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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

November 5th, 2014 at 5:28pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll keep tabs on today’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the league right here:

  • After waiting for him to clear waivers, the Ravens have officially signed tight end Phillip Supernaw back to their practice squad, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
  • The Seahawks have signed defensive end Ryan Robinson to their taxi squad and are now back to the maximum 10 players, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).
  • Having lost tackle Nick Becton off their practice squad when he signed with the Saints, the Giants have filled his spot by adding safety Kyle Sebetic, who was in camp with the team this summer.

Earlier updates:

  • The Patriots have re-signed wideout Jonathan Krause to their taxi squad, dropping defensive lineman Kona Schwenke from the unit to clear a spot, the team announced today in a press release.
  • Running back Michael Hill has been released from the Packers‘ practice squad, replaced by guard Jordan McCray, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  • Heading into today with one open spot on their practice squad, the Buccaneers created another opening by cutting defensive end George Uko, then filled those spots by signing defensive tackle Matthew Masifilo and cornerback Quinton Pointer, tweets Scott Smith of Buccaners.com.
  • The Steelers have added safety Jordan Dangerfield to their practice squad, releasing defensive end Ethan Hemer, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Pittsburgh safeties Troy Polamalu and Shamarko Thomas are both dealing with injuries, so Dangerfield could be a candidate for promotion this weekend depending on the status of those players.
  • Defensive tackle Loni Fangupo has joined the Chiefs‘ practice squad, according to his representatives at ARN Sports (Twitter link).

AFC North Notes: Smith, Brown, Allen, Browns

October 28th, 2014 at 6:06pm CST by Matt Feminis

Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith (foot sprain) will be out “at least a few weeks,” writes the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson, who points to Nov. 24 against the Saints or the following week against the Chargers as possible return dates for Smith. When asked about adding a free-agent cornerback, head coach John Harbaugh said, “We don’t have to. If we can find the right guy, we’ll do that. They are scarce.” Instead, for now, the Ravens will turn to Dominique Franks to replace Smith. The team also has Chykie Brown, who has been inactive the last two games.

In other AFC North news…

  • Despite the Ravens stating publicly they don’t intend to go outside the current roster for cornerback help, Wilson tweets the team inquired about Tony Carter of the Broncos prior to the trade deadline.
  • The Steelers are another AFC North team with cornerback issues because Cortez Allen, who signed a five-year, $25MM deal before the season, has not only lost his starting job, but is in danger of being inactive, writes Ray Fittipaldo in the Post-Gazette. Head coach Mike Tomlin insists he remains confident in Allen’s abilities, but says the cornerback is leaving too many plays on the field: “[Allen] has to finish opportunities that he’s not getting done. Oftentimes, he is in position because he does a great job getting in position, but position is just an element of it. You have to finish.”
  • Fittipaldo also notes the Steelers expect to have right tackle Marcus Gilbert back in the starting lineup. He sat out last week with a concussion.
  • Steelers receiver Antonio Brown leads the NFL in receptions and targets, ranks second in receiving yards, is fourth in receiving touchdowns and paces all receivers with a 13.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. In Brown’s case, the stats don’t lie, says Tomlin, who boasted (via the team’s website) that the fifth-year playmaker is performing at an elite level. “He’s one of the best in the world at what he does,” said Tomlin at his weekly news conference. “(Antonio) is physically and mentally on top of his game, and when you have somebody who’s playing like that, you step into a stadium and he’s a known issue but still he performs. We say similar things about guys like J.J. Watt. We knew what he was capable of when we were getting ready to play the Houston Texans, but it still doesn’t stop the storm from coming. Antonio is playing at that type of a level from a wide receiver standpoint, a J.J. Watt discussion kind of a level.”
  • The Browns rank last in the NFL in punt returns, which prompted ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi to wonder if Josh Cribbs might get a phone call. However, head coach Mike Pettine quashed any speculation by saying, “Josh’s name hasn’t come up.”

Sunday Roundup: Lynch, Broncos, 49ers

October 26th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

The Seahawks traded Percy Harvin amid rumors that his presence had created a rift in the locker room, and now no one expects Marshawn Lynch to return to Seattle next year, including Lynch himself, writes ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds that Lynch has grown increasingly “salty” over his contract and his role in the Seahawks’ offense, and Seattle is simply tired of contending with his persistent discontent. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Lynch communicates minimally, if at all, with head coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks’ management.

Citing NFL Media’s Michael Robinson, Conor Orr of NFL.com writes that the time is now for Russell Wilson to lead his team through this shroud of controversy and distraction, and as far as the on-field ramifications of Lynch’s potential departure, Rapoport tweets that he expects Seattle to take a running back early in next year’s draft. Mortensen writes that the Seahawks may have made Lynch available via trade this year, but the trickle-down effect from fullback Derrick Coleman‘s recent injury has taken that option off the table.

Now for some more notes from around the league:

  • Brian McIntyre tweets that, if the Seahawks do, in fact, release Lynch in 2015, they will have saved $17.5MM in cash and $12.7MM in cap space with the departures of Lynch and Harvin.
  • Our Luke Adams wrote several days ago that the Broncos do not anticipate reaching a contract extension with either of their top pending free agents, Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas. Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that the offers Denver made to the Thomases remain on the table, but it appears nothing will happen until the offseason. Klis goes on to note that the contract situations of both players are quite different, and he describes what it might take for Denver to retain both (spoiler: a lot of money).
  • Rapoport tweets that the 49ers could get Aldon Smith back as early as Monday, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes that, with the impending returns of Smith, NaVorro Bowman, and Glenn Dorsey, San Francisco could be looking to deal a defensive player or two from the back end of its depth chart to create roster space for those players.
  • Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Steelers, after making little effort to re-sign Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery in the offseason, are still looking for a reliable complement for Antonio Brown.
  • Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel wonders if the Packers will make a trade to address their weakness at inside linebacker.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com tweets that, if the Jets part ways with head coach Rex Ryan, the Falcons would be the perfect landing spot for him.
  • Joel Corry of National Football Post takes a deeper look at Gerald McCoy’s new deal with the Buccaneers.

 

AFC North Notes: Pettine, Stewart, Steelers

October 25th, 2014 at 7:25pm CST by Rob DiRe

Browns‘ head coach Mike Pettine’s history as a high school coach might be the reason he likes the success of undrafted free agents, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. Grossi notes that Pettine has often felt looked down upon because of his unheralded past, and sees a kinship with the underappreciated talents.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

  • The Browns have taken criticism for a lack of depth on the offensive line, but Grossi believes the injury to Alex Mack was an unforseen setback. He notes that the team’s linemen have rarely missed practice or game time, and that the timing of the injury was unfortunate with Nick McDonald getting back into game shape.
  • Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com doesn’t necessarily see Darian Stewart sticking around after this season. The safety signed a one-year, $1.3MM deal with the Ravens in the offseason and if he wants to come back, it’ll probably be in a bench role. Baltimore will go with either Terrence Brooks or Will Hill at free safety next year. Stewart might balk at that idea or he may be okay with it given his history with secondary coach Steve Spangnuolo.
  • Two key contributors for the Steelers have struggled with consistency this season in cornerback Cortez Allen and linebacker Sean Spence. Allen was benched in favor of Brice McCain, but Scott Brown of ESPN.com writes that the move was more to send a message to allen and reward McCain for positive performance in practice. Spence has not lost his starting spot, but that might only be because Vince Williams cannot cover anyone at linebacker.

AFC North Notes: Forsett, Steelers, Gresham

October 19th, 2014 at 10:46am CST by Rory Parks

After Justin Forsett‘s surprising emergence as the Ravens‘ best running back this season, fans are wondering if he will have a future in Baltimore beyond 2014. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes that it is too early to answer that question, particularly since Forsett is a small back that cannot withstand a big workload and is 29 years old. Hensley notes that Baltimore could certainly give Forsett a “modest” two-year contract at the end of the year, but the team remains high on younger players such as Bernard Pierce and Lorenzo Taliaferro.

  • In the same piece, Hensley writes that if the Ravens‘ offense continues its upward trajectory under new OC Gary Kubiak, the chances increase that Kubiak will get another crack at a head coaching job in 2015. If that happens, current quarterbacks coach Rick Dennison, Kubiak’s right-hand man, would likely leave with Kubiak, and the Ravens ‘ only other legitimate in-house option would be current offensive line coach Juan Castillo. In other words, if Kubiak leaves, expect Baltimore to bring in an outside candidate to replace him.
  • Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that an appeal hearing date has been set in the Ray Rice case, and a final decision could be handed down by mid-November, which means that Rice could be reinstated and eligible to play within the next four weeks. Whether a team would take the risk and sign him is another story, but La Canfora points to the Colts and Patriots as potential landing spots.
  • Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that, although the Steelers prefer to “reload” rather than “rebuild,” that strategy has them currently caught in no man’s land: “not good enough to compete for a championship, but not bad enough to select high in the draft.”Although their decision to not entirely rebuild the roster in recent years is understandable, given that they have a franchise quarterback, the declining performance of some of the team’s veterans may soon make Pittsburgh’s front office reevaluate its strategy going forward.
  • Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal describes how Browns OC Kyle Shanahan, like Kubiak, is reestablishing himself as a viable head coaching candidate as he leads Cleveland’s suddenly potent offense.
  • With the trade deadline just over a week away, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Bengals TE Jermaine Gresham, who is in a contract year, could be available for the right price.

Extra Points: Peterson, Patriots, Fortt

October 16th, 2014 at 9:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson said he still texts Adrian Peterson once a week to let him know he’s thinking about him, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. The Vikings are using a combination of Matt Asiata and the more athletic Jerick McKinnon in the backfield, but it’s not quite the same. “You’re not going to have the dynamic, explosive, spectacular runs and plays that you get out of a player of [Peterson’s] magnitude,” Wilson said. “We definitely miss that element, but we’ve moved on to a certain degree.” More from around the NFL..

  • The Patriots have had better luck with unheralded waiver wire pickups like Brian Tyms and Jonas Gray than high draft picks like wide receiver Aaron Dobson and running back James White, notes Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (via Twitter).
  • The Saints are being vague about why rookie linebacker Khairi Fortt was released, but team captain Curtis Lofton seems to think the team was justified in their decision, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “I just know that the Saints have a standard around here, and you gotta live up to that. If everybody else is doing it right, then you gotta do it right. And if you don’t, then you won’t be here,” Lofton said. “He was definitely treated fairly. You can’t have how many people on a team, 64 guys or whatever, doing it right, and you’re the one guy doing it wrong.”
  • Steelers rookie Stephon Tuitt is getting ready for a big role, as Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes.

North Notes: Bears, Hoyer, Jones, Bell

October 15th, 2014 at 1:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Field Yates of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) reflected on the offseason’s top value signings. Bears defensive end Willie Young, signed to a three-year, $9MM deal, tops the list. Young has seven sacks so far, more than he had during the first four years of his career combined. One NFL coach told Yates that he’s quite impressed with Young’s improvement from last season to this season. “If you look at him from the Lions, he was a straight-line, situational rusher,” he said of Young. “Now he is not a straight-line rusher. Now he uses his hands and feet and has become a skilled pass-rusher.” More out of the AFC and NFC North..

  • While there’s been plenty of speculation about a potential contract extension for Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer, the team has displayed “zero” interest so far in negotiating a new deal for him, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • Yesterday a foot specialist told Marvin Jones that he’ll require surgery on his balky ankle, which is why the Bengals decided to place the wideout on injured reserve, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
  • Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell waived his right to a preliminary hearing on marijuana possession and and DUI charges, writes Joe Mandak of The Associated Press. That means the 22-year-old won’t contest that police have enough evidence for the chargets to go to court, where he will either plead to all or some of the chargers or stand trial.
  • Terrelle Pryor worked out for the Bengals as a quarterback, so it would seem that he’s not entertaining a position change, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports.
  • Sunday was a rough day for Vikings GM Rick Spielman‘s recent first-round picks, as Michael Rand of the Star-Tribune explains (video link).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Jets Claim Wesley Johnson Off Waivers

October 13th, 2014 at 4:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets claimed center/guard Wesley Johnson off waivers from the Steelers to replace the injured Brian Winters, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The Jets confirmed this afternoon that Winters is done for the year with a torn ACL, tweets Shalise Manza Young of The Boston Globe (on Twitter).

The Steelers cut Johnson loose on Saturday to make room for safety Ross Ventrone. Johnson, a Vanderbilt product, was taken in the fifth round of the May draft. He competed for one of the final offensive line spots on the Steelers’ active roster in preseason but was ultimately edged out and relegated to the taxi squad. Thanks to Winters’ season-ending injury, the lineman figures to see playing time at guard for the Jets, who take on the Patriots in just a few days.

Minor Moves: Saturday

October 11th, 2014 at 6:16pm CST by Rob DiRe

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here….

  • The Bears have elevated linebacker Terrell Manning from the practice squad to the active roster, the team announced on Twitter. The move could be an indication that D.J. Williams won’t be available for Sunday’s contest with the Falcons. To make room for Manning, Chicago has waived safety Shamiel Gary.

Earlier Updates:

AFC Links: Irsay, Webb, Jets, Browns

October 11th, 2014 at 4:55pm CST by Rob DiRe

Colts‘ owner Jim Irsay has rejoined the team as of yesterday, after serving a six week suspension that kept him out of the spotlight following his misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Head coach Chuck Pagano was happy to have the owner back with the team, according to the Baltimore Sun.

“It’s huge. We talked about it in the locker room (after win at Houston). A lot of great things have happened with this football team with the win and first place and all that stuff. You know we have 10 days to heal up and the best thing is that we get our boss back, we get our owner back,” said Pagano. ”We get the guy that is leading this whole thing, so it is going to be huge. He has been with us in spirit so to speak for the past six games, but I can’t wait to have him in that locker room with us again and have him back in the building and grinding away with him.“

  • Ravens‘ cornerback Lardarius Webb has struggled this season, and with the emergence of 2011 first-round pick Jimmy Smith, he is not guaranteed a roster spot in 2015, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN. He is owed $8MM in 2015, and the team can save $5MM by cutting him. Hensley also notes that the team could approach Webb about taking a pay cut to stay with the team.
  • The Jets already got their own post earlier today, where it was noted that they are in place to be big spenders in free agency this offseason. Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes that while he expects them to spend, he would be surprised if they handed out a huge contract to one player. For any Jets’ fans dreaming of signing Dez Bryant, Cimini tells them to “keep dreaming.”
  • Geno Smith may appear confident, but through his first 21 games with the Jets, some may say it is a “false bravado” writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. He notes that Smith’s off the field antics and on the field performance only give credence to the pre-draft reports that Smith would struggle with work ethic and fail to emerge as a leader at the NFL level.
  • As the Browns prepare to face the Steelers this weekend, a team that has owned them since drafting Ben Roethlisberger in 2004. Pat McManamon of ESPN put together a list of stats and notes to watch as the team prepare to ruin Roethlisberger’s 18-1 record against the Browns.
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