Steelers Morning Huddle 2/5/2014
By Kim Myers
October 7, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) calls a play in the huddle against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Steelers season goes all year long so whether we’re looking ahead to the start of free agency, predicting the possible draft choices, or looking around for mentions of your Black & Gold we’ve got you covered. Here’s what’s being said about your Pittsburgh Steelers around the block.
Steelers by position, TE
Bob Labriola of the Steelers Digest is breaking down the Steelers by position, before free agency opens. In this edition he covers the tight ends. The two unrestricted free agents will be David Johnson and Michael Palmer. If you’re wondering who Michael Palmer is, that’s probably the best indication on whether or not the Steelers will be extending an offer to keep him on the roster. The bright spot at TE obviously was Heath Miller, who returned from his ACL injury faster than humanly possible. This is definitely one position in which the Steelers can unquestionably use some better depth. Possible draft pick?
Former players have high praise for Munchak
Ray Fittipaldo of the PPG spoke to some of the former players that new OL Coach Mike Munchak coached when he was with the Tennessee Titans. One of his former players, Justin Hartwig, is also a former Steeler. Hartwig was the starting center for the Super Bowl XLIII Championship team. Both he and former Titans TE Frank Wycheck think the match of the Steelers offensive line and Munchak is a good one. Munchak runs a zone blocking scheme, which he’s had some success with (see careers of Eddie George and Chris Johnson) and which the Steelers had a disastrous experience with implementing last season. Munchak himself is also a HOFer offensive lineman and pretty much has an impeccable reputation, offensive line-wise. We all remember how the Steelers implemented the zone blocking scheme under Jack Bicknell Jr but abandoned it quickly after ironically starting center Maurkice Pouncey was injured for the season on a bad cut-block by teammate David DeCastro in the first game of the season against Munchak’s Titans.
Cold-weather NFL owners lobbying to host future Super Bowls already
Well that didn’t take long. Since the first ever outdoor cold-weather Super Bowl went off without a hitch, of course if your ignoring the horrific stories of travel to and from the game and the monster winter storm that stranded thousands in the city the day after the game, NFL owners from cold-weather cities are all over throwing their team in the ring to be the next city to host. As Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports explains, the Super Bowl host cities are already determined through 2017 and the 2018 field of cities is between Indy, Minneapolis and New Orleans so owners of teams like the Patriots, Eagles, and Chicago are already lobbying to host. Dan Snyder, owner of the Redskins is also lobbying to be a Super Bowl host city, because of course he is. Wilson says that Pittsburgh would be ruled out because they have fewer than 30,000 hotel rooms in the city. As I said yesterday though, I think they’d be fine with hotel rooms if they considered just outside the city as possible hotel rooms.
What do you think Steeler Nation? Do you think the Steelers will be drafting a tight end? What are your thoughts on Munchak trying to implement the zone blocking after it failed under Bicknell Jr? Would you want Pittsburgh to lobby for a Super Bowl bid?
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