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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Extra Points: Brown, Jets, Winston

April 21st, 2015 at 9:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Steelers star Antonio Brown is seeking a new deal, but Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette doesn’t see it happening. Brown is in the middle of a six-year, $43MM pact that he signed in 2012 and the scribe can’t remember another Pittsburgh player pushing for a new deal with three years still to go. The Steelers might want to compensate Brown better (he’s not among the top 10 highest-paid wide receivers), but doing so would set a very bad precedent going forward. Here’s more from around the NFL…

  • It turns out FSU quarterback Jameis Winston won’t visit the Jets after all, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. That doesn’t mean Gang Green has removed him from the draft board, but it does mean that they probably have enough info on the signal caller. Of course, the Jets pick at No. 6 and Winston is widely expected to go No. 1.
  • No surprise here, but ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky hears from a source that Winston is ‘in play’ for the Titans if he’s available at No. 2. The Titans have done their homework on Winston and feel that he “checks out,” according to the source.
  • Starting inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman has abstained from the Colts‘ voluntary workouts so far, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star writes. Freeman, a restricted free agent, was issued a tender but has yet to sign it. Ostensibly, the 28-year-old is holding out for a more favorable deal. Freeman led the Colts in tackles in 2012 and 2013.
  • The Bengals hosted TCU linebacker Paul Dawson on a visit spanning Monday and Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Bengals are keeping a watchful eye on Dawson and other intriguing linebackers in this year’s class as Vontaze Burfict recovers from microfracture surgery.
  • The Dolphins brought in Texas A&M guard Jarvis Harrison on Tuesday, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. The Dolphins are looking for help on the interior of their offensive line and the potential mid-round pick has caught their eye.

Draft Visits: Perriman, DGB, Clemmings, Jones

April 21st, 2015 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

Here are the latest updates on a few draft prospects taking some visits and working out for teams this week:

  • Breshad Perriman, WR (UCF): Visiting the Titans today, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Second overall is too high for Perriman, but 33rd overall is likely too late to nab him, so Tennessee could be doing its due diligence in the event of a trade.
  • Dorial Green-Beckham, WR (Missouri): Visiting the Chiefs today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • T.J. Clemmings, OT (Pittsburgh): Visiting the Saints, Falcons, and Rams this week, and has met with 19 teams since his Pro Day, per Rapoport (Twitter link).
  • Byron Jones, CB (UConn): Visiting the Dolphins, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Jones was previously identified as a player on Miami’s radar.
  • Anthony Harris, S (Virginia); Marcus Rush, DE (Michigan State): Both players are visiting the Lions today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
  • Kyle Emanuel, DE (North Dakota); Eric Rowe, CB (Utah); Doran Grant, CB (Ohio State): All three players visited the Steelers today, tweets ESPN.com’s Scott Brown.
  • Daryl Williams, OL (Oklahoma); Tyrus Thompson, OL (Oklahoma); Adam Shead, OL (Oklahoma): All three players worked out for Panthers offensive line coach John Matsko today, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Williams and Thompson previously worked out for Cowboys offensive line coach Frank Pollack.
  • Jesse Davis, OL (Idaho): Has a private workout with the Seahawks later this week, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

Minor Moves: Monday

April 20th, 2015 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are today’s minor transactions from across the NFL, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening:

  • Howard Balzer of the SportsXchange (all Twitter links) passes along word on a number of exclusive rights and restricted free agents who officially signed their contract tenders today. According to Balzer, the following players are now under contract for the 2015 season: Browns linebacker Craig Robertson (second-round RFA), Browns safety Johnson Bademosi (low-end RFA), Steelers fullback Will Johnson (low-end RFA), Giants cornerback Chandler Fenner (ERFA), Ravens cornerback Tramain Jacobs (ERFA), and Chiefs wide receivers Frankie Hammond and Junior Hemingway (ERFAs).
  • The Seahawks have re-signed free agent center Lemuel Jeanpierre, according to Balzer (via Twitter). Jeanpierre, who turns 28 next month, started three games at center for Seattle near the end of the 2014 regular season.

Earlier updates:

  • The Titans have reached an agreement on a one-year contract with linebacker Kaelin Burnett, the club announced today (Twitter link). Burnett, who started his career with the Raiders, has played in 22 total NFL games, including five last year for the Titans, primarily as a special teamer.
  • Wide receiver Kamar Aiken signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Ravens today, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The move was a mere formality, allowing Aiken to participate in the club’s offseason program.
  • Lions wide receiver and kick returner Jeremy Ross also signed his ERFA tender today, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link). Like Aiken, Ross was technically a free agent but wasn’t able to negotiate with any team besides Detroit.

Draft Visits: Jets, Jags, Steelers, Lions

April 20th, 2015 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Draft day is only a week and a half away, but teams are still bringing in prospects for visits and working them out, as they try to compile as much information as possible on this year’s draft class. Here are a few Monday updates on the latest visits and workouts:

  • Leonard Williams, DL (USC); Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB (Florida): Making their previously-reported visits to the Jets this week, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
  • Denzel Perryman, LB (Miami): Visiting the Jaguars today, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
  • Darryl Roberts, CB (Marshall); Bryce Callahan, CB (Rice); Steven Nelson, CB (Oregon State): All visiting the Steelers today, according to Wilson (Twitter link).
  • Jamison Crowder, WR (Duke): Has had private workouts with Panthers, Buccaneers, and Texans, per Wilson.
  • Carl Davis, DT (Iowa): Visiting the Lions today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
  • David Johnson, RB (Northern Iowa): Visiting the Falcons today, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • Marcus Hardison, DL (Arizona State): Visiting the Bengals today and generating a lot of interest around the league, per Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link).
  • Bud Sasser, WR (Missouri): Visiting the Broncos today, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

AFC Links: Dolphins, Robinson, Steelers

April 18th, 2015 at 11:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

A quest to bring another receiver to Miami to join Kenny Stills and Jarvis Landry will conclude soon, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The two receiving prospects at the top of the Dolphins‘ list for their No. 14 selection are DeVante Parker and Breshad Perriman, the Nos. 8 and 20 overall talents available in the draft, according to Scouts Inc.

Arizona State’s Jaelen Strong serves as an option for the Fins in a trade-down scenario, notes Jackson, with Sammie Coates (Auburn), Phillip Dorsett (Miami) and Devin Smith (Ohio State) potentially there if the team addresses another need in Round 1. The Dolphins brought in each of the latter trio for visits.

Smith averaged 28.2 yards per reception last season, while Mel Kiper rates Dorsett as one of the class’ safest bets. Jackson also places Dorial Green-Beckham among this contingent who could be on the board for Miami at No. 47, with Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller reporting the Dolphins have “fallen in love” with the boom-or-bust prospect. It’s unlikely the elite-tools prospect falls that far. Our Rob DiRe lists DGB among first-round possibilities in his recent look at the 2015 class’ wideouts.

The Dolphins have worked out late-round hopefuls R.J. Harris and Harold Spears (New Hampshire), and Zach D’Orazio (Akron), per Jackson.

Elsewhere in the AFC as the week winds down …

  • The Steelers‘ depth chart suggests they need cornerback help following Ike Taylor‘s retirement — their third defensive starter to leave the league in two months behind Jason Worilds and Troy Polamalu — but their recent history dictates they may gamble on a late-round prospect, writes Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Kiper has Pittsburgh taking Wake Forest corner Kevin Johnson at No. 22 (subscription required), but the team hasn’t expended its top pick on a corner since Chad Scott in 1997 and hasn’t used a second-rounder at the position since Bryant McFadden in 2005. Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, whose team currently employs Cortez Allen and William Gay atop its figurative offseason depth chart at corner, attributed this drought to the team’s usual draft slot in the late first round coming after the top corners are usually off the board. “In Pittsburgh’s case, for years they didn’t have really good corners,” NFL.com’s Charley Casserly told Adamski. “That defense was won with the front seven.”
  • A running back need persists in Jacksonville after Toby Gerhart‘s three-year pact last spring sputtered from the start, but the Jaguars still have the somewhat surprising contributions from Denard Robinson to evaluate from last year, offers Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Robinson’s work from Week 7 until he broke his foot in December — 582 rushing yards — helped elevate the Jags’ weak rushing attacks the past few years to a passable level: 21st in total ground gains last season.
  • Four-decade NFL coaching veteran Chris Palmer will not have a role in coaching the Bills‘ quarterbacks this year, writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News, with new offensive coordinator Greg Roman and QBs coach David Lee handling that. Palmer, 65, whose title is senior offensive assistant, will help coach the wideouts and tight ends this offseason after following Roman from San Francisco to Buffalo.

Minor Moves: Friday

April 17th, 2015 at 5:19pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL. As always, any additional moves will be added to the top:

  • The Seahawks waived free agent long snapper Luke Ingram, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).
  • Safety Chris Banjo signed his exclusive-rights tender with the Packers, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The two-year veteran has appeared in 19 games, though only one last season.
  • The Steelers claimed long snapper Brandon Hartson off waivers, the team tweeted. Pittsburgh will be the third organization for Hartson since he entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He has never appeared in a game.
  • Ravens tight end Phillip Supernaw signed his exclusive-rights tender with the team, according to the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson. Supernaw appeared in six games last season and caught two passes.

AFC Notes: Manziel, Talib, Draft, Parker

April 17th, 2015 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Following his release from rehab, Johnny Manziel issued a statement through the Browns today, thanking the organization, his teammates, and fans for their patience and understanding over the last several weeks.

“I take full responsibility for my actions and it’s my intention to work very hard to regain everyone’s trust and respect,” Manziel said in his statement. “I understand that will take time and will only happen through what I do and not what I say. … I look forward to seeing my teammates next week and focusing on football and my desire to be the best possible player, teammate, and man that I can be.”

While we wait to see if Manziel’s sophomore year as an NFL player goes any better than his rookie season did, let’s check out a few more items from across the AFC….

  • The Dallas police department has suspended its investigation into an alleged aggravated assault involving Aqib Talib due to a lack of evidence, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Assuming no new evidence arises, the Broncos cornerback won’t face charges and should avoid discipline from the NFL for the coming season.
  • There’s little doubt that Kevin White and Amari Cooper, the top two wideouts in the draft, will be long gone by the time the Dolphins‘ No. 14 overall pick arrives. However, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) continues to hear that a third receiver, Louisville’s DeVante Parker, will be off the board by that point as well.
  • Arizona State wide receiver Jaelen Strong is paying a visit to Pittsburgh today to meet with the Steelers, tweets ESPN.com’s Scott Brown.
  • Running back C.J. Spiller will suit up for the Saints in 2015, but he’ll “always be a Buffalo Bill at heart,” he tells Tim Graham of The Buffalo News.
  • The Broncos, who will be looking to add some depth on the defensive line after losing Terrance Knighton in free agency, brought in Auburn defensive tackle Angelo Blackson for a visit, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Blackson isn’t projected to be selected until the late rounds, if he’s drafted at all, but he had an impressive Pro Day showing and could be a fit for new Denver defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

AFC Notes: Browns, Cooper, Agholor, Titans

April 16th, 2015 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

While he likely won’t be around by the time the No. 12 overall pick rolls around, Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper paid a pre-draft visit to the Browns, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The Browns, of course, hold the 12th and 19th overall picks, so they have plenty of options at their disposal, including trading up or down, and they could certainly use some receiving help.

Here are a few more draft-related items from across the AFC:

  • USC wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who previously worked out for the Eagles twice, has also visited the Bills and has a workout lined up with the Patriots, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). With his draft stock reportedly on the rise, Agholor’s previously-reported workout with the Panthers happened today.
  • Michigan State running back Jeremy Langford, a potential mid-round selection, recently visited the Broncos, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. As Klis observes, Denver may be looking to develop a change-of-pace alternative, with Ronnie Hillman entering the final year of his contract. Klis notes in a second story that the Broncos also recently met with wide receivers Tre McBride (William & Mary) and Keith Mumphery (Michigan State).
  • The Steelers hosted a pair of prospects today, conducting their previously-reported visit with Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory and also taking a look at former Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner, tweets Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Gardner figures to play wide receiver at the NFL level.
  • After visiting the Steelers today, Gregory is on to Tennessee to meet with the Titans, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport tweets that the Titans are also hosting Louisville wideout DeVante Parker. Neither Gregory nor Parker seems like a viable candidate to go second overall, though they’ll probably be long gone by the second round, so it looks like Tennessee is preparing for a number of different scenarios.

Extra Points: LeSean, Rivers, Raiders, Steelers

April 14th, 2015 at 10:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles originally wanted draft picks from the Bills in exchange for LeSean McCoy, writes Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com in a profile of new Buffalo head coach Rex Ryan. But because the Bills lack a 2015 first-rounder, general manager Doug Whaley told Philadelphia to look over Buffalo’s roster, at which the Eagles decided on linebacker Kiko Alonso. The entire piece is worth a read, as it includes interesting notes about Ryan’s hiring and, of course, grade-A quotes from Ryan himself.

Let’s take a look at more from around the league…

  • The Chargers have the option of using the franchise tag on Philip Rivers for the 2016 season, but they’re concerned he may simply retire instead of playing for the team, especially if it relocates to Los Angeles, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). If Rivers is going to walk away from football rather than play for San Diego, the Chargers feel they must get some sort of compensation for him, adds Rapoport.
  • NFL officials will meet with representatives of Oakland and Alameda County on Wednesday to discuss the status of an East Bay stadium proposal for the Raiders, per Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. NFL executive Eric Grubman will lead the discussions for the league, and report the results to the NFL’s Los Angeles committee on April 22.
  • The recent retirements of Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor have helped the Steelers’ dire cap situation, writes David Steele of the Sporting News, who examines the costs of paying a franchise quarterback like Ben Roethlisberger market value.
  • Because the league continually fails to conceal the results of draft prospects’ Wonderlic tests (Jameis Winston‘s score was reported earlier), players should simply refuse to take the exam, argues Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Draft Notes: Winston, Gregory, Steelers, Rams

April 14th, 2015 at 9:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFL announced (via Twitter) that 26 prospects will attend the draft in Chicago later this month, but neither of the two biggest names — quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota — will be present to hear their respective names called. Receiver Amari Cooper, also expected to be a top-five pick, will also skip the event, but the likes of Leonard Williams, Kevin White, and Dante Fowler Jr. will be on hand.

Let’s look at some more draft news as we get closer to April 30:

  • Winston reportedly scored a 27 on the Wonderlic, the NFL’s predraft intelligence test, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, who notes Winston’s mark is just one shy of Peyton Manning‘s grade in 1998. It’s unclear what role the Wonderlic plays in teams’ draft decisions, but it’s an interesting note nonetheless.
  • We previously heard that Nebraska edge rusher Randy Gregory was set to visit Pittsburgh at some point this week, and it looks like he’ll meet with the Steelers on Thursday, writes Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  • In the market for offensive line help, the Rams met with guards Ali Marpet, Tre Jackson, and Jamil Douglas today, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  • Oklahoma fullback Aaron Ripkowski met with the Packers today, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
  • Texas long snapper Nate Boyer (a former Green Beret whose story can be read here) has a predraft visit lined up with the 49ers, he tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
  • More from the Bay Area: The 49ers have maintained heavy interest in a pair of LSU players — linebacker Kwon Alexander and running back Terrence Magee — a source tells Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link).
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