A few weeks ago, our very own Jeremy Hritz wondered if former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison might have been the player behind the anonymous "out of shape" comments made about linebacker LaMarr Woodley following the 2012 season, but I think it's safe to say that we can put that speculation to rest now. Harrison, who signed with the Cincinnati Bengals several weeks after his March release from the Steelers, flew to Saginaw, Michigan on Friday to take part in Woodley's sixth annual free football camp that took place Saturday at Saginaw High. Keep in mind that Harrison hates to fly Read more [...]

By Matthew Marczi The football statistics website Pro Football Focus published an article yesterday deeming third year cornerback Cortez Allen the ‘Secret Superstar’ for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2013 season. Of course, this is a series of articles that the website does for every team, and I think that it is safe to say that there is not a secret ‘superstar’ on every team around the league. On the surface, Allen seems to be a solid, logical choice on the Steelers’ roster. Other more or less new starters, such as David DeCastro, Mike Adams, or Jason Worilds (or even Jarvis Jones) Read more [...]

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback William Gay was back home in Tallahassee, Florida on Friday where he had a room dedicated in his honor at the Greg McCray Boys and Girls Club, according to Jordan Culver of the Tallahassee Democrat. "The Boys and Girls Club, that’s where I was at since I was 9 years old all the way until I was 16," said Gay. "Just coming back here — now I’m getting a room? There were days where we’d have to fight just to get into it before it got too many memberships for the Boys and Girls Club. So it's an honor to have a room named after me." Gay, who attended James Read more [...]

A reader emailed me on Thursday and asked what I thought the Pittsburgh Steelers might possibly receive in the form compensatory draft picks next offseason due to all the losses that they had this offseason. In order to venture a guess at this, you first have to look at the contracts signed by each and every free agent lost and signed prior to the cutoff date of June 1st. Steelers Free Agent Loses: WR Mike Wallace - Miami Dolphins - Signed a five year, $60 million contract that will pay him $12 million in 2013 and have an average base salary of $9.75 million. CB Keenan Lewis - New Orleans Read more [...]

You can also count on Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless to try to make a mountain out of a molehill on ESPN First Take, and they did just that Friday morning when they asked Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders if he's worried about quarterback Ben Roethlisberger having minor surgery on his right knee this past week. "I'm not concerned," said Sanders. "We all know that Ben's going to come back. Ben is a tough guy. He's probably one of the toughest quarterbacks in the National Football League. This surgery is minor. He's been practicing the entire OTA's. He's been doing really well. Read more [...]

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was forced to miss both games against the Baltimore Ravens last season due to injuries and Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs said Thursday he hopes Roethlisberger recovers quickly from his recent knee surgery. "You know; it just isn’t the same game when the two teams don’t have all their parts playing," Suggs told the NFL Network, when asked about Roethlisberger's recent minor knee surgery. "So you’re absolutely right, I do wish him well, and I hope for him to have a speedy recovery." Suggs, who is fresh off his trip to the White Read more [...]

After spending the last two seasons with the Chicago Bears, veteran tight end Matt Spaeth is back with the Pittsburgh Steelers after signing a two-year, $2 million contract early on in free agency. In an interview this past week with David Todd of 970 ESPN Radio, Spaeth talked about what kind of team he is returning to in Pittsburgh in contrast to the one he left following the 2010 season. "It's a much younger team," said Spaeth, who was originally drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Minnesota. "I left a team that had tons of veterans and tons of veteran leadership, Read more [...]

It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers have question marks surrounding their depth at the tackle position heading into training camp, but one player who's trying to prove he's capable of filling a backup tackle role during the OTA sessions is Joe Long. Long was originally signed by St. Louis Rams in 2012 as an undrafted free agent out of Wayne State where he started a school-record 49 straight games, all at left tackle. However, he was released by the Rams prior to the start of the season and stayed unemployed until the Steelers signed him to their practice squad in late November, where Read more [...]

Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers have wrapped up their third OTA session of the 2013 season, here are ten things that we learned this past week. Ben-ded Knee - Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had arthroscopic surgery on Wednesday to clean up some meniscus damage in his right knee that has been causing him some discomfort, and as a result he will be sidelined until the start of training camp. Roethlisberger was urged to get it done now, and the consensus is that he will be good to go when the team arrives at Latrobe in late July. With Roethlisberger sidelined, it afforded backup Bruce Gradkowski Read more [...]

Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers have wrapped up all of their OTA sessions of the 2013 season they head into next week with eight of their nine 2013 draft picks under contract, as only fourth-round quarterback Landry Jones remains unsigned. This past week the Steelers signed linebacker Jarvis Jones, running back Le'Veon Bell and defensive end Nick Williams, and all of their contracts have been filed with the NFLPA. Below is a look at all eight of the rookie contracts, and it should be noted that the contract of Jarvis Jones is fully guaranteed and also includes a fifth-year club option in Read more [...]

While many might perceive it as a negative that the Pittsburgh Steelers were forced to practice in the rain Thursday at Heinz Field, head coach Mike Tomlin saw it as a positive. "Great work for us, to come into this stadium, particularly in less-than-ideal weather conditions," said Tomlin, following the Steelers final OTA practice of the 2013 season. Often times, in the Fall and Winter when we work in our stadium, it is in less than ideal weather conditions. So a  good simulation day for us." The Steelers have played their fair share of home games over the years in the cold and rain and Read more [...]

Season 3, Episode 109 of The Terrible Podcast is up and co-host David Todd and I talk about the Wednesday surgery that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had on his right knee that will keep him sidelined until the start of training camp and how the other quarterbacks on the roster will benefit from the extra reps in practice. Tight end David Paulson is also apparently a little banged up so we discuss his injury as well as the need to put injured cornerback Justin King on injured reserve on Thursday and what that means. David had a chance to talk to defensive end Brett Read more [...]

When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected two linebackers in the 2013 NFL Draft, you didn't need to be a rocket surgeon or a brain scientist to figure out that linebacker spots on the 53 man roster were filling up quickly. One of those players right in the middle of the fight for a remaining spot is fourth-year linebacker Stevenson Sylvester, the Steelers fifth-round selection in the 2010 NFL draft. Steelers linebackers coach Keith Butler talked about Sylvester during the draft when asked if 2013 is a make-or-break year for the Utah product. "No doubt for him," said Butler. "He knows that. That Read more [...]

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a couple of roster moves on Thursday as it was announced that cornerback Justin King was placed on injured reserve and undrafted rookie free agent cornerback Nigel Malone was signed. King was originally signed by the Steelers on December 18, 2012 due to the injuries at the cornerback position, but was inactive for the final two games of the regular season. He was originally drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. King is believed to have been suffering from a hamstring injury this offseason. Malone was originally signed by Read more [...]

The Pittsburgh Steelers will wrap up their third and final OTA session on Thursday with a practice at Heinz Field, and overall they've been pretty lucky when it comes to injuries. However, a source told me Wednesday evening that second-year tight end David Paulson missed some time this week with an injured ankle or foot that required him to wear a boot for a few days. Paulson, the Steelers second of four seventh-round draft picks in 2012, played 316 snaps as a rookie last season, but registered just seven catches for 51 yards in total. The injury to Paulson isn't believed to be serious, so Read more [...]

By Matthew Marczi Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went under the knife on Wednesday, having an arthroscopic procedure performed on his right knee to clean up some meniscus damage that had been causing him slight discomfort during the offseason. In a statement issued by head coach Mike Tomlin, Roethlisberger was advised by the team to get the surgery done now to, in the coach’s own words, “ensure he will be completely healthy for the start of training camp”. He added confidently that the surgery “will have no long-term effects on his health”. So that’s all there Read more [...]

By Jeremy Hritz Outside of the Steelers signing nearly all of their draft picks over the last week, there hasn’t been much great news surrounding the team. First, second year starting right tackle, Mike Adams, was stabbed early Saturday morning in Pittsburgh’s South Side when three knuckleheads decided it was a good idea to try and steal his truck. Adams went Clint Eastwood on them and now, 33 staples later, is out of duty until training camp. While it could be worse, the Steelers would much rather have a healthy Adams getting reps in OTAs and in the upcoming mandatory mini-camp. Then, Read more [...]

While it is certainly unfortunate that Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be sidelined until the beginning of training camp following him undergoing a scope procedure on his right knee Wednesday, it presents a great opportunity for the other three quarterbacks currently on the roster to get more reps in practice over the course of the remaining offseason practices. Bruce Gradkowski, who the Steelers signed as an unrestricted free agent early in the offseason, ran the first-team offense on Wednesday and that will continue Thursday when the Steelers wrap up their Read more [...]

According to Jim Wexell on Twitter, former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith will serve as a summer scouting intern with the team when training camp gets underway next month. Current Steelers scout and former tight end Mark Bruener was an intern in 2010 at training camp and it led to him being named the teams West Coast BLESTO scout prior to his recent promotion to college scout. In 2012, former Steelers special teams ace Chidi Iwuoma returned to Pittsburgh to intern during training camp and it led to him being hired by the Steelers just last month as a BLESTO representative. Read more [...]

Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Doug Legurksy signed with the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday after visiting with them on Tuesday. Legursky, who was originally signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2008 out of Marshall, spent his first five years in the league with Pittsburgh as a backup center/guard. In 2012, Legursky started two games at center and one at left due to injuries suffered to both Maurkice Pouncey and Willie Colon during the season. Despite being the Steelers top interior swing offensive lineman for several years, Legursky's play at the guard position Read more [...]