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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Extra Points: Burnett, Long, Adams

August 8th, 2014 at 6:59pm CST by Matt Feminis

ESPN’s staff put together a list of each team’s starter whose job is in jeopardy. Among the most notable are 49ers running back Frank Gore, Texans outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus and Packers safety Morgan Burnett. On Burnett, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky says, “When the Packers drafted Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the first round, the thinking was that he would start alongside Burnett. Now, there’s a chance he could start instead of Burnett. Coach Mike McCarthy likes what Micah Hyde has done at free safety, and when Burnett strained his oblique muscle this week, he put Clinton-Dix in Burnett’s strong safety spot. The Packers made a major investment in Burnett last summer with an $8.25 million signing bonus as part of a four-year extension, but he followed it with an unproductive season.”

Here’s a few miscellaneous links from around the league:

  • Panthers veteran linebacker Chase Blackburn is on that list, as second-year man A.J. Klein is pushing for the starting job, but Blackburn is embracing his role as mentor, writes Scott Fowler in the Charlotte Observer.
  • With the Eagles in Chicago to play the Bears tonight, Zach Berman of Philadelphia Inquirer writes about the relationship between Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long and Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, who helped Long get his career back on track during their time together at Oregon.
  • The Steelers were hoping 2012 second-rounder Mike Adams would challenge for a starting tackle job, but that’s not happening, writes ESPN’s Scott Brown. Adams has been inconsistent, and “It would be charitable to put Adams among the Steelers’ best seven offensive linemen through the first 11 practices,” according to Brown. Adams started 10-of-15 games played last season, but struggled and “earned” a -4.9 overall rating from Pro Football Focus.
  • Cowboys rookie safety Ahmad Dixon’s ‘Welcome to the NFL’ hit left him with a concussion, reports Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram.
  • The Seahawks’ secondary has established itself as the “Legion of Boom.” The Buccaneers are trying to establish the offensive equivalent, with the trio of Vincent Jackson, first-rounder Mike Evans and second-rounder Austin Seferian-Jenkins going by the “Three Dunkateers,” writes USA Today’s Jim Corbett.

East Notes: Mallett, Pouncey, Jets, Cowboys

August 8th, 2014 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

After Ryan Mallett’s preseason debut for the Patriots, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe thinks it’s time to stop pretending that any of the league’s 31 other teams will give up anything of value for New England’s backup signal-caller. As I wrote yesterday, the Pats seem to be showcasing Mallett this summer in the hopes of finding a trade partner, but Volin believes the 26-year-old is too much of an enigma to even warrant a fourth- or fifth-round pick in a deal.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • It hasn’t been a great year for Mike Pouncey, who is expected to miss several weeks of the regular season with a hip injury and also was involved in the Dolphins‘ bullying scandal, but he may have finally caught a break — according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins center isn’t expected to face charges for an incident at his South Beach birthday party last month. However, his brother, Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, is likely to be charged with misdemeanor battery, says Beasley.
  • There were no “competition-tilting developments” for Geno Smith or Michael Vick in the Jets’ first preseason game, but the fact that Vick led the team to its only touchdown drive indicates the free agent signee is continuing to push the incumbent QB, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
  • Team executives around the NFL are upset after a TMZ video showed head of officiating Dean Blandino out for a night of partying with Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora quotes several execs voicing concerns about possible preferential treatment, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that no formal complaints have been lodged with the league office about Blandino’s and Jones’ night out.

North Notes: Steelers, Dalton, Vikings, Packers

August 7th, 2014 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers missed the playoffs for a second straight season in 2013, the first time that has happened since 2000, but president Art Rooney II tells Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he’s happy with the moves the club made in the offseason.

“I like where we are,” Rooney said. “Obviously, the proof is in the pudding, but I think we addressed a lot of concerns, and now it’s a matter of developing this group into a winning team.”

Here are a few more items from around the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • The $5MM roster bonus included in Andy Dalton‘s new extension with the Bengals will be paid out today, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com.
  • Dalton’s deal is the second quarterback extension in a row with a modest signing bonus, notes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, adding that it will be interesting to see if that trend continues for the next wave of QBs to sign new deals. Veterans like Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, and Eli Manning could push for sizable signing bonuses, which may help young signal-callers like Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, and Robert Griffin III get similar deals.
  • New Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has been running through extensive hypothetical in-game scenarios with GM Rick Spielman in an effort to prepare himself for key decisions he’ll face in each game, as Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com details in an interesting piece.
  • For the first time in Aaron Rodgers‘ career with the Packers, offensive coordinator Tom Clements will be working from the coaches’ booth rather than the sideline this season, allowing him to get a better look at everything happening on the field, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Minor Moves: Wednesday

August 6th, 2014 at 9:00pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll round up Wednesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:

  • The Raiders announced that they have signed journeyman safety Larry Asante and waived/injured fellow safety Shelton Johnson. Asante joins the Raiders following stops with the Browns, Buccaneers, and Colts. For his career, the 6’0″, 210-pounder has played in 17 games and totaled 12 tackles (nine solo), one interception, one pass defensed, and one forced fumble. He played in five games last season for the Colts, seeing time primarily on special teams.
  • Saints defensive tackle Tyrone Ezell and linebacker Marcus Thompson have cleared waivers, tweets Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune.
  • Former BYU linebacker Spencer Hadley has signed with the Raiders, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, who tweets that the club has waived-injured linebacker Marshall McFadden to make room on the roster.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) passes along a couple new roster updates, reporting that the Cowboys have waived undrafted rookies Dashaun Phillips and Joe Windsor to make room for their defensive back signings (noted below). According to Wilson, the Lions also cut Cody Wilson from their IR with an injury settlement.

Earlier updates:

  • The Vikings have cut undrafted tight end A.C. Leonard, who left practice last week with a headache, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
  • Just a day after signing him, the Seahawks have waived defensive back Trey Wolfe, replacing him with DB Michael Dobson, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). Dobson participated in the club’s rookie minicamp in the spring.
  • In order to make room for new signee James Shaw, whose deal was reported yesterday, the Steelers have waived-injured wide receiver Danny Coale, tweets Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.
  • Another signing reported yesterday, the Titans‘ addition of defensive lineman Lanier Coleman, was finalized today, with Tennessee also agreeing to terms with tight end Chase Coffman, per Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. To clear two spots on the roster for the new players, the Titans waived-injured tight end Dorin Dickerson and cut quarterback Tyler Wilson (Twitter links). Wilson was selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft by the Raiders, and was signed by the Titans off Oakland’s practice squad last season.
  • The Cowboys have added a pair of defensive backs to their roster to bolster a secondary that has been hit hard by injuries in training camp, signing Korey Lindsey and Johnny Thomas, tweets Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram had indicated yesterday that Dallas was eyeing those two free agents. The club will need to cut two players to make room for Lindsey and Thomas.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

August 5th, 2014 at 10:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are the NFL’s minor transactions for Tuesday, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening:

  • The Bears waived linebacker Conor O’Neill to make room for the addition of Greg Herd, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
  • The Browns reached an injury settlement with James Oboh, Wilson tweets.
  • The Broncos waived defensive end Hall Davis with a left squad designation, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Denver signed Davis to a reserve/futures contract in February.
  • The Vikings waived Lestar Jean from injured reserve, tweets Wilson. The wideout has ten career receptions for 186 yards and one touchdown.
  • Running back Kendall Hunter will spend the season on the 49ers’ injured reserve list after he cleared waivers on Tuesday, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
  • The Dolphins announced that they have signed kicker Danny Hrapmann and waived linebacker Ryan Rau, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Hrapmann was one of at least three kickers Miami auditioned recently.
  • The Bears added wide receiver Greg Herd today, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Chicago must make a corresponding roster move for Herd, who had short stints with the Cowboys and Seahawks after entering the NFL in 2013.

Earlier updates:

  • The Colts agreed to sign former Eagles outside linebacker Phillip Hunt, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). To make room for Hunt, the Colts dropped wide receiver Nu’Keese Richardson, who signed with the club just two days ago.
  • The Browns announced that they have signed tight end Martell Webb, linebacker Keith Pough, and wide receiver Tim Smith, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Originally signed by Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent in 2011, Webb has spent time on the practice squads of the Jets (2011), Bucs (2011), Colts (2012), Titans (2012), and Lions (2013).
  • The Browns waived defensive back Darwin Cook, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
  • The Titans will sign Lanier Coleman, a defensive lineman who has spent time with the Jets and Packers, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Tennessee has a full 90-man roster, so the team will need to cut someone to make it official.
  • The Saints have signed former second-round tight end Richard Quinn, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). In a separate tweet, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com adds a few more Saints moves courtesy of Yates: New Orleans also signed wideout Tobais Palmer, waiving receiver Steve Hull (injured designation), defensive tackle Tyrone Ezell, and linebacker Marcus Thompson.
  • As first reported by NFL Draft Diamonds, the Browns have reached a deal to sign tight end Kyle Auffray, writes Mike Wilkering of Pro Football Talk. Cleveland entered the day with four open roster spots, so there’s plenty of room for Auffray, who spent some time with the Patriots in the spring.
  • The Buccaneers completed a series of roster moves today, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed defensive ends Ryne Giddins and James Ruffin, and waived-injured linebacker Jeremy Grable and safety Mycal Swaim.
  • The Steelers are set to sign wide receiver James Shaw, who previously played for the Arena League’s Pittsburgh Power, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Pittsburgh has a full 90-man roster, so the club will need to make a corresponding roster move to make room for the latest signee.
  • Jermaine Cunningham, who tore his Achilles tendon during training camp, has been waived-injured by the Jets, who signed offensive lineman Bruce Campbell to fill Cunningham’s roster spot, per Rich Cimini of ESPN New York (Twitter link). Campbell attended the team’s minicamp back in June on a tryout basis.
  • Armed with an open spot on their 90-man roster, the Broncos have signed former Browns defensive end Brian Sanford, as Mike Klis of the Denver Post details. Sanford, who turns 27 next month, has been active for 13 career regular-season contests for Cleveland and Oakland.
  • The Seahawks have waived-injured safety Dion Bailey and signed defensive back Trey Wolfe to replace him, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

Steelers Extend Shaun Suisham

August 5th, 2014 at 7:55am CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 7:55am: Per ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter), Suisham’s four-year extension is worth $13.1MM, with $2.85MM guaranteed. Though the guarantee is a little less than what most other top kickers have received on their four-year deals, Suisham’s per-year average stacks up favorably, putting him just outside the top five.

FRIDAY, 9:22am: The Steelers announced that they have extended the contract of Shaun Suisham through the 2018 season with a four-year deal, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports 1 (on Twitter). Suisham’s previous deal was set to expire after the 2014 campaign.

The 32-year-old has connected on 87.2% of his field goal attempts with the Steelers over the past four seasons and boasts an even sharper 92% conversion rate over the last two seasons. Suisham’s 93.8% mark on field goals last season was good for third in the NFL behind Matt Prater and Steven Hauschka amongst kickers who played in all 16 games. The veteran hasn’t always been this accurate as career his 83.1% field goal percentage shows. Suisham also boasts a perfect 128-128 mark on extra point attempts across the last four years.

Prior to joining the Steelers in 2010, Suisham spent time with the Cowboys and Redskins. Financial terms of Suisham’s deal are not yet known but it will be interesting to see how it stacks up to the three-year deal Hauschka signed to stay with Seattle this offseason. Hauschka’s pact is worth $9.15MM over those three years, with a guarantee of $3.35MM.

Extra Points: Tuitt, Mallett, Brooks

August 4th, 2014 at 11:05pm CST by Matt Feminis

The Steelers thought Stephon Tuitt was a steal at No. 46 overall, writes Triblive.com’s Alan Robinson, and the rookie defensive lineman out of Notre Dame is already working with the first-team defense, drawing praise from coaches and teammates.

Here’s a few more miscellaneous notes to conclude the evening:

Sunday Roundup: Bon Jovi, Orton, Browns

August 3rd, 2014 at 12:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s round up some links from around the league as Sunday morning turns into Sunday afternoon:

  • In order to stem concerns from Bills‘ fans that the Toronto-based group led by rocker Jon Bon Jovi would like to ultimately move the team to Toronto if its ownership bid is successful, Bon Jovi himself wrote a letter published in the Buffalo News on Sunday morning stating that he hopes to make the Bills successful “in Buffalo.” As John Wawrow of the Associated Press writes, however, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told the AP several weeks ago that he has no doubts regarding Bon Jovi’s group’s long-term intentions to move the team to Toronto.
  • Bears‘ GM Phil Emery is open to a reunion with Kyle Orton if Orton wants to play in 2014, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. Orton, who was released by the Cowboys last month, began his career in Chicago and the Bears have twice tried to re-sign him since trading him to Denver in the Jay Cutler deal five years ago. Orton would represent an upgrade at backup quarterback over Jimmy Clausen and Jordan Palmer.
  • Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer thinks that it is a “good sign” that Browns‘ receiver Josh Gordon and his attorneys are heading back to New York on Monday to resume Gordon’s appeal hearing. Cabot believes that Gordon will still be suspended, but perhaps not indefinitely.
  • In the same piece, Cabot opines that Browns‘ second-year pro Barkevious Mingo could produce double-digit sacks in 2014. George M. Thomas and Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal similarly believe that Mingo looks poised for a breakout campaign.
  • In a separate piece, Ulrich writes that Browns‘ rookie QB Johnny Manziel could be gaining ground on presumed starter Brian Hoyer.
  • Scott Brown of ESPN.com writes that Steelers‘ head coach Mike Tomlin is paying particularly close attention to the unheralded running backs fighting to make the team’s 53-man roster, including Tauren Poole, Miguel Maysonet, and Josh Harris.
  • I posted an article earlier today regarding a potential contract extension for 49ers‘ head coach Jim Harbaugh, and Eric Branch of the San Fransisco Chronicle adds to that discussion. He writes that CEO Jed York believes he and Harbaugh are “on the same page” in their contract talks and that both parties will assess where they are after the 2014 season.
  • Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune writes that Buccaneers wide receiver Tommy Streeter has been the pleasant surprise of training camp thus far.
  • Herbie Teope of ChiefsSpin.com tweets that Chiefs‘ star safety Eric Berry returned to practice today.
  • ESPN.com has created a chart detailing the first impressions that the first-round picks of 2014 have made.

Minor Moves: Friday

August 1st, 2014 at 10:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ve already posted one roundup of today’s minor moves, but there are even more transactions, so we’ll start a new list here. Any new updates will appear atop the post.

  • The Cowboys signed defensive end Adewale Ojomo, and because of their earlier addition of Kenneth Boatright, were forced to make two roster moves. As such, Dallas cut guard Darius Morris and receiver L’Damian Washington (Twitter link via Bryan Broaddus of Cowboys.com).
  • The Jets have released safety Brandon Hardin, tweets Brian Costello of the New York Post. Hardin was the Bears’ third-round pick in 2012.
  • The Steelers waived running back Alvester Alexander and signed fellow RB Jawan Jamison, per Pittsburgh’s PR man Burt Lauten (via Twitter). Jamison was a 2013 Redskins seventh-rounder, but was waived by Washington in March.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

July 29th, 2014 at 8:46pm CST by Luke Adams

As August approaches, teams continue to shuffle around their 90-man rosters, making minor signings and cuts. We’ll round up Tuesday’s minor transactions right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • The Bears signed wide receiver Dale Moss to fill out their roster, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Moss spent part of 2012 on the Bears’ practice squad and the early part of the 2013 offseason on Chicago’s roster.
  • Brian McIntyre (Twitter links) passes along word of a pair of waiver claims, reporting that the 49ers claimed offensive tackle Michael Philipp from the Dolphins, while the Lions were awarded wideout Quintin Payton from the Bucs. Detroit had an open roster spot, so no corresponding move was necessary to claim Payton — San Francisco has waived quarterback Kory Faulkner to make room for Philipp.
  • The Steelers have waived-injured offensive lineman David Snow, replacing him on the roster with running back Josh Harris, the team announced today (Twitter link via PR man Burt Lauten).

Earlier updates:

  • After suffering a couple injuries in the secondary recently, the Ravens have brought in a free agent defensive back, signing former Arena Leaguer Marrio Norman to a contract, the team announced today. To make room on the roster, Baltimore has cut wide receiver Gerrard Sheppard, who spent most of last season on the club’s practice squad.
  • In order to make room for the newly-signed Alfonso Smith, the 49ers have waived-injured rookie guard Fouimalo Fonoti, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter).
  • The Dolphins have made a series of moves this morning, signing tight end Brett Brackett, quarterback Seth Lobato and defensive end D’Aundre Reed, and waiving quarterback Brock Jensen and linebacker Derrell Johnson. Miami also waived-injured guard Davonte Wallace, according to the team (TwitLonger link). Of the six players, only Reed has seen regular-season NFL action, and his experience is limited to six active games in 2012. The release of Jensen is also notable, since he was one of the club’s more highly-touted undrafted free agents this spring.
  • Former Jets linebacker Ricky Sapp has been cut by the Texans, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who tweets that the team signed running back Tim Cornett and offensive tackle Mike Farrell. Sapp, a former fifth-round pick who was active in 10 total games last year for the Jets and Texans, will have to clear waivers before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
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