Steelers Give Mike Tomlin Extension
After guiding the Steelers back to the playoffs, Mike Tomlin received another extension. The 15th-year head coach agreed to terms on a three-year deal Tuesday, one that ties him to the team through the 2024 season. This marks Tomlin’s sixth Steelers extension and his first three-year re-up since 2012.
Tomlin’s most recent contract ran through 2021. The Steelers, who famously have only had three head coaches since 1969, will continue their run of stability into the mid-2020s. Tomlin’s new deal comes shortly after the Steelers and longtime GM Kevin Colbert agreed to terms on another extension. Colbert’s new contract runs through 2022.
The Steelers managed an 8-8 record in 2019, doing so despite Antonio Brown‘s messy departure and Ben Roethlisberger‘s early-season elbow injury. They improved upon that mark last year, starting 11-0 and going 12-4. The Steelers led the NFL in sacks for a fourth straight season, powering the team back to the postseason. While the team endured another disappointing playoff exit, Tomlin has continually placed the Steelers in the NFL’s upper echelon. His next challenge may be daunting as well.
Pittsburgh has lost a few starters and has yet to formulate a true post-Big Ben plan, redoing their 18th-year quarterback’s contract ahead of his age-39 season. Roethlisberger struggled down the stretch and committed five turnovers in the wild-card loss to the Browns. The team ranked last in rushing and is retooling its offensive line, with multiple starters — including perennial Pro Bowler Maurkice Pouncey — moving on. Tomlin will also have a new offensive coordinator in 2021. The Steelers replaced Randy Fichtner with Matt Canada.
Tomlin’s new deal will allow him to coach into his 50s, should he choose to do so. He will match Bill Cowher this season, by coaching the Steelers for 15 years. While Tomlin has a ways to go to match Chuck Noll‘s 23-season tenure, he remains on solid ground.
Dolphins Re-Sign DB Nik Needham
The Dolphins are re-signing their final exclusive rights free agent. Miami has agreed to terms with cornerback Nik Needham, reports veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (via Twitter).
Needham has been one of the Dolphins’ better hidden gems in recent years. Needham went undrafted out of UTEP in 2019, and after catching on with Miami during the offseason, he was cut by the team at the end of the preseason. He subsequently joined the Dolphins practice squad, and he was promoted to the active roster in early October. He proceeded to start 11 of his 12 games that season, collecting 54 tackles, 11 passes defended, and a pair of interceptions.
Despite the addition of Byron Jones last offseason, Needham still managed to contribute in a lesser role this past season. While he started only six of his 16 games, he still finished the year with 58 tackles and two picks.
The Dolphins had previously retained their other two ERFAs: linebacker Calvin Munson and cornerback Jamal Perry. Quarterback Jake Rudock was also set to become an ERFA, but the Dolphins declined to place a tender on the player.
Dolphins To Sign OL D.J. Fluker
D.J. Fluker is joining the Dolphins. The offense lineman is set to sign with Miami, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
Following a four-year stint with the Chargers to start his career, the former first-round pick has bounced around the NFL recently. He spent the 2020 campaign with the Ravens, where he started in eight of his 16 games. He also played in a pair of playoff games for Baltimore, appearing in at least 40-percent of his team’s offensive snaps in those two games.
Fluker has shown plenty of versatility throughout his career, spending time at right tackle, left tackle, and right guard. The 30-year-old’s ability to play multiple positions should provide him with plenty of opportunities for snaps in Miami, even if he isn’t the definitive starter at any one position.
Meanwhile, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald opines (on Twitter) that this signing makes the Dolphins’ chances of selecting a lineman in the first round “even more remote.” The Dolphins haven’t necessarily been busy adding to their offensive line this offseason; they signed veteran Matt Skura and re-signed backup Adam Pankey.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/19/21
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: C Trystan Colon-Castillo (ERFA), LB Kristian Welch (ERFA)
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on reserve-retired list: LB Jordan Mack; Mack opted out of the 2020 season
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: OT Matt Nelson (ERFA)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: RB Dare Ogunbowale (ERFA)
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: DB Tyrique McGhee; McGhee received a five-game PED suspension earlier this month
New York Giants
- Re-signed: RB Sandro Platzgummer
New York Jets
- Re-signed: TE Daniel Brown, WR Jeff Smith (ERFA)
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: NT Bryan Mone
Raiders Sign CB Rasul Douglas
Former Eagles and Panthers cornerback Rasul Douglas agreed to join the Raiders on Monday. The team announced the signing.
Las Vegas will begin the season shorthanded at corner, with the recently re-signed Nevin Lawson set for another two-game suspension. Douglas will attempt to be part of the solution for a team that has struggled in pass coverage for many seasons.
A 2017 third-round Eagles pick, Douglas spent three seasons with Philadelphia. The 6-foot-2 corner did not see time on defense during the Eagles’ 2017 playoff run but started in both of Philly’s 2018 postseason tilts. He has logged 29 starts over his four-year career. The Panthers gave Douglas his biggest opportunity, claiming him off waivers last September and using him as an 11-game starter.
Douglas, who intercepted five passes between the 2017 and ’18 seasons, graded as a middle-of-the-pack cornerback last season, in the view of Pro Football Focus, which slotted him just outside the top 60 at the position in 2020. Douglas, 26, filled in for Eli Apple in Carolina. The Raiders initially agreed to terms with Apple in 2020, but the deal fell through. Injuries impeded Apple with the Panthers, who turned to Douglas for much of the season.
He represents the Raiders’ first outside investment at the position this offseason. Douglas will join former West Virginia teammate Karl Joseph in Vegas’ secondary; the Raiders brought back their 2016 first-round pick earlier this month.
Washington Waives Bryce Love
A former college standout will need to find a new NFL home. Washington has waived running back Bryce Love, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
It’s been a tough road in the pros for the former Stanford star, who has struggled to get over his knee issues. Love tore an ACL in his final game at Stanford, and has dealt with multiple setbacks in his recovery. Love was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in the 2017 season, and was talented enough for Washington to still use a fourth-round pick on him in 2019 despite the fresh injury.
He didn’t play at all as a rookie, and although he was active for a few games in 2020, he never touched the ball. He was placed on injured reserve in October, and although he later began practicing with the team, they eventually shut him down and didn’t activate him.
He’s undergone multiple knee surgeries, but is also still only 23. Given his youth and decorated college career another team will likely still at least take a flyer, but it’s not looking great for his NFL career.
Bears Re-Sign Tashaun Gipson
The Bears have agreed to re-sign safety Tashaun Gipson, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Once finalized, it’ll be a one-year deal for the veteran. 
[RELATED: Bears Sign WR Marquise Goodwin]
Gipson spent time with the Browns, Jaguars, and Texans before joining the Bears as a free agent last year. Brought in to help replace Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, the 30-year-old (31 in August) went on to start in all 16 games last year. In total, he finished out with 66 stops, two interceptions, seven passes defensed, and a fumble recovery. Now, he’ll return to a Bears secondary that is without Pro Bowler Kyle Fuller. Fortunately, the Bears still have All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson to help hold down the fort.
Gipson, a 2014 Pro Bowler, has 25 career interceptions to his credit. He might not be the player that he once was, but he’s coming off of a solid and disciplined season. Last year, Gipson committed just one penalty across 1,130 defensive snaps.
Alex Smith Retires From NFL
On Monday, quarterback Alex Smith announced his retirement from the NFL (via Instagram). After mounting an improbable comeback in 2020, the 36-year-old says that he’s now ready to begin a new chapter. 
“Two years ago I was stuck in a wheelchair, staring down at my mangled leg, wondering if I would ever be able to go on a walk again or play with my kids in the yard,” said Smith. “I almost lost everything. But football wouldn’t let me give up. Because, no, this isn’t just a game. It’s not just what happens between those white lines on a Sunday afternoon. It’s about the challenges and the commitment they require. It’s about how hard and how far you can push yourself. It’s about the bond between those 53 guys in the locker room and everybody else in the organization. It’s about fully committing yourself to something bigger.”
Smith nearly lost his leg after a horrific injury in 2018. In addition to the numerous fractures, Smith suffered a series of complications. Most believed that Smith’s career was over. But, somehow, he managed to retake the field in 2020 with Washington. After going 5-1 across six starts, Washington released him from the remainder of his contract. According to Smith, Ron Rivera & Co. didn’t necessarily want him back in the first place.
“When I decided to come back, I definitely threw a wrench in the team’s plan,” Smith said in February. “They didn’t see it, didn’t want me there, didn’t want me to be a part of it, didn’t want me to be on the team, the roster, didn’t want to give me a chance.”
Surely, some teams were willing to give Smith a chance this year. Just a few weeks ago, the Texans were rumored as a possible destination for the former No. 1 overall pick. Still, Smith has nothing left to prove — especially after making his miraculous recovery. We here at PFR wish Smith the best in retirement.
Colts To Re-Sign CB T.J. Carrie
After two visits elsewhere, T.J. Carrie will opt to stay in Indianapolis. The Colts are re-signing the veteran cornerback, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth more than $2MM, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter).
Carrie, who initially signed with the Colts last year, visited the Saints and Bills over the past three weeks. Carrie’s Buffalo trip occurred this week, and Fowler adds the Bills made a push to sign Carrie. Rather than joining a fourth team, however, Carrie will follow Xavier Rhodes in re-signing with the Colts.
[RELATED: Colts Re-Sign CB Xavier Rhodes]
While Carrie played in 15 games last season, he saw a reduced snap rate. After playing more than 60% of his team’s snaps from 2017-19, the former seventh-round pick saw action on just 38% of Indianapolis’ defensive plays in 2020. The Colts stand to bring back their top four corners from last season, with Rhodes and Carrie pledging to stay on one-year accords, slot corner Kenny Moore signed long-term and Rock Ya-Sin still on his rookie deal.
Originally a Raiders draftee in 2014, Carrie spent the 2018 and ’19 seasons with the Browns. While he saw more time in Cleveland, Carrie intercepted a career-high two passes with the Colts and took one back for a touchdown. Pro Football Focus graded Carrie as a top-40 corner and was incredibly high on the seven-year vet’s run-game presence. PFF graded Carrie as the league’s top run-defending corner.
The 30-year-old defender will reprise his role in an experienced cornerback corps, though with both Carrie and Rhodes north of 30, the Colts still profile as a team that could add at this spot early in the draft.
Bears Sign WR Marquise Goodwin
Marquise Goodwin will be affiliated with a third team this offseason. After seeing his rights sent from the Eagles back to the 49ers, the veteran wide receiver became a free agent. The Bears will end that stay.
The former Olympian agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Bears on Friday. Goodwin has not played since the 2019 season, having opted out in 2020.
While Goodwin was part of San Francisco’s Super Bowl LIV-qualifying squad, he did not hold a regular role. The 49ers reduced his offensive responsibilities before placing him on IR then traded him to the Eagles during the 2020 draft.
The 49ers gave Goodwin a three-year, $20.3MM deal in March 2018 but ended up regretting the pact. The Eagles sent the 49ers to the Eagles in a pick-swap trade involving 2020 sixth-rounders. When Goodwin reverted back to the 49ers in March, San Francisco sent a 2021 seventh-rounder back to Philly. After spending a month in free agency, the 30-year-old wideout will join the Bears’ Allen Robinson-led receiving corps.
Months after qualifying for the London Games in the long jump, the 5-foot-9 wideout blazed to a 4.27-second 40-yard dash time at the 2013 Combine. He went to the Bills in the third round. The ex-Texas Longhorn has shown flashes as a receiver, most notably during a 962-yard 2017 slate that did not involve Jimmy Garoppolo until late in the season, and has some experience as a kick returner. Despite Goodwin’s speed, however, he has not returned a kick since the 2015 season.
This move comes nearly a year after the Bears signed Ted Ginn, a fellow speedster with 49ers experience. Ginn, however, did not play a big role on Chicago’s offense and did not last the season in the Windy City. The Bears have Robinson, Darnell Mooney and Anthony Miller positioned as their top three wideouts. However, Miller may still be on the trade block.