With preseason games upon us, I think some of us should do a quick write up on the teams we follow. Most preseason
games quickly turn into a morass of near-NFL talent running around lost and oblivious. While I'm sure many of us
here tend to watch these games with an eye towards possible free agents, I think it would be more fun, entertaining
and educational if we were to break down some of these games together. So, pick your team and write a few words on
what everyone should be watching for, be it players or schema. When the rest of us watch your team, we will pay
attention to the areas you cite and post our thoughts. Please try to include numbers with player names so it's
easier to follow. I'm going to break the Steelers down position-by-position, but feel free to do whatever floats
your boat. I'll link any write ups in the op, so they can be easily seen and read. Without further ado:
What to watch for:
Pittsburgh Steelers
The 'rebuilding on the fly' will continue. There will be personnel changes at a variety of positions, most
notably, the o-line (again).
OFFENSE
The biggest changes will occur on the offensive side of the ball where Todd Haley takes over for Bruce Arians. It
will be interesting to see where the offense goes, because Haley is known for taking advantage of the talent he is
given.
QB - Ben Roethlisberger(7) isn't going anywhere. Byron Leftwich(4) appears to be solidly entrenched at #2. Old
Mr. Glass, Charlie Batch(16) will probably be the third, but UDFA, Jerrod Johnson(8) appears to be making some
inroads at camp.
RB - Rashard Mendenhall tore an acl late last year and will probably begin the season on the PUP list. That leaves
starting duties to Isaac Redmen(33). Redmen is more of a power back than Mendenhall, and certainly doesn't have
the same top speed. IMO, the Steelers will probably use more of a RB rotation. So, players in the mix include:
Baron Batch(20), John Clay(38), Jonathan Dwyer(27), and rookie speedster, Chris Rainey(22). Additionally, during
camp, a fullback has been employed fairly often. There is only one FB on the roster, Will Johnson(46). David
Johnson(85), officially a TE, has been used as a FB and H-back. Not all of these guys are making the team. It
will be interesting to see if one of these guys can make a good impression during the preseason games.
TE - Heath Miller(83) is one of the better all around TE's in the game. Behind him, things are not pretty. The
Steelers currently have five TE's in camp hoping someone can win a job. The aforementioned David Johnson has a
good shot because of his versatility. Wesley Saunders(82) is talented, but will begin the season suspended for
four games due to PEDs, making his roster spot tenuous at best.
WR - Mike Wallace(17) is holding out for who knows how long. Beyond the starters and guys sure to make the team
(Brown, Sanders, Cotchery) are a bunch of young guys fighting for a roster spot. Frankly, those guys will probably
be sorted by how well they contribute on special teams.
*OL - Max Starks(78) and rookie Mike Adams(76) will battle for the LT position. Ramon Foster(73) and rookie David
DeCastro(66) will battle for the RG position. The other three positions are set, barring injury. These are the
players the Steelers took with their top two picks in the draft and it's here that I'll be watching during the
preseason on offense.
DEFENSE
Last season, the Steelers were the number 1 ranked defense. They looked ragged on multiple occasions, however.
Outside of Ike Taylor, no one had a stand out year. They were pathetic at creating take aways and big plays.
Injuries and age were the main culprits. But Dick LeBeau showed that his schemes are top notch.
DL - Aaron Smith and Chris Hoke have retired. Casey Hampton also tore an acl late last year and will begin the
season on the PUP-list. So what the heck are the Steelers going to do? At NT, Steve McClendon(90) will start and
rookie Alameda Ta'amu(95) will back him up. Hopefully, Ta'amu will progress quickly. At DE, keep an eye on the
progress of Cameron Heyward(97).
OLB - Always the premiere position of the Steelers defense, it looks no different this year. Unfortunately, James
Harrison(92) is becoming injury prone and his back ups aren't quite up to the former defensive player of the year's
level. Not even close. Jason Worilds(93) needs to improve and he's currently nursing a wrist injury. Chris
Carter(54) sounds like he's coming into his own.
*ILB - James Farrior retired and Larry Foote(50) is probably in his last season. Lawrence Timmons(94) will start
next to Foote. It's the battle for who will take over for Foote next year, that is the real show. Sean Spence
(51) is a rookie and undersized, but it's his speed and insticts that will determine if he can play at the NFL
level. With the advent of the new Goodell Football League, athleticism will be at a premium. Stevenson Sylvester
(55) is also in the mix with Spence. Sylvester may also get some looks at OLB.
DB - Beyond the entrenched starters (Polumalu, Taylor, Clark), there is a ton of youth thanks to some previous
shrewd drafting. Keenan Lewis(23) should be the other starting corner. Cortez Allen(28) will be the nickelback
and Curtis Brown(31) the dime. Also:
* = what I'll be watching
I apologize for the verbosity.