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Panthers Acquire No. 80 From Steelers

April 28th, 2023 at 9:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

The latest Day 2 deal will see the Panthers acquire pick No. 80 from the Steelers. Pittsburgh will add the 93rd and 132nd selections, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Carolina has selected defensive end D.J. Johnson.

The Panthers gained the ability to make moves up the board in no small part due to the capital added in the Christian McCaffrey trade, including each of the selections used in this swap. Johnson will add to their edge rushing stable, a spot the team made clear was a point of emphasis leading up to the draft.

Carolina has Brian Burns at the top of their depth chart in that department, but depth additions such as this one will be welcomed. Johnson wore a number of hats at Oregon, but his play on the defensive side of the ball highlighted his abilities as a disruptive force both against the pass and run.

The 6-4, 260-pounder racked up 39 tackles (including 8.5 for loss) and six sacks in 2022, making it by far the most productive season of his career. He was one of many mid-round edge rushing prospects in this year’s deep class, and he will look to continue his progression as a full-time player in that regard at the NFL level.

The Steelers have already filled arguably their two biggest needs (offensive tackle and cornerback) with their first two selections, making it especially beneficial to move down the board with this move. Carolina, meanwhile, still has fourth- and fifth-rounders as things currently stand.

Steelers Select CB Joey Porter Jr. At No. 32

April 28th, 2023 at 6:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Steelers received multiple offers to move out of No. 32 overall, the team will follow through and partner with a familiar face. They are taking cornerback Joey Porter Jr. atop the second round.

As they did with ex-Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett, the Steelers have extensive intel on Porter. He is the son of longtime Steelers linebacker Joey Porter and attended a Pittsburgh-area high school and Penn State. The second-generation NFLer worked out at the Steelers’ facility at points leading up to the draft.

The Steelers hosted Porter on a pre-draft visit, going through an official meeting with a player they knew well. Pittsburgh also met with other corners during the visit window, but after addressing their tackle need in Round 1, the team will tab Porter. The Steelers lost Cameron Sutton in free agency and are planning to experiment with Patrick Peterson at safety.

Porter declared for the draft after his redshirt-junior season, and although he did not intercept a pass in 2022, Pro Football Focus charged him with just one 15-plus-yard completion allowed. The second-team All-American deflected a career-high 11 passes last year. He will join a Steelers team that signed Peterson but one that entered the draft with a dire need at corner. The Steelers still have Levi Wallace and Ahkello Witherspoon on their roster, but each is going into contract years. And each is signed to a lower-middle-class contract.

While the No. 32 pick normally comes with a fifth-year option, the Dolphins being stripped of their first-rounder for tampering moved this into the second round. Porter’s rookie contract will run through 2026.

Steelers Mulling Offers For No. 32 Overall

April 28th, 2023 at 2:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

2:20pm: This interest has progressed to offers. The Steelers have received multiple offers to move down from 32, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Mike Tomlin‘s .500-or-better streak has restricted the Steelers from the kind of access they have tonight. During Tomlin’s tenure, the team has never made a second-round pick higher than 46th. The team will need to weigh the offers against this rare Day 2 real estate.

Pittsburgh has done well despite mid- to late-Round 2 draft windows during Tomlin’s tenure. George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, Stephon Tuitt, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Le’Veon Bell, Marcus Gilbert and LaMarr Woodley have gone to Pittsburgh in the second round since Tomlin’s 2007 arrival. Current GM Omar Khan was on Kevin Colbert‘s staff throughout, but this marks his first draft in the GM chair.

9:59am: As the No. 32 overall pick is part of this year’s second round, the Steelers will have a decision to make. Will Levis was steadily rumored to land in the top 10, but the Kentucky product’s Kansas City stay has not yet produced an NFL destination.

Levis remaining unattached Friday has generated interest, and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports the Steelers were fielding calls before Round 1 ended. Other teams holding picks near the bottom of the first round received interest for Levis-related trades, Pelissero adds (on Twitter). Four teams have contacted the Steelers about a trade, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. This sets up an interesting scenario to start Day 2.

The Colts passing on Levis at No. 4, after being consistently tied to the two-year Wildcats starter in the weeks leading up to the draft, began a tough night for the latest player to hover atop “best available” boards for an extended stretch. Teams with quarterback interest (or reported QB interest) went with value elsewhere. The Raiders, Seahawks, Falcons, Lions, Titans, Commanders and Buccaneers all chose position players, with running backs Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs going in the top 12. But teams with long-term QB questions or those with shaky 2023 situations can circle back to Levis ahead of Round 2.

The Steelers obtained the 32nd pick by moving Chase Claypool to the Bears at the trade deadline. Pittsburgh reversed course on the 2020 second-round pick and chose Chicago’s offer over a Green Bay proposal, expecting the Bears’ record to produce a better draft slot. That bet paid off, as Chicago sank to 3-14. The Steelers have a chance to fill a key need, and a legacy option — Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. — joins Levis as being unexpectedly available. Porter visited his father’s former team early in the pre-draft process. The Steelers filled a tackle need, trading up three spots for Broderick Jones, but met with a few corners ahead of the draft. The team losing Cameron Sutton and being set to experiment with Patrick Peterson at safety points to corner being a point of emphasis tonight.

Should the Steelers go with Porter or stay at 32 and select another player, the Cardinals would seemingly be prepared to deal down. They moved back from No. 3 to No. 12 on Thursday night, and while Monti Ossenfort‘s team was hit with a tampering penalty just before Round 1 began and climbed back to 6 for Paris Johnson, the rebuilding squad still holds No. 33 and acquired first- and third-rounders in 2024. Both the Lions and Seahawks passed on Levis twice; each team holds a pick early in Round 2 (Nos. 34 and 37, respectively). The Titans hold No. 41; the Falcons sit at 44, Commanders at 47 and Bucs at 50. The Vikings do not have a second-round pick.

Tennessee entered Round 1 as the team most closely connected to moving up for a quarterback and held pre-draft trade talks with Arizona about moving to No. 3. But the Texans, after weeks of reported QB skepticism, went with C.J. Stroud — a player the Titans were believed to be targeting. If the Steelers pass on a trade at 32, the Titans and Cardinals could resume trade talks. Tennessee hosted Levis on a pre-draft visit. Which team will ultimately end up with the freefalling QB tonight?

Steelers Trade Up For OT Broderick Jones

April 27th, 2023 at 8:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

In traditional Patriots fashion, the team is moving back. The Steelers have acquired the No. 14 pick from New England. The Patriots will be acquiring No. 17 and No. 120, per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).

The Steelers are using their new selection on Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones. After Mike Tomlin said he was comfortable with his two-year starting tackle tandem — Dan Moore–Chukwuma Okorafor — the Steelers trading up for Jones points to a change at one of these positions.

This marks just the third Steelers first-round trade-up in the past 20 drafts. The team had previously moved up for Santonio Holmes and Devin Bush in that span, but a new GM (Omar Khan) is running the show now. The longtime Kevin Colbert lieutenant decided to pull the trigger and help protect 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett.

A report earlier this week connected the Steelers to a potential O-line trade-up, and unlike pre-draft smokescreens perpetrated by the Texans and Colts, Pittsburgh followed through on the effort. Jones, who met with the Steelers on a pre-draft visit, has just one full season as a starter under his belt. He succeeded Chargers 2022 draftee Jamaree Salyer as the Bulldogs’ left tackle and ended up going much higher in the draft; Salyer went to Los Angeles in Round 6 last year.

The Steelers have used Moore, a 2021 third-round pick, as their left tackle over the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus rated neither Moore nor Okorafor as a top-50 tackle last season. Given the investment the Steelers made in Pickett, it is understandable Khan and Co. made this effort to secure a potentially significant upgrade. This marks the first Steelers first-round O-lineman investment since All-Pro guard David DeCastro in 2012 and the first time the franchise has chosen a first-round tackle since 1996.

WR Notes: Flowers, Vikings, Chiefs, Giants, Addison, Bucs, Johnston, Robinson, Moore

April 27th, 2023 at 1:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Zay Flowers does not appear likely to fall out of the first round, and his final pre-draft meetup looks to have gone well. The Chiefs organizing a Flowers-Patrick Mahomes workout in Texas has led to interest on the defending Super Bowl champions’ part, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. They are not alone. The Giants and Vikings are Flowers fans as well. Previous reports also indicated the Bears and Chargers are intrigued by the speedy Boston College product, despite his 5-foot-9 stature. Flowers would be an atypical first-round pick, with Marquise Brown (2019) and Tavon Austin (2013) the only receivers chosen in Round 1 at 5-9 or shorter in the 21st century. But Flowers made a number of pre-draft visits and, coming off his only 1,000-yard college season, will be one of the first receivers off the board.

The Vikings released Adam Thielen earlier this year and have K.J. Osborn going into a contract year. Considering Justin Jefferson‘s likely extension price, Minnesota paying multiple wideouts notable veteran sums might be difficult. The Giants have performed an extensive examination on the top wideouts available.

Here is the latest from the rookie and veteran receiver landscape:

  • Regarding the Giants‘ receiver studies, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports indicates they are also believed to be considering USC’s Jordan Addison in Round 1 (Twitter link), indicating Addison might be ahead of Flowers on the team’s board. A Pitt transfer who finished his career with Heisman winner Caleb Williams, Addison spent time with the Giants during the pre-draft process. The team adding Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder and re-signing Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton — along with the 2022 second-round selection of Wan’Dale Robinson — certainly does not point to this Giants regime mandating big-bodied wideouts. While Flowers is 5-9, Addison is only 5-11. One of these two stepping in as a potential No. 1 target would round out an interesting receiver room.
  • Shifting to a taller target, the Buccaneers are believed to be interested in 6-3 TCU alum Quentin Johnston, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Tony Pauline offers. The Bucs would make for an unexpected Johnston destination, as they have Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and 2022 free agency addition Russell Gage on the roster. Gage, however, underwhelmed in his Tampa Bay debut, while Evans is entering his age-30 season. The Chiefs are also interested in Johnston, with Pauline confirming previous reports Kansas City is both pro-Johnston and interested in trading up from No. 31.
  • Being moved to the Steelers, Allen Robinson will be prepared to work with yet another starting quarterback this year. But the well-traveled wideout will have a delayed start for on-field Steeler work. The team will hold its new receiver out of voluntary offseason workouts, per The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly (on Twitter). Robinson is recovering from late-season foot surgery. He missed the Rams’ final seven games last season due to injury.
  • Ryan Poles confirmed D.J. Moore was indeed mandatory in the Bears‘ March trade with the Panthers. “You go back and forth and have those conversations that go over a couple of weeks, and there are some non-negotiables that you say, ‘Well, I need to have this in the package.’ DJ was that for us,” Poles said during an interview with former NFLers Charles Tillman and Roman Harper on the NFL Players: Second Acts podcast (h/t Pro Football Network). “We wanted to add more playmakers to this roster. We wanted a player that can really help Justin [Fields] be successful. So that’s kind of [what] we stuck with and went hard on that, and it worked out.” The Bears also discussed Brian Burns and Derrick Brown with the Panthers but ended up prying away their No. 1 receiver in the deal for the top pick.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/24/23

April 24th, 2023 at 6:47pm CST by Ely Allen

Minor moves from around the league today:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Eyeing First-Round Tackles; Team Interested In Trade-Up

April 24th, 2023 at 5:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Tomlin said recently he is comfortable redeploying the Steelers’ tackle tandem of the past two years — Dan Moore–Chukwuma Okorafor — but the team made efforts to upgrade its interior offensive line in free agency. Tackle appears a strong consideration in the draft.

The Steelers are interested in finding Kenny Pickett improved edge protection, with ESPN.com’s Todd McShay indicating the team has made inquiries about trading up from No. 17. Specifically, McShay names the Bears (No. 9) and Titans (No. 11) as teams the Steelers have contacted about a move up the board for a tackle. A tackle is indeed believed to be the reason the Steelers have been connected to moving up, Albert Breer of SI.com notes.

While the Steelers did not host Paris Johnson on a visit, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic adds the team met with the Ohio State tackle over dinner ahead of his pro day (subscription required). The Steelers, whom Kaboly notes dined with T.J. Watt and Artie Burns before selecting them in Round 1 during the 2010s, also met with other Buckeyes linemen.

This franchise does not have an extensive history in moving up, though such a move did take place for Devin Bush in 2019. The Steelers succeeded the other two times they have moved up in Round 1 (Troy Polamalu, Santonio Holmes) over the past 20 years. This is Omar Khan‘s first draft as Pittsburgh’s GM. He and assistant GM Andy Weidl have added some pieces up front, signing top guard Isaac Seumalo and adding Nate Herbig as well. The Steelers agreed to terms with tackle Le’Raven Clark, but that almost certainly is a depth-based acquisition. As of now, Moore and Okorafor should be considered Pittsburgh’s unquestioned starters at tackle.

Johnson has generated buzz to the point he might not be available at 9. The ex-Buckeyes standout has been connected to climbing into the top five, which would seemingly be out of the Steelers’ range due to the board jump required. But the likes of Peter Skoronski — who is seen by many as a guard — and Broderick Jones are also certain first-rounders-to-be. The Steelers did meet with Jones, a Georgia tackle, during the pre-draft visit window. Tennessee’s Darnell Wright may be available if the Steelers stick at No. 17.

The Steelers have not drafted a tackle in Round 1 since 1996 (Jamain Stephens) and have not selected an O-lineman in the first since David DeCastro 11 years ago. Okorafor (2018) and Moore (2021) each arrived as third-rounders. Both started all 17 games for the Steelers last season. Pro Football Focus rated each outside the top 55 at the position, however. Despite the Steelers enjoying steady health from their starting O-line, PFF ranked the unit 16th.

Pittsburgh has been connected to making a cornerback pick at No. 17 as well, and Breer adds Tomlin’s son, Dino, was in the same Maryland recruiting class as first-round prospect Deonte Banks. The ex-Terrapin, like Tomlin, visited the Steelers recently as well. But tackle has emerged as a position to watch regarding Pittsburgh’s first pick. Via the Chase Claypool trade, the Steelers also hold the No. 32 overall choice to bolster one of these areas as well.

Contract Details: James, Lawson, Muse

April 23rd, 2023 at 12:55pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are a few details on contracts that have been signed in the last several weeks:

  • Richie James, WR (Chiefs): One year. $1.08MM (veteran minimum for a player with four to six years of service time). $400K guaranteed, including $152.5K signing bonus. Despite a career year in 2022 as part of the Giants’ depleted WR corps, James had to settle for a veteran minimum accord (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2).
  • Shaq Lawson, DE (Bills): One year. $1.165MM (veteran minimum for a player with seven or more years of service time). $300K guaranteed, including $152.5K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson). Lawson was unable to parlay his increased role in the second half of the 2022 season — which included two playoff starts — into anything more than a veteran minimum deal.
  • Tanner Muse, LB (Steelers): One year. $1.01MM (veteran minimum for a player with three years of service time). Twitter link via Wilson. Muse worked primarily on special teams for the Seahawks in 2022, but he saw the first defensive snaps of his career towards the end of the season and will look to carve out a rotational/ST role for Pittsburgh. Seattle non-tendered him in March.

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Browns, Awuzie

April 21st, 2023 at 12:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Allen Robinson passing his physical will send him to a fourth NFL team. The Rams will assume much of Robinson’s 2023 payout — as a result of the three-year, $46.5MM deal they authorized in 2022 — and could only offload that contract for a 17-spot jump in the seventh round. The Steelers adjusted Robinson’s contract further before the trade became official, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicating (via Twitter) the wide receiver will collect a $3.84MM signing bonus from his new team. That will help reduce his cap hit. As for 2024, Rapoport adds Robinson’s base salary will drop from $15MM to $10MM. Two void years are also present on Robinson’s Steelers deal, per OverTheCap, which indicates the 10th-year veteran will be tied to a $5MM cap number this year and a $10MM hit in 2024. While Robinson’s $5MM 2023 salary is locked in, nothing is guaranteed for 2024.

The Steelers sought an experienced option at receiver, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, due to second-year players George Pickens and Calvin Austin being expected to play significant roles in 2023 (Twitter link). Robinson will join Diontae Johnson, who is going into his fifth season, as veteran options. This might lead to the Steelers addressing other positions with their Day 2 draft capital; the team has taken eight wideouts on the draft’s second day since 2013.

Here is the latest from the AFC North:

  • Four years after working together on a dysfunctional Browns team, Odell Beckham Jr. and Todd Monken reunited with the Ravens. Beckham said he and the recently hired Baltimore OC have a great relationship. In 2019, however, Monken served as a non-play-calling OC under Freddie Kitchens, who was fired after one season. Midway through that disappointing Browns slate, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes Beckham initiated a clear-the-air meeting with Monken in an effort to move parties onto the same page. Browns wideouts perceived Kitchens and the team’s QBs at the time to be “cliquey,” and the disconnect led to shouting matches between wideouts and coaches. The Browns disbanded the Beckham-Baker Mayfield partnership midway through the 2021 season. Although Monken ran the offensive meetings during the week in 2019, Cabot adds the future Georgia staffer did not have much play-calling input. The Ravens will count on Monken, who now has a third NFL OC opportunity, and OBJ to elevate their offense next season.
  • Amari Cooper may miss some offseason time due to a core surgery he underwent this offseason. Cooper did not miss any games last season, but Cabot adds he underwent this procedure in February. Kevin Stefanski said the team will not rush Cooper back, so it stands to reason the ninth-year wideout may not be a full OTAs participant. Cooper, 28, put together his sixth 1,000-yard season in 2022; two years remain on his Cowboys-constructed contract.
  • It might take a bit longer for Chidobe Awuzie to return to work with the Bengals. The veteran cornerback suffered a torn ACL during a Halloween matchup against the Browns. He is targeting a return by Week 1, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. The Bengals no longer have Eli Apple under contract, but they signed Sidney Jones in free agency. Jones joins Mike Hilton and Cam Taylor-Britt as the top healthy Bengal corners. One season remains on Awuzie’s deal.
  • While the Steelers gave Bud Dupree a physical, Dulac notes the former Pittsburgh first-rounder’s free agency visit did not include contract talks. Dupree, who played for the Steelers from 2015-20, signed a one-year, $3MM deal with the Falcons last week. A number of veteran edge rushers — Yannick Ngakoue, Frank Clark, Leonard Floyd and Jadeveon Clowney among them — remain unsigned. The Steelers will likely be seeking a low-cost option to be their third edge rusher behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Malik Reed held that role last year; Reed has since joined the Dolphins.

Draft Notes: Porter, Jones, Washington, Murphy, Anudike-Uzomah, Banks, Branch

April 20th, 2023 at 3:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Pre-draft visit season wrapped up this week, but teams squeezed in several meetings before the deadline. A few booked Joey Porter Jr. visits. The Penn State cornerback met with the Eagles, Giants, Saints and Panthers before Wednesday’s deadline, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Porter also visited the Steelers, Ravens and Raiders previously. Graded as a first-round talent, Porter stands to follow Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez off the board at some point on the draft’s first night.

Here is how other prospects’ visit itineraries wrapped up:

  • The Steelers closed their visit schedule by meeting with both tackle Broderick Jones, tight end Darnell Washington and edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah, according to ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor and The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly (all Twitter links). Jones, whom ESPN’s Scouts Inc. and NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah rate as a top-20 prospect, met with the Chiefs, Jets, Patriots, Bears and Cardinals during the visit window. The Steelers briefly considered Orlando Brown Jr., and Mike Tomlin indicated he was comfortable with the team’s current Dan Moore–Chukwuma Okorafor tackle setup.
  • Anudike-Uzomah and Washington also met with the Buccaneers, per Wilson and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter links). One of two high-level Georgia tight end prospects, Washington will enter the draft at least a year ahead of standout pass catcher Brock Bowers. After two sub-200-yard years, Washington totaled 454 and two touchdowns as a junior. Going 6-foot-6 and 264 pounds, Washington profiles as an in-line tight end with some receiving upside. Anudike-Uzomah totaled 19.5 sacks over the past two seasons at Kansas State. Both players profile as fringe first-round talents, with Jeremiah ranking Washington as the third-best option in this year’s deep tight end class.
  • Scouts Inc. rates Clemson’s Myles Murphy a few spots ahead of Anudike-Uzomah, at No. 23 overall, and the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala notes (via Twitter) the Commanders took a recent look at the edge defender this week. After extending Daron Payne, Washington still rosters its four first-round D-linemen. But only one of the four (Chase Young) arrived during Ron Rivera‘s tenure.
  • Much of the NFL wanted to meet with Deonte Banks. The Maryland cornerback spent extensive time in two of the country’s time zones. In addition to his meetings with the Raiders, Ravens, Commanders and Steelers, Banks visited 10 more teams — the Saints, Titans, Vikings, Texans, Giants, Buccaneers, Eagles, Jaguars, Bears and Bills — before the pre-draft meeting buzzer sounded, Rapoport tweets. Jeremiah slots Banks 24th overall, ranking the ex-Big Ten cover man as this year’s fourth-best corner. A former three-star recruit, Banks earned a starting job as a freshman. A shoulder injury halted his junior year after two games, but the 6-foot defender bounced back last season to close his career on the first-round radar.
  • The Giants also huddled up with safety/slot defender Brian Branch this week, Wilson tweets. The Alabama contributor had previously met with a host of teams. New York expected to re-sign Julian Love this offseason but lost the safety to Seattle. The team, which selected slot corner Cor’Dale Flott in last year’s third round, signed veteran Bobby McCain to a low-level contract and has Xavier McKinney returning from an injury-marred season.
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