Pittsburgh Steelers Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

North Notes: Moore, Rice, Packers

October 6th, 2014 at 8:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers signed Moore to a two-year, $3.5MM contract shortly after his release from the Saints but five games into the season the 5-9, 190-pounder has just two catches for 38 yards. He’s not thrilled about that, writes ESPN.com’s Scott Brown. “I came here to play football and not practice football and to get in the game and make plays and show (the coaches) I can make plays,” said Moore, who is admittedly frustrated with the limited snaps he has received. More from the AFC and NFC North..

Robert Mueller’s investigation of the handling of Ray Rice case is expected to be completed by end of this month, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Meanwhile, the former Ravens running back is going through the appeals process.
The Packers hosted a number of players for tryouts today, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. Tight end Jacob Pedersen (Washington), defensive tackle AJ Pataiali’i (Utah State), linebacker Chris Young (Arizona State), running back Dom Williams (Wagner) and wide receivers Jeremy Gallon (Michigan), and Eric Thomas (Troy).
The two safeties who started for the Packers Week 1 of the 2013 season are out of football. A year later, safety has become an area of strength for Green Bay, writes Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel. In Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Micah Hyde and even Sean Richardson, the Packers have solid help for veteran Morgan Burnett.

AFC Notes: Ryan, Revis, Thompkins, Harbaugh

October 5th, 2014 at 9:39pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Jets were on the wrong side of a 31-0 beat down earlier today, and head coach Rex Ryan has his work cut out for him if the team is going to turn the season around. Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report doesn’t see the Jets improving, and believes Ryan will be fired because the roster isn’t up to par.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

Darrelle Revis is showing he is at his best during Sunday Night Football by harrassing A.J. Green, but even if he plays at this level all year the Patriots will not be able to pick up the $20MM option, writes Andrew Brandt of MMQB.com (via Twitter). This will serve as a contract year for the star cornerback.
Since Kenbrell Thompkins was released by the Patriots, he is looking for a new job. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald sees the Steelers as a potential fit (via Twitter). In addition to the fit on the field, he is the cousin of superstar receiver Antonio Brown.
The rumors of a potential trade between the Browns and 49ers that would have sent Jim Harbaugh to coach Cleveland could have been for as little as two third-round draft picks, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Harbaugh’s wife was reluctant to leave the Bay Area, which strengthens rumors that he could be interested in the Raiders’ vacancy.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

September 30th, 2014 at 5:34pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to making changes to their practice squads, teams around the NFL are also tweaking the backs of their 53-man rosters today. We’ll round up the day’s minor transactions involving active rosters right here:

To make room for Winn, the Lions have placed running back Montell Owens on injured reserve, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Owens’ contract expires after this season.
After he tore ruptured Achilles last week, running back Joe McKnight has been placed on the Chiefs’ injured reserve list, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Offensive lineman Donald Stephenson‘s four-game suspension is up, so he takes McKnight’s roster spot, per Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
The Bears have waived linebacker Terrell Manning, reports Brian McIntyre (Twitter link). Chicago had promoted Manning from its practice squad just over a week ago.
Patriots Brandon Browner and Brian Tyms four-game bans are over, and both have received a roster exemption that lasts until October 6, says Balzer (on Twitter).
Cornerback Deion Belue was waived from the Jaguars’ injured reserve with a failure to disclose physical condition designation, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Earlier updates:

The Lions are promoting running back George Winn from their practice squad to their 53-man roster, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). As Garafolo notes, the move could suggest that the team expects Joique Bell to miss this weekend’s game, but Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press points out that Bell isn’t Detroit’s only ailing running back, tweeting that Montell Owens is expected to miss several weeks due to his latest hamstring injury.
Linebacker Victor Butler has been dropped by the Cardinals, says Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). Butler had been added to the roster when John Abraham was sidelined, but didn’t play a snap for the team.
The Bears‘ practice squad/53-man roster shuffle continues this week, with the team promoting wideout Chris Williams to take the place of fellow receiver Rashad Ross (Twitter link). Two weeks ago, it was Ross being promoted and Williams being cut.
The Steelers have terminated the contract of punter Adam Podlesh, who had been on the team’s reserve/did not report list, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.

AFC North Notes: Bengals, Steelers, Hoyer

September 27th, 2014 at 9:12pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Bengals are 3-0 for the first time since 2006, and with a top flight offense to go along with a strong defense, they are one of the NFL’s best so far this year. The team has outscored their opponents 80-33, and should only improve as they get receiver Marvin Jones back from injury, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

Wilson also noted the the return of James Harrison out of retirement reunites him with many of his old Steelers‘ teammates, including Brett Keisel, who was brought back as well. Wilson writes that it was Keisel who texted Harrison to convince him to come back.
The Steelers‘ defense is a little long in the tooth at a number of spots, writes Mark Kaboly of TribLive.com. However, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has been working magic on defense for years, and will now have the challenge of replacing Jarvis Jones, Ike Taylor, and first-round pick Ryan Shazier.
Pat McManamon of ESPN opens up a Browns‘ mailbag, and the starting question delves into the type of extension Brian Hoyer could earn if he continues to play this well. McManamon compares Hoyer’s recent success with the contracts received by Andy Dalton, Alex Smith, Carson Palmer, and Matt Cassel over the past few offseasons.
Hoyer led not one but two Browns‘ mailbags this week, and Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com also considered the contract extension Hoyer is playing for. With Manziel signed for four years, Grossi sees the Browns committing to Hoyer as long as he plays well this season, and making a decision about the future during the offseason.

AFC Notes: Harrison, Tannehill, Texans, Jags

September 25th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers brought back veteran linebacker James Harrison this week after suffering a rash of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, but while the sight of Harrison in black and gold will look familiar, we shouldn’t expect him to play a major role immediately. Harrison started all 87 games he played for Pittsburgh from 2007 to 2012, but former Bucs GM Mark Domenik thinks it’s unrealistic to expect significant contributions from the linebacker at age 36.

“I think you could see him play five to 10 snaps [in Week 4] in that limited pass-rush role,” Dominik said, according to Scott Brown of ESPN.com. “I think at the end of the day you’ll be lucky if James Harrison become a 20- to 25-snap guy. He knows what to do in the system, and that’s the No. 1 thing, it’s just that can he get his body to do it? That’s going to take a little bit of time.”

Here’s more from out of the AFC:

After being ambiguous earlier this week when he was asked about Ryan Tannehill‘s job security as the Dolphins‘ No. 1 quarterback, head coach Joe Philbin has expressed remorse about having created a distraction and given his starting signal-caller a vote of confidence, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. As I noted earlier in the week, Tannehill will be extension-eligible starting this offseason and the Dolphins will also have to decide on his fifth-year option in the spring, so 2014 is a big year for the young QB.
We had already heard about the Texans auditioning a handful of punters this week in case Shane Lechler is unable to play this week, but Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) adds a couple more names to the list of players the team tried out. According to Wilson, Houston also took a look at long snappers Brandon Hartson and Chris Maikranz.
The Jaguars auditioned linebacker L.J. Fort this week, tweets Wilson. Fort, waived by the Broncos during the preseason, also worked out for the Titans earlier in September.
Cornerback Vernon Kearney, who was cut by the Chiefs a month ago, was among the defensive backs who worked out for the Jets this week, per Wilson (via Twitter).

Steelers Sign James Harrison

September 23rd, 2014 at 9:11am CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 9:11am: Harrison has officially confirmed his signing, posting a photo on Instagram of him inking the deal.

MONDAY, 6:53pm: James Harrison may be on the verge of beating Sugar Ray Leonard’s record for the shortest retirement in professional sports history. The linebacker is scheduled to meet tomorrow with Steelers coaches and if all goes well, he’ll sign with Pittsburgh, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter) hears an agreement is already in place and says that the veteran is coming back to play for the Steelers.

The reunion with Harrison is more than a feel-good story, it was something of a necessity for the Steelers. In their comfortable 37-19 victory over the Panthers, the Steelers lost two linebackers. Rookie inside linebacker Ryan Shazier exited early in the third quarter with a knee injury and outside linebacker Jarvis Jones was taken out of action with a wrist injury. On top of that, veteran cornerback Ike Taylor suffered a broken forearm in the third quarter.

While Harrison played the 2013 season with the Bengals, most of his NFL career was spent in Pittsburgh, where he earned spots in five consecutive Pro Bowls from 2007-11. The 36-year-old logged 146 career games, including 105 starts, racking up 647 overall tackles and 66 sacks. His best season probably came in 2008, when he recorded 101 tackles, 16 sacks, and seven forced fumbles for the Steelers, earning a first-team All-Pro nod.

Harrison’s August visit with the Cardinals didn’t lead to a deal, but one month later he’s on the verge of returning to the team where he enjoyed his best seasons. In a fun twist, he’ll be playing for a coaching staff that includes former teammate Joey Porter, who now serves as a defensive assistant.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Moves: Monday

September 22nd, 2014 at 9:20pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll keep tabs of today’s minor transactions from around the NFL right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

The Dolphins have signed Marcus Thigpen to their practice squad, writes Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel. Thigpen spent one week on the Patriots’ practice squad beore being cut last week. Thigpen, a former CFL standout, contributed 1,910 kickoff return yards, 580 punt return yards, and scored three touchdowns for the Dolphins in the past two seasons.
The Redskins will sign center Tevita Stevens to their practice squad tomorrow, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones, who injured his wrist last night, has been placed on Pittsburgh’s injured reserve list with the designation to return, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). The designation means that Jones will be sidelined for at least the next eight weeks of game action.
In advance of tonight’s game against the Jets, the Bears have waived wide receiver Josh Bellamy and promoted linebacker Terrell Manning from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
Linebacker Keith Smith has been cut by the Cowboys, the team officially announced today (via Twitter). For now, the club has an opening on its 53-man roster.
The Ravens are filling the 10th and final opening on their practice squad by re-adding defensive tackle A.J. Pataiali’i, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
After being cut from the team’s active roster before this weekend’s contest against the Colts, safety Craig Loston has rejoined the Jaguars‘ practice squad, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson is set to join the Vikings‘ practice squad, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). When the move becomes official, Minnesota will need to cut or promote someone off the practice squad to clear a spot for Bethel-Thompson.
The Buccaneers have removed Rashaan Melvin from their injured reserve list with a settlement, says Wilson (via Twitter).

Steelers Notes: Taylor, Shazier, Jones

September 22nd, 2014 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers headed into Carolina as underdogs last night, but thoroughly outplayed the home team en route to a 37-19 victory. However, Pittsburgh didn’t escape the game unscathed. A handful of players left the contest with various injuries, and while we’re still waiting for official updates from the club, a few reports have surfaced today on the severity of those injuries. Let’s check in on the latest updates….

Cornerback Ike Taylor suffered a broken forearm last night, as Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. While Robinson doesn’t specify a timetable, suggesting that Taylor will be sidelined “indefinitely,” Mark Kaboly of the Tribune-Review tweets that the recovery time will likely be six to eight weeks. As our tracker shows, the Steelers have yet to use their IR spot with the designation to return, so Taylor would appear to be a strong candidate for that.
A pair of linebackers also sustained injuries last night, and according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Ryan Shazier has a strained MCL, while Jarvis Jones will likely require wrist surgery that will keep him out indefinitely. Shazier is undergoing an MRI today, and we should know Jones’ status with more certainty soon, but it looks as if the club may need to add some reinforcements to their linebacking corps.
One longtime Steelers linebacker announced his retirement recently, but could be a good candidate to rejoin the team if he’s open to restarting his career. However, Scott Brown of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears from James Harrison‘s agent Bill Parise that the club has not reached out at this point.

AFC North Notes: Flacco, Gordon, Steelers

September 11th, 2014 at 9:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In a piece for the Sporting News, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap opines that among quarterbacks, the Ravens’ Joe Flacco has the least team-friendly pact. Flacco, of course, scored a huge deal after winning the Super Bowl in 2013 — $63MM comes his way in the first three years of the contractl, including $50MM in bonus money. It’s nearly impossible for Baltimore to get out the contract any time soon, as cutting Flacco after 2015 would result in more than $28MM in dead money on the Ravens’ cap. Also included on Fitzgerald’s list of bad deals is Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart, Bills defensive end Mario Williams, and Buccaneers safety Dashon Goldson. More from the AFC North:

A new drug policy could be agreed upon as soon as tomorrow, and although it’s unlikely that Josh Gordon is immediately reinstated, the Browns wouldn’t hesitate to put him on the field on Sunday, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. “I’d like to get him out there,” said offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. “I think he would help.”
For his part, Gordon thinks he’ll be able to play for the Browns this season — his new boss at an auto dealership in Northeast Ohio tells Mary Kay Cabot of the the Cleveland Plain-Dealer that the receiver is “very optimistic” his suspension will at least be reduced. “He thinks there’s a good possibility,” said Jeff Sarchione. “…He wants to get back on that field so bad.”
The Steelers used to be the model of consistency, both in terms of on-field success and cap management, writes Bill Barnwell of Grantland.com. In recent years, however, Pittsburgh has committed too much money to aging veterans, leading to its current cap woes, per Barnwell.

Steelers Extend Cortez Allen Through 2018

September 10th, 2014 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 10:25am: Allen received a $6.75MM signing bonus, with an overall value of $24.5MM on the four new years, says Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap (Twitter links). Fitzgerald adds that the deal includes a $3MM roster bonus in 2015.

SATURDAY, 7:48pm: Allen’s reported $26MM figure will apply to the five total years he’ll be under contract rather than just the four new years, says Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter).

7:18pm: The Steelers and cornerback Cortez Allen have reached an agreement on a four-year contract extension worth more than $26MM, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Considering Pittsburgh generally doesn’t negotiate in-season extensions, the two sides took talks down to the wire, with news of a new deal breaking less than 24 hours before the team’s first game of the 2014 season.

Allen, a fourth-round pick in 2011, has steadily become a more important part of the Steelers’ defense during his first three NFL seasons, making eight starts for the club last year and recording 51 tackles, 13 passes defended, and a pair of interceptions. Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required) liked his play too, grading him as an above-average corner and ranking him 36th out of 110 qualified players at the position.

Allen’s extension is the latest in a string of new deals between the Steelers and their key players this offseason. Offensive linemen Maurkice Pouncey and Marcus Gilbert also agreed to extensions, and the team secured kicker Shaun Suisham to a long-term pact as well. Ben Roethlisberger is the one notable extension candidate not to receive a new contract from the team thus far, but both parties intend to revisit that topic after the season.

We’ll have to wait for the full details on exactly how much of Allen’s new money is guaranteed, and what the year-by-year breakdown looks like, but based on the numbers reported so far, it looks a little richer than Alterraun Verner‘s four-year, $25.5MM deal with the Buccaneers. A handful of corners, including Sam Shields, Aqib Talib, Vontae Davis, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Brent Grimes, inked contracts with larger annual average values than Allen’s $6.5MM, but considering the Steeler only has 11 career starts on his résumé, that’s not all that surprising.

The 25-year-old Allen had been set to enter the final year of his rookie contract, which paid him a $1.431MM base salary for 2014. Assuming that figure remains unchanged, Allen’s next five years should be worth over $27MM, with the new deal keeping him under team control through the 2018 season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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