Starks released by Chargers

Veteran offensive tackle Max Starks was released by the San Diego Chargers on Friday, one day after allowing three sacks in a preseason game against San Francisco that Starks called, "The worst game of my life."

Starks had already lost the starting LT job in San Diego to King Dunlap and might not have a lot left in the tank at this point in his career.

That said, he should get looks from a number of tackle-starved teams around the league looking for backup help.

Will the Steelers be among those teams?

Possibly.

Right now, the Steelers' top backup at tackle is Kelvin Beachum. But he's also the top backup at every offensive line position.

Behind him are Guy Whimper and possibly John Malecki. Whimper is a tackle - at least in name. But didn't show the capability of playing on the edge in the preseason. He was passable as a guard.

Malecki is strictly an interior lineman.

That's eight offensive linemen on the active roster. The Steelers could certainly use a ninth.

Starks' wife is from Pittsburgh and he's well liked in the locker room. But he was already given his walking papers when the team decided to go with Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert at offensive tackle.

That duo will remain the starters unless one is injured.

Starks wanted an opportunity to go somewhere and be a starter. He might still get that chance somewhere else if there is an injury.

But for now, he's unemployed.

Post-Carolina 53-man roster

With the preseason now in the books, here's a look at how the Steelers' 53-man roster breaks down following the team's finale:

Quarterback: (3) Ben Roethlisberger, Bruce Gradkowski and Landry Jones. Simply put, the season is tied to Roethlisberger's health. If he plays in 14 or more games, the Steelers have a chance to win 10 or 11 games. If he does not ...

Running back: (5) Le'Veon Bell, Isaac Redman, LaRod Stephens-Howling, Felix Jones and Will Johnson. I know there's going to be a lot of disagreement on this, but Jones can do more for this team than Jonathan Dwyer. If I were Kevin Colbert, I'd be working the phones trying to deal him. The Giants lost Andre Brown to a broken leg Thursday night. Dwyer for a conditional draft pick would get it done. Bell is off his crutches and moving around well. Redman should be ready for the opener, and Stephens-Howling and Jones are both different enough types of runners to offer a change of pace. Johnson's hamstring injury suffered Thursday night is a concern, but David Johnson can help out here.

Wide receiver: (5) Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Jerricho Cotchery, Markus Wheaton and Derek Moye. Moye has practice squad eligibility but get a shot to possibly contribute until Heath Miller returns.

Tight end: (3) Heath Miller, David Johnson, David Paulson. Miller will be activated off the PUP list, though he might not be ready to play for a week or two. In the meantime, the Steelers will get by with Johnson and Paulson, with Kelvin Beachum helping out. Matt Spaeth will go on season-ending IR. No sense using the IR with a designation to return on a backup player, when the combo of Beachum and Paulson can accomplish the same results.

Offensive line: (8) Mike Adams, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Marcus Gilbert, Kelvin Beachum, Guy Whimper and John Malecki. Depth is an issue, though Whimper is better at guard than tackle. Beachum is serviceable at center in a pinch, but Malecki is better as a long-term option. They'll be watching the waiver wire on this one.

Defensive line: (6) Ziggy Hood, Steve McLendon, Brett Keisel, Cameron Heyward, Al Woods and Hebron Fangupo. Woods can play inside or out, which is a bonus. Fangupo is a run-stuffing fireplug and has been better than Alameda Ta'amu. Brian Arnfelt is a nice practice squad option.

Linebacker (10) LaMarr Woodley, Larry Foote, Lawrence Timmons, Jason Worilds, Jarvis Jones, Chris Carter, Alan Baxter, Marshall McFadden, Kion Wilson and Vince Williams. Special teams, special teams, special teams. Terence Garvin goes to the practice squad.

Defensive back: (10) Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, Cortez Allen, William Gay, Shamarko Thomas, Robert Golden, Terry Hawthorne, Ross Ventrone and Josh Victorian. Ventrone makes it over Brown as a special teams ace.

Specialists: (3) Shaun Suisham, Greg Warren, Drew Butler. Butler has beaten out veteran Brian Moorman.

Final preseason roster battles

As the Steelers head into their fourth, and final, preseason game, the starting lineup is all but settled.

Many of the key spots are also filled.

But roster spots 45 through 53 are pretty much in play.

Here's what to watch this week:

Tight end-David Johnson returned last week and immediately moved ahead of David Paulson on the depth chart. Can he hold off Michael Palmer and Jamie McCoy? Matt Spaeth is headed for injured reserve. With Johnson back, the Steelers have a decent blocking tight end. The use of Kelvin Beachum helps there as well. Paulson would be the receiving threat until Heath Miller returns. The guess here is that Paulson holds down the job, though Palmer is pushing hard.

Running back-Can Felix Jones beat out Jonathan Dwyer? The coaching staff doesn't trust Dwyer, the team's leading rusher in 2012. He was the starter coming into the offseason and showed up grossly overweight. Dwyer has been the only back of consequence who has stayed healthy in this preseason, but the fact the Steelers traded for Jones - a back with an NFL track record - last week shows that they're looking to continue to push Dwyer. Isaac Redman and Bell won't play against Carolina. Their spots are secure. LaRod Stephens-Howling had perhaps the best showing of any of the team's backs in the preseason opener against the Giants. This is coming down to Dywer or Jones.

Reserve inside linebacker: With Stevenson Sylvester being jettisoned earlier this week, it comes down to Marshall McFadden, Vince Williams, Brian Rolle, Kion Wilson and Terence Garvin. McFadden is a given. He's had an excellent offseason and training camp. Williams has been moved up to second string, but Wilson was on all of the first-team special teams units last week. That leaves Rolle on the outside looking in since he's not eligible for the practice squad, where Garvin would likely be headed. That's at this point. A strong showing on special teams could change all of that.

Reserve safety: There's an assumption that the Steelers will only keep four players here. But given the age and injury history of starters Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark, it could be five since Robert Golden can also play some corner. That means DaMon Cromartie-Smith and Ross Ventrone could both be in the mix. DCS has something the other safeties on the roster don't have - size. Ventrone is scrappy. He did a decent job as a gunner last week. Though he didn't make the tackle, he did his job, taking on two guys and keeping contain.

Cornerback: Isaiah Green, Josh Victorian Terry Hawthorne and Devin Smith are battling for what will likely be one spot on the active roster and one practice squad position. This will strictly come down to special teams. Green didn't help himself by not getting on the field last week against Kansas City, but the team thought enough of him to keep him around. Hawthorne missed the entire offseason and first couple of weeks of training camp with a knee issue. That opened the door for Victorian to keep his name in the mix. This battle is too close to call at this point.

Wide receiver: It's no given that the Steelers will keep five, but it is probable. Reggie Dunn helped himself as a return threat last week, and Derek Moye was featured in the second half passing game. It comes down to a battle between those two, though Justin Brown could force his way back into the conversation with a strong game.

Monday news, notes

I saw Le'Veon Bell walking around today at the Steelers' facility without his walking boot on, a good sign for the rookie running back.

Bell still has some work to do before he's ready to get back on the football field, but it was far different than he was Saturday night when he was still in a walking boot and using crutches.

Now, just because he was walking around sans the boot doesn't mean he's totally gotten rid of it, but it does show that he's making progress.

@ Jarvis Jones said he had the wind knocked out of him after landing on the football Saturday night.

The Steelers erred on the side of caution with Jones, particularly after what happened to Barkevious Mingo in Cleveland. Mingo suffered a bruised lung in a preseason game and is out of action for a while.

Jones did take some ribbing from fellow linebacker Larry Foote for being taken from the stadium on a stretcher.

Foote said Steelers linebackers never leave on stretchers.

Jones was held out of practice Monday but hopes to play in the preseason finale.

@ Talked to Landry Jones today and he was still unsure if he was going to make the 53-man roster.

Imagine his surprise when I told him Kevin Colbert said a couple of weeks ago that the Steelers will keep three quarterbacks.

With John Parker Wilson now out of the picture, that third quarterback is Jones.

Jones said it was a different feeling fighting for a roster spot and knowing that the loser wasn't going to be around any longer. That doesn't usually happen to quarterbacks in high school or college. And it certainly doesn't happen to quarterbacks who have Jones' pedigree.

Steelers trim roster

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

Not surprisingly, linebacker Sean Spence was placed on the Reserve/PUP list. That gives Spence the possibility of returning to the active roster later in the season.

Guard Justin Cheadle and cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke were placed on the Waived/Injured list. If they clear waivers, the Steelers can re-sign them at some point.

Given their outright release were offensive linemen D'Anthony Batiste and Mike Farrell, running backs Baron Batch and Jeremy Wright, wide receivers David Gilreath, J.D. Woods and Tyler Shaw, cornerback Ryan Steed, tight end Peter Tuitpou and quarterback John Parker Wilson.

The release of Wilson means that Landry Jones will serve as the team's No. 3 quarterback this season.

The team also placed rookie defensive end Nick Williams, a seventh round draft pick, on the Reserve/Injured list.

Pittsburgh must reduce its roster to 53 players by Saturday at 6 p.m.

Steelers lose game, Jones to injury

Steelers rookie linebacker Jarvis Jones, the team's top draft pick, was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital for evaluation following Saturday night's 26-20 overtime loss to Kansas City in the team's third preseason game.

Jones, who had been rotating with Jason Worilds at right outside linebacker, suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of the game after apparently landing on the ball while being tackled following an interception. The interception was nullified by a pass interference penalty on Josh Victorian.

There is no further word on his status, but he seemed to be in some discomfort while being wheeled through the stadium tunnel.

@ The first-team offense showed some spark in the first half, putting together some decent drives and taking advantage of a failed fourth down attempt by Kansas City deep in its own territory.

The Steelers did some nice things on a 70-yard drive to open the game, most notably, giving Ben Roethlisberger just enough protection to complete a 49-yard bomb to Antonio Brown. But Roethlisberger then missed an open Brown on third down and the Steelers settled for a field goal.

Roethlisberger then made one of his vintage Big Ben plays on the team's second possession and found Jonathan Dwyer open in the flat for a 13-yard TD pass.

On the next two drives, the team again just missed by thismuch on adding to its total. An iffy chop-block call on Dwyer - OK, it was ridiculous - killed the first drive and nullified a 25-yard pass to Brown that would have put the ball at the Kansas City 17.

On the next possession, Emmanuel Sanders bobbled the ball as he hit the ground in the end zone, killing what would have been a 34-yard touchdown pass. Shaun Suisham then had a 52-yard field goal attempt blocked.

@ The defense, like the offense, definitely had its moments in the first half. And Troy Polamalu looked like the Troy Polamalu of old, flying around the field and disrupting things.

He killed Kansas City's opening drive with a typical Polamalu deke, jumping up to the line of scrimmage late in the playclock and then dropping out to cover a crossing pattern.

That caused enough confusion for Alex Smith that he was sacked by Ziggy Hood to end the drive.

On the next possession, Polamalu was instrumental in stopping Kansas City twice on third and fourth-and-1 plays.

He later had a silly personal foul penalty for roughing Smith, but even on that play, he showed the old Polamalu burst to close on Smith just after he released the ball.

@ I thought the offensive line did a pretty decent job protecting the quarterback when it was in there. Yes, the Chiefs got a couple of sacks and Tamba Hali was disruptive at times, but Kansas City had a couple of well-timed blitzes to get to the quarterback and Hali isn't an All-Pro player for nothing.

The line did not, however, created a lot of running lanes. It still hasn't played a complete game. When it run blocks well, the pass blocking has been suspect. And vice versa.

@ I did like the addition of Kelvin Beachum as a tight end. And just to keep things interesting, the Steelers threw out of that formation about as much as they ran from it.

In fact, Roethlisberger's 49-yard bomb to Brown came with Beachum on the field.

What to look for against the Chiefs

Can the offensive line - and offense in general - get things going?

The Steelers haven't done any game planning for their first two games, choosing to come out and run, run, run as they try to establish something with their stable of backs and young offensive line.

The result has been no offensive touchdowns in six possessions by the first-team unit.

Will the implementation of a game plan change that at all this week?

The first-team offense will play at least a half against the Chiefs, a team this group struggled against in the regular season last year.

At least one touchdown drive is needed from this group to ease some of the angst among Steelers fans right now.

@ How will Cortez Allen play in his first preseason game? How about David Johnson?

Both will be big keys to the season; Allen at cornerback where he is taking over for Keenan Lewis, Johnson at least in the early part of the season while Heath Miller continues to work his way back to action.

@ Where, if at all, does new running back Felix Jones fit in?

Jones was way down the depth chart in Philadelphia before Friday's trade and will be down the line here as well.

In fact, he'd be lucky to even play against Kansas City given that he'll have been a member of the Steelers just over 24 hours by game time.

@ Will Jarvis Jones continue to share time with Jason Worilds or has he passed Worilds yet?

Jones is making some splash plays, but his pass rushing - supposedly his strong point - have been erratic.

He did help push the pocket on a sack by LaMarr Woodley last week, but has been sporadic in his pressure.

Steelers, Eagles make trade

The Steelers traded first-year outside linebacker Adrian Robinson to Philadelphia for veteran running back Felix Jones Friday.

The move solidifies Chris Carter's spot on the roster at outside linebacker and also opens the possibility of Alan Baxter also making it as well.

Jones, meanwhile, adds another experienced body to a crowded backfield.

A disappointment in Dallas after being a first-round pick - one ahead of Rashard Mendenhall - Jones signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia as a free agent.

As an aside, those calling Mendenhall's career with the Steelers a bust should look at Jones' tenure with Dallas.

Jones is no lock to make this roster, but the trade for a veteran running back does show that the Steelers aren't ready to just hand jobs to Isaac Redman or Jonathan Dwyer.

In fact, Jones has many of the same issue the other backs on the roster have had. He's missed a number of games in his career with injuries.

Robinson showed promise as a pass rusher in 2012, but for whatever reason, wasn't looked at as a special teams player, a necessity for a reserve outside linebacker.

Tomlin optimistic about Bell

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was optimistic about rookie running back Le'Veon Bell's injury status on Thursday. But he wasn't so optimistic that he would give a long-term prognosis on when Bell would return, only saying that he didn't know where reports that said Bell would be out eight weeks had come from.

That doesn't mean, however, that Bell won't miss the first month of the season.

Tomlin said Bell has a mid-foot sprain that involves the Lisfranc tendon, but that it wasn't a tear like the one tight end Matt Spaeth suffered.

That's semantics, since a sprain is, in fact, a tear, albeit not a complete one.

So, in reality, what Bell has is a sprained Lisfranc that isn't a complete tear like the one Spaeth had.

The Steelers play four games in September and then have their bye week. It makes a lot of sense for the team to allow him to sit out until after the Oct. 6 bye and return Oct. 13 completely healthy against the Jets.

@ On a positive note, tight end David Johnson and cornerback Cortez Allen are expected to make their preseason debuts Saturday against Kansas City.

Johnson, who suffered a torn ACL in last year's preseason opener, will give the team's thin tight end position a big boost.

Allen, meanwhile, returned to practice last week after sitting out the first two preseason games following a minor knee surgery.

He's being counted on to start at cornerback in place of Keenan Lewis, so his return is a big one.

Bell out for the first month

Given the situation, things could have been worse for rookie running back Le'Veon Bell.

As I expected, Bell has a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. The Steelers, however, feel it is treatable without surgery, unlike the one suffered by tight end Matt Spaeth.

The injury will still sideline Bell for at least the first month of the season, but he'll be ready from October on.

In the meantime, the Steelers will make do with Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer and LaRod Stephens-Howling at running back.

The loser in the situation? Baron Batch.

Had been not been injured, Bell might have made this team instead of Dwyer.

After all, a healthy Bell and Redman - along with Stephens-Howling - would have been able to handle the rushing duties.

So the fourth running back spot would have come down to special teams. And Batch is a better special teams player.

Now, unless the Steelers decide to place Bell on the IR with return designation and lose him for half the season, Batch will likely be given his walking papers.

The Steelers can't carry six running backs to start the season.

@ I asked Redman today what he thought co-starter meant and he replied that he had no idea.

Redman, of course, had been listed as a co-starter at running back with Bell.

Redman said he didn't find out he was a co-starter - Bell was elevated last week - until he was asked about it by a reporter.

@ Talked to LaMarr Woodley today. Asked him if he was watching James Harrison on HBO.

Woodley said he caught the third episode on Tuesday night, one that featured Harrison working out and then getting accupuncture treatments.

I asked if he had ever tried the accupuncture treatments, which some Steelers, including Harrison and James Farrior, swear by. He said he'd tried it a few times, but didn't like it. Doesn't like needles.

Woodley also said his sack Monday night doesn't prove he's feeling any better or worse than last season. He has higher expectations for himself.

I think he's primed for a big year.

Post-Washington thoughts

It doesn't sound good for Le'Veon Bell. Head coach Mike Tomlin said following the Steelers' 24-13 preseason loss to the Washington Redskins that Bell has a mid-foot sprain and will undergo an MRI Tuesday.

Many times, mid-foot sprains wind up being the dreaded Lisfranc injury. If that's the case, Bell could be out for a long time.

We'll find out more in coming days.

With Bell limited to four carries, Isaac Redman (shoulder) and LaRod Stephens-Howling (knee sprain) sitting out, Jonathan Dwyer made a pitch to stick around this season.

Dwyer ran well, gaining 68 yards on 14 carries. He did, however, lose a fumble.

Fullback Will Johnson suffered a rib injury as well, so it was a tough night for the running backs.

@ As tough a night as it was for the running backs, it might have been worse for the offensive line, particularly Maurkice Pouncey, Marcus Gilbert and Guy Whimper.

All were beaten badly numerous times at the line of scrimmage. It's one thing for it to happen to Whimper, who is likely to be cut.

It's another for your supposedly Pro Bowl center and starting right tackle to have issues. Then again, David DeCastro had some issues as well, so maybe it was just one of those nights.

@ Shamarko Thomas made seemingly every tackle in the second half from his safety position, many with authority.

But if he continues to lead with his head, he's going to have issues.

@ Backup tight end Michael Palmer really helped himself with a pair of touchdown-saving special teams tackles late in the game.

Starter David Paulson, meanwhile, continues to struggle with his blocking.

Heath Miller can't come back soon enough for this team.

@ Emmanuel Sanders had a strong game both catching the ball and blocking in the run game.

@ Reggie Dunn could be playing himself onto the team as a punt and kick returner. He had one kickoff return for 30 yards and averaged 18.5 yards on two punt returns, showing nice patience.

Yes, the Steelers have LaRod Stephens-Howling to return kicks, but if Bell is out for a while, they might want to use LSH a little more out of the backfield.

What to look for against Washington

After his false start last week, I expect Le'Veon Bell to try to give it a go this week.

Can he transfer what he's done on the practice field to a game against another defense?

The Steelers are giving Bell every chance in the world to take the job away from Isaac Redman, including limiting Redman to two carries last week.

@ How much will Jarvis Jones and Shamarko Thomas play with the first-team units?

Jones rotated in with the starters this week as Mike Tomlin was obviously not happy with Jason Worilds taking a couple of silly penalties late in the first half against the Giants.

Jones' worst attribute thus far has been something everyone expected him to be able to do - rush the passer.

He needs to come up with some different moves. But his feel for the game as a linebacker against the run and in the passing game are solid.

As for Thomas, he could see some time in the first-team nickel. Can he take advantage?

@ Watch the punters.

Both will get a half and Brian Moorman is a lot closer to winning the job than Drew Butler is to losing it.

Moorman's hang time is outstanding, but Butler's not going down without a fight.

@ Can any of the reserve linemen other than Kelvin Beachum play?

Beachum will see time at center in this game. John Malecki's spot is safe on the roster, but the Steelers are obviously hoping Beachum can show he can play center as well so they can save a roster spot on game days.

Friday news and notes

Both Le'Veon Bell and Isaac Redman were back on the field today for practice, a day after leaving with injuries.

Redman had a stinger that he suffered when he ran into the back of a lineman - and Larry Foote - during a team 11-on-11 drills.

Later, Bell went down in an 11-on-11 drill when he knee appeared to buckle after being run into downfield at the conclusion of a sweep around left end.

@ Ben Roethlisberger said today that the Steelers went into the game last week against the Giants wanting to work on their short passing game and screens against a 4-3 defense.

Antonio Brown's near miss on a 20-yard touchdown catch in the front corner of the end zone came on an option pattern that Brown took deep.

@ The Steelers have not yet opened any negotiations with players heading into the final season of their contract, but look for those talks to begin next week when the team gets back from Washington.

Ryan Clark and Brett Keisel are both guys who could get an extension of a year or two.

The team will likely wait on Emmanuel Sanders, Ziggy Hood, Jason Worilds and Redman and Jonathan Dwyer until they see what kind of production they have in 2013.

News, notes from Thursday

Obviously, the big news from practice Thursday were the injuries to running backs Isaac Redman and Le'Veon Bell.

Redman ran into the back of a lineman and was hit by linebacker Larry Foote. He immediately fumbled the ball and went down in a heap.

It was just a stinger, though he did not return to practice.

Later, in another team portion of practice, Bell ran around left end and into a pack about 15 yards downfield. He began to pull up and was smacked hard by somebody in the group - nobody was sure who and nobody was owning up to the hit in what was supposed to be a non-contact drill.

Bell went down in a heap. Trainers looked at his left knee and put an ice pack on the back of it. But he stayed with the team on the field, a good sign.

I'm hearing it's a slight MCL sprain, but we'll learn more Friday.

First-round pick Jarvis Jones also appeared to tweak his groin about midway through practice. Team trainers stretched him out a little while and he returned for the final session.

@ A report surfaced today that the Steelers could be looking to deal wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery. That's ridiculous. Had Plaxico Burress not gotten injured, maybe they would have considered offers for Cotchery.

But with Burress out, there's no way they're going to be comfortable going with Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and a bunch of rookies, even if they have been impressed with Markus Wheaton.

@ The Steelers are comfortable with what they've seen from their quarterbacks and will keep three on the active roster.

Whether that's Landry Jones or John Parker Wilson to go along with Ben Roethlisberger and Bruce Gradkowski remains to be seen.

Jones has shown better arm strength recently. As long as he can keep our of Baron Batch's way in the backfield against Washington next week, he's probably the guy.

@ Shamarko Thomas laid a big hit on Alvester Alexander in the hole Thursday, knocking the 213-pound back backwards about five yards.

@ I have one big concern with Jones, the rookie linebacker. He seemingly jumps offsides at least once every practice.

He also had some issues getting off blocks in the tight ends on backers drills Thursday.

Both are correctable issues, though.

New depth chart, new questions

The Steelers released their depth chart for the game against Washington with some major/minor changes to it.

Le'Veon Bell is now listed as a co-starter at running back along with Isaac Redman, despite missing the opener with a sore knee.

Brian Moorman has also moved up to co-No.1 at punter with Drew Butler, which is obviously a big deal since only one of those guys will be sticking around.

On the second units, Joe Long has moved up to co-No. 2 at left tackle with D'Anthony Batiste. Considering that Long didn't play in the preseason opener, it's pretty much an indictment of how Batiste performed against the Giants.

At reserve strong safety, Shamarko Thomas was moved up to a co-No. 2 spot with Damon Cromartie-Smith. This is one I'm not going to read too much into.

Thomas is obviously a reasonably high draft pick and Cromartie-Smith made a big mistake on special teams, allowing his man in to block a punt. Thomas hasn't flashed all that much at training camp and Smith made a big mistake. The coaching staff is likely trying to light a fire under both in Mike Tomlin's old two dogs, one bone theory.

An early look at the 53-man roster

The Steelers still have some time before they have to cut to 53 players. But that doesn't mean we can't have some fun with it. Here's an early look at the roster:

Quarterback (3): Ben Roethlisberger and backup Bruce Gradkowski are givens. The third spot is not. Landry Jones is a fourth-round draft pick, so there's a good chance he gets to go on scholarship for a year ahead of John Parker Wilson, even though Wilson has looked slightly better in training camp.

Running back (5): Le'Veon Bell, Isaac Redman, LaRod Stephens-Howling and fullback Will Johnson are givens, so the final spot will come down to special teams. That gives Baron Batch the edge over Jonathan Dwyer at this point. Dwyer could change that stance, however. Stephens-Howling excelling in the opener as a ball carrier didn't help Dwyer's chances, though.

Wide receiver (5): This will be a tough cut for the team. Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Jerricho Cotchery and rookie Markus Wheaton are givens. I like Justin Brown, J.D. Woods, Derek Moye and Reggie Dunn, but only one will stick on the 53. Make it the sure-handed Brown, but barely.

Tight end (3): Heath Miller, David Paulson and Michael Palmer. Miller should be ready by the end of September at the latest, so the Steelers won't put him on the PUP. Paulson, Palmer and fullback Johnson will hold down the fort until then.

Offensive line (8): Seven are givens including the starters, John Malecki and Kelvin Beachum. Guy Whimper probably makes it as well, though the Steelers will be scanning the waiver wire. Justin Cheadle was headed for the ninth spot, but now, the Steelers might not have a ninth - at least to open the season.

Defensive line (7): Brett Keisel, Ziggy Hood, Steve McLendon, Cam Heyward and Al Woods are givens. Alameda Ta'amu and Hebron Fanguopo get the final two spots because Keisel and Hood are entering the final year of their contracts. McLendon could be asked to slide outside next season with Woods, though I expect Keisel to get an extension of at least one year. Brian Arnfelt is a sleeper.

Linebacker (10): This will be one of the toughest cuts. The starters and first-round pick Jarvis Jones are givens. That's five. I also like Chris Carter, Stevenson Sylvester and Marshall McFadden. The final spot goes to Brian Rolle, Terrance Garvin or Adrian Robinson. I'm going with Garvin on the inside, though Rolle helped himself in the preseason opener. Going to keep Vince Williams as well.

Defensive back (9): The starters are Polamalu, Clark, Taylor and Allen. William Gay, Robert Golden, Damon Cromartie-Smith and rookie Shamarko Thomas will also likely make it, which leaves room for a cornerback. I'm going with Curtis Brown edging out young Isaiah Green and Ryan Steed. Brown has been hurt in camp, allowing Green to make a push, but Brown was a solid special teams performer in 2012.

Specialists (3): Shaun Suisham and Greg Warren are locks at plackicker and long snapper. I'm going to give the edge at punter right now to veteran Brian Moorman, whose hang time on kicks is ridiculous, though Drew Butler certainly isn't out of the picture.

Post-Giants thoughts

For a preseason opener, it wasn't a train wreck, at least not early.

The Steelers gave up a long touchdown and had a punt blocked, but both were correctable things.

Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu both took the blame for the 57-yard TD pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz. The Steelers were in a cover 2 there and Clark and Polamalu said they both got out of position trying to disguise what they were doing.

That's something that has not been a problem and likely won't be one in the future.

@ The fact that the running game clicked early, to the tune of 56 yards on 11 carries in the first quarter, was a good sign.

LaRod Stephens-Howling, getting a surprise early look with Le'Veon Bell sitting out, was especially effective cutting back against the grain.

@ Several young defensive players stood out.

Among them were Al Woods, who had been playing a lot of nose tackle with Alameda Ta'amu out, but recorded nine tackles, two for losses, a sack and a hurry working at defensive end.

Woods was very active, though he was working against the New York JVs.

Veteran Brian Rolle also had a nice game from his inside linebacker position, recording four tackles, a sack, two hurries and a tackle for a loss.

Rolle is undersized at 5-10, but he's put together solidly.

Rookie Jarvis Jones also showed up as you would hope a No. 1 pick would. Jones had two tackles, including one on a screen in which he beat three blockers on third down to get to the running back.

Had Jones not made that shoestring tackle, it would have gone for a big gain and first down. He also recovered a fumble.

He does, however, need to work on his pass rush. You can see his strength show up, but he needs to develop some moves to get to the quarterback. Strength alone might have worked in college, but there are plenty of strong guys in the NFL.

I thought second-year safety Robert Golden was also solid, though you'd like to see him hold onto the football after making a nice read and jumping a pass at the line of scrimmage.

@ Offensively, the young receiving group of Justin Brown, Markus Wheaton, Derek Moye, Reggie Dunn and J.D. Woods all had their moments.

With Plaxico Burress now out of the picture, there are now likely two spots, maybe even three, open for those guys.

Wheaton, a third-round pick, obviously has one locked up.

That's going to be a nice battle for those final one or two spots.

@ The run defense, regardless of which unit was out there, was very good.

@ Conversely, the rest of the offensive reserves weren't very good, as expected.

The backup offensive line on this team is really poor, which is disappointing in many ways.

It seemed like late in the game, even Kelvin Beachum and John Malecki, two guys who will make this team, were being beaten.

But we'll chalk that up to the utter chaos that was happening around them. Both of those guys have looked better than that in training camp.

@ David Gilreath, with so many talented young wideouts in camp, it wasn't a good time to muff a punt - or field one inside your own 5.

Things to watch on Saturday

There are a number of things to watch for in Saturday night's preseason opener for the Steelers. Here's what I'll be watching:

@ How is Mike Tomlin rotating his offensive linemen, if at all. We saw Kelvin Beachum with the 1s on Thursday at right tackle, with Marcus Gilbert working with the 2s. Are they trying to motivate Gilbert or does Tomlin think Beachum has a chance to win the job?

@ Beyond that, is any offensive lineman on the roster other than the starters, Beachum and John Malecki worth keeping around after all the cuts are made. Joe Long has looked decent at times and after proving he's not tackle capable, Mike Golic Jr. has been OK at guard - just OK. The Steelers will need at least eight and possibly nine on their active roster. Right now, they have seven definites and a bunch question marks.

@ With Plaxico Burress down for the count, who wants to grab the No. 5 receiver spot?

J.D. Woods and Derek Moye have flashed some talent, while Reggie Dunn has obvious speed and return ability. Justin Brown was a draft pick and, like Moye, has size.

And then there is veteran David Gilreath, who quietly goes about his job without dropping passes.

@ With so many corners out, can one of the new corners make a push to stay on the roster.

One of the big things about playing in the NFL is the ability to stay healthy. You have to question that ability, at least a bit, with DeMarcus Van Dyke and Curtis Brown.

Josh Victorian is in the mix, but Isaiah Green is pushing for a spot, as well. Special teams could be the difference.

@ Speaking of special teams, can Drew Butler hold off a strong contender in Brian Moorman for the punting job.

Moorman has a track record and has looked better in camp. But Butler's the incumbent and is the younger athlete.

@ Can any of the quarterbacks not named Ben Roethlisberger play a lick?

At this point, I'd say no. They've all looked bad at times in training camp, with rookie fourth-round draft pick Landry Jones being consistently bad.

Bruce Gradkowski is obviously the backup and has looked passable at times. But Jones and John Parker Wilson look like they should be quarterbacks at Turkeyfoot Valley, not with the Steelers.

@ What in the wide, wide world of sports are the Steelers going to do at tight end? Matt Spaeth is out eight to 10 weeks with a Lis Franc sprain. That's about the same time Heath Miller will likely be back after going on the PUP list to open the season.

What will the Steelers do until then? Look for fullback Will Johnson to pick up the slack.

They, of course, claimed Michael Palmer off waivers from Seattle on Thursday. He immediately becomes their most experienced active tight end with 21 receptions for 123 yards and three touchdowns in 43 career games.

Thursday news and notes

It was a rough day for Plaxico Burress.

The 6-5 wideout was running down the sideline against 5-11 corner Ryan Steed when a pass was lofted his direction. Burress went up for the ball, just as 6-2 safety Damon Cromartie-Smith appeared and outleaped him, knocking the ball away and Burress to the ground.

Burress landed hard on his right elbow and left practice with his shoulder in ice. He later had a sling on his right arm. Reports have surfaced that it's a torn rotator cuff, which would likely end his season/career.

It was already a tough day for Burress, who hadn't been working with the first team even though Emmanuel Sanders sat out practice Thursday.

The Steelers used Jerricho Cotchery as Sanders' replacement on the outside, with rookie Markus Wheaton playing in the slot.

Wheaton looked good at times, but was chastised by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after he failed to execute a hot route correctly.

Roethlisberger called out the audible and looked directly at Wheaton, asking him, "You good?"

Wheaton nodded.

Roethlisberger then threw a quick out while Wheaton ran 10 yards down the field before breaking the route off.

"If you don't know, ask," Roethlisberger yelled at the rookie as he came back to the huddle.

Sanders is OK - it was apparently a day off to rest his surgically repaired feet - but Wheaton showed he's still got some learning to do despite his obvious talent.

That was on display during the red zone session to close practice.

Wheaton caught a pass from Roethlisberger at the 3, juked Isaiah Green to the outside and went back inside to score untouched.

He also beat Troy Polamalu deep on another pass in the team portion of practice.

@ Wheaton and fellow rookie Shamarko Thomas got the first look working as gunners on punt duties Thursday. Lot of speed there.

@ Thomas, meanwhile, continues to work as the nickel corner in the second nickel defense. The Steelers still have four corners out, but head coach Mike Tomlin said Thomas, a safety by trade, is more than capable of handling that position.

The other guys in the second nickel were Josh Victorian, Green, Cromartie-Smith and Robert Golden in the secondary, Chris Carter, Al Woods, Brian Arnfelt, Adrian Robinson, Stevenson Sylvester and Marshall McFadden across the front.

@ In the final portion of practice, Kelvin Beachum replaced Marcus Gilbert at right tackle, with Gilbert moving to the second unit.

@ The Steelers signed free agent tight end Nathaniel Overbay, nephew of former Pirates first baseman Lyle "The Friendly Viking" Overbay and released offensive tackle Mike Farrell.

The team also claimed tight end Michael Johnson off waivers from Seattle and released tight end John Rabe.

Rabe was signed last week, but looked far smaller than the 6-4, 258 pounds he was listed at.

Wednesday news, notes

If there was anyone still trying to figure out why the Steelers selected Jarvis Jones in the first round of the draft, they needed only watch the final few minutes of practice Wednesday to figure it out.

First, Jones read a screen play and dropped to the flat, deflecting John Parker Wilson's pass to the running back for an incompletion.

Next, he dropped into coverage on tight end Peter Tuitupou and batted away another Parker Wilson pass over the middle.

On the final play of practice, Jones dropped into the middle and leaped to bat down Parker Wilson's final pass attempt over the middle.

Yes, it was all against Parker Wilson, who has about as much chance of making this team as I do.

But Jones also batted down three Ben Roethlisberger passes at the line of scrimmage last week, intercepting the deflection on one of them.

He just has that knack.

Jones also showed good power and feet while going one-on-one against tight end Matt Spaeth in a tight ends backer drill - before Spaeth was carted off after aggravating his previous knee injury.

He's a keeper.

@ Jonathan Dwyer got some work today as the first-team running back. Both Isaac Redman and Le'Veon Bell practiced as well, so it just must have been Dwyer's turn.

@ Antonio Brown continues to look impressive. On the first play of team, he turned William Gay inside out on a post, turning it into a big gainer.

Later, he got deep behind Ike Taylor to haul in a bomb from Ben Roethlisberger. There was no safety help on either, but Brown's playing at a different level.

@ DaMon Cromartie-Smith made a nice play in help coverage to pick off a Parker Wilson pass. At 6-2, 203, he has the one thing the other safeties on the roster do not - size.

He's also a heady player.

This might finally be the year he sticks on the roster full time.

@ The Steelers released running back Curtis McNeal, who was injured, and defensive end Cordian Hagans, who was not, to sign cornerback Devin Smith and Alvester Alexander.

With so many corners down - Cortez Allen, Curtis Brown, Terry Hawthorne and DeMarcus Van Dyke were out again Wednesday - it's opening the door for a player such as Isaiah Green to have a shot at making this team.

Steelers release depth chart

The Steelers released their first depth chart in advance of their first preseason game Saturday against the New York Giants.

Mike Adams is listed as the starting left tackle, while Marcus Gilbert is at right.

Certainly this could still change, but it appears that Adams has won the job for now.

The only other interesting thing I saw was that Emmanuel Sanders is listed as the No. 1 kick returner, ahead of free agent signee LaRod Stephens-Howling and rookie Reggie Dunn.

Stephens-Howling had better hope that doesn't remain the case if he hopes to remain on the roster.

With rookie Le'Veon Bell looking like he'll be the starting running back - even though he's still listed as only ahead of fellow rookie Curtis McNeil on the depth chart. That's just window dressing.

Monday news, notes

Mike Tomlin finally eased up on his players on Monday, skipping the heavy hitting practices and instead allowing them to dress in shorts and shells.

That did not, however, mean they took things easy, as Monday's practice was heavy on cardio and running.

The physical practices have been a big change from any other camp I've covered. Nobody wants to get a high-priced veteran injured in the salary cap age.

But with so many new faces in key places, it's almost as if the team has already played a preseason game - though some players disagreed with that.

They still can't wait to go out and tackle someone other than teammates.

@ Curtis Brown tried to come back today and wound up aggravating his ankle injury.

@ Alameda Ta'amu was activated from the PUP list and practiced for the first time. The coaching staff still likes this kid a lot, hence the second chance he was given after playing dodge cars on the South Side last year.

@ Brett Keisel was asked today if he was preparing as if this was his final season.

The 12-year vet replied that it's just the final season of his contract.

I could see a situation in which the Steelers possibly extend him for at least a season, particularly with Ziggy Hood heading into the final year of his deal.

Cameron Heyward, meanwhile, continues to draw praise for the jump he's made in his game during the offseason.

@ Heath Miller rode up to lunch today with defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and they chatted away as they walked into the lunch room.

That's one reason why LeBeau is so beloved. He can talk to anyone. Same goes for Miller.

@ Speaking of guys who can talk to anyone, add Larry Foote to that column.

Foote has never turned down an interview request by anyone.

Monday, he playfully shouldered a new beat reporter as he walked by him. The new guy asked if Foote always does stuff like that? Can't speak for his year in Detroit, but Foote has always been a stand-up guy.

Sunday's my funday notes

The Steelers got some of their injured players back today, as Steve McLendon, Jason Worilds, Jarvis Jones and Le'Veon Bell returned on a limited basis. They participated in position drills but not in the team portion of practice.

That left the team pretty thin at a number of positions, as several others joined the walking wounded today, including a new one at CB, Curtis Brown. That puts the Steelers down four corners with Cortez Allen, Terry Hawthorne and DeMarcus Van Dyke also out of action.

With all of those guys out, the top three corners were Ike Taylor, William Gay and Josh Victorian.

Victorian might make this team as the last man standing, which is a good thing for him since he apparently went out during the offseason and got a whole bunch of clothes that say "Victorian-35" on them.

Don't do you a lot of good if you're no longer on an NFL team.

Also sitting out were safeties Troy Polamalu and Ross Ventrone, running back Curtis "Moody" McNeil, linebacker Adrian Robinson, tight end Matt Spaeth and defensive end Nick Williams.

Polamalu was given the day off by Mike Tomlin due to a "contusion of the birth certificate."

Damon Cromartie-Smith got the call as Polamalu's replacement.

@ With Spaeth hurting, the Steelers are down to one tight end, David Paulson, with any kind of NFL experience. And Paulson has only played in 16 NFL games.

Practice squader Jamie McCoy was active last season in the finale against Cleveland, but only played on special teams.

Because of that, the Steelers might be forced to use fullback Will Johnson some at tight end.

There just aren't many good all-around tight ends in college football any longer.

@ For the third consecutive day, the Steelers had Mike Adams at LT and Marcus Gilbert at RT.

Something tells me that is going to stick.

@ A lot is being made of Ben Roethlisberger limping around a little on his knee when he's not practicing, mostly by guys who haven't been here a lot.

They show up one day, see Roethlisberger with his knee and arm wrapped and freak out.

That's pretty much the norm for a 31-year-old QB who has been through the wars. Ever see the pictures of Joe Namath after a game?

And Roethlisberger is certainly more agile than Namath was at the same point in their careers.

Roethlisberger looked plenty nimble moving around on the field today. The ice is more precautionary than anything.

Saturday news, notes

The Steelers had a myriad of players sit out with injuries today, perhaps the result of full tackling drills all week long, perhaps the result of the team wanting to give a day off to some guys.

Linebackers Jason Worilds, Jarvis Jones and Adrian Robinson, running back Le'Veon Bell, tight end Matt Spaeth and defensive tackle Steve McLendon all watched from the sidelines.

Spaeth's injury might be the most serious. He had his knee drained on Friday.

Linebacker Lawrence Timmons was away due to a death in the family, while defensive end Brett Keisel was given a second consecutive veteran's day off.

Ben Roethlisberger also left a little early due to some knee discomfort, but again, it's nothing major. Just the everyday bumps and bruises of being at this all week.

Makes me wonder when head coach Mike Tomlin will dial things back before the team's first preseason game.

@ The Steelers placed guard Nik Embernate on the waived/injured list, signing veteran offensive tackle D'Anthony Batiste, who has spent time with six NFL teams, most recently Arizona.

The issue with the offensive line is that outside of the starters, John Malecki and Kelvin Beachum, there isn't a lot there right now.

I would expect the Steelers to continue to explore the waiver wire for some help, particularly at tackle.

The more I see, by the way, the more I'm convinced that the best five consists of Mike Adams at left tackle and Beachum on the right side, with Marcus Gilbert on the bench.

Gilbert will show flashes, but just isn't consistent.

Allen has surgery, other Friday news, notes

The statement from Mike Tomlin was short and to the point:

"Earlier today, Cortez had minor surgery on his right knee. We wanted him to get the surgery done now so he can begin rehabilitating immediately. This surgery was a minor procedure and will have no long-term effects on his return to the field. We look forward to his rehabilitation process and having him back on the field in a couple of weeks."

That's both bad and good news for the Steelers.

Allen had been sidelined for the first week of practice with what was being considered a day-to-day soreness in his knee.

I haven't confirmed this yet, but when speaking with other reporters Thursday at practice, I was guessing it was a meniscus issue.

Allen is being counted on to move into the starting lineup this season to replace Keenan Lewis, and the Steelers expect big things from him.

But he also logged enough snaps in 2012 that the team was looking at him as a returning starter, not a new one.

The fact that they are able to get this issue fixed now instead of a month from now, is actually a good thing. It gives the team more time to work with some of its younger corners, most notably, Curtis Brown.

@ The Steelers flip-flopped their two tackles on Friday, moving Mike Adams to the left side and Marcus Gilbert to the right.

I think this is the better lineup for them, and we'll see if that holds up at all down the road, though Tomlin said it was just taking a look at them at those spots.

@ Le'Veon Bell had a good night, looking much more prepared in the backs on backers tonight. He's now bending and delivering a blow instead of taking the complete brunt of the rush.

He also had a couple of nice runs in the team portion, including a nice burst and cutback up the middle.

Again, the only way he doesn't win the job is if he's hurt or fumbles in the preseason.

Bell did get a little dinged at one point, having team trainers look at his left knee. But they found no structural damage and he returned to action, making his big run after that incident.

@ Tomlin has had the players hitting in every practice this week with live tackling sessions. Can't help but wonder when that gets dialed back a bit.

@ Rookie Mike Golic Jr. was moved inside to guard today - his college position - and actually looked much better there than at tackle. Maybe with Nik Embernate's injury, the Steelers feel they have more of a need inside than out.

Embernate, Tomlin revealed, tore his ACL and MCL on Thursday. No surgery date has been set.

@ Just when it appeared that Ben Roethlisberger would lead the offense to a score in a hurry-up drill, Troy Polamalu ended the session with a deflection on the final play at the goal line.

To be honest, though, even I had remarked to PR man Burt Lauten that the matchup on that side, Antonio Brown vs. Curtis Brown, was a juicy one for Roethlisberger.

But Polamalu jumped the slant perfectly, showing great explosion.

@ Last year's camp phenom, Adrian Robinson, is this year's whipping boy.

Tomlin chewed Robinson out during backs on backers, saying, "Adrian, you don't inspire me from an energy standpoint. You had better pick your shit up."

Robinson, it appears, is being passed by this year's camp phenom, Alan Baxter.

After all, who doesn't want to hang with my good friend Baxter, and a glass of scotch?

Embernate injured, other news from Thursday

Rookie offensive guard Nik Embernate suffered a serious knee injury during Thursday's one-on-one practice drills, getting rolled up by defensive end Cordian Hagans.

Embernate, who had a serious chance to make the roster, immediately grabbed for his knee upon going down and was on the ground for several minutes before being taken from the field on a cart.

A number of veteran players, including Brett Keisel and Maurkice Pouncey, stopped by while drills were continuing - they just moved the drill over while trainers worked on Embernate - to give some words of encouragement to the young man.

@ The Steelers had another physical practice as head coach Mike Tomlin again put the team through live tackling during the team portion of practice on running plays.

It's about trying to establish a mentality with the offensive line and running backs. But it's also about getting a better look at some of the young linemen and defensive front players. Let's face it, they only have 10 padded practices and a couple of preseason games before they have to start making serious decisions.

They want as much tape of these guys as possible.

@ LaMarr Woodley missed all of the team work with a strained calf - read, veteran's day off - giving the team an extended look at Jason Worilds and rookie Jarvis Jones at outside linebacker. Worilds moved across to Woodley's spot and Jones stepped in on the right side.

Worilds got caught up in the wash while making a tackle in the backfield on Isaac Redman and was slow to get up with a toe injury. It later bothered him again during one-on-one drills. But he says he'll be OK.

Jones looked lost at times, perhaps not knowing exactly what to do, but did make a nice J.J. Watt play once again, batting a Ben Roethlisberger pass into the air and intercepting it in the second team portion.

That's twice he's batted balls into the air this week.

@ With Cortez Allen still out, the Steelers' kept William Gay as the nickel corner and put Curtis Brown on the outside.

@ Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger had a nice day hooking up against Josh Victorian, who was in good coverage both times but burned anyway.

On the first, Roethlisberger made a back shoulder throw to Brown down the sideline, with Brown leaping to pull the ball off of Victorian's head.

On the second, Roethlisberger dropped a perfect throw into Brown's hands just beyond Victorian.

Brown looks extra quick this camp. And Roethlisberger looks very sharp.

@ Marcus Gilbert had his best day in one-on-one drills. Mike Adams was solid but needs to get better with his hands.

Ramon Foster has yet to be beaten in a one-on-one.

The surprise of the group as been the play of John Malecki, who seems to have an innate ability to read the defender and react accordingly. He's nothing flashy, just efficient.

@ Fullback Will Johnson made a nice one-handed catch down the sideline in backs vs. backers passing, screening off Chris Carter while hauling in the long pass from Ben Roethlisberger.

@ Rookie Le'Veon Bell continues to impress. He completely turned Marshall McFadden around in a circle in the same drill. Later, however, he couldn't shake Lawrence Timmons, the king of this drill for the linebackers.

Bell did show some nice cutback ability running in the team drills, sidestepping a would-be tackler in the hole and getting upfield for a gain. Later, however, he ran right into the waiting arms of Steve McLendon on a run to the left while looking for a cutback lane.

Wednesday news, notes

The Steelers actually had some live tackling today in practice as head coach Mike Tomlin changed things up a little bit from previous years.

It gave the coaching staff another extended look at rookie running back Le'Veon Bell, and Bell continued to shine as a runner, showing off quickness and more shiftiness than any 240-pound running back should truly have.

It will be shocking if he is not the starter by the opening game.

@ Add rookie defensive end Nick Williams to the list of walking wounded. He now has a knee injury that will be evaluated.

He was joined on the sidelines by Cortez Allen (knee), who is close to a return, and DeMarcus Van Dyke (hamstring). Head coach Mike Tomlin admitted Van Dyke's injury could be significant, which is bad news for him, but good news for Curtis Brown.

@ It was interesting today to hear linebacker LaMarr Woodley talk about not getting an opportunity to rush the passer as much in 2012. Part of the reason for that was that so many teams used a quick passing game against the Steelers that the opportunities just weren't there.

But that's always happened to the Steelers. The key is stopping the run better than they did in 2012.

If an opponent gets nothing running the ball on first down and then picks up five yards on a second-down pass, the opportunity to rush the passer is far better than giving up four yards on first down, a five-yard pass and facing third-and-one.

@ It probably won't surprise too many, but Mike Adams ate Ziggy Hood's lunch in one-on-ones today.

Cam Heyward looks highly motivated this season, and it won't be a surprise to see him supplant Hood in the starting lineup.

@ On the other side of the line, Marcus Gilbert is a concern. It seems to take him a play or two in individual drills before he gets going. Doing that in a game will be an opening drive killer.

@ Where will the Steelers make up for Heath Miller's production? How about fullback Will Johnson.

Johnson is big and fast and a matchup problem for any team that has to defend him. He's too fast for most linebackers and too big for most defensive backs.

Monday news, practice notes

It's not often that things live up to the hype, but Monday's first day of practice in pads for the Steelers certainly did.

Just in case you were wondering if the team was ready to start hitting, running back Baron Batch and linebacker Marshall McFadden alleviated any concerns by nearly coming to blows early on in the backs on backers drill.

As the two squared up after several seconds of pushing and shoving, running backs coach Kirby Wilson jumped in, pulling Batch away, yelling, "Kick his ass on tape."

McFadden, however, was one of the more impressive players in the drill, showing plenty of explosiveness from his inside linebacker position. I felt Stevenson Sylvester flashed as well, showing that the battle for depth at the inside linebacker position might be a good one.

Rookies Jarvis Jones and Le'Veon Bell were paired four times, splitting the matchups.

Bell had a tough go of the drill early - then again, he did get 10 reps, well more than anyone else. He was matched first against LaMarr Woodley, then Lawrence Timmons, before finally getting a break against Chris Carter, whom he battled to a stalemate.

Offensively, demure running back Curtis McNeal (5-7, 191 pounds) showed a good use of leverage. After one rep against Adrian Robinson, head coach Mike Tomlin remarked, "He's a mean little sawed off dude."

@ Bell also got some work with the first team in the final team portion of practice, splitting time with Isaac Redman.

He showed some power in an earlier team portion, blasting safety Robert Golden to the ground to finish off a sweep.

@ Jones had an up-and-down day. Three times he failed to get off the line of scrimmage at the snap of the ball - once in backs on backers, two more times in one-on-one rushing drills.

But he did make a nice play blitzing on Ben Roethlisberger, leaping to tip a pass into the air. Roethlisberger grabbed the ball out of the air, but was unable to advance.

@ Rookie Markus Wheaton joined the ranks of the punt returners today.

@ Tough day in the one-on-ones for rookie center Joe Madsen. He was rag dolled to the ground by massive Hebron Fangupo, causing Tomlin to holler, "Have a little dignity, Joe."

At least Tomlin knows his name.

@ Cortez Allen (knee), DeMarcus Van Dyke (hamstring) and Terry Hawthorne (knee) were all held out of practice Monday. All three corners could be back at practice by Wednesday - though I have my doubts about that with Van Dyke, who was visibly hurting when he walked.

Second day of practice blues

I know I complained about it last year, but I really am not liking this new collective bargaining agreement with the way it limits practices.

The Steelers held their second session on Sunday and it might as well have been an OTA since the players still aren't in pads. No pass rush drills. No backs on backers. No tight ends on backers or inside running drills.

It's kind of like running in place.

That all changes Monday when the pads go on for the first time. That will be when some guys will begin the process of moving themselves away from the pack.

You can work on technique until you're blue in the face, but until the guys do it with pads on, it means nothing. Can some of these young guys get it done when they actually have to worry about blocking the guy across from them?

Certainly, the practices are only one piece of the puzzle. The preseason games will also be important.

But Monday is a big day. As head coach Mike Tomlin said today, it's like the first day of school.

@ As I stated, it's only been a couple of days of non-padded football, but Isaac Redman looks very good at running back.

Redman looks like he's in great shape and is displaying quick feet.

It's no given that he's going to give up the starting role to second-round pick Le'Veon Bell.

@ Cortez Allen sat out practice today with some knee soreness, but it's not considered a big deal.

What is a big deal is DeMarcus Van Dyke leaving today with a hamstring injury. Van Dyke is one of a handful of guys fighting for a roster spot at a crowded cornerback position.

You can't make the club in the training tub.

Rains mar first practice

Storms rolled through Latrobe midway through the Steelers' afternoon practice, forcing the team inside to wait until they passed.

The team then picked up where it left off after moving to Saint Vincent College's turf field.

Isaac Redman is working as the No. 1 running back, ahead of Jonathan Dwyer and rookie Le'Veon Bell, who was behind Baron Batch.

Head coach Mike Tomlin chewed Bell out a little bit - albeit playfully - when the team broke into a special teams session.

"Get where you need to be Bell," Tomlin hollered. "You don't know where you're supposed to be, do you Bell?"

It's the old axiom. If the coach isn't yelling at you, he doesn't care. And Tomlin and the Steelers definitely care about Bell's progress.

Redman, however, looked good carrying the ball - albeit in shorts - showing off some quickness and his trademark spin moves today.

@ Emmanuel Sanders had a solid day, first getting behind Cortez Allen on a double move to make a long catch, then beating William Gay deep on another play to haul in a long bomb from Ben Roethlisberger.

With the rainy, wet conditions, though, the offensive players were definitely at an advantage.

Plaxico Burress took advantage as well, beating DeMarcus Van Dyke on a double move for a long gainer.

@ The interception of the day belonged to Ryan Clark, who nabbed a Landry Jones pass that hit Ike Taylor in the hands - surprise, surprise - only to be batted into the air.

@ There were no surprises on the first-team offensive line, but the second unit included, from left to right, Joe Long, John Malecki, Kelvin Beachum, Justin Cheadle and Guy Whimper.

Those backup spots on the offensive line are going to be a critical battle.

Reporting day news, notes (Will be updated)

Spoke with Sean Spence. He feels he will be ready to play by midseason this year. He'll open training camp on the PUP and go from there according to head coach Mike Tomlin.

Heath Miller, who is walking around without a knee brace, will also open on the PUP. But he looks closer to a guy who intends on playing from the get-go than he does somebody who will be out the first six weeks.

Tight end David Johnson will also open on the PUP as he continues to recover from his knee injury suffered last year, while Alameda Ta'amu arrived with a hamstring issue that has landed him on the PUP as well.

On the good news front, offensive tackle Mike Adams passed the run test Friday and is ready to go. Adams has been given full clearance to play after being the victim of a stabbing in front of his home about six weeks ago.

Fellow offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert struggled through the run test today, but was able to finish. He was taken from the field on a cart following the completion of the run test, however.

Defensive back Nigel Malone also struggled to complete the test but made it through.

Tomlin said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is still experiencing a little discomfort in his knee following offseason surgery, but it's nothing major.

Training camp battles to watch

With training camp set to start at the end of the week, here are a few of the battles that will be contested over the next few weeks:

Nickle corner: William Gay was re-signed and is the frontrunner, but third-year pro Curtis Brown can't be overlooked. Gay has played the position in the past and contrary to some fans' beliefs, has played well as the third corner. But Brown has more upside. Josh Victorian, DeMarcus Van Dyke and rookie Terry Hawthorne could be in the mix as well since the Steelers intend to move starter Cortez Allen back into the slot on passing downs. Regardless of who wins the No. 3 job, the Steelers have a great deal of depth.

Running back: Will a true starter emerge? Jonathan Dwyer opened the offseason getting the No. 1 carries, but Isaac Redman had pretty much surpassed him by the end. The Steelers want rookie Le'Veon Bell to win the spot but he's going to have to do just that, win it. He won't be handed the position by default.

Third wide receiver: This should be interesting. We know that Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders will be the starters. But who will be No. 3 in the pecking order, Plaxico Burress, Jerricho Cotchery or rookie Markus Wheaton? It will likely depend on the down and distance, but Cotchery will likely get the majority of snaps as the No. 3 until Wheaton gets his feet under him. The Steelers should take a look at veteran Donald Jones, released by New England last week, as well.

Right outside linebacker: It's Jason Worilds job to lose. Rookie Jarvis Jones might see some time as a situational pass rusher, but Worilds will get every opportunity to run with it - at least until the bye week.

Bad but understandable sentiment by Pouncey twins

Pretty much everyone in the U.S. has made up their mind about the guilt of New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez in regards to the murder charges levied against him.

The story has been plastered on the news and sports pages of every newspaper in America in the past few weeks.

But the story took a different twist over the weekend when twin brothers Mike and Maurkice Pouncey were photographed at a birthday party wearing hats that read, "Free Hernandez."

Was it a bad choice from the Pouncey twins? Yes. But it's not all that hard to believe that they support their former Florida teammate and - at least in the case of Mike Pouncey - roommate.

Heck, even Tim Tebow has been drug into this whole thing for being in a nightclub with Hernandez in college when the troubled tight end started a fight.

There's a bond formed among teammates. Heck, coaches try to foster that bond.

At all levels of sports, coaches want their players to back each other, for better or worse. In college, that means the players all room together. They study together, eat together and pretty much spend the majority of their time together.

Is it any surprise that some of the former teammates of Hernandez wouldn't believe that he was capable of killing someone as the story floated by police has been purported?

You see it all the time with family members of convicted killers who refuse to believe that their loved ones could do something so horrible. They don't want to believe that it's possible their loved one is a killer because - at least in the recesses of the mind - it makes them appear faulty for caring about someone so flawed.

So it's not a surprise that the Pouncey brothers believe that Gonzalez didn't kill anyone, even though they have both reportedly viewed his darker side at times.

But believing in Hernandez privately and making those views known publicly are two different things. In a time when everyone and their brother - no pun intended - are trying to distance themselves from Hernandez, the Pounceys went the other way.

The public outcry is understandable. But it's highly doubtful that Mike and Maurkice Pouncey are the only former teammates of Hernandez to feel that way.

Steelers release training camp schedule

The Steelers today released their schedule for their 2013 training camp. Remember, all open practices are weather permitting. Given how much rain we've gotten already in July, this could be an interesting camp.

The first official practice open to the public will be Saturday, July 27.

DAILY CAMP SCHEDULE
(All practices at 3 p.m. unless noted otherwise; all times subject to change.)
Friday, July 26 – Players report; campus closed
Saturday, July 27 – (Helmets and shorts)
Sunday, July 28 – (Helmets and shorts)
Monday, July 29
Tuesday, July 30 – Players off; campus closed
Wednesday, July 31
Thursday, Aug. 1
Friday, Aug 2 – Night practice at Latrobe Stadium, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 3
Sunday, Aug. 4
Monday, Aug. 5
Tuesday, Aug. 6 – Players off; campus closed
Wednesday, Aug. 7
Thursday, Aug. 8
Friday, Aug. 9 – Campus closed
Saturday, Aug. 10 – Preseason opener vs. N.Y. Giants at Heinz Field
Sunday, Aug. 11 – Players off; campus closed
Monday, Aug. 12
Tuesday, Aug. 13 – Players off; campus closed
Wednesday, Aug. 14 – Evening practice at SVC, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 15
Friday, Aug. 16
Saturday, Aug. 17
Sunday, Aug. 18 – Break camp; campus closed

Supplemental Draft coming

The NFL will hold its Supplmental Draft of Thursday, with six players throwing their names into the fray.

None are considered as high-profile as Josh Gordon, who was selected by Cleveland in the second round last year, or even Terrelle Pryor, who was taken by Oakland in Round 3 two years ago.

The way the Supplemental Draft works is this: If you put in a claim on a player in a particular round, you forfeit that pick in the following year's draft. The trick of it is this, that player must still fit into this year's rookie salary pool.

The Steelers haven't gone to the Supplemental Draft for help for a number of reasons - most notably because if a guy is available in the Supplemental Draft, there's usually an issue with him, off-field or in the classroom.

Here's a look at the players who have made themselves available.

James Boyd, DE, UNLV: A 6-5, 250-pound defensive end, Boyd was a four-start recruit in high school after throwing for 4,200 yards with 44 touchdowns. That's right, he was a QB. He originally signed with USC before heading to West Los Angeles Community College. In his first, and only, season at defensive end, he had 2.5 sacks last year. He's raw and inexperienced, but his size/speed ratio could tempt someone to use a late pick on him.

Nate Holloway, DT, UNLV: A 6-3, 365-pound nose tackle, Boyd's UNLV teammate sat out the 2012 season due to academic issues. Insert your fat-drunk-stupid joke here. But seriously, he had 3.5 tackles for a loss in 2011, and given that  he hasn't played in two seasons, it's unlikely he gets a look.

Toby Jackson, DE, Central Florida: The 6-5, 267-pound Jackson also sat out the 2012 season with academic issues. He played just one season at Central Florida after starting his college career at Navarro College, a JUCO. Alabama and Georgia were reportedly interested in him coming out of JUCO, so he might have some talent. But he's pretty much an unknown.
Damond Smith, DB, South Alabama: Smith is an intriguing player who reportedly ran a 4.4 40 at his small-school pro day. Green Bay tried to sign him as an undrafted rookie following the draft, but it was ruled that he had to enter the Supplemental Draft. At 6-0, 185 pounds, Smith has good size, but he also transferred from Western Michigan to South Alabama following a fight with a teammate. Then, he was suspended later by South Alabama for a violation of team rules.

DeWayne Peace, WR, Houston: Here's a guy who might interest some teams. The 5-11, 190-pound Peace was Houston's leading receiver in 2012 with 54 receptions for 603 yards and two scores. But he was ruled academically ineligible in June and entered the Supplemental Draft. A team looking for slot receiver help might be tempted to give Peace a chance. That's all I'm saying.

O.J. Ross, WR, Purdue: Ross, 5-10, 188, missed Purdue's 2011 bowl game due to academics and was then thrown off the team in February for a violation of team rules. But he did catch 100 passes for 959 yards and six scores in three seasons for the Boilermakers. He was also used as a kick returner as a freshman and sophomore. I like Peace better as a player, however.

Three weeks and counting

Three weeks out from the opening of Steelers training camp and no news is really good news with this team.

While Aaron Hernandez news is all over - and yes, the Pouncey brothers were in a club with him in Florida when he got in a bar fight, but so was Tim Tebow - you see what kind of bad - in this case horrible - news can rock a team.

Those are the kind of distractions a team doesn't need.

The Steelers right now are resting, relaxing and getting ready to head to camp to wash away the stench of last year's 8-8 campaign.

@ Saw NFL official Gene Steratore last night at a youth baseball game. He was in a walking boot after having Achilles' tendon surgery.

Steratore, one of the best in the NFL, hopes to be ready to go once the NFL starts playing games. I wouldn't bet against him.

If it's July ...

If it's July, that can only mean one thing, training camp is around the corner.

The Pirates are playing outstanding baseball right now and hold the best record in baseball. The Penguins were one of the best, if not disappointing, teams in the NHL.

But, despite coming off an 8-8 season, it's still the Steelers that rule the region.

It will be interesting, however, to see how much fanfare continues to surround the Pirates if they continue to play as well as they have once training camp begins.

My first year covering the Steelers - 1993 - coincided with the Pirates starting their 20-year losing streak. There hasn't been a lot to cheer about other than the Steelers opening camp once late July rolls around.

But Pittsburgh is a great sports city and there's room for plenty of excitement surrounding both teams.

Who's the best Steelers player I've covered

It's been 20 years since I first set foot in the Steelers' locker room, and I've seen plenty of great players.

But which one would I rank as the best?

Certainly Jerome Bettis deserves some consideration. The NFL's fifth-leading rusher when he retired, Bettis was the man who embodied the Steelers' toughness, even through some lean years in the late 1990s.

But he's not No. 1.

Greg Lloyd, Levon Kirkland, Kevin Greene, Joey Porter and James Harrison have all been outstanding contributors during that period as well. But Pittsburgh's defense has been geared toward linebackers making plays, so it's tough to single out just one of those great players as the best.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has helped the Steelers become a yearly contender for the Super Bowl since he was drafted in 2004 and deserves consideration. But I think I'm going to go in a different direction.

And though players such as Dermontti Dawson, Alan Faneca, Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith have been key cogs in some great teams, I'm not picking a lineman here.

That leaves me with three choices: Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu and Rod Woodson.

In this case, I'm going with Woodson.

Ward had a fantastic career with the Steelers and is the team leader in basically every receiving category, but he was never considered among the best in the league at his position. And don't give me that best blocking receiver in the league stuff. Yes, Ward was a ferocious blocker, but that did not place him among the top two or three players at his position in any given season as Polamalu and Woodson were.

Really, it's splitting hairs between Polamalu and Woodson in their prime, but I'll take the game-changing cornerback who was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 1993 over the game-changing safety who was similarly honored in 2010.

In their primes, Polamalu and Woodson were among the top five or six players in the game regardless of position. They were players who could change a game by themselves and always had to be accounted for.

But to me, Woodson, at least when he was with the Steelers, was the bigger game changer at cornerback, where he could take away the opposing team's best receiver by himself, blitz better than any corner in history or take a punt back for a touchdown.

Who's your pick?

Steelers should consider Bishop

Usually when players are cut loose by their team, I get a number of questions, mostly centering on whether or not the Steelers should considering signing that player.

In most cases, the player is either washed up, too expensive or doesn't fit the Steelers' scheme.

But Monday, the Green Bay Packers released linebacker Desmond Bishop rather than pay him $3.4 million in 2013.

Bishop missed the 2012 season with a hamstring injury and is still slowed by the issue after having surgery to repair the hamstring. But Bishop is supposed to be ready to play again by the time training camp rolls around.

In this case, Bishop, the Packers' leading tackler in 2011, would absolutely help the Steelers.

Bishop, 28, had a combined 218 tackles and eight sacks in 28 games in 2010 and '11, playing in Green Bay's 3-4 defense. And Green Bay's defense, which is coached by Dom Capers, is similar to Pittsburgh's.

Bishop is already visiting with the Minnesota Vikings and the Steelers certainly wouldn't get into a bidding war for his services, but if he can be had, even on a one-year deal, he could certainly help Pittsburgh, which is still lacking for depth at the linebacker position despite taking Jarvis Jones and Vince Williams in the draft.

Report: Wallace turned down $76 million from Vikings

A report from USA Today says that former Steelers receiver Mike Wallace turned down a $76-million deal from Minnesota to accept a $60-million contract from the Miami Dolphins.

That might be true - though the news of the Minnesota contract is coming from Wallace's father.

But what we don't know is how much of that $76 million was guaranteed and how many years the Minnesota offer was for.

Wallace is quoted as saying that money isn't everything. He wants to win titles and go to Pro Bowls.

If that was the case, he would have stayed in Pittsburgh where he had an established quarterback and had already been to Super Bowls and Pro Bowls.

But he didn't.

What we do know is that $30 million of Wallace's contract with Miami is guaranteed. So if he never plays a down for the Dolphins, he gets $30 million.

That's financial security for a lifetime and then some.

Steelers announce training camp dates

The Steelers will officially kick off their 2013 season when the team reports to training camp on Friday, July 26, at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. This will be the 48^th year the Steelers will train at Saint Vincent College.

The first open practice to the public is scheduled for Saturday, July 27. The first practice in pads for the Steelers is scheduled for Monday, July 29. All practices that are open to the public are scheduled from 3-5 p.m.

The Steelers annual night practice at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium will take place on Friday, August 2, at 7 p.m. Additionally, the Steelers will hold an evening practice at Saint Vincent College on Wednesday, August 14, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The last scheduled practice open to the public will be on Saturday, August 17. The team’s 2013 training camp will break on Sunday, August 18, one day prior to the Steelers’ game at Washington.

The full training camp schedule will be announced at a later date.

Adams to be released Tuesday

Steelers offensive tackle Mike Adams will be released from the hospital on Tuesday after suffering stab wounds to his left arm and abdomen during an attempted carjacking early Saturday morning on the Southside.

Head coach Mike Tomlin said Monday he has visited Adams a couple of times and that Adams realizes how lucky he is.

Adams is expected to be completely healed in time for training camp.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Police had made one arrest in the stabbing and are searching for the other two suspects.

One would tend to think that somebody who assaults a Steelers player isn't going to be on the lam for long in Western Pennsylvania or be all that popular in prison.

@ The Steelers signed first round pick Jarvis Jones, second rounder Le'Veon Bell and seventh round selection Nick Williams on Monday, leaving only quarterback Landry Jones, a fourth-round pick, unsigned.

Don't know what Landry Jones is waiting for at this point.

This marks one of the earliest dates I can remember that the Steelers' first round pick has been signed and it bodes well for Jarvis Jones that he has gotten his deal done so early.

While he might not begin the season as a starter, the fact that he'll be available from the start at training camp can't hurt his chances to contribute.

So much for uneventful

Steelers offensive tackle suffered stab wounds to his abdomen and forearm during what police are calling a robbery attempt by three men in front of his home on the South Side early Saturday morning.

Adams, 23, was treated at UPMC Mercy for two stab wounds to his abdomen and one to his left forearm. He tweeted a photo of himself in his hospital bed giving a thumbs up sign and is expected to make a full recovery.

The Steelers issued a statement saying they are aware of the situation and are monitoring the health of Adams, who is expected to be the team's starting right tackle.

The Steelers' depth at the offensive tackle position was already thin, and though Adams is expected to be ready in time for training camp, it will be sorely tested in the remaining weeks of OTAs and mini-camp.

At this point, expect Kelvin Beachum to line up in Adams' spot, with Marcus Gilbert remaining at left tackle.