2010 Pittsburgh Steelers training camp edition
Questions, questions, questions. That seems to be the theme of the 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers as training camp opens in a week (a week from Friday, to be exact). Players will report on Friday July 30 and the first practice will be Saturday July 31. This will be one of the shortest camps in recent memory, and a lot of work needs to get done in that time frame. One issue that has been resolved is Head Coach Mike Tomlin’s contract, which he recently inked a three year extension to take him to 2014. Two years remain on his present contract, so he has the security that his predecessors had before him (Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher).
However, many issues still occupy this football team. Tops among them is the quarterback situation. Ben Roethlisberger will be allowed to participate in all training camp activities and all preseason games. But, when the season starts, he will not be allowed anywhere near the practice facility or Heinz Field on game days. This is how strict this suspension is. If NFL commissioner Roger Goodell deems his behavior as satisfactory, Ben can return after four weeks. However, week five is the Steelers bye week, so Ben will have to wait until week six, at the earliest, to take snaps.
In the interim, Byron Leftwich, Dennis Dixon, and Charlie Batch are working to fill the void left by Roethlisberger’s absence. While Ben will get his snaps during camp, Tomlin will have to make sure the others get work as well. All signs point to Leftwich becoming the starter the first four games, but it hasn’t been etched in stone (yet). There are arguments for giving Dixon his opportunities, and his reps, for the starting position. At worst, he will likely wind up as the number two. It looks like Batch will be the insurance policy should anything happen to Leftwich or Dixon.
At running back, Rashard Mendenhall is your workhorse, yet the depth behind him is a concern, now that Willie Parker is off to Washington and the Redskins. Mewelde Moore will likely be the top backup and perhaps the third down back, unless the coaching staff wants to run Mendenhall until the wheels fall off, per the orders of team president Art Rooney II. Rookie Jonathan Dwyer is likely to get a long look in the preseason to see where he stacks up and perhaps offer some relief in the running game. This area is going to get a very long look during the preseason.
At wide receiver, and the passing game, the question will become who is going to be the number three wideout? Mike Wallace is likely to move into the top spot, and the deep threat, occupied by the now traded Santonio Holmes. Hines Ward will be the possession receiver and the coach on the field for his fellow receivers. The team reacquired Antwaan Randle El from the aforementioned Redskins. Will he become the number three wideout? Does someone else sneak in there?
The offensive line has always been in a state of flux, the Super Bowl two years ago not withstanding. The Achilles heel injury to Willie Colon has only added insult to injury. This will put added pressure on Trai Essex, and now rookie and first round pick Maurkice Pouncey, to step it up and become starters. Pouncey was expected to see playing time, regardless, and now he has to be put on the fast track in his rookie season. He was supposed to be groomed to eventually take over for Justin Hartwig. Now, it looks like his feet will be held to the fire and he will also get a long look during the preseason.
So, the offense has a lot of question marks that need to be addressed and answered. This would be plenty for just one team, and even on one side of the ball. But it doesn’t stop there. There are plenty of questions on the defensive side of the ball and how well it will perform during the upcoming season.
Starting with the line, everyone but second year man Evander “Ziggy” Hood is on the other side of 30. Aaron Smith could be considered a “young” 34 due to the time he has missed for injury. Smith is important to the defense and is the line’s equal to safety Troy Polamalu. Beside him is nose tackle Casey Hampton, who just inked a new contract extension. So, he’ll be anchoring the nose, and the line, for at least the next three years. But, age is now becoming a factor and it starts up front.
In the linebacking corps, James Harrison, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons, and Lamarr Woodley are the names and the playmakers. The way Dick LeBeau’s defense is set up. The outside linebackers are the ones who make the major plays (Harrsion and Woodley). However, Woodley is seeking a new contract and has yet to receive one. Will this be his last year in the black and gold? Or do the Steelers value his worth and sign him during camp or after the season? The Steelers added more depth via the draft and those players (Jason Worilds, Thaddeus Gibson, Sylvester Stevenson, and Doug Worthington on the line and at linebacker). Larry Foote was brought back after one year in Detroit.
In the secondary, the health of Polamalu is key. As much as we might dislike admitting it, the defense is much different without Polamalu as it is with him. The defense changes that much with Polamalu on the field. Having said that, around him are Ike Taylor and William Gay at cornerback and Ryan Clark beside him at safety. The Steelers brought back Bryant McFadden after a year in Arizona. McFadden makes the third player the Steelers let walk, then come back to serve as depth and perhaps challenge for starting jobs. This is a tell tale sign of what they may be thinking and what they want to do.
Two years after winning their sixth Super Bowl, and second in four years, the Steelers are probably in one of their most precarious positions in franchise history. Even when Chuck Noll was hired in 1969 to transform the Steelers from lovable losers into the dynasty they would become, he took over a bad team and told those players as much. This is a much different situation. If they were all merely health issues, one could deal with that. But, the suspension of Roethlisberger adds more spice to an already simmering meal. This is a training camp that will be anything but boring.
Then, add to the mix how Rooney II wants the running game to be emphasized more and to be executed more effectively, and it’s clear Tomlin and his staff will have a full plate from which to work from this preseason. It’s been mentioned that Tomlin was not getting an extension until he proved his mettle by dealing with these issues this season. That extension now allows him to focus more on the task at hand and get his team ready for the first quarter of 2010.
The offense would seem to be good hands with Leftwich, who was a first round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2003, one year ahead of Roethlisberger. So, two former number one picks are on the roster, and three one time starters (Batch – Detroit) take up spots that could serve valuable. The other question will be what happens when Ben returns from his suspension? Does he get his job back? Who among the other three is released? This team is not going to keep four quarterbacks. This 2010 training camp and preseason will prove to be the most interesting in a long time for this organization. It all starts Friday at St. Vincent College in Latrobe.
Active Roster
# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Age Exp. College
26 Allen, Will
S 6-1 200 28 7 Ohio State
55 Bailey, Patrick
LB 6-4 235 24 3 Duke
16 Batch, Charlie
QB 6-2 216 35 13 Eastern Michigan
81 Battle, Arnaz
WR 6-1 208 30 8 Notre Dame
87 Bright, Eugene
TE 6-4 268 25 1 Purdue
77 Brooks, Dorian
OG 6-2 306 23 R James Madison
84 Brown, Antonio
WR 5-10 186 22 R Central Michigan
27 Burnett, Joe
CB 5-10 192 23 2 Central Florida
40 Butler, Crezdon
CB 6-1 191 23 R Clemson
25 Clark, Ryan
FS 5-11 205 30 9 Louisiana State
74 Colon, Willie
T 6-3 315 27 5 Hofstra
10 Dixon, Dennis
QB 6-3 209 25 3 Oregon
41 Dwyer, Jonathan
RB 5-11 229 20 R Georgia Tech
93 Eason, Nick
DE 6-3 305 30 8 Clemson
79 Essex, Trai
G 6-5 324 27 6 Northwestern
51 Farrior, James
ILB 6-2 243 35 14 Virginia
50 Foote, Larry
LB 6-1 239 30 9 Michigan
73 Foster, Ramon
T 6-6 325 24 2 Tennessee
57 Fox, Keyaron
ILB 6-3 235 28 7 Georgia Tech
54 Frazier, Andre
LB 6-5 245 28 6 Cincinnati
22 Gay, William
CB 5-10 190 25 4 Louisville
90 Gibson, Thaddeus
OLB 6-2 243 22 R Ohio State
19 Grisham Tyler WR 5-11 180 23 1 Clemson
98 Hampton, Casey
NT 6-1 325 32 10 Texas
92 Harrison, James
OLB 6-0 242 32 7 Kent State
77 Harris, Ra'Shon
DE 6-5 300 23 2 Oregon
37 Harris, Tuff
DB 6-0 198 27 4 Montana
62 Hartwig, Justin
C 6-5 312 31 9 Kansas
66 Hills, Tony
T 6-5 304 25 3 Texas
76 Hoke, Chris
NT 6-2 305 34 9 Brigham Young
96 Hood, Ziggy
DE 6-3 300 23 2 Missouri
85 Johnson, David
TE 6-2 260 22 2 Arkansas State
67 Jolly, Kyle
OT 6-6 300 22 R North Carolina
99 Keisel, Brett
DE 6-5 285 31 9 Brigham Young
68 Kemoeatu, Chris
G 6-3 344 27 6 Utah
4 Leftwich, Byron
QB 6-5 250 30 8 Marshall
64 Legursky, Doug
C 6-1 315 24 2 Marshall
23 Lewis, Keenan
CB 6-0 208 24 2 Oregon State
11 Logan, Stefan
RB 5-6 180 29 2 South Dakota
15 London, Brandon
WR 6-4 215 25 2 Massachusetts
37 Madison, Anthony
DB 5-9 180 28 5 Alabama
20 McFadden, Bryant
CB 6-0 190 28 6 Florida State
49 McHugh, Sean
TE 6-5 265 28 7 Penn State
69 McLendon, Steve
DT 6-4 280 24 1 Troy
34 Mendenhall, Rashard
RB 5-10 225 23 3 Illinois
83 Miller, Heath
TE 6-5 256 27 6 Virginia
21 Moore, Mewelde
RB 5-11 209 27 7 Tulane
29 Mundy, Ryan
FS 6-1 209 25 2 West Virginia
71 Paxson, Scott
NT 6-4 292 27 2 Penn State
30 Pitman, David
CB 5-11 185 26 4 Northwestern State-LA
43 Polamalu, Troy
SS 5-10 207 29 8 USC
53 Pouncey, Maurkice
C/G 6-4 304 20 R Florida
82 Randle El, Antwaan
WR 5-10 185 30 9 Indiana
33 Redman, Isaac
RB 6-0 230 25 1 Bowie State
3 Reed, Jeff
K 5-11 225 31 9 North Carolina
7 Roethlisberger, Ben
QB 6-5 241 28 7 Miami (Ohio)
88 Sanders, Emmanuel
WR 5-11 180 23 R SMU
71 Scott, Chris
OT 6-4 319 22 R Tennessee
72 Scott, Jonathan
T 6-6 318 27 4 Texas
9 Sepulveda, Dan
P 6-3 230 26 4 Baylor
91 Smith, Aaron
DE 6-5 298 34 12 Northern Colorado
89 Spaeth, Matt
TE 6-7 270 26 4 Minnesota
78 Starks, Max
T 6-8 345 28 7 Florida
61 Stewart, Matt
LS 6-3 235 38 9 Vanderbilt
44 Summers, Frank
RB 5-10 240 24 1 Nevada-Las Vegas
47 Sylvester, Stevenson
ILB 6-2 231 21 R Utah
38 Taylor, Demetrius
FB 6-0 273 23 R Virginia Tech
24 Taylor, Ike
CB 6-2 195 30 8 Louisiana-Lafayette
46 Thornton, Justin
S 6-1 213 23 R Kansas
94 Timmons, Lawrence
LB 6-1 234 24 4 Florida State
65 Urbik, Kraig
G 6-5 323 24 2 Wisconsin
28 Vincent, Justin
RB 5-10 219 27 2 Louisiana State
17 Wallace, Mike
WR 6-0 199 23 2 Mississippi
86 Ward, Hines
WR 6-0 205 34 13 Georgia
60 Warren, Greg
LS 6-3 252 28 6 North Carolina
14 Williams, Isaiah
WR 6-3 200 23 1 Maryland
53 Williams, Johnny
LB 6-2 246 24 1 Kentucky
48 Williams, Renauld
LB 6-0 228 29 5 Hofstra
39 Witten, Lindsey
OLB 6-4 250 22 R Connecticut
56 Woodley, LaMarr
OLB 6-2 265 25 4 Michigan
97 Worilds, Jason
OLB 6-2 262 22 R Virginia Tech
95 Worthington, Doug
DT 6-5 292 22 R Ohio State
Injured Reserve
# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Age Exp. College
80 Sweed, Limas
WR 6-4 220 25 3 Texas
http://www.steelers.com/team/roster.html
(Preseason roster courtesy of Steelers.com)
However, many issues still occupy this football team. Tops among them is the quarterback situation. Ben Roethlisberger will be allowed to participate in all training camp activities and all preseason games. But, when the season starts, he will not be allowed anywhere near the practice facility or Heinz Field on game days. This is how strict this suspension is. If NFL commissioner Roger Goodell deems his behavior as satisfactory, Ben can return after four weeks. However, week five is the Steelers bye week, so Ben will have to wait until week six, at the earliest, to take snaps.
In the interim, Byron Leftwich, Dennis Dixon, and Charlie Batch are working to fill the void left by Roethlisberger’s absence. While Ben will get his snaps during camp, Tomlin will have to make sure the others get work as well. All signs point to Leftwich becoming the starter the first four games, but it hasn’t been etched in stone (yet). There are arguments for giving Dixon his opportunities, and his reps, for the starting position. At worst, he will likely wind up as the number two. It looks like Batch will be the insurance policy should anything happen to Leftwich or Dixon.
At running back, Rashard Mendenhall is your workhorse, yet the depth behind him is a concern, now that Willie Parker is off to Washington and the Redskins. Mewelde Moore will likely be the top backup and perhaps the third down back, unless the coaching staff wants to run Mendenhall until the wheels fall off, per the orders of team president Art Rooney II. Rookie Jonathan Dwyer is likely to get a long look in the preseason to see where he stacks up and perhaps offer some relief in the running game. This area is going to get a very long look during the preseason.
At wide receiver, and the passing game, the question will become who is going to be the number three wideout? Mike Wallace is likely to move into the top spot, and the deep threat, occupied by the now traded Santonio Holmes. Hines Ward will be the possession receiver and the coach on the field for his fellow receivers. The team reacquired Antwaan Randle El from the aforementioned Redskins. Will he become the number three wideout? Does someone else sneak in there?
The offensive line has always been in a state of flux, the Super Bowl two years ago not withstanding. The Achilles heel injury to Willie Colon has only added insult to injury. This will put added pressure on Trai Essex, and now rookie and first round pick Maurkice Pouncey, to step it up and become starters. Pouncey was expected to see playing time, regardless, and now he has to be put on the fast track in his rookie season. He was supposed to be groomed to eventually take over for Justin Hartwig. Now, it looks like his feet will be held to the fire and he will also get a long look during the preseason.
So, the offense has a lot of question marks that need to be addressed and answered. This would be plenty for just one team, and even on one side of the ball. But it doesn’t stop there. There are plenty of questions on the defensive side of the ball and how well it will perform during the upcoming season.
Starting with the line, everyone but second year man Evander “Ziggy” Hood is on the other side of 30. Aaron Smith could be considered a “young” 34 due to the time he has missed for injury. Smith is important to the defense and is the line’s equal to safety Troy Polamalu. Beside him is nose tackle Casey Hampton, who just inked a new contract extension. So, he’ll be anchoring the nose, and the line, for at least the next three years. But, age is now becoming a factor and it starts up front.
In the linebacking corps, James Harrison, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons, and Lamarr Woodley are the names and the playmakers. The way Dick LeBeau’s defense is set up. The outside linebackers are the ones who make the major plays (Harrsion and Woodley). However, Woodley is seeking a new contract and has yet to receive one. Will this be his last year in the black and gold? Or do the Steelers value his worth and sign him during camp or after the season? The Steelers added more depth via the draft and those players (Jason Worilds, Thaddeus Gibson, Sylvester Stevenson, and Doug Worthington on the line and at linebacker). Larry Foote was brought back after one year in Detroit.
In the secondary, the health of Polamalu is key. As much as we might dislike admitting it, the defense is much different without Polamalu as it is with him. The defense changes that much with Polamalu on the field. Having said that, around him are Ike Taylor and William Gay at cornerback and Ryan Clark beside him at safety. The Steelers brought back Bryant McFadden after a year in Arizona. McFadden makes the third player the Steelers let walk, then come back to serve as depth and perhaps challenge for starting jobs. This is a tell tale sign of what they may be thinking and what they want to do.
Two years after winning their sixth Super Bowl, and second in four years, the Steelers are probably in one of their most precarious positions in franchise history. Even when Chuck Noll was hired in 1969 to transform the Steelers from lovable losers into the dynasty they would become, he took over a bad team and told those players as much. This is a much different situation. If they were all merely health issues, one could deal with that. But, the suspension of Roethlisberger adds more spice to an already simmering meal. This is a training camp that will be anything but boring.
Then, add to the mix how Rooney II wants the running game to be emphasized more and to be executed more effectively, and it’s clear Tomlin and his staff will have a full plate from which to work from this preseason. It’s been mentioned that Tomlin was not getting an extension until he proved his mettle by dealing with these issues this season. That extension now allows him to focus more on the task at hand and get his team ready for the first quarter of 2010.
The offense would seem to be good hands with Leftwich, who was a first round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2003, one year ahead of Roethlisberger. So, two former number one picks are on the roster, and three one time starters (Batch – Detroit) take up spots that could serve valuable. The other question will be what happens when Ben returns from his suspension? Does he get his job back? Who among the other three is released? This team is not going to keep four quarterbacks. This 2010 training camp and preseason will prove to be the most interesting in a long time for this organization. It all starts Friday at St. Vincent College in Latrobe.
Active Roster
# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Age Exp. College
26 Allen, Will
S 6-1 200 28 7 Ohio State
55 Bailey, Patrick
LB 6-4 235 24 3 Duke
16 Batch, Charlie
QB 6-2 216 35 13 Eastern Michigan
81 Battle, Arnaz
WR 6-1 208 30 8 Notre Dame
87 Bright, Eugene
TE 6-4 268 25 1 Purdue
77 Brooks, Dorian
OG 6-2 306 23 R James Madison
84 Brown, Antonio
WR 5-10 186 22 R Central Michigan
27 Burnett, Joe
CB 5-10 192 23 2 Central Florida
40 Butler, Crezdon
CB 6-1 191 23 R Clemson
25 Clark, Ryan
FS 5-11 205 30 9 Louisiana State
74 Colon, Willie
T 6-3 315 27 5 Hofstra
10 Dixon, Dennis
QB 6-3 209 25 3 Oregon
41 Dwyer, Jonathan
RB 5-11 229 20 R Georgia Tech
93 Eason, Nick
DE 6-3 305 30 8 Clemson
79 Essex, Trai
G 6-5 324 27 6 Northwestern
51 Farrior, James
ILB 6-2 243 35 14 Virginia
50 Foote, Larry
LB 6-1 239 30 9 Michigan
73 Foster, Ramon
T 6-6 325 24 2 Tennessee
57 Fox, Keyaron
ILB 6-3 235 28 7 Georgia Tech
54 Frazier, Andre
LB 6-5 245 28 6 Cincinnati
22 Gay, William
CB 5-10 190 25 4 Louisville
90 Gibson, Thaddeus
OLB 6-2 243 22 R Ohio State
19 Grisham Tyler WR 5-11 180 23 1 Clemson
98 Hampton, Casey
NT 6-1 325 32 10 Texas
92 Harrison, James
OLB 6-0 242 32 7 Kent State
77 Harris, Ra'Shon
DE 6-5 300 23 2 Oregon
37 Harris, Tuff
DB 6-0 198 27 4 Montana
62 Hartwig, Justin
C 6-5 312 31 9 Kansas
66 Hills, Tony
T 6-5 304 25 3 Texas
76 Hoke, Chris
NT 6-2 305 34 9 Brigham Young
96 Hood, Ziggy
DE 6-3 300 23 2 Missouri
85 Johnson, David
TE 6-2 260 22 2 Arkansas State
67 Jolly, Kyle
OT 6-6 300 22 R North Carolina
99 Keisel, Brett
DE 6-5 285 31 9 Brigham Young
68 Kemoeatu, Chris
G 6-3 344 27 6 Utah
4 Leftwich, Byron
QB 6-5 250 30 8 Marshall
64 Legursky, Doug
C 6-1 315 24 2 Marshall
23 Lewis, Keenan
CB 6-0 208 24 2 Oregon State
11 Logan, Stefan
RB 5-6 180 29 2 South Dakota
15 London, Brandon
WR 6-4 215 25 2 Massachusetts
37 Madison, Anthony
DB 5-9 180 28 5 Alabama
20 McFadden, Bryant
CB 6-0 190 28 6 Florida State
49 McHugh, Sean
TE 6-5 265 28 7 Penn State
69 McLendon, Steve
DT 6-4 280 24 1 Troy
34 Mendenhall, Rashard
RB 5-10 225 23 3 Illinois
83 Miller, Heath
TE 6-5 256 27 6 Virginia
21 Moore, Mewelde
RB 5-11 209 27 7 Tulane
29 Mundy, Ryan
FS 6-1 209 25 2 West Virginia
71 Paxson, Scott
NT 6-4 292 27 2 Penn State
30 Pitman, David
CB 5-11 185 26 4 Northwestern State-LA
43 Polamalu, Troy
SS 5-10 207 29 8 USC
53 Pouncey, Maurkice
C/G 6-4 304 20 R Florida
82 Randle El, Antwaan
WR 5-10 185 30 9 Indiana
33 Redman, Isaac
RB 6-0 230 25 1 Bowie State
3 Reed, Jeff
K 5-11 225 31 9 North Carolina
7 Roethlisberger, Ben
QB 6-5 241 28 7 Miami (Ohio)
88 Sanders, Emmanuel
WR 5-11 180 23 R SMU
71 Scott, Chris
OT 6-4 319 22 R Tennessee
72 Scott, Jonathan
T 6-6 318 27 4 Texas
9 Sepulveda, Dan
P 6-3 230 26 4 Baylor
91 Smith, Aaron
DE 6-5 298 34 12 Northern Colorado
89 Spaeth, Matt
TE 6-7 270 26 4 Minnesota
78 Starks, Max
T 6-8 345 28 7 Florida
61 Stewart, Matt
LS 6-3 235 38 9 Vanderbilt
44 Summers, Frank
RB 5-10 240 24 1 Nevada-Las Vegas
47 Sylvester, Stevenson
ILB 6-2 231 21 R Utah
38 Taylor, Demetrius
FB 6-0 273 23 R Virginia Tech
24 Taylor, Ike
CB 6-2 195 30 8 Louisiana-Lafayette
46 Thornton, Justin
S 6-1 213 23 R Kansas
94 Timmons, Lawrence
LB 6-1 234 24 4 Florida State
65 Urbik, Kraig
G 6-5 323 24 2 Wisconsin
28 Vincent, Justin
RB 5-10 219 27 2 Louisiana State
17 Wallace, Mike
WR 6-0 199 23 2 Mississippi
86 Ward, Hines
WR 6-0 205 34 13 Georgia
60 Warren, Greg
LS 6-3 252 28 6 North Carolina
14 Williams, Isaiah
WR 6-3 200 23 1 Maryland
53 Williams, Johnny
LB 6-2 246 24 1 Kentucky
48 Williams, Renauld
LB 6-0 228 29 5 Hofstra
39 Witten, Lindsey
OLB 6-4 250 22 R Connecticut
56 Woodley, LaMarr
OLB 6-2 265 25 4 Michigan
97 Worilds, Jason
OLB 6-2 262 22 R Virginia Tech
95 Worthington, Doug
DT 6-5 292 22 R Ohio State
Injured Reserve
# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Age Exp. College
80 Sweed, Limas
WR 6-4 220 25 3 Texas
http://www.steelers.com/team/roster.html
(Preseason roster courtesy of Steelers.com)
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