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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

AFC Notes: Burfict, Allen, Dolphins, Wright

September 3rd, 2014 at 10:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (Twitter links) has the details on Vontaze Burfict‘s new $19MM, three-year deal with the Bengals. Burfict gets a $3.1MM signing bonus, a $3.8MM roster bonus on Aug. 30th, and a $3.15MM roster bonus due on the fifth day of 2015 year. Burfict has non-guaranteed base salaries of $700K, $1.05MM, $2.85MM and $3.75MM with cap figures of $5.279MM, $5.175MM, $3.825MM, $4.725MM. More out of the AFC..

  • The Steelers will cut off contract negotiations with all their players come Sunday, which means time is ticking on a new deal with Cortez Allen, writes Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. It wouldn’t be unprecedented for PIttsburgh to get something done at the 11th hour, however. Troy Polamalu signed an extension in 2011 at the airport on the Saturday before the start of the season as the team was about to depart for Baltimore.
  • The Dolphins gave tryouts to five linebackers, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today (on Twitter). Miami worked out Zac Diles, Brandon Hepburn, Terrell Manning, Etienne Sabino, and Kelvin Sheppard.
  • New Patriots tight end Tim Wright is making a solid impression on offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, writes NFL.com’s Chris Wesselling. “We just got him, and he was able to come in here and learn enough to be able to go out there and play for us in a preseason game for 40-some snaps or whatever it was,” McDaniels said. “He’s working hard, certainly a bright kid and has some talent that hopefully we can utilize, and he just seems to fit in good and has a good attitude and work ethic. I’m just excited about seeing what we can do going forward.”

Sunday Transactions: AFC North

August 31st, 2014 at 7:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC North teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions are noted below.

Additionally, as of 11:00am CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, changes were made to practice squad rules that allow teams to carry eight players instead of 10, and the eligibility requirements for those extra two spots were also loosened. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Baltimore Ravens:

Cincinnati Bengals:

Cleveland Browns:

Pittsburgh Steelers:

Steelers Reduce Roster To 53 Players

August 30th, 2014 at 2:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers have become the latest team to reduce their roster count to 53 players in advance of this afternoon’s deadline. Here are the 22 players cut from the club’s active roster today, per a press release:

James Harrison Announces Retirement

August 30th, 2014 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

After a brief flirtation this week with the Cardinals, James Harrison decided not to sign with the club, and in fact won’t be joining any NFL team this season. The longtime Steelers linebacker officially announced his retirement from the NFL this morning, via Facebook. Here’s Harrison’s statement, in full:

“I have made the difficult decision to retire as of today. My love for my family and the need to be there for them outweighs my desire to play the game. I have missed too many experiences with them because I devoted SO much time to my career. My love for the game isn’t strong enough to make up for missing one more birthday or first day of school. I am retiring as a man who is truly grateful for all of his blessings. I am sincerely thankful to the people who have supported me over the years, first and foremost my family, the Rooney family and my Steeler family, also Mr. Brown, the Bengals organization and fans, and last but FAR from least, Steeler Nation. Thank you.”

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 retires from the NFL having won two Super Bowls with the Steelers.

Minor Moves: Friday Night

August 29th, 2014 at 10:54pm CST by Luke Adams

As our transactions log shows, it’s been a busy day for roster moves around the NFL, and tomorrow will be even more hectic, as teams cut their rosters down to 53 active players in advance of the 3:00pm CT deadline. As we look forward to what should be a fun Saturday, let’s round up a few more odds and ends from Friday’s transactions wire….

  • Kicker John Potter (Dolphins) and defensive back Devin Smith (Steelers) have been removed from their team’s respective injured lists with injury settlements, tweets Wilson.
  • Two Raiders have posted the news of their own waiving via social media: DE Jack Crawford (via Instagram) and TE Jake Murphy (via Twitter) each indicated they had been cut by Oakland.

Earlier Updates:

  • According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links), the Cowboys waived a pair of players today, parting ways with wide receiver Jamar Newsome and running back D.J. Adams.
  • The Dolphins began trimming their roster from 75 players to 53 today, informing tight end Kyle Miller that he’s being cut, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
  • Packers tackle Aaron Adams has suffered a torn ACL and MCL, and will be placed on injured reserve, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Adams would have been in contention for a spot at the back end of the 53-man roster had he remained healthy.
  • The Lions and 49ers both freed up some cap space by restructuring the contracts of safety Glover Quin and defensive lineman Ray McDonald, respectively, per reports by Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com and Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). We don’t have the specific details yet on either move, but they were likely simple restructures, converting a portion of the players’ base salaries into signing bonuses.
  • The following players were cut off their respective teams’ injured reserve lists with injury settlements, according to reports from John Oesher of Jaguars.com, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com, and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (all Twitter links): Defensive end David Carter (Jaguars), linebacker Jamar Chaney (Broncos), and safety DeJon Gomes (Lions).

Steelers Claim B.W. Webb Off Waivers

August 29th, 2014 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after he was cut by the Cowboys, second-year cornerback B.W. Webb has been claimed off waivers by the Steelers, the team announced today (Twitter link). Linebacker Jordan Zumwalt was placed on Pittsburgh’s injured reserve list in order to clear an opening on the roster for Webb.

A fourth-round pick a year ago, Webb was a part-timer in the Cowboys’ secondary during his rookie season, appearing in 185 total defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). In addition to recording 12 tackles and one pass defended on defense, the 24-year-old also contributed in kick and punt coverage, logging four special teams tackles. He was waived by the Cowboys when they signed Phillip Tanner this week.

Although Webb had been dealing with a hip flexor earlier this summer, he’s healthy now, though it’s not clear what the Steelers’ plan for him is. If Webb doesn’t earn a spot on Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster, he’d be eligible for practice squad duty.

AFC North Notes: Burfict, Rice, Burleson, Steelers

August 29th, 2014 at 1:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Vontaze Burfict is barely into his second NFL contract, but he wants the Bengals to know that he already has deal No. 3 on his mind, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. “I told Troy [Blackburn] I’ll be back in 2016,” Burfict said. “Obviously they trust me, and like I’ve said, I want to be a leader of the defense. We have great things to come for the next three years while I’m here.” If Burfict continues to perform at a high level, that next contract will be hefty, whether it comes from Cincinnati or someone else. More AFC North news:

  • If Ravens running back Ray Rice were to have another domestic violence incident, it’s unclear whether he would face a lifetime ban under the league’s new policy, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Of course, the policy was put in place after (and in response to) Rice’s incident this offseason.
  • With an impressive route and catch last night, veteran Nate Burleson may have sewn up his spot on the Browns‘ roster, writes Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
  • It is possible the Steelers could carry as many as six wide receivers, though it is not likely, which means the players who don’t make the cut will probably be former Penn State teammates Justin Brown and Derrick Moye, writes Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Darrius Heyward-Bey projects to be Pittsburgh’s fifth and final receiver.
  • After the way Isaiah Crowell ran against the Bears, the Browns will probably have to give him a roster spot since they’d never get him back on the practice squad, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com.

North Notes: Ponder, Browns, Lions, Blount

August 27th, 2014 at 8:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder has fallen behind Matt Cassel and rookie Teddy Bridgewater on the depth chart, leading to some speculation that he could be trade bait for another team in search of an experienced backup QB. Still, the former first-round pick doesn’t feel as though tomorrow night’s game is an audition, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “I just want to go out and have a good game, not for an audition for another team or anything, but for myself and this team,” Ponder said. “Right now, my thoughts are securing a spot on this roster.”

  • With the cutdown to a 53 man roster looming, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal looks at who’s safe, who’s on the bubble, and who is a long shot to make the cut for the Browns. Wide receivers Nate Burleson and Charles Johnson are on the bubble, but no matter who survives Saturday’s cuts, Ulrich expects the team to scope out the waiver wire and perhaps trades to bolster their WR core.
  • The Lions axed coach Jim Schwartz, but there are plenty in Detroit who are still grateful for what he did during his tenure there, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. “I know I’m going to get a hold of him prior to the game and just show gratitude and thank him for the opportunity of bringing me in,” linebacker Tahir Whitehead said. “Because I haven’t had the opportunity to do that since he left.” Schwartz is now the defensive coordinator for the Bills.
  • Steelers free agent addition LeGarrette Blount is refusing to talk about his incident last week and says that he’s focused solely on football, writes Ralph N. Paul of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Steelers Notes: Villanueva, Jones, Moore

August 27th, 2014 at 7:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Will the Steelers snap out of their funk in 2014? Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review looks at it from both sides. The Steelers have done well in their last two drafts and they’ve gotten younger in an effort to catch up to the rest of the league. Conversely, Robinson is worried about the receiving core beyond Antonio Brown. Here’s more on the Steelers..

  • The Steelers worked out defensive end Alejandro Villanueva earlier today, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The former U.S. Army Ranger was recently waived by the Eagles.
  • Steelers quarterback Landry Jones will be playing to secure a roster spot when Pittsburgh takes the field on Thursday night, writes Steve Reed of The Associated Press. Coach Mike Tomlin says he needs to see consistent play out of Jones before deciding on whether the team will carry a third quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger and Bruce Gradkowski. On the other sideline, Joe Webb will be starting for the Panthers. His job is believed to be more secure, however.
  • The Steelers have lots of new faces at wide receiver that Roethlisberger will have to get used to, writes Ralph Paulk Jr. of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Second-year receiver Markus Wheaton will be lined up opposite incumbent star Brown while free agent signees Lance Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey, and rookie Martavis Bryant will be there in support.

Steelers Cut 15 Players

August 26th, 2014 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

3:25pm: The Steelers have made their remaining six cuts, and Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link) has the list of players who are no longer on the team’s active roster:

7:52am: The Steelers have become the latest team to make a series of roster cuts in advance of today’s 75-man deadline. According to the club’s PR rep Burt Lauten (via Twitter), the Steelers parted ways with nine players this morning, meaning they’ll still need to make an additional six cuts by this afternoon. Here are the players no longer with the team:

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