Monday’s “First Call” looks at the looming Steelers quarterback battle. We find an interesting Steelers-related conspiracy theory about Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. Gambling odds have Kenny Pickett as the favorite to win NFL Rookie of the Year. And the Pirates are getting ready for a step up in competition.
What’s on Mitch’s mind
Many have wondered what Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky had to be thinking when the franchise selected Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first round of the recently completed NFL draft. After all, he had just signed with the organization a few weeks prior.
However, according to a recent report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Friday, Trubisky was made aware of the prospect in advance of signing with the team.
“I was told he even knew that Kenny Pickett was a strong possibility going into this,” Fowler said on Friday. “If he was there at No. 20, they might take him. He was prepared for this.”
Based on some recent comments from Kevin Colbert, it’d be easy to surmise that the Steelers are leaning toward starting Pickett. But that’s not how Fowler is positioning things.
“They plan to play no favorites. Mike Tomlin’s words are sincere because if there’s any anywhere in the NFL that is truly merit based about competition, it’s the Steelers,” Fowler said, citing Tomlin’s favorite “two dogs, one bone” school of thought when it comes to position battles.
But as Fowler points out, in this case, it might be “three dogs” if you keep Mason Rudolph in the mix.
“Mason Rudolph has more experience in the system than anybody else. He’ll be in the mix. I wouldn’t discount him completely,” Fowlers said.
The Steelers will hold their annual rookie minicamp May 13-15.
Mad Mayfield
Based on a report last week from ESPN’s Jake Trotter, the relationship between the Cleveland Browns and quarterback Baker Mayfield may have bottomed out during their loss to the Steelers at Heinz Field during “Monday Night Football” in Week 17.
As you may recall, Mayfield second-guessed his team’s gameplan that night after falling 26-14. A game that featured nine sacks by the Steelers defense, four thanks to All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt.
“When you’ve got T.J. Watt over there, and we’re not giving our rookie tackle [James Hudson] a whole lot of help, it’s not going to be good for us,” said Mayfield.
Trotter said some sources close to Mayfield have intimated that their belief was that the coaching staff was hanging the quarterback out to dry.
“As Mayfield labored through a listless performance, the Browns kept him in to the final offensive play, which was an interception,” Trotter wrote. “According to multiple sources, those close to Mayfield — who to that point had missed one game because of his shoulder injury — wondered at the time if the Browns were trying to make Mayfield look as hapless as possible in prime time, to potentially pave the way for the franchise to more easily explain why it might be moving on from him in the offseason.”
Trotter said that a Browns spokesperson declined to comment.
I’m not going to say that the Browns were trying to make Mayfield look bad. But I will say that by the end of last year — with the way things went for the organization and its pursuit of Deshaun Watson this offseason — maybe they weren’t too upset that it happened.
Cash on Kenny?
Via ProFootballTalk.com, Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is the betting favorite for NFL Rookie of the Year.
PointsBet lists Pickett as a 5-1 favorite right now. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London is second at 6/1, followed by another receiver, Tennessee Titans pass catcher Treylon Burks, at 7/1.
With Calvin Ridley’s suspension in Atlanta and the trade of A.J. Brown from Tennessee to Philadelphia, you can see why those two candidates should have money coming in on them.
If you are a fan of taking a running back, New York Jets second-rounder Breece Hall is at 17/2 followed by Kenneth Walker III of the Seattle Seahawks at 10/1.
Walker might be sharp money there. I see Pickett as a risk because he isn’t a lock to win the starting job. And if a team struggles overall with a rookie starting QB, that player may get an inordinate amount of blame.
Some other rookie quarterbacks listed include Tennessee’s Malik Willis at 13/1, then Panthers quarterback Matt Corral and Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder are at 15/1.
Here’s a twist
If the Penguins survive their opening-round series against the New York Rangers, they’ll get the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes-Boston Bruins series in Round 2.
After the first two games, it appeared that Carolina would be a lock to advance. They won 5-1 and 5-2 in the first two contests.
Not so fast. Boston rebounded with a 4-2 victory in Game 3. Then they won Game 4 by a final of 5-2. The Bruins’ Brad Marchand had a hand in all 5 goals, scoring twice and assisting on the other three.
Nothin' but net. pic.twitter.com/fXMKMpA5fi
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) May 8, 2022
Elsewhere in the East, the Tampa Bay Lightning won Game 4 of their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-3. So that series is also knotted up at 2-2.
The Washington Capitals host Florida in the fourth game of their series tonight. Eighth-seeded Washington has a surprising 2-1 series edge in that battle.
