Antonio Brown

AFC Notes: Brown, Steelers, Geno, Jets, Bills

July 29th, 2016 at 6:52pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

While all-world receiver Antonio Brown is confident that the Steelers will address his contract before the beginning of the regular season, the team is unlikely to rip it up in favor of a new deal, reports Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The club could instead advance Brown $2MM in salary for the second straight year and then negotiate a new accord with him at season’s end. However, there is precedent for the Steelers giving Brown a new deal with two years left on it, as Fittipaldo notes. Pittsburgh handed Brown a five-year, $41MM contract after the 2011 season, his second in the NFL. Although Brown is underpaid on his current deal relative to his stellar production, Fittipaldo points out that, between what the Steelers signed him to in 2012 and will award him on his next contract, the 28-year-old will earn far more than many other members of the 2010 draft class (Dez Bryant, for instance).

Elsewhere around the AFC…

The Jets finally re-signed quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick earlier this week, leading to questions about fellow signal-caller’s Geno Smith roster status. It turns out that New York does not plan to move on from Smith this summer, general manager Mike Maccagnan said Friday (Twitter link via Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday). Asked if Smith will be on the Jets’ Week 1 roster, Maccagnan stated, “I would assume so. Right now, I know we like Geno Smith… Geno’s in our plans.” In addition to Smith, who has struggled since the Jets chose him in the second round of the 2013 draft, Gang Green has rookie second-rounder Christian Hackenberg and 2015 fourth-rounder Bryce Petty in reserve. With those two around and Smith’s lack of long-term security (he’ll be a free agent after the season), this is likely his final year with the franchise.
The Bills are “standing pat” with their quarterbacks, GM Doug Whaley said Friday (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News). Buffalo was reportedly in the hunt for free agent Nick Foles after the Rams released him Thursday, though Carucci quickly shot that down. Behind starter Tyrod Taylor, who’s a candidate for a contract extension, the Bills have EJ Manuel and rookie fourth-rounder Cardale Jones as options. Manuel’s career strongly resembles Smith’s: Both were high picks in 2013 (Manuel went in Round 1) and have since failed to established themselves as starting-caliber NFL QBs. Manuel, like Smith, is in a contract year and could be in his last season with the club that drafted him. The ex-Florida State Seminole appeared in seven games (two starts) in 2015 and went 52 of 84 with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Speaking of Carucci, the insider shared his thoughts on several Bills topics with PFR’s Zach Links on Friday.
The Titans added a household name to their receiving corps Friday, agreeing to a deal with Andre Johnson.

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Browns, Gordon

July 28th, 2016 at 4:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Superstar wide receiver Antonio Brown reported to Steelers training camp Thursday and is both hopeful and confident that the team will address his contract before the regular season, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Brown – who has combined for 375 catches and 31 touchdowns the last three seasons – is woefully underpaid relative to his production (he’s due $14.96MM through 2017), though the Steelers don’t typically negotiate new deals with non-quarterbacks who have more than one year left on their contracts. “It has been the position of the organization and it has always been like that,” general manager Kevin Colbert said last summer in regards to the team’s policy. Based on Schefter’s report, the Steelers might make an exception after Brown tied for the league lead in receptions (136), finished second in yards (1,834) and found the end zone 10 times last season.

More news on Pittsburgh and one of its division rivals:

Speaking of Colbert, the Steelers awarded him an additional role as their vice president Thursday, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Colbert, 59, joined the Steelers as their director of football operations in 2000 and held that position until they promoted him to GM in 2010.
Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown and head coach Hue Jackson addressed the return of newly reinstated receiver Josh Gordon on Thursday (via Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com). “He in earnest wants to make the most of this opportunity, and he knows his situation and so we’re going to get around him, give him that opportunity,” Brown stated regarding Gordon, whom the league suspended for 29 of the Browns’ previous 48 regular-season games – including the entire 2015 campaign – because of substance abuse violations. Gordon will also sit out the first four games of this year. However, the highly talented 25-year-old has a clean slate with Jackson, who’s in his first season with the Browns. “I don’t have a lot of history with Josh that way,” said Jackson. “But his history is preceding him, and I think he knows that and I think the only way to deal with a player in these situations is to kind of hit the restart button for him and he has to go do it.”
The Browns have no plans to cut linebacker Armonty Bryant in the wake of his misdemeanor drug conviction, Brown said Thursday, as Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer tweets. An additional suspension could be coming for him, however. Bryant will already miss the first four games of the season because of a suspension.
In case you missed it, Cleveland defensive tackle Desmond Bryant will officially miss the entire season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Pats, Von, Steelers, Jets

July 7th, 2016 at 4:11pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Mike Klis of 9News obtained a report from a non-Broncos scout who observed linebacker Von Miller nine times last season and concluded that the 27-year-old is a “Hall of Fame-caliber performer.’’ Meanwhile, former Patriots general counsel/player personnel Jack Musa told Klis that the Pats – who are known for preemptively cutting bait on stars – would shop Miller if they were in a similar situation as Denver is now.

“I’m not saying not signing Von Miller is the wrong thing to do. I’m not saying that at all,” said Musa, who was with the Patriots for a decade. “But if you don’t and you’ve moved on from him, you certainly get something from him. You don’t have him sitting out a year and improving his own negotiating leverage – that’s not something we ever experienced in New England but that’s a very real possibility in Denver.’’

The Broncos and Miller are currently in a contract-related showdown, one which they’re running out of time to resolve. If the reigning Super Bowl champions and the franchise-tagged superstar don’t reach an agreement on a long-term deal by July 15 at 4 p.m. ET, they won’t be able to negotiate again until the offseason. That would leave Miller with two options: 1. Continue sitting out in lieu of signing the franchise tender. 2. Sign it and make in the $14MM neighborhood to play this year. If Miller opts for the first choice, the Broncos wouldn’t have the ability to slap the exclusive franchise tag on him next offseason, though they could give him the non-exclusive version. However, the compensation from a team that signs Miller to an offer sheet would decrease in value by a substantial amount, going from two first-round picks to a first- and third-round selection. The Broncos hit Miller with the exclusive designation this year to stop him from trying to hammer out an accord with another team.

Elsewhere around the AFC…

The Browns picked up quarterback Robert Griffin III in free agency and ex-Baylor receiver Corey Coleman via the first round of the draft, but they’re nonetheless “going to be a run-oriented football team,” run game coordinator Kirby Wilson told Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. As Roster Resource shows, the Browns’ top two rushers from last season – Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson – remain in the equation, and three former undrafted free agents trail behind them. Given that trio’s lack of pedigree and the fact that neither Crowell nor Johnson eclipsed 3.8 yards per carry last season, it’s not exactly the most promising group on paper. Johnson, to his credit, caught 61 passes as a rookie, leading Wilson to call the 2015 third-rounder from Miami “an ultimate weapon.”
The five-year, $41.9MM deal – including $8.5MM guaranteed – all-world wide receiver Antonio Brown signed in 2012 is the most team-friendly contract the Steelers have, argues Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. Brown was behind Mike Wallace on the Steelers’ wideout pecking order at the time, but the former has since combined for a stunning 375 receptions, 5,031 yards and 31 touchdowns going back to 2013. Although Pittsburgh took a risk at the time, it now has the biggest veteran bargain in the league, Fitzgerald opines. Conversely, linebacker Lawrence Timmons‘ contract (five years, $47.8MM, $11MM guaranteed) is the Steelers’ worst. While Fitzgerald doesn’t have a problem with the value, he’s critical of the way the Steelers have handled the pact. The club has restructured it three times in a four-year span, effectively guaranteeing four of its five seasons and leaving Timmons without an incentive to accept an extension and lower his cap number – which is the most among inside linebackers this season by over $5MM.
Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey could have a harder time dividing touches between his top two running backs this year than he did in 2015, posits Brian Costello of the New York Post. Last season’s Jets prominently featured the duo of bruiser Chris Ivory and dual-threat option Bilal Powell, but the former is now in Jacksonville. The Jets replaced him with Matt Forte, who – like Powell – can do damage both as a rusher and pass catcher. Regardless, Costello argues that New York has a valuable player on its hands in the 27-year-old Powell, without whom it went 1-4 in 2015. As a result of his 11-game, 701-total yard, 47-catch season, the Jets re-signed Powell to a three-year, $11.25MM deal with $6MM in guarantees over the winter. Forte landed a somewhat similar contract at three years, $12MM and $8MM guaranteed.

Extra Points: Von, Int’l, Steelers, Manziel

June 29th, 2016 at 8:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The $87MM in guarantees on Andrew Luck‘s new contract should help franchise-tagged Broncos linebacker Von Miller in his quest to land a long-term accord, tweets Mark Dominik of ESPN. Although the Broncos and Miller only have until July 15 to reach a deal, they had ceased discussions as of last Friday. Miller – the reigning Super Bowl MVP – rejected a six-year, $114.5MM offer from the Broncos because it featured $39.8MM in guarantees, an amount the four-time Pro Bowler deemed unsatisfactory. If the two sides don’t find common ground and strike an agreement in the next two-plus weeks, Miller’s options would be to sign his $14.129MM franchise tender and play 2016 under it or sit out the season.

AFC North Notes: Williams, Steelers, Ravens, Browns

May 18th, 2016 at 9:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals followed their model by signing safety Shawn Williams to a four-year extension, Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. The 25-year-old has only started four games in his career, serving as a backup to George Iloka and Reggie Nelson while chipping in on special teams. Still, Williams possesses serious upside and he is one of the key reasons why the team was willing to let Nelson leave via free agency.

“He keeps his head down, kept working,” defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said. “He came in and George and Reggie were in the spots there. He kept coming on. I kept saying this guy needs to get on the field for us. We have to find a way to get him on the field. You have something done like that, the organization gave a good offer and I’m happy for him. He deserves it.”

The Bengals have taken this kind of leap before and they’ve been rewarded for it. In 2013, the Bengals inked Carlos Dunlap to a six-year, $40MM extension before he truly broke out and he went on to rack up 21.5 sacks in two seasons. Ditto for defensive tackle Geno Atkins, who was signed to a five-year, $55MM deal prior to August of 2013, a deal that is extremely modest compared to deals given to top-end players at the position on the open market.

Here’s the latest from a busy news day in the AFC North.

Antonio Brown said finishing his career under another long-term extension with the Steelers would be “an honor,” and he’s not planning to hold out for a new contract just yet, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports. “I always want to be a Steeler for life. We will let those things take its course,” Brown told media, including Fowler. “I’m excited to get back on the field. … My focus right now is to show up and become the best player.” Following his stay in Los Angeles for Dancing with the Stars, Brown plans to return to Pittsburgh for OTAs. Playing on of the NFL’s best bargain contracts, Brown is set to make $6.25MM in base salary this season and occupy a $12.37MM cap hold in 2016. The latter figure is eighth among receivers. With Martavis Bryant now out for the season, Brown could have additional leverage in a potential contract standoff, which he didn’t necessarily deny was forthcoming — although Kevin Colbert recently said he does not expect to alter the Steelers’ policy of not extending players who have more than two years left on their deals. Brown’s 265 receptions over the past two seasons are an NFL record.
After announcing recently he’ll return for a 14th NFL season, James Harrison called NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith regarding a drug test. Harrison was trying to videotape the drug test, but the drug-testing agent informed the linebacker that could result in a positive test, per Fowler. The ESPN.com reporter notes Harrison has filmed drug tests in the past, yet he didn’t do so this time as to not want to get the tester fired. All NFL players are subject to random testing in the offseason. Harrison was named in a highly scrutinized Al Jazeera report in December but succinctly denied any HGH use. At 38, he’ll be the oldest defensive player in the league this season.
The NFL does not appear to buy the Ravens‘ company line of not being aware rookie-camp practices fell under the no-pads policy that veteran offseason workouts do, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. Baltimore is under investigation for suiting up rookies in pads during a non-contact punt-protection drill, and the league viewing the team as attempting to skirt the rules — albeit for a stretch that amounted to five minutes — could result in a loss of practice time.
Although John Urschel remains the favorite to replace Kelechi Osemele at left guard for the Ravens, Ryan Jensen, Alex Lewis and the newly signed Vlad Ducasse could challenge the 2014 fifth-rounder for the job, Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun reports. However, if the Ravens opt to keep Eugene Monroe, No. 6 overall pick Ronnie Stanley becomes the favorite to succeed Osemele at left guard, Zreibec writes. Monroe has three years left on his deal, one that pays him between $8.7-$8.95MM in each season, but has missed 15 games the past two seasons. Cutting Monroe this year would saddle the Ravens with $6.6MM in dead money.
Joe Haden is uncertain to return for Browns training camp after offseason ankle surgery, but the seventh-year corner insists he’ll be ready by Week 1, Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com reports. Haden, who missed 11 games last season due to concussion issues, admitted it was “a little upsetting” to hear Sashi Brown say it was too early to tell whether he’d play on Sept. 11 in the Browns’ opener. “I think I’m going to be back definitely for sure not to miss any regular-season time,” Haden said Wednesday after undergoing surgery March 16. “I don’t really know about training camp. … But I just know for sure that my whole thing is I’m not missing any games.”

Zach Links contributed to this report

AFC Notes: A. Brown, D. Walker, Tunsil

May 12th, 2016 at 7:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert doesn’t sound like a man who is in a rush to discuss a contract extension with star Antonio Brown.

“He does have two years left and we expect that to be honored without any issue,” the Steelers GM told Mike Florio of Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “Again, Antonio’s a unique player. We understand that and he understands our policies. I don’t ever see that changing as long as we still have the mindset that it’s been good for the organization. Again we understand that he’s a special player and we’re glad we have him for two more years anyway.”

As Florio notes, Steelers usually don’t extend players with more than two years to go on their deals, unless those players are quarterbacks. However, one has to imagine that an exception could be made for Brown given his status as one of the league’s most dangerous offensive players.

Here are a few more odds and ends from across the AFC:

Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link) has some additional details on Delanie Walker‘s new contract with the Titans. The tight end dropped his base salary in 2016 from $4.275MM to $2.7MM. He’ll have base salaries of $4.2MM in 2017 and $5.4MM in 2018.
Mark Schlabach and Nicole Noren of ESPN’s Outside the Lines have provided an update on the draft-night hacks to Dolphins offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil‘s social media accounts. The duo reports that Ole Miss officials have determined that a text message conversation published to Tunsil’s Instagram was legit — the conversation included Tunsil asking Ole Miss assistant athletic director John Miller for money to pay his rent and his mother’s utility bill.
Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report argues that the Colts should act now to lock up quarterback Andrew Luck for the long term, even if it means making him the league’s highest-paid player after a disappointing, injury-plagued 2015 season.

Extra Points: 49ers, Steelers, Vikings, Texans

March 13th, 2016 at 10:24pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Despite having the second-most spending room in the NFL ($58.84MM, per Over the Cap), the 49ers have been quiet in free agency, and Eric Branch and Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle wonder if new head coach Chip Kelly is scaring players away. Right or wrong, Kelly wasn’t exactly seen as a players’ coach in Philadelphia, and some of his methods there – e.g., daily urine tests and a fast-paced offense – could be serving as roadblocks in the 49ers’ quest to add talent, Branch and Tafur opine.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

If the league ultimately suspends Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant for next season, teammate Antonio Brown could use his absence as leverage to secure a better contract, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Brown – who has combined for 375 catches and 31 touchdowns the last three seasons – is woefully underpaid relative to his production (he’s due $14.96MM the next two years). While Florio notes that the Steelers don’t negotiate new deals with non-quarterbacks who have more than one year left on their contracts, he counters that Brown could serve as an exception to that rule.
The Vikings are in talks with two of their own free agents, linebacker Chad Greenway and cornerback Terence Newman, according to general manager Rick Spielman (link via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com). Greenway, a Viking for all of his decade-long career, said earlier this winter that he’d like to play one more year. The 33-year-old logged 12 starts last season, giving him 135 overall, and totaled 68 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception. Newman, the league’s oldest defensive back (38 in September), also wants to play another year. The 13-year veteran made 16 starts for the Vikes last season, recording 62 tackles and three picks.
While the Vikings are interested in Greenway and Newman, the same isn’t true of free agent offensive tackle Ryan Harris, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Having met with Andre Smith on Sunday, Minnesota is clearly in the hunt for tackle help. Nonetheless, it’s not in on Harris, who will visit with Pittsburgh in the coming days.
The Texans are “monitoring” the offensive tackle market, per the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, who adds that they might add one in the draft instead of free agency (Twitter link). With Duane Brown, Derek Newton and Chris Clark in the fold, the position doesn’t exactly look like a major need for the Texans.

Steelers Notes: Haley, Bell, A. Brown, Ben

January 28th, 2016 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (hat tip to Pro Football Talk), Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley is believed to have told people he wasn’t interested in any head coaching jobs this year. Haley was identified as a potential candidate for the Dolphins early in their search process, but his name didn’t surface after that for any openings around the league, and Bouchette’s note helps to explain why.

Bouchette and Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review each passed along several more Steelers-related items today from team president and co-owner Art Rooney II, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights….

The Steelers are optimistic that Le’Veon Bell will fully recover from his torn MCL and still view the running back as a difference-making player. Bell is under contract for one more year, and Rooney isn’t sure if Pittsburgh will explore an extension now or later, but the team has him in its long-term plans (all Twitter links via Kaboly).
The Steelers will likely address Antonio Brown‘s contract “as the offseason goes on,” though Rooney didn’t go into specifics, and said the team will have to be “cautious” when considering a restructure or extension for the star wideout (Twitter links via Kaboly).
Although he acknowledged that the team still has some work to do, Rooney said the Steelers’ cap situation is “manageable,”and should allow the club to be “maybe a little better” at going after free agents (Twitter links via Bouchette).
Rooney identified pass defense as an area that the Steelers will focus on this offseason, so the team figures to keep a close eye on defensive backs in free agency and the draft (Twitter link via Kaboly).
It doesn’t sound like the Steelers will draft Ben Roethlisberger‘s eventual successor this year. Rooney said today that there’s not much sign of Roethlisberger falling off, so the club won’t start down that road yet (Twitter link via Bouchette).

Playoff Injury Updates: 1/10/16

January 10th, 2016 at 5:15pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some of the more notable injury news from yesterday’s playoff games. We will update this post as necessary throughout the day as Wild Card Weekend rolls on:

Although it’s likely Roethlisberger attempts to play in the Steelers’ first divisional playoff contest since 2010, the Steelers expect him to be “severely limited” next weekend against the Broncos, Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole reports (video link). Using the 12th-year quarterback’s pain level before he re-entered in time for Pittsburgh’s last-ditch drive as a gauge, sources told Cole that Roethlisberger won’t have his usual array of physical tools available to him by the time the Steelers take the field in Denver.

Earlier updates:

The Chiefs got some great news, as receiver Jeremy Maclin avoided a torn ACL during last night’s win over the Texans, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Although Maclin did suffer a high ankle sprain, there’s a chance he plays against the Patriots next week.
Roethlisberger will undergo an MRI today, and though he does not have a broken collarbone, the belief is that he has a sprained AC joint (or, in layman’s terms, a separated shoulder). The MRI will provide more details (all Twitter links via Albert Breer of the NFL Network).

Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was diagnosed with a concussion following the much-discussed blow to the head he absorbed from Vontaze Burfict and will enter the league’s concussion protocol, per head coach Mike Tomlin (article via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com). Brown’s availability for next week’s matchup with the Broncos is now very much in doubt.

The Steelers may have wound up on the winning side of last night’s bizarre tilt with the Bengals, but in addition to the potential loss of Brown, Pittsburgh could be without its starting quarterback next week. Ben Roethlisberger sustained an injury to his throwing shoulder following a (legal) hit from Burfict, and the fact that Landry Jones came onto the field in Roethlisberger’s place for what everyone believed would be Pittsburgh’s final drive of the game speaks volumes about the severity of the injury. Although Roethlisberger ultimately did return for what proved to be the game-winning, penalty-aided drive, he told the coaches that he was in a great deal of pain and would not be able to take any deep shots to the end zone (article via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler). As for his availability for his team’s clash with Denver next week, Roethlisberger said, “I’m going to give everything I can.”
With his team now eliminated from the playoffs, Texans star DE J.J. Watt says that he will undergo groin surgery on Tuesday (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Watt, who was in obvious pain in yesterday’s loss to the Chiefs, said he has been dealing with the groin injury for the past six or seven weeks. As yet, there is no indication whether the surgery will impact Watt’s availability for offseason workouts, training camp, etc.

AFC North Notes: Harrison, Manziel, Steelers

December 9th, 2015 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Following an up-and-down 2013 season with the Bengals, veteran linebacker James Harrison looked like he was on his way to retirement. However, he changed course when an opportunity arose to rejoin the Steelers, and in his last two seasons, Harrison has been an effective part-time player for the club, most recently racking up three sacks against the Colts on Sunday night.

There aren’t many NFL players born in the 1970s who are still active, and it’s possible that this year could be Harrison’s latest. However, the 37-year-old doesn’t sound ready to call it a career quite yet, as Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes.

“You know, I still got another year on the contract,” Harrison said. “So we will play this year out; I’m not even thinking about that at this point to be honest with you. I can’t think any further ahead than the next game. We’re right now in a situation where we have to.”

As Harrison and the Steelers prepare for an AFC North showdown against the Bengals, and attempt to continue their push for a playoff spot, let’s check in on the latest out of the division:

While head coach Mike Pettine wouldn’t go so far as to say that the Browns will have a zero-tolerance policy for Johnny Manziel going forward, he did admit that repercussions would likely be harsh if the quarterback has another off-field incident (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).
In his examination of the NFL’s most underpaid extension-eligible players, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com identifies Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, Browns tight end Gary Barnidge, and Ravens guard Kelechi Osemele as a few AFC North players who fit the bill. Barnidge and Osemele are headed for unrestricted free agency, and Brown could very well get an extension from Pittsburgh this offseason, so I don’t expect the trio to remain underpaid for long.
Veteran running back DeAngelo Williams has been excellent in an increased role for the Steelers, having averaged 137.2 yards from scrimmage over his last five games. As Corry observes (via Twitter), Williams’ performance not only helps Pittsburgh win now — it also provides the team some leverage in upcoming extension negotiations with starting running back Le’Veon Bell, who will be entering a contract year in 2016.

Load More Posts