Steelers 2024 free agency: WR Allen Robinson released

The Steelers must now replace Allen Robinson’s leadership and run blocking on the roster.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were busy on Friday with two big-name releases. First, word came out that the Steelers were releasing future Hall of Fame cornerback Patrick Peterson and now, according to multiple sources including NFL reporter Field Yates the team is also releasing veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson.

Robinson was signed last season as a free agent after one season with the Los Angeles Rams. Robinson’s numbers suffered like all of the Steelers passing offense last season and he was only able to haul in 34 receptions in 17 games.

The biggest impact Robinson was able to make last season was as a run blocker. Robinson consistently finished blocks and help create space for running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in the second half of the season when the run game got going.

Pittsburgh spent a great deal of time at the NFL Scouting Combine meeting with top receivers, indicating they are prioritizing the position. This could be because a trade is coming involving Diontae Johnson but it will also be important to replace Robinson’s leadership and blocking and that might be better served in free agency.

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Steelers re-sign NT Breiden Fehoko

Breiden Fehoko returns after spending 2023 on the practice squad.

According to the NFL transaction report, the Pittsburgh Steelers have re-signed nose tackle Breiden Fehoko. Fehoko was signed at the start of the 2023 season from the Los Angeles Chargers and spent all of the 2023 NFL season on the Steelers practice squad.

With Montravius Adams and Armon Watts both about to hit free agency, signing Fehoko makes a lot of sense. Despite his lack of usage last year, Fehoko is a strong run stuffer who showed that in the preseason and could end up making the roster as a rotational run defender.

The Steelers have been very busy ahead of the start of free agency. In addition to re-signing Fehoko, the Steelers also released veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson and wide receiver Allen Robinson to free up $17 million in cap space they can use to sign free agents starting next week.

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Steelers prefer to keep WR Allen Robinson II but want him to take pay cut

One of the many decisions facing Steelers GM Omar Khan is what to do with Allen Robinson.

One of the many decisions facing Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan is what to do with Allen Robinson II.

Accounting for 280 yards and zero touchdowns on 34 receptions, the wide receiver was largely invisible after being acquired via a swap of seventh-round draft picks with the Los Angeles Rams last spring.

According to The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov, word at the NFL scouting combine was the Steelers would like to keep him, but not with that price tag.

“Allen Robinson is a potential cut candidate due to his cap number exceeding $10 million, but the Pittsburgh Steelers would prefer to retain him at a reduced salary,” Meirov wrote. “Team officials met with Robinson’s representation in Indianapolis.”

Keeping him at his $11.9 million cap number ($10 million base salary plus $1.9 million of his signing bonus) is laughable.

At 30, Robinson’s best years are in the rearview. While he once was a playmaker, posting 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2015, 2019 and 2020, his production has fallen off.

There was mentorship chatter after his acquisition, but it’s evident it fell on deaf ears considering the friction from Diontae Johnson and George Pickens.

The Steelers could see value in Robinson as a blocker, but according to Pro Football Focus’s advanced stats, he graded average in pass blocking (61.3) and below average in run blocking (57.8).

Pittsburgh would be wise to cut ties with Robinson before his $5.75 million roster bonus comes due on March 18.

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2024 NFL draft: 4 receiver prospects for the Steelers to replace Allen Robinson

The Steelers could be in the market for a slot reciever in the 2024 NFL draft.

The next salary-cap cut for the Pittsburgh Steelers needs to be veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson. Cutting Robinson saves the Steelers $10 million against the cap. Robinson didn’t pan out but even after he’s gone the Steelers will need to find a new slot receiver because Calvin Austin III isn’t developing as quickly as we hoped.

Pittsburgh has done well finding receivers in the middle or late round of the NFL draft and here are four guys to consider in 2024.

Steelers Allen Robinson and Joey Porter Jr. questionable to return

The Steelers lost two players quickly with possible concussions.

In a matter of just a few plays against the Buffalo Bills, the Pittsburgh Steelers sent two players to the locker room to be evaluated for concussions. The team announced that wide receiver Allen Robinson and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. were both questionable to return.

Porter had to come off after taking a cheap shot in the back from Bills offensive lineman Conner McGovern. Porter was in the midst of making a tackle when McGovern came up and slammed into Porter on his blindside.

The hit on Robinson was no better. A clear helmet-to-helmet hit on the tackle you could hear clearly on the replay, the officials felt no reason to throw the flag. There was also no flag on the hit on Porter.

Calvin Austin III came in for Robinson and caught a touchdown on the next drive. James Pierre replaced Porter in the secondary.

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Every Penn State player in the NFL playoffs in 2024

Here is every former Penn State football player on an NFL playoff team’s roster in 2024.

Another NFL postseason is set to get underway, and there is a good chance at least one team playing in the Super Bowl will have a Penn State player on the roster. All but two teams in this year’s NFL playoffs have at least one Penn State player on the roster this year. The top seeds in each conference have multiple Penn State players on the roster, seemingly making it more likely Penn State will see a former player earn a Super Bowl ring.

In all, a total of 64 Super Bowl rings have been won by a former Penn State player. Last year’s Super Bowl had just one former Penn State player on the field, but Miles Sanders and the Philadelphia Eagles came up short of winning the big game. There is an excellent chance there will be more than one former Nittany Lion competing in the Super Bowl this postseason.

The Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns are the only two teams in the NFL postseason without a Penn State player on the roster. Here is a look at every Penn State player on an NFL playoff team’s roster this postseason.

Steelers’ Allen Robinson experiment has failed miserably in Pittsburgh

No offense to Allen Robinson, but his purpose in Pittsburgh has been lost on Diontae Johnson and George Pickens.

No offense to Allen Robinson, but his purpose in Pittsburgh has been lost on Diontae Johnson and George Pickens.

When the Steelers traded for Robinson in April, not only were they desperate for a slot receiver — one they hadn’t had since the departure of JuJu Smith-Schuster — but they were looking for veteran leadership in the form of a mentor for the room of young wide receivers.

“He’s been phenomenal for our room as far as helping the maturation process of George (Pickens) and all of the guys,” wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson told TribLive’s Joe Rutter in August.

Mike Tomlin intentionally paired Robinson with Pickens in the training camp dorms at St. Vincent College, hoping the two would create a bond. Robinson was once in Pickens’ shoes: A second-round receiver with loads of talent who was more concerned with individual numbers than helping his team win.

Now, 10 years into his career, Robinson sings a different song.

“I want to win,” he said via Mark Kaboly of The Athletic. “I am at the point where ego and different things like that are out the window. Whether it is a big task or a small task, I treat them all equally. Whether it is getting targets, catches, or blocking — whatever I can do to help this team is what I want to be able to do.”

It’s too bad Robinson hasn’t been able to impart that on Pickens.

Unfortunately, lack of leadership has been an issue this season and will continue to be going forward. Johnson, the most experienced Steelers draftee and eldest at 27, doesn’t have leadership chops. It’ll be interesting to see how the Steelers attempt to remedy it.

As for the slot role, that hasn’t turned out as expected either. Robinson’s best outing came in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens with 29 yards on five receptions (nine targets). But that largely falls on poor quarterback play and Matt Canada’s inept offensive scheme.

It’s safe to call the Allen Robinson Experiment a miss and head back to the drawing board.

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Penn State in the NFL: Best photos from Week 1

Take a look at this photo gallery of former Penn State players in the NFL from Week 1 of the regular season.

The NFL season finally got underway with a full Week 1 slate of football. Scattered throughout the NFL were 33 Penn State football players on active 53-man rosters as the season officially kicked off, and a number of those players were key players in their season openers.

A number of former Nittany Lions started the season with a new team including wide receiver Allen Robinson and running back Miles Sanders. In all, Penn State has 39 players on NFL rosters if you include practice squad players and players appearing on injured reserve to start the 2023 season.

Here is a look at some of the former Nittany Lions in action during Week 1 of the 2023 NFL regular season.

Penn State in the NFL Week 1 roundup: Old faces in new places

Penn State had 39 players on NFL rosters as the NFL season started. Here’s how some of them played in Week 1.

Penn State may have already played two games this season, but the NFL has just gotten its season started. And there are a number of Penn State players scattered around the league. Penn State had 39 players appearing on Week 1 NFL rosters with 33 on the 53-man rosters around the league, four on practice squads, and two additional players on injured reserve to start the season.

A pair of recent standouts took the Sunday night spotlight as [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] and the Dallas Cowboys visited [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] and the New York Giants. A few more Penn State players will wrap up the first week of the NFL’s regular season when [autotag]Adrian Amos[/autotag] and the New York Jets face Connor McGovern, Ryan Bates, Daquan Jones and the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.

Here is a look at how some former Penn State football players performed in Week 1 of the NFL regular season.

Where will Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk rank among all-time Jaguars WR duos?

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ duo of Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk have high expectations, but how will they rank against former Jaguars receiving pairs?

Ahead of the 2022 NFL season, the Jacksonville Jaguars invested in the Trevor Lawrence era in a big way. The Jaguars gave former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk a four-year, $72 million contract to give Lawrence his biggest target to date.

The move was met with criticism, but Kirk was crucial to Lawrence’s development into a projected 2023 Most Valuable Player candidate. The Jaguars then made a move for the future ahead of the 2022 trade deadline.

Jacksonville sent a 2023 fifth-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick that could become a second-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

The former Falcons receiver became the featured target in Atlanta due to Julio Jones’ decline and departure. However, he dealt with injury during the 2021 and only played five games because of a fractured foot and time off to address his mental health.

Ridley was then suspended for the entire 2022 season for violating the league’s gambling policy. If he can return to form following his nearly two-year-long break from football, Ridley and Kirk will likely form one of the best duos in Jaguars history.

Based on production in a single season, Jacksonville hasn’t seen many dominant receiver pairings in its short history. Ridley and Kirk will automatically be one of the most talented duos Jacksonville has seen, but how do they stack up compared to past Jaguars pairs?

5) 2012: Justin Blackmon and Cecil Shorts III

Heading into the second year of Blaine Gabbert’s tenure in Jacksonville, the Jaguars decided to give him the top receiver in the 2012 NFL Draft. They selected wide receiver Justin Blackmon with the fifth overall pick.

Blackmon didn’t have a great career, but he looked the part of the fifth overall pick in his one full season. The former Oklahoma State Cowboys star earned 132 targets and tallied 64 catches for 865 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie year.

Blackmon quickly became Gabbert’s favorite target, but Cecil Shorts III — who was in his second season in Jacksonville — was the second half of a solid receiving duo. The reliable Shorts had the best season of his career in 2012.

Shorts garnered 105 targets and capitalized on them for 55 receptions, 979 yards and seven touchdowns.

The duo of Blackmon and Shorts didn’t last long in Jacksonville, but their production in the 2012 season ranks among the best single-season receiving duos in Jaguars history.

Blackmon and Shorts combined for 119 catches, 1,844 yards and 12 touchdowns.

4) 2010: Marcedes Lewis and Mike Thomas

In a season in which the Jaguars went 8-8 and missed the playoffs, the 2010 pairing of Marcedes Lewis and Mike Thomas made the season somewhat memorable. Lewis is now a Jaguars legend, but in 2010, he was in only his fifth of 12 seasons in Jacksonville.

He is most known as a blocking tight end, but Lewis had his most productive receiving season in 2010. The former Jaguar pulled in 58 passes for 700 yards and 10 touchdowns to earn his first and only career Pro Bowl appearance.

Outside of the Jags legend’s best season, 2010 also featured the heroics of Mike Thomas. The receiver made the Jaguars’ play of the year when he caught a deflected hail mary to beat the rival Houston Texans on Nov. 14.

Thomas contributed 66 catches for 820 yards and four touchdowns in total during the best season of his career.

Lewis and Thomas combined for 124 catches, 1,520 yards and 14 touchdowns in the season.

3) 2022: Christian Kirk and Zay Jones

Few expected Kirk and Zay Jones to form one of the most productive wide receiver duos in Jaguars history when they first joined the team in 2022. However, by the end of the season, it was hard to deny their impact.

Kirk’s contract distracted NFL fans from the player Jacksonville was adding to their roster. He was a consistent contributor for the Cardinals throughout his four seasons with the team.

The former Cardinals receiver spent the first three seasons of his NFL career in the shadows of Larry Fitzgerald and then DeAndre Hopkins. However, Hopkins was suspended to start the 2021 season, and Kirk produced his best season to date, tallying 77 catches for 982 yards and five touchdowns.

In one season in Jacksonville, Kirk quickly proved his worth. He registered 84 catches for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns as Lawrence’s featured receiver.

However, he had plenty of help from another misunderstood route runner. Former Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders receiver Zay Jones had been in the league for five years. His best season came in his sophomore year when he produced 56 catches, 652 yards and seven touchdowns.

Despite his career slowing down, the Jaguars brought Jones into Jacksonville, and he quickly became the No. 2 option. Jones caught 82 passes for 823 yards and five touchdowns.

Jones and Kirk helped Lawrence transform into one of the league’s top young quarterbacks. The pair combined for 166 receptions, 1,931 yards and 13 touchdowns.

2) 2015: Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns

The 2015 season was former Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles’ second year in the league, and his surrounding cast lifted him to the best season of his career. Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns formed a highly productive duo to help Bortles achieve 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns.

Robinson looked the part of a true No. 1 option and is still trying to replicate the numbers he produced in 2015. He reeled in 80 passes for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns in his second season in the NFL.

His yards were the second best single-season total in franchise history, and his 14 touchdowns stand as the most in a single season in Jaguars history.

Hurns played the perfect partner alongside Robinson. He was a dynamic second option that turned 64 catches into 1,031 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Robinson and Hurns combined for 144 receptions, 2,431 yards and 24 touchdowns. They are one of two pairs in Jaguars history to each have 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

1) 1996-2001: Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell

And if there was ever any doubt, Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell are the best receiving pair in Jaguars history. It was impossible to pick just one season for them, as their six seasons together would all rank in the top 10 receiving seasons in Jaguars history.

They are the only other duo in Jacksonville’s history to each contribute 1,000 receiving yards in the same season; they did it four times in six seasons.

Smith and McCardell are also the only duo to have sustained success for more than just one or two seasons.

Smith is easily the best receiver in Jaguars history. He leads the franchise in career targets, receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns and was a Jaguar from 1995 to 2005.

McCardell checks in as the second best receiver in franchise history. He is second in franchise history in targets, catches and receiving yards and is third in receiving touchdowns.

Smith and McCardell played together from 1996 to 2001 and consistently got open for former Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell. Smith never had less than 1,200 receiving yards during the stretch, and McCardell never had less than 800.

The Jaguars legends combined for 1,061 catches, 14,365 and 71 touchdowns during their six years together.

Where will Ridley and Kirk rank?

Assuming Ridley and Kirk are healthy for the entire season, they will likely become at least a top-three receiving duo. Ridley’s past suggests he’s a clear upgrade from Jones. If Kirk plays the same as he did in 2022 and Ridley returns to form, they will surpass Kirk and Jones’s production in 2022.

Ridley’s 2020 season showed his ability to excel in the No. 1 receiver role. He produced 90 receptions, 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020, so he could give Robinson’s 2015 season a run for its money.

If Kirk reproduces his 2022 numbers, he and Ridley would pass Robinson and Hurns for the second-best receiving duo in Jaguars history. While it isn’t impossible for them to put up numbers similar to Smith and McCardell, they likely won’t catch them unless they stick together for a long time in Jacksonville.

It’s entirely possible for Ridley and Kirk to become the second-best duo in Jaguars history, but they have much to prove in their first season together.