When the month of March started, it seemed that the Steelers very well might look to the 2010 NFL draft to solidify their wide receiver depth. At that time the Steelers had 7 receivers on their roster with only Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and Mike Wallace being sure things. The other 4 receivers at the time included the troubled Limas Sweed and 3 inexperienced, training camp bodies. You could also add Stefan Logan to the list if you really wanted, but for all practical purposes he is merely a specialist.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and the Steelers have added former Steelers wide receiver Antwaan Randle El and 49ers free agent Arnaz Battle. Both signed deals that would imply that they are indeed expected to make final 53 man roster. If indeed they both do, this would give the Steelers 5 opening day wide receivers and one would expect that Limas Sweed would be showcased during pre season for a trade and if not, then released on the final cut down day.
For the 2009 season, the Steelers mainly carried 5 wide receivers on the 53 man roster throughout the year, 6 if you want to consider Logan a receiver. Undrafted rookie Tyler Grisham also saw some time late in the season as well after Sweed was placed in injured reserve. The club has not yet given up on Grisham according to reports.
What does this all mean? For one thing, Sweed as we all know is all but done in Pittsburgh. It is just a matter of time before he is traded or released. Both Randle El and Battle at this point in time should be considered locks to make roster. Battle more so as a special teamer and 5th receiver. This almost assures that the Steelers will not be drafting a receiver in April as well. Many thought the Steelers would eye Golden Tate from Notre Dame or Demaryius Thomas from Georgia Tech, but that just isn't going to happen now. They could sign one or two undrafted free agents following the draft, but even that seems like a long shot right now. The Steelers are set at wide receiver for 2010 and can turn their attention to other priotrity positions in the draft and work on getting Holmes extended following the draft.
If you bleed black and gold, the last few days have been a wild ride. It started with Steeler Nation headed into the yearly free agency drudgery of knowing that free safety Ryan Clark would likely be gone for good and all we would have to show for signings come April would be a Cedric Wilson/Shaun McDonald type player. You know, the same old stuff leading up to April's draft. March is usually an uneventful time for us Steelers fans, but this March is one that will be remembered for both good and bad. Midnight of free agency came and went Thursday with only the big name signings making waves. Ho hum, nothing strange there. Friday Steeler Nation was staring at another nightmare. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was being accused on Friday afternoon of sexual assault by a young woman in Georgia. The second such accusation in a calendar years time. The Roethlisberger news was trumping many free agent signings and had the Steelers back in the news for all the wrong reasons. Act 2 of the Roethlisberger saga will carry on for some time, but it was not the start to the new NFL season Steelers fans needed.
The weekend rolled around and we were treated to the news that 49ers free agent wide receiver Arnaz Battle would be visiting the South Side on Monday. Ah, our Cedric Wilson/Shaun McDonald type player would come early this year. Then the news that safety Will Allen may be in town on Monday as well. Ok, maybe some safety depth and special teams help there. By Sunday night, no one knew the flurry of things that would happen on Monday that can brighten a fan base. Not only were Battle and Allen signed to contracts. Reserve tackle Jonathan Scott was being brought in to fight for a depth spot on the offensive line and the name Larry Foote was surfacing again as being a long shot to come back to the Steelers. Monday was not looking bad at all as far as Steelers fans go.
In the evening on Monday is when the fireworks started. Free safety Ryan Clark had a change of heart while visiting the Dolphins and told his agent Joel Turner he wanted to go back home. Clark said get it done and Turner reached a 4 year deal with the Steelers that is cap friendly and averages $3.5 million a season. If this news wasn't good enough, the word came out at about the same time that receiver Antwaan Randle El would be coming back to the team that had drafted him as well. El will provide some veteran leadership and ensure that the Steelers have some receiver depth on the roster as well. The contract details are sketchy at this point, but early word is that it is just over the minimum and will not break the bank going forward. Even if Foote ends up not coming back, free agency has been successful thus far. The Steelers were staring at a gaping hole in the secondary and slew of young receivers behind veterans Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes. Both holes have been quickly patched and the Steelers will now the luxury of drafting the best player available in the draft instead of feeling locked into one particular position.
The Roethlisberger thing will hopefully be worked out soon, with Big Ben being exonerated. Free agency has definitely help turn a few frowns upside down in Steeler Nation. I am 42 years young and I do not remember a day like Monday in several, several years as a Steeler fan. Without a doubt these few days will likely be forever etched in our brains going forward in Steelers lore. Let's hope it culminates in our 7th championship. Oh, I almost forgot. Hines Ward turned 34 on Monday and Steeler legends Franco Harris and Lynn Swann celebrated birthdays on Sunday. What a week.
A big thumbs up to all that supported Steelers Depot in the 2010 Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament. I think we surprised a ton of folks by making it to the final 4. Hell, I was ecstatic to make it to the Sweet 16. Never under estimate the power of Twitter and Facebook. We have dedicated readers in Mexico and Germany to my amazement. I doubt we will sneak in as a #8 seed next year. Hopefully next year we can make it to the finals. Thanks for everyone's Tweets and emails. You can see the Finals here and vote.
Steelers.com is bringing you a rewind of the team’s charitable activities during the 2009 season starting with the contributions of Hines Ward. They have some great video of all the good things that Ward is involved in. If you have the time to watch, you should.
Ed Bouchette sets Steeler Nation straight on a few items in his weekly chat transcript. Like me, Ed does not believe all the talk about LaDanian Tomlinson being a Steeler after his release from San Diego. Another great note Ed has is that defensive end Aaron Smith is recovering fine, but might not be ready to fully participate in spring drills.
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Community College of Beaver County has announced the Pittsburgh Steelers Footballers basketball team will play the CCBC Titans basketball team on March 16. The players will sign autographs as well although it is not yet known which players they will be.
Pro Football Talk has named Saints guard Jahri Evans and Chiefs guard Brian Waters the winners of their 2009 Mike Webster Award. PFT gives the award the who they consider the best offensive linemen in the NFL.
Tennessee Volunteers defensive tackle Dan Williams did an exclusive interview with Scout.com's Ed Thompson prior to the NFL scouting combine.
The 2009 season was a disappointment overall for Steelers fans, but it did offer up some very enjoyable and memorable plays. Below I have ranked what I believe to be the top 15 most memorable plays of the 2009 season. The countdown will start at #15 and go backwards to #1.
#15 The Big Legursky - Backup center Doug Legursky got to play fullback on a short touchdown run by Rashard Mendenhall against the Chargers. Legursky makes a nice block on the play, but it was the last time we saw him in that role in 2009.
#14 Rashard Extra Effort - Rashard Mendenhall had a great sophomore season for the Steelers and proved he can handle the role of an every down back. His second effort and ability to bounce outside made for a great touchdown run against the Raiders.
#13 Getting Ziggy With It - Rookie Ziggy Hood gets a pleasant gift after LaMarr Woodley hits Joe Flacco and the ball pops out into Hood's hands. The turnover all but sealed the win against the Ravens in a must win game.
#12 Throwing Mewelde - Mewelde Moore showed off his passing ability against the Chargers with a bullet to Heath Miller in the back of the endzone.
#11 Big Ben Mikey Bomb Part I - Mike Wallace had only 2 catches in the game versus Green Bay. This one started the game and was the first play from scrimmage. I think we all remember his 2nd catch of the day as well. More on that later.
#10 Big Ben Mikey Bomb Part II - Big Ben Roethlisberger nearly hits rookie Mike Wallace right in stride on this long bomb for a touchdown in the final week of the season. Ben shows he still has the arm in his 16th game of the year. Wallace shows why he was a steal in the 3rd round of the 2009 draft.
#9 Dixon Shows Bootlegs - Dennis Dixon showed off his legs on a key bootleg run for a touchdown run against the Ravens. The play put the Steelers ahead in the 4th quarter and gave the Steelers a shot at winning in a tough situation.
#8 Carter Pick 6 - Tyrone Carter started in the place of Ryan Clark in Denver and showed why he is a much better free safety than strong safety. Carter picked off Broncos QB Kyle Orton and returned it for a 48 yard touchdown.
#7 Dixon Comes Of Age - Dennis Dixon really took a huge step forward in the week 12 game versus the Ravens. Dixon started in place of an injured Big Ben and Charlie Batch with limited practice snaps with the first team and played great in a hostile enviroment. Dixon showed off his strong arm with as he throws his first TD pass of his career to Santonio Holmes.
#6 Hines Steals One - In the first meeting against the Browns, Hines Ward cut in front of Santonio Holmes and caught a touchdown pass intended for Holmes. At the time, it was the longest play from scrimmage of the 2009 season.
#5 Heath Miller On His Toes - Heath Miller had a career year for the Steelers making catch after key catch. His best catch of the season probably came in the last game versus the Dolphins. Miller shows off his body control and awareness with a great catch in the back of the endzone for a touchdown.
#4 Run Woodley Run - The strip of Brett Favre by Brett Keisel led to a long and exciting rumble by LaMarr Woodley. The Vikings were driving deep in Steelers territory at the time and this was one of 3 key plays for the Steelers in an action packed game.
#3 Sly As A Fox - Keyaron Fox had a great 2009 despite playing limited snaps on defense. Fox would likely be a starting linebacker on 31 NFL teams. The interception and return for a touchdown was a huge turning point in the Vikings game.
#2 Polamalu One Handed Pick - The Troy Polamalu interception in week 1 versus the Titans was one of the best interceptions all year in the NFL. Little did we know that a little bit later in the game that Polamalu would suffer an injury that affected the entire 2009 season.
#1 Mikey Does Santonio Imitation - The touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to rookie Mike Wallace against the Packers was reminiscent of the game winning catch Santonio Holmes made in Super Bowl XLIII. The catch was only his second off the game as well. The Steelers hopes of making the playoffs would of gone out the window had Wallace not made that catch.
Steelers safety Troy Polamalu will be in a second quarter Super Bowl commercial for the cable channel truTV. The spot will promote "NFL Full Contact," a new show promising a behind-the-scenes view of professional football. Let's hope there is no jinx like the Head and Shoulders/Madden/Coke Zero jinx of 2009.
The latest chat transcript from Ed Bouchette is live on the Post Gazette website. Ed thinks the Steelers will make a serious push to re-sign nose tackle Casey Hampton.
If you missed the news I broke yesterday, the Steelers signed CFL special teams ace Derrick Doggett to a futures contract on Tuesday. Doggett's only legitimate chance of making the Steelers 2010 final 53 man roster will likely be as a special teamer, something the Steelers desperately need after the dismal 2009 showing. He certainly is worth watching in training camp.
Scott Brown of the Tribune-Review looks back at the 2007 draft and how the Jets snaked cornerback Darrelle Revis one pick before the Steelers drafted that year. The Steelers ended up drafting Lawrence Timmons, who has played well, but one can't help but wonder how Revis would of looked in the black and gold.
ESPN AFC North blogger James Walker reports that unless something changes with the current CBA, the Ratbirds will not be able to sign a free agent this offseason until one of its own free agents signs with another team. Walker explains that if that happens, any new free-agent signing has to match up dollar for dollar. This will hamper the Ravens chances of making a huge free agent splash this offseason.
Hines Ward gave a candid end of season interview with Steelers.com and said he has plenty left in him going forward and is motivated to win his 3rd Super Bowl championship next season.
Two of the most pressing offseason things the Steelers will need to do, outside of the draft and free agency, is to get contract extensions done with wide receiver Santonio Holmes and linebacker LaMarr Woodley. Both players enter 2010 with it being their final years on their contracts. Both Holmes and Woodley put up career numbers with Holmes falling 1 reception short of 80 on the season and Woodley closing out the 2009 season by registering at least a half a sack or better for the final 8 games.
The contract extension that Holmes is likely to receive will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 9-10 million a year. It has been rumored that it will be similar to the extension that Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings signed this past year. The deal could be loaded with heavy incentives to allow the Steelers to both pay him, yet protect the organization as well. Woodley on the other hand might be looking for a deal similar to that of Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Ware signed a six-year contract extension through 2015 worth $78 million, with $40 million guaranteed. The deal included a $20 million signing bonus. The Cowboys gave Ware an additional $5 million for the 2009 season, increasing his base salary to $6.005 million.
The Steelers like to get new deals done in prior to training camps, as they do not like to negotiate once the season begins. Last offseason they got deals done with franchised offensive tackle Max Starks, wide receiver Hines Ward, linebacker James Harrison, guard Chris Kemoeatu, defensive end Brett Keisel and tight end Heath Miller to name a few. With 2010 looming to be an uncapped season, the sooner they can get these deals done the better. Look for talks to open with both these players folowing the Super Bowl.
If the Steelers want any chance of making the playoffs, it must start with a win in Miami. The defense needs to keep the Wildcat offense of the Dolphins in check and the linebackers will get a workout today. Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne is vulnerable to the sack and the Steelers defense needs to be in his face all day. Dolphins running back Ricky Williams is banged up coming into the game and must pay for every yard he gets. Nose tackle Casey Hampton will be tested up the middle in what could be his final game in a Steelers uniform. The Dolphins offense must be put in obvious passing situations and their young receivers must be pushed around and intimidated early on.
On offense, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger must continue to do what he has done over the last several weeks. The Steelers have been making a living through the air and tight end Heath Miller may be the key today as the Dolphins will look to bottle up Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward with extra help. Running back Rashard Mendenhall should also see room in screen plays and could get singled up for big plays on dump offs. Roethlisberger can not allow himself to be sacked by holding on to the ball too long.
Special teams have been better since the return of Anthony Madison, but still are susceptible to big returns. They must make the Dolphins drive long fields.
Really not much left to say about two teams who are on the outside looking into the playoff picture. The Steelers should win this game and can hopefully watch the late games with some hope of making it in.
Prediction: Steelers 24 Dolphins 16
The Steelers wrapped up their practice preparations on Friday for the upcoming Sunday game versus the Miami Dolphins. Defensive end Brett Keisel (neck) did not practice for a third straight day and is listed as questionable on the injury report. Guard Chris Kemoeatu (wrist) and safety Troy Polamalu (knee) were both limited again on Friday and both are listed as questionable. It is still highly unlikely Polamalu will play this week. Linebacker Rocky Boiman (calf), defensive end Travis Kirschke (calf), running back Willie Parker (shoulder) and wide receiver Hines Ward (hamstring) all practiced fully on Friday and all four al listed as probable.
For the Dolphins on Friday, ruunning back Ricky Williams (shoulder) is questionable after being limited for a second straight day. Tackle Vernon Carey (knee) practiced fully again on Friday and is listed as probable.
The Steelers continued their practice preparations on Thursday for the upcoming Sunday game versus the Miami Dolphins. Defensive end Brett Keisel (neck) and wide receiver Hines Ward (hamstring) both sat out for a second straight day of practice. Both are hopefully to work in some capacity on Friday and likely will be game time decisions on Sunday. Guard Chris Kemoeatu (wrist) was limited on Thursday after sitting out on Wednesday and safety Troy Polamalu (knee) was also limited for a second consecutive day. It is still highly unlikely Polamalu will play this week. Linebacker Rocky Boiman (calf), defensive end Travis Kirschke (calf) and running back Willie Parker (shoulder) all practiced fully on Wednesday. Linebacker James Farrior (not injury related) also worked fully after having a day of rest on Wednesday and has been removed from the injury report.
For the Dolphins on Thursday, running back Ricky Williams (shoulder) was limited in participation after working fully on Wednesday. Tackle Vernon Carey (knee) practiced fully for a second straight day.
The Steelers began practice preparations on Wednesday for the week 17 game in Miami versus the Dolphins. Linebacker James Farrior (not injury related), defensive end Brett Keisel (neck), guard Chris Kemoeatu (wrist), defensive end Travis Kirschke (calf) and wide receiver Hines Ward (hamstring) all sat out practice on Wednesday. Linebacker Rocky Boiman (calf), running back Willie Parker (shoulder) and safety Troy Polamalu (knee) all practiced on a limited basis. Polamalu working was the best news of the day, but he did not work in the contact portion of practice. Thursday and Friday are still key days to determine his availability for Sunday, but it still does not look good according to reports on Wednesday.
For the Dolphins on Wednesday, tackle Vernon Carey (knee) and running back Ricky Williams (shoulder) both had full participation in practice.
