Wednesday’s “First Call” shows us how the Pittsburgh Steelers may be swapping linebackers with an NFC team without making a trade. If Chase Claypool heads back to Canada, we know what team has first dibs to sign him.
It looks like the Steelers tried to lowball Tyler Boyd. We’ve got the name of another defensive lineman that appears to be on the Steelers’ draft radar.
We will also try to outline the Penguins’ place in the complex Eastern Conference standings.
See you in Saskatchewan?
Is MapleTron going back to the land of the maple leaf?
After Chase Claypool washed out with the Steelers, the wide receiver did little with the Chicago Bears and even less with the Miami Dolphins.
So, where is he headed next? It might be back over the border in Canada.
If Claypool can’t find a new home with an NFL team, the prospect exists that the Abbotsford, British Columbia, native could play in the CFL. If he does, one team has jumped on the chance to get his rights.
Via 3downnation.com,
Saskatchewan went 6-12 last year and missed the playoffs. Between the Bears and Dolphins, Claypool played in 12 games last year, catching eight passes for 77 yards and one touchdown.
Bye-bye Boyd?
For those hoping the Steelers will sign Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd, they may need to up their offer.
Via 93.7 The Fan’s Andrew Fillipponi, the Steelers only offered Boyd $10 million over two years.
Sources: The Steelers offer to Tyler Boyd was in the 2 years, $10 million range.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) April 2, 2024
Boyd’s salary was at least $8 million in each of the past three seasons. The former Pitt Panther had 67 catches for 667 yards and two touchdowns last year. The Clairton graduate hasn’t had numbers that low since 2017.
Flip-flop?
The Steelers and Washington Commanders may be swapping linebackers in separate moves.
On Tuesday, the Commanders announced that they had signed Steelers free agent Mykal Walker. He joined the Steelers’ practice squad on Oct. 30 of last season. He was elevated to the Steelers’ active roster on Nov. 18.
The 26-year-old played in eight games, starting five. He totaled 33 tackles (10 against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13) and added an interception.
A former fourth-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2020, Walker has previously played with new Commanders coach Dan Quinn. He appeared in 49 games with 20 starts over his first three seasons before Atlanta waived him last August.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are taking a look at former Commanders linebacker Khaleke Hudson. According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Steelers hosted him for a visit. Hudson is a McKeesport Area High School graduate who played his college ball at Michigan.
Hudson recorded 108 tackles and one sack over 58 games during four seasons in Washington. The 26-year-old has spent most of his time on special teams but did start 12 games on defense — eight of which occurred last year.
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View from above
If Instagram is any indication, the Steelers are welcoming another draft prospect defensive lineman for a visit.
Florida State defensive tackle Braden Fiske was on the South Side on Tuesday. Then, via SteelersNow.com, LSU’s Maason Smith posted an Instagram picture of what appears to be his arrival in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.
Fiske is rated as ESPN.com’s fourth-best defensive tackle and 39th overall prospect. Smith is a little further down the list. He’s rated as the website’s 10th-best defensive tackle and 90th overall prospect.
Smith is 6-foot-5, 306 pounds. He had an up-and-down career at Baton Rouge, recording four sacks as a freshman. But he blew out his ACL in 2022 and totaled just 28 tackles with 2.5 sacks in 2023.
Staying alive
The Penguins got a little bit of help in their attempt to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.
As the Penguins were beating the New Jersey Devils 6-3, the Washington Capitals were losing 6-2 to the Buffalo Sabres. J.J. Peterka had a pair of goals for Buffalo.
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That's ✌️ on the night for JJ! #LetsGoBuffalopic.twitter.com/cB53a91zOE
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) April 3, 2024
That was Washington’s third straight loss. So they are stuck on 82 points as the second wild-card holder, owning that spot via a tiebreak over the ninth-place Detroit Red Wings. The Pens are up to 79 points, good for 11th place.
However, Pittsburgh gained no ground on the 10th-place New York Islanders. They beat Chicago 2-1 on Tuesday, improving to 81 points.
The Philadelphia Flyers, who currently hold the last automatic qualifier spot from the Metropolitan Division with 83 points, have lost five in a row.
So that means four teams in the Metro are separated by four points for two playoff spots, with Detroit out of the Atlantic Division also in the mix for the last wild card.
The Pens and Capitals play each other in Washington Thursday night.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.