First Call: Ex-Steeler on Mason Rudolph, 'He's a backup'; college hoops coaches ignite skirmish; NFL Combine boycott?

Monday’s “First Call” features another former Pittsburgh Steeler doubting quarterback Mason Rudolph. There may be a boycott of the NFL scouting combine. A local NHL product hits a milestone. There was a fight between coaches in the Big Ten basketball ranks. And maybe Tampa Bay wasn’t all paradise for Tom Brady and Bruce Arians.

’What did Trai say?’

Trai Essex is the latest ex-Steeler to pile on the prospect of Mason Rudolph being the franchise’s new quarterback.

Appearing on 105.9 The X Friday with Adam Crowley, the retired offensive lineman said that some recent comments by Rudolph’s teammates indicate a lack of faith.

“He’s a backup quarterback … If you don’t have your main guys into the locker room going to bat for you, that’s a trouble spot,” said Essex.

Trai Essex on Mason Rudolph: "He's a backup quarterback...If you don't have your main guys into the locker room going to bat for you, that's a trouble spot."

— Adam Crowley (@_adamcrowley) February 18, 2022

Essex made the comments in the wake of what running back Najee Harris and linebacker T.J. Watt said recently when asked about what the Steelers should do at QB. Both immediately launched into the prospect of the front office finding another signal-caller instead of moving forward with either Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins.

Essex added he likes Buffalo Bills backup Mitch Trubisky more for the Steelers than recent conversation about Jameis Winston and others. As far as the offensive line goes, Essex said he was impressed by Dan Moore Jr. And he said if Kevin Dotson can stay healthy, then the left side can be good.

I agree about his take on Dotson. I’m less on board with Trubisky. I’m most in favor of what Harris and Watt were getting at, but I’m thinking bigger than Trubisky and Winston.

Local boy does good

Gibsonia’s Brandon Saad scored the game-winning goal for the St. Louis Blues against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. St. Louis won 6-3.

It was goal number 200 for Saad’s career.

A couple of pretty passes leads to career goal no. 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ for Brandon Saad!

????: @Sportsnet ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF #NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/OV6SF4C5gH

— NHL (@NHL) February 20, 2022

That was Saad’s 16th goal of the year, and it snapped a five-game goalless streak. Saad and the Blues come to Pittsburgh on March 17.

Trouble between B.A. and T.B. 12?

One of Tom Brady’s former teammates is stirring the pot as the legendary quarterback heads into retirement.

Former offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger tweeted that the relationship between Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich was heading in the wrong direction as 2021 went along.

Apparently, while Arians was rehabbing the achilles in the early mornings, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and Brady would work on the week's game plan. Arians would later come in and take the red pen to work they'd done. The QB and OC felt undermined, there was tension.

— Rich Ohrnberger (@ohrnberger) February 18, 2022

The former Steelers assistant coach rebuked that story in no uncertain terms during an interview with Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

“I mean, that’s such (bull)‚’’ Arians told Stroud. “That’s what (ticks) me off. I guess probably Byron could corroborate this, too.

“First of all, I don’t rehab my Achilles in the morning. … I will go over the game plans and add things, but I don’t delete anything. I don’t have to because they do such a good job. … I’ll see some things. Add some things. It’s an awesome collaboration, one of the best I’ve ever been around.”

Ohrnberger doubled down on his tweet. The Penn State product went on to suggest there was some tension between Leftwich and Brady as well, specifically about how to handle the run game, and that Arians had a much lighter work schedule than others in the building.

While others worked around the clock in Tampa to build a winner, Head Football Coach Bruce Arians had a much lighter work schedule.

…per multiple impregnable sources.

— Rich Ohrnberger (@ohrnberger) February 20, 2022

Ohrnberger works at Fox Sports Radio and multiple sports outlets in San Diego.

‘No go’ for Combine?

According to ProFootballTalk.com, a boycott of the NFL Scouting Combine may be brewing.

Via Mike Florio, “155 players represented by 13 different agencies are prepared to announce on Monday a formal boycott of the 2022 Scouting Combine.”

It appears that agents of prospective NFL draftees are miffed over the conditions surrounding this year’s Combine in Indianapolis. The NFL is implementing a tight bubble for this year’s event at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Oh no! Does this mean we may never find out the true size of Kenny Pickett’s hands? Or which punter runs the fastest 40-yard dash?

Hot-head Howard

The 15th-ranked Wisconsin basketball team brawled with Michigan at the end of their game Sunday.

It started with a confrontation between Michigan head coach Juwan Howard and Wisconsin’s head coach Greg Gard in the handshake line following Wisconsin’s 77-63 win in Madison. Then it escalated when Howard took a swing at Badgers assistant Joe Krabbenhoft.

A fight broke out between Michigan and Wisconsin during the postgame handshake line. pic.twitter.com/AiWIwyzj8w

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) February 20, 2022

Howard said that he was mad over Wisconsin calling timeout with a big lead late in the game.

Juwan Howard’s explanation pic.twitter.com/qz7GgQZx1U

— Hollywood Mitch (@MitchHollywood) February 20, 2022

Gard claims the timeout was called because Howard was pressing his reserves who were in the game to run out the clock.

"Apparently, he didn't like that I called a timeout."

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard explains what led to the postgame fight with Juwan Howard and the Michigan team. pic.twitter.com/tjgRpGsCQB

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) February 20, 2022

Credit Boston Globe Red Sox writer Pete Abraham with the tweet of the day.

Members of the Fab Five still having issues with timeouts.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) February 20, 2022

Chris Webber is on Twitter, too, isn’t he?

Personally, my favorite moment of the whole thing was the Badger fan base chanting “NIT, NIT, NIT” as the 14-11 Wolverines finally left the floor.