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James Harrison

FA Rumors: Harrison, Williams, Wilson

March 11th, 2015 at 11:05am CST by Zachary Links

Many speculated that James Harrison could follow former coach Dick LeBeau to the Titans, and on Wednesday we received confirmation of that. “We are certainly interested,” agent Bill Parise said of his client’s interest in the Titans, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “James feels very, very strongly about coach LeBeau. And I know Dick feels the same way. It’s a natural thing. I’m sure the Steelers are still in play, too. It will probably be one of those. I hope it’s one of those. We are not ruling anybody out, but the two logical fits are Tennessee and Pittsburgh. Those are the team teams that make the most sense.” More from around the league..

  • Former Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams is scheduled to visit the Steelers on Friday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Safety Jimmy Wilson told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he will be visiting the Chargers on Friday. However, agent Drew Rosenhaus is still in talks with the Dolphins, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets.
  • The Rams are still working on Kenny Britt, but there are other teams interested in him as a second choice or a Plan B at wide receiver, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets. Meanwhile, the Rams are thinking that they could get Joe Barksdale on the rebound, Thomas tweets. The thinking there is that the offensive tackle might be over-estimating his market value.
  • Former Eagles free safety Nate Allen will visit the Raiders later today, John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game tweets.
  • Pass rusher Adrian Clayborn is scheduled to visit the Falcons today, a league source tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Seahawks free agent linebacker Heath Farwell, 33, says he plans to continue to play and he believes defensive tackle Kevin Williams, 34, feels the same way, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. Farwell wouldn’t name any teams except to say the Vikings aren’t one that has reached out and that the Seahawks have expressed interest in bringing him back.

FA Rumors: Murray, Raiders, Orakpo, Hill

March 9th, 2015 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

While DeMarco Murray may not land an eight-digit annual salary, his camp sounds confident that there are teams willing to pay $8MM per year for his services, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. However, as Getlin notes it’s not clear yet whether the Cowboys are one of those teams. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Murray is willing to move on from Dallas if a better opportunity presents itself, but the running back is approaching free agency slowly and methodically rather than rushing into any decision.

While we wait to see if Jerry Jones opens up his check book for the NFL’s leading rusher before Murray hits free agency tomorrow, let’s check in on some few other free agent news….

  • The Raiders are “hot after” Mike Iupati, widely considered to be the top free agent guard available this winter, reports Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Oakland figures to be up against the Bills and Jets, among other teams, in the bidding for Iupati. Landing the 49ers veteran after agreeing to terms with center Rodney Hudson would certainly help the Raiders solidify their offensive line.
  • The Falcons were mentioned a week ago as a potential favorite for Brian Orakpo, and it doesn’t appear that’s changed. Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington tweets that she’s hearing Atlanta is the current frontrunner for the free agent pass rusher.
  • The Titans are still in play for Derrick Morgan, but so are about a half-dozen other teams, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
  • According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), the Cowboys and Raiders are among the teams showing interest in quarterback Shaun Hill, who also has reportedly has an offer on the table from the Vikings.
  • The Steelers have no immediate plans to re-sign veteran outside linebacker James Harrison, who could potentially be a late-summer addition for the club, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • We can add the Chiefs to the growing list of teams that has inquired on free agent cornerback Cary Williams, tweets Nick Jacobs of TWC SportsChannel in Kansas City.
  • Washington hasn’t been in contract with wide receiver Leonard Hankerson, but the free-agent-to-be has heard from a few other teams, says John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

James Harrison To Play In 2015

February 22nd, 2015 at 6:47pm CST by Rob DiRe

Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison has decided that he would like to play football in 2015, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter).

Harrison had been mulling retirement, but had planned to make an announcement on his future in advance of the start of free agency on March 10.

The longtime Steeler had previously retired after a rocky year with the division rival Bengals and some flirtation with the Cardinals last offseason. Of course, he was coaxed out of retirement early in the season after the Steelers dealt with a number of injuries to their young linebacking group.

Last year, Harrison gave special consideration to the Steelers because of his history there and familiarity with the scheme. It is unclear if he would have come out of retirement to play with another team on such short notice.

As for this season, Kaboly writes that Harrison would prefer to come back with the Steelers. That would depend on what the Steelers want, with Lawrence Timmons, Jarvis Jones, and Ryan Shazier expected to make up three out of the four spots in the starting rotation for linebackers. If Jason Worilds leaves in free agency, Harrison could be a cheap alternative to provide a pass rush.

AFC North Notes: Manziel, Forsett, Steelers

February 16th, 2015 at 5:51pm CST by Zachary Links

According to the 2014 NFL rankings in offense, defense, and special teams, the Bengals begin their season by playing half of the league’s top ten teams, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com writes. The Bengals could get a break playing four new coaching staffs on the road in the Bills, Broncos, Raiders, and 49ers, but it figures to be a tough path any way you slice it. All in all, the Bengals are estimated to have the second-toughest strength of schedule in the NFL. More from the AFC North..

  • A Browns player admits to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report that he openly wondered to a teammate what sort of shape the club would be in if Cleveland had selected Teddy Bridgewater last May instead of Johnny Manziel. Cleveland had been set to pick 26th overall before trading up to No. 22 to nab Manziel — Bridgewater eventually went 32nd overall to Minnesota.
  • While Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun isn’t buying chatter about Ravens running back Justin Forsett following Gary Kubiak to the Broncos, he definitely wouldn’t be surprised if tight end Owen Daniels lands in Denver this offseason.
  • The agent for Steelers linebacker James Harrison tells Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link) that his client will make an announcement about his future before the new league year begins on March 10. Harrison doesn’t have a contract for 2015, and could decide to call it a career — the veteran will turn 37 this May.
  • In his examination of the Steelers‘ offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap says that the team will have to be “very careful” with Jason Worilds, since he can be very inconsistent and isn’t an elite pass rusher. In Fitzgerald’s view, the Steelers would be overpaying Worilds if they use the transition tag on him again.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Steelers Notes: Roethlisberger, Defense, FAs

January 21st, 2015 at 4:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Steelers co-owner and president Art Rooney II met with several Pittsburgh reporters today, addressing a number of topics of interest for the team as the 2015 league year approaches. Via the Twitter accounts of Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, here are a few of the highlights from Rooney’s session:

North Links: Steelers, Peppers, Browns

January 4th, 2015 at 1:55pm CST by Ben Levine

We learned earlier today that the future is uncertain for a couple of veteran Steelers defenders. Troy Polamalu and James Harrison could soon call it a career, but neither player wanted to address the speculation following their loss to the Ravens on Saturday.

“Honestly, we just lost a game,” said Polamalu (via ESPN.com’s Scott Brown). “I don’t think I’m prepared to even think about that or talk about that at this time.”

“We’ll see,” Harrison said. “I’m not going to answer a question [about the future] right now because I’m not in the right mind frame.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the NFL’s north divisions…

  • Packers general manager Ted Thompson probably has a “good idea” about whether he’ll have Julius Peppers back next season, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky writes. If the organization thinks Peppers can repeat his production from 2014, Demovsky believes they’ll bring the veteran (and his $9.5MM salary) back for a second year.
  • Even though the Packers are interested in extending defensive tackle Letroy Guion, that doesn’t mean B.J. Raji‘s tenure with the organization is over, writes Demovsky.
  • It’s sounding like Browns general manager Ray Farmer has zero intention of giving up on quarterback Johnny Manziel, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. If the team was to move on and trade up for Marcus Mariota, Cabot estimates that it would cost three first-rounders.
  • Furthermore, Cabot says the turnaround of cornerback Joe Haden proves that the Browns shouldn’t give up on Manziel or Justin Gilbert.

Sunday Roundup: Fitz, Polamalu, Suh

January 4th, 2015 at 12:34pm CST by Rory Parks

As soon as Larry Fitzgerald‘s 2014 season ended with an unceremonious whimper yesterday, talk regarding his cloudy future with the Cardinals began anew. Our Luke Adams wrote that Arizona is unlikely to cut Fitzgerald, but they could trade him or ask to him to restructure his contract. Although Carson Palmer recently signed a three-year extension with the club, Fitzgerald, who of course would like to add a Super Bowl ring to his Hall-of-Fame resume, will have to consider if his odds of winning it all might not be greater somewhere else before he accepts such a restructure or pay cut (which was deemed unlikely last week).

We noted earlier this morning that the Patriots will once again emerge as a logical landing spot for Fitzgerald. Tom Brady would offer him the caliber of quarterback that he has rarely enjoyed in his career, and New England is seemingly always on the lookout for upgrades at the wide receiver position.

Any decision on Fitzgerald, of course, will likely have to be made before March, when he is owed an $8MM roster bonus. For his part, Fitzgerald says he has not thought about his 2015 destination just yet. “The taste of defeat is the only thing I can think about right now,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s all that’s on my mind. It’s been a great season competing with these fellas and this coaching staff.”

Now for some links from around the league as Day 2 of Wildcard Weekend gets underway.

  • Steelers safety Troy Polamalu says it is fair to wonder if he has played his last game, tweets Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review adds (via Twitter) that there is virtually no chance Polamalu returns next season.
  • Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ponders the futures of several other Steelers veterans, including Ike Taylor and James Harrison.
  • Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network tweets that the Lions hope Ndamukong Suh will test his value on the free agent market and ultimately return to Detroit.
  • Suh may have a number of suitors, and although Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com notes that Washington will have some salary cap room to work with in free agency, Suh should not be one of the team’s targets.
  • Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com writes that the recent front office “shake-up” in the Eagles organization, which ostensibly gave head coach Chip Kelly full control over the team’s roster, does not really present much of a change. After all, as Kulp says, “[W]hat moves have the Eagles made in the two years since Kelly’s arrival that didn’t have his fingerprints all over them?”
  • Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that the 49ers‘ lack of a consistent approach to their head coaching search makes their hiring process just as difficult to understand as the decision to cut ties with Jim Harbaugh.
  • Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star lays out the difficult decisions the Chiefs have to make this offseason, including what to do with Dwayne Bowe and Tamba Hali, the release of whom could give the team some much-needed cap space.
  • Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said that suspended linebacker Daryl Washington has “protocols” to pass before he can be reinstated, and Arians, team president Michael Bidwill, and GM Steve Keim will “sit down and talk about” Washington’s future (Twitter links from Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).
  • Arians also stated that he believes Cardinals quarterback Logan Thomas has a great future, which is one of the reasons Arians chose not to play him down the stretch and into the playoffs; he did not want to put Thomas through “growing pains” (Twitter link to Urban).
  • In yet another tweet, Urban reports that Cardinals wideout Jaron Brown fractured his scapula in yesterday’s loss to Carolina and is expected to be out four to six months.

Joel Corry On Worst Salary Cap Situations

December 25th, 2014 at 10:18am CST by Rob DiRe

On Christmas Eve, Joel Corry of CBS Sports took a look at a few NFL teams who have the worst salary cap situations going into 2015. He picked out the five organizations stuck deepest in salary cap hell:

  1. New Orleans Saints – $23.07MM over the cap
  2. Arizona Cardinals – $6.44MM
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers – $2.901MM
  4. New England Patriots – $1.945MM
  5. San Francisco 49ers – $928,000

Here are some of the highlights of actions Corry suggests that would help them get under the cap in order to have a successful offseason:

Saints

  • Pass rusher Junior Galette could see his contract restructured to open up $10MM, despite signing the extension this past offseason.
  • Another contract doled off last offseason that can be restructured is of prized free agent Jairus Byrd, which could open up $5.6MM in cap space.
  • A third contract from last offseason that can be restructured is that of tight end Jimmy Graham. That move could save $4.77MM in cap space.
  • Both of their Pro Bowl guards are suddenly highly paid luxuries as they have seen their performance drop, and Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs are candidates for release. If cut, they will free up $6.6MM and $3.6MM, respectively.
  • Veteran receiver Marques Colston holds a $9.7MM cap number, and has seen a sharp decline in his play. It will be a tougher cut, but is a candidate to be released.
  • The team could restructure Drew Brees‘ contract again, although they will only push their cap problems into the future in exchange for immediate relief.
  • Releasing linebacker David Hawthorne will free up $2.99MM in cap space if he is released before his $2.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2015 league year.

Cardinals

Steelers

Patriots

  • The obvious move for the Patriots would be signing Darrelle Revis to a long-term deal, which would create substantial cap space. The team is unlikely to keep him in 2015 at his current number. They will open $20MM in cap space if they do not keep him on the roster.
  • The Patriots could open up $4MM in cap space by restructuring Tom Brady‘s contract.
  • The team will likely ask linebacker Jerod Mayo to take a pay cut, or they may release him. Corry writes that his $4.5MM injury guarantee will be the only thing that potentially saves him from being released.
  • Danny Amendola will be expendable, and cutting him will free up $2.1MM in cap room or $4.5MM if he is designated a post June 1st cut.
  • Vince Wilfork could also become a cap casualty, as the team will have to decide whether to guarantee his contract for 2015 and 2016. Releasing him will free up $7.566MM in cap room.
  • The team could also recoup some money from Aaron Hernandez‘ signing bonus if the grievance ruling comes back favorable for the Patriots.

49ers

  • The 49ers could restructure Colin Kaepernick‘s contract to lower his 2015 cap number.
  • Linebacker Ahmad Brooks may be released, freeing up a little over $4MM in cap room.
  • Another staple of the team, Vernon Davis, could be released as performance has dropped. The team would gain $4.95MM from releasing him.
  • If Aldon Smith‘s off-field troubles are too much for the 49ers, the team could decline his 2015 option and pick up $9.754MM in cap space.
  • The team could pass on re-signing Michael Crabtree, and will likely cut Stevie Johnson and save just over $6MM unless they lose Crabtree and replace him with Johnson.
  • The team will most likely not seek to bring Frank Gore back to the team, unless it is at an extremely reasonable number.

NFC Links: Cardinals, Bears, Bucs

November 28th, 2014 at 3:20pm CST by Ben Levine

Following his brief retirement, James Harrison rejoined the Steelers, and the 36-year-old linebacker has been among the league’s biggest surprises this season. However, his resurgence almost didn’t happen in Pittsburgh, as the veteran was close to signing with the Cardinals. Via Peter King of MMQB.com…

“I had a deal in Arizona,” Harrison said. “I could have gone to Arizona for $2 million guaranteed. I kept asking for more money, and I could tell they wanted me to sign. But at the end of it, I didn’t want to play anymore … if I had to be away from my kids. I was already away from my family for a year in Cincinnati, and I wasn’t going to do that to them again.

“Then the Steelers had that injury. At, like, 4:03 a.m. [Monday], Brett Keisel texted me: ‘Come back.’ Coach [Mike] Tomlin called me. But I wasn’t going to come back if it wasn’t okay with my boys. So I asked them, and they both said yes. And I signed.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes from the NFC…

  • By his standards, Brandon Marshall has had an underwhelming 2014 season so far, prompting Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune to look back at the extension the wideout signed earlier this year and wonder if the Bears would’ve been better off waiting to lock him up.
  • Some Bears reporters believe change is inevitable, especially if the team continues on their current course. Jon Greenberg of ESPNChicago.com says changes will be made for next season, but the specifics may be a result of the team’s performance down the stretch. Meanwhile, Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times believes the team has “anesthetized everyone into surrender,” adding that ownership will not make any significant changes.
  • If the Buccaneers decide to draft a quarterback in next year’s draft, the team will likely have to choose between Josh McCown or Mike Glennon. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times believes Glennon could have some trade value, while McCown could be a good mentor for a young player.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC North Notes: Bengals, Steelers, Hoyer

September 27th, 2014 at 9:12pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Bengals are 3-0 for the first time since 2006, and with a top flight offense to go along with a strong defense, they are one of the NFL’s best so far this year. The team has outscored their opponents 80-33, and should only improve as they get receiver Marvin Jones back from injury, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

  • Wilson also noted the the return of James Harrison out of retirement reunites him with many of his old Steelers‘ teammates, including Brett Keisel, who was brought back as well. Wilson writes that it was Keisel who texted Harrison to convince him to come back.
  • The Steelers‘ defense is a little long in the tooth at a number of spots, writes Mark Kaboly of TribLive.com. However, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has been working magic on defense for years, and will now have the challenge of replacing Jarvis Jones, Ike Taylor, and first-round pick Ryan Shazier.
  • Pat McManamon of ESPN opens up a Browns‘ mailbag, and the starting question delves into the type of extension Brian Hoyer could earn if he continues to play this well. McManamon compares Hoyer’s recent success with the contracts received by Andy Dalton, Alex Smith, Carson Palmer, and Matt Cassel over the past few offseasons.
  • Hoyer led not one but two Browns‘ mailbags this week, and Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com also considered the contract extension Hoyer is playing for. With Manziel signed for four years, Grossi sees the Browns committing to Hoyer as long as he plays well this season, and making a decision about the future during the offseason.
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