First Call: Steelers reportedly reached out about a Courtland Sutton trade; Joey Porter Jr.'s cousin getting Steelers camp invite

At least one report says the Pittsburgh Steelers did make a trade inquiry about Denver receiver Courtland Sutton. Another supposed Steelers draft target says he was expecting to wind up in Pittsburgh when his phone rang in the second round.

A cousin of Joey Porter Jr. is getting a camp tryout with the Steelers. A few NHL stars with local connections had big days in the playoffs. And the Pirates are looking to get back on the winning track in the Bay Area.

All that in Monday’s “First Call.”

Keeping an eye on Courtland

It was widely believed that the Steelers might make an attempt to trade for Denver wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Apparently that happened, but the trade didn’t.

According to Jarret Bailey of USA Today, both the Steelers and Los Angeles Rams “reached out to the Broncos before and during the NFL Draft inquiring about WR Courtland Sutton.”

Sutton wants a new contract. The 29-year-old has not attended voluntary offseason workouts. He has only $2 million in guaranteed money left on his current agreement. He counts $13 million and $13.5 million, respectively, against the salary cap the next two seasons.

But Bailey now says that the Broncos don’t want to move Sutton because they think he can be the top target for newly drafted quarterback Bo Nix.

The Steelers cleared $7 million of cap space by restructuring Alex Highsmith’s contract, presumably to acquire a veteran wide receiver to round out their thin pass-catching room.

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Might have been Mike?

For some of the pre-draft process, the Steelers had been connected to Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil. He seemed like a Mike Hilton type of player that could potentially play the slot.

The Steelers reportedly met with Sainristil before his Pro Day. He was on the board at No. 50, one pick before the Steelers selected West Virginia center Zach Frazier. The Washington Commanders grabbed Sainristil at that point.

“I was not expecting it to be the Commanders,” Sainristil told the team’s website. “I thought I was going to the Steelers at 51. But I felt my phone vibrating, I looked down, there was a Virginia number. I’m like, ‘Man, who the heck from Virginia’s calling me right now?’”

The Steelers probably would’ve taken Frazier anyway, not only because of their need at center, but they didn’t select a defensive back until Ryan Watts with their second choice in Round 6.

The Steelers may dip into the free-agent pool or try to make a trade before the start of the season to bolster their defensive back corps that has lost seven players since the end of last season.

It’s possible the Steelers could bring back Chandon Sullivan and/or Patrick Peterson to help fill the void there.

Double dipping

Ferris State cornerback Shon Stephens was an apparent player of interest for the Steelers in advance of the draft. He’s a cousin of current Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

Stephens didn’t get drafted. But he does have two rookie minicamp invites, one with the Steelers and another with the Philadelphia Eagles. That’s according to Justin Melo of the Draft Network.

.@FerrisFootball CB Shon Stephens has accepted a rookie minicamp invite with #Eagles. He's also accepted a second invite to attend #Steelers rookie minicamp, per source. There's always the possibility Philadelphia signs him on the spot.

Nephew of #Steelers legend Joey Porter.

— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) April 28, 2024

Stephens opened eyes while working out as an invite at Michigan State’s Pro Day, running a 4.3-second 40-yard dash. At the time, Melo said 29 of 32 teams were on hand at MSU’s event, in part to check out Stephens.

He is 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds and played at West Liberty before Ferris. He was twice slated to join Big Ten schools. Once, it was Penn State, then Purdue. But NCAA transfer rules got in the way.

Salvage the trip?

After dropping two of three to the San Francisco Giants, the Pirates have fallen to 14-15. Now they make the short trip to Oakland for three against the A’s on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Oakland is 12-17 and in third place of the mediocre American League West. The A’s have won three of four against Baltimore and the New York Yankees, including a 7-6 comeback victory over the Orioles on Sunday. Kyle McCann had a game-winning homer in the ninth inning.

KYLE MCCANN GO-AHEAD BLAST IN THE NINTH pic.twitter.com/aL94lzQ8pN

— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) April 28, 2024

Closer Mason Miller has been a star for the A’s, saving all seven of his opportunities out of the bullpen so far this season. The Bethel Park native has 25 strikeouts in 12⅓ innings.

The A’s took two of three in Pittsburgh a year ago.

Local connection

A pair of players with Pittsburgh ties had some highlight moments in the NHL playoffs Sunday. Upper St. Clair’s Vince Trocheck scored a power-play goal en route to a 4-2 New York Rangers win over the Washington Capitals in Game 4 of their opening round series.

Power play Troch strikes from the slot. pic.twitter.com/h2wio94AO3

— x - New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 29, 2024

The victory closed out a four-game sweep of the Caps for the Rangers. They will next face the Carolina Hurricanes or the New York Islanders. Carolina leads that series 3-1.

Trocheck’s 2013 World Junior teammate J.T. Miller also had a good day, totaling three assists for the Vancouver Canucks as they stormed back to beat the Nashville Predators, 4-3, in overtime. The former Coraopolis resident assisted on all three of Brock Boeser’s goals during the game, including one with the goalie pulled to overcome what had been a 3-1 deficit.

BOESER HAT TRICK

Brock Boeser (@BBoeser16) nets all three goals in regulation for the @Canucks, including the game-tying tally late in the third to force overtime! #StanleyCup

Hat Trick Challenge presented by @AstraZenecaUS pic.twitter.com/8q6jVN6KrV

— NHL (@NHL) April 29, 2024

Former Penguin Casey DeSmith was injured and unable to start in net for the Canucks. So Arturs Silovs got the start. He made 27 saves in his NHL playoff debut as Vancouver’s third different starting goalie of the series. Thatcher Demko got hurt while winning in Game 1.

The Canucks have a 3-1 lead in that series.