Things To Look for Before the Season Begins: Part Four

This will be a four-part series of things to look for in the final weeks of the 2009 Steelers’ preseason. This series will look at remaining position battles, injury updates and prognoses, play calling and coaching, and will preview the season prior to the Sept. 10 opener against the Tennessee Titans.

The Steelers have played two preseason games thus far, winning at home in the Super Bowl rematch against the Cardinals and dropping the game at FexEx Field against the Redskins last Saturday. While the road for the seventh Super Bowl title is well under way, the Steelers have several questions that need answers soon. Some of those answers are:

The active roster (my picks after the third preseason game)

 

Offense

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Charlie Batch, Dennis Dixon

RB Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore, Isaac Redman*

WR Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Limas Sweed, Mike Wallace*, Shaun McDonald^

TE Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, Sean McHugh (FB)

OT Max Starks, Willie Colon, Tony Hills

OG Chris Kemoeatu, Trai Essex, Darnell Stapleton, Kraig Urbik*

C Justin Hartwig, A.Q. Shipley*

 

Defense

DE Aaron Smith, Brett Keisel, Evander “Ziggy” Hood*, Nick Eason, Travis Kirschke

DT Casey Hampton, Chris Hoke

OLB James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, Bruce Davis, Patrick Bailey, Andre Frazier

ILB James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons, Keyaron Fox, Donovan Woods

CB Ivan “Ike” Taylor, William Gay, Deshea Townsend, Keenan Lewis*, Anthony Madison

S Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, Tyrone Carter, Keiwan Ratliff^

 

Special Teams

Long Snapper Greg Warren

Kicker Jeff Reed

Punter Daniel Sepulveda

Return Specialist Stefan Logan*

 

Practice Squad

RB Frank “the Tank” Summers*

WR Martin Nance

TE David Johnson*

OL Jeremy Parquet

OL Jason Capizzi

LB Arnold Harrison

CB Joe Burnett*

S Ryan Mundy

 

* denotes rookie

^ denotes free agent pickup

 

I hope I did not miss anyone important. Less than two weeks until the season opens. Best wishes to everyone, especially the Steelers.

Things To Look For Before The Season Begins: Part Three

This will be a four part series of things to look for in the final weeks of the 2009 Steelers’ preseason. This series will look at remaining position battles, injury updates and prognoses, play calling and coaching, and will preview the season prior to the Sept. 10 opener against the Tennessee Titans.

The Steelers have played two preseason games thus far, winning at home in the Super Bowl rematch against the Cardinals and dropping the game at FexEx Field against the Redskins last Saturday. While the road for the seventh Super Bowl title is well under way, the Steelers have several questions that need answers soon. Some of those answers are:

Coaching and Play calling

Mike Tomlin became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl last season. However, unlike the last Super Bowl win, Tomlin will not let this team rest on their laurels and get content. While the team returns 20 of 22 starters, there are a few questions that need answering, mostly on offense.

Defense: The defense led by future Hall of Famer and current defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, returns nine of the eleven starters from the Super Bowl XLIII team for 2009.

However, at a closer look, the two departed players, CB Bryant McFadden (gone to Arizona as a free agent) and LB Larry Foote (gone to Detroit after being released in the spring) will not be missed as much.

William Gay filled in well and held his own while McFadden spent what seemed to be his annual time on the injury report. Even after McFadden came back, Gay and McFadden split time on the field, with Gay coming in every third defensive series.

Obviously the Steelers found McFadden to be expendable (his injury history had to raise a few flags too) and Gay will enter his contract year as the starter.

Larry Foote has been a dependable starter for the Steelers since 2004. However, with 2007 first round pick Lawrence Timmons showing flashes of brilliance and uncanny athletic ability last season, Foote knew his days as a starter in Pittsburgh were numbered.

With Foote now in Detroit, Timmons will be the starter alongside inside linebacker James Farrior and will also be used as an outside rusher on third downs. Timmons, 23 years old, has the makings of the next great Steelers linebacker.

The defensive coaching is probably the best in the league. Linebacker coach Keith Butler and defensive line coach John Mitchell both could be defensive coordinators for nearly any other teams in the league. I think Butler could become the heir apparent to the Steelers’ defensive coordinator position whenever LeBeau decides to retire, which I hope is not anytime soon.

What makes the Steelers defense even more amazining is that the Steelers field only three first round picks (Casey Hampton in 2001, Troy Polamalu in 2003, and Timmons in 2007. Farrior was a Jets’ first rounder in 1997), one second round pick (LaMarr Woodley in 2007), and the rest of the starters being late round picks or undrafted free agents (James Harrison being the most prominent).

LeBeau’s schemes have revolutionized the game, causing mass confusion with blitz looks pre-snap and sending any combination of four rushers to the passer. Polamalu, the ultimate wild card, can take over games with his coverage skills, he had seven interceptions last season, and his play near the line of scrimmage is good as well.

If I had to criticize the defense for anything, it is that I wish cornerback Ike Taylor would intercept the ball more whenever a quarterback throws his way. Other than that, I along with many in the Steeler Nation have little to complain about LeBeau’s players and schemes.

Offense: The offense last season, at times, was just horrible. The play calling and the personnel moves were questionable. It makes many wonder why does QB Ben Roethlisberger do so much better when he is running the hurry-up no-huddle. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians not calling the plays is a good reason why.

The Steelers won the Super Bowl last season despite a less than average offensive line and horrible play calling by Arians. I have never been a fan of Arians and probably never will, but he is not giving me much to cheer about. While I do not want to see the Steelers go to the hurry up no-huddle full time, I like it much better when Arians is not involved.

Arians and OL coach Larry Zierlein both kept their jobs likely because of the Super Bowl win, but both need to be on the hot seat this year. I do miss former Hog and OL coach Russ Grimm and all that he brought to the team, but he has not been in Pittsburgh in two years.

Zierlein is more of a teacher than Grimm was and perhaps the Steelers’ offensive linemen are better off with Zierlein. However, the number of sacks and hits allowed on Roethlisberger and the alarmingly bad short yardage rushing last season has to raise some eyebrows.

I realize  Roethlisberger is the king of the scramble drill and he does hold onto the ball a long time, thus picking up unnecessary sacks, but at times the offensive line just looks overmatched. The Cardinals’ Darnell Dockett, a good player but not the best defensive tackle in the league, looked like the next coming of Joe Greene in the Super Bowl, picking up three sacks. That is inexcusable.

Another quibble with the offensive line is the use of personnel. Why is Willie Colon still being used as a right tackle (RT) when he obviously is overmatched against many defensive ends? Colon should be used as right guard and new right guard (RG) Trai Essex should be moved to RT, which is his more natural position anyway.

At RG, Colon’s short arms and lack of athleticism would be hidden and not exposed as much as it was at RT. At RG, I think Colon could be a potential Pro Bowl alternate and definitely a dependable starter. Also at RG, it is less likely that Colon will get called for illegal formation which he got called for countless times last season.

Back to Arians. One thing I saw this preseason that worries me is the abandoning of the running game when the first team is on the field. Why? This is preseason, where the records do not count. Why not work out the kinks of the running game, which disappeared at times last season?

I hope that against the Bills this Saturday, the first team offense attempts more runs than passes. We all know that Roethlisberger can get it done when needed, why not try to see what Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall, and the offensive line can do and not show the entire play book during preseason?

Special Teams: The special teams coverage last season was probably the best I have seen in about 20 years. While the punting was bad due to Daniel Sepulveda being on injured reserve (IR), Paul Ernster and Mitch Berger often kicked like they belonged on IR.

The kickoff coverage was also good, led by rookie Patrick Bailey and veteran Anthony Madison. I hope that both coverage units can have stellar years again and not give up any momentum breaking returns as they have done in years before.

The only real issue with the special teams last season was the lack of a threat to take it deep every time the defense forced a punt. Outside of Santonio Holmes‘ return against the Chargers in the AFC Divisional round, the Steelers did not have too many exciting returns.

This season, former Canadian Football League (CFL) return specialist Stefan Logan and rookie blazer Mike Wallace will be threats to take one to the house every time they go back to receive a kick or a punt. They both have the speed and moves, especially Logan.

I hope rookie Joe Burnett does not get a chance to do either after seeing him fumble three times on returns. All Burnett did was bring back memories of Ricardo Colclough, never a good move. Logan, with another solid game, might lock down a roster spot if he had not done so already.

Next time, the 53 man roster and the practice squad will be previewed.

 

Things To Look For Before The Steelers Season Begins: Part Two

This is the second in a four-part series of things to look for in the final weeks of 2009 Steelers preseason. This series will look at remaining position battles, injury updates and prognoses, play-calling, coaching, and a season preview prior to the Sept. 10 opener against the Tennessee Titans.

The Steelers have played two preseason games thus far, winning at home in the Super Bowl rematch against the Cardinals and dropping the game at FexEx Field against the Redskins last Saturday. While the road for the seventh Super Bowl title is well under way, the Steelers have several questions that need answers soon. Some of those questions are:

 

Health and Contract Issues

Health: Thus far through the preseason, the Steelers have not been plagued too badly by the injury bug. Starting center Justin Hartwig and last season’s starting right guard Darnell Stapleton have both missed time with injuries.

Stapleton’s injury has led to former 2005 third-round draft pick Trai Essex to take the starting right guard job, forcing Stapleton to a backup role just like the beginning of last season before Kendall Simmons‘s Achilles tendon injury against the Ravens.

Punter Daniel Sepulveda, who missed all of 2008 with a torn ACL, has come back stronger than ever. He has so far been the most impressive and consistent Steeler in preseason with his booming punts. Needless to say, it is good to see him back.

Dennis Dixon suffered a separated shoulder, which will keep him out of action for at least two weeks. Given that Dixon will be the No. 3 QB this season, this is not that big of a blow to the Steelers. I would be surprised if Dixon is not the No. 3 QB on opening day.

Brett Keisel also missed some time, as did Willie Parker and most recently QB Ben Roethlisberger, who’s with a foot injury. What does this all mean? It’s all ordinary training camp stuff. If no one came out of training camp with some type of injury or soreness, I would have been shocked.

Roethlisberger’s injury last week caused the Steeler Nation to hold its collective breath. Max Starks accidentally stepped on Roethlisberger during the final practice of training camp, which caused Roethlisberger to miss the preseason game against the Redskins.

However, news today that Roethlisberger will play against the Buffalo Bills this Saturday confirmed that the foot injury was not serious. All in all, the Steelers are healthy heading into the regular season. Let’s just hope it stays that way.

 

Contracts:

After the Super Bowl XLIII victory, the Steelers have several players whose contracts will expire at the end of this season. 2008 Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison was rewarded with a new contract after months of negotiations. After Harrison’s deal was done, the Steelers management got other deals done.

Receiver Hines Ward restructured and extended his contract, which now pretty much guarantees he will end his career in Pittsburgh. Most recently, underrated tight end Heath Miller was awarded a new contract that will keep him in Pittsburgh through 2014. However, the Steelers still have several more players left to deal with.

Brett Keisel has been a mainstay in the Steelers’ defensive line since Kimo von Oelhoffen left for the New York Jets after the 2005 season. Keisel has been very underrated and not necessarily a household name outside of Steeler Nation.

Keisel will turn 31 next month, but I think the Steelers should sign him to a four-year deal. He is important and the Steelers still lack great depth on the defensive line despite Evander “Ziggy” Hood joining the team. I think this deal could get done as soon as the season begins a la Casey Hampton before the 2005 season.

Speaking of Casey Hampton, his contract will also run out after this season. Hampton is entering his ninth season and will turn 32 next week.

Although he has shown up to camp several times out of shape—drawing the ire of both Bill Cowher when he was the head coach and Mike Tomlin last summer—many would think that Hampton will be gone after this season. Before we throw him  out, let’s look at other attributes.

Hampton is quite possibly the best 3-4 nose tackle in football. He has been the lynchpin for one of the best defenses in the NFL since he came into the league in 2001. Hampton requires at least two offensive linemen to occupy him, which allows James Farrior and the other LBs make plays.

Although Hood was drafted to possibly take over the 3-4 nose tackle position in the future, I am not sure Hood can pull it off. Hood looks more like someone who can take over for Aaron Smith at 3-4 DE, not 3-4 NT.

I think the Steelers will take a wait-and-see approach for Hampton. If he stays healthy and leads the Steelers to a top-ranked defense again, coupled with Hood not doing much when or if Hood gets a shot a 3-4 NT, then Hampton will get re-signed.

Ryan Clark has become a reliable free safety who complements Troy Polamalu’s aggressive and unpredictable style quite well. Clark, who will turn 30 in October, has become an intimidating hitter (just ask Willis McGahee and Wes Welker) and a dependable deep cover man.

Clark does have some injury history, but given that past safeties who played in his stead (mainly the forgettable Anthony Smith) have not performed nearly as well as Clark has, he seems like a good bet to come back. I think a deal could get done before opening day.

Deshea Townsend: Townsend has been with the Steelers since 1998, which makes him—along with Hines Ward—the longest-tenured Steeler on the team. Townsend will turn 34 in September. The only CB I could think of who played at such a high level at that age was Hall of Famer Darrell Green.

Given that William Gay did well last season and Townsend has become the third CB, I don’t see Townsend coming back next season. I think rookie Keenan Lewis will be eased into the third CB slot after Townsend leaves. Instead, I see Townsend likely retiring as a Steeler after this season, ending a solid 12-season run in black and gold. Stay tuned.

William Gay, in his short time in Pittsburgh, has done a capable job. He signed a three-year deal his rookie season in 2007 and that ends after this season. Gay will no doubt have a great opportunity for a big contract since he will be the starter opposite Ike Taylor this season.

If Gay has a big year, then expect him to want a larger deal than Bryant McFadden got from Arizona this summer. If Gay has a good year and holds his own, then the Steelers should have some leverage in negotiations. Gay will be 25 when 2010 season begins.

Veterans Tyrone Carter and Travis Kirschke will likely not be retained by the Steelers after this season. I believe Kirschke will retire after 2009 and Carter might try to go elsewhere. However, one cannot fight age and both are well over 30 now.

I am a huge Jeff Reed fan. He does not get nearly enough credit for his ability to make kicks in Heinz Field and at end of games. If anything, I wish he would stay out of the news with his strange antics off the field but one cannot deny his importance to the team.

Reed will be back, as no other kicker has proven they can master the wind and the turf at Heinz Field as well as he has. Reed could be franchised if no deal is reached in time.

The Steelers would be making a huge mistake if they treat Reed as just another kicker. Remember Kris Brown and Todd Peterson? The Steelers don’t play many games in a dome, they play half of their games in one of the most challenging places to kick a football. I think Reed will be back but a deal won’t be reached any time soon.

First off, I am not a big Willie Colon fan. He is probably the weakest link of the Steelers’ much-maligned offensive line. I think if Colon gets moved to right guard (where his short arms and poor technique would not exposed as much) he could be good, but at right tackle he is a liability.

Having said that, Tony Hills—the guy who could possibly take over for Colon—has not exactly shown much promise of becoming a solid offensive lineman. If Colon has a good year in whatever position he plays, the Steelers will bring him back. If not, Colon will not be tendered a new deal.

Justin Hartwig has been solid at best. He has not been Jeff Hartings or future Hall of Famer Dermontti Dawson, but he has not been Sean Mahan either. But Hartwig is over 30 and the Steelers could use someone like rookie A.Q. Shipley or second-year man Doug Legursky to take over the center position. I would surprised to see Hartwig retained after 2009.

Matt Spaeth has not exactly been great as the backup tight end to Heath Miller since his rookie season in 2007. However, Spaeth is a big target at 6’7″ and he will turn 26 in November. If Spaeth shows any kind of promise this season, the Steelers will bring him back unless he gets too expensive. I do like Spaeth, so I hope he has a solid 2009 season.

Charlie Batch, who will turn 35 in December, will be the backup QB for the 2009 season and I think he will retire after this season. I would be very surprised if he comes back for the 2010 season.

The Steelers are grooming Dennis Dixon to be the backup QB and Batch, a great team player, is the perfect veteran QB to show Dixon the ropes. Expect Batch to take a front-office or coaching job with the Steelers after he retires.

By far the most intriguing potential free agent is Willie Parker. Parker has been very good, with three 1,000-yard rushing seasons in addition to helping the team win two Super Bowls in the last four seasons.

Parker has had an injury history going back to 2007 when he broke his leg while leading the league in rushing late in the season. Parker will also turn 29 in November. However, he has showed his signature speed this preseason and looks more motivated than usual.

If second-year RB Rashard Mendenhall has a monster season, then I do not expect to see Parker with the Steelers next season. However, I have little faith that Mendenhall will do anything to unseat Parker from what I have seen thus far. Parker will be the ultimate wait-and-see for the Steelers, and nothing will get done anytime soon.

Of course 2010 could be an uncapped year given the current collective bargaining agreement, so much of the free agent signability could change. However, I hope to see most of the players I mentioned above come back to the Steelers for the 2010 season.

Tomorrow, opinions and analysis on play-calling and coaching as the Steelers head into the regular season.

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