David Johnson faces off against Steven Sylvester at camp. Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

When the Steelers signed Leonard Pope to a contract during the offseason and then drafted David Paulson in the draft, I was pretty certain that David Johnson would be named the team’s fullback.  He was… but then Mike Tomlin pulled a bit of the ol’ switcharoo when announced that Johnson would be back at playing his dual role as FB/TE.  And, with that announcement brings even more uncertainty to an already crowded position for the Steelers.

The Steelers haven’t had a ‘real’ fullback since Dan Kreider in 2007.  Underutilized with the arrival of Bruce Arians, Kreider was quickly dismissed and was picked up by the Rams and then finished his career in Arizona.  David Johnson joined the team as a 7th rounder in 2009.  Johnson quickly began playing a dual role as TE and FB.  Seemingly a better blocker after getting a head of steam, Johnson appeared more comfortable in the FB position.  In May of this year, the coaching staff said that Johnson would be playing fullback in the upcoming season.  That was good news for Johnson, and I for one was excited for the change.  I liked Johnson – quiet but a continually hard worker throughout the season – and did not want to see him fall victim to elimination by numbers.

It only took less than three months of a few OTA’s, mini-camps and two weeks of camp for Johnson to get moved back to the dual role.  Ok so it’s not 100% official, but Tomlin said that Johnson would be taking significant reps at TE when the team returned from Philly.  I don’t think this is ‘bad news’ for Johnson.  I’m sure he’s been doing just fine at FB.  I think what it really means is that this is code from Tomlin stating that he’s not happy with his other tight ends.  Putting Johnson back at TE puts pressure on the others already there – would the team really carry 4 TE’s or more?  Doubtful.

So who’s the one not stepping up?  Heath Miller?  Are you kidding?  Newly acquired Leonard Pope?  Suspended Wesley Saunders?  Or is the rookie, David Paulson, out of Oregon already blowing it?  My money is on the uncertainty of Saunders state of readiness when he returns from a four game suspension.  He was an undrafted FA last season and had yet to really impress.  He could be on a short leash when he returns.  The team may be getting Johnson ready for the possibility of playing TE either until Saunders returns, or that Saunders absence becomes a permanent one.  David Paulson is probably safe for at least this year until he can develop during his rookie season.  Leonard doesn’t seem to be the right choice in this mix of ‘who’s it gonna be?’ because he’s come straight from Todd Haley’s system over in Kansas City.

I still believe that Johnson will ultimately get to play FB and only FB for the majority of the season.  The Steelers, as in Steeler fashion, are just doing a bit of CYA in case they can’t get three strong TE’s within the first few weeks of the season.

As much as it will probably bug the hell out of him, Roethlisberger will not be the focal point this season. Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

The untested ‘new’ offensive line and the untested running back of the Steelers raise many doubts throughout as to whether the Steelers can succeed with the type of running game that combination will produce.  Add new OC Todd Haley into the mixture, and there are numerous unknowns about this offense and its ability to influence the outcome of a football game into a W.

Isaac Redman will assume the starting role when camp starts and will retain it unless ‘The Others’ (Batch, Clay, Dwyer, Rainey) take it away from him.  Redman’s ability to run well over the course of an entire season is his biggest uncertainty and worries lots of fans and media.  His ‘explosiveness’ is also put into question because that was one of the things greatly lacking from the Steelers running game last season.  And that’s where the crux of debate of what was ‘wrong’ with the 2011 Steelers run game and what will still be ‘wrong’ with the 2012 Steelers run game is revealed.  Even though the Steelers run game lacked ‘explosiveness’ with big gains, it was the situational running that bit them in the rear last season and is what needs to greatly improve.

Believe it or not, Mendenhall gained an average of 4.1 yards per carry last season.  His longest run was 68 yards (pretty good), and he lacked a large amount of 20+ or even 15+ yard gaines.  Hence the lack of explosiveness, yet he was gaining yards.  His best Hines Ward on DWTS impression every time he carried the rock led to many a ’3rd and short’ scenarios.  It frustrated the hell out of Steeler Nation and became unbearable when Bruce Arians called bubble screens and other asinine plays on 3rd down.  Throw in a bunch of Red Zone trips with the same type of game plan, and Steeler Nation was about ready to storm the castle.

Credit: Jason Bridge-US PRESSWIRE

With Redman as the new back, we can expect quite possibly the same kind of output that the team experienced with Mendenhall.  We won’t quite see the dancing with Redman as with Mendenhall.  But, with a younger line that will be working out its kinks on run and pass blocking, Redman may not have the holes in the defense to get big gains.  Redman’s head down and bowl’em over style will work well and probably net similar gains on 1st and 2nd down scenarios.  The key for the success of the Steelers offense will come to 3rd down situations and red zone situations.

There are many, including Joseph Bruno from Bleacher Report, who feel that the Steelers offense will be focused on Big Ben and the passing game because of the lack of an explosive run game.  In fact the word ‘backseat’ was used several times.  I disagree.  I think that the Steelers will balance out the running and passing in the offense.  Ben has his targets, but even the best of pass blockers and receivers need to create running lanes to keep the linebackers and corners honest and not sit back and wait on every down.  The Steelers are going to need Redman and ‘The Others’ to contribute with consistency all season long.  They will need to average 4+ yards per carry.  And Todd Haley is the one who needs to come up with schemes that move the chains on ’3rd and short’ downs.

That’s where new guys like Chris Rainey and Leonard Pope, one a draftee and one a FA pickup, will be very important.  Guys like Heath Miller, Baron Batch and Jerricho Cotchery will also be important.  Screens (like REAL screens), slants and curls will be key in both ’3rd and short’ and red zone situations.  The offensive line will also need to be able to create push off the line for Redman, Batch and Rainey for those times that Haley needs to change things up and run on a 3rd and short or use John Clay at the goal line.

So, I think everyone needs to relax about whether the run game will be an explosive one or not.  Settle down about arguing if Roethlisberger and the receivers will make or break the success of the team.  Focus on the consistency of the run game and those situational downs – that’s where this team will either be a 11-5 team or a 5-11 team.

Some good fortune in the Draft helped Pittsburgh land two potential OL starters (Mike Adams, David DeCastro) plus a DL contributor (Alameda Ta’amu).  Still, the Steelers lost a ton this offseason, mainly due to cap issues.  Replacing Hines Ward, James Farrior and other long-time vets will be just as hard in the locker room as on the field.  The Mike Wallace situation also could be a massive distraction this year. 

 

Grade:

Cookie Monster and Chris Burke like "C's," Dom does not. Image Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org

Normally I understand how members of the media “pop-off” and say controversial things to gain more readers and stir the proverbial pot (cough*Warren Sapp*cough).  Yet in Burke’s case, I believe I need to put my “Two Cents” in and wonder aloud about his offseason grades.  So ready yourselves NPC readers, because today I would like discuss my issues with the “C” offseason grade given by Burke to the Steelers and why.

Introduction

To be completely fair to Burke, I believe that the criteria which he used to measure and grade each franchise and their specific successes/failures during the offseason was well-done and a fair way to grade each team’s offseason exploits, activities, and efforts to improve their franchise as a whole:

 

Our offseason grades take into account the 2012 draft grades, what’s occurred in Free Agency and trade markets, and any extraneous off-field circumstances (bounties and non-bounties alike).

While this is a completely sensible way to evaluate and grade team’s offseasons, I do not understand how Burke came up with a “C” grade for the Steelers if he actually followed the specific guidelines he laid out above.  In fact, some of the negatives Burke alluded when he discussed Pittsburgh’s 2012 offseason to might not even be considered huge losses or negatives at all if one looks at the structure of the Steelers’ roster entering 2012 and organization as a whole.  Don’t believe me, readers?  Let’s take a look and you can find come to your own conclusions:

Not-So Negatives

Loss of (Veteran) Players Might Not Be So Bad, and Leadership is All Over Roster

Larry Foote will be a key player in a leadership role this season. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

Do the losses of Aaron Smith, James Farrior, and Hines Ward hurt to see as a life-long fan of this team?  Of course.  These guys were some of the most integral players in the franchise’s recent history, and three of the biggest reasons why the team won two Super Bowls.

But you know what?  Their releases are not what you would call important in terms of what they would bring to the table in 2012 from an “on-the-field” perspective.  And if you wanted to take things a step further, one could even argue that these moves were “addition by subtraction” in a salary cap and productivity senses to boot.

In case you did not notice Mr. Burke, Smith missed over 30 regular season games from 2009 to 2011, was a non-factor for the Defense last year, and spent too much time on the sidelines to help the Defense in any significant capacity.  As for Ward, his production on Offense declined so steadily last season that by December Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery had jumped ahead of him on the depth chart and his snaps decreased as the season progressed.  And Farrior, like Ward, was a shell of his former self last year, became an even bigger liability in pass coverage, and was thus a Two-Down player at best at this stage in his career.

As for the loss of the released veterans’ locker room presence,  Burke’s language suggests that they were the only veterans on the Steelers’ roster which led the team or mattered one iota.  Yet I must ask:  Do the names Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, Larry Foote, Brett Keisel, LaMarr Woodley, Willie Colon, and Heath Miller ring any bells?  I am sure that a follower of professional football like you would have heard of a veteran Quarterback named Roethlisberger, right?

So as you can see, despite the fact that three of the team’s most important veterans are gone, the Steelers’ 2012 roster is not bereft of experienced players which can bring leadership to the youngsters this season and beyond.  Because of this, these talented and mature players which I alluded to above are more than qualified to become adequate team leaders and do exactly what Ward, Farrior, and Smith did over their careers’ in the Steel City: impart their wisdom on the young players and become professionals.  Thus, the franchise will likely not lose any sleep over the “leadership vacuum” being filled.

Mike Wallace Situation 

While the Wallace situation “could” have been a massive distraction, why would you even put it into the equation to measure your offseason grades?  With this in mind, I must ask one simple question: Is Wallace’s contract situation resolved?  No, wait, let me check, carry the two, oh no, it is not.  Has Training Camp started yet?  Oh, wait, no.  Heck, Wallace has not even sat out any preseason or regular season games as of right now.  So let us all just calm down before we get ahead of ourselves and start hitting the “panic button” and downgrade any significant progress in the matter at hand.

In fact, just after you published your “grades,” it was reported by Jason LaCanfora of CBS.Sports.com that Wallace and the Steelers are moving closer to agreeing upon a long-term deal.  There might even be a chance that Wallace will be ready to go for Training Camp next week.  Sure, learning a new Offense might be a bit tough on Wallace.  But if the Steelers can get him into Training Camp and signed within the month of July or even mid-August, it should be more than enough time for a Pro Bowler like Wallace to come in and at least have a decent grasp of the new system.  And while Wallace still needs to hone bits and pieces of his game (route-running, blocking, etc.), he still runs a 9 route better than most in the League.  Plus, Wallace and Big Ben have more than enough pass-catching weapons around them to help out while he adjusts accordingly to the new Offensive system.

Overlooked Positives

Steelers Used Free Agency Period Sensibly

Pope could be an under-the-radar pickup for the Steelers this season. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

To his credit, Burke actually highlighted the Steelers’ 2012 Draft as being one of the better ones in the League (A- Grade).  But anybody that has any sort of vague understanding of what the Steelers’ needs were entering the Draft would have to give Colbert and Co. credit for addressing their most dire of needs.  You know, from the Offensive Line (DeCastro, Adams, Kelvin Beachum), to the Inside Linebacker position (Sean Spence), to Nose Tackle depth (Ta’amu), and the 3rd-Down Back (Chris Rainey).  But what Burke (as well as the rest of the media) might have overlooked is how the Steelers found two solid yet unheralded Free Agents (Leonard Pope and Brandon Johnson) which addressed other needs on the team as well.

At least to me, performance in the trade and Free Agency market should not be based on how much one team spends, but on how they spend their money.  In fact, the two moves which the Steelers made during the Free Agency period should pay dividends this season in a couple of areas where Pittsburgh needs some help: blocking in the run game, a tall pass-catching option in the Red Zone, help on the Special Teams units, help in pass coverage from the Linebacker corps, and help on 3rd Downs to boot.

Were the moves to acquire Pope and Johnson “sexy” from a headline garnering standpoint?  No, but that is not in the Steelers’ “Baller on a Budget” and frugal yet savvy style.  Overall, the Steelers saw ways to improve their ball-club in Free Agency, worked it out financially, and made the moves accordingly.  No over-spending, no big-contracts doled out to outsiders with question-marks, and low-risk/decent-reward investments.

Have Young and Developing Depth Ready to Step-Up

While the Steelers’ purse strings may have been limited in the area of signing Free Agents, it likely would not have mattered because the team already has a great deal of young depth ready to step up and play on their roster this season.  And as I outlined months ago in this post, the Steelers have a youth movement (especially on Defense) to look forward to now and should be poised to strike as early as this season.

I mean, is it really Pittsburgh’s fault that they have players like Ziggy Hood, Keenan Lewis, Cortez Allen, Curtis Brown, Steve McLendon Isaac Redman, David DeCastro, Mike Adams, and Cameron Heyward on their roster and ultimately believe they can step up this season and beyond?  No.  In fact, the eventual (and hopeful) development of these aforementioned players should be considered a huge plus for the organization because it required Colbert and Co. to not be pressed to look outside of their franchise for help at these specific positions.  But most importantly, the Steelers did not have to use the high-priced Free Agent market or any other means besides the Draft to help address these needs at all.

Will there be some “growing pains” in 2012 with these younger players?  Absolutely, and we should ready ourselves as Steelers fans to see some over the course of the season.  Yet what Pittsburgh’s Coaching Staff does and has done as good as if not better than all of the teams in the League over the last four decades has been developing talent to fill the shoes of departed players.  Just take a look at all the players which have stepped up during the last ten to fifteen years or so and subsequently replaced some of the departed talent on this franchise (especially on Defense).  Sure a few of the names might be changed this season, but the talent is ready and waiting to fill the void and should be put on display this season.

Final Thoughts

How a franchise which was given an “A-” 2012 Draft Grade, have had their most important players stay out of trouble, unloaded veteran and expendable players with huge contracts and/or diminishing/expendable skill-sets, possess more than enough experienced players on the roster to fill “leadership vacuum,” remedied a couple of extra needs in Free Agency, and have some developing depth ready to break-out in 2012 be given a “C” offseason grade by the very person which graded the Draft?

Even if one takes into account some questions which the Steelers face heading into the 2012 campaign (Safety depth, RB by Committee and Who Emerges, Wallace not being signed immediately), they cannot significantly or conceivably diminish the numerous positive things which this organization has done over the last six months to warrant just an “average” grade for their efforts.  Heck, if I wanted to, I could go into the number of different ways that Todd Haley will be an upgrade over Bruce Arians in the Offensive Coordinator department.  But for the sake of brevity I will leave that stone unturned for now.

I am not sure how you arrived at a “C” grade for the Steelers’ offseason Mr. Burke if you indeed evaluated Pittsburgh’s offseason by the criteria you outlined in your article, but hey, you are entitled to your opinion and I enjoy your work along with the work of the rest of the football writers on CNNSI.com.  But when you hand out these grades next time, you might want to try to follow your grading scale a bit more closely or pay attention to all of the offseason moves made by franchises.  Otherwise, people might be inclined to poke a few holes in your argument and raise some questions as to how and why you arrived at your conclusions.

What say you “Steeler Nation?”:  Does Burke have a point?  Is it a “C” offseason?  Am I full of hot-air?  Or is he?  Post your thoughts and grades below.

For all your Steelers news and discussions follow us on Twitter @nicepickcowherC, follow me on Twitter @DominicDiTolla, and like us on Facebook.

Swapping Mikes. Could Mike Williams replace someone like Mike Wallace? Credit: Rob Grabowski-US PRESSWIRE

The Steelers may not be able to come to terms with their young speedster receiver, Mike Wallace.  And if by chance that happens, the Steelers may (or very well may not) be on the market to pick up a viable #2 or #3 receiver to compete against the rest of The Core while in camp or even someone who could come along post-Wallace era.

While constantly thinking about the Steelers, I get to play a lot of ‘what if’s’ in my head.  Some are pleasant, some would make a person shudder.  The ‘what if’ currently swirling around the ol’ noggin’ is the Steelers deciding to let Wallace hold out AND take it a step further by looking for another receiver to compete in camp.  There’s one in particular who’s available because his former team showed him the door this past Friday.  The other potential receiver is not likely to sign a long term deal with his current team and will be forced to play with a franchise tag this year.  Without that new deal, he will probably be a free agent next season and may get a good glance by the Steelers were it to come to that.  But which one of these receivers – Mike Williams or Wes Welker – would be a viable option over Mike Wallace?

Mike Williams would be entering his 6th season in the NFL were he to play for another team.  Williams had a shaky start to his career for the first few years and all but completely disappeared by 2007 when on the Tennessee Titans’ roster.  But former college coach and now head coach of the Seahawks, Pete Carroll, signed Williams and got him back in action after Williams missed the 2008 and 2009 seasons.  Williams quickly reached a potential everyone could get behind after catching 65 passes for 751 yards in his first season back.  After Seattle snagged Sydney Rice from the Vikings, most folks thought that Rice and Williams would be a duo to fear.  Williams is 6’5″ and runs a 4.5 40.  Not lighting fast, but on par with most receivers.  That tall frame and decent hands could snag bomb after bomb if given the chance.  However, as most things that come Tavaris Jackson’s way, Williams had a hard time connecting with his QB.  Williams’ production fell in 2011 by 500 yards and was shown the door this past Friday.

Williams could be an effective and make an immediate impact for the Steelers were they to sign him to a one year deal by camp.  It certainly would show Mike Wallace that the Steelers are playing hard ball and playing for keeps.  Everyone is replaceable.  Sure, it could sour relations immensely between Wallace and the Steelers, but I can only assume that things aren’t really that great right now with Mike and the FO over this contract stalemate.  Williams has a big frame and could be a nice compliment to Antonio Brown on the other side of the field.  He’s not as fast as AB, but his size would play a huge advantage.  Were the Steelers offense to have a formation that included Williams, AB, Leonard Pope and Heath Miller – that’s 3 out of 4 guys over 6 feet for corners and linebackers to cover.  A recipe for big gains over the middle with quick screens and in-curls.  Who needs to go big down the field when you can keep peppering a team with 15-20 yard gains every passing down?  I think that Williams is far from being washed up.  He had the potential in 2010 when he was with Matt Hasselbeck.  You have to look at the context of his next season when playing with Tavaris Jackson – who is simply awful.  Little Doug Baldwin was their best receiver with over 700 yards.  The next top receiver had barely over 400 yards.  Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst just killed the offense for these Seahawks.  Williams can still cut it in the league and very well could be a good addition to the Steelers if they decide to ‘move on’ from Mike Wallace.  Williams was supposed to get $3 million in 2012 and would be a steal.

Should Mike Wallace not sign a long term deal and only play one season with his tender (or no season at all), I could certainly see the Steelers deciding to call it quits with Wallace and not go after him as an unrestricted free agent.  At that point, they will have no leverage.  If Wallace doesn’t play at all, then we know he is dead set on big money and the Steelers will never offer it up to a guy who hasn’t deserved it yet.  So who could be out there as a replacement.  Well, regardless of Mike Williams being in the picture or not, there’s a current (and soon to be former) New England Patriot who could take Wallace’s roster spot.

Wes Welker has averaged over 1,000 receiving and averaged 6 TD's per season since 2007. Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Wes Welker got slapped with the franchise tag this offseason by the Patriots.  Welker has been trying to work on an extension with the team this whole time and has until 4pm on Monday to get a deal done.  If that doesn’t happen, then he will be forced to play 2012 with his tendered tag of $9.5 million guaranteed.  My feeling is that if a long term doesn’t get done by then, then Welker probably won’t get signed at the end of the season by the Pats.  There might be a bit of bad blood from all those drops against the Giants in the Super Bowl.

Should Welker be available and the Steelers boot Mike Wallace into the big ocean of free agency, then I think the Steelers could sign Welker to a one year deal.  Worth something close to $6 million.  It’s a bit pricey and Welker is getting up there in years – will be 32 by next offseason – but, he has yet to show any signs of slowing down.  Welker runs a 4.6 40 yard, but his size plays a huge advantage in slants and crossing routes.  He is a very good technique football player and, aside from those drops in SB XLVI, has very good dependable hands.  He is another version of Hines Ward minus the blocking.  And, I would say he’s a cut above Jerricho Cotchery who plays a very similar game.  At least right now he is.

I’m sure it’s a bit of a hard pill to swallow to think that the Steelers would sign a guy just like Hines Ward and almost just as old when the Steelers decided to release Ward.  Depending on how Cotchery continues to pan out, and depending on how this offense evolves this season without Wallace (for the sake of this post), then Welker could be a good addition and short term solution.  There’s no way the Steelers would sign him to anything more than a one year deal, but he could be worth the single season investment.  It might be just the thing they need to be Super Bowl bound again.  They just may want to bench Welker in February…. I kid I kid.

I honestly think that Williams is the better investment.  Bigger frame, younger, and faster are three of his advantages over Welker.  Which one would the Steelers go with?  Hard to say since we are looking at two different periods in time.  But, having to guess which one fits the Steelers offense better and could act as a better replacement over Mike Wallace – I’d have to go with the other Mike.  I’m kind of sick of the Wallace ‘thing’ and wouldn’t mind the Steelers going with someone like Williams as a different option.  Some sources think Williams could go to the Vikes – God love the irony, right Sydney?  As always, we’ll see what happens in the coming weeks.

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Sometimes I wish this is what is meant by fantasy football. Sometimes.

It’s only July, but if your inbox is like mine it’s filled with reminders of renewing your fantasy football leagues before it’s too late.  So while you are digging through your couch finding every nickel and penny you can to pay for your leagues, check out a quick run down of who of the Steelers to consider for this season’s fantasy football team.

Let’s just point out the obvious in that the Steelers offense if a bit of a gamble when dealing with fantasy football.  That was certainly the case when Bruce Arians ran the offense.  Now that Todd Haley is running things, there’s a buzz in Pittsburgh that this year could be a turning point for an offense that continually stalled when it hit the Red Zone.

Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

Ben Roethlisberger:

Before looking at Ben as the QB, you need to consider the upgrade in offensive line.  There’s no doubt that Ben should have more protection this season with the additions of David DeCastro and Mike Adams.  With that in mind, he should have more time to throw the ball a little deeper down the field for big gains and big TD’s.  Even with Mike Wallace’s contract status up in the air, Ben is sure to connect with numerous weapons in Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Jerricho Cotchery, Heath Miller, Leonard Pope, and a sundry of running backs.  Should Wallace sign quickly during camp, Ben will be fully locked and loaded making his value even higher

Even suffering 40 sacks last season, Roethlisberger  connected on 63% of his passes, threw for over 4,000 yards, and connected for 21 TD’s.  Big Ben can always scramble to extend a play, which always makes him dangerous to make a loss into a big gain.  Look for those kinds of numbers to continue this season and a solid chance of being even better…. perhaps his best season of his career.  Big Ben is a solid #2 pick for your league.  Go for a bigger stat getter if you can, then hit of #7 as your QB.

Mike Wallace:

Well if the speedster ever signs a contract, Wallace will be a good pick for your receiving core.  He had his second consecutive 1,000 yard receiving season, but he had 2 fewer touchdowns.  He had the longest touchdown of his career with a 95 yard romp against Arizona.  Be sure you have other receivers, however, to get you through the end of the season.  Wallace had a major drop off in overall production, and the turbo in the wheels virtually disappeared.  Wallace did not have a 100 yard game after Week 8 and only three more touchdowns after starting the first seven weeks with five.  That’s a big problem if that continues into this season.  If the Steelers don’t sign Wallace to a long term deal, then this season could be another ‘contract’ season for the speedster.  And we all know what a contract year means.

Credit: Jason Bridge-US PRESSWIRE

Antonio Brown:

Brown is a guy that I think will be a bit of a sleeper when it comes to drafting WR’s in your league.  Depending on how deep your league goes, Brown could go as a very solid #3 or #4 pick.  AB set an NFL record last season with 1,000 yards and 1,000 return yards.  Even though he only scored two touchdowns last season, he is primed to take that #1 spot should Wallace hold out.  That could mean more touches and more scores.  If your league counts special teams stats for an individual, then Brown is a must for your team.  The talk in the town is that Chris Rainey will probably take over as the return guy.  Rainey needs to prove he can be the return guy and what’s even more, Brown could very easily share that time with the rookie.  At the very worst case scenario, take Brown and trade him off in your deeper leagues if he isn’t getting the stats you need to pull out wins.

 Leonard Pope/Heath Miller:

In your leagues that require a TE filler or ones that are deep enough to gain you that third WR/TE spot either one of these two beasts are good selections.  I wouldn’t imagine that either one of these guys would go early in your leagues, but they could be incredibly valuable – especially when you need to start playing bye week roulette.  Pope is coming from KC (and Todd Haley’s former player) and Miller will be playing in his 8th season with the Steelers.  Haley loves his TE’s, and look for both of these guys to get a bunch of plays called their way when the Black & Gold hit the Red Zone.  Miller only had two touchdowns last season, but was barely a part of the offense when the Steelers were inside the 20 yard line.  Pope only had one, but now has the talent within the offense, especially at QB that will get him the ball across the goal line.  These two certainly aren’t early picks, but keep your eyes open if you are still looking to fill that last WR/TE slot.

Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

Isaac Redman:

I’m a huge fan of Redman, but even I’m a little iffy about selecting him as one of my running backs for a fantasy team.  Will he be the work horse for the offense? Yes.  Will he grind out 20+ carries game in and game out? Yes.  Will he be the ‘finisher’ inside the Red Zone? Tough to say.  And with that, I need to pause on choosing this guy for my team.  Redman isn’t the electric runner like Adrian ‘Don’t Push A Cop’ Peterson, and so his scores would need to come from the Red Zone.  Even though his nickname is Red Zone, look for the Steelers to utilize a multitude of running backs to try and punch it through the goal line – Batch, Clay, and Dwyer all have roster spots right now and one of them could find themselves as the goal line specialists.  So, Redman will get good chunks of yardage and probably end with 80-100 yards per game.  But, the jury is still out on how Redman will do in the scoring department.  Look to take Redman as a backup only for now.  Maybe if he looks great early on, you could look for a trade.

D/ST:

The Steelers ranked #1 in defending the pass for the first time in a long time last season.  However, they ranked rather low in the takeaway department.  And, well, that’s where your defensive fantasy points come from.  Unless you are in a league where you are given points to start and lose them as the defense gives up yards, the Steelers are a bit of a tough choice for fantasy defense these days.  Far from rebuilding, the defense will be making some adjustments this season – due in large part to injuries, retirements and releasing your defensive captain.  How good will the defense be?  Will Dick LeBeau find his grove once again and have this defense be the most feared in the league?  The special teams is where this selection will earn its keep on your team.  Antonio Brown and Chris Rainey will look to smoke the opposing special teams with their speed and ability to cut.  The Steelers may not be the best D/ST combo out there for fantasy this season – but I know I’ll be taking them because anything can happen with both.  Depending on the trends of your league, take the Steelers D/ST any time after round 6.

So there you have some early thoughts and suggestions on some fantasy options regarding the Steelers.  Keep an eye out for future posts once camp starts, as NPC dives deeper into the fantasy football leagues.

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