Steelers/NFL category, Page 312
First Call: Steelers’ selection of Quincy Roche getting some national praise; Andrew McCutchen heating up; Pitt hoops news
Monday’s “First Call” features some optimism for a late-round Steelers draft choice. Also, a tough recruiting loss for Pitt basketball, and a look at the Pirates’ upcoming series at PNC Park. Plus, former Pirate Andrew McCutchen is starting to get things right at home plate. Sure would be nice On...
Football Footnotes: Latest interview shows JuJu Smith-Schuster still doesn’t grasp mistake of ‘Browns is the Browns’ quote
With the draft over and training camp still a few months away, we are in a down cycle for news surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL. But since the league is the Goliath that it is — and with the Steelers’ constant ability to find their way into headlines...
Steelers rookie center Kendrick Green plays through pain, then inflicts it on opposing defenses
An injury at center forced guard Kendrick Green to move into the middle of the Illinois offensive line during the final game of the 2019 season. Green was penciled in to start again in the pivot for the Redbox Bowl when he injured his groin while the Illini were practicing...
Steelers add former Jets safety Arthur Maulet on 1-year contract
In a move designed to add veteran depth to the position room, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed safety Arthur Maulet to a one-year contract Friday afternoon. Maulet, 27, spent the past two seasons with the New York Jets. He started 11 games and appeared in 23 over those two seasons. The...
With eye on more fans in stands, the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates urge people to get covid vaccine
Representatives of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Steelers and Penguins joined U.S. Sen. Bob Casey on Friday to reiterate their commitment to help educate and facilitate vaccination of people who remain hesitant to get the covid-19 vaccine. The teams were among the first organizations in the region to open venues to host...
First Call: JuJu Smith-Schuster’s admission about free agency; Marc-Andre Fleury now 3rd all-time in wins; Rangers-Caps brawl
In Thursday’s “First Call,” Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster opens up about free agency. Steelers rookies are getting rated for upcoming fantasy football drafts. The Washington Capitals and New York Rangers lived down to expectations Wednesday night. And former Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury jumps another notch on that all-time NHL...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans are fired up about Steelers draft. ‘More linemen! Why take a running back? And … a punter?’
The NFL Draft has Pittsburgh Steelers fans in a tizzy. Why did the team take a running back in the first round? Should they have taken more linemen earlier in the draft? Was their judgment clouded by some Steelers who stayed in free agency? And, good God, what was with...
Carnegie Mellon seminar to tackle the sweet science of sports analytics
About two decades ago, even the most hardcore baseball fans never had heard of OPS. At that point in time, the concept of an NBA team scoring more points on field goals behind the 3-point line than in front of it? Folly. Back in the olden days of the early...
Steelers cornerback Justin Layne takes plea deal in Ohio case, felony gun charge dropped
Steelers cornerback Justin Layne on Wednesday had a felony gun charged dismissed as part of a plea deal in Ohio, landing him probation and a suspended jail sentence, court records show. Layne was pulled over early April 23 for speeding in Willoughby, a Cleveland suburb, and cited for speeding, driving...
Alejandro Villanueva embraces joining Ravens, takes veiled shot at JuJu Smith-Schuster
As is customary for most NFL teams when their signings in free agency become official, Alejandro Villanueva was made available to the media Wednesday. The veteran left tackle’s comments might raise some eyebrows with the fans and players of his former team. Villanueva joined the Baltimore Ravens for a reported...
Mark Madden: While many draft needs were addressed, the Steelers still need a cornerback
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ draft did a lot to fix their offense, specifically their running game. But is their defense broken? The Steelers’ playmaking defense has been the team’s cornerstone the last two seasons. It was third- and second-best in yards allowed per play in 2020 (4.9) and 2019 (4.7). It...
First Call: Steelers projected to get 3rd-round compensatory pick for Bud Dupree; Rangers rip NHL over Tom Wilson decision
The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting a sense of their 2022 draft compensation for losing Bud Dupree in free agency. And the franchise is finally getting some national praise for their 2021 draft class from a national outlet. In the NHL, the New York Rangers are irate over the lack of...
Tim Benz: One thing is clear for 2021 Steelers: T.J. Watt is never allowed to get hurt
With the NFL Draft in the books and the first wave of free agency completed, one thing has become abundantly clear for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. T.J. Watt is not allowed to get hurt. Ever. Not a pulled calf. Not a jammed finger. Not a bee sting. Not a hangnail....
Steelers legend Jerome Bettis offers prediction about Ben Roethlisberger’s future, endorses drafting of Najee Harris
It should be no surprise that Steelers Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis is endorsing the franchise’s 2021 first-round draft pick, fellow running back Najee Jerome Harris (Alabama). Yup. He’s got a “Jerome” and a “Harris” in his name. That’s a pretty decent way to get off to a good start...
Longtime Steelers LT Alejandro Villanueva signs with rival Ravens
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ longtime left tackle is staying in the division. Alejandro Villanueva signed a two-year contract with the AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens. ESPN and the NFL Network reported the deal was for $8 million guaranteed with up to $14 million in total compensation possible. Villanueva, 32, started each...
First Call: Super Bowl odds after Steelers draft Najee Harris; Tom Wilson is at it again
Oddsmakers don’t seem impressed with the Steelers drafting Najee Harris. Tom Wilson is up to his old tricks. And a pair of happy goaltending debuts with Pittsburgh ties. All that in Tuesday’s “First Call.” Did Najee move the number? BetOnline.ag released its Super Bowl odds after the NFL Draft. How...
How a 2nd-day pick could influence the entire Steelers draft
It would be a real stretch to say that third-round draft choice Kendrick Green is the most important member of the 2021 Steelers class. Yeah, I might pull a muscle extending myself to make that argument. Unless a team takes a starting quarterback somewhere on Day 2, the first-round pick...
Tim Benz: A history lesson for those doubting the Steelers’ 2021 draft class
In Monday’s “First Call,” I pointed out that ESPN’s Mel Kiper gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a C+ for their 2021 draft class. Based on the visceral reaction I saw to that story in my email inbox and on my Twitter feed, the good folks of “Stiller Nation” have a —...
Steelers sign former Missouri CB DeMarkus Acy, cut tight end, punter
The Pittsburgh Steelers added a cornerback from the 2020 draft class then reduced the roster at tight end and punter. DeMarkus Acy, who went undrafted out of Missouri in 2020, was signed to a one-year contract Monday. He was with the San Francisco 49ers last summer and spent part of...
Could Shakur Brown or others make an impact? A look at Steelers undrafted free agents
After drafting only six players last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers upped that by 50% in selecting nine players in the 2021 draft. But the draft isn’t the only means of rookie talent acquisition. Like all NFL teams, the Steelers signed undrafted free agents in the minutes and hours after the...
Steelers to reportedly decline 5th-year option on Terrell Edmunds
Last week, word broke that the Pittsburgh Steelers were picking up the fifth-year option on one of their starting safeties. On Monday, it emerged they are not doing so with the other first-round safety from the 2018 draft class. The 2022 team option on Terrell Edmunds will be declined, according...
First Call: ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. gives Steelers lowest NFL draft grade; Kendrick Green’s focus already on starting center job
Monday’s “First Call” has a negative review of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ performance during NFL Draft weekend. One Steelers pick already has big goals. The Penguins have a chance to pour some salt in the wounds of a hated rival. And we check in on an ex-Pirate as the Bucs get...
Tim Benz: After Najee Harris, Steelers’ draft choices are more about future than present
I’m a fan of the new Pittsburgh Steelers draft class, even if I’m a bit confused by it. Because what I like about it in 2021, I’ll love about it in 2022. Which is good. Drafts are about building a foundation for the future. The problem is that the franchise...
Madden Monday: Ben Roethlisberger ‘just needs to play quarterback and shut up’
One interesting angle to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ draft is what will happen at center. The Steelers drafted Kendrick Green out of Illinois in the third round. He’s a converted guard. But the Steelers think he has a high upside. It’s just unclear if he is ready enough to be an...
Keith Butler believes early picks on offense will lead to rested Steelers defense
Keith Butler couldn’t be blamed for wondering when the Pittsburgh Steelers would draft a player to help his defense. He watched running back Najee Harris go in the first round Thursday. He sat by as the Steelers took a tight end and an interior offensive lineman Friday. The Steelers began...
