Steelers Sign Randy Bullock
Steelers kicker Chris Boswell was listed as questionable on the team’s latest injury report, so the team has signed another kicker as insurance. Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (via Twitter) that the Steelers have signed veteran kicker Randy Bullock. To make room on the roster, the team has released cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz (via Bouchette).
Bullock, 26, was the Giants’ kicker during their season opener as Josh Brown served his one-game suspension. The former fifth-rounder made two of his three extra point attempts, and he was subsequently waived by the team in mid-September. Since then, Bullock has gotten auditions with both the Bengals and Vikings. In three-plus seasons in the NFL, Bullock has connected on 80.6-percent of his field goal attempts and nearly 96-percent of his extra point attempts. Bullock has also been productive on kickoffs, averaging 65.9-yards per kick during his career.
Boswell, 25, had a breakout season in 2015, connecting on 90.6-percent of his field goals. However, that number has dropped this season, as the kicker has only connected on 75-percent of his field goal attempts. Boswell is currently recovering from an abdominal injury, according to Bouchette.
Shabazz, an undrafted rookie out of West Chester in 2015, has bounced between the Steelers’ active roster and practice squad this season. In five career games, the cornerback has collected one tackle.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/28/16
Here are today’s practice squad moves.
Chicago Bears
- Signed: TE Justin Perillo (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)
Houston Texans
- Signed: DL Brandon Dunn
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Dreamius Smith
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Raheem Mostert
- Cut: RB Kelvin Taylor
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Karlos Williams Handed 10-Game Suspension
The Bills cut ties with running back Karlos Williams earlier this year when they realized that he wasn’t worth the headaches. Now, the Steelers will either have to do the same or keep some Tylenol handy.
Williams has been handed a 10-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Since he’s on the practice squad, the move doesn’t necessarily affect the team’s plans. But it seems likely that he will be released to free up a spot on the 10-man unit.
Not long ago, Williams looked like he could be the the heir apparent to LeSean McCoy in Buffalo. As a fifth-round rookie in 2015, the ex-Florida State Seminole picked up 613 scrimmage yards and scored nine times on just 104 touches. But he earned a four-game substance abuse suspension in July and then showed up to training camp out of shape, leading the Bills to cut him in late August.
Williams joined the Steelers’ practice squad last month, but he didn’t earn a promotion to the team’s active roster and his season – and maybe his Steelers career – will now end thanks to his latest ban.
Steelers Bring Back Daryl Richardson
- On a day that featured more impactful Steelers transactions, the team promoted running back Daryl Richardson from its practice squad, Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. Richardson’s being promoted to compensate for DeAngelo Williams‘ second straight absence with a knee injury. The former Rams contributor has taken two handoffs this season, now Richardson’s fifth, gaining seven yards.
Steelers Place Wheaton On IR, Activate Dupree
The Steelers exchanged would-be key members of their 2016 team from IR in advance of their Week 11 game against the Browns, and the moves could bring to an end Markus Wheaton‘s time with the team.
Pittsburgh placed the fourth-year wide receiver on IR, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (on Twitter). This will end Wheaton’s season because the team is bringing Bud Dupree off its IR list, making the second-year linebacker the franchise’s IR-boomerang player and rendering all other performers on IR finished for the year.
Wheaton hopes to avoid surgery, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that’s a possibility for the 25-year-old pass-catcher.
The Steelers also moved Cameron Heyward to IR as expected after the stalwart defensive end tore a pectoral muscle.
For Wheaton, this brings about an unfortunate end to his contract year, with the wideout who appeared set to be Ben Roethlisberger‘s No. 2 target in a high-octane offense catching just four passes and playing in only three games this season. A shoulder injury ended up shelving the longtime contributor, who missed six games as a result of the malady. Wheaton averaged 17.0 yards per catch last season in an improved campaign that saw him carve out a key role for the Steelers, scoring a career-best five touchdowns and recording 749 air yards.
A former third-round pick, Wheaton will be a free agent, and the Steelers already house Antonio Brown, Sammie Coates, Eli Rogers and have Martavis Bryant under contract, although his status is murky at best due to the season-long suspension he’s serving.
Dupree has missed the season to this point with a groin injury. He played in all 16 regular-season games for the team last season and started five. Although the 2015 first-round pick was inconsistent as a rookie, the Kentucky product not having an entire season wiped away will help his development for a struggling Steelers defense.
The 23-year-old outside linebacker made 26 tackles and four sacks last season. He’ll return to a Steelers defense still flush with first-round linebackers, with the others — Lawrence Timmons, Jarvis Jones and Ryan Shazier — all starting for the 4-5 team, one that ranks 25th in total defense through 10 weeks.
Steelers Audition Bobby Richardson
- With Cameron Heyward out for the year, the Steelers tried out defensive end Bobby Richardson today, tweets Nick Underhill of the Advocate. Richardson was a 11-game starter during his rookie season in 2015, but has bounced around the league during his sophomore campaign.
Steelers’ Cam Heyward Done For Season
Defensive end Cameron Heyward announced that he is done for the season. The Steelers star has been dealing with a pectoral injury that will apparently require surgery. 
“I would like to thank everyone who has been in my corner this season,” Heyward posted on Instagram. “It pains me to say that I will not get to continue playing this season. My role will change as I can not play, but it will not change the goals the team has set out. My support for this team will only grow and I look forward in watching this team grow and fight on. Hate being on the sideline, but there is a greater plan taking place. My patience will be tested but I look forward to 2017. My hand will remain in the pile no matter what!”
Heyward was already playing through a nagging hamstring injury but playing the hero through this chest injury was not an option for the 27-year-old. For the last six years, Heyward has been an absolute rock for the Steelers and he never missed a regular season game until this year. As a starter over the last three-and-a-half years, Heyward has tallied 22.5 sacks and been a constant nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. This year, his 3 sacks stand as a team high although he only played in seven of nine possible games.
With Heyward out, the Steelers will likely use Ricardo Mathews in his spot and they may also move tackle Javon Hargrave around on the line. It’s unlikely that either player can match Heyward’s production, however.
Steelers Place LB Steve Johnson On IR
The Steelers announced that they have placed linebacker Steve Johnson on IR. To take his spot, the team will re-sign L.J. Fort to the 53-man roster.
In the spring, Johnson signed a one-year minimum salary deal with Pittsburgh and has been yo-yo’d around by the Steelers ever since. While he wasn’t a key part of the Steelers’ defense this year, he was a cog on special teams and the team will have to replace him in the wake of his ankle injury. Johnson, 28, spent his first three NFL seasons in Denver before playing in Tennessee in 2015.
Fort, a five-year veteran, played in seven games for the Steelers this season. He was dropped from the roster last week to make room for the activation of Ladarius Green. The 26-year-old has appeared in seven games for the Steelers this season and has 24 total NFL games on his resume. Prior to joining the Steelers last year, Fort had stints with the Browns (2012) and one game with the Seahawks (2014).
Ladarius Green Still Not 100 Percent
Although Ladarius Green is expected to make his Steelers debut on Sunday against the Cowboys, the tight end is not at 100 percent, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter).
The recent addition categorized his explosion as lacking at present due to the calf trouble he’s had, and the ankle surgery the fifth-year veteran underwent placed screws and plates in it that haven’t gone unnoticed by the recovering tight end (Twitter link). Pelissero added Green’s ankle procedure was also due to cartilage damage, so Green could be a bit away from becoming the field-stretching tight end the Steelers hoped they were acquiring when they made the rare decision to dabble in free agency.
Steelers Activate Ladarius Green
3:09pm: Green has been elevated to Pittsburgh’s active roster, Mark Kaboly of DKPittsburghSports.com tweets. The Steelers cut outside linebacker L.J. Fort to make room. A five-year veteran, Fort played in seven games for the Steelers this season, making two tackles.
9:53am: It’s looking like tight end Ladarius Green will soon be making his Steelers debut. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter), the team is expected to activate the tight end from the PUP list. The reporter says that Green is expected to play in this weekend’s game against the Cowboys, but he notes that the decision will ultimately be up to coach Mike Tomlin.
The Steelers originally added Green this past offseason on a four-year, $20MM deal. The tight end was placed on the physically unable to perform list in late August as he recovered from his surgically-repaired ankle. The 26-year-old was also sidelined with lingering headaches, and this led to rumors that Green could consider retirement. Fortunately, the tight end seems to be doing better, as he’s been practicing with the Steelers since late October.
Green previously spent four seasons with the Chargers, where he served as a backup to Antonio Gates. Despite being second on the depth chart, the tight end still managed to haul in 77 receptions for 1,087 yards and seven touchdowns. 2015 was a career-year for Green, as the tight end caught 37 passes for 429 yards and four touchdowns.
With Green out, backup tight end Jesse James has stepped up. The second-year tight end has 24 receptions for 172 yards and three touchdowns this season. It’s unclear whether the Steelers will cut one of their other tight ends (Xavier Grimble, David Johnson) to make room for Green.