POSTED 9:58 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:44 p.m. EDT, June 21, 2006
STEELERS WERE SPLIT ON SANTURDIO
A league source tells us that there was disagreement in the Steelers' front office regarding the question of whether to draft receiver Santurdio, the team's first pick in the 2006 draft.
Instead of standing pat with the 32nd overall choice in round one, the Steelers traded up with the Giants to get Santurdio at No. 25.
Though we don't know who or how many execs were against selecting the former Ohio State Buckeye, it's safe to assume that coach Bill Cowher ultimately made the call to make the move.
And it's also safe to assume that, at a time when Cowher would like to tell quarterback Ben Toothlessberger "I told you so" regarding the decision to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, there's more than a few folks in the front office who'd like to say the same thing to Cowher regarding the acquisition of Santurdio.
So what becomes of Santurdio? Look for Cowher and company to cold-**** some sense into him come training camp. If he gets arrested another time between now and late July, don't be surprised if all he gets from the Steelers is a one-year offer for the rookie minimum of $275,000. His only alternative at that point would be to sit out the year and re-enter the draft in 2007.