April 29, 2020 3:44 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers have picked up the fifth-year option on All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt. Watt, Pittsburgh’s first-round pick in the 2017 draft, is coming off a stellar 2019 in which he had 14 1/2 sacks and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second time. Watt finished in the top five in the NFL in five categories last year, including sacks, quarterback hits and forced fumbles. He became the first player since 1990 to have at least two interceptions, four fumble recoveries and eight forced fumbles in a season.
April 27, 2020 2:29 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers love to pick younger players. A little more raw material. A little less tread on the tires. In this year’s draft, not so much. While general manager Kevin Colbert stressed it was coincidental that the Steelers used five of their six picks on seniors, if there ever was a spring to tilt toward prospects with an extra year of seasoning, this might be it. Neither Colbert nor head coach Mike Tomlin — or the rest of the NFL for that matter — knows how things will shake out over the next few months, with the U.S. among the hardest-hit countries in the global coronavirus pandemic. Adjusting from college to the pros can be difficult during a normal offseason. And there is nothing normal about this one. Still, Colbert insisted the decision to take wide receiver Chase Claypool, linebacker Alex Highsmith, offensive lineman Kevin Dotson, safety Antoine Brooks and defensive tackle Carlos Davis — all of whom are on pace to graduate by the end of the summer — was based on their potential, not necessarily their experience. Running back Anthony McFarland Jr. — the lone underclassman — played most of his redshirt sophomore season at Maryland on a sprained ankle that limited his effectiveness. Maybe, but it could have its ancillary benefits as the Steelers prepare for the NFL’s first-ever “virtual” offseason. The team has no clue when it will have a chance to bring its draft picks, rookie free agents and other first-year players in for a closer look. It’s not something Colbert or Tomlin feel will become an issue with the group Pittsburgh has added to a team that has missed the playoffs the past two seasons.
April 25, 2020 3:35 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers have given quarterback Ben Roethlisberger another big target, selecting Notre Dame wide receiver Chase Claypool in the second round of the NFL draft. The 6-foot-4 Claypool caught 66 passes for 1,037 yards and 13 touchdowns last year. Pittsburgh also added depth at outside linebacker in the third round, taking Alex Highsmith out of Charlotte. Highsmith joins a group that includes Pro Bowler T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree, who signed a one-year franchise tender on the eve of the draft.
April 25, 2020 3:33 am
UNDATED (AP) – Housebound football fans gave the NFL a huge boost on Thursday. The first night of this week’s NFL draft averaged 15.6 million viewers on television, easily shattering the record set six years ago. The first round was aired on ABC, ESPN, the NFL Network and ESPN Deportes. Viewership peaked from 8:45-9 p.m. EDT when 19.6 million people tuned in, according to Nielsen. That is up 37% over last year’s 11.4 million. The previous high was 12.4 million in 2014, when the draft was held in early May. The draft was the first live U.S. sporting event since the coronavirus pandemic. The draft originally was to be held in Las Vegas but is taking place virtually. The draft resumed from with second- and third-round selections. After having a record 15 of the 32 players in the first round of the draft come from the SEC, another 10 came off the board in Round 2. Seven more wide receivers went in the second round, one more than in Day 1. The wideouts included Florida’s Van Jefferson to the Rams and Baylor’s Denzel Mims to the Jets. With 13 receivers taken in the first two rounds, it breaks the record of 12 set in 2014. Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts was selected by the in the second round with the 53rd overall pick. He was the fifth QB selected in the draft, and the first in the second round. Round 2 was the running back round, with five high-profile players coming off the board. Green Bay used a second-round pick on running back A.J. Dillon, taking the Boston College workhorse with the 62nd overall selection. Now, the quarterbacks are waiting. After four quarterbacks went off the board in the first round of the NFL Draft, Jalen Hurts of Oklahoma was the only QB taken in rounds two and three on Friday. That means Saturday when rounds four through seven are completed, notable passers Jacob Eason of Washington and Jake Fromm of Georgia will be available. And more than a few other intriguing players, especially if you look outside the Power Five schools.
April 24, 2020 2:02 am
CLEVELAND (AP) – The Cleveland Browns filled an enormous hole at left tackle with one college football’s best right tackles. With three of the top four tackle prospects still available, Cleveland used the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL draft to select Alabama’s Jedrick Wills. He will protect quarterback Baker Mayfield’s blind side. Wills has played right tackle hit entire career, but the Browns are confident he can slide to the other side. Cleveland’s set at right tackle after signing free agent Jack Conklin last month. Wills is the first pick by new general manager Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski.
April 24, 2020 2:01 am
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) – The Baltimore Ravens got a potential starter in the middle of their defense by selecting linebacker Patrick Queen out of LSU with the 28th overall pick in the NFL draft. Queen had 85 tackles, three sacks and an interception to help the Tigers win the national championship. He left LSU after his junior season and ends up with the Ravens, playing the same position that Ray Lewis filled for 17 seasons during a Hall of Fame career.
April 23, 2020 3:41 am
UNDATED (AP) – Fifty-eight prospects will take part remotely in the NFL draft, which has gone virtual because of the coronavirus pandemic. The players received video kits from the NFL that will record their reactions to being selected. The kits sent to prospects include two cell phones, two light stands, a pair of tripods, a headset for interviews and a microphone. One of the phone cameras will be on the entire time until the player is selected, while another will be used for interviews with ESPN, the NFL Network and Commissioner Roger Goodell. The draft begins Thursday night and wraps up Saturday.
April 22, 2020 3:46 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The New York Mets were very interested in acquiring Alex Rodriguez through free agency almost 20 years ago. The situation is now reversed. A-Rod and fiancee Jennifer Lopez have retained J.P. Morgan to represent them in raising capital for a possible bid for the Mets. The move was first reported by Variety and confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the decision. The three-time AL MVP retired in August 2016 with 698 home runs, a .295 average and 2,086 RBIs in 22 years. He was suspended for the 2014 season for violations of Major League Baseball’s drug agreement and labor contract.
April 21, 2020 3:43 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Major League Baseball players are bracing for a battle with owners over the possibility of reduced salaries caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Players are upset over the prospect teams may seek additional pay cuts if games are played in empty ballparks. Their anger was stoked last week when New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he was told by Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon that the union would have to agree to lower salaries if games are played without fans. A March 26 deal between the sides states “the Office of the Commissioner and Players Association will discuss in good faith the economic feasibility of playing games in the absence of spectators or at appropriate substitute neutral sites.” The union points to another passage covering salaries in which players agree to give up 1/162nd of base pay for each regular season game lost. Meanwhile, Commissioner Rob Manfred has made a move that allows teams to lay off or cut the pay of major and minor league managers, coaches, trainers and full-time scouts starting May 1.
April 20, 2020 3:47 am
The mayor of Madrid says soccer matches and other sports events in Spain will take place in empty venues at least until the end of the summer. He says the coronavirus pandemic likely “won’t be under control” in time for events with big crowds to resume normally. The Spanish league is not expecting to resume at least until the end of May. It is working on several scenarios, including playing without fans through the fall.
