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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Morning Notes: Tryouts, Browns, Ravens

January 3rd, 2015 at 8:23am CST by Ben Levine

As the Steelers and Lions prepare for their playoff contests this weekend, both organizations looked to solidify their depth, as the teams brought in players for workouts. Let’s see who was brought in for a tryout…

  • With star running back Le’Veon Bell out for this evening’s playoff matchup against the Ravens, the Steelers worked out back Roosevelt Nix, according to Aaron Wilson (via Twitter). The team also worked out defensive backs Alden Darby, Isaiah Lewis and Ian Wild.
  • The Lions had a pair of free agents come in for workouts, according to Wilson (via Twitter): offensive tackle Ben Heenan and defensive back Delvin Breaux.
  • The Dolphins‘ season may be over, but that doesn’t mean they’re not being active on the free agent front. According to Wilson (on Twitter), the team brought in guard Stetson Burnett for a workout.
  • The Browns have lifted the suspensions of receiver Josh Gordon and cornerback Justin Gilbert, tweets Wilson.
  • Wilson estimates that the Ravens could have about $5.785MM in cap space this offseason. That amount includes about $1.4MM that was subtracted following Ray Rice‘s filing of a grievance against the organization.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

December 30th, 2014 at 10:10pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll round up Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL right here, including transactions by teams still in the playoffs as well as clubs looking ahead to next year:

10:10pm:

  • The Lions have signed TE Ifeanyi Momah to a 2015 reserve/future contract, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter).

3:57pm:

  • The Chiefs signed former Seahawks tailback Spencer Ware, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).
  • Jets quarterback Matt Simms reworked his contract today to avoid becoming an exclusive rights free agent in 2015, according to a team release. The club also added kicker Andrew Furney and running back Daryl Richardson on reserve/futures deals, in addition to the six players whose reserve contracts we heard about yesterday.
  • In addition to confirming reserve/futures contracts for Garrison Smith and Chris Martin, as was reported yesterday, the 49ers announced in a press release that they’ve signed running back Kendall Gaskins, tight end Xavier Grimble, wide receiver Lance Lewis. All five players finished the season on San Francisco’s practice squad.
  • Running back Terrance Cobb announced (via Twitter) that he has signed a futures deal with the Raiders. Cobb initially signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted rookie in May, and was cut in the preseason.
  • The Bears may not have a head coach or GM, but they’re still adding players to their roster — Chicago signed defensive end Jamil Merrell to a reserve/futures contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).
  • Former Canisius College basketball player Chris Manhertz announced (via Instagram) that he has signed a contract with the Bills. According to Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 (via Twitter), the ex-hoopster projects as a tight end. The Bills have since confirmed the signing of Manhertz, and announced a deal for fullback Corey Knox as well.

2:19pm:

  • Offensive tackle Justin Renfrow has been released from the Packers‘ practice squad, creating an opening on the unit, according to the team.
  • The Steelers have also made a change to their taxi squad, signing wide receiver Tim Benford and releasing cornerback Jordan Sullen, per Burt Lauten (via Twitter). The addition of Benford provides some insurance for the receiving corps, after the team cut wideout Justin Brown from its active roster today.
  • The Browns signed a pair of kickers, Travis Coons and Carey Spear, to reserve/futures contracts, the club announced today, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). The two kickers join seven other players who signed futures deals yesterday with Cleveland.
  • The Jaguars have signed offensive lineman Cody Booth, tight end Marcel Jensen, defensive back Peyton Thompson, and wide receiver Tony Washington to reserve/futures contracts, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. All four players spent time on the club’s practice squad this season.
  • The Saints signed five more players to reserve/futures deals, according to Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune, who lists running back Edwin Baker, kicker Dustin Hopkins, tight end Orson Charles, and offensive linemen Mike Brewster and Andrew Miller as the latest recepients. We learned yesterday that the club also signed wideout Willie Snead and fullback Toben Opurum to futures contracts.

Steelers Sign Ben Tate

December 30th, 2014 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

1:35pm: The Steelers have officially signed Tate, the team announced today in a press release. Pittsburgh cut wide receiver Justin Brown to create an opening on the 53-man roster for the incoming addition.

8:14am: With Le’Veon Bell‘s status for Saturday’s Wild Card game up in the air, the Steelers are hosting free agent running back Ben Tate for a visit today, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, assuming the visit goes well, Pittsburgh is expected to sign Tate.

It’s been an underwhelming season for Tate, who was viewed as a breakout candidate heading into 2014 after leaving Houston, where he had backed up Arian Foster for the first few years of his NFL career. In Cleveland, Tate struggled and was hampered by injuries early in the season, and fell behind rookies Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West on the team’s depth chart. The Browns opted to release Tate, at which point the Vikings claimed him on waivers, but the 26-year-old didn’t impress in Minnesota either, and the team cut him last week.

For the season, Tate accumulated just 371 rushing yards on 119 carries, good for an average of 3.1 yards per rush. That’s a significant step down from the 4.7 mark he posted during the previous three seasons in Houston, over a span of 421 carries.

Bell suffered a hyperextended knee during the Steelers’ regular season finale against the Bengals, and is considered highly questionable for this weekend’s game against the Ravens. If Bell can’t go, and Pittsburgh does bring Tate aboard, the Auburn product may be thrown into the mix immediately — among the team’s other options, third-round pick Dri Archer likely isn’t ready for a featured role, while fellow rookie Josh Harris had just nine rushing attempts all season. In fact, with LeGarrette Blount now playing in New England, no current Steelers running back besides Bell had more than 10 carries in 2014.

Extra Points: Suh, David, Accorsi, Draft

December 29th, 2014 at 10:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Lions star Ndamukong Suh has a chance of winning the appeal of his suspension, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes. If Suh can win the appeal, he’ll be in action for Sunday’s playoff game against the Cowboys. While we wait to see how that plays out, let’s take a look at more news from around the NFL..

  • Discussing linebacker Lavonte David, Buccaneers GM Jason Licht said the team would “like to lock him up now,” tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, adding that negotiations on a new deal are underway. The 2012 second-round pick becomes extension-eligible this offseason for the first time.
  • The Bears announced today that they’ve hired former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi as a consultant as the team searches for a new GM and head coach, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Meanwhile, team president and CEO Ted Phillips confirmed today that besides offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer, whose contract was terminated, all of the other Bears assistants are still with the team (Twitter link). That includes defensive coordinator Mel Tucker.
  • Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown and Arkansas defensive tackle Darius Philon may be playing their final college games tonight, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link), who says both players are leaning toward entering the 2015 draft. The two players’ teams square off in the Texas Bowl.
  • Former star NFL wideout Cris Carter indicated today (via Twitter) that his son, CFL receiver Duron Carter, will visit the Colts on January 5 and the Vikings on January 9.
  • According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (all Twitter links), Carter isn’t the only notable CFL player drawing significant NFL attention. Caplan reports that Hamilton Tiger-Cats cornerback Delvin Breaux has 18 teams interested in bringing him in for a visit and/or a workout, including the Eagles, Patriots, Texans, Jaguars, Dolphins, Cardinals, Steelers, Lions, 49ers, and Broncos.
  • Utah offensive lineman Jeremiah Poutasi announced that he will enter the 2015 draft, as Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports tweets. Poutasi projects as a mid-round prospect.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Joel Corry On Worst Salary Cap Situations

December 25th, 2014 at 10:18am CST by Rob DiRe

On Christmas Eve, Joel Corry of CBS Sports took a look at a few NFL teams who have the worst salary cap situations going into 2015. He picked out the five organizations stuck deepest in salary cap hell:

  1. New Orleans Saints – $23.07MM over the cap
  2. Arizona Cardinals – $6.44MM
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers – $2.901MM
  4. New England Patriots – $1.945MM
  5. San Francisco 49ers – $928,000

Here are some of the highlights of actions Corry suggests that would help them get under the cap in order to have a successful offseason:

Saints

  • Pass rusher Junior Galette could see his contract restructured to open up $10MM, despite signing the extension this past offseason.
  • Another contract doled off last offseason that can be restructured is of prized free agent Jairus Byrd, which could open up $5.6MM in cap space.
  • A third contract from last offseason that can be restructured is that of tight end Jimmy Graham. That move could save $4.77MM in cap space.
  • Both of their Pro Bowl guards are suddenly highly paid luxuries as they have seen their performance drop, and Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs are candidates for release. If cut, they will free up $6.6MM and $3.6MM, respectively.
  • Veteran receiver Marques Colston holds a $9.7MM cap number, and has seen a sharp decline in his play. It will be a tougher cut, but is a candidate to be released.
  • The team could restructure Drew Brees‘ contract again, although they will only push their cap problems into the future in exchange for immediate relief.
  • Releasing linebacker David Hawthorne will free up $2.99MM in cap space if he is released before his $2.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2015 league year.

Cardinals

Steelers

Patriots

  • The obvious move for the Patriots would be signing Darrelle Revis to a long-term deal, which would create substantial cap space. The team is unlikely to keep him in 2015 at his current number. They will open $20MM in cap space if they do not keep him on the roster.
  • The Patriots could open up $4MM in cap space by restructuring Tom Brady‘s contract.
  • The team will likely ask linebacker Jerod Mayo to take a pay cut, or they may release him. Corry writes that his $4.5MM injury guarantee will be the only thing that potentially saves him from being released.
  • Danny Amendola will be expendable, and cutting him will free up $2.1MM in cap room or $4.5MM if he is designated a post June 1st cut.
  • Vince Wilfork could also become a cap casualty, as the team will have to decide whether to guarantee his contract for 2015 and 2016. Releasing him will free up $7.566MM in cap room.
  • The team could also recoup some money from Aaron Hernandez‘ signing bonus if the grievance ruling comes back favorable for the Patriots.

49ers

  • The 49ers could restructure Colin Kaepernick‘s contract to lower his 2015 cap number.
  • Linebacker Ahmad Brooks may be released, freeing up a little over $4MM in cap room.
  • Another staple of the team, Vernon Davis, could be released as performance has dropped. The team would gain $4.95MM from releasing him.
  • If Aldon Smith‘s off-field troubles are too much for the 49ers, the team could decline his 2015 option and pick up $9.754MM in cap space.
  • The team could pass on re-signing Michael Crabtree, and will likely cut Stevie Johnson and save just over $6MM unless they lose Crabtree and replace him with Johnson.
  • The team will most likely not seek to bring Frank Gore back to the team, unless it is at an extremely reasonable number.

Workout Notes: Friday

December 19th, 2014 at 1:42pm CST by Rob DiRe

Here is a list of the players working out with clubs, hoping to join a roster for the season’s home stretch:

  • The Jaguars worked three players, including former second-round pick Arrelious Benn, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team also worked out Tim McCornett and Chidera Uzo-Diribe.
  • The Raiders worked out former Saints’ receiver Joe Morgan earlier this week, but have also looked at Vernon Kearney and Marvin McNutt, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Dolphins tried out kicker Dustin Hopkins, reports Wilson (via Twitter)
  • The Falcons have worked out Lavelle Westbrooks, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Chiefs worked out Travis Chappalear, writes Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Vikings worked out two players, Jordan McCray and Greg Van Roten, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Lions brought in Dejon Gomes for a workout, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Steelers brought Ronald Patrick in for a visit, writes Wilson (via Twitter).
  • Wilson doesn’t get to have all the fun, as Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that the Broncos have worked out two defensive backs on Wednesday (via Twitter). They brought in Delvin Breaux and Jalil Carter, who played in the Canadian Football League.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

December 17th, 2014 at 8:30pm CST by Luke Adams

A number of practice squad players have received promotions to their respective clubs’ 53-man rosters this week, or have been signed by a rival club. As such, we should expect plenty of signings today, as teams fill in their openings. Here’s the latest:

  • After his suspension was lifted by the league, fullback Nikita Whitlock signed on with the Giants‘ practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
  • Chargers taxi squad guard Craig Watts has been suspended four games for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (via Twitter). To replace him, the Bolts signed former San Diego State offensive lineman Bryce Quigley (link).
  • Wide receiver and kick returner Greg Jenkins, who spent last season with the Raiders, has returned to the club, signing today with the taxi squad, per Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). The team has since confirmed the signing, tweeting that defensive back Vernon Kearney has joined the practice squad as well.
  • The Saints have filled the final opening on their practice squad by signing kicker Dustin Hopkins, head coach Sean Payton confirmed today to reporters (Twitter link via Chad Sabadie of FOX8).

Earlier updates:

  • The Vikings have signed rookie guard Jordan McCray to their practice squad to fill the spot vacated when Ahmad Dixon received a promotion, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Minnesota will have another spot to fill after losing cornerback Chris Greenwood to the Ravens.
  • In addition to making changes to their 53-man roster today, the Patriots also tweaked their practice squad, adding quarterback Garrett Gilbert, according to a team release.
  • The Packers have filled out their practice squad by signing safety Jean Fanor to the unit, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Fanor played for the Arena League’s Tampa Bay Storm this year, setting a team record for tackles in a season.
  • Former sixth-round guard Jon Halapio has signed with the Broncos‘ practice squad, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
  • Having entered the day with three openings on their practice squad, the Dolphins added a pair of players to the unit, signing defensive end Emmanuel Dieke and guard Mark Asper, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
  • The Falcons have filled the 10th and final spot on their practice squad by signing cornerback Jordan Mabin, the team announced today in a press release. The opening was created earlier in the week when the club promoted cornerback Ricardo Allen to the 53-man roster.
  • The Steelers have also filled out their taxi squad, signing former South Carolina offensive lineman Ronald Patrick, tweets Burt Lauten, the team’s PR rep.
  • Defensive back Varmah Sonie, who played this year for Portland’s Arena League team, has signed to the Buccaneers‘ practice squad, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link).
  • The Panthers have signed linebacker Horace Miller to their practice squad, giving them a full 10-man unit, tweets David Newton of ESPN.com. Miller was cut by Carolina over the weekend and has since cleared waivers.
  • Offensive tackle Tyler Hoover, who started the season with a brief stint on the Colts‘ practice squad and has since spent time with the Eagles as well, has rejoined Indianapolis’ squad, according to Mike Chappell of RTV6 (Twitter link).

Giants Sign Two Players, Place Two On IR

December 16th, 2014 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The exodus of Giants players to the team’s injured reserve list continued today, as linebacker Jacquian Williams and offensive lineman James Brewer became the 21st and 22nd Giants to land on IR, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. To replace the latest two roster casualties, the Giants promoted defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton from their practice squad and signed guard Adam Gettis from off the Steelers’ taxi squad, per Graziano (via Twitter).

While Brewer didn’t play a significant role for the Giants this season, Williams was one of the team’s starting linebackers, logging 571 defensive snaps on the year. Pro Football Focus’ overall grade (subscription required) for Williams was negative, but that figure was influenced in large part by a poor pass coverage rating — the linebacker was above average against the run, according to PFF. Both Brewer and Williams are suffering from concussions, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).

Vacchiano adds (via Twitter) that the Giants completed their series of moves by replacing Hamilton on their practice squad with defensive back Thomas Gordon.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

December 9th, 2014 at 7:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the rest of the day:

  • Center Jeff Baca was cut by the Chargers to make room for newly-signed punter Mat McBriar, but he’s cleared waivers and been added to San Diego’s taxi squad, tweets Wilson. The Chargers only had nine players on its PS, so they won’t have to drop anyone.
  • The Saints have cut fullback Michael Zordich from their practice squad, according to Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link). Zordich was originally added to New Orleans’ PS just over a month ago.

Earlier updates:

  • Linebacker Jerrell Harris has been released by the Lions from their taxi squad, per Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Jets have signed cornerback Keith Lewis to their practice squad, the team announced today (via Twitter). Aaron Wilson reported earlier today at the National Football Post that the club would be working out Lewis.
  • After working out cornerbacks Kevin Fogg and Anthony Gaitor today, the Steelers signed Fogg to their practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team’s PR rep, Burt Lauten, confirmed the signing of Fogg, tweeting that safety Jordan Dangerfield has been released from the taxi squad to accommodate the addition.
  • The Bills have replaced one wide receiver with another on their practice squad, signing former N.C. State product Tobais Palmer and letting go of Eric Thomas, the club announced today in a press release.
  • Defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton, who was cut by the Giants on Saturday, has rejoined the team’s practice squad, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter).
  • Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal has the details on the latest change to the Browns‘ practice squad, tweeting that the team has released defensive lineman Christian Tupou and signed defensive back Kendall James.

Sunday Roundup: Big Ben, Cobb, 49ers

December 7th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

The Steelers plan to begin contract talks with Ben Roethlisberger, who is under contract through 2015, after this season, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Pittsburgh realizes that Roethlisberger, despite his age and the number of hits he has taken over the course of his career, will command at least $20MM a year, but that will not prevent the club from making its two-time Super Bowl champion its top offseason priority.

La Canfora adds that he would not be surprised if the Steelers and Roethlisberger were able to work out an extension prior to the beginning of the free agency period in March, which would allow them to know exactly how much cap flexibility they would have to acquire players from other organizations and to retain their own free agents. Last season’s rumors that Roethlisberger once considered asking for a trade were apparently untrue, La Canfora writes, and now all interested parties agree that a third contract with the team is inevitable.

Now for some more links from around the league as Week 14 kicks off in full force:

  • ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the Steelers will have an important decision to make regarding cornerback Cortez Allen this offseason, as Allen is owed a $3MM roster bonus on the fifth day of free agency.
  • Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that Randall Cobb is the Packers‘ top free agent priority and that the team is working to work out a long-term extension with him.
  • Although a possible 49ers trade of head coach Jim Harbaugh following the 2014 season has been widely discussed, the machinations of such a deal are a little less clear. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, Harbaugh would pick his new team, the 49ers would agree to trade terms with that team, the 49ers would release Harbaugh from his contract, and Harbaugh would sign a new deal with the other club.
  • Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that Vernon Davis‘ disappointing 2014 season has created a great deal of uncertainty for the 49ers moving forward, as Davis is owed just shy of $5MM in 2015, the last year of his current contract.
  • Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that highly-coveted CFL prospect Duron Carter will hold a Pro Day in Florida in early January and then will begin visiting teams. Almost half of the league has expressed some form of interest in Carter to date.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Mike Singletary could be a surprise head coaching candidate in 2015. According to Rapoport, several “high-ranking people” believe Singletary will get another crack at the top job next season.
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