Even though they chose not bring back defensive starters James Harrison, Casey Hampton and Keenan Lewis this off-season, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense still ranks as the oldest in the league, according to a study done on all 32 teams by Mike Sando of ESPN.com. While Sando doesn't give the average age for the offensive or defensive units of each team, it's not hard to figure out that the average age of the Steelers projected starters on defense in 2013 is 29.2. That really isn't that surprising being as five of those 11 players, Troy Polamalu (32), Larry Foote (32), Ike Taylor (33), Ryan Clark Read more [...]

Like several other young players on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster, 2013 is a make-or-break year for third-year cornerback Curtis Brown, who is trying to put a disappointing 2012 season behind him and show the organization that they didn't waste a third-round draft pick on him back in 2011. David Todd of 970 ESPN Radio caught up with Brown on Wednesday after the Steelers first OTA practice of the 2013 season and asked him what he did during the off-season to prepare himself for 2013 and where his focus is right now. "Working harder than I ever worked before," said Brown. "Worked out in Houston Read more [...]

The Pittsburgh Steelers closed out their first OTA session of the 2013 season on Thursday and below are ten things that we learned over the course of the week. Gilbert Makes Blind Side Debut  - It didn't take long to find out which tackle would get the first reps on the left side as the reports surfaced on day one that Marcus Gilbert was given the first crack at replacing the departed Max Starks at left tackle. Their is speculation that Mike Adams will get his chance on the left side in the future OTA sessions, but for now, Gilbert is the leader in the clubhouse. Beachum Finds His Center Read more [...]

When the Pittsburgh Steelers hired Jack Bicknell Jr. to be their new offensive line coach earlier in the off-season, we've had a pretty good idea that we would see more zone blocking in 2013 than in previous years and more outside zone running specifically. According to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Steelers running back Isaac Redman is one of several players on offense that has come forward to say that they welcome the addition of more inside and outside zone to the traditional power running that they have run for several years in Pittsburgh. "We are going to be dedicated Read more [...]

By Jeremy Hritz Recently on steelers.com, an interview with Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley was posted, and a majority of it was focused on the criticism that he received from an anonymous source this off-season. When Woodley was asked if he ever talked to the person who made the comments, or if he ever attempted to find out who spoke up, he responded by saying, “Actually, I think the anonymous person was next to me in the locker room, but actually that’s my locker next to me. I never had the opportunity to talk to them.” He went on to say: “No, the anonymous person is right Read more [...]

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger took the league by storm as a rookie in 2004 when he rattled off 14 straight wins as a starter after Tommy Maddox went down injured in the second game of the season. Despite losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game that season, Roethlisberger showed that his rookie season wasn't a mirage as he led the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl championship in only his second season in the league. Now, at 31 years of age and entering his 10th season in the league, Roethlisberger said in an interview on Thursday that he wants to Read more [...]

With the first Pittsburgh Steelers OTA session of the 2013 season now in the books, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review listed Isaiah Green, Will Johnson, Al Woods, Kelvin Beachum, and Adrian Robinson on Twitter as his "winners" of the week. https://twitter.com/MarkKaboly_Trib/status/337707207003095040 Perhaps the most interesting part of Kaboly's tweet is the fact that that he listed Woods as a nose tackle and not a defensive end. That is pretty surprising and caught me off guard. Woods, who has been on the Steelers roster ever since he was claimed off waivers from the Seattle Read more [...]

If there's one thing that we've learned from the Pittsburgh Steelers first OTA session of the 2013 season, it's that second-year offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum is being given every opportunity to become the backup at center to starter Maurkice Pouncey. Throughout the week we have seen and heard reports stating that the Steelers fourth of four seventh-round draft picks from 2012 has been getting work at center and on Thursday, Jim Wexell of Steel City Insider reported on Twitter that Beachum even received reps at center with the first time during the final day of practice for the week. Beachum, Read more [...]

Earlier on Thursday, it was announce by the Pittsburgh Steelers that they had signed draft picks Markus Wheaton and Terry Hawthorne to their rookie deals and now comes word that wide receiver Justin Brown has also signed his rookie contract. Brown, the Steelers first of two sixth round picks last month, recorded 73 catches for 879 yards and five touchdowns last season at Oklahoma after transferring there from Penn State where he played the previous three seasons. Brown left Penn State following the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the move to a more wide-open offense certainly helped him. The six Read more [...]

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Heath Miller talked on Wednesday about how his knee rehab is coming along, but he refused to speculate whether or not he would be ready to play in the season opener game of the 2013 season against the Tennessee Titans. While Miller might have refused to circle a date on the calendar, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger basically did it for him during his Thursday morning interview on DVE Radio. "I don't want to speak out of line, but I think it's a non-issue, truthfully," said Roethlisberger, when asked about Miller's rehab. "I know that it's an issue to fans Read more [...]

Season 3, Episode 105 of The Terrible Podcast is up and co-host David Todd and I have quite a bit to talk about with the Pittsburgh Steelers first OTA practices of the 2013 season now completed. We open the show by talking about tackle Max Starks signing this week with the San Diego Chargers and move on from there to discuss who is playing where on the Steelers offensive line this past week in practice. After passing on all of the latest injury news on linebacker Jarvis Jones and cornerback Terry Hawthorne, David and I talk about what tight end Heath Miller had to say about his knee injury Read more [...]

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Thursday that they have signed yet another one of their nine draft picks as wide receiver Markus Wheaton has also come to terms on his four year rookie deal. Wheaton was drafted in the third-round of the 2013 NFL draft out of Oregon State where he registered 227 catches for 2,994 yards and 16 receiving touchdowns in 49 games played. The terms of the rookie deal haven't been announced, but Wheaton's contract is expected to total out at about $2.85 million and include a a signing bonus of around $690,000. The four year base salaries that Wheaton will earn Read more [...]

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Thursday that they have inked another one of their nine draft picks as cornerback Terry Hawthorne has signed a four-year contract. Hawthorne was drafted in the fifth-round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Steelers out of Illinois where he recorded six interceptions, 22 pass breakups and 162 total tackles in 44 games played. The terms of the rookie deal haven't been announced, but Hawthorne's contract is expected to total out at about $2.35 million and include a a signing bonus of around $191,000. The four year base salaries that Hawthorne will earn will be Read more [...]

By Jeremy Hritz The Cincinnati Bengals have been building through the draft, and it is beginning to pay handsomely, as they have accumulated a talented group of young players. And after the most recent draft with the additions of tight end Tyler Eifert and running back Giovani Bernard, the Bengals offense looks to have improved even more. Couple that with a young and aggressive defense led by Geno Atkins, and the Bengals seemed poised to take a shot at the AFC North Crown in the 2013 season. It was the Bengals that stomped any hopes that the Steelers had of the playoffs in the 2012 season, Read more [...]

Thursday is final day of the Pittsburgh Steelers first OTA session of the 2013 season and on Wednesday Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review passed along a little nugget on Twitter about the secondary that's worth mentioning. Kaboly reported that the Steelers plan to use cornerback Cortez Allen in the slot on nickel downs in 2013, and that sounds like a solid plan. Last season, Allen played well in the slot as Pro Football Focus has him logging 204 coverage plays at that position while only giving up 26 receptions in 43 times thrown at for 237 yards with no touchdowns allowed and one interception. Read more [...]

All throughout the off-season, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert berated the 2012 performance of the running back group and he made it clear that he had intentions of fixing that in 2013. One running back that appears to have gotten his message is Isaac Redman, who reportedly showed up for the first OTA session of the 2013 season 10 pounds lighter than he was last season. "The goal was to get more explosive to get quicker, to get faster and to drop weight," said Redman, who worked out during the off-season down in Tampa, Florida with speed trainer Ron Jones. "After the season was Read more [...]

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders had an eventful off-season that included him signing an one-year restricted offer sheet with the New England Patriots. The Steelers of course matched that offer right before the deadline and now that he is under contract for the 2013 season, Sanders was asked Wednesday on 93.7 The Fan if there has been any talk about an extension. "Of course, and those conversations are going on right now," Sanders said. Despite admitting that he has had extension talks with the Steelers, Sanders wanted to make it clear that those talks are not the main thing Read more [...]

Updating a report from earlier in the day, David Todd of ESPN 970 Radio has learned that Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Terry Hawthorne needed a procedure done on his injured knee to remove bone chips and that he could be sidelined until training camp as a result. It was reported earlier on Wednesday by Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Hawthorne was sidelined for the Steelers second OTA practice of the 2013 season with a wrap on his knee and that he was using crutches to get around on. Now we know why. Hawthorne, who was drafted by the Steelers in the fifth-round of the 2013 Read more [...]

As of Wednesday, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Heath Miller is almost five months removed from his surgery to repair the serious right knee injury that he suffered late last season against the Cincinnati Bengals and he talked about his current status with the media following the second OTA practice of the 2013 season. "I'm feeling good," said the 30-year-old Miller. "It's good to get out here and watch the guys working, good turnout for the team and doing good." Miller, who reportedly tore the ACL, MCL and PCL in his right knee, was asked where he currently is at in his rehab. "I'm running Read more [...]

The online betting website Bovada released their over/under win total odds on Wednesday for all 32 teams and the Pittsburgh Steelers lead all of the AFC North teams with an over/under win total in 2013 of nine with an equal -115 line for over and under. The defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals are both listed at 8.5 with an equal -115 line on the Ravens and a -135 for the over on the Bengals. The Cleveland Browns bring up the rear in the AFC North with an over/under win total number of six with an equal -115 betting line. Tops in the league are the Read more [...]