First Call: Someone may want Nick Bjugstad? Someone signed Donte Moncrief? Cole vs. Glasnow. - TribLIVE

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Tuesday’s “First Call” examines some potential Penguins roster movement. An ex-Steeler has a new home. Leonard Fournette gets a swift kick on the way out of Jacksonville. And we look at how Glasnow vs. Cole Round 3 turned out.

Bjugstad or Bonino Buffalo-bound?

Looking for a team that might absorb the $4.1 million contract of oft-injured Penguins center Nick Bjugstad?

Yeah. Me, too.

You find one?

Nah. Me either.

Although Lance Lysowski — who used to cover the Pittsburgh sports market — thinks the Sabres may be willing to bring Bjugstad to Buffalo.

In the Buffalo News, Lysowski came up with a list of nine players who could fill the team’s second-line center position.

Personally, I’d put Bjugstad 10th or 11th on that nine-person list. But Lysowski seems to think the Sabres may be interested.

“Bjugstad has had trouble staying healthy recently and never quite fit with the Penguins, but he scored 19 goals in 2017-18 and totaled 15 in 77 games over the past two seasons. Bjugstad could be a solid stopgap. The Sabres would likely only need to send a low-round draft choice to Pittsburgh. Remember, Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford has a relationship with (Buffalo GM Kevyn) Adams from their time in Carolina.”

Whatever relationship that may be would be damaged beyond repair if Rutherford foisted Bjugstad on the Sabres.

But whatever. Let him be their problem. Yeah, I’d take a low-round pick in 2026 just to unload his dead weight.

Lysowski also lists Nashville Predators center Nick Bonino as a potential target for Buffalo. The former Penguin is also owed $4.1 million next year.

Why stop there?

Another player the Penguins could move is Jared McCann. He went the final 25 games of the season without scoring a goal.

The 24-year-old forward was miscast as a third-line center on a poorly constructed line with Patrick Marleau and Patric Hornqvist during the playoffs. The Penguins keep trying to make him a center. I think he’s a wing. And I think he might be better off trying to prove that elsewhere.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliot Friedman, Rutherford might be thinking the same thing. He writes that Rutherford is “testing the market” on McCann.

He’s a restricted free agent who made $1.25 million last season. McCann ended up with 35 points in 66 games with the Pens.

He and Bjugstad were the return in the Derick Brassard trade. If it makes you feel better — and it probably will — Brassard hasn’t scored since Feb. 8.

Sticking with the theme

Brassard isn’t the only former Pittsburgh flameout attempting to reboot in New York.

Donte Moncrief just signed with the Jets.

We've signed WR Donte Moncrief and released K Brett Maher.

https://t.co/2luWcVQRTN pic.twitter.com/9XaEdL1jJR

— New York Jets (@nyjets) August 31, 2020

Well, if the Jets really “released” kicker Brett Maher, I hope they weren’t relying on Moncrief to catch him before he hit the ground.

Yes, we’re talking about that Donte Moncrief. The guy who had so many injuries and drops that he went from a potential No. 2 wide receiver last offseason for the Steelers to out of work by Week 5.

Pro Football Reference tagged him for four drops and just four catches on 15 targets before being released. Moncrief eventually signed on with Carolina and played in just three games — and didn’t have a catch.

But he didn’t have a drop either. So maybe the Jets are getting him on an uptick.

Finished with Fournette

It’s been known for a while that the Jacksonville Jaguars have been trying to trade renowned Steelers-killer Leonard Fournette.

But they couldn’t do it. No takers. So they released him Monday.

How desperate were the Jags to trade Fournette? Consider this quote from head coach Doug Marrone.

Jaguars coach Doug Marrone asked on media Zoom call about attempts to trade Leonard Fournette: "We couldn't get anything. A fifth, a sixth—anything."

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 31, 2020

Keep in mind, that’s for a guy who had 1,674 yards from scrimmage last year, sixth best in the NFL. I guess that’s what happens when the whole league knows you are probably going to release the guy eventually anyway.

Yikes! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Leonard.

Rubber match on the rubber

On Monday, former Pirates Tyler Glasnow and Gerrit Cole opposed each other for a third time this season in the American League East.

The two first met on Aug. 8. Glasnow took the loss as New York won 8-4. Cole got a no-decision.

They squared off on Aug. 19, too. Tampa Bay won 4-2 that night. Neither pitcher factored into the decision. But they combined for 18 strikeouts.

Tampa got the better of the third showdown as well. The Rays won 5-3. Glasnow twirled six shutout innings, striking out nine and walking just one.

Felt the breeze all the way from NYC to TB pic.twitter.com/3qUyXiTZ75

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 1, 2020

Cole allowed eight hits, four earned runs and four walks to suffer the loss. His ERA is up to 3.91. And his record dropped to 4-2.

The Rays are now 4.5 games up on the Yankees in the East. They’ve won six straght games.

These two teams play each other again Tuesday and Wednesday.

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.

Categories: MLB | Penguins/NHL | Sports | Steelers/NFL | Breakfast With Benz