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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Minor Moves: Carter, Brown, Green

January 15th, 2015 at 6:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves..

  • The Vikings announced (on Twitter) that they have signed cornerback Jalil Carter to a reserve/future free agent contract. Carter played for the Toronto Argonauts from 2012-2014 and drew considerable NFL interest this offseason. Carter auditioned for the Chiefs, Giants, Broncos, and other clubs over the last couple of months.
  • The Panthers announced (on Twitter) that they have signed former Jaguars wide receiver Mike Brown to a futures deal. Brown had seven catches for 88 yards for the Jags in 2014 prior to being dropped from the 53-man roster and subsequently re-signed to the taxi squad.
  • The Bills announced that they have signed defensive back Jonte Green and guard Darryl Johnson to futures deals. Green, a sixth round pick of the Lions in 2012, played 24 games with seven starts over the 2012 and 2013 seasons with the Lions and totaled 38 tackles, one sack, seven passes defensed and one interception. Johnson originally came into the NFL as a UDFA with the Chargers after last year’s draft.
  • The Steelers signed Mitchell Van Dyk to a future contract for 2015, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports (on Twitter). Van Dyk, a tackle, was a 2014 draft pick of the Rams.

Workout Notes: Tuesday

January 13th, 2015 at 10:08pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s the offseason for most of football and teams are working out intriguing young players in advance of next season. Here are today’s workouts and auditons..

  • Duron Carter worked out for the Vikings, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). The Vikings are said to be the frontrunners for the wide receiver’s services.
  • The Browns tried out fullbacks Zach Boren and Shaun Chapas, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Boren was with the Chargers in preseason. Chapas was in camp with the Ravens but was ultimately let go with an injury settlement.
  • Steelers tried out fullback Lonnie Pryor and quarterback Chase Rettig, Wilson tweets. Pryor, 25 in February, was on the Buccaneers for a bit in 2014. Rettig was cut in late August by the Packers.

Steelers Promote Keith Butler To DC

January 13th, 2015 at 10:03am CST by Dallas Robinson

TUESDAY, 10:03am: The Steelers have officially announced that Butler is the team’s new defensive coordinator (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 9:29pm: The Steelers are expected to promote linebackers coach Keith Butler to defensive coordinator, reports Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who adds that the move could be announced on Tuesday. Per Dulac, Butler met with head coach Mike Tomlin on Monday, and is set to a sign a three-year deal to replace longtime DC Dick LeBeau, who resigned on Saturday.

Butler, 55, will be tasked with improving a defense that has regressed in recent years — the unit has seen its DVOA ranking slip from seventh, to 13th, to 19th, to 30th from 2011-2014. After employing the league’s oldest defense in 2013, Pittsburgh has made an effort to get younger, adding defenders like Ryan Shazier, Stephon Tuitt, and Jarvis Jones in the past two drafts. However, 2014 franchise player Jason Worilds is set to hit free agency in March, meaning the club could be missing one of its impact players in 2015.

Per Dulac, one of the reasons the Steelers declined to retain LeBeau is that Butler’s three-year contract had expired, meaning he was free to talk to other clubs about defensive coordinator jobs. Butler, who started 132 games as a player after being selected in the second round of the 1978 draft, has been in his current role since 2003. Pittsburgh is expected to promote one of its assistant LB coaches — former Steelers players Jerry Olsavsky and Joey Porter — to lead its linebacking corps.

Minor Moves: Monday

January 12th, 2015 at 7:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves..

  • Three days after being cut from the Seahawks practice squad, linebacker Mike Zimmer is back on it, re-signing with Seattle’s taxi squad, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). He takes the place of quarterback B.J. Daniels, who was promoted to the 53-man roster earlier today.
  • The Steelers announced that they have re-signed offensive guard Chris Hubbard, according to Scott Brown of ESPN.com (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the 6’4″, 286 pound lineman. Hubbard, who appeared in two games in 2014, spent all of his rookie year on the Steelers’ practice squad in 2013. Hubbard originally signed with the Steelers as an undrafted rookie free agent out of UAB in April 2013.

Coach Updates: Spags, Quinn, LeBeau, Tucker

January 12th, 2015 at 6:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants will interview Ravens assistant (and former employee) Steve Spagnuolo for their defensive coordinator position this week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Facebook link). Spagnuolo, 55, was New York’s DC from 2007-08. Per Schefter, the club also spoke with its own defensive backs coach, David Merritt, about the job. Here’s more news on the coaching front…

  • After parting ways with John Fox earlier today, the Broncos want to interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, tweets Schefter. Quinn is viewed as the favorite for the Jets head coaching position, and has also been linked to the vacancies in Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco.
  • We heard earlier today that the Jets wanted to bring in Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles for a second interview, and now Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets that the meeting will take place on Wednesday, the same day Bowles will speak with the Falcons for a second time. The Atlanta interview will happen first, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
  • Cowboys offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Bill Callahan is a popular man, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). He’s drawing interest elsewhere, which could lead to a promotion of Scott Linehan. Bills head coach Rex Ryan is among those with interest, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
  • LSU has been in contact with Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker about their opening at the same position, according to Ross Dellenger and Scott Rabalais of The Advocate. Tucker, who was rumored to be on the hot seat in Chicago, remains under contract with the team.
  • While ex-Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has discussed joining the Cardinals coaching staff (Twitter link via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), it will not be as DC, tweets Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910, who adds that LeBeau could be brought aboard in something of an advising capacity.
  • Meanwhile, the Steelers have not met with any outside candidates to replace LeBeau, meaning it’s increasingly likely that linebackers coach Keith Butler will be promoted to DC, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Butler has been in his current role since 2003.
  • The Giants met with Washington secondary coach Raheem Morris on Friday about their open DC position, but will go in another direction, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (Twitter link). Per Russini, Morris will now interview for Washington’s defensive coordinator job.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Sunday Roundup: Austin, Ravens, Steelers

January 11th, 2015 at 12:15pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some links from around the league as Day 2 of the Divisional Round gets underway:

  • Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets that Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is also on the Bears‘ radar.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com provides an offseason outlook for the Bears.
  • Manish Metha of the New York Daily News tweets that the Jets, despite their heavy interest in Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, still want to interview Kubiak for their head coaching vacancy.
  • Rapoport tweets that Dick LeBeau‘s departure took the Steelers by surprise, and he adds (via Twitter) that LeBeau likely wanted to leave Pittsburgh with Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor, with whom he had established a close relationship.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, reiterating what he passed along yesterday, tweets that Steelers linebackers coach Keith Butler, whom the Titans attempted to hire last season, is the most likely candidate to be elevated to defensive coordinator.
  • In a series of Baltimore items, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun writes that Ravens outside linebacker Pernell McPhee is expected to cash in on the free agent market and Steve Smith has no plans to retire.
  • Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer describes how the departure of Kyle Shanahan might impact the Browns‘ quarterback situation.
  • Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes that, with the Bills‘ hiring of Rex Ryan and the emergence of Dan Quinn as the frontrunner for the Jets head coaching vacancy, Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich may stay put in San Diego.
  • Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News tweets that, had the 49ers hired Ryan, Vic Fangio was likely to stay as the team’s defensive coordinator. However, now that Ryan has been hired by the Bills, Inman believes Fangio will be promoted to head coach. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, though, tweets that San Francisco will conduct a second interview with Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

Dick LeBeau Resigns As Steelers DC

January 10th, 2015 at 7:27pm CST by Rob DiRe

7:27pm: The Steelers have officially announced LeBeau’s resignation in a press release.

“We want to thank Dick for his many years of service with the team and all that he has done for this organization,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in a statement. “His coaching helped lead us to many successful seasons and championships. We are very appreciative of his efforts, and we wish him well.”

4:04pm: Longtime Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will not return to the team in 2015, announcing his decision in the Urbana Daily Citizen in Ohio, according to Steve Stout.

The 77-year old coach has decided to resign, but says he is not retiring. “I’m resigning this position, not retiring,” LeBeau said. “I had a great run in Pittsburgh. I’m grateful for all the things that have happened to me and thankful for all the support I had in Pittsburgh.”

Lebeau spent the last 11 seasons with the Steelers, winning two Super Bowls and establishing himself as one of the most respected defensive coordinators ever. He played defensive back for the Lions, drafted in 1959, and his 62 interceptions rank him seventh all-time in NFL history.

As a coach, he is credited with inventing and perfecting the zone blitz, and although his head coaching career was short lived and unsuccessful, he has experienced great success as a coordinator with the Eagles, Packers, Bengals, and Steelers. LeBeau was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

The Steelers could promote linebackers coach Keith Butler to replace LeBeau, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The team has pegged him as a defensive coordinator in waiting for the past few years.

Workout Notes: Saturday

January 10th, 2015 at 9:00am CST by Ben Levine

We’ll keep track of today’s workout information right here, as well as a couple of notes from the past couple of days. All of the information below is via the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson on Twitter…

  • The Chiefs worked out wide receivers John Chiles and Cordell Roberson, cornerback Aaron Hester and defensive lineman Shawn Lemon.
  • The Chiefs also brought in defensive back Jalil Carter and wide receivers LaVon Brazill, Duron Carter and Joe Morgan. Brazill, a former sixth-round pick by the Colts, showed some flashes playing with Andrew Luck early in his career. Morgan was released by the Saints earlier this season, while Carter appears to have numerous suitors (with the Vikings seen as the favorite to sign him).
  • The Seahawks also brought in Lemon for a workout, and he joined quarterback Dominique Davis and cornerback Keon Lyn at the tryout. Wilson notes that defensive back Delvin Breaux was also brought in “for a visit.”
  • The Packers worked out CFL defensive back Jalil Carter. The former Akron standout briefly spend time with the Rams and in the AFL.
  • The Giants brought in five players for workouts: linebackers Terrance Bullitt and Phillip Hunt, safety Mistral Raymond, fullback Collin Mooney and tight end Michael Flacco.
  • The Steelers worked out a trio of offensive weapons: quarterback Aaron Smetanka, running back David Fluellen and wideout L’Damian Washington.

Minor Moves: Friday

January 9th, 2015 at 6:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including a new deal for a would-be exclusive right free agent, a few reserve/futures signings, and a practice squad change….

  • Washington has signed fullback Jordan Campbell to a reserve/futures contract, tweets Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com. Campbell spent some time on the Chiefs’ practice squad earlier in the season and worked out for Washington last month.

Earlier updates:

  • The Bengals have re-signed tight end Kevin Brock to a new contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). Brock, who joined the team in September after injuries to Tyler Eifert and Alex Smith, had been on track to become an exclusive rights free agent.
  • Since being eliminated from the postseason, the Steelers have been adding to their offseason roster, inking seven players to reserve/futures contracts on Monday and signing a couple more yesterday. Pittsburgh continued to bring players aboard today, per PR man Burt Lauten, who tweets that the team has signed linebacker Terence Garvin, wide receiver Brelan Chancellor, defensive end Matt Conrath, safety Alden Darby, tight end Michael Egnew, and linebacker Roosevelt Nix.
  • The 49ers are re-signing linebacker Shayne Skov, who finished the season on the team’s practice squad, to a reserve/futures deal, a source tells Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). The team has now locked up everyone who finished the season on the taxi squad.
  • The Lions signed defensive tackle Jermelle Cudjo to a futures contract today, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. When it appeared last week that Detroit might be without Ndamukong Suh for Sunday’s playoff game, the team brought Cudjo in for a workout.
  • The Seahawks made a small change to their taxi squad today, re-signing defensive tackle Jimmy Staten and releasing linebacker Mike Zimmer, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). As Condotta points out in a second tweet, Seattle had signed Zimmer and cut Staten just yesterday, so the club is frequently shuffling the two players on and off the unit at this point.

AFC Notes: Jets, Hali, Allen, Chiefs

January 8th, 2015 at 8:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are bringing back Texans director of college scouting Mike Maccagnan for a second interview, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who notes (via Twitter) that Maccagnan is the team’s first GM candidate to get a second interview. That second interview will take place on Friday, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com, adding that the Jets are impressed with Maccagnan. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News throws some cold water on Maccagnan’s candidacy though, tweeting that the overwhelming feeling he gets from front office executives around the league is that the Texans exec isn’t ready to be an NFL GM. More out of the AFC..

  • Sam Mellinger of The Kansas City Star has a radical plan for the Chiefs‘ offseason. Step one: cutting Tamba Hali. Hali is a model teammate and employee and still productive, but he had just six sacks in 2014, his lowest total since 2008. The Chiefs, he argues, would be better off with the $9MM in cap space they’d get by cutting Hali.
  • Cornerback Cortez Allen inked a $26MM contract extension with the Steelers at the start of the 2014 season, then had a disappointing year in which he was demoted multiple times. As Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review details, Allen is “highly confident” that he can fix his issues and bounce back in 2015.
  • Free agent linebacker Erin Henderson is working out for the Chiefs, tweets Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star. Henderson played well for the Vikings in 2013, but was released by the team and didn’t find a new team in 2014 due to off-field concerns.
  • The Browns are looking for their sixth offensive coordinator in six seasons and the 13th in 17 seasons. Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal looks at the potential candidates for the job.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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