Steelers might've cornered themselves into a wide receiver

He's been diagnosed with Type I diabetes, so he's got to take care of himself more than most athletes. And openly acknowledged maturity issues can further complicate that. But that's also a buy-low opportunity that's also been in the Steelers' recent wheelhouse. In addition to believing they can work with almost anyone when it comes to maturity.

• They also had an eye-popping seven visits with cornerbacks, which might suggest to some they aren't satisfied with Donte Jackson, the corner acquired in the Johnson trade. I'm told the opposite's the case, that they've liked Jackson a long time. I'm also told that they're looking at all corners as potential slot candidates, even if they haven't been bred that way. (Most college corners aren't.) And no, nobody's forgotten about Corey Trice Jr. after what he showed last summer. 

This'll be fascinating to watch unfold. All of it. Bring the big-hair analysts, the bro-hugs for the commissioner and a bunch of hope.

• Sidney Crosby's final contract almost certainly will be signed this summer, I was told a couple nights ago in New York, and I'm not about to insult anyone's intelligence and add that it'll be with the Penguins. Yeah, he was peeved at an unprecedented level by the Jake Guentzel trade, but to know Sid is to know how important legacy's always been to him. And he loves this part of his legacy.

• No, I have no idea how long or what price or any of that. If I did, I'd share. But the intent's to get it done before the next NHL season.

• Dumbest decision in professional sports made anywhere in 2024 goes to all 31 NHL general managers who declined to trade for Lars Eller at the deadline. He could've been had at the right price, too. Think of that when watching handshake lines this spring.

• If any member of Mike Sullivan's coaching staff is in jeopardy -- Sullivan isn't, at all -- I'm unaware of it. And bear in mind, these tend to be the fastest decisions made in any offseason, as a courtesy to fired assistants in giving them the maximum time to find new work.

• Jake Guentzel just sold his house to Bryan Rust. Not something one would do if there were designs on some imminent return.

• However upset Sid was with how the Jake trade went down, multiply that many times over for Jake and his family. Trust me on that.

• As of season's end, no contract approach had been made to Alex Nedeljkovic, a pending unrestricted free agent. He'd be delighted to return. His family lives in the Cleveland suburbs, and he's had had him here more than once over this past season. (He also got to be close to his beloved Browns, but I'll be responsible and leave that part out.)

• As of season's end, no contract approach had been made to Marcus Pettersson, who's got one more year at $4,025,175 before he can be an unrestricted free agent. His age-27 season saw him before the roster's most consistent defenseman.

• I can't envision a Tristan Jarry trade, primarily because I can't envision anyone taking the final four years of the five-year, $26,875,000 contract he and Kyle Dubas signed last summer. Which, by the way, has a 12-team no-trade list Jarry submits before each season. 

• If that isn't awful enough, Ryan Graves, also signed by Dubas last summer, has five years left on his six-team, $27 million contract that has a 12-team no-trade list the first three years, an eight-team no-trade list the final three years. He'll be here until age 34.

• It was somewhat striking, earlier this week in New York, to see how casual everyone in the Pirates' fold seemed to be about Oneil Cruz not once but twice twisting his surgically repaired ankle. On both occasions, notably the second one Wednesday when he was bumped on the basepaths by the Mets' Jeff McNeil, he appeared to be in significant pain. He remained in the game both times and, afterward, neither he nor anyone with the team expressed any concern. Must've been one hell of a surgery.

• Also up at Citi Field, I asked Bailey Falter how management could've been so right and all the rest of us, myself included, so wrong about what carryover there might be from a statistically poor spring training. Loved his answer, offered with a smile: "Well, look, they traded for me for a reason, right? They felt like my two-seamer and other pitches would play up in the zone, and they have." They have, but a two-seamer's also known as a sinker, so a sinker up in the zone sounds like it belongs on the Island of Misfit Toys. "It works," he'd add with a playful shrug. "All I can say."

• Can't begin to describe how tightly wound Andrew McCutchen had been before No. 300, and how polar opposite that was afterward in New York. He was pretty much walking on air all week. Even whipped out the old Zoltan on the basepaths, back toward the dugout. We'll see if that sticks. I've got doubts.

• I've now asked, at various points, both Paul Skenes and Jared Jones about how their usage has been limited, and all I'll say is I've loved the responses both times. These kids are bulldogs. They'll have their say someday.

• One cool thing about covering baseball at the Mets' place is that the writers there have been there, like, forever. And they tell some great tales. One of them shared with me that he'd heard recently from Felix Millan, a former New York infielder, now 80 years old. 

On Aug. 12, 1977, at Three Rivers Stadium, Ed Ott famously bodyslammed Millan at second base after an altercation following a slide, cracking Millan's collarbone and effectively ending Millan's career. Millan hadn't exactly been innocent, reacting to Ott's slide by punching him across the face with the ball still in his hand, prompting Ott's wrestling-like maneuver.

Millan told this writer he'd been hoping this year to reach out to Ott to attempt to mend fences all these years later. But Ott, of course, passed away last month at age 72. Millan, upon hearing this, expressed sadness to the writer.

Seize every opportunity, my friends. 

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