Steelers Want To Re-Sign Lawrence Timmons
The Steelers have bigger fish to fry this offseason, but they have shown interest in re-signing linebacker Lawrence Timmons, Mark Kaboly of DKPittsburghSports.com writes. For his part, Timmons has said throughout the season that he hopes to remain in Pittsburgh. 
[RELATED: Rival Clubs Asked About Antonio Brown Trade]
The Steelers have a host of important free agents this offseason and that list is headlined by Le’Veon Bell. The team is also looking to extend wide receiver Antonio Brown and defensive end Stephon Tuitt. Once the team gets a handle on how much money needs to be allocated towards those deals, they’ll turn their attention to Timmons, a player who provides valuable veteran leadership in the front seven.
Timmons, 31 in May, played in 92% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2016 despite talk that he would be supplanted by Vince Williams. He started all 19 games for the Steelers (16 regular season games + three playoff games) and led the team with 114 tackles in the regular season. Timmons also added 4.5 sacks and two interceptions.
Timmons carried a $15MM+ cap number in 2016 after restructuring his pact multiple times. He won’t make the same kind of money on his next deal, but he could still get a nice payday on a multi-year deal that would allow him to retire in black and yellow.
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Wallace, Browns
Here’s a look at the AFC North:
- Mike Wallace‘s contract is probably the most difficult cap decision facing the Ravens, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes. After a 1,000-yard season, Wallace is the Ravens’ best receiver and they’re looking thin after Steve Smith‘s retirement and Kamar Aiken heading to free agency. However, Wallace has the fifth-highest cap hit on the team at $8MM and they can save $5.75MM if they drop him. In theory, Wallace could be dropped if the team can get a cheaper possession receiver to put next to speedsters Breshad Perriman and Chris Moore.
- The Browns shouldn’t rush into a long-term deal with restricted free agent Isaiah Crowell, Tony Grossi of ESPN.com writes. With a first- or second-round tender, the Browns can either retain the young tailback or cash in on a compensatory pick if another team signs him away. Grossi says it would be “stupid” for another team to make that kind of investment in Crowell and I’m inclined to agree. Crowell has skills, but he’s not worth a valuable draft pick in addition to a free agent deal.
- The Steelers were without defensive end Cam Heyward for the second half of the season but the D-Line actually managed to stepped its game up. Now, as Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, both the starters and reserves are under contract for next season except Ricardo Mathews, who started five games. Now, the unit can grow together for an additional year and that should mean an additional step forward. As for Mathews, the Steelers may not re-sign him after L.T. Walton came on strong to close out the season.
Rival Clubs Asked About Antonio Brown Trade
Several NFL clubs recently asked the Steelers if wide receiver Antonio Brown was available via trade, but those inquires were met with an emphatic “no,” according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report.
[RELATED: Steelers Open To Re-Signing James Harrison]
While rival teams were likely just doing due diligence, there was at least some reason to think Pittsburgh might be open to dealing Brown given his recent pattern of — as Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin deemed them — “little annoyances.” Brown infamously broadcast a portion of Tomlin’s post-game speech on Facebook Live last month, while Ben Roethlisberger and former Steeler Heath Miller have reportedly addressed problems with Brown in the past.
Still, Pittsburgh doesn’t figure to part with Brown anytime soon, and Freeman writes that any potential trade would require a minimum of a first-round pick (though it’s unclear if Freeman is reporting or speculating here). Indeed, the Steelers have opened extension talks with Brown after previously following their policy of not negotiating with players who have more than one year left on their contract. At present, Brown is signed through 2017, and will earn a base salary of $4.71MM and carry a salary cap charge of ~$13.6MM.
Brown, 28, earned his third consecutive first team All-Pro nod in 2016 after putting up 106 receptions for 1,284 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Steelers To Re-Sign TE Xavier Grimble
The Steelers have agreed to a one-year deal with tight end Xavier Grimble, according to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Grimble was set to become an exclusive rights free agent, meaning he couldn’t have signed with another club unless Pittsburgh forfeited its rights to him.
[RELATED: Steelers Release Justin Gilbert]
Grimble, 24, signed a reserve/futures deal with Pittsburgh in January 2016, and ended up spending the entire season on the active roster, appearing in 12 games and seeing action on 18.2% of the club’s offensive snaps 14.4% of the Steelers’ special teams plays. On 21 targets, Grimble managed 11 receptions, 118 yards, and two touchdowns while playing behind Jesse James and David Johnson.
The Steelers have been the most active NFL club in terms of locking up ERFAs this offseason, as they’ve re-signed kicker Chris Boswell, running back Fitzgerald Toussaint, wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, safety Jordan Dangerfield, and fullback Roosevelt Nix in addition to Grimble.
Steelers Notes: Gilbert, Brown
- 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.
Ex-Teammate: Gilbert Has Suspect Work Ethic
- 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.
Steelers Cut Justin Gilbert
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.
2017 NFL Draft Order Set
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
Steelers, Antonio Brown Begin Extension Talks
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.
Steelers Re-Sign Greg Warren, Chris Boswell
- 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.