First Call: High hopes for Steelers’ Najee Harris; Bruce Arians gets bump in pay; long range depth for Ravens O-line

Expectations are already high for Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Najee Harris. Bruce Arians is getting a bump in pay for winning a Super Bowl ring. Depth is coming for the Baltimore Ravens offensive line. But not this year.

And now we have an idea of how the Duquesne basketball schedule is going to play out in the Atlantic 10.

All that in Tuesday’s “First Call.”

Now for Najee

Don’t wait for success with Steelers rookie running back Najee Harris. It should come quickly.

That’s what the NFL.com computers say. And that’s at least what they say in comparison to Harris’ rookie peers at the position.

Let’s be honest. That’s not a very deep talent pool.

After all, only four running backs were taken over the first two days. But NFL.com stats writer Cynthia Frelund ran some numbers which suggest Harris is going to have the best rookie season of the bunch, even if the Steelers offensive line isn’t very good in front of him.

Which very well may be the case.

“As of right now, the Steelers’ offensive line forecasts to grade out in the 20s by the time everyone establishes their 53-man rosters, meaning Harris faces a tough task,” Frelund says. “The good news is that his volume forecasts to be high, as does his ability to keep earning positive yardage. Pro Football Focus credited Harris with earning 821 rushing yards after contact in 2020, which was the second-most in FBS (trailing only Iowa State’s Breece Hall). Harris also forced 93 missed tackles on touches last season, the most in FBS, with 71 coming off rushes and 22 on receptions.”

If that’s a fancy way of saying that Harris is going to make more plays on his own than James Conner or Benny Snell did last year, I co-sign.

Big ‘bucs’ for Bruce

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are taking care of head coach Bruce Arians.

The former Steelers offensive coordinator is getting a pay bump after his team won the Super Bowl last year. Meanwhile, general manager Jason Licht is getting a new contract. That’s according to Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network.

Sources: The #Bucs have agreed on a revised contract for Super Bowl-winning coach Bruce Arians that includes a pay raise, while GM Jason Licht also has a new deal that ensures he’ll be in Tampa Bay for multiple years. Well-deserved for the champs.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 7, 2021

There had been some concern that Arians may retire after the Bucs won the Super Bowl. But he denied that story and appears to want to continue coaching for the foreseeable future.

Looking long term

Former Steeler Alejandro Villanueva is getting some competition in Baltimore.

But not for this year.

The Ravens are signing offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James. He’s coming off an Achilles injury sustained while working out away from the Denver Broncos facility in April. Denver released him May 14, voiding a $10 million salary.

So he isn’t expected to contribute this year. But next year he may serve as competition for Villanueva as the Ravens look to fill the void left by trading Orlando Brown Jr. to the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason.

Baltimore will pay James $500,000 in guaranteed cash this year while he rehabs his injury. Then he’ll get $8 million for the 2022 season. The deal is pending a physical that will not include the Achilles injury.

Villanueva signed a two-year deal in May.

Table is set

According to Jon Rothstein of College Hoops Today, the Atlantic 10 conference matchups are set.

Keith Dambrot’s Duquesne Dukes will face Davidson, Dayton, Fordham, George Washington and conference champion St. Bonaventure home and away.

They’ll host George Mason, La Salle, Richmond and Saint Louis. They’ll visit Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Saint Joseph’s and VCU.

Only six players remain from last year’s Dukes team, and seven of the top eight scorers are gone.

Dambrot will lean on four transfers — Kevin Easley Jr. (TCU), Leon Ayers III (Mercer), Rodney Gunn Jr. (Lenoir-Rhyne) and Tre Williams (55 starts at Indiana State). Also, look for significant contributions from freshman guards Jackie Johnson and Primo Spears.