Toney Clemons might be able to make an impression at some point this season. Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

A day after the Steelers narrowed their roster down to 53 players, the team signed eight to their practice squad.  Wide receivers David Gilreath and Toney Clemons, offensive linemen John Malecki and Ryan Lee, tight end Jamie McCoy, linebacker Marshall McFadden, safety Damon Cromartie-Smith and cornerback Josh Victoria are the eight, but who has a chance to make the most there?

Of the 53 man roster, there were only four wide receivers to make the team – Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, Jerricho Cotchery, and Emmanuel Sanders.  Chris Rainey will more than likely act as the ’5th receiver’ because he’ll find himself in the slot quite often.  It’s unclear how many empty backfield sets Haley will incorporate in the newly tooled offense.  But if any of these receivers were to miss significant time due to injury, then Gilreath and Clemons could find themselves in a real game situation.  In fact you could pretty much count on it.

Jerricho Cotchery missed 3 games last season (and was limited in most) due to injury.  Manny Sanders has not stayed healthy for the entirety of a season for his two seasons.  Wallace is the only receiver who’s played all 16 games in his three seasons as an NFL receiver.  Brown didn’t play all of his rookie season either.  So odds are the Steelers will be a man or two down in the receiver department at some point this season.  Gilreath and Clemons will likely fill those rolls.

The others on the squad such as Damon Cromartie-Smith might find their way into a game.  The defense is physical as we of Steeler Nation well know – the safeties are bound to get banged up.  But the rest?  They are more than likely stuck where they are, unless things REALLY get bad in the injury department.

How many games will #17 ultimately miss? It is a decision which is up to him. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE

Just because the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Front Office does not fold like origami and cower in fear of its players cannot truly classify them as “harsh” or anything of the sort.  To me and many others, Pittsburgh’s Front Office has employed a stern and sensible approach with their diva-esque pass catcher, and it is Colbert & Co., not #17, which hold the ultimate “Trump Card” in this stand-off.  In fact, when one takes a look at the entire scenario, it is Colbert & Co. which could make life exponentially worse for “The No Show Speedster,” and can do so with one simple action because #17 has to sign his tender at some point.  The only question now will be: “Will the Steelers’ Front Office resort to playing it if #17 is gone for a lengthy spell away from the club?”

Bench #17 Indefinitely Once He Signs Tender

This move would be the ultimate “pie in the face” “kick to the groin” gesture and I would love nothing more than to see Coach Tomlin administer this awesome form of justice if #17 continues to try to “leverage” his way into whatever it is he wants.  Nevertheless, this move should only be employed under the following circumstances:

1. #17 sits out for at least the first half of the season (8+ games)

2. The Steelers’ Offense can make due without him

3. Steelers are entirely out of Postseason chase

4. Fine Having $2.7 Million & Change as a 2012 Sunk Cost

Granted, all of these have yet to happen, only one Preseason game is in the books, and replacing a 2-time Pro Bowler is a pretty tall order.  Yet what better way to show “His Greediness” that there are consequences for his actions, and illustrate to him that his behavior has repercussions like riding “The Pine Pony” for the duration of the 2012 campaign.

Moreover, what could #17 do about his benching if it occurred?  Seriously, what could he do?  With all of the veterans still in the locker-room, and an entire team focused on a postseason push, there is no way #17 could disrupt anything by whining like a 10 year-old without getting slapped upside the head by a guy like Deebo.  Or if the circumstances arise where the team is not in any sort of postseason race, why allow him to pad his stats over a short season just to enter Free Agency?  He should not be the one benefiting from his actions which were taken at the organization’s expense during a down campaign.

If the Steelers took this specific course of action with #17, he would be out of football for an entire season before he hit the UFA market this upcoming offseason after he signed the tender.  Sure, the Steelers could always give #17 the Franchise Tag in 2013, but if the relationship gets this frosty and actions like the one I just mentioned take place, there is no way Pittsburgh will want his sorry behind to return.  Let #17 test the Unrestricted Free Agent market next year after he has not played in a meaningful game since January of 2012.  Let #17 see what other teams are willing to offer to a Wide Receiver after a year has been erased in the prime of his career.  No franchise was willing to spend a 1st Round pick on him as an RFA this past season, so I am almost positive (barring the stupidity of Washington and Dallas) no franchise will sign him for even Antonio Brown money come March of 2013.

Would a move such as this one be rather under-handed and low for such a classy franchise like the Steelers?  Sure, just a bit.  But you know what else is cold-hearted?  Turning down a contract extension, sitting out and not signing an RFA tender, not contacting the G.M., all of which while a new Offensive system is being installed.  Ultimately, a message like this one mentioned above would reverberate all over the N.F.L., because it would show each and every player that the Steelers’ Front Office is not to be trifled with and must be treated with respect in each and all instances.  They will not cower to anybody and make offers which they feel are at market value for a player’s skill-set and potential.

Final Thoughts

If you have not already gathered, I find #17’s recent actions regarding his contract somewhat childish and in a way downright ridiculous.  Considering the circumstances of how the Steelers’ Front Office reached out to him about a contract extension (apparently worth $50 million), did not lower his RFA tender when they could have, and did so when the team was (and is) in “Salary Cap Hell on Earth,” it just makes my stomach turn.

And for those of you saying “Pay the Man” or he “is doing what anybody would do,” let me get this off my chest.  First, to simply sign a tender worth $2.7 million while a long-term deal is worked out is not that difficult a task, especially when one has almost zero leverage whatsoever in the matter and is ignorant enough to believe that it is true. Second and most importantly, there are countless people in this country out of work or who have been out of work for extended periods during this recession, and numerous others which have to work day-labor and labor-intensive jobs which would never see the type of coin on the RFA tender in their entire lives.

In fact, almost all, if not all of them probably will never see that amount of money combined for their work in their lifetime. (let alone the apparent contract which was offered to him).  And when a person like #17 apparently turns down offers of that caliber, he is not likely to win the hearts and minds of fans of his team.  I am sure he could care less about what the fans think, but if he makes his debut in Weeks 8-10, he might get sick of the cascades of “Boos” which raining down upon him from his home crowd. Hey, I am all for marketing oneself for higher wages/salaries, it would be un-American to not do so if one has the leverage to make it happen.  But that is the ultimate kicker: #17 is facing off against the Steelers’ Front Office, a battle he simply cannot win, and others like Ike Taylor and Jerome Bettis find is a fight foolish to pick in the first place.

While I do not believe the Steelers will go to such extremes as the one I mentioned above to punish a player for an action such as not signing an RFA tender, I do hope Pittsburgh puts the proverbial “heat” on #17 if he continues his behavior into the regular season.  Whether they sign a veteran like Plaxico Burress, get Heath Miller or some of the Rookies like Toney Clemons or Marquis Maze more reps and chances to catch the ball, or even bench #17 outright, this franchise needs to (and will) show that #17′s consequences have actions.  The only questions now are: “How much longer will #17 remain absent?”  and “Will the Steelers make him pay dearly for his actions if they choose to do it?”.

What say you readers:  Are you sick of #17′s actions?  What should the organization do about him?  Should they resort to benching him if he is gone for an extended period?  Is $2.7 million dollars too high a price tag for revenge?  Share your thoughts, comments, questions, and concerns.

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

James Jones won't be leaping his way to Pittsburgh any time soon. Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

It’s time once again to analyze the crazy musings about the Steelers from some guy named Lambert.  What’s on tap for today from our Gather.com friend?  Why it’s his two cents about Wallace and how the Steelers would be smart to replace him by shopping for another receiver.

This isn’t the first time that Lambert talks nonsense about how the Steelers might and should deal with Mike Wallaces unwillingness to sign with the team.  In his first whiff Lambert thinks the Steelers would best off to trade Wallace to Carolina because Steve Smith needs a younger replacement.  Not realizing that the Steelers would never trade their receiver for a lineman (as Lambert suggets) for many reasons, Lambert falls flat in his argument of the validity of such a deal.

Today Lambert continues his out of touch reporting on the Steelers with the idea that the Steelers would look to someone like James Jones of the Green Bay Packers for an option to replace Wallace.  Once again, where to begin?  First we have to look at the kind of receiver James Jones is for the Packers.  Jones is a #3 or #2 at best with most teams in the NFL.  The Packers receiving core is more crowded than a Permanti’s at noon on a Thursday.  Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Tori Gurley, Diondre Borel, Donald Driver, and Jermichael Finley.  That’s a pretty big depth chart.  Finley, of course, is their star TE, but he is a favorite of Rodgers.  Jones signed, strangely enough, last season after the Packers snagged Cobb.  The writing was on the wall that it was a crowded roster and that he would be hard pressed to get big numbers.  Jones does run a really nice shoulder fade – something that Wallace lacks – but that’s about it.  You could call him a one trick pony.  Hmmm, where have I heard that before.

Looking at comparison between the two receivers – Wallace and Jones – they are pretty different.  Wallace runs a 4.33 – one of the fastest in the NFL.  Jones runs a ‘slow’ 4.59.  In fact Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders are both faster than Jones.  So in no way can Jones ‘replace’ Wallace with his speed.  Unless there be rockets in them shoes.

Jones’ stats are also significantly less than Wallace’s.  Even for a pass happy team with Rodgers and Co., Jones caught only 38 passes for 635 yards and 7 TD’s in 2011.  Wallace had over a 1,000 yard season and had 8 TD’s.  The argument can be made that Jones’ numbers suffered because of the crowded roster.  But, you could say the same thing could happen were he with the Steelers.  Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Jerricho Cotchery, Hines Ward, Heath Miller in 2011.  Plenty of depth there.  Hines is gone, but the Steelers picked up Toney Clemons in the draft for a possible replacement at the #4 spot.  So where would Jones fit in all of this on the Steelers roster?  Without any significant talents, such as Wallace’s speed, Jones would just fall to the middle of the depth chart.  $2.3 million is a steep price for a #3 or #4 guy.  Cotchery is set to make $825k in 2012 to put it into perspective.  Not a great deal.

Speaking of deals, Lambert never actually states what the Steelers would use as a bargaining chip to trade for Jones.  Wallace?  Timmons? Clark?  Kind of hard to make a convincing argument if you don’t actually list the other half of the deal.

‘Like it or not though losing Wallace is a huge blow for the Steelers. His speed and skill are almost impossible to duplicate, let alone replace.’  - Erik Lambert

Like it or not, Lambert, your notion of trading for Jones is not a good one.  And, once again, it shows your lack of understanding of this team.  The loss of Wallace is not a huge blow – mainly for the reasons I listed above with the Steelers depth at a set of hands (Pope now included).  He may be ‘the talk’ within the media, but that’s because it’s the only dramatic thing happening at camp right now.  Otherwise it’s business as usual in Latrobe.

Nice try, Lamby.  ’Til next time.