With less than a week before the start of NFL free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been busy trying to lock up the players they must retain in order to be competitive next season.

Of course, the big (in more ways than one) name of the bunch is nose tackle Casey Hampton.  A five time Pro Bowler, Big Snack is arguably the best NT in all of football.  In the 3-4 defense favored by Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau, the nose tackle is doubly important.  If you don’t have a fatass up the middle to clog up running lanes and occupy two linemen so the linebackers can shoot the gaps, you’re in major trouble.

With more and more teams copying the Steelers by switching to a 3-4, the premium on high quality prototypical NTs is at an all time high.  Luckily, teams have a Franchise tag which would’ve been slapped on Hampton faster than doughboy can clean out a buffet.  Recognizing the situation, both sides have chosen to reach a compromise.  Early this morning, Hampton and the Steelers compromised to the tune of a three year/$21 million dollar deal.

It’s a good deal for both sides.  Hampton’s 33 and grossly obese so I’m guessing three more years is probably the outside limit of how many more quality seasons he has left.   Of course, 2009 saw him set career highs in terms of tackles and forced fumbles.  Then again, he was playing for a new contract and we all know how that goes.  However, considering the Steelers have no viable replacement waiting in the wings, allowing Hampton to reach free agency would’ve been an unmitigated disaster.  Had they used the Franchise tag, his 2010 salary would’ve been about $7 million.  So they basically paid what they were going to pay anyway without worrying about getting into a bidding war with 31 other teams.

Signing Big Snack leaves only two players on Director of Player Personnel Kevin Colbert‘s wish list:  Ryan Clark and Skippy Reed.  Thanks to that senile old coot Al Davis throwing kicker contracts totally out of whack, the Steelers couldn’t reach a deal with Jeff Reed by this afternoon.   So instead he’s the one who’s been nabbed with the Franchise tag.  Yes, you read that right.  Skippy Reed is YOUR Franchise player.

And as anybody who saw kickers shank chip shot after chip shot in this year’s playoffs will attest, it’s a smart move.  Good teams need a dependable kicker (even one that tackles like a little girl).   Since the difference in salary between a Franchised kicker and a Transition tagged one is only about $300,000, there was no reason not to use it on Skippy.  I’m sure the female members of Steeler Nation will rest easier at night now that they know they’ll have their favorite piece of man candy roaming the sidelines for at least one more year.

Which leaves us with Ryan Clark.  The Steelers have said they want to re-sign him but won’t use either tag to do it.  Obviously they like him but only so much.  I’m guessing Colbert realizes, much like we all did, that Troy makes everybody in the secondary look better than they are.   Since Clark already knows LeBeau’s complicated defense, it’d be nice to keep him.   But they aren’t going to break the bank over it.   Frankly, I couldn’t care less if he stays or if he goes.  Remember, the Steelers brought him in as a cheap no-name when their starting safety Chris Hope priced himself out of their range.   I would shed no tears if history were to repeat itself.

The 2009 Pro Bowl rosters were announced yesterday.  A grand total of two Pittsburgh Steelers were selected to the team.  James Harrison was named a starter, his third selection in as many years.  Casey Hampton was chosen as a reserve NT (behind the Ravens’ Haloti Ngata) marking his fifth appearance in the NFL’s annual all-star game.

As is usually the case with the Pro Bowl, it’s more interesting to talk about who didn’t make it than those who did.

Nobody was selected from the Steeler offense.  Remember, this is first time in franchise history that they have a 4,000 yard passer, two 1,000 yard recievers, and a 1,000 yard rusher all in the same season.  Not to mention Heath Miller, who has long been one of the best TEs in the game but is currently having the finest year of his career.  When you pile up those kind of statistics, one would think somebody should get Pro Bowl recognition.

Even though Hines Ward currently has roughly the same stats as Pro Bowl reserve Brandon Marshall, I can understand him not making the team.  His fellow players consider him “dirty” and in a popularity contest like this, his grittiness hurts his chances.  The same cannot be said of Santonio Holmes.  Coming off his Super Bowl MVP performance, many thought this would be ‘Tone’s breakout year.   I’m not sure I’d go that far but he’s currently tied for third in the NFL in total receiving yardage.  What really separates him is that of the top ten receivers, he’s third in average yards per catch.  I’d say that’s slightly more impressive than Wes Welker’s uncanny ability to catch ten 3 yard passes per game.

The other omission I’m sure will cause much agita among Steeler Nation is the snubbing of Ben Roethlisberger.  This one’s a little bit difficult for me because I really don’t see any argument for including him unless you think the Super Bowl winning QB should make the team by default.  He’s eighth in total yardage and his 23/12 TD-to-INT ratio isn’t very good.  Big Ben also suffers by playing in the same conference as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.  It’s hard to put Ben on the team ahead of two of the greatest QBs in NFL history.  The only one you could quibble with is the third QB, Philip Rivers.  However, Rivers has a fantastic 27/9 ratio and his team has won twelve games this year.

Regardless, there are a ton of dropouts every season since everybody wants chosen for the Pro Bowl (due to contract incentives) but nobody wants to actually play in it.  Since the NFL stupidly moved it out of Hawaii, I’d imagine there will be even less desire to attend this year.  So of course I’m sure another Steeler or two will make the team before all is said and done.  Although being added because somebody else didn’t want to come is kinda like being the last kid picked in kickball.

Well, that didn’t take long.

A little more than twenty-four hours into the Pittsburgh Steelers 2008 training camp, two key members of the defense found themselves placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list. This means they are not officially part of the roster, not permitted to work out with the team, and if they remain on the list at the end of camp, they would not be allowed to play until the sixth game of the regular season.

NT Casey Hampton was placed on the list for basically being a fatass. Yes, shocking as it may seem, the player nicknamed “Big Snack” reported to camp a tad overweight. By a tad, I’m guessing about forty pounds. Get Dan Marino on the phone, pronto. Hook a brother up with some NutriSystem, Danny.

Hampton was unable to complete the first day running drills and Coach Mike Tomlin disgustedly booted him from practice until he’s in physically better shape. Hampton’s argument is running has nothing to do with playing football. Okay, big fella. Sorry to break it to you but part of the reason our run defense was repeatedly gashed during the tail end of last season probably had something to do with conditioning. I also hate to break it to you but despite making the Pro Bowl (when other players bowed out), you didn’t have that good a year. In prior seasons, Hampton was a force, making tackles, disrupting plays, and occasionally creating pressure up the middle. Last year, he mostly did nothing but occupy space.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, All-Pro Safety Troy Polamalu did complete the first day running drills. Unfortunately, this lead to him spending the next day with his leg wrapped like an extra from the next Mummy movie. Polamalu, who is the highest paid defensive player in Steeler history, had an injury-riddled year in 2007. From a partial PCL tear to an abdominal strain, his play suffered greatly while he battled injury after injury. Yes, he was named to the Pro Bowl but it was an undeserved honor based mainly on reputation as Polamalu will be the first to admit he didn’t have the interceptions, quarterback pressures/sacks, or general level of play which is expected of him.

Amazingly, despite injuries to key players, the Steelers still had the #1 ranked defense in the NFL. This is a bit misleading, though, as after DE Aaron Smith went down, our run defense which hadn’t allowed a 100 yard rusher in like two years allowed two 100 yard rushers in the same game. And our pass defense, despite having perhaps the best trio of cover corners in the league, simply didn’t create any turnovers.

For Blitzburgh to reverse both those trends in 2008, Hampton and Polamalu will need to work through their issues and be physically ready to go by week one. With the slate of offenses we’re scheduled to face this season, we’re going to need them.