Monday’s “first call” has several possible directions for Steelers wide receiver Juju Smith-Shuster. If quarterback Deshawn Watson doesn’t come to Pittsburgh, he could end up elsewhere in the AFC North.
The former Penguins star is a milestone. Former Pennsylvania State basketball coach Pat Chambers has a new job.
Besides, how much should we trust Brian Reynolds’ trade talks?
Deshawn in Dawg Pound?
Now that the grand jury has declined to indict Houston Texans quarterback Deshawn Watson on criminal charges, the trading market has backed him up.
According to Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson, the Steelers are not involved. But there is a rival AFC North.
“The Cleveland Browns were aggressive towards Watson, they are ‘incredibly interested’ and have become a wild card in their pursuit of the Georgia native. The Browns are among the 10 teams actively monitoring the situation,” Wilson said. The Browns named Baker Mayfield as their starting quarterback, but Watson is clearly better.”
VSiN’s Sean King revealed last week that he was told Watson would likely be earmarked for the Steelers if he avoided charges. But Wilson disputed that claim, stating, “Contrary to reports, (the Steelers) do not and have not participated in the Watson lotteries, according to the source.”
Wilson listed the Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and New Orleans Saints as other teams considering trading Watson.
Per Jan Rapoport of NFL.com, Watson wants to meet teams that are interested before dropping the no-trade clause. Rapoport claims that the Saints and Panthers have already made offers.
Where, Juju?
Steelers wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster is set to become a free agent for the second year in a row, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler isn’t ruling out a second straight return to Pittsburgh.
“Juju Smith-Schuster will have options this week, starting with a potential re-sign with Pittsburgh,” Fowler wrote Sunday morning. “I was told that the Eagles, Chiefs, Bears and Jaguars could also be involved on Monday during the rigging period.”
Fowler added that the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots — two other teams linked to Smith-Schuster after the end of the 2021 season — are showing more interest in Jacksonville DJ Chark Jr.
Don’t hold your breath
Now that we know what Major League Baseball will be playing in 2022, we can focus on what players the Pirates will sell so they can (clears throat) “build for the future.”
One such player who, frankly, should be part of any current or “future” plans for the Pirates is outfielder Brian Reynolds.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Reynolds is “attracting trading interest” from the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins. But Rosenthal added: “The chances of him actually being relocated remain slim. The 27-year-old Reynolds is projected to earn over $4.5 million in arbitration this season and will be under the team’s control for three more years after that.”
Reynolds was an All-Star last year, posting a .302 batting average, .912 OPS, 24 homers, 90 RBIs and 93 runs in 159 games.
Connected:
• Tim Benz: The Penguins’ and Hurricanes’ regular season bouts didn’t shed much light on a potential playoff showdown.
• ‘Crazy Monday’: What the return of Tom Brady means for the Steelers
Three of a Kind
Former penguin Jordan Staal is part of a unique story.
His brother Mark played the 1,000th game of his NHL career Saturday night for the Detroit Red Wings against the Calgary Flames. He played the first 892 games of his career with the New York Rangers.
Jordan, Mark and their older brother Eric now have at least 1,000 games to their credit. They are the first trio of brothers to reach this plateau.
Staal’s fourth brother, Jared, appeared in two games for the Hurricanes during the 2012–13 season.
Pat is back
Through CBS Sports, John Rothstein, former Penn State Nittany Lions basketball coach Pat Chambers is getting a new head coaching job. He will take control of the Gulf Coast in Florida.
Sources: Pat Chambers is finalizing a contract to be the next head coach in Florida’s Gulf Coast. An official announcement is expected soon.
Former head coach at the University of Pennsylvania and Boston. Last season he was an assistant at La Salle.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 13, 2022
Chambers set a 148-150 regular season record in his nine years at State College. The Nittany Lions were the 2018 NIT champions and were 21-10 when the coronavirus brought the 2020 season to a halt.
Chambers stepped down as head coach of Penn State in October 2020 following allegations of misconduct. Former Nittany Lion Rasir Bolton claimed that Chambers used the phrase “loosen the noose around [your] neck”, causing him to exit the program.
Chambers spent last season as an assistant to Ashley Howard at La Salle. He will replace Michael Fly, who was sacked after going 21-11 this season. But Fly was 55-59 in his four years at Fort Myers.
Tim Benz is a staff columnist for the Tribune-Review. You can contact Tim at [email protected] or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless otherwise noted.