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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Steelers Sign Chris Boswell

October 3rd, 2015 at 1:47pm CST by Ben Levine

1:47pm: Boswell’s deal runs for two years, with the Steelers retaining his rights through the end of 2016, according to Caplan (on Twitter). Although he’s obviously no lock to make it to the end of 2016, considering the volatile status of this spot.

1:35pm: Pittsburgh made it official in cutting Scobee and signing Boswell, per CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (Twitter link). The Steelers will now have more than $6MM worth of commitments to kickers no longer on the active roster, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter).

12:04pm: The Steelers are set to sign kicker Chris Boswell, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). It’s uncertain what the signing will mean for incumbent kicker Josh Scobee, who missed a pair of crucial field goals on Thursday night. As Caplan notes in a separate tweet, Boswell will be the team’s fourth kicker this season, as Shaun Suisham and Garrett Hartley are both on the injured reserve.

Boswell has yet to make an NFL appearance after going undrafted out of Rice in 2014. He previously spent time on both the Texans and Giants practice squad. During his four seasons at Rice, the 25-year-old converted 51 of his 67 field goal attempts and 117 of 123 extra point chances.

Scobee was traded to Pittsburgh this offseason after having spent his entire career with the Jaguars. The 2004 fifth-round pick has made over 80-percent of his field goal attempts during his career, which is 23rd among active kickers. In his first season with the Steelers, Scobee has made six of ten field goal attempts and six of his seven extra point chances.

Steelers Release Josh Scobee

October 3rd, 2015 at 1:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

1:41pm: Since no offset language existed in Scobee’s contract, the 12-year veteran is free to recoup the $1.91MM left on his deal on top of whatever he would receive if he signed with another team, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

1:26pm: The other end of the Steelers’ addition of Chris Boswell came down in the form of the team releasing Josh Scobee, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter).

Boswell will serve as Pittsburgh’s fourth kicker in two months, after Shaun Suisham and Garrett Hartley both wound up on injured reserve, inducing the team’s September trade for Scobee.

The longest-tenured kicker in this merry-go-round, Scobee did not have a successful Steelers stint, which culminated in two missed field goals in Thursday night’s overtime loss to the Ravens. Those nationally televised misfires on a windy night led to Mike Tomlin eschewing longer tries for fourth-down conversion attempts, both of which failed.

Scobee, an 11-year member of the Jaguars and the north Florida franchise’s all-time scoring leader, also missed two field goals in the Steelers’ opening-night loss to the Patriots. He missed just eight kicks from 2011-13, but has now missed 10 since the start of the 2014 season.

He fetched a sixth-round pick in the trade, but after a sputtering start will now give way to the least-experienced kicker in this shuffle.

Workout Notes: Bullock, Sims, Drew

October 2nd, 2015 at 9:12pm CST by Rob DiRe

Through three weeks of the season, teams are re-evaluating their rosters due to injuries and performance, and are always tinkering with the back end of their roster and practice squads.

Here are a few players who are being called in for workouts with a chance to make a roster:

  • We already heard the Steelers will be working out Kai Forbath and Chris Boswell on Saturday in the wake of Josh Scobee‘s rough Thursday night. They are also bringing in former Texans kicker Randy Bullock, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
  • Undrafted free agent quarterback Philip Sims, who spent time with the Cardinals earlier this season, has a workout scheduled with the Packers on Tuesday, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • Former Georgia defensive end Ray Drew worked out for the Browns earlier today, writes Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter). She adds the team could sign him to the practice squad next week.

Extra Points: Cassel, Bryant, Cruz, Los Angeles

October 2nd, 2015 at 7:59pm CST by Rob DiRe

In a chat with for the Dallas Morning News, columnist Kevin Sherrington guesses that the Cowboys will dress Kellen Moore as the backup this week while Matt Cassel continues to learn the offense. He does note that if Brandon Weeden doesn’t turn things around, Cassel will eventually get the chance to start, which is key since he is doubtful Tony Romo will be ready to return as soon as he comes of the IR-DTR.

  • Sherrington also believes the Cowboys could be in the market to add a wide receiver, specifically one who could threaten to take the top off the defense. He cites the team’s inability to get the ball to any wideout other than Cole Beasley since the injuries to Romo and Dez Bryant.
  • Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant has had his suspension ended after the team played their fourth game last night, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). The team will still have a roster exemption until Tuesday, October 13th.
  • Free agent wide receiver A.J. Cruz has been suspended for the next four games of the regular season, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He has previous experience with the Arena Football League and was on the Bears’ 90-man roster this offseason.
  • The league office has informed teams that they will be discussing “relocation guidelines” surrounding a potential Los Angeles franchise at next week’s owners’ meeting in New York, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). It is unclear if they will discuss relocation fees and a timetable for the move (via Twitter).

Kai Forbath To Work Out For Steelers

October 2nd, 2015 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

3:13pm: Kicker Chris Boswell will also participate in the Steelers’ kicker audition, according to James Palmer of the NFL Network (Twitter link)

2:18pm: After a pair of missed Josh Scobee field goals paved the way for the Ravens to knock off the Steelers in overtime last night, Pittsburgh is bringing in veteran kicker Kai Forbath for a workout, according to J.P. Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com.

Forbath, 28, made 94.4% of his field goals (17 of 18) in his first season with Washington back in 2012, and while he never matched that accuracy mark in subsequent years, his career percentage remains a solid 87.0%. Forbath was cut after Week 1 this season by Washington, with the team signing Dustin Hopkins to take his place.

Since his release, Forbath has worked out for multiple teams, and was said to be the second choice for both the Eagles, who signed Caleb Sturgis, and the Texans, who signed Nick Novak. Perhaps the third audition will be the charm for Forbath, though he’s unlikely to be the only kicker the Steelers consider.

It would be a little surprising if Pittsburgh decides to move on from Scobee, despite his early-season struggles. After Shaun Suisham went down with a season-ending injury, the Steelers sent a sixth-round pick to the Jaguars to acquire Scobee, and his $2.5MM salary for the 2015 season should be fully guaranteed at this point.

Scobee missed field goals of 41 and 49 yards in last night’s loss to the Ravens, his third and fourth missed field goals this year. The 33-year-old also missed an extra point in Week 2.

AFC Notes: Mohamed, Steelers, Davis, Pats

October 2nd, 2015 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Texans placed linebacker Mike Mohamed on injured reserve this week, despite the fact that he says he has almost recovered from his calf injury. Mohamed tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle that he’ll talk to his agent, Ken Landphere, to determine what happens now — they may pursue an injury settlement with Houston, allowing the linebacker to reach free agency.

“I want to play this season,” Mohamed said. “It won’t be here, but I want to play somewhere and get back on the field. I’m almost back from the injury, so it’s kind of frustrating to go on injured reserve, but I understand that they didn’t feel like they could wait.”

While the Texans would like to bring back Mohamed when he’s healthy, an injury settlement prevents a player from re-signing with his old team for at least six weeks. During that time, Mohamed is a good bet to find a new job with another team.

Here’s more from across the AFC:

  • After missing a pair of field goals in the Steelers‘ loss last night, Josh Scobee has now missed four field goals and an extra point through four games with his new team. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that finding someone who can convert kicks on a consistent basis should be a top priority for Pittsburgh moving forward. Meanwhile, longtime Steelers kicker Jeff Reed, who hasn’t played an NFL game since 2010, still wants to make a comeback and says he’d love a shot to try out for Pittsburgh (link via CBS Pittsburgh).
  • Less than two weeks into his stint with the Ravens, cornerback Will Davis already looks better than he ever did with the Dolphins, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. As Salguero outlines, it’s the latest case of a player becoming more productive with a new team after leaving Miami, a worrisome trend for the Dolphins.
  • The Patriots have been active on the trade market during the last few weeks, and acquired two more defensive players this week. With the November 3 trade deadline just over a month away, Andy Hart at CSNNE.com wonders if Bill Belichick will look to land some help at cornerback as well.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/30/15

September 30th, 2015 at 6:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from across the NFL:

  • The Patriots released linebacker Dekoda Watson, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. The veteran played primarily on special teams in the last two games.

Earlier Updates:

  • It was a busy day for the Texans, who overhauled their linebacker corps in an effort to improve the club’s special teams play. According to a press release, the Texans promoted ILB Max Bullough from their own practice squad, signed ILB Brian Peters from the Vikings’ practice squad, and signed OLB Kourtnei Brown from the Bucs’ practice squad. As Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets, the club placed linebackers Mike Mohamed and Carlos Thompson on injured reserve.
  • The Jets have parted ways with one of their draft picks from this past May, waiving seventh-round defensive tackle Deon Simon today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Simon, 25, has yet to see any action in a regular season NFL game.
  • Having cut running back Mike James earlier in the week, the Buccaneers had an open roster spot, and used that opening to promote tackle Reid Fragel from their practice squad, according to a team release. Fragel initially survived Tampa Bay’s cutdown to 53 players, but was dropped and signed to the practice squad after the Bucs claimed several players off waivers.
  • The Steelers made a change to their defense today, announcing that they’ve cut defensive end Caushaud Lyons, promoting linebacker Anthony Chickillo to their active roster to replace him.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/15

September 29th, 2015 at 6:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the list throughout the day:

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Signed: WR Shaq Evans (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union)

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Signed: S Ronald Martin (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com)
  • Cut: CB Keon Lyn

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Diego Chargers

St. Louis Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: DT Derrick Lott (press release)
  • Cut: CB Imoan Claiborne

Washington:

  • Signed: C Austin Reiter (Twitter link via Zac Boyer of the Washington Times)

Steelers Audition Terrelle Pryor

September 29th, 2015 at 6:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers auditioned Terrelle Pryor on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Pryor, a former quarterback now trying to make it as an NFL wide receiver, has been looking for work ever since the Browns cut him prior to the season opener.

Since he was cut by Cleveland, the Patriots, Seahawks, and Jets have been among the teams to take a close look at him. Now, we can add the Steelers to the list of clubs that have auditioned the former Ohio State signal caller. It’s not immediately clear how much interest the Steelers have in the 26-year-old, however, and it’s quite possible that they’re just examining players in an effort to keep their emergency lists up to date.

When word of the Browns waiving Pryor broke, the former Raiders quarterback said that it would be “a mistake” by the team. Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine acknowledged that possibility, but explained last week that the fact that Pryor was slowed in camp by a hamstring injury also contributed to the Browns’ decision to cut him.

“The fact is that [Pryor] wasn’t [healthy] and that he was not prepared at this point to be a viable productive member,” Pettine said, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I’m not saying that he never will be. I’m very confident that he will be knowing his work ethic. Knowing his skill set, he will be. Like I said, it’s timing and it’s circumstances.”

Ben Roethlisberger Sprains MCL, Out 4-6 Weeks

September 27th, 2015 at 8:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

9:08 pm: In addition to an MCL sprain, Roethlisberger also suffered a bone bruise, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

9:00pm: ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms La Canfora’s report regarding Roethlisberger’s injury. Schefter presents a different timetable, though, as his source expects Roethlisberger to miss six weeks (Twitter link).

8:45pm: An MRI confirmed an MCL sprain for Roethlisberger, reports CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (via Twitter). There’s no damage to his ACL, and he’s expected to miss four weeks.

4:40pm: Roethlisberger is expected to miss at least four weeks, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

4:28pm: The Steelers are “hopeful” that Roethlisberger’s ACL is intact, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

3:51pm: Roethlisberger didn’t break any bones, but he will need to undergo an MRI to determine if he suffered any ligament damage, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

3:14pm: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was carted off the field during today’s game against the Rams after suffering a left knee injury. The club has announced he will not return, meaning that backup Michael Vick will navigate the offense for the remainder of the contest.

Needless to say, losing Roethlisberger for any amount of time would be devastating to a Steelers offense that ranked No. 1 in offensive DVOA during the 2014 season. Reothlisberger had been enjoying a typically outstanding season, completing more than 70% of his passes for more than 700 yards and four touchdowns during Pittsburgh’s first two games, during which the Steelers had posted a 1-1 record.

If Roethlisberger is out for a significant period of time, Vick will continue to act as Pittsburgh’s signal-caller. Vick was signed in late August after Bruce Gradkowski suffered a season-ending injury; Landry Jones, a former third-rounder, would presumably act as the No. 2 from here on out.

Losing Roethlisberger would be the latest blow to the Steelers offense, which missed Le’Veon Bell for two games due to suspension, and continues to play without receiver Martavis Bryant (suspension) and center Maurkice Pouncey (injury).

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