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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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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Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians says they need to run the ball better, but not necessarily more. Arians goes on to say he thinks it is the quality of the runs more than the quantity that worries him. This ought to get the blood pressure up of Steeler Nation on Thursday.

Quarterback Dennis Dixon was back in Eugene, Oregon and gave KEZI an interview. Dixon says he is working on becoming more vocal and working on his leadership skills. He also said he expects head coach Mike Tomlin to name a starter after the first pre-season game.

First round draft pick Maurkice Pouncey denied on Wednesday through a statement that he took money from a sports agent’s representative while still at the University of Florida. Hopefully the NCAA will get this wrapped up soon so Pouncey can concentrate on football once again.

Ground crews and staff are working at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe ahead of the Steelers arrival in just 8 days from now. No drop in attendance is anticipated this year due to the events of this past spring. You can read a little history here in the annual release from Saint Vincent College.

Former Steelers punter Josh Miller and new 93.7 The Fan NFL analyst discussed the current contract situation of linebacker LaMarr Woodley and whether the Steelers are playing with fire. Fun to listen to Miller compare all the coaches he has played for as well.

Ravens safety Ed Reed said on Tuesday that he is “leaning” toward going on the Physically Unable to Perform list when the regular season begins, which would mean missing at least the first six games. The Steelers play the Ratbirds week 4, so that could loom large. Wednesday Reed revealed the severity of his hip injury, a dissatisfaction with his contract and a desire to get more support from his team.

It looks like the Steelers are indeed done with contracts for the offseason and once the season starts, no new deals are likely to be done, especially with the cloudy NFL labor situation. To the best of my calculations, the Steelers have 25 of 81 players on the final year of their current contract. I did not prioritize them below, but it is not hard to pick out those that are high profile moving forward. Those players would be: LaMarr Woodley, Ike Taylor, Jeff Reed and Daniel Sepulveda in my opinion. Dennis Dixon, Willie Colon and Trai Essex are fringe at this point. I have included a blurb on each player in a contract year below.

QB Dennis Dixon: I wrote about Dennis just last week and so much depends on how camp and preseason goes. If he can't beat out Byron Leftwich to start the season, you have to wonder what the Steelers think about his future with the organization. He might stand to make more money via free agency as well. We will know much more over the next 5 weeks.

RB Mewelde Moore: Mewelde should not have a problem making the roster this year, but age, numbers and youth behind him will make Moore expendable after this season.

WR Tyler Grisham: He has to worry about making the 53 man roster this year before worrying about being in a contract year. Needs to have a perfect camp and preseason with limited reps in chance of perhaps even getting back to the practice squad.

TE Matt Spaeth: Do really expect me to write much on Matt. This is it for him after this one year tender.

T Willie Colon: Perhaps the most unluckiest guy on the roster right now. Was a restricted free agent because of no CBA and his future status revolves around being restricted or unrestricted as well. his agent thinks his time with Pittsburgh is over and the Achilles injury doesn't help the matter.

G/T Trai Essex: Trai will have to WOW everyone at a tackle position in order to be brought back. Hard to see where he has a future here.

T Tony Hills: Is in a battle with fellow Texas alum Jonathan Scott just to make the roster this year. Has bust tatooed all over him thus far.

C/G Doug Legursky: The Big Legursky might have a shot at getting resigned next offseason should he prove he can hold the swing job of center and guard. He has an outside chance of overtaking Justin Hartwig this year in camp. Everyone knows Pouncey is the future here, but good backup centers are hard to find.

T Jonathan Scott: Signed to a one year contract for a reason. Odds are against him being any more than a backup right tackle at this point.

DE Ra'Shon Harris: 7th rounder that slipped away to the Panthers only to return. With the defensive line aging, Sunny can play himself into another contract if he can make the 53 man roster in camp. Long shot of a future, but still has a chance.

NT Chris Hoke: Hoke will likely end his carrer in another uniform after this season. Steelers will likely draft the heir to Hampton at nose tackle next April.

LB Patrick Bailey: In a fight just to make the 53 man roster this year. Better special teams player than linebacker. End of the road for Patrick. Good thing he is getting a pilots liscense.

LB Keyaron Fox: Fox keeps proving folks wrong, but with the influx of linebackers it will be tough to stick after this season. Could play himself into a good payday from another team with a strong 2010 reserve role.

LB Andre Frazier: Much like Patrick Bailey, he must first make the 53 man squad this year. Odds and numbers are against him.

OLB LaMarr Woodley: Well documented that the 30% rule and no CBA are the reasons he does not have a new deal. It is hard to imagine the Steelers letting him walk. The new CBA will likely have some sort of tag the Steelers use on him in order to get a new deal done. Will be a bumpy ride and a big loss if indeed he is allowed to walk.

CB William Gay: On a one year tender right now and must show he can play corner or even nickel in the NFL. 2009 was hard to watch and he tends to write checks with his mouth that he can not cash on the field. Hard to imagine he will be signed again.

S Tuff Harris: 2010 camp body. No future here.

DB Anthony Madison: Special teams guy only. No future here.

S Ryan Mundy: 2010 holds the key. Needs a great year as a role player with Troy and Ryan ahead of him. Might be a guy tendered next year depending on how the CBA works out.

CB Ike Taylor: Outside of Woodley, Ike is the biggest name without attention headed into a contract year. No CBA certainly hurt things and his future might rest in the hands of Joe Burnett, Keenan Lewis and Crezdon Butler. As much as I would hate to see him go, it is not unthinkable right now.

KR Stefan Logan: What time does a clock strike midnight in Canada? I hope he only rented in Pittsburgh.

K Jeff Reed: Has to play under the one year tag now and will likely be allowed to test free agency next offseason. It will be hard to watch him kick in another uniform should that indeed happen. His price tag might just be too high for the Rooneys.

LS Matt Stewart: Battling veteran Greg Warren for the long snapper duties. Playing to be the first guy on speed dial should Warren tear his knee up yet again.

P Daniel Sepulveda: Needs to prove he indeed is the Robo punter. Future still cloudy right now. Punters are hard to judge year to year. Good chance he returns.

LS Greg Warren: I think you have to shoot veteran long snappers. Keeps getting injured, but keeps coming back. This might be it for him though.

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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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Cornerback Ike Taylor, who will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2010 season, will not be a holdout when training camp opens, according John Harris, of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "Ike is going to honor his contract," said Herman Francois, Taylor's uncle. "That's the way he's been taught. He's going to come to work." It is still early yet, but look for Taylor to be in line behind linebacker LaMarr Woodley as far as a new contract getting done. Also kicker Jeff Reed is looking for a new deal as well.

Speaking of LaMarr Woodley he has been profiled by Sean Conboy in the July 2010 issue of Pittsburgh Magazine.

Although I do not have the time to play Madden, I always enjoy looking at the player ratings every year when they are released. Here are the Steelers Madden 11 player ratings.

Jim Wexell has a new player snapshot write up on rookie inside linebacker Stevenson Sylvester on SteelCityInsider.net. Sylvester has been learning the mack inside position this Spring and getting some mentoring from veteran James Farrior along the way. On the same site, Craig Wolfley explains just how big of loss right tackle Willie Colon will be.

The Steelers came in 12th overall in the 32 teams in 32 days segment on NFL.com. Jamie Dukes and Charles Davis take a little closer look at how they think the Steelers will look this year on NFL Total Access. Davis thinks Dennis Dixon should be given the chance to start instead of Byron Leftwich during the suspension of Ben Roethlisberger.

Two more segments of Ask The Steelers have been posted on Steeelers.com with part 3's of both Antwaan Randle El and Emmanuel Sanders being posted for your reading pleasure.

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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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The countdown to Latrobe is now almost down to 30 days and with all but 2 draft picks signed, it is time to start doing our Steelers Training Camp Previews by position. The first installment focuses on the Steelers quarterback position. I am fine tuning several others of these and should have them spaced out enough to quench your thirst for Steelers information all the way until the start of camp.

Training Camp Preview – Defensive Line |Training Camp Preview – Safeties |Training Camp Preview – Linebackers | 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 quarterback position is of the greatest concern as the Steelers head to training camp in light of the Ben Roethlisberger suspension to start the season. Currently the four quarterbacks on the roster are no strangers to Steeler Nation. How the Steelers manage through the first 4-6 weeks of the 2010 season minus Roethlisberger, will set the tone if indeed this is the year we get championship number seven.

Ben Roethlisberger: You would literally have to have been hiding under a rock to not know the status of Big Ben heading into training camp. Although never charged with a crime, Roethlisberger has been suspended 6 games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy to start the season. With good behavior that suspension could be shortened to 4 games as currently Ben is doing everything the league and Commissioner Roger Goodell has asked him to do. Regardless, Roethlisberger is under a very watchful eye of everyone at this point. Ben was able to take part in the final OTA session of the offseason and also managed to get a few one-on-one sit down interviews out of the way with the local Pittsburgh media. All that is left now is to repair the relationships in the locker room and clear all the air with his fellow teammates when the team arrives at Latrobe. The rumors of the Steelers trading Big Ben are now behind him and the organization is still committed to him as the center piece of the team. If all goes well, Ben will be back under center following the week 5 bye to face the Cleveland Browns. Once he gets under center, he will likely do so in an offense that is a bit more balanced than it has been the past few seasons. The main difference is that Ben will have to acclimate himself to is the loss of receiver Santonio Holmes and possibly the addition of two more rookie wide receivers as depth in the passing game. Roethlisberger did well in bringing along Mike Wallace last season and should not need much prep work in making up lost practice time this past offseason.

Byron Leftwich: Immediately after the suspension of Roethlisberger was announced, the Steelers traded for Leftwich and proceeded to extend his contract through the 2011 season. This is the second trip through Pittsburgh for Byron who played in five games for the Steelers in 2008, throwing for 303 yards and two touchdowns. He was 7 of 10 for 129 yards and a touchdown while replacing an injured Roethlisberger in a game against Washington that year. As stated in the overview, the first 4 weeks are key for the 2010 team and the Steelers are 5-5 in games not started by Ben Roethlisberger since 2004. As it stands right now, Leftwich took the most snaps with the number one offense during the mini-camp and OTA practices. Although not anointed the starter for the 2010 season, it stands to reason it his job to lose when camp opens. He understands the offense and is well liked and respected in the locker room. Leftwich knows his role is too get the Steelers to week 5 with at the very least a .500 record. Even if he were to go 4-0 in that time span, he knows the job belongs to Ben and will not rattle the cage as he goes back to backup role. Leftwich will likely get an above average amount of work in the pre-season, to ensure he is on the same page as the rest of the offense. While not out of the question, it would take an amazing training camp for Dennis Dixon and a complete face plant by Leftwich for him not to be the week 1 starter. Anything beyond week 1 depends entirely on his play.

Dennis Dixon: Dixon was an unknown commodity headed into the 2009 season, but when pressed into emergency duty in the week 12 game versus the Ravens at Baltimore, Dixon proved he belongs in the NFL as a quarterback. Although the Steelers lost the game in overtime, he put them in position to win the game. That is all you could of expected out of a second year player in his first NFL start under center. Currently Dixon is going into the final year of his rookie contract with the Steelers and although Byron Leftwich is currently ahead of him on the depth chart, it is not out of the question he could be the opening day starter with a fantastic camp and a stumble by Leftwich. That said, Dixon’s best role might be the relief man right now. He is still young and lacks game experience. Not being named the starter right now puts zero pressure on him and he can focus on developing further during training camp. Head coach Mike Tomlin also is wanting to see him fight for the job. Most reports during the offseason on Dixon have been neither good or bad, in fact not too much has been reported about his play in shorts at all. Realistically you would hope to hear great practice reports on Dennis as soon as camp opens if you are in his camp of wanting him to start week 1. Like it or not, I see Dixon starting the season backing up Byron, but could be called upon to take over should Leftwich start out 0-2 and struggles. Dennis is playing for his future and if called upon, must be up for the task. If he is, he could in fact test the free agency market for the 2011 season if there is one.

Charlie Batch (AP Photo)

Charlie Batch: Unless he becomes a member of the Steelers coaching staff, this will be the last year Batch wears a black and gold ball cap. Father time has caught up with Uncle Charlie, but he makes an excellent choice as a third string QB on the Steelers. Make no mistake, Batch still has what it takes to finish out a game should he be called upon, but he can’t be relied on week to week. Batch knows his role of mentor. More so for Dixon than anyone else and is a great leader in the locker room. Batch’s time on the roster will brief, because as soon as Roethlisberger is activated from the reserve/suspended list, Charlie will likely be released. That could be as early as week 5 if things go well for Big Ben.

Likely Training Camp Depth Chart:
QB1 Byron Leftwich (likely week 1 starter)
QB2 Dennis Dixon
QB3 Charlie Batch

QB1 Ben Roethlisberger (suspended 4-6 weeks)

Summation: The 2010 schedule offers up the chance early on for the Steelers to escape with a 2-2 record minus the services of Roethlisberger. If indeed Ben only misses four games, he would return for a post bye week tune up game at home versus the Browns before facing a rough 4 game stretch that includes 3 road games versus the Dolphins, Saints and Bengals. It culminates at home versus the hated Patriots in week 10. Realistically the Steelers need to be 6-3 or at worse 5-4 at that point and have the quarterbacks and offense to get that done. Several teams would be envious of the quarterback depth the Steelers have and I feel comfortable as well with it headed into training camp.

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In so many words Thursday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin named Byron Leftwich the team's No. 1 quarterback Thursday following the conclusion of offseason practices. Dennis Dixon will be No. 2 followed by Charlie Batch. Scott Brown speculates that Dixon would have to play lights out during the preseason to unseat Leftwich as the No. 1. That is not impossible mind you, but unprobable.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had glowing words for first-round draft pick Maurkice Pouncey on Thursday saying Pouncey could be a candidate to start at right guard and still a candidate for center as well. Tomlin stated he is very mature for a rookie. Also receiving praise were running backs Isaac Redman and rookie Jonathan Dwyer as well as second-round pick Jason Worilds. Worilds is coming along great at converting from college defensive end to outside linebacker with the Steelers.

The Steelers took the first steps of signing their rookie draft picks on Thursday as both linebacker Thaddeus Gibson and defensive linemen Doug Worthington agreed to three year deals. Both happen to have played together at Ohio State in college as well. When the deals are officially announced, the Steelers will need release two players to keep at the league mandated roster number of 80 players under contract. We will have those players names shortly.

In case you were hiding under a rock this past week, you know that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sat down with both KDKA & WTAE television for interviews. You can see both interviews with Sally Wiggin and Bob Pompeani here.

Ron Cook from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a morning editorial on Ben Roethlisberger taking his initial step in reformation of his image through the interviews that were broadcast yesterday with the local television media.

Backup nose tackle Chris Hoke was in The Fan Studio for an interview with with John Seibel on Thursday. You can listen to the Hoke talk about USC, bowling and mini camps.

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Jason La Canfora speculates that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could have a sit down type interview with Oprah Winfrey or Larry King to get all of the laundry aired out before training camp. I think the Winfrey or King angle is a bit over the top myself, but perhaps a Jim Gray or Jeremy Schaap taped interview would be more in line. Roethlisberger only took two of the many questions the media had on Thursday.

Ed Bouchette says that quarterback Dennis Dixon has not practiced with the first team much of any and it has become obvious that Byron Leftwich will open the season as the starting quarterback. The Steelers have three spring practices left on the schedule, but one day is a bowling outing and another is the Tomlin-era tradition of "hat day".

Kicker Jeff Reed disclosed on Thursday that like Roethlisberger, he too underwent an NFL-mandated psychological evaluation after police charged him with four misdemeanors last October. Reed did not reveal details of the process or his evaluation. Kicking wise, Reed says he is limiting his reps and will now take a week off and then get back into a routine and be ready for training camp.

Former Steelers running back Merrill Hoge is helping players at all levels get ahead of curve on head injuries. Hoge has become quite educated on brain injuries and spoke this past week at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Washington at an all-day symposium on head injuries. Hoge continues to also work with USA Football to inform players at all levels about the severity of these types of injuries. Good to see Hoge get on with his "lifes work" as Chuck Noll use to call it.

Yesterday on NFL Total Access, Warren Sapp analyzed Steelers outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley and his technique in this edition of Sapp Hunters. During the introduction of the segment, Jason La Canfora stated he believes a new deal gets done with Woodley to keep him in Pittsburgh after this season. Woodley is in his final year of his contract and facing the 30% rule as the biggest obstacle in getting a deal done before training camp. Rest assured the Steelers and Omar Khan will get this worked out.

Inside linebacker Larry Foote joined 93.7 the Fans Vinnie and Cook for an interview on Thursday and stated how happy he is to be back in Pittsburgh and also gave his reaction to Ben’s comments after practice on Thursday.