Boykin responds to Brown

On Wednesday, Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown called Philadelphia nickel corner Brandon Boykin the "candy bar" of the Eagles defense and said whoever is matched up against Boykin in their game had better win that matchup.

Thursday, Boykin responded.

"That's his opinion," Boykin told the Philadelphia media. "That's funny to me. We're just going to continue doing what we've been doing as a secondary, and me as well."

"We'll see on Sunday. The game's on Sunday. There's no point in rah-rahing in the media on Thursday. I'll let my game do the talking."

Boykin even went as far as to say he hadn't heard of Brown, a Pro Bowl player in 2011, before this week.

"I don't know too much about Antonio Brown," Boykin said. "I just found out who he was this week."

 @ The Steelers had all 53 players on their active roster on the field again Thursday, though defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said he might have to pick his spots with injured stars Troy Polamalu and James Harrison coming back.

Harrison, in particular, hasn't played in a game since last year's playoff loss at Denver.

"They might not be able to play the whole game but we’ll get a lot of quality snaps from them. They both looked real well in the practices the last few days, and I’m anxious to see them play," LeBeau said.

@ Offensive coordinator Todd Haley said offensive lineman David DeCastro is now pain-free and rehabbing well from the knee injury he suffered in the preseason.

DeCastro hasn't even needed a knee brace for the past week, though he's not able to return to practice for about another month.

The Steelers placed DeCastro, their top draft pick, on the injured reserve list with the intent on bringing him back later in the season using the new rule that permits teams to do that with one player.

Steelers finally healthy

The Steelers are expected to have their projected starting defense on the field Sunday against Philadelphia, marking the first time since the opener last year in Baltimore that will have happened.

Head coach Mike Tomlin listed neither Troy Polamalu or James Harrison on the team's injury list and expects both to play Sunday against the Eagles.

The Steelers had their starting 11 on the field together just once in 2011 for the first game against Baltimore. Cornerback Bryant McFadden was among that group, but was injured in that game.

You could argue that McFadden wasn't a starter - since he couldn't get on the field after his return - but even at that, the Steelers lost defensive end Brett Keisel the following week against Seattle.

The next guys to go down were Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton and Harrison at Houston. Smith was lost for the season - and his career - while Hampton missed three games and Harrison four.

By the time Harrison returned to play against Baltimore Nov. 11, fellow linebacker LaMarr Woodley was out of the lineup, having suffered a hamstring injury the previous week in a win over New England.

What does all of this mean?

We really haven't seen the Pittsburgh defense at its projected full strength in quite some time.

That's all part of the game as players age - they become more injury prone - but it will be interesting to see if the troubles the Steelers have had closing out games the past two seasons are solved by having a defense at full strength - or at least as close to it as they have been in some time.

Ziggy Hood has taken over on a full-time basis for Smith and isn't of Smith's caliber, at least not at this point in his career.

Though the Steelers haven't blamed injuries for their issues, it has certainly been pointed to by many, including myself, as a reason for some of their problems.

@ The only player Tomlin listed on his injury report was offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert, who is expected to return to practice today despite a groin injury.

Harrison back at practice

He didn't really want to talk about it, but James Harrison was a surprising participant at practice today for the Steelers as they got back to work following their bye.

The Steelers remain optimistic that Harrison, who hasn't played yet this season, will be ready to play against Philadelphia Sunday.

Harrison practiced for the first time since training camp began last Tuesday, but sat out again on Wednesday as he continues to try to work his way back onto the field following knee surgery in August.

Coupled with the return of Troy Polamalu, who again practiced Monday, the Steelers could be getting two key veterans back.

@ It should come as no surprise to the readers of this blog, but Rashard Mendenhall is also expected to return against the Eagles.

As I have been saying for several weeks, the Steelers were shooting for a return date of after the bye for Mendenhall, who has not played since tearing his ACL last Jan. 1.

Steelers take some days off

The Steelers got their final practice of their bye week in today with one conspicuous absence - linebacker James Harrison.

After practicing Tuesday, Harrison left the team facility on Wednesday before the team completed its late morning session.

That doesn't bode well, but it's not crushing, either.

It might come down to pain management for Harrison, who has shown in the past that he has a high tolerance.

On the positive side, strong safety Troy Polamalu was out there again for the second consecutive day and appears to be on track to play when the team returns to the field Oct. 7 against Philadelphia.

@ Ryan Mundy got rung up to the tune of $21,000 for his hit on Darrius Heyward-Bey last weekend in Oakland.

Given the one-game suspension of Denver's Joe Mays this week for illegal hits in back-to-back games, Mundy could be looking at a similar penalty for another illegal hit this season.

Good news for Steelers

It appears that both James Harrison and Troy Polamalu will be back on the field for the Steelers when they return to action against the Philadelphia Eagles.

That's good news for a defense that has been cheesy soft on the road.

There has been some question as to how much Harrison can help this team because of his health.

Remember, this is a guy who started last season at about 50 percent due to two offseason back surgeries.

Harrison on one leg is better than 75 percent of the pass rushers out there.

Post-Oakland thoughts

This game reminded me of on in Chicago in 1995 when the Steelers got into a shootout with the Bears. The last team to have the ball was going to win it.

Only that Steelers team had a great defense to go along with an emerging offense.

This team has established stars all over on offense and Ben Roethlisberger is playing the best football of his life.

As for a great defense, not so much - at least on the road.

As Brett Keisel said after this one, this team needs to find a way to win on the road if it is going to get to where it wants to go.

That being said, Denver and Oakland are two tough places to open. There are easier road games coming, and the Steelers had to be pleased that they put up 31 points in a very hostile environment.

But the defense allowed scores on five consecutive possessions. Can't somebody, anybody, make a play?

While the Steelers have spent some big money on offensive players in recent years, they've also dropped some heavy coin on a couple of defensive players - LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons - as well.

They're not getting their money's worth right now.

Sure, Woodley had the team's lone sack Sunday and also had a tackle for a loss. But he finished with four tackles.

That was still better than Timmons, who had three tackles. In fact, after recording seven sacks and four forced fumbles in 2009, Timmons has five sacks and two forced fumbles - in the past two-plus seasons.

At this point, he's not even as impactful on a game as Larry Foote, who doesn't have nearly the athleticism of Timmons.

Often times, tackles are a matter of opportunity. But there's something to be said about players who make their own opportunities as well.

@ If you had any question about Mike Tomlin's faith in his defense to stop the Raiders in the second half, you only needed to see him go for a fourth-and-1 at his own 29.

At that point, it was the right call. As we saw, the Steelers couldn't stop Oakland's offense.

With that in mind, I'd have given serious thought to going for it on fourth-and-9 from the 36 as well.

@ Ben Roethlisberger played an outstanding game, leading the team to 31 points while continuing his hot play on third downs, where the Steelers converted 8 of 14 for the game.

But he once again had a chance to lead a fourth quarter, game-winning drive and failed.

In the past two seasons, Roethlisberger has led exactly one game-winner, and that came against lowly Indianapolis last season.

In his first seven seasons, Roethlisberger led 26 such drives, many of which came when he was, you know, just a game manager.

@ This is still a pretty good team with a chance to get much better coming out of the bye when it gets Rashard Mendenhall, Troy Polamalu and James Harrison back.

Mendenhall has looked good in practice and has to be able to give the team something better than the 2.6 yards per carry it's currently averaging.

Polamalu is still Polamalu, while even a one-legged Harrison would give this team some kind of pass rush outside of Woodley.

The Steelers are on pace to allow more touchdown passes (32) than they have sacks (27).

You want to know what's wrong with this defense? That's it in a nutshell. The lack of pressure is killing it.

@ That was a bad fumble for Jonathan Dwyer. With Mendenhall coming back and Barron Batch showing a little something as a third-down back Sunday, Dwyer could find his opportunities dwindling quickly.

@ On the positive side, with the return of Mendenhall, this offense has a chance to be one of the more dynamic ones in the NFL. If the defense can play average football the rest of the way and the offense continues to click, the Steelers still have the look of a 10 or 11-win team.

But unless they figure out how to win a big game on the road, any hopes of another Super Bowl run are just that, hopes.

Greetings from Oakland

It's a beautiful day here in Northern California and a perfect day for football.

Inactive for the Steelers today are Rashard Mendenhall, James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, Stevenson Sylvester, Charlie Batch, Alameda Ta'amu and Mike Adams.

No surprises there, but Adams being inactive means that Kelvin Beachum is the third tackle today. I would expect that if the Steelers have an injury at tackle, though, they would bring in Legursky and slide Ramon Foster to right tackle.

Who I like, Oakland version

The last time the Steelers visited Oakland, Ben Roethlisberger threw four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, in a 20-13 Raiders victory.

The Steelers have manhandled the Raiders twice since that time - both at Heinz Field - including a 35-3 dismantling in 2010.

Like those two other teams the Steelers beat up on, this Oakland team looks like a mess.

The Raiders can't run the ball, putting up 68 yards in their first two games, can't stop the run, allowing 142 yards per game on the ground, and can't rush the passer, picking up just two sacks.

Other than that, they're fine.

Troy Polamalu and James Harrison will sit out again for the Steelers, but Roethlisberger and his receivers are healthy.

The Steelers haven't had much of a running game themselves, but they'll find one against the Raiders as they adjust from all of the outside runs they've attempted in the first two weeks to a more straight-ahead style.

Take Pittsburgh, which is favored by four points, to win this one, 24-13.

Thursday news, notes

The good news for the Steelers is that Marcus Gilbert, Jonathan Dwyer, Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders were all back at practice today after sitting out Wednesday.

That wasn't altogether unexpected for any of those players.

But James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, Heath Miller and Mike Adams were all sitting out.

I don't expect Harrison or Polamalu to play again this week. There's no reason with a bye waiting. The Steelers want those two healthy for the long haul.

Miller should practice - at least in some form Friday - and play Sunday. The needle cures a lot of ills, especially torn rib cartilage.

As for Adams, his missing practice might be the most serious.

The Steelers' top backup tackle, it's unlikely the Steelers dress the rookie unless he practices Friday. He's sitting out with a sore back.

With Gilbert also suffering from a strained groin, that could leave the team short at tackle.

The guess here is that if push comes to shove, they will move Ramon Foster to right tackle and put Doug Legursky at guard if something happens to Gilbert Sunday at Oakland.

Rookie Kelvin Beachum didn't show anything in the preseason to warrant getting any playing time.

@ Interesting to note that the line on this game has dropped to 4 points after the Steelers opened as 6-point favorites.

But there is some basis. The replacement officials have called home teams for 44.9 percent of the penalties. Compare that to a 51-49 split for the regular officials.

Possibly because of that, home teams are 23-9 straight up and 19-12-1 ATS through two weeks this season.

On average over the previous three seasons, the home teams were 19-13 straight up and 16-15-1 ATS.

Coincidence? Maybe. It's something we'll keep an eye on this week.

Tuesday with Tomlin

It was a short Mike Tomlin press conference today. And since more than half of that was eaten up by Tomlin heaping praises on the Raiders, there wasn't a lot of information passed.

But we did learn that Rashard Mendenhall will get some contact this week, a big step forward for the running back as he comes back from a torn ACL.

With the Pittsburgh running game struggling, the Steelers might be tempted to bring Mendenhall back sooner than they originally planned.

The plan when he was activated off the PUP was to wait until after the bye, but that could change to at least get Mendenhall a handful of carries this week and see how he responds.

The results couldn't be much worse than what we've seen.

@ Tomlin said the Steelers will take a similar approach with Troy Polamalu and James Harrison as the one they took last week when neither wound up playing against the Jets.

But what Tomlin meant is that the Steelers will take things day to day.

Like Mendenhall, the plan with Harrison was to bring him back after the bye.

The Steelers have been playing along with Harrison telling him he had a chance to play because that's how Tomlin feels you handle great players. You never tell them never.

But when it comes down to it, Tomlin is going to protect the player from himself. He's not going to allow him to come back too early just because his competitive fire is pushing him to do so.

As for Polamalu, I'm not going to be so quick to write him off.

If he practices by Friday, he'll play. If he doesn't he won't. It will be that simple.

@ Stevenson Sylvester will return to practice at some point this week and could possibly play Sunday.

Heath Miller has torn cartilage between his ribs. The Steelers will rest him in practice this week, but he'll play through the pain.

Post-Jets thoughts

Lawrence Timmons takes a lot of heat on Steelers message boards - some of it deserved - for his lack of big plays.

But he might have made the biggest play in Sunday's win over the Jets when he decked quarterback Mark Sanchez just after the QB had scrambled toward the line of scrimmage and released a pass.

Prior to that hit - which drew a penalty - Sanchez had completed 4 of 5 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. After the hit, Sanchez was 6 of 22 of 58 yards.

Coincidence? I think not.

Timmons will likely be fined for his hit - which was much like the one James Harrison put on Colt McCoy last season - but it says here his teammates should kick in some money.

Without Harrison and Troy Polamalu in the lineup, the Steelers needed a tone-setting hit - even if it did cross the line. Timmons provided it.

@ I have defended the replacement officials thus far as not being all that much different than the regular officials.

But Sunday's game was a travesty.

Not only were their several bad calls made against both teams, but there seemed to be a huddle anytime a flag was thrown.

Referee Jerry Frump also took  f...o...r...e...v...e...r every time he went under the hood for a replay.

The stat sheet said this game took just 3:08 to play, but it seemed more like three days with all of the stoppages.

@ I like the Steelers' new-look offense. Ben Roethlisberger seems to have bought into it as well.

He's spreading the ball around and using a lot of different options.

I also might add that while Roethlisberger was completing 16 of his 21 passes Sunday to his wide receivers for 192 yards and a touchdown, Joe Flacco was connecting on 4 of 11 for 79 yards to his wideouts.

@ I was a little surprised the Steelers didn't use their four wideout sets a little more to take advantage of not having Darrelle Revis on the field.

After all, wouldn't you think they would want, say, Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery matched up on 5-9 Ellis Lankster and 5-8 Isaiah Trufant, the Jets' third and fourth corners?

@ Will Johnson is proving to be a weapon out of the backfield and will continue to be so. He's a matchup nightmare for linebackers - especially when they don't cover him as the Jets failed to do.

@ Drew Butler has placed four of his first eight punts inside the 20. The kid's going to be all right.

@ Shaun Suisham banged a pair of 45-yard field goals at Heinz Field. Suisham struggled from the 40 to 50-yard distance last season, so that was a good sign.

@ The Steelers scrapped their outside running attack in the second half and started running right at the Jets.

It says here they should continue along that path until Rashard Mendenhall comes back and shows he's healthy.

Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer are not east-west runners.

Game day thread

As expected, Troy Polamalu and James Harrison are inactive for the Steelers.

With New England looking like a loser today against the Cardinals - go figure - the Steelers have a chance to run their winning streak in home openers to an NFL-best 10.

New England had won its past 10 home openers.

Who I like, Steelers-Jets

This game could be all about who is not playing as much as it's about who is on the field.

For the Jets, All-Pro corner Darrelle Revis, tight end Dustin Keller and outside linebacker Bryan Thomas are out.

For the Steelers, it appears highly unlikely that Troy Polamalu and James Harrison will play. Both missed practice again Friday and are listed as questionable. But considering they haven't practiced all week, they are likely out as well.

While not having Polamalu and Harrison will obviously affect the Steelers, it says here that the Jets not having Revis and Keller is a much bigger deal.

The Jets defense is built to shut down opposing passing games with their three solid cover corners. And Revis is the best in the business.

Because the Jets don't generate much of a pass rush, they count on those corners covering. That won't happen now.

And Keller is New York quarterback Mark Sanchez's security blanket. Not having him on the field will be a major blow for New York's offense.

The Steelers will miss Polamalu and Harrison for sure, but with the Jets defense at much less than full strength, Pittsburgh should have a big advantage, especially playing at home.

Take the Steelers, 27-17

Thursday news and notes

James Harrison was not on the practice field today as he continues to sit out with knee soreness. At this point, it doesn't appear as if Harrison is going to play again this week against the Jets.

Troy Polamalu was also out again Thursday with a calf strain. I would be surprised if he doesn't suit up this week.

As for good news, Jonathan Dwyer was back today and appears to be on track to receive more playing time - he could even start against the Jets.

Left tackle Max Starks had to sit out practice after suffering an allergic reaction to some medication. He'll be fine.

@ For the Jets, All-Pro corner Darrelle Revis continues to sit out with a concussion. This will be a tricky one for the Jets.

Because he has a concussion, Revis must be cleared by a neurologist before he's permitted to return to practice.

Rex Ryan said Thursday that if Revis isn't cleared before their plane leaves on Saturday, he's not playing because he won't be making the trip to Pittsburgh.

Tueday news and notes

Mike Tomlin correctly said today that the Steelers' biggest problem was not so much stopping Peyton Manning in the no-huddle offense, but stopping Denver's run game.

Willis McGahee averaged 4.0 yards per carry and consistently gained yardage. That left the Broncos in a lot of second and third-and-short, allowing Manning to throw a lot of short stuff, negating the Pittsburgh pass rush.

Add to that a QB such as Manning, who has a quick release and is accurate, and you have a recipe for disaster.

@ Tomlin also said that Jonathan Dwyer has earned more playing time. Look for Dwyer to be the primary ball carrier this week against the Jets.

The Steelers have been working in that direction for a couple of weeks now.

Of course, Rashard Mendenhall is also getting closer to a return. After watching Adrian Peterson rush for 84 yards and two scores last week, the Steelers might be a little more inclined to allow Mendenhall to come back.

Peterson tore his ACL a week before Mendenhall last year.

@ James Harrison ran on Monday and didn't experience any discomfort. He'll do the same Wednesday, with an eye on returning to practice Thursday or Friday.

@ Marcus Gilbert (hyperextended knee) and Ramon Foster (orbital migraine) checked out OK and are expected to return to practice at some point this week. Same goes for Troy Polamalu (calf strain).

Post-Denver thoughts

Sunday's game was about missed opportunities for the Steelers.

The Steelers recovered a fumble in the first quarter at the Denver 47, made a first down and then punted from the Denver 45.

You have to turn that into some points.

If the Steelers at least get a field goal there, they go into the half up 13-7 and have the ball to open the third quarter.

That changes the entire complexion of the game.

@ Through three quarters, Ben Roethlisberger was 10 of 11 for 129 yards on third downs and the Steelers converted 10 of 16 third downs.

Roethlisberger converted his first third down in the fourth quarter - a 3-yard TD pass to Mike Wallace - but then missed Heath Miller on third-and-three on his next attempt, giving the ball back to the Broncos.

That allowed Peyton Manning and company to eat up a bunch of clock on a field goal drive.

When you're playing a future Hall of Fame quarterback on the road, you've got to be nearly perfect. Roethlisberger was just short of that on third downs.

@ I thought it was a curious decision that Casey Hampton got so much playing time over Steve McLendon.

Not that Hampton necessarily played poorly, but McLendon is more of a pass rusher than Hampton, who had barely played in the preseason.

Speaking of pass rush, where was it? Larry Foote had a sack and a couple of QB hits and Jason Worilds had a sack and hit, but that was it.

Nothing from anyone else.

Peyton Manning completed just one pass more than 20 yards down the field, so they were getting the ball out quickly. But how about knocking a ball or two down at the line of scrimmage?

@ The Steelers gambled with their offensive line, keeping just eight healthy guys and going into Sunday's game with just seven guys active.

Ramon Foster got poked in the eye and was unable to return, while Marcus Gilbert suffered a hyperextended knee.

They were one injury away from Heath Miller playing tackle.

@ I've been beating this drum for a while now, but Jonathan Dwyer has got to get the ball more than Isaac Redman.

@ I have no problem with Mike Tomlin challenging Eric Decker's 17-yard catch at the 1. The ball was fumbled through the end zone and the Broncos hurried to the line of scrimmage to run another play before Tomlin or any of his coaches upstairs could see a replay.

If Decker had fumbled out of the end zone, it would have been Pittsburgh ball with a 19-14 lead. It was a risk worth taking.

Steelers inactives

Steelers inactives for tonight's game include James Harrison, Rashard Mendenhall, Ryan Clark, Kelvin Beachum, Charlie Batch, Alameda Ta'amu and Stevenson Sylvester.

Baron Batch is active - presumably as a third back and special teamer.

Who I like, Steelers-Broncos

This is an interesting matchup in that Denver will be breaking in 12 new free agent players.

Typically, teams that add that many veteran free agents take some time to gel. Of course, one of those free agents is QB Peyton Manning, so perhaps he will make up for some of those issues.

The Steelers will be without James Harrison and Ryan Clark on defense, which makes them a little vulnerable. But you can bet that Dick LeBeau will come up with something different on his 75th birthday to help make up for who's missing.

The Broncos will be without guard Chris Kuper (arm) and linebacker D.J. Williams (suspension). The absence of Williams is a big one. He's been tough on the Steelers over the years.

I like the Steelers, 24-20.

@ The Steelers finally placed rookie guard David DeCastro on injured reserve on Friday when they signed cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke.

DeCastro will be eligible to return in eight weeks.

Van Dyke, meanwhile, will be used to help bolster the special teams unit, which was spotty in the preseason.

With that move, the Steelers now have just eight active offensive linemen and 10 defensive backs. That means a move could be coming next week when safety Ryan Clark is ready to play against the Jets.

There's no way the Steelers are comfortable having rookie Kelvin Beachum as one of their active players at this point.

Wednesday news, notes

The Steelers held their second practice of the week Wednesday and it wasn't all good news.

Linebacker James Harrison was limited Wednesday as he continues to work his way back from knee surgery.

Harrison shooed reporters away from his locker after practice, saying he would let everyone know Friday what his status is.

Harrison could still wind up playing, but at this point, it doesn't look good.

On the other hand, Jason Worilds was back as a full participant and looks like he's ready to go. Worilds, who had offseason wrist surgery, is listed as the top backup to LaMarr Woodley, but has more experience than Chris Carter.

@ Isaac Redman was back as a full participant on Wednesday and looks to be ready to go against the Broncos.

Redman said he doesn't know if it will be him or Jonathan Dwyer as the starter in Denver.

@ Linebacker Larry Foote was out today with an ankle issue, but it was just as likely the team wanted to get Brandon Johnson as many snaps as possible at Foote's spot inside.

@ The fact the Steelers haven't done anything with David DeCastro yet in terms of injured reserve tells me that they are indeed looking to bring in a veteran to replace him.

That veteran is likely Trai Essex, despite some reports to the contrary. Right now, they have just three healthy backup linemen. And two of those are rookies Mike Adams and Kelvin Beachum.

I can guarantee you they aren't confident in putting Beachum in a regular season game at this point.

Essex will be back next week when the Steelers won't be on the hook for his entire salary.

Tuesday news and notes

Pretty much everyone was left on the table as a possibility to play Sunday against the Broncos by head coach Mike Tomlin Tuesday, including running back Rashard Mendenhall.

I wouldn't expect Mendenhall to play - I'm still hearing they want to wait until after the bye week - but Mendenhall has looked good in practice coming off the ACL injury and is making the decision a tough one.

James Harrison, on the other hand, made it through practice Monday OK and looks as if he will play.

@ Tomlin said Keenan Lewis will be the starting CB, while Cortez Allen will be the third corner.

That's not exactly surprising. Allen has plenty of upside, but still needs some polish.

@ It's beginning to look like Mike Wallace will start over Emmanuel Sanders. That's a surprising move by Tomlin, who usually likes to send messages through his actions.

I'm sure the fact that Wallace spent all day Friday and Saturday with receivers coach Scottie Montgomery had something to do with the decision.

@ The Steelers, by the way, continue to try to bang out a new deal for Wallace.

This could go down to the wire. A couple of years ago, the Steelers had strong safety Troy Polamalu sign his new deal on the plane before takeoff for their regular season opener.

Steelers make roster cuts

The Steelers have placed rookie linebacker Sean Spence on their Reserve/Injured List and released 21 others, reducing their roster to the league-mandated 53 players, the team announced today.

Spence suffered a left knee injury in the Steelers’ preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers and will miss the 2012 season.

Two veterans that have spent time with the Steelers who were released today are offensive lineman Trai Essex and punter Jeremy Kapinos (Waived/Injured List). Essex has played in 76 career games for Pittsburgh (28 starts) while Kapinos has been the team’s punter for most of the past two seasons.

The other 19 players released include defensive backs Damon Cromartie-Smith, Terrence Frederick and Josh Victorian, linebackers Brandon Hicks and Marshall McFadden, defensive linemen Corbin Bryant, Igbinosun Ikponmwosa and Jake Stoller, quarterback Jerrod Johnson, running back DuJuan Harris, wide receivers Tyler Beiler, Toney Clemons, David Gilreath, Marquis Maze and Derrick Williams, and offensive linemen Ryan Lee, John Malecki and Chris Scott.

The Steelers will likely bring Essex back on the 53-man roster after rookie guard David DeCastro is placed on injured reserve using the league's new designation. Essex must first clear waivers.

With the release of Beiler, Clemons, Gilreath, Maze and Williams, the Steelers are carrying only four wide receivers.

Post-Carolina thoughts

I would not want to be making the decisions about who to cut on this roster.

With the injuries and inexperience among the backups, this could be one of the toughest Steelers cuts in some time.

Add in the fact we just don't know what a Todd Haley offense will look like/need from its roster, and you have a lot of unknowns.

Do the Steelers keep two QBs or three?

Charlie Batch put his best foot forward Thursday night, going 11 of 14 for 102 yards and a TD. But Jerrod Johnson also looked good again, going 7 of 10 for 78 yards and a score.

Johnson did make a mistake down at the goal line, waiting too long to call a timeout and costing the Steelers five yards, but he made up for it by zipping a pass for a TD to Wesyle Saunders.

Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich are locks, but who knows what the Steelers do after that.

@ Speaking of Saunders, despite his suspension, his play the last couple of weeks has put him back on this roster.

Saunders has been inconsistent in training camp and the coaching staff wasn't happy with that. But when you see him get open - as opposed to, say Leonard Pope - you see a player who could be No. 2 behind Heath Miller coming back from the suspension.

I'm not quite sure what Pope brings to the table.

@ The Steelers gave Jonathan Dwyer 13 first-half carries to see if he could handle that kind of load.

Could it be that Dwyer will be the starter in Denver, with Isaac Redman playing more of a short-yardage/third-down role? You betcha.

@ I like what I saw of all the Steelers running backs tonight.

Baron Batch showed more cutting ability than he had shown throughout the preseason, while newly signed DuJaun Harris showed a nice jump stop and power.

@ I don't know that Chris Rainey is going to give the Steelers a lot in their base offense as a ball carrier. But as a return man, he's scary dangerous.

@ It appears that rookie Sean Spence's season is over after he suffered a torn ACL and dislocated knee.

Too bad. The kid would have been a special teams ace this season.

The Steelers' special teams coverage units are going to be a problem this season.

@ The Steelers will use the new IR designation on first-round pick David DeCastro. They expect him to be out eight weeks.

Mike Wallace has ended his holdout

If you had any question about whether his teammates would welcome Wallace back into the fold, it was answered almost immediately.

No sooner had Wallace reported than he was doing a podcast with linebacker James Harrison. Then, there was Wallace on the sideline during practice, shaking hands with teammates and coaches.

All was forgiven - at least by everyone with the notable exception of Mike Tomlin.

Tomlin talked briefly with Wallace before he spoke to reporters after practice and wouldn't commit to Wallace being ready to play next week in Denver - at least not until he sees him practice.

Wallace, on the other hand, said he should be ready.

Tomlin was downplaying things purposely. He wants to put up a front to show his unhappiness with Wallace's holdout. But the first time Wallace gets into the end zone this season, you can bet Tomlin will be the first guy there giving him a high five.

@ With James Harrison and Jason Worilds coming off the PUP list Tuesday, they will both be back at practice when the Steelers return on Monday.

Harrison said today that he feels great. I wouldn't bet on him not playing - at least on a limited basis. Then again, Harrison doesn't do anything limited.

Worilds, meanwhile, has been running a lot and working with team trainers on his conditioning.

Steelers make cuts

The Steelers released 15 players today, reducing their roster to the league-mandated 75 players prior to today’s 4 p.m. deadline.

The 15 players released include linebacker Ryan Baker, defensive tackle Mike Blanc, wide receiver Paul Cox, cornerback Andre Freeman, kicker Daniel Hrapmann, linebacker Mortty Ivy (Waived/Injured List), offensive lineman Kyle Jolly, long snapper Matt Katula, tight end Jamie McCoy, cornerback Walter McFadden, tight end Justin Peelle, safety Myron Rolle, wide receiver Juamorris Stewart, defensive tackle Kade Weston and wide receiver Jimmy Young.

@ In other news, wide receiver Mike Wallace isn't at the team practice facility today. Wallace must wait three days - per NFL rules - before practicing after signing his contract, so he's basically avoiding the media.

Post-Buffalo thoughts

Tough break for the Steelers, who possibly lost rookie David DeCastro for the season with a torn ACL in Saturday night's preseason victory over the Bills.

DeCastro, who started the game at right tackle, regardless of what Bob Pompeani and Edmund Nelson said, was going to be the team's starting right guard in the opener at Denver.

It wasn't even in question and handn't been in several weeks. He had performed that well.

Watching DeCastro's injury several times, it appears he could have been tripped up by right tackle Marcus Gilbert. If that was the case, Gilbert has now taken out two starters this preseason. He fell across fullback David Johnson's legs in the opener, ending his season with a torn ACL.

Ramon Foster will plug back in to the right guard spot, meaning Willie Colon will be the lone upgrade for the Steelers on their line this season.

Colon, by the way, had a tough game against the Bills. He can play better than he did in this one, as he allowed consistent pressure and got pushed into the backfield several times.

@ The news was a little better on Brett Keisel, who left with a slight high ankle sprain.

Keisel will be held out against Carolina Thursday night, but should be ready to go against Denver in Week 1.

@ After a slow start, the offense heated up in the second quarter. The defense did as well.

The defense consistently pressured Buffalo QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, mixing in a number of blitzes this time around.

Did you see Lawrence Timmons level Fitzpatrick in the first quarter on a ball nearly picked off by LaMarr Woodley?

Ouch.

@ That's six interceptions in three preseason games. If the Steelers can carry that over to the regular season, they'll be very good.

@ Mike Adams took a nice step forward at left tackle in this one.

Max Starks played OK for his first time in game action. He'll be the starter, but Adams looked a little more like the future against the Bills than he had in the previous two preseason games.

Look for the Steelers to give him more work at guard moving forward, especially with DeCastro possibly out for the season.

Although, I've got to tell you, you won't see too many 6-8 guards.

But if he's going to be active on game days, he needs to be position flexible, as Mike Tomlin likes to say.

@ The Steelers threw some deep balls in this one for the first time this preseason. It was if they wanted to let Mike Wallace know that the other guys could get deep, too.

Steelers fire Everest

The Steelers on Thursday fired special teams coordinator Al Everest after just two seasons.

The move came as a surprise since the special teams units had performed well under Everest, who took over for former coordinator Bob Ligashesky following a horrendous 2009 season in which the team allowed four kick returns for scores.

Everest will be replaced by Amos Jones, who has been the team's assistant special teams coach since 2007. Jones and head coach Mike Tomlin go way back, having been on the same coaching staff at the University of Cincinnati in 1999 and 2000.

“We are continually evaluating our coaching staff and support staff, and we have decided to go in a different direction with respect to the coaching of our special teams,” Tomlin said in a statement. “I want to thank Al for his contributions and efforts, and I wish him well in the future.”

Busy day for Steelers

It was a busy day at the Steelers offices.

First, all the TV and radio guys picked up on the stories that Mike Wallace will be reporting soon.

I actually wrote the same thing for Tuesday's Observer-Reporter, but when the Post-Gazette reported on its web site the same thing, suddenly, the world was abuzz.

The best was when I was listening to talk radio on the way home and one of the local sports talk stations said, "The Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette broke the story that Mike Wallace might be returning to the Steelers sometime this weekend."

Think about that statement for a second.

Now, certainly Ed's story was a little more specific than mine, saying that Wallace would report sometime this weekend after the Steelers' game in Buffalo.

But the statement Wallace "might" be in this weekend isn't really breaking news and really isn't what Ed wrote. Wallace might run for president as well - though I doubt it.

It's not a big deal and it's certainly semantics, but I found it funny.

@ The second big news story of the day came once the locker room opened and Max Starks announced he would be working with the first-team offense.

It wasn't a surprise that Starks would be practicing. But putting him out with the ones was certainly newsworthy.

@ After that, it was on to James Harrison, who said he should be ready to go once the regular season opens.

That wasn't surprising either, but Harrison looked fine walking around and was moving with no issues.

@ Finally, running back Issac Redman said his MRI last week revealed his problem wasn't a groin as thought, but a hip issue near his groin.

That seemed to put him a little more at ease and he was back working Tuesday.

@ It doesn't happen often, but while the Steelers were on one field Tuesday, Pitt came out and practiced on the field right next to them - there are five total fields outside at the facility.

This allowed for the Pitt players to get a good look at the Steelers practice when they were on their way out and running back Ray Graham was all eyes as he walked by.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin yelled at him, "Hey, keep your eyes off this practice," or something to that affect, and they shared a smile and a laugh.

Tomlin then said, "I love to mess with the kids."

It gives you a little insight into why Tomlin is so respected. Yes, he's a no-nonsense kind of coach. But he's also not afraid to mix it up a little as well.

@ One other thing caught my eye after practice. Five of the team's tackles - Starks, Marcus Gilbert, Trai Essex, Mike Adams and Kelvin Beachum - were working on their sets after practice with one of the linebackers rushing against them.

The linebacker? Rookie Adrian Robinson.

Robinson goes hard 100 percent of the time and his teammates see that. It's a big reason he's going to make this team.

Initial thoughts from the Colts game

The first-team offense and defense both looked pretty good against the Colts in their first extensive action.

Ben Roethlisberger threw a bad pick and Chris Rainey fumbled - he might be too small for the beating he'll take in the NFL - but, overall, it wasn't a bad showing.

The Steelers came into this game trying to work on their running game a little bit - they wanted to give Willie Colon an opportunity to pull - and were effective doing that.

The defense gave up a drive, but it also put seven points on the board. And remember, they weren't throwing a lot of different stuff at the Colts defensively, so even that one drive might have been avoided in the regular season with an exotic blitz or two.

@ It was a preseason game, so the main thing was to get out of it unscathed, which the Steelers did.

@ Rookie punter Drew Butler didn't have the kind of game he did against Philadelphia, but he was solid, averaging 44.8 yards per attempt.

@ How bout the hands on Ike Taylor?

I've covered Ike since his start here and don't remember him coming out of a break too many times and actually catching the ball.

@ Guys who helped themselves:

David Gilreath led the team with four receptions for 78 yards working against a team that had him on its practice squad in 2011. (Point of interest, Gilreath is sharing a locker with some guy who wears No. 17. Didn't see that player here though).

Jerrod Johnson looked much more comfortable at QB, completing 4 of 5 passes for 65 yards and scrambling three times for 11 more yards. Was poised during the game-winning field goal drive.

Justin Peelle caught one pass for 21 yards and isn't Leonard Pope.

Jonathan Dwyer rushed eight times for 43 yards, including a 23 yarder. Didn't get hurt.

Guys who didn't help themselves:

Kelvin Beachum had two more penalties. I know he's wearing 68, but that doesn't mean he has to play like Chris Kemoeatu as well.

Chris Rainey lost a fumble. That was the knock against him at Florida - too small to play in the NFL - and losing fumbles isn't going to help. He's not in danger of being cut, but he's not helping his cause to be a bigger part of the offense.

Marquis Maze averaged just 1.5 yards on a pair of punt returns. He really needed to do something special and failed to do so.

Leonard Pope completely whiffed on his block on Antonio Brown's touchdown catch and run. Don't know what he brings to the table other than being familiar with Todd Haley's offense.

Steelers make somewhat surprising move

The Steelers on Friday activated a pair of players off the PUP list.

But one of them wasn't somebody many were expecting to be activated at this time.

Rashard Mendenhall and Casey Hampton came off the PUP on Friday, opening the door for both to return to practice on Tuesday when the Steelers return to their facility on Pittsburgh's South Side.

Hampton's activation wasn't a surprise. Though he had offseason surgery to repair his ACL, the team expected him to be ready for the opening of the regular season, at least on a limited basis.

But Mendenhall was a different story. Though he was, by all accounts, ahead of the curve in his recovery from a torn ACL,

The team had continued to say that it expected him to open the season on the PUP, meaning he would be out the first six weeks.

Now, he will have to open the season on the 53-man roster.

The Steelers obviously feel Mendenhall is ready, or they wouldn't have activated him. But he's also not ready to shoulder a full load.

The issue, in my eyes, is that once the season begins, there really is no easing a player back into practice. Either you're ready to go or you're not. In-season practices are used to get ready for the next opponent, not get somebody ready to return to the field.

So the Steelers activated Mendenhall now to give him a couple of weeks of training camp.

Also at issue are the injuries to the other running backs on the roster. Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer have both been banged up.

Probably more so in the case of Dwyer, the Steelers are sending a message that they're not happy with the status quo.

What does this mean for the roster? Hampton was considered a given to take a spot on the 53-man roster. Mendenhall was not.

The guess here is that the team either goes with four receivers - including Mike Wallace, who should report any day now - and use Chris Rainey and Heath Miller in certain situations, or go with two tight ends and use Will Johnson or Jamie McCoy as an H-back type.

Cutting not the problem

Cutting this year's roster for the Steelers won't be the problem. Stopping, however, will be.

The Steelers are solid with their front-line talent.

But the retirements and releases of a number of veterans during the offseason have left this team with very little depth - at least not as much as in previous years.

Here's how I see the 53-man roster breaking down now that we're through three weeks of training camp:

QB (3)
Ben Roethlisberger, Byron Leftwich, Charlie Batch - Jerrod Johnson can go on the practice squad. The team likely won't cut Batch because he's been such a good soldier over the years.

RB (5)
Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer, Baron Batch, Chris Rainey, Will Johnson - I wouldn't be surprised to see a veteran added here after other teams start cutting guys loose. All of the backs except Redman have practice squad eligibility. Rashard Mendenhall goes on the PUP.

WR (5)
Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Jerricho Cotchery, Tyler Beiler - Wallace will rejoin the team before the start of the season. Beiler has been the best of a ho-hum bunch. Toney Clemons or Marquis Maze or both to the practice squad?

Offensive line (9)
Max Starks, Willie Colon, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Marcus Gilbert are your starters. Mike Adams, Ramon Foster, Doug Legursky and Trai Essex are the backups - When camp began, the team was concerned that rookie Kelvin Beachum would look so good they wouldn't be able to sneak him onto the practice squad. That won't be a problem after his play against the Eagles. Rookie Ryan Lee could also head to the practice squad.

Tight end (3)
Heath Miller, Leonard Pope, Jamie McCoy - Wes Saunders only shows up sometimes. Add that to his pending suspension and there's no reason for him to make the roster. Pope could be pushed off by new signee Justin Peele, but it will be tough since Peele will only be here a few weeks. McCoy makes it because of his ability to play some fullback. Will Johnson isn't much of a blocker at this point.

Defensive line (7)
Brett Keisel, Steve McClendon, Ziggy Hood, Cam Heyward, Casey Hampton, Al Woods, Alameda Ta'amu - With Hampton unlikely to be ready for the opener and Ta'amu not ready for prime time, Woods makes it because they will need five linemen heading to Denver. I don't think Hampton goes on the PUP.

Linebacker (9)
James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, Lawrence Timmons, Larry Foote, Jason Worilds, Chris Carter, Stevenson Sylvester, Brandon Johnson, Sean Spence - It's a tough cut. Adrian Robinson goes to the practice squad

Defensive back (9)
Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, Ike Taylor, Keenan Lewis, Cortez Allen, Curtis Brown, Will Allen, Ryan Mundy, Robert Golden - Only four corners? Why not. Walter McFadden and Terrence Frederick aren't the players that Golden is and if you're down to your fifth corner, you're screwed anyway. Plus, since Clark won't play in the opener, they'll need and extra safety.

Specialists (3)
Shaun Suisham, Greg Warren, Drew Butler - Butler is winning the punting job by default over injured Jeremy Kapinos. Plus, he's actually kicked pretty well

Moving along

The Steelers on Tuesday activated Max Starks from the PUP list, meaning he will likely be ready to start the season at left tackle for them - at least that's their hope.

In the meantime, the Steelers will continue to work Marcus Gilbert at LT as their emergency plan with rookie Mike Adams out with a knee injury.

Starks won't fully practice until Friday and won't see action against Indianapolis in their preseason game Sunday. But expect him in the lineup when the Steelers travel to Buffalo Aug. 26.

@ Running back John Clay apparently tore his quad muscle at practice Sunday and was waive/injured Tuesday.

With the roster space, the Steelers added former Houston Texans running back Jay Ford, a 5-10, 238-pound fireplug.

Ford looks like a fullback, though I can't find a lot of background info on him.

Eventful weekend

It was an eventful two days for the Steelers as they began their final week of work at Saint Vincent College.

First, due to a knee injury to second-round draft pick Mike Adams suffered in the preseason opener against Philadelphia, the team had to shuffle the deck with its offensive line.

Adams, who is expected to be out a week or so, had started against the Eagles at left tackle. With him out, the Steelers slide right tackle Marcus Gilbert over to left tackle.

That allowed them to keep rookie David DeCastro at right guard - where he will stay - and put Ramon Foster at right tackle.

With Willie Colon back at left guard, the Steelers' starting offensive line for their second preseason game will look like this from left to right: Gilbert, Colon, Maurkice Pouncey, DeCastro and Foster.

It will likely stay that way until Max Starks is ready to come off the PUP list, at which point, he will move to left tackle, sliding Gilbert back to the right side.

Starks is expected to be activated within the next two weeks after having offseason knee surgery.

@ With Isaac Redman (groin) and Jonathan Dwyer (shoulder) sitting out practices, the Steelers got more bad news at running back Sunday, when John Clay went down with a hip injury.

Already thin with Rashard Mendenhall on the PUP list, that left the Steelers with just Barron Batch, Chris Rainey and Will Johnson - now the starting fullback following David Johnson's season-ending knee injury against the Eagles - to carry the football.

That didn't work out so well in Sunday's goal-line drills as the Steelers tried to pound the ball into the end zone with Batch (210 pounds) and Rainey (178).

Rainey scored once by leaping over the top of the line, but the defense had the better of it overall.

@ For the second time in this training camp, Antonio Brown and Ike Taylor got into a fight, this time during a red zone drill.

This one got a little more heated than their previous dust up last week as the two continued to jaw at each other after practice.

Don't expect any long-lasting effects, however.

Brown and Taylor are both competitors and neither wants to give an inch. And they've been going against each other on a daily basis now for three weeks. It can get a little irritating.

Post-Eagles thoughts

I liked Todd Haley's approach to this game with his first-team unit.

With a pair of rookie offensive linemen starting, he had Ben Roethlisberger throwing screen after screen. It allows the rookies to get their feet wet while also protecting the franchise quarterback.

Plus, the Steelers have really been working hard on their screen game. Might as well try it out and see if it works. It does.

@ Speaking of those rookie linemen, I'd give David DeCastro a C-plus for his first game. Mike Adams, meanwhile, gets a D.

DeCastro wasn't overwhelmed and was OK in pass protection for the most part. Adams did a good job in run blocking, not so much in pass protection when his guy came with a speed move.

Adams left early after suffering a slight knee injury. He's expected to be OK.

A bigger issue was the play of Marcus Gilbert at right tackle. Hard to believe he started a whole season in 2011 after looking as bad as he did against the Eagles.

@ The news was not as good for fullback/tight end David Johnson. Johnson suffered a torn ACL and is out for the season.

Johnson was injured when Gilbert was being thrown into the pocket for about the fifth time on the opening drive.

With Johnson down, the Steelers are left with Will Johnson at fullback. Look for them to bring somebody else in, or at least take a look at Jamie McCoy at fullback as well.

@ Of the young receivers, Marquis Maze showed some moves as a return man - though he had a couple of nice punt returns called back due to penalties.

Tyler Beiler also made a nice adjustment on a back shoulder throw from Jerrod Johnson for a 30-yard gain as well.

Other than that, however, it was continued blah.

I felt bad for Johnson, who was playing behind a shoddy third-team offensive line with receivers who couldn't get open.

He's looked better than what he showed against the Eagles.

@ I really thought Adrian Robinson and Myron Rolle helped themselves among the bubble guys. Both were very active.

Robinson has been a guy who has shined throughout camp, while Rolle had been pretty quiet until the game against the Eagles.

What, who I'll be watching in the first preseason game

The Steelers will play their first preseason game at Philadelphia Thursday night, and there's going to be plenty of notable action on the field.

Here are a few of the things and players I'll be watching in this one:

@ How does the new offense look under Todd Haley?

Traditionally, teams don't show a whole lot in the preseason. But the Steelers haven't had a completely new offense in Pittsburgh in quite some time.

To this point, the Steelers offense has featured more intermediate passes and throws to the running backs. We'll see if that carries over to the games.

@ How do the rookie offensive linemen look?

I've found it interesting that so many people have said that David DeCastro has been a bust in the first two weeks of training camp. That's ridiculous.

I've seen countless rookies take some time to get accustomed to the speed and power of the NFL. DeCastro has as well. But Maurkice Pouncey struggled with one-on-one matchups in his first camp as well. Then, when he got into game action, it was obvious he was a player.

The other side of the DeCastro coin is that Ramon Foster is having a very solid camp.

There was a big difference between DeCastro beating out Foster and Mike Adams pushing Trai Essex aside.

@ Does Cortez Allen take advantage of Keenan Lewis' shoulder injury?

Allen will likely start with Lewis being limited with the shoulder injury. If he can hold up in coverage against DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, it will go a long way toward winning a starting job.

@ Who will step up at free safety?

To this point, Ryan Mundy has been so-so. The same goes for veteran Will Allen.

I'm anxious to see what a young kid like Robert Golden can do in game action. There's a spot to be won there behind Ryan Clark.

@ Will any of the receivers behind Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery show anything.

It's been up and down throughout training camp for the receivers behind those three.

At this point, I'd say Derrick Williams and Tyler Beiler have been the most consistent, but that's not saying much.

@ Can Chris Rainey win the starting return job.

Rainey is fast, but can he consistently catch punts? He flubbed one in practice on Tuesday, which has to be a concern. This is, after all, a kid that fumbled six punts in college.

I'm not as concerned about him as a kick return guy, but if he can't field punts, that's a problem.

Marquis Maze will also be given a chance. It's big for him because he hasn't shown a lot as a receiver.

@ Keep an eye on rookie punter Drew Butler, the son of former Bears kicker Kevin Butler.

Butler is the only healthy punter in camp right now with Jeremy Kapinos dealing with back issues.

Kapinos has gotten more surly as camp has gone on because Butler has looked pretty good. But can he do it on the big stage?

If so, Butler could win the job.

Tuesday news and notes

Rookies Mike Adams and David DeCastro will get the starts at left tackle and right guard, respectively, against the Eagles.

Adams will start because he's been better than Trai Essex at left tackle. DeCastro will be in there because Willie Colon is out with a sore ankle and Ramon Foster has shifted over to left guard.

I keep on seeing that Adams and DeCastro have been disappointing. I haven't seen it that way. In fact, let's wait until they play a couple of preseason games before we pass any judgment.

After all, Maurkice Pouncey didn't win the starting job until that third preseason game.

@ Cam Heyward is also out for Thursday's game, though I haven't been able to get to the bottom of why.

Heyward practiced Sunday and appeared fine. Then, he wasn't around on Tuesday.

@ It appears Cortez Allen will start in place of Keenan Lewis.

Lewis has been battling through a sore AC joint in his right shoulder, but it appears the team won't let him test it in a game.

Allen, by the way, has been the better of the two at training camp. Both, however, will see plenty of playing time, regardless of who wins the starting job.

@ I have really liked what I've seen of first-year quarterback Jerrod Johnson.

The big guy (6-5, 251) is extremely light on his feet and throws a nice ball.

He got a chance to run the two-minute offense Tuesday and didn't disappoint, leading his unit to a score on a pass over the middle to Derrick Williams. It was a nice throw and catch and I could see Johnson beating out Charlie Batch for the No. 3 job.

@ Tyler Beiler had a couple of nice catches on Tuesday and could be making a case for himself to stick on this roster.

With Mike Wallace still holding out, there is room for at least two of the "other" receivers in this camp to make the roster.

Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that the group has been inconsistent behind the top three, but Beiler is probably the most consistent of the group.

Steelers release first depth chart

The Steelers on Monday released their first official depth chart of the season as they prepare for Thursday's preseason opener in Philadelphia.

There were a few surprises on the list, including holdout wideout Mike Wallace still being listed as No. 1 ahead of Emmanuel Sanders at receiver.

It was likely a measured move by the Steelers to show Wallace that - at least right now - there are no long-term hard feelings regarding his holdout, which will reach its third week on Wednesday.

We could see a change in that moving forward.

Rookie offensive tackle Mike Adams is still listed behind Trai Essex at left tackle on the depth chart despite the fact that Adams has been used ahead of Essex on the field the past three days.

Sanders, meanwhile, is listed as the team's No. 1 return man ahead of rookie Chris Rainey.

Defensively, because the guys on the PUP list aren't listed, Chris Carter is the starter at right outside linebacker, ahead of rookie Adrian Robinson. On the other side, it is veteran Brandon Johnson listed as second behind LaMarro Woodley.

Feisty play continues

Friday night's practice at Latrobe Stadium was highlighted by a second round on backs/tight ends on backers drill.

David Johnson and Barron Batch were the clear stars for the offense - with Johnson drawing praise after practice from head coach Mike Tomlin.

Batch didn't win his matchups as decisively as Johnson, but after a poor showing the first time the Steelers did these drills, he showed some real toughness and a willingness to finish blocks.

Isaac Redman has a groin injury and did not take part, joining LaMarr Woodley, James Harrison and Jason Worilds on the sidelines for this one.

Heath Miller also did not take part.

Defensively, Lawrence Timmons still brings the noise in this drill.

@ Ben Roethlisberger was held out tonight, as was Brett Keisel. Both were just given the night off.

@ Talked to Joey Porter during practice. He said his wife really likes Pittsburgh and has him looking for a house back here.

Porter would also like to get into coaching.

@ Cam Heyward and rookie Mike Adams had some Ohio State on Ohio State violence after Adams pancaked Heyward in a team drill.

Heyward apparently took offense to Adams going for the kill shot and the two squared off and started swinging.

Willie Colon stepped in to break it up, but then also started swinging at Heyward.

@ Speaking of Colon, he got rolled up in a team drill - right before the fight - after Ramon Foster tossed someone into the back of his leg, tweaking his ankle.

It was a scary moment for Colon, who is coming off an Achilles' injury.

He went a few more plays, then shut things down.

Foster moved over to left guard and rookie David DeCastro took over at right guard.

Thursday news and notes

We might have seen a changing of the guard at cornerback Thursday in the final two plays of practice.

Working in the two-minute offense to close things out, Ben Roethlisberger lofted a 36-yard TD pass down the sideline to Antonio Brown, who got behind Keenan Lewis - the current frontrunner to start opposite Ike Taylor.

On the very next play, Cortez Allen, who along with Curtis Brown is fighting to unseat Lewis, leaped over rookie receiver Tony Clemons to pick off a Byron Leftwich pass along the sideline, showing the athleticism that has the coaching staff so excited about him.

Lewis has been battling a shoulder injury - and had to briefly leave practice Thursday after jacking up wideout David Gilreath at the line of scrimmage - but Allen's athletic ability is hard to overlook.

Coming out of the Citadel, Allen was supposed to be a project. At this point, the former fourth-round draft pick looks like the second coming of Ike Taylor - with hands.

@ LaMarr Woodley sat out practice again today and as a result, the linebackers vs. tight ends running drill was a walkover for the tight ends - who to this point have looked like five guys named Moe.

Jamie McCoy continues to shine in the one-on-one blocking drills, but until he lines up against Woodley, James Harrison or even Jason Worilds, we'll withhold judgement.

On the defensive side, the only linebacker who flashed was Adrian Robinson, a rookie out of Temple.

After beating pretty much everyone the team put in front of him, Robinson drew what Mike Tomlin called, "Varsity reps" against David Johnson.

Robinson also looked good there.

Mind you, Heath Miller has not been participating in these drills for the tight ends.

@ A moment after being chastised for not being physical enough on a stunt, rookie nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu brought the pain in a collision with Ramon Foster. That was 700 pounds of human being ramming into each other there and was not for the faint of heart.

Cam Heyward looks like a beast in those drills.

He jacked up Trai Essex so hard on a bull rush that it's possible Essex' ancestors felt it.

Tuesday news and notes

The Steelers held yet another feisty practice today, highlighted by a drill I had not seen them run before - something head coach Mike Tomlin called "wide receivers stalk blocking DBs."

The drill consisted of a player running with the ball toward an imaginary edge and the receiver firing out and blocking - or attempting to block - the defensive back in front of him.

Things got very heated in the competition, with wideout Derrick Williams getting into it with rookie corner Andre Freeman in a fight that brought in several teammates, including safety Ryan Clark.

Moments later, Ike Taylor or Antonio Brown got into a little pushing match.

At the completion of it all, the coaching staff brought both groups together - presumably to remind them that they are all on the same team.'

@ Every day the Mike Wallace holdout continues is one day closer to Plaxico Burress returning to Pittsburgh.

That's not a misprint.

Burress is definitely on the team's radar, and at some point, the Steelers are going to have to move on without Wallace.

Burress would be an immediate help to this team in the red zone.

@ LaMarr Woodley continues to dominate the backers on tight end blocking drill, regardless of who the Steelers put in front of him.

Don't know if that is because he's that good, the Steelers' tight ends behind Heath Miller aren't that strong or both. I'm leaning toward a little bit of both.

Tuesday, it was Woodley again completely rag-dolling David Johnson on three consecutive runs through the drill. Woodley looks primed for a big year.

@ The Steelers have been giving both Mortty Ivy and Stevenson Sylvester some work at outside linebacker in an attempt to find some position flexibility there.

Ivy didn't look all that strong at the point matching up against Jamie McCoy, who might be the most consistent blocker of all the tight ends behind Miller.

@ Miller, by the way, returned to practice on a limited basis today and looked good catching the ball.

Keenan Lewis, who was thought to be out for at least a couple of days with a shoulder injury, went through a full practice.

A little competition goes a long way.

@ First-year quarterback Jerrod Johnson made back-to-back perfect throws in the final team session, making a beautiful sideline throw to Marquis Maze down one sideline. Maze had a nice diving catch on the play.

Johnson then dropped a ball in perfectly to Tyler Beiler over Freeman.

Johnson is a big kid (6-5, 251) but shows good mobility in the pocket. He could push Charlie Batch off the roster.

Steelers July 29th notes

I finally got to sit and watch - OK, stand and watch - an entire practice Sunday for the first time at this camp without having to hustle somewhere else or have things abbreviated by the threat of rain.

I saw some pretty good things out there.

Second-year linebacker Chris Carter looks physically bigger on the field and his functional strength is improved. Once just a guy who could beat you with his quick first step, Carter can now lock onto somebody and force them where he wants to go instead of the other way around.

He did this in the backs on tight ends drills against David Johnson, then handled Leonard Pope.

Carter told me after practice that he's added eight to 10 pounds of muscle.

Being that he's starting opposite LaMarr Woodley with both James Harrison and Jason Worilds on the PUP list, it was a good move for Carter.

@ The Steelers had a physical pads practice and had some players dinged up at times.

Starting running back Isaac Redman took a shot early and sat out a few plays, but the most serious injury was to cornerback Keenan Lewis, who suffered an injury to the AC joint in his right shoulder during a sideline collision.

He could be sidelined a while, with Cortez Allen moving into his starting spot.

Offensive linemen Trai Essex and David DeCastro also suffered minor ankle sprains, but are not expected to miss any time.

Tight end Heath Miller (ankle) and punter Jeremy Kapinos (back) were joined on the sidelines Sunday by wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who was given the day off by head coach Mike Tomlin rather than have him practice on field turf.

As for good news on the injury front, safety Damon Cromartie-Smith is expected to be activated from the PUP list on Wednesday. He has been out with a shoulder injury.

@ Funny moment of the day came when offensive tackle Max Starks was working with the other PUP list players on his conditioning.

After running back Rashard Mendenhall completed a cone drill with the ball in his hands, Starks did the same.

I told the guy next to me that if Starks had the ball in his hands on a play, something had gone terribly wrong.

Starks came to his senses on the next drill and declined the ball when Mendenhall offered it to him.

@ The catch of the day belonged to first-year receiver Jimmy Young.

Working against Ike Taylor, Young went to the ground down the sideline on the final play of practice to snare a perfect pass from Byron Leftwich, hanging onto the ball as his helmet popped off upon contact with the ground.

@ While Carter looked improved, both Johnson and Leonard Pope disappointed in the backs on tight ends drill.

The clear star was LaMarr Woodley, which is why they are paying him the big bucks. Woodley whipped everyone in sight.

What the Brown signing means

After having Mike Wallace spurn a similar offer, the Steelers signed wide receiver Antonio Brown to a five-year, $42-million contract extension on Friday.

What does this mean for Wallace?

It means that his days with the Steelers are numbered.

After giving Brown a big deal, the Steelers aren't likely to hand out another one at the same position.

So his options now are to report to camp, sign his tender and hope he has another big season, or hold out until there are six games left in the season, report, and become a free agent at the end of the year, hoping that somebody will make him a big offer.

He's got a much better chance of getting a big deal next season if he goes out and tears it up this season than he does if he doesn't play.

Brown's contract also likely means that the Steelers won't use the franchise tag on Wallace, either.

Steelers complete first practices

Heath Miller left the Steelers practice this afternoon with a sprained left ankle. It's not considered serious.

Alameda Ta'amu also left with a foot injury. It, too, is not considered serious.

Other than that, the Steelers' practices today weren't a whole lot different than the OTAs. There's still a lot of learning to do with the new offense, which features more throws to the running backs on swing passes and screens than I have seen in my 20 years of covering this team.

Fans should be happy with that.

@ Fans will get their first look at the Steelers Friday afternoon when the team's practice is open to the public. I expect the team to be a little more spirited in that workout. The players seem to feed off the energy of the crowd.

@ Troy Polamalu looks a little heavier than usual. He's doing his usual work after practice and such, but he's starting to fight father time and genetics.

I still expect Polamalu to be a difference maker, however.

@ Don't be surprised if the Steelers bring in a veteran wide receiver or two for workouts in an effort to scare Mike Wallace into camp - Plaxico Burress anyone?

The team could also open negotiations with the agent of wide receiver Antonio Brown.

Steelers open camp

Mike Wallace was the only no-show for the Steelers as they opened training camp at Saint Vincent College Wednesday.

At this point, Emmanuel Sanders will assume Wallace's starting role and the Steelers will move on.

Traditionally, the team has not negotiated with players who are holding out while under contract, but this situation is a little different.


Wallace has yet to sign his one-year tender offer with the team and is thus not under contract at this time meaning, technically, he's not a holdout.

But he's not a free agent any longer, either, leaving him and the Steelers at an impasse.

His teammates expect Wallace to come into camp no later than the start of next week. We'll see.

At this point, he's really not missing anything. But once the weekend begins, he'll have to play catch up.

@ Six players will open camp on the PUP list, including linebacker James Harrison, who is resting a sore knee.

The other players who will sit out practices early are running back Rashard Mendenhall (knee), nose tackle Casey Hampton (knee), offensive tackle Max Starks (knee), linebacker Jason Worilds (hand) and safety Damon Cromartie-Smith.

Despite being down two outside linebackers - at least for a few days - head coach Mike Tomlin said the team won't sign anyone for depth at the position.

Tomlin said it will be an opportunity for Chris Carter to get more reps.

Steelers extend Tomlin

The Steelers haven't gotten a new deal done with wide receiver Mike Wallace yet, but they did manage to extend the contract of head coach Mike Tomlin through 2016.


At 40, Tomlin is entering his sixth season with the Steelers. The Steelers have gone to the playoffs in four of Tomlin's first five seasons, while also advancing to the Super Bowl twice, winning once.

“We are pleased to announce that Mike Tomlin will remain with the Steelers for at least five more years,” said Steelers’ President Art Rooney II. “Mike is one of the top head coaches in the National Football League and we are thrilled he will continue to lead our team as we pursue another Super Bowl title.”

Steelers get deal done with DeCastro

The Steelers got their final draft pick signed, agreeing to terms with first-round pick David DeCastro on a four-year deal worth just over $7.8 million.

The deal includes a team option for a fifth season.

Getting the deal finished with DeCastro prior to the opening of training camp Wednesday was important for the Steelers, who expect the former Stanford All-America guard to compete for a starting spot this season.

His signing leaves Mike Wallace as the only player not currently under contract. Wallace still has a $2.7 offer on the table as a restricted free agent, but has yet to sign it.

Negotiations are ongoing.

Back from my last vacation and ready for camp

I'm back from my last week away and am ready to gear things up for training camp.

There was, however, some interesting news while I was away in Virginia.

First, the Steelers re-signed offensive tackle Max Starks to a one-year deal. The next day, they released offensive tackle Jonathan Scott, even though they had room on their roster to keep him around.

The signing of Starks was not surprising. He showed them last year just how valuable he can be when the Steelers played their first few games without him and struggled - with Scott at left tackle.

Starks suffered a knee injury at the end of the season, but is rehabbed and back in shape. His signing allows the team to ease rookie Mike Adams along while learning from a veteran how to play in the NFL.

That will be good for Adams in the long-term.

As for Scott, the Steelers had to keep him around until they were sure Starks would be ready to go.

Once that happened, the Steelers did the honorable thing and released him now, giving him a better chance to hook on with another team.

That's why players respect the team's front office so much.

Top 100 thoughts

The NFL Network recently completed its top 100 list. I'm not a big fan of such lists, but the network has to come up with something to fill its airwaves during the NFL dog days of June and July before camps open.

The Steelers were well represented on the list once again, with six players, led by safety Troy Polamalu at No. 19.

Interestingly enough, Polamalu's spot on the list was one ahead of Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis and three behind Ravens safety Ed Reed.

James Harrison was the second Steelers player listed, coming in at 29th. That's not bad for a player who fought through an injury-plagued 2011 season and also missed a game due to suspension.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was ranked 30th, which sounds low until you consider he was the fourth quarterback on the list. Roethlisberger was ranked below Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady, and one spot ahead of Eli Manning. It's tough to argue with that pecking order.

Wide receiver Mike Wallace came in at 47th, which some people likely have a problem with. I don't. Wallace is a special talent and ranking him as the fourth-best player on the Steelers' roster is a nod to that.

Center Maurkice Pouncey ranked 49th despite coming off what I considered a so-so year for him. I thought Pouncey was better as a rookie than he was last year, but the fact that he has already stepped into a leadership role shows how he is thought of by his teammates and peers.

Finally, despite playing just half a season in 2011, linebacker LaMarr Woodley ranked 63rd on the top 100. Woodley was well on his way to earning a spot higher last season and could be primed to put up a monster season in 2012.

@ Longtime O-R sports writer Mike Kovak is leaving after 13 years here to head off to Johnstown.

For several years, Mike was the second guy with me at Steelers games. In fact, we covered the playoff game in Tennessee in 2002 together.

On the drive back, we decided to stop at a Shoney's in Kentucky. As I was at the breakfast bar, I noticed two guys with hooks for hands.

I made mention of this when I got back to the table. Lo and behold, there was another guy sitting near us that also had a hook for a hand. There were three in one spot. Don't know if it was "Hook for a Hand" day at Shoney's or what.

Maybe they got a discount for thresher accidents.

But Mike will be missed.

About a month out

We're about a month out from the start of training camp and I'm taking a much-needed vacation. Bear with me this week whilst I recharge the batteries.

Position battles

I did a radio spot with Greg Linelli today and he asked me about which position battle for the Steelers I am most looking forward to seeing - or at least something along those lines.

To me, I feel the cornerback position will be the most interesting.

Currently, Keenan Lewis is holding down the starting spot opposite Ike Taylor, with second-year players Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen pushing.

One of those three will also serve as the slot corner as well. Brown seems best suited for that position, but Allen's athleticism is hard to deny.

Lewis, however, played very well last season as the third corner and has much more experience than the other two.

Unless Dick LeBeau can come up with a way to get all three corners young corners on the field at the same time, somebody is going to be disappointed.

What position battle are you looking forward to?

@ Speaking of Linelli, he has long been one of the underrated and underutilized radio hosts in the Pittsburgh market.

Soon, he won't be.

Greg is moving on to greener pastures. Good luck to him.

Mini-camp notes

As I expected, the Steelers did not open mini-camp with rookies David DeCastro and Mike Adams working  with the No. 1 offensive line.

DeCastro and Adams did work in with the ones in the final team session, but just for a few plays. Other than that, they both worked with the twos, DeCastro at right guard, Adams at left tackle.

Marcus Gilbert got the nod at left tackle, while Ramon Foster was at right guard. The surprise among the first-team line was Trai Essex at right tackle over Jonathan Scott.

@ Ben Roethlisberger looked pretty sharp during a two-minute drill, tossing a TD pass to Jerricho Cotchery on fourth down from the 4 after quickly moving the team down the field.

Byron Leftwich didn't look nearly as sharp, missing on all four of his passes.

In fact, at one point during team drills, Leftwich missed on eight straight passes. But, in his defense, with Mike Wallace MIA and Hines Ward retired, Leftwich is working with a group of highly untested players on that second unit.

@ Chris Rainey looks pretty good as a running back. Very quick and easy to lose in the hole.

Baron Batch also looks like he's completely healed up as well.

It's going to be a very interesting battle at running back on this team.

Rashard Mendenhall is also running in a straight line again. He hasn't started cutting yet, but Mendenhall looks like he's in great shape. It looks like he'll be back sooner rather than later.

Who is the worst Steelers player you've seen?

It's easy to pick out the best players you've seen over the years.

In the 19 seasons I've been covering the team, Rod Woodson, Carnell Lake, Jerome Bettis, Greg Lloyd, Levon Kirkland, Dermontti Dawson and Ben Roethlisberger stand out as some of the best I've seen.

That list could go on and on.

But who are the worst players to suit up for the Steelers. And I'm talking about guys who actually played and (tried to) contribute.

Week 2 of OTAs news and notes

Not a whole lot happening at OTAs this week.

I guess the biggest news was that Marcus Gilbert got some time at left tackle this week with rookie Mike Adams still unable to attend because of the class schedule at Ohio State.

Though the Steelers would prefer to keep Gilbert at RT, it's not a bad thing for him to get some work on the other side - even in shorts. As we have seen the past couple of years, what the planned line is and what it turns out to be a few weeks into a season, are often two different things.

Besides, as I've previously said, it's not the Steelers' way to simply hand a rookie a starting job.

So with Gilbert, Trai Essex and Jonathan Scott working at LT, there are still some bodies to climb over there.

I know, I know, you all hate Essex and Scott. But it says here that if push came to shove and Adams can't beat those guys out - which is always a possibility - the Steelers want to cover their bases.

Plus, there's still the possibility of bringing Max Starks back again. Starks, by the way, has been seen at the Steelers practice facility.

© Perhaps the most bizarre happenstance of the week was the "retirement" of former quarterback Kordell Stewart.

Considering the only time I'd seen Kordell the past few years was on pre-game shows and such, I thought he'd already hung up the helmet.

I know a lot of fans have a great deal of dislike for Stewart, but I always found him a decent guy.

He was a little full of himself in the beginning, but got knocked down a peg by the whole benching in favor of Kent Graham (!) thing.

He stayed strong and came back a better player and person from that ordeal - and the ridiculous and cowardly rumors about his sexual orientation.

I always admired him a little for that.

Was he a great quarterback? No. But he sure was fun to watch. If the coaching staff had used him a little better, he could have been much more impactful than what he was - and he was still impactful.

© Hines Ward will be working on NBC this fall. I hope they give him some training before they set him free on the mic.

I did a story on Ward for the Steelers Game Day program a couple of years ago. I asked him two questions and finished the interview with 20 minutes of tape to go through.

Ward is famous among reporters for his talking. He would talk about anything and everything, often without cue.

I wish him luck.

OTA news and notes

Isaac Redman told reporters today that the Steelers do, indeed, have a fullback on the roster. The Steelers have moved David Johnson to fullback on a full-time basis.

Redman said this will help Johnson as a blocker since he formerly had to go to tight end meetings and did not attend sessions with the running backs. Redman, who is glad about the change, said the running backs will be better able to show Johnson where they would like their lead blocker during their film breakdowns.

@ Draft picks David DeCastro, Mike Adams and Alameda Ta'amu are not at these OTAs because their colleges are still in session.

@ Linebacker Jason Worilds was at the session today but not practicing. He has a cast on his left wrist.

Defensive end Brett Keisel is among those not here as well. He's still recovering from his groin injury suffered against Denver.

@ Talked to Keenan Lewis today. He feels like the starting job is his to lose after logging more than 500 defensive snaps last season.

He also said he's been in constant contact with teammate Mike Wallace and that it is difficult seeing people rip his friend for not being at the OTAs. The other players don't mind.

@ Also spoke with Maurkice Pouncey briefly about the new offense. He said that the blocking scheme isn't different, just some different verbiage.

He also likes the move of Willie Colon to guard. Said it gives the Steelers a lot of nasty in the middle of the line.

OTAs set to begin

The Steelers OTAs are set to begin this week and the team has some interesting battles that will begin.

We all know by now of the team's shakeup on the offensive line. As I've said, Jonathan Scott will likely take first-team snaps at left tackle and Ramon Foster will be at right guard - for now.

But rookies Mike Adams and David DeCastro will be pushing from the start.

The other big battle will be at cornerback across from Ike Taylor.

William Gay, last year's starter, is gone and Keenan Lewis will get the first chance to replace him.

But second-year players Cortez Allen and Curtis Brown will be pushing hard.

Of course, one of those three will be in the starting lineup. Another will be the third corner.

Colon moving to LG

In a move that has been talked about for years by fans, the Steelers have told Willie Colon that he will move inside to left guard.

Colon has missed most of the past two seasons with injuries, so the move makes some sense. The team has drafted offensive tackles Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams in the second round of the past two drafts and with Colon being a question mark in terms of his injury past, they've got to get the young guys as many snaps as possible.

If, for example, Adams doesn't work out at left tackle, they can always move Colon back out to right tackle and move Gilbert over to the left side - though he might not have the feet to make such a move. Last year's starter, Max Starks, is also still a free agent, so there is also the possibility that he could be brought back as well if Adams struggles.

The move of Colon to left guard would give the Steelers a potential line of, from left to right, Adams, Colon, Maurkice Pouncey, rookie David DeCastro and Gilbert.

That line certainly has some pedigree, but it would be foolish not to expect some rookie struggles from Adams, who was inconsistent at Ohio State.

New offseason rules stink

Last year, we had the lockout, so there was plenty to talk about in regard to the NFL.

But the lockout spawned a new collective bargaining agreement and new offseason practice rules, which we are currently living under. And I've got to tell you, I'm with the coaches on this one These new rules stink.

The new CBA severely limits – compared to the previous rules - the number of monitored practices coaches can have with their players. Thus, young players aren't getting as much face time with coaches as they used to.

In addition, it's also meant less for the media to write about in regard to their respective teams.

At this point in previous years, you could drop in and watch an OTA or two, talk to some players and file away information for future stories. Now, not so much.

The only players the new rules is really hurting are the young ones – the players who need the OTAs to get better.

That's why the coaches wanted more structured practices, not just players working out with team trainers. The players can stay in shape on their own. That's part of their job.

It's the coaches' jobs to get them ready to play. And that has gotten more difficult with fewer offseason practices.

Steelers-Jets talked trade

NFL Network is reporting that the Steelers had a trade in place with the Jets to move up and get guard David DeCastro - something I tweeted they should do as DeCastro fell past the 15th pick.

The Jets wanted Quinton Coples or Bruce Irvin and when the Seahawks took Irvin with the 15th selection, the Jets decided to stick with their pick and take Coples rather than risk not getting their man in a trade down with the Steelers.

As luck would have it for the Steelers, they were able to stay where they were at and get DeCastro anyway.

Tells you why the Steelers were so excited about getting DeCastro on draft day and wasted no time getting their pick to the podium.

The Steelers also have the Bengals to thank.

Cincinnati, which needed a guard, passed on the chance to take DeCastro not once, but twice, deciding instead to trade back in the first round and take Kevin Zeitler.

I like Zeitler and think he'll be a solid player for a long time in the NFL. But DeCastro has an opportunity to be special.

Rookies complete their first camp

The Steelers rookies completed their first workouts with the team over the weekend. I'd love to report more, but the team has restricted what the media is permitted to report from the workouts and, I took a well-needed week of vacation last week and skipped the workouts.

What gives?

How can I take a week off when the team is working?

Honestly, we won't know a thing about these rookies until we see them interacting with the veterans and where the team lines them up when everyone is present.

We all know that David DeCastro, Mike Adams and Alameda Ta'amu are big. We know that Sean Spence is short.

Outside of that, there isn't a lot to be gained from these kind of workouts - media wise.

OK, there are a couple of things. David DeCastro lined up initially at right guard. Mike Adams at left tackle. They will likely both swap sides at some point before it's all said and done.

The players are having the playbook thrown at them for the first time. Outside of that, until mini-camp later this month, we really won't know much.

@ One thing we do know is that the new rookie salary cap rules are having the desired effect. The Steelers have begun signing their draft picks and given the new rules, there's a good chance everyone could be signed by the time mini-camp opens up May 22.