Good afternoon,
Rain is in the forecast for tonight’s game, 80 percent chance of Thunderstorms. And at this point, there appears to be little chance the Steelers will sign Kelvin Beachum or anyone else to a contract extension.
The deadline is today and as I reported earlier this week, he was pessimistic about getting a new contract as he prepares to enter the fourth and final season of his rookie deal and his third as their starting left tackle.
That does not mean they won’t get a deal done with him after the 2015 season.
Onto some early pregame stuff before I get to the stadium (I will deliver my season prediction for the Steelers from there later):
--- Besides a shaky defense, New England’s offensive line is not dynamic and I question the Patriots’ running game as well. It’s all on Tom Brady’s shoulders tonight.
--- According to the current NFLPA public salary cap report, the Steelers have more than $14 million of salary cap space. The NFLPA has not been known for its accuracy in that report.
--- Tyler Murphy and not Sammie Coates will be the No. 4 receiver tonight. Murphy can work out of the slot, the rookie cannot.
--- The Steelers traded a fifth-round draft pick to Philadelphia for veteran cornerback Brandon Boykin and then, for whatever reasons, decided he will not be among their top four cornerbacks tonight. Did they not look at film of him when he played for the Eagles before making the trade? It reminds me of the time in 1989 when they drafted Tom Ricketts, who played left tackle at Pitt, in the first round. They called him a “natural” left tackle, but when they got him to camp, they discovered his feet were not quick enough to play the position and they moved him to guard. He played at Pitt, mind you, in their back yard. Could they have not seen his feet from that distance?
--- It will be interesting to see if anyone from NBC-TV asks employee Hines Ward tonight about the ESPN report on Spygate. Ward has been outspoken about it for years.
--- Beachum is not the only Steelers player entering the final year of his contract who will not get a new one. Among the others: Ramon Foster, Steve McLendon, William Gay, Sean Spence, Brandon Boykin, Will Johnson, Bruce Gradkowski, Antwon Blake, Robert Golden, Will Allen and Darrius Heyward-Bey.
Onto some Ask Ed questions:
YOU: Ed, I’ve read in some places that “Brady’s reputation remains intact.” Can you explain this? I thought the judge found that the NFL screwed up the investigation, not that Brady was innocent of cheating. I never thought I could dislike a team more than the Ravens. But after reading the ESPN OTL report that just came out, I just can’t stand the Patriots. They are such cheaters. How are Belichek and Brady viewed as the “best ever”? Can we add them to the Pete Rose Hall of Fame?
ED: I do not think Tom Brady’s reputation has remained “intact” after all of this but I continue to believe he is a sure-fire Hall of Famer. However, the ESPN report should open many eyes to the New England Patriots’ culture of cheating. It was not just a few instances in which they illegally taped, it was a philosophy. It is like saying the whole Watergate thing came down to one botched burglary – no, it was an entire campaign of dirty tricks. I thought Bill Belichick also was a sure-fire Hall of Famer but this has to throw some doubt on that for some voters.
--- YOU: Hi Ed, I think that we would agree that the Steelers of the 70's is mostly known for the "Steel Curtain" defense. But what is your take on how/why there are only 4 defensive players in the HOF, while there are 5 offensive players in the HOF? (I personally think that L.C. Greenwood & Donnie Shell belong in there as well.)
ED: Only four? Having nine players from a 22-man lineup in the Pro Football Hall of Fame may be a bigger accomplishment than winning four Super Bowls. I do agree with you that L.C. Greenwood deserves to be inducted and some day he may.
First Published: April 6, 2016, 4:07 p.m.
