First Call: Ex-Pitt star cuts his NFL Combine workout short; Le'Veon Bell to box again; Kasperi Kapanen scoring with Blues

It wasn’t a great NFL scouting combine for former Pitt wide receiver Jordan Addison. Ex-Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is boxing again. Derek Carr may be figuring out his situation. Kasperi Kapanen is making a quick impression with the St. Louis Blues.

And Pitt men’s hockey is rolling into its national tournament.

All that comes your way in Monday’s “First Call.”

Cut short

Former Pitt wide receiver Jordan Addison ended his NFL Combine workout early Saturday. The USC product was dealing with tightness in his back. He claims that he will do the rest of his drills at a Pro Day workout.

Addison measured 5-foot-11, 173 pounds. That’s a little smaller than how he was listed on USC’s website. He went through a few drills, including running a 4.49 40-yard dash, after getting clocked at 4.55 his first try.

Nice improvement from @uscfb WR Jordan Addison with a 4.49u on his second run.

: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/sIDu6ymzRo

— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2023

Many in the draft prospect world seemed unimpressed.

Jordan Addison is a good football player, but you don't take this in the first round. In a better WR class, he's a day-two pick. #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/cUqDSAUxAm

— Tommy Jaggi (@TommyJaggi) March 4, 2023

love watching Jordan Addison but today has been brutal for him so far

— Derrik Klassen (@QBKlass) March 4, 2023

Jordan Addison with an official 4.49 forty, which is 39th percentile. Adjusting for weight, 3rd percentile. His 10-yard split is right at 50th percentile, so initial burst is fine compared to long speed.

Of note, raw 40 time is just as correlated as weight-adjusted 40 time at WR

— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) March 4, 2023

Addison caught 59 passes for 875 yards and eight touchdowns during his one season with the Trojans. He totaled 100 catches, 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns while at Pitt with Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett in 2021.

Many have wondered if the Steelers would have an interest in drafting Addison to reunite him with his former college quarterback. Unless Addison’s Pro Day workout numbers are better, he may still be on the board when the Steelers pick at No. 17, or perhaps even No. 32.

More sports

• Analysis: ACC Tournament gives Pitt the chance to rediscover its formula for success
• Steelers trying to tackle issue of whether to take OL in 1st round of NFL Draft
• Bryce Young's height creates new debate for scouts at NFL combine

Ring the Bell for Le’Veon

Former Steeler Le’Veon Bell is going to box again.

Via mmafighting.com, Bell will be fighting Joel Morris (also known as YouTube personality “JMX”). The bout will be on April 21 in New Orleans.

Misfits Boxing CEO KSI made the announcement Saturday.

MISFITS 006!!!! pic.twitter.com/hxaBqHFzLs

— ksi (@KSI) March 4, 2023

This will be Bell’s third boxing match. He scored a TKO of fellow former running back Adrian Peterson in an amateur fight held in September 2022. The following month, Bell lost his professional debut to former UFC fighter Uriah Hall.

Bell last played for the Steelers in 2017. He hadn’t played in an NFL game since 2018.

New York state of mind?

Former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has a number of teams who may want to sign him out of free agency. The New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints are said to be in the mix.

According to ESPN.com reporter Jeremy Fowler, it appears the Jets are in the lead right now when it comes to Carr’s preference.

While the #Panthers and #Saints remain in the conversation for Derek Carr, the former Pro Bowl quarterback has a slight lean toward the #Jets as his next home as of now, per source. Nothing is final, but Jets -- who are linked to Aaron Rodgers -- have made an impression.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 5, 2023

Carr is now 31 years old. He was cut on Feb. 14 by the Raiders.

That was fast

Ex-Penguin Kasperi Kapanen has already done something positive for his new team.

He scored a shorthanded goal for the St. Louis Blues over the weekend. Kapanen took this pass from Gibsonia’s Brandon Saad and made the most of it while killing a penalty.

Kasperi Kapanen, everybody. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/ibdHxq4IgL

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 5, 2023

Unfortunately for Saad and Kapanen, the Blues still lost to the Los Angeles Kings, 4-2. Kapanen also scored on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks in a 6-3 victory. So that’s two goals in three games since being traded.

Kapanen closed out his Penguins career with one goal in his final 15 games.

Next step

The Pitt men’s hockey team is onto the club-level national tournament. That’s because they won the Division I Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League tournament with an 8-2 victory over Niagara on Sunday in Pittston, PA.

2023 @ESCHLhockey CHAMPIONS!! pic.twitter.com/shcKtX2mbR

— Pitt Men’s Hockey (@D1PittHockey) March 5, 2023

Goalie Grant Lindsay was the tournament MVP.

Now the Panthers are onto the American Collegiate Hockey Association tournament, in a quest for the national championship. Pitt will enter the tournament at the No. 12 seed and will face off against fifth-ranked Liberty on March 18.

And here's the same thing in bracket form: pic.twitter.com/WOKWGPAxZ1

— ACHA Men's D1 (@achamensd1) March 1, 2023

That tournament is being played in Marlborough, Mass., from March 16-21.