The last couple of days on the radio, I noted that the next week of practices will be a war of attrition for the Steelers.
With six consecutive days of padded practices and live tackling drills, the Steelers are going to lose some players - at least for a while - that could factor into training camp position battles.
And so it was again on Thursday. Rookie tight end Eric Waters suffered a lower back injury and had to be carted off, while wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey left after taking a knee to the helmet.
With Waters now out and fellow rookie Rob Blanchflower in a walking boot with a high ankle sprain, the tight end position is down to a battle between veterans Michael Palmer and David Paulson for the No. 3 spot after Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth, though fullback Will Johnson also figures into the mix.
Palmer, by the way, was given the day off today as well, though head coach Mike Tomlin said it was a maintenance issue - which means he is likely dealing with a slight injury as well.
At receiver, the logjam is heavy, but if DHB has to miss any amount of time, it certainly gives a leg up to the other guys.
After all, as the old saying goes, you can't make the club in the tub.
@ It was noted today by fellow reporter Mike Prisuta that the defense had a big day in the run-game drills stuffing the offense on 9 of 13 attempts, including two for losses.
But remember, Le'Veon Bell, though he was back for individual position workouts, didn't take part in the team portion of practice and LeGarrette Blount was held out of contact drills.
@ The Steelers finally worked on some no-huddle offense today. Dri Archer figured heavily into the mix.
@ One player who keeps showing up and making big hits is young safety Jordan "Don't call him Rodney or he'll take your head off" Dangerfield.
Dangerfield, a Towson product, was in camp last season with Buffalo. He's landed at least one huge blow in every padded practice this week.
@ In case you missed it, Peria Jerry retired for Atlanta today. He was taken with the 24th pick in the 2009 draft, eight picks before the Steelers selected Ziggy Hood.
Jerry never really panned out for the Falcons and never became a full-time starter.
That 2009 draft was really, really thin, especially for defensive linemen.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Wednesday is back to work for Steelers
The Steelers returned to the practice field today after announcing earlier in the afternoon that they would be retiring Joe Greene's No. 75 Nov. 2 when they host the Ravens.
The team gave Greene his choice of games when the ceremony could take place. To the surprise of few, he picked the game against Baltimore.
@ Le'Veon Bell didn't practice again today, but did do some walk-through stuff. It looks more precautionary right now than anything.
The news wasn't as good for rookie tight end Rob Blanchflower. He was in a walking boot after suffering the dreaded high-ankle sprain. Head coach Mike Tomlin said he's likely out a week.
@ I wasn't expecting much out of running back Josh Harris, who was signed Tuesday when David Snow was released injured.
But the former Wake Forest running back showed some good quickness and quickly established himself as a guy to keep an eye on moving forward.
@ Daniel McCullers had himself a nice practice today, blowing some inside runs up.
He looks like he's moving in slow motion compared to everyone else, but when you're 6-7, 352 pounds, you can do that.
Because he does everything a little more slowly than, well, anyone else here, it can sometimes look like he's not putting forth effort. But I don't think that's the case.
During individual blocking/pass rush drills, he flattened Mike Adams on a stunt. It was impressive to see.
McCullers has been running all week as the second team nose tackle.
@ The Steelers held Troy Polamalu out of the first live tackling drill session. Interestingly enough, though, it wasn't Shamarko Thomas who moved into the starting lineup.
Instead, Robert Golden came in at free safety and Will Allen shifted to the strong side.
Golden had a nice shoestring tackle of LeGarrette Blount that saved a touchdown on the first play.
I don't see that as a knock against Thomas, however. Later in the practice, he was back there paired with Polamalu.
@ We got a good glimpse of Ryan Shazier's speed when he jumped a hot route intended for Matt Spaeth over the middle and nearly intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass.
@ Polamalu did the same thing later, jumping a hot route intended for Danny Coale and picking off a Landry Jones pass.
@ It seemed like there was a big emphasis on stripping the football today and William Gay did just that against Antonio Brown on a crossing route, getting the ball loose from behind and then scooping it up and going the other way with it.
Gay attempted the same move later in practice, but Brown hung on that time around.
@ Spaeth had his way with Jarvis Jones in one-on-one run blocking drills. The two were paired five times and Spaeth won four of the matchups.
David Paulsen didn't have the same results. He struggled mightily in this test of power against power.
The team gave Greene his choice of games when the ceremony could take place. To the surprise of few, he picked the game against Baltimore.
@ Le'Veon Bell didn't practice again today, but did do some walk-through stuff. It looks more precautionary right now than anything.
The news wasn't as good for rookie tight end Rob Blanchflower. He was in a walking boot after suffering the dreaded high-ankle sprain. Head coach Mike Tomlin said he's likely out a week.
@ I wasn't expecting much out of running back Josh Harris, who was signed Tuesday when David Snow was released injured.
But the former Wake Forest running back showed some good quickness and quickly established himself as a guy to keep an eye on moving forward.
@ Daniel McCullers had himself a nice practice today, blowing some inside runs up.
He looks like he's moving in slow motion compared to everyone else, but when you're 6-7, 352 pounds, you can do that.
Because he does everything a little more slowly than, well, anyone else here, it can sometimes look like he's not putting forth effort. But I don't think that's the case.
During individual blocking/pass rush drills, he flattened Mike Adams on a stunt. It was impressive to see.
McCullers has been running all week as the second team nose tackle.
@ The Steelers held Troy Polamalu out of the first live tackling drill session. Interestingly enough, though, it wasn't Shamarko Thomas who moved into the starting lineup.
Instead, Robert Golden came in at free safety and Will Allen shifted to the strong side.
Golden had a nice shoestring tackle of LeGarrette Blount that saved a touchdown on the first play.
I don't see that as a knock against Thomas, however. Later in the practice, he was back there paired with Polamalu.
@ We got a good glimpse of Ryan Shazier's speed when he jumped a hot route intended for Matt Spaeth over the middle and nearly intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass.
@ Polamalu did the same thing later, jumping a hot route intended for Danny Coale and picking off a Landry Jones pass.
@ It seemed like there was a big emphasis on stripping the football today and William Gay did just that against Antonio Brown on a crossing route, getting the ball loose from behind and then scooping it up and going the other way with it.
Gay attempted the same move later in practice, but Brown hung on that time around.
@ Spaeth had his way with Jarvis Jones in one-on-one run blocking drills. The two were paired five times and Spaeth won four of the matchups.
David Paulsen didn't have the same results. He struggled mightily in this test of power against power.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Monday news, notes
Kevin Colbert met with some media members today, including myself, and discussed a number of issues facing the Steelers.
Of course, the big news was that Colbert said he doesn't see any way that Ben Roethlisberger doesn't retire with the Steelers.
Colbert also would not close the door on re-signing a veteran player or two. Specifically, when asked about Brett Keisel, Colbert said he wouldn't close the door on anyone.
@ Colbert also said the Steelers can, in fact, still negotiate a new contract with Jason Worilds during training camp and the preseason.
There was some question to that. But since Worilds signed his transition tag, he accepted the contract and therefore can still negotiate.
Colbert said the team would like to get a deal or two done before the regular season starts and specifically mentioned Worilds, Cortez Allen, Shaun Suisham and Marcus Gilbert as starters whose contracts are up after this season.
That might not be earth-shattering news, but he did not mention some other starters who will be free agents, such as Ike Taylor or Will Johnson.
That should give you an idea of what they're thinking about in terms of extensions.
The team, according to Colbert, is under $6-million under the salary cap. Signing Worilds to an extension would make sense, if possible, since that could lessen his cap number this year.
Allen and Suisham should be priorities as well.
The team would like to keep at least $3 million or so in cap space available for in-season injury replacements.
@ Speaking of Worilds, he had an interception of Ben Roethlisberger on Monday while covering speedy Dri Archer.
That prompted head coach Mike Tomlin to suggest that it was the first interception for Worilds.
"I call him the defensive end from Blacksburg," said Tomlin, referring to Virginia Tech, where Worilds played in college. "I'm going to paint that ball and give it to him."
@ The Steelers practice in pads today for the first time and rookie Ryan Shazier was a star, to the surprise of nobody.
Fast and physical.
@ Rookie linebacker Jordan Zumwalt, who has been splitting time at inside and outside linebacker, went out today with what appeared to be a groin injury.
@ The Steelers were forced to hold the practice on the turf field at Saint Vincent College because of heavy rains in the area.
@ Martavis Bryant was back at practice today after sitting out with a groin injury. Le'Veon Bell (hamstring) and C.J. Goodwin (shoulder) were both out, but neither injury is considered serious.
@ Ramon Foster was still out of camp today. Chris Hubbard got all of the snaps today at left guard.
@ I have been told that the Steelers feel there is nothing to the accusations against Maurkice Pouncey. The league has not contacted the team regarding the incident in Miami earlier this month and their own people have checked it out as well.
@ I've heard the Emmanuel Sanders interview in Denver several times now and don't see it as a big deal.
Of course Peyton Manning is different from Ben Roethlisberger. Manning is considered one of the biggest workaholics in NFL history.
That doesn't mean Roethlisberger doesn't work.
And Roethlisberger did take his younger receivers to California this offseason for a week to work out. He also spent extra time with Antonio Brown working on red zone throws while the rest of the team was working on special teams this week.
It's similar to the way Lance Moore got in some hot water in New Orleans for saying that Roethlisberger has a lot stronger arm than Drew Brees.
He wasn't being disrespectful to Brees. He was just stating how he felt.
Now, Ryan Clark saying earlier this week that the Washington secondary is the best one that he's played in was a bit disrespectful - especially considering he hasn't played in it yet.
But guys are always going to speak highly of their new situation.
Of course, the big news was that Colbert said he doesn't see any way that Ben Roethlisberger doesn't retire with the Steelers.
Colbert also would not close the door on re-signing a veteran player or two. Specifically, when asked about Brett Keisel, Colbert said he wouldn't close the door on anyone.
@ Colbert also said the Steelers can, in fact, still negotiate a new contract with Jason Worilds during training camp and the preseason.
There was some question to that. But since Worilds signed his transition tag, he accepted the contract and therefore can still negotiate.
Colbert said the team would like to get a deal or two done before the regular season starts and specifically mentioned Worilds, Cortez Allen, Shaun Suisham and Marcus Gilbert as starters whose contracts are up after this season.
That might not be earth-shattering news, but he did not mention some other starters who will be free agents, such as Ike Taylor or Will Johnson.
That should give you an idea of what they're thinking about in terms of extensions.
The team, according to Colbert, is under $6-million under the salary cap. Signing Worilds to an extension would make sense, if possible, since that could lessen his cap number this year.
Allen and Suisham should be priorities as well.
The team would like to keep at least $3 million or so in cap space available for in-season injury replacements.
@ Speaking of Worilds, he had an interception of Ben Roethlisberger on Monday while covering speedy Dri Archer.
That prompted head coach Mike Tomlin to suggest that it was the first interception for Worilds.
"I call him the defensive end from Blacksburg," said Tomlin, referring to Virginia Tech, where Worilds played in college. "I'm going to paint that ball and give it to him."
@ The Steelers practice in pads today for the first time and rookie Ryan Shazier was a star, to the surprise of nobody.
Fast and physical.
@ Rookie linebacker Jordan Zumwalt, who has been splitting time at inside and outside linebacker, went out today with what appeared to be a groin injury.
@ The Steelers were forced to hold the practice on the turf field at Saint Vincent College because of heavy rains in the area.
@ Martavis Bryant was back at practice today after sitting out with a groin injury. Le'Veon Bell (hamstring) and C.J. Goodwin (shoulder) were both out, but neither injury is considered serious.
@ Ramon Foster was still out of camp today. Chris Hubbard got all of the snaps today at left guard.
@ I have been told that the Steelers feel there is nothing to the accusations against Maurkice Pouncey. The league has not contacted the team regarding the incident in Miami earlier this month and their own people have checked it out as well.
@ I've heard the Emmanuel Sanders interview in Denver several times now and don't see it as a big deal.
Of course Peyton Manning is different from Ben Roethlisberger. Manning is considered one of the biggest workaholics in NFL history.
That doesn't mean Roethlisberger doesn't work.
And Roethlisberger did take his younger receivers to California this offseason for a week to work out. He also spent extra time with Antonio Brown working on red zone throws while the rest of the team was working on special teams this week.
It's similar to the way Lance Moore got in some hot water in New Orleans for saying that Roethlisberger has a lot stronger arm than Drew Brees.
He wasn't being disrespectful to Brees. He was just stating how he felt.
Now, Ryan Clark saying earlier this week that the Washington secondary is the best one that he's played in was a bit disrespectful - especially considering he hasn't played in it yet.
But guys are always going to speak highly of their new situation.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Sunday news, notes
The Steelers' practice was cut short today by thunderstorms, but not before Le'Veon Bell put a scare into the coaching staff by coming off with a sore hamstring.
He was immediately escorted to the training room, but head coach Mike Tomlin said it's not serious.
Rookie receiver Martavis Bryant is also dealing with a slight groin injury that held him out of practice completely. Rookie receiver C.J. Goodwin of California University of Pa. also had to leave after landing hard on his shoulder while trying to make a catch.
Neither of those injuries are considered serious.
Meanwhile, the news for center David Snow wasn't quite as good. He suffered a foot fracture Saturday that will require surgery to repair.
@ During a special teams session, Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown went down to one end of field and practiced on their own with Roethlisberger rolling to his left and hitting Brown with a pass at the pylon.
That was a new thing, and it shows that Brown is intent on making himself more of a red zone threat. It also shows that Roethlisberger is cognizant that he won't have Jerricho Cotchery, who caught 10 red zone touchdowns last season, around this year.
@ I'm not sure which looked better, but on one play during team portion, Roethlisberger checked off a pass to his right and hit Danny Coale down the seam.
In coverage was linebacker Lawrence Timmons. It was a perfect throw and hit Coale in stride. But it had to be a perfect throw because Timmons was running with Coale stride for stride.
Timmons said he's dropped down to 242 pounds to improve his speed. It certainly showed there. Coale was a legit 4.4-4.5 guy coming out of college.
@ I've noticed Cam Heyward running around high-fiving guys and making sure he talks to everyone out there on every play. It's interesting to watch a new leader emerge.
@ Ramon Foster is expected to return to practice on Monday after dealing with the unfortunate passing of his mother.
Guy Whimper replaced Foster today after it was Cody Wallace Saturday.
@ Brown caught a ball in the flat that Jarvis Jones nearly knocked free before Brown re-caught it, split a pair of defenders and then raced down the sideline . . . where he was caught 25 yards downfield by rookie linebacker Ryan Shazier.
Now, Shazier had an angle, but you don't usually see linebackers run down receivers.
He was immediately escorted to the training room, but head coach Mike Tomlin said it's not serious.
Rookie receiver Martavis Bryant is also dealing with a slight groin injury that held him out of practice completely. Rookie receiver C.J. Goodwin of California University of Pa. also had to leave after landing hard on his shoulder while trying to make a catch.
Neither of those injuries are considered serious.
Meanwhile, the news for center David Snow wasn't quite as good. He suffered a foot fracture Saturday that will require surgery to repair.
@ During a special teams session, Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown went down to one end of field and practiced on their own with Roethlisberger rolling to his left and hitting Brown with a pass at the pylon.
That was a new thing, and it shows that Brown is intent on making himself more of a red zone threat. It also shows that Roethlisberger is cognizant that he won't have Jerricho Cotchery, who caught 10 red zone touchdowns last season, around this year.
@ I'm not sure which looked better, but on one play during team portion, Roethlisberger checked off a pass to his right and hit Danny Coale down the seam.
In coverage was linebacker Lawrence Timmons. It was a perfect throw and hit Coale in stride. But it had to be a perfect throw because Timmons was running with Coale stride for stride.
Timmons said he's dropped down to 242 pounds to improve his speed. It certainly showed there. Coale was a legit 4.4-4.5 guy coming out of college.
@ I've noticed Cam Heyward running around high-fiving guys and making sure he talks to everyone out there on every play. It's interesting to watch a new leader emerge.
@ Ramon Foster is expected to return to practice on Monday after dealing with the unfortunate passing of his mother.
Guy Whimper replaced Foster today after it was Cody Wallace Saturday.
@ Brown caught a ball in the flat that Jarvis Jones nearly knocked free before Brown re-caught it, split a pair of defenders and then raced down the sideline . . . where he was caught 25 yards downfield by rookie linebacker Ryan Shazier.
Now, Shazier had an angle, but you don't usually see linebackers run down receivers.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Pouncey talks about lawsuit and other Day 1 notes
Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey and his brother, Mike, were sued Friday in a Florida court over their alleged involvement in an assault earlier this month.
Here's what Pouncey had to say about the incident and lawsuit on Saturday.
"I'm a man about everything. Y'all know that any time I've made a mistake, I admit to it. For something like this to happen when I had no involvement, it's upsetting. It hurts me. It's on my mind like crazy. Hopefully, it blows over. Our lawyer put out a statement."
Pouncey doesn't expect to be disciplined in regard to the alleged incident.
"No fear at all," said Pouncey. "The only thing that sucks about it is that I tried to keep a clean nose throughout the process this year. Having to deal with this, sucks, it truly does.
"Even for the birthday party, we hired our own retired police officer to go out with us. For something like to this to happen is truly unbelievable. I just want to take the time to apologize to the the fans who take this the wrong way. You guys all know me and know the person I am. For people to say bad things about me, that sucks. But sometimes you've got to deal with bad things in life and move on."
The lawsuit in question now charges that it was Maurkice Pouncey who not only taunted one of the men in the alleged altercation, but that he also punched both him and a woman he was with.
This is a different story than was told when the incident was first alleged to occur. The suit doesn't say how much the alleged victims are seeking from the Pouncey brothers, only that it is in excess of $15,000.
@ Lawrence Timmons, who is listed at 234 pounds, is actually at 242 this season after playing last year at 250.
This is why I have to chuckle every time I see Ryan Shazier talked about as undersized. Anybody who thinks these guys are the actual weights they are listed at is being a little silly.
Take Steve McLendon, for example. I have answered countless questions about his weight, which was listed for a long time at 285 pounds.
That was what McLendon weighed when he first signed with the Steelers and nobody bothered to change it - until last year, when it was adjusted to 320 pounds, which is pretty much what he has weighed the past three years.
Now, I see people saying that McLendon suddenly put on 35 pounds. That is most certainly not the case. He's been carrying 320 for the past three years.
Same thing goes for James Farrior. Farrior played inside linebacker for the Steelers at the 215-220-pound range in his last few seasons. Same thing goes for Larry Foote.
That's at least 15 pounds lighter than Shazier.
But yeah, Shazier is undersized.
Timmons, by the way, did weigh 234 in his first season with the Steelers. Shazier is listed at 237.
@ The Steelers probably won't say so publicly for a while, but privately, they expect Johnny Manziel to be Cleveland's starting quarterback for the opener Sept. 7.
@ Dri Archer worked as the No. 1 punt return guy today. The Steelers feel he can handle that job and lighten Antonio Brown's workload.
@ Ben Roethlisberger wore Brett Keisel's former number 99 for the position drill portion of practice today before switching over to his more familiar No. 7.
@ There seems to be a feeling that rookie Stephon Tuitt is bright enough and talented enough to win a starting defensive end position.
He drew some praise during position drills today from John Mitchell, which is pretty hard to come by for the young guys.
@ With Ramon Foster dealing with a death in his family, Cody Wallace got first-team snaps with the offense at left guard.
At free safety, it was Will Allen subbing for Mike Mitchell.
Here's what Pouncey had to say about the incident and lawsuit on Saturday.
"I'm a man about everything. Y'all know that any time I've made a mistake, I admit to it. For something like this to happen when I had no involvement, it's upsetting. It hurts me. It's on my mind like crazy. Hopefully, it blows over. Our lawyer put out a statement."
Pouncey doesn't expect to be disciplined in regard to the alleged incident.
"No fear at all," said Pouncey. "The only thing that sucks about it is that I tried to keep a clean nose throughout the process this year. Having to deal with this, sucks, it truly does.
"Even for the birthday party, we hired our own retired police officer to go out with us. For something like to this to happen is truly unbelievable. I just want to take the time to apologize to the the fans who take this the wrong way. You guys all know me and know the person I am. For people to say bad things about me, that sucks. But sometimes you've got to deal with bad things in life and move on."
The lawsuit in question now charges that it was Maurkice Pouncey who not only taunted one of the men in the alleged altercation, but that he also punched both him and a woman he was with.
This is a different story than was told when the incident was first alleged to occur. The suit doesn't say how much the alleged victims are seeking from the Pouncey brothers, only that it is in excess of $15,000.
@ Lawrence Timmons, who is listed at 234 pounds, is actually at 242 this season after playing last year at 250.
This is why I have to chuckle every time I see Ryan Shazier talked about as undersized. Anybody who thinks these guys are the actual weights they are listed at is being a little silly.
Take Steve McLendon, for example. I have answered countless questions about his weight, which was listed for a long time at 285 pounds.
That was what McLendon weighed when he first signed with the Steelers and nobody bothered to change it - until last year, when it was adjusted to 320 pounds, which is pretty much what he has weighed the past three years.
Now, I see people saying that McLendon suddenly put on 35 pounds. That is most certainly not the case. He's been carrying 320 for the past three years.
Same thing goes for James Farrior. Farrior played inside linebacker for the Steelers at the 215-220-pound range in his last few seasons. Same thing goes for Larry Foote.
That's at least 15 pounds lighter than Shazier.
But yeah, Shazier is undersized.
Timmons, by the way, did weigh 234 in his first season with the Steelers. Shazier is listed at 237.
@ The Steelers probably won't say so publicly for a while, but privately, they expect Johnny Manziel to be Cleveland's starting quarterback for the opener Sept. 7.
@ Dri Archer worked as the No. 1 punt return guy today. The Steelers feel he can handle that job and lighten Antonio Brown's workload.
@ Ben Roethlisberger wore Brett Keisel's former number 99 for the position drill portion of practice today before switching over to his more familiar No. 7.
@ There seems to be a feeling that rookie Stephon Tuitt is bright enough and talented enough to win a starting defensive end position.
He drew some praise during position drills today from John Mitchell, which is pretty hard to come by for the young guys.
@ With Ramon Foster dealing with a death in his family, Cody Wallace got first-team snaps with the offense at left guard.
At free safety, it was Will Allen subbing for Mike Mitchell.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Steelers arrive at camp
The biggest "news" of the day came before the day even really began when Art Rooney II said on the Steelers web site that he had spoken to Ben Roethlisberger regarding his contract status and that a new deal would not be talked about until after this season.
That was pretty much the general feeling about the situation, but Rooney certainly put any speculation about a new contract for the quarterback during this training camp to bed.
"I met with Ben shortly before we did the Maurkice Pouncey signing just to make sure Ben understood where we were in our intentions as far as a contract extension for him," Rooney said. "I just didn't want him to feel like we were moving ahead with other players without any communication.
"I talked to Ben, and then we talked to his agent, Ryan Tollner, about where we are and the fact we intend on addressing Ben's contract situation after the season, so that we could address a number of other players who were going into their last year in 2014. I think Ben understands that's our intention and the way we'd like to proceed. I think we had a good conversation."
Roethlisberger has two years remaining on his current deal and will make $12.1 million in base salary this season.
But the Steelers have a number of key players heading into the final year of their contracts, including cornerback Cortez Allen, linebacker Jason Worilds, who was transition tagged this season and offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert.
Currently, the team has just over $6 million in salary cap space remaining.
Rooney said that Roethlisberger wants to be part of a winning team moving forward. And for that to happen, the Steelers need to address some of their other positions before working out a new deal with the quarterback.
The cap is expected to go up in 2015 from its current $133 million to around $140 million, also giving the Steelers additional flexibility to work out a new deal with Roethlisberger after this season.
@ Mike Mitchell, the Steelers' new starting free safety, will open camp on the pup list with a groin injury suffered while working out in the offseason.
Mitchell was signed to a five-year, $25-million contract to replace Ryan Clark.
That's a big blow since Mitchell only got a few days to work with Troy Polamalu during mini-camp this year. Mitchell is expected to be out about a week.
@ Guard Ramon Foster was excused while dealing with a death in the family, while punter Adam Podlesh was excused to be home with his wife, who is expecting a child this weekend.
@ Everyone completed the run test Friday, though massive rookie defensive tackle Daniel McCullers - all 6-7, 352 pounds of him - was obviously struggling at the end.
That was pretty much the general feeling about the situation, but Rooney certainly put any speculation about a new contract for the quarterback during this training camp to bed.
"I met with Ben shortly before we did the Maurkice Pouncey signing just to make sure Ben understood where we were in our intentions as far as a contract extension for him," Rooney said. "I just didn't want him to feel like we were moving ahead with other players without any communication.
"I talked to Ben, and then we talked to his agent, Ryan Tollner, about where we are and the fact we intend on addressing Ben's contract situation after the season, so that we could address a number of other players who were going into their last year in 2014. I think Ben understands that's our intention and the way we'd like to proceed. I think we had a good conversation."
Roethlisberger has two years remaining on his current deal and will make $12.1 million in base salary this season.
But the Steelers have a number of key players heading into the final year of their contracts, including cornerback Cortez Allen, linebacker Jason Worilds, who was transition tagged this season and offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert.
Currently, the team has just over $6 million in salary cap space remaining.
Rooney said that Roethlisberger wants to be part of a winning team moving forward. And for that to happen, the Steelers need to address some of their other positions before working out a new deal with the quarterback.
The cap is expected to go up in 2015 from its current $133 million to around $140 million, also giving the Steelers additional flexibility to work out a new deal with Roethlisberger after this season.
@ Mike Mitchell, the Steelers' new starting free safety, will open camp on the pup list with a groin injury suffered while working out in the offseason.
Mitchell was signed to a five-year, $25-million contract to replace Ryan Clark.
That's a big blow since Mitchell only got a few days to work with Troy Polamalu during mini-camp this year. Mitchell is expected to be out about a week.
@ Guard Ramon Foster was excused while dealing with a death in the family, while punter Adam Podlesh was excused to be home with his wife, who is expecting a child this weekend.
@ Everyone completed the run test Friday, though massive rookie defensive tackle Daniel McCullers - all 6-7, 352 pounds of him - was obviously struggling at the end.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
A look on what to look for at camp
With training camp set to open at week's end, there are surprisingly few starting spots up for grabs on the Steelers' roster.
That does not, however, mean that there won't be a few heated battles. Here's a quick look at what we can expect:
Punter-The Steelers would like to settle on one guy this year rather than this being a rotation of "JV" punters - to steal a phrase from Mike Tomlin - as it has been the past couple of seasons. Veteran Adam Podlesh was signed as a free agent and has been solid, if unspectacular, throughout his career. He averaged a career-low 40.6 yards per punt in 2013, but a big reason for that was that he placed 27 of his 68 kicks (40 percent) inside the opposing 20. In to challenge Podlesh is former LSU bad boy Brad Wing. The Australian has a big leg and averaged 44.6 yards in his college career but was suspended at LSU for a bowl game and also had an arrest for battery. He was released by Philadelphia at the end of training camp last year.
Right tackle-Marcus Gilbert is the starter right now and there's no reason to think he won't hold that spot down. But Mike Adams lined up at No. 2 there throughout the offseason and, with Gilbert going into his contract season, the team could take a long look to see if Adams is the better long-term option.
Inside linebacker-Ryan Shazier has been handed the starting spot held down for most of last season by Vince Williams. Williams is back and showed improvement last season, but not enough for the team to pass on the chance to take Shazier in the first round. Make this an all-around battle royal Sean Spence is back as well after missing the past two seasons with a serious knee injury. Rookie Jordan Zumwalt could be a special teams star and Terence Garvin also has shown some promise. Shazier and Timmons are guarantees to make the team and free agent signee Arthur Moats can also line up inside or outside. That could mean that just two out of the group of Williams, Zumwalt, Spence and Garvin make this roster, though Garvin and Zumwalt can also slide outside.
Wide receiver-Antonio Brown will start at one spot. But who starts on the other side? Markus Wheaton will get the first chance. But Justin Brown has looked good pretty much since last November. Lance Moore is more of a slot guy, while veterans Darius Heyward-Bey, Derek Moye and fourth-round draft pick Martavis Bryant are also in the mix. Rookie Dri Archer will also see some time at WR, while there are a couple of interesting prospects in former Virginia Tech star Danny Coale, Kashif Moore and Cal U's C.J. Goodwin. Todd Haley called this a deep group, and he wasn't wrong. But the Steelers need somebody to step up into a more prominent role opposite Brown.
Tight end-Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth are locks. But veterans Michael Palmer and David Paulson will be pushed for the No. 3 spot by interesting prospects Rob Blanchflower and Eric Waters, a pair of rookies. The Steelers had draftable grades on both Blanchflower and Waters and took Blanchflower in the seventh round. Both are considered solid blockers and receivers. The No. 3 spot could come down to special teams plays, though another spot is likely there for the taking on the practice squad.
That does not, however, mean that there won't be a few heated battles. Here's a quick look at what we can expect:
Punter-The Steelers would like to settle on one guy this year rather than this being a rotation of "JV" punters - to steal a phrase from Mike Tomlin - as it has been the past couple of seasons. Veteran Adam Podlesh was signed as a free agent and has been solid, if unspectacular, throughout his career. He averaged a career-low 40.6 yards per punt in 2013, but a big reason for that was that he placed 27 of his 68 kicks (40 percent) inside the opposing 20. In to challenge Podlesh is former LSU bad boy Brad Wing. The Australian has a big leg and averaged 44.6 yards in his college career but was suspended at LSU for a bowl game and also had an arrest for battery. He was released by Philadelphia at the end of training camp last year.
Right tackle-Marcus Gilbert is the starter right now and there's no reason to think he won't hold that spot down. But Mike Adams lined up at No. 2 there throughout the offseason and, with Gilbert going into his contract season, the team could take a long look to see if Adams is the better long-term option.
Inside linebacker-Ryan Shazier has been handed the starting spot held down for most of last season by Vince Williams. Williams is back and showed improvement last season, but not enough for the team to pass on the chance to take Shazier in the first round. Make this an all-around battle royal Sean Spence is back as well after missing the past two seasons with a serious knee injury. Rookie Jordan Zumwalt could be a special teams star and Terence Garvin also has shown some promise. Shazier and Timmons are guarantees to make the team and free agent signee Arthur Moats can also line up inside or outside. That could mean that just two out of the group of Williams, Zumwalt, Spence and Garvin make this roster, though Garvin and Zumwalt can also slide outside.
Wide receiver-Antonio Brown will start at one spot. But who starts on the other side? Markus Wheaton will get the first chance. But Justin Brown has looked good pretty much since last November. Lance Moore is more of a slot guy, while veterans Darius Heyward-Bey, Derek Moye and fourth-round draft pick Martavis Bryant are also in the mix. Rookie Dri Archer will also see some time at WR, while there are a couple of interesting prospects in former Virginia Tech star Danny Coale, Kashif Moore and Cal U's C.J. Goodwin. Todd Haley called this a deep group, and he wasn't wrong. But the Steelers need somebody to step up into a more prominent role opposite Brown.
Tight end-Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth are locks. But veterans Michael Palmer and David Paulson will be pushed for the No. 3 spot by interesting prospects Rob Blanchflower and Eric Waters, a pair of rookies. The Steelers had draftable grades on both Blanchflower and Waters and took Blanchflower in the seventh round. Both are considered solid blockers and receivers. The No. 3 spot could come down to special teams plays, though another spot is likely there for the taking on the practice squad.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Pounceys being sued is obvious money grab
I've answered the question here and on Twitter: "What do you think of the Pouncey news?"
To this point, my reply has been the same. Nothing.
At this point, there appears to be nothing to it as far as the Pouncey twins are concerned.
To the uninformed, a man went on social media claiming to have been attacked in Miami by the Pouncey twins and bouncers at a club where the twins were celebrating their 25th birthdays.
Yes his face was swollen. Yes, he was crying on video.
But that's all we have to this point.
There is still no proof that either Pouncey twin engaged in an assault. The only claims we have seen regarding the incident come from the victim.
That same "victim" announced today that he plans on suing the Pouncey brothers. Geez, that didn't take long.
According to the victim's statement today on a Miami television statement the incident began with the Pouncey brothers taunting him, then, "Somebody grabbed me and ?I got hit. Somebody lifted me up and dragged me out of the club. I was being beat up, I was getting kicked and punched. A bottle hit me."
The initial investigation has shown that the Pouncey brothers were not involved in the assault. And I'm sure the guy was minding his own business and the brothers picked him out of the crowd to start taunting. And then, they pointed to the bouncers and had a hole stomped in him.
Yep, it all sounds very plausible. . . Not.
Some might rip the Pounceys for throwing themselves a party. Some might trash them for being out past 4 a.m. - which is when this alleged incident took place.
But the fact of the matter is, there are an awful lot of holes in this guy's story. And him saying he's bringing a lawsuit into play before any charges have even been filed only makes that more so the case.
To this point, my reply has been the same. Nothing.
At this point, there appears to be nothing to it as far as the Pouncey twins are concerned.
To the uninformed, a man went on social media claiming to have been attacked in Miami by the Pouncey twins and bouncers at a club where the twins were celebrating their 25th birthdays.
Yes his face was swollen. Yes, he was crying on video.
But that's all we have to this point.
There is still no proof that either Pouncey twin engaged in an assault. The only claims we have seen regarding the incident come from the victim.
That same "victim" announced today that he plans on suing the Pouncey brothers. Geez, that didn't take long.
According to the victim's statement today on a Miami television statement the incident began with the Pouncey brothers taunting him, then, "Somebody grabbed me and ?I got hit. Somebody lifted me up and dragged me out of the club. I was being beat up, I was getting kicked and punched. A bottle hit me."
The initial investigation has shown that the Pouncey brothers were not involved in the assault. And I'm sure the guy was minding his own business and the brothers picked him out of the crowd to start taunting. And then, they pointed to the bouncers and had a hole stomped in him.
Yep, it all sounds very plausible. . . Not.
Some might rip the Pounceys for throwing themselves a party. Some might trash them for being out past 4 a.m. - which is when this alleged incident took place.
But the fact of the matter is, there are an awful lot of holes in this guy's story. And him saying he's bringing a lawsuit into play before any charges have even been filed only makes that more so the case.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Is Keisel returning to Steelers?
With training camp for the Steelers scheduled to begin in less than two weeks at Saint Vincent College, now would be the time for the team to start looking at any possible additions to the roster.
The Steelers have just over $6 million in salary cap space and could bolster their roster with an addition or two. There will be some contract extensions as well, but that won't likely eat up all of the cap space.
No. 1 on that list would be defensive end Brett Keisel.
Make no mistake about this. IF the Steelers bring Keisel back, it would not be to start. In fact, he would be, at best, a 10-snap-per-game player as a situational pass rusher.
Consider that Cam Thomas, the guy signed to help replace Keisel, has six career sacks in four seasons in San Diego. And Keisel had four sacks and 26 pressures - third on the team behind Jason Worilds and Cam Heyward - despite missing four games.
But what he would mean in the locker room would be so much greater.
Few players in the locker room are as respected as the 35-year-old Keisel, who turns 36 in September.
But even more than that, consider that Cam Heyward and Steve McLendon is now the senior man in the Steelers' defensive lineman room - at least in terms of time spent with Pittsburgh.
This is no knock on McLendon, who is a ridiculously hard worker, or Heyward, who is coming into his own as a leader, but it wouldn't hurt to have another trusted voice in that meeting room, somebody who could mentor second-round draft pick Stephon Tuitt.
McLendon and Heyward are both young starters and are likely more worried about improving their own game than they are mentoring a young teammate.
Does Keisel have to be on the roster for that to happen? I think so, unless he's ready to hang up his helmet and take on more of a coaching role. And I don't see that happening yet.
As of mini-camp, Keisel still hadn't cleaned out his locker. Everything was still there, just as he had left it at season's end.
Did Keisel know something? Perhaps.
The Steelers have just over $6 million in salary cap space and could bolster their roster with an addition or two. There will be some contract extensions as well, but that won't likely eat up all of the cap space.
No. 1 on that list would be defensive end Brett Keisel.
Make no mistake about this. IF the Steelers bring Keisel back, it would not be to start. In fact, he would be, at best, a 10-snap-per-game player as a situational pass rusher.
Consider that Cam Thomas, the guy signed to help replace Keisel, has six career sacks in four seasons in San Diego. And Keisel had four sacks and 26 pressures - third on the team behind Jason Worilds and Cam Heyward - despite missing four games.
But what he would mean in the locker room would be so much greater.
Few players in the locker room are as respected as the 35-year-old Keisel, who turns 36 in September.
But even more than that, consider that Cam Heyward and Steve McLendon is now the senior man in the Steelers' defensive lineman room - at least in terms of time spent with Pittsburgh.
This is no knock on McLendon, who is a ridiculously hard worker, or Heyward, who is coming into his own as a leader, but it wouldn't hurt to have another trusted voice in that meeting room, somebody who could mentor second-round draft pick Stephon Tuitt.
McLendon and Heyward are both young starters and are likely more worried about improving their own game than they are mentoring a young teammate.
Does Keisel have to be on the roster for that to happen? I think so, unless he's ready to hang up his helmet and take on more of a coaching role. And I don't see that happening yet.
As of mini-camp, Keisel still hadn't cleaned out his locker. Everything was still there, just as he had left it at season's end.
Did Keisel know something? Perhaps.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Top 25, the final five
Here are the top five players on the Steelers' top 25 list. By now, you guys (and girls) all know the parameters. So here we go:
No. 5. Troy Polamalu. I've seen all of the guesses on who would be the top five. This is where I put Polamalu. He's not what he once was, but he's still an impactful player. In fact, he's probably still the player opposing offenses fear the most for the Steelers because of his playmaking ability and with the way he can disrupt a game. But there's no doubt he's slowed down. He had to play more in the box last year than he has in quite some time. Will the addition of Mike Mitchell and Ryan Shazier alleviate that and allow him to freelance more? That should be the case.
No. 4 Lawrence Timmons. Timmons once again led the team in tackles and was disruptive at times in 2013. But he had to cover too much for the constant merry-go-round beside him once Larry Foote was lost for the season in the opener. With speedy Ryan Shazier playing beside him, I expect Timmons to match or exceed the career-high seven sacks he had in 2009. If he can do that, get his 120-130 tackles and pick off a couple of passes, the Pro Bowl awaits.
No. 3 Cameron Heyward. Heyward was arguably the best 3-4 defensive lineman in the NFL last season. And he's still learning the position. He might not put up the big statistics of Polamalu or Timmons, but he'll be even more important in this defense this season if he can consistently draw double teams. And when he isn't doubled, if he gets to the QB, that will be a big bonus. Heyward, like Timmons, could burst onto the national scene this season.
No. 2 Antonio Brown. Brown is now a two-time team MVP. He does a little bit of everything for this team's offense. The Steelers would like to lighten his load a little bit and get him off punt returns, which might finally happen this year with the addition of Dri Archer. That won't affect Brown's overall value, however. He's still the focal point of the offense.
No. 1 Ben Roethlisberger. If the Steelers had snuck into the playoffs last season as the sixth widlcard, nobody would have relished the matchup because Roethlisberger was playing some of the best football of his career. He's bought into the Todd Haley system and they have a good give-and-take. Roethlisberger is getting rid of the ball more quickly, and Haley is giving him more freedom to run the no-huddle. The cast will be different this season, but Roethlisberger makes it go.
No. 5. Troy Polamalu. I've seen all of the guesses on who would be the top five. This is where I put Polamalu. He's not what he once was, but he's still an impactful player. In fact, he's probably still the player opposing offenses fear the most for the Steelers because of his playmaking ability and with the way he can disrupt a game. But there's no doubt he's slowed down. He had to play more in the box last year than he has in quite some time. Will the addition of Mike Mitchell and Ryan Shazier alleviate that and allow him to freelance more? That should be the case.
No. 4 Lawrence Timmons. Timmons once again led the team in tackles and was disruptive at times in 2013. But he had to cover too much for the constant merry-go-round beside him once Larry Foote was lost for the season in the opener. With speedy Ryan Shazier playing beside him, I expect Timmons to match or exceed the career-high seven sacks he had in 2009. If he can do that, get his 120-130 tackles and pick off a couple of passes, the Pro Bowl awaits.
No. 3 Cameron Heyward. Heyward was arguably the best 3-4 defensive lineman in the NFL last season. And he's still learning the position. He might not put up the big statistics of Polamalu or Timmons, but he'll be even more important in this defense this season if he can consistently draw double teams. And when he isn't doubled, if he gets to the QB, that will be a big bonus. Heyward, like Timmons, could burst onto the national scene this season.
No. 2 Antonio Brown. Brown is now a two-time team MVP. He does a little bit of everything for this team's offense. The Steelers would like to lighten his load a little bit and get him off punt returns, which might finally happen this year with the addition of Dri Archer. That won't affect Brown's overall value, however. He's still the focal point of the offense.
No. 1 Ben Roethlisberger. If the Steelers had snuck into the playoffs last season as the sixth widlcard, nobody would have relished the matchup because Roethlisberger was playing some of the best football of his career. He's bought into the Todd Haley system and they have a good give-and-take. Roethlisberger is getting rid of the ball more quickly, and Haley is giving him more freedom to run the no-huddle. The cast will be different this season, but Roethlisberger makes it go.
Sunday, July 06, 2014
Steelers top 25, 6-10
Here's the next five on my list of the Steelers' top 25 players. Remember, we're not including rookies in this.
No. 10. Mike Mitchell, S. Speed and explosiveness. They were missing from the Steelers' secondary - particularly at free safety last season. Mitchell brings those two things, plus some ball skills as well. It's not a knock on Ryan Clark. He just got old, and once the NFL legislated big hits out of the game, his lack of speed became a serious detriment. I look for Mitchell to have at least four interceptions, three sacks and two forced fumbles in 2014.
No. 9. Maurkice Pouncey, C. I know a lot of people are on the Fernando Velasco bandwagon. And he played well in 2013 in place of Pouncey. But Pouncey's a legitimate Pro Bowl center. He's also the leader of the line and one of this team's offensive leaders. He's going to have a big bounce-back season.
No. 8. Le'Veon Bell, RB. Bell had 1,259 total yards in 13 games in 2013. And he was learning things on the fly after missing most of the preseason and first three games with a mid-foot sprain. He's only going to get better, and the addition of LeGarrette Blount will only help take some of the pressure off of him. Bell should have 1,600 total combined yards from scrimmage this season.
No. 7. Jason Worilds. Worilds emerged as a force last season, particularly once he was moved into LaMarr Woodley's strongside linebacker position. Many are still taking a show-me stance with Worilds, but realize this: He's started 21 career games and has 18 sacks. Last season was not a fluke. Worilds should have a big season in 2014 and put the Steelers in a precarious spot. Do they let him walk or slap the Franchise Tag on him? It's unlikely a contract gets done at this point because if you're Worilds, why would you want to sign unless it's a big deal, and if you're the Steelers, you're not going to make him a huge offer.
No. 6. David DeCastro, G. DeCastro should have made the Pro Bowl in 2013. He didn't because the Steelers' overall rushing numbers weren't very good. But DeCastro was very, very good in 2013. He'll make it this season and prove to be the Steelers' best overall lineman.
No. 10. Mike Mitchell, S. Speed and explosiveness. They were missing from the Steelers' secondary - particularly at free safety last season. Mitchell brings those two things, plus some ball skills as well. It's not a knock on Ryan Clark. He just got old, and once the NFL legislated big hits out of the game, his lack of speed became a serious detriment. I look for Mitchell to have at least four interceptions, three sacks and two forced fumbles in 2014.
No. 9. Maurkice Pouncey, C. I know a lot of people are on the Fernando Velasco bandwagon. And he played well in 2013 in place of Pouncey. But Pouncey's a legitimate Pro Bowl center. He's also the leader of the line and one of this team's offensive leaders. He's going to have a big bounce-back season.
No. 8. Le'Veon Bell, RB. Bell had 1,259 total yards in 13 games in 2013. And he was learning things on the fly after missing most of the preseason and first three games with a mid-foot sprain. He's only going to get better, and the addition of LeGarrette Blount will only help take some of the pressure off of him. Bell should have 1,600 total combined yards from scrimmage this season.
No. 7. Jason Worilds. Worilds emerged as a force last season, particularly once he was moved into LaMarr Woodley's strongside linebacker position. Many are still taking a show-me stance with Worilds, but realize this: He's started 21 career games and has 18 sacks. Last season was not a fluke. Worilds should have a big season in 2014 and put the Steelers in a precarious spot. Do they let him walk or slap the Franchise Tag on him? It's unlikely a contract gets done at this point because if you're Worilds, why would you want to sign unless it's a big deal, and if you're the Steelers, you're not going to make him a huge offer.
No. 6. David DeCastro, G. DeCastro should have made the Pro Bowl in 2013. He didn't because the Steelers' overall rushing numbers weren't very good. But DeCastro was very, very good in 2013. He'll make it this season and prove to be the Steelers' best overall lineman.
Tuesday, July 01, 2014
Top 25 Steelers/ 11-15
Here is the continuation of the Steelers' top 25 list. Again, a reminder, this does not include rookies, several of whom could jump onto this list this season.
No. 15. Ike Taylor, CB. Yes, Ike had a bad first half last season. That will happen when you're being matched against the A.J. Greens and Calvin Johnsons of the world with virtually no safety help. But there's little doubt that Ike is slowing down a little. He rebounded to play better in the second half, particularly in the final month of the season. The Steelers asked him to take a pay cut and Ike accepted. He said he was OK with it, but then ripped the move on the Jim Rome Show last week. So he's got a chip on his shoulder. That could mean he bounces back with one more solid season in 2014.
No. 14. Lance Moore, WR. Yes, Moore hasn't yet played a down for the Steelers, but Ben Roethlisberger is raving about Moore's ability to find the open area. Moore had just 37 receptions for 457 yards and two scores last season in New Orleans, but in 2012, he caught 65 passes for 1,041 yards and six scores. He's just 30 and could approach those numbers again this season.
No. 13. LeGarrette Blount, RB. Another player who hasn't yet played a down for the Steelers but who will make a big impact in 2014. Blount averaged 5.0 yards per carry for New England last season (153-772) with seven touchdowns and then had 172 yards and four touchdowns in 29 postseason carries. His career average per carry is 4.7 yards. He and LeVeon Bell will be options 1 and 1A in the Steelers' rushing attack.
No. 12. Kelvin Beachum, LT. This is a pretty high ranking for Beachum, but he handles one of the most important positions on the field, perhaps the most important one that doesn't actually handle the ball. The Steelers went 8-4 with Beachum at left tackle in 2013. He's not going to amaze you with his power or speed, but he's a solid technician who gets the job done. And he's still improving.
No. 11. Heath Miller, TE. This ranking for Miller is actually lower than where many would have him, but he just played OK in 2013 as he continued to recover from a serious knee injury suffered at the end of the 2013 season when he was the team MVP. Miller has looked good in OTAs and mini-camp and looks more like the player he was in 2012 rather than the shell of himself than he was in 2013. He could easily push his way back into the top 10 this season.
No. 15. Ike Taylor, CB. Yes, Ike had a bad first half last season. That will happen when you're being matched against the A.J. Greens and Calvin Johnsons of the world with virtually no safety help. But there's little doubt that Ike is slowing down a little. He rebounded to play better in the second half, particularly in the final month of the season. The Steelers asked him to take a pay cut and Ike accepted. He said he was OK with it, but then ripped the move on the Jim Rome Show last week. So he's got a chip on his shoulder. That could mean he bounces back with one more solid season in 2014.
No. 14. Lance Moore, WR. Yes, Moore hasn't yet played a down for the Steelers, but Ben Roethlisberger is raving about Moore's ability to find the open area. Moore had just 37 receptions for 457 yards and two scores last season in New Orleans, but in 2012, he caught 65 passes for 1,041 yards and six scores. He's just 30 and could approach those numbers again this season.
No. 13. LeGarrette Blount, RB. Another player who hasn't yet played a down for the Steelers but who will make a big impact in 2014. Blount averaged 5.0 yards per carry for New England last season (153-772) with seven touchdowns and then had 172 yards and four touchdowns in 29 postseason carries. His career average per carry is 4.7 yards. He and LeVeon Bell will be options 1 and 1A in the Steelers' rushing attack.
No. 12. Kelvin Beachum, LT. This is a pretty high ranking for Beachum, but he handles one of the most important positions on the field, perhaps the most important one that doesn't actually handle the ball. The Steelers went 8-4 with Beachum at left tackle in 2013. He's not going to amaze you with his power or speed, but he's a solid technician who gets the job done. And he's still improving.
No. 11. Heath Miller, TE. This ranking for Miller is actually lower than where many would have him, but he just played OK in 2013 as he continued to recover from a serious knee injury suffered at the end of the 2013 season when he was the team MVP. Miller has looked good in OTAs and mini-camp and looks more like the player he was in 2012 rather than the shell of himself than he was in 2013. He could easily push his way back into the top 10 this season.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
The next five
Continuing with the Steelers' top 25 series, here are players No. 20-16. Keep in mind, no rookies are being ranked:
20. Will Johnson, FB. Johnson is a meat-and-potato guy who could be much more. He's big and fast and could be a bigger weapon in 2014 after getting just 10 touches in 2013.
19. Steve McLendon, NT. McLendon unfairly took the brunt of the blame for the Steelers' shoddy run defense in 2013. Many of the big gains that hurt them and their overall average were when he wasn't on the field or ran to the outside, away from the middle. Is he Casey Hampton. No. But he's solid. Many of the same people ripping him in 2013 were the same ones calling for him to play more in 2012.
18. Marcus Gilbert, RT. Gilbert is heading into a contract year hoping to hold off Mike Adams at right tackle. To this point, he's done just that. Again, he's not spectacular, but he's a decent NFL starter who still has some upside.
17. Ramon Foster, LG. Foster was forced to be the brains of the outfit up front in 2013 when Maurkice Pouncey went down. He worked with Fernando Velasco to get him up to speed, then did the same with Cody Wallace. Foster is solid and, like the rest of his linemates, still getting better.
16. Cortez Allen, CB. Allen, to this point, has barely scratched the surface on his talent. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if he jumped up into the top 10 in terms of value to the Steelers in 2014. He's big, he's got speed and he's smart in coverage. An ankle injury held him back to some extent in 2013. But he could break out in 2014. The Steelers should sign him to a contract extension before the season starts, if he'll go for it.
20. Will Johnson, FB. Johnson is a meat-and-potato guy who could be much more. He's big and fast and could be a bigger weapon in 2014 after getting just 10 touches in 2013.
19. Steve McLendon, NT. McLendon unfairly took the brunt of the blame for the Steelers' shoddy run defense in 2013. Many of the big gains that hurt them and their overall average were when he wasn't on the field or ran to the outside, away from the middle. Is he Casey Hampton. No. But he's solid. Many of the same people ripping him in 2013 were the same ones calling for him to play more in 2012.
18. Marcus Gilbert, RT. Gilbert is heading into a contract year hoping to hold off Mike Adams at right tackle. To this point, he's done just that. Again, he's not spectacular, but he's a decent NFL starter who still has some upside.
17. Ramon Foster, LG. Foster was forced to be the brains of the outfit up front in 2013 when Maurkice Pouncey went down. He worked with Fernando Velasco to get him up to speed, then did the same with Cody Wallace. Foster is solid and, like the rest of his linemates, still getting better.
16. Cortez Allen, CB. Allen, to this point, has barely scratched the surface on his talent. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if he jumped up into the top 10 in terms of value to the Steelers in 2014. He's big, he's got speed and he's smart in coverage. An ankle injury held him back to some extent in 2013. But he could break out in 2014. The Steelers should sign him to a contract extension before the season starts, if he'll go for it.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Ranking the Steelers' top 25
We're in that dead period. You know the one; the time in between the end of mini-camp and the start of training camp.
There's just not a lot happening right now, especially since the NFL instituted a rookie salary cap. Heck, even the rookies are now signed.
So I'm going to start something new to pass the time. I'm going to rank the Steelers' top 25 players. Why 25? Why not? It's a nice round number and I'll do five each week until the start of training camp July 25.
So here's the first installment. As a side note, I'm not going to rank rookies since they haven't played an NFL game as of yet.
No. 25. Markus Wheaton, WR - Wheaton is expected to start this season, but he's not there yet. He has flashed the ability on the practice field but we haven't see it in a game as of yet. If the Steelers are going to be better than 8-8 this season, they need Wheaton to play his way into a much higher spot on this list.
No. 24. Mike Adams, OT - I know this one is going to draw some fire. But Adams is entering just his third NFL season. It's way too early to give up on him. He's running second team behind Marcus Gilbert at RT heading into training camp, but that could certainly change. The upside potential is still there and he's an excellent run blocker. Can he become a credible pass blocker? That remains to be seen.
No. 23. Cam Thomas, DE - Thomas is a big body and maybe the Steelers can coax some solid play out of him, but he lost his starting job at nose tackle in San Diego at the end of last season. Thomas is going to be in the mix at both defensive end and nose tackle, but he's going to be looking over his shoulder all season at second-round pick Stephon Tuitt.
No. 22. Jarvis Jones, OLB - The 2013 first-round draft pick was basically handed a starting job last season but lost it. He was thinking on the field too much in 2013 and it showed. Like Wheaton, if the Steelers are going to make a push for the playoffs in 2014, Jones has to push his ranking higher
No. 21. William Gay, CB - If you believe ProFootballFocus.com, Gay was one of the best corners in the league in 2013. But I trust my eyes. Gay isn't nearly as bad as some fans would lead you to believe, but he's not one of the top corners in the league, either. He's a solid No. 3.
There's just not a lot happening right now, especially since the NFL instituted a rookie salary cap. Heck, even the rookies are now signed.
So I'm going to start something new to pass the time. I'm going to rank the Steelers' top 25 players. Why 25? Why not? It's a nice round number and I'll do five each week until the start of training camp July 25.
So here's the first installment. As a side note, I'm not going to rank rookies since they haven't played an NFL game as of yet.
No. 25. Markus Wheaton, WR - Wheaton is expected to start this season, but he's not there yet. He has flashed the ability on the practice field but we haven't see it in a game as of yet. If the Steelers are going to be better than 8-8 this season, they need Wheaton to play his way into a much higher spot on this list.
No. 24. Mike Adams, OT - I know this one is going to draw some fire. But Adams is entering just his third NFL season. It's way too early to give up on him. He's running second team behind Marcus Gilbert at RT heading into training camp, but that could certainly change. The upside potential is still there and he's an excellent run blocker. Can he become a credible pass blocker? That remains to be seen.
No. 23. Cam Thomas, DE - Thomas is a big body and maybe the Steelers can coax some solid play out of him, but he lost his starting job at nose tackle in San Diego at the end of last season. Thomas is going to be in the mix at both defensive end and nose tackle, but he's going to be looking over his shoulder all season at second-round pick Stephon Tuitt.
No. 22. Jarvis Jones, OLB - The 2013 first-round draft pick was basically handed a starting job last season but lost it. He was thinking on the field too much in 2013 and it showed. Like Wheaton, if the Steelers are going to make a push for the playoffs in 2014, Jones has to push his ranking higher
No. 21. William Gay, CB - If you believe ProFootballFocus.com, Gay was one of the best corners in the league in 2013. But I trust my eyes. Gay isn't nearly as bad as some fans would lead you to believe, but he's not one of the top corners in the league, either. He's a solid No. 3.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Mini-camp, that's a wrap
How intent was Mike Tomlin in getting a full day of practice in on Thursday for the final day of mini-camp?
So much so that when the skies opened up Thursday during the afternoon practice, he quickly moved the team indoors.
Some would say the extra hour of practice the team got indoors was no big deal, but when you're breaking in a new free safety and rookie inside linebacker, all the reps are important. That's especially true considered strong safety Troy Polamalu had missed all of the OTAs and needed the extra time working with Mike Mitchell.
Tomlin had traditionally let the team leave following the morning walk through. That wasn't happening today.
@ That should be a pretty good preview of what's going to happen at training camp this year. There will be no wasted practice dates.
This is a team with a lot of new (and young) components and the more practice time they can get, the better.
The new CBA severely limits how often and how intense teams can practice, which hurts teams that have a lot of turnover.
That typically hasn't been the Steelers, but it is the boat in which they now find themselves.
@ There's a growing buzz around this current Steelers team. I was talking with Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette, who also writes for the Sporting News - for which I had a longtime subscription but didn't know still existed - and he said the publication was picking the Steelers to win the AFC North in its yearly preview magazine.
I'm not surprised by that, though I'd still say Cincinnati is the overall favorite.
I think the Steelers are a definite playoff team this year from what I've seen. Regardless, their two games with Cincinnati in December should be huge.
@ Todd Haley called this the deepest receiver group he's had. That might be true. There are a bevy of seemingly equal talents fighting for a roster spot after the top four - Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Lance Moore and Martavis Bryant (on scholarship).
And they all bring something a little different.
I'd say the battle right now is between Justin Brown and Darius Heyward-Bey, but I'm not counting anyone out. After all, Derek Moye made the roster last season based on a couple of nice plays in the preseason.
@ Jason Worilds was excused from today's practice.
@ The Steelers remain interested in free agent cornerback Brandon Flowers. I'm not sure where he would fit into the mix, but the team is about $6 million under the salary cap and the only corner among their top four signed for next year is William Gay.
So much so that when the skies opened up Thursday during the afternoon practice, he quickly moved the team indoors.
Some would say the extra hour of practice the team got indoors was no big deal, but when you're breaking in a new free safety and rookie inside linebacker, all the reps are important. That's especially true considered strong safety Troy Polamalu had missed all of the OTAs and needed the extra time working with Mike Mitchell.
Tomlin had traditionally let the team leave following the morning walk through. That wasn't happening today.
@ That should be a pretty good preview of what's going to happen at training camp this year. There will be no wasted practice dates.
This is a team with a lot of new (and young) components and the more practice time they can get, the better.
The new CBA severely limits how often and how intense teams can practice, which hurts teams that have a lot of turnover.
That typically hasn't been the Steelers, but it is the boat in which they now find themselves.
@ There's a growing buzz around this current Steelers team. I was talking with Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette, who also writes for the Sporting News - for which I had a longtime subscription but didn't know still existed - and he said the publication was picking the Steelers to win the AFC North in its yearly preview magazine.
I'm not surprised by that, though I'd still say Cincinnati is the overall favorite.
I think the Steelers are a definite playoff team this year from what I've seen. Regardless, their two games with Cincinnati in December should be huge.
@ Todd Haley called this the deepest receiver group he's had. That might be true. There are a bevy of seemingly equal talents fighting for a roster spot after the top four - Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Lance Moore and Martavis Bryant (on scholarship).
And they all bring something a little different.
I'd say the battle right now is between Justin Brown and Darius Heyward-Bey, but I'm not counting anyone out. After all, Derek Moye made the roster last season based on a couple of nice plays in the preseason.
@ Jason Worilds was excused from today's practice.
@ The Steelers remain interested in free agent cornerback Brandon Flowers. I'm not sure where he would fit into the mix, but the team is about $6 million under the salary cap and the only corner among their top four signed for next year is William Gay.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Day two of minicamp
The Steelers just completed their second day of minicamp Wednesday and will wrap things up Thursday.
Usually, Mike Tomlin has cut his troops free early, but I don't think that will happen this year with so many new faces in key spots. Every practice counts.
@ Ben Roethlisberger confirmed today that Dri Archer is working with the running backs one day and the receivers the next.
The Steelers want Archer to learn both roles, which will give them some flexibility when he's on the field.
Opponents won't be able to key on him just coming into the huddle. They'll need to figure out if he's lining up at running back or receiver.
@ Roethlisberger also confirmed what some other guys have been saying about the Steelers wanting to increase the number of packages from which they can run their no-huddle.
The idea is to start a drive at a regular pace and then go no-huddle at a moment's notice to catch the other team in a bad personnel package.
@ Talked to a source today about cornerback Brandon Flowers, who was released recently by Kansas City.
The Steelers have some interest in Flowers, though they're not about to go overboard to acquire him.
@ Martavis Bryant was back working today after sitting out Tuesday with an illness.
@ Here is how misinformation gets passed along.
One of the local newspapers did a story quoting a couple of national analysts - nobody from the Steelers - about how the team could be considering a shift to the 4-3 defense.
One of the analysts is an NFL Network guy.
A day after the story runs in said local paper, again, with nobody from the Steelers saying anything of the sort, the NFL Network starts tweeting that the Steelers are considering changing to a 4-3, with the source being their own guys answering a question.
And people wonder why I get frustrated with this job.
@ The Steelers released corner Deion Belue and signed running back Jordan Hall.
@ Congrats to the Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette for being named the 2014 McCants Award winner for a career of excellence covering the NFL.
Usually, Mike Tomlin has cut his troops free early, but I don't think that will happen this year with so many new faces in key spots. Every practice counts.
@ Ben Roethlisberger confirmed today that Dri Archer is working with the running backs one day and the receivers the next.
The Steelers want Archer to learn both roles, which will give them some flexibility when he's on the field.
Opponents won't be able to key on him just coming into the huddle. They'll need to figure out if he's lining up at running back or receiver.
@ Roethlisberger also confirmed what some other guys have been saying about the Steelers wanting to increase the number of packages from which they can run their no-huddle.
The idea is to start a drive at a regular pace and then go no-huddle at a moment's notice to catch the other team in a bad personnel package.
@ Talked to a source today about cornerback Brandon Flowers, who was released recently by Kansas City.
The Steelers have some interest in Flowers, though they're not about to go overboard to acquire him.
@ Martavis Bryant was back working today after sitting out Tuesday with an illness.
@ Here is how misinformation gets passed along.
One of the local newspapers did a story quoting a couple of national analysts - nobody from the Steelers - about how the team could be considering a shift to the 4-3 defense.
One of the analysts is an NFL Network guy.
A day after the story runs in said local paper, again, with nobody from the Steelers saying anything of the sort, the NFL Network starts tweeting that the Steelers are considering changing to a 4-3, with the source being their own guys answering a question.
And people wonder why I get frustrated with this job.
@ The Steelers released corner Deion Belue and signed running back Jordan Hall.
@ Congrats to the Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette for being named the 2014 McCants Award winner for a career of excellence covering the NFL.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Mini-camp opens
I spent a lot of time watching Joey Porter work today with the outside linebackers during position drills on the opening day of the Steelers' min-camp.
Porter is coaching it with the same intensity with which he played.
When young linebackers didn't do a drill right, Porter would physically step in and show them the right way to do it, then make then do it again and again, until they got it just right.
"I want you to get the proper technique," he yelled at rookie outside linebacker Howard Jones at one point. "I don't care how fast you do it. I'd rather you do it slow and do it right than do it fast and do it wrong."
Porter was talking specifically with Jones, a Shepherd product, about getting his hips squared while working on his swim move against tackling dummies. Jones slowed down and did the drill correct.
@ How into practices is Porter? He's the only coach I've seen that has to ice his knees during practice.
Part of the reason for that is having spent 10-plus years playing in the NFL. But he's also very active out there.
@ You see the difference between the veterans and the younger guys in their positional drills. The vets do them with confidence and explosion. The younger guys are still feeling their way through the process.
@ Spoke with rookie tight end Eric Waters today about his days at Missouri.
I wondered how it was he had just eight receptions last season and 14 for his career.
"Being targeted less than 10 times in a season, it sucks," said Waters. "Once I get the opportunity at this level, it will be showing everybody else that (Missouri) had a weapon that was never used."
My guess is that Waters won't have any of the Missouri coaches on his Christmas card list.
@ Waters' statement was similar to the one a couple of weeks ago from California (Pa.) wideout C.J. Goodwin, who caught just 11 passes in his only season for the Vulcans.
Goodwin has made a number of acrobatic catches in the short time he's been with the Steelers, including a couple today. It wouldn't surprise me if he makes a strong push to make the practice squad - though the true test will come when the hitting starts for real.
It's easy to make catches when you know you won't be hit. Doing so when you know you're going to get crushed is sometimes another matter.
But Goodwin is certainly very athletic.
@ Troy Polamalu was at the team's facilities today for the mandatory practice sessions. New free safety Mike Mitchell said he looks forward to learning from Polamalu.
The dynamic between those two should be interesting. Polamalu and Ryan Clark are the best of friends. He and Mitchell don't have to be quite that close, but it would certainly help speed the process for them to get on the same page if they spent some time together.
As Mitchell said, "Us playing together for the first time, he needs to know how I play and how I think. I need to see how he responds to certain situations, handles emotions."
@ Jason Worilds was back on the field for position drills on Tuesday after sitting out the OTAs with an unspecified injury. He's able to run and do conditioning work.
@ Members of the Penn State coaching staff, including head coach James Franklin, were in attendance at practice today.
Porter is coaching it with the same intensity with which he played.
When young linebackers didn't do a drill right, Porter would physically step in and show them the right way to do it, then make then do it again and again, until they got it just right.
"I want you to get the proper technique," he yelled at rookie outside linebacker Howard Jones at one point. "I don't care how fast you do it. I'd rather you do it slow and do it right than do it fast and do it wrong."
Porter was talking specifically with Jones, a Shepherd product, about getting his hips squared while working on his swim move against tackling dummies. Jones slowed down and did the drill correct.
@ How into practices is Porter? He's the only coach I've seen that has to ice his knees during practice.
Part of the reason for that is having spent 10-plus years playing in the NFL. But he's also very active out there.
@ You see the difference between the veterans and the younger guys in their positional drills. The vets do them with confidence and explosion. The younger guys are still feeling their way through the process.
@ Spoke with rookie tight end Eric Waters today about his days at Missouri.
I wondered how it was he had just eight receptions last season and 14 for his career.
"Being targeted less than 10 times in a season, it sucks," said Waters. "Once I get the opportunity at this level, it will be showing everybody else that (Missouri) had a weapon that was never used."
My guess is that Waters won't have any of the Missouri coaches on his Christmas card list.
@ Waters' statement was similar to the one a couple of weeks ago from California (Pa.) wideout C.J. Goodwin, who caught just 11 passes in his only season for the Vulcans.
Goodwin has made a number of acrobatic catches in the short time he's been with the Steelers, including a couple today. It wouldn't surprise me if he makes a strong push to make the practice squad - though the true test will come when the hitting starts for real.
It's easy to make catches when you know you won't be hit. Doing so when you know you're going to get crushed is sometimes another matter.
But Goodwin is certainly very athletic.
@ Troy Polamalu was at the team's facilities today for the mandatory practice sessions. New free safety Mike Mitchell said he looks forward to learning from Polamalu.
The dynamic between those two should be interesting. Polamalu and Ryan Clark are the best of friends. He and Mitchell don't have to be quite that close, but it would certainly help speed the process for them to get on the same page if they spent some time together.
As Mitchell said, "Us playing together for the first time, he needs to know how I play and how I think. I need to see how he responds to certain situations, handles emotions."
@ Jason Worilds was back on the field for position drills on Tuesday after sitting out the OTAs with an unspecified injury. He's able to run and do conditioning work.
@ Members of the Penn State coaching staff, including head coach James Franklin, were in attendance at practice today.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Summing up Chuck Noll
I started covering the Steelers in 1993, two years after Chuck Noll retired. But his legacy on the team was obvious every time you walked into Three Rivers Stadium and, later, the Steelers offices on the South Side or Heinz Field.
He created what is now commonly known as the Steelers' way.
Here are my thoughts on Noll and what he meant to the team http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20140614/COLUMN0103/140619681#.U50TevldWGc
He created what is now commonly known as the Steelers' way.
Here are my thoughts on Noll and what he meant to the team http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20140614/COLUMN0103/140619681#.U50TevldWGc
Thursday, June 12, 2014
OTA's wrap up with Pouncey contract
The Steelers wrapped up their OTAs for this offseason with the announcement that they had signed center Maurkice Pouncey to what amounts to a six-year, $48-million deal.
Sounds like a lot, right? It is, until you look at the overall numbers.
While Pouncey's deal makes him the NFL's highest-paid center, in a couple of seasons, he'll probably be the seventh or eighth highest-paid player at his position.
And his 2014 cap hit of $3.6 million isn't anywhere near the top of the charts for centers, and is far less than the $5.26 million he was scheduled to count against the cap this season. Editor's Note: The savings doesn't take into account $1.4 million of remaining bonus money from his rookie deal. So the savings in 2014 is actually about $250,000.
So, in reality, the Steelers just saved themselves some cap space this season while also locking up a player who was the first center in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons.
Is there a downside? Sure. Maybe Pouncey comes back and isn't the player he was before tearing his ACL in the first game of last season. Maybe he re-injures the knee. But that's a danger any time you sign a player to a long-term deal in football.
As hard as it is to believe, Pouncey is still just 24 years old. His best football is still ahead of him. And his contract extension Thursday made sure he'll play that best football in Pittsburgh.
@ Some of those trashing the Pouncey signing point to Pro Football Focus' ranking of Pouncey outside the top 12 in NFL centers as proof.
PFF's rankings are ridiculous. Some of the same people who use the PFF rankings to rip Pouncey also rip cornerback William Gay, who was one of PFF's highest-rated cornerbacks in the NFL last season.
There is no way somebody sitting on a couch somewhere can accurately judge how well or how poorly every player on a football field performed on every given play of a game. It's just not possible without knowing assignments and other things that go into it.
That's not to say that PFF doesn't have some good statistics. The site's breakdowns on where plays are run and such are excellent.
But don't quote me their player rankings as the be-all, end-all. It's just not the case.
@ Mike Mitchell jumped a pass in the red zone today with the kind of closing speed that was reminiscent of a young Troy Polamalu, easily picking it off. It was his second interception at the OTAs this week.
His speed could be a game-changer for the Steelers.
Mitchell, of course, will finally get his first opportunity to work with Polamalu next week at mini-camp.
Polamalu, as he often has, skipped all the OTAs to work out on his own.
@ I look for the Steelers to try to get something done on a contract with Cortez Allen next, assuming Allen wants to do a deal.
Right now, Gay is the only veteran cornerback on the roster signed for next season.
Why wouldn't Allen want to sign now?
He could be looking at Keenan Lewis-type money down the road if he has a big 2014.
It's unlikely the Steelers at this point would offer him a deal in the neighborhood of the five-year, $26.3-million deal Lewis signed with New Orleans.
Sounds like a lot, right? It is, until you look at the overall numbers.
While Pouncey's deal makes him the NFL's highest-paid center, in a couple of seasons, he'll probably be the seventh or eighth highest-paid player at his position.
And his 2014 cap hit of $3.6 million isn't anywhere near the top of the charts for centers, and is far less than the $5.26 million he was scheduled to count against the cap this season. Editor's Note: The savings doesn't take into account $1.4 million of remaining bonus money from his rookie deal. So the savings in 2014 is actually about $250,000.
So, in reality, the Steelers just saved themselves some cap space this season while also locking up a player who was the first center in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons.
Is there a downside? Sure. Maybe Pouncey comes back and isn't the player he was before tearing his ACL in the first game of last season. Maybe he re-injures the knee. But that's a danger any time you sign a player to a long-term deal in football.
As hard as it is to believe, Pouncey is still just 24 years old. His best football is still ahead of him. And his contract extension Thursday made sure he'll play that best football in Pittsburgh.
@ Some of those trashing the Pouncey signing point to Pro Football Focus' ranking of Pouncey outside the top 12 in NFL centers as proof.
PFF's rankings are ridiculous. Some of the same people who use the PFF rankings to rip Pouncey also rip cornerback William Gay, who was one of PFF's highest-rated cornerbacks in the NFL last season.
There is no way somebody sitting on a couch somewhere can accurately judge how well or how poorly every player on a football field performed on every given play of a game. It's just not possible without knowing assignments and other things that go into it.
That's not to say that PFF doesn't have some good statistics. The site's breakdowns on where plays are run and such are excellent.
But don't quote me their player rankings as the be-all, end-all. It's just not the case.
@ Mike Mitchell jumped a pass in the red zone today with the kind of closing speed that was reminiscent of a young Troy Polamalu, easily picking it off. It was his second interception at the OTAs this week.
His speed could be a game-changer for the Steelers.
Mitchell, of course, will finally get his first opportunity to work with Polamalu next week at mini-camp.
Polamalu, as he often has, skipped all the OTAs to work out on his own.
@ I look for the Steelers to try to get something done on a contract with Cortez Allen next, assuming Allen wants to do a deal.
Right now, Gay is the only veteran cornerback on the roster signed for next season.
Why wouldn't Allen want to sign now?
He could be looking at Keenan Lewis-type money down the road if he has a big 2014.
It's unlikely the Steelers at this point would offer him a deal in the neighborhood of the five-year, $26.3-million deal Lewis signed with New Orleans.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Steelers release training camp schedule, practice at Heinz
The Steelers on Tuesday released their training camp schedule. Players will report on Friday, July 25, with the first practice open to the public falling on Saturday, July 26.
All told, 15 practices will be open to the public, including the popular night practice Aug. 1 at Latrobe Memorial Stadium.
One added twist this season will be a pair of dual practices with the Buffalo Bills Aug. 13 and 14 in the leadup to their preseason game at Heinz Field Aug. 16.
The Steelers have not practiced against another NFL team since doing so with the Washington Redskins back in the mid-'90s.
Steelers 2014 Training Camp Schedule
All told, 15 practices will be open to the public, including the popular night practice Aug. 1 at Latrobe Memorial Stadium.
One added twist this season will be a pair of dual practices with the Buffalo Bills Aug. 13 and 14 in the leadup to their preseason game at Heinz Field Aug. 16.
The Steelers have not practiced against another NFL team since doing so with the Washington Redskins back in the mid-'90s.
Steelers 2014 Training Camp Schedule
| DATE | PRACTICE SCHEDULE |
|---|---|
| Friday, July 25 | All players report by 4 p.m. |
| Saturday, July 26 | 2:55 p.m. and open to public |
| Sunday, July 27 | 2:55 p.m. and open to public |
| Monday, July 28 | 2:55 p.m. and open to public |
| Tuesday, July 29 | Players Day Off - no Steelers' practice |
| Wednesday, July 30 | 2:55 p.m. and open to public |
| Thursday, July 31 | 2:55 p.m. and open to public |
| Friday, August 1 | 7 p.m. Night Practice at Latrobe's Memorial Stadium |
| Saturday, August 2 | 2:55 p.m. and open to public |
| Sunday, August 3 | 2:55 p.m. and open to public |
| Monday, August 4 | 2:55 p.m. and open to public |
| Tuesday, August 5 | Players Day Off - no Steelers' practice |
| Wednesday, August 6 | 2:55 p.m. and open to public |
| Thursday, August 7 | 2:55 p.m. and open to public |
| Friday, August 8 | No Steelers' practice - team travels |
| Saturday, August 9 | First Preseason Game at N.Y. Giants (7:30 p.m., KDKA-TV) |
| Sunday, August 10 | Players Day Off - no Steelers' practice |
| Monday, August 11 | 2:55 p.m. and open to public |
| Tuesday, August 12 | 2:55 p.m. and open to public |
| Wednesday, August 13 | 2:55 p.m. joint practice with Buffalo Bills, open to public |
| Thursday, August 14 | 5:30 p.m. evening practice at Saint Vincent College with Buffalo Bills, open to public |
| Friday, August 15 | No Steelers' practice |
| Saturday, August 16 | Camp Breaks - Second Preseason Game vs. Buffalo Bills (7:30 p.m., KDKA-TV) |
@ The team held an OTA session at Heinz Field on Tuesday and it was a spirited session.
The Steelers have added a second jumbotron in the northwest corner of the stadium and players could get an immediate sense of what was going on by watching the regular jumbotron in the end zone or by looking at the new one. Plans are in place to add a third jumbotron as well.
The team worked on a lot of red zone today and Ben Roethlisberger looked pretty sharp.
Despite his diminutive size, Lance Moore showed he can be a go-to guy in that area. Martavis Bryant also showed some skills on the fade.
@ Mike Tomlin was giving Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount and earful during a special teams session about how the running backs weren't going to be any help on special teams.
Blount said he could return kicks - which he has done in his career. And Tomlin came back at him by saying Blount could return kicks like Najeh Davenport and Gary Russell returned kicks at times for the Steelers.
When Blount used that example as proof that he could do it, too, Tomlin replied, "They did it because we didn't have anybody else."
Tomlin did tell Blount he might get a chance to show his stuff, though.
@ Jason Worilds did some running today, but did not practice.
He was asked after practice if he had a goal for how many sacks he would get this season.
"As many as we can get," he said.
How many is that, he was asked again.
"How many dropbacks we face, 400?" Worilds said.
I haven't looked it up yet, but that would probably be a record.
@ With Worilds sitting out, Chris Carter is getting increased reps, and he's showed a nice burst off the edge.
@ With Worilds sitting out, Chris Carter is getting increased reps, and he's showed a nice burst off the edge.
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