--ESPN 1250's Lunch with a Legend series continues on May 13 with Barry Melrose and Steve Levy. Throw in food from Morton's and that makes for an interesting afternoon. [ESPN 1250]
--Cleveland gives their tourism video a second shot...
The Steelers signed a few veteran free agents today, most notably WR Shaun McDonald. Originally a fourth-round pick by the Rams in 2003, McDonald spent the last two seasons with Detroit, following former coach Mike Martz to the Motor City. In 2008, McDonald had 35 catches for 332 yards and one touchdown in 12 games. I'm guessing this will put the Ashley Lelie rumors to bed.
The team also picked up punter Dirk Johnson, who originally entered the league in 1998 as an undrafted free agent out of Northern Colorado. He's bounced around the league since then, suiting up for Seattle (1998), New Orleans (2002), Philadelphia (2003–2006), Chicago (2007), Arizona (2008), and Washington (2009). He became available after the Skins signed Hunter Smith this month. Johnson has a career average of 41.7, with 35.9 net. In case you were wondering, Daniel Sepulveda's numbers from 2007 were 42.4 and 37.9.
In other news, the Steelers also formally announced the Keiwan Ratliff signing, and also picked up kicker Piotr Czech to give Jeff "Sheetz" Reed some competition in camp. On the field and not off, I hope.
Finally, long snapper Jared Retkofsky was released. He was signed last year when Greg Warren was knocked out for the season and spot replacement James Harrison proved he should stick to playing linebacker. The Steelers signed Pitt long snapper Mark Estermeyer as an undrafted free agent this week.
First, NBC lost the guy who drove around the country in a bus. Now, it appears that they're going to part ways with the Bus himself.
As per Newsday's Neil Best, Bettis' contract with NBC is not likely to be renewed following his third season with the network. Best tosses around the possibility of NBC bringing in Brett Favre, but I'm not buying that until an entire regular season goes by with Favre sitting on the sidelines.
While Bettis has a likable persona, some have speculated that he's been a bit of a letdown in television broadcasting. Personally, I think it's hard for anybody to stand out in the battle for face time that is football on NBC, so if this partnership ultimately doesn't work out for The Bus, I'm sure he can park at a different network with little effort.
PICS OF THE DAY I get this emailed to me every couple of days. It's allegedly Alex Ovechkin's receipt from a strip club. Except one thing. It's not really his.
There's always email too. If you like what you're seeing, if you don't like what you're seeing, if you've got any input, my ears are always open at mondesishouse@gmail.com
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LINKS
PENS/NHL:
--More great news from NBC regarding Saturday's Penguin broadcast. My sarcasm level = off the charts. [Empty Netters]
--ESPN's Dave Dameshek chats with John Buccigross about the second round series. And later in the week, Dave talks to yours truly. I'm sure the Ovie strip club receipt controversy will be discussed. [ESPN.com]
--Mark Madden remains on fire, with an 11.6 rating in the new book. So congrats go out to him. As far as issues of sport, Double M likes the Dan Bylsma hiring... [WXDX.com]
--The Pirates quietly got swept in Milwaukee, where they've now lost 18 in a row. This is becoming their version of the Penguins in Philadelphia years ago. They'll regroup on Thursday and pick up play Friday against Cincy. Zach Duke faces off against ex-Bucco Bronson Arroyo, he of the 6.48 ERA. [Pirates.com]
--Derek Bell's World Series ring fails to sell on eBay. Obviously, this was not won during his time as a Pirate. [Big League Stew]
STEELERS/NFL:
--Cumulative draft grades have been calculated, and the Steelers are in the middle of the pack. Because we all now that championships are won the day after the draft, right? [Real Clear Sports]
--For the numerous Howard Stern fans that read this site: are you aware KDKA has a Tradio show? Oh, the possibilities. If you're not in on the joke, listen to the YouTube clip below. [KDKA.com]
As you'll remember, Washington, much like Philadelphia, seems to have an obsession with our team's captain. Whatever. He wasn't the one celebrating his first-ever playoff series victory last night. He's been to the Cup, in case you've forgotten.
So the Penguins, Pittsburgh's third team in 2009 to reach the Elite Eight of their respective sport, will be matching up with another hated rival. And the life of a Pittsburgh sports fan continues to get better and better. Steelers-Ravens III. Super Bowl 43. NCAA Elite Eight. Pens-Flyers. And now this. Admit it, we're spoiled. (Plus, the Pirates are still over .500 at the end of April!)
Game One will be at Washington's Verizon Center, with a 1:08 start. Game Two will be played in Washington on Monday night at 7:08 PM. The series comes to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, May 6. Empty Netters has the full second-round schedule here. Until then, we'll continue to whip ourselves into a frenzy about what lies ahead.
My goodness. I can hear all of Steeler Nation wetting their pants after watching that clip. At the pace he's gained fans since being selected in the draft, there might be a statue of this guy outside Heinz Field by the start of training camp.
*Thanks to Vince T. for the video Send your news, tips, and links to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.
Per KDKA, here is a revised list of 11 Pitt Panthers that will be incoming to NFL camps this summer, and how they were acquired. Needless to say, this makes for one happy Wannstache, who can tout this to high school juniors and seniors on his never-ending tour of area high schools.
P Dave Brytus: Baltimore (free agent) RB Conredge Collins: Tampa Bay (free agent) OG C.J. Davis: Carolina (free agent) DT Rashaad Duncan: Tampa Bay (free agent) P Adam Graessle: Green Bay (free agent) WR Derek Kinder: Chicago (7th round pick) K Conor Lee: St. Louis (free agent) RB LeSean McCoy: Philadelphia (2nd round pick) LB Scott McKillop: San Francisco (5th round pick) RB LaRod Stephens-Howlings: Arizona (7th round pick) S Eric Thatcher: Cincinnati (free agent)
As if you needed another reason to watch an April matchup between hated rivals Pittsburgh and Milwaukee, Brewer Ryan Braun just gave it to you.
In case you missed it, Braun took Bucco pitcher Jeff Karstens deep last night in Milwaukee's 10-5 win over Pittsburgh (which was also the Brewers' 13th win in a row over the Pirates). Which meant the next time he came to bat, Braun was promptly greeted by a pitch in the back. Was he happy? Um...not really:
Asked if Karstens drilled him intentionally, Braun said, "Probably, yeah. It's rare for major league pitchers to miss by that much with a fastball. We play them about 17 more times (actually 13). Tell Mr. Selig, we'll see what happens. It's going to be interesting."
Someone should probably tell Braun that it's not a good idea to tip your hand so obviously. Then again, he's paid to crush baseballs into the seats, not sit around and ponder creative ways to craft a comment that might be construed as retaliatory.
Long story short, if you weren't planning on watching tonight's game, you might want to consider. You might see fireworks...before the game is even over.
Your pitching matchup entrusted with tonight's festivities: Paul Maholm (3-0, 2.02), against Dave Bush (1-0, 3.86), at 8:05 EST.
Pro Football Talk is reporting that the Steelers are going to part ways with veteran LB Larry Foote. This should clear the path for 2oo7 first-round pick Lawrence Timmons to earn a starting job.
The deal will save the Steelers $2.885 million towards their currently-strapped 2009 salary cap. The timing, as PFT's Mike Florio muses, is curious, given that the Steelers could've allowed Foote some time on the open market if this would've happened in, say, February. But having recently been through the Gary Russell situation, this certainly wouldn't be the first curiously-timed move of this particular Steeler offseason.
Foote was a colorful character and a big part of the Steeler locker room. A fourth-round pick in 2002 out of Michigan, he won two rings in the Black and Gold. He's started every single game since taking over as a starter in 2004. Last season, he had 63 tackles and 1.5 sacks, the lowest numbers he's put up over the past in his five seasons as a starter.
While it's never easy to see a high-level contributor move on, this is not a total surprise. In fact, it was widely reported last year that a friend of Foote said the linebacker would want to finish his career with the Detroit Lions, being that he's a native of the city. It looks like the opportunity to join Matthew Stafford might be a realistic option at this point. And then again, there's always Arizona...
UPDATE: He's not quite gone yet, says Ed Bouchette, but a move may be coming soon:
Sources close to Foote say he wants to continue his career as a starting linebacker where he can play more often and asked the Steelers to accommodate him. After reportedly finding no offers in a trade, sources on the club say they plan to release him sometime after this weekend's minicamp, which Foote will not attend.
Finally, it's official: Disco Dan Bylsma has been named the permanent coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. And all it took was an 18-3-4 record in the regular season, plus a first-round playoff series win against Philadelphia.
Bylsma and Ray Shero ironed out contract details last night, and the team found out before practice today.
"Dan has done such an impressive job with our team, both on and off the ice, that we didn't see the need to wait any longer to announce our decision," said Penguins executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero. "He is the man we want to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins as our head coach."
Said Disco:
"I want to thank Ray Shero and our ownership for giving me this tremendous opportunity to be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins," Bylsma said. "I'm humbled. I'm excited. And I look forward to continuing to lead our hockey team."
You wonder what took so long, but hey, better late than never. Congrats to Coach Bylsma, who can quickly add to his young legacy in the coming weeks. And nice work by Shero locking up the man who helped turn around this season in a remarkably short period of time. Let's hope Bylsma's success as coach can continue for years to come.
That's the reaction I had after reading the report that the journeyman WR met with the Steelers on Monday. The visit apparently went well enough for his agent to be optimistic about a deal being struck, and to be honest, I'm a little confused.
Frankly, Lelie's reputation has been nothing short of disappointing since entering the league as a first-round pick by Denver in 2002. What is a major red flag to me is the fact that he's played for four teams in four seasons, a one-and-done with the last three teams who've acquired him: Atlanta in 2006, San Francisco in 2007, and Oakland in 2008. And these were all bad teams. The '06 Falcons won seven games, the '07 49ers won five, and the '08 Raiders won five as well.
His receiving yardage has been in decline since 2004, from 1084 yards to 770 to 430 to 115, with a slight bump to 197 last season.
In addition to free-falling numbers, Lelie has exhibited a diva mentality at times, holding out after the Broncos had the nerve to attempt to upgrade their receiver position in 2006. After finally forcing a trade to Atlanta, Lelie gave up $982,000 as a result of holdout fines and prorated signing bonuses he was forced to repay.
I'll never forget the description John Clayton gave of Lelie at one of those ESPN 1250 Fantasy Football Camps in Pittsburgh a few years ago. He was quoting one of Lelie's coaches, and let's just say it wasn't a compliment. At all. In fact, it was enough to turn me off from Lelie all these years later.
Maybe one last change of scenery, and to a strong organization for once, will be what the doctor ordered for Lelie. Like incoming rookie Mike Wallace, he's got fantastic speed, which the Steelers are clearly prioritizing. And if it doesn't work, there's always the option of Gary Russell-ing him.
Once again, I decided to venture into the real world to cover a live event, the occasion being a Pittsburgh Steeler charity basketball game. If you'll remember, I also attended one of these last year, at Monessen High School, and it was a pretty neat experience, if for no other reason than to get an idea of how Najeh Davenport's athleticism would translate to another sport.
So last week, I again took a drive to Monessen, PA, to catch this year's edition of the game. As usual, you have no idea what to expect when you attend one of these games. Rarely do the Steelers tip their hand at who will be playing for their team on a given night. Everyone from Ben Roethlisberger to James Harrison has suited up in the past, but it's pretty much a total crapshoot.
Last year, the Steelers sent just six representatives to the Monessen game: Davenport, Max Starks, Anthony Madison, Arnold Harrison, and practice-squadders Jon Dekker and Gerran Walker. It was certainly charitable of those men to show up, but it was lacking the star power you think of when you hear the words "Pittsburgh Steelers". I know, I'm complaining about star power in a charity game. I'm a horrible person. Although I must admit, when Dekker got arrested right before the Super Bowl, I knew who he was because of this game. (And by the way, he was acquitted, so all's well that ends well).
This year, I was overwhelmed by a much-improved lineup: Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes and local boy Charlie Batch were greeted with overwhelming approval by the crowd; the team was rounded out by a host of offensive linemen, including Trai Essex, Darnell Stapleton, Starks, and Willie Colon, plus Carey Davis, Ryan Mundy and Madison. If nothing else, these guys could form a wall around Batch and let him shoot threes as an offensive strategy. But that would be too easy.
On this evening, the Steelers would be facing a mix of Monessen faculty members and a few select local athletes. Headliners included former Philadelphia Eagle Jamie Reader, Cal U Vulcans sophomore Kelsey Williams (very impressive athlete, by the way), and the WNBA's Charel Allen, a Monessen grad.
From the opening tip, which Starks won with ease, it was obvious that the Steelers would have a game on their hands. They take basketball very seriously in Monessen, as those roughly 900 PIAA, WPIAL, and conference championship banners would confirm.
Minutes in, and I get a Santonio close-up at my half-court seat. Much like the Super Bowl, he also kept his feet in bounds on this play.
Play was about as intense as you could expect for a bunch of pro athletes that don't want to get hurt and a random collection of teachers with a few ringers sprinkled in. Offensively, the Steelers were certainly liberal with the three-point attempts. Was this a strategy devised by Bruce Arians? We make it to halftime, and you know what that means: free autographs, the two favorite words in the American vocabulary. Lines formed quickly, although Santonio would probably still be signing without the aid of a clock that limited the duration of the signing session.
For as chaotic as such an opportunity could be, it was actually a well-controlled halftime. Nearly every kid who wanted an autograph got one, with the exception of a few who were shut out on Santonio. But make no doubt about it, the young people in attendance were thrilled with their brushes with greatness.
Everyone found their seats, play resumed, and it was tight. The Steelers' collective sphincters were shrinking. Was there a chance that a group of pro athletes could drop a game to a group of (mostly) amateurs? We entered the final minute of play, and the game is neck-and-neck. At this point, I pulled out the old Blackberry and tried to capture some video (albeit grainy) of the last few seconds. If I can set up this clip: tie game, crowd is going absolutely bonkers. To imply that this had any more importance than it actually had would be ridiculous, but from the atmosphere, you would think it was the last 30 seconds of a Final Four game.
Monessen takes possession, goes the length of the floor, and misses a shot. The Steelers grab the rebound and score a quick basket, taking a two-point lead. One problem: much like in the Super Bowl, they scored too fast and left too much time on the clock. Cal's Kelsey Williams subsequently drives in for the game-tying basket, the final buzzer sounds, and the place absolutely erupts. Unfortunately, they ended the game in a tie. But as charity basketball games involving NFL players go, this would have to rank as an "Instant Classic" nonetheless.
The Steeler hoop squad has a few games coming up soon, including this Wednesday the 29th at Ringgold HS (8 PM) and at Upper St. Clair HS on May 1st at 7 PM. If you're in the area and have a few hours, stop by. You might just see a Super Bowl MVP. And you'll be helping a good cause.
Whenever someone can explain to me what really happened to Gary Russell's career, I'll be glad to pass it along. But for now, I'm still in the dark.
After roughly a week as a Cincinnati Bengal, Russell has been released for the second time this month, according to ESPN's Len Pasquarelli. The Bengals did a minor housecleaning, also ridding themselves of former first-round pick RB Chris Perry, safety Mike Doss, TE Nate Lawrie, and DE Eric Henderson. And with the addition of Manzier spokesman Andre Smith in the draft, they're also planning to dump OT Levi Jones, he of the Joey Porter Vegas fight a few years back.
The Bengals picked up two running backs in the draft: 6th rounder Bernard Scott, from Abilene Christian, and seventh-rounder Taufui Vakapuna from BYU, which apparently made Perry and Russell expendable in the eyes of the always-competent Bengal management.
So who's up next in line for a week of Gary Russell? Can we interest you, Mr. Mangini?
In an unfortunate bit of bad news during this Penguins time of year, it's been announced that prospect Eric Tangradi will miss the rest of his season due to severe cut on his left hand. The injury occurred in an OHL playoff game on Thursday night during a collision with Brampton goalie Thomas McCollum.
While this is certainly not good news, Tangradi has a pending MRI this week to determine if the injury will have any long-term effects. For now, Ray Shero sounds optimistic, and that's good enough for me.
While Tangradi's OHL season recently concluded, he was scheduled to join Wilkes-Barre for the Baby Penguins' playoff run. The team is off until Saturday, when they pick up round two against Hershey.
Following a weekend series with the San Diego Padres in which they took two of three, the second-place Pittsburgh Pirates once again take to the road for a three-game set in Milwaukee with the 8-10 Brewers.
Tonight, the pitching matchup will be Jeff Karstens (1-0, 3.60) against Braden Looper (2-0, 2.12), who gets the task of trying to cool off a red-hot Adam LaRoche. That's right, Adam LaRoche. In April. Batting .288. Leading the team in home runs (5), RBI (14), and OPS (.995). Try to believe it, Pittsburgh.
How long the Pirates can keep up this hot start is open for debate, especially in light of the injury plague that's hit the team. Ryan Doumit is out until June, Jack Wilson's on the 15-day DL, and there is no timetable for the return of Nate McLouth, who tweaked his right oblique during BP on Friday. But other than that, the team is totally healthy.
The Steelers have a pretty good track record with undrafted free agents, so these announcements come with much anticipation each year. So far, the team has picked up nine, including:
LS Mark Estermyer (Pitt) LB Tom Korte (Hillsdale College) T Ramon Foster (Tennessee) QB Mike Reilly (Central Washington) WR Tyler Grisham (Clemson) S Derrick Richardson (New Mexico State) LB Andy Schantz (Portland State) WR Demiko Goodman (Georgia) QB Kevin McCabe (Virginia) [As readers have pointed out and I neglected to mention, McCabe played at Pine Richland HS and threw TDs to Pirate prospect Neil Walker. And he graduated from Cal U, not UVA. He started out at UVA and transferred to Cal.]
OL C.J. Davis became the latest Pitt Panther to catch on, landing with Carolina. Also, former Pitt DL Rashad Duncan signed with Tampa Bay. WVU guard Greg Isdaner was signed by Dallas, and fellow lineman Ryan Stanchek signed with Atlanta. As far as the Nittany Lions, DE Maurice Evans went to the Giants, DE Josh Gaines signed with Philly, WR Jordan Norwood was picked up by Cleveland, safety Mark Rubin signed with St. Louis, and LB Tyrell Sales went to Indy.
Some notables from around the league: Missouri QB Chase Daniel - Washington Boise State RB Ian Johnson (the proposal guy) - Minnesota Michigan State QB Brian Hoyer - New England Alabama QB John Parker Wilson - Atlanta Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell - Cleveland Samford QB Alex Mortensen (Chris Mortensen's son) - Tennessee
and Texas WR Quan Cosby, who watched the draft with Bill Cosby only to get drafted by no one, finally got picked up...by Cincinnati.
The Pitt Panthers ended the 2009 NFL draft with a flurry of players selected, starting with RB LeSean McCoy in the second round and ending with a trifecta of Panthers past and present chosen in the seventh.
With the 240th overall pick, the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals snagged "The Johnstown Jet", Pitt RB Larod Stephens-Howling. Stephens-Howling saw his workload greatly decreased once McCoy became the BMOC, with his carries falling from 178 to 78 to 77 from his sophomore to senior season. But Stephens-Howling persisted, contributing five touchdowns and 421 yards of offense in the Panthers' 2008 campaign, and here he is with a home on draft day. He could be a nice fit in the Cardinals' Pittsburgh-heavy system.
With the 251st pick, the Chicago Bears took 6'1", 210-pound Pitt WR Derek Kinder, who now gets to catch passes from Joyful Jay Cutler. Following a 2007 season lost to injury, Kinder rebounded with a 36-catch, 422-yard, three-touchdown season, down from his 57-847-6 numbers in 2006.
Finally, a Pitt transfer was taken by Jacksonville with the 250th overall pick: running back Rashad Jennings, who ran for 411 yards and 4.8 yards per carry with the 2005 Panthers. He was Pitt's starting running back in Dave Wannstedt's first game as coach, that memorable nationally-televised defeat to Charlie Weis and Notre Dame which we will no longer speak of.
Jennings transferred to Liberty University for family reasons in 2006, and subsequently ran for 1020, 1113, and 1507 yards in his three seasons there. And before you ask, yes, that's the same Liberty University that produced former Steeler TE Eric Green and Pirate-turned-Pirate Killer Sid Bream.
Jennings is a bruising back, at 6'1", 230 pounds. He's got a great burst for his frame and would seem to work well with the power rushing attack that Jack Del Rio's instituted in Jacksonville. If all goes well in the next few years, I'm sure we will constantly be reminded that Jennings transferred from Pitt, a la Joe Flacco. That's something to look forward to, right?
Armed with two picks in the final round, the Super Bowl Champs first selected center A.Q. Shipley, the 6'1", 304-pound Penn State Nittany Lion who hails from Moon High School. In addition to being perhaps the first NFL player named A.Q., he happens to be the reigning Rimington Trophy winner as the best center in college football.
A caller to Mark Madden's show recently suggested the Steelers select Shipley in the first round, and after Madden got done berating him it was obvious that Shipley would be available later in the draft. I think he certainly possesses talent above the slot where he was chosen, so he was a good value with this pick.
With their second pick in the round, the Steelers reminded everyone that they loooooove to collect tight ends, adding Arkansas State's David Johnson, a 6'1", 260-pound specimen.
Johnson, ESPN's 15th-ranked tight end, had 22 receptions for 356 yards and five touchdowns last season. He is also a punishing blocker, and you can never have enough of those. He is also not this guy.
I think the Steelers' 2009 draft will be remembered as a very solid yet unspectacular class. It doesn't seem to have an enormously-high ceiling, but seems to be loaded with potential contributors and "good guys". They had a wish list I think got fulfilled quite nicely, and have plugged a lot of the holes that remained after free agency. They also began preparations for the future with the picks to supply the aging defensive line.
If there's ever been a team that you should trust in the draft, it's the Steelers, and I'm sure that in time this will be proven again with this year's class. And don't forget, with the virtual redshirt of the 2008 class, this year could be a double-infusion of young talent. When added with centerpieces like Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, and Santonio Holmes, plus a host of others, this team's future could shine brightly for years to come. I hope.
It's almost over, folks. But not yet. That means we're in the sixth round, where the Steelers nabbed Oregon Ducks DT Ra'Shon Harris with the 205th overall pick. A one-year starter who dealt with a biceps tear, Harris falls strictly into the "project" category. That being said, with the right coaching, Harris has ample upside and a high ceiling for a sixth-round pick.
The fifth round has always been somewhat of a crapshoot for the Steelers organization. It's produced stars like Mike Webster, Barry Foster, and Hardy Nickerson, as well as solid contibutors such as Lee Flowers, Jerame Tuman, and Clark Haggans. On the other hand, it's also given us forgettable names like Omar Jacobs, Tee Martin, and Charles Davis.
This year, the Steelers had two picks in round five, the first one used on CB Joe Burnett, a 5'9", 192-pounder from Central Florida who was a first-team All-American last season. In fact, Burnett has a lengthy list of college accolades, including:
Burnett, a four-year starter at UCF, will add depth at the defensive back position and presumably throw his hat in the ring for a returner job.
With their next pick, the team chose RB Frank "The Tank" Summers, a 5'9", 243-pounder from UNLV by way of Oakland, California. Last season, the bruising back who's sure to be a training camp favorite ran for 740 yards and eight touchdowns on 183 carries, with three 100-yard games to his credit.
Summers has long been on the Steelers' radar, according to this article I dug up from his pro day at UNLV:
And if there's one team whose attention Summers caught more than anyone's as a fullback, it was the reigning Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, who had two scouts on-hand alongside running backs coach Kirby Wilson.
The Steelers' staffers in attendance, after all of the players' running tests were completed, held Summers behind on the field to have him run a series of cone drills and pass-catching sets.
They wanted to see first-hand the soft and sure mitts that hauled in 36 passes during Summers' two seasons as a Rebel, which were a nice supplement to his 1,668 rushing yards.
After his first grab, a pass to the flat, he turned, grunted and sprinted downfield.
Wilson told him upon returning to the formation that he didn't have to worry about finishing each route after the catch.
Summers paid it no mind, running at least 20 yards, full speed, following each snag. He caught every catchable ball thrown his way.
At one point, one scout said, under his breathe, 'He's a junior Bus', referring to sure-fire Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis, who helped carry the Steelers to a win in Super Bowl XL over Seattle in 2006 to cap his brilliant 13-year career.
Junior Bus? Frank the Tank? This guy's got more nicknames than any other Steeler drafted ahead of him this year. Write it down: you will hear a lot more about Summers in the near future.
Joining an intriguing draft class that includes Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree and Alabama RB Glen Coffee, the San Francisco 49ers made Pitt LB Scott McKillop (aka "The Player Nobody Wanted") the newest member of their organization with the 10th selection of the fifth round (146th overall). ESPN had McKillop pegged 122nd overall and fifth among ILBs, so this was relatively close to where he was projected.
The 6'2", 240-pound Kiski High product was the 2008 Big East Defensive Player of the Year and Pitt's second first-team All-American on defense since 1989. He had 137 tackles, four sacks, and two interceptions last season for the Panthers.
He joins an up-and-coming 49er team and will be tutored under a pretty good linebacker in his own right, Niner coach Mike Singletary. McKillop is the second Panther taken in the 2009 draft, the first being LeSean McCoy, who was a second-round pick of Philadelphia. Both young men were drafted into great opportunities and should perform well as professionals.
KEENAN LEWIS 6'0", 208 LBS DEFENSIVE BACK OREGON STATE
The Steelers continue to dominate their shopping list of needs by dropping by the defensive back aisle for Oregon State's Keenan Lewis. ESPN ranked Lewis #16 at his position and #128 overall, which once again reiterates the point that the Steelers care not for the WWL's rankings.
Lewis was a four-year starter at OSU and a three-time Pac-10 First Team All-Academic selection, which means he's got a good head on his shoulders. He started 47 games while at Oregon State while leading the team in interceptions as a junior and a senior. He offers a nice combination of height and speed (4.5 40 time), although it sounds like his hands may be as reliable as Ike Taylor's (not a good thing).
Again, this seems like a level-headed pick of a quality team player who will bring something to the table for a long time. Fans have to be pleased with the way the Steelers have quickly and affordably re-stocked the cabinet with the depth they lost in free agency.
MIKE WALLACE 6'0", 199 LBS WIDE RECEIVER MISSISSIPPI
OK, let's get the "Mike Wallace/Mike Wallace" gags out of our system immediately. Done.
Now then, THIS is the guy the Steelers drafted with their second pick in the third-round, the 20th in the round and the 84th player overall. ESPN had Wallace pegged as the #20 wide receiver and #152 overall. Obviously, Kevin Colbert is making the picks and not Todd McShay.
First and foremost, Wallace brings speed to the table, with a 4.33 40-time. With those numbers, it's a wonder Al Davis didn't trade up to take him in the first round. But in addition to his receiving abilities, Wallace happens to be (drum roll, please)...a return man, which we've heard about roughly 152 different players these Steelers acquired in the past decade (lest we forget the Willie Reids, Eddie Drummonds and Allen Rossums of the world). (And Gary Russell. And Najeh Davenport. OK, I'll stop now.) A speedy wide receiver who can stretch the field officially replaces departed wide receiver/Tiffin hero Nate Washington, and at a considerably lesser cost. As a third-round pick, his impact will not be immediate, especially with a stacked deck of receivers ahead of him. At this point, he fills a niche that the Steelers desperately needed, despite the fact that we'll have to put up with 60 Minutes references as long as he's on the team.
The much-maligned yet Super Bowl-winning Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line just got an injection of youth with the third-round selection of Wisconsin offensive lineman Kraig Urbik. Urbik, selected 79th overall, was ranked as the #95 prospect overall by ESPN and #4 among all guards.
The versatile Urbik can play guard or tackle, which certainly makes him a more valuable prospect. A four-year starter in the Big Ten, Urbik has proven his durability, while simultaneously displaying his efficiency as part of a power running attack. Much like first-round pick Ziggy Hood, Urbik does not have the look of a perennial Pro Bowler yet appears to be every bit the part of a longtime contributor in the NFL. In other words, a three-star prospect, which is good value in the third round.
