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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

AFC North Draft Notes: Ebron, Ravens, Bengals

May 3rd, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest out of the AFC North:

  • The Ravens would likely select tight end Eric Ebron in the event that he falls to pick No. 17, tweets Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times. Baltimore could also have interest in Jace Amaro or Austin Seferian-Jenkins, likely in the second round.
  • In another tweet, Zenitz mentions that the have Ravens interest in yet another tight end, Notre Dame’s Troy Niklas, who is viewed as an excellent in-line blocker.
  • In a separate, full-fledged article, Zenitz points to the Ravens’ addition of tight-end friendly offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak as evidence for why adding a third tight end to a group that already includes Dennis Pitta and Owen Daniels is not unfathomable.
  • Teddy Bridgewater to the Bengals makes sense, writes Cole Harvey of ESPN.com, even if Cincinnati has more pressing needs. Harvey still believes the team should focus on either defense or offensive line depth in the first round, but allows that the addition of Bridgewater would be a smart play what with Andy Dalton‘s looming contract situation.
  • Former NFL general manager Bill Polian doesn’t think Ebron is a fit for the Steelers, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Ebron, who is more a of a dynamic pass-catcher than an in-line tight end, would not mesh with the Steelers’ preference for TEs who maul in both run and pass blocking.
  • Because of Brian Hoyer‘s rapid recovery from injury, and the signing of Vince Young and Tyler Thigpen, the Browns might be positioning themselves to draft a quarterback in the second round, or even later, according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. This would allow the team to focus its two first-round picks on other positions of need, such as receiver or cornerback.

AFC Notes: Colts, Raiders, Chiefs, Draft

May 2nd, 2014 at 9:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Colts GM Ryan Grigson is keeping his options open at center, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. The Colts released last season’s starting center, Samson Satele, in March and Phil Costa suddenly retired last month, leaving Khaled Holmes, the likely starter, and Thomas Austin as the centers on the roster. Guard Donald Thomas, who was signed a year ago, can also play some center but has question marks after suffering a torn tendon in his quad and a torn bicep last season.

Here are a few more Friday evening items from around the AFC:

  • The Raiders haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver in eight seasons, so it only makes sense for Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com to run down the most intriguing wide receiver options for the club in the upcoming draft. The list starts with (who else?) Sammy Watkins, but also highlights Mississippi’s Donte Moncrief, Penn State’s Allen Robinson, Indiana’s Cody Latimer, Florida State’s Kelvin Benjamin, and Fresno State’s Davante Adams as solid options outside of the first round.
  • Count the Chiefs as a sleeper team to potentially draft a quarterback in the first three rounds next week, tweets Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. Of course, unless Kansas City makes a trade, the club won’t have a second-round pick.
  • Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter) gets the sense that the Chiefs will focus on offensive lineman, cornerbacks, wide receivers, and outside linebackers in the first round. However, studs who fall at other positions like tight end and – as Mortensen suggests – quarterback could be in play.
  • Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports that Nebraska wide receiver Quincy Enunwa visited the Raiders and Steelers, and also writes that Stony Brook wideout Malcolm Eugene worked out for the Raiders, Colts, and Jets.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Draft Visits: Bradford, Vereen, Shembo, Tripp

April 28th, 2014 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

2014’s period of pre-draft visits for prospects and NFL teams came to an end yesterday. Players will no longer be permitted to visit clubs between now and the draft on May 8, though teams are still allowed to work out players. Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com have some details on some players who made visits prior to yesterday’s deadline, so let’s round up the highlights….

  • Arizona State outside linebacker Carl Bradford worked out for the Falcons and visited the Steelers, 49ers, and Chargers, reports Wilson. The Jaguars and Dolphins were among the other clubs to meet with Bradford, who is viewed as a potential second-round target.
  • The Giants hosted Richmond wide receiver Ben Edwards for a visit, according to Wilson. Edwards, who caught more than 200 passes during his college career, had his Pro Day attended by 20 NFL teams. Wilson adds that Minnesota safety Brock Vereen also visited the Giants.
  • Notre Dame outside linebacker Prince Shembo visited the Packers and also privately worked out for the Patriots, Jaguars, and Falcons, league sources tell Wilson.
  • Wilson also has the latest on Florida cornerback Jaylen Watkins, the brother of Sammy Watkins. According to Wilson, the former Gators DB has visited the Redskins, Falcons, and Eagles, and worked out for the Panthers and Patriots. Watkins met with the Colts and Lions as well.
  • In addition to his previously reported visits with the Falcons and Eagles, Montana linebacker Jordan Tripp also had workouts for the Patriots and Panthers, tweets Caplan.
  • In a separate tweet, Caplan adds North Carolina State defensive back Dontae Johnson to the list of prospects who visited the Eagles.

Draft Updates: WRs, Clowney, Latimer, Mason

April 25th, 2014 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

While the general consensus suggests that Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins is the clear-cut top wide receiver in this year’s draft class, that’s not necessarily the case, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. After speaking to several execs, scouts, and decision-makers, La Canfora came away believing that Texas A&M wideout Mike Evans, who has the size advantage on Watkins, could be the first receiver to come off the board.

“Would I be surprised if Evans ended up going before Watkins?” said one evaluator. “No, I wouldn’t. But we do think there is a drop-off after those two, and we know they won’t be there when we pick [later in the first round].”

Regardless of where Watkins and Evans land, it figures to be a busy first round for receivers, according to La Canfora, who says Marqise Lee and Odell Beckham may not make it past the late teens, given the interest they’re receiving from teams like the Ravens, Steelers, and Jets.

Here are a few more Friday draft items:

  • In a series of tweets, Albert Breer of the NFL Network shares a few insights into the draft. Among them: Many people believe Jadeveon Clowney and Khalil Mack are worth trading up for since this year’s pass-rushing group is fairly thin. Additionally, clubs may be more inclined to trade into the late first round to draft a quarterback, since the fifth-year option for first-round picks gives teams additional flexibility.
  • Speaking of Clowney, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the details on the “force plate” assessment the Falcons put the defensive end through today. According to Breer (Twitter links), Clowney’s performance was very impressive.
  • Austin Seferian-Jenkins‘ basketball background could separate him from other tight ends, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The Washington product is in good company as some of today’s top tight ends – Jimmy Graham, Jordan Cameron, Julius Thomas – played college basketball at some point. Seferian-Jenkins could be an option for the Packers in the first or second round if he’s on the board.
  • The Eagles, who had three representatives at wide receiver Cody Latimer‘s workout today, spent 20 minutes post-workout having him run their routes, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Eagles pick at No. 22 and the Indiana product’s stock appears to be rapidly rising.
  • Combine exams revealed that Auburn running back Tre Mason has a bone in his wrist that will require surgery, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Meanwhile, Mason denied the report via Twitter, saying that he doesn’t need surgery.
  • In an Insider-only piece at ESPN.com, Mark Dominik suggests a few hypothetical draft-pick trades outside of the top 10 that could make sense for both sides.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Pauline’s Latest: Dolphins, Donald, Latimer

April 24th, 2014 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

In past years, we’d be gearing up for the NFL draft to begin in a matter of hours, but with this year’s event pushed back into May, we still have two more weeks of build-up until the big night. Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net is helping to bridge that gap by continuing to pass along noteworthy tidbits on this year’s prospects. Here’s the latest from Pauline, with these notes coming from his latest blog entries unless otherwise indicated:

  • The Dolphins like offensive lineman Zack Martin, but don’t expect him to be available when they pick in the first round. Sources tell Pauline that Miami could end up trading down and targeting a player like Nevada’s Joel Bitonio — Alabama’s Cyrus Kouandjio isn’t expected to be a first-round option for the club. Bitonio, meanwhile, is also drawing interest from the Panthers and Buccaneers.
  • Pittsburgh defensive lineman Aaron Donald figures to come off the board somewhere between picks No. 6 and 16, according to Pauline, who identifies the Falcons (6th), Giants (12th), Bears (14th), and Cowboys (16th) as potential landing spots.
  • At least 23 teams will travel to Bloomington, Indiana tomorrow for Cody Latimer‘s on-campus workout. Pauline hears that the receiver is one of the draft’s fastest risers, and even has a shot to be selected in the first round.
  • Fresno State wideout Davante Adams is working out with the Panthers for a second time. Adams has also visited the Lions, Chargers, and Falcons, and worked out for the Titans.
  • The Colts brought in Wisconsin safety Dez Southward for a pre-draft visit, according to Pauline.
  • The Steelers, Colts, and Eagles are displaying the most interest in Oregon defensive end Taylor Hart.
  • Wake Forest linebacker Justin Jackson is paying a visit to the Chiefs today, Pauline reports in a tweet.
  • The Jets have reps at Clemson today to work out quarterback Tajh Boyd, running back Roderick McDowell, and linebacker Quandon Christian, tweets Pauline.
  • Pauline also reports (via Twitter) that the Packers, Patriots, and Chiefs are at Mississippi State today to work out quarterback Tyler Russell and safety Nickoe Whitley.

AFC North Notes: Ravens, Browns, Steelers

April 24th, 2014 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

In the latest installment of Over The Cap’s team-by-team breakdown of free agency, Jason Fitzgerald examines the Ravens. While Arthur Jones‘ departure leaves a big hole on defense, losing offensive tackle Eugene Monroe would’ve been a more significant blow to the team, says Fitzgerald, adding that he liked Baltimore’s pickup of Owen Daniels quite a bit. Factoring in the loss of James Ihedigbo to the Lions, Fitzgerald assigns the Ravens a grade of B- for their work over the last several weeks.

Here’s more from around the AFC North:

  • As our fifth-year option tracker shows, no decision has been announced or reported yet on the Browns‘ 2015 option for defensive tackle Phil Taylor. Speaking to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal, Taylor suggested he’s not sure what the team plans to do with that option, but he hopes it gets picked up: “I would love to be here, but that’s not up to me. So we’re going to wait and see what [the front office] is going to do about it.”
  • South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw is visiting the Browns today and tomorrow, and will work out for the club on Saturday, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson also links several other clubs to Shaw, writing that the signal-caller has met or worked out with the Falcons, Titans, Patriots, and Buccaneers, and interviewed with the Seahawks, Packers, Raiders, and Jaguars.
  • The Steelers are hosting Boise State edge defender Demarcus Lawrence and Georgia Southern running back Jerick McKinnon for pre-draft visits today, tweets ESPN.com’s Scott Brown.
  • Cumberlands running back Terrance Cobb is visiting the Bengals today, tweets Aaron Wilson.

AFC North Rumors: Big Ben, Manziel, Bengals

April 23rd, 2014 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

It’s all still status quo when it comes to the Steelers and a possible contract extension for Ben Roethlisberger, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. “There’s been ongoing (contract) discussions for quite awhile,” agent Ryan Tollner said. “I think from the time we did the first extension there was sort of a plan moving forward. There’s a plan in place, but both sides are pretty committed to doing that privately and not having it be something that’s discussed in the media.” Pittsburgh can lower Roethlisberger’s cap hit of ~$18.9MM in 2014, but they can also wait to get a new deal done since they have already done the bulk of their free-agent shopping and will get more than $8MM in cap relief after June 1st.

  • Johnny Manziel is having his visit with the Browns today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter). The Browns pick at No. 4 and again at No. 26 in next month’s draft.
  • Can the Bengals still be considered a deep team after a quiet offseason that saw them lose defensive end Michael Johnson, offensive tackle Anthony Collins, and receiver Andrew Hawkins? Coley Harvey of ESPN.com says yes. While the talent may have taken a slight hit, particularly on the offensive line, they still have depth just about everywhere else.
  • More from Harvey, who looks at the Bengals‘ need at outside linebacker heading into the draft. Harvey graded the likelihood of Cincinnati drafting an OLB as “medium” even after they picked up Dontay Moch off waivers from Arizona and signed free agent Sam Montgomery. Moch and Montgomery previously played defensive end, but the Bengals have listed both as linebackers.

AFC North Notes: Burfict, McCarron, Steelers

April 22nd, 2014 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

When longtime Bengals defensive leader Domata Peko spoke yesterday about the teammates he hopes the team locks up to long-term deals, he identified Vontaze Burfict in addition Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. As important as Dalton and Green are to Cincinnati’s offense, you could make a strong case that Burfict is just as integral on the other side of the ball. Last season, the 23-year-old earned his first Pro Bowl nod, racking up an impressive 177 tackles to go along with three sacks, two fumbles, and an interception.

Now, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the Bengals are indeed engaged in extension talks with Burfict, who is in line for a $570K salary in 2014. The Arizona State product is eligible for restricted free agency after the ’14 season, which means the Bengals would still be in the driver’s seat for re-signing him, but presumably the club would prefer not to let it get to that point.

Let’s check out a few other items from out of the AFC North….

  • Following A.J. McCarron’s visit with the Browns today, the Alabama quarterback will continue a mini-AFC North tour by heading to Baltimore to see the Ravens on Wednesday, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). We heard earlier today that McCarron would privately work out for the Rams next week.
  • The Steelers are hosting Duke cornerback Ross Cockrell for a pre-draft visit today, according to ESPN.com’s Scott Brown (via Twitter). Cockrell projects as a likely mid- to late-round pick.
  • Minnesota safety Brock Vereen, the brother of Shane Vereen, has met with a number of teams in advance of the draft, including the Steelers and Bengals, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The Falcons, Vikings, Colts, Panthers and Jaguars have also met with the younger Vereen.

Draft Visits: Matthews, Colts, Aikens, Bills

April 22nd, 2014 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Texans continue to do their due diligence on every player near the top of the draft board, as they’re set to host Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews for a visit this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that the Texans’ myriad pre-draft visits with top prospects could be designed to keep teams guessing about which player Houston actually wants, laying the groundwork to potentially trade down from No. 1. Meanwhile, Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that Matthews will visit the Falcons before heading to Houston later in the week for his Texans visit.

Here are a few more miscellaneous draft notes, as we inch a little closer to May 8:

  • After meeting with the Dolphins on Monday, Clemson wideout Martavis Bryant is visiting the Colts today, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson also adds the Panthers and Steelers to the list of clubs that have hosted Bryant for visits so far.
  • In a separate NFP report, Wilson provides an update on Liberty cornerback Walt Aikens, who is visiting the Colts, Packers, and Bengals this week. According to Wilson, in addition to previously reported visits and workouts, Aikens has also visited the Dolphins, Chiefs, and Buccaneers, and worked out for Cowboys and Jaguars.
  • According to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago (via Twitter), the Bears traveled to Los Angeles late last month to conduct a private workout with UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr.
  • The Bills hosted Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans, USC offensive lineman Marcus Martin and Georgia Southern running back Jerick McKinnon today, says Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
  • Arizona State defensive tackle Will Sutton has visited with a long list of teams, including the Patriots, Cardinals, Rams, and Lions, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan.
  • Auburn cornerback Chris Davis worked out for the Falcons, Colts, and Patriots, among other clubs, according to Caplan (via Twitter).

Steelers Exercise Cameron Heyward’s Option

April 22nd, 2014 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 7:59am: The Steelers have now made it official on Heyward’s option, exercising it and locking him up through 2015, tweets Burt Lauten, the team’s PR rep.

MONDAY, 2:53pm: Breer has issued a correction to his earlier report, tweeting that it was Cameron Jordan, not Heyward, who had his option exercised today. We passed along word on the Saints’ decision on Jordan earlier in the afternoon.

So while there’s nothing official on Heyward yet, the Steelers still have until May 3 to pick up their option on him, and appear likely to do so. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com wrote earlier today that he viewed Heyward’s option as a “no-brainer” decision for Pittsburgh.

2:26pm: The Steelers have picked up their 2015 option on Cameron Heyward, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. It’s the latest in a string of fifth-year options for 2011 first-rounders that will be exercised in advance of the May 3 deadline.

Heyward, the 31st overall pick in the 2011 draft, became a starter for the first-time last season, appearing in 845 total defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. The 24-year-old recorded a career-best 59 tackles and five sacks, as well as recovering his first career fumble.

The Steelers defensive end will be in line for a salary of $6.969MM for 2015. At this point, that money is guaranteed for injury only, though it’ll become fully guaranteed on the first day of the 2015 league year. Heyward will be eligible for unrestricted free agency following the ’15 season.

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