Post-Gazette Sports Network: Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, Penguins and more

On the Wednesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Mike's Bee Bar, host Christopher Carter and Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo discuss the team's options in finding a No. 2 receiver behind George Pickens. Should GM Omar Khan continue to remain patient and see how internal options like Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins and Roman Wilson look during spring workouts? Should...

On their weekly Pitt mailbag podcast, Post-Gazette insiders Christopher Carter and Abby Schnable answer reader questions. Among them? What is basketball coach Jeff Capel's next recruiting move now that Kentucky transfer Adou Thiero has picked John Calipari and Arkansas over the Panthers? And why didn't Blake Hinson receive an NBA draft combine invite after his superb season in the ACC? Then on the...

On his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey reacts to Pirates manager Derek Shelton's Monday comments on Paul Skenes' pending MLB debut. Why would Shelton say last year's No. 1 overall MLB draft pick is "scheduled to pitch" in the minors this weekend, despite many signs that point toward him being promoted? Why does the club's schedule make a debut soon unfavorable if...

On his weekly Chipped Ham and Football podcast, Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko welcomes undrafted free agent QB John Rhys Plumlee to talk about his signing with the team. How did the deal come together at the conclusion of the NFL draft last month? Why does he see himself as a QB despite some teams wishing to see him work out at WR during the draft process? Could he mimic the New Orlean...

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On his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey weighs in on the Penguins' firing of assistant Todd Reirden from coach Mike Sullivan's staff. Can a fresh voice actually get the team's powerplay led by stars including Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang to click? Or is Reirden being scapgoated for that group's resistance to chance? Jason tackles those questions, r...

Post-Gazette Pirates insiders Noah Hiles and Andrew Destin react to the club's series victory against the Colorado Rockies this weekend. Is Oneil Cruz showing signs of coming around after smacking a pair of homers in the three-game set? Is Jared Jones becoming a stopper in this rotation? Is Bailey Falter regressing? And what's next for Henry Davis now that he's been demoted to Class Triple-A India...

Post-Gazette Pirates insider Noah Hiles and columnist Jason Mackey chat live about hot topics around the team. What does it mean that GM Ben Cherington has demoted Henry Davis in favor of Yasmani Grandal? How should manager Derek Shelton handle the struggling Oneil Cruz? How important is this upcoming homestand against the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs to this team's hopes?...

On his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey reacts to the Steelers' decision to decline their fifth-year option on RB Najee Harris' rookie contract. Was it the right move by GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin to wait until the end of the 2024 season to decide how to move forward with their running backs? Was the option just too expensive for a back who's put up ordina...

On the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Mike's Beer Bar, host Christopher Carter and Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko continue to sort through the aftermath of the NFL draft. Will Troy Fautanu start at right tackle and replace Dan Moore Jr. in the lineup when he's ready, as many fans expect? Or could he win the left tackle spot over Broderick Jones, last year'...

In his weekly YouTube appearance, Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise joins host Adam Bittner to discuss Steelers draft picks Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier. How quickly can they be upgrades on 2023 offensive line starters Dan Moore Jr. and Mason Cole? How long after that will they mature into the stalwart pieces of the line that the Steelers hope they can be? And where does fourth-round pick...

On the Wednesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Mike's Beer Bar, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to tackle swirling trade rumors at the WR position. Could GM Omar Khan swing a trade for a No. 2 option across from George Pickens soon, as pundits including Bryant McFadden have suggested? Or might the process take longer to play ou...

On his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey reacts to the Pirates' latest punchless loss, a 5-2 defeat Tuesday against the Oakland Athletics. Is the club's strategy overseen by manager Derek Shelton and GM Ben Cherington of trying to see a lot of pitches flawed? Have key young players including Jack Suwinski and Oneil Cruz gotten worse compared to where they were one...

On his weekly Penn State football podcast, Post-Gazette Penn State insider Seth Engle welcomes former Nittany Lions linebacker Jason Cabinda to recap the NFL draft for this year's crop of prospects in Happy Valley. Will Olu Fashanu thrive protecting Aaron Rodgers with the New York Jets? What kind of impact can Chop Robinson make for the Miami Dolphins? Was Caedan Wallace's third-round selection by...

On his weekly Chipped Ham and Football podcast, Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko welcomes Tej Seth of SumerSports.com to get an analytics-based review of the Steelers' 2024 NFL draft class. Why do numbers gurus see first-round pick Troy Fautanu and third-rounder Payton Wilson as potential steals? Why is third-rounder Roman Wilson's potential range of outcomes a bit more murky? Why are sec...

On his daily First 10 podcast, Jason Mackey reacts to the Pirates' latest loss to the Oakland Athletics, in which their offense struggled mightily once again. Is it fair to just blame hitting coach Andy Haines for the struggles of young players including Oneil Cruz and Jack Suwinski? Or do the team's problems run deeper? What can or should manager Derek Shelton change? And is it time minor-league...

On their weekly Pitt football mailbag podcast, Post-Gazette insiders Christopher Carter and Abby Schnable answer reader questions. Among them: How will Kentucky transfer Jaremiah Anglin Jr. help coach Pat Narduzzi's defense amid transfers by prominent names including Dayon Hayes and Solomon DeShields? What other plays is Pitt targeting in the transfer portal? Will Marquis Williams get a chance in...

On his daily Frist 10 podcast, Post-Gazette columnist Jason Mackey weighs in on the Steelers' draft class. How can coach Mike Tomlin's influence be seen in GM Omar Khan's choices? And what are the biggest questions facing top picks Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, Roman Wilson and Payton Wilson? Jason tackles those topics, then talks Pirates. Can this offense be fixed? Or will it keep wasting strong st...

On the Monday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Mike's Beer Bar, host Christopher Carter and Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo react to the Steelers' NFL draft haul. Are first-round pick Troy Fautanu and second-round Zach Frazier likely to slide right into starting roles along the offensive line? What grades do GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin deserve for the clas...

On their Pirates podcast, Post-Gazette insiders Noah Hiles and Andrew Destin recap the weekend series against the San Francisco Giants and look ahead to the upcoming set against the Oakland Athletics. Can manager Derek Shelton's offense turn around its profound struggles that resulted in just three runs in regulation in three games? How much pressure is on Ke'Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds and Oneil...

Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko joins host Adam Bittner to react to the team's picks on Day 3 of the NFL draft. Could fourth-round pick Mason McCormick eventually start at guard if GM Omar Khan decides to move on from James Daniels and Isaac Seumalo in the next couple of years? Does sixth-rounder Logan Lee have the physical tools to become a rotation player on the defensive line alongsid...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey joins host Adam Bittner to recap the Steelers' picks on Day 2 of the NFL draft after they took Washington OT Troy Fautanu on Day 1. What kind of impact can second-round pick Zach Frazier make from Day 1 at the center position? Is third-rounder Roman Wilson ready to be the No. 2 opposite of George Pickens in new coordinator Arthur Smith's offense? What can...

Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo joins assistant sports editor Adam Bittner to react to the Steelers' selection of Washington OT Troy Fautanu on Day 1 of the NFL draft. Will he start from Day 1 at right tackle? Or will he need time to develop like Broderick Jones did a year ago? How soon will Fautanu's selection allow Jones to work from the left side? And where does Dan Moore Jr. fit i...

In his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey reacts to the Steelers' selection of Washington OT Troy Fautanu in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night in Detroit. Was tackle the right position to target, given all of the team's other needs -- particularly at center? How big of an asset will it be to have to first-round tackles in Fautanu and 2023 top pick Brod...

Post-Gazette Pirates insiders Andrew Destin and Noah Hiles react to the club's 7-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday afternoon, which gave the Pirates a 2-2 split over the four-game series. What is wrong with Aroldis Chapman? Can he find his footing again and become the dominant reliever we saw at the beginning of the year? What does Rowdy Tellez need to do to break out of this slump? Has...