First Call: Steelers, Ravens considering Clowney? Nebraska players sue Big Ten. - TribLIVE

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Friday’s “First Call” starts with an unlikely free-agent target for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A former Steelers coach makes some headlines discussing our nation’s civil unrest. The Big Ten is getting sued over its football cancellation. And an honor for Tony Dungy that may help the late, great Bill Nunn’s legacy.

Are you clowning me?

When it comes to which NFL team would sign free-agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, I would’ve gone through 31 guesses before I got to the Steelers.

Maybe 32. Are the Canton Bulldogs still around?

After all, they only have roughly $4 million of cap space. And the Steelers have Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt on the edges, along with Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt as defensive ends.

Meanwhile, Clowney has reportedly turned down multiple offers over $15 million per season.

But Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network says the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are the two favorites to sign Clowney.

Although the cap issue is likely prohibitive.

“A source close to Clowney told me the Pittsburgh Steelers have been poking their nose around to see if they can sign him. I don’t think he’s going to end up with the Steelers,” said Pauline. “With the Steelers, they’re strapped at the cap. They don’t have a lot of room. They’d have to make room, and the situation would have to be right.”

The one caveat might be if the Steelers trade Dupree and his $15.8 million franchise tag. If they find a partner that wants him at that number or can work out a long-term deal with him, then that’s a possibility.

But then they’d likely have to sign Clowney, 27, to a contract that is not only close to that number this year, but somehow also extremely friendly next season, too. After all, the team’s cap situation is dreadful in 2021, and they may have to trim even more current players to get into compliance.

Pro Football Network says that Baltimore’s release of Earl Thomas will save the team $10 million in cap space and that may be enough room to work out a deal with Clowney.

The Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints may also be in the mix.

Big word from B.A.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians made some news with quotes regarding player protests in the wake of the social unrest in Wisconsin.

The former Steelers coordinator encouraged his players who are protesting to bring personal sincerity to their causes.

“Your responsibility is to take action,” Arians said via tampabay.com. “I don’t know that protest is an action. I think each guy has a personal thing. I would beg them to take action, find a cause and either support it financially or do something to change the situation, because protesting doesn’t do crap in my opinion. I’ve been seeing it since 1968.”

The Bucs met as a team Thursday before their 8:30 a.m. scheduled practice and decided to take the field.

See you in court

The Big Ten canceled its football season recently.

And that hasn’t been sitting well with Nebraska, one of the schools that was pressuring to play through the covid-19 pandemic.

Thursday, a group of Nebraska football players filed a lawsuit trying to force the Big Ten Conference to reinstate a fall football season.

The lawsuit contends that the players are losing a chance for development and exposure for a possible pro career and won’t be able to market themselves to eventually capitalize on name, image and likeness revenue opportunities.

It also questions if the league’s Council of Presidents and Chancellors formally voted on the decision. Plus it attacks the medical studies used to make the decision.

As Mark Madden and I mentioned on a recent Madden Monday podcast, some conferences avoided playing largely to avoid liability. Now the Big Ten gets sued anyway.

Maybe other conferences/sports now could say, “If we are gonna get sued regardless, let’s make our television money first.”

Good sign

Former NFL coach and Pittsburgh Steeler Tony Dungy recently sent out this tweet of support for Bill Nunn.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame contributor subcommittee named the legendary Steelers scout as its lone nominee for the Class of 2021.

I hope Bill Nunn is is inducted into the @ProFootballHOF He was such a big part of the Steelers success in the 1970s. He helped bring in so many unheralded players who became big contributors to the team. An HOF bust would be well deserved. https://t.co/snEwy9BkbZ

— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) August 25, 2020

Nunn, who died in 2014, scouted many of the Steelers who eventually came to Pittsburgh and formed the legendary Super Bowl teams of the 1970s.

Now Dungy is filling a vacancy on the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Trustees has approved Hall of Famer @TonyDungy to fill an at-large vacancy on the Hall’s Selection Committee.

Read More: https://t.co/TDsVwnJYNx pic.twitter.com/eh41hh9UfJ

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) August 27, 2020

Nunn’s induction is overdue as it is. He should’ve gone into Canton a long time ago. Given the attention his nomination has gotten this year and with Dungy now in the mix, perhaps his election now is all but a certainty.

Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.

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