First Call: Steelers working out a WR; No. 3 QB pushing Kenny Pickett in Philly; Brandon Aiyuk trade talk in Cleveland, New England

Monday’s “First Call” takes a look at a wide receiver the Pittsburgh Steelers are checking out. A few teams may be in a better position for a Brandon Aiyuk trade than the Steelers are at this point. We examine Kenny Pickett’s progress (or lack thereof) in Philadelphia.

And Gerrit Cole may be inching his way back in New York.

Sound familiar?

Apparently, training camp hyperbole isn’t just limited to the western side of Pennsylvania.

A week ago in Philadelphia, former Steeler Kenny Pickett was allegedly playing great in Eagles camp, and his arm strength was deemed to be much better than he had ever gotten credit for in Pittsburgh.

The throw of the day, though, belonged to Kenny Pickett. He threw a dime down the left sideline that somehow dropped over Quinyon Mitchell, who was tight in coverage, and into the arms of Britain Covey.

Pickett has been pretty solid. He has a bigger arm than I was anticipating.

— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) July 27, 2024

Now, apparently, he’s struggling to hold onto the No. 2 job behind Jalen Hurts because of pressure from third-stringer Tanner McKee.

Might be time to have the Tanner McKee over Kenny Pickett discussion

Would be very curious to see them both get reps with the 1st team offense just to see who does better. It might be McKee

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) August 4, 2024

Tanner McKee is getting some second-team reps again today. Something to monitor as camp progresses. #Eagles

— EJ Smith (@EJSmith94) August 4, 2024

McKee is a 2023 sixth-round draft pick out of Stanford. He threw for 5,336 yards and 28 touchdowns there.

The Eagles’ first preseason game is in Baltimore on Friday night. We’ll see at that point which quarterback looks sharper and plays with the better players on the Eagles’ offensive unit.

The search continues

The Steelers are still looking to add to their wide receiver room. They are bringing in a new pass catcher for a look. No, it’s not Brandon Aiyuk or any other receiver of a starting caliber.

It’s Daylen Baldwin. NFL reporter Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston is reporting that Baldwin is heading to the Steelers for a workout.

Former #Browns and #Falcons wide receiver Daylen Baldwin is working out for #Steelers on Monday, per a league source @KPRC2

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 4, 2024

Formerly of the Atlanta Falcons, Baldwin was waived over the weekend. After playing college football at Morgan State, Jackson State and eventually Michigan, Baldwin went undrafted and signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2022. In December of that year, he had two catches against the Baltimore Ravens for 25 yards.

At 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds, Baldwin also had a stop with the Minnesota Vikings. The Steelers signed another former Wolverine pass catcher, Tarik Black, last week.

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Since we brought it up

On the topic of Aiyuk, there is more trade speculation swirling about the San Francisco wide receiver. But it isn’t centered on Pittsburgh.

Over the weekend, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area posted, “I’ve stated for a while that I didn’t see any scenario in which the 49ers would trade him. Now, I believe it’s a legitimate option. In a lot of ways, the ball is in Aiyuk’s court.”

Maiocco cited a post from Cam Marino of NFL Draft Buzz, which says the Steelers are still “in the mix” for Aiyuk, but the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots are “the frontrunners” to swing a trade.

At NBC Sports Bay Area, Maiocco advances the notion of the Patriots shipping former 49ers receiver Kendrick Bourne back to San Francisco along with draft picks.

REPORT:

Per: @NBCS49ers

The Patriots are a top potential trade partner for Brandon Aiyuk.

"The Patriots are another logical trade partner for the 49ers. The Patriots could offer former 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne as part of a trade that includes an enticing package… pic.twitter.com/0LKPmPbr4m

— Savage (@SavageSports_) August 4, 2024

He also picked up on a report from Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, who talked about the prospect of the Browns getting Aiyuk if Amari Cooper went out west as part of the deal in exchange.

Aiyuk is currently on the fifth-year option of his entry-level contract. Cooper just got a $5 million incentive package added onto his deal, entering the final year of his contract at age 30.

Step in the right direction

Former Pirate Gerrit Cole may have taken a small step in the right direction Sunday. The New York Yankees ace pitched into the sixth inning in the Bronx during Sunday’s 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Cole totaled four strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter while yielding two earned runs and six hits along the way.

Gerrit Cole's 2Ks in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/c1yllIZouk

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 4, 2024

That’s been a typical outing for Cole since he made his return in June from an elbow injury that delayed the start of his 2024 campaign. It was certainly better than his last appearance against the Mets on July 24 when he gave up six earned runs in 5⅔ innings en route to a 12-3 loss.

Cole skipped a start after that because of “general body fatigue.” On Sunday in the Bronx, Cole retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced before getting pulled with two outs in the sixth.