Former Baltimore Ravens long snapper Matt Katula could be returning to the AFC North division. The Pittsburgh Steelers tried out Katula on Wednesday, according to a league source. Katula, 29, played in five games last season for the Minnesota Vikings, filling in when Cullen Loeffler broke a bone in his lower back. A former Wisconsin player, Katula played with the Ravens from 2005 to 2009 and played eight games two years ago for the New England Patriots. For his career, the 6-foot-6, 265-pounder has played in 93 games.  ... The St. Louis Rams weren't the only NFL team interested in offensive tackle Jose Valdez when the Minnesota Vikings placed him on waivers. The New York Jets also put in a waiver claim, according to a league source, but the Rams had the higher ranking on the priority list. So, they were awarded the 6-foot-6, 324-pound former Arkansas lineman.  ... The Oakland Raiders tried out tight end Tory Humphrey and linebacker Ikaika Alama-Francis when they ...

Make no mistake about it – the Steelers are Ben Roethlisberger’s team! He is without a doubt, like it or not, the poster child for all things Black & Gold. Roethlisberger is many things. He’s tough, gritty, determined and relentless. That said, Ben is also a bit unorthodox and he’s not the most technically sound quarterback. He isn’t the cleanest when it comes to his 3, 5 and 7 step drops. He doesn’t have a very quick release. He isn’t consistent when asked to deliver passes into tight windows and despite his size there are several quarterbacks who have bigger arms than Ben. But in the end, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that Roethlisberger is a winner. His winning is in large part tied directly to his ability to make plays when plays seemingly break down. Roethlisberger’s receivers know their quarterback and consequently, they extend plays and their routes fully aware of Ben’s unique escapability. That is what op...

OWINGS MILLS – For the second consecutive year the NFL has had alumni from respective teams announce the picks during the second day of the draft. Here's the full list of alumni announcing the picks: Arizona Cardinals, Roger Wehrli (DB) Atlanta Falcons, Alge Crumpler (TE) Baltimore Ravens, Matt Stover (K) Buffalo Bills, Phil Hansen (DE) Carolina Panthers, Mike Rucker (DE) Chicago Bears, Otis Wilson (LB) Cincinnati Bengals, Isaac Curtis (WR) Cleveland Browns, Gary Collins (WR) Dallas Cowboys , Chad Hennings (DL) Denver Broncos, Terrell Davis (RB) Detroit Lions, Barry Sanders (RB) Green Bay Packers, LeRoy Butler (S) Houston Texans, Danny Clark (LB) Indianapolis Colts, Marvin Harrison (WR) Jacksonville Jaguars, Fred Taylor (RB) Kansas City Chiefs, Will Shields (G) Miami Dolphins, Dwight Stephenson (C) Minnesota Vikings, Anthony Carter (WR) New England Patriots, Troy Brown (WR) New Orleans Saints, Willie Roaf (OL) New York Giants, Michael Strahan (DE) New York ...

OWINGS MILLS -- Midwestern State offensive guard Amini Silatolu visited or had private workouts with the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, St. Louis Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts and the Carolina Panthers. Among the other teams that are logical fits for Silatolu or have displayed interested in him: the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Washington Redskins and the Houston Texans. The 6-foot-4, 311-pounder starred at the Division II level at the Wichita Falls, Texas school and was named a consensus All-American as a left tackle. However, he projects to offensive guard in the NFL. Silatolu has drawn comparisons to Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive guard Jahri Evans and former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Larry Allen. He's the first player from his school to be invited to the Senior Bowl. However, the mauling blocker injured his hamstring and was s...

OWINGS MILLS -- The NFL isn't unlike most discerning employers. Akin to how companies operate on Wall Street or along the Silicon Valley, the league has standards for behavior and will eliminate or downgrade prospective job candidates based on their conduct and background. As the Baltimore Ravens prepare for the NFL draft next week, part of their evaluation process involves weighing the merits and demerits of players' character. It tends to be a subjective exercise as NFL teams try to determine if a player is truly contrite for past off-field incidents or likely to be a recidivist offender. Everything from criminal activity, failed drug tests, a history of domestic violence, family issues, a low score on the Wonderlic intelligence exam or just a bad attitude can cause the Ravens to either remove a player entirely from their draft board or downgrade them to a lower round. What constitutes a red flag for the Ravens? "They're probably a lot of the same red flags that would sti...

Sometime during the weeks follow this year’s NFL draft, the league will announce each team’s “Year One Rookie Allocation” (formerly known as the “Rookie Pool” or “Rookie Salary Cap”).  This is an oft misunderstood number, because while it is part of the team’s Salary Cap, it does not have a dollar-for-dollar impact on the team’s overall Salary Cap.         The Rookie Salary Cap is often referred to as “a cap within a cap” because it limits the amount that teams can allocate to their rookies in the year they were drafted.  But, beyond that, there is a lot of confusion about the Rookie Salary Cap and exactly how it works.  Even some in the media do not fully understand the mechanics of it.  Some have been heard to say that it’s a totally separate pool of money that is not included in the team’s overall Cap.  Others think the entire amount of the ro...

One of the biggest casualties during the NFL lockout was the popular HBO series Hard Knocks. Having such an uncertainty about the potential labor situation staring teams in the face, no franchise would commit to the filming of the series. Now that no labor unrest is possible until 2020, HBO is planning on bringing the series back in a big way. According to FoxSports.com’s Adam Schein, the New York Jets have been asked for an encore of their 2010 performance on the show. Surprisingly, Ryan is reportedly at odds with Jets owner Woody Johnson about inviting the cameras into their Florham Park facilities for another season. While Johnson is all for it, Ryan has said he wanted to avoid adding to the media frenzy that has surrounded his team (much of which he takes the blame for). With the addition of Tim Tebow to the Jets roster and the likely quarterback drama that will play out as he battles with Mark Sanchez for the starting job will make for great TV. Hell, who...

As recently as last month, Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd was considered to be a player who was likely to be selected no earlier than the late teens to early twenties in April’s NFL Draft. However, following his pro day workout on April 3, Floyd appears to be a guy whose stock is very much on the rise. Not long ago, Oklahoma State wideout Justin Blackmon was thought to be the only player at that position worth a Top-10 pick in the draft. Blackmon, listed at 6’1” and 215 lb, has slipped slightly from his peak as a projected Top-5 selection, but is still expected by most to have been chosen by the time the Miami Dolphins find themselves on the clock at number eight. Floyd suddenly finds himself right in the conversation with Blackmon. He is a bigger target – listed at 6’3” 220 lb – than his Oklahoma State counterpart, and according to NFL Network’s Mike Mayock, Floyd’s “explosion off the line of scrimmag...

Listening to the recording of then-Saints DC Gregg Williams that was released by documentary filmmaker Sean Pamphilon this week, I was struck by many things.  First, my whole mental image of exactly how the bounty system worked was turned on its head.  I had imagined it as much less than the tape revealed.  The targeting of specific areas to injure was ghastly, and frankly the worst type of bad sportsmanship and bad coaching one could imagine.  Williams came off like a villain from an episode of Law & Order.  The other thing I took from it is: How the hell are there not any criminal charges involved here?  If you or I were to flat-out offer to pay someone to injure “Hank from Logistics”, and then were filmed specifically saying how to do it, we’d be nicked in an instant!  Furthermore, don’t try to tell me it’s a sports thing, because then thoughts of Nancy Kerrigan screaming “WHY?” start to enter...

The past few weeks haven’t been kind to former NFL star and current NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp. First, the potential Hall of Fame defensive tackle came under fire for baselessly accusing former Saint Jeremy Shockey for “ being the rat” in the New Orleans bounty scandal. Now Sapp is under fire for a different reason – he’s broke and owes people money. According to CNNSI, Sapp has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Florida.  A player who was once among the top paid defensive players in the game has to sell his Super Bowl Ring and NCAA championship ring to help pay off creditors and his mountainous child support and alimony. Sapp follows the footsteps of so many other remarkably rich athletes that couldn’t steer clear of financial traps. He should call AI (Allen Iverson) for some advice on “how to make it in America after you lose millions.” Sapp’s pitfalls should be a shining example to young athletes on how not to co...