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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

AFC Notes: Clay, Browns, Worilds, Wilfork

March 22nd, 2015 at 9:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the offseason’s biggest winners, Charles Clay reportedly twice received offers worth more in 2015 than he was asking for from the Dolphins, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Initially, Clay only sought $6.8MM per year from the Dolphins when the sides were negotiating, but Clay’s would-be salary for this season rose to $7MM when the Dolphins placed the transition tag on their developing tight end. Clay’s initial asking price represented the logic behind Miami opting to place the lesser-used transition tag on Clay as opposed to the franchise tag ($8.2MM for tight ends this year), per Salguero. This would’ve forced the Bills to part with two first-round draft picks if they matched the offer and ultimately kept Clay in Miami.

The Bills will now pay Clay, who signed a five-year contract worth $38MM, more than any tight end over the next two seasons ($11.5MM per season in ’15 and ’16) due to the frontloaded deal.

  • The Browns are the frontrunners to be the subject of this season’s Hard Knocks, reports Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News reports on Twitter. This would mark the first such time the Browns, who finished 7-9 last season, would appear on the HBO training camp show.
  • Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said prior to Jason Worilds‘ retirement he was not in the Steelers’ plans, as the team thought the improving linebacker would receive an offer they weren’t prepared to match, reports Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via Twitter.
  • Signing DeAngelo Williams required the Steelers’ brass to take a “little leap of faith” after what happened regarding LeGarrette Blount‘s abrupt midseason exit, Colbert said (via ESPN’s Scott Brown on Twitter). Coming off a career-worst season and entering his age-32 campaign, Williams received a key endorsement from quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner, who recruited and coached the running back when he was on staff at Memphis in the early 2000s (Twitter link).
  • Colbert told Brown the Steelers will pursue cornerbacks in the draft and that three of Pittsburgh’s four starting linebacker positions, excluding the inside backer spot manned by Lawrence Timmons, are open competitions.
  • Texans owner Bob McNair wanted to sign Vince Wilfork when he became a free agent in 2010, reports Tom Curran of CSN New England. Instead, Wilfork re-signed with the Patriots on a five-year, $40MM contract — then a league-high pact for defensive tackles. McNair received a slightly lesser version of the run-stuffing tackle this year, with the now-33-year-old signing for $9MM across two years.
  • Elite edge-rushing prospect Randy Gregory will visit the Ravens, whom he already met with at the NFL Scouting Combine, according to the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson.
  • Former Titans and Ravens linebacker Brandon Copeland participated in Sunday’s inaugural Veteran Combine and caught the eye of several teams, per Wilson on Twitter. Copeland, who will be 24 in July, told Wilson he spoke with the Chiefs, Titans, Colts, Bengals, Giants and Eagles after a workout that he said included a 4.52-second 40-yard dash. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound linebacker went undrafted out of Pennsylvania and appeared on the Ravens and Titans rosters in 2013 but did not accrue any statistics.

AFC Rumors: Broncos, Steelers, Sims

March 22nd, 2015 at 6:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Amid an offseason mostly defined by subtraction with the departures of Julius Thomas, Terrance Knighton and several other starters or contributors, the Broncos may have a fit as a result of an under-the-radar acquisition, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

The team’s signing of tight end/fullback Joe Don Duncan, an undrafted Division II product who missed what would’ve been his rookie season in 2014 due to injuries, occupies the Broncos’ new need for a fullback. Per Klis, the Broncos plan to convert Duncan to fill their need at fullback, a position the team hasn’t used much since Spencer Larsen and Peyton Hillis in 2008.

An Associated Press D-II All-American in 2013, Duncan caught 71 passes for 1,045 yards as a senior. Denver used recently re-signed Virgil Green and former undrafted running back Juwan Thompson at the position last season.

Gary Kubiak also mentioned in Klis’ story that Chris Myers, who he coached for six seasons with the Texans, Samson Satele, Scott Wells and 2014 Broncos snapper Will Montgomery as available free agent centers before alluding to the front office’s positive outlook on Matt Paradis, a sixth-round pick last season. Recently added ex-Dolphins guard Shelley Smith could also factor in at center, per Klis, if the Broncos see a left guard they prefer instead of a center.

Elsewhere on Sunday night …

  • The Bengals are interested in bringing back defensive tackle Pat Sims, notes Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Paul Dehner Jr. via Twitter. The former third-round Bengals selection in 2008 played five years in Cincinnati before signing with the Raiders in 2013. A starter in Oakland in 2013, Sims served as a backup last season, playing in 37% of the snaps.
  • Cincinnati will probably wait until at least April before attempting to re-sign role players Taylor Mays or Cedric Peerman, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com writes. Hobson also noted A.J. McCarron could be moved up to the Bengals’ No. 2 quarterback spot, with the team’s reluctance to devote much financially to Andy Dalton‘s backup. 2014 backup Jason Campbell remains a free agent.
  • Third-year Steelers outside linebacker Jarvis Jones could switch to the left edge, reports Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writer Mark Kaboly on Twitter. GM Kevin Colbert told Kaboly newly re-signed backer James Harrison probably won’t move. Soon to be 37, Harrison was partially signed to mentor the Steelers’ young linebackers. According to Colbert, both outside backer slots and both cornerback starters are open competitions. But the GM imagines re-signed Arthur Moats will start on the left side after the retirement of Jason Worilds vacated that position. (Twitter links).
  • The Dolphins won the offseason, writes Grantland’s Robert Mays. for their addition of Ndamukong Suh, Jordan Cameron and Kenny Stills while also shedding the excess contracts of Mike Wallace and Dannell Ellerbe. Mays also speculates a fit in Miami for All-Pro guard Evan Mathis, who the Eagles are reportedly open to dealing, if Mike Pouncey indeed shifts back to center from right guard.

Steelers Re-Sign James Harrison

March 22nd, 2015 at 3:28pm CST by Rory Parks

3:28pm: Harrison’s two-year deal is worth $2.75MM, and includes a $500K signing bonus, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

12:45pm: The team has officially announced the deal (via Twitter). Kaboly says the fact that it is a two-year contract does not mean much (Twitter link). He notes that there is surely no guaranteed money beyond the first year of the deal, so the team could easily move on next season with no salary cap repercussions.

11:32am: James Harrison has decided to return to the Steelers, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, who reports that the two sides have agreed to terms. We learned yesterday that the five-time Pro Bowler and 2008 Defensive Player of the Year was deciding between the Steelers and Titans, and he has apparently chosen to remain in Pittsburgh. Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets that it is a two-year deal.

Harrison played the 2013 season in Cincinnati, but after an underwhelming stint with the Bengals, Harrison decided to call it a career. His retirement lasted for all of 18 days before his old teammates convinced him to rejoin their ranks. The 36-year-old, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent and even spent time on Baltimore’s roster in the early stages of his career, collected 5.5 sacks in 11 games for the Steelers last season.

Harrison has piled up a total of 71.5 sacks during his illustrious career, including a career-high 16 in that terrific 2008 campaign, which culminated in the Steelers’ sixth Super Bowl championship. He has also earned a reputation for being one of the dirtier players in the league, thanks to the number of illegal hits he has delivered over the course of his career. Harrison is no longer the feared pass rusher he once was, but he can still be useful in a limited role in clear passing downs. He will provide depth to a unit that has struggled to get to the quarterback in recent seasons.

Sunday Roundup: Big Ben, Bradford, Borland

March 22nd, 2015 at 12:49pm CST by Rory Parks

As most of the sports world is fixated on the third round of the NCAA tournament, let’s take a look at a few notes from around the NFL:

  • Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that Ben Roethlisberger‘s new contract will not prevent the Steelers from making necessary signings over the life of the deal.
  • Bears head coach John Fox is enthusiastic about the team’s recent signings, but he admits that his club has a lot of needs to address. As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes, Fox prefers to be more active in the second wave of free agency rather than the first wave, when teams frequently overpay for a splash acquisition. Biggs expects the team to add at least one wide receiver, but that addition could come via the draft rather than the dwindling free agent market.
  • Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com looks at where the Lions stand vis-a-vis their own free agents two weeks into the free agency period.
  • Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believes Sam Bradford will be the Eagles‘ quarterback in 2015, and possibly beyond.
  • The Dolphins lead the league in dead money, according to James Walker of ESPN.com. The team has $23.7MM of this year’s cap allocated to players who will not help them this season.
  • Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com looks at a few of the names the Chargers could target in the draft as they look to bolster their pass rush.
  • The NFL is hosting the inaugural Veteran Combine today, which is “designated to showcase players who have already left college and many who have already played in the NFL to teams in an effort to be signed as free agents.” Although a number of prominent front office executives, like Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, are skeptical of the Combine’s value, all 32 teams are nonetheless doing their due diligence at the event. Kevin Bowen of Colts.com writes that the Combine has the Colts‘ interest, and Conor Orr of NFL.com tweets that Rick Spielman, Reggie McKenzie, and John Dorsey are among the top executives on hand.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com looks at the true value of all of the contracts signed in the second week of free agency.

James Harrison To Decide Between Steelers, Titans

March 21st, 2015 at 4:52pm CST by Rob DiRe

Former Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison has narrowed his list of potential teams in 2015 to only two, the Steelers and the Titans, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.

Harrison made this announcement through his Instagram account, with a video in which his two sons each take turns pushing for one of the two teams.

Harrison is a five-time Pro Bowl pass rusher, achieving all of those accolades during his time in Pittsburgh. His lone season away from the Steel City was a disappointing 2013 campaign with the Bengals, in which he struggled to get on the field and impact games.

However, he was coaxed out of retirement by his former Steeler teammates after a rash of injuries took out a significant portion of the linebacking corps. Although he was reportedly considering retirement again this offseason, he announced he was committed to playing again in 2015.

His preference, of course, was to return to the Steelers. However, the team’s linebackers will start the season healthy once again, and that will mean no room for Harrison or at best a diminished role for the former All-Pro linebacker.

The Titans emerged as an option due to Harrison’s strong connection to Dick LeBeau, who resigned from the Steelers in favor of a job in Tennessee. Harrison has not announced a timetable for his decision.

Draft Notes: Gardner, Funchess, Irving

March 21st, 2015 at 1:56pm CST by Rob DiRe

With teams beginning to set their draft boards in stone, many are meeting with prospects to try to learn as much as they can as they prepare for the 2015 NFL Draft.

Here are a few prospects that have visited with organizations, with new updates added to the top:

  • LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins will visit with the Ravens prior to the NFL draft, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Collins had already met with the team during both the NFL Combine and the Senior Bowl.
  • Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner says that between three and four teams are interested in him as a passer, while the rest of the league views him as a wide receiver, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN (via Twitter). Gardner has already worked out with the Falcons and Bengals, and has visits with the Patriots and Chiefs coming up next week (via Twitter). He will also be meeting with the Steelers before the draft as well (via Twitter).
  • Rothstein also notes thats fellow Wolverine Devin Funchess worked out for the Falcons last week, at both wide receiver and H-back (via Twitter).
  • Former Iowa State defensive tackle David Irving will work out in San Jacinto, California on Monday morning. Despite being dismissed from the team due to an arrest and missing the 2014 season, at least two NFL teams are expected to attend, writes Gil Brandt of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Extra Points: Texans, Steelers, Browns, Vikings

March 20th, 2015 at 10:38pm CST by Rob DiRe

Texans owner Bob McNair is happy with what his front office was able to accomplish in free agency, write John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, particularly with the acquisitions of Brian Hoyer, Vince Wilfork, Rahim Moore, and Cecil Shorts.

“I’ve been quite pleased with free agency. We’ve accomplished what we set out to do. We signed a quarterback and got help in the defensive line. We wanted a free safety with range, more of a centerfielder, and we wanted to add some speed at receiver,” McNair said. “And we were able to retain Kareem, Derek and Mallett. We did it within the cap, and we didn’t sacrifice our future.”

Here are some other notes from around the NFL:

  • Steelers team president Art Rooney II has been overseeing a much different offseason, but does not expect the team to be extremely active late in the offseaon, writes Mark Kaboly of TribLive.com. “We’re still looking at what the options are, and we’ll continue to do that,” Rooney said. “I think we’re at this point not expecting that there’s going to be a lot more activity out there, but we’re certainly continuing to look. If there’s a player that makes sense for us to pursue, we’ll do that.”
  • The Browns have been spending their money and assets on the defensive side of the ball recently, and their commitment on that side of the ball is evident when analyzing the salary cap numbers by position, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. The Browns are spending a large amount of money on their secondary, both in terms of cornerbacks and safeties, and are also spending significantly at linebacker. However, they are in saving money at quarterback, and more significantly at running back.
  • The Vikings have had lukewarm interest in inside linebacker Brandon Spikes, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (via Twitter). Wolfson hasn’t heard anything about the team’s interest in fellow linebackers Mason Foster and Rolando McClain, but infers that they might be similarly uninspiring options for the Vikings.

AFC Notes: Delmas, Broncos, Steelers

March 20th, 2015 at 4:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Some notes from the AFC on Friday.

Extra Points: Holmes, Steelers, Cards, Willis

March 20th, 2015 at 12:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Wide receiver Santonio Holmes isn’t getting any bites this offseason and he told SI Now (video link) that he doesn’t understand why he’s out of a job.

“It baffles me a little to know that I’m not a part of any organization,” Holmes said. “It is a gift and a curse at the same time. And I say that because the gift of playing and the opportunity to be a figure in the National Football League. I enjoyed my time. And the curse of having one injury in my entire career that people are now looking at me as if Santonio Holmes is not the guy anymore.”

Many feel that Holmes is no longer the same player after suffering a Lisfranc fracture in 2012 with the Jets. It also doesn’t help that he has a reputation as a difficult locker room presence.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • The Steelers haven’t exactly been aggressive in free agency so far, and that approach won’t change anytime soon. Team president Art Rooney II said today that Pittsburgh continues to look at available options, but he isn’t expecting much in the way of upcoming free agent signings, as Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review outlines.
  • The Cardinals have been a bit more active in free agency than Pittsburgh, having signed Mike Iupati to a lucrative long-term deal. However, for the most part, GM Steve Keim is on the lookout for bargains, writes Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com.
  • Appearing on NBC Sports Network on Thursday, speaking to former teammate Takeo Spikes, Patrick Willis said he’s having no second thoughts about his decision to retire, and adamantly stated there’s no chance he attempts a comeback. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com has the details and quotes.
  • Former Dolphins quarterback Pat White has announced his retirement, according to the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos (on Twitter). White only played in the CFL in 2014 and didn’t see the field much with the Eskimos as there were multiple quarterbacks ahead of him on the depth chart. Former Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland drafted White No. 44 overall in 2009 but the West Virginia product did very little on the NFL gridiron.
  • The Cowboys, Saints, Chiefs, and Texans will have some cap work to do between now and the summer, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap (Twitter links). Meanwhile, the Browns, Jaguars, Titans, and Buccaneers figure to have lots of cap space leftover (Twitter link).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Ravens, T. Williams

March 16th, 2015 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The five-year, $99MM extension Ben Roethlisberger signed with the Steelers last week pays him more than $35MM in 2015, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who provides some details on the quarterback’s new deal. Bouchette reports that Big Ben gets a $31MM signing bonus, and could earn up to $9MM in incentives in later seasons, potentially increasing the total value of the contract to $108MM.

Here’s more from around the AFC North:

  • Free agent defensive back Sterling Moore, who paid a visit to the Buccaneers last week, has a meeting lined up with the Steelers this week, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com. Non-tendered by the Cowboys, Moore arrives in Pittsburgh tonight and his visit with the team will continue tomorrow, per Anderson.
  • The Ravens ultimately signed Kendrick Lewis to address their need at safety, but the club also had interest in Ron Parker before he decided to return to Kansas City, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Speaking of Ravens’ secondary targets, Wilson reports in a separate piece for the Sun that Baltimore is currently eyeing cornerback Tramon Williams, who has also received interest from the division-rival Browns.
  • In a piece naming 10 of his favorite team-friendly deals of free agency so far, Grantland’s Bill Barnwell places the Ravens‘ signing of Justin Forsett atop his list.
  • Free agent wide receiver Cecil Shorts is paying a visit to the Texans this week, but the Ohio native doesn’t have a visit lined up with the Browns, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
  • Earlier today, Cabot reported that the Browns attempted to trade for Larry Fitzgerald before he worked out a new contract with the Cardinals.
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