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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John Harris talks to cornerbacks Bryant McFadden, Ike Taylor and William Gay about the need for the Steelers to make more splash plays on defense in 2010 and more specifically in the secondary. This group has been training together down in Florida.

John Grupp, caught up with Steelers legend Frenchy Fuqua one day after former Oakland Raiders Pro Bowl safety Jack Tatum died from a heart attack, Fuqua, once again, declined to publicly discuss one of the most famous plays in NFL history. The two will be forever linked together by the Immaculate Reception in the 1972 playoffs at Three Rivers Stadium seen below.

Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert had his contract extended five years on Wednesday and Scott Brown looks at five hits and five misses of Colbert from previous years drafts. To be fair, you can't hang it all on Colbert, good or bad, but I for one am glad he is on our side. Mike Bires also has a great piece on Colbert in the Beaver County Times. Steelers.com has a pre-camp chat up with Kevin Colbert who talks about training camp and how the scouts are used to help in the evaluations made that go into determining the final 53-man roster. He also talks about the recent signing of free agent lineman Adrian Jones.

Inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons blogged yesterday about the upcoming training camp and how he has his abs back. Timmons thinks the Steelers will definitely contend for the league’s top defense again this season.

Ed Bouchette writes that the Steelers had $2,119,270 of cap room in their rookie salary pool before linebacker Jason Worilds signed yesterday. Only first-round pick Maurkice Pouncey remains unsigned, but quite a few players will need to be inked closer around Pouncey, so a five year deal can be reached. Things will move pretty fast today with other first rounders and I still like the chances of it being done before the first practice. we shall see.

LaMarr Woodley reported in as a correspondent for Jim Rome on the Jim Rome is burning show. You can see Woodley at his camp in Michigan clowning around with several other Michigan Alum and NFL'ers.

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The TO Show has arrived in Cincinnati on Tuesday as free agent wide receiver Terrell Owens signed a one year deal to play for the Bengals in 2010. Owens joins fellow reality TV teammate Chad Ochocinco and the two together look to strike fear into AFC North secondaries. Everywhere in the AFC North except for Pittsburgh, that is. The Steelers have handled both Owens and Ochocinco relatively well respectively over the recent years. Below I have listed Owens stats for his last 2 games versus the Steelers as well as the stats of Chad Ochocinco since 2004 versus Pittsburgh. I stopped at 2004 as it was the last time that at least one of the Steelers current defensive backs faced either of the two players.

In the 2 most recent games Owens has faced the Steelers, he has totaled 10 catches for 85 yards and 1 touchdown. Both games ended in loses for the teams Owens was on. The last time he faced the Steelers was in 2008 when he was with the Cowboys and Owens was shut out through 2 and a half quarters. His lone touchdown and first of only 3 catches on the day, came after a Tony Romo 9 second scramble from the Steelers 12 yard line. Owens was targeted 9 times in that game overall.

Ochocinco has a long history against the Steelers since coming into the league in 2001. In his last 11 games versus the Black and Gold, Chad has totaled 49 catches for 618 yards and just 2 touchdowns. That averages out to less than 4 and a half catches a game for a hair over 56 yards a game average. He also only has 2 career 100 yard games versus the Steelers with the last one coming in 2003. Not very Hall of Fame like numbers for sure.

To add a comparison player, former Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh fared much better against the Steelers. In just his last 9 games versus the Steelers, T.J. put up 55 catches for 555 yards and 5 touchdowns. Much more productive numbers than Owens and Ochocinco for sure. An even closer look at Ochocinco in games against a starting secondary that included Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark, Chad has averaged just 4 catches for 36.5 yards and only scored 1 touchdown in those 4 games combined.

These two guys are also another year older as Owens is 36 and Ochocinco is 32. Recently, Owens did not have a ton of interested suitors in free agency and the Bengals even chose to sign Antonio Bryant over Owens earlier in the free agency period, after both players visited Cincinnati at the same time. Ochocinco is not as elusive as he once was as and his best seasons are clearly behind him. If the news about the bone on bone knee injury to Bryant is true, the Bengals have virtually no experienced receiver other than Andre Caldwell to turn to at the number 3 receiver spot to help loosen up the secondary. All 4 of these guys can be covered in zone even in nickel and dime packages.

The Steelers love to play zone coverages most of the time and with the return of a physical Bryant McFadden at left corner and a healthy Troy Polamalu back in the lineup at strong safety, the scariest thing about both Owens and Ochocinco is having to sit and watch their TV shows back to back on Sunday night. Talk about a scary. The two teamed up together on the Bengals? Not scary at all.

Year	Player	Wk	Starting Steelers Secondary	Result	Targ	Rec	Yds	TD	Temp
2008	Terrell Owens	14	Taylor/Gay/Polamalu/Clark	L, 13-20	9	3	32	1	22° F
2004	Terrell Owens	9	Townsend/Williams/Polamalu/Hope	L, 3-27	13	7	53	0	63° F
Year	Player	Wk	Starting Steelers Secondary	Result	Targ	Rec	Yds	TD	Temp
2009	Chad Ochocinco	3	Taylor/Gay/Carter/Clark	W, 23-20	11	5	54	0	65°
2009	Chad Ochocinco	10	Taylor/Gay/Polamalu/Clark	W, 18-12	7	2	29	0	64°
2008	Chad Ochocinco	7	Taylor/McFadden/Polamalu/Clark	L, 10-38	13	8	52	1	56°
2007	Chad Ochocinco	8	Taylor/Townsend/Polamalu/Smith	L, 13-24	9	5	51	0	55°
2007	Chad Ochocinco	13	Taylor/Townsend/Carter/Smith	L, 10-24	15	6	86	0	48°
2006	Chad Ochocinco	3	Taylor/Townsend/Polamalu/Clark	W, 28-20	2	1	11	0	69°
2006	Chad Ochocinco	17	Taylor/McFadden/Polamalu/Smith	L, 17-23	6	4	53	0	54°
2005	Chad Ochocinco	7	Taylor/Williams/Polamalu/Hope	L, 13-27	8	4	94	0	47°
2005	Chad Ochocinco	13	Taylor/Townsend/Polamalu/Hope	W, 38-31	11	5	54	0	30°
2004	Chad Ochocinco	4	Townsend/Scott/Polamalu/Hope	L, 17-28	6	4	54	0	54°
2004	Chad Ochocinco	11	Townsend/Williams/Polamalu/Hope	L, 14-19	10	5	80	1	50°
Year	Player	Wk	Starting Steelers Secondary	Result	Targ	Rec	Yds	TD	Temp
2008	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	7	Taylor/McFadden/Polamalu/Clark	L, 10-38	9	8	58	0	56°
2008	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	12	Taylor/Gay/Polamalu/Clark	L, 10-27	12	4	20	0	32°
2007	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	8	Taylor/Townsend/Polamalu/Smith	L, 13-24	10	7	81	1	55°
2007	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	13	Taylor/Townsend/Carter/Smith	L, 10-24	14	5	42	0	48°
2006	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	3	Taylor/Townsend/Polamalu/Clark	W, 28-20	10	9	94	2	69°
2006	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	17	Taylor/McFadden/Polamalu/Smith	L, 17-23	12	4	44	0	54°
2005	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	7	Taylor/Williams/Polamalu/Hope	L, 13-27	11	7	75	0	47°
2005	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	13	Taylor/Townsend/Polamalu/Hope	W, 38-31	8	5	88	2	30°
2004	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	4	Townsend/Scott/Polamalu/Hope	L, 17-28	11	6	53	0	54°
2004	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	11	Townsend/Williams/Polamalu/Hope	L, 14-19	4	2	24	0	50°

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Jeff Sperbeck, the agent for backup quarterback Dennis Dixon, is sounding off that Dixon did not get enough time with the first-team offense during offseason workouts for the coaching staff to fully evaluate his development. Sperbeck questions why Byron Leftwich is ahead of his client on the depth chart after being brought back from Tampa. This is just an agent posturing for a client in a contract year in my opinion. I have faith the starting job is still not fully decided at this time. Dixon needs to just take it.

Linebacker LaMarr Woodley is responding to criticism that he is using the media to air his contract dissatisfaction. Woodley said, "Ever since the story came out the other day about treating Woodley fair, some people felt like I was using the media to hype it up a little bit, but I wasn’t doing that at all. My whole idea was to report the story. They’ve been asking me about my contract all year long, and I was completely honest with everybody. Somebody asked me ‘Are the Steelers still looking to renew your contract?’ And I told them the story."

Bob Labriola and Mike Prisuta preview the Steelers offensive positions and competitions for the upcoming training camp in Latrobe. These, Agree to Disagree segments will be done in three segments with defense and special teams coming up next.

Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall joins NFL.com today for a live chat starting at 2 p.m. ET. Make sure you get a good question in.

Jason La Canfora reports that Jordan Woy, the agent for free agent tackle Flozell Adams, claims four teams have standing offers on the table to sign Adams. Adams wants around $4 million on a one-year contract, and although the Steelers might have a deal on the table, I doubt it is for that much.

The second part of the Ask the Steelers segment with cornerback Bryant McFadden is now up on Steelers.com. BMac says his strong points of his game are being physical and consistent. I would have to agree.

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A week from tomorrow and the Steelers report to 2010 training camp in Latrobe. We have been previewing each position this month leading up to camp and this preview is dedicated to the cornerback position. Make sure to read our previous previews by following the links below.

Training Camp Preview – Safeties |Training Camp Preview – Offensive Line | Training Camp Preview – Tight Ends | Training Camp Preview – Wide Receivers | Training Camp Preview – Running Backs | Training Camp Preview – Quarterbacks

Overview: The Steelers play at cornerback in 2009 was not one to be remembered. The loss of Bryant McFadden to free agency left William Gay to the chance to show he was ready to start. He wasn’t and the poor depth mixed with youth gave Steeler Nation ulcers all season long. The corners just never could force the big play or turnover when they needed to and mixed with the injury of strong safety Troy Polamalu, made for an unappetizing, vulnerable secondary. The Steelers traded back for McFadden and added one rookie corner via the draft. Keenan Lewis and Joe Burnett head into their second seasons with high expectations.

Ike Taylor: Ike had an average 2009 season overall coming off of superb 2007 and 2008 years. It seemed as if his focus in games was not always there and the loss of strong safety Troy Polamalu meant Taylor didn’t always have the extra safety blanket behind him in zone coverage’s. Taylor heads into the final year of his contract in 2010 and there were no talks this pasty offseason in extending him. Taylor is playing this year in hopes of getting himself one final payday and it might not be with the Steelers. He is not known for his hands as evident by his career interception total, but can cover the likes of Chad Ochocinco and other big name receivers when he decides he wants to. The best thing about Face Me Ike in 2010 is the future pay day over his head. He will also be relied upon to help mentor the young corners like Keenan Lewis and Crezdon Butler to get them more in tune with zone coverage’s defensive calls. A poor start in 2010 could see Taylor overtaken as the right cornerback if he is not careful. Much relies on the progress of the young guys, especially Butler who will discuss shortly. For now though, there is no reason to think Ike will not have a great year in what might very well be his last in the black and gold.

Bryant McFadden: After not addressing the corner position in the first two days of the 2010 draft, it was a sigh of relief to hear the deal announced on day three that brought back McFadden from his one year stay in Arizona. The Steelers allowed him to walk via free agency following the 2008 Super Bowl season and he just didn’t gel well in the Cardinals defensive scheme. His return more than likely signals the failed experiment of William Gay at left cornerback as McFadden should win the spot easily. While McFadden is not known as a shut down cover guy, he is strong and can force receivers off their routes and disrupt their timing. He fits well in zone type coverage’s and can hit and tackle. Getting the old band back together in the secondary, should do wonders for McFadden and the left cornerback position. It is good to have him back in the fold.

William Gay: Gay got the chance to start at left corner in 2009 and played well below the line in the process. He often times played too far off of receivers and was picked on quite often, especially late in games. His tackling is below par as well and will also be remembered as the guy that Vikings running back Adrian Peterson ran smack over at Heinz Field. Gay was a restricted free agent this offseason and tendered a one year deal to return and resume his role as the nickel cornerback. This is the role he played prior to getting the starting job last year and he must prove quickly he can cover in that position. There are no guarantees with William going forward as Joe Burnett and Keenan Lewis could regulate him to a reserve role and special teams player. It would take a monstrous effort for Gay to start at nickel or even unseat McFadden throughout the year and it is pretty safe to assume that 2010 is it for Gay with the Steelers.

Joe Burnett: Burnett had a rough rookie season and could have single handedly won the game versus the Raiders had he not dropped a sure interception that hit him in the worst place, the hands. He did show signs late in the season of better understanding coverage’s in 2009, but for right now he seems to be the Steelers reserve nickel corner and special teams player. He might get a look at the punt return role, but likely will be something he just puts on his resume in an emergency situation. Burnett, like Gay, is under-sized and will battle to play in dime and nickel packages with Gay. He has progressed according to defensive backs coach, Ray Horton, and should improve this year.

Keenan Lewis: Lewis has made tremendous strides this offseason after a rookie year cut short by a back injury. He never could get his feet under him in 2009 and it delayed his progress. This year is a different story as Lewis is reportedly healthy and challenging for the spot behind McFadden at left corner. It should not be a tough spot to grab, but he has to show he understands the role and can be physical. There was talk he might get looks at free safety, but that talk has died down now, but it would not be surprising to see him get some practice looks at the position to show he can understand at play the position should emergency arise. Lewis is a big boy and will likely play a role on kick coverage’s as well. A great sophomore season would ease some concerns going forward for the Steelers future on the left side. Lewis seems up for the job and should easily make the roster.

Crezdon Butler: If you caught the NFL combine tape of Butler, it was not very impressive, but some players just do not look good in workouts, Butler seems to be that player. Thus far during the OTA sessions, he is turning heads and even getting some reps with the first team defense at right cornerback. If you want a true sleeper from the Steelers 2010 draft class, Butler is it. He has picked up the schemes and play book very fast, fits in very well in zone coverage’s and probably has the best hands in the secondary. The Steelers are hoping he is their shut down right corner of the future and can make Taylor not so much a priority to re-sign after this year. Butler is a rookie and will make rookie mistakes; he should make the roster, but at the very worst, be signed to the practice squad. He should be fun to watch at Latrobe, just not in drills.

David Pittman: Pittman, an ex-Raven is a journeyman cornerback trying to make the roster with his versatility. He has played both right and left corner spots as well as the nickel and has a huge traffic jam ahead of him to make the roster as the Steelers will likely keep 10 defensive backs with 4 of them being safeties. His best shot at making the roster will be to knock off Gay or Burnett for now and while not impossible, seems unlikely heading in to Latrobe. He could however play himself into the Steelers Rolodex, should a couple of key injuries take place. For now we consider Pittman a camp body.

Anthony Madison: I listed Madison here as well as with the safeties as I think he gets work at both corner and safety during camp. Everyone knows his biggest contribution is on special teams, but I think there is just no room on the 53 man roster for him.

Likely Training Camp Depth Chart:
RCB1 Ike Taylor RCB2 Crezdon Butler RCB3 Joe Burnett RCB4 David Pittman
LCB1 Bryant McFadden LCB2 William Gay LCB3 Keenan Lewis LB4 David Pittman
NCB1 William Gay NCB2 Joe Burnett NCB3 Crezdon Butler NCB4 David Pittman

Summation: The Steelers have begun the future shift to youth even with Taylor and McFadden starting at right and left corner respectively. Gay and Taylor are playing for their futures, while Burnett and Lewis must make huge strides in their second years. Butler could be the breath of fresh air in 2010, so watch him closely in camp. Overall the starting two corners and nickel are the same group that won the Super Bowl against the Cardinals. Although they have aged, the carrot is nicely positioned over their heads to get back to that level and make the secondary one that dares to be thrown on. If the defensive line can get good pressure and push this year, I have no worries about these corners. If they don’t get the pressure, any zone coverage unit can get picked apart with enough time. The corners must produce interceptions this year as it was a sorely missed stat line in 2009. You could even say non-existent.

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Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer has a press conference scheduled for this afternoon and will respond to allegations that former Gator lineman Maurkice Pouncey took $100,000 from the representative of a sports agent in December. The Pouncey family is reportedly holding off on a statement until Meyer addresses the media today.

Steelers outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley is getting a bit more vocal about his contract situation and we have all the interviews and stories here.

Mike Florio joined Seibel and Starkey on 93.7 The Fan to discuss the Woodley situation in depth. Florio says the Steelers have to decide, "Is it the system or is it the player? Sometimes they decide it’s the player and they pay the player. Sometimes they decide it’s the system and they let the player walk away." I think it is just a matter of a cloudy CBA personally.

Steelers cornerbacks William Gay and Bryant McFadden are training side-by-side with speed and conditioning coach Tom Shaw down in Florida. Gay admits that he hit some bumpy roads last year starting at left corner and finds himself backing up McFadden now and being featured at nickel back.

Steelers assistant head coach John Mitchell is very active in the Every Child organization as Gene Collier reports.

Part 3 of the Ask The Steelers segment with second round draft pick Jason Worilds is up now on Steelers.com for your reading pleasure.

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I Twittered a link on Saturday about how wide receiver Antwaan Randle El is ready for his second time playing in Pittsburgh. El was at his Sound Mind Sound Body Football Academy Saturday morning and said that Redskins owner Dan Snyder was too hands on with the team during his stay in Washington. El also was offered deals from Baltimore and New England, but chose to come back where he started instead.

Jim Wexell has a snapshot article on seventh-round draft pick Doug Worthington out of Ohio State. Worthington talks about how he is getting mentoring from fellow Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel, who was picked 242nd by the Steelers in 2002, the same place where Worthington was selected.

NFL.com Senior Analyst, Michael Lombardi reported on Sunday that the Steelers have no intentions of letting outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley walk away when his contract is up and that they just cannot get him signed right now. Lombardi points out that this is not an uncommon problem around the NFL with the uncertainty of the labor agreement looming. I posted nearly the same thoughts in an article on Woodley last week.

Cornerback Bryant McFadden is next up on the Ask The Steelers segment on Steelers.com. McFadden talks about his reaction to finding out about the trade back to Pittsburgh and how much he enjoys playing for defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.

We came across Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Foster on Twitter last night and you can follow him @nomar73. Make sure to follow us as well @SteelersDepot. Foster appears to be working out with trainer Ted Borgerding of Ignition-OH training.

Many do not realize that Steelers offensive lineman Tony Hills replaced free agent lineman Jonathan Scott at left tackle when he left the University of Texas for the NFL. These two seem destined to be battling for the same roster spot as the Steelers start training camp the end of this month.

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Kicker Jeff Reed said on Wednesday that his chances to sign a long-term contract with the Steelers by July 15 are 50-50. If he does not have a new deal in place by that time, he will play out his existing franchise tag, one year deal and become a free agent after the 2010 season. Reed claims he wants to stay in Pittsburgh and I think this deal will get done as long as he keeps his nose clean the rest of the Summer and is not a distraction.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation released audio and video taped statements on Wednesday from the closed sexual assault investigation of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The released info contains crime scene photos, video surveillance snippets, pictures of Roethlisberger's party and dozens of taped interviews. You can read the transcript of the interview with Roethlisberger's accuser here and the video of that interview is here.

Two local Pittsburgh television stations will air separate sit down interviews with Ben Roethlisberger tonight. KDKA sports anchor Bob Pompeani and WTAE veteran news anchor Sally Wiggin both interviewed Roethlisberger. The interviews will be televised on their news shows tonight and should be able to be seen afterward's on their respective websites. Pompeani revealed some of the candid remarks from Roethlisberger on NFL Total Access yesterday.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin gave safety Troy Polamalu his blessing to train on his own in California this offseason and miss several OTA sessions. Polamalu was at practice though on Wednesday without a brace on the left knee that he injured twice last season and got in almost two hours of work with his teammates at an indoors practice. Polamalu has also said he is taking more of a leadership role now and and feels more responsible for the wins and losses. There is another story on him in the PPG as well.

Steelers left tackle Max Starks was interviewed on the Seibel and Starkey show yesterday as well as the on the on The Gregg Giannotti Show. Both on 93.7 The Fan sports radio in the Burgh.

Cornerback Bryant McFadden spoke with Steelers.com Teresa Varley during the team's OTA session. McFadden says he is using the OTA sessions as a refresher course and is putting in extra time after practices.

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Teresa Varley of Steelers.com writes about how defensive end Aaron Smith is starting to get back in the flow of things following rotator cuff surgery last season. Smith is a leader that was surely missed down the stretch on defense along with Troy Polamalu.

Scott Brown writes about the Steelers bringing back linebacker Larry Foote, cornerback Bryant McFadden, Quarterback Byron Leftwich and wide receiver Antwaan Randle El this offseason.

Ed Bouchette wrote about former Steelers linebacker draft pick Bruce Davis and how production at a big-time college means nothing when translating how a kid will do against NFL type competition. Denver claimed Davis off waivers from New England the past week and likely down to his last shot.

Hines Ward's third annual Celebrity Softball Game will take place at Duquesne Field in Green Tree on Wednesday and attendance is open and free. There will be raffles for autographed merchandise that proceeds go to Ward's Helping Hands Foundation.

A company formed by former Steelers great Rocky Bleier was awarded a $13 million federal contract under a program for service-disabled veterans, but a competitor is challenging Bleir's eligibility.

I came across a reprint of the January 14, 1980 Sports Illustrated article by Paul Zimmerman that recapped the controversial 1979 AFC Championship Game between the Steelers and the Houston Oilers. The game was unfairly boiled down to one play late in the 3rd quarter in which Houston receiver Mike Renfro appeared to catch a touchdown but after a brief referee discussion, it was ruled an incomplete pass. You can watch the replay here of the play starting at the 1:26 mark.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• Oilers Mike Renfro vs Steelers

2nd year receiver Mike Wallace joined Vinnie and Cook on 93.7 the Fan for an on air interview to discuss his new role with the Steelers.

On Sunday, Ed Bouchette took a look at the role of fullbacks in Steelers history and shows the position's evolution from runner to blocker.

Eric Knopsnyder of The Tribune Democrat caught up with Steelers broadcaster Bill Hillgrove in Johnstown, PA and got his thoughts on Ben Roethlisberger winning back the team and fans.

Joe Starkey had a rant on Sunday that he has had enough with the Ben Roethlisberger stories. The Sports Illustrated cover piece ought to be it for a while.

Steelers.com has been busy posting the answers to questions to several Steelers in their "Ask The Steelers" segment. Some how I missed when they posted these. Included so far are Byron Leftwich, Jonathan Dwyer, Antwaan Randle El, Emmanuel Sanders, Larry Foote, Jason Worilds, Maurkice Pouncey and Bryant McFadden.

Now that the draft and free agency is behind him, NFL.com senior analyst Pat Kirwan is back for his weekly live chat starting today at Noon ET to discuss the latest moves around the NFL. Kirwan is fantastic to listen to on Sirius radio as well if you get a chance.