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The new league year is officially underway with the Steelers adding in areas of need, but they also lost others to free agency. Also, the Pirates continue to ramp up for the season.
Mike Tomlin spoke last night a gala at Acrisure Stadium, but he only made a statement. He allegedly was supposed to have a Q&A with the media, but blew them off after the event. Last night was also the final cap on the 2022 Steelers draft with Calvin Austin going to the Giants and Connor Heyward going to the Raiders. It's one of the worst drafts in Steelers history. But is it the worst? We took a little trip down memory lane. Bears expert Mark Grote from 670 The Score joined the show. Mark explained why the Steelers may have gotten a discount on Jaquan Brisker. Brisker has had 3 documented concussions in his career so far. Mark described Brisker as a ‘talker' and has no problem doing it on the field. Mark mentioned that Brisker called out the Dennis Allen defense at one point last season. Mark said Brisker is a physical player that has no problem willing to help out in run defense. His pass coverage is mediocre and probably not his best skill. Mark rated Brisker's game in other aspects of defense. Mark thinks Brisker for $5.5M is a steal for the Steelers. What makes Chicago the mecca of St. Paddy's Day? Open Phone Friday.
Steelers correspondent Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show joined the show. The conversation started with receivers after Calvin Austin signed a cheap deal with the Giants yesterday. Mark said there really wasn't any interest in Austin coming back. Mark thinks they could still bring in a lower-tier veteran WR. Mark believes the Steelers still have hope in Roman Wilson and said Wilson could be a starter over the receiver they potentially draft 21st overall. More w/ Mark – Rasheed Walker, one of the late big-name free agents on the market, signed with the Panthers in the last few minutes. What happened with the Steelers signing Brock Hoffman? Are the Steelers going to sign a notable left guard to replace Isaac Seumalo? Mark said he would have called Wyatt Teller instead of riding with what the Steelers have on the left side of the line. Mark likes the Jaquan Brisker signing and talked about how they can move their pieces around the defense. What does the alignment look like if they face a team with 3 good targets in Week 1? Mark credited Omar Khan for the homework he did on the Michael Pittman Jr. trade and how he got it for so little in terms of draft compensation. More w/ Mark – Steelers media got to meet the newest team members today, including Rico Dowdle, who joins Jaylen Warren in the Steelers backfield as a fellow UDFA. Mark said the Steelers are on the only team whose RB1 & RB2 are UDFAs. The discussion turned to college hoops and whether or not Miami (OH) deserves their chance in the NCAA Tournament.
A stunning development. We took calls regarding Jeff Capel and there was an unbelievable number of defenders in the listening audience. Poni can't believe there isn't a higher standard to a program that was once the hottest ticket in town. Former MLB pitcher Matt Clement joined the show. Matt thinks the spring training record means something – something little – but it's a positive with a young team. Konnor Griffin has yet to draw a walk in spring training and there is some question regarding his patience at the plate – Matt thinks that's one of a few reasons the Pirates have right now to send him to Triple A. Matt, who is also the high school coach at Butler, got into some basketball questions as we enter match. He talked about coaching Ethan Morton in high school, who was one of the most-prolific scorers in PIAA history. Is it always the smartest thing to foul when you're up by 3 points late in the game? Donny Football Debrief – Gateway football coach Don Holl joined the midday show today to talk about Jaquan Brisker. What were some of his greatest hits?
The Steelers have signed Jaquan Brisker, which had Poni in a fun move. He likes the move for the Steelers defense, even though it's a little bit more money to that side of the football. 2 of the questions Poni wanted to ask to start the show – is Brisker one of the 10 best Pittsburgh natives to play for his hometown team? And is he a Top 5 Penn State football player to play for the Steelers? BREAKING: Jeff Capel will return as Pitt head coach next season. Steelers reporter Nick Farabaugh from Penn Live dot com joined the show. Nick, a Pitt grad, said he is ‘beat down' by the news of Jeff Capel coming back to the basketball program next season. Nick doesn't think another ‘big' free agent will be signed by the Steelers after the Jaquan Brisker acquisition, but some smaller moves will be made. Nick said the expectation is for Aaron Rodgers to come back, but you just never know. Nick pointed out that Patrick Queen got paid by the Steelers today, the third day of the league year, so a trade for him is very unlikely.
Bears expert Mark Grote from 670 The Score joined the show. Mark explained why the Steelers may have gotten a discount on Jaquan Brisker. Brisker has had 3 documented concussions in his career so far. Mark described Brisker as a ‘talker' and has no problem doing it on the field. Mark mentioned that Brisker called out the Dennis Allen defense at one point last season. Mark said Brisker is a physical player that has no problem willing to help out in run defense. His pass coverage is mediocre and probably not his best skill. Mark rated Brisker's game in other aspects of defense. Mark thinks Brisker for $5.5M is a steal for the Steelers. What makes Chicago the mecca of St. Paddy's Day?
Former MLB pitcher Matt Clement joined the show. Matt thinks the spring training record means something – something little – but it's a positive with a young team. Konnor Griffin has yet to draw a walk in spring training and there is some question regarding his patience at the plate – Matt thinks that's one of a few reasons the Pirates have right now to send him to Triple A. Matt, who is also the high school coach at Butler, got into some basketball questions as we enter match. He talked about coaching Ethan Morton in high school, who was one of the most-prolific scorers in PIAA history. Is it always the smartest thing to foul when you're up by 3 points late in the game?
A stunning development. We took calls regarding Jeff Capel and there was an unbelievable number of defenders in the listening audience. Poni can't believe there isn't a higher standard to a program that was once the hottest ticket in town.
The Steelers have signed Jaquan Brisker, which had Poni in a fun move. He likes the move for the Steelers defense, even though it's a little bit more money to that side of the football. 2 of the questions Poni wanted to ask to start the show – is Brisker one of the 10 best Pittsburgh natives to play for his hometown team? And is he a Top 5 Penn State football player to play for the Steelers?
BREAKING: Jeff Capel will return as Pitt head coach next season.
Poni is a little bit worried about the Michael Pittman Jr. trade. Not because of the player himself, but because every other move the team made has been made official, except for that one. Poni said he is on high alert here because of everything that happened with the Maxx Crosby trade. Pirates insider Jason Mackey joined the show. Jason talked about Termarr Johnson being sent back to minor league camp and thinks he still is in good standing in the organization. Jason said Johnson is only 21 and will likely start in Triple A, so he's not behind schedule. Jason believes the plan is for Nick Gonzales to play SS to begin the season, assuming Konnor Griffin isn't here yet. What kind of options do the Pirates have to improve their defense? Jason disagrees with some of the others that cover the team and he feels like Griffin will begin the season at Triple A. Jason doesn't have a ton of concerns with the Pirates outfield, including Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds. Do the Pirates have any worry about Paul Skenes throwing a lot of pitches in the World Baseball Classic? Total Request Thursday.
Isaac Seumalo said that he wanted out of Pittsburgh because he did not think the Steelers were serious about winning. He then signed with the Cardinals. The Steelers lack a lot of homegrown players with any sort of playoff success, directly caused by the fact that they have gone 9 years without a playoff win. Miles Killebrew has followed Danny Smith to Tampa Bay. Steve Palazzolo from the 33rd Team joined the show. Steve likes the Michael Pittman Jr. move for the Steelers. Chris calls Pittman a better version of Juju. Steve also is not very concerned about Pittman's age. He thinks that Kyler is the best option at QB for the Steelers as it stands. Donny Football Debrief – The sectional alignment is out for WPIAL football for the next two seasons.
The latest from the longest-tenured Steelers insider Gerry Dulac is that the Steelers won't entertain drafting a QB until at least the 3rd round. Does that rule out anyone besides Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson? The CBS rankings aren't kind to Drew Allar. Who would the Steelers select? KDKA TV's Bob Pompeani joined the show. Three to five teams conducted a zoom call with Kyler Murray. Pomp hopes that the Steelers give him a look, especially for how cheap of an option he would be. Ter'marr Johnson has been sent back down to the minors. Pomp is discouraged by the fact that Johnson still has not cracked the big-league roster. Bob thinks that Miami (OH) should make the tournament because of their 31-0 regular season. Bob says that it would not surprise him if Jamie Dixon came back to Pitt. Power Rankings – Top 5 Steelers moves so far.
Kyler Murray is in Minnesota today meeting with the Vikings, but before that, Murray met virtually with ‘multiple QB-needy' teams, including the Steelers. Steelers reporters are quickly putting the kibosh on the team signing Murray even if it's for the veteran minimum. Why are people so disgusted with the thought of Murray playing QB for the Steelers? Is Murray an option for more than 2026? The guys couldn't remember if there was this much backlash when the Steelers showed interest in Russell Wilson. A former Steelers QB3 just signed a deal worth $4M and Murray can be had for $1.3M. Are Steelers fans still strongly against Kyler Murray being the team's QB? Cardinals fan called in to tell us he's happy to see Murray go. Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. Ray doesn't think the Steelers were all that close to making a move for Malik Willis. Ray is unaware of the Steelers virtually meeting with Kyler Murray before he went to meet in-person with Minnesota. Is Aaron Rodgers really the best out there after showing what he can and can't do in his first season in Pittsburgh? Ray isn't buying into Kirk Cousins being a real option. Ray thinks the Steelers could even give Rodgers a raise if he comes back in 2026. Michael Pittman Jr. was Ray's choice of ‘best move' made by the Steelers so far in the new league year. Ray isn't ruling out a Calvin Austin return if he agrees to a deal for under $5M/year. Ray believes the next notable WR move is made in the draft. There was a report the other night that the Steelers signed Brock Hoffman to fill a void on the interior of the offensive line, but it was quickly scrubbed and there has been nothing since. Spencer Anderson is the leader in the clubhouse to be left guard, but Ray said there will be competition brought in via free agency or the draft. Ray will be at a dinner later with Mike Tomlin in attendance.
Pirates insider Jason Mackey joined the show. Jason talked about Termarr Johnson being sent back to minor league camp and thinks he still is in good standing in the organization. Jason said Johnson is only 21 and will likely start in Triple A, so he's not behind schedule. Jason believes the plan is for Nick Gonzales to play SS to begin the season, assuming Konnor Griffin isn't here yet. What kind of options do the Pirates have to improve their defense? Jason disagrees with some of the others that cover the team and he feels like Griffin will begin the season at Triple A. Jason doesn't have a ton of concerns with the Pirates outfield, including Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds. Do the Pirates have any worry about Paul Skenes throwing a lot of pitches in the World Baseball Classic?
Donny Football Debrief – The sectional alignment is out for WPIAL football for the next two seasons.
Steve Palazzolo from the 33rd Team joined the show. Steve likes the Michael Pittman Jr. move for the Steelers. Chris calls Pittman a better version of Juju. Steve also is not very concerned about Pittman's age. He thinks that Kyler is the best option at QB for the Steelers as it stands.
KDKA TV's Bob Pompeani joined the show. Three to five teams conducted a zoom call with Kyler Murray. Pomp hopes that the Steelers give him a look, especially for how cheap of an option he would be. Ter'marr Johnson has been sent back down to the minors. Pomp is discouraged by the fact that Johnson still has not cracked the big-league roster. Bob thinks that Miami (OH) should make the tournament because of their 31-0 regular season. Bob says that it would not surprise him if Jamie Dixon came back to Pitt.
Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. Ray doesn't think the Steelers were all that close to making a move for Malik Willis. Ray is unaware of the Steelers virtually meeting with Kyler Murray before he went to meet in-person with Minnesota. Is Aaron Rodgers really the best out there after showing what he can and can't do in his first season in Pittsburgh? Ray isn't buying into Kirk Cousins being a real option. Ray thinks the Steelers could even give Rodgers a raise if he comes back in 2026. Michael Pittman Jr. was Ray's choice of ‘best move' made by the Steelers so far in the new league year. Ray isn't ruling out a Calvin Austin return if he agrees to a deal for under $5M/year. Ray believes the next notable WR move is made in the draft. There was a report the other night that the Steelers signed Brock Hoffman to fill a void on the interior of the offensive line, but it was quickly scrubbed and there has been nothing since. Spencer Anderson is the leader in the clubhouse to be left guard, but Ray said there will be competition brought in via free agency or the draft. Ray will be at a dinner later with Mike Tomlin in attendance.
Kyler Murray is in Minnesota today meeting with the Vikings, but before that, Murray met virtually with ‘multiple QB-needy' teams, including the Steelers. Steelers reporters are quickly putting the kibosh on the team signing Murray even if it's for the veteran minimum. Why are people so disgusted with the thought of Murray playing QB for the Steelers? Is Murray an option for more than 2026? The guys couldn't remember if there was this much backlash when the Steelers showed interest in Russell Wilson. A former Steelers QB3 just signed a deal worth $4M and Murray can be had for $1.3M.
What has happened in the last hour as the new league year is here in the NFL? The Bills got Bradley Chubb, the consolation prize for them losing out on Trey Hendrickson. The Ravens front office will speak in moments about their interesting start to the offseason. Javon Hargrave isn't coming back to Pittsburgh – he's headed to Green Bay. The Steelers made a few moves official, including the Cam Heyward extension and re-signing of Cole Holcomb. Are the Patrick Queen trade rumors slowing down? ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Aditi believes the words of Eric DeCosta that the Ravens were fully preparing to have both Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson as their edge rushers next season. Aditi dove into some of the medical concerns that allowed the Ravens to back out of the deal with the Raiders. She said it was always going to be contingent on what the Ravens' doctors took away from the physical on Crosby. Aditi has it on good authority that the Ravens were ‘excited' as of yesterday to bring Crosby in. Aditi told the guys the Ravens didn't do anything fishy here and DeCosta would never be one to go the shady route. Aditi doesn't think any team will be afraid to do a deal with the Ravens because of this. Aditi disagrees that the Ravens are ‘better off' with how this worked out, even after keeping the pair of 1st round picks. Aditi said Hendrickson is not a game-wrecker the way Crosby is.
The new league year for the NFL is officially underway, meaning free agents can officially sign contracts now. The Steelers extended Cam Heyward for another year last night, and Poni is surprised that nobody is upset. 93.7 The Fan Sports Director Jeff Hathhorn joined the show. Jeff breaks down all of the moves the Steelers made, and tells the guys what he thinks the Steelers should do. Donny Football Debrief – Moves around the NFL so far today. The NFL is “mulling” a Thanksgiving Eve game.
The Ravens backed out of the Maxx Crosby trade, and then almost immediately signed Trey Hendrickson to a 4-year deal. Is this shady from the Ravens, or did Crosby actually fail his physical? Poni thinks that the Ravens would absolutely rather have Hendrickson and both first round picks than Crosby, and that they obviously weaseled out of the deal. Poni gets into it with a caller over the Ravens' Maxx Crosby situation. Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. Mike says that the Ravens had every right to back out of the Maxx Crosby trade, and Poni is out of line. He also says that this kind of thing also happens from time to time, it has just never happened with a player the stature of Crosby. This was also the first time the Ravens had ever given up a first-round pick for a player. Crosby's knee could also end up preventing another trade. Mike said that it feels below the Steelers to sit around and wait for Aaron Rodgers, who nobody else wants.
Pitt hoops goes down in the ACC Tournament in a 98-88 loss against NC State. Is this the final game for Jeff Capel? The Panthers finished 13-20 and have just 1 NCAA bid in Capel's entire tenure. If Pitt moves on from Capel, who could be some of the replacements? There will reportedly be a discussion involving Capel's future in the next few days.
ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Aditi believes the words of Eric DeCosta that the Ravens were fully preparing to have both Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson as their edge rushers next season. Aditi dove into some of the medical concerns that allowed the Ravens to back out of the deal with the Raiders. She said it was always going to be contingent on what the Ravens' doctors took away from the physical on Crosby. Aditi has it on good authority that the Ravens were ‘excited' as of yesterday to bring Crosby in. Aditi told the guys the Ravens didn't do anything fishy here and DeCosta would never be one to go the shady route. Aditi doesn't think any team will be afraid to do a deal with the Ravens because of this. Aditi disagrees that the Ravens are ‘better off' with how this worked out, even after keeping the pair of 1st round picks. Aditi said Hendrickson is not a game-wrecker the way Crosby is.
Donny Football Debrief – Moves around the NFL so far today. The NFL is “mulling” a Thanksgiving Eve game.
93.7 The Fan Sports Director Jeff Hathhorn joined the show. Jeff breaks down all of the moves the Steelers made, and tells the guys what he thinks the Steelers should do.
Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. Mike says that the Ravens had every right to back out of the Maxx Crosby trade, and Poni is out of line. He also says that this kind of thing also happens from time to time, it has just never happened with a player the stature of Crosby. This was also the first time the Ravens had ever given up a first-round pick for a player. Crosby's knee could also end up preventing another trade. Mike said that it feels below the Steelers to sit around and wait for Aaron Rodgers, who nobody else wants.
The Ravens backed out of the Maxx Crosby trade, and then almost immediately signed Trey Hendrickson to a 4-year deal. Is this shady from the Ravens, or did Crosby actually fail his physical? Poni thinks that the Ravens would absolutely rather have Hendrickson and both first round picks than Crosby, and that they obviously weaseled out of the deal.
Pitt hoops goes down in the ACC Tournament in a 98-88 loss against NC State. Is this the final game for Jeff Capel? The Panthers finished 13-20 and have just 1 NCAA bid in Capel's entire tenure. If Pitt moves on from Capel, who could be some of the replacements? There will reportedly be a discussion involving Capel's future in the next few days.
NFL insiders are reporting that the Steelers are ‘nosing around' the QB market as the Aaron Rodgers saga rolls along. In that same conversation, those guys think Kirk Cousins is a real option for the Steelers if Rodgers decides to retire or play elsewhere. Cousins hardly feels like a consolation prize and the guys wondered what the organization would be thinking with a move like that. The fans are too wise to fall for this. It feels like it would be a failing grade from most of the fan base if it gets made. Carolina sports radio host Chris McClain from WFNZ joined the show. Chris said the Rico Dowdle experience with the Panthers was interesting. He brought up the mix of games that saw Dowdle shine and the others when Dowdle saw his carries go down. Chris said Dowdle runs hard and if he's on a roll, he's hard to stop. Chris said Rico got ‘a little salty' near the end of the season by reposting some things on social media. He believes Dowdle will create a good 1-2 punch with Jaylen Warren. Chris said there were some miscommunication issues. Chris wanted to ask the guys about new Panthers backup QB Kenny Pickett before the call was over. Name Game.
Following a riveting Pitt basketball win, Poni started by praising Mullsy for his Patrick Queen scoop yesterday. Now we are hearing more and more scuttlebutt about the Steelers trying to trade their big-money inside linebacker. BREAKING: The Steelers have signed Cameron Johnston, the punter that signed with the team a few years ago and got cut going into last season. Back to Queen – was he a Mike Tomlin guy? Mike McCarthy isn't under the pressure to keep Queen around and the Steelers could free up some cap space to be used elsewhere. Has Queen ever been a good player without a player like Roquan Smith next to him? The guys want the potential draft compensation to be in 2027 and not 2026. Donny Football Debrief – Moves around the NFL so far today.
Carolina sports radio host Chris McClain from WFNZ joined the show. Chris said the Rico Dowdle experience with the Panthers was interesting. He brought up the mix of games that saw Dowdle shine and the others when Dowdle saw his carries go down. Chris said Dowdle runs hard and if he's on a roll, he's hard to stop. Chris said Rico got ‘a little salty' near the end of the season by reposting some things on social media. He believes Dowdle will create a good 1-2 punch with Jaylen Warren. Chris said there were some miscommunication issues. Chris wanted to ask the guys about new Panthers backup QB Kenny Pickett before the call was over.
Following a riveting Pitt basketball win, Poni started by praising Mullsy for his Patrick Queen scoop yesterday. Now we are hearing more and more scuttlebutt about the Steelers trying to trade their big-money inside linebacker. BREAKING: The Steelers have signed Cameron Johnston, the punter that signed with the team a few years ago and got cut going into last season. Back to Queen – was he a Mike Tomlin guy? Mike McCarthy isn't under the pressure to keep Queen around and the Steelers could free up some cap space to be used elsewhere. Has Queen ever been a good player without a player like Roquan Smith next to him? The guys want the potential draft compensation to be in 2027 and not 2026.
Poni labeled this as a ‘good' day for the Steelers and they got better with their 2 acquisitions. The first move of the day was a trade for Michael Pittman that involved late-round picks, although we have yet to get that official compensation with the Colts. Their next was signing Jamel Dean, who had some very favorable metrics in his final of 7 seasons with the Buccaneers. If Aaron Rodgers goes somewhere else, is Kyler Murray the last remaining option for the Steelers? A great stretch of calls ended the segment. Who else is left 5+ hours into the NFL's legal tampering period
What will be the Steelers next move? The current QB room is just Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. Are we all under the assumption that Aaron Rodgers is back in 2026? Malik Willis is going to Miami for 3 years and $67.5M in a move that broke a few hours ago. Did the Dolphins over pay or get a bargain? We also reacted to Minkah Fitzpatrick going to the Jets in a trade with the Dolphins that was only worth a 7th round pick. After Kenneth Gainwell went to the Bucs, could the Steelers be looking at a RB? Who is out there for the Steelers along the offensive line? Is Kenny Pickett going to find a home in this cycle? We now know the additional draft compensation each team will receive. The Steelers officially have 4 additional selections – 3-99, 4-135, 6-214, 6-216. Charlie Borges reminded us what he hates Jamel Dean, the Steelers newest member of the secondary. Donny Football Debrief – Tua Tagovailoa has found a new team and don't worry, it's not Pittsburgh.
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