twitter link via James Palmer of NFL Network).
“Martavis Bryant has been informed by the NFL that he is now permitted to participate in all preseason activities, including practices and games,” said Colbert. “He will continue to be evaluated as to his readiness to participate in regular-season activities under the terms of his conditional reinstatement.”
The league suspended Bryant for all of last season for repeated violations of its substance abuse policy, finally granting him conditional reinstatement in April. The league decreed that Bryant would need to arrange “clinical resources” in Pittsburgh before suiting up for preseason practices or games, which he has done, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
If Bryant gets through the next few weeks without any off-field setbacks, the league figures to grant him full reinstatement in time for the regular season. The return of Bryant would give the Steelers’ Antonio Brown-led receiving corps yet another high-end weapon. While Bryant, 25, has only appeared in 21 of a possible 48 regular-season games, the 6-foot-4, 211-pounder has already amassed 76 receptions, 1,314 yards (17.3 yards per catch) and 14 touchdowns during his career.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Reactions To Devonta Freeman’s New Deal
fOn Wednesday morning, Devonta Freeman finally signed a long-term extension with the Falcons. The new deal means that the Falcons can keep their star running back through the 2022 season and is reportedly worth $41.25MM. Was it worth it for Freeman to give up next year’s franchise tag or a shot at the open market? Reasonable minds can differ on that, Mike Florio of PFT writes.
Freeman gets $22MM in guarantees (including a $15MM signing bonus) and that’s significant for a player who has yet to have his big payday in the NFL. On the other hand, the five-year extension hardly guarantees Freeman’s place in Atlanta for the full term. In essence, the Falcons are really only tied to Freeman for three years. After that, it’s fairly easy to hit the eject button.
Still, Freeman is not in the same position as a high-end quarterback. The risk of injury for running backs is far greater and there is greater incentive for them to grab the guaranteed dollars when they can.
Here are some other takes on Freeman’s new contract:
- Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link) has a more complete breakdown of Freeman’s finances. Of note: Freeman’s $3.75MM salary for 2019 is guaranteed for injury only at time of signing but converts to a full guarantee in March of 2019. That means that if Freeman’s performance declines, the Falcons can cut ties with him just two years from now. After that, his 2020-22 salaries are not guaranteed.
- Former agent Joel Corry (on Twitter) doesn’t believe that Steelers star Le’Veon Bell will match Devonta Freeman’s $22MM of guarantees if/when he signs his long term deal with Pittsburgh. For comparison, fellow Steelers standout Antonio Brown has $19MM of guarantees on his $17MM per year deal.
- In addition to Freeman’s deal, Cardinals back David Johnson should consider the deal Bell rejected as a part of the running back marketplace if Bell remains unsigned in 2018, Corry tweets. Prior to this year’s franchise player extension deadline, Bell said no to a five-year deal worth roughly $60MM. The proposal included $30MM across the first two years of the contract and $42MM over the first three seasons. Bell reportedly turned the deal down in part because he wanted a deal that reflected his status as an elite running back but also as a top receiving option.
Mike Matthews Suffers Torn Patellar Tendon
- Center Mike Matthews, whom the Steelers waived Tuesday, will miss four to six months with a torn patellar tendon, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Matthews, the son of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, will go on injured reserve if another team doesn’t claim him via waivers.
Steelers Make Two Moves
Pittsburgh Steelers
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/17
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Waived/injured: TE Keith Towbridge
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Alton Howard
- Waived: K Andy Phillips
Houston Texans
- Waived: TE Zach Conque
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DT Maurice Swain
- Waived: LB Reshard Cliett
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Mike Estes, WR Cameron Posey
- Waived/injured: TE Asante Cleveland
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived/injured: WR Bradley Marquez
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: DE Arthur Miley
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Jake McGee
- Waived/injured: TE Scott Orndoff
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: T Darrell Brown
- Waived: S Jordan Simone
Washington Redskins
- Signed: S Tim Scott
- Waived: S Josh Evans, S Earl Wolff
- Waived from IR: DB Lou Young
Steelers Expect Martavis Bryant Clearance
The Steelers expect wide receiver Martavis Bryant to be fully cleared for return at some point this week, a source tells Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link).
Bryant, who was suspended for the entirety of the 2017 campaign following repeated violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, was conditionally reinstated in by the league in April. The NFL decreed that Bryant would need to arrange “clinical resources” in Pittsburgh before suiting up for preseason practices or games, so it’s likely those machinations are holding up Bryant’s return to the field.
“Upon his conditional reinstatement in April, Martavis Bryant was made aware it was only the beginning of a process toward a return to being a full contributing member of the Pittsburgh Steelers,” general manager Kevin Colbert said last month. “We have been informed by the NFL that Martavis is still in the process of being fully reinstated. Until that time, Martavis will be permitted to take part in off-the-field team activities at training camp, but he will not be permitted to practice or play in any games.”
Bryant, of course, is one of the more dynamic pass-catchers in the NFL when on the field. In 21 career games (eight starts), Bryant has totaled 76 receptions for 1,314 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/17
Here’s a list of today’s minor moves:
- A day after the Dolphins cut him, tackle Terry Poole landed with the Texans via waiver claim, Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweets. Poole was initially a Seahawks fourth-round pick but hasn’t yet played in an NFL game.
- The Saints worked out their longtime long snapper Justin Drescher this week and reached an agreement to bring him back on Sunday, Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate reports. Sean Payton had been frustrated by the long snapping during camp recently, and the team made the decision to release veteran Thomas Gafford and Chase Dominguez on Sunday. Drescher returns to the Saints after spending the past seven seasons in New Orleans. The team did not re-sign the 29-year-old specialist after his contract expired following last season.
- Former VCU basketball player Mo Alie-Cox cleared waivers and will revert to the Colts‘ IR list, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
- The Titans have signed RB Brandon Radcliff, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). They waived/injured Victor Ochi to make room, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com tweets. Ochi tore his ACL on Friday.
- The Steelers have signed cornerback JaCorey Shepherd and cut defensive end Nelson Adams. Originally a sixth-round Eagles selection in 2015, Shepherd followed Chip Kelly to San Francisco and played in 11 games for the 49ers last season.
Steelers, Mike Tomlin Agree To Extension
The Steelers have inked an extension with coach Mike Tomlin. The new deal will take him through the 2020 season. 
“I am pleased to announce we have extended Mike Tomlin’s contract through the 2020 season,” said Steelers President Art Rooney II. “Mike continues to prove he is one of the top head coaches in the National Football League. We appreciate the leadership that Mike has provided over the last 10 seasons, and we are confident and excited to have him continue to lead our team as we focus on winning another championship.”
A new deal has been expected for weeks now. This year, Tomlin’s deal automatically vested through the 2019 campaign based on wins, but the Steelers wanted to lock him up for an even longer term.
Tomlin is entering his eleventh season as the coach of the Steelers. In his time at the helm, Pittsburgh has made the playoffs seven times and has never finished a season with less than eight wins. Overall, Tomlin has a 103-57 regular season record, two AFC Championship titles, and one Super Bowl ring.
Next up for the Steelers could be an extension for general manager Kevin Colbert. His current deal expires after the 2018 draft.
The Steelers have just three coaches since 1969, the year of Chuck Noll‘s hiring.