Steelers/NFL category, Page 383
Virus shutdowns will likely make NFL draft most bet on ever
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — For those who haven’t mastered the odds of Belarussian soccer or Russian table tennis, this week’s NFL draft gives U.S. gamblers their first opportunity in weeks to bet on an event about which they actually know something. With major sports shut down for more than a...
Mark Madden: Lamar Jackson should be careful what he’s wishing for with Antonio BrownVideo
I didn’t think the Pittsburgh Steelers had a chance to win the AFC North until Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (the reigning NFL MVP) said, “I’d be happy if we signed him.” “Him” is wayward wide receiver Antonio Brown, ex of this parish. That puts the Steelers right back in...
Joe Rutter’s mock NFL Draft: Steelers to target playmakers early
Mock drafts are like noses in that everyone has one. And many folks treat such endeavors like that certain popular brand of potato chip — you can’t have just one. Not here. This mock for the Pittsburgh Steelers is the first and only one I have produced this year. It...
Unlike last year, Steelers could go in several directions with top draft pick
When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded up 10 spots and selected linebacker Devin Bush with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, it hardly constituted as a surprise. Team president Art Rooney II admitted as much, calling the Bush selection “maybe the worst-kept secret of the draft.” The...
First Call: Unflattering review of Leonard Fournette, former WPIAL star getting NFL trade interest, Gronk trade impacts gambling
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” a less than stellar review of Leonard Fournette. A former Western Pa. football star may be on the move. And the Rob Gronkowski trade is shifting gambling lines. No fan of Fournette Former Pittsburgh sportswriter Vito Stellino is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He...
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson wants Antonio Brown. Is he crazy? Or onto something?
I’ve been quite happy with how the NFL has managed to socially distance itself from former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. The league has been much farther than six feet away from A.B. since September. Now NFL MVP Lamar Jackson wants Brown to return. And he’d like to see Mr....
NFL Draft analyst: Draft ‘sets up really nicely’ for Steelers’ offensive needs
The Steelers haven’t been without a first-round draft pick since 1967. But with the way things are lining up for this week’s NFL Draft, 2020 may not be a bad year for that to be the case. That seems to be the assessment of at least one draft analyst I...
NFL Draft CB breakdown: Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah has top spot locked downVideo
1. Jeff Okudah Ohio State, 6-1, 205 Okudah will be the first cornerback taken, and that could happen within the top five picks. His NFL comparable is Patrick Peterson. As a junior, Okudah was a first-team All-American and a Jim Thorpe finalist as the nation’s top defensive back. Okudah led...
Penn State’s John Reid undervalued as CB prospect, draft analysts believe
Penn State is expected to have one former player taken in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday in pass rusher Yetur Gross-Matos. Another Nittany Lions alum will go on the second day when wide receiver K.J. Hamler gets the call. Others will be taken on the third...
First Call: Price on Leonard Fournette may slip into Steelers range, Jameis Winston’s new tactic
Tuesday’s “First Call” gives us an update on the Leonard Fournette trade front. The asking price could dip into the Steelers’ range if they are interested. That’s not it for drama in Jacksonville. Another Jaguars player is going after ownership. Jameis Winston is playing coy with his free agency. And...
Tim Benz: Ripple effect of Steelers going with a WR or RB early in draft
What I’m about to give you is just my anecdotal observation. It’s far from scientific data. That being said, considering what we’ve learned over the last two months, we all tend to pick and choose scientific data based on the numbers we prefer to believe anyway. So let’s stick with...
NFL Draft safety breakdown: Pair of SEC products lead classVideo
1. Xavier McKinney Alabama, 6-0, 201 In his junior season, before he declared for the draft, McKinney led Alabama with 95 tackles, including 5 1/2 for loss, and he had three sacks. His ball-hawking skills were on display as he forced four fumbles, intercepted three passes and broke up five...
Mike Tomlin: New Steelers QB coach Matt Canada to provide ‘fresh ideas’Video
It wasn’t long ago that Matt Canada was viewed as one of the most innovative offensive football minds in the country. Now that Canada is with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin wants to take advantage of it. “He’ll work hand-in-hand with all the quarterbacks and help them in their growth...
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin, Kevin Colbert: backup centers to benefit most from bigger rosters
The new collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and its players union expanded roster sizes from 53 to 55 per team. It upped active gameday squads by two, as well, to 48. Time will tell how teams fill those spots. But if the Pittsburgh Steelers coach and general manager are...
Mark Madden: Don’t underestimate NFL’s power, impact on economy
We don’t have sports. But we still have refreshing sports notes! (When these notes were prepared, they were positioned 6 feet apart and doused with hand sanitizer.) • If any sport can start on time with fans in the stands, it’s the NFL. Don’t underestimate the league’s power, political connections...
Despite ‘feeling good’ about Steelers’ QBs, Kevin Colbert won’t rule out drafting oneVideo
While he reiterated the Pittsburgh Steelers “felt good” about Ben Roethlisberger’s health and expressed satisfaction in Mason Rudolph as a backup, general manager Kevin Colbert did not rule out selecting another quarterback in the NFL draft later this week. “If any pick makes sense at any time, then of course...
Steelers’ Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin ready for ‘spectator’s view’ when NFL Draft beginsVideo
The NFL scheduled a trial run with owners, general managers and coaches Monday afternoon to work out the kinks of the league’s first virtual draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers, in essence, will conduct a second one Thursday night. With the Steelers being one of six teams without a first-round pick, team...
After investing 2 recent first-round picks at safety, Steelers likely to look elsewhere earlyVideo
Based on their record last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers were slotted as the No. 18 pick of the first round of the 2020 draft. Though the league’s annual selection meeting begins Thursday, the Steelers are already content with what that draft capital will reap — a versatile, athletic playmaker of...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden discuss how the draft may impact Steelers trades; Matt Murray’s future
In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden and I focus on the NFL Draft. We both see the logic in the Steelers drafting a skill-position player in the second round. But what becomes of JuJu Smith-Schuster or James Conner if that happens? Could either of them be traded? If...
First Call: Should Steelers look at Leonard Fournette? Rare national praise for Ben Roethlisberger
Monday’s “First Call” starts the week with rare pre-NFL Draft praise of Ben Roethlisberger from the national media. Could the Steelers target running back Leonard Fournette in a trade? More Jameis Winston to the Steelers chatter. And it appears that the Chinese Professional Baseball League (Taiwan) doesn’t quite grasp the...
NFL Draft linebacker breakdown: Production galore from this classVideo
The NFL Draft is April 23-25. Each day leading up to the first round, the Tribune-Review is compiling a positional preview of the top draft prospects. 1. Isaiah Simmons Clemson, 6-4, 238 Simmons earned the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker in 2019 as a redshirt junior. He also...
Steelers’ evolution at inside linebacker could include additions in NFL DraftVideo
About this time in 2019, the Pittsburgh Steelers were finishing up an eight-month process of spending four draft picks and $13.45 million in guaranteed money into fortifying the inside linebacker position. A year after those investments, the Steelers still seem to have work to do at the position. The release...
NFL Draft OLB/Edge rush breakdown: Talented position doesn’t end with Chase YoungVideo
The NFL Draft is April 23-25. Each day leading up to the first round, the Tribune-Review is compiling a positional preview of the top draft prospects. 1. Chase Young Ohio State, 6-5, 264 Young is the best athlete in the draft and almost assuredly will be property of the Redskins...
Mock NFL Draft predicts Steelers take Wisconsin RB Jonathan TaylorVideo
The only quarterback who definitely won’t fall Thursday night in prime time is Joe Burrow. Burrow’s is the first name we will hear regardless if the Bengals select him or a team such as the Dolphins pays a king’s ransom for the first overall pick. The situation remains fluid for...
With Big Ben at 38, history shows older NFL QBs can thrive, but drop-off can come quickly
Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and John Elway made the Pro Bowl and won at least one playoff game during their age-38 seasons as NFL quarterbacks. Elway guided a team to a Super Bowl title as a 38-year-old. Brady pulled that trick at 39 and again at...
