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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

James Harrison To Play In 2015

February 22nd, 2015 at 6:47pm CST by Rob DiRe

Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison has decided that he would like to play football in 2015, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter).

Harrison had been mulling retirement, but had planned to make an announcement on his future in advance of the start of free agency on March 10.

The longtime Steeler had previously retired after a rocky year with the division rival Bengals and some flirtation with the Cardinals last offseason. Of course, he was coaxed out of retirement early in the season after the Steelers dealt with a number of injuries to their young linebacking group.

Last year, Harrison gave special consideration to the Steelers because of his history there and familiarity with the scheme. It is unclear if he would have come out of retirement to play with another team on such short notice.

As for this season, Kaboly writes that Harrison would prefer to come back with the Steelers. That would depend on what the Steelers want, with Lawrence Timmons, Jarvis Jones, and Ryan Shazier expected to make up three out of the four spots in the starting rotation for linebackers. If Jason Worilds leaves in free agency, Harrison could be a cheap alternative to provide a pass rush.

Ryan Clark To Retire As Steeler

February 18th, 2015 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran safety Ryan Clark announced his retirement from the NFL today on ESPN NFL Live, per Scott Brown of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Although Clark spent the 2014 season in Washington, he will retire as a Steeler, having played the majority of his 13-year career in Pittsburgh. He’ll also join ESPN as an analyst, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post.

Clark, 35, went undrafted out of LSU, but caught on with the Giants back in 2002, and then spent time with Washington as well before finding a more permanent home in Pittsburgh. Clark was a cornerstone member of the Steelers’ defense from 2006 to 2013, starting at safety alongside Troy Polamalu. While Clark was perhaps overshadowed in the Steelers’ secondary by Polamalu, he earned a Pro Bowl berth of his own in 2011, and finished his stint in Pittsburgh with three consecutive seasons of 100+ tackles.

For his career, Clark played 177 games (152 starts), racking up 928 total tackles, 55 passes defended, and 16 interceptions. He was also a member of the 2008 Steelers team that won the Super Bowl over Kurt Warner and the Cardinals.

The last update we heard on Clark came at the end of the regular season, when it sounded as if a decision from the veteran safety on his future was imminent. Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 suggested at the time that the longtime Steeler may just sign the necessary retirement papers rather than making a big announcement, but presumably the fact that he’s joining ESPN required him to publicly confirm his decision.

Combine Pressers: Steelers, Bucs, Broncos, 49ers

February 18th, 2015 at 9:59am CST by Luke Adams

48 head coaches or general managers are scheduled to speak today, tomorrow, and Friday at the NFL’s scouting combine in Indianapolis, with the Eagles, Saints, and Patriots the only teams not represented on this year’s schedule. Those mini-pressers are already underway, so let’s round up a few of the notable comments made by the men who have spoken to the media so far. All links go to the Twitter accounts of various NFL reporters in attendance….

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert:

  • Contract talks between Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers are “progressing,” according to Colbert. With Big Ben heading into the final year of his current deal, the two sides are expected to work out a new agreement at some point during the offseason, and the GM is very confident it can be done within a traditional cap structure.
  • Despite the fact that LeGarrette Blount ultimately played a major role for the Super Bowl champion Patriots, Colbert said today that he and his club have no regrets about parting ways with the running back during the season.
  • While Colbert said he’d love to bring back free-agent-to-be Jason Worilds, he didn’t convey a ton of confidence that something will get done, telling reporters, “Maybe he comes back, maybe he moves on.” Per Colbert, the outside linebacker may need to test the open market to gauge his value.

Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith:

  • Calling Josh McCown a “lifelong friend,” Smith said he thought it was in both the team’s and the quarterback’s interests to part ways earlier this month.
  • The Buccaneers’ new coaches like Mike Glennon, so the plan right now is to move forward with Glennon at quarterback — he’s the only signal-caller on the roster at the moment, but Smith thinks he has the potential to be a solid NFL starter.
  • While Glennon may be atop the Tampa Bay depth chart by default for now, Smith also addressed the idea of selecting a quarterback with the first overall pick in April. According to the head coach, the Bucs aren’t put off by Jameis Winston‘s off-field issues, and would be comfortable with the idea of making him the face of their franchise. The vetting process for both Winston and Marcus Mariota is ongoing, and Smith says the team has already “talked to a lot of people” about both prospects.
  • Asked about Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs, two potential free agents whom used to play for Smith in Chicago, the head coach said he’s not sure how much interest they’ll generate, but he believes they can still be positive contributors.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak:

  • Although Kubiak said he has received no assurances that Peyton Manning will be back with the Broncos, all indications are pointing toward him returning. The new Denver head coach talked about adjusting his offense to suit Manning’s skills, which strongly suggest he expects to be coaching the future Hall-of-Famer.
  • According to Kubiak, he had a “good conversation” with Wes Welker, who says he’s feeling good and wants to play in 2015. Of course, the receiver doesn’t have a contract yet, so there’s no guarantee he’ll continue playing for the Broncos. Denver would “love to have him back” though, says Kubiak.
  • Kubiak expects the transition from a 4-3 defense under Jack Del Rio to a 3-4 scheme under Wade Phillips to go fairly smoothly.

49ers GM Trent Baalke:

  • Baalke intends to meet with veteran defensive end Justin Smith after the combine to determine whether or not Smith wants to return for a 15th NFL season in 2015.
  • Asked about wide receiver prospects at the combine and in the draft, Baalke said, “It’s no mystery, we’re looking for guys who can run.”
  • Baalke declined to comment on Jim Harbaugh‘s recent suggestion that the former head coach’s departure from the 49ers was the team’s decision and not his own. “He’s moved on and we’ve moved on,” the GM said.
  • According to the Niners GM, the team’s head coaching job was offered to “one person and one person only” (Jim Tomsula), meaning the club never officially offered the position to Adam Gase. Baalke did confirm that the Niners made an effort to retain defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, but that was dependent on who became the head coach.

AFC North Notes: Manziel, Forsett, Steelers

February 16th, 2015 at 5:51pm CST by Zachary Links

According to the 2014 NFL rankings in offense, defense, and special teams, the Bengals begin their season by playing half of the league’s top ten teams, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com writes. The Bengals could get a break playing four new coaching staffs on the road in the Bills, Broncos, Raiders, and 49ers, but it figures to be a tough path any way you slice it. All in all, the Bengals are estimated to have the second-toughest strength of schedule in the NFL. More from the AFC North..

  • A Browns player admits to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report that he openly wondered to a teammate what sort of shape the club would be in if Cleveland had selected Teddy Bridgewater last May instead of Johnny Manziel. Cleveland had been set to pick 26th overall before trading up to No. 22 to nab Manziel — Bridgewater eventually went 32nd overall to Minnesota.
  • While Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun isn’t buying chatter about Ravens running back Justin Forsett following Gary Kubiak to the Broncos, he definitely wouldn’t be surprised if tight end Owen Daniels lands in Denver this offseason.
  • The agent for Steelers linebacker James Harrison tells Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link) that his client will make an announcement about his future before the new league year begins on March 10. Harrison doesn’t have a contract for 2015, and could decide to call it a career — the veteran will turn 37 this May.
  • In his examination of the Steelers‘ offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap says that the team will have to be “very careful” with Jason Worilds, since he can be very inconsistent and isn’t an elite pass rusher. In Fitzgerald’s view, the Steelers would be overpaying Worilds if they use the transition tag on him again.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC Links: Jets, Brady, Browns, Ravens

February 15th, 2015 at 9:52am CST by Ben Levine

The Steelers have a number of impending free agents, including linebacker Jason Worilds and cornerback Ike Taylor. While some Pittsburgh fans may be pessimistic about the team retaining all of their players, general manager Kevin Colbert is actually confident.

“Almost to a man I’d be shocked if [they] didn’t want to stay,” Colbert said (via ESPN.com’s Scott Brown). “I feel they all would like the opportunity to be able to stay. It doesn’t mean they won’t field other offers or see what else is out there. In the end I think the majority of them will want to be here.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the AFC…

  • We heard yesterday that Antonio Cromartie would be very open to a reunion with the Jets, but the cornerback cautioned that he may want to play for a contender. However, he also noted that the organization was closer to contention than their 4-12 record indicated. “I don’t think the Jets are rebuilding at all,” Cromartie told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
  • Tom Brady is set to make $5MM today as part of the $30MM signing bonus from his 2013 extension with the Patriots, tweets ESPN’s Field Yates.
  • If Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com was the Browns owner, his first move this offseason would be re-signing Brian Hoyer. However, he’d only make that move if the entire organization agreed.
  • ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley examined whether the Ravens should cut wideout Jacoby Jones, with the writer concluding that the team should hold on to the return specialist. The writer does caution that the receiver’s production may not justify his salary.

AFC Notes: Steelers, Manning, Forsett

February 12th, 2015 at 10:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wonders if time is running out for third-string Steelers quarterback Landry Jones. Jones has been inactive for every game since being drafted in 2013 and hasn’t advanced enough to beat out veteran Bruce Gradkowski as Roethlisberger’s backup. Meanwhile, GM Kevin Colbert isn’t sure Jones ever will. “Has he progressed to the point where he beat out Bruce as the No. 2? No,” Colbert said. “Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. I think when you have young guys, at least they have that chance to grow.” More from the AFC..

  • Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning met with GM John Elway at the team’s Dove Valley headquarters Thursday afternoon, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. Broncos president Joe Ellis boarded owner Pat Bowlen’s plane Thursday morning and flew to New Orleans to pick up Manning, who had been spending time in his hometown. Still, the soon-to-be 39-year-old is not ready to announce whether he’ll play in 2015.
  • Free agent running back Justin Forsett told SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link) that he definitely wants to be back with the Ravens, but he’s also looking for a significant commitment. Forsett, 29, had a breakout year in 2014, rushing for 1,266 yards.
  • In his chat on Thursday afternoon with local reporters, new Raiders coach Jack Del Rio was non-committal when discussing Maurice Jones-Drew, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. Del Rio obviously goes way back with MJD, but Del Rio sounded skeptical when discussing the veteran’s explosiveness, or lack thereof.
  • It’ll be interesting to see how Del Rio and Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie‘s approaches mesh and what they agree and disagree on, Jerry McDonald of Bay Area Newspaper Group tweets. Del Rio is known for having a strong personality so it’s not a given that he can click with just anyone.

AFC North Links: Steelers, Bengals, Ravens

February 12th, 2015 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL has announced the introduction of a new veteran combine this year, set for March 22 in Phoenix. The event, scheduled for nearly two weeks after the start of 2015’s free agent period, will allow about 100 veteran free agents to audition for interested teams. However, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert doesn’t have much interest in the combine as an evaluation tool, as Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review details.

“Most of these guys that go to the veteran combine have been in at camp,” Colbert said. “They’ve been veterans. They’ve been practice squad players or they’ve been active players. So what they do in a workout I’m not really interested in. I just want to see what they did when they did have their chance to be NFL players.”

As we wait to see whether the event will pique the interest of other GMs and teams around the NFL, let’s check in on a few notes from around the AFC North….

  • The Bengals may have a fairly uneventful offseason ahead of them, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, who notes that this should be a good time for the team to try to work out a contract with star receiver A.J. Green.
  • One reason we shouldn’t expect much action from the Bengals this offseason is that the club typically doesn’t pursue free agents at the top of the market, and Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer explains why.
  • While the cornerback position could be a priority for the Ravens this offseason, the club should also make sure to address the safety spot, since only Matt Elam and 2014 third-rounder Terrence Brooks have contracts for next season at the moment, says Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Restricted free-agent-to-be Will Hill will likely return to the Ravens, and he’s out there recruiting for other potential free agent safeties to join him in Baltimore. As Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes, Hill is campaigning for his former Giants teammate Antrel Rolle to sign with the Ravens.

Extra Points: Rams, Bell, Incognito

February 11th, 2015 at 10:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Inglewood mayor James Butts told The Beast 980 that enough signatures have been acquired to support a stadium initiative. The next step in the process will be a public hearing regarding the stadium project on February 24th. Of course, there are many more hurdles to be cleared, but this is a potentially big step towards clearing a path toward the Rams heading west to L.A. More from around the NFL..

  • Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is expected to be suspended for the first two games of the 2015 season following his August arrest, sources told ESPN.com’s John Clayton. Since Bell is a first-time offender, that’s the maximum suspension allowed under the NFL’s new substance abuse policy.
  • New Bills offensive guard Richie Incognito told Jeff Darlington of NFL Media that he discussed the Miami bullying scandal with his new team and told the club about what he learned from the situation. The 31-year-old says that he understands that this will be his last chance to play in the NFL given the hit that his reputation has taken.
  • The Chargers regressed on special teams in 2014 and they’ll need some reinforcements for 2015, Tom Krasovic of U-T San Diego writes. Depending on how things break, it’s possible that the Bolts could carry a kickoff specialist. Of course, doing that would take a bit away from other area on the roster.
  • The somewhat surprising decision by the Buccaneers to release quarterback Josh McCown could signal that the team is gearing up to spend significant dollars in free agency, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Meanwhile, if the Bucs don’t use that money to sign another quarterback in free agency, that almost certainly means the club will select either Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston with the No. 1 overall pick.
  • Former Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik‘s experience with Josh Freeman is why he prefers Mariota to Winston, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Both have serious talent, but Mariota is regarded as someone with very high character.
  • The Saints should retain Mark Ingram, but only at the right price, according to Sean Fazende of WVUE. Ingram stands as the fourth-best free agent tailback in Fazende’s view and he feels a four-year, $16MM offer with $6MM guaranteed would make sense for both sides.
  • Michael Felger of CSNNE.com wonders if the Broncos might use Tom Brady‘s contract as leverage in contract talks.

Extra Points: Browns, Hoyer, NFLPA, L.A.

February 11th, 2015 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Executives from rival teams are beginning to complain about the fact that Kevin O’Connell, who is on track to become the Browns‘ new quarterbacks coach, continues to work with Marcus Mariota to help him prepare for the draft, amidst rumors that Cleveland is contemplating trading up to draft a QB.

“So let me get this straight,” said one high-level team executive on another team, to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “The Browns can have their quarterbacks coach in waiting work with a player, teach him the entire offense, etc., but we can’t even talk to any potential draft pick until the combine per league rules? Something is wrong here.”

As Florio notes, the Browns may not technically be violating any rules, since they haven’t officially announced O’Connell as their QBs coach yet, but considering Cleveland is currently under investigation for another rules violation (“Textgate“), the team may want to tread carefully.

Let’s check in on a few more odds and ends from around the NFL:

  • Speaking of the Browns‘ quarterback situation, prospective free agent Brian Hoyer told SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that while it’s possible he’ll return to Cleveland, the city he grew up in, he also has do what’s best for himself this offseason. With that said, Hoyer is confident that he could become the Browns‘ starting quarterback again if he stayed with the club. “I did it once [before],” Hoyer said (Twitter link).
  • Three notable quarterbacks from the class of 2004 – Eli Manning (Giants), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), and Philip Rivers (Chargers) – are headed into the final year of their respective contracts. As Jordan Raanan of NJ.com details, contract extensions for the trio won’t come cheaply even as the three players enter their mid-30s, with the price tags likely to be in the neighborhood of $20MM annually.
  • The battle to become the new NFLPA executive director is becoming a crowded field, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. Cole reports (via Twitter) that, in addition to incumbent union leader DeMaurice Smith, at least three other candidates – Jim Acho, Sean Gilbert, and John Stufflebeem – will run for the position, while two others are considering entering the mix.
  • The NFLPA Committee on Agent Regulation and Discipline (CARD) announced that agent Vincent Porter has been suspended after he was arrested for wire fraud. Porter was the agent for Giants linebacker Devon Kennard and previously worked with Seahawks tailback Christine Michael and Patriots running back Jonas Gray as well.
  • Bryce Johnston of Over The Cap puts his concept of “expected contract value” to the test by using it to break down recent contracts signed by top centers Ryan Kalil (Panthers), Alex Mack (Browns), and Maurkice Pouncey (Steelers).
  • Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson is interested in becoming involved in efforts to get an NFL franchise to Los Angeles, as he tells Jarrett Bell of USA Today Sports.

Steelers Notes: Ben, Worilds, FAs, Draft

February 10th, 2015 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters today, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert addressed a number of items on his team’s offseason to-do list, including contract extension talks with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. While there was some initial confusion among local reporters about Colbert’s comments about Big Ben, the team’s PR rep, Burt Lauten, tweets that the Steelers have indeed begun preliminary negotiations on a new deal with their QB. The club is confident that the two sides will work something out that locks up Roethlisberger for the next few years, according to Colbert.

That piece of info comes from Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter), and Kaboly tweeted several more highlights from Colbert’s presser, as did ESPN’s Scott Brown and Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Here are the noteworthy comments and observations from Colbert, with all links going to Twitter:

  • According to Colbert, the Steelers would like to re-sign outside linebacker Jason Worilds, believing he had a good season in 2014 and that he has plenty of upside going forward. While the club doesn’t like to use the franchise tag, it hasn’t ruled out the possibility of assigning the transition tag to Worilds again this season. The cost for that tag in 2014 was about $9.75MM — it would be higher (likely around $11MM) in 2015.
  • At the moment, Colbert is concerned about the depth at tight end and outside linebacker, since only Heath Miller and Jarvis Jones are under contract for 2015 at those positions.
  • Defensive backs and pass rushers will be among Pittsburgh’s top priorities in free agency and the draft. The team will consider adding a starting cornerback if there is one who fits into the team’s system and cap, according to Colbert: “Sure, that’s a position that you are looking for help. Is there one who is available and signable? I don’t know yet.”
  • It doesn’t sound as if Colbert would be too concerned if the Steelers don’t make major additions at cornerback and outside linebacker in free agency — he believes it’s a strong draft class for both of those spots. For now though, every position remains in play for the club’s first-round pick (No. 22 overall).
  • Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin will begin talks on Wednesday about which prospective free agents the team wants to attempt to re-sign. Ike Taylor and James Harrison are among the veteran defenders who will be up for discussion.
  • The Steelers won’t have to make as many cap-clearing moves in advance of free agency as they did a year ago, per Colbert.
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