Steelers-Bills agree to joint practices

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steelers add linebacker depth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steelers sign Moore, to host Blount

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another day, another FA loss

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Surprise visitor on the South Side

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Free agency, start of Week 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steelers re-sign Whimper

If you'd have told me last August the Steelers would be re-signing offensive lineman Guy Whimper, I'd have told you they were in desperation mode.

But after a solid season in 2013 as Pittsburgh's swing offensive lineman, Whimper was brought back Monday for a one-year deal.

It's a solid signing and gives the Steelers eight of their top nine offensive linemen returning in 2014.

Center Maurkice Pouncey is on pace with his rehab and should be ready to return from his torn ACL by the start of training camp, at the latest.

Because of that, a line that has often entered training camp in a state of flux, will be pretty well set heading into 2014.

Unless something changes dramatically, Pouncey will be at center with David DeCastro and Ramon Foster at guard, Kelvin Beachum at left tackle and either Mike Adams or Marcus Gilbert at right tackle.

Certainly the tackle spots could change, but none of the changes would be drastic. Adams could blossom under the tutelage of new line coach Mike Munchak and take the left tackle spot from Beachum, for example.

But after years of being unsettled, the Steelers' line finally has some semblance of continuity.

@ After signing Whimper, the Steelers have $2.4 million in remaining cap space.

They can, however, free up some cap room by working out and extension with transition tagged linebacker Jason Worilds or with a restructure of Lawrence Timmons' contract.

@ Adam Schefter is now reporting that running back James Starks will re-sign with Green Bay for a two-year deal. The Steelers will have to look elsewhere for running back help.

At this point, I like Michael Bush of Chicago and Bernard Scott, formerly of Cincinnati and Baltimore.

I think guys such as Knowshon Moreno and LeGarrette Blount will just be too expensive.

WR could become an issue

The Steelers took an expected hit on Sunday when wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders signed a three-year deal with Denver worth $18 million.

But another, unexpected loss could also be on the way as free agent wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery is scheduled to visit Monday with the wide receiver-starved Carolina Panthers.

If the Steelers lose both wide receivers, they will be in a similar situation to Carolina. The Panthers released wideout Steve Smith last week and he signed with Baltimore, while Brandon LaFell, Carolina’s other starting wideout, signed with New England late Saturday night.

The Steelers still have Pro Bowl receiver Antonio Brown, but are now in danger of losing two of their top three wideouts.

Sanders was second on the team with 67 receptions for 760 yards and six touchdowns in 2013, while Cotchery led the Steelers with 10 touchdown receptions to go along with his 46 receptions for 602 yards.

If Cotchery, whom the Steelers would like to re-sign, agrees to a deal with Carolina, the only receivers other than Brown with NFL experience on Pittsburgh’s roster would be Derek Moye and Markus Wheaton, two players with eight combined career receptions.

The Steelers have had some talks with Cotchery’s agent and he just returned from a team-sponsored fan cruise on Saturday, but the 31-year-old played collegiately at North Carolina State.

Just in case, the Steelers also have set up a meeting with free agent wideout Lance Moore of New Orleans on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh has just over $3 million in remaining salary cap space after making five free agent signings last week, including Carolina safety Mike Mitchell, though the team can count on an additional $8 million in cap space being cleared June 1 when LaMarr Woodley’s contract comes off its books.

Steelers to host Starks

Needing a reliable backup to running back Le’Veon Bell, the Steelers will take a look at Green Bay free agent James Starks.

According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal, Starks will meet with the Steelers on Monday.

The Steelers are quite familiar with Starks, who turned 28 last month. He started Super Bowl XLV for the Packers in a 31-25 victory over the Steelers, gaining 52 yards on 11 carries. He also gained 47 yards on 10 carries in a 38-31 Pittsburgh victory in Green Bay last December while serving as the backup to rookie Eddie Lacy.

Starks had 493 yards on 89 attempts in 2013 serving as the backup to Lacy, the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year.

The Steelers are looking for a capable backup to Bell, their rookie of the year in 2013 when he set a franchise record with 1,259 total yards.

Reserve running back Jonathan Dwyer signed with Arizona earlier this week, and fellow reserves Felix Jones and LaRod Stephens-Howling are also both unrestricted free agents.

Currently, the only other running back on Pittsburgh’s roster is Alvester Alexander, who spent the entire 2013 season on the practice squad.

After signing safety Mike Mitchell, defensive lineman Cam Thomas, safety Will Allen, long snapper Greg Warren and center Cody Wallace earlier this week, the Steelers have about $3.5 million in available salary cap space.

@ Looking for a good sign? Wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, a free agent, was on the Steelers-sponsored fan cruise the past few days.

The Steelers have been in negotiations with the agent for Cotchery about his return. It would seem he's still very much interested in returning.

Perhaps in the future, the Steelers should send all of their impending free agents on a cruise in the opening days of free agency. Tough to get a new contract offer on a boat.

@ After a whirlwind tour of the country, making trips to Jackonsville, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, San Francisco and, apparently, Denver, Emmanuel Sanders appears to be signing with Denver.

The Steelers had planned on losing Sanders all along. They weren't going to overpay for a No. 2 receiver who has a history of foot injuries.

Sanders didn't miss any time the past two seasons with the injuries - he has had problems in both feet - but he did sit out some practices because of soreness.

Day 4 free agency

The Steelers signed nose tackle Cam Thomas to a two-year deal on Friday. The move could mean that Steve McLendon is slated to move to defensive end., though Thomas can also play end.

Thomas was one of two defensive linemen to visit the team on Friday in the wake of Al Woods signing with Tennessee and Ziggy Hood leaving for Jacksonville.

Thomas (6-4, 330) started 10 games for San Diego last season. He signed a two-year deal worth $4 million that included a $1 million signing bonus and a $1 million salary for 2014, putting his cap number at $1.5 million this season.

Buffalo's Alex Carrington was the other. There is no news on Carrington yet though he reportedly had a good visit.

Carrington isn't fully healed from the quad injury he suffered last season, but he checked out OK with the team's doctors

Free agency, Day 3

The Steelers lost a second defensive lineman Thursday as Ziggy Hood signed with Jacksonville. Coupled with the loss of Al Woods to Tennessee, it assures the Steelers will have a whole new look on their defensive line in 2014.

That's not a bad thing.

The line was just OK in 2013. Cam Heyward is an emerging star and Steve McLendon is a good, not great, nose tackle.

But the Steelers didn't get much out of the other defensive end spot last season. Brett Keisel is 37 and clearly on the downside, while Hood never became the 3-4 end the Steelers hoped.

Pittsburgh will have Buffalo's Alex Carrington in for a visit later today. He was on my pre-free agency watch list and would be a good fit.

The Steelers are also bringing in San Diego nose tackle Cam Thomas for a visit. Thomas began the season as San Diego's starting nose tackle but was benched after 10 games.

The losses of Woods and Hood also increases the chances that Keisel might be brought back on a one-year deal. But if they do so, it would not be as a starter.

Linebacker LaMarr Woodley signed a two-year deal with Oakland worth $12 million, or about $1.5 million than he's costing the Steelers in dead cap money over the next two seasons.

Meanwhile, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders will make his third free agency visit. After spending time with Jacksonville and Tampa Bay, Sanders will head to Kansas City.

Day 2 of free agency

The Steelers made a couple of moves on Wednesday that were much more Steelers-like, re-signing a pair of their own players, center Cody Wallace and long snapper Greg Warren.

Neither move will get much publicity outside of Pittsburgh, but both were solid moves.

Wallace will provide veteran depth behind Maurkice Pouncey, while Warren has long been a solid long snapper since joining the team in 2005.

The Wallace signing means the Steelers likely won't re-sign Fernando Velasco, though that's certainly not written in stone. Velasco, of course, missed the final four games of 2013 with a torn Achilles' tendon. Wallace started those final four games and the Steelers went 3-1.

Three players jumped ship, as running back Jonathan Dwyer signed with Arizona, tight end David Johnson left for San Diego and defensive lineman Al Woods was lured away by Tennessee.

Dwyer had an up-and-down career with the Steelers, leading them in rushing in 2012, then getting released at the end of training camp in 2013. The Steelers later brought him back, but he wasn't in their long-term plans despite the fact they don't have a running back on the roster with any experience behind Le'Veon Bell.

The Steelers would like to re-sign LaRod Stephens-Howling, instead, though they could also look for other veteran help.

 Woods signed with the Titans for $5 million over two years. Considering the Steelers will pay new safety Mike Mitchell just under $2 million this season, that was too rich for their blood, even though they would have liked to have him back since they have little defensive line depth.

Johnson, a former starter at fullback, hasn't played much due to injury in the past two seasons.

Meanwhile, a second defensive lineman, Ziggy Hood, spent Wednesday in Jacksonville meeting with Jaguars officials.

Woods, Hood and Brett Keisel, all unrestricted free agents, combined with Cameron Heyward and Steve McLendon to play the majority of the snaps on the defensive line last season for the Steelers.

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who was second on the team with 67 receptions for 740 yards and six touchdowns – all career bests – spent the day visiting with the Jaguars, as well. Sanders is scheduled to visit Tampa Bay today.

The player the Steelers signed Mitchell to replace, free safety Ryan Clark, will visit with Washington today. Clark joined the Steelers in 2006 after two seasons with the Redskins.

Finally, linebacker LaMarr Woodley, released by the Steelers Tuesday in a salary cap-related move, announced on Twitter than he will travel to Oakland to visit with the Raiders today.

Steelers sign Mike Mitchell

The Steelers signed a player on the opening day of free agency for the first time in as long as I can remember, scooping up Carolina's Mike Mitchell, a free safety with a five-year, $25-million deal.

Mitchell was on my free agency list to watch and is a good signing.

He recorded four interceptions and four sacks last season in Carolina after playing his first four seasons in Oakland and is considered a good blitzer with excellent speed.

Not that this is surprising, but the signing ends Ryan Clark's tenure in Pittsburgh, something Clark confirmed Monday night when he tweeted that he had not received an offer from the Steelers.

With Mitchell on board, the Steelers now have quality starters and depth at safety with Troy Polamalu, Shamarko Thomas and Will Allen also coming back.

@ The Steelers have also begun negotiations with the agent for free agent wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery.

Cotchery, who led the Steelers with 10 TD catches in 2013, is an unrestricted free agent.

Steelers continue trimming

The Steelers on Tuesday will release linebacker LaMarr Woodley with a June 1 designation.

By doing so, the Steelers will receive $8 million in salary cap savings after June 1 with $5.59 million of his current deal being pushed into 2015.

So the Steelers will have to continue carrying his $13.59 million cap number until June 1.

Why do it now? It allows Woodley the opportunity to find a job elsewhere while also not giving him a chance to be injured during the offseason at an OTA or mini-camp.

Quite simply, it was the right thing to do.

When Woodley's money comes off the books, the Steelers will have around $11 million in cap space.

The team also worked out a deal with cornerback Ike Taylor to lower his $7 million base salary for 2014, which will be additional savings. Taylor took a $4.25 million pay cut to stay in Pittsburgh and will now earn $2.75 million.

Coupled with the moves they made last week, the Steelers now have around $8 million in cap space.

The Steelers made some initial inquiries with three potential free agent cornerbacks, speaking to the agents of Tennessee's Alterraun Verner, Miami's Nolan Carroll and Carolina's Captain Munnerlyn.

Carroll and Munnerlyn were two guys who were already on my radar and seem much more realistic than Verner, who was a 2013 Pro Bowl player.

The Steelers do have some ties to Verner, however. Offensive line coach Mike Munchak was his head coach in Tennessee, while Steelers defensive backs coach held the same position at UCLA when Verner was a player there.

Still, it's unlikely Verner is going to take a lesser deal from Pittsburgh because of that, especially when he has a number of suitors.

Steelers now close to cap compliance

The Steelers made a flurry of moves on Wednesday trimming $15 million off their 2014 cap to bring them within striking distance of the $133 million NFL salary cap.

All teams must be under the cap by Tuesday.

The Steelers gave safety Troy Polamalu and tight end Heath Miller two-year contract extensions that trimmed $8 million off of their salary cap while giving neither player any "new" money.

Both players had their 2014 salaries trimmed - $1.5 million for Polamalu and $1 million for Miller - with the remainder of what they were scheduled to earn turned into signing bonus, which can prorated over the three years of their contracts.

Polamalu will now have cap friendly salaries of $6 million in 2015 and 2016, while Miller's will come in at $4 million in each of those seasons.

The Steelers also signed impending free agent safety Will Allen to a deal that seals Ryan Clark's fate. With Allen now under contract, at 1 year and $985,000, the Steelers will allow Clark to leave, not a surprising fact, but now a fact nonetheless.

In addition, the team released Levi Brown, Curtis Brown and Larry Foote at a savings of $7.95 million.

What does all of this mean?

It means there isn't a true urgency to release cornerback Ike Taylor, though the team will continue to work with Taylor at lowering his 2014 salary, which is currently $7 million with a cap hit of $11.9 million.

The Steelers could see some additional cap savings with further extensions - Ben Roethlisberger - or by signing linebacker Jason Worilds, who had the transition tag placed on him Monday, to a more cap-friendly long-term deal.

The Steelers are also now in a position where they don't HAVE to cut linebacker LaMarr Woodley, though that could still happen with a June 1 designation.

Now what?

Now that the Steelers have taken care of their biggest issue in free agency, first slapping the transition tag on linebacker Jason Worilds and then getting him to sign it, thus assuring he won't leave as a free agent.

Next up with Worilds is getting him to agree to a contract extension that will lower his 2014 cap hit - currently set at $9.75 million thanks to the transition tag.

That will be critical for the Steelers, who now find themselves some $15 million over the cap after tagging Worlds.

Prior to tagging Worilds, the Steelers were around $6 million over the $133 million cap, a sum that could have been made up in one fell swoop by releasing Levi Brown and his bloated $6.2 million salary.

Now, the Steelers will have to get a little more creative, particularly if they wish to sign any of their own potential free agents before they hit the open market next Tuesday.

With Worilds out of the picture, who will they target?

Tops on my list would be wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who led the team with 10 TD catches in 2013, and two defensive ends, Brett Keisel and Al Woods.

Woods might be a guy who jumps out among those three. After all, he's been just a spot player over the past two years after hanging around on the practice squad.

But he showed enough flexibility last season at both end and nose tackle for him to be very valuable to the Steelers.

With Emmanuel Sanders likely to leave as a free agent, Cotchery would give the team a stable veteran presence at wideout, while the same could be said of Keisel at defensive end, where Ziggy Hood is also a free agent.

After those three, offensive lineman Guy Whimper would be next on my list, something I would never have envisioned typing last August. But Whimper showed enough as a swing man in 2013 to merit coming back again on a veteran minimum deal.

I would also try to bring back LaRod Stephens-Howling and Fernando Velasco, two guys who could be relatively easy re-signings given that both ended the 2013 season on IR.

Finally, I'd bring back Michael Palmer for tight end depth. Palmer showed me enough last season as a blocker and special teams performer that he's worth keeping around to push David Paulsen for the No. 3 tight end spot.

Steelers place transition tag on Worilds

The Steelers made a surprising move Monday, placing the transition tag on impending free agent linebacker Jason Worilds.

The move came after general manager Kevin Colbert said just a couple of weeks ago the Steelers were unlikely to use any tags this offseason.

But when some of the other top-end pass rushers were taken off the market via tags by their respective teams, it made Worilds one of the hottest prospects on the open market.

So the Steelers covered themselves, somewhat, by tagging Worilds, who led them with eight sacks in 2013 despite making just 11 starts.

The Steelers will now pay Worilds $9.7 million and change if they are unable to work out a long-term deal. He has the right the explore free agency and sign elsewhere, but the Steelers have the right to match the deal.

If they decline to match, however, they receive no compensation.

The tricky part is that teams can continue to offer transition tagged players a contract until July 21 - right before everyone goes to training camp. That, however, is unlikely.

It's somewhat unrealistic to expect a team to make a pitch to Worilds that would count much more than $9.7 million in 2014. A team would have to really front-load his contract with some guaranteed money to make that happen. And, as many Steelers fans are quick to point out, he's only really had one breakout half season.

He has more value to the Steelers, who have liked his potential from the start, than he has elsewhere. And there's also some pressure on the Steelers now to reach a long-term deal with him quickly that will help reduce his 2014 cap hit.

@ The Steelers also are working on an extension with tight end Heath Miller, among others, that will keep him in Pittsburgh in the future while also lowering his $9.5 million cap hit for 2014.

The Steelers, after tagging Worilds, are now about $15 million over the $133 million salary cap.

They can easily shed $6.2 million of that by releasing offensive tackle Levi Brown, and there are some simple restructures - with Antonio Brown for example - that will give them considerable cap savings as well.

But they also have to now get cornerback Ike Taylor to take a cut in pay from the $7 million base salary he's due in 2014.

Something tells me they wouldn't have tagged Worilds unless they were certain they had enough moves to make to get under the cap with relative ease.

News and notes

As we have seen in recent days, it's understandable why Steelers GM Kevin Colbert has taken all of the news regarding the salary cap with a grain of salt.

The latest reports have the cap now at $133 million - a figure that was sent out to teams in a memo, which would make it official - with it scheduled to raise to $150 million by 2016.

That's good news for the Steelers, of course, but it's also good news for all of the team who have found themselves up against the cap.

The biggest winners? Perhaps the Cincinnati Bengals.

With a lot of good young talent, the Bengals were going to have some issues signing guys in upcoming years - and still might given owner Mike Brown's propensity for being cheap. Now, the Bengals can sign who they want.

Their big issue will be whether they want to move forward in the future with quarterback Andy Dalton.

@ The Ravens cut loose a guy that would interest me a lot if I were in charge of the Steelers - linebacker Jameel McClain.

I've always liked McClain as a player. Some Steelers fans might still hold a grudge against McClain for his hit on Heath Miller a few years ago, but it was a football play, nothing dirty.

@ Things should really start to heat up on the free agent front with the Steelers in the coming week. With the start of free agency coming March 11, look for the team to lock up one or two of its impending free agents next week.

My guesses? Linebacker Jason Worilds and defensive lineman Al Woods.

@ The Steelers have also opened some extension negotiations with some veterans for cap relief. Look for something to happen with Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor.

DBs burn up the track

It was time for the defensive backs to run their 40s on Tuesday and they didn't disappoint overall.

Oklahoma State's Justin Gilbert and Michigan State's Darqueze Dennard likely solidified their spots in the first round at the cornerback position.

Gilbert was timed at an ultra-fast 4.37 in the 40 for his official clocking. Considering his ideal 6-0, 202-pound size and excellent tape, he might have locked himself in as the top corner in this draft.

Dennard, the 2013 Jim Thorpe Award winner, came into the combine with fears that he wouldn't run well. He did, clocking at an official 4.51, though his hand-held times were both well under that, so some teams might have him faster.

The top two safety prospects both also did fine for bigger guys.

Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix had an official time of 4.58 at 6-1, 208 pounds with his hand-held times coming in at 4.50 and 4.52.

Louisville's Calvin Pryor, meanwhile, also clocked in officially at 4.58 at 5-11, 207.

Who really helped themselves?

How about Northwest Missouri State's Brandon Dixon (4.41), Virginia Tech's Kyle Fuller (4.49), Phillip Gaines of Rice (4.38), Dontae Johnson of North Carolina State (4.45 at 6-2, 200), Jabari Price of North Carolina (4.45) and Jaylen Watkins of Florida (4.41).

Guys who are going to need to redeem themselves at their pro days with better times include Dion Bailey of USC (4.66), Ahmad Dixon of Baylor (4.64), Kenny Ladler of Vanderbilt (4.70) and Louchiez Purifoy of Florida (4.61).

Steelers draft starting to take shape

If you had any questions about what the Steelers were thinking heading into the NFL draft, they gave a glimpse this weekend at the combine.

Pittsburgh met with a number of players, most of whom were players at three spots: defensive linemen, wide receivers and safeties.

The potential early-round draft guys they spoke with according to Jim Wexell of SteelCityInsider.com include defensive linemen Ra'Shede Hademan of Minnesota and the Notre Dame duo of Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt, wide receivers Kelvin Benjamin of Florida State, Ole Miss' Donte Moncrief and Penn State's Allan Robinson, and safeties Terrance Brooks of Florida State, Calvin Pryor of Louisville, Ahmad Dixon of Baylor and Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix of Alabama.

The team also met with corner Justin Gilbert of Oklahoma State and tight end Eric Ebron of North Carolina, both of whom are considered first-round prospects.

@ Moncrief is a guy who should jump out at you on that list. People knew he was fast, but at 6-2, 221 pounds, the former Ole Miss star - the same school that produced Mike Wallace - ran an uber-fast official 4.4-second 40.

By comparison, Benjamin (6-5, 240) ran an official 4.61, while Robinson (6-2, 220) was at 4.60.

Also of interest was that Vanderbilt's Jordan Matthews, who I have yet to see linked with the Steelers, ran a 4.46 at 6-3, 215 pounds. Not bad for a guy considered to be the most polished route runner in this draft by many.

Mike Evans of Texas A&M didn't hurt himself, either, with a 4.53 at 6-4 1/2, 231 pounds, though Sammy Watkins solidified his status as the No. 1 receiver by burning up the track with a 4.43.

Needless to say, this is a deep wide receiver class.

@ ESPN's John Clayton is now reporting that sources are telling him the salary cap is going up to $132 million in 2014. This after Adam Shefter reporter earlier in the week that it would be $130 million.

Of course, the original projections had it set at just over $126 million.

This is why Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said earlier in the week that nothing has yet been set in stone. The Steelers will continue to work off of the lowest figure and if the cap figure comes in higher, they'll be pleasantly surprised.

Currently, the Steelers are sitting at $138.75 million for their top 51 salaries. So if the cap does come in at $132, the simple release of Levi Brown at a savings of $6.25 million would pretty much put the Steelers in cap compliance.

There will, of course, be other moves - things will start heating up now that the combine is wrapping up. But, as I have been saying all along, the Steelers' cap situation isn't nearly as dire this season as it has been in previous ones.

Cap jumps to $130 million

The Steelers, and really everyone else in the NFL, got some good news Thursday when it was reported the salary cap is expected to be at $130 million in 2014, not the $126.3 million that was originally expected.

That number is not yet set in stone and could go up - which is more likely - or down, but for a teams currently over the cap, as the Steelers are as I write this, that's good news if it turns out to be true.

"I think that is a welcomed rumor," said Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert Thursday. "We haven't gotten any information on the cap, and I don't anticipate us getting it until really close to March 11. So whether it goes up or not, we have to prepare for the worst and see where it lands. You don't want to have false hope that it's going to be ($130 million) and then it's not. So, we still have to prepare off of what we were working with last year, and then maybe add to it.

"Those numbers start floating around, but they haven't been substantiated."

The first move will be releasing offensive tackle Levi Brown at a savings of $6.2 million. That move by itself will leave the Steelers just $2 million over the cap if the $130 million figure is correct, something that can be fixed with a simple restructure or a contract extension without releasing anyone else.

It was interesting to note, however, that NFL.com listed a number of Steelers as potential cap cuts, including LaMarr Woodley and Ike Taylor, with Troy Polamalu listed as a possible surprise cut.

Brown and linebacker Larry Foote were only listed possible potential cuts.

Make no mistake, Brown is going to be released. Of the others, Woodley is possible, but only after June 1.

I don't see Taylor or Polamalu being released.

Taylor will be asked to take a pay cut, to be sure. And if the Steelers ask him to take a pay cut, they also have to be prepared for what happens if he says no. But Taylor has said several times that he doesn't want to play anywhere else. He has a very close relationship with Steelers chairman Dan Rooney.

I'll take him at his word that he doesn't want to leave Pittsburgh.

Three weeks to free agency

With about three weeks remaining until the start of the NFL's free agency period on March 11, there has been little movement around the league in terms of teams signing their own guys

That could be due to what Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said was the deepest draft he's seen in 30 years. It could also be because teams still aren't quite sure where the cap is going to be at.

Early estimates put it at $126.3 million. The early estimates are usually low, and recently I've also seen around $128 million as being possibility.

Either way, the Steelers have some work to do before free agency begins. Colbert said last week that the team has had some preliminary talks with some players about new deals, extensions and possible pay cuts. Watch for those to heat up considerably in the coming weeks, most likely after everyone gets back from the NFL combine, which begins this weekend.

Look for the Steelers to also be players on the free agent market this offseason - at least on some mid to low-level guys, particularly on the defensive line and in the secondary.

Here are some guys I like who could come rather cheaply:

Alex Carrington, DE, Buffalo
Tyson Jackson, DE, Kansas City
Corey Wooten, DE, Chicago
Terrence Cody, NT, Baltimore
Earl Mitchell, NT, Houston
Clinton McDonald, DL, Seattle
Tony McDaniel, DE, Seattle
Captain Munnerlyn, CB, Carolina
Nolan Carroll, CB, Miami
Richard Marshall, CB, San Diego
Javier Arenas, CB, Arizona
Mike Mitchell, S, Carolina
Nate Allen, S, Philadelphia
Charles Tillman, DB, Chicago - convert to safety

Rashean Mathis, DB, Detroit - convert to safety

@ You can add Detroit safety Louis Delmas to this list.

The Steelers hosted Delmas, who was cut in a cost-related move, last week on Monday. Players who have been released are available to sign immediately.

Delmas, 26, had three interceptions and two sacks last season to go along with 64 tackles and eight pass defenses.

He's a former second-round pick out of Western Michigan.

Colbert speaks

Steelers general manager met with some media members Wednesday for the first time since the 2013 season ended and had some interesting things to say about both last season and what's to come.

Colbert said he was again disappointed by the team's 8-8 finish, but was perhaps not as disheartened as he was in 2012, when the team faltered after a strong start.

The Steelers started 0-4 last season, but rebounded to go 8-4 in their last 12 games, including 6-2 in the second half.

Colbert also said that while there is concern about linebacker LaMarr Woodley's injury issues, the Steelers might be capable of keeping both Woodley and Jason Worilds on their roster moving forward.

To that end, he did say the team has been in some discussions with their current group of potential unrestricted free agents about extensions. The team has been talking to players about restructures and extensions, though Colbert wouldn't name any specific players.

Colbert called this year's draft the "deepest I've seen in 30 years," mainly thanks to an influx of a record 98 underclassmen.

But, he did warn that some of those underclassmen, while talented, might not be emotionally or physically ready for the demands of the NFL, which could lead to some bust issues for some players.

It's never easy when it's Peazy

Mike Tomlin made another good addition to his coaching staff Tuesday when he hired former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter as a defensive assistant.

Porter, a member of the NFL's all-decade team for the 2000s, was a four-time Pro Bowl player, including three with the Steelers and in 2008 became the first player in league history to have at least 70 sacks and 10 career interceptions.

He finished his career with 98 sacks and 12 interceptions, including 60 and 10 with the Steelers.

Ironically, Tomlin's first big move as head coach of the Steelers in 2007 was to release Porter in a cost-cutting move. It also opened the door for James Harrison to move into the starting lineup.

Among Porter's duties will be working with the team's outside linebackers, including 2013 No. 1 draft pick Jarvis Jones.

Jones has a wealth of talent but is pretty laid back in his attitude. He's a hard worker, but could use some fire. Porter can certainly help him in that respect.

Porter joins secondary coach Carnell Lake and fellow defensive assistant Jerry Olsavsky as former Steelers players on the team's coaching staff.

@ Word has it that Ben Roethlisberger has been working out in California with young wide receivers Markus Wheaton and Derek Moye.

That's a good sign, as both Wheaton and possibly Moye will be counted on to take big steps forward in 2014.

Will Sam be accepted?

Missouri defensive end Michael Sam made headlines Sunday by announcing to the world something that was a pretty well-known fact among scouts and everyone at his college campus. Sam is gay.

Sam wanted to get out - no pun intended - in front of the story for the few remaining teams that didn't know he was gay. Considering he was pretty open about it at Missouri, there couldn't have been many NFL teams that didn't know.

Now, the focus shifts to his NFL future.

A 6-2, 260-pound defensive end, Sam is something that is perhaps even more dreaded than being gay. He's a tweener - too small to play end in many schemes, perhaps not fast enough or flexible enough to be an outside linebacker.

That will be what teams focus on with Sam over the next couple of months, not who he's sleeping with.

Currently, Sam is viewed as a mid-round draft pick. And I don't expect that to change a great deal, unless he shows at the NFL combine that he's capable of moving to outside linebacker.

Though he was an All-America player at Missouri last season, that doesn't necessarily mean his production will translate to the NFL. He's got to prove he can do it.

And if that happens, his teammates will accept him, gay or not.

Sam is certainly not the first gay football player. He's just the first one to announce it on the national stage.

Will it cause some teammates to avoid him in the locker room? Perhaps.

But that can be dealt with. In a locker room with 60 or so grown men, you can bet there are players who don't like each other or don't approve of everyone's lifestyle. Most of the time, it's not a problem. They just choose not to hang out together or see each other socially. It's not a big deal.

In today's society, no player would dare speak out against him. Nobody wants to be labelled a homophobe any more than they want to be labelled a racist or misogynist.

And if Sam can actually play the game at the NFL level and help his team win, nobody will care what he does in his private life.

Sam's biggest problem with be on game days when he has to deal with taunts from opposing teams and fans.

What about Roethlisberger?

In the days after the Super Bowl, I have seen multiple stories making a case why Russell Wilson should have been the MVP of the game. I've also seen others, such as Cam Chancellor stories and how he should have been the MVP.

It made me wonder why Ben Roethlisberger didn't get the same kind of respect after his performance in XLIII.

Santonio Holmes won the award following that game after catching nine passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, which happened to be the game-winner with 42 seconds remaining. Roethlisberger was 6-8 for 84 yards and also had a 4-yard rush on the game-winning drive that started at the Pittsburgh 22 and was pushed back to the 12 on the first play from scrimmage due to a holding penalty on Chris Kemoeatu.

But Roethlisberger was 21 of 31 for 256 yards, one touchdown and one interception. But Roethlisberger was masterful on the game-winning drive, buying time with his legs to find open receivers.

Had Peyton Manning, Tom Brady or pretty much any other quarterback directed that game-winning drive, they would have easily won the MVP award.

Heck, Wilson threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns in a 43-8 rout that was more about Seattle's defense than anything the team's offense did.

Clark takes parting shot on his way out the door

Steelers safety Ryan Clark dropped a little bomb into the team's lap on Thursday as he prepares to head into free agency.

Making one of his regular appearances on ESPN's "First Take," Clark, who is working to make sure he has a job in the media after football, said that he knows that some of his teammates smoke marijuana and that the NFL's testing for that drug isn't nearly stringent enough to catch abusers of the substance.

Clark isn't telling any secrets.

Not only are there marijuana users in the Steelers' locker room, but around the league as well. But I doubt the number of marijuana users is any higher than it is among the general public fo

r young men between the ages of 21 and 35.

In fact, in the transcript of thousands of Tweets between Ritchie Incognito and Jonathan Martin, there are some references by Martin of a party at "Pouncey's" house in which there was drug usage.

We can assume that Martin was referring to Miami center Mike Pouncey, the twin brother of Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey.

The Incognito-Martin tweets also make a great number of references to drinking alcohol as well.

So the usage of some recreational drugs by NFL players is nothing new. Ever seen North Dallas Forty?

Clark's teammates might not appreciate being outed. And I'm sure the Steelers and the NFL don't appreciate his candor in the matter.

But the league is fooling itself if it thinks an offseason drug test during OTAs or minicamp and another during training camp is going to keep its players from taking a toke here or there.

Looking at free agency

Got into the office tonight and saw that the Atlanta Falcons had just released defensive back Asante Samuel. That got me to thinking, if I were looking for a free agent free safety or corner, who would I target?

Everybody knows the big names, but the Steelers aren't going to be in the market for a Jarius Byrd or T.J. Ward. That's just too expensive.

But Samuel would certainly be a guy I'd look at to move to safety if I were the Steelers.

Yes, he was benched last season as a corner by a bad Atlanta team. But the thing that jumps out to me about Samuel is 51 career interceptions, including six in the past two seasons with Atlanta when his coverage skills were clearly waning.

At 33, Samuel could give you at least two or three good years as a bridge at safety, while also giving you something Ryan Clark did not, big-play ability.

The Steelers need a true centerfielder, somebody who is capable of forcing some turnovers, and Samuel is certainly capable of that. His six interceptions in the past two seasons, by the way, are one fewer than Clark had in the past four seasons.

Who else would I take a long look at?

How about former Steelers killer Rashean Mathis?

At 33, Mathis' days of playing corner are probably behind him. But at 6-1, 195 pounds, he's certainly got safety size and his 30 career interceptions certainly look good.

Super Bowl proves one thing

Many will point to the outcome of the Super Bowl and say it shows that defense and running the ball still matter in the NFL.

While that might be partly true, to me it also shows that teams who are not paying their quarterback big money - yet - have an advantage.

Seattle has done a good job drafting over the past few years. But, because it doesn't have $10 to $20 million tied up in the quarterback position, the Seahawks were also able to add some key players last offseason in free agency.

In fact, take a look at this list of players Seattle had the cap space to sign in the offseason:

Wide receiver Percy Harvin, defensive end Michael Bennett, defensive tackle Tony McDaniel, defensive end Cliff Avril, cornerback Antoine Winfield and cornerback Marcus Trufant

Harvin didn't play much this season because of a hip injury, but made a huge impact in the Super Bowl, while McDaniel, Avril and Bennett were all key players in the defensive front rotation.

Harvin counted $13.4 million against the team's salary cap this season, while Avril was $9.25 million, making them two of the team's top five-paid players (Harvin was first, Avril fifth).

Quarterback Russell Wilson counted just over $800,000, and that number goes up to just over $950,000 next season.

In fact, it won't be until 2016 when the chickens really come home to roost for Seattle, though a number of key players off that stellar defense will become free agents before that.

But once it has to pay Wilson, who has won more games in his first two seasons than any other quarterback and is signed through 2015, Seattle is going to be in cap hell like everyone else who has a star quarterback.

Bettis snubbed again

Reports have surfaced that Steelers running back Jerome Bettis has again been denied a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that Bettis has failed to garner enough votes to get in. And this could have been his final chance with the regular voters.

It's not often that a player continues to make it to the finals and doesn't get in.

Bettis might now have to wait until he is eligible for the Senior Committee to put him up for the vote again. It's likely this committee - as currently constructed - has heard enough of the argument for Bettis for him to not even make the finalists in 2015.

And therein lies the problem with the voting process for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The way it is currently constructed, the selection committee consists of one media representative from each area with a current NFL franchise. If that area has more than one franchise - ie. New York - it gets two representatives.

A 33rd member is chosen by the Pro Football Writers of America, while there are also 13 at-large members.

That means that currently, and for quite some time now, the Pittsburgh area has one voter, Ed Bouchette of the Post-Gazette. And it has only had one voter for as long as I have been covering the Steelers, some 21 years.

Meanwhile, because of the at-large votes, there are no fewer than five - that I know of - voters who live in the New York City area.

It's a flawed process, to say the least.

I'm not saying the Pro Football Hall of Fame should open up its voting as the Baseball Hall of Fame does. Voting members for that organization need only be members of the Baseball Writers of America for 10 years to get a vote.

But including myself, there are at least five guys who work in the Pittsburgh media and have covered the Steelers - and thus the NFL - for 20-plus years on a daily basis. And only one of us has a vote for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Steelers readying to get serious with free agents

Scott Brown of ESPN.com had a story today on Ike Taylor after sitting down with the cornerback at the Super Bowl.

Taylor reiterated that he wants to finish his career with the Steelers and is willing to move to safety to do so.

That's not likely to be in the cards. The Steelers want a player at free safety who's capable of creating some turnovers, something Taylor hasn't shown a propensity to do in his career.

Taylor is scheduled to earn just over $11 million this season, and though he's no longer capable of covering the opposing team's No. 1 receiver all over the field as he did early in his career, he's still a capable NFL cornerback, even at 34.

But that $11 million salary is too high and Taylor will be asked to take a pay cut sometime in the next month if he wants to stay in Pittsburgh.

That will likely be the first move the Steelers make as they begin the process of readying for free agency, which begins March 13.

Steelers-Vikings trade coaches

Maybe the Steelers can get Adrian Peterson as a player to be named later?

Just two days after Kirby Wilson was hired as Minnesota's running backs coach, Mike Tomlin hired the man Wilson is replacing, James Saxon, to take Wilson's old job.

Saxon, an eight-year NFL veteran, has previously coached with Miami, Kansas City and Buffalo before spending the previous three seasons with the Vikings.

He was fired along with the rest of the staff when Leslie Frazier was not retained at the end of the 2013 season.

Saxon will be tasked with helping the continued growth of Le'Veon Bell, who set a Steelers' rookie record with 1,259 yards from scrimmage in 2013 despite missing the first three games of the year with a sprained foot.

He knows a little something about running backs coming back strong from injuries. In 2012, Peterson rushed for more than 2,000 yards despite being less than a year removed from tearing his ACL late in the 2011 season.

Saxon will also likely take a big role in helping decide who will also be on Pittsburgh's roster at running back in 2014.

Jonathan Dwyer, Felix Jones and LaRod Stephens-Howling, Bell's backups in 2013, are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in March.

@ The Steelers signed a wide receiver, Danny Coale, to a futures contract today.

He's an interesting prospect. A fifth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2012, Coale was a speedy wideout out Virginia Tech who's had some tough injury issues. First, he suffered a broken toe during a conditioning drill in 2012, then he suffered a torn ACL during practice later that season.

He was waived at the end of training camp in 2013 and spent some time on Indianapolis' practice squad.

The 6-0, 200-pound Coale ran a 4.37 40 at his pro day a couple of years ago and started 54 of 55 career games at Virginia Tech.

By the way, he's also the son-in-law of Steelers broadcaster Tunch Ilkin.

Wilson leaving . . . for Minnesota

Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson was informed Saturday by Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh that he wouldn't be that team's new offensive coordinator.

But Wilson still won't be returning to the Steelers.

Wilson asked the Steelers for release from his contract, which still had one year remaining, and will join the Minnesota Vikings' staff.

It's likely that Wilson, who was considered to be the offensive coordinator in waiting before Bruce Arians was ousted, came to the realization or was told that Todd Haley isn't going anywhere soon.

Had Wilson not suffered burns all over his body in a kitchen fire at his home in 2012, it might have been he, not Haley, who is Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator. But Wilson did suffer those injuries and was hospitalized for several months afterward.

The Steelers had no choice but to move on at that point, even though they stuck by him as their running backs coach.

Wilson did a good job with rookie Le'Veon Bell this past season, but given his career ambitions, it might have been time for a change of scenery.

Free agency on the horizon

With free agency on the horizon, the lists and rankings of NFL free agents will start to find their way onto the internet.

Rotoworld has put out its list of potential free agents here.

There are some interesting notes for the Steelers.

Linebacker Jason Worilds, the Steelers' top target to re-sign before free agency begins, is the second-highest rated outside backer available according to Rotoworld.

Only Washington's Brian Orakpo is rated higher according to the site, with Worilds rated better than guys such as Shaun Phillips, Keith Rivers, Parys Haralson and Larry English.

Actually, it's not a very deep outside linebacker crop, which could play well for Worilds.

At defensive end, Brett Keisel ranks 15th on the list, while Ziggy Hood is the 16th ranked defensive tackle. Al Woods is ranked 30th at defensive tackle.

Ryan Clark comes in at 10th among safeties available - right behind old-as-dirt Charles Woodson - while Will Allen is 34th. Former Steelers safety Ryan Mundy, who played for the Giants this season, is rated 23rd.

At punter, Mat McBriar, who took over at midseason for the Steelers and did a so-so job, is rated third, just ahead of the guy he replaced, Zoltan Mesko. The only two guys available considered better than those two are Pat McAfee and Donnie Jones.

On the offensive side of the ball, La'Rod Stephens-Howling is rated 14th among running backs despite missing all but one game of the 2013 season with a knee injury. Right behind him is Jonathan Dwyer, while Felix Jones is rated 20th.

Former Steelers starter Rashard Mendenhall is seventh on the list.

Emmanuel Sanders is rated as the ninth-best wide receiver available, just behind Anquan Boldin and Andre Roberts and ahead of Riley Cooper, oft-injured Danario Alexander and Jacoby Jones. Jerricho Cotchery is 17th.

At tight end, David Johnson is 20th, while Michael Palmer is 25th.

Former Steelers offensive tackle Willie Colon is the third-ranked guard in free agency this year, while Fernando Velasco is rated as the eighth-best center available despite an Achilles' tendon injury.

Steelers hire Munchak

With the Browns apparently set to go in a different - and probably wrong - direction, Mike Munchak was still looking for a job Wednesday night.

He then informed the Steelers that he would accept their offer to be the team's offensive line coach.

It could wind up being the biggest - or at least best - move the team makes this offseason.

A Hall of Fame lineman, Munchak brings immediate credibility to the position. After his retirement as a player in 1993, the spend the next 14 seasons coaching for Jeff Fisher before replacing Fisher as Tennessee's head coach in 2011.

Munchak coached five Pro Bowl offensive linemen in his tenure, Kevin Mawae, Michael Roos, Brad Hopkins, Mark Stepnoski and Bruce Matthews.

He's also had a lot of success teaching the zone blocking schemes the Steelers tried to install in 2013 with little success - a big reason why former coach Jack Bicknell, Jr., was fired at the end of the season.

With a young, improving line, former Super Bowl-winning quarterback and rookie running back looking to improve on  a season in which he had 1,200 total yards, adding a coach with Munchak's skills is a big win for the Steelers.

@ Kirby Wilson will have a second interview for the Ravens' offensive coordinator position on Friday.

It appears that he and Kyle Shanahan are the finalists for that position.

Kirby Wilson to Baltimore?

Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson, who has been with the team since 2007, will interview with the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday for their vacant offensive coordinator position.

Wilson has been a running backs coach in the NFL for 15 seasons and is ready to take a step up. In fact, many felt if he had not suffered burns in a house fire in the 2012 offseason, it might have been Wilson, not Todd Haley, who would have replaced Bruce Arians as the Steelers offensive coordinator.

The Ravens are looking for their third offensive coordinator in the past three seasons. Jim Cadwell, who replaced Cam Cameron during the 2012 season, was hired as Detroit's new head coach despite the Ravens ranking in the bottom third of the league in nearly every offensive category last season.

@ Troy Polamalu has backed out of the Pro Bowl, citing an injury as the reason.

That's pretty much code for saying he just doesn't want to play in the game.

Cleveland's T.J. Ward replaced Polamalu on the roster.

@ There's been no movement on the Steelers offensive line coaching position.

It could be that Mike Munchak, who interviewed last week, is waiting to see what happens with the Cleveland head coaching position.

The way guys are pulling themselves out of consideration for that position, Munchak might end up getting the job by default.

What the Steelers want

Watching the AFC Championship game today, I couldn't help but think that the Denver offense is exactly what the Steelers want their offense to look like moving forward.

They want the ball out of Ben Roethlisberger's hands quickly, just as Manning did all day.

They want Roethlisberger calling plays at the line of scrimmage, giving him the ability to check out of bad plays and into good ones, just as Manning did.

They want to control the clock with their offense, just as the Broncos did, keeping Tom Brady standing on the sidelines for long periods of time.

Do the Steelers have the ability and players to run that style of offense?

They certainly did in the second half of 2013. While they didn't put up the 40 points per game the Broncos did this season, the Steelers averaged 28.2 points per game over their final nine games.

What they need is another dynamic receiver opposite Antonio Brown to make the offense complete.

In Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, the Broncos have a pair of big, physical receivers capable of creating size mismatches. And Thomas has outstanding speed as well. The Steelers really don't have one of those.

That's why if they get a chance to grab a big, dynamic wide receiver early in this year's draft, the Steelers should do so.

As we saw with Denver, your defense doesn't have to be great to get to the Super Bowl. A dynamic offense can make an average defense look a whole lot better.

Steelers interview Munchak

Mike Munchak became the second person to interview for the Steelers' vacant offensive line coach job on Friday.

Munchak, who was fired at the end of the season after three years as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, met with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Todd Haley on Friday.

The former Penn State star and Pro Football Hall of Fame member was a nine-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman with the Houston Oilers and 10-time All-Pro selection (try to make sense of that).

He joined the Oilers as a coach after his retirement in 1993 and stuck with the team through its move to Tennessee.

The only other candidate to interview for the position, which was vacated when Jack Bicknell Jr. was fired at the conclusion of the regular season, has been assistant offensive line coach Sean Sarrett.

@ The Steelers are considering lowering the prices of their preseason game tickets.

No decision has been made as of yet in regards to that move, but if it happens, you might also expect a slight increase in regular season game ticket prices.

Bettis belongs in the Hall of Fame

When you mention Jerome Bettis here in Western Pennsylvania, images of No. 36 ploughing his way through defenders and then getting up off the ground to do his little sideways “Bus” dance while shaking his head come to mind.

Why not? For 10 seasons Bettis was the Steelers.

Bettis has been turned away in three consecutive years as a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in favor of other running backs, Marshall Faulk, Curtis Martin and Emmitt Smith.

That’s understandable. Those three running backs are three of the best to ever play the game.

So was Bettis.

But some of the members of the panel of journalists who vote for the hall apparently don’t think so. In fact, just this week, when asked who he thought would make it this year, voter Peter King, who works for Sports Illustrated and NBC, didn’t mention Bettis even among those who he thought were borderline.

Really?

The NFL’s sixth all-time leading rusher with 13,662 yards isn’t a no-brainer? A man who is tied for 10^th all-time – with Franco Harris – with 91 career rushing touchdowns doesn’t belong in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

If that’s the case, they shouldn’t even have a Hall of Fame.

Some of the anti-Bettis crowd – for lack of a better term – point to his career yards per rush average of 3.9. 

But they fail to recognize that he spent his final two seasons almost strictly as a short-yardage back and fourth quarter closer, albeit one on some very good teams.

That also fails to recognize that John Riggins, a running back who doesn’t have anywhere close to Bettis’ overall career numbers, is already in the Hall of Fame with a career rushing average of 3.9 yards.

Add to that some of the quarterbacks Bettis took handoffs from – Jim Everett, T.J. Rubley and Chris Miller with the Rams; Kordell Stewart, Mike Tomczak, Kent Graham and Tommy Maddox with the Steelers – and it’s amazing he ever had a 100-yard game let alone 1,000-yard seasons.

It wasn’t until 2004, when the Steelers brought in Ben Roethlisberger, that Bettis ever played with a quarterback who could match his talent.

All Bettis did in that season, at the age of 32, was rush for 941 yards in just six starts while sharing time with Willie Parker.

And Bettis did his damage playing at 240-plus pounds throughout his career.

In fact, Bettis’ 13,662 yards are twice as many as any other 240-plus-pound running back has gained.

Riggins and Earl Campbell, two “big” backs Bettis is compared to, both played in the 230-pound range. Christian Okoye, another running back who played at 250 pounds, only lasted six seasons in the NFL and had just two 1,000-yard seasons.

The bottom line is this: there are currently 29 running backs from the modern era in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Only five of those players gained more yards rushing than Bettis.

Just when you thought

Just when you thought the Pro Bowl couldn't get any more slappy, Deion Sanders tweeted today that he plans on playing in the game and is hoping to talk Jerry Rice into doing so as well.

Great.

The game has already become a joke - even before the league went to its no conference designation this year. Players don't want to go. And they certainly don't want to play in another game.

But obviously somebody thinks - Roger Goodell? - that Sanders playing will help pump up the non-existent ratings or make some of the stars want to play?

I watched Sanders not tackle anyone throughout his NFL career. Why in the hell would I want to watch him again in a game in which tackling in notoriously lacking?

As for getting Rice to play, we saw him hold onto his playing career way too long as it was. Doesn't anyone remember the Oakland years when he couldn't get open against linebackers?

The league should scrap the entire Pro Bowl. Just name the team. Let the players who are named go to Hawaii or some other exotic place and make it like "Battle of the Network Stars."

Let them compete in cornhole or rope climbing or horseshoes for all I care. But don't put them on a football field with absolutely no intention of actually playing, you know, football and tell me I should care about it.

And don't subject me to any more Deion Sanders.

@ The Pro Football Writers of America released their All-Pro and All-AFC and NFC teams today.

Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was the only Pittsburgh player named, earning a spot on the All-AFC roster.

Thoughts on Rooney's statements

Steelers president Art Rooney II said a number of things of interest this week, including the fact that he'd like quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to retire as a member of the Steelers.

That wasn't always necessarily the case. When Roethlisberger was accused of rape in Georgia back in 2010,  it was very nearly the end of Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers, of course, decided to hold onto Roethlisberger rather than trade him, and he's been a model citizen since. He got married, quit putting himself in situations where he could be accused of anything and even opened up with the media more so than ever before.

Rooney said the Steelers won't necessarily work on a contract extension this offseason with Roethlisberger, who has two years remaining on his current deal. And while it's true the Steelers might not HAVE to do so, it would benefit Pittsburgh to sign Roethlisberger to an extension.

The Steelers could lower Roethlisberger's 2014 cap hit by as much as $4 million next season even with a deal that pays him in the average range of Joe Flacco's $20 million per season, while also giving the quarterback a hefty signing bonus that would be incentive for him to get a deal done as well.

Rooney also said he was happy with the progress the offense made this season, noting that many of the team's issues were defensive.

That said, he correctly noted the issues with the team's defense.

"We need to be better. There's no denying that," Rooney said. "Whether it's age-related or otherwise, I'm not too concerned about the age, it's just about getting better."

That will be the team's main focus this offseason.

The offense has the potential to lose only two cogs - wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery.

It expect the Steelers to make a strong push to sign at least one of those two, with Cotchery being the most likely.

That means retooling the defense with draft picks/free agents will be the offseason priority.

I would expect a change at free safety, where Ryan Clark has roamed since 2006.

Clark was a solid player for a lot of years for this team. But with the change in the NFL rules to take away big hits in the secondary, he's become something of a dinosaur. The free safety in today's NFL doesn't need to be as much of a big hitter as he does someone who can take the football away.

Three former Steelers on Hall's final list of 15

Three men with ties to the Steelers are among the 15 finalists for induction into the NFL Hall of Fame this year.

Running back Jerome Bettis, linebacker Kevin Greene and coach Tony Dungy all made the final cut. They will be among those considered by the voting board during Super Bowl week this year. The inductees will be announced the day before the Super Bowl.

Bettis has been passed over the past few years while some other running backs - Marshall Faulk, Curtis Martin and Emmitt Smith - got in.

But Bettis is the lone running back on the final 15 list this year. That bodes well for him.

@ The Miami Dolphins have begun the search for their new general manager to replace Jeff Ireland and have asked permission to speak to Steelers Director of Football and Business Administration Omar Khan.

Khan has been interviewed for general manager positions before, but this might be the best fit for him outside of returning to his native Louisiana.

The Dolphins are trying like crazy to catch up to the Patriots in the AFC East and have some pieces in place.

At some point, he's going to get an offer elsewhere that he can't refuse.

Where the Steelers go from here

The No. 1 priority for the Steelers heading into this offseason is to re-sign linebacker Jason Worilds.

After allowing wide receiver Mike Wallace and cornerback Keenan Lewis to leave as free agents following the 2012 season because they couldn’t afford to sign them to new deals, the Steelers aren’t about to let another good young talent get away.

The problem is that the Steelers are currently projected to be just under $13 million over the 2014 estimated salary cap, including dead money from players already released and workout bonuses.

The team will also need an additional $5.8 million to sign their draft picks and some additional money for the practice squad, emergencies, etc. By the time all is said and done, they’ll need between $18 and $20 million in cap space.

The first order of business will be clearing the cap space needed to be compliant by March 11, when the new fiscal year begins.

Releasing offensive tackle Levi Brown will account for $6.25 million of that and is an easy fix. Brown never played a down for the Steelers after being acquired via a trade for a conditional pick with Arizona. Since Brown met none of the conditions of the trade, no pick will be exchanged.

Veteran linebacker Larry Foote, who spent most of 2013 on injured reserve, could also be released at a savings of $1.17 million.

So where will the rest of the money come from?

An extension to Roethlisberger could net the team $3 to $4 million in cap savings for 2014 and seems to be a no-brainer. And simple restructures in the deals of Brown and linebacker Lawrence Timmons could create an additional $8 million in cap space.

The team could also approach cornerback Ike Taylor and inquire about the possibility of taking a paycut on the $7 million salary he is scheduled to earn in 2014. But, as happened in 2013 with James Harrison, the team must also be prepared to release Taylor if he isn’t agreeable to taking a cut.

Placing the franchise tag on Worilds would cost $10.9 million and would keep the linebacker from bolting in free agency but might be too high a cost for the Steelers to afford. But they might not have a choice at this point and would have to release another veteran outright to use the tag and hope they can work out a new deal with Worilds to lower that total.

One of the biggest issues facing the Steelers is what to do with outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley.

Woodley has missed time with injuries in each of the past three seasons and is scheduled to make $13.5 million. If the Steelers re-sign Worilds as expected, they will release Woodley.

But they likely won’t be able to make that move until after June 1, at which time they can free up $8 million with the other $5.3 million being carried over to 2015. Releasing Woodley prior to June 1 means the Steelers would take a $14 million hit against their cap in 2014.

But the Steelers will have to carry Woodley’s $13.5 million salary against their cap until his June 1 release.

The Steelers will also need to figure out ways to re-sign some of their own free agents.

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders will want more than a minimum deal, as will safety Ryan Clark. Neither will likely return.

But the Steelers might be able to work out minimum deals with wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who led the team with 10 touchdown catches, running back Jonathan Dwyer, long snapper Greg Warren, defensive lineman Al Woods and offensive lineman Guy Whimper.

Center Fernando Velasco would have required a decent contract offer given his play throughout the season, but after suffering an Achilles tendon injury late in the year, could be re-signed for a minimum deal prior to training camp. If Velasco gets another offer or the team feels he’s not progressing with his rehab well enough, 

Cody Wallace could be re-signed as well.

With Clark gone, the Steelers will also look to add a veteran at free safety as well. Will Allen could fill that role if he is re-signed, though cornerback William Gay could also be moved to that spot.

Steelers unrestricted free agents (and their chances of re-signing)

S Will Allen (60-40)

WR Plaxico Burress (10-90)

S Ryan Clark (10-90)

WR Jerricho Cotchery (70-30)

RB Jonathan Dwyer (60-40)

DE Ziggy Hood (60-40)

TE David Johnson (50-50)

RB Felix Jones (25-75)

DE Brett Keisel (60-40)

P Mat McBriar (30-70)

OL Eric Olsen (20-80)

TE Michael Palmer (50-50)

WR Emmanuel Sanders (20-80)

RB LaRod Stephens-Howling (50-50)

LB Stevenson Sylvester (50-50)

C Cody Wallace (50-50)

LS Greg Warren (40-60)

LB Jamaal Westerman (30-70)

OL Guy Whimper (60-40)

DT Al Woods (70-30)

LB Jason Worilds (80-20)

OL Fernando Velasco (80-20)

2013 Steelers: What went wrong

Since I've already touched on what went right for the Steelers in 2013, here's a look at what went wrong in the second part of this series

The Steelers scored 19 points in their first two games, then allowed 74 points in their next two to fall to 0-4.

The team also turned the ball over 11 times in those first four games, with Roethlisberger accounting for nine of those giveaways with fumbles and interceptions.

Pittsburgh went 8-4 after that start, but needed one more victory – or a correct call by the officials on two separate plays in the Kansas City-San Diego game in Week 17 – to get into the playoffs.

The biggest issue was big plays.

The defense allowed an astounding five runs of 40 or more yards and 12 passes of that length or greater. 

The defense was better in the second half, but still had some letdowns, most notably a pair of long runs allowed in a 34-28 loss at Heinz Field to Miami Dec. 8, that helped keep the Steelers out of the playoffs.

Injuries also played a factor. In addition to losing Pouncey in the season opener, the Steelers also lost inside linebacker Larry Foote for the season in that game. All told, the Steelers ended the season with 11 players on injured reserve, including Pouncey’s replacement, Fernando Velasco, and linebacker LaMarr Woodley.

The run defense was also not up to its usual stout standards. Pittsburgh allowed 115.6 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry while opponents scored 18 rushing touchdowns.

The rushing yards per game and average per carry were the teams’ worst since 1999, while the rushing touchdowns allowed were the most since the team gave up 20 during a 5-11 season in 1988.

The rushing offense, as a whole, wasn’t much better. Despite Bell’s surge, Pittsburgh averaged 74 yards rushing per game in the first half of the season and 99 yards per game in the second. The 84.2 yards per game average for the season was Pittsburgh’s worst since the 1970 NFL merger. And its 3.5 yards per carry average was identical in the first half and second half.

It helped cost offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. his job.

There were also some issues in the kicking game, particularly with the punters.

Drew Butler, the team’s punter in 2012, was released just prior to the opening of the regular season and replaced by Zoltan Mesko, a Patriots castoff. Mesko was inconsistent and had just three of his 34 punts downed inside the 20.

He was replaced at midseason by Mat McBriar, who also dealt with some inconsistences. McBriar did, however, place 13 of 40 punts inside the 20.

Breaking down the 2013 Steelers

I'm going to do a little three-part series (OK, not so little) on what went right and wrong with the Steelers in 2013 and where I think the team will go this offseason over the next few days.

I'll start out today with what went right:

Several young players emerged as potential stars of the future, including defensive end Cameron Heyward, linebacker Jason Worilds, guards David DeCastro and Ramon Foster and rookie running back Le’Veon Bell.

None of that group played a big role for the Steelers in 2012, but all took turns starring for the team in 2013.

Heyward, a 2011 first-round draft pick, moved into the starting lineup for good after the team’s 0-4 start. 

He finished the season with six sacks, 34 hurries and batted down five passes at the line of scrimmage. Only Houston’s J.J. Watt, with six, had more pass deflections among 3-4 defensive ends.

As good as Heyward was, Worilds might have been better. Despite sharing time with rookie Jarvis Jones for nearly half the season and missing the regular season finale against Cleveland with an abdominal injury, Worilds led all NFL 3-4 outside linebackers with 21 quarterback hits, six more than the next closest player.

Worilds, a 2010 second-round draft pick, led the Steelers with eight sacks, adding 54 tackles and two forced fumbles.

DeCastro drew the ire of fans for accidentally injuring center Maurkice Pouncey’s knee and ending his season on Pittsburgh’s opening drive of the regular season opener. But the 2012 first round draft pick rebounded to become the team’s best run blocker. He only allowed two sacks all season and also had just two penalties.

DeCastro was part of a line that got better as the season wore on. Like DeCastro, left guard Ramon Foster allowed just two sacks and had two penalties all season, while Kelvin Beachum replaced Mike Adams at left tackle after the team fell to 0-4 and solidified that position.

As a group, the line allowed quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to be sacked just seven times in the final seven games.

Bell was also part of that. The rookie missed the first three games of the regular season after suffering a foot injury in the team’s second preseason game. The 2013 second-round draft pick got off to a slow start, gaining just 282 yards rushing in his first five games. But he gained 578 yards rushing in the team’s final eight games.

Bell also had 45 receptions – just six behind John L. Williams’ team-record for a running back – for 399 yards, giving him 1,259 yards from scrimmage, a total that broke Franco Harris’ record for a rookie running back set in 1972.

In addition to their breakout stars, the Steelers got their usual solid seasons from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown – who won his second team MVP award in three seasons – and safety Troy Polamalu.

After the line play settled down without Pouncey, offensive coordinator Todd Haley began allowing Roethlisberger to run the offense more out of a no-huddle look – something the quarterback had long pushed for.

Roethlisberger responded by throwing for 4,261 yards and 28 touchdowns, both of which rank as the second-best totals in team history, and the Steelers scored 20 or more points in their final nine games, their longest such streak since 2002. Roethlisberger also played every snap in every game for the first time in his 10-year career.

Brown earned his second Pro Bowl berth setting a team record with 1,499 yards receiving and finishing with 110 receptions – the second most in team history – and a career-high eight touchdowns. He ranked second the NFL in receptions and receiving yardage and third in the league in punt return average.

Polamalu, meanwhile, led all NFL defensive backs with five forced fumbles and also had two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown while playing in all 16 games.

Tomlin refuses to play what if

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin watched the events of the Kansas City at San Diego game unfold Sunday night in his basement with his two sons.

And according to Tomlin, he immediately recognized that the Chargers were in an illegal formation when Kansas City placekicker Ryan Succop pushed a potential game-winning 41-yard field goal attempt wide to the right with four seconds remaining.

San Diego went on to win the game, 27-24, in overtime, sending the Chargers into the playoffs at 9-7 and ending the Steelers season at 8-8.

What did Tomlin say as the foul was occurring?

"I'll leave that between myself, my sons and our basement," Tomlin said.

The NFL issued a statement Monday that said referee Bill Leavy’s crew erred in not penalizing the Chargers five yards for having too many men on the right side of the ball at the line of scrimmage, a violation of a new rule instituted this season to help increase player safety. The Chargers overloaded the right side of the line with seven players.

“On the play, San Diego lined up with seven men on one side of the snapper,” the NFL said in a statement. “This should have been penalized as an illegal formation by the defense.

“Rule 9, Section 1, Article 3(b)(1) of the NFL Rule Book (page 51) states that ‘No more than six Team B players may be on the line of scrimmage on either side of the snapper at the snap.’ The rule was adopted this year as a player safety measure.

“The penalty for illegal formation by the defense is a loss of five yards. This rule is not subject to instant replay review. Had the penalty been assessed, it would have resulted in a fourth-and-7 from the San Diego 18 with 0:04 remaining, enabling the Chiefs to attempt a 36-yard field goal.”

Leavy’s crew also blew a play dead on a fake punt by the Chargers in overtime as Eric Weddle continued to fight forward for yardage. The Chiefs stripped Weddle of the ball and returned it for a touchdown.

Former NFL head of officiating Mike Pereira tweeted Sunday night that he felt the play should not have been blown dead and the fumble and touchdown should have stood.

Game officials have made a number of crucial errors this season, and Tomlin, who is a member of the league’s competition committee, feels those issues will be addressed in the offseason.

"Obviously, there is a lot of work that needs to be done from an officiating standpoint," Tomlin said. "I think it has been played out and well documented over the last several weeks ... I look forward to being part of the process in helping it improve.'

Had Leavy's crew made the correct call in either of those situations, the Steelers would be preparing to play the Bengals this weekend in Cincinnati.

Instead, they're preparing for their offseason.

"We stepped into 16 stadiums this year with an opportunity to state our case, and we didn't state a strong enough case, so I am not going to lose a lot of sleep over something that went on in a stadium that we weren't even in," Tomlin said.

@ The Steelers went 6-2 in the second half, the best record in the AFC. Only Carolina, at 7-1, had a better second half record.

@ Cornerback Curtis Brown will have surgery to repair his torn ACL on Friday. Tomlin said Brown had to wait until his MCL healed before he could undergo the surgery.

@ Tomlin spoke highly of Kelvin Beachum's play at left tackle but said he'd like to continue to see him improve. It definitely sounds, however, as if the Steelers are preparing to go into 2014 with Beachum at left tackle.

@ Tomlin refused to comment on the future of any players or coaches, but unless somebody really wants to leave, I doubt there will be any big makeovers on the staff.