Onward we continue with our player by player look at the Pittsburgh Steelers 2012 Free Agents as do a complete breakdown of their 2011 season and look ahead to their pending 2012 free agency situation. The post we focus in on restricted free agent fullback/tight end David Johnson. Please check out the links at the bottom to the other free agent player analysis already completed. Player: David Johnson Position: Fullback/Tight End Experience: 3 Years Free Agent Status: Restricted 2011 Salary Cap Hit: $536,068.00 2011 Season Breakdown: Johnson was asked to pretty much do it all on Read more [...]

While the 2012 compensatory draft picks will not be announced until the league meetings in March, it is pretty easy to guess that the Steelers at worst will receive two 7th round compensatory draft picks for the loss of unrestricted free agents, tight end Matt Spaeth and defensive tackle Nick Eason, last offseason. Compensatory picks are awarded based on a formula that takes into account salary, playing time and postseason honors of each lost free agent and the there must be a net loss of unrestricted free agents by the team to receive compensatory picks. The formula was developed by the NFL Read more [...]

During the Steelers bye week I have had several request to start looking forward to the Steelers 2012 draft and while I think mock drafts are pretty ludicrous to throw out there right now with 6 weeks left in the 2011 season and the bowl games yet to be played, I will wet your appetite with what I see as the possible needs for the Steelers based on what we have seen through the first 10 weeks to go along with the impending potential 2012 salary cap challenges I wrote about earlier in the season. I take my mock drafts pretty serious, as you have seen over the years, and have quite a bit of scouting Read more [...]

The Sporting News network recently did a poll of 111 players from 31 teams and asked them which NFL coach they most would like to play for. The polled players were not allowed to vote for their own head coach according to the staff report. It is not surprising that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin finished at the top of the list as he tied with Jets head coach Rex Ryan. Both Tomlin and Ryan received 22 votes each. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was a distant 3rd and tied with Packers head coach Mike McCarthy with 11 votes each. Both Tomlin and Ryan have often been regarded as a player's Read more [...]

Friday is finally here. Can you believe it? Steelers football is back and tonight the Steelers take on the Redskins in their first game of the 2011 season. Once again I will be doing my 7 things to watch segment before each and every game as I tell you the things that I will be paying close attention to. It is so easy during the preseason to just point to all of the draft picks that will play, but that is too obvious. Of course we all will be watching the new toys over the next few weeks, but Friday night we will likely only see 4 of the 7 in action Friday night. The roster is littered with undrafted Read more [...]

Mike Prisuta is reporting via Twitter that free agent tight end Reggie Kelly is scheduled to visit the Steelers on Tuesday. Kelly was originally drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft and played his first four seasons in Atlanta before signing with the Bengals as an unrestricted free agent in 2003. He suffered a ruptured left Achilles' tendon prior to the start of the 2009 season and the Bengals were forced to place him on injured reserve. Kelly returned in 2010 for the Bengals and played in all 16 regular season games. He recorded just 10 catches for 42 yards in just Read more [...]

A third Steelers unrestricted free agent has now found himself a new team as Steelers Digest reported on Twitter that linebacker Keyaron Fox has signed with the Redskins. Fox was the Steelers special teams captain in 2010 and spent three season with the Steelers after he was signed in 2008 as a free agent. Fox was originally drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft after playing his college football at Georgia Tech. Fox only saw less than 60 regular season snaps on defense for the Steelers in 2010 as his main job was to play special teams. Fox had numerous penalties in Read more [...]

The Steelers have added a free agent finally who was not one of their own as they have agreed to terms with tight end John Gilmore according to Gerry Dulac. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Gilmore is 31 years of age and has 52 receptions for 524 yards and five touchdowns during his nine-year career with the Bears and Buccaneers, where Gilmore has caught 31 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns over the last three seasons. Gilmore will battle for the backup position behind Heath Miller, a spot held last year by Matt Spaeth, who signed with the Bears last week. The Steelers had Read more [...]

Unrestricted free agent tight end Daniel Graham visited the Steelers on Saturday, but he left without a contract. According to a tweet by Josina Anderson, Graham has agreed to terms with the Titans today. The Steelers are still perhaps in the market for a second run blocking and pass catching tight end after losing unrestricted free agent Matt Spaeth to the Bears last week. The Steelers still have David Johnson on the roster, but he is best suited for an H-back role. Outside of Johnson, the Steelers have a slew of undrafted free agent tight ends in camp and that includes Weslye Saunders. Look Read more [...]

In addition to Plaxico Burress, veteran tight end Daniel Graham is also is visiting the Steelers today. The Steelers might be interested in signing him to back-up Heath Miller on the roster as unrestricted free agent Matt Spaeth will not be returning after he signed with the Bears a few days ago. Graham is a former 2002 first round draft pick by the Patriots and was selected as the 21st overall choice. Graham recorded only 15 receptions for 150 yards, and one touchdown in his rookie year. He was named the Patriots offensive team captain in 2006, but was not brought back in 2007 and signed with Read more [...]

The Steelers 2011 training camp has begun in Latrobe and here is a quick recap of what happened today in case you missed anything. The day started with the official announcement that both tackle Max Starks and wide receiver Antwaan Randle El were being released. The surprising Starks news broke last night and the not surprising news on Randle El came this morning. Art Rooney II joined the DVE morning show to discuss the release of Starks and also said he did not see either James Harrison or Hines Ward missing any playing time due to their recent incidents both were involved in. Rooney also Read more [...]

Another former Steelers player is headed to Pittsburgh West as defensive end Nick Eason has agreed to a two-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals according to John Clayton. Eason will be re-united with Ray Horton, the Steelers former defensive backs coach, who is now the Cardinals defensive coordinator. Eason signed with the Steelers as an unrestricted free agent back in April of 2007 and played sparingly on defense during his 4 years in Pittsburgh. He started 11 regular season games during that span and was credited with 3 sacks and 63 combined tackles. Eason was an unrestricted free agent Read more [...]

Michael Lombardi is reporting via Twitter that Steelers unrestricted free agent tight end Matt Spaeth has agreed to terms today with the Chicago Bears. Spaeth was originally drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Minnesota. Prior to the lockout beginning, the Steelers reportedly had tried to tender Spaeth just in case he would have been deemed a restricted free agent this year. The new labor deal made that tender worthless as Spaeth has 4 years accrued in the league. Spaeth was never a receiving threat in the Bruce Arians two tight end offense and was mostly Read more [...]

Not much earth shattering news coming out of the Steelers South Side facility today other than the players reporting to do physicals and the announcement of the undrafted rookie signings. Ed Bouchette did write that the Steelers indeed have no interest in adding running back Tiki Barber, something I have been against for some time now as well. In addition to that report on Barber, Bouchette also reports that unrestricted free agent cornerback Ike Taylor remains the Steelers top priority and that they have also not given up on re-signing tackle Willie Colon, tackle Jonathan Scott and kicker Shaun Read more [...]

The Steelers have finally announced their 18 undrafted free agents they will sign to contracts this morning and included in them are three players that will have many eyes on them during training camp and stand out above the others. These three players have perhaps the best outside shot at making the Steelers 53 man roster out of camp. South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders is the most intriguing of the three players I have identified as he had his draft stock drop significantly after he was suspended his senior season for having lied to NCAA investigators over an inquiry into improper contact Read more [...]