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James Harrison

AFC Notes: Harrison, Tannehill, Texans, Jags

September 25th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers brought back veteran linebacker James Harrison this week after suffering a rash of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, but while the sight of Harrison in black and gold will look familiar, we shouldn’t expect him to play a major role immediately. Harrison started all 87 games he played for Pittsburgh from 2007 to 2012, but former Bucs GM Mark Domenik thinks it’s unrealistic to expect significant contributions from the linebacker at age 36.

“I think you could see him play five to 10 snaps [in Week 4] in that limited pass-rush role,” Dominik said, according to Scott Brown of ESPN.com. “I think at the end of the day you’ll be lucky if James Harrison become a 20- to 25-snap guy. He knows what to do in the system, and that’s the No. 1 thing, it’s just that can he get his body to do it? That’s going to take a little bit of time.”

Here’s more from out of the AFC:

  • After being ambiguous earlier this week when he was asked about Ryan Tannehill‘s job security as the Dolphins‘ No. 1 quarterback, head coach Joe Philbin has expressed remorse about having created a distraction and given his starting signal-caller a vote of confidence, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. As I noted earlier in the week, Tannehill will be extension-eligible starting this offseason and the Dolphins will also have to decide on his fifth-year option in the spring, so 2014 is a big year for the young QB.
  • We had already heard about the Texans auditioning a handful of punters this week in case Shane Lechler is unable to play this week, but Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) adds a couple more names to the list of players the team tried out. According to Wilson, Houston also took a look at long snappers Brandon Hartson and Chris Maikranz.
  • The Jaguars auditioned linebacker L.J. Fort this week, tweets Wilson. Fort, waived by the Broncos during the preseason, also worked out for the Titans earlier in September.
  • Cornerback Vernon Kearney, who was cut by the Chiefs a month ago, was among the defensive backs who worked out for the Jets this week, per Wilson (via Twitter).

Extra Points: Bironas, Harrison, Rudolph

September 24th, 2014 at 10:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Rob Bironas was planning to continue his NFL career before his unexpected death earlier this week, according to Titans punter Brett Kern. “I talked to him on Friday, because he had the workout with the Lions, and he was so excited that it went well. I told him I was proud of him,’ and that’s the last thing I told him,” Kern told reporters, including Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean. “He was really looking forward to signing with another team.” More from around the NFL..

  • James Harrison‘s deal with the Steelers is for the veteran’s minimum, minus the three games already played, tweets Ed Bouchette of the Post-Gazette. Including his $65K bonus, he’ll collect just over $851K for this season.
  • There’s a chance Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph could be placed on the IR-DTR list, but “probably not,” head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters, including Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (on Twitter).
  • Free agent cornerback Champ Bailey feels healthy and tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he is willing to play nickel or safety if that’s what it takes to land a job somewhere.
  • Teammate Tyvon Branch is headed to the IR, but the Raiders got some good news on teammate Rod Streater. His agent tells Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that Streater only requires minor surgery and hopes to return in 4-5 weeks.

Steelers Sign James Harrison

September 23rd, 2014 at 9:11am CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 9:11am: Harrison has officially confirmed his signing, posting a photo on Instagram of him inking the deal.

MONDAY, 6:53pm: James Harrison may be on the verge of beating Sugar Ray Leonard’s record for the shortest retirement in professional sports history. The linebacker is scheduled to meet tomorrow with Steelers coaches and if all goes well, he’ll sign with Pittsburgh, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter) hears an agreement is already in place and says that the veteran is coming back to play for the Steelers.James Harrison (vertical)

The reunion with Harrison is more than a feel-good story, it was something of a necessity for the Steelers. In their comfortable 37-19 victory over the Panthers, the Steelers lost two linebackers. Rookie inside linebacker Ryan Shazier exited early in the third quarter with a knee injury and outside linebacker Jarvis Jones was taken out of action with a wrist injury. On top of that, veteran cornerback Ike Taylor suffered a broken forearm in the third quarter.

While Harrison played the 2013 season with the Bengals, most of his NFL career was spent in Pittsburgh, where he earned spots in five consecutive Pro Bowls from 2007-11. The 36-year-old logged 146 career games, including 105 starts, racking up 647 overall tackles and 66 sacks. His best season probably came in 2008, when he recorded 101 tackles, 16 sacks, and seven forced fumbles for the Steelers, earning a first-team All-Pro nod.

Harrison’s August visit with the Cardinals didn’t lead to a deal, but one month later he’s on the verge of returning to the team where he enjoyed his best seasons. In a fun twist, he’ll be playing for a coaching staff that includes former teammate Joey Porter, who now serves as a defensive assistant.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Steelers Notes: Taylor, Shazier, Jones

September 22nd, 2014 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers headed into Carolina as underdogs last night, but thoroughly outplayed the home team en route to a 37-19 victory. However, Pittsburgh didn’t escape the game unscathed. A handful of players left the contest with various injuries, and while we’re still waiting for official updates from the club, a few reports have surfaced today on the severity of those injuries. Let’s check in on the latest updates….

  • Cornerback Ike Taylor suffered a broken forearm last night, as Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. While Robinson doesn’t specify a timetable, suggesting that Taylor will be sidelined “indefinitely,” Mark Kaboly of the Tribune-Review tweets that the recovery time will likely be six to eight weeks. As our tracker shows, the Steelers have yet to use their IR spot with the designation to return, so Taylor would appear to be a strong candidate for that.
  • A pair of linebackers also sustained injuries last night, and according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Ryan Shazier has a strained MCL, while Jarvis Jones will likely require wrist surgery that will keep him out indefinitely. Shazier is undergoing an MRI today, and we should know Jones’ status with more certainty soon, but it looks as if the club may need to add some reinforcements to their linebacking corps.
  • One longtime Steelers linebacker announced his retirement recently, but could be a good candidate to rejoin the team if he’s open to restarting his career. However, Scott Brown of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears from James Harrison‘s agent Bill Parise that the club has not reached out at this point.

James Harrison Announces Retirement

August 30th, 2014 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

After a brief flirtation this week with the Cardinals, James Harrison decided not to sign with the club, and in fact won’t be joining any NFL team this season. The longtime Steelers linebacker officially announced his retirement from the NFL this morning, via Facebook. Here’s Harrison’s statement, in full:

“I have made the difficult decision to retire as of today. My love for my family and the need to be there for them outweighs my desire to play the game. I have missed too many experiences with them because I devoted SO much time to my career. My love for the game isn’t strong enough to make up for missing one more birthday or first day of school. I am retiring as a man who is truly grateful for all of his blessings. I am sincerely thankful to the people who have supported me over the years, first and foremost my family, the Rooney family and my Steeler family, also Mr. Brown, the Bengals organization and fans, and last but FAR from least, Steeler Nation. Thank you.”

While Harrison played the 2013 season with the Bengals, most of his NFL career was spent in Pittsburgh, where he earned spots in five consecutive Pro Bowls from 2007-11. The 36-year-old logged 146 career games, including 105 starts, racking up 647 overall tackles and 66 sacks. His best season probably came in 2008, when he recorded 101 tackles, 16 sacks, and seven forced fumbles for the Steelers, earning a first-team All-Pro nod.

Harrison retires from the NFL having won two Super Bowls with the Steelers.

James Harrison Visited Cardinals

August 29th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 4:44pm: Although Harrison’s visit with the Cardinals was productive, Parise says he doesn’t expect his client to sign with the team, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.

THURSDAY, 1:50pm: Agent Bill Parise tells Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com that the two sides aren’t likely to get anything done before Arizona’s game tonight, but that negotiations are underway and progress is being made toward a possible deal.

8:30am: The door is still open for a possible deal between the Cardinals and Harrison, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that the veteran linebacker will take a physical with the team today.

WEDNESDAY, 10:00am: It’s doubtful that the Cardinals sign Harrison, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, who tweets that the linebacker lives in Arizona during the offseason and the team called to see what kind of shape he’s in.

8:50am: A little over a week after attempting to bring in Brett Keisel for a visit, the Cardinals are taking another shot at hosting a former Steelers defender. According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, veteran linebacker James Harrison is set to visit the club today.

While Harrison played the 2013 season with the Bengals, most of his NFL career was spent in Pittsburgh, where he earned spots in five consecutive Pro Bowls from 2007-11. The Cardinals, who lost Darnell Dockett to a season-ending ACL injury and Daryl Washington to a year-long suspension, could use some veteran reinforcements, and it makes sense that the team would once again look at an ex-Steeler, given head coach Bruce Arians’ history with the club.

Back in May, Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor indicated that Harrison had interest in returning to Pittsburgh, and if that’s the case, maybe scheduling a visit to Arizona is the best way to pique the Steelers’ interest — it worked for Keisel, who ended up turning down an invite from the Cardinals to sign with his old team instead.

Still, it’s possible that there’s mutual interest between the Cardinals and Harrison, so we’ll have to wait to see how the visit goes. As Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets, it’s hard to imagine Harrison getting more than the veteran’s minimum at this point, but the 36-year-old does have interest in continuing his playing career.

 

Extra Points: Clowney, Glenn, Shembo

July 19th, 2014 at 1:10pm CST by Matt Feminis
  • Texans No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney’s status for the beginning of training camp is still up the air, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. Clowney, who is recovering from June sports hernia surgery, remains day-to-day with no timetable established for his return.
  • The Ravens placed backup nose tackle Terrence Cody on the physically unable to perform list for the beginning of training camp, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Cody, who is recovering from hip surgery, can be be activated whenever he’s healthy enough to resume practicing.
  • In minor transaction news, the Bills signed receiver Tori Gurley and cornerback Kamaal McIlwain to fill empty roster spots, according to BuffaloBills.com insider Chris Brown.
  • Bills left tackle Cordy Glenn is on the Active/Non-Football Illness list, but GM Doug Whaley doesn’t think Glenn will be lost long-term, according to WGR 550’s Joe Buscaglia. Said Whaley: “We don’t think so at this time. It’s just gonna have to see on how he progresses. We hope not. We’re still waiting on some reports on him, but it looks like it’s gonna be one of those day-to-day things and we’ll see how it progresses.”
  • In the meantime, highly publicized rookie Seantrel Henderson will man left tackle in Glenn’s stead.
  • Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union takes an in-depth look at the Jaguars’ new-look offensive line, including quotes from offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch praising the athleticism of Luke Joeckel and the leadership of Zane Beadles. “He’s certainly as advertised and then some,” Fisch says of Beadles.
  • Falcons fourth-round outside linebacker Prince Shembo has a realistic chance of earning starts, writes Orlando Ledbetter in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ledbetter says the team will “force-feed” information to Shembo, whom head coach Mike Smith is “very excited” about. “He’s picked up the system very well,” said Smith. “He doesn’t have any experience, but we will get him a lot, I can assure you that in the preseason.”
  • James Harrison, Jermichael Finley and Santonio Holmes headline AP writer Dennis Waszak Jr.’s list of 13 notable, veteran free agents still looking for work with training camps getting underway.
  • The Patriots issued a press release saying Bill Belichick and Aaron Hernandez exchanged 34 total text messages, not 33 pages worth. According to Boston Globe correspondent Dan Adams, filings released Monday did not reveal the contents of the text messages or what Patriots employees shared with authorities, but did reveal that Belichick, Robert Kraft were interviewed by investigators, who also searched the locker of a player.
  • The NFL is moving swiftly to address the issue of underqualified underclassmen flooding the draft, reports NFL.com’s Albert Breer. In an effort to deter potentially undraftable players from declaring, the league’s advisory committee will streamline (simplify) its evaluation grades to include first round, second round or neither. Additionally, colleges will be restricted to five evaluation requests unless an abundance of talent dictates the need for more (e.g. Alabama, LSU, Florida State, etc.). Writes Beer: “At the heart of the changes are staggering statistics stemming from the 2014 draft class — of the record 107 who declared, 45 went undrafted. A majority of those 45 remain unsigned by NFL teams as undrafted free agents.”

Falcons Eyeing Vilma, Angerer, Dobbins

June 11th, 2014 at 7:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Falcons coach Mike Smith says the club is going to look in-house to replace the injured Sean Weatherspoon, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t evaluate their options in free agency. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears that the Falcons are looking hard at former Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma. They’re also keeping an eye on fellow free agent veterans Pat Angerer and Tim Dobbins, according to Rapoport’s source.

If Vilma’s medicals look good, the Falcons may bring him in for a visit soon (link). The addition of Vilma could help shore up Atlanta’s linebacking core while also giving them some needed leadership in the locker room. Vilma is also being considered by the Cowboys, along with Brian Urlacher, as a potential replacement for Sean Lee. The former University of Miami star played only 12 snaps in 2013 following a knee injury.

Back in April it was reported that Angerer had interest from multiple clubs but wanted to make sure he was back to 100% health before auditioning for anyone. Angerer, 27, recorded 126 tackles in his first two NFL seasons but has played in just 12 games over the last two. Dobbins, 31, saw just three games of action last season for the Texans.

While Vilma, Angerer, and Dobbins will be considered by Atlanta, Rapoport says (link) that ex-Steelers LB James Harrison and the recently retired London Fletcher won’t be looked at. Earlier today, our own Luke Adams gave a thorough breakdown of all of the Falcons’ options and mentioned Vilma and Angerer as two of the top possibilities.

AFC Mailbags: Jags, Colts, Steelers, Ravens

June 7th, 2014 at 9:40pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers open up their mailbags and answer questions from readers. Here are some interesting notes out of the AFC…

AFC North Notes: Bengals, Steelers, Ravens

May 23rd, 2014 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

As we noted earlier today, significantly more than half of 2014’s draft picks have already signed or at least agreed to terms on contracts with their NFL teams. However, that ratio doesn’t particularly apply to the AFC North — of the division’s 32 draftees, only 13 had reached agreements coming into today, and seven of those were Baltimore picks. In this afternoon’s divisional roundup, we have word of one draftee to add to that list of signed players, along with a couple other notes. Let’s dive in….

  • The Bengals have signed fourth-round center Russell Bodine, the team announced today (via Twitter). Cincinnati has been busy this week, having locked up five of the club’s eight draftees within the last three days. Bodine, the 111th overall pick, is in line for a $456K+ signing bonus, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
  • Two of the most noteworthy players still available on the free agent market, Santonio Holmes and James Harrison, have interest in returning to the Steelers, Ike Taylor said earlier this week on his TribLive radio show (link via Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). Speaking about Harrison specifically, Taylor said, “He still wants to play football, and of course his first option would be Pittsburgh. … He’s probably in the best shape of his life. Right now he looks like the Hulk. He’s been banged up, and he feels he has something to prove.”
  • After going undrafted earlier this month, Middle Tennessee State cornerback Sammy Seamster fielded calls from about 20 teams interesting in signing him as a free agent, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. As Wilson writes, Seamster narrowed his options to the Ravens, Dolphins, and Jaguars, and is happy that he ultimately opted to sign with Baltimore.
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