STEELERS
Report: Haden signed
The Pittsburgh Steelers have bolstered their cornerback position in a big way by coming to terms with Joe Haden on a three-year, $27 million contract, according to ESPN.
How much he can help them is the next question, but he should be an upgrade to a position that long has been a sore spot for them on defense.
Cleveland released Haden on Tuesday, mainly because they would have had to pay him $11 million this season. Of that, $4 million was guaranteed and the Browns could be on the hook for some or even most of that depending on how the contract was structured with the Steelers.
Haden, 28, chose the Steelers over a reported interest of a dozen NFL teams. As of 4 p.m. Central Wednesday, the Steelers still had not confirmed the signing.
The Browns' first-round draft pick and seventh overall in 2010 from Florida, he made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2014. But injuries limited him to just 14 starts over the past two years and he had surgery on both groins after the 2016 season.
With the reported money they will pay him, Haden will be ticketed for a starting role alongside Artie Burns, the Steelers first-round draft pick last year. Ross Cockrell started with Burns last season.
In 2012, the NFL suspended Haden for four games for violating its rules against performance enhancing drugs.
The Browns signed him to a six-year, $74.7 million contract in 2014 but he proceeded to play in just 18 games over the next three seasons. He became a free agent when the Browns released him, although teams had to wait until 4 p.m. to sign him. News broke of the Steelers' agreement with Haden shortly after 4 p.m.
The Steelers have tried everything to improve their cornerback position -- via trades, draft picks, free agents and by signing cuts from other teams. Little has worked. Burns, so far, has been their only true success. They drafted Senquez Golson in the second round of 2015 and he has barely practiced in three years and likely will not make the team.
CHIEFS
OL Erving acquired
The Kansas City Chiefs have acquired center Cameron Erving from the Cleveland Browns for a 2018 fifth-round pick, the clubs announced Wednesday.
Erving, 25, was a first-round pick of the Browns in 2015. The 6-foot-6, 311-pounder has started 17 games in two seasons, including 13 games last year.
Erving, who played tackle at Florida State, could be an intriguing backup swing tackle for the Chiefs, who have auditioned different players there throughout camp, including Isaiah Battle and Jah Reid. Erving also offers the versatility to play guard.
The Chiefs also traded away their 2018 first-round pick for Patrick Mahomes, meaning they will draft in the second, third, fourth and sixth rounds. They acquired a 2018 seventh from Arizona for cornerback Marcus Cooper, but it's unclear if the conditions for that deal were fulfilled. The Chiefs also dealt away a conditional 2018 seventh-round pick for Kenneth Acker, and it is also unclear if that's been fulfilled.
New Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach has been very aggressive since taking over for John Dorsey in July. A few days ago, he dealt a 2019 fourth-round pick to Buffalo for inside linebacker Reggie Ragland, a second-round pick in 2016.
BENGALS
Suspension reduced
CINCINNATI -- Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict had his NFL suspension reduced from five to three games for his egregious hit on a Chiefs running back during a preseason game.
During the second preseason game, Burfict leveled running back Anthony Sherman on a pass play when he wasn't the intended target.
Burfict appealed and had two games shaved off the punishment. He'll miss home games against the Ravens and Texans and a road game with the Packers. He'll be eligible to return for a game in Cleveland on Oct. 1.
It's the second consecutive season he's been suspended for the first three games. He was suspended last season for his hit to Antonio Brown's head during a 2015 playoff loss to the Steelers.
RAVENS
Orr gets staff job
Eleven days after Coach John Harbaugh expressed that he'd like to bring Zachary Orr on board, the Baltimore Ravens hired their former inside linebacker Wednesday to work with the coaching and personnel staffs this season.
Orr will work alongside linebackers coach Don Martindale and observe special teams meetings during the season before transitioning to evaluating players for the personnel department in the offseason.
An undrafted rookie in 2014, Orr led the defense with 132 tackles last season and with two fumble recoveries while ranking third with three interceptions. But on Jan. 20, he announced that he was retiring from the NFL after he was diagnosed with a congenital spine condition that would have put him at increased risk of paralysis or worse if he continued to play.
On June 28, Orr announced his intent to return to the league. He worked out for the Ravens, whose doctors stood by their original decision not to clear him for activity. Because the organization had not placed a tender on Orr, who had been set to become a restricted free agent, he became an unrestricted free agent.
But on Aug. 18, Orr announced that he was retiring once again after meeting or speaking with 17 teams that also declined to sign him. The next day, Harbaugh said he would welcome Orr's return to the organization.
Orr attended Ravens practice on Aug. 23, which was the day he and the team finalized his role.
Sports on 08/31/2017