Will RB Issac Redman become a star in Todd Haley's offense? Mandatory Photo Credit nfl.com

Ch-ch-ch-changes…..

If you haven’t heard by now, the 2012 edition of your Pittsburgh Steelers is going to look very different than the team you have grown accustomed to seeing running out of the Heinz Field tunnel.  Besides the usual roster change-over that comes with any new NFL season, the Steelers have experienced the most significant personnel flux since the early 1990′s.  Much of the core of the Steelers veteran roster – Hines Ward, Aaron Smith, James Farrior, Chris Hoke – are all either retired or released.  CB William Gay departed for Pittsburgh-West and a reunion with many of his former teammates in the desert.  RB Rashard Mendenhall is going to miss much of – or all – of the 2012 season.  The player changes are drastic, but not the big story.

New offensive coordinator Todd Haley brings his monumentally different formula to the team after taking over for the “retired” Bruce Arians.  The national and local media has spent most of the past three months trying to stir up controversy between Haley and the Steelers $102 million quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.  The stories about the relationship (or lack thereof) between Haley and Big Ben dominated the headlines for most of the spring, soon followed by the stories of Roethlisberger and his frustration with the new Haley offense.  Nobody really knows what Todd Haley is bringing to the table outside of the South Side Complex.  When he was the offensive coordinator in Arizona, his passing offense was dominate, revolving around Pro Bowlers QB Kurt Warner, WR Larry Fitzgerald, and WR Anquan Boldin.  Once he took over as Head Coach in Kansas City, he rode the RB combination of Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles to the top rushing offense in football and an AFC West Title.  The talent level in Pittsburgh is on par with any that Haley has experienced in the past, so if he can find a way to combine both strategies in the Steelers new offense, the team could be a machine.

With so many changes, it is inevitable that a player or two will elevate themselves to star status in 2012.  The Steelers have many young, hungry players who would like nothing more than to become the next breakout star – echoing the 2011 season of WR Antonio Brown.  On the defensive side of the ball, old faithful is still plugging away in his 37th season of coaching in the NFL.  Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has lost a few players that were pivotal parts of his record-setting defense of the past seven years.  The loss of DE Aaron Smith was expected, as the veteran had lost the battle with injuries and was sure to retire.  The loss of ILB James Farrior was a surprise to many, and his departure leaves a hole at a key spot in the Steelers 3-4 defense.  That role will be played at the outset by 10th year ILB Larry Foote, who has worked in the LeBeau scheme for all but three of his NFL seasons.  There is no doubt that Foote can fill the role of Farrior on the field, although the team will gravely miss the leadership that Farrior offered.  Whether Foote can step up and be that leader is yet to be seen, but by all indications he has started the process this week with his shot back at NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp.  That is a good sign for the Steelers, who continue to act the part of a “Band of Brothers”, defending each other from criticism doled out by the media.

So who will be 2012′s breakout stars for the Pittsburgh Steelers?  The obvious first choice would be RB Issac Redman, who will have first crack at filling the starting role in the absence of RB Rashard Mendenhall.  Redman was been a great story for the Steelers, an undrafted free agent out of tiny Bowie State who clawed his way up the ladder and is now on the verge of becoming a star in the National Football League.  Redman showed what he is capable of in the Steelers 2011 AFC Wild Card playoff loss to Denver, when he rushed for 121 yards on just 17 carries.  The team seems to believe that Redman will be the answer to the loss of Mendenhall, but just in case he falters the team has a stable of backs ready for the call to arms – Jonathan Dwyer, John Clay, Baron Batch, and rookie Chris Rainey will all vie for carries should Redman not be able to carry the load.  At 6-foot and 230 lbs, Redman has the size and power to get the job done and he fits the prototypical idea of a Steelers running back.  With the Mendenhall injury still not entirely understood, it could be a full season of Redman in the backfield.  Could he end up being the next breakout star for the team?

Could WR Emmanuel Sanders emerge as a star in 2012?

Should the offense continue to be carried by the passing game, the Steelers already have two established stars in WR Mike Wallace and WR Antonio Brown.  Wallace has been AWOL from team activities over a contract dispute, so his presence with the team in 2012 is in doubt.  Brown, who set an NFL all-purpose yards record in 2011, is on his way to becoming the go-to guy for Ben Roethlisberger and after his Pro Bowl season he is already a star.  Next in line for a status upgrade is WR Emmanuel Sanders, who looks to be fully healthy and ready to take advantage of any opportunity the Wallace situation creates for him.  Sanders has all of the tools to be a star wide receiver, including the trust of his quarterback.  Should Mike Wallace and the Steelers not be able to come to terms, it would be Sanders taking over as the #2 WR in the Todd Haley offense.  Could Sanders be the next breakout star?

The organization added the element of speed – LOTS of speed – in the draft when they chose Florida RB Chris Rainey in the fifth round.  Rainey is a player in the mold of former Haley project Dexter McCluster, who electrified the Chiefs in 2010-2011 with his speed and hybrid ability.  Rainey is faster than McCluster and looks to be a better receiver, and will also add kick/punt return duties to his agenda with the Steelers.  Similar players in the NFL such as RB Darren Sproles, have been able to break the mold of the prototypical RB to become all-purpose stars.  If Rainey learns quickly and gains the trust of head coach Mike Tomlin, he could become an “X Factor” for the team in both the running and passing games.  Could Chris Rainey be the next breakout star for the black and gold?

On the defensive side of the ball, the loss of DE Aaron Smith has opened up a full-time starting spot for forth-year player Ziggy Hood.  Hood has shown flashes of reaching the potential he showed when the Steelers drafted him in the first round of the 2009 Draft.  Now a crafty veteran with experience playing the unique DE position in LeBeau’s defense, Hood has a chance to really make his mark in 2012.  He has shown the ability to be a good pass rusher in addition to the run-stopping duties that are paramount for any Steelers defensive lineman.  Over a full 16-game schedule, Hood could put up 8-10 sacks and close to 100 tackles.  Would that make Ziggy Hood a breakout star in 2012?

Lastly, we have the cornerback situation opposite veteran Ike Taylor.  The candidates for the starting slot left behind by William Gay are CB Keenan Lewis, CB Curtis Brown, and CB Cortez Allen.  All three of these players have traits found in successful NFL corners, including size and the ability to match up one-on-one with NFL receivers.  One of these players is going to be announced as the starter and have an opportunity to seal their fate with the Steelers.  Lewis would seem to be the favorite, heading into his forth season with the team.  However, Curtis Brown has looked impressive in his limited playing time and has the pedigree to become a true shutdown corner.  Finally, we have Cortez Allen – a small school player who is entering his second season and has as much raw athletic ability as any player on the roster.  While his learning curve is behind both Lewis and Brown due to his college career being played at The Citadel, Allen could surprise everyone and snag the starting spot with a great preseason.  Will one of these players become the breakout star for the 2012 Pittsburgh Steelers?

Is ILB Larry Foote ready to grasp his opportunity to lead the Steelers defense in 2012?

There are other possibilities, including first round pick OG David DeCastro, NT Alameda Ta’amu, DE Cameron Heyward, and ILB Stevenson Sylvester.  All of these players will see the field quite a bit in the preseason, with DeCastro taking his starting spot on the offensive line.  Ta’amu could end up starting as well if veteran NT Casey Hampton is unable to fully recover from his knee injury.  The huge rookie looks the part of a Steelers NT and eventually will take over as the starter.  Could that be as early as this season?  Both Heyward and Sylvester are expected to see increased reps with Smith and Farrior gone, and both have the talent to be starters at their positions.  Either one could end up breaking out in 2012 if the cards fall in their direction.

So what do you think, Steeler Nation?  Who is your choice for the 2012 breakout star of the Pittsburgh Steelers?  Cast your vote in the comments section below or share it with us on Twitter by using hashtag #2012SteelersBreakout.

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Steelers RB Issac Redman

The collective Steeler Nation was abuzz on Sunday with the rumor that former Chargers meat-grinder RB Mike Tolbert was a possible free agent target for the Steelers.  That rumor lasted just under 24 hours, as Monday morning it was reported by ESPN.com that Tolbert had in fact accepted a 4-year deal with the suddenly running back-stacked Carolina Panthers.  Tolbert seemed to be a perfect fit for a Steelers team that has had its share of goal-line and short yardage issues over the past few seasons, and currently has a backfield depth chart that isn’t very intimidating.

The health of starting running back Rashard Mendenhall is still a question mark, with the only official information being that he is likely to miss a large chunk of the coming season.  It is possible that Mendenhall could miss all of 2012-13 after suffering a torn ACL in the Steelers playoff loss in Denver.  Furthermore, Mendenhall is in his final contract year with Pittsburgh, meaning that his career as a Steeler could be over.  Currently, the plan is for Issac Redman to lead the charge next season, a tenuous plan at best considering Redman is a far from proven commodity.  His playoff game performance notwithstanding, Redman has been primarily a bit player for these Steelers and to consider him a feature back would be a giant leap for a team that insists they are a Super Bowl contender every season.

Diving deeper into the depth chart will bring you to Jonathan Dwyer and John Clay, players who both had nice moments during the past season but have zero experience as starting-caliber NFL running backs.  With an unsettled receiver situation already complicating the Steelers offense, it would be hard to imagine the team being satisfied with either of those players being one injury away from a starting job. The team was high on RB Baron Batch in Training Camp last season, but losing his rookie campaign to an ACL injury has now put him a year behind on his development.  While the possibility is always there that one of these young players could step up in a big way this summer in Latrobe, it could be a fatal error to count on it.  Mewelde Moore is still an option as a 3rd down back, and he is currently an UFA who may or may not be back in Pittsburgh next season.

Addressing the situation through the NFL Draft would be tough.  The Steelers will be drafting late (24th) and this is not a very deep running back draft, with only Alabama RB Trent Richardson considered a first round talent.  Richardson will be off the draft board sometime in the top ten, leaving the rookie crop to include such unknown commodities as Boise State RB Doug Martin, Virginia Tech RB David Wilson, Miami RB Lamar Miller, and LaMichael James of Oregon.  The Steelers would have an option of drafting one of those players, but with the current state of the roster they would be hard-pressed to use their first rounder on a running back.  It is more likely that a DT, DE, or Offensive Lineman will be sporting a Steelers cap on stage that night.

That leaves two options for the Steelers to find another back before the start of the season.  They could bring in a veteran free agent that they can afford, or they could attempt a trade/sign deal with another team that would allow them to acquire a solid veteran for the long haul.  The free agent pool has thinned recently with the signings of RB Peyton Hillis in Kansas City and Tolbert in Carolina, but several intriguing names remain out there.  If the Steelers could make a smart deal that would fit in their salary cap plans – something Kevin Colbert has been a master of – the possibilities are there for a productive player to sign with Pittsburgh.  Taking the players that will be out of the Steelers price range off the table is easy – Michael Bush and BenJarvis Green-Ellis are probably going to get starter-type money from some desperate team.  A quick look at the available unrestricted free agent running backs who could fit in the Steelers plans:

Joseph Addai – Taking last season out of consideration, since the Colts were basically out of the majority of their games by halftime, Addai has been a fairly productive RB over his 6-year career.  At only 28-years old, Addai probably has a few good years left in him.  He has carried the ball less than 300 times since 2010 and spent most of that season injured, so technically he hasn’t had a full workload since 2009.  There has been little information shared about the free agency status of Addai, so he may come cheap.  If so, the Steelers could do much worse than to bring him into camp.

Ryan Grant – Grant will probably end up staying in Green Bay, but if he enters the open market he is an attractive player.  At 29-years old, he has only been the primary ball carrier for two seasons, both (2008 and 2009) ended in 1,200+ yard campaigns.  Last season, the Packers rarely utilized Grant as the passing game and James Starks passed him on the offense priority chart.  For a 6-year player, Grant has little mileage on him and could end up as a bargain.

The rest of the free agent crop includes Tim Hightower, Cadillac Williams, Cedric Benson, Brandon Jacobs, and a slew of players who would probably not be of higher value than what the Steelers already have on their roster.

Another option could be the trade, and at this point the most likely trade partner would seem to be Carolina.  With Mike Tolbert signed, and DeAngelo Williams in the middle of a massive contract that would prohibit his movement, the best option may be Jonathan Stewart.  At 5-10 and 235lbs, Stewart fits the prototypical Steelers running back mold, and he may end up as the odd man out in Carolina.  Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Stewart would be cost-effective, and would be a good bet to re-sign with the Steelers after spending much of his career on some really putrid Panthers teams.  He has been underutilized since being drafted, basically providing a number two option to Williams in the Carolina offense.  The addition of Cam Newton has now further complicated the running game situation for the Panthers, and Stewart looks to be a piece that no longer fits.  He has averaged 4.8 YPC in his four seasons, and has a nose for the end zone.  With Carolina looking to build around Newton and a deep WR draft pool, an additional 3rd round pick may be enough to pry Stewart away on Draft Day.

The Steelers will more than likely take a flier on a late-round RB again this season, but Stewart would be a player that the Steelers could consider a long-term solution, regardless of what happens with Rashard Mendenhall.

With the turmoil the franchise has endured this offseason, acquiring a solid veteran running back would go a long way towards enabling new OC Todd Haley to craft a solid offense, no matter what happens on the receiver front.  It is a step the Steelers must take to keep what is left of their core players Super Bowl window open just a little bit longer.

Speaking of former Steelers cut loose, Fast Willie Parker was cut by the Redskins.  Looks like they discovered what we saw last year:  He’s now Medium Speed Willie.  Still, running backs drop like flies during the season so a veteran back up can usually find a job (Does the name Najeh Davenport ring any bells?).  Here’s hoping FWP latches on somewhere because that would be a sad ending to what was a short but glorious career.

Now, let’s talk the Steelers.  Proving that Bruce Arians is indeed bringing the Flying Circus to town, the Steelers kept six wide receivers while keeping only four running backs and zero fullbacks.  David Johnson, a FB/TE hybrid will be the blocking back in I formations.  Arians will also use the Pony Backfield, which is when Issac Redman lines up at fullback and the hand-off can go to either him or Mendenhall.  The Steelers used this formation a lot in the Chuck Noll days with Rocky and Franco so it’s nice to see it back in the playbook even though I’d like a true blocking fullback on the roster.

Rookie Antonio Brown will handle returns with Stefan Logan getting cut.  Logan, who has been scooped up by the Detroit Lions, was a victim of being a specialist who wasn’t very special.  He was brought in as the next Devin Hester and despite setting a single season Steelers record for return yardage, didn’t return any for TDs which soured the staff on him.  Part of me wonders how he’d do returning kicks on a team with halfway decent special teams blocking.

Brown showed potential as a receiver and did an okay job returning kicks so I understand the move, although he also made a couple really dumb decisions in the third game (not bringing out a kick in the end zone, fair catching a ball inside his 5) so let’s hope his youth and inexperience don’t flare up too often.  Arnaz Battle was also kept so he’d likely be the fallback option if Brown fails.   Battle is an all-around good special teams guy so it’s nice to see Mike Tomlin valuing that this season.

Cut day was a bloodbath for the Draft Class of 2009.  Guard Kraig Urbik, defensive lineman Sunny Harris, cornerback Joe Burnett, and fan favorite running back Frank “The Tank” Summers were all axed.  Harris is a bit surprising only because the team lost him off the practice squad last season then eagerly signed him back when given the chance.  The Tank was a converted fullback who had primarily been a running back in college.  He never really adapted to the position change and as a result has shown pretty much nothing.

Burnett is a bit of a surprise.  He saw game action last year (rare for a Steelers rookie) and, admittedly, did not play well.   But considering how lousy our secondary has been, it’s a bit odd they’d give up on him after only one year.  Rookie Crezdon Butler came on strong in the final two preseason games so they evidently liked his upside more than Burnett’s.  And, once again, the Steelers kept a special teams ace, Anthony Madison, who is a way below-average cornerback but is one of the best gunners in the league so I commend Tomlin for learning from past mistakes in that area.

Finally, Justin Hartwig was cut.  First round pick Maurkice Pouncey was expeced to play guard for a year since the center has to learn all the protection calls but he caught on faster than expected.  Plus, Hartwig’s play has really fallen off in the past year.  He looked perfectly capable in 2008 when the Steelers went to the Super Bowl but he was constantly getting pushed around last year.  I thought it might be due to injuries at both guard positions but he still looked terrible with the first team offense this presason.  With Pouncey blowing guys off the ball in games and at practice, it became a no-brainer to stick him at his natural position and bid Hartwig good-bye.   We’ve been asking for a revamped offensive line and this year we have it with three new starters (Pouncey, Flozell Adams at RT, and Trai Essex at RG) from what we had a year ago.

And those, ladies and gentlemen, are your 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 53 man roster has finally been finalized. I know I promised an update on Friday, except I stupidly assumed the press conference scheduled by head coach Mike Tomlin was to be about the cuts.  Instead, he decided to announce he would make the announcement on Saturday.  Well played, Tomlin.

Anyway, let’s take a look at some of the notable additions and subtractions from the roster. You can find the complete list here. Without further ado, here are your brand new 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers:

Stefan Logan – Nicknamed “Joystick” by his teammates (shocking that wasn’t already taken by Santonio Holmes), Logan is by far the most exciting off-season acquisition for the Steelers.  This refugee from the CFL had some absolutely EPIC returns during the preseason. Logan’s final numbers were 5 kickoff returns for 185 yards and 9 punt returns for 191 yards and a touchdown.  If he can duplicate even a portion of that success during the season, we’ll all be thrilled.

Keiwan Ratliff - Veteran CB who provides some experience and depth to a very young group of defensive backs. Will.i.am Gay is only in his 3rd season (1st as a starter) and two of our backups are rookies. Another thing which helped him make the team is the fact he can play both CB and safety. Ratliff was a high 2nd round pick back in 2004 and it’d be nice if his play finally matches up to his potential.

Shaun McDonald – Another veteran who provides depth to a team fairly loaded at the WR position. McDonald caught a ton of balls during the preseason, demonstrating he is still a top notch possession receiver. He’ll be #4 on the depth chart, playing in a slot as an underneath option in a four WR formation. Limas Sweed has seemingly won the #3 receiver spot but McDonald is great insurance to have in case he struggles or one of the guys ahead of him suffers an injury.

Draft Class of 2009 - Defensive rookies seldom play their first season (Troy Polamalu only played special teams his rookie year) so don’t expect to see any of them this year.  Still, first rounder DE Ziggy Hood looked great and I think has a great career ahead of him. DBs Joe Burnett and Keenan Lewis showed a ton of potential even though two rookie DBs on your bench is a little scary.  OL Kraig Urbik showed little but our offensive line depth is paper thin so he stays.  Frank “The Tank” Summers also didn’t show much (he was injured early in camp) but there were flashes of being a good blocker so he’s now the team’s lone fullback. TE/FB hybrid David Johnson, a 7th round pick, made the team thanks to some decent blocking and an unfortunate season-ending injury to TE/FB Sean McHugh.

Now, let’s pour a forty on the ground and bid a fond farewell to the following players:

Carey Davis – The man who beat out Dan Kreider for the FB job in 2007 has thankfully been given the boot.  Clearly, the compromising photos he had of Mike Tomlin at a Furry Convention must have been lost in a fire or something. Davis won the job because he could supposedly catch, run, and block. In three years, he’s been barely used as a lead blocker, showed no ability as a short yardage back, and caught maybe a dozen or so balls. Good riddance.

Bruce Davis – Bad day to have the last name “Davis.” A UCLA grad (in other words, a douche), Davis was a third round pick in 2008. They projected him as a pass rushing LB but he never showed enough speed to beat anybody nor the strength to overpower them. Mark this one down as a bust and let’s move on.

Anthony Madison – Madison was a free agent this summer who was re-signed by the Steelers. I think they hoped with the departure of Bryant McFadden and the aging of Deshea Townshend, he might move up our CB depth chart. Unfortunately, we drafted two DBs and signed another (see above) and all of them played better than AMad during the preseason. Madison’s biggest contribution to the Steelers was as a gunner on special teams. To be fair, he was very good at covering kicks the past couple years. However, the Steelers couldn’t justify keeping a special teams specialist over guys who can cover kicks AND play their positions.

Finally, there are a couple notable names who did not make the main roster but cleared waivers and are now Practice Squad fodder.

A.Q. Shipley – One of only two 2009 draft picks to be cut (DE Sonny Harris, claimed by the Carolina Panthers, was the other).  Shipley was given every shot to make the main squad but he’s too undersized to compete at the NFL level.  Since there are many weight training techniques and *ahem* special vitamins athletes can take to bulk up, I guess the Steelers want to keep him around hoping he can eventually put on some size.  Shipley is a local kid and I’m sure we’d all like to see the local kid make the hometown team, even if he did play his college ball at Penn State.

Isaac Redman – The biggest surprise and, with the exception of Joystick, probably the star of the Steelers’ 2009 training camp.  Redman, an undrafted rookie, led the team with 145 rushing yards and three touchdowns this preseason.  He also put on a legendary performance during goal-line drills, scoring seven times against the Steelers first team defense to earn the nickname “Redzone” Redman.  Between Skippy, Big Snack, Silverback, and now Joystick, the Steelers lead the NFL in cool nicknames as well as Lombardi Trophies.

Hopefully some of the names mentioned here will help lead us to another.