Tiger Woods owes Big Ben a great big thank you as Ben is knocking Tiger off of the front pages of TMZ and such. The latest hot story for some reason is Ben having his picture taken with some Milledgeville Police Officers prior to the report of the incident. What this has to do with anything, I have no idea.

It has been a while since we have heard from Observer Reporter writer Dale Lolley. Lolley has finally penned his thoughts on the whole Ben Roethlisberger saga and done so quite eloquently if I might say.

Oh yes, this is just great as well. Who really gives a shit what Michael Irvin thinks Ben did right or wrong. CBS news, that's who. Hey Michael, go do a few lines of blow and then go fornicate yourself.

ESPN AFC North Blogger, James Walker, certainly knows how to stir up Steeler Nation. Yesterday he posted the photo below and wanted people to respond in In five words or less and provide thoughts on the photo. That picture sent chills up my spine and you can read his favorite replies here.

Pittsburgh's best country radio station, Y108 had backup nose tackle Chris Hoke on for an interview yesterday to discuss the Roethlisberger allegations and the Steelers activity in free agency among other things. You can listed to the interview below.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Bill Woodside of Mt. Holly Springs, Pa has quite a collection of memorabilia from Anheuser-Busch as well as a garage full of Budweiser's tribute to his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. This Bud is for you, Bill.

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

After long wait, I finally have my first mock draft of this offseason done. Much like when Axl Rose writes a song for a soon to be released album, I changed it and scrapped it several times. There are so many things that go into research for mock drafts. Team needs, player rankings and free agency. I never like to release a mock draft before free agency starts as I believe the first week of so of free agency can tell you a ton of what teams are thinking. I will likely have 2.0 out by April 1st and only suspect 4 versions at most. I do not have the want or do I think it is feasible to do a complete mock draft of all 7 rounds. It is ludicrous. I will however predict the Steelers picks by rounds as I did last year. I nailed 2 players last year in Mike Wallace and Ra'Shon Harris although I had the wrong round on Wallace.

OK, bitch away, here is 2010 NFL Mock Draft 1.0!

1. St. Louis Rams - Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma - If I were the Rams, I draft Suh or trade down. I do not think Bradford is the real deal. The NFL is a quarterback driven league however and I suspect the Rams will do the wrong thing and draft Bradford.

2. Detroit Lions - Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska - Not even Matt Millen could screw up this pick. The Lions will get the best player in the draft at the number 2 spot. Suh is a man child and I am glad he will be in the NFC and not the AFC.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma - The Buccaneers have a ton of needs, but the 4-3 defense could really be boosted with a player like McCoy. The only temptation here would be Eric Berry.

4. Washington Redskins - Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State - Chris Samuels has now called it a career and the Redskins need a left tackle. Okung is solid and someone Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen can build around.

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa - Chiefs GM Scott Pioli is good friends with Kirk Ferentz, the Iowa head coach. Bulaga has quietly climbed up the ladder. Matt Cassel needs protection and Bulaga fits the bill with this pick.

6. Seattle Seahawks - C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson - The Seahawks have two first rounders and Pete Carroll will not wait to see if Spiller last until the 14th pick to get him. Not many mocks have Spiller going this high, but he is worthy of the #6 overall selection.

7. Cleveland Browns - Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama - The Browns picked up Scott Fujita in free agency and may move him inside. McClain can play both inside or outside and has a strong motor. Jimmy Clausen will be tempting here, but the sting of Brady Quinn still lingers.

8. Oakland Raiders - Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame - Raiders owner Al Davis knows that JaMarcus Russell is a bust. He needs a quarterback and he needs one now.

9. Buffalo Bills - Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers - The Bills need a ton of everything and selecting Davis is a great place to start. Some consider Davis the best tackle in the draft, so if he falls here, it could indeed be a steal.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars - Joe Haden, CB, Florida - The Jaguars have seen quite a bit of the Floridian to not get caught up with NFL combine 40 times. Haden is the perfect fit for this defense. It would not be too far of a stretch to see Haden fall here.

11. Denver Broncos - Eric Berry, S, Tennessee - Berry is a hard-hitting defensive back that can play almost anywhere in the secondary. Pairing him up with Brian Dawkins to learn from could pay dividends quickly for Josh McDaniels.

12. Miami Dolphins - Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas - The Dolphins need linebackers and Kindle is a type player Bill Parcells likes on his squad. Kindle is easily the second best linebacker in the draft. This is a great match.

13. San Francisco 49ers - Earl Thomas, S, Texas - Head coach Mike Singletary is slowly building an impressive defense. Thomas fits the bill for that defense

14. Seattle Seahawks - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma - Pete Carroll got his running back at #6 and now starts getting help on the offensive line.

15. New York Giants - Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida - Giants need to get back to putting consistent pressure on the opponents quarterback. Pierre-Paul can be brought along slowly and has shown the potential to be a dominant pass rusher in the NFL.

16. Tennessee Titans - Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech - Kyle Vanden Bosch is gone. Morgan fits everything that defense needs and 16th is the right place for Morgan.

17. San Francisco 49ers - Mike Iupati, G, Idaho - Iupati is a versatile lineman that can play just about anywhere on the line. His intensity matches that of head coach Mike Singletary.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers - Taylor Mays, S, USC - The last safety the Steelers drafted out of USC turned out pretty good. The Steelers need depth at the position and with Clark being resigned, Mays can be introduced slowly and also contribute on game days on special teams.

19. Atlanta Falcons - Brandon Graham, LB/DE, Michigan - Graham is a tweaner, but a pure athelete. He will help the Falcons defense immediately.

20. Houston Texans - Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State - The Texans lost one corner named Robinson via free agency. They get their replacement Robinson at #20 who very well could be the best corner in the draft.

21. Cincinnati Bengals - Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma - Gresham I think will go earlier than most think out of need. He is the best tight end in the draft and the Bengals desperately need one for Carson Palmer.

22. New England Patriots - Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri - Bill Belichick likes the type player that Weatherspoon is and will find a place for him. The kid has a high motor and an IQ to go along with it.

23. Green Bay Packers - Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State - The Packers need a shut down corner and help in the secondary.

24. Philadelphia Eagles - Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State - The Eagles need a pass rusher and will nit have to go far to find one. Odrick can play anywhere on the defensive line.

25. Baltimore Ravens - Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame - Despite signing Anquan Boldin and resigning Derrick Mason, Tate will be groomed for the future. He can be brought along slowly.

26. Arizona Cardinals - Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee - Cardinals veteran nose tackle Bryan Robinson will be 36 in June and Williams fits what the Cardinals are trying to do on defense.

27. Dallas Cowboys - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State - Jerry Jones loves playmakers and kids with 5 cent heads. Jones will have no problem taking a chance on making a Cowboy one of his Cowboys.

28. San Diego Chargers - Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State - LaDanian Tomlinson is gone and Sproles is not an every down back. Mathews will be drafted to handle the between the tackle type work.

29. New York Jets - Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland - Campbell is considered a project and the Jets have time to bring him along. this is a case of the best player available on the board.

30. Minnesota Vikings - Brian Price, DT, UCLA - Pat Williams needs a breather every now and again and father time is ticking on him. Price is excellent inside and can help spell Williams on passing downs.

31. Indianapolis Colts - Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida - Sooner or later Jeff Saturday will need to retire. Pouncey is the best center in the draft and can be groomed to replace Saturday on Sundays.

32. New Orleans Saints - Jerry Hughes, LB, TCU - Scott Fujita is gone. The Saints do not need much to stay competitive. Hughes is a play maker and will help ease the loss of Fujita later in the year.

As Ben Roethlisberger's version of the events that took place in Milledgeville, Ga hit our Twitter account yesterday, it really has not and will not help his cause in my opinion. I hope there is evidence of her falling and hitting her head on her on accord. Every day it seems a new twist comes out that does not help Ben's cause unlike the Nevada case where everything that came out discredited the accuser. A long way to go on this one.

The 20-year-old woman who has accused Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of sexual assault plans on returning to Georgia College and State University next week according to WSBTV.

The son of new Steelers offensive line coach, Sean Kugler, has received eight scholarship offers to colleges to play football after he graduates high school. Robert Kugler is a 6-foot-3, 235-pound defensive end and will be moving with his family to Pittsburgh in April and will be attending North Allegheny High School.

We have updated our 2010 Steelers salary cap numbers to reflect the contracts of Antwaan Randle El, Ryan Clark, Will Allen, Arnaz Battle and Jonathan Scott. Randle El signed a three-year, $7 million contract that included a $900,000 signing bonus. Clark signed a four-year, $14 million contract that contains $5 million guaranteed, $3 million signing bonus and $3 million available through incentives. Allen signed a three-year, $4.4 million contract that included a $975,000 signing bonus. Battle signed a three-year, $3.9 million contract that included a $975,000 signing bonus and Scott signed a one-year, $545,000 contract.

A rumor that veteran center Hank Fraley has a planned visit to Pittsburgh is untrue according to a message from his agent Ralph Cindrich. Fraley was released by the Browns on Wednesday of last week and will visit the Rams today. Cindrich said the Steelers have called with interest, but no visit is scheduled at this point.

The AFC North offered up more free agent signings on Wednesday as the Bengals decided on signing receiver Antonio Bryant over Terrell Owens for four-years and $28 million deal. Also the Ravens resigned receiver Derrick Mason to a two-year, $8 million agreement. I have to be honest in saying that neither signing strikes fear in me as a Steelers fan.

Friend of Steelers Depot and Pittsburgh sports agent, Ralph Cindrich, offered some pretty stern advice to Ben Roethlisberger in regards to his latest allegations. I really do side with Cindrich on this. How do you feel? Cindrich was also on Sirius NFL radio this morning with Randy Cross and Bob Papa talking about the situation as well.

Regarding the Roethlisberger situation, Steelers tackle, Willie Colon, is doing his best Sergeant Schultz impersonation saying that he saw nothing while out with Big Ben on his birthday. Colon's agent, Joe Linta, suggest that Willie's name need not be mentioned anymore in regards to the case. This pretty much is what you expect an agent to do for his client. Hopefully TMZ does not uncover the dancing footage.

Former Steelers linebacker and current free agent Larry Foote is looking for a deal that exceeds Scott Fujita’s new contract. Fujita’s recent deal with the Cleveland Browns was a three-year, $14 million contract with $8 million guaranteed. I doubt those are numbers the Steelers are willing to pay.

Following his signing back with Pittsburgh wide receiver Antwaan Randle El held a press conference to annswer questions from the media. The video is below.

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

In addition to that press conference, both Randle El and newly resigned safety Ryan Clark were on ESPN 1250 The Drive answering questions yesterday. You can listen to the replay below. The El interview takes place at about the 40 minute mark, while the Clark interview takes place at about the 60 minute mark.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

If you bleed black and gold, the last few days have been a wild ride. It started with Steeler Nation headed into the yearly free agency drudgery of knowing that free safety Ryan Clark would likely be gone for good and all we would have to show for signings come April would be a Cedric Wilson/Shaun McDonald type player. You know, the same old stuff leading up to April's draft. March is usually an uneventful time for us Steelers fans, but this March is one that will be remembered for both good and bad. Midnight of free agency came and went Thursday with only the big name signings making waves. Ho hum, nothing strange there. Friday Steeler Nation was staring at another nightmare. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was being accused on Friday afternoon of sexual assault by a young woman in Georgia. The second such accusation in a calendar years time. The Roethlisberger news was trumping many free agent signings and had the Steelers back in the news for all the wrong reasons. Act 2 of the Roethlisberger saga will carry on for some time, but it was not the start to the new NFL season Steelers fans needed.

The weekend rolled around and we were treated to the news that 49ers free agent wide receiver Arnaz Battle would be visiting the South Side on Monday. Ah, our Cedric Wilson/Shaun McDonald type player would come early this year. Then the news that safety Will Allen may be in town on Monday as well. Ok, maybe some safety depth and special teams help there. By Sunday night, no one knew the flurry of things that would happen on Monday that can brighten a fan base. Not only were Battle and Allen signed to contracts. Reserve tackle Jonathan Scott was being brought in to fight for a depth spot on the offensive line and the name Larry Foote was surfacing again as being a long shot to come back to the Steelers. Monday was not looking bad at all as far as Steelers fans go.

In the evening on Monday is when the fireworks started. Free safety Ryan Clark had a change of heart while visiting the Dolphins and told his agent Joel Turner he wanted to go back home. Clark said get it done and Turner reached a 4 year deal with the Steelers that is cap friendly and averages $3.5 million a season. If this news wasn't good enough, the word came out at about the same time that receiver Antwaan Randle El would be coming back to the team that had drafted him as well. El will provide some veteran leadership and ensure that the Steelers have some receiver depth on the roster as well. The contract details are sketchy at this point, but early word is that it is just over the minimum and will not break the bank going forward. Even if Foote ends up not coming back, free agency has been successful thus far. The Steelers were staring at a gaping hole in the secondary and slew of young receivers behind veterans Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes. Both holes have been quickly patched and the Steelers will now the luxury of drafting the best player available in the draft instead of feeling locked into one particular position.

The Roethlisberger thing will hopefully be worked out soon, with Big Ben being exonerated. Free agency has definitely help turn a few frowns upside down in Steeler Nation. I am 42 years young and I do not remember a day like Monday in several, several years as a Steeler fan. Without a doubt these few days will likely be forever etched in our brains going forward in Steelers lore. Let's hope it culminates in our 7th championship. Oh, I almost forgot. Hines Ward turned 34 on Monday and Steeler legends Franco Harris and Lynn Swann celebrated birthdays on Sunday. What a week.

The Steelers signed safety Will Allen and wide receiver Arnaz Battle to three-year contracts Monday and this morning Scott Brown has a Q&A with new Steelers on his blog.

The most surprising thing about the signing of former Steelers wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, is the fact that he states he will be the #3 receiver and not 2nd year receiver Mike Wallace. I am not so sure that is set in stone, at least not yet.

Not only was former Steelers wide receiver Antwaan Randle El signed back to the roster on Monday, the Steelers are looking into bringing back inside linebacker Larry Foote as well after his one year stay with Detroit. Foote is scheduled to meet today or Wednesday with the Arizona Cardinals, so it is not a slam dunk that he is back in black and gold

Speaking of the Cardinals and former Steelers, Amberly Dressler reports that Steelers West will play host to unrestricted free agent defensive end Nick Eason on Tuesday.

Lost in all the signing fury of Steelers free agency was the latest Hearing from Coach Mike Tomlin segment on Steelers.com. Tomlin says the safety class is as deep as it’s been since he has been going to the combine. Coach speak? I don't think so.

The latest report in the Ben Roethlisberger, alleged sexual assault case is that the alleged victim has dropped out of school and gone back to Atlanta with her parents. Stay tuned as there will be plenty more on this debacle.

In a surprising twist, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports that the Steelers have re-signed free agent S Ryan Clark. Clark visited the Dolphins on Monday. Clark's contract reportedly is a 4 year deal in the neighborhood of $17 million with at least $5 million of the contract to be paid during the first year.

An old familiar face is coming back to the Steelers. Wide receiver Antwaan Randle El signed back with the Steelers on Monday evening after being released by the Washington Redskins. Randle El was drafted in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Steelers after playing his college football at Indiana where he was a quarterback. On March 12, 2006, Randle El signed a seven-year, $31 million deal to play for the Washington Redskins after the Super Bowl 40 win against the Seahawks.

The Steelers signed three unrestricted free agents, offensive tackle Jonathan Scott, wide receiver Arnaz Battle and safety Will Allen, to their roster today. Financial terms of all of the contracts were not disclosed, but both Battle and Allen received three year deals.

Scott was a fifth-round pick by Detroit in the 2006 draft out of Texas, Scott had six starts in 20 appearances over two seasons with the Lions and was signed to the Bills 53-man roster on December 18, 2008. Scott started eight games for the Bills last season.

Battle was originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame. He spent seven seasons with the 49ers and played in 88 career games as a wide receiver, kick returner and punt returner. For his career, Battle has 178 receptions for 2,150 yards and 11 touchdowns as a receiver. In 2009, he was the 49ers primary punt returner with 21 returns for 61 yards and added three kickoff returns for 68 yards.

Allen has played all six NFL seasons with Tampa Bay after being drafted by the Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. Allen made two starts in 2009 before being placed on the team’s Reserve/Injured List following Week 9. In his six seasons with the Buccaneers, Allen had 63 special teams tackles and was named the team’s special teams captain in 2008. He started 26 games in six years and had 174 career tackles and four interceptions.

If you missed the Monday Police Press Conference held in Milledgeville, Ga concerning the sexual assault charges on Ben Roethlisberger, you can listen to the unevenful presser below.

Corrected

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.