Bud Dupree Primed For Breakout Season
- Steelers LB Bud Dupree was drafted with the thought that he could become the next great Pittsburgh pass rusher, and given the way he performed down the stretch in 2016, the team believes the third-year pro is ready to make the leap. As Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review points out, Dupree did not start his first game in 2016 until Week 14 — he began the year on injured reserve and was slowly eased back into action — but in that Week 14 matchup, Dupree played all but one snap and racked up 2.5 sacks (he ended the regular season with 4.5 sacks). He also recorded a half-sack in the playoffs while playing all but three snaps, so he appears primed for a breakout in 2017.
DeAngelo Williams Wants To Keep Playing
Yes,DeAngelo Williams is 34 years old. And, yes, he made his pro wrestling debut last weekend. But the running back is not ready to leave the game of football just yet. 
[RELATED: Williams Among Five Best Running Backs Left In Free Agency]
“Oh I’m definitely playing football,” Williams told ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (link). “I’m just, I guess you could say I’m waiting on the phone call. I guess you could say that. I mean, not guess, you can say that. I’m waiting on the phone call with a GM or head coach or whoever decided I need my services I’ll be ready.”
Williams’ largely successful debut in the squared circle will not lead to a new career just yet, because he feels that he still has unfinished business to take care of on the gridiron. It’s easy to understand why he feels he has a lot left in the tank. Williams is only two years removed from a season in which he had 907 yards on the ground (4.5 yards per carry), 11 rushing touchdowns, and 40 catches for 367 receiving yards. Last year, he was held back by November knee surgery, but based on the way he looked in his tag team match, he appears to be all healed up.
Back in March, the Steelers indicated that the door was still cracked open for Williams to return, but we haven’t heard anything else on that front in the last three months. Right now, the Steelers appear set at running back with Fitzgerald Toussaint, third round pick James Conner, and free agent pickup Knile Davis behind star Le’Veon Bell. There hasn’t been word of any other teams having interest in Williams this offseason, but that can always change with an injury in training camp.
Poll: Which 2016 Division Winners Will Miss Playoffs?
A year ago at this time, the Broncos, Panthers and Cardinals were popular picks to rank among the NFL’s elite teams in 2016. Denver was the reigning Super Bowl champion, after all, while Carolina was coming off a 15-1, conference-winning campaign and Arizona was second to the Panthers in the NFC. Each of those teams won their divisions two years ago, and not only were they unable to repeat that feat in 2016, but all three watched the playoffs from home last winter. They were among a whopping six division-winning clubs from 2015 that failed to qualify for the playoffs last season, joining the Bengals, Redskins and Vikings.
If the volatility from 2015 to ’16 is any indication, some of the league’s eight division champions from last year are in trouble as the upcoming season approaches. Once again, both Super Bowl representatives won their divisions in 2016, with the Patriots coasting in the AFC East and the Falcons knocking the Panthers from the NFC South throne. Like the Pats and the Falcons, the Chiefs, Steelers, Texans, Cowboys, Seahawks and Packers are aiming to repeat atop their divisions this season.
Of those teams, the Patriots look as though they’re in the best position to secure their division again. The Bill Belichick– and Tom Brady-led outfit has ruled the AFC East eight consecutive times, and during New England’s latest Lombardi Trophy-winning season, the club was a 14-2 juggernaut that easily led the league in point differential. While Brady’s a year older, set to enter his age-40 season, he hasn’t shown any signs of mortality, and even if he suffers an injury or falls off dramatically in 2017, the Patriots may have a starting-caliber quarterback behind him in Jimmy Garoppolo. Of course, there’s also plenty of talent on hand elsewhere on the Pats’ roster, including new additions in wide receiver Brandin Cooks, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, defensive lineman Kony Ealy, linebacker David Harris, tight end Dwayne Allen and running back Mike Gillislee.
There might not be any shoo-ins to repeat among the league’s seven other returning division winners, but it’s hard to bet against clubs with franchise quarterbacks. In the cases of the Falcons (Matt Ryan), Packers (Aaron Rodgers), Seahawks (Russell Wilson) and Steelers (Ben Roethlisberger), there’s little reason to expect anything other than excellence from under center, which makes potential playoff berths more realistic for each. The Cowboys also seem to have an outstanding signal-caller in sophomore Dak Prescott, who was so stunningly great as a fourth-round rookie that he took Tony Romo‘s job and essentially forced the four-time Pro Bowler into retirement.
Kansas City (Alex Smith) and Houston (Tom Savage) aren’t as well off under center, though the Chiefs have done plenty of winning in the regular season since turning to Smith in 2013. But if he and the untested Savage disappoint this year, they have first-rounders behind them in Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, respectively. Poor performances or injuries could force either Mahomes or Watson into action, perhaps paving the way for the emergence of a Prescott-like rookie this year in KC or Houston and making another postseason appearance more likely.
While some of these teams look to be in enviable shape at QB, the game’s most important position, things could still go awry. The Panthers had the reigning MVP 12 months ago in Cam Newton, but his play took massive steps backward, as did the team’s, en route to a 6-10 season and a last-place NFC South finish. The likelihood is that some of last year’s division winners will end up in similar situations in 2017, going from playoff teams to bitter disappointments overnight.
Which of last year's division winners will miss the playoffs this season?
-
Texans 36% (2,560)
-
Chiefs 23% (1,602)
-
Cowboys 14% (977)
-
Falcons 8% (574)
-
Seahawks 7% (506)
-
Steelers 5% (366)
-
Packers 4% (312)
-
Patriots 2% (176)
Total votes: 7,073
Could Phazahn Odom Make Roster?
- Tight end Phazahn Odom and linebacker Matt Galambos were the only two prospects to receive a contract from the Steelers after Pittsburgh’s tryout camp in May, and while their odds of cracking the roster may be slim, Jerry DiPaola of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review makes the case for Odom. After all, the Steelers’ TE depth chart is pretty thin after the team cut Ladarius Green earlier this year, and while Jesse James will serve as the starter, his backups, Xavier Grimble and David Johnson, are hardly world-beaters. As such, the door might be open just a hair for Odom, who is an intimidating physical presence at 6-8, 251 pounds, but who is still a bit raw.
Le'Veon Bell Recovered From Groin Surgery
Le’Veon Bell has recovered from offseason groin surgery. The Steelers running back has been playing pickup basketball in Los Angeles while his representatives discuss what would be a landmark extension, one that almost certainly would make Bell the NFL’s highest-paid running back. The fifth-year runner didn’t elaborate much on the process, though.
Attached to a $12.1MM franchise tag, Bell is the only player given the tag who did not sign his tender or agree to a long-term extension this offseason. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com noted this week the proposition of a Bell/Steelers pact “could go either way.” LeSean McCoy‘s $8MM-per-year salary is the current running back ceiling, but the 25-year-old Bell’s likely aiming to exceed that by quite a bit.
- One of Bell’s Steelers teammates did not have a good end to the work week. Miami Beach police arrested Artie Burns for driving with a suspended license Thursday night, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reports. Burns was unable to provide a driver’s license and had back tickets totaling approximately $1,000, Fowler reports (Facebook link). The cornerback was released from custody on Friday. The Steelers have not commented on the incident.
Arthur Moats, Anthony Chickillo On Roster Bubble?
- One of Arthur Moats or Anthony Chickillo could be in jeopardy of losing his roster spot with the Steelers, writes Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. With those two, T.J. Watt, James Harrison, Bud Dupree and seventh-rounder Keion Adams, the Steelers will enter training camp with six outside linebackers and only four or five spots. Watt, Harrison and Dupree are shoo-ins to make the roster, and whether both Moats and Chickillo will join them will come down to if the Steelers decide to deploy a five-OLB rotation. Meanwhile, Adams will likely head to the practice squad. Moats and Chickillo were both somewhat prominent members of Pittsburgh’s defense last year. Moats played 396 snaps, started in five of 16 appearances and picked up 3.5 sacks, while Chickillo amassed 316 snaps and 2.5 sacks in 15 games (seven starts).
Opinion: Steelers Should Extend Le'Veon Bell
- There’s no deal in sight for Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, who will either ink a long-term contract by the July 17 deadline for franchise players or go through the season under the tag. With the calendar moving toward that date, each of Jamison Hensley, Pat McManamon and Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com agree that the Steelers should extend Bell, arguing that the 25-year-old – unlike most running backs – is worth a significant investment.
No Deal In Sight For Steelers, Le’Veon Bell
There’s no deal in sight right now for the Steelers and Le’Veon Bell, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Both sides remain motivated to get an extension done, but it could “go either way,” in Schefter’s estimation. 
[RELATED: Latest On Redskins, Kirk Cousins]
It’s expected that there will be a push around the time of the July 17 deadline, Schefter writes. That’s typically the case when it comes to extensions for franchised players. Often times, talks will stall but the deadline will spur action.
Despite the off-the-field headaches from Bell, the running back has been a major part of the Steelers’ success in recent years. In 2016, Bell missed three games due to suspension, but he was as lethal as ever when he was on the field. Bell ran for 1,268 yards off of 261 carries, matching a career-high of 4.9 yards per attempt. He was also used frequently in the receiving game as he caught 75 passes for 616 yards. When averaged out on a per-game basis, his 2016 numbers actually bested his 2014 effort, a season which garnered him a First-Team All-Pro selection.
If Bell and the Steelers cannot work out a long-term deal, he will play out the 2017 season on a one-year, $12.12MM deal. Running backs don’t command as much money on the open market as, say, quarterbacks, but Bell could still do well for himself as a free agent next spring. When free agency opens in 2018, he’ll be just one month past his 26th birthday.
Dan McCullers Could Be On The Outs In Pittsburgh
- Steelers defensive tackle Dan McCullers has only compiled 27 tackles and 1.5 sacks since being selected in the sixth round of the 2014 draft. As Chris Adamski of TribLive.com writes, the 24-year-old isn’t guaranteed a roster spot, and his coaches seemingly echoed that sentiment. “Dan McCullers, he’s got to grow up,” said defensive line coach John Mitchell. “It’s time to make a move right now. This is going to be his fourth year. And usually in this league, after about four years, you have got to make a move. Or, either, you move somewhere else.” An injury to starter Javon Hargrave opened up first-team reps, but McCullers was reportedly passed in favor of L.T. Walton.
[SOURCE LINK]
Steelers DL Coach: Daniel McCullers Has "To Grow Up"
In the wake of quarterback Ryan Tannehill‘s season-ending knee injury last December, Dolphins head coach Adam Gase reached out to the retired Peyton Manning about a possible comeback. “It started with Gase,” Peyton’s father, Archie Manning, told Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com. “He said, ‘Hey 18, Tannehill went down.’ He said, ‘I think he’s going to miss some time. The first question I’m going to get at the press conference in the morning is if I’m going to try to bring you to Miami. What do you want me to tell them?” Peyton Manning was resoundingly successful under Gase when he was Denver’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator from 2012-14, but neither a reunion with Gase nor joining a playoff-bound club late in the season could entice the future Hall of Famer to return. Continued Archie Manning: “The text message came back from Peyton, ‘You tell them I could probably come play, but there’s no way I can miss carpool the next two weeks.’ So, he was done.” With Peyton Manning unwilling to come out of retirement, the Dolphins turned to backup QB Matt Moore toward the end of the regular season and in the first round of the playoffs, in which Pittsburgh soundly defeated them.
A few more notes from around the NFL…
- At $25MM per year, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr‘s newly signed contract is a record deal in terms of average annual value, but it still doesn’t match up to Colts signal-caller Andrew Luck‘s pact, writes Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com. While Luck is collecting less per season (just over $23MM) on the six-year, $139.1MM extension he inked last summer, he outpaces Carr in terms of both three-year value ($75MM to $67.6MM) and four-year value ($96.125MM to $87.7MM). Those are better gauges than the overall value of a contract, suggests Barnwell, who argues that the last year of a quarterback’s deal is essentially irrelevant. By then, the QB will have either landed a raise, thereby eliminating what was left on the previous contract, or gotten cut.
- Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins isn’t going to sign a long-term deal worth less than $52MM over the first two years, contends JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com. That figure represents the combined totals of the $24MM franchise tag for 2017, which Cousins is slated to play under, and the $28MM transition tag for next year. Even that might not be enough for the Redskins to lock up Cousins by the July 17 deadline, observes Finlay, who’s not particularly optimistic that a deal will come together.
- Fourth-year Steelers defensive tackle Daniel McCullers is facing a make-or-break summer, notes Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The 352-pound McCullers is coming off his first 16-game season, but he only played 17.4 percent of defensive snaps, and the Steelers opted against giving him first-team reps in minicamp while starter Javon Hargrave dealt with an injury. When speaking with the team’s official website about McCullers’ status, Steelers defensive line coach John Mitchell didn’t mince words, saying: “Dan McCullers, he’s got to grow up. It’s time to make a move right now. This is going to be his fourth year. And usually in this league, after about four years, you have got to make a move. Or, either, you move somewhere else.”