Cedrick Wilson

As the site regulars have probably noticed, I’ve been rather busy lately assessing the Steelers’ drafts from the past decade. During the course of this I discovered something curious. In the upper rounds the Steelers were quite successful in comparison to most of the league. But in the fifth round they were next to worst, only exceeded in incompetence, if incompetence is the problem, by Cincinnati. The Steelers were in the bottom...  

Chuck Finder of CBS Sports reported Friday morning undrafted free agent QB Alex Tanney has left the Steelers, opting to go through rookie minicamp with the Buffalo Bills instead. Finder wrote Tanney, a Monmouth product, went to Buffalo due to the fact the Steelers brought in Oregon QB Darron Thomas, and apparently, didn’t want to compete against him. Thomas is in the athletic mold the Steelers seem to like in their project back-up...  

Call him The Coliseum. Alameda Ta'amu signed a four-year rookie contract with the Steelers, the team reported Sunday. His size inspires the nickname - a play off Oakland's Alameda County Coliseum - but his ability led the Steelers to trade up with Washington in the fourth round to take the Washington Huskies product. Ta'amu will compete with third-year man Steve McLendon for playing time this season, as both of them will look to...  

Aaron Wilson of Scout.com tweeted Sunday afternoon the Steelers have signed fifth-round draft pick Chris Rainey to a four-year deal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Rainey, out of the University of Florida and high school teammate and friend of Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey, will add another element of competition to a position shaping up to be the fiercest training camp battle. With incumbent Rashard Mendenhall tearing his ACL...  

As Tommy Boy famously said, "A lot of people go to college for seven and a half years." "Yeah, they're called doctors." Maybe they're called Steelers quarterbacks too. I kid, I kid...congratulations to Ben Roethlisberger, who, as Miami University tweeted, received his degree Saturday, presumably in physical education.That was his listed major on his Miami University RedHawks athletics page. Congratulations to @steelers QB #BigBen...  

I used to get excited seeing the No. 66. Seeing it on a broad-chested, rattlesnake-mean player moving at the speed of a semi-truck in fourth gear and climbing made me think "run the ball behind Big Nasty for the rest of the bleeping game." And the Steelers did quite often. No. 66 represents ground-and-pound Steelers football. It's not quite like No. 21 for the Pirates - never to be worn again - but the Steelers aren't exactly like...  

Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson worked Friday's rookie minicamp - his first coaching action since being burned in a house fire in January. His return to the field is nothing short of amazing, so much so, even rookie RB Chris Rainey was impressed. According to WPXI, Rainey went out of his way to note his admiration: "I told him, ‘God bless you that you're still here and I'm praying for you,'" Rainey said. "He's glad to...  

Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall bounced to the outside, one of those unpredictable moves a running back must make routinely, trusting his legs to handle the stress of constant change of direction with ease. Unfortunately for Mendenhall, it was one time his prize-back legs didn't follow the plan. He crumpled to the ground along the right sideline, clutching his right knee. Without any contact initiating the fall, the immediate...  

When I posted Part I of this series, I don’t think it was quite what many people were expecting it to be when they clicked on the link. OR60faithfull commented "When I first read the title of the article I had pondered that you might be offering insight on how best to integrate our new influx of talent," and others may have well been thinking the same. That isn’t really my metier, though—many on this site are far more qualified to...  

Many have checked in with Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey recently, and most noted Pouncey's statement he's full recovered from off-season ankle surgery. While it's not fair to suggest Pouncey's ankle is entering into "Fred Taylor's Groin" territory as the most injured anatomical piece of any NFL player, it was hurt enough last season Pouncey wasn't as effective as he was in his rookie campaign. Fact is, though, Pouncey will return to...  

We're smack dab in the middle of a transitional period among the Steelers defensive line. The hallowed group that helped bring the Steelers to two Super Bowl championships looks to be on its last breath. In seeing that coming down the pike, the Steelers have drafted defensive linemen quite a bit (two first round picks in 2009 and 2011, and a fourth round possible future starter in 2012). In one of the more intriguing Steelers...  

The Steelers announced the signing of seventh-round draft pick WR Toney Clemons to a four-year contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Clemons, from the University of Colorado, led the Buffaloes with 43 catches and 680 receiving yards. He has good size (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) but is said to have a case of the dropsies - certainly something that can be fixed with effort and repetition. Perhaps most importantly, Clemons looks...  

Ed Bouchette tweeted Tuesday evening the Steelers signed OT Mike Adams to a contract, without citing any terms. Adams, a highly touted but baggage-laden second round pick from Ohio State is the fourth Steelers draft pick to sign following 4th round pick Alameda Ta'amu, 5th round pick Chris Rainey and 7th round pick Toney Clemons. #steelers come to terms with Mike Adams, 2nd pick — Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) May 9, 2012 Adams...  

I'm sure many laughed as hard as I did upon listening to ESPN's Adam Schefter list Seahawks first round pick Bruce Irvin's rap sheet. Also, like many others, I had no idea the Seahawks taking the gamble on the West Virginia defensive end would ultimately mean the Steelers would land their No. 1 target without having to sacrifice any picks. If Irvin wasn't drafted there, according to NFL.com reporter Jason La Canfora, the Jets and...  

Per dollar, it's easily the Steelers' best positional unit. Pittsburgh has been stockpiling talent at running back, a position that's become interchangeable in the NFL over the years. Gone are the days of league MVPs Shaun Alexander and LaDainian Tomlinson. The high volume passing era has led to the stable philosophy, as opposed to the pure prize back. Because, well, running back is a classic example of the rhetorical question...  

As Jim Wexell pointed out on Twitter Wednesday morning, the report of a trade between the Steelers and the Jets nearly being consummated during April's draft says, among other things, the Steelers did not have Alabama LB Dont'a Hightower at the top of their board in terms of expected picks. Had Bruce Irvin not been drafted by Seattle, the Steelers would have moved up to No. 16 in the draft, and selected OG David DeCastro. The Jets...  

A good friend of mine hosts a really rockin' party at his home twice a year, and dozens of people show up to have a great time and mingle. Beings that I'm a newly single man, I was really looking forward to doing some mingling of my own and just having some fun. Unfortunately, instead of any of that, I had one too many rum and (whatever cola drink may sponsor this site), and I barely remembered anything about the night, except...  

The Steelers announced the signings of a pair of 7th round picks, Oregon TE David Paulson and CB Terrence Frederick, as they continue to mow through contracts for their 2012 selectees. OT Mike Adams (2nd), DT Alameda Ta'amu (4th), RB Chris Rainey (5th) and WR Toney Clemons (7th) signed earlier, leaving just OG David DeCastro (1st), LB Sean Spence (3rd) and OG Kelvin Beachum (7th) left unsigned. Paulson, a multi-faceted TE/H-back...  

The significance of the visits of veteran free agents K Dave Rayner, ILB Brandon Johnson and OLB Matt Roth aren't exactly earth-shattering. They do represent a push to solidify training camp competition, if not add depth to the 53-man roster. At least with the two linebacker candidates, Johnson and Roth, the Steelers could use some depth, and both Johnson and Roth could be spot starters. Having a player like Johnson, a savvy 4-3...  

The 2012 NFL Draft was considered a success for the Pittsburgh Steelers by experts and fans alike. However, that is all just meaningless speculation. The real winners of the draft will not be determined for at least three years. However, as fans, we still want to analyze and predict what our draft picks will do. The Steelers had nine draft picks, one in the first five rounds, and four in the seventh. Obviously, as you get later and...  

Pittsburgh formally has two SMU products on the roster. Seventh-round pick Kelvin Beachum agreed to a four-year deal with the team Thursday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Beachum, a 6-foot-1, 306-pound offensive guard, joins WR Emmanuel Sanders as SMU football alumni for the Steelers. He'll look to add to the depth of the suddenly formidable Steelers offensive line. Even with the selection of David DeCastro in the first...  

The outside linebacker is the glory hog of the Steelers defense. Not that James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley don't deserve the praise they get, but their other front seven contemporaries are setting them up for success. They're used to success. They've had a lot of it. But what the best tandem of 3-4 OLBs in the game haven't shared much together is injuries. Harrison and Woodley missed a combined 12 games last season, more than...  

Ex-Steelers WR Limas Sweed had a workout with the New York Giants over this weekend. It reportedly did not go well. Mike Garafalo of the New Jersey Star-Ledger reported Sweed worked with other veterans and rookies in the Giants minicamp, but he dropped three passes, and slipped in a route that led to an interception. Wrote Garafalo: Sweed came here trying to make an impression. It's extremely unlikely at this point it was a...  

Even with the four-game suspension doled out to TE Weslye Saunders for failure of the league's substance abuse policy, the Pittsburgh Steelers boast one of the league's deeper and more versatile tight ends group. The question is how will all of them meld together, and which roles might they be playing? Outside of TE Heath Miller, how is this all going to work? Miller is one of the game's best all-around tight ends, a...  

The 2013 Draft is a long way's away so at this point it is better to identify some college football prospects in the Steelers possible areas of need and watch them throughout the College Football season. Once the College Football seasons starts, this list will be updated every week to update you guys on each of the players progress. I am trying to focus on guys who are not projected as top 15 picks as of now because none of us...  

While the rest of the Steelers' defense has gotten younger over the past two seasons, the safeties have remained the same. SS Troy Polamalu, FS Ryan Clark and FS/SS Ryan Mundy will still be the Steelers' three-deep come 2012, and it's hard to take exception to that. The backend anchor to the league's top passing defense, the unit may not have forced many turnovers (four interceptions between the three of them) but by and large...  

There were a number of interesting and thought-provoking comments to my last article, Maximizing the Steelers’ 2012 Draft Class, Part III. A couple of them touched on a subject I felt made a suitable addendum to that article. Here’s the first, from WolfpackSteelersFan: [I]f one wants to succeed, you won’t get there by feeling sorry for yourself. You will get there by choosing to do the things that are required to get you where...  

It’s a great day for some Pittsburgh Steelers notes and musings. Without much of an agenda, a loose and informal structure and geared fully to illicit conversation within the greatest Steelers community web site on the planet (presumably, the universe), we’ll start off diving into the offense. Haley’s Offensive System How different will offensive coordinator Todd Haley’s offense be from where it was last year? We’ve heard QB Ben...  

The Steelers have been fortunate enough to not be embroiled in a quarterback controversy since roughly the last quarter of Week 2 of the 2004 season. QB Ben Roethlisberger has been unchallenged since then, giving the Steelers an advantage every team without it envies; a franchise passer. This will prove to be the ultimate test to Roethlisberger's talent, character and leadership abilities. Who Moved Ben's Cheese? Some of you...  

Editor's note: This interview was conducted, and the article written by, 1blkgldfan, a.k.a. Annette Filippone. She made contact with former Steelers free safety Chris Hope through his publicist, and he was more than accommodating. She did a fantastic job, and really got a lot of good quotes out of the Steelers' starting free safety for many of great Steelers teams of the last decade and a half. I'd like to thank her for the effort...  

As someone who follows the NFL Draft on a casual-to-serious level, I always find it funny how quickly I can become enamored with a certain player based on just reading a review of his measurements and skill-set, even if I didn't know that player existed all throughout his college career. I soon become convinced that this is the player that the Steelers MUST take with their first round selection. If they don't, I know I'll be...  

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Mike Wallace has little leverage left in his contract negotiation. Not only is teammate, WR Antonio Brown, rising fast among other NFL wide receivers, but he's taking some of the spotlight from Wallace. Two dogs, one bone. Or, two great receivers, one big Steelers pay day. Does Wallace's alleged threats to hold out matter? No. The Steelers have the ability to reduce his $2.7 million tender offer to 110...  

It’s been really interesting to see the reactions to discussions about the ‘character concerns’ with three of our newly-drafted players. For a distinct subset of our community, the issues with these players are non-starters. They don’t see anything wrong with smoking marijuana, and they think the NCAA rules are stupid. The people who feel this way apparently haven’t noticed a critical point, though—the Steelers organization consider...  

It's been confirmed by Ed Bouchette that Willie Colon will be moving from right tackle to left guard, in an article which you can read in its entirety here, which means both Steelers rookies David DeCastro and Mike Adams will have a chance to start early. "The move from his spot at right tackle, paves the way for their top two draft choices to start immediately. David DeCastro will be put at right guard and Mike Adams at left tackle...  

Mike Prisuta reported Wednesday afternoon Steelers OL Willie Colon will move from right tackle to left guard, a move often discussed throughout Colon’s tenure with the team. A report indicates the Steelers notified Colon of their intentions to move him to the left guard position after the draft, when they selected Stanford OG David DeCastro in the first round. This strongly indicates DeCastro will remain at right guard, the...  

Wednesday's announcement that OT Willie Colon is now LG Willie Colon creates competition for the Steelers' right tackle position. It could even influence the left tackle position. What it ultimately does, though, is completely transform the Steelers offensive line, which is probably overdue at this point. The Game of Musical Linemen Continues The Steelers led the NFL in offensive line combinations last season (I saw there were 22...  

Once More Unto the Offensive Line Breach, Dear FriendsI find it ironic that the amount of in-game and pre-game fluctuation among the offensive line was one of the reasons behind the justified savagery of the Steelers offensive line. Yet, the transfer of Willie Colon three spots west of where he used to be (and essentially hasn't played) has gotten Steeler Nation so excited. I'm excited as well, but looking down the road, it's worth...  

Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Weekly penned a solid piece on Steelers RB Jonathan Dwyer, and what he's up to this off-season. From Wilkening's accounts, Dwyer is ready to compete for an increase in playing time, something he hasn't had much of since being chosen six picks before Pro Bowl WR/KR Antonio Brown. Wrote Wilkening: Entering his third NFL campaign, "you want more," Dwyer said Thursday. "You want to be out (there) more...  

A Forbes Magazine report lists Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin at $5.75 million, tying him with Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt as the 6th highest paid coach in the NFL, and 8th highest in professional sports. Tomlin, a two-time AFC champion and winning coach of Super Bowl XLIII, is 55-25 in five seasons at the helm in Pittsburgh, most recently, a 12-4 2011 campaign. He's helped set the bar so high in the legendary...  

The Steelers depth at cornerback should be one of their strength in 2012, but it's also one of its biggest question marks. Such is the way of things for NFL cornerbacks. Every play, hero or goat. Riding that thin line between greatness and ridicule, it is, next to quarterback, the toughest mental position on the field. The Steelers will ride into training camp with one definite starter, CB Ike Taylor, and three younger players vying...  

OTAs start on Tuesday, thank God! We are about to reach our next little oasis in the Death Valley that is the offseason. You would have thought that this would be a particularly slow news week, but there actually have been a few noteworthy developments, including some continuing encouragement coming out Steelers camp. But we begin with... Jonathan Vilma sues Roger Goodell New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma received the...  

Tribune-Review reporter Scott Brown, amongst others, reported Friday the Steelers released OT Trevis Turner, and signed CB Andre Freeman, an UDFA out of Slippery Rock. The move to release Turner was likely in part to the recent signing of OT Kyle Jolley, who also looks to contend for the last tackle spot the team will carry with it on its full 53-man roster. Turner would still be practice-squad eligible. Steelers waive OT Trevis...  

It's pretty safe to say that a huge segment of Steeler Nation still loves the running game. It's Steelers football. It's our identity. If you make any case for why franchise quarterbacks and passing the football are the way to win in today's NFL, you'd probably get five counter-arguments from Steelers fans emphatically stating that a good ground attack is always the best way to win a football game. "Forget about the trends! It doesn...  

Many Steelers fans have been waiting for former LB Greg Lloyd to weigh in on the NFL's current direction of offensive emphasis and general "safety" initiatives. The wait is over. Lloyd, speaking to WXIX-TV in Cincinnati while at Bengals coach Marvin Lewis's charity golf tournament (Lewis was Lloyd's position coach in Pittsburgh), minced no words over the matter, which shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who remembers Lloyd from his...  

Amid the pre-screening for local media of the Steelers 2011 highlight video (titled "Heart"), the team announced the narrator for the video, KDKA radio host Larry Richert, will be the Heinz Field public address announcer as well. It's unique in the sense that when you hear "Roethlisberger's pass is complete to Miller," it will be the same voice that melts through the Steelers' highlight videos, giving each stat announcement a...  

Yahoo Shutdown Corner editor Doug Farrar had draft guru Greg Cosell on his podcast Thursday, talking about the early projections of the 2012 draft classes of the AFC North. They both rightfully lavished heavy praise on the draft class of the Cincinnati Bengals, both this year and last year. The Bengals' trade-down move behind Pittsburgh to select Wisconsin OG Kevin Zeitler while the Steelers selected Stanford OG David DeCastro, a...  

I had written after the draft Steelers rookie OG David DeCastro would be able to attend the Steelers Organized Team Activities (OTAs), which begin Tuesday in Pittsburgh. I was wrong, DeCastro will not be able to attend OTAs because of a completely nonsensical NFL rule prohibiting rookies to practice with their pro teams until the academic calendar year of the school they attended is over. All rookies can attend their team's rookie...  

Big Blue View editor Ed Valentine does a great job in summarizing the specifics of what OTAs are, and what Steelers fans can expect to happen at the start of Phase One of OTAs, which is set to begin Tuesday in Pittsburgh. The main goal of Phase One is based around conditioning and rehabilitation. In other words, this time will mostly be spent with strength and conditioning coaches conducting variations of track practice or military...  

Tomorrow, the Steelers begin their OTA's, and for die-hard fans, it's at least a little taste of football, so to speak. We'll get to see our boys in action again, albeit only in shorts, and we'll get another glimpse of the new rookie crop...........well, except for DeCastro and Adams. Speaking of that, Mike Wallace also won't be there because of his contract dispute, and his absence will probably dominate much of the talk. Coach...  

There have been many accolades given to Steelers SS Troy Polamalu in regards to his athletic ability. With the presence of outstanding leaders on the defensive side of the ball, though, he's never had to assume a strong leadership role. Starting with OTA Phase One, which began in Pittsburgh Tuesday, that is changing. Polamalu typically works out in Los Angeles with Marv Marinovich, his trainer, during OTAs, but his presence, he...  

Most people are aware Steelers WR Mike Wallace is not attending OTAs. Most are even more keenly aware he's doing it because he wants a contract extension, and not the $2.7 million restricted free agent tender offer the Steelers have given him. There seems to be a split in SteelerNation on whether Wallace is doing the right thing - or even the ethical one. Turns out, there's a long list of Steelers who will not graduate OTAs with 100...  

In the interest of providing comprehensive coverage of all things Steelers as well as taking advantage of the current lull resulting from the off season, I am redirecting the focus toward Steeler Nation, particularly its fans. The supporters of the team are just as much a part of the story of Steelers football as are the players and other members of the organization. Usually once a week, Wednesday night, I spend some time with Arla...  

I just turned 40 recently (brief self-serving pause for "Happy Birthday" wishes), and it's a weird feeling. To paraphrase comedian Louis C.K., you're older, but you're not really old. And you're still youthful, but you're not really young anymore. Turning 80 is an even bigger milestone, and 2012 just so happens to be the 80th year anniversary season of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that was founded in 1933 by the late Arthur J...  

With new offensive coordinator Todd Haley kept under media lockout, analysts and fans alike have been making projections as to what the Steelers offense will look like in 2012. There's a hint or two here and there, but the biggest wrinkle will no doubt be the inclusion of the fullback position once again. It appears as if David Johnson will assume a dual-role this year, one part blocking back, other in-line protector. Clearly, this...  

It's a simple proposition for Steelers 5-time Pro Bowl OLB James Harrison. If suspended Saints LB Jonathan Vilma loses in his lawsuit against NFL Commission Roger Goodell, he feels it shows Goodell has too much power. If Vilma wins, however, according to Harrison, "the floodgates will open." The floodgates of media attention will open over Harrison's comments, that's for certain. It won't be long before the cat-calls over Harrison...  

Tribune-Review columnist Dejan Kovacevic has an interesting column in regards to Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger's somewhat passive-aggressive response to an off-season that saw him called out for extending plays, fired his buddy offensive coordinator and a supposed overhaul of the offensive scheme.Kovacevic's column isn't slanted the way the headline "Kovacevic: Get Over It, Ben" implies. It's actually more pro-Roethlisberger, but...  

Steelers CB Cortez Allen appears to be the man to beat for the nickel back position this season, writes Tribune-Review's Mark Kaboly. That seems the easiest of what promises to be a training camp full of positional battles. If Allen showed anything his rookie year, it's the ability to handle slot coverage duty, and could very well grow to be better in that area than his predecessor, William Gay. Allen, a former fourth-round draft...  

It's as if the local fish wraps were hunting for CB Keenan Lewis exclusively after OTAs finished up in Pittsburgh Thursday. And he had plenty to say, such as quotes in both the Tribune-Review and the Post-Gazette indicating Lewis sees himself joining the AFC's Pro Bowl team in 2012. Lofty individual expectations are good. They show where a player's head is. Lewis, apparently, is very optimistic about his chances of starting...  

We've seen a few storylines emerge as the Steelers powered through the first week of Phase 3 OTAs. Some good things, some bad things, and a lot to look forward to starting with the next set of three OTA sessions beginning May 29. Johnson vs. Johnson The conversion of David Johnson to fullback and his subsequent battle with rookie UDFA Will Johnson, the Workout Warrior of West Virginia, is something that may heat up quickly from...  

Ralph Cindrich, the agent of former Steelers LB James Farrior, said his free agent client is in discussion right now with the Pittsburgh Steelers about retirement. Cindrich said this on FM 93.7 The Fan radio in Pittsburgh Friday afternoon. Farrior, a free agent, was released by the Steelers this off-season in the team’s roster purging. WR Hines Ward was also released, only to return to Pittsburgh to announce his retirement...  

I'm feeling pretty good about doing the Check Down this week. With the start of OTAs there are plenty of interesting stories to highlight. For many of the past several weeks I've been feeling like someone tasked with serving a banquet armed only with a bag of saltine crackers and a can of sardines. Where to begin? How about starting with a story that will get your hackles up. ESPN predicts Steelers finishing 3rd in the AFC North A...  

Allegedly, former Colts K Mike Vanderjagt still knows how to choke. Only this time, it wasn't at the end of a playoff football game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was the throat of a student after he taunted Vanderjagt by chanting "Wide Left! Wide Left!" in reference to his missed kick at the end of the 2005 NFL Divisional Playoff game between the Colts and Pittsburgh. Vanderjagt, a volunteer coach...  

Following up on a story we ran Friday in regards to the possibility of former Steelers linebacker James Farrior retiring, his agent, Ralph Cindrich, responded to a question posed via Twitter about it. Cindrich's response suggested Farrior, the 13 year veteran, is waiting for a "championship opportunity." Will one of those present itself for Farrior? It's an interesting question. He's just getting around to the retirement part. On...  

Reports indicate Giants WR Hakeem Nicks' foot surgery was successful. hat's a good thing for Nicks and the Giants. And Steelers fans should be resigned to understanding why WR Mike Wallace is not participating in OTAs. Nicks broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot Thursday while running a route in the defending champs' OTA session. He had surgery the following day and is expected to be inactive for the next 12 weeks (although...  

The Pittsburgh Steelers are on the road in Week 1, and will take on the team that ousted them from the playoffs in January, the Denver Broncos. Taking a look at where the Broncos are in May, it will be a daunting task. But one the Steelers need to get used to. With perhaps the toughest schedule overall they've had since 2008, this isn't the last good team they'll play in 2012. They're only the first. Broncos Improvements Obviously...  

A rematch of the 2010 AFC Championship Game for the home opener sounds like the makings of another great game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets. Two teams that ended their 2011 seasons on down notes, two teams looking to climb back to the top of their respective divisions. Two teams needing every win they can get to keep pace with an outstanding rival within their division. Jets Improvements The last few years...  

According to an ESPN poll of a random sample of 1,500 Americans, the Steelers are the third-most popular team in the NFL. The poll was conducted by asking participants 12 years of age and older which team was their favorite. Since 1994, this survey has polled 390,000 Americans, and the results are cumulative. The Dallas Cowboys were No. 1 with 8.8 percent of the vote. The Green Bay Packers were No. 2 at 7.2, barely edging out the...  

NFL Around The League writer (and BTSC friend) Brian McIntyre wrote an interesting piece on Steelers NT Steve McLendon, expounding on the work done by Tribune-Review writer Mark Kaboly. The subject of both articles was to show McLendon as a potential starter among the Steelers defensive line. They both certainly make a good case for it, but they seem to be missing the forest for the trees. Odds are excellent McLendon will be the...  

Despite the excitement of OTAs, it's still the off-season. So let's step back for just a moment and take a closer look at some players who will help to define the 2012 Steelers season. Because he's been in the news a lot this past week, I'm going to begin with Troy Polamalu. (The fact that he is my personal favorite Steeler has nothing whatsoever to do with this choice). Why has he been in the news? First, because he was at the...  

For the most part, I've been fairly critical of the role of Pro Football Talk in the media landscape covering the NFL. At the same time, I respect the opinions of the site, and its founder, Mike Florio. They're entitled to those opinions, as am I, as are you. My main contention is the style in which he writes. Sometimes, it seems the presumptions he makes are a bit off-the-mark. And his offensive character assassination of Steelers...  

The Raiders are undergoing a complete overhaul from its previous administration. And with few draft picks on which to begin building a foundation (six picks, none in rounds 1 or 2), new head coach Dennis Allen has quite the undertaking. Hosting the Steelers in Week 3 doesn't make it any easier on him, or new offensive coordinator Greg Knapp or defensive coordinator Jason Tarver. Raiders Improvements It's hard to list just one. Or...  

Steelers back-up quarterback hopeful Troy Smith has been a part of the Steelers for a few months, but he's already mixing things up with two traditional rivals. Speaking to AP reporter Will Graves, Smith mentioned a set-back he had with tonsillitis his rookie season, before saying he would have given Ravens QB Joe Flacco a run for for the team's starting quarterback position. Smith was a fifth round draft pick of the Ravens in 2007...  

Tribune-Review reporter Mark Kaboly transcribed a bit of Steelers CB Ike Taylor's appearance on TribLive Radio, and it will very likely be the talking point for the rest of this session OTAs. Taylor spent the weekend in Las Vegas with his teammate, WR Mike Wallace, and Taylor said Wallace is frustrated with his contract situation. What he also said was much more newsworthy. Mike feels like he outperformed his last contract. But he...  

The Steelers announced Tuesday they have come to terms with third round draft pick, LB Sean Spence. His signing, on the first day of the second OTA session, leaves only their first round pick, OG David DeCastro, unsigned. With Cincinnati having signed OG Kevin Zeitler, the 27th overall pick of the draft, on May 25, the table appears to be set for DeCastro's signing. Spence, though, is all set. The speedy if undersized linebacker...  

On paper, the Eagles had lots going for them in 2011. Fresh off the signing of Nnamdi Asomugha, the momentum of Michael Vick, the ascension of LeSean McCoy, dynamic big play ability from DeSean Jackson. So what happened? Jackson's pre-season contract dispute, Vick's inevitable injury, Asomugha adapting to a new system, all these things took their tolls on the Eagles, and they limped to an 8-8 finish. The NFL should be wary of the...  

It's unclear what former Steelers QB Kordell Stewart means by "needing closure." The 39-year-old former player who last suited up in 2005 - for the Baltimore Ravens...as a punter - announced his retirement from the NFL Wednesday, a move that was unexpected, in the sense that everyone assumed Stewart had done that very thing several years ago. Not to knock the guy too much - who knows, maybe he's coming out with a reality show in the near...  

For Tennessee in 2012, it's not about who they brought in, it's who they're bringing back. And when the Steelers travel to Nashville for an early-season Thursday night game, they'll face a Titans team that overcame several hurdles in 2011 to finish a respectable 9-7, just out of the money for the post-season. It's unlikely the Steelers put the same kind of whipping they did in Week 6 of 2011, when the running game destroyed...  

Former NFL kicker Mike Vanderjagt, who cut a controversial swath through a nine-year NFL career, is in trouble again. The first kicker in NFL history to go through an entire season without missing a field goal or extra point (he did that in 2003), Vanderjagt is better known for two incidents related to the postseason. In the 2005 playoffs, he missed a 41-yard field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers with seconds left in the game -- not...  

There are certain NFL teams that make the headlines regardless of how well they play. Teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots. If they are good, everyone is talking about how good they are, if they are bad, chatter abounds on their troubles, and even if they are mediocre, fans lament their fall from greatness.  

One of the most popular teams in the NFL is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their fans are a diverse bunch, ranging from old men all the way down to toddlers. Whether your mom is new to the Steeler Nation or a longtime fan, picking out a Steeler-themed Mother's Day gift is sure to be a big hit. These are some of the best gifts for mom featuring her favorite football team.  

It is mid-May and the sports world is not focused on the NFL. But hardcore fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers are already getting excited for the 2012-13 season. While I previously lamented how hard this offseason of goodbyes was going to be, I think the Steelers organization is making all the right moves to make the 2012-13 season a great one.  

In the 2010 draft, the Steelers liked Jonathan Dwyer enough to take him seven picks before Antonio Brown. Brown, a sixth-rounder like Dwyer, has become one of the keys to the Steelers’ offense, a formidable receiving threat opposite Mike Wallace. He’s also a Pro Bowl kick returner.  

PITTSBURGH (AP) The Pittsburgh Steelers returned to work Tuesday with a new offensive playbook but without Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Wallace, who is working out on his own in Louisiana as he tries to finalize a new deal with the team.  

PITTSBURGH (AP) When the Pittsburgh Steelers asked David Johnson to convert from tight end to fullback full-time in time for the 2012 season, the burly 270-pound Johnson's first thought was ''I need to go on a diet.''  

PITTSBURGH - When the Pittsburgh Steelers told tight end David Johnson they wanted to move him to fullback full time this season, Johnson told coach Mike Tomlin he'd do whatever is necessary to stay with the team.  

PITTSBURGH (AP) The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed second-round draft pick Mike Adams and seventh-round picks David Paulson and Terrence Frederick. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.  

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison says that regardless of the outcome, all NFL players stand to benefit from Jonathan Vilma's defamation lawsuit against Roger Goodell.  

PITTSBURGH (AP) Alameda Ta'amu's ''welcome to the NFL'' moment didn't come when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected the massive nose tackle in the fourth round of last week's draft.  

PITTSBURGH (AP) Sean Spence walked toward his locker during his first day as a Pittsburgh Steeler last month, saw the number hanging from the hook and couldn't quite believe it.  

OXFORD, Ohio (AP) Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has graduated from Miami University in southwest Ohio, about nine years after leaving for the NFL.  

Three key Steelers will be missing when the team kicks off its offseason team activities on Tuesday, according to a report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sunday.  

PITTSBURGH (AP) The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed seventh-round draft pick Toney Clemons to a four-year contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.  

PITTSBURGH (AP) The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed third-round pick Sean Spence to a four-year contract. Financial details were not disclosed.  

PITTSBURGH (AP) The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed seventh-round draft pick Kelvin Beachum. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.  

Update: Wallace is not expected to be in attendance when Steelers' OTAs start on Tuesday, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.  

PITTSBURGH (AP) Brandon Lindsey spent last weekend gathered in a room with his family waiting for the phone to ring.  

PITTSBURGH (AP) They don't celebrate NFL backups in southern New Jersey. Trust Isaac Redman on this.