Tim Benz stories, Page 154
First Call: Increase in Steelers post-draft perception. Odell Beckham Jr. talking big.
For Tuesday’s “First Call,” ESPN ranks the Steelers after the draft. Odell Beckham Jr. is talking big in Cleveland. Larry Fitzgerald is helping out in Arizona. And the NFL is scaling back its overseas schedule. Now that the NFL Draft has come and gone, ESPN.com decided to re-rank teams across...
Why are the Jets already trying to ‘lessen the load’ for Le’Veon Bell?
Should this be a concern regarding former Steeler Le’Veon Bell in New York? After just one season? The Jets are already talking about “lessening the load” for their $52.5 million running back. This despite the fact that Bell was the featured signing in New York prior to the 2019 season....
Tim Benz: Ideas for ESPN’s next docuseries after ‘The Last Dance.’ Cast your vote.
ESPN’s “The Last Dance” has been quite a hit. The 10-part documentary series on Michael Jordan and the Bulls of the 1990s is generating an incredible buzz. Pittsburgh Penguins Radio Network host Brian Metzer joined me for our usual “Breakfast With Benz” hockey podcast, and we spun the conversation into...
Tim Benz: Steelers fans, did you like this year’s draft? Good. Because next year could get weird.
Here’s a odd thought for Steelers fans. Let’s say the franchise drafts Ben Roethlisberger’s successor at quarterback next year. Then all of Pittsburgh sits down to watch him suit up … … in his college bowl game. What?! Weird, right? But not entirely out of the question. Given the uncertainty...
Mark Madden on who could replace Ben Roethlisberger someday
Quarterbacks, quarterbacks, quarterbacks. They drive the news cycle 24-7. Especially when those quarterbacks are in cities such as Pittsburgh, Dallas, Chicago and New Orleans. Yes, even in May. Yes, even during a global sports shutdown. So on this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden and I wade into those waters,...
First Call: Ravens’ Lamar Jackson keeps connecting with Antonio Brown
Over the weekend, Antonio Brown didn’t hide his desire to become a Baltimore Raven. He posted a picture of himself photoshopped in purple and black. Antonio Brown to the Ravens?(Via his Snapchat) pic.twitter.com/HwsF1HrXGj— Matthew Travis (@Mjtrav627) May 2, 2020 In early April, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson posted a photo of...
How a Steelers rookie saved the life of someone he never even met
It was probably just a spam call. Christian Montano saw a New York area code on his phone that he didn’t recognize. Now a Steelers rookie free agent, Montano was in his apartment near Tulane’s campus when the phone rang. The offensive lineman was anticipating his grad transfer year with...
Impact of the 2020 NFL draft on your fantasy football league
Before “Breakfast With Benz” goes into a self-imposed shut down for an early weekend, we wanted to give our fantasy football fans a chance to hear from Jeff Erickson of RotoWire. He’s our fantasy sports expert. And he joins us to look at which recently drafted players may have the...
First Call: Steelers 2021 draft pick, more Tom Brady rules debates, smelly Penguin
Wednesday’s “First Call” is actually “Last Call” for the week. After plowing through the NFL Draft last weekend, “Breakfast With Benz” is closing the kitchen until Monday. So we go out by making Steelers fans angry over yet another rules debate surrounding Tom Brady. A new Steeler makes his grandmother...
U mad, bro? Steelers fans have strong opinions about NFL draft, race with Ravens
This is what I’m here for during “these troubled times.” To be your target in the dunking booth. Express a few doubts about the Steelers draft class. Say a few complimentary things about the Baltimore Ravens. And this is usually how it’s going to go. So it’s an all-Steelers draft...
Latest on NHL prospects: Border issues, schedule, draft talk, locations, style of play
Brian Metzer of the Penguins Radio Network joins me for our weekly “Essey Tire” hockey podcast. Are we finally seeing some movement when it comes to restarting the National Hockey League? According to Metzer, a lot of talk is percolating about important topics, such as unified destinations and dates for...
First Call: NFL schedule plans, Buccaneers reporter stands by Jameis Winston-Steelers story
Tuesday’s “First Call” gives us the odds on new Steeler Chase Claypool winning offensive rookie of the year. The reporter who claims the Steelers offered Jameis Winston a contract isn’t changing his tune. And the NFL schedule could be a real mess if the season is pushed back because of...
Tim Benz: Messages sent to Steelers defensive players after the NFL Draft
Defense wins championships! It also closes out our 2020 NFL Draft coverage. On Monday, I gave you a list of messages sent to Steelers offensive players directly from the coaching staff and the front office. At least, that was my interpretation after the NFL Draft last weekend. Today we look...
Mark Madden says JuJu Smith-Schuster won’t be with Steelers in 2021, ‘no matter what’
In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden and I recap the NFL Draft. We do so from a Steelers standpoint to start. Mark and I are of the same opinion that the franchise didn’t have much to play with, and they didn’t exactly make a lot happen. They got...
First Call: Did Steelers really offer Jameis Winston a contract?; Leonard Fournette still a Jaguar
In Monday’s “First Call,” did the Steelers really offer a contract to Jameis Winston? Leonard Fournette is still a Jaguar. And the NFL draft ratings spike might be even more than anticipated. So much for that For those who wanted to see the Steelers sign Jameis Winston as Ben Roethlisberger’s...
Tim Benz: Steelers front office, coaches send messages to offensive players
Who says we’ll never return to normalcy, Steelers fans? We’re there right now. For weeks my Twitter timeline, email inbox and column comments have been littered with vitriol from both sides of the coronavirus debate. For every 50 people that want us to storm the state capital building with machine...
Tim Benz: You know who the Steelers got in the draft. Now let’s look at who they didn’t get.
You know what the Pittsburgh Steelers got in the draft. A huge wide receiver from a big school. A Conference USA reserve outside linebacker. A couple of Maryland Terps at running back and safety. And a trash-talking guard who might moonlight as a bouncer at a bar on the South...
Tim Benz: Best wide receiver available? Or best player available? Opinions vary.
A lot of years in the NFL Draft, the Steelers say that they are taking the best player available when they pick. A lot of years I don’t believe that. A lot of years I think they take the best possible player at the position of the highest need. Actually,...
How skill positions in NFL Draft will impact fantasy owners
Our Essey Tire fantasy sports podcast examines the first round of the NFL Draft and how some of these incoming rookies will impact your fantasy leagues. With six receivers taken in the first round and a run on running backs expected in the second round, the answer is: significantly! Jeff...
First Call: ESPN’s NFL Draft production was tremendous, with beautifully natural awkwardness
For Friday’s “First Call,” I’ve got to credit the combined forces of the NFL Network, ABC and ESPN. That was quite an undertaking Thursday night for the virtual reality NFL Draft broadcast. It was so much smoother than I thought it was going to be. All things considered, the multiple...
U mad, bro? Steelers fans vent about JuJu Smith-Schuster, Antonio Brown, Leonard Fournette
In the week leading up to the NFL Draft, it was clear Steelers fans were feeling particularly on edge. Hey, no first-round pick for the first time since 1967 will do that to you. So, instead of fretting over what was going to happen in the first round, Black and...
First Call: Pittsburgh as NHL return city?; Some underrated potential Steelers draft targets
For “First Call” today, we’re still talkin’ hockey in a bubble. Just different bubbles. Forget New Hampshire, North Dakota and Saskatchewan. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed through ESPN.com that the NHL is looking at four NHL host cities as designated locations to condense the league and to restart the 2019-20...
NFL Draft analyst: Perfect sleeper replacement for Javon Hargrave, OLB options for Steelers
In the first part of our pre-draft podcast with Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling, he outlined how he thought the draft laid out nicely for the Steelers to meet their offensive needs. Even though they won’t be making a first-round selection. In part two, we look at the prospects the Steelers...
Tim Benz: That JuJu Smith-Schuster trade idea? Not gonna happen. But worth a look.
A chin-scratching Steelers trade rumor bubbled to the surface Wednesday. JuJu Smith-Schuster to the San Francisco 49ers for a first-round pick. Rumor has it? #49ers called and checked on the availability of #Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. #NFL #NFLDraft2020 Some things to note #PittsburghSteelers have no number one pick and this...
First Call: Unflattering review of Leonard Fournette, former WPIAL star getting NFL trade interest, Gronk trade impacts gambling
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” a less than stellar review of Leonard Fournette. A former Western Pa. football star may be on the move. And the Rob Gronkowski trade is shifting gambling lines. No fan of Fournette Former Pittsburgh sportswriter Vito Stellino is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He...
