As we already know, players like Aaron Smith, James Farrior, Hines Ward, James Harrison, Mike Wallace and Keenan Lewis are no longer employed by the “Black & Gold.”  Plus, it doesn’t appear that Max Starks and Casey Hampton will be back this fall unless injuries or poor play strike at their specific positions either.

While some are inclined to think that the “worst” of the “roster purges” ended a couple of months ago, I believe that the Steelers could be in for an enormous “roster overhaul” when the spring of 2014 gets underway.

Don’t believe me?

Just keep the following in mind when the 2013 regular season ends.

Unrestricted Free Agents (2014)

Ziggy Hood

I for one wished that the Steelers would have tried to trade their 2009 1st Round pick at some point over the last year and a half.  Unfortunately, the time has passed for Pittsburgh to find a willing trade partner for Hood, because no team will want to trade for a player who is set to reach UFA status once the 2013 season ends.

I cannot say that I blame Ziggy fully for his struggles and inconsistent play since he became a full-time starter in 2011, especially because I maintain that he is playing out-of-position in the first place.

Hood’s ability to gap-shoot and play in a single-gap scheme makes him a better fit as a 3-technique in a 4-3 scheme, the position he played in college at the University of Missouri.  Ziggy is far less suited to succeed as a 2-gap defensive end in Pittsburgh’s 3-4, and he could be deemed expendable when his contract expires if he fails to show signs of improvement during the upcoming year.

Hood will likely need a monster performance during this year to warrant any sort of long-term deal next spring, and I do not believe that Colbert & Co. will want to offer him one if he plays at the level he has over the last few years.  Who knows though?  If Hood does not garner any lucrative offers from other teams on the open market next spring though, he might be worth bringing back on the cheap.  Plus, the Steelers could be hurting for depth at the defensive end position.

Brett Keisel

Whenever it happens, I will truly hate to see “The Beard’s” tenure in Pittsburgh come to a close.  But unless the Steelers and Keisel agree to a veteran minimum deal or none of the developmental prospects can show improvement during this season, 2013 might be Brett’s final season with the Steelers.

Keisel is one of a number of late-round success stories coached up by defensive line coach John Mitchell, and has been a lynch-pin along the Steelers’ defensive front since he assumed a starting gig back in 2006.  To his credit, Keisel performed well last year and logged 4.5 sacks to go along with 46 tackles.

Unfortunately, Keisel’s contract is set to expire next spring, and Pittsburgh’s brass might be unwilling to re-up the soon-to-be 35 year old to another deal if the team needs to save some cap-space to re-sign players like Maurkice Pouncey.  Granted, the Steelers could bring “The Beard” back for another go-around if they have zero faith in Ziggy Hood or Cameron Heyward.  But Keisel could very well retire or end up wearing a different uniform by the time the 2013 campaign begins.

Jason Worilds

Worilds has flashed potential during his three-year career (5.0 sacks last season), so maybe a full-time starting gig will allow him to “learn on the job” and entrench himself as the full-time solution at outside linebacker.  At this point in his career though, Jason is more of an “unknown entity” than a “known entity,” and it hasn’t helped his development that he rode the “pine pony” behind James Harrison and LaMarr “Stay Puft Marshmallow Man” Woodley either.

Jason however will finally receive his best chance to start on a regular basis this year with Harrison in Cincinnati.  Still, the team did select Jarvis Jones with their 1st round pick in last month’s draft.  And while I believe that Jones will likely be forced to rot on the bench by the coaching staff, I am sure that he will nevertheless be ready to compete for playing time with Worilds on the weak-side.

I for one am hopeful that Worilds can realize his potential this year and that the Steelers will ink him to a long-term deal.  Woodley has been nothing short of invisible since he signed his lucrative deal back in 2011, so the more depth at the position, the better.  The only depth behind Jason at the moment is Jones, 2011 5th round pick Chris Carter, and 2012 UDFA Adrian Robinson.  Plus, if Woodley goes down with a bum hamstring again or cannot keep his weight in check, Worilds might just be asked to step in on the strong-side next year.

Sadly, a strong performance by Worilds could put Pittsburgh’s brass in a bit of a “Catch-22″ come next spring though.  If the former Hokie performs well in his first extended audition though, then the Steelers might not be able to afford him when he hits the open market (i.e. Keenan Lewis) if offers begin to pour in for him to head elsewhere.

Ryan Clark

Clark’s current deal ends after the 2013 season. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

Make no mistake, Ryan Clark has performed way beyond the expectations many placed upon him when he was signed as a free agent before the 2006 season.  Clark has been a model of stability on Pittsburgh’s back-end, earned a Pro Bowl berth after the 2011 season, and has been very solid compliment to Troy Polamalu over the last seven years.

Clark’s current deal though, the same one he signed after the 2009 season, is set to expire at the end of this year.  And while Robert Golden (and possibly even Shamarko Thomas) is another year or two away from being an “every-down player,” it makes little to no sense to keep a soon to be 35 year-old safety with declining ball-skills and a liability regarding concussions and helmet-to-helmet hits.

Then again, Clark might be able to find a deal elsewhere on the open market like James Harrison did so the Steelers won’t have to go through the trouble of negotiating with him.  Regardless of what happens, I will definitely intrigued to see what Pittsburgh’s brass do with the veteran safety when the upcoming regular season ends.

Emmanuel Sanders & Jerricho Cotchery

I’m not banking on Emmanuel Sanders to sticking around past the 2013 season.  In fact, I believe that it was a bone-headed move to not let him walk to New England in the first place.  The team needed (and still need) draft picks and cap space, the idea that they will be renting an injury-prone receiver for one-year is ridiculous.

Now that Manny will be starting at split end, he is likely to receive as many chances as possible to shine this fall if he can stay healthy.  While numerous fans and analysts bagged on the Steelers for bringing Sanders back for the 2013 campaign, the former S.M.U. Mustang did manage to set career-highs in catches (44) and in receiving yards (626) last fall.

The Patriots were obviously interested in acquiring him this past offseason, and I am sure that the market for his services will increase if he can continue to improve.  So, unless Manny plays poorly, gets hurt, or actually gives the Steelers a “hometown discount,” then I do not believe that Pittsburgh’s cap-strapped front office will be able to afford to re-up him beyond this year to a long-term deal.

On the other hand, Jerricho Cotchery (and even Plaxico Buress) knew that it would be difficult for him to earn a new contract beyond the upcoming season when Colbert & Co. selected Markus Wheaton and Justin Brown in the 3rd and 6th rounds during last month’s draft.

When he has received the chance to contribute during his two-year stint with Pittsburgh, Cotchery has performed well in the slot as a pass-catcher and a blocker.  Overall, Jerricho has recorded 33 catches for 442 yards and 2 touchdowns, and his experience and leadership could pay huge dividends for some of the younger players at the position.

But as I alluded to before, the Steelers didn’t just draft Wheaton and Brown to simply ride the pine.  Thus, if the rookies do prove to be capable pass-catchers and the front office can somehow extend Emmanuel Sanders, then Cotchery will be looking for a new team next spring or even before the regular season begins.

Isaac Redman & Jonathan Dwyer

I lumped Dwyer and Redman together because I believe that one of these two might be able to stay on Pittsburgh’s roster past this season, but not both of them.  The selection of Le”Veon Bell basically guarantees that the Steelers are “all in” when it comes to Bell as a “3-down back,” and that one or both of the situational “battering rams” will be sent packing once the 2013 campaign comes to a close.

Last season, both Redman and Dwyer had prime chances to seize the starting running back role.  Sadly, neither player proved that they were anything more than “situational backs.”  Redman and Dwyer were unable to put up a string of consistent performances, and a battered offensive line did not help them gain any traction as well.  The two only combined to rush for 1,033 yards on 266 carries and only 4 touchdowns.  Worst of all, both backs rushed for less than 3.9 (3.88) yards per carry on the year!

I certainly would not blame Colbert & Co. if they allowed Redman and Dwyer to walk if neither player showed any improvement this year.  Plus, I have a hard time believing that the franchise will keep both backs beyond this year, especially because Dwyer and Redman possess such similar skill-sets.  So while depth at such an important position like running back is nice, don’t be surprised if neither “battering ram” is on the roster past the spring of 2014.

September 16, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau (center) talks to the Steelers defensive backs on the sideline against the New York Jets during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Over the past several seasons, the Steelers defense has often been criticized for their old age. Yet each year they finish in the top 5 in overall defense. This offseason, the Steelers continued saying goodbye to their elder defenseman. Earlier on, they said goodbye to James Harrison, due to his large salary that they couldn’t afford. While they did not technically cut Casey Hampton, they sealed his fate when they signed Steve McLendon to a three-year deal a few weeks back.

The Steelers have been known to find young talent to supplant their elder defenseman, so here is the predicted Steelers defensive starters for the 2013 season.

5. S Troy Polamalu (Age: 31, Yrs: 9)

Steeler fans didn’t see many of these this past season. Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

With a longer than usual recovery from his calf injury, Polamalu sat out most of the season in 2012.  For weeks, analysts brought up the ‘Polamalu Factor’ – showing the Steelers record with Polamalu in the lineup and their record without.  And, while the advantage always tipped towards the Steelers favor when Polamalu was in the lineup over his nine years in the league, 2012 showed that the Steelers can survive without Polamalu.  Last season they went 5-4 in his absence and 3-4 while he was in the lineup.  The passing defense was still rated #1 during that time, and the turnover ratio neither worsened or improved with him missing or active.  The man who is consistently referred to as the ‘X-Factor’ on this defense is no longer the big impact player he once was.  Much like Ed Reed who is waning in his golden years, Polamalu’s contributions a less ‘splashy’ and more of a liability.  Numerous fans, including readers here, have called for his removal from the team before it becomes ‘too late,’ and the team pays full salary for a safety who is way past his days of what he was hired to do.  Quite frankly, I’m on the fence about Troy.  I’ve seen him since his days at USC and enjoy watching that quite mannered man go bat crazy on the field when he launches himself at a player.  But that type of nostalgia does not bring home wins.  I think his time of being the impact player he once was is over, but I don’t think the Steelers will release him just yet.  He has two more years on his contract, and with the safety positions being one of the weaker ones in the backup department for the Steelers, I don’t think the team will get rid of him until they have a few viable replacements.  I look to see the Steelers draft a very physical safety in this years draft (and/or move Curtis Brown there).  The Steelers may opt to release Troy in his last year so they avoid paying all that cash.  And I seriously doubt we will see any kind of extension (even a one year deal) past 2014.  But for now in 2013 expect him to hit the field.  Status: Keep’m

4. LB James Harrison (Age: 34, Yrs: 10)

Silver Back is getting rough around the edges, but is worth keeping around. Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Silver Back is quickly showing that he is in his golden years in the NFL.  He’s been plagued with injury ever since coming off his phenomenal seasons in ’07 and ’08.  This season was evident of how age can really extend the recovery period.  Even though Harrison returned early in the season from his knee surgery from last season, it took almost all season long to fully recover.  NBC and Cris Collinsworth did a great video breakdown of Harrison’s angle of attack during a Sunday Night game, and you could clearly see the difference between his early return in 2012 and stock footage from 2011.  It wasn’t the same, and it was clearly affecting his ability to get around the edge.  The Steelers don’t have too many options when it comes to replacing guys like Harrison on the outside.  With Jason Worilds as the only option behind LaMarr Woodley and Harrison for the outside, the Steelers need to beef up their LB core.  That will probably come with the draft, but as Steeler fans know, it takes time to get the young’ins acclimated to Dick LeBeau’s defense.  Harrison is signed through 2014 and has a heft price tag coming up in 2013 and 2014.  The Steelers will more than likely restructure his contract to get him through those two seasons.  I don’t think they will be letting him go until that contract is up.  He is still valuable when he’s on the field, and is still one of the hardest hitting LB’s in the league.  He does not shy away from that, and the Steelers will need every bit of intimidation factor they can get until they can drastically lower the age of the defense.  Status: Restructure and Keep’m

3. DL Ziggy Hood (Age: 25, Yrs: 3)

Ziggy Hood may not have to worry much about having to wear ugly Steeler throwbacks in 2013. Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Things looked oh-so-promising in 2011 for Hood.  In just his second season (2010), he saw 13 games but with not very many snaps.  In 2011, Hood saw action in all 16 games and was becoming a bigger factor on the defensive line for the Steelers – potentially becoming the full time replacement for Aaron Smith.  But, in 2012 Hood’s presence began to waiver.  Even though he racked up as many sacks in ’12 (3) as he did in his second season, his ability to apply pressure and stop the run were almost non existant.  2nd year man Cameron Heyward put the spotlight on Hood’s inability to help in the run.  Watching tape, Heyward sealed lanes and took up space more effectively than Hood, and allowed the linebackers to become the inside run stuffers they were meant to be.  Hood is signed through 2014 when he becomes a free agent.  He will count almost $2.5 million against the cap in ’13, and I think the Steelers will use him to get more room to sign guys like Keenan Lewis to free agent contracts.  Status: Release

2. DL Brett Keisel (Age: 34, Yrs: 10)

The Beard will have more chances to become ‘The Archer’ in 2013 Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Brett Keisel is another defenseman who is signed through 2013.  At age 34, Keisel will be one of the oldest on a defense that is trying to bring the median age down a bit.  Keisel suffered a knee sprain near the end of the season, but will not require surgery.  He is actually coming off of one of his better seasons with 4.5 sacks.  Those sacks all came in the final eight games of the season where Keisel seemed to show he had one more gear left.  Keisel also had 40 QB pressures, which is twice as many more than any other player on the roster.  The Beard will count a whopping $4.5 million against the cap in ’13, which is the same amount in ’12.  Keisel isn’t quite done contributing for the Steelers even though he will turn 35 at the beginning of the 2013 season.  I expect the Steelers to either ignore his cap hit or restructure in some manner to make a little more room.  If the team gets rid of Hood and are reliant on Cam and McLendon, then they absolutely need to keep Keisel.  Status: Keep’m

1. Casey Hampton (Age: 35, Yrs: 12) UFA

Big Snack will be feasting somewhere else in the NFL in 2013. Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Yeah I’m cheating on this one.  Hampton is an unrestricted free agent so the Steelers technically don’t have an option to ‘release.’  But he is realistic in the team trying to retain him and keep him from staying on the market too long.  Hampton is like any other Steeler that gets to be his age – they love the game, they love playing football, and will do it for just about any other team.  Unlike Hines, who retired after not getting any early hits in free agency after being released by the Steelers, Hampton is for realzies when it comes to wanting to play and BELIEVING he can still hang with the ummm… ‘big boys.’  Big Snack is certainly wavering in his final years as a nose tackle.  One of the best to enter the NFL, Hampton has been plagued by injuries from his weight and snap counts recently.  The Steelers restructured Hampton in 2012 and paid out $2.8 mil plus a $2 mil signing bonus.  Hampton will probably want something similar in a one or two year deal.  I don’t think the Steelers will really opt to pursue Hampton – at least by his expectations.  I think the Steelers will offer him a one year deal somewhere to the tune of $2 million with no bonus but maybe some incentives for performance.  That will help the cap, and keep a veteran on while McLendon begins to settle in as the new NT.  But, I don’t think that Hampton will like that deal and pursue other offers.  So long Big Snack – the Old Country Buffets of Pittsburgh survived and thank you for your business.  Status: Soon to be gone

To recap, that’s Polamalu, Harrison, and Keisel staying with Hood and Hampton gone.  What are your thoughts, Steeler Nation?

How did the Taylor/Lewis duo prove that life can move on with out WWW Gay? Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

The Steelers looked to find a groove with their first and second teams on defense against the Colts after a shaky beginning to the pre-season against the Eagles.  There were a couple players on defense I pointed out prior to the game who needed to step up their game.  Let’s take a look at them and others who had notable performances on Sunday night.

With the injury to James Harrison, all eyes were on Chris Carter and how he would begin to settle in were he to ever start at OLB in place of Harrison.  Even though Harrison will more than likely return for Week 1 or 2, Carter will need to be ready.  Harrison and Woodley play explosive and very physical styles of defense – injuries are not uncommon with these two, and Carter will find himself in a series or two each week.  Carter did very well facing a hot handed Andrew Luck and a speedy wide receiver core.  Carter found himself penetrating the line of scrimmage on numerous run blitzes, and actually out ran a couple of plays because of his ability to get through so quickly.  He also had pretty good pass coverage when he was forced to drop back over the middle with his assignment.  There was on questionable holding call late in the 1st quarter, but the receiver’s momentum appeared to be the cause of why he fell down and not because Carter had a grasp on the left shoulder.  Carter ended up with zero tackles on the night but showed that he can help Timmons in a zone and will have plenty of opportunities of making plays in the backfield.

Even though Dick LeBeau said prior to the game against the Colts that Cortez Allen was the nickel corner to start the season, Allen could still vie for the #2 spot over Keenan Lewis.  Allen had several nice coverages while in the nickel slot.  He had the focus to nab a bobbled pass from a Colts receiver, even though his run back was a little suspect.  Allen has matured nicely since his rookie season.  Should Lewis go down with injury, Allen could be a really solid backup as he continues to improve.

Speaking of interceptions – Face Me Ike had a really nice grab.  On what was a clear curl route, Ike Taylor played off his man just long enough to bait Luck into throwing the ball.  Taylor jumped the route early enough and snagged the ball for a nice interception and an even better run back for a touchdown.  Ike said that he wanted to improve his hands over the offseason.  I guess this was a nice step in the right direction to break away from being just a shut down corner.

Casey Hampton came off the PUP list before the Colts game along with teammate Rashard Mendenhall.  Hampton probably won’t be ready to go until after Week 1, so guys like Steve McClendon.  Ziggy Hood is also under that microscope and appeared to struggle a bit against the Colts’ offensive line.  Hood, who is usually a staple at backup to Hampton, was eaten up by blockers for most of his time on the field.  He did have two tackles and assist on the night.  It is still early, there’s plenty of preseason left.  And, NT for the Steelers really isn’t suppose to rack up the tackles in a game.  But from watching the game and going back to the DVR, it seems that Hood is missing some physicality that he usually brings to the position.

Other defensemen had glimmers of solid play Sunday night.  LaMarr Woodley had a sack off of what looked to be a naked bootleg by Luck.  Woodley easily tracked him down.  It wasn’t clear from the replay if it was a blown play or if Luck really was meant to be out in the open, but Woodley handled him with ease.  It was good to see – Luck was elusive for most of his evening and was able to step up away from pursuing defenders.  Keenan Lewis had four tackles on the evening and almost had a tipped ball/pick late in the 2nd half.  He cut the route a little on the late side and found himself with empty hands and a receiver ready to turn up field.  He was backed up nicely by Ryan Clark who stopped the play.  The next time he does something like that, Lewis better tip the ball or come up with a pick or he’ll see his coverage speeding off towards the endzone.

The defense is still finding its groove.  Dick LeBeau had a few new look wrinkles in his defenses, which threw Luck and Arians for a loop at times.  A no lineman ‘amoeba’ set is a new look for most of us.  It will be interesting to see how that formation evolves into the regular season and how this defense will try and find itself as the #1 D in the league once again.

This just so happens to be the number of Super Bowls the Steelers have won. Neat.

PFT continued the release of its preseason power rankings of NFL teams over the weekend.  The rankings have been rather unsurprising for the most part – with a few head scratchers being the Eagles at #8, Lions at #13 (they should be better), and the Cowboys at #14 (they should be worse).  Two AFC North teams were announced this weekend.  The Steelers came in at #6 and the Ravens came in at #5.

I like to pride myself as an anti-homer, and I’d be a total hypocrite if I said that the Ravens didn’t deserve to jump ahead of the Black & Gold before the season started.  Even though the Ravens have lost Suggs for a large chunk of the season and some other key players, they were able to sign Ray Rice to a long term contract – hold out crisis avoided.  They lost some other key players on their roster, but their two victories over the Steelers in the regular season and their deep playoff run put them over the top.  For now.

It still burns my rear when I see the breakdown of what is considered ‘strengths’ and weaknesses’ for the team.  Calling rookie offensive linemen liabilities since they haven’t started a game, yet not looking at who was there in the first place before them is a huge underestimation.  Thinking that the loss of Aaron Smith and having to use tested backups like Ziggy Hood is enough to make you bite your nails over is a lack of understanding of how this defense prides itself on ‘starters in waiting.’  To assume that Max Starks will more than likely win out the job at left tackle and then to think that somehow Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert will duke it out for the spot at right tackle shows a bit of the cray cray that a rookie who barely ever played the right side would be competing for the job against the second year man who played very well as a rookie himself.

Rankings like this are all pretty subjective with only a few concrete pieces of evidence that truly defines a particular line up of team.  So, even though I believe that PFT go the Steelers right at #6 and the Ravens right at #5 – the reasoning behind such is suspect.

That leaves the Giants, Packers, 49′ers, and Patriots as the top 4 ranked teams going into camp.  No surprises there considering three out of those four were in the conference championship games.  Of course, preseason rankings are just that – preseason rankings.  The performance on the field always dictates who the winners and losers are.  I guess it’s nice to feel that even with all the changes taking place over this offseason the Steelers are still one of the elite teams in the league.  After all, they still have one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, one of the elite defenders, and a core of great coaching.