When the Steelers report to Latrobe on tomorrow, so will begin several training camp battles that we will be keeping a close eye on. We have narrowed them down to six to match the six championships the Steelers have. They are as follows.

1. Quarterback - Byron Leftwich vs. Dennis Dixon - Mike Tomlin has let veteran Byron Leftwich receive most of the first team snaps since his re-acquisition from Tampa Bay. The Steelers will need a starter for at least 4 games with franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suspended to start the season and Leftwich looks to be the guy unless Dennis Dixon can force the Steelers hand with a strong camp. Dixon is also in his final year of his contract, so the motivation is definitely there to prove himself. Most of the Steeler Nation blogs and media would have you believe that Dixon should start, but none have good reasons why. Dixon has all of one start under his belt combined with several mediocre pre seasons games. Dixon also has admitted his leadership skills are not up to standards as well. Leftwich is what he is and that is a quarterback that has had some moderate successes in the NFL. Does this secure the job for him? Absolutely not as Leftwich could still lose the job and fall flat on his face. Dixon will have to show right out of the gate that he is the man that should lead the Steelers. Make no mistake that this is a battle, but a battle that could be over after week one of the pre season. Dixon does not have time on his side and must make good use of each and every snap to overtake the veteran Leftwich. My money is on Leftwich.

2. Right Tackle - Trai Essex vs. Jonathan Scott vs. Ramon Foster - The Achilles injury to Willie Colon opened up a huge hole on the right side of the Steelers offensive line. The only good thing is it happened early enough in the offseason so the Steelers could have a enough time to figure out a solution. Also in their favor has been the rapid development of rookie first round draft pick, Maurkice Pouncey, who was on course to beat out Trai Essex for the starting right guard spot. That now frees up Essex to see if he can win the right tackle spot instead and he will compete against free agent Jonathan Scott and second year undrafted free agent Ramon Foster. Scott played under new line coach Sean Kugler at Buffalo last year and Foster played mostly at left guard in 2009 when Chris Kemoeatu was out injured. There could even be another horse or two added to this battle should the Steelers decide to sign another street free agent, but as it appears right now, the Steelers want one of these three guys to win the job. If I were to handicap this battle, I give the advantage to Essex as to me his play and foot work seem better suited for tackle than guard plus he has games played under his belt on the right side. Scott and Foster could very well both stick on the roster as reserves and it would not be surprising to see either win the right tackle spot out right.

Update: The Steelers signed free agent tackle Flozell Adams a few hours after posting this. This now becomes a battle above for the backup right side swing spot as now either Adams or Max Starks wil play right tackle for sure. Scott is now on the roster bubble for sure with this move and Foster will likely compete for a right side back up roll.

3. Nickel Cornerback - William Gay vs. Joe Burnett vs. Keenan Lewis - Most want you to believe that the starting left cornerback job is up for grabs. That is just not true. The Steelers traded back for Bryant McFadden on draft day because of the play of William Gay in 2009. To think McFadden will not be the week one starting left corner is ludicrous. The Steelers drafted two cornerbacks in 2009 in the form of Joe Burnett and Keenan Lewis. Burnett struggled as a rookie, while Lewis was never fully healthy with back problems. Veteran Deshea Townsend is now gone so it leaves Gay, Burnett and Lewis all to battle for the nickel corner spot. Gay has the inside track after playing the role almost exclusively through the 2008 championship season. Burnett started to show glimpses late in the 2009 season and will get his shot at the job. Lewis is more of a dark horse here as he truly is better merely as a left corner and just doesn't have the time in at the position. Watch this battle closely as it could get interesting. Right now I like Gay to rebound and win the job, but nothing with him is guaranteed.

4. Backup Running Back - Isaac Redman vs. Jonathan Dwyer - Nobody caused more stir in 2009 than undrafted free agent running back Isaac Redman. By the end of training camp last year, Steeler Nation had him penciled in as the next Jerome Bettis. Redman proved he can run in short yardage situations, but was slow to get up to speed on the things fans do not see. Redman bounced around to the active roster and practice squad and now will get a chance to compete against rookie six round draft pick Jonathan Dwyer. Although technically you could say Mewelde Moore is the backup running back to Rashard Mendenhall, we all know that Moore is not an every down back. He is a role player gifted in 3rd down sets and an established pass catcher. Should Mendenhall go down, the Steelers will need either Redman or Dwyer to step up to a more prominent 1st and 2nd down ball carrier role. Dwyer is handicapped by the type offense he played in college, where he was a fullback in Georgia Tech's triple-option offense. Both Redman and Dwyer are straight ahead runners and both are known to move piles in short yardage situations. Redman has the upper hand going into camp, primarily because of having a year in the offense already and improving on his blitz pickups. Dwyer should not be counted out though as this battle will have those in attendance at Latrobe high fiving for both players. I think both can make the roster, regardless of who runs 2nd or 3rd.

5. Reserve Tight End H-Back Fullback - Sean McHugh vs. David Johnson - It might not look much on paper, but this could be the 52nd or 53rd man on the 53 man roster. McHugh had 2009 end early in pre season with a knee problem. His injury allowed 2009 seventh round pick, David Johnson to make the roster. Johnson was not spectacular in the H-back role and merely average in the other phases of tight end play. His special teams play though was above average, but the overall play of the Steelers 2009 special teams unit was dismal as most remember. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians looks to use the fullback and or h-back more in the offense this year. Frank Summers is looking to secure a true fullback role, while McHugh and Johnson will battle for the H-back and 3rd tight end spot on the roster. Neither will be confused for Dan Kreider, but these two players will be out to crack skulls and adjust shoulder pads in camp. While neither is guaranteed a roster spot regardless of their battle, it will intensify training camp and make practices more physical. I think McHugh, if healthy, can win this battle and a spot on the roster. He is just plain better at this role than Johnson is in my opinion.

6. Return Men - Stefan Logan vs. Emmanuel Sanders vs. Antonio Brown vs. Joe Burnett vs. Antwaan Randle El vs. Mewelde Moore vs. Mike Wallace - If the Steelers were allowed to keep 54 men on the roster, this might make things a little easier. The roster limit remains at 53 and last years return specialist Stefan Logan owns a valuable roster spot. The smallish pinball type player only has one shot at making the 2010 roster once again at that is by standing head and shoulders above the completion in both kickoff and punt returns. New to the battle this year are rookie draft pick wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown. Both are accomplished return men in college with Brown being the better all around return man of the two. Sanders is almost certain to make the 53 man roster as the 4th or 5th receiver based on early reports. Brown is not a lock right now. Throw in cornerback Joe Burnett, who failed miserable in the 2009 pre season as a return man, the aging Antwaan Randle El and Mewelde Moore to keep everyone honest and you just do not have a ton of reps to go around to find the right guy. Let us not forget speedster Mike Wallace in this talk either although he will have enough on his plate adjusting to the number two receiving role with Santonio Holmes now gone. You still have to think he is an out lying option though. The real battle I believe will be between Logan and Sanders for the kick returning job. If Sanders can challenge Logan in output there, I think the punt return duties could be his as well. Logan needs to make himself uncut-able once again and that means he needs some big returns in the pre season. I think his one year flash is over as the Steelers need the roster spot very bad. Let us hope there are tons of opportunities to around in the pre season games. May the best hands and feet win.

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ESPN North blogger James Walker reported on Monday that linebacker LaMarr Woodley would not be holding out this training camp. I am not sure why this was treated as breaking news around Steeler Nation as Woodley has said along he would report on time. Nearly every interview he has stated that. To me, this is a little media sensationalism trying to stir things up one last time before camp. It's not news, people.

Washington Observer writer Dale Lolley suggest that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger ease the burden on his teammates on Friday or Saturday and address the media questions surrounding his tumultuous offseason early in camp.

Former Steelers running back Chuck Sanders said Monday that his charity is giving $100,000 to an employment fund supporting the Pittsburgh anti-gang program. Good to see Sanders in the midst of his life's work. Chuck Noll must be proud!

PPG columnist Ron Cook writes that he thinks there is no one better than head coach Mike Tomlin to deal with the upcoming season of challenges.

In their second pre season training camp "Agree to Disagree" segment on Steelers.com, Bob Labriola and Mike Prisuta preview the Steelers defensive positions and competitions for the upcoming training camp in Latrobe.

Kaye Cowher was laid to rest on Monday at a private funeral service in Raleigh, North Carolina. Among those in attendance were Steelers President Art Rooney II and Kevin Colbert, director of football operations. Pittsburgh sports fans also lost another legend on Monday as John Barbero, the public address announcer for Penguins, died at 65 of complications from a brain tumor. He will be forever remembered.

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This post will ruffle feathers for sure on a Friday, but read it thoroughly before jumping to conclusions. Also this is just speculationat this point, but does bare watching. As everyone knows the Steelers have 4 quarterbacks on their roster headed into camp. This is not unusual as most will carry an extra arm to spread out the reps, especially with the 3rd and 4th team units in camp. Normally these "camp arms" are late round draft picks or undrafted college players. The Steelers however have 4 seasoned quarterbacks this year, because Ben Roethlisberger will be suspended for at least the first 4 games of the season. Almost immediately after the Roethlisberger suspension was announced, Byron Leftwich was brought back via a trade with Tampa and his contract extended. Veteran Charlie Batch had been re-signed in May to a two year deal as well. That leaves Dennis Dixon.

Dixon is going into the final year of his contract this year and will be a restricted free agent at that point. The Steelers seem done negotiating contracts right now for this offseason and almost never negotiate once the season starts. All that said, it is not out of the question that Dixon could push Leftwich for the starting job week one in the absence of Big Ben. For all practical purposes, Leftwich was getting most of the first team reps throughout the OTA sessions, with Dixon getting work with the second team. Dixon has all but one NFL start under his belt after jumping from the number 3 role right to starter due to injuries to both Roethlisberger and Batch last year. He turned heads and showed ability against a tough Ravens defense in a hostile environment. Although the Steelers lost the game, Dixon put the team in a position to win and did so with a scaled down game plan. Without a doubt that did not go unnoticed around the league.

The NFL is a quarterback driven league and teams are always looking to upgrade not only their starting position, but backup job as well. Dixon should get plenty of work early in games this preseason and if Leftwich has a good camp as well to hold off Dixon, the Steelers may indeed have their phones ring with inquiries about the mobile Oregon product. Dixon was once a Heisman candidate prior to his knee injury and many years removed from it as well. If the Steelers are convinced that Leftwich can do the job for the first 4 games or longer should Ben not get his suspension reduced, Dixon very well could be dangled as trade bait. Perhaps a draft pick or two or maybe even a tackle or even both. Batch will also need to prove he can handle the backup gig one more year as well. If Dixon was indeed dealt, you could see the Steelers only carry two active QB's on the roster until Ben returns from his suspension. They still have Hines Ward and Antwaan Randle El on the roster should an emergency situation arise. Both played QB in college as most are aware of and could do enough to get through an end of a game so a street free agent could be signed for the next week, God forbid.

In closing, do I think this happens? No, not really, but I do think it is a possibility and should not be ruled out. The Steelers could hold on to Dixon and then tender him next offseason, but I am willing to bet other teams would still take a shot on him especially if he plays and plays well in any of the first 4 regular season games this year. Even if tendered at the highest amount which would cost other teams draft picks. You know Dixon wants and thinks he can start and as long as #7 is in Pittsburgh and not injured or suspended, he is the man. If this trade were to happen, it will happen late in the preseason, so keep your eyes and ears open. You just never know.

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Earlier this week the Steelers extended the contract of head coach Mike Tomlin by three years that locks him up until 2014 contractually. The timing and decision to do so could not have come at a better time. With just 2 weeks until 80 players report to Latrobe for training camp, the Steelers come off one of the most turbulent offseasons in recent memory. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stayed in the tabloid headlines, Santonio Holmes was sent packing to New York, numerous assistant coaching positions saw changes and three freak offseason injuries occurred. With all of this still fresh like paint, the Rooneys are in essence saying to Tomlin, we believe in you. We believe you can make all of this right and win.

Tomlin is a blue collar coach who does not make or accept excuses. Several of Steeler Nation want to point to the 2008 Super Bowl winning team as being one inherited from Bill Cowher. I am sorry, but just because you might not have much of a roster turnover, does not mean a team won a Lombardi in spite of a different coach. As Tomlin would say, it is, what it is. In 2009, Tomlin was expected to make a run at defending the Championship. All the pieces were indeed in place, but after a 6-2 start, the team and coaching staff collapsed in a 5 game skid that doomed the chances of making the playoffs. Should Tomlin be held accountable for that? Absolutely he should and he does hold himself accountable for it. It could be easy to point to the injuries the team had or lack of effort, but Tomlin doesn't. I remember the collapse by the Steelers in the 1993 season when Bill Cowher was in his second season. Sure the team made the playoffs, but was one and done in a Wild Card loss to the Chiefs. I can recall Steelers fans calling for his head then.

As Tomlin heads into the 2010 season, he does so with what most would call an aging defense, a suspect offensive line and missing his two time Super Bowl winning, franchise quarterback for a minimum of 4 games. The season has not even started and most of the national media have the Steelers as the third best team in their own division and only ahead of the Browns. Do you think Tomlin likes this underdog role? You bet he does. You think he will use it to motivate this team? Damn right he will. The 2010 season will come down to the 4 game start against the likes of Atlanta, Tennessee, Tampa Bay and Baltimore minus Big Ben and how the Steelers fair in those games. If the Steelers head into the week 6 game following the bye with a 3-1 record, Tomlin will have them poised for a run through the meat of the schedule. To do so, he must unleash hell in September and he won't have to do so with fears of it costing him a new contract. He can do what he does best and that is to coach. When he takes this 2010 team back to the playoffs, Steeler Nation will hopefully see what a bargain they got and the method to the Rooney madness once again. Give 'em hell, Mike! Give 'em hell!

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Leave it to the media to jump ahead of things. On Tuesday, police in Dublin, Ohio, investigated a golf foursome that included Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after a woman bordering the course alleged that a person in the group had taken a piss on the golf course. Dublin police spokesman David Ball told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that no charges or citations were issued and that Roethlisberger was not the person seen urinating. So there goes Piss Gate!

We did however uncover a picture of Ben Roethlisberger talking to Whiz on a golf course, but not taking a Whiz on a golf course. Photo courtesy of AZCardinals.com

In a new update, a picture has surfaced of the Ben Roethlisberger unidentified foursome member who pissed on golf course. Allegedly!

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Part 2 of the Ask The Steelers segment with veteran linebacker Larry Foote is now up on Steelers.com. Foote says the Detroit locker room was an awkward situation last season and says you can’t compare it to Pittsburgh.

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu talked briefly to Doug Farrar about defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, his knee status and having to start the season without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Linebacker Derrick Doggett has landed back with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after a short offseason stay on the Steelers roster. Winnipeg has special teams problems and Doggett excels in that area. Best of luck to him this season.

Jim Wexell has a snapshot profile up on Steelers fifth-round pick cornerback Crezdon Butler. Butler has been impressing and backing up Ike Taylor right now at right cornerback. It seems his chances of making the roster are really quite good and should be a player to keep focused on during camp.

The new reality show featuring Bengals loud mouth, Chad Ochocinco, debuted last night on VH1. The show called the "The Ultimate Catch" is similar to ABC’s The Bachelor and it follows Chad over the next several weeks as he pares a field of 85 women down to one winner. The first episode featured an early shot at the Steelers where Chad says, "85 woman! That my friends is the Ocho Cinco way. Man, I haven't seen this many girls on a football field since the last time we played the Steelers." This was noted real quick, especially by Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley, who told Chad via Twitter, u just added Fire 2 The Flame!!!. Video of the clip is below.

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Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett also took a crack at Big Ben during an online chat on ESPN. Dockett said Roethlisberger is toughest QB to sack but the easiest to sack if you can catch him in a bathroom stall. Keep your day job, Darnell.

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NFL.com Senior Analyst, Pat Kirwan has a great piece up on the importance of outside linebackers in a 3-4 defense. Kirwan tells why the Steelers are so effective at re-loading at the position.

Special teams ace Patrick Bailey is learning to fly and is working on his pilot’s license during the offseason. Bailey was re-signed this offseason as an exclusive rights free agent and has his work cut out to make the 53 man roster, especially since the Steelers drafted three more linebackers in April.

Speaking of the drafted linebackers, Mike Prisuta talked to NFL scouts about their draft-day grades on the Steelers rookies and most feel the Steelers drafted linebackers struggle to get off blocks. It was also mentioned the Steelers overdrafted Jason Worilds and should of drafted Penn State linebacker Sean Lee at No. 52 overall instead. Watch the young linebackers early in camp to indeed see if these assessments are true. The good thing is these kids have plenty of time to learn and get better.

Former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis is back in town for some golf and talked a little about Ben Roethlisberger and the loss of right tackle Willie Colon to injury.

Hall of Famer Dan Marino still wonders, "What if" in relation to playing one more year with the Steelers or the Vikings before finally retiring. The former Pitt quarterback was interviewed by Omar Kelly for the Sun Sentinel Newspaper.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will be the featured guest during a three-day benefit for the Hampton Roads Youth Foundation. Virginian-Pilot sports columnist, Tom Robinson has all of the details on Tomlin quietly giving back to his local area.

BONUS: Happy birthday to former Steelers great linebacker Jack Lambert who turns 58 today. Here is a look back at his career and audio from his Enshrinement speech from the front steps of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 4, 1990.

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Gerry Dulac reports that fifth-round draft pick, Chris Scott will have surgery today to repair a broken foot sustained while working out at the University of Tennessee. Dulac says Scott is expected to be out approximately three months. It is unclear if Scott will be placed on injured reserve or the reserve PUP list to start the season, but being he misses all of camp, my money is he will be IR'ed sometime this week.

McKeesport Daily News Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly joined the FAN morning show on Tuesday to talk about Willie Colon’s injury and who he thinks steps in his spot. Mark talks about the Mike Tomlin’s contract situation as well.

Mike Bires of the Beaver County Times list the multiple reasons against signing free agent tackle Flozell Adams, who visited the Steelers on Tuesday. Bires does go on to say that desperate times sometimes require desperate measures. I just do not see Adams as being the perfect fit though. We will likely find out by weeks end, as Colon and Scott will likely open up two roster spots when placed on IR.

Bengals beat writer Joe Reedy does not think running back Cedric Benson will be suspended by the league for a violation of the Personal Conduct Policy. Benson was arrested on Tuesday in Austin, Texas, and charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching a bar employee in the face on May 30. He has hired attorney David Cornwell to defend him. He is the same attorney that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been using to defend him.

Steelers rookie wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is next up on the "Ask The Steelers" segment on steelers.com. Part 1 was posted Tuesday and Sanders talks about being drafted by the black and gold and learning from veteran Hines Ward among other things.

The Steelers Packers week 15 game was named one of the top 10 regular games of 2009 finalist on NFL Network. The game featured 886 combined passing yards and the true arrival of rookie wide receiver Mike Wallace, who won the game on the final play. Highlights are included in the link.

2010 was already slated to be a year in which the Steelers focused more on getting back to a power running game with much more balance on offense. The suspension of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in April, made it even more apparent that the running game would be relied upon more heavily as well. Let's face it, regardless if it is Byron Leftwich or Dennis Dixon under center for the first 4 weeks, neither can be relied on to throw 33 times a game like Big Ben averaged in 2009. Now let us throw in the loss of right tackle Willie Colon. According to the offensive tackle stats on Pro Football Focus, Colon was the top ranked right tackle in the NFL using their metrics system. What is also hidden in those stats is the fact that Colon was a much better pass blocker than he was a run blocker last year using those metrics. In fact Colon graded out tied for 25th among all tackles. Now to be fair, he was working with a new right guard in Trai Essex last year and Essex graded out miserable in both pass and run blocking in 2009. Colon came in 3rd of all right tackles in 2008, when the Steelers were a bit more balanced on offense. It is pretty much a given that rookie Maurkice Pouncey is going to take over the right guard spot. It just is a matter of when. By the reports that came out of OTA sessions, Pouncey is already being talked about being the week 1 starter at right guard. It is still too early to tell who may start the year in place of Colon as well. It could be one of three players currently on the roster or an unsigned free agent like Flozell Adams or Levi Jones. Regardless the pressure will be great for them right out of the shoot.

Based on the official play direction reports from 2009, (see chart below) the Steelers ran to the right side 206 times. Up the middle 90 times and 113 times to the left. They ranked 3rd in the NFL in average gain running to right end and 4th in the NFL in average gain running at right guard. These rank averages were much better than up the middle and to the left. Now of course a few things have changed since last season. First, the offensive line will be coached by Sean Kugler, who brings in a more physical scheme to the offensive line. Kugler is younger than his predecessor Larry Zierlein and is regarded as a great teacher who can relate to his players. In addition the Steelers will likely see a true fullback more this year instead of the two and three tight end sets used by offensive coordinator Bruce Arians in the past.

It will take a while for the right side of the line to gel this year, especially in passing situations, but Pouncey is a smart kid who is used to making line calls in college. Where they need to be sharp off the bat is in the trenches. Running back Rashard Mendenhall started to come into his own last year and has improved as a between the tackles type runner. In addition, the Steelers drafted Johnathan Dwyer who also runs north and south effectively with deceptive speed. Throw in last years fan favorite Isaac Redman and you have a stable of backs that hearken back to the Steeler days of old. Coming out of camp, this team will be built to run, especially early on in the year. The pressure is even greater with a pass protector like Colon now lost for the year with an Achilles injury. How the Steelers fair running the ball in the first 4 games of the year, will set the tone for a tough mid season schedule that hopefully will include the return of Roethlisberger under center for week 5. Having an effective running game in place at that time will make Big Ben an even more dangerous quarterback than he has ever been and the pass protection hopefully improve as the year goes along and the line gels.

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If it was not bad enough that right tackle Willie Colon tore his Achilles on Wednesday, he lost in the free agent game as well when the owners and players' union failed to agree to a new collective bargaining agreement by the beginning of March. Colon was sheduled to be an unrestricted free agent, but the lack of a new deal triggered a clause that pushed from five to six the years of service a player has to accrue before he can become an unrestricted free agent. Colon was tendered a one year deal by the Steelers instead as a restricted free agent this offseason and still won't be able to test the open market until after the 2011 season. This coupled with his injury means Colon likely will never hit his big pay day in his career.

Lost in the news of the Willie Colon injury on Monday, was the report that burglars targeted the home of Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton in Point Breeze and stole several items. Hampton was out of town and no arrest have been made.

Steelers rookie fifth-round draft pick offensive lineman Chris Scott was one of three 2010 draft picks missing from NFL Rookie Symposium on Monday. Colts cornerback Kevin Thomas and Giants safety Chad Jones were the other two players listed as missing, although excused. Scott's absence was excused as well, but the reason is unknown. All three players can make up for their absence through programs offered by their respective teams.

Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians admitted this weekend he spends a lot of time together with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and says the two play a lot of golf together.

Speaking of golf and Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers quarterback, who had befriended John Challis during his battle with cancer, was among 99 participants at the third annual John Challis Courage for Life Foundation Golf Outing at Chartiers Country Club Monday.

Yahoo Sports Jason Cole ranks the Steelers defense 6th in the league in his Yahoo rankings column on Monday. Cole ranks the Ravens defense 2nd overall.

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