Huddle up guys!
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE

It appears the Steelers are flirting again with WR Steve Breaston.  According to John Clayton of ESPN on NFL Live this week; the Steelers are interested in signing Breaston in the next couple of weeks, presumably after they have the additional salary cap space that will be freed up by Willie Colon’s contract being cleared.  Both the Steelers Depot and Behind the Steel Curtain offer their reviews of the news.

Steelers Depot suggests that the signing of Breaston, along with the 2 WR draft picks in Markus Wheaton and Justin Brown means that Plaxico Burress’ days as a Steeler might be numbered.  The biggest downside to a veteran like Burress taking up a roster spot in the wide receiving corps is that he wouldn’t be able to contribute to Special Teams.  Breaston previously worked with Steelers OC Todd Haley in Arizona and Kansas City so it makes sense why the Steelers continue to keep going after him.  Clearly Haley sees value in adding Breaston to the roster so while the Steelers are unlikely to carry more than 5 WR on the roster at the very most; it’s probably a safe bet to say that Burress might be on his way out if Breaston comes in.  Only time will tell though, the cap space to sign anyone still isn’t there.

Behind the Steel Curtain explains how Breaston could fit in under the cap, of course once Colon’s money is cleared and the rookies are all signed to their deals.  As we all remember the Steelers brought Breaston in for workouts last month but did not sign the wide receiver who is recovering from an arthritic knee condition.  It’s important to remember that the Steeler can afford Breaston under the cap but that will definitely limit them from being able to sign other veterans that might only tend to show up just before training camp (Max Starks anyone?).  I guess what it will come down to is just how valuable they think Breaston is to the offense as opposed to say a Starks, Legursky, or even Casey Hampton.  We shall see.

What do you think, Steeler Nation?  Do you think the Steelers should pick up Breaston even at the expense of bringing back other veterans or at the expense of Plaxico Burress?

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5. O Willie Colon (Age 29  Yrs: 6)

Colon was scrappy and intense this past season but is a huge liability with his contract and health habits. Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The Willie Colon Experiment has officially failed.  Not in the crash and burn kind of way, but this past season has proven that Colon will forever be plagued with injuries since he sustained the season ending one in 2011.  Colon signed an extension after landing on the IR.  It was a risky move for the Steelers and is proving to be a mistake.  Colon landed on the IR for the third straight season, and is being paid way to much to be watching from the sidelines.  Colon is due a whopping $5.5 million next season with a bonus that will count as $7.65 million against the cap.  For a guy who may blow out his knee at the drop of a hat and has become penalty prone due to his intensity (though I admire him being the most intense player on that field), that is way too much money for a team that is $10 million over the cap and needing to sign up to 24 free agents.  Colon will be released fairly quickly to help free up a bunch of money to start the offseason.  Expect the fire sale to start with #74.  My Prediction: Released

4. WR Jerricho Cotchery (Age: 30  Yrs: 9)

Jan 8 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery (89) catches a touchdown pass during the 2011 AFC wild card playoff game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field. The Broncos defeated the Steelers 23-29 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Jerricho Cotchery is one of the last physical wide outs the Steelers have on the roster.  The intent in bringing in Cotchery back in 2011 was not to replace Ward but to compliment him.  As the season progressed, and Ward’s productivity declined, it was apparent that Cotchery was the future as the slot receiver.  Cotchery’s own productivity has been nothing close to what he was doing as a Jet prior to being a Steeler.  But, with the Steelers retooling a bit at that position, Cotchery will at least stick around through camp.  He only counts as $1.5 million against the cap, which is insignificant in the greater scheme of things.  My Prediction: Stays

3. RB Baron Batch (Age: 25  Yrs: 2)

Baron Batch, Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

After a very promising training camp in 2011, Batch blew out his knee and was done before he could find a roster spot.  The team decided to keep him on the squad to at least recover and see if he could impress in 2012.  Batch had a decent camp in 2012 and found himself as part of the running back carrousel.  Batch carried the ball only 25 times for an average of 2.0 yards per carry.  Unimpressive even though he didn’t fumble the ball at any point.  He’s only due his base contract of $450k, so he’s not a big hit on the cap.  I think the Steelers will keep him for camp, but expect him to have a very short leash.  My Prediction: Keep but release at camp

2. WR David Gilreath (Age: 24  Yrs: 2)

David Gilreath Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

David Gilreath came to the Steelers last season and was mainly a special teams player.  He took several snaps on the offense and rushed the ball once on screen in Week 11 against Baltimore.  Gilreath is owed only $460k next season as a minimum.  With Chris Rainey off the roster, I expect Gilreath to have a crack at the kick and punt return positions.  He will also get numerous reps in the preseason to see if he can find a way up the depth chart in the receiving core.  My Prediction:  Keep’m

1. G John Melecki (Age: 24  Yrs: 2)

John Malecki, Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Melecki is a young guard who came from the Redskins in his rookie year after the cut him in camp.  Aside from Colon, there aren’t too many offensive linemen that I feel comfortable the Steelers getting rid of before at least camp ends.  He’s a physical guy, and I think good to have around if Tomlin ever decides to suit up more than eight linemen in a game.  He’s due $480k, so no big hits on the cap.  My Prediction:  Keep’m

To recap, that Keep Cotchery, Gilreath, and Melecki and Release Batch (after camp) and Colon.  What are your thoughts, Steeler Nation?

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Foster will take over the Right Tackle duties until Adams returns. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Pugliese-US PRESSWIRE

It is official “Steeler Nation”: The 2012 version of “Offensive Line Musical Chairs” has started in Pittsburgh!

After he sustained a knee injury in Pittsburgh’s first preseason game against Philadelphia, Rookie Mike Adams will be forced to the sidelines for what appears to be 2 weeks.  With Adams out, Left Guard Willie Colon back from his own injury, and David DeCastro having earned the starting nod at Right Guard, the Steelers shuffled substitute Left Guard Ramon Foster to Right Tackle, and Right Tackle Marcus Gilbert over to Big Ben’s blind side.

While it is a bit disheartening to see Adams miss some time, the roster moves themselves are not exactly a huge cause for concern.  Gilbert was slated to move over to the Left side for this season anyway and had taken some reps there during the offseason.  As for Foster, while he has not played Tackle extensively since he was at Tennessee, he has the body type the Steelers’ look for in a Tackle, can run-block decently, and possesses enough of a skill-set at the position in terms of his pass-blocking to shore up the Right side for however long Adams is hurt.  Plus, popular veteran Max Starks is still on the roster, and once he regains full health, can slide over to Left Tackle in case of another emergency.

Although the Steelers have the ability to play some “roster Tetris” along their Offensive Line, the fact that a guy which appeared to be an instrumental part of the rebuilding process is already missing time is a huge blow.  Cohesiveness (outside of talent) is probably the most important ingredient which goes into building a successive Offensive Line.  And while the Steelers might have upgraded in the talent department at essentially every position over the last three years, Big Ben’s blocking unit has been maligned by injuries, numerous different lineups, and personnel changes across the board.

While I have complete and total faith that Offensive Line Coach Sean Kugler can “MacGyver” some sort of passable Line if disaster inevitably strikes, I am frustrated with the fact that he has already had to do it multiple times during his two year tenure with the franchise.  What Kugler and the rest of the Offense needs is five guys to simply stay healthy for an extended period of time so they can build some chemistry and find out what works and what does not as a unit.  My only hope is that the Steelers can find some sort of solution soon, because this “Offensive Line Question Mark” is something which has plagued this team over the last half decade.

All we can do now though “Steeler Nation” is cross our fingers’, wait until the music stops, and hope nobody gets injured trying to find a chair.

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Now just replace those blocking sleds with Eagles and that's some good blockin'. Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

The Steelers Willie Colon’s body must hate football.  Seriously, what other explanation is there as to why this guy continually gets hurt and hurt early in the football season.  This time his body doesn’t even want to play the first preseason game against the Eagles.

On Tuesday, Mike Tomlin announced that the two rookie lineman – David DeCastro and Mike Adams – would start against the Eagles this Thursday night in the team’s first preseason game.  And while that’s a fine option when you have a guy like Colon go down, is it a little early to be starting the two?  Is it dicey to be starting them for the first time during the same game?  They’ve had some growing pains during camp.  If they struggle, will it hurt them more than help them?

On the other side of the coin, this could be the shining moment for these two.  Questions about their readiness to play in the NFL with their late starts to OTA’s and mini-camps have been abundant.  They could quickly quiet their critics and solidify their spots on the offensive line.

So what will it be Steeler Nation?  DeCastro/Adams starting – good or potentially disastrous?

Wilson covers most of his body when outside to protect his healing burns. Credit: Vincent Pugliese-US PRESSWIRE

The back of his neck, his face and fingertips.  Those were the only parts of Steelers’ RB Coach Kirby Wilson’s skin that were exposed to the open air Thursday as he took the field with his fellow coaches and players in Latrobe.  You see, one who is recovering from second and third degree burns can’t be exposed to the sun – so Kirby needs to not only wear tons of sun screen, but also cover as much of his body as possible.  Less than seven months after being severely burned in a house fire, Wilson not only walked onto the field, he jogged.

‘You don’t know how much it means to us. For us players who know Kirby and have a relationship with him, it truly is special. To see him walking around and kind of getting a little jog in almost brought a tear to my eye.’     ~ Ben Roethlisberger

And so for Wilson, today signifies a large step in the healing process.  Wilson’s odyssey from critical condition to jogging on a football field with his teammates is nothing short of inspirational.  As the summer months wane into fall, so to will Wilson’s burns turn into complete scar tissue.  The man who, as rookie RB Chris Rainey put it, ‘cheated death’ will move on and continue coaching as his focus lazers in on this complex roster of running backs.

As one his own continues to heal from ACL surgery, Wilson must distinguish who is ‘the stud’ of the group and will quite literally carry the running game for the first half, if not the entirety, of the season.  Wilson believes most of these guys – Batch, Dwyer, Clay and Rainey will have to make their way through special teams first if they want to get reps at the RB spot.  Let’s just put it this way, it won’t be easy.  Even Redman is questionable in Kirby’s eyes because he, ‘really (hasn’t) done it over the long hurl.’

The healing doesn’t stop there.  This summer the ‘healing’ of the Pittsburgh Steelers ripples throughout the organization.

Wilson had his tragic accident just two days before the Steelers faced off and lost to the Denver Broncos in that surreal Wild Card game.  No player ever spoke of Wilson’s accident, near death experience, hospitalization or absence from the sidelines as an emotional excuse as to why they lost against the Broncos.  Just because they didn’t say anything doesn’t mean it didn’t weigh on each and every member of that team that day.  They lost that game, and they almost lost a coach and dear friend.  That Wild Card game was a very tough loss for a team that took its licks and verbal abuse during the course of the season, yet still ended up being rated the #1 defense in the league.  The wound of that loss against Tim Tebow and his Broncos runs deeply, and only wins this season will help that wound to scar over.

The offense will be healing this summer after several years of bruises from a Bruce Arians styled offense.  An offense that was rated 21st in point scoring last season will look to improve in the Red Zone under their new coach Todd Haley.  Ben Roethlisberger will continue to heal from his ankle injury and thousands of bumps and bruises caused by 40 sacks last season.  A newly youth injected offensive line should be the right prescription for what ails #7.

Big Ben isn’t the only one who finds himself under the healing spell of St. Vincent College.  LT Max Starks is back after knee surgery and will look to mentor rookie Mike Adams at that position during camp and maybe even give him a run for his money.  Willie Colon is healed again from injury and hopefully can stay healthy for the majority of the season.  Casey Hampton is making his way back, but quite possibly, rookie DT Alameda Ta’amu might heal the entirety of this defensive line if he can fill the shoes of Big Snack.

The healing is all over the campus of St. Vincent – Physical, emotional and mental.  Camp truly is a magical place for Steelers and Steeler Nation.  And this year it all starts with a man named Wilson as the true inspiration and catalyst for what will be a summer, and quite frankly, an entire season of healing.  The emotional stakes seem higher already.  Steeler Nation is humming with the energy of anticipation.  Can you feel the rumble in the distance?

Or maybe that’s just some guy in a beard showing up to camp in a tractor…….