Tag: Mike Hilton

Instant analysis, grade for Bengals agreeing to terms with CB Mike Hilton

Here’s a breakdown of the Cincinnati Bengals signing CB Mike Hilton in free agency.

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The Cincinnati Bengals have once again remade the cornerback room during free agency.

After agreeing to terms with cornerback Chidobe Awuzie — a move we graded well — the Bengals turned around and added Mike Hilton, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Hilton, a slot man, will slide right into the role left vacant by Mackensie Alexander. He’ll be on the field with Awuzie and Trae Waynes on the boundaries while Darius Phillips is the first guy off the bench.

And Hilton is a really fun story, too. He went undrafted in 2016 and has since scratched and clawed his way into a starting role before earning a big contract.

The numbers say it all. Over four years, Hilton has let up eight touchdowns with seven interceptions and 19 pass breakups, plus 43 pressures and 10 sacks — he’s a do-it-all slot corner type built for the modern game. He graded at a 68.9 at PFF last year and has a career-high of 83.3 from 2017.

And as Bengals fans might remember, he’s an alpha-type like Vonn Bell.

Which is to say this is a very, very good signing for the Bengals — maybe the best so far. Hilton fits the attitude and is versatile enough to let the coaches get creative.

Granted, how the Bengals have gone about upgrading the secondary room is a little odd. Letting William Jackson go and using the money to pay two players is a gamble. But Waynes-Awuzie-Hilton-Bell-Jessie Bates could be a solid starting tandem.

In hindsight, this could look like one of the better steals of the legal-tampering window.

Grade: A

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Instant analysis, grade for Bengals agreeing to terms with CB Mike Hilton

Here’s a breakdown of the Cincinnati Bengals signing CB Mike Hilton in free agency.

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The Cincinnati Bengals have once again remade the cornerback room during free agency.

After agreeing to terms with cornerback Chidobe Awuzie — a move we graded well — the Bengals turned around and added Mike Hilton, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Hilton, a slot man, will slide right into the role left vacant by Mackensie Alexander. He’ll be on the field with Awuzie and Trae Waynes on the boundaries while Darius Phillips is the first guy off the bench.

And Hilton is a really fun story, too. He went undrafted in 2016 and has since scratched and clawed his way into a starting role before earning a big contract.

The numbers say it all. Over four years, Hilton has let up eight touchdowns with seven interceptions and 19 pass breakups, plus 43 pressures and 10 sacks — he’s a do-it-all slot corner type built for the modern game. He graded at a 68.9 at PFF last year and has a career-high of 83.3 from 2017.

And as Bengals fans might remember, he’s an alpha-type like Vonn Bell.

Which is to say this is a very, very good signing for the Bengals — maybe the best so far. Hilton fits the attitude and is versatile enough to let the coaches get creative.

Granted, how the Bengals have gone about upgrading the secondary room is a little odd. Letting William Jackson go and using the money to pay two players is a gamble. But Waynes-Awuzie-Hilton-Bell-Jessie Bates could be a solid starting tandem.

In hindsight, this could look like one of the better steals of the legal-tampering window.

Grade: A

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Mike Hilton says he would ‘love to be back’ in Pittsburgh in 2021

Time will soon tell if the Steelers can work out a new contract with the cornerback.

The legal tampering window has opened, and free agency kicks off on Wednesday. One of the Steelers’ top pending free agents is cornerback Mike Hilton.

Hilton’s versatile talents are likely to outprice him in Pittsburgh, but you never know what general manager Kevin Colbert has up his sleeve. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported earlier on Monday that the Steelers intend to re-sign him.

The Steelers struggled for many seasons to find the right secondary combo, but Hilton was a big reason why the unit finally found success.

Hilton joined “Movin’ the Chains” Pat Kirwan and former Steelers quarterback Jim Miller on a recent episode and shared his thoughts on the Steeler Way.

“It’s a special place,” Hilton said about Pittsburgh. “From top to bottom. Starting with the Rooneys, they’re a family of tradition,” said Hilton. “How much they put into the organization to get it to where it is to this point. It starts with them and trickles down from there.”

“Everybody knows when you become a Pittsburgh Steeler, it means much more. It’s all about winning and trying to get that Lombardi Trophy. Their culture is second-to-none, and I enjoyed my last four years here. If possible, I would love to be back.”

In 2016, Hilton signed as an undrafted free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars but was cut before the season started. He was then part of the New England Patriots practice squad until he was cut that December.

Pittsburgh snapped Hilton up in January 2017, and he’s been one of the franchise’s best street free agent signings in recent history.

This is Hilton’s first go-round with free agency. He was tendered as a restricted free agent last June.

Time will soon tell if the Steelers can work out a new contract with the cornerback. Hilton’s coming off a one-year, $3.259 million contract, and his market value is estimated at three-years, $23.533 million ($7.8 million salary).

Unless Colbert has something really creative up his sleeve, Hilton, unfortunately, will be wearing another team’s uniform in 2021.

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NFL Free Agency: CB Mike Hilton is a name to watch for the Philadelphia Eagles

Steelers free agent cornerback Mike Hilton could be the perfect fit in the Eagles revamped defense under Jonathan Gannon

Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton is set to make himself some money in free agency and with the Eagles badly needing help at the position, Howie Roseman could attempt to make a big splash.

The Eagles are currently still some $18 million over the cap as the legal tampering period approaches, but names like Alshon Jeffery and Malik Jackson should allow Philadelphia to continue to clear space.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler put out their final free agency primer and Hilton is a name to watch for the Eagles as they transition to Jonathan Gannon’s zone defense.

The early feedback indicates that Steelers corner Mike Hilton has positioned himself at or near the top of the slot or nickel corner market. His ability to cover and blitz (9.5 sacks since 2017) makes him a seamless fit for a defense that plays heavy zone and brings pressure (think Bears, Packers, Chargers, Falcons, or Eagles).

A true slot-CB, Hilton could finally give the Eagles a guy capable of holding some of the top slow-WR’s in the NFL in-check, while Darius Slay handles the outside.

The former undrafted free agent spent his first season on the Steelers practice squad before landing a roster spot in 2018.

Hilton’s been in the lineup ever since, logging seven interceptions, 9.5 sacks, and 30 tackles for loss as a jack-of-all-trades defender.

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Joe Haden calls Mike Hilton, Kenny Moore ‘1A and 1B’ among slot CBs

Joe Haden has a lot of respect for Kenny Moore.

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II has become of the best nickel cornerbacks in the game since he arrived in 2017, and it hasn’t taken long for other players to notice his game.

Moore, who is arguably the most versatile piece in Matt Eberflus’ defense, got some high praise from Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joe Haden on Twitter.

After Haden claimed his teammate, Mike Hilton, is the best slot cornerback in the league, Saints defender C.J. Gardner-Johnson took exception to that, letting Haden know how he felt.

In response, Haden said Gardner-Johnson is top-three but firmly behind Hilton and Moore, who are “1A and1B.”

While Gardner-Johnson has been shining with the Saints since he fell to the fourth round in the 2018 draft, Moore has been one of the most complete defenders in the league.

Despite his size, Moore is able to excel in press coverage because of his physicality and exceptional arm length. He is also used plenty on blitzes from the slot while being arguably the best pure tackler on the team.

The nickel position is becoming increasingly important as the league shifts to more of a pass-heavy philosophy, and the Colts can rest comfortably knowing they have one of the best in the game.

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Once upon a time undrafted, Mike Hilton is ‘excited’ about getting to pick his next team

Free-agent Mike Hilton discussed being a first-time unrestricted free agent with Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan on Monday’s “Movin’ the Chains.”

Free-agent cornerback Mike Hilton discussed being a first-time unrestricted free agent with Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan on Monday’s “Movin’ the Chains.”

“I’m excited. I know how hard I’ve been working for this opportunity,” shared Hilton. “Being in this situation — from being an undrafted guy — I’m blessed to be in this position.”

Jacksonville and New England’s loss was Pittsburgh’s gain. In 2016, he was cut by both teams in a span of two weeks, and the Steelers snapped him up as a late-season add to their practice squad. He was signed to a reserve/futures contract in January 2017 and received contracts in one-year increments for three seasons.

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Hilton thrived in the nickel position and said it’s a perfect spot for him because of his physicality. “It’s something I take pride in,” he said. “Teams probably realize that if you have a guy that can play that slot position, you can do a lot defensively. Me being a physical guy, it plays to my strengths.”

With his versatility and ability to disrupt an offense, whichever team scores Hilton will immediately improve their defense. From running backs to tight ends and quarterbacks, Hilton set the edge, he can cover, he can blitz.

Per Pro Football Focus, Hilton played 323 of his 510 snaps in the slot last season. He also lined up at free safety, cornerback and several other positions in the box.

The do-it-all defensive back was the star of the secondary in 2020. Hilton racked up a career-high three interceptions in 12 games (he missed four games due to a shoulder injury). One of them was a game-sealing pick of Indianapolis Colts’ Philip Rivers, which helped earn him the AFC Defensive Player of the Week in December.

It’s doubtful the Steelers will have cap space to re-sign Hilton to a contract worthy of his talents. While he’ll be sorely missed in Pittsburgh, he deserves a big payday.

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Browns free agency decision: CB Kevin Johnson – performance and potential upgrades

The Browns could keep Johnson but also have other options presented here

When the Cleveland Browns signed CB Kevin Johnson to a one-year deal worth $3.5M, they were hoping to get the 2019 Buffalo Bills version of Johnson. They didn’t. Johnson was brought in to fill the nickel cornerback position. He missed most of the Browns truncated training camp due to a lacerated liver, but was able to get on the field by Week 3 of the regular season.

Performance

Johnson was occasionally forced to play outside due to the absence of Greedy Williams and the ongoing roster shuffle of players on and off of the Covid-19/Reserve list. He played 225 snaps out wide and 338 in the slot according to Pro Football Focus. 

Overall, Johnson was inconsistent at best as the former 1st round pick’s performance remained disappointing compared to where he was drafted and what he has shown on tape at times in his career. In Johnson’s second season in the league, he posted his best PFF grade of 81.2 for the Houston Texans which he followed up with consecutive seasons of grades below 50 (46.1, 38.6). In 2019, he signed on with the Buffalo Bills and showed he could potentially be what the Texans thought they were getting when they drafted him 16th overall, posting a grade of 71.9.

Unfortunately, he failed to sustain that level of play with the Browns in 2020, posting an overall grade of 51.4 and a coverage grade of 52.6. He finished ranked 96th out of 121 eligible cornerbacks per PFF.

Potential Upgrades

The Browns should be looking to upgrade multiple positions on the defense in 2021 and this should be one of them. Having a good nickel cornerback is vital in today’s game and it’s consistently increasing emphasis on the pass game.

There are a number of players the Browns will likely look to acquire in free agency that specialize at playing in the slot and would make the defense better. A nickel corner that would make sense is CB Mike Hilton of the Pittsburgh Steelers who has played almost exclusively in the slot. Hilton has been terrific in both man and zone coverage, defending the run and when blitzing.

CB Troy Hill of the Los Angeles Rams has spent his share of time as an outside corner, but he excelled when moved into the slot after they acquired Jalen Ramsey. Hill is very versatile and could play either in the slot or outside but is probably best suited to go against smaller wide receivers in the slot.

CB Brian Poole of the New York Jets, fits in nicely as NFL nickel cornerback at 5-9, 215 lbs. Poole has emerged as one of the best slot corners in the game over the last two years, only allowing one touchdown and holding the opponent’s quarterback passer rating under 70 when targeting him during that time. He has been incredibly consistent and will be valued in free agency.

The Browns would do well to come away with any of these players. The nickel corner position is often undervalued in the NFL which does suppress their value on the free agent market somewhat. Depending on the currently fluid salary cap situation for the 2021 season, I would expect all of three players to command somewhere between $4M-$6M per year, which is not bad considering they paid $3.5M for Kevin Johnson.

Johnson will likely catch on somewhere for just over the veterans minimum with some incentives included as a way to make some of his value back. I would be surprised if the Browns brought him back for next season.

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Pittsburgh Steelers lose Bud Dupree for the season. What now?

It’s next man up (and then some) for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers’ worst fears were confirmed Thursday morning. Further tests conducted revealed a torn ACL for Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree.

It was crushing for the fourth-year linebacker who was enjoying a stellar season with eight sacks in 11 games. Not only because he was an integral part of a team with Super Bowl aspirations, but it’s all but confirmed to be his last season with Pittsburgh.

There’s no time to dwell on Dupree, though. The show must go on. How will they do it?

Alex Highsmith

AP Photo/Nick Wass

The Steelers tagged Bud Dupree in March, knowing full well they could not afford to keep him beyond 2020. Depth at the outside linebacker position became an immediate need for Pittsburgh.

Enter Alex Highsmith, via the third round of the 2020 NFL draft.

Spelling Dupree, Highsmith has 361 snaps (63 run, 59 pash rush, 19 coverage) and contributed one sack, 14 tackles (3 for loss), and a quarterback hit.

In Week 8 versus the Baltimore Ravens, Highsmith came up with a huge interception early in the third quarter. The pick led to an Eric Ebron touchdown, which brought the Steelers within three points of the Ravens, 14-17.

Jayrone Elliott

AP Photo/Daniel Gluskoter

During training camp in August, the Steelers signed Elliott, who was with the team in 2019. In five games and 22 defensive snaps, Elliott logged two tackles. His use was primarily on special teams, though, where he’s appeared in three games this season.

Vince Williams/Mike Hilton

AP Photo/Ben Margot

As Steelers Wire’s own Curt Popejoy pointed out earlier, it’ll take a village to replace Dupree’s production. Expect inside linebacker Vince Williams and cornerback Mike Hilton to pick up the slack when needed — which will likely be often.

Beyond that, Christian Kuntz was recently signed to the practice squad. He has collegiate experience at outside linebacker. At Duquesne University, Kuntz logged 248 tackles (71.5 for loss) and a school-record 30.5 sacks.

The Steelers will be trying out free agent outside linebackers in the coming days to add depth to their roster, but this is where it stands right now.

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Pittsburgh Steelers defense tops in league turnover margin

The Steelers aren’t likely to eclipse their 38 turnovers from 2019, but they’re doing a stellar job so far.

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense isn’t likely to eclipse its 38 turnovers from 2019, but they’re doing a stellar job so far.

With 15 interceptions and six fumbles, the defense has 21 takeaways through 10 games. The Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are behind them with 19 each.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin recently addressed his team’s success with takeaways. “We not only talk about it, but we drill it,” he said in a press conference. “We are just going to keep working in that regard. We recognize that the turnover element of play is significant and something that we have to continually work at.”

Tomlin spoke highly of the job cornerback Cam Sutton did in place of Mike Hilton. In Hilton’s absence, Sutton forced a fumble in the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals matchups.

“I can’t say enough about the effort of the guys,” said Tomlin. “Cam Sutton has forced a fumble in the last three football games, and that is the guy that doesn’t play every snap of defense. He’s more of a situational defender. I can’t say enough about his awareness and his willingness to put that on tape and how it builds and encourages others to do similar things.”

When it comes to how Ben Roethlisberger and the offense operates knowing their defense can get the ball back at any moment, Tomlin said it’s more than talking the talk. “It goes beyond conversations. It’s about action, and we start every Wednesday workday with ball handling and ball security drills for those that throw it, catch it and run it.”

“It’s just a part of our culture,” he said. “Just like pursuing and working to take care of the ball on the other side. We believe that those two things work hand-in-hand, and discussions are just the very beginnings of it. We have to make sure our actions match our words, and, as a staff, we are working extremely hard to do so from a drill standpoint in our week’s prep.”

The Steelers have had plenty of prep time for their upcoming opponent, the Baltimore Ravens. The defense will look to continue forcing turnovers Tuesday night.

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Ben Roethlisberger, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Joe Haden, Steelers tweet thankful messages to fans

The Steelers have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

The Pittsburgh Steelers set aside their angst toward the Ravens — until Sunday, that is — to express messages of thanks to all their supportive fans.

Instead of playing tonight, the NFL moved their Thanksgiving matchup to Sunday because of the COVID-19 outbreak in Baltimore on a short week.

Tackle Zach “Hulk” Banner got his parents in on his tweet. Banner has something extra to be thankful for this season. He was placed on injured reserve after tearing his ACL in the first game of the season but can now walk brace-less.

Even the newbie, linebacker Avery Williamson, got in the action.

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