- After releasing former top-10 pick Justin Gilbert, it’s time for the Steelers to stop giving up draft picks for other teams’ cornerbacks, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler opines. The Steelers also gave up a pick for their short time with cornerback Brandon Boykin and Fowler would rather see the team acquire secondary help in the draft and cultivate their own corners. Recent late-round picks Anthony Chickillo, Dan McCullers, Vince Williams and L.T. Walton all contributed to the Steelers’ 2016 defense in varying degrees, so the mechanisms are there to build a CB.
- An Antonio Brown extension won’t have guaranteed money like the deal given to Falcons standout Julio Jones, former agent Joel Corry says (on Twitter). Instead, Corry says, it will be more like the structure of A.J. Green‘s since the Steelers do not guarantee base salary. The Steelers and Brown have already started extension talks as the wide receiver enters his final year under contract.
- Justin Gilbert was released by the Steelers on Monday and one former teammate says the former No. 8 overall pick hasn’t put in the necessary work to succeed in the NFL. “If you don’t like football, it doesn’t matter how talented you are, your star will burn out quick,” Browns left tackle Joe Thomas tweeted. Former Cleveland teammates Donte Whitner and Karlos Dansby have made similar comments about Gilbert in the past.
- The Steelers and Antonio Brown started extension talks last week. Brown is fresh off his fourth straight 100-catch campaign and could now push to become the NFL’s highest-paid receiver.
The Steelers have cut cornerback Justin Gilbert, per a team announcement, thus ending a short tenure in Pittsburgh for the 25-year-old.
Gilbert joined the Steelers last September via trade with the AFC North rival Browns, who acquired a 2018 sixth-round selection in return. That came just two years after the Browns used the eighth overall pick in the draft on Gilbert, an ex-Oklahoma State star whose success in college hasn’t translated to the pros. Gilbert logged only three starts in two years with the Browns, and he didn’t pick up any in 12 appearances with the Steelers. All told, he played just 11 defensive snaps in Pittsburgh and made one tackle.
Going forward, Gilbert’s 2017 cap charge – upward of $2.17MM – will come off the Steelers’ books, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
With the Super Bowl in the rear view mirror, the offseason is officially underway for all 32 teams. We now have the complete draft order for the entire first round, with one exception which is noted below.
The Patriots, of course, will have the honor of having the last pick. The Falcons, after losing in heartbreaking fashion, will have the penultimate selection in the first round.
Here is the complete order, via ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter links):
1. Browns
2. 49ers
3. Bears
4. Jaguars
5. Titans
6. Jets
7. Chargers
8. Panthers
9. Bengals
10. Bills
11. Saints
12. Browns
13. Cardinals
T-14. Eagles (via the Vikings)
T-14. Colts (Note: The Vikings and Colts have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broke by coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 14 and the other team getting the No. 15 pick.)
16. Ravens
17. Redskins
18. Titans
19. Buccaneers
20. Broncos
21. Lions
22. Dolphins
23. Giants
24. Raiders
25. Texans
26. Seahawks
27. Chiefs
28. Cowboys
29. Packers
30. Steelers
31. Falcons
32. Patriots
The Steelers and superstar wide receiver Antonio Brown have opened contract extension talks, reports Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Brown is set to enter the final year of his deal in 2017, though he and the Steelers are optimistic about reaching a new agreement well before training camp, a source told Fowler.
The 28-year-old Brown is fresh off his fourth straight 100-catch campaign and could push to become the NFL’s highest-paid receiver as a result. A.J. Green of the division-rival Bengals currently paces the league’s wideouts in annual salary ($15MM), while Super Bowl-bound Falcons standout Julio Jones leads the pack in guaranteed money ($35.5MM). Without an extension, Brown will play 2017 on a $4.71MM salary and count $13.618MM against the Steelers’ salary cap.
An extension is clearly the goal, though, as Brown told ESPN’s First Take on Friday that he’d like to spend the rest of his career in Pittsburgh (Twitter link via Fowler). That came after Steelers president Art Rooney II said Tuesday that Brown is “certainly a player that we would like to have on the team for a while.” Rooney also brushed off Brown’s behind-the-scenes issues – including his decision last month to broadcast head coach Mike Tomlin‘s fiery speech after the Steelers’ divisional-round win over the Chiefs on Facebook – as “little annoyances.”
It’s easy to see why the Steelers are willing to put up with “little annoyances” from Brown: Since they selected him in the sixth round of the 2010 draft, the 5-foot-10, 181-pounder has hauled in 632 receptions and 50 touchdowns in just 101 games. Brown has also exceeded the 1,100-yard plateau five times – including a ridiculous 1,834-yard showing in 2015.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
- The Steelers announced that they’ve signed long snapper Greg Warren to a one-year deal. While there’s word on the financial details, Warren has signed a minimum salary benefit contract in each of the past few offseasons, so it’s fair to assume he’s agreed to a similar pact. Warren, 35, has served as Pittsburgh’s long snapper since 2005, and has played in 180 career games.
- The Steelers weren’t done inking new deals with special teamers, as the club has also agreed to a one-year contract with exclusive rights free agent Chris Boswell, tweets James Palmer of NFL.com. As an ERFA, Boswell lacked the ability to negotiate with any other teams unless Pittsburgh waived its rights of first refusal. Acting as the Steelers’ placekicker for the past two seasons, the 25-year-old Boswell has managed an 87.7% career success rate on field goals, and converted all of his extra point attempts in 2016.
Quarterback Michael Vick hasn’t played a snap since the 2015 season, and he’s aware that his NFL career is likely finished, as Jonathan Jones of Sports Illustrated writes in a detailed interview with the controversial signal-caller.
“Yeah, I think it’s it,” said Vick, responding to whether his career is over. “I’m kind of looking at life from a different perspective now. I’ve got kids growing that I’ve got to be there for. I was committed in 2016 to giving it one more shot. I’m very content with my career and what I’ve been able to accomplish. I accomplished more than I ever thought I would. Listen, at the end of the day, through all the downs I played, I can say I won a game for every team that I played for, even though I only made three starts in New York and three starts in Pittsburgh. I made a difference, I’m content with my career and I’m ready to move forward in life.”
As Vick notes, he had previously maintained that he was interested in continuing his career during the 2016 campaign, but although he reportedly received bits of interest from NFL clubs, no deal ever materialized. Given that Vick intimated that his playing days would not extend past 2016, his announcement that his time in the NFL is over doesn’t come as a major surprise.
If this is the end, Vick will have concluded one of the more complicated NFL careers in recent memory. Selected first overall by the Falcons in the 2001 draft, Vick quickly revolutionized the quarterback position, becoming a dual-threat weapon capable of making plays with both his arm and his legs. Though his passing acumen was sometimes suspect (he never topped a 60% completion percentage during his time in Atlanta), Vick was a weapon on the ground, and in 2006 became the first quarterback to rush for more than 1,000 yards. Vick ranks first among quarterbacks with 6,109 career rushing yards, leading second-place Randall Cunningham by more than 1,100 yards in that regard.
Of course, Vick’s career came crashing down in 2007, when he plead guilty to dog-fighting charges and was indefinitely suspended by the NFL. Facing both federal and state charges, Vick ultimately served less than two years in prison, and was released in July 2009. Though Vick has rehabilitated his image in some corners, and has even become an animal rights advocate, his legacy will likely always be tarnished by his involvement in that gruesome ordeal.
After being released from incarceration, Vick latched on with the Eagles in 2009 (despite much public outcry), and the following year posted perhaps the best season of his career, passing for more than 3,000 yards and 21 touchdowns against only six interceptions, adding another 676 yards and 10 scores via the ground game. Philadelphia lost in the Wild Card round in 2011, a game that marked the final postseason appearance of Vick’s career. After a few more middling and injury-marred seasons with the Eagles, Vick finished out his time in the NFL as a reserve for the Jets and Steelers in 2014 and 2015, respectively, managing six starts during those two campaigns.
The oldest defensive player in the NFL, linebacker James Harrison, is reportedly planning to return for his age-39 season in 2017, and the Steelers are interested in bringing back the pending free agent. “Obviously, we need to have a contract. But I think we’re definitely open to it,” team president Art Rooney II told Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Tuesday. “And, from what I understand, at least he’s open to it.” Despite his advanced age, Harrison led the Steelers in sacks (five) in his 14th NFL season and became the franchise’s all-time leader in that category (79.5).
Regardless of whether Harrison’s career continues with the Steelers, they’ll prioritize upgrading their pass rush this offseason, Rooney indicated. “That’s a piece of the puzzle that I think we can identify we want to improve on,” said Rooney, whose club finished ninth in sacks and 15th in quarterback hurries in 2016.
Tuesday’s minor moves:
Reserve/Futures Contracts
Baltimore Ravens
- DB Otha Foster
- LB Boseko Lokombo
Dallas Cowboys
- WR Quincy McDuffie
- WR Uzoma Nwachukwu
ERFA Re-Signing
Pittsburgh Steelers
- RB Fitzgerald Toussaint (Twitter link via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com)
Although quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hinted last week that he may have thrown his last NFL pass, Steelers president Art Rooney II expects the five-time Pro Bowler to return in 2017.
“I talked to Ben and we had a good conversation,” Rooney told reporters, including Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, on Tuesday. “I think he’s at that stage in his career that those are thought I think you have. I personally expect that he’ll be back, but that’s going to be his decision.”
With the offseason approaching, the Steelers unsurprisingly want an answer from the 34-year-old Roethlisberger sooner than later, per Rooney, who noted that “if he decided to retire, that would modify our plans greatly.” Even if Roethlisberger comes back for a 14th year, the Steelers seem intent on drafting a quarterback – something they haven’t done since they selected pending free agent Landry Jones in the fourth round in 2013.
“In terms of just going forward, look, I think the quarterback position is a position you have to make sure you have some depth there, and we haven’t drafted a quarterback for several years, and we’re probably due to look at the position,” stated Rooney.
Pittsburgh is slated to pick seven times – including 30th overall – in this year’s draft, which might feature one of the worst quarterback classes in recent memory. But regardless of who lines up under center for the Steelers in the coming years, he’ll likely have superstar wide receiver Antonio Brown in the fold as his No. 1 target. While Brown has caused some issues behind the scenes, the four-time 100-catch man is “certainly a player that we would like to have on the team for a while,” per Rooney. Brown is scheduled to enter a contract year, but the Steelers could make him the league’s highest-paid wideout via an extension sometime this offseason.