The Blitzburgh Report

I don’t know what’s worse- to play horribly and get beat badly, or to play horribly but make one of the greatest comebacks in playoff history only to still end up losing. Either way the result is the same and the Steelers’ season is over:

• The Steelers have had a lot of comebacks this season, which isn’t totally a great thing. I mean you love to see a team that can rally and doesn’t give up, but you also can’t keep starting out so poorly that you have to keep coming back.
   
  But along that same point, it is good to see that Ben Roethlisberger can recover from a bad performance. Quarterbacks will have bad days, but as the saying goes they need to have short memories- and Ben does. He’s done it all his career and it is good to know that the team is never really out of the game no matter how bad it gets.

• But, it must be said that Big Ben’s poor performance in the first half was probably the main contributor to the Steelers’ loss. I will give him a pass on the third interception because the Jacksonville player was basically out of the play, and just made a nice recovery and catch for a big man. But the first two interceptions were horrendous. Especially the second one. That pass intended for Najeh Davenport has to go down as one of the worst of Ben’s career so far in terms of decision and execution…

• …there just was no reason to throw it deep to a double covered Davenport who wasn’t in position to defend the pass, let alone try to catch it himself. Unfortunately I think it is just part of Ben’s game and something that will always be there. He reminds me of Brett Favre, slinging the ball around and trying to force it. They are talented enough to make the play most times, but they’re going to throw those dumb picks as well.

• One last point on Ben- and it is that nearly all of his sacks last night were because he held on to the ball too long. As bad as the offensive line has been this season, I think you can chalk a chunk of those sacks up to Ben not getting rid of the ball. I think that a large part of it is because he is always looking for the long ball. Sure, it makes for a lot of exciting plays, but at the same time he usually has a back wide open that he could dump the ball off to.
   
  I remember on one of the sacks last night they showed a replay of the Steelers receivers and Ben had two guys wide open that he could have thrown to. This is a part of Ben’s game that he really needs to work on.

• Speaking of the offensive line, they actually played a fairly good game. Especially Trai Essex. I give him a lot of credit for holding his ground, and it starts to make me wonder about Marvel Smith. When he went down he had two different guys- “the scapegoat” Max Starks, and “hasn’t started in two seasons” Trai Essex- step in and play better than he did. I know he was hurt but we’re going to have to include him in the pile with the linemen that will need a serious evaluation this offseason.

• Alright, I am just going to throw it out there, but I think the Steelers got hosed a bit last night on some of the penalties. It happens and teams have to deal with it, but that phantom holding call on Sean Mahan on the two point conversion is still bugging me today.
   
  Furthermore, it seemed like every replay they showed of an outside Steelers’ rusher, he was held after he had his man beat. I am sure holding happens a lot with every team, but there is nothing more frustrating then hearing Al Michaels talking about what a great block some Jaguars player had as on the screen we are seeing him with his arm hooked around James Harrison’s neck.

• What happened to the offense? Not just in this game but over the last half of the season. They started the year looking nearly unstoppable, and ended looking confused and sporadic. Especially the running game. The Steelers had been the best rushing team in the league over the last 15 odd years, so to see them struggling this season is just frustrating.
   
  What is it? They looked so impressive on that first drive last night, very reminiscent of their games in the 2005 playoffs. Then they looked horrible. As much of a dumb sounding comment it was by Madden when he said it looked like the Steelers didn’t have a plan on offense, he was kind of right.
   
  There were a lot of bad calls last night. That run by Ben on a third and six when they were trying to run out the clock was just a bad idea. Ben is no Vince Young, and furthermore I’m not so sure that at that point you may just want to throw it and try to get the first down. They only had a one point lead and I think getting the first down there was more important than running a couple more second off the clock.

• I think the two point conversion plays were garbage as well. We’ve seen some creative ones that worked well during the season, but this time they ran two fade passes. The first was insanely lucky to have been caught by Hines Ward, but it was negated by the phantom holding call anyway. After that they probably should have kicked the extra point.
   
  But the third two point attempt was just as bad. That fade to Nate Washington just seemed like more of a play that you would run on a first and goal, not when you absolutely need to get into the endzone. Where was the trick play? Where was that special play you keep just for those situations? A fade pass? Come on.
   
  I’m not very confident in Bruce Arians right now. I am not saying they need to get rid of the guy or that he is terrible, just that he still needs some work. Hopefully he is the type that can learn from his mistakes and improve his work.

• This is getting a bit long so I will quickly go through some of the props I wanted to give. Props to Hines Ward and Heath Miller for being dependable and clutch. Props to LaMarr Woodley for his pass rushing- he should be starting next year. Again, props to Trai Essex for having a solid game. Props to Ben for bouncing back from the first half, but most of all for waiting for David Garrard to finish his interviews so he could congratulate him; he is a class act. Props to the entire defense for playing a good game, they held Fred Taylor in check this time and had two interceptions on Garrard- they certainly did enough to win on their end.

• For whatever the reason, the Steelers went on quite a slide to end the season after starting 9-3. There were a lot of key injuries and I am sure that had a lot to do with it, but that is part of life in the NFL. They went from looking like a possible darkhorse in the AFC to losing 4 of their last five games. Ouch. There will be a lot of discussion over just what went wrong, but I am willing to bet that there is no easy answer. A lot of things went wrong, and fortunately I think they are fixable. But we’re going to have to wait until next year to find out.

That’s it, the end to another season. The Steelers went from a team that started out looking like one of the best, to a team that limped into the playoffs. I am sure a lot of time will be devoted to trying to figure out why. But for now it is time to fold up the terrible towels and put them away until next year.

Thanks to all of the readers of this site and for your great comments and discussion. We’ll keep updating regularly this offseason including some reviews of the season , so check back in the coming weeks for a for that.

For better or worse, this season will be defined by injuries. If the Steelers lose in the playoffs, the talk will be about how the team went on a slide after starting 9-3 and how much the major injuries played a role. If they win it all this year then the story will be about how they overcame the significant injuries on a memorable run through the playoffs.

The injury bug has hit the Steelers hard this season

This has certainly been a particularly bad year for the health of Steelers players. Currently, the Steelers have seven players on injured reserve. Losing any player for the season is usually a big deal, but each of these players had an important role with the team.

James Harrison Voted Team MVP

James Harrison was voted team MVP by the Steelers players. My first reaction wass I am very happy for Harrison. He’s come a long way and has had a great season- one that is worthy of team MVP. But my second thought is, was it really worthy over Ben Roethlisberger’s season?

I know there are mixed feelings out there about profootballtalk.com, but they raised an interesting point today:

In 2005, we heard plenty of rumors that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger isn’t one of the most popular guys among Steelers players. A Super Bowl win diluted such talk, and his popularity took a back seat last season to his near-death experience after driving a motorcycle into a car.

This year, we’d assumed that everything had changed. Apparently, it hasn’t.

Though Roethlisberger wasn’t named a team captain at the start of the season, the fact that Hines Ward received the nod for the offense didn’t raise eyebrows. More recently, after having one of the better passing seasons of any quarterback in franchise history, Roethlisberger wasn’t named the MVP of the team.

But Harrison still is worthy none the less and both players have had remarkable seasons and deserve congratulations. The team has done co-MVP’s in the past, so it is even surprising that they didn’t share the honors. It really does make you wonder, but I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions just yet. Aside from this incident, all indications this season have been that Ben has won over a lot of people with his gutty performances and leadership on the field. We really don’t know what went on with the voting and why the players voted as they did. So file it away, but don’t necessarily get worried that everyone hates Ben or anything.

Ben Will Likely Sit Out Ravens Game

Speaking of Big Ben, the Post-Gazette is reporting that he is expected to sit out the game against the Ravens.

I think it is a good move by coach Tomlin. They mention that his ankle is still a bit sore from the Rams game, but I am sure he is hurting all over as well. The Steelers do have a bit to play for with trying to get the 3rd seed in the AFC, but not enough to risk having their star quarterback out or even more injured for the playoffs, especially with how physical Baltimore is and Ben’s history of getting knocked around by them.

It will be interesting to see how long Tomlin plays a lot of the starters. Will he also take other players out as the game goes on? You would have to think that if the Steelers jump out to an early lead they would. I just wish Charlie Batch luck with that offensive line as I am not sure that he is quite the Houdini that Big Ben is.

Marvel Has Back Surgery

The Post-Gazette is also reporting that Marvel Smith had back surgery and will miss at least the Ravens game and the first game of the playoffs.

Max Starks will take his place at left tackle. Starks has actually played quite well recently while filling in and Smith’s absence makes it the decision easy to sit him for Starks. He started the season as the line’s scapegoat, but after riding the bench for a bit he seems to be playing with a new sense of purpose.

It is losses like the one the Steelers suffered today that make you wonder that identity that a team has. Usually by this point in the season, you know what teams are all about. It seems like the Steelers went from a team with an identity to one without as the season wore on. Their inconsistency is a bit baffling and you can’t really get a read on what their deal is. That said, here are a few observations from the game:

• I’m not saying giving up so many rushing yards was all because Aaron Smith was not in, but it makes you wonder, doesn’t it? We’ve said all along that losing Smith was going to be huge and this proves it. You can’t say that it was all because Smith wasn’t there but you can certainly say it had a lot to do with it…

• …but whatever it was, the defense just looked anything but the best in the league today. The Jaguars’ two running backs are very talented, but their offense isn’t exactly known for tearing up opposing defenses. But the Steelers got torn up badly. The stats speak for themselves: 421 total yards, 147yards and a TD for Fred Taylor, 69 yards for Maurice Jones-Drew, and three TD’s for David Garrard.
   
  This wasn’t the Patriots or the ’99 Rams that they played against. In the past it wasn’t often that you would see the Steelers get out-muscled, something that has really become an identity for the team. But it has happened numerous of times this season. Quite honestly, when the Steelers aren’t pounding the ball and playing tough, physical defense it just feels wrong. That’s who they are and what they do… at least it used to be.

• This team just makes no sense this season. You just don’t know if they are good or bad. They’ve had some bad losses, but any team that has already won nine games can’t be all that bad. They have (had?) the number one defense in the league- yet they have given up real stinkers like this game where they let the Jags put up over 400 yards of total offense. Willie Parker leads the league in rushing, but has had some pitiful games, and in of all those yards he hasn’t been able to provide any of those game changing runs that he has in seasons past.
   
  Even in the losses and close wins they’ve been hard to classify. In both this game and last week against the Patriots they’ve had moments where they’ve looked brilliant, then looked horrible. The Denver game they beat themselves but still made a come back and almost won. They played poorly in the last Browns game but battled back to win. They almost won again today. They show both flashes of a great team and flashes or a horrible one.
   
  Who are these Steelers? What is their identity?

• As much as I hate to agree with Dan Dierdorf, I do agree when he said that Ben Roethlisberger was giving it his all out there. He’s done that a lot this season and I believe he is really emerging as a leader. He has nearly single-handedly won some games this season and almost led them on another one today.
   
  Also, congratulations to Ben on throwing 29 touchdown passes this season, which breaks Terry Bradshaw’s record of 28. He’s having a heck of a season and he appears on pace to be one of the all-time greats, even if few outside of Steelers Nation give him the respect he deserves.

• The offensive line was back to its old tricks again. They gave up five sacks and looked shaky. Particularly Marvel Smith. I’m not sure if he is still hurting or not, but he had a pretty bad game against a back ups. In fact, I believe the Steelers pulled him on the last few drives. Again, I’m not sure if that was because his back was acting up again or because of his play.
   
  Max Starks was once the scapegoat of the line, but it seems like he possibly playing better then Marvel has been. Max, overall, has held his own over the past few games and if Marvel is hurt and/or just playing poorly, maybe it is time to give Max another shot.
   
  Honestly, at this point something has to happen. I’m not sure if the answer to fixing the line lies within the players we currently have, but they’ve got to figure something out fast.

• The two-point conversion that the Steelers ran was actually a nice call for once by Bruce Arians. I give Cedrick Wilson a lot of knocks, but that was a pretty nice ball he threw to Santonio Holmes. At least two point conversions is one thing the Steelers have done right this year.

• Why do the Steelers seem to run a draw play on every third and very long this year? How successful is it really? I know sometimes you can catch a team off guard with it, but when you run it nearly every time you have about 15 or more yards to go then they probably expect it. I don’t have a problem with the play, just that you can do it every time. Try taking some shots down field.

• It was nice to Troy Polamalu back in action. I, as well as others, have commented on his lack of big plays this season, but today showed that a lot of his contributions are just making plays (tackles, knocking the ball down) at opportune times. He may not be getting the interceptions or sacks, but he’s a ball-hawk and is usually in the right place at the right time. He wasn’t perfect, but at least he was one guy out there that appeared to be giving it his all.

I think I’ve ended all my recaps after losses this season with a lot of optimism and saying that the sky isn’t falling. I’m not so sure I feel as strongly right now. The sky isn’t falling, and I think the Steelers will in fact win the division still. But I don’t think right now that this team is giving any indication that they have it together enough to put together a Super Bowl run. Something just feels off about them, doesn’t it?
 
I’m asking you, Steelers fans, what’s wrong with the Steelers right now?

It wasn’t pretty, but it worked. The Steelers have had a lot of ugly games lately, haven’t they? Fortunately they’ve won most of them, but that doesn’t make them any less concerning. They had some bad penalties, turnovers, and close calls. But the defense really stepped up and shut down the Bengals offense, no matter how hard the Steelers offense tried to let them back in the game.

• The Steelers continued to struggle getting started. Even in some of their best games they’ve started out very slow; on both offense and defense. But the team really picked it up as the first half wore on. They are going to have to start games faster because against better opponents they could find themselves 14 or more points down before they know it.

• As great punts that Daniel Sepulveda has had this season, he has had some real stinkers as well. I think I mentioned him in my recaps every week for the first 8 or so, but he’s come back down to earth a little. He really helped the team out last week with field position, but was a bit shaky again last night. He closed the game out a lot better then he started, however. I am willing to cut the guy some slack right now because he is a rookie. I think he’s going to be a great punter for the Steelers, but he obviously still has some consistency to work on.

• That Ben Roethlisberger run for a touchdown in the first half was so reminiscent of the Super Bowl run he had. I was holding my breath as the Steelers lined up for the extra point as I waited to see if Marvin Lewis would challenge it. I am really surprised that he didn’t. I can’t say for sure that Ben got the ball over. I’m not complaining or anything obviously, but from the limited replays they showed of it I think Lewis could have won a challenge, or at least it would have been worth the try. (By the way, it was great to see Ben run it there instead of trying to force a throw).

• Willie Parker’s fumbles were a huge disappointment. He tied for the most fumbles for running backs last season with six and he seems to be continuing the trend here. He got lucky on the first and third fumbles as they were reviewed to not be, but they were both very close (especially the third). To me he still lost control of the ball on each play and whether it was official or not he still fumbled.

  Also, how does Willie come out again right after the third (non)fumble then be so careless with the ball and lose it again? The review didn’t save him on the fourth. I know it was wet, but losing the ball four times is unacceptable, especially losing the ball on two plays in a row.

• The Steelers’ secondary was solid after a slow start. It seems like they used the same game plan this time as in the last game. I remember James Harrison said some time after that game that they purposely didn’t do as much blitzing (presumably to help with coverage). Whatever it was, it worked. I know a lot of fans have been upset that the team hasn’t had a lot of interceptions, but they aren’t giving up a lot of big yards either. That works for me.

• In fact, the whole defense was great. That four-down goal line stand late in the fourth quarter after Ben’s interception was a thing of beauty. In fact, the way the Steelers offense was playing late in the game, they came up huge, holding the Bengals after the fumbles and interception. James Farrior was constantly in the right place at the right time. Clark Haggans was getting pressure. Brett Keisel was batting down balls. It was great to watch.

• Good thing the Bengals are still the Bungals. They had some bad plays, in particular two in the 4th. They had a safety taken away by defensive holding call, and an off-sides on a Steelers punt gave them a first down. There’s nothing like watching the Bengals do themselves in.

• Two of the the Steelers’ weak spots played pretty well last night and deserve mention- the offensive line and the kick coverage unit. The line gave Ben time and gave up no sacks. It was good to see them bounce back and usual scape-goat Max Starks was actually solid in place of Marvel Smith. On the special teams side, the Steelers went back to normal kick offs (instead of pooch kicks) and contained the returns. They also did well covering punts.

• Man, wasn’t it great to see T.J. Houshmandzadeh so frustrated out there? I loved seeing him sulking on the bench at the end of the game. Also, is it me or did it seem like Chad Johnson didn’t realize it was fourth down on the Bengals’ last play?

• Congratulations to Hines Ward for grabbing his 64th career touchdown reception to put him in the lead all-time for the Steelers. He beat out two Hall of Famers in John Stallworth and Lynn Swann. Do you think Hines will be voted into the Hall of Fame? I’d like to think so but you never know with the voters.

The win was huge last night, especially because the Browns lost earlier. They are in fairly good shape heading into Foxboro next week. We’ll have to see how the injuries play out and who will be ready to go. They are probably about as ready as they’ll ever be to face the Pats. I think they’ve got a good shot but as Hines said after the game, each player is going to have to bring their A game.

Steelers’ MVP
This week I am giving the MVP to Hines Ward. It was close between him and the defense, but I have to give it to Hines because of how big he was catching on third downs and also because of his record-setting day. Congrats to Hines on the Steelers’ record for touchdown receptions.

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I think most Steelers fan would agree that there are some positional changes that could be made on the team right now. Former head coach Bill Cowher wasn’t known to be one who often switched out under-performing players, especially veterans. He was a “players coach” who was often loyal to his players, sometimes to a fault. That is why I am interested in seeing what Mike Tomlin will do.

It is never an easy decision to bench or move a player. Without a doubt, it is a fine line. You don’t want to overreact and pull someone too soon. But after 11 weeks, I think that you have a good idea about who is under-performing and who might have just had a bad game or two.

The first player that needs a look is Allen Rossum. I called for Willie Reid getting a shot last week, but it didn’t happen. There’s more of a real chance for it this week, however, as Reid should be active on gameday due to Santonio Holmes‘ injury. I think that it is time for a spark on returns and it is worth the risk of trying Reid, especially against the Dolphins.

The other glaring spot is the offensive line. It is the one position where you don’t really say you’re bringing someone in to provide a spark; it is not a very spark-y position. You kind of know what you have who does what best. The concern is that I’m not sure the Steelers have any special guy waiting in the wings, just begging to get his shot. The Steelers OL backups are: Trai Essex, Chris Kemoeatu, Darnell Stapleton, Marvin Philip, and Max Starks. Not exactly a who’s who of rising OL stars.

As far as the starters, Sean Mahan just isn’t getting it done and should probably be the focus right now. Marvel Smith and Alan Faneca might not be playing their best but I don’t think they should be benched, because who would take their place? I like Willie Colon and while his inexperience shows, I think he is a very solid player in the making. With Mahan, you can say he is still learning but I would have hoped that he would be further along at this point. That is not to say he might not be good at another position. In fact, I would think that he would be headed that way after this season. But is it worth trying before then?

I’ll freely admit that I am no expert on offensive line mechanics, but I do know enough to realize that switching positions is not cut and dry, especially in the middle of the season. The team thought highly enough of Darnell Stapleton to keep him on their 53 man roster to start the season. Would they be confident enough in him to give him a shot? They then might give Mahan a turn at right guard, or even try Kendall Simmons at center, where he does have a little experience. How viable is all this? Maybe not very much, but I am just throwing some things out there.

Also, what about fullback? Count me in with the group of people that were high on Carey Davis after the pre-season. I did not, however, feel that he should be replacing Dan Kreider and I feel even more strongly about that today. Carey Davis is not getting the job done blocking, and his versatility ( the supposed reason he was playing ahead of Kreider) has yet to really have any impact.

Running out of three tight end sets has been very slow going, especially with rookie Matt Spaeth’s poor blocking. The biggest issue facing the team presently is that they can’t pass block, and really haven’t been doing great run blocking either. So why not bring back the guy who specializes in it? If you can’t protect your quarterback, bring in the guy who is basicially another offensive lineman. Willie Parker has made it well-known he prefers running behind Krieder as well.

The point is that there are changes out there that can be made. I am not saying they are all great changes (well, except for putting Kreider back in, which I feel very strongly about). But it will be interesting to see if Tomlin is the type of coach that will make them. As I said earlier, it is a fine line of when to make a switch, but some changes might just be what the doctor ordered to help shore up some weaknesses.

What are some changes that you would like to see be made for the team to strengthen it self?

Max Starks was an intriguing pick for the Steelers back in the 3rd round of the 2004 draft. He was listed at 6′8″ 343lbs and while he needed some work, he appeared to have the tools in place to be molded into a fine starting right tackle.

Starks appeared to be on the fast track to being a solid lineman for the Steelers. Despite starting a bit slow in the 2004 training camp, he was persistant and improved his passing blocking over time. With Oliver Ross being a free agent at the end of the season, it appeared that Starks was next in line whether he was ready or not. But he had shown enough that coaches were at least somewhat confident that he could hold his own.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers were quite impressive in Mike Tomlin’s first game as an NFL head coach, here are some highlights and lowlights:

Highlights

Carey Davis- Wow. Carey Davis looked very Bus-like tonight as he bulldozed his way through would be tacklers. He also caught a screen pass and took it 33 yards. In the 2nd quarter he broke a tackle and bounced outside for a 56 yard run. This kid just keeps impressing and just might force out Kevan Barlow.

Ben Roethlisberger- Big Ben looked great, highlighted by a 55 yard bomb to Cedrick Wilson that was right on the money and not underthrown like a lot of his past long balls have been. His only incompletion was a drop by Nate Washington.

Carey Davis Continues to Impress

Cedrick Wilson- I can’t say that I am a huge fan of Cedrick Wilson, especially after his recent outburst about not getting the ball. But Ced stepped it up tonight and made catches all over the field.

Santonio Holmes- Showed great burst to get separation from the defensive backs. Ran a great fade pattern for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter. Holmes looks like he will be continuing right were he left off at the end of last season.

The Steelers’ New Offense- The passing was crisp, the screens were run well, the running game was still there and hard hitting. Over 400 total yards. The debut of the new Steelers’ offense looks good so far.

The Secondary- The Steelers secondary had a solid game, broke up a lot of passes, and made Drew Brees look rusty. William Gay, the guy many people knew little about when drafted, came away with a huge hit and a nice interception.

Lowlights

Max Starks- Starks looked a bit weak, especially when he was placed in at left tackle where he gave up 2 sacks.

Nate Washington- Washington has a good receiver somewhere in him which he flashes from time to time, but if he keeps dropping passes he is going to have a hard time moving up the depth chart.

Tightends- It is still early, but for all the talk of three tightend sets, getting the tightends more passes, etc- the tightends were a complete non-factor. Hopefully the getting the them more involved talk is not just more of the same lip service from past seasons.

Kevan Barlow- Didn’t run with much power, especially for a player trying to make the team in a powerback role. His chances of making the team seem to be getting slimmer and slimmer.

On the eve of the Steelers’ 2007 training camp, a number of players enter the season with something to prove. Here are the highlights:

Hines Ward- The 2006 season was, for the most part, a team effort in it’s mediocrity. Hines Ward was slowed some by injuries, and Big Ben’s erratic season certainly did not help, but Hines still had a relatively quiet season. He likes to speak his mind and walks a fine line sometimes with his comments about the team or the organization- and for the most part he backs it up by laying it all out on the field. Hines is no T.O., but his act can possibly get old pretty fast if laying it all out still isn’t good enough anymore. This is Hines’ time to prove whether or not he belongs with the all-time greats.

Ike Taylor- There was more then enough publicity given to Ike Taylor’s struggles last year as he spent most of the season in Bill Cowher’s doghouse. Quite simply, Ike needs to regain his 2005 form and prove wrong those who say the Steelers jumped the gun in inking him to a new deal.

James Farrior is just one Steeler
with plenty to prove this season

James Farrior- James Farrior seemed like was on track to be the next Steelers start linbacker- and he was for one season in 2004. That stellar season left everyone with high hopes, but Farrior’s 2005 and 2006 compaigns, despite being solid, failed to live up to his All-Pro season. Farrior is a leader and dependable, but he is going to have step up his game to prove his best years haven’t rapidly passed him by.

Ben Roethlisberger- It is a shame that Big Ben is going to have to prove himself all over again after all the success he had his first two seasons, but after everything that happened he is going to need to. Was last season a fluke, brought one by all his offseason woes? Even after his first two successful seasons, there were critics who thought he was just a game manager or did just enough to win. It is time for Ben to step up, become the new leader of the team, and prove to everyone that he is the Steelers’ franchise quarterback for many years to come.

Max Starks- Max Starks has to be looking over his shoulder a lot these days. Mike Tomlin recently praised Willie Colon’s progress and it appears he is on the fast track to a starting position, possibly Starks’ right tackle spot. Not to mention the Steelers were not overly impressed with Starks’ play last season and opted not to sign him to a long-term deal just yet. If Starks wants a future with the team then he is going to have to step it up. Although with the line situation the way it is presently don’t be surprised if he is kept even after another mediocre season.

Troy Polamalu- I suspect that Troy is going to get a huge contract in the coming weeks and he deserves it based on his past play. However, he is going to be under a ton of pressure to show that he’s worth all that money into the future. Troy is a great player who has the chance to be legendary if he keeps up his work ethic and fine tunes the little things.

On the eve of the 2007 NFL draft, rumors are swirling about possible Steelers trades. Director of Football Operations, Kevin Colbert, has said a distinct possibility is for the team to trade down. They feel they can still get a good player a few spots back and get a pick or two extra in return. The team really seems to think that there are some quality players to be had in the 2nd and third rounds.

There is also the possibility of player for pick trades. Guard Alan Faneca reportedly wants out and the Steelers appear open to trading him. With the threat of a hold out and this being the last year of Faneca’s contract, we don’t blame the team for entertaining the thought. They might as well get something in return for Faneca instead of just losing him next year via free agency with no compensation. For more on trading Faneca, check this out.

Another trade to keep an eye out for is Max Starks. Starks signed a one year deal yesterday, which actually makes him easier to trade since teams no longer have to offer the Steelers a huge compensation to sign him (as they would have when he was a restricted free agent). At this point the trade would be a long shot, and the team would obviously not trade both Faneca and Starks. But if a deal can’t be done for Faneca, one for Starks may be a possibility.

It should be an exciting day for the Steelers. They have lots of possibilities and lots of players to chose from. Hopefully Colbert and company can do a better job with rounds 2-7 then they have in recent drafts.