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Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Steelers Rumors: Worilds, Woodley, Ben

February 12th, 2014 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert met with several members of the Pittsburgh media today to discuss the team’s coming offseason, and a handful of beat writers diligently tweeted out several of Colbert’s more noteworthy quotes. So let’s dive right in, and round up the highlights, via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (all links go to Twitter)….

  • Asked about the chances of the Steelers re-signing Jason Worilds and retaining LaMarr Woodley, Colbert said it would be possible to bring both back, but expressed some caution about Woodley’s injury issues in recent years. Our Matt Feminis explored the Worilds/Woodley situation in Pittsburgh in a piece a couple weeks ago.
  • The Steelers have plenty of things on their to-do list for before March 11, according to Colbert, who said that list may include “terminations, restructurings and extensions,” and added that the team wants to re-sign some of its own free agents.
  • Although Colbert didn’t name any players specifically, he conceded that asking players to take pay cuts is one subject the team is currently discussing. As Bouchette notes, defensive back Ike Taylor is a candidate for a salary reduction.
  • Even with several older players on sizable salaries, the club doesn’t ever plan to blow things up and enter full-scale rebuilding mode, said Colbert.
  • The Steelers aren’t presently as deep as they’d like at either safety or cornerback, according to Colbert.
  • Colbert believes the 2014 draft class is perhaps the deepest he’s seen in 30 years, but has some concerns that a number of the underclassmen who declared their intent for the draft may have left school too early.
  • Although Ben Roethlisberger turns 32 this year, selecting a quarterback won’t be a priority for the Steelers in this year’s draft, according to Colbert. The GM also declined to discuss whether contract discussions with Big Ben are planned or ongoing, but said the team needs to “make the most” of the years it has left with its franchise quarterback.

North Notes: Browns, Suh, Porter, Bears

February 11th, 2014 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

After announcing several front office moves earlier today, the Browns will add one more new executive, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Schefter reports (via Twitter) that former Chiefs VP of player personnel Bill Kuharich will join the Browns to assist new GM Ray Farmer. Kuharich and Farmer worked together in Kansas City.

With a new group of decision-makers taking over football operations in Cleveland, several players’ futures could be affected. We have details on those possibilities, as well as updates on a few more AFC and NFC North teams, so let’s dive in….

  • The Browns have a much more realistic chance of re-signing star center Alex Mack, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who says (via Twitter) that Mack appeared to be a sure thing to depart in free agency under the old regime. Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that receiver Greg Little was certain to be waived by the old regime, but may be retained for another season by the new decision-makers.
  • After Schefter reported that Jay Z and Roc Nation Sports would advise Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh in some capacity, fellow ESPN.com scribe Darren Rovell added that Roc Nation would represent Suh for both contract negotiations and marketing. We had heard back in January when Suh fired his previous agents that Jay-Z was expected to be involved in the 27-year-old’s new representation.
  • Longtime Steeler linebacker Joey Porter had been hired by his old team as a defensive assistant, and figures to work with the current group of linebackers in Pittsburgh, tweets Bob Labriola of Steelers Digest.
  • The Bears aren’t likely to use their own franchise tag this offseason, but they’ll be keeping an eye on which other teams around the league designate franchise players, since it could affect their free agent pursuits, writes John Mullin of CSNChicago.com.

AFC North Notes: Dix, Ravens, Little

February 8th, 2014 at 1:59pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Steelers have a lot of questions when it comes to the depth of their runningback situation, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. While Le’Veon Bell stood out as the clear number one choice, Jonathan Dwyer, Felix Jones, and LaRod Stephens-Howling are all hitting free agency. Brown believes the Steelers will try to retain Dwyer and Stephens-Howling due to their unique skill sets, but if one of those two leaves for another situation, they will address their depth further in the draft. Here are some other notes from the AFC North:

  • The Steelers may need a free safety if Ryan Clark does not return, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix could be a strong choice in round one, adds Scott Brown. Brown also writes that he expects the Steelers to add depth at corner later in the draft.
  • The Ravens also have a need at free safety, but may have to look to free agency to fill their need, writes Jamison Henley of ESPN.com. He highlights possible cap casualties Michael Griffin (Titans), Louis Delmas (Lions), and Thomas DeCoud (Falcons) as interesting fits, in addition to the free agent class.
  • Greg Little was thought to be a candidate for release, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com, as the Browns‘ receiver has underachieved since being drafted. While Little has struggled with consistency, McManamon feels like he might be a fit for new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s scheme.
  • McManamon also adds that if the Browns retain Little, Eric Decker would become far too expensive an option to join Little and Josh Gordon in the receiving corps.

Jets Eyeing Jeremy Maclin, Emmanuel Sanders

February 7th, 2014 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Jets will be looking this offseason to upgrade a passing offense that was one of the league’s worst in 2013, and have particular interest in two free agent receivers, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. According to Mehta, the Jets “covet” Jeremy Maclin of the Eagles and Emmanuel Sanders of the Steelers. Both players are eligible for unrestricted free agency next month.

While we haven’t heard much on the likelihood of Sanders returning to Pittsburgh, Eagles GM Howie Roseman hinted this week that there’s a chance Philadelphia may not retain both Maclin and Riley Cooper this offseason. After missing the 2013 season due to a torn ACL, Maclin figures to come cheaper and may be available on a one-year, make-good deal, which makes him a strong candidate to return to the Eagles, but also could make it easier for the Jets to outbid Philadelphia and other rival suitors.

As Mehta notes, the Jets’ top four receivers this past season – Santonio Holmes, Jeremy Kerley, David Nelson, and Stephen Hill – combined for just 126 catches and 1,744 yards, barely outpacing the individual stats of the league’s top receivers. Holmes, the highest-paid of that group, won’t be back in New York next season, at least not at his current price. The Jets can free up $8MM+ by cutting Holmes, and Mehta hears from sources that the club has already factored that amount into its pool of available free agent money.

While adding playmaking receivers will be a priority for the Jets this spring, the team is unlikely to be heavily in the mix for Eric Decker, says Mehta. New York may reach out to Decker and his reps to gauge the Denver receiver’s value, but there are those within the Jets organization who question his ability to be a true No. 1, according to Mehta.

Given the influx of talent required at the position, wide receiver figures to be an area of focus for the Jets in May’s draft as well as in free agency.

Kiper On Manziel, Clowney, Watkins, Jets

February 6th, 2014 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

Draft day is still more than three months away, but with the offseason underway and the scouting combine around the corner, it’s not too early to start looking ahead. Before he revealed his newest mock (Insider link), ESPN.com draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. appeared on a teleconference today to discuss the 2014 NFL draft, and plenty of reporters passed along the highlights. Here’s a recap of several of Kiper’s notable comments (all links go to Twitter):

  • After talking to people around the league, Kiper believes that Johnny Manziel is the consensus top QB in the draft, at least for now. Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s atop every team’s board.
  • Wide receivers and offensive tackles are likely to dominate the first round, according to Kiper. However, in addition to being top-heavy, the WR class is also expected to be deep, so a team like the Steelers could land a good player there later in the draft.
  • There should also be plenty of cornerback depth in the draft, so clubs like the Steelers and Bears can afford to wait on that position, though Chicago will likely have to address its defensive line in the early rounds, says Kiper.
  • Kiper believes Jadeveon Clowney will be picked either first overall by the Texans or third overall by the Jaguars, with both teams in need of a pass rusher to get after Andrew Luck twice a season.
  • Whichever of those clubs doesn’t take Clowney will probably draft Manziel, according to Kiper, who foresees the Texas A&M signal-caller going first or third, with Teddy Bridgewater coming off the board at No. 4, to the Browns.
  • Wide receiver Sammy Watkins is unlikely to be picked outside of the top five, in Kiper’s view.
  • Kiper doesn’t expect any running backs to be selected in the first round this year.
  • The Chiefs figure to target receivers, safeties, or defensive linemen in the first round, says Kiper.
  • Kiper has the Jets using the No. 18 pick on receiver Marqise Lee, and suggests the club should draft a QB in the middle rounds as an insurance policy for Geno Smith.

Steelers Facing Decisions On Woodley, Worilds

January 31st, 2014 at 7:38pm CST by Matt Feminis

The Steelers seem to have a continuous supply of talented outside linebackers in defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau’s 3-4 scheme, but while depth is a good thing, the restrictions of the salary cap force difficult personnel decisions. Perhaps the most important one facing the Steelers is what to do about left outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley, who had a down season, finished on IR (calf) and carries a $13.59MM cap hit in 2014.

As it stands, the Steelers are approximately $10MM over the salary cap and facing the potential defensive losses of key UFAs Brett Keisel, Evander Hood and Jason Worilds, who is coming off a long-awaited breakout season. Stepping in for the injured Woodley, Worilds got 11 starts and registered 63 tackles and a team-high eight sacks. With young pass rushers in high demand, he is set to cash in on the open market, be it in Pittsburgh or elsewhere.

Recently, team president Art Rooney II expressed his desire to retain Worilds, who told ESPN’s Scott Brown he has no interest in returning to Pittsburgh as a backup. That seems to render Woodley’s status as tenuous for two reasons. As it stands, the team has very little wiggle room financially (approximately $10MM over the cap). Additionally, conventional wisdom suggests 2013 first-rounder Jarvis Jones, whose arrow LeBeau believes is pointing up, will start at right outside linebacker next season.

Ostensibly, the club’s decision comes down to Worilds or Woodley, but in December, SI.com’s Chris Burke wrote why the Worilds-Woodley decision isn’t so cut-and-dried, explaining that Woodley has already restructured his six-year, $61.5MM deal ($17MM guaranteed) once before, resulting in him being owed more than $25MM in base salary the next three seasons. What’s more, if Woodley is cut before June 1, the team incurs a dead-money cap hit of $14.2MM, meaning it cannot simply dump Woodley to make room for Worilds, who will be snapped up in free agency in March.

Aside from begging Woodley to accept another restructuring, the most realistic scenario might be waiting until after June 1 to release Woodley, enabling the team to spread the cap hit over two seasons. Regardless the outcome, the Steelers will have to get creative in order to create financial flexibility in 2014 and beyond, and that undoubtedly means severing ties with established veterans.

AFC North Notes: Taylor, Burress, Spagnuolo

January 29th, 2014 at 4:48pm CST by Rob DiRe

Ike Taylor has been the Steelers’ top corner for a number of years, but Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Sulia link) believes he could be released this offseason. With a salary of $7MM and a cap hit of close to $13.9MM, the best case scenario Dulac envisions is the long time Steeler taking a big pay cut to stay with the team. Here is other news from around the AFC North:

  • Former Steelers receiver Plaxico Burress is reportedly mulling retirement, according to Kyle Meinke of mlive.com. “We’ll see how I feel,” Burress said. “If I don’t (feel healthy), I’m very satisfied with things in this business. I’m not just going to go out there and risk my physical health, just to go out and prove people wrong.” Burress did not appear in a regular season game for the Steelers last year, and was unlikely to be with the team in 2014.
  • The Ravens have hired former Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo as their secondary coach, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Spagnuolo came to fame as the coordinator of the great Giants’ defense that stopped the 2007 Patriots’ bid for a perfect season. He was also named assistant head coach. The Ravens also hired Brian Pariani as their tight ends coach, previously the tight ends coach for the Texans.
  • The Browns were reportedly turned off by Gary Kubiak‘s contract demands, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. He allegedly asked to be “head coach of the offense”. Kubiak went on to be hired as the offensive coordinator of the Ravens, replacing Jim Caldwell.

Extra Points: Henne, Packers, Keisel, Rivera

January 28th, 2014 at 9:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Contract talks could start soon between the Jaguars and quarterback Chad Henne, writes Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. “We’ll reach out to their people at some point in time,” general manager David Caldwell said. “There’s not a glaring rush. We’ve got some more meetings to go through, some game-planning with our coaching staff and our personnel staff just to see where we’re at and put together our plan for free agency and the draft.” Henne, who signed a two-year deal worth $6.75MM with the team in 2012, started 13 games in ’13 and threw for 3,421 yards and 13 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com looks at the Packers‘ defensive line situation. Johnny Jolly, Ryan Pickett, B.J. Raji, and C.J. Wilson are all free agents this winter and it sounds like there’s a decent chance that Raji winds up elsewhere. The defensive tackle didn’t have the kind of value-raising season he hoped for as he closed out his rookie contract.
  • Appearing on ESPN Radio with Scott Van Pelt and Ryan Russillo, free-agent-to-be Brett Keisel didn’t sound like a man ready to retire. The longtime Steelers defensive end suggested he feels as if he still has a couple years in left in him, as Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk details.
  • Extending Ron Rivera‘s deal was a no-brainer for the Panthers, writes David Newton of ESPN.com.
  • Jason LaCanfora of CBSSports.com looks at Adam Gase, the Broncos‘ offensive coordinator who has positioned himself as one of the prize candidates of next year’s head coaching searches. Gase politely rebuffed advances by the Browns and Vikings to interview for their head coaching openings in order to focus all of his energy on Denver’s playoff run.

Steelers Sign Danny Coale

January 28th, 2014 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers signed wide receiver Danny Coale to a reserve/futures contract today, reports Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). It’s the latest in a handful of new additions for the Steelers, who also signed linebacker Vic So’oto and running back Tauren Poole to futures deals this week.

A fifth-round pick in 2012, Coale tore his ACL during his first NFL season, and was on and off the Cowboys’ practice squad up until this past September, when he was released. The former Virginia Tech receiver briefly joined the Colts’ practice squad after being cut by Dallas, and worked out for the Giants in October, but has yet to record an NFL regular-season catch.

Coale caught 60 passes for 904 yards in his final college season with the Hokies.

Steelers Sign So’oto, Poole To Futures Deals

January 27th, 2014 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers have officially signed a pair of players to reserve/futures contracts, the team announced today (Twitter link). Linebacker Vic So’oto and running back Tauren Poole have inked deals with the Steelers for next season.

So’oto spent time with the Cardinals in 2013 before finishing the season on the Saints’ practice squad. Poole also bounced around a little, spending time on the Panthers’ and Colts’ practice squads this past season.

So’oto, Poole, and other players who didn’t finish the 2013 season on an active roster are eligible to sign futures contracts before free agency begins in March. While the deals don’t come with any guarantees for 2014, they could provide an opportunity to compete for a roster spot.

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