Monthly Archives: March 2014

WR James Jones Considered Steelers Before Signing With Raiders

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Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones signed a 3 year, $11.3 Mil contract with the Oakland Raiders today. According to Ian Rapoport, Jones considered signing with a few other teams, including the Steelers, before ultimately choosing the Raiders.

While that might be true about his childhood fanhood, I’m sure the Steelers wouldn’t be able to compete financially. Jones saw 61 receptions for a total of 837 yards and 3 touchdowns last year. Granted, Aaron Rodgers was out for much of the season. The Steelers lost Emmanuel Sanders to the Broncos a few days ago, and are likely to lose Jerricho Cotchery to the free agency from the looks of things.

The Steelers host Lance Moore for a visit tomorrow. Other free agent wide receiver visits will likely be on the horizon.

Ryan Clark Still Negotiating With Redskins, Ravens Also Interested

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Ryan Clark, who recently left a visit with the Redskins without a contract, is reportedly still in negotiations with the team. According to USA Today writer Tom Pelissero, the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets are also interested in the free agent safety.

The Washington Post reports that Clark’s asking price is higher than what the Redskins want to pay. According to the Post, talks between Clark’s camp and the Redskins management have stalled. Clark says however that his agent and the Redskins are, in fact, still negotiating.

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Steelers Re-Sign G/T Guy Whimper To One Year Deal

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The Steelers have re-signed free agent offensive lineman Guy Whimper today. While the details of the deal haven’t been disclosed, it is a one year deal. I’d expect that it will be a minimum salary, with little to no signing bonus. It could likely be a $65,000 signing bonus, which would make the signing qualify for the minimum salary benefit.

The move comes as a low risk depth addition. While the 30 year old G/T isn’t a reliable starter, he provides cheap multi-positional depth. Whimper was originally signed by the Steelers last spring, after being released by the Jaguars. Affectionately nicknamed “Abdullah the Butcher” by Coach Tomlin, the offensive lineman saw two starts last season- one at right guard (NE), one at left (DET). He also saw spot duty at OT.

Whimper saw a total of 270 snaps last season, and allowed 3 sacks.

Steelers To Host WR Lance Moore On Tuesday

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The Steelers will host veteran wide receiver Lance Moore for a visit on Tuesday according to Jason La Canfora.

Moore was a cap release by the Saints on March 7th. Cutting him saved the team over $2.5 Mil. They currently have less cap room than the Steelers do.

The 30 year old receiver is going into his 9th season, and coming off of a down year. Moore is 5’9″, 177 lbs, has very good hands, and is a superb route runner. He’s not a 6’4″ redzone threat, but he’s a chain mover and a play maker. In 2012 Moore had 6 touchdowns and totaled 1041 yards. He saw approximately 40 less throws come his way in 2013.

The Steelers are still hoping to sign Jerricho Cotchery according to reports. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to share with your friends.

Report: DE Alex Carrington To Visit Raiders And Rams

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Free agent defensive end Alex Carrington is travelling to Oakland today to visit with the Raiders, according to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport.

The former Bills defensive lineman is set to visit the St. Louis Rams after he meets with Oakland. Carrington met with the Steelers on Friday, and the meeting reportedly went well. The Raiders seem to be collecting defensive linemen though, and have a ton of cap space to play with. 258px-Alex_Carrington_Bills92

 

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Jerricho Cotchery To Visit Carolina Monday

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Free agent wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery is scheduled to visit the Carolina Panthers on Monday according to Mark Kaboly of the Trib. Cotchery has been absent from the first wave of free agency due to his participation on the Steelers Cruise.

The Panthers have lost Steve Smith and Brandon LaFell to free agency this week, so they are in need of free agent replacements. The Steelers were reportedly in talks with Cotchery’s camp recently, but nothing has materialized yet.

Cotchery had 10 touchdowns last season, and caught 46 of 74 pass attempts. The veteran receiver also averaged 13.2 yards per reception. This will be his 11th season in the league.

According to Kaboly, two other teams have shown interest in Cotchery as well.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Img Source: Wikimedia Commons

Chiefs Execs Call Shenanigans Over Sanders Deal

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So, I reported earlier that Emmanuel Sanders was expected to sign with the Denver Broncos. You could say this came out of left field. As it turns out, Ian Rapoport is reporting that some team officials are crying foul over the way negotiations were handled by Sanders’ camp.

According to Rapoport, one unnamed team official claimed that Sanders’ agent Steve Wienberg “broke every rule in negotiations”. A team source says that Wienberg accepted a deal “in principle” with the Chiefs, but then went on to use that deal to negotiate with Tampa Bay. All the while, never telling Tampa Bay that they agreed to terms with KC.

An executive involved in the dealings was quoted to have said, “This was one of the worst situations in modern football negotiation. Adding, “[It’s] totally wrong. This needs to be stopped.”

Adding perhaps a little more drama to this situation is the fact that Sanders recently changed representation. As it turns out, the agent he switched to is his former agent’s old partner at Woy, Weinberg, & Woy. Weinberg was recently reinstated by the NFLPA after being de-certified in 2003.

While it doesn’t sound like Wienberg did anything illicit here, it’s certainly going to hurt his credibility in future dealings.

Report: Denver Is Expected To Sign Emmanuel Sanders

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Adam Schefter is reporting that the Broncos are expected to sign Emmanuel Sanders. This move comes as a bit of a surprise. Denver hasn’t been reported as one of Sanders suitors.

Alex Marvez of FoxSports is confirming Schefter’s report as well.

Sanders posted a good-bye video of sorts earlier, so it seemed the news of a new contract was coming very soon. Here’s the video:
http://youtu.be/TBZDAZBqn2U

James Starks Reportedly To Visit Steelers On Monday

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Veteran running back James Starks is scheduled to visit the Steelers on Monday, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Starks was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 6th round of the 2010 draft. He rushed for 493 yards last season, and served a secondary role behind Eddie Lacy. Starks saw 239 snaps last year with the Packers.

He was held out for the first few weeks of 2012, with turf toe, but since then has been relatively injury free. Starks is 6’2, 218 lbs, and would likely step right in as the number 2 back here in Pittsburgh.

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The Steelers have a serious lack of depth at the running back position, so we should be seeing more free agents scheduled for visits in the future. Starks would be a good fit on the Steelers roster.

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Carrington Passed Physical Today, Meeting Reportedly Went Well

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The much anticipated meeting between the Steelers and DE Alex Carrington left many fans feeling disappointed. I suspected that medical was likely the main reason behind Carrington leaving without a contract. According to Ian Rapoport, he passed his medical exam today.

Rapoport also says that the visit went well, and that both parties will continue to talk. The former Bills defensive end is rumored to be in demand, and has already passed on offers from his former team. Carrington wanting to explore the free agent market further makes sense. We’ll have to wait and see if the rumored interest in him proves to be true.