As we already know, players like Aaron Smith, James Farrior, Hines Ward, James Harrison, Mike Wallace and Keenan Lewis are no longer employed by the “Black & Gold.”  Plus, it doesn’t appear that Max Starks and Casey Hampton will be back this fall unless injuries or poor play strike at their specific positions either.

While some are inclined to think that the “worst” of the “roster purges” ended a couple of months ago, I believe that the Steelers could be in for an enormous “roster overhaul” when the spring of 2014 gets underway.

Don’t believe me?

Just keep the following in mind when the 2013 regular season ends.

Unrestricted Free Agents (2014)

Ziggy Hood

I for one wished that the Steelers would have tried to trade their 2009 1st Round pick at some point over the last year and a half.  Unfortunately, the time has passed for Pittsburgh to find a willing trade partner for Hood, because no team will want to trade for a player who is set to reach UFA status once the 2013 season ends.

I cannot say that I blame Ziggy fully for his struggles and inconsistent play since he became a full-time starter in 2011, especially because I maintain that he is playing out-of-position in the first place.

Hood’s ability to gap-shoot and play in a single-gap scheme makes him a better fit as a 3-technique in a 4-3 scheme, the position he played in college at the University of Missouri.  Ziggy is far less suited to succeed as a 2-gap defensive end in Pittsburgh’s 3-4, and he could be deemed expendable when his contract expires if he fails to show signs of improvement during the upcoming year.

Hood will likely need a monster performance during this year to warrant any sort of long-term deal next spring, and I do not believe that Colbert & Co. will want to offer him one if he plays at the level he has over the last few years.  Who knows though?  If Hood does not garner any lucrative offers from other teams on the open market next spring though, he might be worth bringing back on the cheap.  Plus, the Steelers could be hurting for depth at the defensive end position.

Brett Keisel

Whenever it happens, I will truly hate to see “The Beard’s” tenure in Pittsburgh come to a close.  But unless the Steelers and Keisel agree to a veteran minimum deal or none of the developmental prospects can show improvement during this season, 2013 might be Brett’s final season with the Steelers.

Keisel is one of a number of late-round success stories coached up by defensive line coach John Mitchell, and has been a lynch-pin along the Steelers’ defensive front since he assumed a starting gig back in 2006.  To his credit, Keisel performed well last year and logged 4.5 sacks to go along with 46 tackles.

Unfortunately, Keisel’s contract is set to expire next spring, and Pittsburgh’s brass might be unwilling to re-up the soon-to-be 35 year old to another deal if the team needs to save some cap-space to re-sign players like Maurkice Pouncey.  Granted, the Steelers could bring “The Beard” back for another go-around if they have zero faith in Ziggy Hood or Cameron Heyward.  But Keisel could very well retire or end up wearing a different uniform by the time the 2013 campaign begins.

Jason Worilds

Worilds has flashed potential during his three-year career (5.0 sacks last season), so maybe a full-time starting gig will allow him to “learn on the job” and entrench himself as the full-time solution at outside linebacker.  At this point in his career though, Jason is more of an “unknown entity” than a “known entity,” and it hasn’t helped his development that he rode the “pine pony” behind James Harrison and LaMarr “Stay Puft Marshmallow Man” Woodley either.

Jason however will finally receive his best chance to start on a regular basis this year with Harrison in Cincinnati.  Still, the team did select Jarvis Jones with their 1st round pick in last month’s draft.  And while I believe that Jones will likely be forced to rot on the bench by the coaching staff, I am sure that he will nevertheless be ready to compete for playing time with Worilds on the weak-side.

I for one am hopeful that Worilds can realize his potential this year and that the Steelers will ink him to a long-term deal.  Woodley has been nothing short of invisible since he signed his lucrative deal back in 2011, so the more depth at the position, the better.  The only depth behind Jason at the moment is Jones, 2011 5th round pick Chris Carter, and 2012 UDFA Adrian Robinson.  Plus, if Woodley goes down with a bum hamstring again or cannot keep his weight in check, Worilds might just be asked to step in on the strong-side next year.

Sadly, a strong performance by Worilds could put Pittsburgh’s brass in a bit of a “Catch-22″ come next spring though.  If the former Hokie performs well in his first extended audition though, then the Steelers might not be able to afford him when he hits the open market (i.e. Keenan Lewis) if offers begin to pour in for him to head elsewhere.

Ryan Clark

Clark’s current deal ends after the 2013 season. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

Make no mistake, Ryan Clark has performed way beyond the expectations many placed upon him when he was signed as a free agent before the 2006 season.  Clark has been a model of stability on Pittsburgh’s back-end, earned a Pro Bowl berth after the 2011 season, and has been very solid compliment to Troy Polamalu over the last seven years.

Clark’s current deal though, the same one he signed after the 2009 season, is set to expire at the end of this year.  And while Robert Golden (and possibly even Shamarko Thomas) is another year or two away from being an “every-down player,” it makes little to no sense to keep a soon to be 35 year-old safety with declining ball-skills and a liability regarding concussions and helmet-to-helmet hits.

Then again, Clark might be able to find a deal elsewhere on the open market like James Harrison did so the Steelers won’t have to go through the trouble of negotiating with him.  Regardless of what happens, I will definitely intrigued to see what Pittsburgh’s brass do with the veteran safety when the upcoming regular season ends.

Emmanuel Sanders & Jerricho Cotchery

I’m not banking on Emmanuel Sanders to sticking around past the 2013 season.  In fact, I believe that it was a bone-headed move to not let him walk to New England in the first place.  The team needed (and still need) draft picks and cap space, the idea that they will be renting an injury-prone receiver for one-year is ridiculous.

Now that Manny will be starting at split end, he is likely to receive as many chances as possible to shine this fall if he can stay healthy.  While numerous fans and analysts bagged on the Steelers for bringing Sanders back for the 2013 campaign, the former S.M.U. Mustang did manage to set career-highs in catches (44) and in receiving yards (626) last fall.

The Patriots were obviously interested in acquiring him this past offseason, and I am sure that the market for his services will increase if he can continue to improve.  So, unless Manny plays poorly, gets hurt, or actually gives the Steelers a “hometown discount,” then I do not believe that Pittsburgh’s cap-strapped front office will be able to afford to re-up him beyond this year to a long-term deal.

On the other hand, Jerricho Cotchery (and even Plaxico Buress) knew that it would be difficult for him to earn a new contract beyond the upcoming season when Colbert & Co. selected Markus Wheaton and Justin Brown in the 3rd and 6th rounds during last month’s draft.

When he has received the chance to contribute during his two-year stint with Pittsburgh, Cotchery has performed well in the slot as a pass-catcher and a blocker.  Overall, Jerricho has recorded 33 catches for 442 yards and 2 touchdowns, and his experience and leadership could pay huge dividends for some of the younger players at the position.

But as I alluded to before, the Steelers didn’t just draft Wheaton and Brown to simply ride the pine.  Thus, if the rookies do prove to be capable pass-catchers and the front office can somehow extend Emmanuel Sanders, then Cotchery will be looking for a new team next spring or even before the regular season begins.

Isaac Redman & Jonathan Dwyer

I lumped Dwyer and Redman together because I believe that one of these two might be able to stay on Pittsburgh’s roster past this season, but not both of them.  The selection of Le”Veon Bell basically guarantees that the Steelers are “all in” when it comes to Bell as a “3-down back,” and that one or both of the situational “battering rams” will be sent packing once the 2013 campaign comes to a close.

Last season, both Redman and Dwyer had prime chances to seize the starting running back role.  Sadly, neither player proved that they were anything more than “situational backs.”  Redman and Dwyer were unable to put up a string of consistent performances, and a battered offensive line did not help them gain any traction as well.  The two only combined to rush for 1,033 yards on 266 carries and only 4 touchdowns.  Worst of all, both backs rushed for less than 3.9 (3.88) yards per carry on the year!

I certainly would not blame Colbert & Co. if they allowed Redman and Dwyer to walk if neither player showed any improvement this year.  Plus, I have a hard time believing that the franchise will keep both backs beyond this year, especially because Dwyer and Redman possess such similar skill-sets.  So while depth at such an important position like running back is nice, don’t be surprised if neither “battering ram” is on the roster past the spring of 2014.

From Steelers West back home to the Burgh. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Draft Shmaft.  We don’t need no stinkin draft to add to our roster, which is apparently very contradictory to what Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said in several radio interviews last week, but hey who’s counting?  Well we have all you can handle draft coverage here on NPC so I figured I’d take the opportunity for this morning’s huddle to see what the experts are saying about the Steelers latest non-draft acquisition.  Yesterday the Steelers agreed to terms with unrestricted free agent running back LaRod Stephens-Howling.  The Steelers picked up the former 7^th round pick from Pitt, a Johnstown native, to a one year deal with no financials reported yet.

Ed Bouchette of the PPG says the Steelers will mostly look at Stephens-Howling to contribute on Special Teams.  He’s had three career kickoff return TD’s but no punt returns.  In the same article Ed states that the Steelers would still consider signing former Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw, but that would depend on the draft.  Now that the Steelers have added Le’Veon Bell to the roster in their second round pick, you have to think the Bradshaw ship has sailed.

With five running backs in the stable for the Steelers you have to figure that someone is going to be the odd man out when the roster is finally cut down to 53 before we kick off against Tennessee.  The running backs right now consist of Jonathan Dwyer, Isaac Redman, Baron Batch, LaRod Stephens-Howling, and Le’Veon Bell.

What are your thoughts, Steeler Nation?  What did you think of the non-draft pick up right in the middle of the draft?  Who do you think gets left behind?

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November 12, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Isaac Redman (33) takes a hand-of from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Happy Friday Steelers Fans!  The news this morning includes some feedback from Ben Roethlisberger’s latest round of radio interviews as well as continued discussion about what the Steelers still need.

Hallelujah!  The NFL regular season is out.  Check out the NicePickCowher post on the schedule.

Of course, the commentary is spinning up on the season.  Here is an article from ESPN.com about the Steelers schedule by Jameson Hensley.  He notes the Thanksgiving evening game against the Ravens and Mike Wallace’s potential return to Heinz Field with the Dolphin on Dec 8th.

Ben visited the “Vinnie and Cook” show on 93.7 the Fan and Ron Cook summarized the discussion for the Post Gazette.  One of the bright spots for the Pittsburgh Steelers is the talent and passion for football that Ben Roethlisberger has.  Cook notes that’s a lot of pressure for a single player.  Cook asked Ben to address that and he’s saying what I think Steelers fans want to hear:

I’m fine with people saying we’re going to be terrible. ‘Let’s overlook them,’ ” Roethlisberger said. “I like that. I like being the hunter. It’s kind of a fun place to be.”

Isaac Redman has also finally signed his tender with the Steelers and will remain with the Steelers for 2013.  According to Curtis Crabtree of NBC Sports, Redman will make $1.323M for the year.

Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette looks at the “Year of the Offensive Linemen” in this year’s NFL draft.  He concentrated on Luke Joeckel from Texas A&M.  Robinson thinks it is possible that 5 out of the first 12 picks will be offensive linemen.

So, what do you think Steelers fans?  Do you like that the Steelers are playing the Ravens on Thanksgiving evening?  Vote here!  Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Steeler Nation loves running backs.

By now we’ve all heard Tomlin’s comments regarding the criticism of their free agent moves so far from the owner’s meetings in Phoenix.  Tomlin expressed unconditional confidence in his team regardless of the pieces added or still missing stating,

“That’s March talk.  I’ll see you in the stadiums in the fall.”

I’m a sucker for a good Tomlinism and I’ve been known to be the Tomlin apologist and defender of the NPC staff.  I think he’s a great coach and he’s capable of leading this team to many more Super Bowls.  Unfortunately, my confidence is wavering a scooch after the disappointing 8-8 season, the comments of several players regarding the status of the locker room during last season, and the decisions made so far in regards to the departure of key members of the team.  By far my biggest concern for March and the fall that I’d like Tomlin to address is who in the hell is supposed to the running the ball for the Steelers come September?

I, for one, am going to be the last one on Earth to admit the Steelers are rebuilding right now.  I refuse to admit it, I’m in complete denial and I’ll own up to that.  I don’t want it to be true.  I feel like having Ben Roethlisberger under center means you don’t rebuild, you reload.  Unfortunately, with the salary cap limitations and lack of depth at certain positions now it’s not as easy to reload as it sounds.  As much as I feel that letting James Harrison walk away was a mistake, specifically since no other team has signed him yet signifying the market for a LB with a history of injuries and being on the wrong side of 30 isn’t as lucrative as he and his agent might have thought it was, I somehow have more confidence in our defense than our offense.  I think last season showed that our defense, with the players still signed under contract, are capable of making the necessary plays to keep the team in games in which they can win late in the season.  Our offense, on the other hand, ran like a car with no engine most in part to the lackluster rushing game put on by the trio of Mendenhall, Redman, and Dwyer.  Mendenhall is gone and I have no problem with that.  He quit on the team last year and he has no business being a part of this team, and he’s an average back at best anyway.  The fact that at this point we have Redman, Dwyer, and Baron Batch to run the ball so far for the 2013 season makes me want to refill my anti-anxiety medication.

I have to believe the Steelers are still planning to add a running back to the roster before camp opens at the end of July.  At this point, only Dwyer has signed his tender and will remain on the roster for at least another season.  Last season I was all for Dwyer getting the start when he ran all over Cincy and Washington in back to back games.  Then he never ran for more than 60 yards a game the remainder of the season and when he was in games, tapped his helmet signifying he wanted to come off of the field so many times you’d think he was playing some odd game of Simon Says during the game.  I don’t know now if Dwyer has what it takes to be the starting back for the Steelers and taking the majority of the reps.  Dwyer ended the season with the most rushing yards (623) of all the backs on the team.

There has been some speculation that the Steelers are interested in signing former New York Giants FA RB Ahmad Bradshaw, although he hasn’t officially visited the team and no proposed deal is in place.  Bradshaw has ok numbers, kind of similar to Mendenhall’s career numbers with a couple of 1,000+ yard season and some injury issues mixed in as well.  As Dom stated in an earlier post, Bradshaw could be a steal salary-wise considering when you’re still unsigned in the third week of free agency, you can’t really command a big salary anymore.  Bradshaw is a six year veteran and could very well help out with that “leadership problem” the Steelers seemed to have last season, you can only speculate that could have been traced back in part  to their most tenured RB Mendenhall and his pouting fits regarding playing time.  Bradshaw could provide to the running back corps the same kind of thing that Jerricho Cotchery and Plaxico provided to the wide receivers.

Former Alabama running back Eddie Lacy has been in draft discussions for the Steelers, however he’s currently nursing a hamstring injury that is keeping him idle for Alabama’s Pro-Day and also kept him out of the NFL’s scouting combine in February.  Most draft experts are predicting the Steelers will go either defensive line or linebacker with their pick at #17 overall and address their offensive needs in the later rounds but you never know what’s going to happen come draft day.  Addressing the running back needs has to be a priority in either the draft or the remainder of free agency.

Tomlin himself expressed earlier this month that the need to add a running back to the squad is imperative.  The free agency market right now isn’t great for running backs.  Bradshaw is probably one of the best names out there right now and the Steelers have already met and turned down Beanie Wells and haven’t had any other visits since.  Running the Steelers offense without a tried and true starting running back is not going to work.  I have a mountain of faith in Ben Roethlisberger, but I know he’s at his best when he has a running game to compliment his talents.  Hell, Steeler Nation needs a running back.  We’re not happy unless we’re rushing for over 100+ yards a game no matter how successful the offense might be in the air.  It’s in our DNA; we crave sandwiches with fresh cut fries on them and rushing yards and touchdowns.    My confidence in Tomlin this season will in part depend on his and Colbert’s ability to land an actual running back to benefit this team.

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Jonathan Dwyer racked up only 623 Rushing Yards over the course of the 2012 season.  Not surprisingly, Dwyer’s team leading total was the lowest for a Steeler leading rusher during a regular season since the 1991 campaign!  (Merril Hoge “Factor Backed” it that year to the tune of 165 Carries, 610 Yards, and 2 TD’s)

I understand that to classify Pittsburgh’s Running Game last year as downright “dreadful” might not be kindest thing to say.  But give me another adjective to describe how ineffective the Steelers were at running the football with consistency in 2012?

It was bad enough that the team finished 26th overall in Total Rushing Yards and 28th in overall Yards per Carrty (3.7) amongst the League’s 32 teams.  But the fact that no player, not even a Running Back, on the roster finished with more than 2 Rushing TD’s over the course of the year was downright ridiculous.  I mean, I am willing to admit that the numbers of injuries across the Steelers’ Offensive Line did not help the team establish the run with any sort of consistency in 2012.  Yet it was never like Pittsburgh had themselves a “Game-Breaker” and “Every-Down Back” on their roster to turn to and save the day when the team needed them either.

From what we learned last year, Dwyer and Isaac Redman have proved that they are at their best when they used in backup/bruiser capacities, while Baron Batch has been little more than a Special Teamer during his two year stay with the club.  Now that Rashard Mendenhall is likely on his way out of town as a Free Agent, this team lacks a true #1 rushing threat who can be scheme-effective as the team moves towards a Zone-blocking based ground attack.

Unfortunately for Boss Todd’s Offense, the franchise has a multitude of other areas to address through the Draft process.  Thus, Running Back could take a back seat to others like Outside Linebacker, Safety, Inside Linebacker, and Wide Receiver on Day 1 and possibly even Day 2 of the Draft.  Thankfully for G.M. Kevin Colbert and the rest of the Steelers’ brass though, Pittsburgh might be able to mine some mid to late Round Zone-scheme “gems” at the Running Back position in the 2013 Draft.

With this in mind, I have thought of a few Running Backs who might be on Pittsburgh’s radars later on in the Draft process, and could potentially be terrific value picks if they slip to Day 3 of Draft Weekend:

Jamison had a productive career with the Scarlet Knights. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Jawan Jamison

Some might scoff at Jawan Jamison’s lack of height.  To those that do, I can only remind them of other smaller (below 5’9”) Backs who have found success in the N.F.L..  Then I mention another short Back from Rutgers who has made multiple Pro Bowls during his career with the Ravens.  You might know him Steelers fans, his name is Ray Rice.

Although Jamison can be considered “short” at 5’8”, he is definitely not “small.”  At 200 lbs., the Rutgers Back has more than enough bulk to shoulder and sustain big hits.  If Jamison only weighed 175-180 lbs. at his height, then I would be worried about his durability at the professional level.  Yet we have seen “short” Backs like Rice and Maurice Jones-Drew, who are built similar to Jamison, emerge as some of the best at their position over the last half decade.  In fact, Jamison’s height is actually more of an advantage to him, as he can hide behind his Offensive Line and create distress amongst the opposition.

Although he is not a “burner” in terms of his pure speed, Jamison has a nice deal of shiftiness and quickness to his game to break a big run every once and a while, and he can also execute a pretty lethal spin-move as evidenced here.  In addition, Jamison also does not tip-toe around the line of scrimmage as often as other players.  More often than not, Jawan will pick the assigned hole and make the appropriate cut for the necessary gain on a play instead of taking a loss.

As a Redshirt Sophomore, Jamison does not have a large amount of “tread” on his tires, but he was nevertheless a productive player for the Scarlet Knights and one of the Big East’s most consistent Backs.  During his first year, Jawan rushed for 897 Yards on 231 Carries, then improved last year to the tune of 1,075 Yards on only 255 Carries.

In the passing game, Jamison can hold his own in terms of him being a receiver, and can be an effective weapon on screen passes (28 Catches for 323 Yards and 2 TD’s in 2012).  From what I have watched of his pass-blocking technique, Jamison at least makes an effort to get after the blitzing Defenders despite their size advantage, and has potential to develop his game in said area.

I believe that once The Combine comes around and offseason workouts begin that Jamison’s stock will inevitably rise, and some team has to eventually look past his “lack of size.”  Nevertheless, we have seen Backs like Rice and Jones-Drew slip in the Draft due to height and weight concerns in recent memory.  Thus, if Jamison is around at the beginning of Day 3, then I am all for the Steelers trading up to acquire him if they have not selected a Running Back by that point in the Draft.

Graham had a fine bounce-back season in 2012. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Ray Graham

Graham is a player who performed very well as a Zone-scheme runner in college, and might be an absolute bargain for the Steelers if he drops into the middle of Day 3.  After two effective Freshman and Sophomore years at Pitt (209 Carries, 1,271 Yards, 12 TD’s Rushing combined), Graham appeared poised to have a fantastic Junior year and go professional like most talented college football Running Backs have done over the years to avoid a costly injury.  Unfortunately, Graham tore his ACL near the end of the 2011 season after he had racked up 958 Yards Rushing, 9 Rush TD’s, and 30 Catches for 200 Yards.  With his experience, field-vision, and effectiveness in college up to his Junior campaign, Ray would probably have been taken by a Zone-scheme team like Washington had he declared last April.

In terms of his skill-set, Graham reminds me of former Pitt Backs and productive Zone runners  “Shady” McCoy and Dion Lewis in body type and running style.  All three are a bit on the skinnier side (Graham: 5’9″ 195 lbs., McCoy: 5’11″ 208 lbs., Lewis: 5’8″ 195 lbs.), but it did not stop them from possessing solid field-vision, good patience, and a great amount of shiftiness and cut-back ability (especially McCoy), to be solid Zone-scheme Backs in college, and in the N.F.L. in McCoy’s case.

Graham’s ability to create and wait for a big play before he hits the hole sometimes is a bit of a “double-edged sword” for the Pitt Back.  Like a certain Running Back on Pittsburgh’s roster right now, Graham’s indecisiveness and tip-toeing at the line of scrimmage as he has looked for a big-play sometimes has led to him being stopped for no gain or losses on runs where a 2 to 4 yard pickup would have sufficed had he hit the necessary hole or made the necessary cut.  It is difficult for any N.F.L. Offense to play “behind the sticks,” and consistent 2nd & 7’s are much better than consistent 2nd & 10’s or 2nd & 10+’s, especially for a sputtering unit like the Steelers’.  Similarities to Mendenhall aside, Graham is definitely a 3-Down weapon and proved to be a viable pass-catcher with the Panthers.  Over his final three years with the Panthers, Graham caught 90 passes for 753 Yards and 4 TD’s, and has upside to be a real weapon as a pass catcher out of the backfield.

Although Graham returned to shine at times in 2012 after his injury, he might see his stock slip this April due to concerns over his once injured right knee.  What has sold me on Graham however and his potential was his performance against Notre Dame’s stout Run Defense (24 Carries for 172 Yards and 1 TD) last year, his overall upside, and the hope that he will be closer to “normal” two years after his ACL tear.  Overall though, I believe that Graham is arguably the most translatable Zone-scheme runner who might be available on Day 3.  Thus, as long as the Steelers believe that his knee is not an issue, I would be intrigued and excited if they indeed selected the Pitt Running Back to help their anemic running game.