Minor NFL Transactions: 5/17/16
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL:
- The Steelers have brought back tight end David Johnson, who was with Pittsburgh from 2009-13 after it took him in the seventh round of the ’09 draft (Twitter link via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Johnson, who has 24 career receptions, spent the previous two seasons in San Diego. To make room for Johnson, the Steelers cut fellow tight end David Reeves, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Reeves, an undrafted free agent from Duke, signed with the Steelers last month.
- Just days after signing with the Titans as an undrafted free agent, cornerback/kick returner Morgan Burns has retired, writes The Associated Press. Burns, a former Kansas State speedster, was the Big 12 special teams player of the year in 2015.
- The Panthers have claimed tight end Marcus Lucas off waivers from the Bears, David Newton of ESPN reports. Lucas is familiar with Carolina, having spent the 2014 season on its practice squad. The former undrafted free agent from Missouri has yet to appear in an NFL game.
- The Jaguars signed offensive lineman Jeff Linkenbach and cut kicker Jaden Oberkrom, according to ESPN’s Mike DiRocco. Linkenbach has 86 appearances and 36 starts to his name. Ten of those appearances came when Linkenbach was a member of both the Dolphins and Chargers last year. Oberkrom had a brief stint in Jacksonville, which signed the ex-TCU standout as an undrafted free agent earlier this month.
Earlier updates:
- The Eagles announced that they have signed tight end M.J. McFarland and linebacker Ty Powell while waiving quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson and offensive lineman Brett Boyko, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. The addition of Powell means that the Eagles now have four players from the Buffalo’s 2014 defense on their roster. Jim Schwartz, of course, served as the defensive coordinator of that team.
- The Buccaneers announced that they have signed A.J. Francis, as Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com writes. The defensive tackle now joins his fourth team after beginning his career in Miami and later seeing time in Seattle and New England. To make room, second-year defensive tackle Davon Coleman has been waived.
- Former Texans first-round pick Amobi Okoye has signed with the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle writes. The defensive tackle was stricken with a rare illness, which seemingly ended his career in 2012. He hooked on with the Cowboys last season, but he was released before he could take the field.
- Washington has signed tryout cornerback Mariel Cooper, Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com tweets.
- The Ravens announced that cornerback Sheldon Price, an ERFA, has agreed to his one-year contract with the team. Price, who went undrafted out of UCLA in 2013, previously spent time on the Colts’ taxi squad.
Steelers GM Talks Antonio Bryant Contract
Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert doesn’t sound like a man who is in a rush to discuss a contract extension with star Antonio Brown.
“He does have two years left and we expect that to be honored without any issue,” the Steelers GM told Mike Florio of Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “Again, Antonio’s a unique player. We understand that and he understands our policies. I don’t ever see that changing as long as we still have the mindset that it’s been good for the organization. Again we understand that he’s a special player and we’re glad we have him for two more years anyway.”
As Florio notes, Steelers usually don’t extend players with more than two years to go on their deals, unless those players are quarterbacks. However, one has to imagine that an exception could be made for Brown given his status as one of the league’s most dangerous offensive players.
Steelers Sign Four Players, Cut Four
Following their rookie minicamp, the Steelers have announced a handful of changes to their 90-man roster, signing four tryout players from the minicamp and cutting four veterans. According to the team, running backs Brandon Brown-Dukes and Cameron Stingily, wide receiver Marcus Tucker, and cornerback Donald Washington have been signed.
To open up roster spots for the incoming players, the Steelers parted ways with running backs Christian Powell and Rajion Neal, wide receiver Tobais Palmer, and cornerback Isaiah Frey. Of those players, Frey is the most notable name — although he hasn’t actually seen any action for Pittsburgh, he has appeared in 27 career NFL games, making seven starts, during parts of three seasons with the Bears and Buccaneers.
Out of the four newly-signed players, Washington has the most interesting story, and took the longest path to get to the Steelers. The former Ohio State Buckeye was drafted in the fourth round by the Chiefs in 2009, and appeared in 32 games for Kansas City over the next three seasons. However, he hasn’t appeared in an NFL contest since the 2011 campaign. Washington, who is now 29 years old, spoke to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about his comeback attempt.
“I am going to leave it out there and see what they do,” Washington said, before he earned a spot on the Steelers’ 90-man roster. “I am having the time of my life, man. The main key is to have fun and run around and have a good attitude and a good effort. Any chance I can get to play football, I want it, no matter where it is at. I just love the game and love being around the guys. No matter how the opportunity comes, I am taking it.”
Draft Pick Signings: Eagles, Packers, Bears, Colts
Checking in on the latest rookie signings from around the NFL…
- Two offensive linemen – third-rounder Isaac Seumalo and fifth-rounder Halapoulivaati Vaitai – have agreed to deals with the Eagles, the team tweeted. Seumalo went 79th in the draft after playing various positions, mostly center, along Oregon State’s O-line. Vaitai, the 164th pick, made 30 starts at tackle (primarily on the right side) during his TCU tenure.
- The Colts have signed fourth-round linebacker Antonio Morrison, the 125th overall choice, according to a team press release. Morrison was a four-year starter at Florida.
- Packers general manager Ted Thompson announced the signings of four draftees — fourth-rounders Blake Martinez (linebacker, Stanford) and Dean Lowry (defensive end, Northwestern), fifth-rounder Trevor Davis (receiver, California) and sixth-rounder Kyle Murphy (offensive tackle, Stanford). Those four were Green Bay’s final picks of this year’s draft. The team still has to lock up its top three selections, including first-round defensive lineman Kenny Clark.
- The Bears inked fourth-round defensive back Deiondre’ Hall to a four-year deal worth $2.85MM, including a $510,982 signing bonus, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Hall, the 127th pick, piled up 13 interceptions during his four years at Northern Iowa.
- The Vikings have signed fourth-round offensive lineman Willie Beavers and fifth-round linebacker Kentrell Brothers, per a team press release. Beavers was a stalwart at left tackle for Western Michigan before the Vikings grabbed him with the 121st choice, while Brothers – the 160th selection – was a prolific defensive playmaker at Missouri.
- The Steelers announced the signing of sixth-round linebacker Travis Feeney, a former University of Washington standout and the 220th overall pick.
Steelers Sign Ayers, Matakevich
- The Steelers announced the signing of seventh round draft picks Demarcus Ayers and Tyler Matakevich. Ayers, a wide receiver/returner from the University of Houston, and Matakevich, a linebacker from Temple, are now the first two Pittsburgh rookies to sign from this year’s class.
Steelers Re-Sign Bruce Gradkowski
THURSDAY, 9:51am: Gradkowski’s one-year deal is worth $965K with $80K guaranteed via his signing bonus, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
MONDAY, 8:18am: The Steelers have officially announced their new deal with Gradkowski.
SUNDAY, 6:30pm: Despite spending last season on the Steelers’ IR, Bruce Gradkowski will be heading back to Pittsburgh with a new contract. The Steelers intend to sign the veteran backup on Monday, Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com reports (on Twitter).
It’s a one-year deal for Gradkowski, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter).
He’ll vie for Ben Roethlisberger‘s backup job with Landry Jones, Marvez reports. GM Kevin Colbert said last week the team wouldn’t sign another quarterback until after the draft. Gradkowski worked out for the Steelers recently — a showcase Cobert deemed “satisfactory” — but the team elected to wait before signing him.
Gradkowski’s injury created uncertainty behind Roethlisberger before a season in which that position became incredibly relevant. It induced Pittsburgh to sign Michael Vick, and the now-journeyman reserve did not fare well in relief of Roethlisberger despite being given the first chance. Jones started two games after the Steelers demoted Vick, who started three, but didn’t perform much better. The offense ground to a near-halt under Vick, but he did complete 60% of his throws before Jones connected on 58% of his before Roethlisberger reclaimed his starting job.
However, Gradkowski has never completed more than 55% of his passes in a season. Signing with the Steelers before 2014, the now-33-year-old Gradkowski is also 6-14 in starts — which came for the Buccaneers, Browns and Raiders from 2006-10. Since, the former sixth-round Bucs pick in 2006 served as a backup for Andy Dalton prior to coming to Pittsburgh.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Steelers Release Mike Adams
The Steelers announced that they have released offensive tackle Mike Adams with a failed physical designation. Kicker Ty Long and running back Abou Toure were also released. 
[RELATED: James Harrison To Return In 2016]
Adams, a former second-round pick, has had a disappointing career since the team used a second-round selection on him in 2012. In his first three years, Adams appeared in only 41 games with 20 starts. Last year, Adams did not take the field due to a back injury. The Steelers were apparently not hopeful about what Adams could do in 2016 and they have released him days after adding offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins in the fourth-round of the draft. Had he remained in Pittsburgh, Adams would have received a $873K salary for 2016.
In other Steelers news, the team declined the fifth-year option on outside linebacker Jarvis Jones earlier this week. Jones’ fifth-year option would have been worth $8.369MM, more money than the Steelers were willing to pay.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Steelers Decline Option On Jarvis Jones
The Steelers declined the fifth-year option on outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, according to a source who spoke with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. He’s now scheduled to be a free agent after the 2016 season. 
[RELATED: PFR’s 2017 Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Jones’ fifth-year option would have been worth $8.369MM, more money than the Steelers were willing to pay. Last season, Jones started 15 regular season games at right outside linebacker and totaled 27 tackles with two sacks, two passes defended, one forced fumble, and one interception. The advanced metrics of Pro Football Focus (subscription required) placed Jones as the 67th best edge defender out of 110 qualified players in 2015.
With the Steelers’ decision on Jones now in the books, we now have resolutions on the fifth-year options of every player from 2013’s first round. For a full rundown of today’s decisions, check out PFR’s 2017 Fifth-Year Option Tracker.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
James Harrison To Return In 2016
When James Harrison‘s agent suggested back in February that he expected his client to return to the Steelers in 2016, the veteran linebacker himself cautioned that he had yet to make any decisions. But two and a half months later, it seems Harrison has made up his mind.
On his Instagram account today, Harrison published a photo of himself with the caption “I’m back.” Within the post itself, the Steelers linebacker wrote: “I’ll be 38 on Wednesday and I’m feeling just like a fine wine. Getting better with age.”
Harrison, who will be the NFL’s oldest defensive player in 2016, had been expected to return. He’s under contract through the 2016 season, and in addition to agent Bill Parise expressing optimism about Harrison continuing his career, GM Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin indicated this weekend that they anticipated another year from their stalwart linebacker. “He’s working out awful hard for a ‘retired’ guy,” Tomlin said.
In spite of his age, Harrison remains a solid contributor on defense. Last season, the former undrafted free agent logged 40 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception. Pro Football Focus ranked him 14th out of 110 qualified edge defenders, assigning him strong grades as both a run defender and pass rusher.
The Steelers have Harrison on their books for 2016 for an affordable $1.25MM base salary and $1.5MM cap hit.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC Notes: Tunsil, Carroo, Ravens, Steelers
The Dolphins slotted Laremy Tunsil as their No. 2-rated player before the draft, with Jaguars defensive back Jalen Ramsey at No. 1, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports. Had Tunsil not fallen to them at No. 13, the Dolphins would have been inclined to trade back and seek cornerback help, Salguero writes.
Among corners, the Dolphins had Eli Apple rated No. 2 behind Ramsey. Although Miami traded for Byron Maxwell, the team is now without all three of its primary starters from 2015 — Brent Grimes, Brice McCain and Jamar Taylor, the latter being traded to the Browns for a seventh-round pick Saturday.
Here’s more from the AFC as we transition into a post-draft world, beginning with more on the Dolphins’ board.
- Miami traded up in the third round to take Rutgers wideout Leonte Carroo, but it’s not where the ex-Scarlet Knights target came off the board that’s interesting; it’s where his new team rated him. “We thought he was the second-best receiver in the draft,” Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said, via Salguero. That assessment runs counter to just about every pre-draft analysis in a draft that saw four wideouts go in the first round and three come off the board in Round 2. Prior to Miami selecting Carroo at No. 86, the Texans took Braxton Miller at No. 85. The Dolphins surrendered a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft — which it traded to the Vikings to select another receiver, Jakeem Grant — as well as third- and fourth-round choices in 2017 to become the ninth team to select a receiver this year. Rutgers suspended Carroo twice in 2015, and he was arrested once on a domestic violence-related charge.
- Tunsil’s selection strikes Salguero as interesting considering as the No. 2 player on the Dolphins’ board, they couldn’t have done the exhaustive work on him as they did on someone like Apple or another player they thought would be in play at 13. He uses the Patriots, who did not pick until the 60s, not doing much work on Ramsey as an example.
- Although Ozzie Newsome denied the Ravens picked Ronnie Stanley over Tunsil because of the now-infamous bong video posted on the tackle’s Twitter account before the draft, Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun reports that the social media posting was passed around the Ravens draft room prior to the team selecting Stanley. The Ray Rice moment still hangs over the franchise, Schmuck writes, inducing Baltimore to play it safe when it comes to questionable prospects.
- The past two years, the Steelers have chosen 11 defensive players compared to just four on offense, and Mike Tomlin told media (including Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) it’s realistic three could emerge as starters in Week 1. “I believe it’s realistic,” Tomlin said of the prospect of the team’s top three picks — cornerback Artie Burns, safety Sean Davis and nose tackle Javon Hargrave — starting against Washington in September. “That’s why we chose them where we chose them. But they have to earn it, and we’ll give them the opportunity to do that.” Following the departures of Steve McLendon and Brandon Boykin, the team has holes in its lineup at No. 2 corner and at defensive tackle.