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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Extra Points: Collins, Staley, McKinnon

July 7th, 2014 at 7:59pm CST by Matt Feminis

Let’s round up a few Monday odds and ends from around the NFL….

  • Patriots second-year linebacker Jamie Collins‘ arrow is pointing up following a terrific rookie season in which he showcased unique athleticism and versatility. In Collins, “Bill Belichick has found a new sort of prototype,” says NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal, who profiles Collins as a breakout player deserving of 900 snaps this season. For perspective, Dont’a Hightower‘s 870 snaps led Patriots linebackers in 2013.
  • Joe Staley has four years remaining on a six-year, $43.2MM contract with the 49ers, but many consider the outstanding left tackle underpaid, says ESPN’s Bill Williamson, who tweets the team could consider giving Staley a new deal. Either way, Staley isn’t expected to hold out. That’s not the case for Alex Boone, however, tweets Williamson.
  • The Steelers need second-year man Markus Wheaton to step up, says ESPN’s Scott Brown in his preview of the team’s receivers.
  • In a rundown of AFC South depth chart notes, Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuiness says he doesn’t expect Jaguars free-agent acquisition Toby Gerhart to be any better than average.
  • Meanwhile, Vikings rookie Jerick McKinnon is vying to replace Gerhart as Adrian Peterson‘s backup. A third-round pick out of Georgia Southern, McKinnon is making a strong first impression on Peterson: “He’s pretty impressive and there’s not too many guys who impress me like that, especially rookies coming in,” Peterson told Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune.
  • Despite a recent ESPN poll (Insider required) of league executives that ranked Jets quarterback Geno Smith the NFL’s worst starter, NewYorkJets.com editor-in-chief Randy Lange tries to make a case Smith’s rookie season was “better than some observers seem to think.”
  • If the season started today, the Raiders would be the worst team in football, according to Pro Football Talk.

AFC Links: Pitta, Bills, Ward, Titans

July 2nd, 2014 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Tight end Dennis Pitta reached a five-year contract agreement with the Ravens back in March, but had been considering filing a grievance if the team franchised him, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Like Jimmy Graham, Pitta spent most of his snaps last season playing in the slot or split out wide, rather than on the offensive line. Based on today’s ruling, which went against Graham, Pitta was likely fortunate to avoid such a dispute, since he lined up in the slot for the majority of his snaps, and arbitrator Stephen Burbank determined that Graham was playing tight end in instances when he lined up within four yards of offensive linemen.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Terry and Kim Pegula have hired Steve Greenberg, managing director of elite investment bank Allen & Company, to represent them as they pursue a potential purchase of the Bills, reports Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. The current Buffalo Sabres owners are among a number of likely bidders with interest in buying the franchise.
  • Having moved to Cleveland to Denver in the offseason, new Broncos safety T.J. Ward has noticed a difference between the two teams, as he tells David DeChant of DenverBroncos.com. “Nothing against Cleveland but this is a winning culture,” Ward said. Of his goals this season, the ex-Brown added: “We’re just expecting to win. That’s it. That’s the only expectation.”
  • After spending the first six years of his NFL career in Denver, linebacker Wesley Woodyard joined the Titans on a four-year contract this offseason, and he likes what he sees in Tennessee so far, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean.
  • Longtime Steelers linebacker Joey Porter will work this season in Pittsburgh as a defensive assistant, and former teammate Larry Foote tells ESPN.com’s Scott Brown that he fully expects Porter to become an NFL head coach eventually.

AFC Notes: Bills, Steelers, Garoppolo

July 1st, 2014 at 9:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills were dealt a devastating blow tonight, as second-year linebacker Kiko Alonso tore his ACL and is expected to miss all of the upcoming season. Let’s look at some more notes from Buffalo and the rest of the AFC:

  • New York governor Andrew Cuomo has argued that the Bills don’t need a new stadium in order to remain in Buffalo, and today he reiterated that view. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” said Cuomo, per Dave McKinley of WGRZ.com. “Everyone wants the Bills to stay in Western New York. And, if everyone agreed that the only way the Bills could stay was a new stadium, then we should talk about a new stadium. But I don’t know that that’s the case.” However, the state has tasked a consulting firm with surveying locations for a new Bills home, and it has delivered a preliminary report.
  • Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley offered praise for new line coach Mike Munchak, who like Haley, has head coaching experience, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. “Not all great players are great coaches. But he’s definitely one of those great players that transitioned into being a great coach,” said Haley. “The head coaching experience is a benefit because he doesn’t just see it from his position group or his perspective. He sees the big picture…”
  • kSpeaking of Haley, he conducted an interesting interview with Mary Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review focusing on analytics, and how the burgeoning use of statistics in the NFL affects the Steelers’ offensive philosophy.
  • Gil Brandt of NFL.com tweets that three non-first-round AFC rookies have caught his eye throughout minicamps and OTAs: Allen Robinson and Brandon Linder of the Jaguars, and Jimmy Garoppolo of the Patriots.

Cowboys Notes: Orton, Romo, Jones

July 1st, 2014 at 8:59am CST by Ben Levine

The Kyle Orton–Cowboys standoff continues, but Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News says that there’s nothing for fans to worry about. After all, if Tony Romo gets hurt for a significant amount of time, the team “is doomed” either way. That may sound relatively pessimistic, but the writer seems to be on to something.

Gosselin looked at the success of backup quarterbacks from around the league. In 2013, starters won about 54 percent of the time while the backups only won 35 percent of their starts. Since 2000, backups have won 41 percent of their games, but that number is a bit misleading because of two outliers (Tom Brady‘s 11-3 record in 2001 and Ben Roethlisberger‘s 13-0 record in 2004).

The Cowboys could hold on to the dependable Orton, but history doesn’t suggest success if he’s thrust into a starting role. Instead, the team will hope he retires. As Gosselin notes, Orton would have to repay the Cowboys $3MM of his $5MM signing bonus if he decides to hang up the cleats. If he is cut, the Cowboys are responsible for the entire bonus.

Let’s see what else is happening in the Cowboys organization…

  • In a likely effort to avoid a third back surgery, Tony Romo told David Moore of The Dallas Morning News that he has given up golf. Golf is more than a hobby to Romo – the quarterback has won a number of amateur tournaments and nearly qualified for the U.S. Open. However, Romo understands what he needs to do to stay healthy. “It’s not just golf. It’s a way you live life,” he said. “I don’t think about it as [giving up] golf. It’s just life. You want to give yourself the best chance to succeed on the football field.”
  • Former Cowboys running back Felix Jones is still confident he’ll be in the NFL next season. The 27-year-old appeared in 16 games for the Steelers last season but only ran for 184 yards in a backup role. “I know something is going to happen, I have a gut feeling,” Jones said, via Kieran Steckley of TulsaWorld.com. “I just have to stay prepared for it…I played the game for a few years. I kinda got the hang for what’s going on in the NFL at my position. I know I can teach younger guys. Obviously I still got some gas in my motor.”

Monday Roundup: Graham, Taylor, Dolphins

June 30th, 2014 at 10:02pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some links from around the league on this Monday evening:

  • Arbitrator Stephen Burbank will issue his decision on Saints tight end Jimmy Graham‘s franchise tag grievance on Thursday, according to Adam Schefter and Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
  • Steelers‘ cornerback Ike Taylor, who agreed to reduce his 2014 salary from $7MM to $2.5MM in March, and who seemed at peace when speaking with reporters about his decision just a month ago–he simply said “my [new] salary is a lot of money”–has apparently had a change of heart. As Mark Kaboly of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes, Taylor recently appeared on The Jim Rome Show and stated, “Did it hurt me? Hell yeah. Does it still hurt? Yeah, it hurts, but hopefully I can go in and bounce back this year, do what I need to do on the field and we will see what happens after.” Of course, there is nothing Taylor can do about it now, and both he and the Steelers are hoping for a bounce-back year in 2014.
  • ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets a couple of options for the Eagles as they make to shuffle their offensive line in the wake of the Lane Johnson suspension.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com continues his Best Contract/Worst Contract series with the Falcons. He explains why the team’s best contract is with wideout Roddy White, and the worst is with LT Sam Baker.
  • Dr. David Chao, whose piece for the National Football Post we referenced earlier today with regards to the dangers associated with playing football on dirt–as they do in the Oakland Coliseum–also passed along a couple of Dolphins injury notes. Chao confirms that running back Knowshon Moreno has had his knee scoped and should return in time for the majority of training camp, but he expects center Mike Pouncey to wind up on the PUP list, requiring him to miss at least the first six weeks of the season.

Fittipaldo On The Steelers

June 30th, 2014 at 9:04pm CST by Rory Parks

Ray Fittipaldo of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hosted a chat with fans this afternoon, and some noteworthy tidbits came out of it. For instance, he says it was not foolish for the Steelers to not make a run at Brandon Flowers. Flowers can make up to $5MM this year in incentives and the club has only $6MM of cap space, which it would like to keep for potential signings or extensions.

Speaking of which, Fittipaldo believes Cortez Allen may be the next player to get an extension. He writes, “[Allen] hasn’t exactly been a model of consistency but he has the raw skills to be a good corner in this defense. The last time the Steelers let a CB play out the final year of his deal [Keenan Lewis] they could not afford to keep him.”

Here are some more highlights from Fittipaldo:

  • Fittipaldo does not believe Pittsburgh is done signing free agents, but, as with most teams, any signings at this point would probably be to replace a player who gets injured in camp.
  • Brett Keisel remains a possibility for the club, but, as Fittipaldo observes, “if [the Steelers] really thought they absolutely had to have him back they would have done it June 2 when they got the cap relief.” A Kesiel signing becomes more likely if there is an injury or if the team’s younger defensive linemen do not impress in camp.
  • In response to a reader’s speculation that 2014 could be the last year for Troy Polamalu in a Steeler’s uniform, Fittipaldo notes that there is dead money on Polamalu’s contract through 2016, so if he plays well enough, there is incentive to keep him. On the other hand, he plays a position where speed and quickness is essential, and you never know “when a player’s wheels are going to fall off.”
  • As he has noted in previous pieces, Fittipaldo writes that the Steelers are changing their approach when it comes to younger players. Rather than waiting until their third year in the league to learn about them, the Steelers will throw those players into the fire and cope with their growing pains. That certainly seems to be their approach with first-round pick Ryan Shazier.
  • Fittipaldo points to the team’s lack of depth along the defensive line as a pressing concern, and, to that end, notes that NT Steve McLendon could have a breakthrough season. Considering the importance of the nose tackle in the Steelers’ defense, they desperately need him to emerge as a quality starter.

 

Rookie Notes: 49ers, Bills, Steelers

June 30th, 2014 at 4:17pm CST by Ben Levine

While it could just be pure coincidence, former Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland had a handful of successful seventh-round draft selections. As ESPN.com’s James Walker explores on Twitter, linebacker Austin Spitler, wide receiver Rishard Matthews and defensive backs Don Jones and Jimmy Wilson were all solid finds. 

For all the criticism that Ireland has received, as least he can claim that he has a keen eye for under-the-radar talent.

Here are some more notes regarding some of the league’s youngest players…

  • The 49ers have filled their open roster spot by adding guard Al Netter, tweets Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. The team waived Netter about a month ago to clear room for Blake Costanzo. The team had an extra roster spot following Eric Wright‘s retirement.
  • Bills rookie linebacker Randell Johnson has signed with agents Drew Rosenhaus and Michael Katz of Rosenhaus Sports, tweets Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal.
  • Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review focuses on the young Steelers who could be “training camp phenoms” (via Twitter): Justin Brown, Dri Archer, Mike Mitchell, Brian Arnfelt, Tauren Poole.

AFC North Notes: Manziel, Tucker, Polamalu

June 28th, 2014 at 2:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

Johnny Manziel hasn’t played in an NFL game yet, but his off the field conduct has already become a point of contention in the Browns‘ organization, according to the Chicago Tribune. He has been in the news for his already legendary partying, and has come out and stated that he was not going to tone down his personality for the NFL. Manziel’s conduct is already the biggest storyline in the NFL this offseason, according to our PFR Poll, slightly edging out Andre Johnson trade rumors, Jimmy Graham‘s contract, and the Redskins’ name controversy.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

  • Browns‘ head coach Mike Pettine has been impressed with the team’s two top backs, free agent signing Ben Tate and rookie Terrance West, writes Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. The Browns attempted 681 passes in 2013, most in the NFL, and will need a strong ground game to help avoid repeating that performance next season.
  • The Ravens have a number of players who are up for contract extensions this summer, including kicker Justin Tucker, writes Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. Tucker is coming into the final year of a three-year deal and has been one of the top kickers in the league over his first two seasons. The team is also looking to lock up Torrey Smith, Jimmy Smith, and Haloti Ngata.
  • Steelers‘ safeties Troy Polamalu and Shamarko Thomas are training together this offseason, writes Ray Frager of CSNBaltimore.com. Polamalu invited the younger safety out to California this offseason to help bring him up to speed on the defense.

AFC Links: Watkins, Shorts, Keisel, Raiders

June 28th, 2014 at 12:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Last night we not only passed along some Browns notes, but also asked whether Johnny Manziel’s off-the-field conduct was among the NFL’s most intriguing storylines. Let’s take a look at some more news from Cleveland, as well as the rest of the AFC:

  • Sammy Watkins revealed to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal that Browns general manager Ray Farmer met with him in Clemson just a few days before the start of last month’s draft. Watkins, of course, was thought to be an option for the Browns at pick No. 4, but Cleveland ultimately traded the pick to the Bills, who selected the 21-year-old receiver.
  • Negotiations between the Jaguars and Cecil Shorts could take awhile, but Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com thinks an extension could be signed sometime during the first half of the season. DiRocco agrees with a recent assessment that Doug Baldwin‘s contract with the Seahawks could be a template for a new Shorts deal, but cautions that if Shorts demands No. 1 receiver money, an agreement could stall.
  • In his latest mailbag, Scott Brown of ESPN.com writes that he still expects the Steelers to re-sign veteran Brett Keisel, though a reunion may not come until just before the start of training camp. Keisel would serve as a mentor to second-round pick Stephon Tuitt, and act as part of a rotation with the rookie and Cam Thomas.
  • 2011 Steelers fifth-round linebacker Chris Carter might be facing his last chance in Pittsburgh, according to R.J. Schaffer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Following the release of LaMarr Woodley, there is room for another pass-rusher to step up for the Steelers, but rumors persist that the team might add veteran James Harrison.
  • The Raiders still have more than $10MM left in cap space, and ESPN.com’s Paul Guiterrez wonders if the team should look to spend that money, while questioning why Oakland did not look into signing Brandon Flowers. Personally, I think it makes more sense for the Raiders to roll over that cap space into 2015, as there aren’t any high-impact free agents left on the market.

Extra Points: Steelers, Wharton, Sproles

June 25th, 2014 at 9:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier tonight, Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com went into enemy territory to size up the Steelers‘ receiving corps. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley swears that this the deepest group of receivers he’s ever had the privilege of coaching, but it’s certainly lacking star power outside of Antonio Brown. Earlier tonight, we looked at the Steelers’ offseason, including their lack of change when it comes to wide receivers. Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • With starting left guard Amini Silatolu looking healthy and optimism around rookie Trai Turner, the Panthers felt comfortable with not re-signing former starter Travelle Wharton, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Wharton, meanwhile, has hinted that he plans to retire.
  • You can call Eagles offseason pickup Darren Sproles a tailback or an all-purpose back, but don’t go calling him a receiver. “Yeah, that’s crazy,” the offensive weapon told reporters, including Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. “Half the time I get my catches out of the backfield.” Sproles, entering his 10th season, has 378 career receptions for 3,381 yards and 27 career receiving touchdowns. He has more career receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns than either Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin, the Eagles’ two starting receivers.
  • The NFL announced that a revised settlement in the concussion lawsuit with former players has been reached. The funds will not be capped, meaning that once the compensation program is established funds will be available to any retired player who develops a qualifying neurocognitive condition.
  • The NFLPA announced via press release that an arbitrator has upheld discipline on three contract advisors, including Martin Magid for bad business dealings with former client Elvis Dumervil.
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