Steelers Want To Keep Brown In Pittsburgh

By ESPN

The Steelers have begun negotiating a contract with wide receiver Antonio Brown that would keep him in Pittsburgh for the rest of his career.

"We want Antonio to retire a Steeler for life," Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told reporters on Thursday.

Colbert said getting a contract done with Brown was a "priority" in a year when running back Le'Veon Bell is likely to receive the franchise tag.

Brown posted a picture of himself with his agent Drew Rosenhaus in Pittsburgh on his Snapchat account earlier in the week, a sign Rosenhaus was in the area to talk about a new contract.

The Steelers appear to be making good on their promise to rework Brown's contract In the offseason. They restructured his contract in August, advancing $4 million of his 2017 salary into his base salary for 2016.

Brown, 28, is considered one of the best receivers in the league and has been a key piece of the Steelers offense for the past several seasons. He has one year left on a five-year, $42 million contract he signed in 2012.

A 2010 sixth-round pick out of Central Michigan, Brown has been to five Pro Bowls and has earned three first-team All-Pro nods in his seven seasons. He led the league with 1,698 receiving yards in 2014.

He is the first player in Steelers history to finish with 1,000 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns in three straight seasons.

Brown drew the ire of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin for posting a Facebook Live video of Tomlin's postgame speech after a win against the Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs, but the incident appears to have been put to rest as the team moves into the offseason.

Dolphins Release Williams, Mitchell, Albert

The Miami Dolphins released veteran defensive players Mario Williams and Earl Mitchell on Thursday, freeing up $12.5 million on their salary cap, but starting left tackle Branden Albert wasn't also released as expected.

Albert's name was not on the NFL's official transactions wire Thursday, though both he and his agent were informed Thursday morning that the Dolphins planned to release him, sources told ESPN. According to sources, the Dolphins received enough interest from around the league after news that Albert would be released broke that they will try to trade the veteran offensive lineman, though a trade can't be completed until the new league year starts on March 9.

One possible team of interest could be the Denver Broncos. Former Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is now the head coach in Denver and knows Albert well. Joseph could use Albert's veteran presence on the field and leadership in the locker room in his first season with the Broncos. Albert also is familiar with the AFC West as a longtime player with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Miami Herald was first to report that the Dolphins had received trade interest in Albert.

The Dolphins also waived cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, who was placed on injured reserve in September with a knee injury. The team had claimed him off waivers from the Cleveland Browns last summer.

Albert has two years left on his contract, but neither season carries any guaranteed money. He is scheduled to be paid $8.9 million and will count $10.6 million against the cap in 2017. If the Dolphins release him, they will save $7.2 million on their cap, leaving $3.4 million in dead money on the cap.

Williams was scheduled to make $8.485 million (none guaranteed) in 2017 and was to count $10.5 million against the Dolphins' cap. By cutting him, Miami saves $8.5 million on the cap, with $2 million in dead money remaining.

Mitchell was to make $3.975 million in 2017 (not guaranteed). Scheduled to count $4.5 million against the Dolphins' salary cap, his release saves the Dolphins $4 million on their cap, with $500,000 in dead money left over.

Jets' Revis Charged  With Four Felonies

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis was charged with four felonies and a misdemeanor by Pittsburgh police on Thursday night stemming from his alleged involvement in a street altercation over the weekend that witnesses say left two men unconscious.

Police charged Revis with two felony counts of aggravated assault, one felony count each of robbery and conspiracy, and a misdemeanor count of terroristic threats.

Revis' attorney, Blaine Jones, told ESPN that he was trying to reach the four-time All-Pro by phone Thursday night to arrange for him to surrender to police. It was unknown whether Revis had turned himself him.

The incident occurred at 2:43 a.m. Sunday in Pittsburgh's popular South Side. Two men, ages 22 and 21, told police they were punched by Revis amid a verbal altercation. Witnesses said the two men were unconscious for 10 minutes, according to police.

Revis, who grew up in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and starred at the University of Pittsburgh, required medical attention, Jones told ESPN. The attorney declined to reveal the nature and severity of any injuries.

A Jets spokesman said Thursday that the team was aware of the incident and had spoken to Revis. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league would look into the matter.