Huddle up guys!
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders apparently had some time to kill and didn’t mind losing a few brain cells by joining Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless in a football discussion on ESPN First Take yesterday.  Those two guys are about as credible to analyze and discuss football as a used sponge and a wad of gum are.  The ridiculous duo attempted to goat Sanders into showing signs of worry with regards to everything from Ben Roethlisberger’s knee injury to the youth on the offensive line and Sanders held his own quite well according to Steeler Depot’s summary of the spot.

Sanders was full of optimism about everything from Ben’s recovery, to the o-line and the OTAs that just wrapped up.  And he has every reason to be.  First off, it’s June.  Second, it’s June.  Of course the OTAs went well, its football in shorts.

You can watch the clip of Sanders on ESPN First Take right here.

And of course Ben is going to be fine, he’s Ben Roethlisberger.  If his knee isn’t healed by the time the season starts do you really think he just wouldn’t play?  Yes, Ben has had some kind of surgery every offseason of his career, he’s got injuries on top of injuries but in nine seasons the man has missed a total of 11 games.  He’s gonna play hurt and there’s not a whole lot we can do about it.  I’m glad the Steelers picked up Gradkowski and Landry just as much as the next fan but do you think for a second that Ben will just hand the offense over to them and say, “Here guys, my knee’s a scooch sore, you take it from here.”?

Honestly, I was taken aback when I heard the news of the surgery too.  All I’ve heard out of Ben so far this offseason is how he’s in such good shape and he’s been working out this whole time and only taken like 3 days off since the season ended and he’s going to be great so yeah it worries me a bit, even if it is June, that he’s going to be sidelined now.  I’d prefer if he’s going to be sidelined that it be in March or April but at the same time better it be June than October that he has to go under the knife.  I’ve said many times before I’ll proudly be the last Steeler fan on Earth to admit they are going through a “rebuilding phase” or are going to have a few down seasons right now because of their recent underachievement because I wholeheartedly believe that as long as Roethlisberger is taking the snaps, the Steelers have a chance at the Super Bowl.

What are your thoughts, Steeler Nation?  Are you as worry free about everything Steeler-related as Emmanuel Sanders?

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Sanders will be a UFA next spring. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Last week, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk reported that the Steelers are currently in contract talks with wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

Although both sides are having a discussion, Sanders’ agent (Josh Woy) said that his client and the franchise are unlikely to come to a deal this offseason.  As Alper pointed out in his post, Woy said that it would take “a very good deal” for Pittsburgh’s brass to re-up their now-starting wide receiver at all.  I certainly cannot blame Woy and Sanders for their present stance, especially because Manny will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) when the 2013 season ends.

While I understand that Sanders figures to be an important piece of Pittsburgh’s offense this fall, I honestly hope that the Steelers are in no rush to re-sign him.  In fact, I believe that the franchise would be better off if they do not offer a long-term deal to their wide receiver until the 2013 campaign ends.

As most of you know, the Steelers are still in a salary cap mess of sorts at the moment and could very well be in one for the next couple of years. Although Pittsburgh has been able to shed payroll over the last two offseason periods, their cap space will nevertheless be limited next spring as they continue to rebuild and retool their roster.

The limited cap space in turn will force Pittsburgh’s brass to make some extremely tough decisions with their younger players over the next few offseasons.  If the Steelers are forced to let some of their younger players walk as UFAs, then I would hope that Colbert & Co. can find a way to sign center Maurkice Pouncey and cornerback Cortez Allen to long-term deals before they even attempt to extend Sanders.

Extending Pouncey needs little explanation, especially because he has played at a Pro Bowl-level during each of his first three professional seasons. He’s far and away Pittsburgh’s most talented offensive lineman, and his athleticism and ability to get to the second-level in the run-game are tremendous assets.  If Pouncey is locked-up long-term, the move would most importantly solidify the interior of Pittsburgh’s young and developing offensive line.

As far as Allen is concerned, he is an integral piece in Pittsburgh’s rebuilding efforts in their defensive backfield.  Not only will Allen be the team’s number two cornerback this fall, he could very well be thrust into the number one role once Ike Taylor retires or is released.  The soon-to-be third year player from The Citadel improved last year by leaps and bounds, and definitely illustrated that he can be a productive player (55 tackles, 2 INTs, 10 PDs, 3 FFs and 1 FR)  for the Steelers’ defense.  There is little to no experienced depth behind Allen, unless one considers William Gay to be adequate depth, and the team has to question whether or not Curtis Brown, Josh Victorian, DeMarcus Van Dyke and Justin King can eventually start at the professional level.

Sanders on the other hand is entering the fourth-year of his career and is still more of a mystery than anything else.  Although he set career-highs in receptions and receiving yards last season, he has still produced less (94 catches, 1,290 yards, 5 touchdowns, 40 games) than Nate Washington did during his first three full seasons in the league (104 catches, 1,705 yards, 12 touchdowns, 48 games).  And while Manny will receive the chance to start in Mike Wallace’s place at the split end position this fall, his injury and fumbling issues could be long-term causes for concern.

In addition to questions surrounding his post-2013 productivity, the Steelers also made a concerted effort in the draft to bolster their wide receiving corps when they selected Markus Wheaton and Justin Brown.  Along with Wheaton and Brown, Pittsburgh will also likely have the option of re-signing veteran Jerricho Cotchery (or even Plaxico Burress) once the 2013 season ends.

Although Cotchery is not as athletic as Sanders is, he is a savvy pass-catcher who can be signed at a fraction of the price of what Manny could make on the open market if he signs elsewhere.  And hey, even if neither of the veterans are considered to be options past this year, the 2014 Draft will give the franchise another opportunity to upgrade their wide receiving corps if Sanders chooses to leave too.

As I alluded to before, I can definitely understand why Sanders and his agent are playing “hardball” right now and waiting on a lucrative contract extension.  I mean, Mike Wallace played like garbage last year, put a garbage attitude on display for the N.F.L. to see, and he was still able to earn a deal worth $60 million from Miami back in March.

While Sanders is not as talented as Wallace, his ability to run routes well and make tough catches in traffic should garner him a good deal of interest on the free agent market if he can stay healthy once again this fall.  Plus, the New England Patriots appeared all but ready to deal away a 3rd round pick for Sanders last spring, and Woy said that other teams were apparently interested in making a RFA-tender offer towards his client as well.

Despite the fact that extending/re-signing Sanders should be on Colbert & Co.’s “To Do List,” I simply believe that there are more pressing matters at hand for them to face if the wide receiver is unwilling to to lower his asking price (in terms of base salary) during the first couple of seasons of his long-term deal.

If Sanders truly wants to stay in Pittsburgh though, I just hope that he at least realizes that he will have to compete with other younger guys like Pouncey, Allen, Marcus Gilbert and possibly even Ziggy Hood or Jason Worilds for the few long-term contract extensions which Pittsburgh’s brass will dole out over the next couple of offseasons.

Colbert & Co. still have another couple of months to negotiate with Sanders, but if I was in their position I wouldn’t stress too much.  If they are able to ink the wide receiver long-term, then I tip my cap to them for the move.  But if they cannot come to an agreement with Sanders before the regular season begins and he eventually bolts next March, then that will simply be more money for the franchise to set aside for important re-building pieces like Pouncey and Allen.

What happens between Sanders and the Steelers will be an intriguing story-line to follow next spring if a deal is not reached over the next couple of months.  For now though, I hope that the front office does not consider the wide receiver to be a “must-extend” priority over some other younger players on their roster.

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Red, White, and Blue always goes with Black & Gold. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

What We Learned This Week in the NFL Offseason:

• Joe Flacco’s agent gloats about Ravens salary cap troubles
• Brett Favre’s junk picture texting lawsuit settled in New York
• Emmanuel Sanders hoping to return Steelers faith in him
• Pittsburgh Steelers Memorial Day Message

Nothing starts the summer off quite like Memorial Day.  Whether the kids are out of school yet or still have a couple of weeks, nothing gets the summer vibes flowing like a good ole Memorial Day barbeque.  Always take time to remember when you’re grilling your dogs that this day isn’t just for lawn chairs and paper plates.  This day is to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in order for you to be able to enjoy your paper plate bounty of grilled goodness.  I am grateful to all who are serving, have served, and their families for all the sacrifices made.

One person who should probably learn a little gratitude, or at least know when to keep his mouth shut is Joe Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta.  Linta has decided now’s the best time to gloat about Flacco ending up with the best free agent timing in NFL history with his contract up the year he wins the Lombardi Trophy.  Unfortunately for the Ravens, his $120.6 million contract with $52 million in guaranteed money came at the cost of several key starters from that trophy-raising team.  Tough noogies is what Linta says in regards to what it has ultimately cost the Ravens to keep Flacco after failing to sign him to an extension the offseason before.  According to Linta, the Ravens turned down a deal that would have averaged Joe $16 million a season last summer over a disagreement on $1 million in the final year of the deal.

“I’ve never in my life seen a dumber move.  I guess people can say, ‘Well, Joe was dumb, too.’  It could have been (dumb), God forbid, if he got hurt.  But $1 million to (owner) Steve Bisciotti six years from now?  That’s like 100 bucks for you or me today.”

Yeah all I got out of that statement was “Joe was dumb too” as well.

Speaking of dumb.  If there’s anything dumber than a famous dude texting pictures of his junk around town, I don’t know what is.  Thankfully, Brett Favre’s lawsuit filed against him by a couple of massage therapists over some racy text messages, has been settled.  Naturally, the terms of the settlement haven’t been released but I’d bet there was some kind of promise to never sent a junk pic again.  Word to the wise guys; your package ain’t all that photogenic.  Never send a pic of it to a woman unless you’re absolutely certain she’s expecting it.  Which is pretty rare.  I’m talking like never send one unless you get a specific request for it.  Otherwise you might end up with a lawsuit on your hands, not to mention everyone else you know never wanting a text message from you again.  No thanks Brett, I’ll just call you.

Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders is hoping to repay the Steelers faith in him when they uncharacteristically matched the RFA tender on him set by the New England Patriots.  The Steelers had originally put a rather low tender on Sanders, a third round pick and a couple million dollars, signifying to many that they didn’t put much value in Sanders and wouldn’t be terribly upset if another team signed him to that tender.  Low and behold, the Steelers move and match the Patriots’ offer on Sanders at the 11^th hour and retain the wide receiver for at least one more season.  Now Sanders is saying openly that he hopes it will be more than the one more season in Pittsburgh.

“It felt good to be wanted.  But at the end of the day, I’m still a Pittsburgh Steeler.  I have one more year here, and hopefully, it can continue into a long-term deal because I want to be here.”

That’s clearly a completely different attitude than last summer with the Mike Wallace situation.  No team was willing to sign Wallace to a tender and have to risk a first round pick for him, and it’s obvious now that when he finally did report to the Steelers, he wasn’t the most “focused” player on the team.  I’m hoping that Sanders does have a breakout season because the Steelers did go out on a limb to keep him.  Whether or not they’re able to sign him to a long-term deal remains to be seen.  We all know about the Steelers policy on contract negotiations once the season has started.  If Sanders does have a breakout year and the Steelers hadn’t signed him yet, that could drive up his price right out of their range so it is a very risky and uncharacteristic situation for the Steelers to be in.  I have to admit, I already like Sanders’ outlook on the situation, even if he’s just telling us what we want to hear, at least he’s making that effort now.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have put together a Memorial Day Tribute to honor our nation’s fallen heroes.  You can watch the video here.  Please enjoy your Memorial Day Steeler Nation!

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Markus Wheaton putting good use to those hands in mini-camp. Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Swann. Stallworth. Lipps. Burress. Ward. Two of these five are in the Hall of Fame and a third (Ward) will surely join them someday. Even in their down years, the Steelers have always had a primary play maker at receiver. And while Hines Ward wasn’t a prototypical play maker, he was solid and reliable, always there to make the clutch catch or throw a TD in the Superbowl when needed. Now that the black and gold are in a transition period, who will step up to be the next great Steelers receiver?
In my opinion, last year made it difficult to assess what the team had at receiver. Todd Haley’s offense emphasized the short to intermediate passing game which was in direct contrast to the vertical attack under Bruce Arians. The team’s most recent deep threat deep threat, Mike Wallace spent the season sulking about his contract and dreaming of being everywhere else but Pittsburgh. Had he not been so selfish, he might’ve spent more time learning to run more precise routes and not dropping what at times were easily catchable passes.
Now that the me-first Wallace has departed for South Beach, it’s time to look at what the team has going forward. Antonio Brown is entrenched as the number one receiver on the depth chart, but is he truly a number one receiver? This will be the first year he doesn’t have Wallace on the opposite side drawing coverage away. Brown hasn’t shown to this point he’s worth double covering, moving a safety towards his thus opening the middle of the field for other targets. And while he adds a nice dimension to the return game (he was a Pro Bowl special teamer two years ago), I think that part of his role will lessen with the addition of players like La-Rod Stephens Howling, Markus Wheaton and Justin Brown. Antonio does have good hands but is also susceptible to dropping catchable passes as well, and while He doesn’t have elite speed, he does get decent separation. Preseason will tell us if he is truly a number one receiver.
As for the Steelers number two receiver Emmanuel Sanders, this season will basically be his audition to other teams to showcase his skills so he can make a killing in free agency next year. He almost escaped by signing a tender sheet to the Patriots and Steeler nation is divided on whether Pittsburgh was right or wrong to match the Pats’ offer. At least Sanders can keep the second receiver spot warm for now until someone else steps up to take it. Whether Sanders will have the same attitude this year as Wallace did last year remains to be seen, but he does have the potential to be a nice compliment to Brown so long as he can stay healthy. However magical things happen to players on the cusp of free agency and it wouldn’t shock me to see Sanders get through the season without missing a game.
I like ten year vet Jerricho Cotchery (although I did lose a fantasy football championship eight years back because of him), I think he’s a solid number three, a good slot receiver and can be clutch when called upon. As for Plaxico Burress, I am puzzled why the team retained him for this year, he did nothing to warrant a return and I think his time is up. The treads on his tires are gone at this juncture, he offers zip to the offense. If the team were smart, he’ll be gone by June 1st to thin out the ranks a little and allow a younger player to step in.
Which now brings us to the collection of rookies and 2nd year players, of which there are seven in total. Obviously, the most attention is focused on third round pick Markus Wheaton of Oregon State. I’m not over the top of him, but I like his speed and his hands and he seems to bring a good attitude to the team. He was overshadowed by higher profile receivers in the Pac-12 like Keenan Allen and Marquise Lee, but Wheaton is as good as Allen and near the level of Lee. I think he’ll easily pass Burress(if he’s not cut by camp) and maybe Cotchery on the depth chart and will make an impact on special teams as well. With Sanders all but certain to depart after this season, Wheaton has every opportunity to prove he’s capable of being a solid second receiver.
After Brown, Sanders, Cotchery and Wheaton, the battle for the fifth receiver spot in my opinion comes down to sixth round pick Justin Brown, and 2nd year players Derek Moye and David Gilreath. Gilreath was activated towards the end of the season but had no impact, while Moye saw no action at all.Moye has nice size and soft hands, runs nice routes and is willing to go up and get the ball in traffic. the biggest concerns about Moye are his thin frame and lack of experience. Gilreath is raw and doesn’t have the size Moye does, his body type is similar to that as Brown and Sanders which does nothing to separate him from the pack. As for the third player in the mix, I think Justin Brown has a chance to stick as the fifth wideout. I know many draft experts gave his selection a grade of D or worse, but I don’t think they did enough homework on him, focusing solely on his work at Oklahoma. Brown adds a nice dimension to the return game which he showed while at both Penn State and Oklahoma, and while he wasn’t the primary receiver at Oklahoma that he was in Happy Valley, he has some play making ability and has good hands and size as well. If he doesn’t make the 53 man squad, he is a surefire practice squad addition. As for the remaining undrafted free agents Kashif Moore, Reggie Dunn and J.D. Woods, I’d say don’t hold your breath guys.
The 2013 receiving corps for the Steelers is an unknown commodity at this point. If Todd Haley can loosen the reins a little and let these guys run, we’ll see what we have. For Wheaton and Justin Brown, they need to showcase their skills in the return game as well as in the passing game, and I’d love to see the entire group as a whole get a little tougher and nastier as blockers as well, in the vein of Hines Ward. Who these guys are depends on who the coaches will let them be as well as the type of player they are motivated to be. I’m very curious to see how this group pans out. Right now I see it being A.Brown, Sanders, Cotchery, Wheaton and J.Brown with Moye on the practice squad and Gilreath on speed dial. What do you think?

Nov 25, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (88) blocks for tight end Heath Miller (83) on a pass play in the third quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Emmanuel Sanders had a day full of appearances on ESPN programs on May 1st.  It may not be big news, but I think what he said was big.  He said what every Steeler fan wants to hear.  He survived a grilling from Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s First Take.  Smith at times reminded me of the Hollywood version of a prosecutor grilling a witness under oath, looking for the big  “I ordered the Code Red” confession.

I listened to the nine-minute-ish debate with Sanders and thought he handled himself fairly well.  When asked why last season seemed so bad, he said that there was no single thing and refused to throw anyone under the bus.  He also said that there are no excuses and they aren’t looking for any.  They are focused on this year; last year has to be behind them.  Smith and Skip Bayless, who for once was less aggressive, pushed for blame or admissions and Sanders did say that there were times that they weren’t on the same page.  He said, “It’s obvious.”  He talked about having a new offensive coordinator and that it took time to get on the same page.

We all know that last year wasn’t just a bad season because the Steelers went 8-8.  Some teams would love to be 8-8.  It’s the way it happened that upset most fans.  The Steelers let games slip away, there were questionable in-game coaching decisions, and they showed a lack of cohesion.  To hear Sanders allude to it makes me think that the Steelers players realize it and are trying to fix it.  That’s good because it has to, ultimately, come from the players.  Yes, Tomlin and staff are responsible to motivate and encourage when they coach and set up plays.  If they don’t set up plays that effectively utilize the talent they have, the players will get unfocused.  However, the players have to be hungry, they have to want the championship.

Bayless asked Sanders if he is worried about Roethlisberger’s ability to stay healthy and play all 16 games this season.  I think that was probably the most valid question asked during the segment.  Of course, Sanders said he isn’t worried.  The most interesting part of his answer was when he said that Ben needs to be Ben.  You can’t change the way he plays because playing his way got him two Superbowl rings.  Sanders alluded to the play changes that are designed to get the ball out of Ben’s hands faster and he acknowledged that the coaches are concerned about Roethlisberger’s injury rate.  However, he said he’s not concerned.

Sanders also showed up on ESPN’s NFL Live broadcast later in the day and expressed a lot of support for Roethlisberger and reiterated that while he was “sad” to see Mike Wallace leave, he’s happy to get a chance to start. It was pretty funny when they gave him an “acting” award for his “injury” to save a time out this season.

Sanders said all the right things.  I really couldn’t take issue with anything he said.  However, after watching Sanders and Antonio Brown both do the rounds, I can’t say I am really in favor of these “media days.”  I realize the agents set it up, particularly if there looks to be upcoming contract negotiations in the next year or so.  Sanders needs to have the sound bites out there where he looks like a “team player.”  Team front offices, including the Steelers, might take away a favorable impression from such interviews.  It can’t hurt, right?  Well, I’m not sure it’s the “Steeler Way.”  What is the Steeler Way?  Well, in my opinion, the Steeler Way is this:

1.  Work Hard – Give 110% at EVERYTHING asked of you by the franchise.  Reward will come.
2. Keep Your Head Down – Don’t make waves. Don’t say anything negative about the Steelers or other Steeler players or coaches.  Don’t be controversial.
3. Avoid the Spotlight – It’s about playing as a team.  Don’t put yourself out in front of the team or seem like you are above the team.

Now, I may be completely wrong about what the Steeler Way is.  I also have to acknowledge that times have changed.  Social media has given fans and others nearly instant and constant access.  It has become about marketing.  Well, chalk one up for Sanders.  I think his marketing was successful.  He was very well coached on what he should say and how he should say it.  He stuck to the script when bombarded by Smith.  He kept his cool and he shut down some of the bombastic rhetoric.  Way to go Sanders.  Now, it’s time to live up to it with your on-the-field activity.