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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Broncos Out On Hoyer; Three Teams Have Made Offers

April 29th, 2016 at 6:25pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

On the heels of selecting Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch with the 26th pick in the draft, the Broncos informed free agent Brian Hoyer on Friday that they won’t be signing him, Mike Klis of 9News reports. The Broncos will instead go forth with their current signal-calling trio that consists of veteran starter Mark Sanchez, Lynch and second-year man Trevor Siemian.

General manager John Elway doesn’t currently intend to add any more QBs because he doesn’t want to take reps from any of Sanchez, Lynch or Siemian. Further, team brass is confident that Sanchez is a good fit for head coach Gary Kubiak‘s West Coast offense. Sanchez, whom the Broncos acquired last month from the Eagles for a conditional pick, has struggled mightily since going fifth overall to the Jets in the 2009 draft. However, he was part of two Jets teams whose strong defenses helped lead them to back-to-back AFC title games. The Broncos, of course, won the Super Bowl last season on the strength of their all-world defense and figure to continue stymieing opposing offenses next season.

Prior to adding Lynch, the Broncos visited with Hoyer shortly after the Texans released him this month. They wanted to sign Hoyer as of last week, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link), but Thursday’s developments obviously changed that. Hoyer has offers to serve as a backup with the Steelers, Cowboys and Bears, per Renck, and will decide his next team soon. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune corroborated Renck’s report that the Bears are in on Hoyer (via Twitter).

The 30-year-old Hoyer made 11 appearances (nine starts) for the Texans in 2015 and enjoyed his best season as a pro. The Michigan State product completed more than 60 percent of his passes and racked up 2,606 yards, 19 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. The AFC South-winning Texans went 5-4 in Hoyer’s starts, but his horrible first-round playoff showing (four interceptions in a 30-0 loss to Kansas City) helped lead to the signing of ex-Bronco Brock Osweiler, thus sealing Hoyer’s fate in Houston.

Pauline’s Latest: Dolphins, Cowboys, Chiefs, Giants

April 29th, 2016 at 5:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here’s the latest from Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com entering the second day of the draft:

  • After the Dolphins used the 13th pick on Laremy Tunsil, they called veteran left tackle Branden Albert and assured him he’ll remain at his current position and Tunsil will play left guard.
  • The Cowboys “covet” Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah going into the second round, per Pauline, who dismisses the idea that they’re instead after Boise State linebacker Kamalei Correa or Eastern Kentucky edge rusher Noah Spence. Dallas holds the 34th selection but could end up moving down, according to executive vice president Stephen Jones (link via ESPN’s Todd Archer).
  • Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander is unlikely to get past the Chiefs at No. 37, reports Pauline.
  • The Giants are targeting offensive linemen and safeties entering Day 2, meaning Clemson safety T.J. Green could be a fit for the team at No. 40. Like Big Blue, the Steelers and Vikings are also eyeing safeties.

Pauline’s Latest: OTs, Steelers, Packers, Bucs

April 28th, 2016 at 5:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

League insiders believe that as many as six offensive tackles could be selected in the first round of tonight’s draft, according to Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com. Laremy Tunsil, Ronnie Stanley, Jack Conklin, and Taylor Decker are the obvious names, but Jason Spriggs, Le’Raven Clark, and Germain Ifedi are also candidates to go off the board tonight. The clubs that have put the most research into offensive tackles, per Pauline? The Colts, Packers, Seahawks, Broncos, Panthers, and Steelers.

Let’s check out the latest draft rumors, all courtesy of Pauline:

  • Among the teams hoping to trade down tonight are the Falcons, Colts, Vikings, and Jets, according to Pauline. On the other side of the coin, the Cardinals, Panthers, and Broncos may like to trade up. Denver, presumably, would be targeting a quarterback in a trade-up scenario.
  • The Steelers will consider a cornerback at pick No. 25, but they’ll also look at offensive tackles, writes Pauline. Pittsburgh returns Alejandro Villanueva at tackle, and signed Ryan Harris this offseason, but an upgrade wouldn’t be out of the question.
  • The Packers might also like to find a new left tackle, says Pauline, as Green Bay would like to transition incumbent David Bakhtiari to left guard.
  • If pass rusher Noah Spence is still available at the end of the first round, a club might trade back up in order to draft him, per Pauline. The Buccaneers are one team to watch in such a situation.

Draft Rumors: Texans, Pats, Bears

April 26th, 2016 at 7:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest draft rumors from around the NFL:

  • Texas A&M cornerback Brandon Williams worked out privately for Texans coach Bill O’Brien and also visited the Steelers, Patriots, and Bears, Wilson tweets. Williams bench pressed 225 pounds 18 times at the NFL scouting combine and is said to be turning heads with his athleticism. Wilson writes that the A&M product, who had 34 tackles and seven passes defended in 2015, is drawing third/fourth round grades from scouts.
  • Michigan linebacker James Ross is drawing interest from the Colts, Raiders, Ravens, and Lions, Wilson tweets.
  • Temple wide receiver Robby Anderson had visited the Packers, Browns, Bengals, Chiefs, and Raiders, Wilson tweets. Anderson caught a career-high 70 passes for 939 yards on his way to an all-conference selection in 2015. The 6’3″, 190-pound receiver ran a 4.28 second 40-yard-dash at his Pro Day.
  • The Buccaneers and Chargers worked out Iowa State receiver Quenton Bundrage, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter). Bundrage, who posted a 4.5 second 40-yard-dash time, finished his senior year with 41 receptions, 548 yards, and one touchdown as a senior. He missed the 2014 season with a knee injury.
  • Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton is drawing late interest from the Texans, Vikings, and Cardinals, Wilson tweets.

Steelers Notes: Jarvis Jones, CBs, Draft

April 26th, 2016 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Steelers Could Trade Down In Draft

April 25th, 2016 at 4:21pm CST by Luke Adams
  • The Steelers, currently slated to pick 25th overall in this year’s draft, are unlikely to trade up, but moving down remains on the table, general manager Kevin Colbert said today (Twitter link via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

Steelers Eyeing Karl Joseph

April 22nd, 2016 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams
  • Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that the Steelers and Colts are among the teams that have been doing most due diligence on West Virginia safety Karl Joseph. Joseph, who is coming off a major knee injury, is viewed as a probable day two pick.

Fowler: Steelers, Norman Match Didn't Make Sense

April 21st, 2016 at 8:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Though the Steelers were reported as an early suitor for free agent Josh Norman, the match never made sense, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (and notably, new reports have indicated that Pittsburgh is not, in fact, in the running for Norman). The Steelers have less than $4MM available in cap space, and given that Norman is said to be targeting an annual salary north of $14MM, the numbers were never going to add up.

Josh Norman Rumors: Thursday

April 21st, 2016 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

9:56am: The Steelers are not pursuing Norman, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.

9:09am: Schefter (on Twitter) adds the Jets and Titans to the list of teams that have called on Norman. However, the Jets are only doing their due diligence and cannot afford him, Manish Mehta of the Daily News tweets.

8:51am: Josh Norman‘s representatives heard from as many as ten teams on Wednesday, including the Steelers, Buccaneers, Dolphins, and 49ers, a source tells Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) adds the Rams and Bears to the list of teams that have reached out to the top cornerback. The 49ers, Steelers, Dolphins, and Washington have expressed the most interest in Norman so far, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears.

[RELATED: Panthers Pull Franchise Tag From Josh Norman] Josh Norman (vertical)

Norman’s camp is all about exceeding an average of $14MM per year while still shooting for $15MM/year, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. Interestingly, he says that his camp does not seem as caught up in total guaranteed money. Last offseason, Darrelle Revis inked a five-year, $70MM deal with a whopping $39MM fully guaranteed. Norman, apparently, would like to edge that AAV while understanding that he won’t approach that gaudy guarantee.

Yesterday, the Panthers shocked the football world when they rescinded the franchise tag from Norman, making him an unrestricted free agent in the later stages of the NFL offseason. The Panthers gave Norman’s agent permission to pursue a trade at his request, a league source Person, but the Panthers decided to cut him loose when that path did not bear fruit. Apparently, the specter of a holdout that gone into training camp and the preseason was not appealing for Carolina.

Norman, 28, enjoyed a career-year in 2015 as he was named to the All Pro first team and selected for his first Pro Bowl. After producing career highs in both interceptions (four) and passes defensed (18).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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