Are they or aren't they?

A report surfaced that the Steelers are among the three finalists for HBO's Hard Knocks show, something the NFL later denied.

According to the report, the Steelers, Bears and Giants are the three teams the league is looking at handing over to HBO for a behind-the-scenes look during training camp this year.

Any of the three, which all have a big following, would be a ratings bonanza for HBO, which is what the network is looking at.

You can bet, despite the league's denials, that the three finalists announced are, in fact, correct.

There are only eight teams eligible to begin with, and among those eight, the Steelers, Giants and Bears would, without a doubt, be the biggest draws.

The others are the Bills, Cardinals, Jaguars, Raiders and Rams. Outside of Oakland, which might actually be an interesting watch, there's not a lot of draw with those teams.

It's likely that somebody from HBO leaked the three teams it wants and is pushing the NFL to give access to.

We'll see if the league buckles and serves up one of its premiere teams.

The Steelers, who run a tight ship at training camp, don't want show coming to Saint Vincent and becoming a distraction. But given the league's new rules regarding the show, they might not have a choice.

@ In their latest mock drafts, ESPN's Mile Kiper and Todd McShay couldn't have had more different picks for the Steelers.

Kiper had Pittsburgh taking Notre Dame offensive lineman Zack Martin, while McShay settled on Virginia Tech corner Kyle Fuller.

I've already made my thoughts known on what I think of mocks that have the Steelers taking an offensive lineman. I discount them immediately.

But Fuller was the guy I had the Steelers taking in my latest mock last week, though Darqueze Dennard was gone in McShay's mock, while he was still available in mine.

Honestly, I could see the Steelers taking either one.

@ Draft prospect Scott Crichton, a defensive lineman from Oregon, had this to say about his pre-draft visit with the Steelers.

"I was one of those kids who wanted to play for the Steelers," Crichton told Sirius radio. "I'm a big Steelers fan. That was my team growing up. When I went over there it was just like a dream come true. I just fell in love with the place."

At 6-3, 275 pounds, Crichton is a bit undersized to play defensive end for the Steelers. But he also lined up at outside linebacker and nose tackle at times for Oregon. And he forced 10 career fumbles, including six in 2013.

An interesting look at the top 150

As I said before, I look at rankings and mock drafts from all over the internet in the - months at least this year - leading up to the draft.

Many are nearly identical in their rankings, almost as if somebody puts out a list early and then others copy it.

But here's an interesting look at the top 150 prospects in this year's draft from Rotoworld.

Rotoworld's top 150

It has some different players in the mix to be selected in the first couple of rounds and is worth a look.

Steelers 2014 Schedule

The NFL released its schedules for 2014 and it wasn't necessarily kind to the Steelers.

Pittsburgh gets just four days off after its opener, when it has to head to Baltimore for a Thursday night game.

The Steelers also play all four of their games against division rivals Cleveland and Baltimore in the first nine weeks of the season. They won't play the Bengals until December, when they have two of their final four games against Cincinnati.

Another interesting part of this schedule? All of the team's away games are schedule in groups of two.

After playing Baltimore Sept. 11, the Steelers are at Carolina the following week. After playing Jacksonville Oct. 5, they are at Cleveland the following week. After playing the Jets Nov. 9, they are at Tennessee Nov. 17. And following a game at Cincinnati Dec. 7, Pittsburgh is at Atlanta Dec. 14.


Sept. 7, Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Sept. 11, at Baltimore, 8:25 p.m.
Sept. 21, at Carolina, 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 28, Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Oct. 5, at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Oct. 12, at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Oct. 20, Houston, 8:30 p.m.
Oct. 26, Indianapols, 4:25 p.m.
Nov. 2, Baltimore, 8:30 p.m.
Nov. 9, at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.
Nov. 17, at Tennessee, 8:30 p.m.
Bye week
Nov. 30, New Orleans, 1 p.m.
Dec. 7, at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Dec. 14, at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Dec. 21, Kansas City, 1 p.m.
Dec. 28, Cincinnati, 1 p.m.

Just over three-weeks out Mock

With the draft about three weeks away, here's an updated look on how things could go May 8.

1.       Houston, Jadaveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina. A freakish athlete who is too good to pass up.

2.       St. Louis, Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn. Don’t be surprised to see the Rams also take a QB at some point high.

3.       Jacksonville, Blake Bortles, QB, USC. The Jaguars have tried to make do with patchwork QBs since Mark Brunell.

4.       Cleveland, Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson. The Browns get a stud receiver to pair with Josh Gordon.

5.       Oakland, Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M. The Raiders love big-name players and have had issues selling out their stadium. Manziel would create some excitement around the team.

6.       Atlanta, Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M. The Falcons need to protect Matt Ryan better.

7.       Tampa Bay, Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M. Three A&M players in a row.

8.       Minnesota, Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State. Carr has passed Teddy Bridgewater in the QB pecking order of this draft.

9.       Buffalo, Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo. The Bills get a home-grown talent.

10.   Detroit, Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State. The Lions would have liked Evans to fall and could trade up for him. But here they ‘settle’ for Gilbert.

11.   Tennessee, Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA. The Titans need playmakers all over the place. They get one on the defensive side of the ball who will fit into defensive coordinator Ray Horton’s 3-4 scheme.

12.   N.Y. Giants, Aaron Donald, DT, Pitt. The Giants need to start rebuilding their interior defensive line.

13.   St. Louis, Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama. The back end of the Rams’ secondary is a mess. Clinton-Dix will help that right away.

14.   Chicago, Timmy Jernigan, DR, Florida State. The Bears would have preferred Donald, but grab another difference maker at defensive tackle.

15.   Pittsburgh, Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech. It’s a tough call over some guys still on the board, but Fuller fits. Forget what the talking heads are saying. Fuller will end up higher in this draft than some of the other more-hyped corners. He’s a feisty zone corner who will tackle all day long.

16.   Dallas, Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan. The Cowboys need to improve their offensive front.

17.   Baltimore, Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville. The Ravens continue to rebuild their secondary, though they could go offensive tackle.

18.   N.Y. Jets, Odell Beckham, WR, LSU. The Jets have to have somebody to throw the ball to.

19.   Miami, Zach Martin, OL, Notre Dame. Head coach Joe Philbin was a longtime offensive line coach. And the Dolphins’ line was a mess last season thanks to the Incognito-Martin fallout.

20.   Arizona, Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio State. The Cardinals grab a speedy defender for an already-improving defense.

21.   Green Bay, C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama. The Packers want an inside backer who is good in coverage.

22.   Philadelphia, Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State. Dennard’s fall ends.

23.   Kansas City, Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina. The Chiefs need an offensive playmaker to pair with Dwayne Bowe.

24.   Cincinnati, Jason Verrett, CB, TCU. Verrett could also be a consideration for the Steelers. He’s solid in coverage and feisty.

25.   San Diego, Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame. The Chargers need a big body in the middle of their defense.

26.   Cleveland, Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville. The Browns got their receiver early and get a QB later in the first round.

27.   New Orleans, Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Boise State. Lawrence is a guy who is starting to generate some first-round talk. The Saints add to an already-impressive pass rush.

28.   Carolina, Marquise Lee, WR, USC. Carolina needs somebody to add to their passing game.

29.   New England, Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU. This is a typical Belichick pick. Van Noy could play inside or out and the Patriots need depth at both.

30.   San Francisco, Dee Ford, DE/LB, Auburn. The Aldon Smith situation forces the 49ers to look to the future.

31.   Denver, Xavier Su’a-Filo, G, UCLA. The Broncos are in a win-now mode and Su’a-Filo can be plugged in on their line.

32.   Seattle, Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State. The Seahawks don’t have any glaring needs and can take the best playmaker available. 

A look at the Steelers visitors thus far

Here's a look at the players the Steelers have hosted thus far for their pre-draft visits. Each team gets 30 players, though local players - in the Steelers' case, Aaron Donald, for example - don't count against that number.

These are the guys who have actually visited, not players who are rumored to be coming in.

CB

Shaq Richardson, Arizona (6-0, 194) A late round sleeper prospect with good size.

Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State (5-11, 199) A physical corner who is better in press coverage than he is in zone. The Steelers have, however, played more press in the past couple of years.

Bradley Roby, Ohio State (5-11, 194) Speedy and athletic. His 2012 tape was better than his 2013 tape. He also had an arrest for a bar incident that drew a suspension. Talented but which tape do you trust?

Jason Verrett, TCU (5-10, 189) A feisty corner who plays bigger than his size. A 4.38 40 and 39-inch vertical make up for his lack of height. Sticky in coverage.

Phillips Gaines, Rice (6-0, 193) A 4.38 40 at the combine certainly was an eyebrow raiser for Gaines, who owns 45 career collegiate starts. Opponents completed just 32.5 percent of the passes they threw his way in 2013, though, like Roby, he was suspended for the opener due to an undisclosed violation of team rules.

S

Brock Vereen, Minnesota (6-0, 199) Saw time at corner, nickelback and free safety in his career. His size and cover skills, along with a 4.47 40 make him an interesting candidate.

Calvin Pryor, Louisville (5-11, 207) An impact free safety. It would be a shock if the Steelers selected him after signing Mike Mitchell.

Deone Bucannon, Washington (6-1, 211) Had 15 career interceptions, including six in 2013. Also forced three fumbles in 2013. The Steelers are looking for turnover-makers in the secondary. This guy can do it.

RB

Lache Seastrunk, Baylor (5-10, 201) Solid runner, but he struggled some against the better defenses he faced. An unknown as a pass catcher.

DL

Aaron Donald, Pitt (6-1, 285) Had all kinds of production at Pitt, but really doesn’t fit the Steelers’ scheme.

Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame (6-6, 304) Had hernia surgery in the 2013 offseason. Then had foot issues this offseason that have kept him from working out. A dominant player in 2012. Fell off somewhat in 2013.

Scott Crichton, Oregon State (6-3, 273) Athletic enough that he could play linebacker. A disruptive player who had 10 career forced fumbles. Also played nose tackle at times in college.

Ra’Shede Hageman, Minnesota (6-6, 310) Built like an offensive tackle. At times he looked dominant. Other times, he looked disinterested. Could be because everyone ran away from him.

WR

John Brown, Pittsburg State (5-10, 179) A 4.34 40 at the combine certainly put Brown on everyone’s radar. He’s not big, but the speedster did have five career touchdown returns (3 punts, 2 kickoffs). Late round steal?

Donte Moncrief, Ole Miss (6-2, 221) Love this kid. A freaky athlete who stood out on video I was watching of other SEC players.

Bruce Ellington, South Carolina (5-9, 197) Though he’s short, he’s built like a running back. Also started at point guard for two seasons for the Gamecocks, showing his complete athleticism.

Martavis Bryant, Clemson (6-4, 211) Another of the big receivers in this draft, though he hasn’t generated the heat of some of the others. Of course, playing opposite Sammy Watkins will have that effect.

LB

Ryan Shazier, Ohio State (6-1, 237) The speedy Shazier is a Lawrence Timmons’ clone who could play inside or out for the Steelers. He’d probably have to be a first round pick.

Jordan Zumwalt, UCLA (6-4, 235) Like Shazier, Zumwalt could play inside or out, though he doesn’t have the speed of Shazier or Pierre-Louis. But he could be had in the middle rounds.

Kevin Pierre-Louis, Boston College (6-1, 232) Another speedy linebacker, Pierre-Louis is a bit on the small side. Would have to play inside for the Steelers, who are obviously looking for cover linebackers.

Carl Bradford, Arizona State (6-1, 250). Like the other linebackers listed here, he can play inside or out. Unlike the others, he has more classic Steelers size.

TE

Rob Blanchflower, UMass (6-4, 256) Struggled through the 2013 season with a sports hernia, which could be why the Steelers brought the late round selection in to kick the tires.

Interesting mock draft

I readily admit that I look at other people's mock drafts. Of course, the first thing I do is glance at who the mocker has the Steelers selecting.

If it's an outlandish pick - this year that would be any mock that has the Steelers taking an offensive lineman first - I quit reading. Otherwise, I'll continue and take in the rest of the mock.

Of course, most mocks, after having the Steelers focusing on nose tackle Louis Nix early, have settled in on the Steelers taking a cornerback or wide receiver of late.

Those wouldn't be bad picks.

But lately, another name has started to surface that makes some sense, North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron.

In fact, Lance Zierlein, a Houston-based media member whose father also happens to be former Steelers offensive line coach Larry Zierlein, threw Ebron's name out last week on Twitter in connection with the Steelers.

I went back and forth with him a bit on it and it made sense.

Then, while perusing the internet, I found the Walter's Football site five-round mock and lo and behold, there was Ebron going to the Steelers again.

Looking at that draft, again, it made sense.

Here's what Walter's had for the Steelers through five rounds:

1. Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina
2. Jason Verrett, CB, TCU
3. Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss
4. Brent Urban, DE, Virginia
5A. Anthony Steen, G, Alabama
5B. Ron Powell, OLB, Florida

I think the Steelers would be thrilled with that haul.

Ebron would be an immediate matchup problem for opponents when paired with Heath Miller. Do you stay in a base defense with both tight ends on the field or go to a sub-package?

Verrett, at 5-10, 189 pounds, is a little undersized, but he's fast (sub-4.4 40) and feisty enough to get the job done at the NFL level.

I've long been a fan of Moncreif and couldn't believe he'd last until the end of the third round, but looking at this mock, it made sense. This WR draft is just that deep.

Urban has also been on my radar as a 3-4 end. He's 6-7, 295 pounds and played out of position at DT the last two seasons after Virginia switched from a 3-4, where he was an end, to a 4-3.

He's not an outstanding athlete, but he's active and gets his hands in the passing lanes.

Steen, of course, was a three-year starter at RG for Alabama, which is no small feat.

Powell, meanwhile, has outstanding upside. He tore his ACL twice in 2012, but rebounded with a solid season in 2013. His arrow, as Mike Tomlin likes to say, is definitely pointed up.

Steelers sign Podlesh

The Steelers assured they will open the 2014 season with their sixth punter in the past four years when they signed veteran Adam Podlesh on Tuesday.

Podlesh, who was with Chicago in 2013, replaces Mat McBriar as the veteran punter on Pittsburgh's roster and will compete with Brad Wing, who has never punted in the NFL, for the job with the Steelers.

At first glance, Podlesh doesn't appear to be an upgrade. His gross average of 40.6 yards in 2013 ranked 33rd in the league.

But he placed 27 kicks inside the opposing 20 - McBriar and Zoltan Mesko had 16 combined for the Steelers in 2013 - and had just two touchbacks, which ranked third in the NFL among regular punters.

Ironically, Podlesh was selected 11 picks ahead of Daniel Sepulveda in the 2007 draft.

The Steelers traded fourth and sixth-round picks in 2007 to move up seven spots to select Sepulveda.

Three more prospects visit the South Side

The Steelers hosted three more potential draft picks on Monday as we close in - finally - on the NFL draft.

In on Monday were corner Shaq Richardson of Arizona, TCU cornerback Jason Verrett and defensive end Scott Crichton of Oregon State.

Richardson is a 6-0, 194-pound late-round prospect at corner, a big difference from Verrett.

At 5-10, 189, Verrett is widely viewed as the fourth best corner in this draft behind Darqueze Dennard, Justin Gilbert and Kyle Fuller.

The only way the Steelers would likely draft him is if they traded down or if he happened to be available in the second round.

Crichton is an interesting prospect at defensive end. He's listed at 6-3, 273, so he would have to put some weight on to play defensive end for the Steelers.

But he has a good motor and forced 10 fumbles in his career. He also recorded 19.5 sacks in his last two seasons.

Crichton is considered a second- or third-round prospect.

Steelers have three more visitors

The Steelers hosted three more potential draft picks on Thursday, as Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier, UCLA linebacker Jordan Zumwalt and Washington State strong safety Deon Buchanon were at the team's South Side practice facility.

Both Shazier and Zumwalt are considered inside linebacker prospects in the Steelers' 3-4.

Shazier (6-1, 238) ran a ridiculously fast 4.38 40 at the Ohio State workout. Even if you add, say a 10th of a second onto that time to adjust for the track, he's still the fastest linebacker in this draft.

But it is a concern that he had a hamstring issue at the combine and then tweaked the same injury during his Ohio State workout. Maybe guys that big aren't supposed to run that fast.

He also tested off the charts in pretty much every drill, including showing off a 42-inch vertical.

Zumwalt (6-4, 235) made 30 starts in college, mostly inside in UCLA's 3-4 defense.

While he doesn't possess Shazier's outright athleticism, he's a rangy player who is described as "violent," even among football players.

While Shazier is considered a first-round prospect, Zumwalt is more of a third- to fourth-round pick.

Buchanon, 6-1, 211, is a second- to third-round guy. He ran a 4.49 40 at the combine.

Steelers host Pryor

The Steelers hosted Louisville safety Calvin Pryor today and some were quick to dismiss the visit because the team had signed Mike Mitchell to play free safety this season.

As Lee Corso likes to say, "Not so fast my friend."

The Steelers did the right thing by bringing Pryor in.

After all, what if, for example, the top 10 players - I'm excluding quarterbacks - on their board are gone, including all of the receivers, corners, linebackers and defensive linemen?

What if the top player remaining on their board when it comes time to pick at 15 is Pryor by a lot and they then find themselves unable to trade back?

Even though strong safety Troy Polamalu just signed a three-year extension, I don't think anyone expects him to play out the end of it. I would expect Polamalu to play this season, see how he feels, and then play again in 2015 if he feels healthy enough.

Beyond that is anyone's guess.

And what happens if Mitchell falls flat on his face or they were to get Pryor into camp and he's simply better? The Steelers aren't into him for a lot of money, so releasing him would not be a huge cap hit.

I'm not saying it's a likely thing that the Steelers would take Pryor, but they do have to do their homework.

Month out mock draft

With the NFL draft now a month away - give or take a few days - here's how I see things breaking down at this point.

I'm sure things will change greatly over the next month, and I'm sure this mock won't make everyone happy. But it was something to do on a rainy night in the office.

I'll do at least one more mock as we slowly press towards the draft - which is ridiculously late this year.


1. Houston, Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida. Bill O’Brien got a first-hand look at Bortles last season when he went into State College and beat the Nittany Lions.

2. St. Louis (from Washington), Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn. The Rams need to see exactly what they have in QB Sam Bradford, but they can’t keep him healthy because the line is so bad.

3. Jacksonville, Jadaveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina. Jacksonville has been trying to find pass rushers for the better part of the last 10 years.

4.  Cleveland, Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M. The Browns didn’t go to Manziel’s pro day, then scheduled a private meeting with him. Sammy Watkins would make sense, too, but what good are wideouts if you don’t have someone to get them the ball?

5. Oakland, Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson. The Raiders just traded for Matt Schaub to take QB off the board. Now, they get Schaub a toy.

6. Atlanta, Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo. The Falcons would have liked to get Clowney to pump up their pass rush and could move up to get him. But they settle for Mack here, and that’s not a bad thing.

7.  Tampa Bay, Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M. The Bucs need help all the way across the line and get it here.

8. Minnesota, Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville. The Christian Ponder experiment is over.

9. Buffalo, Taylor, Lewan, OT, Michigan. The Bills need a right tackle and Lewan looks more like a RT in the NFL than a LT to me.

10. Detroit, Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State. The Lions need help in the secondary. It will be tough to pass on the home state kid in Darqueze Dennard of Michigan State, but Gilbert’s speed and return ability make the difference.

11. Tennessee, Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State. After losing Pro Bowl corner Alterraun Verner in free agency, the Titans could use a replacement.

12. N.Y. Giants, Aaron Donald, DT. Pitt. Donald is the perfect fit for New York’s attacking front four.

13. St. Louis, Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama. The Rams could go WR here but they can get one later. What they can't do is get the best safety available. And rumor has it they love Clinton-Dix.

14.   Chicago, Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State. Jernigan was dominating the national championship game until gassing out in the fourth quarter.

15.   Pittsburgh, Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M. With both top corners gone, the Steelers breath a sigh of relief that Evans isn't. If he and both top corners are gone, look for a trade back.

16.   Dallas, Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville. The Cowboys defense has been a mess on the back end for years.

17.   Baltimore, Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina. The Ravens could use defensive help, but Ebron is too good to pass up.

18.   N.Y. Jets, Zack Martin, OL, Notre Dame. The Jets could use a playmaker on offense, but Martin’s a nice value pick for a team that needs guard help.

19.   Miami, Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama. The Dolphins would have preferred Martin, but settle for Kouandjio.

20.   Arizona, Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State. The Cardinals go for the value. And Carson Palmer is now 34 years old.

21.   Green Bay, Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA. The Packers could use help anywhere on their defensive front.

22.   Philadelphia, Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State. Shazier has outstanding speed, which will fit in well with what the Eagles are trying to build.

23.   Kansas City, Marquise Lee, WR, USC. The Chiefs struck out with Jonathan Baldwin a couple of years ago. But Lee is a more proven commodity.

24.   Cincinnati, Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri. Michael Sams got all the publicity, but Ealy’s the better pro prospect.

25.   San Diego, Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame. The Chargers need a run stuffer in the middle of their 3-4.

26.   Cleveland, Brandon Cooks, WR, Oregon State. The Browns got their QB early in the draft and now get the fastest player in this draft later.

27.   New Orleans, Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech. Here's a darkhorse pick for the Steelers if Gilbert and Dennard are gone.

28.   Carolina, Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State. The Panthers are basically starting over at wide receiver.

29.   New England, Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon State. Crichton is the kind of disruptive athlete Belichick likes.

30.   San Francisco, Odell Beckham, Jr., WR, LSU. The 49ers don’t have enough playmakers on offense.

31.   Denver, Dee Ford, DE/LB Auburn. An additional pass rusher for the Broncos.

32.   Seattle, Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame. The Seahawks suffered some defensive line losses and get a good value pick in Tuitt.

Steelers add Heyward-Bey in another low-cost move

You at least have to give the Steelers an A for effort for what they've done this offseason even if you don't necessarily like all of the moves.

The Steelers signed their seventh veteran free agent from another team Wednesday, adding wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey with a one-year minimum salary deal.

I said throughout the season the Steelers wouldn't be cash-strapped this offseason and that has proven to be the case, as the team has gone outside its character and added some pieces in free agency. For a team that has usually sat on its hands in the corner of the room while everyone else went crazy, it's a change.

But in reality, the Steelers have continued to be conscious of the big picture, not overspending for any player, even some of their own.

The team wanted to keep Al Woods and Jerricho Cotchery. But once the bidding got too high for both of those players, the Steelers allowed them to walk, signing Cam Thomas and Lance Moore to the deals they had been offering Woods and Cotchery.

Are they upgrades? We don't know at this point. But had they signed Woods and Cotchery to the money they got from Tennessee and Carolina, respectively, the Steelers could have been out of the market completely and missed on adding any of the other five players they have signed.

And that is where the Steelers have bettered themselves this offseason.

In previous years, because the salary cap was stagnant the past few years, the Steelers were only able to replace aging stars and free agent losses with rookies. They opened the 2013 season with 20 new faces on the roster, most of them young, unproven players.

This year, they are replacing veteran free agent losses with veterans. That should make a difference in 2014.

@ The Steelers hosted Michigan State corner Darqueze Dennard and Notre Dame defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt.

Denard has been linked often with the Steelers and the 15th pick in the upcoming draft. The Steelers like him a lot.

Tuitt, meanwhile, was considered a first-round pick heading into this season, but a foot injury has limited him from doing much in pre-draft workouts. He could fall to the second round, where the Steelers would likely love to get him just as they did when tight end Heath Miller fell to them in 2005 when he couldn't work out in the offseason due to a sports hernia issue.

Steelers sign McCain, will host Heyward-Bey

The Steelers continued a very busy offseason Tuesday by signing free agent cornerback Brice McCain to a one-year deal.

McCain, who was basically the nickel corner for Houston the past few years, will count just $635,000 against the team's salary cap.

His signing leaves the Steelers with less than $500,000 in remaining cap space. But that won't stop the team from continuing to shop.

Wednesday, veteran wide receiver Darius Heyward-Bey is expected to visit.

The Steelers can likely fit Heyward-Bey under their cap without making any other moves if he's willing to sign a one-year deal at the minimum as McCain did. Pittsburgh gave McCain a $730,000 contract with a $65,000 signing bonus.

But per NFL rules, teams can get a cap discount for veteran players that lowers their cap hit slightly. And he moves another salary out of the top 51 salaries, for which the basement is currently $420,000.

McCain, 27, is expected to battle William Gay for the nickel position while also playing special teams and providing veteran depth.

Heyward-Bey would be an interesting signing if the Steelers can make that happen.

The 6-2, 219-pound speedster is a former first-round pick of Oakland who spent 2013 with Indianapolis.

His best season came in 2011 when he caught 64 passes for 975 yards and four touchdowns. He had 29 catches for 309 yards and a score in 2013 for Indianapolis.

@ The Steelers hosted a pair of my draft favorites today, bringing in Ole Miss speedy wideout Donte Moncrief and Baylor running back Lache Seastrunk.

Moncrief is considered a second-round talent, though I wouldn't be shocked if he went at the end of the first round, while Seastrunk is a third or fourth-round guy.

Steelers land a big fish

Sorry I've been a little inactive on the blog this week. Been in Myrtle Beach watching my son's high school baseball team open the season.

The Steelers, of course, added another good free agent pickup on Friday, signing running back LeGarrette Blount to back up LeVeon Bell.

Blount, a former 1,000-yard rusher with Tampa Bay, comes over from New England, where he ran for more than 700 yards and seven touchdowns in 2013 as part of a running back rotation.

He might not get quite as much work as the 150-plus carries he had with the Patriots in 2013, but I would expect the Steelers to split the touches between Bell and Blount in a 70-30 fashion.

Blount also averaged more than 29 yards per kickoff return in 2013 for New England, so there's a good chance he will serve that role with the Steelers as well.

The 250-pounder averaged a  very healthy 5.0 yards per carry in 2013 - the second time in his four-year NFL career he's been at 5.0 - and should give the Steelers the best 1-2 running back punch in the AFC North.

@ With a wide receiver and running back added to the equation, the Steelers will be done in free agency offensively. They'll add a wide receiver in the first two days of the draft in May to complete their offensive makeover.

I still see some mock drafts with the Steelers taking an offensive linemen in the first round and chuckle every time. That's not going to happen.

Pittsburgh is taking a wide receiver or corner in the first round with the top targets being Darqueze Dennard, Justin Gilbert, Mike Evans and Kelvin Benjamin, pretty much in that order.

If none of those players are available, or if it's Benjamin, who they feel they might be able to get a few picks later, you could see a trade down.

My perfect Steelers scenario at this point would be Dennard in the first round and a big wideout in the second, with Donte Moncrief and Jordan Matthews being the targets.

@ With Alex Carrington signing with St. Louis earlier this week, the odds increased for the Steelers to bring back Brett Keisel for one more year to serve in a defensive line rotation with Cam Thomas.

Steelers-Bills agree to joint practices

The Steelers and Bills have agreed to hold joint practices the next two seasons over the course of three days.

The Bills will visit Latrobe this summer, with the Steelers returning the favor and visiting the Bills' camp at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y., in 2015.

The Steelers and Bills used to hold a joint practice/scrimmage back in the early 90s at Edinboro University and Pittsburgh also used to scrimmage against Washington.

The interesting thing about these scrimmages is that the Bills' general manager, Doug Whaley, is a former scout for the Steelers and Buffalo has a number of former Steelers on its roster.

@ The Steelers hope to sign a veteran free agent running back by the end of this week.

Maurice Jones-Drew is still the frontrunner, but he wants $3.5 million to play this season, more than the Steelers, who are currently less than $1 million under the salary cap, are willing to pay.

LeGarrette Blount will be in town later this week to meet with team officials once they get back from the owner's meetings.

The Steelers can free up some cash immediately with a restructure of Lawrence Timmons' contract, something that would be beneficial to both parties.

At some point, they'll also work out a new deal with linebacker Jason Worilds - though that's a little more difficult since it's a negotiation. It takes two sides to agree.

The team isn't in any hurry to extend quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is scheduled to make just over $12 million this season and has two seasons remaining on his current deal.

That's a bargain price for a quarterback of Roethlisberger's skill.

Steelers add linebacker depth

The Steelers signed Buffalo free agent linebacker Arthur Moats on Monday, barely getting him in the door at the team facility before coming to an agreement on a one-year deal.

Moats, a starter at weakside linebacker for the Bills in 2013, has good speed -he ran in the 4.6s at the NFL combine - and  size at 6-2, 250. He can play inside or outside, giving the Steelers some much-needed depth.

In 2013, Moats, a former sixth-round pick of the Bills, had 54 tackles.

His signing would appear to bring to an end any thoughts by the team of bringing James Harrison back.

That's probably not a bad thing. At 26, Moats is 10 years younger than Harrison and will give the team far more flexibility on game days because he can also play special teams.

It will be interesting to see if he can push or beat out Vince Williams for a starting spot at inside linebacker, or if that's even in the cards.

Moats is considered a good locker room guy and is very active in the community.

@ The Steelers have pushed running back LeGarrette Blount's visit to Friday when Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney II return from the owners meetings.

The Steelers don't appear to be in a real hurry to sign a backup running back. That is one position where it is very easy for a rookie to come in and contribute greatly right away.

@ The Steelers received a third, fifth and sixth round draft pick in the compensatory draft.

The third rounder was expected for Mike Wallace, as was a fifth for Keenan Lewis. The sixth was a little unexpected. I had guessed they'd get a seventh, if anything.

Pittsburgh now has nine picks in this year's draft.

Steelers sign Moore, to host Blount

The Steelers on Friday bolstered their thin wide receiver group by signing veteran Lance Moore to a two-year deal.

Pittsburgh was in dire straights at receiver, having lost both Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery in free agency to Denver and Carolina, respectively, earlier this week.

Moore, who has 346 career receptions for 4,281 yards and 38 touchdowns, gives the Steelers another veteran option. The only other receivers with NFL experience on the roster behind Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and Derek Moye, have a combined eight career receptions, all of which came in 2013.

The Steelers would have preferred to keep Cotchery, but when he scheduled a visit with Carolina earlier this week, they immediately contacted Moore and had him in for a visit.

The addition of Moore could give the Steelers a MAC-heavy starting offense in 2014. Brown, Moore and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger all played in that conference.

Ironically, Moore also signed as a rookie free agent with Cleveland in 2005 before joining New Orleans after his release. Now, Moore will play against the Browns twice a year for at least the next two seasons.

@ The Steelers are expected to host free agent running back LeGarrette Blount next Friday. Blount rushed for more than 700 yards with seven touchdowns for New England last season despite sharing the running back duties.

Pittsburgh hosted Maurice Jones-Drew earlier this week. But Jones-Drew is reportedly seeking an offer of at least $3.5 million per year, which is more than the Steelers are willing to pay at this point.

The Patriots want to bring Blount back next season, while Baltimore is also reportedly interested in his services.

@ Tight end Michael Palmer also was re-signed by the Steelers Friday to a one-year deal.

Another day, another FA loss

Jerricho Cotchery accepted a two-year deal from Carolina on Thursday, spurning an offer to return to the Steelers.

The deal is worth $5 million, with $3.5 million of that front-loaded into the first season, making it an offer the Steelers would have had a tough time matching.

Pittsburgh is currently about $2.5 million under the salary cap.

With Cotchery gone, the Steelers have a combined 8 receptions on the roster among their receivers not named Antonio Brown.

The Steelers hosted veteran wide receiver Lance Moore on Wednesday and were in a holding pattern with him while they waited to see what happened with Cotchery. Now, you can expect the Steelers to begin courting Moore even harder.

@ Team president Art Rooney II said Thursday that the Steelers have been informed by the league that it will not lose a draft pick for the Mike Tomlin sideline infraction last season in Baltimore.

That's not necessarily a surprise, but it is new news.

@ Tomlin was at Notre Dame's pro day today and did some individual workouts with nose tackle Louis Nix III.

That calculated move - Tomlin made sure photographers were there taking his picture with Nix - could be pure smokescreen.

Surprise visitor on the South Side

Veteran receiver Lance Moore finally made his visit to the Steelers facility on the South Side Wednesday.

But the buzz of the day involved the surprise visit of Jacksonville running back Maurice Jones-Drew.

MJD is one of the top free agent running backs available this season, despite the fact he turns 29 on Sunday. He's still a productive running back, even though his rushing average dropped to a career-low 3.4 yards last season.

He's still very productive catching the ball out of the backfield and though he might not get a starting offer anywhere at this point in his career, there has to be other suitors out there who would use him as a third-down back.

As such, I'd be shocked if the Steelers signed him, but he is returning Thursday for another day of meeting with the team, so that's a positive sign.

Moore will remain a possibility as long as Jerricho Cotchery's situation remains unsettled.

But at 5-9, Moore would be another slot-type receiver, though he has played outside at times during his career in New Orleans.

It would be interesting to see how he fit into the mix with the other smurf-type receivers currently on the Steelers' roster, Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton.

@ The Steelers are currently about $2.5 million under the salary cap, but can free up as much as $4 million in cap space with a simple restructure of Lawrence Timmons' contract.

@ The James Harrison rumors continue to be hot and I'm hearing the Steelers are considering bringing the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year back for a season at the veteran minimum.

That move, however, wouldn't likely be made until after the draft.

As I wrote yesterday, I can see the need for a proven pass rusher who knows the defense. But bringing in a reserve linebacker who, at 36, isn't likely to play special teams is troublesome.

Free agency, start of Week 2

Tuesday marked the start of the second week of the free agency period as the Steelers hosted wide receiver Lance Moore of New Orleans.

James Starks, who was supposed to visit as well, signed a two-year contract instead to stay in Green Bay.

Meanwhile, after spending all of Monday and part of Tuesday in Carolina, Jerricho Cotchery left Charlotte without a contract.

He is deciding whether to accept an offer from Carolina or return to the Steelers.

Cotchery likes it here and fits in well in the locker room. I'd say he's probably leaning toward returning to Pittsburgh, but it might come down to money.

@ James Harrison told the NFL Network Monday night he'd like to come back to the Steelers. He still lives in Pittsburgh and was released last week by Cincinnati.

At first glance, it might make some sense for the Steelers to bring Harrison back. Their only real depth behind Jason Worilds and Jarvis Jones at outside linebacker is Chris Carter.

But they also have to find out what they have in Carter, who is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of this season.

For a long time the Steelers relied on veterans at the expense of playing some of their younger players. As such, once those players hit free agency, they had a very limited knowledge of what those players could do in terms of game action with the added issue of ticking the younger guys off because they felt there was a glass ceiling here.

The best thing for the Steelers to do is wait until after the draft to make a decision with Harrison. In fact, they could wait until after June 1, when they'll get an additional $8 million in cap space, to sign a guy who already knows the system.

The trouble with bringing Harrison back at his point is that he'd have to come back knowing he's a backup. And at his age, he might no longer be able to play special teams, a must for a reserve linebacker.