Steelers Release LeGarrette Blount
1:52pm: The Steelers have officially promoted Harris from the practice squad to replace Blount, tweets PR man Burt Lauten.
12:32pm: The Steelers have released running back LeGarrette Blount, opening up a spot on the 53-man roster, the team announced today (Twitter link). Pittsburgh becomes the second AFC North team today to cut ties with a notable recently-signed running back, with the Browns waiving Ben Tate earlier in the day.
Blount, who signed with the Steelers in March after a successful postseason reason with the Patriots, came into the season expecting to share the workload with Le’Veon Bell. However, Bell has emerged as one of the top backs in the NFL, relegating Blount to backup duty — the former Buccaneer and Patriot has carried the ball just 65 times this year for 266 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Things came to a head in Tennessee last night, when Blount left the field before the end of the Steelers’ win over the Titans, as Bell was in the midst of racking up more than 200 yards on the ground. The display didn’t sit well with other players on the roster, as Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette details. Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette (Twitter links) suggested this afternoon that some from of discipline – at least a suspension – would be handed down by head coach Mike Tomlin, but the club elected to go ahead and cut Blount instead.
Like Tate and other players cut after the trade deadline, Blount will have to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent. For teams in need of a running back, Blount will have appeal because of his talent and his inexpensive price tag, but after Monday’s incident, his impact on the clubhouse may be a concern.
As for the Steelers, Dulac (Twitter link) indicated that releasing Blount would likely open up the door for the team to give Dri Archer a larger workload and to sign Josh Harris from off the practice squad.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Extra Points: RGIII, Brooks, Steelers
Let’s check out some leftover notes to wrap up the weekend…
- If Washington decides to exercise the fifth-year option on Robert Griffin III, the quarterback’s 2016 salary will be worth about $18.4MM, calculates Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. If the former second-overall pick doesn’t improve quickly, Florio says it’s hard to imagine the team picking up the option.
- The 49ers reportedly shopped linebacker Ahmad Brooks close to the trade deadline, and it appears like that relationship continues to deteriorate. Mike Garafolo of FoxSports.com reports that the 30-year-old pulled himself from Sunday’s win over the Giants because he was upset about playing time. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter) guesses that the 30-year-old and his $7.3MM contract won’t be around next season.
- The dominant defense that the Steelers featured in the past is much harder to construct nowadays, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Previously, the team’s 3-4 strategy was unique and exclusive, meaning the team could target specific types of players for significantly less money. However, many teams have switched over to the Dick LeBeau-styled defense, and Pittsburgh is now being forced to bid against teams with larger pockets.
Cardinals Sign Josh Mauro
FRIDAY, 2:32pm: The Cardinals have officially added Mauro to their roster, cutting linebacker Thomas Keiser to clear room on the squad, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).
THURSDAY, 4:54pm: The Cardinals will pluck defensive end Josh Mauro from the Steelers’ practice squad and add him to their 53-man roster, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Mauro, 24 in February, offers tremendous size at 6’6″ and 271 pounds. With a frame reminiscent of Texans star J.J. Watt, the Steelers actually put a No. 99 jersey on Mauro in practices leading up to their October showdown with Houston. The Stanford product played mostly defensive end in college but is said to also have the ability to play on the interior.
Mauro could have made the Steelers’ final cut in August, particularly with question marks surrounding their defensive line, but he had to settle for a practice squad slot after he didn’t make the 53-man roster. Now, he’ll have his NFL opportunity elsewhere.
Minor Moves: Friday
Since Fridays are relatively quiet days for in-season NFL transactions, we’ll round up today’s minor 53-man roster changes and practice squad signings and cuts in the same space. Here’s the latest:
- After having lost Josh Mauro to the Cardinals, the Steelers filled their newly-opened practice squad spot by re-adding defensive lineman Ethan Hemer to their practice squad, tweets Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Hemer returns to the unit after having been cut earlier this month.
- Linebacker Jeremy Grable, who was just added to the Buccaneers‘ practice squad on Wednesday, has been placed on the squad’s IR list, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com, who adds (via Twitter) that punter Jacob Schum has replaced Grable.
Poll: Which Team Will Win AFC North?
Coming into the season, the AFC North was expected to be one of the league’s more competitive divisions, with the Bengals viewed as the slight favorites and the Ravens and Steelers expected to challenge Cincinnati for the top spot. However, through 10 weeks, the division as a whole has significantly outperformed expectations. Not only are the three aforementioned clubs still in the hunt for the AFC North title, but the upstart Browns are actually leading the way with a 6-3 record.
Of course, while Cleveland may be clinging to the division lead now, the team could also be a week or two away from falling to last place. With the Bengals at 5-3-1 and the Steelers and Ravens both at 6-4, all four teams in the North are separated by just a half-game. As the league noted on the weekend (Twitter link via Aditi Kinkhabwala), it’s the first time since 1935 that every team in an NFL division is at least two games over .500.
With all four teams bunched up and seven weeks still to play, it’s anyone’s division, and there’s no clear-cut favorite to earn a home playoff game. Even Vegas is at a loss when it comes to picking a frontrunner — betting site Bovada.lv gives Baltimore, Cleveland, and Cincinnati equal odds to finish in first place, while Pittsburgh is a very marginal underdog.
The Bengals may have the most challenging remaining schedule, with five of seven contests on the road, including this weekend in New Orleans and Week 17 in Pittsburgh. But each North team has one difficult stretch of games still on its schedule — the Ravens play the Saints, Chargers, and Dolphins following their bye; the Browns host the Colts and have road games in Atlanta, Buffalo, and Baltimore, all difficult places to win; and the Steelers still face the Saints and Chiefs, as well as the Bengals twice.
So what do you think? Will the Bengals repeat as division champs? Will the Ravens or Steelers knock them off? Or will the Browns be this year’s surprise division winner?
AFC North Notes: Roethlisberger, Hoyer, Eifert
At age 32, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is playing at an elite level. In the last two weeks, he’s torched the Colts and Ravens for 12 total touchdown passes, and on the season, his 20.4 overall Pro Football Focus rating is tops in the NFL. While Roethlisberger isn’t a free agent until 2016 and there are no extension talks taking place, Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole believes the veteran quarterback will seek approximately $24MM per year on his next deal, which would make him the league’s highest-paid player by average annual value. While it remains to be seen whether Big Ben will receive – or even ask for – that kind of money, he’s certainly in line for a big payday if he keeps up his current torrid pace.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC North….
- After the Browns dismantled the Bengals in Cincinnati last night, Brian Hoyer‘s record as Cleveland’s starter over the past two seasons improved to 9-3 — in games he didn’t start, the Browns posted a 1-12 record. Hoyer’s continued success is great for the Browns’ playoff chances, but it’s pushing the team further into a corner when it comes to making a decision on the signal-caller’s future, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
- Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis told reporters today, including Coley Harvey of ESPN.com (Twitter link), that while tight end Tyler Eifert is on the mend, there’s a chance he misses the rest of the season. Eifert is currently on injured reserve with the designation to return, and is eligible to be activated as soon as next week.
- Even before his domestic violence incident, former Ravens running back Ray Rice appeared to be on the decline, says Tom Pelissero of USA Today. So if he’s reinstated, will Rice even get another shot in the NFL? One personnel director tells Pelissero he believes the running back has “played his last game,” while a GM cautioned to “never say never,” and a veteran scout said he’ll get another chance, but “maybe not right away.”
Matt Feminis contributed to this post.
Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday
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
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
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
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.