First Call: NFL Scouting Combine 'bubble boycott' avoided; former Steelers QB cut in CFL; Penguins get no help from Flyers

Tuesday’s “First Call” has an update on that planned boycott of the NFL Scouting Combine. A former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback couldn’t cut it in the CFL. Troy Polamalu’s uncle gets a new gig coaching in the NFL. The Flyers can’t give the Penguins an assist.

And one of Duquesne’s women’s basketball players gets a tip of the cap.

NFL fallback

The NFL Scouting Combine is relaxing its covid-19 restrictions after threats of a boycott by 157 players.

On Monday, event organizers informed draft prospects attending next week’s talent showcase that it has altered its protocols and will now allow players outside of secure areas during their time in Indianapolis.

Via a memo obtained by the NFL Network, “We encourage all players to remain within the secure Combine areas at all times for your safety. However, if you would like to leave the secure areas during free time in your schedule, you are now permitted to do so at your own risk.”

The memo also went on to state that players’ “approved medical support personnel (physical therapist, massage therapist, or approved athletic trainer)” can enter secured areas provided they follow proper procedures.

That was the biggest gripe coming from agents, that players may not be able to get full attention from their entire collections of coaches and athletic trainers.

The change comes in the wake of a bristling reaction from players and agents to the idea of a bubble setup which was announced Saturday.

Sacked in Saskatchewan

According to 3downnation.com, the Saskatchewan Roughriders cut former Steelers quarterback Paxton Lynch.

Lynch was on their active roster (or one-game injured list) for all of 2021, allowing him to collect his full salary. The franchise placed him on the suspended list for reasons unknown before the playoffs, and he remained there until Monday’s release.

As the fourth quarterback on the depth chart, he did not dress for a game.

Lynch, the 26th overall choice of the Broncos in 2016, hasn’t played in the NFL since 2017. He earned more than $8.8 million while playing five games, with four starts, in two seasons.

The Steelers cut him out of training camp in 2020.

Related:

• Tim Benz: 3 goals the Steelers can meet by hiring Brian Flores
• Kevin Colbert: Mason Rudolph in line to be Steelers QB 'if the season started today'

Familiar name in Vegas

On Monday, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported that the Las Vegas Raiders hired Kennedy Polamalu as their running backs coach.

Polamalu is the uncle of Steelers legend Troy Polamalu. He has been coaching since 1992, spending the past five seasons as the running backs coach for the Minnesota Vikings.

Polamalu held that title while with the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars, too. He was also a running backs coach in the NCAA ranks with USC and UCLA. Polamalu was at Southern Cal when his nephew was starring with the Trojans before being drafted by the Steelers in 2003.

Troy Polamalu mentioned his uncle during his Hall of Fame speech this summer.

“I couldn’t stop crying,” the elder Polamalu said after the speech. “When he got on stage, I couldn’t stop crying. He didn’t have to say anything about me. It was just the moment.”

Go figure. It’s Philly

C’mon. You didn’t expect the Penguins to get any help from the Philadelphia Flyers, did you?

The Flyers hosted the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night. Philly entered the game with just 39 points, tied for last in the division with the New Jersey Devils. Carolina began the contest with 72 points, a two-point advantage over the idle, second-place Penguins.

What resulted was a 4-3 overtime road win for the Canes in Philadelphia after Brett Pesce scored a game winner with 18 seconds of 3-on-3 play remaining. It came off a beautiful feed from Pittsburgh’s own Vincent Trocheck.

Truly a work of art pic.twitter.com/POpjnAs6bf

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) February 21, 2022

So that means the Penguins are now four points behind Carolina. The Canes have won three in a row. The Penguins don’t play again until Thursday night when they host the Devils, who are now alone in last place after the Flyers picked up a point courtesy of the overtime loss.

Carolina doesn’t skate again until a Friday home date against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Fine week for Fatou

Duquesne’s Fatou Pouye is the Player of the Week in Atlantic 10 women’s basketball.

Pouye averaged 23.5 points and 5.0 boards to help the Dukes get wins over Richmond and St. Bonaventure last week.

Fatou Pouye with the up and under

Check out the ???????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? from yesterday’s game. #GoDukes pic.twitter.com/CgfkeiyeWM

— Duquesne Women's Basketball (@DuqWBB) February 17, 2022

The graduate transfer from Western Kentucky led all players with 27 points on 10 of 16 shooting, including 5 of 7 attempts from three-point territory, with seven rebounds in the team’s 99-75 win over St. Bonaventure on Sunday. Pouye’s five three-pointers were part of the team’s 19 total that tied the A-10 single-game record.

The native of Senegal recorded a game-high 20 points in the team’s 80-68 win over Richmond on Wednesday.

She is the first Duquesne player to earn the award since Libby Bazelak claimed the honor on Dec. 23, 2019.

The team will travel to La Salle on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. tipoff, before closing out the regular season at home against Saint Joseph’s at 2 p.m. Saturday.