– The Steelers signed free agent DT Cam Thomas to a two-year contract. Known by the nickname “Baby Godzilla” during his four-year run with the San Diego Chargers, Thomas is a 330-pound lineman, who has the girth to step in and play NT in the Steelers 3-4 defense. A fifth-round selection of the Chargers out of North Carolina in 2010, Thomas has accrued 54 tackles and six sacks as a rotational defensive lineman, playing in 54 games and starting 16 in his career.
– The team met with free agent DE Alex Carrington on Friday, but did not sign him. Carrington is 26 years old and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third-round of the 2010 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-5, 284-pound lineman is considered a good fit for the 3-4 defense and has played in 44 games, starting nine during his four-year career. The Steelers have wasted no time in filling up their defensive line depth chart after allowing DE Ziggy Hood and DT Al Woods to walk via free agency in the past few days. Carrington will move on meetings with other teams over the weekend.
– Speaking of Hood, his new deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars is reportedly for $16 million over four years. When we reported the signing yesterday, the terms of the contract had not been released.
– Veteran DE Brett Keisel would still like to return to Pittsburgh in 2014, but according to his agent Eric Metz, Keisel would rather retire than play for the NFL veteran minimum.
– Free agent WR Emmanuel Sanders will meet with the Kansas City Chiefs today, then with the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, according to NFL.com reports.
– The Steelers are still in negotiations with WR Jerricho Cotchery, with no confirmed reports of other teams making a play for the 32-year-old veteran.
AFC North Update
– The Baltimore Ravens signed 13-year veteran WR Steve Smith to a three-year, $12 million deal with a $3.5 million signing bonus. The all-time franchise leader in every receiving category for the Carolina Panthers, Smith will be 34 years old at the start of the 2014 season.
– The Ravens also re-signed WR Jacoby Jones to a four-year, $14 million deal. Baltimore allowed former first-round pick OT Michael Oher to leave, as he signed a four-year deal with the Tennessee Titans on Friday.
– The Cleveland Browns have added veteran ILB Karlos Dansby and SS Donte Whitner to their defense. Those signings coincide with the losses of ILB D’Qwell Jackson (IND) and SS T.J. Ward (DEN). Former starting QB Brandon Weeden was released on Wednesday, which could mean the Browns would use one of its first-round draft picks on a rookie signal caller.
– The Cincinnati Bengals have been fairly quiet, with their only addition being LB Dontay Moch via waivers from Arizona. The Bengals have lost starters DE Michael Johnson and OT Anthony Collins to deals with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Potential Impact Moves
– The Detroit Lions signing of WR Golden Tate to a five-year, $31 million deal on Thursday may be the deal that makes the biggest impact on the 2014 NFL Draft thus far. The Lions hold the 10th pick, and seemed to be in line to select one of the big-time WR prospects. By adding Tate, Detroit now has the player they needed to line up opposite superstar WR Calvin Johnson. The Steelers view wide receiver to be a position of need, and with the Lions potentially out of the way, Pittsburgh may see a player such as Texas A&M WR Mike Evans fall to them at No. 15.
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