Final Mock

This is the one that will be appearing the paper Saturday, barring any trade tonight.

1. Miami, Jake Long, OT, Michigan. Miami went the safe route and signed Long to a deal earlier this week. The Dolphins will likely take a quarterback with their first pick in the second round.
2. St. Louis, Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU. If the Rams stay in this spot, they’ll take Dorsey, but there are a number of teams who may want to move up to get him, New Orleans topping that list.
3. Atlanta, Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College. If Dorsey were still available, the Falcons may have taken him and waited until the second round for a QB. But Ryan is a nice consolation prize.
4. Oakland, Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas. How does Al Davis pass on former Raiders’ star Howie Long’s son, Chris? He’s apparently enamored with McFadden, even though the team has a bevy of running backs.
5. Kansas City, Chris Long, DE, Virginia. The trade of Jared Allen to Minnesota netted the Chiefs some extra picks, including Minnesota’s No. 1 this year. Now, the draft nets them a solid replacement for Allen.
6. New York Jets, Vernon Gholston, OLB, Ohio State. The Jets really wanted McFadden, but settle on Gholston, who will shift from defensive end to outside linebacker in their 3-4 defense.
7. New England (from San Francisco), Keith Rivers, LB, USC. The Patriots haven’t selected a linebacker before the fifth round of the draft since Bill Belichick became head coach. But retirements and free agency have made that a necessity now.
8. Baltimore, Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State. The Ravens could move up if Atlanta doesn’t select Ryan. But with Jonathan Ogden likely to retire, Clady fills a big need as well. Baltimore will take a QB in the second round.
9. Cincinnati, Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC. A high character player, Ellis may feel out of place in the Bengals’ locker room. But Cincinnati struck out in all its attempts to acquire a defensive tackle in the offseason.
10. New Orleans, Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy. If the Saints can’t move up to take Dorsey or Ellis, they’ll take a cornerback. McKelvin is also an excellent return man, allowing the Saints to hold Reggie Bush out of that role.
11. Buffalo, Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie. The Bills could go for Michigan State wide receiver Devin Thomas, but will likely wait until the second round to fill that need. Rodgers-Cromartie has the size and speed to match up with bigger wideouts.
12. Denver, Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt. With Matt Lepsis’ retirement, the Broncos have a hole at left tackle. Williams fills that need, though there are some rumors that he has back problems, which could mean the Broncos take Branden Albert instead.
13. Carolina, Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida. Mike Rucker retired this week and the Panthers need somebody to take the pressure off of Julius Peppers rushing the passer.
14. Chicago, Jeff Otah, OT, Pitt. The Bears could take a running back, but Otah is just the type of road-grader offensive lineman the Bears like. They can then grab a running back in later rounds.
15. Detroit, Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois. The Lions released Kevin Jones and T.J. Duckett left in free agency. They would take Harvey if he’s available. But since he’s not, Mendenhall should be the pick.
16. Arizona, Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida. Antrel Rolle is making the move from corner to free safety leaving the Cards with a hole at cornerback. Jenkins is a solid player and gives Ken Whisenhunt some much-needed depth at the position.
17. Kansas City (from Minnesota), Branden Albert, OL, Virginia. Larry Johnson had nowhere to run for much of the season last year because the once-proud Chiefs offensive line was mediocre at best. Albert is an immediate starter.
18. Houston, Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon. The Texans wanted an offensive lineman or corner, but the guys they were targeting in the first round were off the board, so they fill another need, taking the bruising Stewart.
19. Philadelphia, Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State. The Eagles have been searching for a big wideout to pair with Donovan McNabb since Terrell Owens left. Now they get one in Thomas, who had a huge 2007 season.
20. Tampa Bay, Limas Sweed, WR, Texas. Joey Galloway is 36 years old, even though he hasn’t appeared to slow down much. But at some point, they need a talented young receiver to take his place.
21. Washington, Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson. New head coach Jim Zorn and owner Daniel Snyder attended Merling’s workouts earlier this week at Clemson. And defensive line is a huge need for the Redskins, though they’d take Thomas or Sweed if they were available.
22. Dallas (from Cleveland), Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas. After letting Julius Jones leave in free agency, the Cowboys get a speedy young running back to pair with Marion Barber.
23. Pittsburgh, Gosder Cherlius, OT, Boston College. There isn’t a defensive lineman the Steelers like in this spot and the only other player who might interest them is Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo. Cherlius fills a big need.
24. Tennessee, Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina. The Titans still have Albert Haynesworth, but need somebody to line up next to him. A wide receiver is possible – James Hardy? – but Jeff Fisher is a defensive-minded coach.
25. Seattle, Lawrence Jackson, USC. Jackson had an excellent on-campus workout a few weeks ago and was productive in USC’s defense. He’s a bit of a surprise here, though, since the Seahawks could also go for a tight end.
26. Jacksonville, Quinton Groves, DE/LB, Auburn. Groves will play defensive end for the Jaguars, who need some help at the position. They would have liked Balmer or Jackson, but settle for Groves.
27. San Diego, Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville. I don’t think the Chargers will be making this pick. But Brohm will be taken in this spot by a team at the top of the second round that wants to move up for a quarterback.
28. Dallas, Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas State. Talib would have gone earlier, but three positive drug tests in college force him down. As Jerry Jones proved earlier this week by trading for Pacman Jones, he doesn’t mind bringing in bad character players.
29. San Francisco (from Indianapolis), Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma. Kelly was once considered the top WR in this draft, but didn’t run well. But he’s a player and even though the 49ers signed Issac Bruce and Bryant Johnson, they need some talented youth at the position.
30. Green Bay, Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona. Cason was considered one of the top corners available until he didn’t run well at the combine. But he’s a playmaker and Green Bay’s starting corners are both over 30.
31. New England (pick forfeited) 
32. New York Giants, Jerod Mayo, LB. Tennessee. The Giants could go for a corner or safety, but Mayo is too good to pass up at this point.

Draft weekend updates

Check back early and often this weekend as I'll be updating what I'm hearing throughout the draft process Saturday and Sunday from the Steelers' headquarters.

Seahawks cut Alexander

The Seattle Seahawks cut ties with running back Shaun Alexander on Tuesday, a curious move to make on the eve of the draft.

Alexander could interest the Steelers, who continue to look for a complimentary runner for Willie Parker.

With much of the free agent period completed and the draft coming up, there's not a lot of money out there to be spent by teams, so Alexander isn't going to get a big contract.

Detroit may be interested and would make sense as a possible destination, but if Alexander wants to take another run at a Super Bowl, he may not jump at an offer just to start.

Starks signs tender

In what was a smart move for Max Starks, he signed the Steelers' transition tender offer of $6.9 million on Saturday, a week before the NFL draft.

Though I was told it was unlikely the Steelers would pull the transition tag off of Starks, the team's No. 3 tackle in 2007, Starks had to be thinking that if the team selected offensive linemen with its first two picks next week – as it did with linebackers in 2007 – yanking the offer may have been a possibility.

Starks' signing means that right tackle Willie Colon will likely shift to left guard to replace departed Alan Faneca. He also gives the team some insurance should left tackle Marvel Smith's surgically repaired back act up again in 2008.

Mock Take 2

1. Miami, Chris Long, DE, Virginia. Though the Dolphins opened negotiations with offensive tackle Jake Long first, you can bet they’ll also do so with some of the others considered. And Bill Parcells will settle on Chris Long as the pick. Pick in previous draft: Long

2. St. Louis, Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State. The Rams could grab offensive tackle Jake Long, but feel the value will be there later in the draft. Gholston is a lot like current Rams’ star Leonard Little, without the drinking problem. Previous pick: Jake Long.

3. Atlanta, Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU. No change from my previous draft, as Dorsey fills a big need.

4. Oakland, Jake Long, OT, Michigan. After striking out with Robert Gallery a couple of years ago, the Raiders go for another offensive tackle. Previous pick: Sedrick Ellis.

5. Kansas City, Matt Ryan, QB, Kansas City. The Chiefs will be looking to move down and pick up some extra selections – Baltimore being a possibility. Barring that, the Chiefs go for a QB. Previous pick: Ryan.

6. N.Y. Jets, Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas. McFadden gives the Jets a running back of the future and a home run hitter. Previous pick: McFadden.

7. New England, Keith Rivers, LB, USC. The Patriots haven’t selected a linebacker higher than the fifth round under Bill Belichick. But that has to change this year. Previous pick: Gholston.

8. Baltimore, Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State. With Jonathan Ogden likely to retire, Clady makes sense here unless the Ravens can get Ryan. Previous pick: Clady.

9. Cincinnati, Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC. The Bengals failed in their attempts to acquire some beef up front in the offseason, but Ellis will fill that need. Previous pick: Rivers.

10. New Orleans, Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy. With Dorsey and Ellis off the board, the Saints go for a defensive playmaker. McKelvin paired with Reggie Bush would give the Saints a ridiculously good return game. Previous pick: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie..

11. Buffalo, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State. The Bills would like a receiver, but none are worthy of being taken this high. Previous pick: Derrick Harvey

12. Denver, Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt. With Matt Lepsis’ retirement, the need for an offensive tackle is too grat to overlook. Previous pick: Williams

13. Carolina, Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida. The Panthers need somebody to rush the passer opposite Julius Peppers. Previous pick: Branden Albert.

14. Chicago, Jeff Otah, OT, Pitt. The Bears have a big need at offensive tackle. Running back Rashard Mendenhall is also a possibility. Previous pick: Otah.

15. Detroit, Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois. With Kevin Jones’ release, the team won’t go with Tatum Bell as it’s top back. That makes Mendenhall a necessity.

16. Arizona, Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida. The Cardinals desperately need help at cornerback. Previous pick: McKelvin.

17. Minnesota, Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson. Merling takes care of a need for the Vikings. Previous Pick: Merling.

18. Houston, Branden Albert, G/OT, Virginia. The Texans need corner help, but with the top three off the borad, and Aqib Talib falling because of off-field problems, they go offensive line. Albert can play left tackle. Previous pick: Kenny Phillips.

19. Philadelphia, Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State. The Eagles have been trying to get Donovan McNabb wide receiver help since Terrell Owens went crazy in Philadelphia. Previous pick: Mike Jenkins.

20. Tampa Bay, Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma. Kelly was once considered the top receiver in the draft, but poor workouts caused him to drop. He won’t drop too far, though. Previous pick: Kelly.

21. Washington, Limas Sweed, WR, Texas. Three receivers in a row. Previous pick: Devin Thomas.

22. Dallas, Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas. Some felt Jerry Jones would move up to take Darren McFadden. But why do that when Jones is available? Previous pick: Jonathan Stewart.

23. Pittsburgh, Gosder Cherlius, OT, Boston College. The Steelers give serious thought to Stewart, but go for the bigger need. Previous pick: Quentin Groves.

24. Tennessee, DeSean Jackson, WR, California. The Titans need to get Vince Young some help. Previous pick: Kentwaan Balmer.

25. Seattle, Kentwaan Balmer, DT, North Carolina. The Seahawks are tempted by Stewart as well, but go for the bigger need. Previous pick: Martellus Bennett.

26. Jacksonville, Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC. Jackson’s stock is rising after a solid workout and the Jaguars need help at defensive end. Previous pick. Calais Campbell.

27. San Diego, Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon. After losing Michael Turner, the Chargers grab another powerful runner to pair with LaDanian Tomlinson. Previous pick: Gosder Cherlius.

28. Dallas, Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas. The Cowboys roll the dice, even though Talib reportedly skipped a scheduled meeting with them recently. Previous pick: Talib.

29. San Francisco, Quentin Groves, LB, Auburn. Groves was an undersized defensive end at Auburn, but will play outside linebacker in San Francisco’s 3-4.

30. Green Bay, Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona. Al Harris and Charles Woodson aren’t getting any younger. Previous pick: Dan Connor.

31. N.Y. Giants, Kenny Phillps, S, Miami (Fla.). Phillips didn’t run well, but he’s a playmaker. Previous pick: Reggie Smith.

A closer look at the schedule

At first glance, the Pittsburgh Steelers 2008 schedule looks loaded with annual and potential playoff contenders – and it is.

But looking at it a little more closely, it's not as bad as it seems.

In fact, the playoffs could be a strong possiblility again in Mike Tomlin's second season.

I know – it's difficult to look at a schedule, particularly before the draft, and say who's going to do what.

But if you look at it with an eye on the past, you can get an idea of what the end result will look like.

The Steelers open at home Sept. 7 in a game against the Houston Texans, a game they should win with relative ease.

After that, they travel to Cleveland to face the team many feel will be the one to beat in the AFC North this season.

But Cleveland still has to show that it can beat the Steelers, something it has done just once in the last 10 times the two teams have met. Even though it will be a Sunday night game and the Browns will be fired up for prime time, I’m not ready to chalk that up as a loss just yet.

We'll come back to this game later.

Next, Pittsburgh travels cross state to face Philadelphia Sept. 21.

The Eagles will be coming off a short week after playing at Dallas on Monday night. Again, it’s a tough game, but not one I’d ready to assume is a loss even though the Steelers haven’t won in Philadelphia in the regular season since 1965, going 0-7 in that span.

The Steelers return home to face Baltimore in a Monday night game Sept. 29, a game they should win.

They next head to Jacksonville on a short week to face the Jaguars in another prime time game, one that is likely a loss. Pittsburgh has its bye in Week 6 and comes out of that to head to Cincinnati. Given what Cincinnati has done this offseason, there’s nothing to suggest the Steelers shouldn’t win that game.

After that, Pittsburgh comes home to face the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, a game they should be able to win at home. As the Steelers found out a couple of years ago, everybody gives the defending champions their best shot.

They then head to Washington for a Monday night game Nov. 3 in what should be another tossup.

Nov. 9, the Steelers return home on the short week to face Indianapolis. But Indianapolis will be coming off a game against New England, which, given the way that game has been treated in recent years, will be like a mini-Super Bowl.

It smells like a letdown game to me for the Colts.

The Steelers had better not have a similar letdown the next week, as San Diego rolls into Pittsburgh. But the Chargers are just 2-12 in games in Pittsburgh, so you have to like the Steelers in that one as well.

Finally, a three-game home swing ends Thursday, Nov. 20 with a game against Cincinnati, a game that will be very difficult for the Bengals considering the short week.

That should be another victory.

Pittsburgh heads to New England Nov. 30 in what should be a sure loss before coming back home to host Dallas Dec. 7. The game will be the Cowboys’ lone road trip in a five-game stretch and we’ll write it off as a loss.

After that, Pittsburgh heads on a two-game road trip, first at Baltimore, then at Tennessee.

The Steelers, for whatever reason, always seem to split with the Ravens, so a win at Heinz Field earlier in the year will mean that we’ll chalk up a loss in that one.

At Tennessee the next week, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau should be able to come up with a plan to shut down the running game and force Vince Young to beat the Steelers, something I don’t think he’s capable of doing.

Finally, the Steelers finish up with Cleveland at home in a game that could decide the winner of the AFC North.

With the schedule the way it is before the bye, the Steelers figure to be 3-2 at best, 2-3 at worst at that point.

If they start 3-2, wins over Cincinnati (twice), the Giants, Indianapolis, San Diego and Tennessee will have the Steelers sitting at 9-6 heading into the finale with the Browns and likely mean that a win at Heinz Field will give the Steelers a playoff spot and/or the AFC North title.

If they go 2-3 in their first five games, they’re going to have to steal a win at some point – against Dallas at home, or Baltimore or Washington on the road – to get to where a win over the Browns in the finale will put them at 10-6.

Now all of this supposes wins over a couple of tough teams at home – Indianapolis and San Diego – along the way. But that's not out of the question.

What happens with the draft and injuries will certainly play a factor in what eventually happens this season.

But the bottom line is that the Steelers figure to be in the hunt for the playoffs again in 2008.

I guess I was right

When Cedrick Wilson was released last month following his arrest for assaulting his former girlfriend in a crowded bar, many pundits claimed the Steelers weren’t being consistent.

Why did the team release Wilson and not linebacker James Harrison or running back Najeh Davenport, two players facing similar charges?

At the time, I simply stated that while Wilson allegedly punched his former girlfriend in a crowded bar with multiple witnesses, there were no witnesses in Harrison and Davenport’s cases other than the two men and the two women involved.

In the past couple of weeks, charges against Harrison were dropped, while Davenport won a case in court, showing that I was right.

I’m not saying that domestic violence isn’t abhorrent and doesn’t occur. But when it becomes a case of one person’s word against another, it’s awfully hard to prove guilt unless there are obvious signs of trauma. It become a case of he said-she said. And any parent knows that there is no good way to settle such disputes without evidence.

In Wilson’s case, however, with a number of witnesses available, there was no way he was going to be proven innocent.

First mock

With the NFL draft now just a couple of weeks away, it’s time to start figuring out who is going to go where.

Here’s one stab at who could – or at least in my opinion, should – go where.

1. Miami Dolphins, Chris Long, DE. Virginia. Long is everything you’d want in a player, though the Dolphins would certainly like to trade down to acquire more picks.

2. St. Louis, Jake Long, OT, Michigan. St. Louis’ offensive line was awful last season because of injuries and ineffectiveness.

3. Atlanta, Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU. Dorsey’s workouts eased a lot of minds about his injuries.

4. Oakland, Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC. The Raiders have been spending like crazy this offseason, but there is still a need at defensive tackle. Former USC assistant Lane Kiffin knows all about Ellis.

5. Kansas City, Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College. When your quarterbacks are Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard, that position is an obvious need. Offfensive line is as well, but the Chiefs have to grab the QB.

6. N.Y. Jets, Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas. Thomas Jones isn’t getting any younger and underwhelmed in his first season in the Big Apple last season.

7. New England, Vernon Ghoulston, DE/OLB, Ohio State. Bill Belichick loves players with position flexibility. Ghoulston fits the bill.

8. Baltimore Ravens, Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State. Jonathan Ogden is likely done. Clady will help fill the void.

9. Cincinnati, Keith Rivers, LB, USC. The Bengals would have loved Ellis to fall to them, but settle for a stud linebacker.

10. New Orleans, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee State. The Saints added Randall Gay and still have Mike McKenzie, but McKenzie is 32.

11. Buffalo, Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida. Buffalo had just 26 sacks last season. Harvey will help the pass rush.

12. Denver, Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt. Matt Lepsis retired, leaving a big hole on the Broncos’ offensive line. Denver is really looking to move down, though.

13. Carolina, Branden Albert, G/OT, Virginia. The Panthers snap up the player the Steelers would really love to have.

14. Chicago, Jeff Otah, OT, Pitt. The Bears need to upgrade the offensive line and Otah could be plugged in at right tackle as a road grader.

15. Detroit, Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois. The Lions failed in their efforts to sign Julius Jones and released Kevin Jones.

16. Arizona, Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy. It looks like Antrelle Rolle is moving to free safety full time.

17. Minnesota, Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson. Kenechi Udeze’s diagnosis with cancer makes this a big need.

18. Houston, Kenny Phillips, FS, Miami (Fla.). The Texans had an NFL-worst 11 interceptions last season. He didn’t run well at the combine, but he’s a playmaker.

19. Philadelphia, Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida. Even with the signing of Asante Samuel, the Eagles are looking to get rid of Lito Sheppard.

20. Tampa Bay, Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma. Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard are older than Mozes.

21. Washington, Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State. New head coach Jim Zorn will be looking for a big receiver to match with Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El once the top defensive ends are off the board.

22. Dallas, Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon. There is some concern that Marion Barber won’t be able to hold up getting 300 carries with his physical running style.

23. Quentin Groves, OLB, Auburn. Groves will play immediately as a situational pass rusher even though the Steelers took linebackers with their first two picks last year. Gosder Cherlius is a possibility, but the Steelers stay true to their board and take the best player available.

24. Tennessee, Kentwaan Balmer, DT, North Carolina. The Titans lost a lot on their defensive front this offseason and Jeff Fisher’s teams are always strong up front.

25. Seattle, Martellus Bennett, TE, Texas A&M. Fred Davis is a possibility, but Bennett is a better all-around player, particularly as a blocker.

26. Jacksonville, Calais Campbell, DE, Miami (Fla.). It’s hard to believe considering how the Jags’ defense played against the Steelers, but they need help on the defensive line.

27. San Diego, Gosder Cherlius, OT, Boston College. Cherlius will be expected to step into the lineup in place of Shane Olivea.

28. Dallas, Aquib Talib, CB, Kansas. Dallas could have gone corner with its first pick, but the value is here now.

29. San Francisco, Pat Sims, DT, Auburn. Sims will help keep blockers off of last year’s top pick and NFL defensive rookie of the year Patrick Willis.

30. Green Bay, Dan Connor, LB, Penn State. Will challenge Brady Poppinga right out of the gate.

31. N.Y. Giants, Reggie Smith, DB, Oklahoma. Smith could play corner or safety and the Giants need help at both spots.

Three weeks and counting

Here we sit three weeks away from the biggest weekend of the offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers and we really don’t know anything more about the team’s plans than we did a month ago.

Here we sit three weeks away from the biggest weekend of the offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers and we really don’t know anything more about the team’s plans than we did a month ago.

Despite the signing of center Justin Hartwig, the Steelers still have a need for players on their offensive line. He’s not a capable replacement for All-Pro guard Alan Faneca, who signed with the Jets, but he could push Sean Mahan to the bench.

And after flirting with signing Booger McFarland to improve their offensive line depth, the Steelers instead re-signed Nick Eason, a player who failed when given a chance to replace injured Aaron Smith in 2007. Add to that the re-signing of Travis Kirschke, and the defensive line right now has the exact same group of performers that it did last season.

So other than adding Hartwig, the Steelers have done nothing to improve their play up front – something head coach Mike Tomlin said was a necessity after last season’s collapse down the stretch.

Where does that leave the team?

Virginia guard Branden Albert – the player most linked to the Steelers now on draft boards – is said to be a player on the rise as teams are beginning to look at the athletic junior as a possible left tackle prospect.

If Albert is gone, the Steelers won’t panic. They’ll still make a pick or trade down – with only six picks, a trade up is very unlikely.

But looking at the current draft boards, their options will be limited. The only other first-round lineman the team has met with is tackle Gosder Cherlius.

The release of No. 4 wideout Cedrick Wilson last month after assault charges were filed against him leaves an opening at that position, though some in the organization think Dallas Baker, a seventh-round pick last year, may be ready to jump into that spot.

Still, Hines Ward isn’t getting any younger and adding a talented receiver such as Michigan State’s Devin Thomas would make sense. But the Steelers haven’t hosted any high-profile wide receiver prospects and it appears they won’t make that position a priority.

The Steelers have hosted Kansas State cornerback Aqib Talib, a first-round talent who should be available at pick No. 23. And given Deshea Townsend’s advancing age, he would be a sensible fallback option as well should Albert be gone.

Tracy Porter, another cornerback with a low first, high second-round grade, will also visit the team next week, showing that may be what the team is thinking.

The only other players who have visited thus far who have possible first-round grades are linebacker prospects Quentin Groves and Cliff Avril, though some consider defensive tackle Dre Moore – another visitor – a late first-rounder.

They would improve the depth in the front seven and would also make sense, particularly given the age concerns the team has to have in that group.

We’re closing in on the pick, just as, I’m sure, the Steelers are as well.

Mozes in Minnesota

Washington native Dan Mozes is getting a great opportunity with the Minnesota Vikings with starting center Matt Birk skipping the team's offseason workouts because he's unhappy with his contract.

Mozes, the former West Virginia star, missed the entire 2007 season after blowing out a knee in training camp during a scrimmage with Kansas City.

The former Rimington Award winner as college football's best center signed with the Vikings following the 2007 draft and was given a decent chance on making that team's roster.

Right now, with Birk sitting out, Mozes is the only true center on the team's roster.

Preseason schedule, other notes

The Steelers' preseason schedule is as follows.

Date Time Opponent/TV
TBD............................. TBD........................ PHILADELPHIA/KDKA-TV, FSN Pittsburgh
Thursday, Aug. 14 ....... 7:30 p.m. ........... at Buffalo (Toronto)/KDKA-TV, FSN Pittsburgh
Saturday, Aug. 23........ 8 p.m. .......................................................... at Minnesota/CBS
Thursday, Aug. 28....... TBD .............................. CAROLINA/KDKA-TV, FSN Pittsburgh

Though there is no date and time for the first game, you can figure that it will be Thursday, Friday or Saturday of the preceeding week, which would mean it will be played around Aug. 8 or 9. That would mean the team's training camp will open 14 days prior to that for those of you making plans on coming to Latrobe.

© The Bengals finally had it with Chris Henry on Thursday after his arrest for assault, releasing the oft-troubled former West Virginia star.

Chad Johnson is also an unhappy camper and is asking to be traded. But with Henry now gone, that's unlikely to happen.

In fact, despite needing extensive help on their defensive front, the Bengals may now be forced to use a high draft pick on a wide receiver, something few thought would be needed a couple of seasons ago.

Character matters.

© In case you hadn't heard, the assault charges against Steelers linebacker James Harrison were dropped.

Harrison voluntarily entered domestic abuse counseling and the alleged victim in the case wanted no further retribution.

There is a good chance Harrison will not face a suspension from the league because the charges were dropped.

Steelers shut out in comp picks

The Pittsburgh Steelers will have six picks to work with in the NFL draft later this month after receiving no compensatory picks from the NFL on Monday.

Two other AFC North teams were a little more fortunate.

The Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals received four picks each, the most awarded to any team this year.

Baltimore lost four compensatory free agents in 2007, including star linebacker Adalius Thomas to New England, and didn’t sign any.

Cincinnati lost five free agents, including guard Eric Steinbach, who signed with division rival Cleveland.

Only four of this year’s picks were awarded in the third round – the highest level at which compensatory picks are given – as Washington, Cincinnati, Atlanta and Baltimore picked up extra selections at the end of that round.

A total of 15 teams were awarded compensatory picks as Washington, Chicago, Indianapolis and Philadelphia each got three selections. Buffalo, Carolina and Miami got two extra picks, while Atlanta, Green Bay, St. Louis, San Diego, Tennessee and the New York Giants were awarded one.

I'm baaaack

Those who are frequent visitors to this blog – both of you – know that I haven't been around for the past week. I was on vacation in Florida, taking the family away for a little R&R.

But I'm obviously back now and ready to hit the ground running as we head into the draft.

The big news of the past week was the Steelers' interest and then lack of interest in signing Booger McFarland following his release by Indianapolis.

The big defensive tackle would have been used as a backup with the Steelers, someone capable of filling in at all three line positions.

Of course, McFarland then barely passed his physical with the team's doctors and the Steelers thought better of it, re-signing Nick Eason instead.

It's not a particularly good tradeoff and keeps the very distinct possibility alive that a defensive lineman will be selected by the Steelers fairly early in the draft later this month.

This team will not go into next season with Travis Kirschke, Eason and Chris Hoke as it's only options behind the starters as it did last season.

Hoke is solid, while Kirschke showed he still has something left in the tank - though you don't want him starting. Eason, however, isn't much more than a camp body.

Ryan McBean is entering his second season with the team and needs to take a big step forward if he is to contribute.

Of course there are differences

No sooner had the Steelers released wide receiver Cedrick Wilson than the finger-pointing started.

Releasing Wilson following his arrest for assault while keeping linebacker James Harrison following an incident in which he received similar charges showed the Steelers’ hypocrisy.

But that’s not the whole story.

Are different players treated differently for the same infraction? Absolutely.

But there’s more to it than just that.

As team president Dan Rooney later explained, “In the situation with James Harrison, he contacted us immediately after his incident and has taken responsibility for his actions. In today's decision with Cedrick Wilson, we determined the situation was severe enough to warrant the player being released immediately.”

There was also a difference in the two situations beyond that.

While Wilson stormed into a public place and allegedly struck his former girlfriend in a crowded restaurant, Harrison allegedly struck his girlfriend at a private residence.

What’s the difference, you might ask?

In Wilson’s case, there are 50 to 100 witnesses that saw him strike his former girlfriend.

In Harrison’s case, the only two people who know what happened are Harrison and his girlfriend.

And, right or wrong, these kind of cases often come down to a he-said, she-said situation.

Harrison reportedly admitted to police and the Steelers immediately after his incident that he did, indeed, strike the woman.

That, in itself, shows some remorse.

Fact is, he could have said nothing happened and would have had a good chance of getting the charges dropped in court.

Wilson’s infraction, on the other hand, showed an extreme lack of sense. Who, after all, goes into a restaurant and picks a fight? And with a woman, at that?

Couple that with the problems the couple had in January, when police were called to Wilson’s home after the woman in question fired a couple of shots – while Wilson wasn’t there – following an argument, and you see a relationship that is troubled.

In fact, it’s a good idea that if SWAT is called into your relationship, you probably shouldn’t see that person any more.

The Steelers likely sat down with Wilson after that and told him as much. Yet he walked into a crowded restaurant and slugged his former girlfriend.

Smart.

Would the Steelers have released Wilson if he were a starting wide receiver?

Maybe, maybe not.

But the fact is, he isn’t.

And different employees are treated differently, based on their value to the company.

Harrison is likely looking at a one-game suspension – at least – from the NFL for his infraction if convicted.

Perhaps the Steelers felt that punishment in itself will be enough to insure that Harrison will walk the straight and narrow from now on.

In Wilson’s case, he was a guy who already had a tenuous spot, at best, on the roster. His arrest and the fact there was no doubt about his actions was just the final straw.

The biggest thing to me is that these kind of incidents are a symptom of one of the ills of our society.

The Steelers have had four players arrested for assault on a woman they were involved with in recent years – Santonio Holmes, Najeh Davenport, Harrison and Wilson.

In each case, the woman involved was somebody that the player had fathered a child with out of wedlock.

That, in itself, is usually a recipe for problems.

The mother is angry that the father didn’t marry her. The father usually ends up angry because he doesn’t get to see the child as much as he likes – if he wants to at all. And those bad feelings lead to plenty of arguments.

But society doesn’t frown upon these kind of unions as it did, say, 30 years ago.

Wilson arrested

According to reports, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson has been arrested for a fight at a restuarant in Pittsburgh.

If this is the case, it could spell the end of Wilson's days with the Steelers.

Wilson, you'll remember, was involved with an altercation with his then-girlfriend at his home. She apparently had an armed standoff with police at the home - though Wilson was not there.

In the latest altercation, Wilson reportedly assaulted the now ex-girlfriend.

Though technically, he wasn't at fault - though if you read some of the things she claimed he said to her, he was – in the first altercation, there certainly will be plenty of witnesses around for this latest run-in.

It won't be a matter of he-said, she-said. It will be a matter of what the crowd witnessed.

Random notes

© According to Adam Schefter of the NFL Network, the Steelers agreed to contract terms with former Carolina center Justin Hartwig. The deal is reportedly for two years, worth $4 million, and includes a $975,000 bonus.

© Visitors to this blog know that I was in favor of this move as it will send Sean Mahan to the bench and help solidify what was the team's biggest problem area on its offensive line last season.

© The Steelers announced Tuesday that guard Chris Kemoeatu and tackle Trai Essex have signed their one-year restricted free agent tenders with the team.

That means both are intent on working out with the team during the voluntary workout sessions that began Monday.

© Anybody who has kept an eye on who the Steelers bring in prior to the draft knows that they usually are guys who the team winds up selecting in the draft as well.

That said, here's an early list of players they have already brought in or are scheduled to bring in:
Branden Albert, OG/OT, Virginia
Mike Pollak, OC, Arizona St.
Dre' Moore, DL, Maryland
Kendall Langford, DE, Hampton
Keilen Dykes, DE, WVU
Cliff Avril, OLB, Purdue
Curtis Johnson, OLB/DE, Clark-Atlanta
Aquib Talib, CB, Kansas

Steelers bring in Hartwig

Apparently, somebody with the Steelers reads my blog.

Pittsburgh brought in center Justin Hartwig for a visit Friday, looking at yet another possible replacement for Sean Mahan.

Hartwig, a starter for the Panthers and Titans, would be a definite upgrade over Mahan, who didn't pan out after signing with the team as a free agent in 2007.

The Steelers also like youngster Darnell Stapleton. But the question is if they like him enough to name him a starter heading into 2008 with Mahan being the only other alternative.

Their interest in Rex Hadnot last week would suggest not.

Steelers have another visitor

The Steelers hosted Kansas City linebacker Keyaron Fox on Tuesday, the sixth free agent the team has brought in thus far.

The only one they have signed has been running back Mewelde Moore, though the team did re-sign linebacker Andre Frazier as well.

Despite Frazier's new deal, the team is still searching for a capable replacement for former special teams captain Clint Kriewaldt, who was released a couple of weeks ago.

Kriewaldt had been the team's backup to inside linebacker James Farrior.

The 6-3, 235-pound Fox is a four-year pro who was a third-round pick of the Chiefs.

He's started four games in his career and saw some playing time as KC's fourth linebacker when it shifted to a 3-4 at times last season.

He's also been a solid special teams contributor for the Chiefs.

Also, Tennessee free agent free safety Donnie Nickey will visit the team sometime later this week. Nickie is a very good special teams player.

One thing that jumped out at me Tuesday was Carolina's release of center Justin Hartwig.

Hartwig, 29, is 6-4, 315 pounds and has plenty of starting experience, both in Carolina and Tennessee.

A groin problem ended his 2006 season, while a knee injury did him in 2007.

He's definitely somebody worth taking a look at for the Steelers.

Cross Hadnot off the list

The Cleveland Browns saved the Steelers from themselves, signing guard/center Rex Hadnot.

The Steelers had Hadnot in for a visit last week, soon after the loss of Alan Faneca in free agency.

But as I had previously stated, I wasn't a big fan of signing him since Miami had let him walk with no apparent replacement in sight.

Those notions were verified over the weekend by people I talked to, who told me Hadnot is a journeyman-type and would have been a negligible upgrade over center Sean Mahan.

Now, the Steelers can look elsewhere for help.

One player who would intrigue me is former Jacksonville guard Chris Naeole.

Naeole ended the 2007 season in injured reserve after suffering a torn tendon in his quad and was released March 3.

The 33-year-old is a nasty run blocker who had proven to be very durable in his 12-year career before this recent injury. If he checks out OK physically, he could be just the kind of player who would help the Steelers up front immediately.

Harrison arrested

Steelers linebacker James Harrison was arrested in Ohio Township for assaulting his girlfriend early Saturday morning.

According to the reports, Harrison slapped the woman.

We'll have more in this when we find it, but Harrison could be facing a suspension from the NFL if convicted.

Steelers bring in Crocker

Free agent free safety Chris Crocker visited the Steelers Thursday, but left without a contract.

Crocker, a former Browns' draft pick, played in 2007 for Atlanta, recording a career-high three interceptions.

Crocker is the second free safety brought in by the Steelers for a visit this week, joining New England's Eugene Wilson.

That would seem to signal that the team was not only unhappy with Anthony Smith and Tyrone Carter at the position after Ryan Clark was lost for the season, but that it doesn't have a lot of faith that Clark will recover from his surgery to remove his spleen.

Smith, though, could be slated for a move to strong safety.

Wilson leaves, Hadnot visits

Free safety Eugene Wilson came and left the Steelers on Tuesday without a contract offer.

Guard/center Rex Hadnot visited Wednesday, though he, too, hasn't received a formal contract offer as of yet.

Wilson would be likely need to be promised a starting job to be induced into signing with the Steelers, who are optimistic Ryan Clark can return from his medical problems of last year.

Clark has been working out at the team's facility after having surgery during the season to have his spleen removed.

Anthony Smith started in Clark's place after the surgery and was benched late in the year in favor of veteran Tyrone Carter.

Hadnot would be used as a veteran to push Chris Kemoeatu at left guard – in place of Alan Faneca – and Sean Mahan and Darnell Stapleton at center.

At 6-2, 325 pounds, he has more bulk than the 295-pound Mahan, who was the team's starting center last year.

Steelers sign Roethlisberger, Moore

The Steelers made their first big splash of the offseason, signing QB Ben Roethlisberger to an eight-year contract extension worth $102 million and signing free agent running back Mewelde Moore.

Roethlisberger's signing was a priority for the team an gives them stability for the better part of the next decade at the position.

Moore, as regular readers of this blog know, was one of the target players for the Steelers, mainly due to his abilities as a return man and third-down back.

He'll handle punt and kickoff returns for the Steelers and also catch a lot of passes out of the backfield spelling Willie Parker, serving in the same role Kevin Faulk does in New England.

Moore's deal is for three years.

The Steelers are scheduled to host New England free safety Eugene Wilson later this week.

Don't get perplexed

With Ben Roethlisberger due a $3 million roster bonus March 5, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been focused on signing their franchise quarterback.

And that deal is getting closer to happening.

Meanwhile, save guard Alan Faneca’s signing with the New York Jets, all has been relatively quiet for the Steelers on the free agent front, particularly compared to what’s been happening with some of their rivals in the AFC North.

Cleveland has been a major player in the first few days of free agency, signing former New England wide receiver Donte Stallworth to a seven-year, $35-million contract; trading a fifth-round draft pick and cornerback Leigh Bodden to Detroit for defensive tackle Shaun Rogers; sending a second-round pick to Green Bay for defensive end Corey Williams – and signing him to a six-year, $38-million deal; and re-signing quarterback Derek Anderson to a three-year, $26-million deal.

Consider the team had already signed running back Jamal Lewis to a three-year, $17-million deal prior to the opening of free agency, and the Browns have taken on a ridiculous amount of money for what? A quarterback with one good season under his belt, an overweight nose tackle who played – when he felt like it – on the worst defense in the NFL last season, a defensive end who’s never played in a 3-4, and a wide receiver who has spent more time nursing injuries than he has catching passes during his career.

In return, the Browns have given up pretty much their entire 2008 draft and their best cornerback.

It’s a pretty big gamble, one that could add up to a winning season or two, but in the long run will severely damage Cleveland considering the amount of money the Browns are spending.

Cincinnati, meanwhile, has seen two of its better defensive players, defensive end Justin Smith and free safety Madieu Williams, sign with San Francisco and Minnesota, respectively.

And the Bengals have yet to make a free agent addition.

Considering the Bengals’ defense was among the worst in the league last season – and in the past decade, for that matter – that’s not a good sign.

Baltimore, meanwhile, has had no free agent losses, but hasn’t added anyone, either.

So while Steelers fans may gnash their teeth over the loss of Faneca – something that hurts, but was not unexpected – a quick look around the division shows Pittsburgh isn’t really in bad shape.

Certainly losing Faneca hurts the Steelers, but don’t think for a second that the team is going to sit on its hands and come back with the same cast of characters – minus Faneca – that it fielded in 2007.

Signing Roethlisberger to a long-term contract was the team’s main focus for this offseason and that’s going to get done.

And once it is, the Steelers will focus on the offensive line, both in free agency and the draft.

What's happening

Steelers Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca has agreed to terms with the New York Jets on a four-year, $32-million deal that includes $23 million in guaranteed money. Or at least that's what ESPN.com was reporting.

According to Faneca's agent, no deal has been agreed to as of yet and he's still mulling offers from the Jets, Rams and 49ers.

Any deal Faneca would sign will dwarf the 4-year, $21-million offer the Steelers made to Faneca.

© The Steelers could pull the transition tag off of tackle Max Starks soon.

The team has no intention of paying Starks – its No. 3 offensive tackle last season – just under $7 million to play next season and has been working on a new deal with his representatives.

Also, the Steelers have just $2 million in free cap space at this point and would need to relinquish the tag on Starks if it wishes to sign any free agents.

The transition tag was used solely to give the team some wiggle room during the initial flurry of free agent signings.

© Kick returner Allen Rossum, released by the Steelers last weekend, was signed Friday by the San Francisco 49ers.

© Linebacker Clark Haggans is garnering interest from the Browns and Patriots, but don't rule out a return to the Steelers - as a backup, of course.

Thoughts on Cope's passing

What can you say about Myron Cope that hasn't already been said?

I consider myself fortunate to have known the man for the past 16 years, having met him when I was a young reporter new to the Steelers beat.

Perhaps in that is where I can describe Cope the best.

When I came to the Observer-Reporter in 1993, I was still very wet behind the ears and in way over my head covering the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Heck, the first preseason game that season was in Barcelona, Spain, against the great San Francisco 49ers. I had never before even been on a plane.

But a scant 12 hours after taking off from Pittsburgh, there we were watching practice in Barcelona and sitting next to me was none other than Cope.

I hadn't slept – none of us had – and Cope was certainly ornery from not having been able to smoke – much, I'm pretty sure he snuck off to the bathroom a couple of times – but he sat there and talked to me as if we'd known each other all our lives.

That was Cope. He always had a special place in his heart for the writers covering the team because he knew what they had to deal with.

I remember during the 1995 season having a conversation with him on the bus ride from the hotel to Soldier Field in Chicago. I had seen one of the Bears' players in college at Cheyney and he wanted to know all about this kid so that he could talk about him on the air.

He credited me on the broadcast with the information and needless to say, I got more than one call when I returned home telling me so.

I also remember when the Steelers would take the media covering the team out to dinner on the road on Saturday night before a game and just listening to Cope stories about players from the decades he had been around the team. Stories of players such as Jack Lambert, Bobby Layne and others could and later did fill books.

And finally, I remember sitting in Cope's room at training camp having a drink with the man, again, listening to his stories.

There are other stories, many I can't tell in a forum such as this. But I consider myself fortunate to have known the man.

I was 40 years his junior, but it didn't matter. We were all in the same business and Cope was, after all, always a writer at heart.

Free agency primer

With free agency set to begin March 1 here’s a quick look at some players the Steelers could be looking at.
Don't expect the Steelers to go wild, particularly since many of the top players have received the franchise tag this year. But Pittsburgh could look at filling some depth at certain positions, particularly on the defensive line, linebacker and running back.
The only place where the Steelers might be willing to pay starter's money is on the offensive line.

Running backs
Melwelde Moore, Minnesota - a deceptively tough inside runner with good pass-catching skills who also returns punts and kicks.
Musa Smith, Baltimore - a very strong runner who could replace Najeh Davenport as Willie Parker’s backup.
Maurice Hicks, San Francisco - a bigger back who could back up Parker and has also returned kickoffs in his career.

Wide receivers
Andre Davis, Houston - an outstanding return man who blossomed as a receiver in Houston.
Antonio Chatman, Cincinnati - has had a couple of injury-plagued seasons, but could solve the Steelers’ return problems.

Offensive linemen
Jake Scott, Indianapolis - the Colts’ starting right guard could be the perfect replacement for Alan Faneca.
Justin Smiley, San Francisco - suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery in 2007, but should be OK for 2008. Some feel Smiley could play center.
Jason Fabini, Washington - Fabini started at guard for Washington in 2007, but has spent the majority of his career at right tackle. That kind of versatility could be what the Steelers are looking for.

Defensive linemen
Tommy Kelly, Oakland - is coming off a torn ACL, but like Smiley, should be OK for the start of training camp. Is a solid run defender who could be tired of the losing in Oakland.
Bobby Hamilton, Cleveland - Hamilton has bounced around a little in recent years, but he’s got plenty of 3-4 experience and could slide into a backup role for the Steelers getting a handful of snaps per game.

Linebackers
Chaun Thompson, Cleveland - Thompson has played inside and outside in Cleveland’s 3-4 and is a solid special teams player.
Donotarrious Thomas, Minnesota - started some games in 2006 when Mike Tomlin was the team’s defensive coordinator. Has been Minnesota’s best special teams player since entering the league four years ago.
Rocky Boiman, Indianapolis - the Steelers showed an interest last season, but he re-signed with Indianapolis for a season. But Boiman could play inside or outside for Pittsburgh and is an excellent special teams player.

Defensive backs
B.J. Sams, Baltimore - the Steelers wouldn’t be bringing Sams in as a cornerback, but as a return man, where he’s still electrifying despite some injuries.
Jim Leonhard, Buffalo - a special teams ace who ended up starting at free safety this season because of some injuries.

What Starks tag means

The Steelers' transition tagging of Max Starks means that Alan Faneca's days in Pittsburgh are over.

But it also means that Willie Colon is looking at a move to guard or even center – which is also a possibility – if not Colon, then Kendall Simmons could be shifted to center.

The Steelers weren't at all happy with center Sean Mahan's play and will be looking at different options there.

Darnell Stapleton will also get a serious look.

Does this mean the Steelers won't look for an offensive lineman in the draft? Nope.

Marvel Smith is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2008 season and given his back problems, the team is unlikely to re-sign him. Plus, they don't want to hand a starting spot to Chris Kemoeatu.

Steelers re-sign Kirschke

It's not the signing that many wanted, but the Steelers have re-signed defensive end Travis Kirschke to a two-year deal.

On the surface, it seems like a lot of nothing. Kirschke's been little more than a backup for the Steelers over the years.

But he proved to still have something left in the tank last season replacing Aaron Smith in the final stretch – when he was far better than Nick Eason.

Do you want Kirschke starting?

Nope. But he's a capable guy when he's getting five to 10 snaps per game.

What it all means

The NFL’s worst nightmare is now coming to fruition.

When NFL commissioner Roger Goodell punished the New England Patriots early in the 2007 season for spying with video cameras on the New York Jets during the opening game of the regular season, he hoped the problem would go away.

It hasn’t.

In fact, it’s growing exponentially.

Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Friday that Goodell confirmed to him during a special meeting about the Patriots’ spying that the team filmed coaches of the Pittsburgh Steelers on four occasions, presumable using those stolen signals against them. Included in those instances are two AFC Championship games.

The Patriots upset the Steelers in the AFC Championship in 2001 and again in 2004 en route to two of the three Super Bowl victories they’ve had this decade.

“I think Steelers fans have a lot to be concerned about this and I'm one of them,” Specter told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, adding that “maybe Steelers ownership should think about it a little.”

They should, but even if the Steelers’ ownership is privately outraged by this, they won’t take it public.

The Rooney family, if anything, has shown great loyalty to the NFL over and over again throughout the years. Dan Rooney is not Al Davis, to be sure.

Rooney realizes that a scandal involving the integrity of the league such as this can serve no purpose other than to give the league – and by extension, the Steelers – a black eye.

And the rest of the ownership in the league knows it as well. That’s why there wasn’t a greater outcry when the “Spygate” story originally broke, at least not from the powers that be in the NFL.

The NFL doesn’t want this scandal to turn into what steroids and performance-enhancing drugs have been to Major League Baseball. The league doesn’t want its owners and coaches hauled in front of a grand jury to air its dirty laundry.

So go ahead, be angry that the Steelers, Broncos, Colts – pick a team, the Patriots likely spied on them all – were perhaps cheated out of a championship.

But the NFL owners don’t want this to go any farther and they hold enough pull – for better or worse – with the rest of Specter’s cohorts in the government to likely stop this thing from getting that far.

But much like an entire generation of baseball players are now tainted by the steroid scandal, so too are the Patriots’ championships in the 2000s.

New England fans can scream about it all they want, but nothing the team has done in this decade now matters. They’ll try to call it sour grapes or whining, but nobody’s talking about taking those championships away.

The Patriots won them. They just didn’t do so fair and square.

And the only thing worse than that would be to win the first 18 games of a season and then lose in the Super Bowl. Oh wait, that already happened.

A nugget or two

It's obvious to anybody who's been paying attention that the Steelers will address their offensive and defensive lines in this year's draft.

With that in mind, here are a couple of nuggets from this year's Pro Bowl to consider.

Of the six guards in the Pro Bowl – including Alan Faneca – five were former first-round picks. The other was an undrafted rookie.

Eight of the nine offensive tackles who were elected or attended as an injury replacement were first or second-round picks. One was not drafted.

Three of the four centers in the game were selected in the fourth round or later. The other was undrafted.

Every defensive end in the game was drafted, with five of the eight being selected in the first three rounds.

Four of the eight defensive tackles were first-round picks. Two others were first-day picks, while two were undrafted.

Keeping the grass

The Steelers will be keeping grass at Heinz Field.

After toying with the idea of putting in an artificial surface, the team has decided to stick with grass.

Franchise period set to begin

The time for teams to place the franchise tag on potential free agents begins Feb. 7, and continues until February 21.

The tag gives a team a right of first refusal as to any offer sheet signed by the player. If the team then chooses not to match the offer, it receives two first-round draft picks as compensation.

But don't expect the Steelers to take that route with guard Alan Faneca.

To use the franchise tag, the club must offer the player a one-year deal with a salary equivalent to the average of the five highest-paid players at his position in the league. The pay is determined not by 2007 salary, but by cap number, which is a huge difference.

There are two levels of franchise tag, nonexclusive and exclusive. The exclusive version does not allow the the player to negotiate with other teams.

According to some reports, players who could possibly get the tag this year include: Panthers left tackle Jordan Gross, Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby, Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, Patriots receiver Randy Moss, Seahawks cornerback Marcus Trufant, Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen and Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs.

Super thoughts

So I guess the Patriots aren't among the best teams of all-time.

The Giants took care of that Sunday night, making the Patriots nothing more than a footnote in history - a team that went 16-0 in the regular season and didn't win the big one.

Was it a good season for the Patriots? Sure.

But the lack of a championship guarantees that they can't be discussed with the best of all-time.

The Giants beat the Patriots by putting an obscene amount of pressure on Tom Brady. They hit him. They hurried him. They sacked him.

And the New England offensive line was exposed for being not all that it had been cracked up to be.

Was Brady's ankle a factor? Probably. He certainly didn't look as confident or mobile as he had been earlier this season.

The Giants blitzed at times, but just as often, they got to Brady with a four-man rush.

And that's what you need to do to beat Brady. You can't blitz every play, because when it's picked up, you're in trouble. But if you can mix it up and get there whether you send six or send four, now you're in business because it becomes a chess game.

There's some fire in the smoke coming out about the recent news that the Patriots filmed the Rams in a walkthrough before the Super Bowl in 2001.

If there's proof, Bill Belichick could go down for a long time.

Feb. frenzy set to begin

With February here, the post-Super Bowl frenzy is getting set to begin for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

What is the post-Super Bowl frenzy, you may ask?

Feb. 7 the period begins where teams can name their franchise and transition players. The deadline for doing so is Feb. 21.

Also, the NFL combine will be held in February this year in Indianapolis, from the 20 through the 26.

Yep, it’s a big month all right.

The Steelers have not yet re-opened serious negotiations with Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca, but will do so after the Super Bowl as they make one last-ditch effort to sign him to a contract before he reaches free agency.

The chances of something being worked out before free agency begins aren’t great, but they also aren’t dead, either.

Faneca would like to remain in Pittsburgh, but unless the Steelers are willing to give him what he feels is market value, that’s not going to happen.

And given that the market value is far more than the Steelers have ever before paid a lineman – let alone one on the wrong side of 30 – the team has begun its preparations for life without Faneca.

Because of that, you can expect much of the team’s focus at the combine later this month to be on the linemen available. Heck, even if Faneca does return, the Steelers want to beef up their offensive line.

And given what happened with the market for guards during free agency last year – where even run-of-the-mill guys were getting upwards of $40-million, don’t expect the Steelers to dive into that pool either.

If you’re not going to give Faneca $50 million, then it would be silly to pony up the $35 or $40 million it would likely take to sign a young, unproven player such as Cincinnati’s Stacy Andrews.

Given what other guards got on the open market last year, that’s likely what a player like Andrews will want.

Steelers to sign QB

After bringing him in for a workout last week, the Steelers are going to sign former Boise State QB Jared Zebransky to compete for their No. 3 spot.

Zebransky is expected to compete with Brian St. Pierre and a young quarterback the Steelers acquire through the draft or as a rookie free agent for the backup spot to Ben Roethlisberger and Charlie Batch.

South Alabama sniffing around Mitchell

South Alabama is reportedly interested in interviewing Steelers assistant head coach/D-line coach John Mitchell for their vacant coaching position. Mitchell is in Mobile for the Senior Bowl.

If this turns out to be the case, the Steelers could lose Mitchell, a key member of their coaching staff.

For years, Mitchell has turned low-round draft picks into solid players and he knows exactly what the Steelers need their defensive linemen to do in Pittsburgh's 3-4.

The school is located in Mobile and Mitchell is a Mobile native.

Money matters

When asked about Tony Romo’s contract extension in the days after the Dallas quarterback signed his new deal, all Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said was, “Interesting.”

Roethlisberger wasn’t saying much about Romo’s contract, but the sly smile and look he gave me when I asked him about it said it all: He knows he’s about to take the step from being rich to very rich.

For all the hype surrounding Romo, Roethlisberger has several things that Romo does not, namely a Super Bowl ring and several playoff victories. Those are some pretty important credentials that Roethlisberger has and Romo does not.

So when the Steelers start negotiations with Roethlisberger, it’s very likely the two parties will start with Romo’s six-year, $67.5-million deal and work up from there.

That deal included $30 million in guaranteed money, something the Steelers have been slow to include in their contracts, but something that is now a part of doing business in today’s NFL.

There are those who think Roethlisberger may be inclined to give the Steelers the home-town discount since he’s also come forward with a laundry list of things he’d like to see this offseason – namely a tall wide receiver and the retention of guard Alan Faneca.

But the hometown bargains that have been cited really aren’t.

Tom Brady’s contract – the one most often talked about – was a six-year, $60-million contract with New England that included a $14.5-million signing bonus.

That deal was only considered a bargain because Peyton Manning had just signed a nine-year, $99.2-million deal – with a $35.4-million bonus – with Indianapolis, and Atlanta had gone crazy and given Michael Vick a 10-year, $130-million deal with a $37-million signing bonus.

In the grand scheme of things, Manning’s deal now seems like a bargain price, while Vick’s seems as crazy now as it did then.

It would seem the going rate for a star-caliber NFL quarterback starts at a little over $10 million per year on average and goes from there.

And that’s what Roethlisberger will want and get.

Dawson shafted

That Dermontti Dawson did not make the cut as on of the 17 finalists for the Peo Football Hall of Fame this year shows what a flawed process hall of fame voting in the NFL really is.

As it currently stands, just one person in each NFL city and a handful of "at-large" voters make up the panel that chooses who gets in and who doesn't. The final number of voters is 40.

And knowing a number of the voters – they are mostly writers for the large metros – they come with their own biases.

But how Dawson is being overlooked is beyond me.

The guy was the dominant center of his time. He played in playoff games. He played in Super Bowls. He was a Pro Bowl player and made the All-Pro team.

He was also everything that is right about professional athletes.

At the Steelers' 75th Anniversary celebration, I was standing in the hall waiting go in and interview the members of the team. I hadn't seen Dawson in five or six years – since his retirement.

But as he was walking by, he stopped, shook my hand and, with his trademark smile, asked how I had been. Dermontti Dawson was not only a great player, he's an even better human being.

Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame vote is a sham. It enlists hundreds of voters. But the NFL's vote is too small.

Forty people should not be deciding who should get in and who shouldn't. In fact, living members of the hall should have a vote.

Anybody notice

Did anybody notice that the grass surface at Lambeau Field is now DD Grassmaster, the same stuff that is used at Heinz Field?

Somehow, it held up well during a game in a snowstorm Saturday when the Packers downed the Seahawks in the playoffs.

Perhaps the biggest problem with the turf in Pittsburgh is not the surface itself, but some other factor – such as the surface's proximity to the rivers or incompetence by the field workers.

I'm just saying.

Locking up offseason rosters

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed eight players to its Reserve/Future Roster, the team announced.

The Steelers signed wide receiver Dallas Baker, wide receiver Jeremy Bloom, offensive guard Matt Lentz, safety Mike Lorello, linebacker Anthony Trucks, running back Justin Vincent and wide receiver Gerran Walker to contracts. Each player spent part or all of the 2007 season on Pittsburgh’s practice squad.

Tight end Cody Boyd, who was with the Steelers throughout 2007 training camp, also signed a reserve/future contract. After training camp, Boyd was signed to the Washington Redskins’ 53-man roster and spent the entire 2007 season on their active roster or practice squad.

What we learned: Jacksonville (again)

Saturday night’s playoff loss by the Pittsburgh Steelers was a microcosm of the team’s season.

They gave up a long kickoff return, failed to get anything out of their own return game, couldn’t run the ball to ice the clock, and the defense failed to stop the Jaguars late in the game with everything on the line.

Yep, that’s the 2007 Steelers in a nutshell.

But there’s nothing wrong with this team a few offseason moves can’t fix.

The Steelers don’t need a total overhaul on their offensive line, they just need to make a move or two there – starting with getting Sean Mahan out of the starting lineup.

Mahan is a good guy to have around on game days because he can play some center and guard. But he proved this season he’s not somebody to be counted on in a game-in, game-out basis.

The Steelers can fix that problem, however, by sliding Kendall Simmons – who played some very good football in the second half of this season – to center, moving Willie Colon to guard and re-signing Max Starks to play right tackle.

The fact that the coaching staff didn’t make that move during the season may be its biggest mistake of 2007, one Tomlin likely will learn from.

Even when Jacksonville lost defensive tackle John Henderson early in the first quarter of the game, Mahan wasn’t even what would pass for adequate, getting pushed around by Grady Jackson and Rob Meier. That kind of stuff can’t happen.

© Mike Tomlin went to that little card that all coaches seem to use when deciding to go for a two-point conversion down 28-23 with 10:25 left in the game.

In most cases, the little card is right that the two-point conversion to try to cut the lead to three points. But in this case, it wasn’t.

And it really wasn’t the right move after Mahan’s holding penalty – an iffy one – pushed the ball back to the 12 and negated a Ben Roethlisberger to Hines Ward conversion pass.

“Playing the charts, that is just baseball,” said Tomlin. “Everybody has that chart.”

But all season long, Tomlin talked about going with his gut feeling on decisions. In this case, his gut should have told him that kick from the 12 was the right play.

The Steelers clearly had the momentum at that point and Jacksonville still hadn’t topped 200 yards of total offense.

There was no reason to think that the Steelers wouldn’t come down and score another touchdown – which they did – and trying to score from the 12 just wasn’t the right call to make at that point.

Had the Steelers kicked there, they wouldn’t have needed to go for two after their next touchdown. They would have been up three points just by kicking the PAT.

“If I had a crystal ball and I knew we were going to lose by two, I probably would have kicked the extra point,” said Tomlin.

© The coaching staff’s other blunder in this game was Pittsburgh’s next-to-last offensive series.

There was nothing wrong with the two runs by Najeh Davenport, even though they netted just four yards.

But the third-down keeper by Roethlisberger was a real clunker.

Jacksonville called timeout after the second-down run and the QB sweep was what the Steelers came up with.

“There was, particularly on the third-down play,” said Tomlin when asked if throwing the ball was discussed on that possession. “That was something we worked on all week and we felt good about it. We actually had the look and we didn’t execute it. Good job by them.”

© Let’s see, LaMarr Woodley had three tackles, two sacks and three quarterback hurries splitting time mostly with Clark Haggans. Haggans, meanwhile, had one tackle.

Perhaps inserting Woodley into this defense and getting a healthy Aaron Smith back is all this defense needs to be special again.

© Both Troy Polamalu and Hines Ward talked about how losing Faneca would be detrimental to this team.

The Steelers will make a strong effort to keep Faneca, who was tearing up when talking about the possibility of this being his last game in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers have about a month to get something done before the end of the playoffs. Look for them to try hard to make it happen.

No matter how you look at it, Tomlin's first season with the Steelers has to be seen as a success.

This team went 10-6 and won the AFC North despite being flawed.

And it doesn't need a total overhaul to be back in a similar position next season.

Some random thoughts

Troy Polamalu practiced Friday and will play in Saturday's playoff game against the Jaguars.

© I've gone back and forth on my pick in this game this week, but have settled on the Steelers, 27-24.

Jacksonville played a near-perfect game the last time, while the Steelers played anything but.

And Pittsburgh will come out throwing this time around.

© The Steelers will bulk up to stop the run in this game. Look for backup nose tackle Chris Hoke to see some time at defensive end.

© An AP story this week ws all about how this could be Alan Faneca's last game with the Steelers.

But there are some rumblings now that the Steelers will try everything possible not to let that happen.

Dan Rooney always regretted letting Rod Woodson go after the 1996 season and won't make the same mistake with an icon like Faneca.

Faneca is 31, but is still playing at a reasonably high level. Plus, there's always the possibility they could move him to center later in his career if he starts losing some of the one-on-one matchups on a regular basis. Because of that, it's possible he could play into his late 30s.

Look for the team to also make a strong pitch at keeping Max Starks as well.

This offensive line has been bad this season, but much of it has been a problem at center, where Sean Mahan just hasn't worked out.

The Steelers could go into 2008 with a line of Marvel Smith at left tackle, Faneca or Kendall Simmons at left guard, Faneca or Simmons – likely Simmons – at center, Willie Colon or Chris Kemoeatu at right guard and Starks at right tackle. They would then also take a young tackle in the first couple of rounds of the draft.


This is assuming the team gets good news about Smith's long-term health.

By making those two signings, the Steelers would avoid having to select offensive linemen in the first two rounds of the 2008 draft like they did with the linebacker position in 2007.

What we learned: Baltimore (again)

It used to be I felt I always had a pretty good finger on the pulse of what was going on with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This year’s team, however, has me a bit perplexed. Whereas in the past, you could count on the Steelers to put forth a solid effort in games like the one they had Sunday – meaningless in every way except for pride – now, even that is not guaranteed.

The Steelers laid down like dogs against the Ravens Sunday.

In fact, the guys who actually took the field looked like players attempting to get through the game without getting hurt.

There were some notable exceptions. James Harrison played hard as usual, as did Tyrone Carter and some others. But generally, the Steelers looked like they were going through the motions in this one.

Heck, nose tackle Casey Hampton got caught offsides, one two occasions, despite the fact he lines up directly over the ball.

I know Baltimore rookie QB Troy Smith is a cagey guy, but you can’t tell me that he’s already learned the nuances of changing his cadence to draw players offsides.

And the tackling, as it has been the past month and a half, was atrocius once again.

This team has all the looks of a team that is just happy to make the playoffs, one that will be one-and-done in the postseason.

© I think we need to put out and APB on that player who torched Penn State a few years ago in a bowl game for Florida State.

He’s either gone missing, or that was somebody else in Willie Reid’s uniform that day.

Reid looks like a bust as a return man and he doesn’t offer enough as a wide receiver to warrant a roster spot as a wide receiver. It looks like a wasted third-round draft pick.

© The Steelers didn’t get much of a chance to learn a whole lot about their new-look running game in this one as they fell behind early.

Najeh Davenport had 27 yards on just 12 carries, while rookie Gary Russell had just six carries, gaining 20 yards.

Hey, what better time to find out if you can run the ball than in the first round of the playoffs?

© If there was one positive to Sunday’s game, it was that Baltimore failed to record a sack. That’s just the second time this season the Steelers did not allow a sack, with the other being against Cincinnati Dec. 2.

Of course it does make you wonder – again – how much of the protection problems the Steelers have had this season are the line and how much should be laid at the feet of Ben Roethlisberger.

If it’s not Roethlisberger’s fault, then we’re to believe that Trai Essex, who played about three and a half quarters at left tackle after Max Starks was injured, did a good job on Terrell Suggs. I don’t know if I’m ready to make that leap of faith.

© How much better is LaMarr Woodley going to be next season when he actually figures out what he’s doing?

Woodley gets himself out of position in the run game and has missed some tackles this season because of it, but he sure can rush the passer.

© The most shocking thing about the Ravens rushing for 180 yards in this game was that Baltimore really should not have been much of a passing threat.

Smith was 16 of 27 for 171 yards and was a rookie playing in just his third game. Of course the Steelers helped him out by dropping a couple of interceptions, including one by Ike Taylor that Smith threw right to him.

Had Taylor caught that ball – I know, it’s a stretch – he would have been gone for about a 90-yard touchdown. Instead, he dropped it and Baltimore kicked a field goal at the end of the first half. That was the difference between the Steelers going into the locker room down 17-14 instead of 20-7.

Taylor needs to spend the offseason working hard to improve his hands – again. You can’t drop the easy ones.

© Even though the Steelers have made the playoffs, this is a team in need of a serious offseason makeover.

It lacks defensive playmakers and the offensive line just isn’t that good.

Monday's notes

Since there's no newspaper Tuesday, I'll give you a brief rundown of what happened Monday:

The Steelers have signed Verron Haynes, as expected, to replace Willie Parker, who was placed on IR. Parker had surgery over the weekend to help hasten the repair of his broken leg and is expected to be back in time for mini-camp.

Haynes could see some time as a third-down back and on special teams, but Najeh Davenport and Gary Russell are expected to see the bulk of the carries.

Carey Davis will see time as a third-down back as well.

Tomlin said he does not expect to rest any starters Sunday at Baltimore unless they are really hurting. The team wants the No. 3 seed and could still lock that up with a San Diego loss and a Pittsburgh win.

Marvel Smith could miss the rest of the season. He won't be back this week, for sure.

What we learned, St. Louis

The loss of running back Willie Parker for the season is a big one, but it’s not something that has to be a season-killer for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Head coach Mike Tomlin famously said earlier this season he was going to run Parker “until the wheels came off.”

The wheels are now off and the training wheels should also be gone from the Pittsburgh offense.

With Parker out, the Steelers should turn to Ben Roethlisberger to carry the offense, for better or worse. He’s a franchise quarterback and should be treated as such. If he has to throw the ball 35 or 40 times, then so be it.

Najeh Davenport and Carey Davis did a credible job against St. Louis of providing a running game, breaking tackles and getting extra yardage. But it’s doubtful the Steelers will be able to count on getting that kind of production out of that duo on a regular basis.

Besides, the Steelers didn’t beat St. Louis, 41-24, because of the 151 yards Davenport and Davis combined for on the ground – though it helped. The Steelers beat the Rams because Roethlisberger was 16 of 20 for 261 yards and three touchdowns.

He hit the Rams with some long passes early and forced St. Louis from bringing their safeties down to the line of scrimmage.

Without Parker, the Steelers may not be as balanced offensively, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Roethlisberger had a perfect passer rating against the Rams, the third time in his four-year career that he’s accomplished that rare feat. That, by the way, is the same number of perfect passer ratings that Peyton Manning has in his career.

© The ironic thing about Parker’s injury was that when reporters were asking players about their preference between playing on grass or artificial turf, Parker was the only player I spoke to who said he preferred an artificial surface.

© Speaking of Davenport, the coaching staff had to be out of its mind to send him out there on special teams after Parker’s injury.

Davenport was very slow to get up after a third quarter punt. He gingerly made his way to the sideline favoring his foot after the play.

I know it difficult to change those kind of things on the fly, but somebody had to realize that it wasn’t a good idea for the starting tailback to be out there covering kicks.

© Another aside to Parker’s injury: Many of the players didn’t know what was wrong or that he was lost for the season.

Parker’s best friend on the team, wide receiver Nate Washington, had to be told by reporters that Parker had broken his leg. Washington was speaking about Parker in terms of him possibly being available next week.

Guard Kendall Simmons told me after the game that he didn’t know in the first half.

“I knew Najeh was getting the ball a lot and I saw the running backs coach (Kirby Wilson) walking by on the sidelines in the second quarter and he told me what happened. I didn’t know anything was wrong.”

That kind of tells you what kind of vacuum these guys are in on game days.

© I wrote it last week and I’m doing so again this week, Max Starks should be a priority signing for this team.

Starks was the team’s best offensive lineman Thursday night and is really settling in as a left tackle.

He’ll command a big salary, but given this team’s offensive line problems, they can’t possibly allow both he and left guard Alan Faneca to leave in the offseason.

© Another post-game aside: On the bus after the game, linebacker James Harrison got on long after most of the other players and there were no seats available.

He looked around, pointed at rookie punter Daniel Sepulveda and pointed to an empty seat beside another player. Sepulveda got up and moved.

© Harrison and several other players needed IVs during the track meet at Edward Jones Dome. It was that kind of game.

© Rams running back Steven Jackson is the kind of dynamic player that would put the Steelers over the top in terms of closing the gap with Indianapolis and New England.

He had the power to run through tackles and the speed to sprint past defensive backs.

Jackson even made St. Louis’ makeshift offensive line look good.

© I loved the call by Tomlin for the fake punt in the first quarter. I would have liked it even if it had failed.

St. Louis’ offense was as close to being at full strength as its been all season. Tomlin knew the Rams were going to score points.

He coached accordingly.

© Santonio Holmes had four catches for 134 yards, but it was Hines Ward who had the big night.

Ward had a 19-yard catch on third-and-18 in the first quarter and a pair of catches on third down during a fourth quarter field goal-drive that allowed the Steelers to move the chains and put the game away.

In fact, Ward’s two catches for 19 yards in the fourth quarter were the only two completions the Steelers had or needed.

© The Steelers have now allowed 47 sacks this season and are close to setting a new benchmark for sacks allowed.

But as we saw in this game, the line is not solely to blame.

Roethlisberger’s biggest fault is that he holds the ball always looking to make a play. It’s what makes him so dangerous as a quarterback. It’s one of those things the Steelers will just have to live with.

What we learned, Jacksonville

Sunday was an opportunity for the Steelers to show they belonged in the conversation when talking about the big boys in the NFL.

They failed miserably.

Not only that, but Jacksonville's victory over the Steelers put those two teams on a collision course for a first-round meeting in the playoffs as well, something that can't be too pleasing for anybody who watched the Jags dismantle the Pittsburgh defense Sunday.

The Steelers did very little in that game that showed why they should be favored in a possible rematch. The were beaten physically.

Mike Tomlin said Monday he was upset with the offense's early struggles because he felt the Steelers would have been able to run the ball on Jacksonville. After a slow start, they did have some success doing that. But some of the running was fluky.

The Steelers certainly didn't beat the Jaguars at the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball.

© Things won't be any easier this week against St. Louis.

The Rams' offensive line is a weak point, but Steven Jackson is one of the best running backs in the NFL and he's healthy and on a roll.

Considering the Steelers will be playing without Clark Haggans and Travis Kirschke, that won't be easy.

Actually, the loss of Kirschke will be bigger than Haggans.

Eason proved earlier this season to be a weak link in a game in which he played in place of injured Aaron Smith, which prompted the Steelers to go with Kirschke at that spot in the following game and when Smith was lost for the season.

And Haggans really hasn't been playing that well, so getting Woodley on the field could be a positive. At least he's a playmaker.

Opponents have been paying James Harrison more attention, giving him the double teams and allowing Haggans to rush the passer one-on-one. He's not winning those battles.

© Troy Polamalu is taking some heat for a couple of missed tackles against the Jaguars. But he was very disruptive in that game and certainly wasn't the only guy whiffing on Fred Taylor.

It was also Polamalu's first game in nearly a month, so I'm willing to give him a bit of a pass.

He was also responsible for the Steelers' first touchdown, coming up to tackle David Garrard inches short of the sticks when it looked like Garrard had a sure first down on a scramble.

The Jags bungled the ensuing punt and the Steelers got great field position and scored.

Nobody else on that team could have made that play.

© That's one of the problems with the Steelers' defense right now. If Harrison isn't making plays and forcing turnovers, they're not getting them from anywhere else.

Maybe Woodley can be that guy.

© In a way, it was good to hear that Marvel Smith's back was bothering him. I'd hate to think he would have played as badly as he did Sunday without a reason.

The Steelers are going to have a very tough decision to make at season's end. They had planned to allow Max Starks to walk at the end of the season as a free agent.

They may want to rethink that position.

According to some estimates, they'll be $18 million under the 2008 salary cap. They want to extend Ben Roethlisberger's contract this offseason, and that will eat up roughly $4 to $5 million of that – though it could be less if they get creative with the signing bonus.

That will leave them with a good deal of money to sign free agents, with offensive linemen being the top priority. And bringing Starks back – with Smith's back now a concern – should be a priority.

The team won't re-sign Alan Faneca and will take a young lineman in the draft to help fill that spot at left guard. But Starks could be one of their top five offensive linemen returning in 2008. Then again, he's probably one of their top five right now and they're not playing him.

© The Steelers need a better complimentary running back to pair with Willie Parker as well.

They liked Maurice Jones-Drew in the draft last year, but the Jags took him in the second round.

Jones-Drew isn't a big guy, but he's a hard-nosed runner capable of being a short-yardage back and a third-down threat. That's what this team is missing.

Jones-Drew is also a solid return man, something else this team needs.

Roethlisberger will play

Ben Roethlisberger's sore right shoulder kept him out of practice a couple of days this week, but it won't be enough to keep him out of a big game against Jacksonville.

Roethlisberger is champing at the bit to get another shot at the Jags, who embarrassed him last season, shutting the Steelers out in Jacksonville.

The Steelers will also have Troy Polamalu back for this one.

BTW, the reason for no power rankings this week has been a busy shopping week since I have two games in four days to cover next week.

But the power rankings look something like this:

1. New England (13-0)
2. Indianapolis (11-2)
Everybody else except Miami
32. Miami.

What we learned: New England

Sorry this was so late, but apparently there was a problem with blogspot.

But that does allow me to talk about the latest Steelers news, which is the fact Aaron Smith is out for the year with a torn biceps.

That's bad news for the Steelers, who face a very physical Jacksonville team this week.

© After playing the Steelers in a semi-conventional way in the first half of their game Sunday, the Patriots adjusted at halftime and went back to their game plan from 2002.

New England threw the ball on 25 consecutive plays against the Steelers in that game, a 30-14 Patriots’ victory, was strangely reminiscent of Sunday’s 34-13 win at Gillette Stadium.

New England had quarterback Tom Brady drop back to pass on 33 consecutive plays. That’s right, the Patriots dropped back to pass 33 consecutive times, including their first 26 plays of the second half.

Until their final possession of the game, when they were just trying to burn some clock, Tom Brady attempted to pass on every play, throwing 25 times and scrambling for a four-yard gain on another.

It was a game plan that rendered the strength of the Pittsburgh defense, its front seven, totally useless.

For most of the game, Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton stood on the sidelines watching. Backup defensive end Nick Eason got more snaps in the second half than Hampton did as Pittsburgh countered by playing a lot of nickel.

And Brady was getting rid of the ball so quickly, the Steelers rarely even pressured him.

In fact, the Steelers failed to register a sack Sunday and had just four pressures.

That’s not going to get it done.

Perhaps getting Troy Polamalu back for a possible rematch in the playoffs – Playoffs? Did you say playoffs? – will make a difference.

With Polamalu back, the Steelers can play more dime, with Tyrone Carter coming in as the deep safety and William Gay staying on the sidelines. And Pittsburgh can also go with its big nickel as well, with a line of Brett Keisel, Aaron Smith, Hampton and Chris Hoke.

In fact, I’m not sure why we didn’t see that formation Sunday. Hampton and Hoke may have been able to use their bulk to push the pocket up in Brady’s face.

What the heck, nothing else the Steelers did Sunday worked.

© Actually, the reason the Steelers didn’t use the big nickel was because they didn’t want to take linebackers James Harrison and Clark Haggans off the field.

OK, they didn’t want to take Harrison off the field.

© As big a game as Sunday’s matchup was, it’s not nearly as big as this week’s game against Jacksonville.

Jacksonville is a team that could quite possible come to Heinz Field in the playoffs in the opening round.

And the Steelers have to prove they can be effective against the Jacksonville defense, which totally shut Pittsburgh down in a meeting last season.

In fact, a victory by the Steelers Sunday would drop the Jaguars into a tie with Cleveland for the top wildcard spot in the AFC.

Not to mention, Sunday’s loss puts the Steelers just a game ahead of Cleveland in the AFC North standings.

Given that the Browns finish up with games at home against Buffalo and San Francisco sandwiched around a game at Cincinnati, Cleveland could very well finish at 11-5.

Pittsburgh holds the tiebreaker over Cleveland, but a loss to Jacksonville would also be the Steelers’ fourth conference loss and open the possibility that they could fall to the No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs.

San Diego has a 7-3 conference record and still has to host Detroit and Denver before finishing up its season at Oakland in three very winnable games.

And, of course, the fourth seed in the playoffs – should it win its playoff opener – stands a good shot of having to go to Gillette Stadium to face the Patriots, who will be coming off a bye.

You want to delay that trip as long as possible.

© The Steelers used Ike Taylor to shadow Randy Moss all over the field Sunday.

Taylor didn’t have bad coverage on Moss a couple of times, but still gave up the reception.

Moss is that good.

© Brady is that good as well.

© Willie Colon had his hands full with Mike Vrabel all day long. The rest of the line actually played pretty well, but Colon struggled with Vrabel’s quickness to the outside.

© The Steelers should continue to use Willie Parker the way they did Sunday for the remainder of this season.

Many times, they passed when they should have run and ran when they should have passed. And Parker was able to get outside more Sunday than he had all season.

Then again, the Steelers outrushed the Patriots, 181 to 22, and it didn’t make a difference.

When you can’t punch the ball in from inside the 10, you don’t deserve to win.

In fact, the Steelers were 0-for-3 in the red zone Sunday and lost by 21 points. You do the math.

© Wouldn’t you have liked to have seen the Steelers try a gadget play or two – I mean other than an end around with an empty backfield on fourth-and-goal from the one – as the Patriots did?

The guarantee

Anthony Smith guaranteed a win Sunday over the Patriots.

Hey, why not. Everybody else this season has blown smoke up New England's collective behind, talking about how great they are and how it's so awesome to get a chance to get to be on the same field as such a fantastic display of talent.

Smith's comments are certain to be bulletin-board material for the Patriots, who love that kind of thing.

But he's also put the onus on himself and the rest of the defense to step up with a big game.

Week 13 Power rankings

1. New England (12-0) If they can get by the Steelers this week, it could be smooth sailing the rest of the way in the regular season.

2. Indianapolis (10-2) The win over the Jags was more impressive in my eyes than Dallas' win over Green Bay.

3. Dallas (11-1) The Cowboys are playing well, but the defense has holes.

4. Pittsburgh (9-3) Need to let Big Ben open things up because the running game is struggling.

5. Green Bay (10-2) Brett Favre played very poorly before getting hurt at Dallas.

6. Jacksonville (8-4) Among the league's elite.

7. Tampa Bay (8-4) That was an impressive win last week with the backup QB in.

8. Seattle (8-4) The Seahawks are coming on strong.

9. San Diego (7-5) The Chargers could make a run.

10. Cleveland (7-5) Tough loss last week at Arizona.

11. N.Y. Giants (8-4) Eli Manning still makes too many mistakes.

12. Tennessee (7-5) A different team with Albert Haynesworth in the lineup.

13. Minnesota (6-6) Can you win with just a running game? Apparently so.

14. Arizona (6-6) The injuries continue to mount.

15. Buffalo (6-6) An amazing 6-6.

16. Detroit (6-6) Fading fast.

17. Philadelphia (5-7) McNabb comes back this week.

18. Chicago (5-7) Still in the playoff hunt in the NFC.

19. New Orleans (5-7) A division title is out now, but still could be a wild card.

20. Denver (5-7) Too inconsistent to matter.

21. Washington (5-7) If you can't win an emotional game like last week …

22. Baltimore (4-8) Showed a little something last week, but still too many knuckleheads.

23. Houston (5-7) When five wins is your benchmark, you're a bad franchise.

24. Carolina (5-7) Just off this year.

25. Cincinnati (4-8) There's no toughness on this team at all.

26. Oakland (4-8) Two wins in a row.

27. St. Louis (3-9) Playing better now that Steven Jackson is back.

28. Kansas City (4-8) Turns out, the Chiefs are who we thought they were.

29. N.Y. Jets (3-9) OK, so you beat the Dolphins.

30. San Francisco (3-9) Just awful.

31. Atlanta (3-9) Can Bobby Petrino be fired after one season?

32. Miami (0-12) Slip sliding away.

What we learned, Cincinnati (again)

The Cincinnati Bengals must have read the quotes from Pittsburgh Steelers safety Anthony Smith about how he was going to light them up if they came across the middle.

I have never seen a less-inspired effort from a group of wideouts in my 15 years of covering the NFL.

Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry could not have played a weaker game than the one they played here Sunday night.

At one point, Henry laid down like a baby getting ready to take a nap after catching a pass over the middle with Smith bearing down on him.

And Cincinnati’s last offensive play of the game was Johnson backing out of bounds for a 13-yard gain rather than fighting for extra yardage when the Bengals needed 17 yards on fourth down to keep their fading hopes alive.

I guess Johnson was just trying to get an early start on his offseason.

© Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer may throw a prettier pass, but I’ll take Ben Roethlisberger on my team anytime over Palmer.

Don’t get me wrong, Palmer is a good quarterback. But Roethlisberger is a football player.

The next time Palmer drops his shoulder and dives into the end zone from four yards out to score, going over a defender to get there, let me know.

© The Steelers had a lot of success against the Bengals by rushing three and dropping eight into coverage.

That won’t work next week against New England.

The key to beating the Patriots is putting pressure on Tom Brady and forcing him out of his comfort zone. He’s way too accurate and patient to allow him to sit back and look for the open receiver.

© Look for the Patriots to employ a similar game plan to the one they did in 2002 against the Steelers when they came out and didn’t even attempt to run the ball.

© I know, we’re supposed to be talking about the Cincinnati game here, but I’m just getting a jump on the national media, who will begin hyping the Pittsburgh-New England game immediately after the Patriots put the Ravens away Monday night.

That moment will come when New England scores its first points because there’s no way Baltimore’s popgun offense will be able to keep up.

© Tyrone Carter has played well in place of strong safety Troy Polamalu, Max Starks was admirable in his replacement of left tackle Marvel Smith and Cedrick Wilson and Nate Washington were OK in place of wide receiver Santonio Holmes.

There, we gave those guys the praise the deserve for filling in for injured starters the past two weeks.

But the Steelers will need all of their starters when they line up to play the Patriots.

Word is, all will be ready to go Sunday.

© Najeh Davenport apparently had some numbness in his foot in the hours leading up to Sunday’s game, which was why he was inactive and rookie Gary Russell got a shot to play.

© Roethlisberger pass to Hines Ward during the Steelers’ final touchdown drive, zipping the ball in between two defenders, was a thing of beauty.

So was Ward holding onto the ball after getting popped.

If the Cincinnati receivers weren’t taking notes, they should have been.


© I thought the Bengals would come in and give the Steelers stiffer competition.

I guess they weren't who we thought they were.