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.

Rejoice!! The NFL Draft is almost upon us. Two days of hopes, dreams, triumph for some, heartbreak for others, quarterbacks waiting in anticipation with their hot girlfriends and Jet fans eager to boo whatever unfortunate sap is taken by their team.

‘Tis truly one of the most wonderful times of the year. I dare say it’s even better than Christmas. Yes, Mel Kiper is my Santa. Except this jolly old elf has perfectly-coiffed hair.

As you surf around the interwebz, you will probably come across a mock draft or two. Or four. Or three dozen. Concocting mock drafts seems to have become the second biggest time waster of choice behind only filling out as many March Madness brackets as a sports fan can get their grubby little hands on.

I will spare you such things on my site. Besides, this is a Steeler blog. I assume you come here to read about the Steelers. I also imagine you don’t much care who the Houston Texans may or may not take with their compensatory pick in the fifth round.

You care about the Steelers. So All-Steelers All-the-time is what I’ll give you. The following is a short synopsis of prospects you should keep an eye on because they are players the Steelers either have interest in or they should have interest in. If anybody has their own Players To Keep An Eye On, feel free to share your picks in the comments below.

Let’s hope somebody suffers the same fate as poor Brady Quinn. Watching him slide deeper and deeper down the draft board was high drama at its best. I would feel sorry for the kid except he’s still a multi-millionaire, his girlfriend looks like she could suck-start a lawnmower, and he plays for the Browns. Oh, and his name is Brady. I hate that name.

Brenden Albert OT Virginia – The crown jewel of the draft as far as the Steelers are concerned. Albert is a 6’6” 310 pound human bulldozer who plays either left guard or left tackle. He has the talent to start immediately and for our team, probably would. Unfortunately, he has flown up the draft boards in the last month, going from a late 1^st rounder to a possible Top 10 pick. Highly unlikely he’ll make it to #23

Jonathan Stewart RB Oregon – A 5’10” 235 pound power back. Basically, a bowling ball with arms and legs. Has some durability issues as he’s suffered a number of injuries while in college which could be a problem in the pros. Tandem backfields are en vogue in the NFL so that’s what makes him an attractive option. Still, make no mistake, taking Stewart would be a case of taking Best Athlete Available. We’re already 3 deep at running back so unless the Steelers are lying about Willie Parker’s success at rehabbing his broken leg, we have much more pressing needs than at RB.

James Hardy WR Indiana & Limas Sweed WR Texas – I grouped these two together because they both fill a similar hole: the big-ass WR that will make Ben smile and Hines cry. Sweed is 6’4” but coming off a major wrist injury that has scared some teams away. Hardy is 6’5” and basically a poor man’s Plaxico Burress. His biggest knock is his 40 times have been a bit on the slow side so some wonder if he can create enough separation at the pro level. WR is a wild card area in this draft as some people project guys like Hardy, Sweed, and Desean Jackson (a tiny quick guy we wouldn’t be interested in) to be 1^st rounders while others have them all slipping well into the 2^nd. If either of these two fall to the Steelers, I’d heartily endorse either as my preference for their first pick.

Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina – If you read the Saga of Booger or my posts on the inexplicable signing of Nick Eason, you know the Steelers are paper thin along the defensive line. Brent Kiesel, Casey Hampton, and Aaron Smith are still top notch players but they’re also getting older and the threat of injury is always there. Balmer, a smallish but explosive rusher, projects to being a defensive end in the Steelers 3-4. He’s a gamble, though, as speed guys are usually boom or bust plus he really only started to show any flashes of superior ability during his senior season.

Aqib Talib CB Kansas – Last year, the Steelers were all set to draft Pitt CB Darrelle Revis with their first pick. They probably would’ve cut Ike Taylor, who played so poorly in 2006 that Coach Cowher benched him for several games. Then those tricky Jets swooped in, swung a trade with Carolina, and slipped ahead of us one spot in the draft so they could take Revis. Talib is another wild card as he is generally considered the best cover guy available but his 40 times have been astonishingly slow which raises all kinds of alarms with scouts. If teams go by college performance, he’ll be long gone by our pick. If they don’t, he might slip. Would the Steelers take him? Like I said, we were looking at CB last year. Also, Talib returned punts and even played a little WR at Kansas like a mini-Deon Sanders (“Not-Ready-For-Primetime?”) so he could also help us out in the return game. This would be a bold, interesting pick so I expect the Steelers not to make it if given the opportunity.

Gosder Cherilis OT Boston College – Huge 6’6” 315 monster. Doesn’t have the best form and needs coached up some. He played some left tackle as a senior and looked bad so probably would be a right tackle on the pro level. The Steelers aren’t really that hurting for right tackles (need interior lineman more) so Cherilis would be a safe but unspectacular pick. In fact, a lot of draftniks have him as a 2^nd rounder so taking him in the first might even be considered “reaching.” Probably not the worst pick they could make but not the most attractive option either.

Chilo Rachal OG USC – This is more a guy to look for in the 2^nd round if we go another direction in the 1^st. Not a spectacular college career but his measurables and potential are extremely high. Definitely seen as a future starter in the league, the only question is how soon and how capable. Will probably be gone by the Steelers second pick unless we trade up (or down) and pick up an early 2^nd rounder.

Matt Forte RB Tulane - If the Steelers are serious about going to a shared backfield, they definitely need to find a power back to compliment Fast Willie. Forte is a 6’1″ 217 short-yardage specialist. In fact, some teams think he’ll be a FB at the pro level but either way, I think the Steelers could use him. His measurables kinda sucked as he didn’t appear to be notably fast or notably strong, which is why most teams see him as a late 2^nd/3^rd rounder. But those kind of things are sometimes misleading which is why I wouldn’t mind seeing him in Black and Gold next year.

Ray Rice RB Rutgers – Yes, he had a big college career but that actually works against him with the scouts because they see him as having a lot of wear on the tires. Rice could very well fall to the Steelers late in round 2. Would they take him? The problem with Rice is he runs like a power back, very strong, very straight ahead…but at 5’8″ 199 he doesn’t have power back size. I can see him turning into a Mike Alstott-type pro although I do have to admit I’m not sure his tough running style will be able to hold up over an entire season. Still, this would be another intriguing pick.

Jeremy Zuttah OG Rutgers – Zuttah has been flying up draft boards in the past few weeks. He’s still seen as a 2^nd rounder but a month ago, he was a second dayer. Probably his best feature is he can play center, guard, or tackle and has played all three while in college. That kind of versatility is extremely rare and valuable. He also had a great Combine workout. Then again, so did Mike Mamula. Which is the big question on him: can his measurables translate to on-field ability? The Steelers were burned in this area before (Hello Jamain Stephens) but I’d take a flier on Zuttah if I was stuck picking at the ass end of the 2^nd round.

Mike Pollack C Arizona State & Kory Lichtensteiger C Bowling Green – Two more centers for this team which badly needs to find a guy to bend over and let Ben stick his hands between his legs for the next 5-6 years. I grouped these two together because they’re both late 2^nd/mid 3^rd round types so they are within reach. I also grouped them because they are similar centers in the Mike Webster mold of small, quick, smart guys. Lichensteiger also has a really cool last name which sounds like a tasty German beer. And a team located in Pittsburgh could always use a Pollack. I’d be happy with either of these picks.

Chad Rhinehart OG Northern Iowa - Get this, he’s 6’5″ 325 pounds. Clearly, he’s on the seafood diet…he eats everything he sees. Supposedly he’s pretty athletic and can be coached up. Plus, at that size, if his supposedly decent footwork is decent, he’ll be hard for linemen to deal with. Of course, the knock here is he’s from Northern Iowa. I think they played Robert Morris this year so he’s not exactly been tested against top notch competition. Still, for a late third round pick, he could be a sleeper.