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Wolovich announces run for Luzerne County Council

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Municipalities to receive liquid fuels funds

The Steelers got their wish: The team and wide receiver Antonio Brown agreed to a new contract that will make Brown the highest-paid receiver in the league.A source told the Post-Gazette&#8217;sEd Bouchette that the contract is for five years and $72.7 million. That puts Brown&#8217;s salary at more than $15 million.Shortly after the news broke, Brown tweeted a photo of himself with agent Drew Rosenhaus indicating that the deal was signed.Brown, a perennial All-Pro, had one year remaining on a five-year, $42 million contract. General manager Kevin Colbert said on Feb. 16 that ensuring that Brown remained &#8220;a Steeler for life&#8221; was the team&#8217;s top offseason priority &#8212; a clear sign that the Facebook Live drama hadn&#8217;t fundamentally changed their plans.The first year of Brown&#8217;s new deal replaces the final year of his previous one, meaning that he&#8217;s under contract through the 2021 season.Brown, 28, has averaged 1,575 receiving yards and 120 catches in each of the last four seasons. He&#8217;s been productive enough to have his 1,284 yards and 10 receptions in 2016, his seventh NFL season, represent a backwards step.He made the Pro Bowl in 2011 and from 2013-2016, and was named a first team All-Pro in each of the last three seasons. Brown is second in Steelers&#8217; history in career receptions (632) and third in receiving yards (8,377).&#8212; McClatchySteelers franchise BellPITTSBURGH (AP) &#8212; The Pittsburgh Steelers want to make running back Le&#8217;Veon Bell a part of the organization &#8220;for life.&#8221;The team took an expected but important step in that direction on Monday when they placed the exclusive rights franchise tag on the All-Pro, ensuring that he&#8217;ll remain with the team in 2017.The tag gives the Steelers time to work out a long-term deal with Bell, who could have become a free agent next month. The 25-year-old led the NFL in average yards from scrimmage last season and became the first player in NFL history to average at least 100 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving per game.Pittsburgh general manager Kevin Colbert said earlier this month the Steelers intend to keep Bell in black and yellow indefinitely.The franchise tag buys the team time to put together a new deal that will almost certainly make Bell one of the highest-paid running backs in the league.The Steelers have until July 15 to reach an agreement with Bell on a new contract. If not, he will make the average salary of the top five running backs in the league in 2017.Cardinals linebacker Jones franchisedPHOENIX (AP) &#8212; The Arizona Cardinals, in an anticipated move, have placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on outside linebacker Chandler Jones after failing to reach a long-term deal with the player.The non-exclusive tag allows the Cardinals to continue negotiating with Jones through July 15. If another team makes him an offer, Arizona can either match it or receive two first-round draft picks.It&#8217;s unlikely that any team would express interest in Jones, however, given what it would cost.Under the franchise tag, Jones would receive about $15 million for the coming season.Acquired in a trade with New England a year ago, Jones had 11 sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 15 tackles for loss last seasonChandler heads a long list of free agents that the Cardinals must either re-sign or let go. That group includes starters defensive tackle Calais Campbell, safety Tony Jefferson and inside linebacker Kevin Minter.Giants tell JPP he will be franchisedNEWARK, N.J. (AP) &#8212; A person with knowledge of the details says the New York Giants have told defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul that he will be made a franchise player.The league source with direct knowledge of the move spoke on condition of anonymity because the Giants had not announced the decision.The Giants have to designate Pierre-Paul a franchise player by 4 p.m. on Wednesday. He will earn roughly $17 million this season unless the team reaches a long-term agreement by mid-July.Pierre-Paul had a comeback season in 2016, recording seven sacks and 53 tackles. He also had eight passes defended, forced three fumbles and recovered one and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. He missed the final four regular-season games and a playoff matchup against Green Bay with a sports hernia.Pierre-Paul missed the opening half of the 2015 season because of a severe hand injury sustained in a fireworks accident on July 4.Panthers bolster defensive lineCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &#8212; The Panthers are looking to keep their defensive line intact.Carolina applied the non-exclusive franchise tag to defensive tackle Kawann Short on Monday and re-signed defensive end Wes Horton to a two-year contract. The moves come one day after the Panthers signed defensive end Mario Addison to a three-year contract.Short would make an estimated $14.77 million if he signs the one-year tender.The Panthers have been trying to work out a long-term deal with Short for more than a year, but have not been able to reach an agreement.A four-year NFL veteran, Short has 17 sacks in the past two seasons (2015-16), third-most among NFL defensive tackles. He had 11 sacks in 2015, most by a defensive tackle in team history.The 27-year-old Horton started 10 games last season and had 11 tackles with 2 &#189; sacks. Horton has started 27 games since joining the Panthers in 2013 as an undrafted rookie and has 8 &#189; career sacks.Addison and Short were set to become unrestricted free agents, while Horton would have been a restricted free agent.Jeffery to hit free agencyAs the Chicago Bears prepare to dive into free agency next week with millions to spend, receiver Alshon Jeffery is one step closer to a payday of his own on the open market. The team, as expected, has decided not to use the franchise tag on him.The Bears in 2016 protected their rights to Jeffery by using the tag. Doing so again would have required a guaranteed one-year contract worth $17.5 million, which would have made Jeffery the NFL&#8217;s highest paid receiver in 2017 by more than $2 million.Throughout Ryan Pace&#8217;s first two years as general manager, he has remained steadfast in assigning a value to individual players and adhering to that during negotiations. That applies this year to Jeffery, whose price tag the Bears will let the market dictate.Although Jeffery, 27, is well-positioned to sign a big contract as the top free-agent receiver, he did not break out in either of his past two seasons, both of which were contract years.Jeffery totaled 106 catches, 1,628 yards and six touchdowns during that span. He also missed seven games in 2015 due to various leg muscle injuries and four games in 2016 for a performance-enhancing drugs suspension.Still, Jeffery&#8217;s production earlier in his career and his proven ability to make contested catches made him one of the most formidable weapons on a team that tied for 28th in the NFL in scoring last season.The NFL Network first reported that the Bears had finalized their decision not to tag Jeffery.&#8212; McClatchyFreeney to continue playingFLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. &#8212; Former Falcons defensive end Dwight Freeney is set to enter free agency again.Freeney, 37, wants to play a 16th season in the NFL, according to a USA Today sports report, which cites an unnamed source.Freeney played 415 defensive snaps (37.4 percent) for the Falcons last season and had three sacks in the season and one in the playoffs. He was credited with helping to develop second-year outside linebacker Vic Beasley, who went on to lead the league in sacks with 15.5.The Falcons are going to see how they can improve their team through free agency in the draft and then perhaps double back to Freeney, who had a great exit interview with the team.&#8220;He made his way by to state exactly how he felt about this team,&#8221; Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. &#8220;He was very positive about the team and over the moon so to speak about Dan Quinn and his approach and the coaches&#8217; approach here.&#8221;&#8212; McClatchy<style>
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NFL: Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers agree on extension