They always say “You can’t go home again.”

Evidently the Pittsburgh Steelers scoff at that philosophy.  For the second time since free agency started, the Steelers have brought back one of their ex-players. This time, it’s linebacker Larry Foote, who signed a three year/$9.3 million contract yesterday.  Since free agency as we know it went into effect about fifteen years ago, the Steelers have always adopted the Godfather-like stance of once you leave the family, you’re dead to them.

Now all of a sudden, they bring back not one former player but two.

The irony in saying “you can’t go home again” is that Foote spent last year with his hometown team, the Detroit Lions.  And by all accounts, he was miserable there.  Having spent his entire career with the Steelers, he had grown accustomed to being on a winning team and that was evidently his sole goal this offseason.  Despite being wooed by the Cardinals and Redskins, Foote was big enough to admit forcing his release last year was a big mistake and return to the team that drafted him in 2002.

Equally big were the Steelers, who by bringing him back also signaled that they had made a mistake in releasing him.  I wrote numerous times last year that it would’ve been nice to still have Foote on the roster and once again I’ve been proven correct.   Our once steady inside linebacking corps sucked last year.  James Farrior finally began showing his age, slowing noticeably especially when it came to coverage.  Lawrence Timmons, a former first round pick, is fast and athletic but small and easily pushed around.  He was terrible when it came to run defense.

Which is why Foote played in the base defense with Timmons only coming in during passing situations back in 2008.   To be fair, Timmons played all of last year with ankle problems so I’m sure the Steelers are going to blame that for his failures.   I’d imagine Timmons will go into next year as the starter with Foote waiting in the wings should he again prove not up to the task.  At only 29 years old, Foote could also be groomed to replace Farrior at some point.   The problem with that is Farrior is the guy who calls the defensive signals and makes sure everybody is in the proper alignment so if they want to replace him, Dick LeBeau will need to make sure somebody else is able to do that job.

According to football operations director Kevin Colbert, this marks the end of the Steelers free agency spending frenzy.   Focus will now shift to the draft which is a little over a month away.  While I would’ve liked to see a good quality offensive lineman brought in, overall I think these moves have made the team stronger and deeper than last year.  Hopefully that translates to on-field improvement, as well.

She’s a klutz.

That is the gist of the defense offered by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the hours immediately after being accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old coed in Milledgeville, Georgia.

In a fantastic piece of investigative reporting, KDKA somehow obtained knowledge of the statement Ben gave the police when questioned in the early morning hours after the alleged assault occurred.   This report gives us our first concrete facts about what happened in that Georgia night club.  Unfortunately, it also raises a lot more questions than it answers.   And it also paints a picture of events which, if true, are far more disturbing than any of us could have imagined.

We now know why this case is being termed a “sexual assault” rather than a rape.  Ben admits to being with her in the bathroom of the club where “contact” happened.  And by “contact,” he means some sort of sexual activity ensued.  However, he states the sexual act was not consummated.  Why it didn’t go to completion, we do not know.  But this would explain why this case isn’t being termed a rape.

It’s the old Bill Clinton defense where a man does something of an obviously inappropriate sexual nature yet throws up his hands and claims innocence because penetration never occurred.   But wait, just when you thought Pig Ben couldn’t be any bigger of a douche, things get even worse.

We also learned why the poor victim was rushed to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning.   Evidently, she suffered a significant head injury while in the bathroom with him.   Ben’s explanation for this is “she slipped and fell” thus explaining the bump on her noggin.  This is the the kind of excuse a nine-year-old boy uses when he smacks his brother with a Tonka truck and then his mother demands to know why the kid is crying.  In other words, only a functional retard would use this as an explanation and only a complete moron would believe it.

The bottom line is we are now given a story against which the victim’s allegations can be tested.  If witnesses (at least those not on Ben’s payroll) can confirm she slipped, Ben is vindicated.  If they can’t, he’s in huge trouble.  This would explain the need to interview so many witnesses.   One person who evidently won’t be interviewed is Willie Colon, who was part of Ben’s group that night.   In an obvious attempt to distance himself from the sinking ship that is Ben’s future, Willie’s agent issued an emphatic statement distancing his client from the sexual predator he blocks for.

Another interesting development in the case is the fact the police evidently acquired some sort of DNA evidence off the victim which they hope to match against Big Ben’s little swimmers.  While it now seems to be a fact that sexual activity did occur, the presence and location of DNA found on the victim could prove extremely damning.  When you paint a picture of a petite young coed alone in a bathroom with a hulking imbecile and the end result being her leaving the bathroom in hysterics with a head injury and his sperm on her body, the image of Roethlisberger quickly goes from him being your typical scumbag jock to a whole new level of human filth.

Of course, the Georgia investigators have not had a chance to re-interview Ben or obtain a sample of his DNA because his weasel lawyer is stalling them.  Yep, that’s totally what an innocent man would do.  By the way, Ben’s lawyer, Ed Garland, also took to KDKA to give a propaganda filled interview to the people of Pittsburgh.    Sorry, Ed, us Pittsburghers are too smart to fall for your line of  bullshit as evidenced by the fact our local radio station is claiming that true Steeler fans are uniting almost 100% against Ben. (Fast forward to the five minute mark)

Garland, it should be noted, was the man who represented Pacman Jones when he started a shoot out at a strip club and also was the guy who got Ray Lewis off of murder charges when he and his posse stabbed two people to death outside a night club on the eve of the Super Bowl.   In other words, Garland isn’t the type of lawyer a falsely accused man hires to prove his innocence.

He’s the type of lawyer a guilty man hires to make sure he gets away with it.

While the investigation down in Georgia continues, the Pittsburgh Steelers have thankfully made some news which doesn’t involve the sexual predator standing behind center.  In a surprising departure from their usual method of doing business, the front office has gone on an unprecedented wave of free agent spending in the past twenty-four hours. While none of these acquisitions are either marquee players or pricey big ticket items, it’s still a notable change from pretty much every other off-season when the team would wait until the market had dried up and then picked through whatever leftovers they could find.

The most notable signing is that of Ryan Clark.  I’ll admit to not expecting him back once he hit the open market but it appears he had a change of heart (or the money he was expecting to be offered wasn’t there after all).   He has accepted a four year, $14 million contract which is far from the $6 million he would’ve made had the Steelers placed one of their tags on him.  So it looks like they got him for the price they wanted all along.

While I don’t believe Clark is anything more than average, it’s hard to take issue with this move.  I would’ve let him walk if his contract demands were ludicrous but at $3 million a year he’s almost a bargain.  There aren’t any decent replacements available via free agency and Ryan Mundy has shown he’s not starter quality.  Meanwhile, even if the Steelers are able to take one of the top safeties in this year’s draft, rookies never see significant playing time for Dick LeBeau.

The Steelers also signed another safety, Will Allen.   Allen spent his entire six year career with Tampa Bay, where he was originally under the tutelage of secondary coach Mike Tomlin.  Allen started sporadically for the Bucs, entering last season as the starter before losing the final half of the year to a hand injury.  Allen will probably serve as the primary back-up to Clark with his greatest value coming on special teams.   Allen is fantastic coverage “gunner” who was even selected as a first alternate to the Pro Bowl for his special teams work.   Maybe we’ll actually be able to cover kicks this season.

Another newcomer to the Steelers is WR Arnaz Battle.  Battle had five receptions last season for the 49ers and a grand total of 11 touchdowns over his eight year career.  The key number when it comes to Battle is his height:  6′1.  The Steelers always want to have at least one large target among the WR corps and it looks like Battle is going to be that guy.  The obvious message you can read into this is that the days of Limas Sweed dropping passes in the black and gold appear to be rapidly coming to an end.

Finally, the Steelers have also re-signed our long lost gadget play specialist, Antwaan Randle El.   After throwing the game winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl XL, Randle El cashed in on his sudden fame by accepting a $31 million contract from the buffoon out in Washington D.C.    Despite leading the ‘Skins in yardage and catches last year, Randle El was cut as part of a team wide housecleaning by new head coach Mike Shanahan.  Although he started for the Steelers, Randle El was always best used as a third down possession-type receiver and as a return man.   Stefan Logan did well on kick returns but had problems as a punt returner so I’d imagine Randle El will be given those duties next season.

And, hey, he was a starting quarterback back in college where he was the first player in Division I history to pass for 40 career touchdowns and score 40 career rushing touchdowns.  If worst comes to worst, maybe he can move back.

There’s an old saying:  Once is a fluke, twice is a pattern.

For the second time in less than a year, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is being accused of sexual assault.   Yesterday afternoon, TMZ broke the story of Big Ben’s involvement in an incident which occurred at a nightclub in Milledgeville, Georgia.  The story has since been reported by the national media after being confirmed by the Georgia police.  The alleged victim, a 20-year-old female student from Georgia College & State University, was treated and released from the hospital on Friday morning.

The Steelers say they are currently “gathering facts on the incident.”  Meanwhile, Ben’s weasel agent released a statement where they took the high road by launching a preemptive attack on the victim by saying, “Obviously, given the prior accusation against Ben, we are skeptical of motive, but we will continue to cooperate with everyone involved.” Ben was evidently interviewed by the police some time Friday afternoon.   No charges have been filed as of yet.

The details of the night in question are still a bit hazy at this point. What seems to be clear is Ben and “a group of friends” (including teammate Willie Colon apparently) started the night drinking heavily at a bar called “The Brick” until about 1:30 a.m.   They then moved on to another club, Capital City, where the incident allegedly occurred. Roethlisberger’s accuser claims she was in the ladies room when Ben entered and proceeded to assault her.

As with the Andrea McNulty case, I’ll withhold final judgement until more details emerge.  But I think this incident firmly establishes once and for all that what I’ve been saying all along is absolutely true:  Ben Roethlisberger is a dick.

Using simple logic, the female student wouldn’t go to the hospital seeking treatment unless there was some sort of physical proof she had been with Ben.  So even if we are to believe Ben’s weasel agent’s inference that this woman is a lying skank who is trying to cash in on having sex with Ben, we are still left with the fact that Ben spent the night getting hammered and then banged a groupie in the ladies restroom.  Great behavior there, Ben.   You make Skippy look like a choir boy.

And of course if this allegation is true, then you have to take another look at the McNulty case.  Sure the woman seems to be a little off her rocker but being weird doesn’t automatically make you a liar.   Honestly, the fact the vast majority of his Steeler teammates can’t stand this idiot should’ve been a red flag from the get-go.  When a person of such outstanding character as Hines Ward dislikes you, that should tell you something.  Regardless of the outcome of either sexual assault allegation, Ben Roethlisberger has once again brought disgrace to himself, his profession, and most importantly to the Steelers organization.

The start of the NFL’s second season is less than twenty four hours away.  With Big Snack Hampton and Skippy Reed locked up, the Pittsburgh Steelers have protected their most valuable assets from reaching free agency.  Beyond that, you’ll probably read a number of rumors in the coming weeks about the Steelers being interested in this player or that one.  Don’t believe them.  The Steelers always follow the same pattern during the offseason.  Namely, they sign the guys they deem irreplaceable before they become free agents and then they sit back and pick through the low priced leftovers after all the “name” players have signed elsewhere.

The lone exception being one of their own players who they’d like to keep but couldn’t reach a contract agreement with in time.  Last year, they retained Chris Kemoeatu after he hit the open market.  Although that was a very fortunate stroke of luck because the Jets offered him more money.  Still, Director of Player Personnel Kevin Colbert has said that the team intends to stick to a self-imposed salary cap despite this being an uncapped year.  So don’t expect the team to break their long standing practice of avoiding costly bidding wars no matter who it is.

Let’s look at the Steelers free agents and discuss their outlook for the future.

First, the restricted free agents.  Players in this category are without a contract for 2010.  The Steelers can offer them whatever they’d like.  Any other team can offer them more but the Steelers have the right to match.  If they decline to match, they would get a draft pick roughly equal to where that player was drafted.

OT Willie Colon – Was issued a $2.5 million tender offer.  Which means the team would get a 1st round draft pick if he’s signed by another team.  How the Steelers determined this guy was worth that much money is beyond me because he was one of our worst OL last season.   He must have pictures of Mike Tomlin naked with a lampshade on his head or something.

RB Carey Davis - Was not tendered a contract for 2010, making him an unrestricted free agent.  HALLELUJAH!  Davis has added absolutely nothing to the team for two seasons now yet keeps coming back much like a cockroach after a nuclear holocaust.  Hopefully he stays gone for good this time.

DB Willie Gay- Tendered a $1 million contract.   I believe you all know how much I utterly despise this guy but the Steelers are so thin at CB they really had no choice but to keep him around.

P Daniel Sepulveda – Tendered a $1 million contract.  The Steelers spent a fairly high draft pick on him (4th rounder) hoping he’d become an elite punter.  He’s not really lived up to those expectations but would you rather have Mitch Berger?

TE Matt Spaeth – Tendered a $1 million contract.  I guess he didn’t piss away his chances with the Steelers after all.

G Darnell Stapleton – Not tendered a contract, making him an unrestricted free agent.  This one is a bit of a surprise as Stapler started most of the year for the 2008 Super Bowl winning team.  He missed all of last year to a knee injury and was replaced by Trai Essex, who was average to below average most of the year.  Not that Stapleton was headed to the Pro Bowl any time soon.  I can only guess that the knee isn’t recovering like they hoped so the Steelers decided to cut their losses.

Now on to the unrestricted free agents:

S Ryan Clark - Clark has taken to the media in recent days to whine about being stuck behind Heath Miller, Justin Hartwig, Brett Keisel, Casey Hampton, and Jeff Reed when it comes to receiving a new contract.   Hey Ryan, wanna know why?  Because they don’t suck.  Amazing how overinflated this guy’s ego is.  It’s like he doesn’t realize that I could play safety back there with Troy and look like an All-Pro.

In any case, the Steelers refused to tag him which would’ve paid him $6 million next year.  So that clearly tells you they feel his value to the team is worth significantly less than that.  The only worry at this point is the depth behind Clark is pretty weak with Ty Carter also a free agent and Ryan Mundy looking completely inept.  My gut feeling is they’ll resign Carter, who’ll come rather cheaply, and then let Clark walk for a bigger contract.

RB Willie Parker – I’m a Fast Willie fan.  How could you not love the guy who broke open Super Bowl XL?  Despite this, I have a feeling his days as a Steeler are numbered.  His repeated assertion is that he wants a chance to start and he’s not going to start here with Mendy looking very much like a future superstar.

What complicates things is the market for veteran running backs has suddenly become pretty deep.  Brian Westbrook, Ladainian Tomlinson, and Thomas Jones have all been released in recent days.  Running backs have become the NFL equivalent of a thoroughbred race horse.  The minute they pull up lame, they’re shipped off the glue factory.

Between a glut of broken down former Pro Bowlers and a draft that appears to have a good half dozen or so excellent prospects, I wonder how much of a market there will be for Fast Willie.   That’s why I think there’s an outside chance he re-signs with the Steelers, who don’t really have a decent backup beyond Mewelde Moore on the roster.  If he’s willing to take a Bettis-like minimal contract with incentives to provide insurance for Mendy, I can see him returning.  But if he’s expecting starter money or a starting opportunity, then his days in the black and gold are over.

QB Charlie Batch – I don’t know why Charlie didn’t retire after the season and take over the open QB coach spot that was available after the retirement of Ken Anderson.  Anyway, Dennis Dixon showed he’s ready for prime time.  He’ll be the #2 guy next season.  Batch will probably take a bare minimum contract and spend another season holding a clipboard as the team’s #3 emergency QB.

S Tyrone Carter – As noted above, his situation is probably affected by what happens with Ryan Clark.  If they re-sign Clark, I’d imagine Carter becomes expendable with Mundy as the apparent backup.   If they lose Clark, I can’t imagine going into the season with Mundy as the only option at FS.  Carter actually played decently when he was back there with Troy so I wouldn’t be that unhappy with him as a low cost insurance policy until the team can draft a safety-of-the-future.

DE Nick Eason and Travis Kirschke – These guys are older than dirt but both played well in relief of the injured Aaron Smith last season.  Kirschke was hampered by injuries himself but had a few outstanding games.   Eason looked good at times, as well.   2009 first rounder Ziggy Hood is obviously going to be the primary backup so one or the other is probably gone.   Personally, I’d keep Kirschke since he played a little better but I don’t think there’ll be a bidding war over either player so the Steelers can just sit back and re-sign whichever they want on the cheap.

CB Deshea Townsend - Deshea took over the starting CB duties from Will.i.am toward the end of last season.   He did a little better (then again, you’d have to be playing on a wooden leg to do worse) but he was far from an ideal starter.  With rookies Joe Burnett and Keenan Lewis entering their second year, there is hope one of them steps up.  Plus Gay is perfectly acceptable as a nickel DB.  Which doesn’t even take into account what the team might get in the draft.

Add it up and I don’t see where Deshea fits into the future plans.  There has been talk of him moving to Safety, which I don’t really see.  He’s never struck me as a particularly sure tackler nor a physical presence so I don’t see how that move would work.  Deshea feels he has the ability to still be a starter in the NFL which is either wildly delusional or a great negotiating tactic.  My feeling is he’ll be gone next season.

Feel free to discuss the wild and wooly NFL free agency season in the comments.