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Former Steelers LB Larry Foote Signs With The Cardinals

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Pittsburgh West grew by one yesterday. Larry Foote has signed a one year deal with the Arizona Cardinals according to the National Football Post. Foote confirmed the news via his Twitter account.
https://twitter.com/LarryFoote313/status/463837544296091648

The veteran linebacker was a cap casualty two months ago, as the team made a series of roster moves to get within compliance. Cutting Foote saved the team $1,166,666 in 2014 cap space and created a dead money charge of $666,667. Foote, who will be 34 in June, spent 11 seasons with the Steelers. In his 11 years with the Steelers, he recorded 21 sacks and 411 tackles.

The contract details of his deal with the Cardinals aren’t available, but I can’t imagine it’s for anything more than the veteran minimum. If there’s a signing bonus, it wouldn’t be more than $65,000.

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Phase Two Of Steelers Offseason Program Is Underway

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Phase two of the Steelers off-season workout program has gotten underway this week. There are plenty of familiar faces at the “voluntary” workouts, and a few that aren’t so familiar.

https://twitter.com/PaduaFootball/status/463667222527750144

According to the collective bargaining agreement, phase two of the off-season program may last 3 weeks. The Steelers will carry out the second phase of their workouts until Memorial Day weekend.  The team will hold their rookie orientation next weekend, May 16-18th.

During this phase of the program, all members of the coaching staff are allowed to be on the field with the players. During the first phase, only strength and conditioning coaches were allowed on the field. While no “offense vs defense” type scrimmages or even 1 on 1 drills are allowed, coaches can run positional and individual drills with the players, as well as “perfect play” drills.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said it felt good to get back on the field. “Today we threw, we did some organized stuff where we could actually have coaches on the field,” he told the crew on 97.3 the fan this morning.  “We’re only allowed 45 minutes, but we did do some no huddle plays just to get the verbiage back, and get the new guys learning some stuff. It felt really good to get out there and take some snaps from Pouncey.”

Coach Tomlin told reporters yesterday that Sean Spence had a clean bill of health, and Nick Williams had positive reviews in his rehabilitation, but couldn’t comment on their progress until they “hit the grass”. They are hitting the grass now. Granted, they won’t be participating in contact with pads for several weeks, but the coaching staff will be able to begin the process of evaluating their recoveries this week.

 

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Roethlisberger: ‘No Extension Talks Have Been Brought To My Attention’

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Ben Roethlisberger was on 97.3 The Fan this morning with Cook and Poni, talking about his off-season and the NFL draft. When the conversation shifted to the status of his contract extension, Roethlisberger said that extension talks haven’t been significant enough to be brought to his attention.

“I think there’s always a chance, but I don’t know how realistic it is, because there’s so many other big needs, so I don’t know that there’s any real serious talks, if there is, I haven’t been informed of it,” said Roethlisberger. He added, “I think it’s probably just been some small talk, like, let’s talk later, let’s wait to deal, things like that. So, I’m not getting…it’s hard for me to really speculate what they’re doing kind of behind closed doors. It’s nothing that’s been significant enough to be brought to my attention.”

While this shouldn’t come as a surprise, it does add some detail to what Ben’s agent told ESPN a couple weeks ago. Like Steelers GM Kevin Colbert indicated in his press conference yesterday, the surprise gift the team received in salary cap room this off-season made their financial decisions much easier. Extending Roethlisberger would have been much higher on the Steelers agenda had the salary cap not been set so much higher than projected.

Big Ben reiterated today that he wanted to be with the Steelers for the rest of his career, and that he feels he’s got a lot left in the tank. “I feel great, I feel like I’m in great shape…I feel really good. I feel at this rate I could play for quite a few more years. I feel like I could get 5 or 6- 7 more years out of this arm and these legs.

“Ultimately it’s up to the Steelers and the good Lord whatever they want to do. I don’t want to go anywhere obviously, I love it here in Pittsburgh,  this is home for me. I want to finish my career here. So, however that gets done is all that matters to me because I bleed black and gold.”

You can listen to the interview below. Thanks for stopping by and sharing on the webs.

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Coach Tomlin On The Defensive Line And Steve McLendon

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Even though Mike Tomlin remained as ambiguous as ever in his answers for the most part today, he didn’t leave anything open to interpretation when it came to answering questions about Steve McLendon.

Q: Where is Steve right now? Has he proven that he can play nose?

MT: Yes he has. 

Q: If you have to line up with McLendon at nose tackle, you’re comfortable?

MT: Certainly.

Q: Is McLendon an option to play in sub-packages?

MT: He is. He is.

The 28 year old defensive lineman saw just over 30% of all defensive snaps last year. That number was lower than it would have been had he not been limited or sidelined by injuries at times during the season. Aside from that, he came off the field in certain situations, and specifically when the Steelers ran sub-packages.

After going undrafted in 2009, and playing behind Chris Hoke for the first couple years on the roster, McLendon signed a 3 year,  $7.25 million contract with the team last offseason, and carries a 2014 cap number of $2,983,333. While the Steelers traditionally pull their nose in Nickel and Dime situations, we may see a lot less of that in 2014.

Another player who could move around the line depending on the situation is Cam Thomas, the former Chargers NT the Steelers signed in March. Thomas played roughly half of the Chargers defensive snaps last year. When he was signed, the team said he was signed as a defensive end, though, with his extensive experience at nose tackle, it’s hard to imagine he’d play exclusively at defensive end. When coach Tomlin was asked about Thomas today, he made note of his position flexibility.

Q: Are you in a wait and see mode with Cam Thomas? Play him at different spots and see where he’s best?

MT: Certainly, you know, obviously he’s nose capable, he’s end capable. It’s about not only playing to his talents, but also the talents of the men we already have, to find the strongest combination that will give us an opportunity to play great defense. It may change from situation to situation. I think his position flexibility will aid in that, along with the flexibility of guys like Steve and others.

The possible return of Brett Keisel was also brought up, and as you’d expect, Tomlin didn’t close the door on his return.

Q: Where do you stand with Brett Keisel? Depending on how things go with the draft, is there a chance he could rejoin you for camp?

MT: The door’s not closed to anyone on the free agent market.

Lastly, Tomlin acknowledged that the defensive line was a work in progress, but added that the team expects contributions from some new faces.

Q: With 3 going out and 1 coming in on the d-line, how’s that position in terms of where you need to be?

MT: We’re not done in that area. We’ve got some young people here that will work and we don’t expect them to be the same as they have been. We expect improvement with some of the young people working here like Arnfelt and N. Williams.

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The Steelers Don’t Use The Draft Trade Value Chart

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During their pre-draft press conference today, coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert covered a wide range of topics. Most of the focus, as you might expect, was on the draft which begins Thursday night. While most of the answers were par for the course in terms of generality, some did shed light on the thought process behind some of the organization’s choices.

When a reporter asked if the Steelers use the trade value chart when making trades, Colbert revealed that the Steelers do not use the trade value chart. “We don’t use it for our own purposes, we do it to try to see what the other team is thinking. We won’t ever make a trade based on the chart. If we want a player we’ll go and get that player,” said Colbert.

The Steelers GM continued, “We always talk about trading up, when we did it with Troy [Polamalu], it was a 3 and a 6, when we did it with Santonio Holmes], it was a 3 and a 4. People will argue we gave up too much, and I’ll argue- ‘how much is a super bowl worth?’ So, when you want to make that trade, you do it on what you want to do, but you have to know what the other person is thinking when they say, ‘well my chart doesn’t allow this’, so we have to know what they’re thinking, and they’ll throw it on us, but if we want to do it, we’ll do it.”

Colbert said he believes that there will be less trading in the first round. Though, regardless of other teams moving around, the Steelers are going to sit there at 15 and wait for the 14 other teams to do what they’re going to do. “You never trade away until you know what you’re trading away from,” said Colbert. He added that he believes quarterbacks will be the one position that teams will trade around for.

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Daniel Jeremiah Says He’s Told The Steelers Will Draft Kyle Fuller

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NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah was on ESPN 970 with David Todd yesterday talking about various draft prospects, and the possibilities for different teams in the first round. On the subject of cornerbacks, Jeremiah claimed that he’s been told that the Steelers will select Kyle Fuller.

The former NFL scout didn’t say who the source was, but said the person he talked to told him, “if you’re looking for Pittsburgh, and what Pittsburgh’s going to do, I’m telling you right now, they’re going to take Kyle Fuller.” Jeremiah continued, “That’s what some people in the league feel like, just with how he fits with what they do, and the needs that they have. That’s the name I was given.”

While I certainly agree about Fuller’s talents, and how he’d fit schematically, it’s worth noting that he may have been talking to his neighbor, or the guy in line behind him at Starbucks. The Steelers obviously aren’t tipping their hand to anyone. It’s no secret that cornerback is a need, and they’ve certainly shown they believe so too, by hosting several prospects at the South Side.

Fuller is (and has been) one of my favorite corners for the Steelers. While he doesn’t quite get the media hype that Gilbert and Dennard do, he’s really more talented than one of them. A natural football player, Fuller saw time at linebacker, cornerback (both inside and outside) and safety during his career at Virginia Tech. He also played hybrid spots of the three positions.

Here’s my write up on Fuller from the week of his visit with the Steelers. http://thesteelersfans.com/2423/steelers-draft-visits-cb-kyle-fuller-scheduled-week/

Here is the audio from the interview with Daniel Jeremiah.

[xyz-ihs snippet=”DanielJeremiahFuller”]

steelers draft

Mike Mayock: Steelers Will Heavily Consider Ebron

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NFL Draft guru Mike Mayock held his pre-draft conference call with the media this afternoon. The call lasted about an hour less than the 3 hour call he hosted in February. The Pittsburgh Tribune’s Mark Kaboly called in to ask Mayock his thoughts on how the recent youth movement on the Steelers defense would impact their first round selection.

“I think the way Pittsburgh historically approaches the draft is it’s the best player at the position of need,” said Mayock. “Defensively they were 14 in points allowed, offensively- number 16. So basically, I think as they get closer to number 15 here…they’ve got to see if a corner matches up to what they want to do on defense.” Mayock, who’s recent rankings change had Kyle Fuller moving up to the number one corner spot, thinks he’s a possible fit for the Steelers, with a caveat. ‘Whether it’s Fuller, Gilbert, Dennard or Roby depends on what Dick LeBeau wants and how Kevin Colbert lines them up’, said Mayock.

Mayock went on to say that he thinks the Steelers need to get a corner in the first, but if a certain offensive player is there, they may not. “I don’t think the tight end Eric Ebron will be there. If he was, I think he’d be a heavy consideration also,” he added.

Ebron would be an interesting pick for the Steelers for sure. While he has some improving to do at the next level, and doesn’t fit the mold of a “Steelers” tight end, Ebron would be a great, multi-dimensional TE who would fit the Joker role very well in the NFL.

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Mike Adams Attackers Found Not Guilty Of Most Charges

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The jury reached a verdict in the trial for 3 men accused of stabbing Mike Adams today. The outcome? Not guilty on most of the charges according to various media outlets.

Michael Paranay was found not guilty of all the counts against him. He faced charges of aggravated assault, attempted robbery and conspiracy. Jerrell Whitlock, was found not guilty of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, attempted robbery and conspiracy. The jury did however find him guilty of the lesser charge of fleeing police. Lastly, Dquay Means was found not guilty of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, attempted robbery, conspiracy and carrying a firearm. He was convicted of escape, though.

The defense attorneys spent a lot of energy portraying Adams as a liar, who was drunk and aggressive. Certainly the surprise witness that the defense called on Monday helped their case immensely. How the jury found all defendants not guilty of any charges related to the actual stabbing of Mike Adams is anyone’s guess.

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Defense Rests In Mike Adams Stabbing Trial

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According to multiple media outlets, the defense has rested their case in the stabbing trial of Mike Adams. Kevin Colbert, who was subpoenaed by defense attorneys, did not have to testify in the courtroom. Instead, according to the Tribune, part of Mike Adams’ contract was introduced as evidence.

While Colbert did not testify, the Steelers head of security Jack Kearney did. Kearney, who is also an Allegheny County sheriff’s lieutenant, testified earlier in the trial that he retrieved Mike Adams’ truck the morning after the stabbing, and brought it to the Steelers facilities. Inside, Kearney said there was a soda and half of a sandwich, which would seem to corroborate part of Mike Adams’ story.

Attorneys for the defendants Dquay Means, Michael Paranay and Jerrell Whitlock were said to be mulling the decision to summon an employee from the restaurant next to the crime scene, to testify about their surveillance cameras. Yesterday, Homicide Detective Robert Shaw testified that there was no usable footage from the restaurant’s surveillance system.

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NFL: Hard Knocks Report “Totally Inaccurate”

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Earlier I passed along a report that claimed the NFL had narrowed down the selection pool for Hard Knocks to 3 teams- the Steelers, Bears, and NY Giants. According to NFL PR spokesman Greg Aiello, the report is “totally inaccurate”.

As I said earlier, the story didn’t pass the sniff test. Love it or hate it, Steelers fans will have to wait a while before they know if the team is forced to appear on the show this summer.