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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

AFC Mailbags: Bengals, Steelers, Colts, Jags

June 1st, 2014 at 8:54pm CST by Ben Levine

ESPN’s NFL writers answered questions from their readers this weekend. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes from the AFC…

Sunday Roundup: AFC North, Broncos, Lions

June 1st, 2014 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s have a look at some notes from around the league as we head into the afternoon of this ever-important June 1:

  • Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post identifies a few second-year players in the AFC North that might break out in 2014.
  • Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times identifies a few free agents the Ravens could target to address their biggest needs, right tackle and cornerback.
  • Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes that the Steelers are working hard to reestablish their identity has a running team, and Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette similarly notes that LeGarrette Blount hopes to provide a strong complement to Le’Veon Bell.
  • In his weekly mailbag, Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com notes that although Browns coaches are excited about the potential of the team’s offensive line, they are reserving judgment until they see how the unit adapts to offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan‘s zone-blocking scheme.
  • Mike Klis of the Denver Post notes that the Broncos are currently carrying seven running backs on their roster, none of whom have a regular season start. Klis believes the team should not go after one of the remaining veteran free agents–Felix Jones, Michael Bush, and Ronnie Brown, for instance–to take reps away from Denver’s stable of young-but-intriguing RBs, but he concedes that it will be a tough call.
  • In a separate piece, Klis writes that Broncos‘ QB Peyton Manning intends to play out his contract with Denver, which runs through 2016 (Manning will turn 40 in March of that year).
  • In two separate pieces, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union discusses how a healthy Roy Miller will impact the Jaguars‘ defense and Gus Bradley’s creation of the “Otto” linebacker, who will replace the traditional “Sam” linebacker and serve as a “physical/athletic/versatile player who will be positioned along the line of scrimmage.” Dekoda Watson will enter the season as the team’s “Otto.”
  • Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle writes that second-year wideout DeAndre Hopkins surprisingly became one of the few holdovers from the Texans‘ tumultuous 2013 season, and he is essentially a rookie again in 2014. Smith notes, however, that Hopkins has prepared himself well for the challenge.
  • Kevin Meinke of MLive.com writes that Lions‘ defensive end Devin Taylor is an integral component of new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin‘s desire to bring pressure from all three levels of the defense, and, in a similar vein, Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News writes that players believe aggressiveness will be a hallmark of the Lions’ defense in 2014.

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Miller, Hoyer

May 31st, 2014 at 4:25pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Steelers are returning all of their offensive lineman, including Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey who was lost last season to a torn ACL. No one is more excited than Ben Roethlisberger, who believes that continuity on the offensive line could be the key to success, particularly in the no huddle offense, writes Kim Myers of NicePickCowher.com. “That’s a big part of being able to run the no-huddle because those guys are up there and they’re comfortable, they’re familiar. They’ve got another offseason in training of continuity and learning from each other,” said Roethlisberger. “I tell them before each game that they are what is going to drive this team and this offense. As long as they stay healthy and can play every game we’ll be good.”  Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

  • Steelers‘ tight end Heath Miller bounced back well from a torn ACL in 2013, catching 58 passes for 593 yards and a touchdown, writes Matt Shetler of CityOfChampionsSports.com. However, he had posted career highs in yards and touchdowns the previous season, and is looking to re-establish himself as one of the league’s top tight ends. “Last year was about trying to find a new normal for myself and I’m a creature of habit, so that wasn’t easy for me,” said Miller. “I’m fully confident by the time the season rolls around I’m going to be feeling much better than the start of last year just from a confidence perspective.”
  • The Bengals have a deep bench at the running back position, and it is unclear how many the team will keep on the 53-man roster, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Harvey says that both BenJarvus Green-Ellis and undrafted free agent Jeff Scott are on the bubble, with Giovani Bernard and second-round pick Jeremy Hill looking to take a bulk of the carries. However, Green-Ellis’ veteran presence and Scott’s versatility could keep them on the roster this season.
  • The Browns still plan to let first-round pick Johnny Manziel start as a backup, and if veteran Brian Hoyer plays well the team could extend him, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. With Manziel on his rookie contract for four years (with a fifth-year option), the team could afford to keep both players.

Minor Moves: Ravens, Bears, Steelers

May 29th, 2014 at 6:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens have signed former Michigan running back Fitz Toussaint, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. To create a roster spot, Baltimore waived-injured rookie outside linebacker Ryan Jones out of Montana Tech. Toussaint played at Michigan, rushing for 648 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior last season. He also caught 18 passes for 203 yards for the Wolverines in 2013. Here are the rest of today’s minor moves..

  • The Bills released Western New York native Randy Colling, writes Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com. The Gannon University product, who also has Arena League experience, was previously a defensive lineman but Buffalo was trying to transition him to offensive guard.
  • In addition to confirming the release of Derrick Martin, the Bears announced (via Twitter) that they have waived offensive tackle Rogers Gaines.
  • The Steelers took to Twitter to announce that they have released Nik Embernate and Kaycee Ike. Their spots have been filled by offensive lineman Emmanuel McCray and Deion Belue, whose acquisitions were disclosed earlier.
  • The Broncos have waived guard/tackle Ramon Harewood, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
  • The Giants received wide receiver Corey Washington off waivers from the Cardinals, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. To make room for Washington, Big Blue waived offensive lineman Stephen Goodin.

 

Draft Signings: Redskins, Browns, Steelers

May 29th, 2014 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

By our count, 182 of this year’s draftees have signed their rookie contracts or at least agreed to terms with their new NFL teams coming into today, leaving just 74 players still to sign. A handful of those remaining 74 have formalized their agreements already today, so let’s round up the latest news….

  • The Redskins have locked up the last of their eight draftees, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed third-round tackle Morgan Moses to his four-year rookie contract. Moses was considered a potential first-round pick heading into the draft, so Washington did well to land him early in the third — the former Virginia lineman will receive a signing bonus worth about $698K, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
  • No Browns draftees have put pen to paper yet, but Cleveland has at least reached an agreement with one of its picks now, confirming today (via Twitter) that Pierre Desir has agreed to terms. A fourth-round cornerback, Desir was the last player selected by the Browns in the draft, so it appears the club will work its way backwards through its signings.
  • Fifth-round cornerback Shaquille Richardson has signed his contract with the Steelers, the team announced in a press release. According to Fitzgerald’s figures, Richardson’s signing bonus will amount to about $190K, while his overall four-year total will be around $2.41MM.

Minor Moves: Steelers, Dolphins, Seahawks

May 28th, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few of the latest transactions from around the league, including several draft pick signings, waiver claims, and cuts, plus a new contract for a player who was cut by his old team earlier this month:

  • Three teams parted ways with recently-signed undrafted free agents or players on reserve contracts, as the Steelers cut offensive lineman Kaycee Ike, the Dolphins dropped running back Cameron Marshall, and the Texans waived guard Kevin Forsch (all Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun). The Packers also waived linebacker Victor Aiyewa, per Wilson (via Twitter).
  • Three players cut this week have been claimed off waivers, according to Wilson, who reports (in a series of three tweets) that tackle Michael Ola is headed to the Bears, defensive back Deion Belue was awarded to the Steelers, and receiver Kofi Hughes was claimed by the Texans.
  • A couple more updates from Wilson: Luke Marquardt is now on the 49ers‘ injured reserve list (Twitter link), while Garrett Scott has been placed on the Seahawks‘ non-football injury list (Twitter link).
  • Having been recently cut by the Seahawks, defensive back Jimmy Legree has signed with the Cardinals, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.

Earlier updates:

  • The Seahawks became the NFL’s fourth team to finishing locking up its 2014 draft class, announcing last night that fourth-round wide receiver Kevin Norwood and fourth-round linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis have signed their rookie contracts. The Saints, Chiefs, and Bears were the first three clubs to sign all their draftees.
  • Sixth-round cornerback Brandon Dixon has inked his four-year rookie deal with the Jets, the team confirmed today in a press release. The 195th overall selection, Dixon is in line for a signing bonus worth about $103K an an overall four-year base value of around $2.324MM, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. The former Northwest Missouri State speedster is the 10th of 12 Jets draft picks to sign his contract.
  • The Dolphins have signed former Buccaneers cornerback Anthony Gaitor, according to Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The appropriately named Gaitor, a seventh-round pick in 2011, remains in the state where he also played his college ball, at Florida International.

The Importance Of June 1st

May 28th, 2014 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Many of the most important dates of the NFL offseason have already come and gone, but this Sunday represents another day that team executives around the league have circled on their calendars. Here’s a brief summary of why June 1 is important, and what we can expect starting next Monday, after that deadline has passed:

  • As we explained in a PFR Glossary entry, players released or traded after June 1 count against the cap differently than players who were cut or moved earlier in the offseason, with teams able to spread the player’s dead money across multiple years. So we could see a handful of veterans released or dealt once June 1 is behind us.
  • Several players were released earlier in the offseason and designated as post-June 1 cuts, meaning their cap hits will finally be reduced starting in June. Those players are LaMarr Woodley (Steelers; $8MM cap savings), Carlos Rogers (49ers; $6.6MM), Miles Austin (Cowboys; $5.5MM), Steve Smith (Panthers; $5MM), David Bass (Giants; $5MM), Daryn Colledge (Cardinals; $5MM), and Thomas DeCoud (Falcons; $3.4MM). Each of those teams was starting to approach the cap limit, so the new savings will give them the flexibility to lock up draft picks and possibly revisit the free agent market.
  • Speaking of free agents, June 1 represents the deadline for teams to extend contract tenders to their unrestricted FAs. If a club’s former veteran player remains unsigned, that team can make him a one-year offer worth 110% of his previous cap number (minus workout and incentive payments). For former players who were on rookie contracts, the one-year tender is worth 100% of the player’s previous base salary. Players who receive these June 1 tenders have until July 22 to sign with another team — after that date, the player’s previous team retains exclusive negotiating rights throughout the season.
  • Most free agents won’t receive tender offers, meaning they become free after June 1 to sign with any club without being tied to future draft compensation. As such, we’ll likely see an increase in veterans inking contracts, since teams will no longer have to worry that signing those players will reduce their chances at compensatory 2015 draft picks.

Details from Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.

No Progress On Deal For Worilds, Steelers

May 28th, 2014 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

Alex Mack, one of two players who received transition tenders from their respective teams this offseason, drew some interest on the free agent market and ultimately signed a long-term offer sheet with the Jaguars, which was matched by the Browns. However, while it was an eventful offseason for Mack, we haven’t heard a whole lot about the league’s other transition player, Steelers linebacker Jason Worilds. Rival suitors didn’t seem to have much interest in making a play for Worilds, and according to Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, there have been “no productive talks” on a long-term deal for the 26-year-old.

When Worilds first accepted his one-year transition tender from the Steelers, which essentially guarantees that he’ll receive a $9.754MM salary for 2014, the two sides were believed to making progress on a multiyear agreement, but talks appear to have reached an impasse. As Robinson writes in a separate piece, Worilds seems likely to play the 2014 season on a one-year deal, which would make him eligible for unrestricted free agency again next winter.

While both Worilds and the Steelers may have interest in working out a longer-term arrangement, neither side is under tremendous pressure to get something done right away. For Worilds, who is already guaranteed nearly $10MM this season, he’d have to receive a significant offer to sign away his prime years, particularly when he’ll have a good chance to improve upon a 2013 season in which he started just 11 games and improve his value. For the Steelers, the need to reduce Worilds’ ’14 cap hit is less urgent after they released LaMarr Woodley, and the club may want to see more than one productive season as a starter out of the linebacker before committing significant years and money to him.

In 792 defensive snaps last season, Worilds recorded eight sacks and 50 overall quarterback pressures. He graded well as both a pass rusher and a run stopper, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, which placed him 12th overall among 3-4 outside linebackers (subscription required).

Minor Moves: Steelers, 49ers, Saints, Cards

May 27th, 2014 at 6:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers announced that they have signed two of their draft picks: fifth-round offensive lineman Wesley Johnson and sixth-round linebacker Jordan Zumwalt. Johnson, a 6’5″, 297 pound lineman out of Vanderbilt University, was taken with the 173rd overall pick and offers experience all over the O-line. Zumwalt, a UCLA product who stands at 6’4″ and 235 pounds, was the 192nd overall selection. He started 30 of 50 games played in his career, compiling 256 tackles (164 solo), two sacks, 22 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two interceptions and two blocked kicks. With the signings, Pittsburgh has now signed four of their nine selections from the 2014 NFL Draft. Here’s the rest of tonight’s minor moves..

  • The Cardinals are signing former Arizona State wide receiver Kevin Ozier to a three-year contract following a successful rookie minicamp, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The Cardinals also signed tackle Cory Brandon to a two-year deal, his agent tells Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link), and they went on to announce the signings of cornerback Jimmy Legree and running back Jalen Parmele (link).
  • To make room for the above signings, the Cardinals cut LeQuan Lewis, Tim Cornett, Kadeem Williams, and Corey Washington, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The 49ers announced that they signed fourth-round wide receiver Bruce Ellington. The No. 106 overall pick out of South Carolina finished last season with 106 catches for 1,586 yards and 16 touchdowns.
  • The Saints inked tackle Jason Weaver and waived receiver Chris Givens, writes Katherine Terrell of The Times-PIcayune. Weaver, a former Edna Karr player, signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2013 and spent training camp with the Bengals last year before spending the regular season on the Dolphins practice squad. Givens was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2012 but never saw a regular season snap.
  • The Cowboys waived-injured Jarrod Pughsley and Evan Wilson to sign offensive guards Tyronne Green and Darius Morris, Wilson (of the Baltimore Sun).
  • The Rams signed wide receiver Diontae Spencer, according to Wilson (via Twitter). The McNeese State product had some interest in April but went undrafted.

AFC North Notes: Clarke, Bengals, Steelers

May 27th, 2014 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

There should be a number of interesting divisional races in the NFL this season, but according to sports betting site Bovada.lv, none are currently as up in the air as the AFC North. It’s the only division in the league without a single favorites, as both the Bengals and Steelers are given equal 2/1 odds at coming out on top, while the Ravens are right behind. Even the Browns, at 5/1, aren’t viewed as as much of a long shot as most other “fourth-place” clubs around the league.

As we look forward to seeing how the AFC North plays out in 2014, let’s check in on a few of the latest updates out of the division…

  • In addition to confirming the signing of second-round running back Jeremy Hill, news which Hill himself broke yesterday, the Bengals also announced that they’ve signed third-round defensive end Will Clarke (Twitter link). Per Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at OverTheCap.com, the West Virginia defender will be in line for a signing bonus worth about $545K with a four-year base value near $2.8MM.
  • While a number of teams handed out modest signing bonuses to most or all of their undrafted free agent signings, the Bengals weren’t one of those clubs. According to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com, only four of Cincinnati’s 11 UDFA additions receiving signing bonuses, worth just $26K in total. We’ve added the new figures, including an $8K bonus for wideout Colin Lockett, to our own story on the Bengals’ post-draft signings.
  • As Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes in his preview of the Steelers‘ OTAs, one of the questions facing Pittsburgh is whether any additional roster moves are on the way when the team frees up $8.5MM in cap space next week due to the release of LaMarr Woodley. Robinson also examines the receiving corps and the roles that rookies like Dri Archer and Ryan Shazier will play, among other topics.
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