Ollie on the Block

According to Will Carroll over at Baseball Prospectus, the Pirates and Phillies may be discussing a deal that would send Oliver Perez and Ryan Doumit to the City of Brotherly Love. Just two weeks ago, there was a rumor the Phils were interested in Ronny Paulino, who seems to have won the starting job in Doumit's absense.

Not sure why anyone would give up much for Perez right now. I've got to believe there is something physically (or mentally) wrong with Perez. This is completely unfounded speculation, but is it possible Perez was on steroids? I think it was Jim Thome who pointed out a few weeks ago that one reason why hitters are doing so well so far this season is that all the pitchers had to stop juicing, as well.

Either way, I'm not ready to give up on Ollie yet, and he's still young enough that he could work his way out of this funk now that he's hopefully receiving solid coaching. Another thing to note is that Cota has been catching for him, maybe they should let him work with Paulino who has had a very positive effect on Duke, Maholm and Snell.

Steelers Sign 12 UFA's

In addition to the four UFA's mentioned earlier (TE Jon Dekker, DE/LB Mike Kudla, DT Scott Paxson and CB Anthony Madison), the Steelers have signed an additional 8 prospects. Among them:

S Mike Lorello ~ West Virginia -- Versatile safety had another fine season in 2005, collecting 82 tackles (7 TFL’s), 3 sacks, 3 interceptions, 7 PD’s and a league leading 5 forced fumbles. Much more talented athlete than he is given credit for, with a great work ethic. Most adept at stopping the run and blitzing the quarterback. Problem, according to insiders, is NFL scouts doubt Lorello’s speed and see him more as a 6’ 1", 210 pound linebacker, until he can show them he has the required speed to play safety in the NFL. If he does run well, don’t be surprised if he sticks around as a special teams demon/backup safety. (draftdaddy.com)

C/G Grayling Love ~ Arizona State -- Arizona State red-shirted Love during his true freshman season in 2001. He started one of the 14 games he appeared in during the 2002 season lining up at right tackle and center that year. Love lined up at right tackle and he started 11 of the 12 games he appeared in during the 2003 season. He started six games at left guard and six games at right guard during the 2004 season earning first-team All Pac-Ten honors along the way. He lined up center and he was named second-team All Pac-10 as a senior in 2005 despite missing significant playing time due to a foot injury. Love's potential is limited by his lack of ideal size and explosiveness so it's unlikely he ever develops into a quality starter. He is also coming off a foot injury so there are concerns about his durability in the NFL. However, he is a versatile technician that won't make a lot of mistakes, so he could develop into a valuable reserve. If Love goes "undrafted" in 2006, he is worth bringing in as a priority free agent. (scout.com)

S Zach Baker ~ East Carolina -- East Carolina's Zach Baker has the ideal size for an NFL safety at 6-2, 208 pounds with a time in the 40 of 4.5. Baker was third on the Pirates in tackles and tied for the team lead in interceptions with three in 2005. He could prove to be a steal for some team in the later rounds or via post-draft free agency. (The East Carolinian)

K Mark Brubaker ~ East Stroudsburg -- see profile from ESU's site

OT Nick Hagemann ~ South Dakota State -- see feature article on South Dakota State site

S Jamar Landrom ~ Tennessee State -- from an April 16th article about Landrom's showing at the NFL's Pro-Timing Day: According to the New York Giants recordings, Landrom ran his 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds (with the wind) and 4.49 (against). He also ran the short shuttle in 4.22, the three-cone drill in 6.75 and the long shuttle in 11.36. In addition, he had a 37-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-10 broad jump. He also recorded 17 repetitions in the 225-pound max-reps bench press. Landrom showing at the Pro-Timing Day ranked him in the top ten of strong safeties in almost every event according to times listed on nfl.com.

TE Isaac Smolko ~ Penn State -- Smolko is not quite big enough (6-4, 246) to be a power blocking tight end and not quite polished enough to join the new breed of receiving tight ends. (scout.com)

DE Lee Vickers ~ North Alabama -- see profile from U of North Alabama web site

Malkin transfer could be costly

According to Reuters, Malkin's Russian team feels the Penguins must buy out the sniper's contract before he can leave for North America. The Russian Federation has not signed a transfer agreement with the NHL. The current deal endorsed by the IIHF would see the team receive $900,000 in compensation.

"We're not asking for ($900,000) compensation from Penguins. Such a sum is a handout and we're not interested in handouts," Metallurg Magnitogorsk general director Gennady Velichkin told Russian media. "Put simply, they must buy his contract from us."

Malkin, who was picked second overall behind countryman Alexander Ovechkin in the 2004 Entry Draft, scored 21 goals and 47 points in 46 games in the Russian SuperLeague last season. And now he wants to play in Pittsburgh.

"I've already made up my mind for next season -- I'll be leaving for the NHL," Malkin told the Sport-Express newspaper. "I'm 100 percent sure of that.

When asked how much the Penguins should have to pay for the services of Malkin, Velichkin made a comparison to soccer star Andriy Shevchenko's move from Dynamo Kiev to AC Milan for $25 million.

"Dynamo received millions from Milan for Shevchenko, why can't we get that?, asked Velichkin.

"But I can't name the exact price for Malkin. We must wait for Pittsburgh's offer first."

Malkin is widely regarded as the best player not currently playing in the NHL.

Steelers Add UFA's

While they have not announced their full list of undrafed free agents, info is starting to leak out about who the Steelers have added, the most interesting so far of which is Ohio State defensive end Mike Kudla, who the Steelers may try to move to outside linebacker. Scout.com considered Kudla a 6th rounder, but one of my favorite sites, draftdaddy.com, liked him even better:

LB Mike Kudla ~ Ohio State -- Listed as a defensive end, he will very likely play linebacker in the NFL, because he might be a little short for a lineman at 6’ 2". At the Combine, Kulda’s record tying 45 bench press reps, 4.70 40 time and 37" vertical showed he’s a great athlete at 275 pounds. Probably projects as a 3-4 linebacker in the NFL. His showing at the Combine will have teams considering him between the 3rd and 5th round.

Another name that could be interesting is Princeton tight end Jon Dekker, here's what draftdaddy had to say about the big Ivy Leaguer, ranking him as their top small-school tight-end and a member of their Elite 20 small-school prospects (a group that also features Steelers 4th rounder Willie Colon):

TE Jon Dekker ~ Princeton -- Talented tight end, with good size at 6' 5", 255 pounds, who came on strong as a senior, collecting 32 receptions for a 11.5 yard average and 5 touchdowns. Impressive blocker at his level, who can find the seem in the zone and make some big plays. Could be player to watch out for, if he can impress scouts at Pro Day. Tight end seems to be a position were former Ivy Leaguers have done well at in the NFL.

The Steelers also picked up a few guys who did not get invited to the Combine, but did some nice things for major programs.:

DT Scott Paxson ~ Penn State -- Very Much an unsung player on PSU’s talented defensive line. Paxson played next to impact junior Jay Alford and the pair did a nice job, helping the Lions to a 12-1 season. Paxson finished the 2005 season with 44 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. Had 33 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks in 2004. Tall, athletic player at 6’5" and 280 pounds, who blocked 5 kicks in 2004 alone. Sort of reminds us of former NFL player Shane Burton. Paxson did not receive an invite to Combine, which is a mild surprise to us, considering his size and how well he played for a top ranked team.

CB Anthony Madison ~ Alabama -- Three-year starter who totaled 44 tackles and broke up six passes last year. Junior numbers included 26/4/14. Undersized cornerback who works best facing the action. Fluid pedaling in reverse, smooth transitioning with opponents and positions himself to break up passes. Feisty, not afraid to mix it up and quickly closes to the action. Physically beaten down by opponents and loses out in battles. Struggles when his back is to the action. Potentially a dime back in zone coverage or backed off the line of scrimmage, Madison offers a special-teams mentality as well.

More to come...

Who's Left

We all know how much the Steelers love undrafted free agents, so who are some of my favorite draft-leftovers:

A pair of tall receivers (something the Steelers could still use) are left in Miles Austin & Martin Nance [UPDATE: signed with Buffalo], though the Steelers receivers corp looks pretty stocked right now with Ward, Wilson, Holmes, Morgan, Washington, Reid and Morey. Undrafted Pitt receiver Greg Lee has signed a free agent deal with the Arizona Cardinals.

Former George Mason basketball star Jai Lewis was brought in for a workout at tight-end, could be worth taking a flyer on and maybe stash on the practice squad.

My favorite UFA is defensive Eric Henderson, whom I actually had the Steelers taking in my mock draft and would be a nice pick-up. Scout.com had him ranked as a 4th rounder, as they also ranked inside linebacker Kai Parnham and cornerback Anwar Phillips; two positions at which the Steelers did not address depth in the draft.

In my mock I also projected cornerback Khalid Naziruddin who also went undrafted.

The World According to Kiper

I'll cut Mel a little slack since he probably hasn't slept in a few weeks. The self-proclaimed guru doesn't think too much of the Steelers draft, but that may be due to the fact that he isn't real clear on who they drafted:

Pittsburgh Steelers: GRADE: C+
The Steelers have replaced Antwaan Randle El with wide receivers Sinorice Moss and Willie Reid. On defense, Anthony Smith makes up for the loss of Chris Hoke in free angency. Defensive tackle Orien Harris could turn out to be one of the better Day 2 picks.

I personally think the Steelers had one of the better drafts in the league, made even more impressive by the fact that they were picking near the bottom of every round. I might change my tune, though, if the Steelers had traded up to draft Sinorice Moss and were going to make Anthony Smith a defensive lineman.

As it stands, the Steelers addressed most, if not every one of their needs, stacked their special teams and added depth all over the board. I've already given my day 1 thoughts, so let's quickly recap day 2.

While it would've been nice to add T.J. Duckett, he was not worth the 2007 3rd rounder Atlanta supposedly wanted. Unable to work the deal using one of their remaining 2006 picks, here's how used them:

In the fourth round the Steelers took a bit of a project on the 0-line in Willie Colon, who had been mentioned as one of their targets earlier in the week. With any other team, this might be a suspect pick as most scouting bureaus did not even rate him as a drafted player, but I trust the Steelers saw something in him that makes them believe he can compete, and if the Steelers know anything...it's the o-line. With their next pick they grabbed what (even Kiper acknowledges) could be the steal of day 2 in Orien Harris. Harris replaces Keisel as the young up-and-comer on the d-line and should be a big contributor on special teams.

In round five the Steelers grabbed their back-up quarterback of the future in Omar Jacobs. Jacobs has the talent and athletic ability to have been a 1st rounder, but needs to improve his technique. The Steelers also selected a tight-end to add depth to position that needed it. Davis is a big, strong kid, who probably won't see a ton of action this year, barring injury, but is much more of a legit tight end then, say, Matt Kranchick was.

The Steelers finished up the day by adding a couple guys who have practice squad written all over them, at center and running back.

With where they were picking and what their needs were, I could not be happier with this draft...and Mel, if Daniel Smith is replacing Chris Hoke, than Orien Harris should be able to fill in nicely for Chris Hope.

Holmes in One

Did the Steelers need to trade up in round one to grab wide receiver/kick returner Santonio Holmes from the Ohio State University? Maybe not. Did they need to give up a 3rd & 4th rounder to do it when the trade chart showed a 3rd & 5th should have been more than enough? Maybe not. Did the Steelers fill two big needs with one big pick? Absolutely. Holmes should step right into the slot and will become the punt returner and possibly return kick-offs, as well. At least that's what we thought for a couple hours...more on that in a minute.

The Steelers made up for their traded picks by exchanging their 2nd rounder for two 3rd round picks. With their first pick in the 3rd round, the Steelers selected Syracuse safety Anthony Smith. A somewhat surprising pick considering two safeties the Steelers were thought to be interested in, Ko Simpson and Darnell Bing, were still on the board. While Smith may take some time to adjust to playing safety in the NFL (remember how lost Polamalu was as a rookie?), he should contribute immediately on special teams coverage and kick blocking formations...he blocked six kicks in college.

With their final pick of the day, the Steelers showed how seriously they are taking the loss of Randle El to the return game by selecting punt return specialist Willie Reid from Florida State. Reid was a productive wide receiver in college, and may someday evolve into a #3 or #4 receiver in the pros, but it is very clear why he is being brought to Pittsburgh. Scout.com ranks Reid as the 2nd best return specialist in the draft, behind only Devin Hester, a 2nd round selection of the Bears.

Barring additional trades, the Steelers will have 6 more picks tomorrow, including two in the 4th, two in the 5th and one in each of the 6th and 7th rounds. There is plenty of depth left to add, but the Steelers addressed their three main areas of concern today.

2006 Tidbits Mock Draft

A little more than 24 hours to go before the 2006 NFL Draft begins, and about 30 hours before the Steelers make their first selection, but now it's time for me to make mine. For starters, no way the Steelers are going to sign 10 draft picks, so along the way, I'm going to swing a couple trades. Here we go:

Round 1: Pick 32 (Overall: 32) - LenDale White, RB, USC
Here's the first trade for the Steelers. I think LenDale White is the Steelers man and I think they may have to move up a few spots to get him. There is a chance he could slip by Indianapolis, but it's not a risk I take. The Steelers 3rd & 6th round picks should be the most they'd have to give to get him, and I think for their needs...it's worth it. White spends most of the season on the bench, getting limited action...until, of course, Duce gets hurt in the preseason opener and then White shares time with Fast Willie. If Cowher & Co. can keep White's head in the game and his weight under control, White becomes a Heath Miller-like steal at towards the end of round 1. They could also grab Ohio State center Nick Mangold, the top center in the draft, though they may have to move ahead of the Jets and Jaguars to assure they get him.

The Steelers could also trade down with this pick and improve their position in subsequent rounds.

Round 2: Pick 32 (64) - Danieal Manning, S, Abilene Christian
I think the Steelers would love to see USC's Darnell Bing or South Carolina's Ko Simpson fall into their lap here, but I think their off the board by now. Mannings got good potential at safety and could be playing some nickel & dime by midseason. Where Manning can contribute right away is on special teams, where he takes over kick return duties and is a force on the coverage team.

Round 4: Pick 32 (129) - Mike Hass, WR, Oregon State
Like day one, I'm beginning day two with another trade. This time I'm dealing my 4th & 5th to move up in the 4th and grab Hass. If the Steelers don't trade their 3rd pick, they'll have already taken a wideout by now, but I think Hass gives you good value here, and fills a need. Hass is possibly the best deep threat in the draft, and that's the main offensive component the Steelers have been lacking. Hass should see time on the outside in 3 receiver sets, allowing the Steelers to keep Cedrick Wilson in slot, where he belongs.

Round 4: Pick 34 (131) - Eric Henderson, DE, Georgia Tech
With the Steelers first compensatory pick it's time to address the depth on the d-line. The Steelers seem to really like last year's 7th round pick Shaun Nua, and by adding Henderson, they'll have solid depth along the line, and maybe a potential starter (Aaron Smith will become a free agent at season's end). Some consider this pass-rusher a boom-or-bust type prospect. He has had some injury problems in the past, but if he can get passed them, he could be a steal on day two. I wouldn't put it passed the Steelers to try to turn him into an outside linebacker, either.

Round 4: Pick 36 (133) - Bruce Gradkowski, QB, Toledo
Move over Rod Rutherford, there's a new local kid in town. Gradkowski is a tough kid and could grow into a decent back-up. Not much to say here. I think the Steelers definitely take a quarterback on day 2, and unless somehow Omar Jacobs slips through a whole bunch of cracks, I think Gradkowski's their guy.

Round 5: Pick 35 (167) - E.J. Whitley, OT, Texas Tech
Anytime I read "Steelers re-sign Barrett Brooks", I know it's time to draft some depth on the line. The Steelers seem to like last year's 6th rounder, Chris Kemoeatu, and the juries still out on Trai Essex, so I think Whitley is a good value this late. He played every position along the o-line in college, and while he doesn't seem to have the "mean streak" the Steelers like, his versatility should make up for it. I see him as a Chukky Okobi-type, who could provide them good depth at a number of positions.

Round 7: Pick 32 (240) - Khalid Naziruddin, CB, Texas Tech
For my last pick of the draft, I'm going back to defense and giving myself a little protection in the secondary in case I can't re-sign Ike Taylor after this season, and let's face it, the Steelers need to take at least one guy with a really long last name. Like Taylor, Naziruddin is a bit of a developmental project. He's got the "mean streak" and plays bigger than his undersized frame. Played some safety in college, in addition to corner. If he can learn to take better angles and improve his tackling, he could be a nice pick-up this late...and if he doesn't, who cares, he's Pittsburgh's Mr. Irrelevant.

So, that's my mock draft. If the Steelers don't feel the need to trade away 3 picks, they could fill some an additional need for depth at tight end (Jai Lewis?), and you can never draft too many offensive or defensive linemen. Lot of question marks surround this year's draft and it should definitely be a fun one to watch...even for Steeler fans.

Fact vs. Fiction

Okay, I'm stealing this from ESPN, but who cares, here we go...

FACT: The Steelers will trade up on day 1 of the draft.

This one comes down to simple math, the Steelers have 10 draft picks and neither the roster spots or room under the rookie cap to sign 10 draft picks. I look for them to actually trade up twice this weekend, once in the first round (their 1st, 3rd and a 5th or 6th depending how high they move up) and again on day 2, moving up in the 4th round for their own 4th and the 5th or 6th they trade earlier.

FICTION: The Steelers are happy with their receiving corp.

They can say it all they want. Cedrick Wilson can step into the #2 role and they love Nate Washington and Quincy Morgan showed some things. The bottom line is Cedrick Wilson can absolutely replace Randle El at wideout, but only because Randle El was a non-factor on offense for most of the year. Wilson did show improvement as the year went on, but does anybody believe he's a #2 receiver on a Super Bowl contender? He belongs in the slot. Washington and Morgan, and maybe even Walter Young, can provide a little depth, but none of those guys are or ever will be stars. The Steelers must spend a day one pick on a receiver and hope he can contribute. Luckily, next year's crop of receivers should be a lot stronger.

FACT: The Pirates are the worst clutch team in baseball.

Watching the Pirates is like watching Wily Mo Pena...if he comes up in a completely unimportant situation, with the bases empty, get out the binoculars, cause he's going to launch a moon-shot. If, god-forbid, there's a runner in scoring position...you can chalk up the backwards-K before he even steps to the plate. And, though it pains me to say it, the worst culprit might be Jason Bay.

FICTION: The Pirates are the worst team in baseball.

As Michel Therien proved, there is a learning curve when you take over for a team that has not been properly coached. Jim Tracy and staff have the unenviable task of undoing the damage of past regimes. Working for them is the fact that the players on this team are willing to do what they must to improve, including running spring training-like drills the day of games and showing up early for one-on-ones with coaches. This team will improve, and with the exception of Oliver Perez, the young pitchers seem to be making some progress. Perez, meanwhile, continues to get hit harder than Rich Tylski's kids (too soon?).

FACT: The Penguins are going to be fun to watch next year.

While they may not be a playoff contender yet, the Penguins by the start of next season should have a core of young talent like this town hasn't seen since the 70's. Assuming they can get Evgeni Malkin across the border, and have this year's #2 selection on the team, even if they don't win (yet)...they should be entertaining every night.

FICTION: The Pens are leaving town.

It's just not going to happen.

Rich Tylski Beats His Kid

Just when it looked like Derek Bell had Douche Bag of the Week locked up...

Former NFL offensive guard Rich Tylski and his wife were accused of hitting their adopted daughter with a belt, slamming her head on a table and other abuse that left the girl with broken bones in her hands and leg.

The 35-year-old Tylski and wife Jane, 36, were free on $20,000 bond each on the child abuse and neglect charges. They were released Wednesday after turning themselves in. A message left on their home answering machine wasn't immediately returned, and it was unclear whether they had lawyers.

Tylski spent nine seasons in the NFL, playing in 95 games with the Jaguars, Steelers and Panthers before retiring after the 2004 season.

The child, whose age and name weren't released, was taken to a Jacksonville hospital March 10 for a fractured right thigh bone. Her parents said she had fallen down the stairs about eight hours earlier.

Doctors found extensive bruising in various stages of healing. A skeletal survey found six or seven healing fractures in the child's hand, the police report stated.

The girl later told investigators that she lied about falling down the stairs and she demonstrated on a doll how her mother had pushed her leg over her head until they heard a pop, the report said. The report also stated that Rich Tylski said he had hit the child with a belt.

The Department of Children & Families told police the girl missed 14 days of school from October to March.

DCF spokesman John Harrell said he could not discuss the Tylski case because of state confidentiality laws. "Whenever we receive information that a child may be abused, we respond within a matter of hours. We investigate all cases of child abuse thoroughly wherever they may lead. Our No. 1 priority is child safety," he said.

During an interview on March 24, the child told investigators that her mother slammed her head on the table when she wouldn't eat. She said both parents hit her. She said a scar on her forehead was from her mother slamming her head into the table, but denied her mother hurt her leg, the police report said.

In a second interview April 3, the girl described how her mother would bend her fingers backward.

All Pro Dad, which promotes active fatherhood, listed Tylski as an NFL player involved with the organization on its Web site. A call to its Tampa office was not immediately returned.

A call to the DCF about the case was not immediately returned.