Now that the 2012 season is in the books for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s time to look ahead to 2013.  While other teams, including two AFC North foes, are gearing up for the playoffs, the Steelers can only think what might have been.

Quarterbacks

While the Steelers are fortunate to have a franchise quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, it’s time to take take a serious look for a serviceable back-up or two. Both Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch are free agents this offseason.

» Continue reading “Steelers: Looking Ahead To 2013″

You’d have to be living under a rock to be unaware of the countless injuries the Pittsburgh Steelers have sustained this season, and Week 12 was no exception.  Several more players went down in the slugfest vs the Cleveland Browns, resulting in a mind-boggling shift of players on the active roster and practice squad.  Check it out:

1. RT Marcus Gilbert, hoping to return from an ankle injury, suffered a setback and was placed on IR.
2. Rookie T Mike Adams, the 2012 2nd round draft pick who has been filling in for Gilbert, suffered an ankle injury and will reportedly miss “significant time”.
3. Rookie Kelvin Beachum will likely start in place of Adams, whom he relieved during the Browns game.  It will be his first NFL start.
4. 2012 1st round draft pick RG David DeCastro, who sustained a knee injury during preseason, was activated from the “IR with designation to return” list.  It is unclear if he will start, as Ramon Foster has played well in his absence.
5. LG Willie Colon has been sidelined with a swollen knee and may sit this week again…rumor has it that if Colon can’t play, ProBowl center Maurkice Pouncey may slide into the guard position, leaving backup Doug Legursky to fill in at center.
6. Rookie G John Malecki continues to bounce between practice squad and active roster.  This week, he’ll again be on the list of 53.
7. WR Antonio Brown practiced well this week and is expected to make his return against the Ravens.  This is good news indeed.
8. With Brown returning, rookie WR David Gilreath was released to make room on the roster.  The Steelers would likely have signed Gilreath back to the practice squad, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers claimed him off waivers.
9. Other rookies that were released were lost to other teams as well: WR Toney Clemons was signed by the Jaguars and G Ryan Lee was signed by the Saints.
10. To fill out the practice squad, T Joe Long (brother of Dolphins 1st round pick Jake Long), G Justin Cheadle (no relation to the actor Don Cheadle),  and WR Bert Reed (not in any way connected to paper towel dispenser killer K Jeff Reed) were all added.
11. RB Jonathan Dwyer will get the start over Isaac Redman and Rashard Mendenhall, who sits at #3 on the depth chart after fumbling twice on 4 carries against the Browns as part of the turnover marathon.  I guess Dwyer’s fumble was the least offensive?
12. WR Mike Wallace got a mini-demotion and now shares the starting position with Emmanuel Sanders opposite Antonio Brown.  Sanders has performed well in AB’s absence.

1. LaMarr Woodley will sit out with an ankle injury, and Jason Worilds will again start opposite James Harrison.  Both Worilds and Harrison have been performing well recently.
2. QB Ben Roethlisberger if officially out vs the Ravens, and Charlie Batch will again get the start.  Byron Leftwich continues to recover from rib fractures.
3. WR Jerricho Cotchery is also trying to return to the field from his rib injury, but don’t expect him to play this week.  Plaxico Burress will fill his spot.
4. After playing a mere 1.25 games this year, safety Troy Polamalu may finally make his return this week.  The #1-ranked defense has been playing so well the past few weeks, I think a lot of fans have stopped missing him.
5. Safety Ryan Clark has managed to avoid even minor concussions since he started wearing his new, big (unfashionable in his opinion), kevlar reinforced helmet.  Looking good, Ryan.

I don’t know about you, but all this roster movement makes my head spin…I need to rest up for the big game Sunday.  Steelers vs Ravens is always huge, and never more so than this week.  Ravens will essentially clinch the division with a win.  If the Steelers can pull off the upset, who knows?

Pittsburgh Steelers 17 Carolina Panthers 16

The knee gods giveth, and the knee gods taketh away. Again.

Last week we saw the return of Max Starks, who came back from injuring his ACL in January’s playoff game. The warm tingly feeling of Starks rejoining the Steelers once again had barley worn off before top draft pick David DeCastro went down with a severe knee injury of his own.

This week, Casey Hampton made his first start since that fateful game in January in which he too injured his ACL. This time third round draft pick Sean Spence went down with what Head Coach Mike Tomlin calls a “significant” knee injury. You hate to see so many young players go down with injuries right before the start of the season.

As for the rest of the game, it wasn’t a pretty affair, but the Steelers held on for the win. Fifth round draft pick Chris Rainey had punt return touchdowns of 78 and 90 yards called back due to penalties. He didn’t have much in the way of official yards on the night, but this should catch some attention on special teams.

The Steelers wrap up the preseason by going 3-1. They very well could have been 4-0 or 2-2, but who’s counting? Heading into the regular season they have a few issues with injuries and depth. Losing two top rookies to knee injuries doesn’t help. But the standard is the standard and the Steelers must move on and focus on the regular season and the Denver Broncos.

Pittsburgh Steelers 38 Buffalo Bills 7

The injury bug is back again, with a vengeance. First round draft pick David DeCastro left early in the game with what Mike Tomlin calls a “potentially serious” knee injury. I’m an accountant, not a doctor, but even I can tell it’s not a good sign when a player has to ride the cart. In other injury news, Brett Keisel left the game with a high ankle sprain. Thankfully Brett Keisel’s beard was not injured on the play.

But now that we have the doom and gloom out of the way, how about some good news? Ignoring the first quarter, the Steelers offense looked to be in control most of the game. Antonio Brown continues to make a name for himself with 7 receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Ben Roethlisberger capped off the first half with an impressive 98 yard touchdown drive. The offense actually finished drives by scoring touchdowns, instead of their usual standard of settling for a field goal.

On defense turnovers were the name of the game. Lawrence Timmons forced a fumble recovered by Ziggy Hood. Troy Polamalu and Robert Golden had interceptions on Vince Young. I’ll give the Steelers’ offense credit, the actually capitalized on these turnovers and scored touchdowns. Who knew that the offense and defense could work together like this? Let’s do this in the regular season, boys!

Outside of the injuries, the Steelers have quite a few positives heading into next week’s final preseason game versus the Carolina Panthers. Hopefully the starters will see very limited playing time and will be covered in bubble wrap from head to toe.

Preseason Week 2

Indianapolis Colts vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Time: 8:00

Site: Heinz Field

Last Meeting: 9/25/11, W 23 – 20

It’s been forever since the Steelers had a preseason game. The Steelers have needed the time, due to the million or so injuries incurred in the game against. The Steelers’ depth at running back will be tested, what with injuries to Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer.

As for the Colts, this will be the Steelers’ first glimpse at Andrew Luck. Not to mention this will be Bruce Arians’ first trip back to Pittsburgh since “retiring” and “unretiring”. This just may be the one chance that the Steelers can finally benefit from Arians’ questionable play calls.

Top Five Burning Questions

• How much playing time will the starters get?
• How often will we hear about DeCastro and Luck being BFFs at Stanford?
• Apparently the Eagles game didn’t really reveal much of Haley’s playbook. Will we see some exciting new things from Todd Haley’s offense, or will the Steelers keep it basic?
• Will the defense be able to keep the pressure on the quarterback?
• Will I be able to stay awake during the entire game?

Preseason Week 1

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Philadelphia Eagles

Time: 7:30

Site: Lincoln Financial Field

Last Meeting: 9/21/08, L 15 – 6

It’s here! Preseason football is finally here! Yes, we are still a month out from real football, but at this point in the summer I’ll take what I can get. Even if it means the starters play only one series at most.

This game will be the first game for the Eagles since the passing of head coach Andy Reid’s son Garrett. It will certainly be an emotional time for Coach Reid and the Eagles, and my heart goes out to the Reid family.

Top Five Burning Questions

• Is Big Ben even going to bother suiting up for this game? Between his shoulder and his ankle he’s already in midseason form injury-wise.
• What kind of play calling will new offensive coordinator Todd Haley have up his sleeve?
• Who will have a bigger impact: David DeCastro or Mike Adams?
• Since Mike Wallace is still holding out, will Emmanuel Sanders get a chance to shine?
• Can the Steelers win the turnover battle in a meaningless week one preseason game?

Ah, training camp. It’s a wonderful time of year. A new football season is just around the corner. Steeler Nation will make the trek out to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA just to catch a glimpse of Steelers football. It just makes you want to sing “Kumbayah.”

But alas, we’ve lost that Kumbayah feeling.

Mike Wallace remains unsigned, and the Steelers have suspended negotiations with the young receiver. If Wallace wants a long term deal, he must first sign the $2.472 million tender offered by the team. Once he signs, then negotiations are back on the table.

» Continue reading “Wallace Watch 2012: Steelers Suspend Negotiations”

The Steelers present 1st round draft pick David DeCastro (www.triblive.com)

With the new CBA, rookie hold-outs are clearly a thing of the past.  Teams are restricted on how much they can pay rookies, and the length of the first contract is essentially determined by the league.

David DeCastro, the right guard from Stanford that fell to the Steelers with the 24th pick of the draft (amazing luck and bad decision-making by other teams), missed all of the voluntary team activities.  His school year hadn’t finished, and league rules don’t allow players to join their teammates for OTAs or minicamp until their academic obligations are complete.  This raised the level of need for DeCastro to arrive on time to training camp.

Many 1st rounders hadn’t signed as of a couple of weeks ago…not because their agents were fighting for more money.  The offset language of the contracts was the issue, meaning whether or not teams would guarantee the rookie’s salary in the final year of the contract.  DeCastro and his agent were likely waiting to see what draft picks just above and below him received.

Fortunately, the Steelers announced today that they had come to terms with DeCastro, the last of the draft picks to be locked up, with plenty of time to spare before training camp opens this week.  Dont’a Hightower, who went to the Patriots with the 25th pick, had already signed a deal that did not include any guaranteed money in the fourth year.  When the Lions signed 23rd pick Riley Reiff to a similar deal, DeCastro was out of bargaining power.  He reportedly signed a 4-year deal for $7.93 million with an option for a fifth year.

With DeCastro signed, the only remaining player is Mike Wallace, who has not yet signed his first round tender.  Having released tackle Jonathan Scott last week to free up additional cap space, the Steelers are now focused on locking up Wallace.  I suspect a long-term deal with the wide receiver is imminent.

Melanie Friedlander is a contributor to Steel City Blitz.  You can follow her on twitter at www.twitter.com/girlsurgeon.

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  Papa Roethlisberger / By Andy, via Wikimedia Commons

  With Father’s Day just around the corner, I suppose it’s fitting that Ben Roethlisberger and his wife Ashley are expecting their first child. The little bundle of joy, a boy, is due sometime later this year. Congrats to Ben and Ashley!

• In non-Roethlisberger news, first and second round picks David DeCastro and Mike Adams will participate in a three day mini-camp which begins today. DeCastro and Adams missed all OTA sessions due to school. However, they are certainly ready to go.

“I am very excited just to get out there and work with the guys,” said Adams. “I haven’t gotten to work with any of the older guys yet. To get out there and work with the guys, I can’t even tell you.”

With his off-field drama behind him, Adams has quite a bit to prove, and I’m glad he’s excited.

And boys? Ben has a kid on the way. You can’t let Roethlisberger die now. So, no pressure on learning the system or anything.

The Steelers will start their OTAs on Tuesday, but will do so without David DeCastro, Mike Adams, and Mike Wallace.

DeCastro and Adams are still in school and are not allowed to participate  until the end of their school’s respective quarters.

Wallace, on the other hand, still has yet to sign the first round tender worth $2.742 million. Wallace is holding out for a bigger payday, most likely in the Larry Fitzgerald range.

Of course, time is of the essence for Mike Wallace. If he doesn’t sign by June 14, then he may be out a few million. At that point, the Steelers would only be required to pay Wallace 110% of his 2011 salary, which was $525,000. And if my calculations are correct, which they better be, that means the Steelers would only have to pay out $577,500. That would be a downright steal.