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

Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko joins host Adam Bittner to the Steelers' decision to trade WR Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for CB Donte Jackson on Tuesday night. Did GM Omar Khan make the right move to ship out the disgruntled receiver? What will the impact on new coordinator Arthur Smith's offense be? And George Pickens ready to be the unquestioned No. 1 receiver...

On their weekly Pitt sports mailbag podcast, Post-Gazette insiders Noah Hiles and Christopher Carter answer reader questions. Among them: Would the Panthers have been better off as a No. 5 seed in the ACC tournament with a chance to win an extra game to boost their March Madness resume? Will making the ACC championship be enough to impress bracketology experts like ESPN's Joe Lunardi? How will coa...

Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko joins host Adam Bittner to react to Russell Wilson's 1-year deal with the team ahead of NFL free agency. How much does Wilson have left after a tumultuous tenure with the Denver Broncos? What's next for Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph now that GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin appear to prefer the nine-time Pro Bowler at QB? And how will Wilson fit in new...

On the Monday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Mike's Beer Bar, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to preview the beginning of legal tampering ahead NFL free agency opening this week. How serious is the team's interest in Russell Wilson after his meeting with the team Friday? And how does the former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion...

On their weekly Steelers mock draft tracker video, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette insider Ray Fittipaldo to break down projected NFL draft selections for the team from across the Internet this week. Ray also explains his pick in his latest seven-round mock draft on post-gazette.com.   Is the lack of impact depth at positions of need like corner and tackle a concern if GM Omar Khan targets...

Post-Gazette Penguins insiders Matt Vensel and Andrew Destin join to discuss the team's trade deadline moves. Was the Jake Guentzel return from the Carolina Hurricanes underwhelming? What can Michael Bunting do for the Penguins and their struggling power play? Is the Chad Ruhwedel trade significant? What can we learn from the moves Kyle Dubas didn't make? And what do all of these moves say about S...

On the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Mike's Beer Bar, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to discuss the latest on free agent QB Russell Wilson's meeting with the team Friday. Is general manager Omar Khan serious about the potential move to bring the nine-time Pro Bowl QB in to possibly replace Kenny Pickett as the starter?...

On their weekly college basketball podcast, Post-Gazette insiders Noah Hiles and Abby Schnable ponder Pitt's March Madness resume. Are the Panthers really undeserving of being safely in the NCAA tournament field as things stand? Or are bracketology projections like Joe Lunardi's overlooking the good work that coach Jeff Capel's team has done in getting to the 20-win mark for a second-straight seas...

On the Wednesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Mike's Beer Bar, host Christopher Carter welcomes The Draft Network's Damian Parson to discuss all things NFL draft. Which top cornerbacks and offensive tackles could slip to the Steelers at pick No. 23. Which position is deeper in the 2024 draft class? And which picks at wide receiver, quarterback or linebacker make sense in...

In his weekly YouTube appearance, Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise joins Steelers insider Brian Batko to discuss the team's options with receiver Diontae Johnson. Does it make sense to trade him this offseason if GM Omar Khan doesn't believe an extension can be reached? Or is the team too thin in its current receivers room to consider moving on from the veteran?   Later, our duo gets into...

On his weekly Chipped Ham and Football podcast, Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko welcomes Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu to discuss his work with the Resilience Bowl, a flag football event scheduled for May 21 at Acrisure Stadium benefitting the Neighborhood Resilience Project, which helps people and communities heal from trauma. Check out the Sunday Post-Gazette for more inform...

In their weekly Pitt sports mailbag podcast, Post-Gazette insiders Noah Hiles and Christopher Carter answer reader questions. Among them: How many ACC tournament wins will the Panthers need to make it into the March Madness field of 68? What scenarios could lead coach Jeff Capel and Co. to be left out even with a NET ranking of 37 or better? Can Pitt land Lincoln Park standout Meleek Thomas in rec...

On the Monday episode of the North Shore Drive, presented by Mike's Beer Bar, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to react to this weekend's NFL combine. Do GM Omar Khan's meetings with top CBs including Nate Wiggins in Quinyon Mitchell signal interest in attacking that position in Round 1, despite needs on the offensive line? Should top WRs like Michigan'...

On their weekly Steelers NFL mock draft tracker podcast, host Adam Bittner and Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko recap the week in projected picks for the team from around the Internet. Should general manager Omar Khan take notice of Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy's rising stock? Or is he too similar to Kenny Pickett to warrant first-round selection. Are mock drafters overreacting to the releas...

On the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Mike's Beer Bar, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to react to GM Omar Khan's comments at the NFL combine on Thursday in Indianapolis. Does the team really believe in Kenny Pickett as its QB1? Or did he leave room for the team to pursue possible replacements in the NFL draft, free agenc...

Post-Gazette insiders Andrew Destin and Jason Mackey react to Paul Skenes' first Grapefruit League start of Pirates spring training against the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota, Fla. How did the No. 1 overall pick look against MLB hitters? Does he belong in the team's rotation alongside names like Mitch Keller, Marco Gonzales and Martin Perez right now? And if the Pirates choose not to sign or trade...

In their weekly college basketball podcast, Post-Gazette insiders Noah Hiles and Abby Schnable ponder Pitt's March Madness path after a costly loss to Clemson. Can coach Jeff Capel's squad afford any more losses between now and NCAA tournament Selection Sunday? Or will Jaland Lowe, Blake Hinson, Ishmael Leggett and Bub Carrington need to lead the Panthers to an ACC tournament championship?   Later...

In his weekly YouTube appearance, Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise and host Adam Bittner react to scathing reviews of the Steelers organization and owner Art Rooney II in the latest NFLPA survey on how players rank their teams in facilities and quality-of-life issues. Are these perceptions a barrier in attracting talent or getting the most from players on the existing roster? Does Rooney d...

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 discuss defensive line and linebacker workouts at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. Why should you be watching DL names including Jer'Zhan Newton of Illinois, Byron Murphy of Texas and Darius Robinson of Missouri? Can Florida State...

On his weekly Chipped Ham and Football podcast, Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko welcomes Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution to get the scoop on some NFL draft prospects from Georgia, a school coach Mike Tomlin's team has mined for talent frequently the past couple of years. Could Amarius Mims make sense for general manager Omar Khan as an option to play across from form...

On their weekly Pitt basketball mailbag, Post-Gazette insiders Christopher Carter and Abby Schnable answer reader questions. Among them: Does Blake Hinson deserve to win the ACC's player of the year award? Should college basketball ban court storming after this weekend's incident with Duke forward Kyle Filipowski at Wake Forest? Will coach Jeff Capel and AD Heather Lyke accept an NIT bid if Pitt m...

On the Monday edition of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Mike's Beer Bar, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to react to the NFL's salary cap boost of more than $30 million for 2024. Will general manager Omar Khan use the extra space to add to coach Mike Tomlin's roster? Or will it help him keep veterans including Patrick Peterson, Cam Heyward...

On their weekly NFL mock draft tracker video, host Adam Bittner and Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko discuss the week's most interesting projected picks for the team from around the Internet. This week they get into some offensive line talk. Could the undersized Troy Fautanu of Washington use his athleticism to win a tackle spot in Arthur Smith's offense that's heavily geared toward zone...

On the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Mike's Beer Bar, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko to analyze the team's QB situation. Why do general manager Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin's actions suggest a big move to replace Kenny Pickett as the starter in new OC Arthur Smith's offense is unlikely? Why can't we rule out a move for...

On their weekly college basketball podcast, Post-Gazette insiders Noah Hiles and Abby Schnable recap a busy week for Pitt and Duquesne. How damaging was the Tuesday night loss to Wake Forest for the Panthers' March Madness resume? Can Jeff Capel's squad of players including Jaland Lowe, Blake Hinson and Bub Carrington recover from here? What did the Dukes show in their victory against St. Louis? A...