First Call: Steeler hurt most by quarantine? 10-round NFL Draft? Rashard Mendenhall still fumes over Super Bowl fumble

In Wednesday’s “First Call,” the Steelers player most hurt by the absence of an offseason program. Rashard Mendenhall is still touchy about his Super Bowl fumble. Kevin Colbert wants a 10-round draft.

Shutdown hardest on whom?

ESPN.com came up with a list of one player per team that is going to be most hurt by an offseason with no football activity.

The correct answer is Ben Roethlisberger.

That’s not the answer given by ESPN. But it’s the right answer.

They came close, nominating Mason Rudolph. And, frankly, a solid argument is built by writer Brooke Pryor.

“With Ben Roethlisberger still rehabbing his elbow, Rudolph was slated to get the majority of the first-team reps in the offseason programs. It’s not only a chance for him to show his progress after his own offseason surgery to repair his shoulder, but it would also be a chance for him to work with new QBs coach Matt Canada. The Steelers didn’t have a dedicated quarterbacks coach last season, and it showed when two young players had to take over for Roethlisberger. The organization has expressed confidence in Rudolph as the No. 2, and guidance from Canada would give Rudolph a chance to develop further and show more of his potential.”

Pryor is right. All of that is accurate.

But I’d argue it’s also overlooking the obvious. After missing 14½ games last year, getting Big Ben back in gear is paramount to the Steelers’ success, and everything else is secondary.

And, as Roethlisberger told The Athletic this week, he was going to be able to participate in OTAs and minicamps in some form or fashion. Whatever throws he could get in would’ve been worthwhile.

Via that story, Roethlisberger is throwing at 60% of his capacity. He says that’s because there’s no reason or availability to test it out any further.

Offseason workouts would’ve provided that. It also would’ve given Roethlisberger a chance to work with new tight end Eric Ebron and further a relationship with Diontae Johnson.

After all, he and Johnson barely had any time to get in a groove before Roethlisberger got hurt last year. Now Johnson could potentially become the Steelers top receiving threat in 2020.

Elsewhere in ‘First Call’

• The New York Daily News reports that Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert wants to expand the NFL Draft to 10 rounds for this year.

Sure. From a team standpoint, why not? It’ll help clubs minimize their margin of error, given their limited ability to interview players and attend workouts due to the coronavirus outbreak.

But that’s not necessarily what some players may want.

In a lot of cases, after the fifth or mid-sixth rounds, some players prefer to sign with teams as rookie free agents because they have more control over the destination that may work out best for them.

Also, 10 rounds?! This whole virtual draft thing could be a technological headache for seven rounds, let alone 10.

• How the draft will look televised is starting to leak. Andrew Marchand of the New York Post is painting a picture. It’s not too complicated.

• The Steelers’ loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV was rebroadcast on Sunday. And Rashard Mendenhall must’ve gotten a lot of flak on Twitter for his costly fumble in the second half of that game.

Again.

Because he posted this extremely not-safe-for-work video response to the heat he was getting.

Yeesh! And you thought you were still mad over that play?!

• Tuesday was supposed to be the Masters Champions Dinner. So Tiger Woods decided to throw one for himself and his family at his Florida home.

Masters Champions Dinner quarantine style. Nothing better than being with family. pic.twitter.com/xPK769CWCf

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) April 7, 2020

The Champions Dinner is a tradition at Augusta National for past Masters champions and the club chairman, currently Fred Ridley.

According to ESPN.com, Woods had selected the same menu for this year’s version of the dinner as that of 2006, the last time he won the Masters: steak and fajitas, along with sushi and sashimi.

No word if that’s what he and the family had at home.

Or … what the dogs got to eat.