Continue reading »]]> According to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Pittsburgh Steelers have signed offensive tackle Kyle Jolly. The news came out via Twitter:

@MarkKaboly_Trib: Steelers add T Kyle Jolly. Was 2-year practice squad guy until he spent last year with Atlanta. Roster now at 89 players, 1 under limit

The signing comes a day after the announcement of former tackle Willie Colon moving inside to the left guard position which leads many to believe the left tackle spot is going to be held by rookie Mike Adams.

Speculation will now run rampant as to just why this move is being made but I think my very early thoughts are:

1. Is this move purely about depth?
2. Does it show a complete lack of faith in Jonathan Scott?
3. What does this say about the future of Max Starks?

Head over to the steeleraddicts.com forums for more discussion on this newest move by the Steelers’ front office.

Continue reading »]]> Steeler Nation is in a bit of tizzy this evening after WDVE’s Mike Prisuta tweeted out that Willie Colon would be moving to the left guard spot for the upcoming season. Colon would later confirm things with comments directly out of his mouth stating the Steelers had actually spoken with him about the move immediately after the draft.

So what does this mean for the Steelers offensive line as we sit here in May of 2012? Let’s discuss…

• What it suggests is that Rookie David DeCastro will be at his natural right guard position next to center Maurkice Pouncey. A move that many fans felt was going to happen anyway, although some felt the team might move him to the left side since the Steelers love to run to the right, using the left guard to pull and get out in front of the ball carrier.
• It also means, and this is speculative at the moment, that Rookie Mike Adams will start at left tackle and 2nd year man Marcus Gilbert will start at right tackle.
• If all of this holds true, would this be the Steelers best possible lineup to start the season? In my opinion yes, with a couple of minor caveats.
• To throw another option in there, Adams could start at RT and Gilbert at LT, a position that Mike Tomlin has said is more his natural side. Having dual 2nd round picks as bookends for the next 10 years wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world that’s for sure. If I’m Big Ben I’d probably prefer the rookie on the right side where I can keep an eye on him, at least somewhat.

About the only thing we are sure of this year is that Maurkice Pouncey will be at Center, hopefully for longer than a game or two at a time thanks to his successful surgery this offseason.

If Adams is indeed the man at left tackle, this mean the Steelers will have a rookie protecting franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s blind-side. I still believe that Gilbert will be the opening day starter at left and Adams at right simply to give Ben some assurance of his health. Ben has talked in previous years about how the idea of having a rookie or inexperienced player on the offensive line is not exactly an idea that he’s thrilled about. As good as Adams is projected to be, and he was a potential first round pick after all, a rookie is a rookie and there are growing pains to work through. Can Roethlisberger hold up until things start to click for Adams? It remains to be seen.

There’s also the possibility that the team could bring back free agent Max Starks. While Starks is still recovering from his ACL surgery, they may look to bring him back closer to training camp or depending on how things unfold, even after the season starts. That’s assuming of course that someone hasn’t picked him by that time, still though I ‘m sure that’s an option they are keeping in the back of their minds for future reference.

In regards to Colon, finally moving him to guard is something the Steeler Nation has been screaming for. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a Terrible Towel Twirl in downtown Pittsburgh yesterday after this news broke. You think I’m joking but we Steeler fans know how important our offensive line is. The fact that, potentially, there is a lineup waiting to emerge that might actually be able to keep Ben from getting sacked 40 times this season is cause to toss back a few Iron City’s and wave our towels.

So, what of this new regime on the offensive line…what might it look like? The interior of the line is basically set now with Colon at LG, Pouncey at C, and DeCastro at RG. The tackles right now are anyones guess. There is still months of offseason work to decide how Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams will fit on the line.

If Adams is the eventual LT do you put him out there now? Gilbert is more of a natural left side player so why not just leave him there? Or do you flip them both this year and then flip them back next year? All these issues and more will reveal themselves as the months ahead unfold on our way to Latrobe.

All I know is, if I’m Ben Roethlisberger I’m both thrilled and scared to death of this new offensive line. Good thing he’s hell bent on not changing who he is and how he plays…

Matt Pappas contributed to this article.

Continue reading »]]> How on Earth can you not pull for a kid like Kelvin Beachum? If you’ve heard his name it’s more than likely due to the fact you’re a Steelers’ fan and you know that Beachum was chosen in the seventh round of the 2012 National Football League Draft.

My guess is that while being drafted into professional football is a very big accomplishment for him, I’m thinking that the fact that Beachum recently graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Master’s Degree might rank a little higher.

In an era when many players who come out of college don’t even have their Bachelor’s Degree, Beachum has done them, and nearly everyone else, one better. Completed in just 16 months, his Master’s is in Liberal Studies with a concentration on organizational behavior. This really is an incredible accomplishment for the young man.

Oh, did I mention he gave the commencement address at his graduation ceremony as well?

For an encore, Beachum will now attempt to make the 53-man roster of the Pittsburgh Steelers. As he tweeted the other day, “his studies will now involve the playbook.” Being a hard worker or being exceptionally bright does not automatically equate to being a successful NFL player. Yes, it can certainly help, but it is no guarantee because physical ability obviously plays a vital role. Throw in the fact that 7^th round picks aren’t exactly ‘guaranteed’ spots on the team and what you have is a long-shot situation for Beachum.

Nobody loves hard-working, intelligent guys more than Steelers’ fans so he will have his many, many supporters as he enters his first NFL Training Camp this summer. Should he not be fortunate enough to make the team or any other in the league, I have a really strong suspicion that Kelvin Beachum will be just fine in life.

Well done and good luck young man!

Continue reading »]]> Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was on the DVE Morning show on Wednesday to talk about his part in the BlacknGold Fundraising program, his BBQ Sauce and of course the topic of the Steelers new playbook came up.

It’s always great to see professional athlete’s getting involved in great causes like the Children’s Hospital and other charities. Especially for the veterans who normally don’t have the workout requirements by the team that the rookies do, they can devote some of their spare time to helping out those in need.

www.blackandgoldfundraising.com - Some of your favorite Pittsburgh style bbq spices complete with a cooler to keep. See more info below on what comes with the package, which you can check out and purchase here or on DVE’s website.

Product Descriptions:

COOLER - large vertical 16 can cooler with our beautiful Pittsburgh skyline reading BLACK & GOLD – IT’S A BURGH THING!

BIG BENS MILD BBQ SAUCE - A sweet tasting sauce blended with a hint of Cajun, smooth in texture and taste. Perfect on all types of meat and chicken. (18 oz)

BIG BENS SPICY WING SAUCE - Traditional flavor Buffalo Sauce with some heat marinating in a vinegar base. Great on any chicken, pizza, stir-fry, and eggs. (18 oz)

BIG BENS HABANERA SAUCE - World Championship Commemorative bottle. The concentrate hot sauce is loaded with Habanera Peppers. Great on chicken, pizza, eggs, or anything that needs a spiced up. (5 oz)

SILVER STAR MEATS PEPPERS AND ONIONS - Green and red peppers in a rich tomato sauce. Excellent with mild or hot sausage. (16 oz)

MILLERS MUSTARD - 1 MILD AND SWEET AND 1 HOT AND SWEET – Made with fresh banana peppers has a unique taste second to none. Wonderful as a dip with cheese, crackers, and pretzels, and perfect compliment to your sandwich. (12 oz)

QUAKER, STEAK, AND LUBE LOUISIANA LICKER SAUCE - Our most popular sauce! Mixture of Hot, Cajun, BBQ and Garlic sauces. Sweet and Spicy flavor. Award Winning and a guest favorite. It goes great with wings, chicken, burgers, seafood & ribs, and just about anything else! (12 oz)

QUAKER, STEAK, AND LUBE DRY RUB SEASONING - all purpose seasoning, great on steaks, burgers, and chicken. Try it once and you’ll be addicted! (7 oz)

Below is some highlights of the interview with Ben, and you can listen to it in it’s entirety via the player below.

About grilling and the fundraiser: I love to grill, and I know a lot of Pittsburghers like to grill. Perfect fathers gift, it’s perfect bbq weather out these days now too. It benefits Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Continuing to learn the playbook. It’s taking time but we’re getting there. All of this time right now is voluntary but it’s important for all of us to get this down. The big thing about the new playbook is the language and terminology. Some of it is the same but it means something different than it did previously. For instance, we had a route called a turn route, one that Antonio ran really well but now “turn” is a protection. We call 62 turn and that 62 is the protection and turn is the route, so now it’s reversed.

Younger guys having it easier: I think that if a rookie coming in right now has a better advantage than a veteran because you’re coming in with a clean slate. They’ve never heard these terms before.

Sensing enthusiam on the team: I think coach really wants to challenge us, me in particular maybe, but I think this is a challenge for us and it’s making us refocus. Excited might not be the best word because it’s actually creating more stress on us right now. We’ll get back to where we were though and we’ll get comfortable with it.

Changes in the offense: There are some changes but I don’t think it’s anything major. The verbige is the tough part to get.

On Terrell Suggs being out and if he’s more careful in playing basketball during the offseason: Sometimes those things happen. We have a Steelers basketball team and I play on a church softball team. You do have to be careful and you feel bad for a guy. You can’t just sit around and do nothing though all season.

On if Colon will play guard or tackle: I’m not sure what I’m allowed to tell you, sorry Mike.

On if he’s met up with David DeCastro yet: No, he’s still in school but he did ask me to pick up some books for him! (LOL)

Continue reading »]]> The tight end position for the Steelers is one of those things that every fan screams for more use of every year but we never seem to get our prayers answered. Each year we wonder if the offense will finally feature more use of the tight end in the redzone or on 3rd down, but deep down inside we know it’s not going to happen. It’s just not what the Steelers do.

Now with new offensive coordinator Todd Haley on the payroll, perhaps things will be different. Perhaps we’ll see Heath Miller in the back of the endzone more often or going after a jump ball in the corner. Newly acquired free agent Leonard Pope is a solid blocking back but he’s got good hands as well, and he’s familiar with Haley’s offensive philosophy. So who knows, maybe it will happen, maybe it won’t but the Steelers have some good talent at this position nonetheless.

Heath Miller: The unquestioned starter and one of Ben’s best safety valves. Miller is as good a blocker as they come and has very underrated skills in the passing game. He’s an ironman, as reliable as they get in the NFL at his position. Since coming to the team in 2005, Miller has missed only 4 regular season games. He had his 2nd best year in terms of receptions with 51 (in 2009 he had 76). Still though he only had 4 TD’s to his credit over the last 2 years.

The continued health of Miller will be important to the offense and for Ben Roethlisberger no matter what role he plays in the offense.

Leonard Pope: No one knows for sure if the aquisition of Pope was partly due to the suspension of Weslye Saunders or if the Steelers just wanted another productive body behind Miller; likely it’s a combination of both. At 6’6″, 250 lbs he’s got the size to be an effective blocker for the Steelers much like he was for the Chiefs; something Pittsburgh covets in a tight end. Since coming into the league in 2006 he has 102 receptions for 973 yds and 9 TD’s. While his production doesn’t equal that of Miller, he was clearly used in a similar role in both Kansas City and Arizona, which suggests that Haley could do the same in Pittsburgh. However, KC didn’t have the offensive firepower that the Steelers do so we can’t assume anything just yet. He’ll make the team as the primary backup to Miller.

David Johnson: The 7th round draft pick in 2009 has mainly been used as the FB in Bruce Arians’ offense. While finishing the year with just 12 catches, he did come up with some big 3rd down conversions on quick passes from Roethlisberger. Johnson signed his 1 yr tender from the team earlier this offseason and will be in the mix for the 3rd and likely final regular season roster spot. Johnson is a solid blocker and has done an admirable job fighting his way onto the roster each season, despite being a late round draftee. There are no guarantees for Johnson but his abilities as a FB might be the thing that ultimately secures him for another season.

Weslye Saunders: Undrafted free agent in 2011, Saunders was able to beat the odds and make the team as the 3rd TE. He finished the season with 4 catches for 29 yds. and 1 TD. Saunders is a huge target, 6’5″ 270 lbs, with good hands and speed. His off field issues in college caused him to drop out of the traditional 7 rounds last year, otherwise many projected him as a mid round prospect. He showed flashes in limited action last year and most assumed he would take the next step as Miller’s primary backup in 2012. His 4 game suspension to start the year after mistakingly taking an NFL banned substance could be a factor in whether or not he makes the team though. With the addition of Pope and the re-signing of David Johnson, Saunders will have an uphill battle to fight. Don’t count him out completely just yet however. If the Steelers believe his can stay on the straight and narrow, they could start the year with just Miller and Pope and then get Saunders involved after week 4.

David Paulson: The Steelers second of 4 picks in the 7th round this year, Paulson is known mainly for his receiving skills. He’s a bit on the small size compared to most NFL tight ends, 6’3″ 245 lbs so it remains to be seen if he can hold up in his blocking assignments that the Steelers will need him for. If he doesn’t make the final regular season roster he could be a candidate for the practice squad.

Jamie McCoy: This is his second year with the Steelers after spending part of 2010 on the Rams practice squad before being picked up by the Steelers and ultimately being on their PS last year. He’s a bit of an underdog by most standards but you can never underestimate what a guy trying hard to make the team might be able to do. The Steelers likely won’t keep more than 1 player at this position on their practice squad so both he and Paulson could end up in a battle to stay on the team.

In the end, and really the reality just based on what we know of how the Steelers operate,  the first 2 roster spots are all but locked up. Mike Tomlin will never openly admit things like this but both Heath Miller and Leonard Pope will be there in September. After that it’s really a battle to keep an eye on and see who wants it most. Johnson has the inside track at this point based on his role last year but it’s not a lock just yet. The team likely still has confidence Saunders to be effective after his suspension is over and he probably wouldn’t last on the practice squad very long.

Continue reading »]]> During the off-season, we at steeleraddicts are looking back at memorable moments in Steelers’ History as well as some we may not want to remember at all.

There are times when I think about it that it seems almost surreal. And to think that it was in 1996 makes it feel stranger and makes me feel older. Super Bowl XXX was surreal on a couple of levels because the Pittsburgh Steelers entered as such huge underdogs and because we pretty much outplayed the Dallas Cowboys throughout the game yet lost.

Ask anyone impartial who saw the game and they’ll tell you the 27-17 Dallas win was much closer than the final score indicated. The game also demonstrates how just one or two plays out of 130 or so a game can change the course of a team’s fate and certainly that of a player as well.

Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Neil O’Donnell was never going to be mistaken for the second coming of Johnny Unitas but he was strong-armed guy with pretty good accuracy who actually entered the game with the lowest interception per pass ratio in the National Football League that season.

It wasn’t much of a secret that O’Donnell was more than likely playing his last game as a Steeler because the money he was going to command in free agency was not going to be paid to him by the Rooney’s.  While he was offered a contract by the Steelers, he spurned it for more money and the bright lights and big city of New York as he signed to play with the Jets.

O’Donnell’s career in the Big Apple started with an 0-6 run, but to his credit, he would play well in spot duty later in his career with Tennessee backing up Steve McNair.

Right or wrong, O’Donnell will always be remembered by the Steelers Nation for his performance in Super Bowl XXX. While his final stat line would show three interceptions, (one was a hail mary to end the game) it of course is the other two that still make Steelers’ fans cringe when they see three X’s side-by-side.

Both O’Donnell throws were into the right flat and both found the waiting hands of Cowboys’ defensive back Larry Brown. For his part, Brown took his two ‘gifts’ and turned them into a Super Bowl MVP award and a nice free agent contract from the Oakland Raiders. As much as I want to put all of the blame on O’Donnell for those interceptions, I can’t. One? Absolutely, positively for sure was on him, but the other was all about miscommunication.

Young Steelers’ receiver Andre Hastings ran a slant when most believe he should have run an out route. The debate could be endless as to whether or not O’Donnell could have adjusted or should have never thrown the ball in the first place, but I have a hard time blaming him 100% on that one.

The sad fact is that O’Donnell helped get the Steelers to that game with a late scoring pass against the underdog Indianapolis Colts in the first place in the AFC Championship Game and when he retired he had the lowest interception ratio in NFL history per every 100 passes until it was broken recently by Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay. With that said, he will forever be remembered for those interceptions, both of which led to short touchdown drives for the Cowboys. The last of which took a tenuous three-point lead to ten and essentially shot down any chance the Steelers had of winning.

All day long the Steelers defense had bottled up Emmitt Smith and the dominant Cowboys’ running game and forced Dallas to pretty much become one dimensional. While the Pittsburgh offense wasn’t exactly on fire either, it was becoming more productive as the game wore on behind the passing of O’Donnell and the running of Bam Morris.

Steelers’ running back Eric Pegram said after the game, “We just gave away the Super Bowl.” Pegram wasn’t wrong and everyone knew it. Perhaps the biggest issue to get past was the fact that this was the first loss in five trips to the Super Bowl and it proved to be a tougher pill to swallow for Steelers’ fans than anyone might have imagined. Was it the loss? Was it how we lost? Or was it who we lost to? While it’s a combination of all three, you couldn’t fault any fan for siding with one issue over the other two.

Peyton Manning will always have his one Super Bowl title, but what clinched his only Super Bowl loss was poor communication between him and Reggie Wayne which resulted in Tracy Porter’s clinching interception return. I’m not suggesting that O’Donnell gets a pass by any stretch because quarterbacks have to take the blame for things they may not necessarily have a role in because that’s leadership, but was the Super Bowl XXX loss entirely on him? It will always be up for debate, unless of course your name is Larry Brown.

Continue reading »]]> Next up in our post draft position  analysis for the Steelers is the defensive line. A group that didn’t see much change via the draft in terms of numbers of players but this offseason has been anything but quiet for them. The DL is long known as the most important part of the Steelers 34 defense even though many think it’s the linebackers. For all the glory that guys like Harrison & Woodley get, if the big 3 grunts up front don’t do their job, there is literally no run defense to speak of. For a team that prides itself on the run, it’s imperative that this group always be at the top of their game because when they aren’t, bad things happen to the other 8 guys on the field from the steel city.

Changes started early for this group as long time reserve NT Chris Hoke retired earlier this offseason, a staple behind Casey Hampton for 11 years. Hoke was your lunch bucket player, a guy who everyone loved and just did his job every day without question and without complaint. We fans and the Steelers players will miss Hokie, maybe none more so than his best friend Casey Hampton.

So let’s see how things may shake out for the defensive line in 2012 since things came into focus a bit more from the draft.

 Steve McLendon:  Who would have thought that the the 3rd year player out of Troy would be in the mix to start this season? With the injury to Hoke, he got valuable experience backing up Hampton for the last quarter of the season. When Casey went down in the Broncos game, McLendon was the only healthy NT on the roster at the time and filled in admirably under the lights of such a big stage as the playoffs.

Defensive line coach John Mitchell feels that McLendon is a capable player, stating last year and this year after the draft that we need to wait and see what he can really do. A bit undersized for a traditional NT, 6’3″ 280 lbs yet he plays with good power and has a solid base. All he needs is experience, which he’ll definitely get in 2012 regardless of whether he starts or not. Stevie spoke very highly of Chris Hoke and was clearly upset when his mentor went down and ultimately hung up his cleats. That experience and knowledge he gained should serve him well this year. Logic would tell you that he’ll get the start in September and then see how things progress as the year goes on. He’s got a chance though and that experience will give him an edge in the competition for the starting job.

Alameda Ta’amu: The 4th round, potential steal, of the 2012 draft for the Steelers. A skyscraper of a man at 6’7″ 343 lbs as of the rookie mini camp a few weeks back, he’s definitely got the physical tools to be the next stud NT for the Steelers for years to come. You don’t normally see rookies come in and start though in a Dick Lebeau defense unless injuries force the coaches hand. You like to see them sit for a year or so and learn before taking on the responsibility of starting in Blitzburgh. Things have changed though, a changing of the guard if you will. In the past there was no way any rookie was going to unseat guys like Hampton, or Aaron Smith. With one injured and the other released it’s not out of the realm of possibility for a guy like Ta’amu to see more field time than in years past. Partly because of the reason we just mentioned but also because he might just turn out to be good enough to do so. We shouldn’t expect Ta’amu to start out of the gate but we shouldn’t be shocked if he does either.

Most media “experts” seem to think Ta’amu will barely see the field this year. I respectfully disagree 100% with that. You should see him on the field this year and you will. If things pan out the way some think, myself included, Ta’amu could be starting by midseason.

Brett Keisel: The bearded beast himself came off a solid 2011 season and while he’s no spring chicken he’s certainly got several more years left in the tank. He’ll be a staple again at his DE position for the coming year again. Keisel finished up last year with 3 sacks, 6 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles, and 33 tackles. Those are pretty solid stats for a defensive lineman in Pittsburgh who usually makes his living hogging up blockers for the linebackers. Da Beard has some good pass rush skills though too and considering his size, 6’5″ 285 lbs, he’s got a quick first step that enables him to blow up running plays in the backfield and bat down passes at the line.  As long as he stays healthy (missed 2 games last season), the defensive line will be in good hands on his side.

Ziggy Hood: Coming into his 4th year, Hood has been a bit of an underachiever by many fans standards. He started 9 games in 2010 and 7 in 2011, both in relief of the now departed Aaron Smith. When he didn’t start he was mainly a role player in the defensive line rotation, seeing spot duty each week but never a consistent starter for an entire season. He’ll get his chance now, as #91′s position is now all his for the taking. He finished last season with 1.5 sacks and 23 tackles. Hood does his job on the defensive line and has improved according to his coaches but we’d all like to see him really take the next step and be a consistent force in both the run and pass game. To his credit, he may not always make the play but he’s got a knack of getting in the backfield and forcing the runner to change direction,which is exactly what you want to see. Hood is future of the Steelers line, as long as he keeps progressing each year he should earn a new contract after the 2014 season.

Cameron Heyward:  The lockout in 2011 really hindered the development of all the rookies, including 2011 1st rounder Cam Heyward. It’s hard enough learning an NFL defense when you have an entire offseason, much less just a few weeks before you’re thrown to the wolves. Heyward backed up both Hood and Keisel last season but primarily played on special teams and in the defensive rotation behind the starters. He did have 13 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass defense but more importantly he got valuable experience. During training camp and in spot duty during the regular season he displayed flashes of brute strength and power, tossing lineman aside like ragdolls at times. This is a big year for Heyward and he’ll continue to see limited time behind the starters but with an entire season under his belt now and a full offseason ahead we should see significant increases in his production.

Casey Hampton: this offseason is one of recovery for Hampton, after successful surgery to repair a torn ACL sustained in the wildcard round in Denver was performed earlier this offseason. There is no timetable for his return. It’s likely he’ll be on the PUP list to start the season. You might think that recovering from an ACL injury would be longer than normal for such a big guy like Casey. That’s not necessarily the case though, with today’s procedures and rehab it’s not out of the realm of possibility for the Big Snack to recover sooner than the normal 9-12 months. Still though to be safe you figure that he’ll be sidelined to start the year. The Steelers restructured his contract before the draft so he figures to remain on the final 53 man roster. NT was a concern all along this offseason since his injury and the retirement of Chris Hoke, prompting the drafting of Ta’amu in the 4th round.  Normally the Steelers keep 3 NT’s on the roster, 2 active on gameday.  Assuming that McLendon and Ta’amu are the primary players at the nose, the team can afford to let Hampton go on the PUP for the first 6 weeks and then see how things are. Either way this figures to be the final season for the big man so hopefully he can go out in style.

In summary, it’s going to be hard for guys like Al Woods, Mike Blanc, Jake Stoller, Kade Weston, Corbin Bryant, or   Ikponmwosa Igbinosun to make the final roster.  However, at least one of them, possibly two, figure to make the practice squad. The Steelers defensive line hasn’t been the healthiest group in the world over the years, so having quality depth will be key to the success of the run defense especially.