12:21 PM EDT, Thu March 28, 2024
Behind the Steel Curtain

Terrible Towel Tales: Analyst critical of Steelers’ moves at quarterback

Photo by Justin Edmonds/ Steelers news and commentary from Wednesday, March 27th Welcome to the Terrible Towel Tales, where we’ll highlight some of the latest stories permeating Steelers media for your reading pleasure every Monday through Saturday. In today’s news… Analyst Gives Steelers a C for Free Agent Haul | Chris Ward, Steelers Now One analyst is not impressed with the Steelers’ free agency haul, however. Dan Pizzuta of the 33rd Team gave the Steelers a C, as he’s lukewarm on the moves they made and thinks there’s still a lot of areas to be...

Behind the Steel Curtain

Steelers NFL Draft 2024: Bailey mock draft 2.0

Jarrett Bailey’s Steelers’ mock draft 2.0 With the first waves of NFL free agency having come and gone, the Steelers still have glaring needs on the offensive side of the ball, which I address in my second Steelers mock draft. Round 1, Pick 20: OT Amarius Mims, Georgia Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via The worst kept secret is that if Mims is available at 20, the Steelers are taking him. At the Combine, there were a lot of conversations about how much Pittsburgh likes Mims, as well. This would allow the Steelers to move Broderick Jones to left...

Behind the Steel Curtain

Terrible Towel Tales: Steelers did not look at Kirk Cousins in free agency

Photo by Patrick McDermott/ Steelers news and commentary from Monday, March 25th Welcome to the Terrible Towel Tales, where we’ll highlight some of the latest stories permeating Steelers media for your reading pleasure every Monday through Saturday. In today’s news… Mike Tomlin says the Steelers didn’t look at Kirk Cousins during free agency | Brooke Pryor, X Mike Tomlin says they didn’t look at Kirk Cousins in the free agency process.— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) March 25, 2024 Tomlin already impressed with Wilson’s preparation | Dale Lolley,...

Windy City Gridiron

Bears GM Ryan Poles met the media on Monday morning at the owner’s meetings

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via With the owner’s meetings in full swing, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles met with the media for the first time since a flurry of offseason moves, including the trade of quarterback Justin Fields.Here’s a recap on what was said during the short media session. With the NFL offseason in full swing, teams are quickly shifting their focus from the first wave of free agency to the 2024 NFL draft. It’s been an eventful start for the Chicago Bears. That includes trading quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a...

Behind the Steel Curtain

Steelers NFL Draft picks following Kenny Pickett, Diontae Johnson trades

Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Where the Steelers pick in the upcoming draft following a busy free agency. After a busy free-agency period, all eyes are set on the upcoming NFL Draft. The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from April 25-27 in Detroit, Michigan. The Steelers will have seven total picks spread out over all three days of the event, but barring trades, they are not set to pick in every round. Steelers general manager Omar Khan has been wheeling and dealing in his first two offseasons at the position, resulting in the team having a number of added...

Behind the Steel Curtain

Steelers miss out CB L’Jarius Sneed sweepstakes

Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/ Sneed won’t be wearing black and gold in 2024. The Pittsburgh Steelers are officially out of the mix for cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who was traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a 2025 third round pick, it was reported Friday night. The Steelers were one of several teams with rumored interest since the Chiefs had used the franchise tag to keep him from hitting free agency, as scheduled, this offseason. The trade itself wasn’t a surprise, as the Chiefs were always unlikely to be able to give veteran...

Hogs Haven

Washington Commanders Free Agency: Steelers CB James Pierre signs 1-year deal

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via More CB/ST depth The Washington Commanders signed another cornerback in free agency today. Former Pittsburgh Steelers CB James Pierre has signed a 1-year deal to join defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.'s new defense in Washington. Pierre will also work with new special teams coordinator Larry Izzo. James Pierre was an undrafted free agent from Florida Atlantic that was signed by the Steelers after the 2020 NFL draft. He made Pittsburgh's initial 53-man roster that season, but didn't get his first start until the following...

Behind the Steel Curtain

NFL Draft 2024: Steelers bargain wide receiver targets

Photo by Justin Casterline/ The Steelers wide receiver room is going to look different next season. It’s been a wild start to free agency, but one thing has become clear for the Steelers: the offense will look drastically different. The headliner of course is the revamped QB room. Gone are Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph, in are Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. But general manager Omar Khan didn’t stop his spring cleaning there. He also shook up the wide receiver room by trading away Diontae Johnson. While Johnson may not have been considered one of the game’s...

Behind the Steel Curtain

Steelers pre-draft visit tracker: All top 30, local visits ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft

Photo by Chris Coduto/ Keeping track of who the Steelers have interest in ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. With free agency winding down, the NFL’s main focus in the upcoming weeks will be the 2024 NFL Draft beginning on April 25. Ahead of the big day are top 30 visits, where NFL teams are allowed to bring up to 30 players on individual visits to their facilities for a private meeting. In-house visits with local players do not count towards the total. With only limited slots for visits, looking at a team’s list of top 30 visits is a great way to keep an eye on the...

Cincy Jungle

Bengals News (3/22): Mock it up

Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK Who might the Bengals take in the first round of the 2024 draft? Bengals News Bengals.com Media Mock 2.0: How Free Agency Impacted No. 18 For the past ten days, free agency has consumed the NFL, but it barely nudged the second edition of the 2024 Bengals.com Media Mock Draft. Potential Bengals Draft Target Doesn’t Fully Participate at Alabama Pro Day Alabama offensive tackle JC Latham is expected to be a top 25 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. A lot of mocks have him going off the board in the top 15. Tyler Boyd, Steelers...

Behind the Steel Curtain

Former Steelers QB Mason Rudolph posts farewell to Pittsburgh

Kirby Leei-USA TODAY Sports Rudolph became a fan-favorite after leading the Steelers to the playoffs late last season. Around a week after signing with the Tennessee Titans in free agency, former Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph posted a farewell message on his Instagram account, thanking Steelers fans, players, staff, coaches, and ownership. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mason Rudolph (@rudolph2mason) “To the fans—your love and passion for the team is what makes it so special to play here. I will never forget...

Behind the Steel Curtain

Mel Kiper, Daniel Jeremiah release updated 2024 NFL mock drafts following free agency wave

Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via With the first wave of NFL free agency in the books, NFL draft analysts far and wide are sharing their post-free agency NFL mock drafts. Two of the industry’s best, Mel Kiper and Daniel Jeremiah, each released their 2024 NFL mock drafts Tuesday. Here’s a look at who each of them projected for the Steelers to select with the 20th overall pick in this year’s draft. Mel Kiper (ESPN) — Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU Just a few weeks ago, at the NFL combine, here’s what Steelers general manager Omar Khan said to reporters...

Behind the Steel Curtain

Fillipponi says Steelers have ‘shown interest’ in 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk

Photo by Perry Knotts/ More rumors from the ‘Burgh. The wave of Pittsburgh Steelers free agency rumors continues. This time, the dish comes from 937 The Fan personality Andrew Fillipponi. Fillipponi shared on X Tuesday morning that his sources have confirmed the Steelers’ interest in the potential for acquiring San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Sources: The Steelers have looked into 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk. He’s entering the last year of his contract. Steelers would have to execute a sign and trade. But they’ve shown interest....

Behind the Steel Curtain

Steelers re-work CB Donte Jackson’s contract

Photo by Courtney Culbreath/ The newest Steelers’ defensive back re-works contract The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired cornerback Donte Jackson from the Carolina Panthers in the deal that sent wide receiver Diontae Johnson to Carolina. According to Over the Cap, Jackson’s new deal takes his salary down from north of $10 million to $6 million with a $4.75 million signing bonus. The move frees up more cap space for the Steelers to continue to be active as free agency treks on. They have already been arguably the most active team in the NFL when it comes to signings and...

Behind the Steel Curtain

How the Steelers presesed the reset button in their QB room (and what’s next to continue building)

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports Some major shakeups in Pittsburgh since the start of free agency... What a week it’s been for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Everyone was prepared for a quarterback battle to begin the week between Russell Wilson and Kenny Pickett. First, receiver Diontae Johnson was traded to the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Then came Friday afternoon March 15, 2024, and Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles to be the new clipboard holder for the Eagles starting quarterback Jalen Hurts. Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY...

Behind the Steel Curtain

Steelers mock draft 2024: Fixing the OL for Pittsburgh’s new QBs

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/ The new-look Pittsburgh Steelers continue to build their new and improved roster. The Pittsburgh Steelers had a busy first week of free agency, rebuilding their quarterback's room from the likes of Kenny Pickett to now starter Russell Wilson backed up by former 11th overall pick Justin Fields. With those moves in place, here’s our latest Pittsburgh Steelers mock-draft — which you’ll note, is entirely absent of quarterbacks. This Steelers mock draft was executed with Pro Football Network’s Mock Draft Simulator. Steelers draft needs: WR, C,...

Baltimore Sun

Chicago Bears trade Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, paving the way to draft a quarterback with the No. 1 pick

Trading Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers days after free agency opened gives him clarity on his future and positions the Chicago Bears to draft a new potential franchise quarterback in April.

Behind the Steel Curtain

Russell Wilson, Patrick Queen, DeShon Elliott win their Steelers introductory pressers

Photo by Joe Sargent/ The Steelers seem to have found some total gems in terms of potential contributors to their team culture. The Pittsburgh Steelers introduced their key free agency signings in an introductory press conference Friday, including linebacker Patrick Queen, quarterback Russell Wilson and safety DeShon Elliott. First up was linebacker Patrick Queen. Queen was the first in the free agency class introduced, with the media having plenty of fun highlighting the fact that he came over from an AFC North Rival. When asked what attracted Queen to the Steelers as...

Cincy Jungle

Steelers trade Kenny Pickett to Eagles in pick swap

Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports The Steelers are all-in on Russell Wilson. Teams throughout the AFC North have been active in free agency, each trying to get the upper hand before they each turn all their attention to the coming draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers, on the same day they formerly introduced Russell Wilson as the team’s newest quarterback, have announced they are trading Kenny Pickett, the former first round pick, to the Philadelphia Eagles in a pick swap. Trade terms, per sources: Steelers get pick No. 98 and two 2025 7th-round picks. Eagles get QB Kenny...

Behind the Steel Curtain

Friday Happy Hour: Free agency fallout edit

Photo by George Gojkovich/ Happy Friday, y’all! Busy first week of free agency. Now, it’s time to kick back and relax with your fellow Steelers fans to talk about and digest all of the action! Give us your thoughts on the Kenny Pickett’s trade to the Eagles. How does it feel to be moving on? What’s your grade for Omar Khan so far in free agency? What’s your confidence level in Russell Wilson? Who would you like to see as his backup in 2024? Which plan would you prefer to address the center position — sign former Dolphins center Connor Williams (recovering...

Field Gulls

Seahawks clean house at linebacker, Devin Bush heads to AFC North

Photo by Wesley Hitt/ Bush’s stay in Seattle lasted just one season. After one season in the Pacific Northwest, Devin Bush is returning to the AFC North and a bit closer to where he played college football. The former Michigan star is heading to Ohio, where he’s agreed to a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns. Browns are signing former Steelers and Seahawks linebacker Devin Bush to a one-year deal, per source. pic.twitter.com/K7RDybqy7p— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2024 Cleveland lost Sione Takitaki and Anthony Walker Jr in free agency, so...

Behind the Steel Curtain

Steelers 2024 NFL Draft: Mid-to-late-round interior offensive line targets

Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via With the team’s IOL depth thin heading into free agency, the Steeler could look to bolster the group in the draft. With the NFL’s free agency period open and the draft on the horizon, the 2024 Steelers roster is slowly starting to take shape. What the Steelers do in free agency — which you can follow using our Free Agency Tracker — will likely inform us what their plans are for the draft. By signing guys like Russell Wilson and Patrick Queen, the Steelers are telling us they didn’t believe the draft was their best...

Behind the Steel Curtain

Steelers free agency: 4 free agent WR profiles

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports A breakdown of several free agent receivers The Pittsburgh Steelers traded away Diontae Johnson. There's no sense in crying over spilled milk, as Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet band sang "Turn the Page". Free agency has been flying fast, and loose but there are still options available for good value. It's too tall of a task to plug and play a rookie wide receiver who's not a supreme talent. Still expect them to also draft one. Available free agents likely on the Steelers radar Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports Curtis...

The Phinsider

Safety DeShon Elliot leaves Dolphins, signs with Steelers in free agency

Photo by Rich Storry/ The Dolphins are losing another starter on defense. The Miami Dolphins lost another yet starter from their secondary today, as safety DeShon Elliott signed a two-year deal worth $6 million with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Breaking: Free agent safety DeShon Elliott is signing with the #Steelers for 2 years $6M, source tells @BleacherReport.— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 14, 2024 The 26-year-old signed with the Dolphins last offseason, and started 15 games in a heavily depleted secondary. In those games, Elliot recorded 82 tackles,...

Pats Pulpit

Patriots free agency profile: Armon Watts will help replace Lawrence Guy along the D-line

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via The 27-year-old is making New England the latest stop on his career journey. Following the release of veteran defensive tackle Lawrence Guy, the New England Patriots had the capacity to add more depth up front. They did so on Wednesday, shortly after the official start of free agency, by signing former Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Armon Watts to a one-year, $3 million contract. What kind of player are the Patriots getting? And what can be expected of Watts in the first place? Let’s take a look at his history and fit in New...

Cat Scratch Reader

Keep Sounding Podcast: Reflecting on the Panthers’ first days of free agency

The Carolina Panthers have been extremely active to start the 2024 league year, so you want to hear people talk about it. We figured with the flurry of activity from the Carolina Panthers at the start of the NFL season, we probably should do a podcast to talk about it. This is that podcast. Here’s what we got: Reactions to the Brian Burns trade and evaluating the context in which the trade should be judged Reactions to the trade of Donte Jackson to the Steelers in exchange for Diontae Johnson and the draft pick impact Whether or not the Dionte Johnson trade affects wide...

Cincy Jungle

Steelers and Tyler Boyd have mutual interest following Diontae Johnson trade

Is Tyler Boyd heading back to Pittsburgh? Wide receiver was once the strongest position on the Cincinnati Bengals roster. Now, it’s got some question marks heading into the 2024 season. Earlier this week, Tee Higgins requested a trade, putting his future in doubt. The Bengals also have Tyler Boyd now part of free agency, and it sounds like he’s interested in a division rival. According to Mark Kaboly, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Boyd have mutual interest in each other, which makes sense after the team traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. Steelers and WR Tyler...

Silver And Black Pride

3 NFL Draft prospects Antonio Pierce likely eyed at Georgia’s pro day

Amarius Mims | Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Raiders coach was one of three head coaches reportedly in attendance While the NFL is in the midst of free agency, it’s still NFL Draft season and one of the biggest programs in college football, the University of Georgia, held its pro day on Wednesday. According to Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is one of three head coaches in attendance. Confirmed attendee list for today's Georgia pro-day. All 32 NFL clubs represented. Steelers and Titans have both HC...