Category Archives: Steelers News

steelers draft

Steelers Draft Visits: CB Kyle Fuller Scheduled For This Week

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According to NFL draft analyst Gil Brandt, Kyle Fuller has a visit scheduled with the Steelers later this week.

Fuller is a legitimate first round pick at cornerback, who’s name is not Gilbert or Dennard. The Virginia Tech senior totaled 24 tackles, 2 interceptions, and had 10 passes broken up in 2013. These stats are from only 7 games though, as he battled with injuries, and missed the rest of the season after having surgery in November to repair a core muscle tear.

The 5’11”, 190 lb CB ran a 4.49 at the combine. He has excellent ball awareness, and plays aggressively. Sometimes, he’s a little too aggressive though, as he can be fooled at times by receivers with a good double move. Here’s a great example of Fuller making an aggressive play on the ball.

Kyle Fuller Steelers

 

Fuller played a lot of zone at Virginia Tech, but also played a good amount of man coverage as well. I’ve referenced Greg Peshek’s CB metrics articles before, and while the metrics are not ideal due to Fuller’s injury, there are a couple intriguing stats to look at. During his playing time last year, Fuller had his hand on the ball more frequently than both Darqueze Dennard and Justin Gilbert. His burn rate was also lower than both of theirs.

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TriCBs

Fuller will almost certainly make an immediate contribution his rookie year. He’s a solid special teams contributor who likes get physical, and he’ll no doubt see his playing time increase as the season progresses.

Kyle Fuller Special Teams

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David Decastro contract

Steelers Pick Up 5th Year Option On Cam Heyward’s Rookie Contract

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The Steelers announce this morning that they have exercised the fifth year option of DE Cam Heyward’s rookie contract.

There was some confusion about this on the web Monday, as NFL reporter Albert Breer mistakenly said that the team had picked up the option yesterday. By picking up the option, the team retains the rights to Hewyard through 2015. If they do not extend him before the 2015 season, he will earn a salary of $6.969 Mil, which is only guaranteed through injury. The price of the 5th year option is a little over half of what a franchise tag for defensive ends would cost.

While they could in theory release him after the 2014 season without risk, the team is going to want to work towards a long term extension with the defensive end.

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[Retraction] Steelers Have Not Exercised Heyward’s Option

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A few minutes ago we reported that the Steelers had picked up Cam Heyward’s 5th year option. Unfortunately, the report it was based on was incorrect. Albert Breer has corrected his earlier report, stating that he misspoke. The player he was referencing was actually Saints DE Cam Jordan.

Even though the team didn’t today, they most likely will pick up the option in the near future. At least Cam Heyward has a good sense of humor.

Cortez Allen contract

Steelers Exercise Fifth Year Option For Cam Heyward

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The Steelers have exercised the fifth year option for Cam Heyward’s contract according to NFL reports.


The team had until May 3rd to pick up the option. By doing so, they retain the rights to him for an additional year for a salary of $6.969 Mil. That salary is considerably less than a franchise tag would be, so the option makes sense.

The salary is only guaranteed to injury, and the player can be released prior to the start of the 2015 season without penalty. The Steelers will obviously want to extend Heyward before that time.

David Decastro contract

Adam Podlesh Contract Appears To Have Been Without A Signing Bonus

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The Steelers signed veteran punter Adam Podlesh last week. When they announced the signing, I mentioned that it would qualify for the veteran minimum benefit. I also opined that it may not have included a signing bonus, which appears to indeed be the case.

While the contract details have not been released yet, the NFLPA salary report shows a difference of $75,000- the lowest amount his contract could count towards the cap without a signing bonus. Due to the vet minimum benefit, his $855,000 salary only counts $570,000 towards the cap. After displacing a low $495,000 contract from the top 51, his signing only moves the cap needle by $75,000. Based on that data, the Steelers now have roughly $300,000 in salary cap space.

Podlesh signed a 5 year, $10 Mil deal with the Bears in 2011, but was released last month. The move saved the Bears $1.025 Mil. Since the signing appears to have not included a signing bonus, the Steelers can release him at any time without incurring any dead money. Thanks for stopping by, and as always, thanks for sharing on the web.

Cortez Allen contract

Analyzing Cam Heyward’s 5th Year Option With The Steelers

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Some NFL teams are starting to pick up the 5th year options for their 2011 first round picks. If you’re not familiar with it, the 5th year option is a provision in the new CBA that allows teams to extend a player’s rookie contract by one year. The window to pick up the option is between the end of the 3rd season, and May 3rd of the fourth year.

The cost of the 5th year option varies depending on where the player was selected, and what general position they play. Players selected in the first 10 picks carry a one year salary equal to the transition tag amount. Outside of the first ten picks, the numbers are similar to the transition tag, but the top 3-25 salaries are used to calculate the salary, as opposed to the top ten salaries. The money is only guaranteed due to injury.

Here are the top ten option amounts by position:

Quarterback: $14.666 Mil
Running back: $8.033 Mil
Wide receiver: $10.176 Mil
Tight end: $6.106 Mil
Offensive lineman: $10.039 Mil
Defensive end: $10.633 Mil
Defensive tackle: $8.060 Mil
Linebacker: $9.754 Mil
Cornerback: $10.081 Mil
Safety: $7.253 Mil
Kicker/punter: $3.205 Mil

Here are the numbers for picks 11-32 on offense:

Quarterback: $9.686 Mil
Running back: $5.211 Mil
Wide receiver: $6.776 Mil
Tight End: $3.913 Mil
Offensive lineman: $7.438 Mil

Here are the numbers for picks 11-32 on defense:

Defensive End: $6.969 Mil
Defensive Tackle: $5.477 Mil
Linebacker: $7.038 Mil
Cornerback: $6.898 Mil
Safety: $4.670 Mil

As you can see, if the Steelers pick up the fifth year option for Cam Heyward, his 2015 salary will be $6,969,000. While it’s probable that they will indeed pick up the option, it might not be the smartest action from a management standpoint. If they are going to extend Heyward, which I’m sure they’ll want to do, then they could be smart to avoid the 5th year option and just work towards an extension. I don’t have statistical data to back it up, but when you add a fixed one year sum (ie transition or franchise tag), it can add a complication to the negotiation of a long term contract.

Aside from that possible consequence, there really isn’t any harm in picking up the option. While the money is guaranteed in case of injury, the club retains the rights to the player for another year, and can sign the player to an extension at any point.

le'veon Bell

Kevin Colbert Subpoenaed In Mike Adams Stabbing Trial

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Defense attorneys for the alleged attackers of Mike Adams have subpoenaed Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert. Alan Jennings of WPXI reported the news via Twitter this afternoon.

Apparently, defense attorneys want to see Mike Adams’ personnel file, in hopes that something within the file will harm the victim’s character. Attorneys previously claimed that Adams wasn’t being truthful, and that he “instigated” the attackers. Jerrell Whitlock, Dquay Means, and Michael Paranay were all charged with attempted homicide last year, on top of other charges.

The attack occurred last June, which led to Mike Adams needing surgery to repair a lacerated colon. He needed 33 staples in his stomach, but made a full recovery.

It remains to be seen whether or not the judge will allow any personnel files into evidence. During the pretrial, the judge seemed concerned about protecting the victim’s rights. Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for sharing on the interwebs.

steelers draft

Steelers Draft Visits Today: DE Hageman, CB Gaines, And TE Blanchflower

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The Steelers draft visits continue today as they host three more prospects. Minnesota DE Ra’Shede Hageman, Rice CB Phillip Gaines, and UMass TE Rob Blanchflower are all visiting the south side today.

The prospect who receives top billing out of that group is obviously Ra’Shede Hageman. Many Steelers fans will salivate over the visit, considering the depth at defensive line. Some analysts have suggested that Hageman could go as high as the middle of the first round, but that would be a reach in my opinion. As I’ve said before, I don’t see any 3-4 defensive end prospect in this class that would warrant the #15 pick.

Hageman is 6’6, 310 lbs and has some of the longer arms out of this year’s defensive line class. When I watched Hageman’s film, I saw flashes where he was a difference maker, but much more film of him looking average. When he’s cranked up, he can be a beast to block. He has an inconsistent motor though, which I would imagine would be a concern for scouts. He uses his long arms very well though, and had 8 pass broken up/batted down last year. He also blocked two kicks. Here he is against Wisconsin and Penn St.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHAXRtGJYU8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Z-W_uxSHE

Former Rice CB Phillip Gaines is 6’0″, 193 lbs. He ran a 4.38 official 40 at the combine. In the 4 Rice games I watched, Gaines lined up almost exclusively in man to man near the line of scrimmage. He has really good ball awareness, which led to 9 passes broken up and 4 interceptions last year. He was targeted 40 times last season and allowed 13 receptions. He would be a great mid-round addition. Here are a couple of his games from 2013.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_RCHLwMqns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q24dEr-UTFc

Rob Branchflower is 6’4, 256 lbs. Blanchflower had 313 yards on 27 receptions last year at UMass. The red shirt senior missed much of last year due to a bilateral sports hernia. The injury also kept him from participating in combine drills. Branchflower is considered a tough, hard worker on the field. Watching his film, you’ll see that he usually lines up with his hand in the dirt, and is an aggressive run/pass blocker. He could be a great late round/UDFA pick up. Here are a couple of his games. Thanks for stopping by, and as always, thanks for sharing on the interwebs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X0iewQ3cK8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUFp6Wg1Sto

steelers draft

Report: Steelers Hosted Safety Brock Vereen Last Week

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The Steelers had former Minnesota Gopher safety Brock Vereen in for a visit last week according to ESPN radio. The 5’11”, 199 lb SS put on a good display at the combine, running a 4.42 40 yard dash (4.47 official). Vereen had 59 total tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception last year.

The defensive back was named to the All Big-Ten First team by coaches in 2013, and is the younger brother of New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen. Brock is considered a high character prospect, and has a high football IQ. He’s played both safety positions, and played cornerback until 2012. Here is his combine video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkVMH7iBPy0

Here are a couple of his games. Take note of where he lines up most of the time. Thanks for stopping by, and as always, be sure to share with your friends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opk8yJZ2MnU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp2uU_KWZ6g

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[Rumor] NFL Expected To Announce Steelers Schedule On April 22nd

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According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, sources tell him that the NFL is planning on announcing the 2014 schedule on April 22nd. His sources seem somewhat less confident in the article than in the headline, as he adds that the dates may shift to “Wednesday, April 23 or Thursday, April 24”.

We already know that the Steelers will face the Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Texans, Colts, Chiefs, Saints, and Buccaneers at home, and the Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Jaguars, Titans, Jets, Falcons, and Panthers on the road. Hopefully we’ll know the dates by the end of next week.

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