First Call: Free agent idea for Steelers; John Harbaugh praises Al Villanueva; Marc-Andre Fleury, McCutchen flash in defeat

Monday’s “First Call” has an idea for the Pittsburgh Steelers to investigate when it comes to bolstering its offensive line. The Ravens are excited about adding a former Steeler. Marc-Andre Fleury and Andrew McCutchen flash in defeat.

OK with Okung?

Free-agent tackle Russell Okung is still without an NFL team. The former Pro Bowler needs a paycheck, and the Steelers may need a veteran tackle in a pinch.

That’s why Pro Football Focus sees the Steelers as the best possible fit for Okung as he remains unsigned.

PFF’s Ben Linsey posted a column trying to find teams that made the most sense for veteran free agents across football. And here’s why he matched Okung with the Steelers.

“Pittsburgh’s decisions this offseason, ranging from restructuring Ben Roethlisberger’s contract to drafting immediate contributors such as Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth with their first two picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, indicate that they want to make one last run before looking toward the future. If that’s the case, it makes sense to bring on a reliable veteran to man the left tackle position on a one-year deal.”

It sounds logical if Okung is willing to play for the veteran minimum. But if the Steelers wanted Okung earlier in the free-agent process, they could’ve had him. Instead, they decided to keep Zach Banner. And they signed Joe Haeg from Tampa Bay and Aviante Collins from the Minnesota Vikings, who can both play the position.

My guess is at some point during the season, the Steelers are going to wish they better girded themselves at tackle. And Okung could help there. So, from that standpoint, it makes sense.

From a salary-cap perspective, though, it may not. And whatever dollars the Steelers can spend on a veteran free agent, I think would more likely be spent on a cornerback or a pass rusher. Because the franchise has left itself remarkably thin at both of those positions.

Plus Okung hasn’t been a Pro Bowl player since 2017. He has only played a total of 13 games over the past two years. And he has been with three teams (Broncos, Chargers, Panthers) since leaving the Seattle Seahawks after the 2015 campaign.

You gotta have faith

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh is talking up the signing of Alejandro Villanueva. The former Steelers offensive tackle signed with the rival Ravens as a free agent on May 4.

“He’s going to play really well on the right side,” Harbaugh said via Ravens.com. “He’ll play well on the left side if required. He just adds to our offensive line. He’s a very good player. He’s a tremendous person. He’s a veteran. He knows how to play. He knows how to get himself prepared to play. He’s been in the trenches. He’s an upgrade for us, and I’m really excited to have him.”

Now when Harbaugh says “upgrade,” does he mean over Orlando Brown Jr.? Or over what they had after Orlando Brown Jr. was traded to Kansas City? He better mean the latter. Because I ain’t buyin’ the first part.

Cam can

While the Penguins needed great playoff goaltending in their Game 1 loss against the New York Islanders, the Vegas Golden Knights got it from former Pens netminder Marc-Andre Fleury.

But Minnesota’s Cam Talbot was even better.

The Wild beat the Golden Knights 1-0 in overtime of the first game of their best-of-seven first-round West Division playoff series.

Fleury made 29 saves. Some of the spectacular variety.

? = ? pic.twitter.com/cxPFwVPNIH

— x-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 16, 2021

nah ah ah! not today! pic.twitter.com/yU8lu3EOOa

— x-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 16, 2021

Unfortunately for Vegas, Talbot made 42 saves en route to a shutout and Joel Eriksson Ek scored in the extra session to win the game for the Wild.

JOEL ERIKSSON EK. ?#DeterMNation pic.twitter.com/dEhleW1KHJ

— x - Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) May 16, 2021

Game 2 is Tuesday in Las Vegas.

City of Brotherly Love?

As if the Flyers failing to make the playoffs wasn’t reason enough to be depressed for Philadelphia sports fans, now the Phillies have lost three of four.

And they are fighting in the dugout. Manager Joe Girardi and second baseman Jean Segura got into it after Segura made an error during a Sunday afternoon loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Then Girardi wanted no part of questions about the incident from the media after the defeat.

Joe Girardi made it clear he was NOT going to talk about this incident in the dugout after Jean Segura made a costly error pic.twitter.com/uF3Vbt1FRJ

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 16, 2021

One positive was Andrew McCutchen. The former Pirate homered in the fifth inning.

Back-to-back! #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/J02TM0MuvN

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 16, 2021

That was immediately after shortstop Nick Maton hit his first big-league home run. That was Maton’s first of two on the afternoon. The Phillies got down 8-0 and mounted a comeback but ended up losing 10-8.