Steelers Morning Huddle 8/7/2013

Huddle up!

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

It’s a game week for the Steelers and here’s what’s being said around the block.  The Steelers just finished their CBA-mandated Tuesday off-day and are heading into game week mode once they return to the practice fields at Saint Vincent College.

Steelers depth chart for Giants game released

The Steelers released their first game notes of the 2013 season and with them came our first look at the depth chart since camp opened.  Now before you get too excited about the return of Steelers football, please remember the first preseason game will show the starters for most likely the first series and that’s it.  However, we will get to look at some of the rookies as well as the position changes for the first time Saturday night.  Rookie QB Landry Jones is listed as 4^th string on the depth chart behind John Parker Wilson.  Ben will most likely play a series and Bruce Gradkowski might play another series before Parker Wilson will step in and then we’ll eventually get to see Jones.  Mike Adams is listed as LT with Marcus Gilbert moving over to RT.  The two have been swapping positions the last few practices.  Steelers Depot runs down the rest of the changes and they have tweeted a very convenient version of the depth chart so we can all follow at home.

Mad Coach Tomlin

Coach Tomlin and his hard-hitting practices have been all the talk lately.  See Craig’s post yesterday about Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio’s criticism of Tomlin’s approach to training camp this year.  The Steelers are practicing longer, are having more live-tackling drills, and the Steelers are practicing in pads longer this season than ever before.  What’s the reason behind all this action in training camp?  If you ask Mike Tomlin it’s because of the large number of young players and position battles going on this season.  If you ask WR Emmanuel Sanders, it’s because Coach Tomlin is mad.  Tomlin told Alan Robinson of the Trib,

"“We’re all mad about 8-8 last season.”"

Good.  I’m glad.  They should be mad.  Tomlin should be pissed at himself as well as the team, those players that remain from the 2012 squad.  They should be mad throughout this season about how poorly the 2012 Steelers were from top to bottom.  The Steelers were coached by an 8-8 coaching staff and the Steelers contributed an 8-8 performance on the field.  Unacceptable.  I hope they play the entire season with that chip on their shoulders.  In the NFL if you stay hungry, you stay fed.

Alameda Ta’amu activated from PUP list

The Steelers activated NT Alameda Ta’amu Monday afternoon and he’s listed 3^rd on the depth chart for Saturday’s first preseason game.  This move still surprises me.  How this guy is still on the roster is a mystery to me.  Ta’amu spent his rookie season mostly dealing with legal issues stemming from a drunken night on the South Side that resulted in him pleading guilty to three counts of recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest and driving under the influence.  Ta’amu is serving 18 months probation for the crimes.  I can’t imagine that Ta’amu possess some mind-blowing talent at NT that would justify the Steelers giving him a second chance.  Actually, it’s not a second chance for him.  Ta’amu had a DUI conviction while in college.  So he’s no stranger to driving drunk and having his football team fail to give him any consequences.  The Steelers did suspend him for 2 weeks last season but that hardly seems like punishment.  Why keep Ta’amu on the roster when Casey Hampton is out there with nothing going on?  I realize Hampton is no spring chicken but he’s been a solid NT for years and the only thing he’s ever wrecked was probably an all-you-can-eat buffet.  Just seems to be a very odd move by the organization to keep Ta’amu.  I guess we should see if he makes the 53 man roster before we get all bent out of shape about it though.  But still, Hampton is available, just saying.

Built for Training with Ramon Foster and Mike Golic Jr.

The first episode of the NFL.com series “Built for Training” featuring 3 rookies and their veteran mentors’ training camp experience was released yesterday.  Foster describes how it feels to enter camp as a starter and fifth year veteran after previously coming to Latrobe as an undrafted rookie free agent, which Golic Jr. is now.  Golic introduces us to his humble dorm room at camp which is probably a far cry from the accommodations that a player like Ramon Foster gets.  The next episode in the series promises to showcase the rookies’ first practice of camp.  You can watch the latest episode here.

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