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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Golson, Boykin

August 3rd, 2015 at 7:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the AFC North..

  • Steelers rookie cornerback Senquez Golson may require season-ending shoulder surgery, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Golson’s injury might explain the Steelers’ pursuit and acquisition of cornerback Brandon Boykin over the weekend. The second-round pick out of Ole Miss opened up camp on the PUP list and now it appears that his NFL debut may have to wait until 2016.
  • Boykin should give the Steelers additional options in the secondary, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Boykin not only is a viable candidate to contribute at corner, he also might be a Week 1 starter. Boykin played in all 48 games since being drafted by the Eagles in 2012, but he became expendable when they signed Byron Maxwell to a lucrative deal in the offseason, signed veteran Walter Thurmond, and drafted three cornerbacks.
  • Browns receivers coach Joker Phillips says Terrelle Pryor, who is making the transition from quarterback to wide receiver, has made a good first impression on coaches. “It’s hard to say right now,” Phillips said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. “I’m not going to put that kind of pressure on him or myself. I can tell you this, he’s very, very — and I’ll say it two times — very, very talented. There’s no question about that. The guy’s talented, and talent wins ball games. Now, we’ve got to challenge that talent with the techniques that we have and give him a chance to be successful out wide.”

AFC North Notes: Elam, Lundy, Johnson, Bryant

August 2nd, 2015 at 6:53pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some injury notes from around the AFC North on this first Sunday of training camp:

  • Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun writes that Ravens safety Matt Elam may have torn his biceps and will undergo an MRI today. It is feared that the injury may be season-ending (via Twitter). “I’m sure it’s very disappointing for him,” said head coach John Harbaugh. “He’s very serious in great shape and then has a freak injury.”
  • In addition to Elam, early signs could mean the Ravens’ secondary may be in injury peril again, with cornerbacks Tray Walker and Rashaan Melvin both hurting their hamstrings, writes Clifton Brown of CSN Mid-Atlantic (via Twitter).
  • Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets that Browns head coach Mike Pettine said he will talk with GM Ray Farmer later today to discuss adding a running back or two. After rookie Luke Lundy left practice with an injury today, the team is down to Isaiah Crowell and Shaun Draughn as its only healthy backs. Duke Johnson and Terrance West have already gone down, and Pat MaManamon of ESPN details a few other players who have suffered injuries in camp so far.
  • Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson was carted off the practice field with a knee injury, but head coach Marvin Lewis said he doesn’t believe the injury is major, according to Sirius XM NFL Radio (via Twitter). Albert Breer of NFL Network reports that the early word is that he suffered a torn MCL, which would likely cost him time early in the season (via Twitter).
  • Not to be left out, the Steelers are also dealing with an injury to a key contributor in second-year receiver Martavis Bryant, who had a procedure to fix an infection with his elbow, reports Jeremy Fowler of ESPN (via Twitter). Luckily for Steeler nation, he is only expected to miss a few days.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/2015

August 2nd, 2015 at 4:51pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are Sunday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Patriots have claimed offensive lineman Harland Gunn off waivers from the Falcons, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Gunn, 25, played in 10 games for Atlanta last season, starting one.
  • Cornerback Justin Green has decided to retire from the NFL, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). The Cowboys acquired Green from the Patriots last year, but he never suited up for Dallas. The 24-year-old had been back with New England until they cut him yesterday.
  • The Broncos announced that they’ve signed tackle Charles Sweeton while waiving injured tackle Connor Rains. Rains injured his foot during the first day of Denver’s camp.
  • The Chiefs have made a switch a running back, signing Darrin Reaves and waiving LaVance Taylor, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Reaves appeared in six games for the Panthers last season, starting one.
  • The Jets have filled an open spot on their roster, signing receiver Jarrod West, an undrafted rookie out of Syracuse, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • Mark Kaboly of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets that the Steelers have signed RB Jawon Chisholm placed RB Ross Scheuerman on the waived/injured list in a corresponding move. The team also cut TE Michael Egnew to make room for the newly-acquired Brandon Boykin.
  • The Panthers have signed WR Paul Browning to take the roster spot of Stephen Hill, who has been put on the team’s waived/injured list with a torn ACL (via Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer).
  • John McClain of The Houston Chronicle tweets that the Texans, who are in desperate need of defensive line depth, have signed veteran NT Chris Neild.
  • The Giants have added rookie DE Brad Bars and second-year wide receiver Derrick Johnson, per James Kratch of NJ.com.

 

Steelers Acquire Brandon Boykin From Eagles

August 2nd, 2015 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

SUNDAY, 10:49am: Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that the conditional fifth-round pick will become a fourth-rounder if Boykin plays 60% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps.

McLane’s colleague at the Inquirer, Zach Berman, tweets that the Eagles also received a trade offer for Nolan Carroll, but the team viewed Boykin as more expendable.

SATURDAY, 7:02pm: The Eagles have sent cornerback Brandon Boykin to Pittsburgh, trading him for a conditional 2016 fifth-round pick, the Steelers announced today (Twitter link). According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), that pick could become a fourth-rounder, depending on how much Boykin plays this season.

Boykin, who turned 25 on Thursday, had played in all 48 of the Eagles’ regular-season games since Philadelphia selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. However, he only started six of those games, and said a couple months ago that he would welcome the opportunity to start outside, suggesting that the chance to compete for a starting job would be a priority when he reaches free agency.

It’s not clear yet whether Boykin will get the chance to start in Pittsburgh — William Gay figures to be the team’s top cornerback, but Cortez Allen struggled last year after signing a long-term extension. Still, I expect both players will see the field more often than Boykin. Antwon Blake and rookie Senquez Golson will also be in the mix for the Steelers, though Golson is still recovering from a shoulder injury.

From the Eagles’ perspective, Boykin had been a player the team considered moving for months, according to multiple reports. The signing of Byron Maxwell in March ensured Boykin would continue to play a complementary role in Philadelphia, and after the club added three more corners in the draft, he became even more expendable.

The Eagles did well do get a pick as high as a fourth-rounder for Boykin, since he wasn’t expected to be a major contributor in 2015 and is entering the final year of his contract. Tthe Georgia product will count for $1.542MM against the Steelers’ cap this year before becoming eligible for free agency in the winter.

North Notes: Browns, H. Smith, Steelers

July 30th, 2015 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

The 2015 season will likely be a redshirt year for rookie cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Browns head coach Mike Pettine said on Wednesday, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. At one point, Ekpre-Olomu, who continues to recover from a serious knee injury, was viewed as a potential first-round pick, but Cleveland snagged him in the seventh round in May following his torn ACL and disclocated knee. The Browns will have to wait until the end of training camp to move the Oregon alum to injured reserve if they want to avoid the risk of losing him on waivers.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two North divisions:

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/15

July 29th, 2015 at 9:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL…

AFC:

  • The Browns have re-signed undrafted rookie defensive back Landon Feichter, as Nate Ulrich of the Beacon-Journal writes. The 5’11”, 201-pound Feichter originally signed with the Browns on May 11 after participating in the team’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. He was waived on June 22. Feichter appeared in 45 games as a safety at Purdue University and tallied 234 career tackles, 10 interceptions and eight passes defensed.
  • The Steelers have removed linebacker Shawn Lemon from their roster, waiving him from the PUP list and signing defensive back Jordan Sullen to take his place, tweets PR man Burt Lauten.
  • The Ravens have waived undrafted rookie wide receiver Cam Worthy and signed Tom Nelson, who is converting from safety to wide receiver, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Colts have signed cornerback Raymon Taylor, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Taylor played collegiately at Michigan.
  • The Chiefs have parted ways with running back Cyrus Gray, who finished last season on the team’s injured reserve list, tweets Wilson.
  • The Dolphins have signed defensive tackle Calvin Barnett, wide receiver Kai De La Cruz, offensive tackle Chris Martin, and waived defensive lineman Ellis McCarthy, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).
  • Fullback James Develin, who received an exclusive rights qualifying offer from the Patriots way back in March, has finally signed it today, according to Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
  • After clearing waivers, wide receiver James Wright has been placed on the IR by the Bengals, tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

NFC:

  • The Falcons have signed offensive lineman Demarcus Love, bringing the roster up to 90 players, the team announced today in a press release. Love, who finished last season on the Broncos’ practice squad, worked out for the Browns yesterday, and inked a two-year deal with Atlanta, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
  • The Buccaneers, entering the day with one open roster spot, created two more openings by cutting defensive backs Deshazor Everett and Derrick Wells, according to a team release. To get back up to 90 players, the Bucs added rookie defensive backs Jude Adjei-Barimah and Al-Hajj Shabazz and free agent safety Kimario McFadden, who spent time on the Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and Carolina practice squads in 2014
  • The Bears announced that guard Chad Hamilton, who missed a lot of time in the spring, is retiring from football, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Hamilton has been placed on the reserve/retired list.
  • The Saints have signed long snapper Chris Highland, according to Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune (on Twitter).
  • Having cleared waivers, Cameron Lawrence, and offensive lineman Ryan Miller have been placed on the Cowboys‘ injured reserve list, per Wilson (Twitter link).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Le’Veon Bell Suspension Cut To Two Games

July 28th, 2015 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

While the NFL announced today that Tom Brady‘s suspension will be upheld, the Steelers got a break on Le’Veon Bell‘s ban. According to Jarrett Bell of USA Today (via Twitter), Bell’s suspension was reduced from three games to two games. The Steelers running back will now be eligible to return for Pittsburgh’s Week 3 contest in St. Louis.

We heard yesterday and earlier today that the NFL, NFLPA, and Bell’s reps had been in “frequent contract” and were attempting to negotiate a settlement so that a formal appeal of the three-game suspension wouldn’t be required.

Bell’s suspension was the league’s response to his arrest for marijuana possession and driving under the influence, and the fact that the NFL went as high as three games suggested that he was being penalized separately for each charge. A two-game penalty is in line with other suspensions for DUI incidents.

NFL, NFLPA Discuss Le’Veon Bell Settlement

July 28th, 2015 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

Tom Brady‘s suspension appeal is getting all the headlines, but the Patriots’ Week 1 opponents – the Steelers – will also be without a key player whose suspension was though to be appealed. Explaining why there haven’t been any recent updates on Le’Veon Bell‘s case, Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that the NFL, NFLPA, and Bell’s reps have been in frequent contract and a formal appeal hearing may not be required.

The Steelers running back, who would argue that he’s being punished twice for the same incident, tells Breer that he’s hoping for the penalty to be reduced, not wiped out entirely (Twitter links). And according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, that remains a possibility — Graziano tweets that the two sides are negotiating a settlement that could reduce the suspension to one or two games.

Bell’s three-game suspension came as a result of his arrest for marijuana possession and driving under the influence. Both charges came as a result of the same incident, and it appears the suspension considers them separate offenses, with the running back getting two games for the DUI and one game for the marijuana possession.

As is the case with Brady’s appeal, I’d expect the NFL to announce something on Bell soon, since the league likely won’t want to have the situation drag out too far into training camp.

La Canfora On WR Extensions, Colts, JPP, Jets

July 27th, 2015 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

After addressing a few burning questions on DeflateGate, the Marcus Mariota contract negotiations, and Junior Galette‘s release, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com takes a look around the rest of the NFL, passing along several noteworthy tidbits from all over the league. Let’s dive right in and check out a few of the highlights from La Canfora’s newest piece…

  • La Canfora expects both Julio Jones and A.J. Green to sign new deals before the 2015 season begins, and estimates that both deals will fall in the range of $13MM per year. I’m guessing that figure takes into account their current $10.176MM salaries for 2015, so the annual average of the new money would be closer to the $14MM per year that Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas received.
  • Several executives around the league believe that Andrew Luck‘s price tag may end up being so high that it puts the Colts in a bind with T.Y. Hilton. La Canfora thinks Hilton’s extension could come in at close to $12MM per year, and some observers aren’t convinced Indianapolis would go that high.
  • Jason Pierre-Paul and the Giants will likely come to terms on a one-year contract agreement that features per-game roster bonuses, says La Canfora, adding that New York also hopes to get something out of Will Beatty in the season’s second half.
  • La Canfora suggests that Muhammad Wilkerson and the Jets should consider working out a short-term extension – perhaps for two or three years – that gives the standout defensive lineman a nice chunk of guaranteed money and buys the team some time to make long-term decisions on Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams. Wilkerson would be “very open” to the idea, per La Canfora.
  • Some team executives around the league raised an eyebrow at the Steelers‘ big-money extension for Cameron Heyward. However, Pittsburgh likes Heyward more than a lot of clubs do and was willing to take a “calculated gamble” on his upside, writes La Canfora.

AFC North Notes: Rice, Green, Beachum

July 27th, 2015 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

Tony Porter and Ted Bunch – the co-founders of a national organization that encourages men to end violence against women – are among those advocating that former Ravens running back Ray Rice get a second chance in the NFL, writes Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

“We have been around a lot of abusive men, but our experience with Ray has been tremendously positive,” Porter said. “We feel strongly about him having the opportunity of having a second chance. He’s deserving of it.”

While we wait to see if an NFL team takes a flier on Rice this summer, let’s check in on some others notes from out of the AFC North….

  • We heard yesterday that the Bengals would like to get a new deal done with A.J. Green in 2015, and Coley Harvey of ESPN.com confirms, via a source, that the team is “happy to have that discussion now” with the star wideout. However, the club isn’t sure whether Green wants to get something done right away, or if he prefers to wait until after the season.
  • On the same day the Steelers extended general manager Kevin Colbert through 2018, we heard that the team had also begun discussing a new deal with left tackle Kelvin Beachum. Beachum tells Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette he isn’t concerned about his contract situation, suggesting that he’ll “let the business people take care of the business stuff.” As Fittipaldo observes, if the Steelers decide to extend Beachum and guard David DeCastro, the club would likely have the most expensive offensive line in the NFL.
  • After signing a new four-year extension with the Steelers this offseason, Ben Roethlisberger may be playing on his final NFL contract, but he’s not ready to consider his long-term future or his legacy quite yet, says Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I treat my legacy the same way [as] when people ask me how much longer I am going to play,” Roethlisberger said. “Do I think about stats and Hall of Fame? No, because that is thinking about the end. If I think about the future, then I am cheating about right now.”
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