Saturday Night Live and the Not Ready For Prime Time Steelers

"Obviously" neither the Pittsburgh Steelers nor the New York Giants looked ready for February 2nd Saturday night. With the Giants scoring on both of Eli Manning's drives, though, it was clear which team has more to work before the regular season begins.

The Steelers and their pseudo Saturday night live season opener were definitely not ready for prime time. Some of the same issues as last season still seem to be there. Or we could say it as a colleague paraphrased it in a recent conversation when referencing Dennis Green's post-game meltdown after his Arizona Cardinals gave up a 20 point lead and lost to the Chicago Bears 24-23.

In essence, "they are who we thought they were!"

As the aforementioned colleague pointed out, there were "breakdowns in pass protection (they are who we thought they were!), breakdowns in coverage (they are who we thought they were!), breakdowns on special teams (they are who we thought they were!)" and breakdowns in the mental aspect of the game. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said as much in his press conference, saying that they are "obviously" a work in progress. - http://tinyurl.com/mpxpzqk

When If It Ain't Steel presented the things to look for in our pre-game piece, we pointed out that certain things needed to happen and certain people needed to make themselves seen.

Virtually none of them did.

We said the secondary, mainly the young cornerbacks who will be providing depth, needed to step up to show who would be there if the starters went down. None really did. Unfortunately, one of the veterans did the most damage. Slot defensive back William Gay was burned by Victor Cruz for a 57-yard touchdown catch from Manning near the end of the first quarter.

None of the young defensive backs really stood out. Isaiah Green didn't play, so he'll have to wait to be evaluated in a gameday situation. Robert Golden missed a, well, golden opportunity when he barely missed intercepting a pass. Since there was nothing in front of him but grass, he would've scored. Josh Victorian played well, though, having four solo tackles which includes his work on special teams.

The secondary did stiffen at times, veteran Ike Taylor even had a pass defensed to prevent a touchdown in the first quarter. Overall, though, the secondary gave up 221 yards (191 when subtracting sack yards) on 15 pass completions. The NFL's No. 1 pass defense gave up six yards a completion last season.

The quagmire of the fifth and sixth wide receiver spots was cleared at all. In a good way, though. The main candidates for the positions - Derek Moye, Justin Brown, Kashif Moore, Reggie Dunn and throw in JD Woods for good measure - had 10 receptions for 89 yards. Woods had a particularly great pair of catches when jumping out of Heinz Field on one and walked a tight rope to catch another. The only WR without a reception was David Gilreath.

The young linebackers played well for the most part. First-round draft pick Jarvis Jones had a very good open-field tackle, a fumble recovery and, maybe most importantly, didn't look lost. - http://tinyurl.com/moj2fuo

Veteran Jason Worilds had a sack and three tackles, but he also made stupid mistakes. Twice in a three-play span, he was flagged for major penalties, including a "roughing the passer" penalty. Now, we'd rather say "Whoa, Trigger!" than have to dangle a carrot in front of him, but aggression needs to be tempered. Hopefully he learned that by the tongue lashing he received from Mike Tomlin and Dick LeBeau. Hopefully.

The rest of those looking to make the team looked fairly good, with Alan Baxter, Brian Rolle, Marshall McFadden and Vince Williams all making plays to have the announcers call their names. Adrian Robinson scored the team's lone touchdown off of Williams' sack late in the game.

Aside from a couple of good kickoff returns and Dunn almost creating a vapor trail on a punt return, special teams was bad. Damontre Moore lived up to his college nickname of "DaMonster" when he blocked punt with 11:27 to go in the first quarter. It set up first-and-goal at the five-yard line, but Taylor and the defense forced a field goal.

Outside of blocking, the tight ends weren't a big part of the game Saturday. More will be seen as practice and the preseason continues.

The player of the game, as well as the Steelers Digest Player of the Week, was Al Woods. Playing defensive end instead of nose tackle, he had nine tackles, two for losses, a quarterback hurry and a sack.

The running game was a nice surprise, thanks mainly to LaRod Stephens-Howling. LSH rushed the ball seven times for 40 yards, leading a group of rushers who ran for 91 yards total. But, one thing is for sure, all the zone blocking system talk was somewhat anticlimactic. If we counted properly, they ran it five times total in first half, and eight times the entire game.

Isaac Redman, the designated starter in the game, backed that up.

"People make a big deal of it, it's not that big as everyone's making it. It's just one play," Redman said as dictated by Ken Laird. "Not like we're going to shy away from all the other runs we've had. Plenty of different runs, [zone blocking] is just an added run."

Still, Stephens-Howling liked what he is seeing overall.

"I like it here a lot. Feel real comfortable," he said. [Todd Haley] gets the ball to the backs out in the flats." - http://tinyurl.com/lpuzv38

All-in-all, the offensive line, wide receivers, linebackers and defensive line played well and gave Steelers fans something to which to look forward. The rest of the not ready for prime time Steelers players have more rehearsal to do before their next performance Monday at the Washington Redskins.

Steelers 2013 Training Camp: 10 Days, 10 Takeaways (Defense)

Without a doubt, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the best franchise in all of American football over the last 40+ years. Since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970, they have made the playoffs 26 times for a total of 33 wins - more than any other team.

There’s no argument about whether or not the Steelers and their fans have reason to be proud of their accomplishments. Since the merger, they’ve competed for an NFL title nearly 20% of the time, having gone to the final game an average of once every five years in that time span.

In all, the Steelers lead or are tied for the lead in all of the most important categories: total wins (437), season wins (404), All-Pros (67), playoff wins (33), playoff berths (26), division titles (20), winning seasons (31), Super Bowl berths (8) and Super Bowl wins (6).

It is, therefore, that very success that makes last season's results that much less bearable. It was a team loaded with potential, potential never achieved. Now it is a team that goes into the 2013 Training Camp and season loaded with questions. Though a team of veterans, rookies and yet-unproven players will play a big part into how this season turns out.

The Steelers are resting and relaxing following some of the toughest Training Camp practices seen in ages. Practices that included tackling, live 11-on-11 drills and a little bit of history with live tackling in a non-goal line drill. According to inside linebacker Larry Foote, "First time we ever did that."

(photo courtesy of Jennifer L. Westbrooks)
As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette examined recently, this "is old-old-school," but it has been needed with the Steelers being "young in a lot of areas, particularly in the lines," head coach Mike Tomlin said in explaining the increased hitting.

In that case, now is a good time to review everything that has been disseminated over the course of the first 10 days of practice. We'll look at the things and players seen so far that are worthy of continued attention and that could have an impact on the season.

LaMarr Woodley: Woodley came into Camp looking great, really responding, though he won't admit to it, to the prods from his position coach prior to last year. One of the things we've suggested since the departure of James Harrison, though, is that, especially since Jason Worilds has played so much better of the left, that maybe Woodley might be moved to the weak side. But linebackers coach Keith Butler addressed the issue and gave the reasoning for his decision.

“Sure, for a little bit,” Butler responded when asked if he had considered doing so. But he left Woodley on the strong side because, as he put it, "You want a big-bodied guy over there on the left side because offenses are notoriously right-handed. Most people run to the right, some people try to run to the left, but most run to the right, and we want a big body over there.”

Um...no. Not true. In actuality, the numbers indicate that teams run to the left, opposite Woodley's side, about 15% more than they run to the right. Which means teams will be running primarily away from Woodley.

Curtis Brown: I have Brown as a high roster possibility for a while, and did nothing in Camp to cause one to go against that. However, with Mark Kaboly reporting that Brown went down when defending on a play and Steel City Insider's Jim Wexell reporting that he is on crutches after practice, his chances would seem to be damaged. But the Steelers are already down starter Cortez Allen (knee), who needed minor surgery last Friday, DeMarcus Van Dyke (who also needs all the help he can get) and Terry Hawthorne, all being sidelined for an unknown amount of time with training camp injuries. That, then, re-edifies Brown's chances of maintaining a roster spot.

Al Woods: Last year, Woods made the roster as the sixth defensive lineman and should make it again this year. But defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and the Steelers are trying to make the defensive linemen more versatile by upping the pressure on the quarterback.

"We definitely need to get more pressure up front," said Brett Keisel, who led the Steelers last season with 40 quarterback pressures. "There's been an emphasis more on [ends] getting on the edge rather than just pushing the pocket, getting on the edge and trying to make something happen."

As the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review explains, when the defensive tackle or end "pushes a guard or tackle back, forcing the quarterback to scramble out of the pocket, they will earn a 'pressure' from their coaches."

For Woods, considering the pass-rush ability he showed when on the (limited time on the) field in both Pittsburgh and New Orleans, that would mean working him at nose tackle in addition to defensive end to increase his value and versatility up front, making him a viable candidate once again for a roster spot.

Cameron Heyward: “I think it’s not more of assignment things anymore, its more of now I can read and dissect the offense, so I can see tendencies and see what they’re favoring and formations,” Heyward said.

Along with reading and dissecting the offense, Heyward brought the body to be able to bring the hammer when he arrives at the play.

"He’s heavier than he’s been, but his body fat is down,” said Tomlin. “So you’re talking about lean muscle mass....He’s probably up three or four pounds, but his body-fat percentage is down, so he’s doing the right thing.”

Marshall McFadden: McFadden is making it as hard as possible to cut him, and is turning heads after the first half of Training Camp. The Steelers will be keeping either four or five inside players, so his making the roster depends on the play of sixth-round draft pick Vince Williams and Stevenson Sylvester. Unless something drastic changes what we've seen thus far, expect McFadden to make the team.

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TIDBITS: Remember the name "Alan Baxter."

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New Steelers starting cornerback Cortez Allen feels he should be in good shape and ready to go when the Steelers line up to face the Tennessee Titans, despite having surgery last week on his knee. Tez said he is getting better, but will stay off the practice field until at least the end of Training Camp nears.

“I’m just trying to be smart about it. I can’t really give a timetable on it, but I just have to follow the instructions of the training staff," Tez told the Tribune-Review. Of course it’s disappointing when you can’t do what you love. I pride myself on staying in good spirits. I’m doing my best to get back on the field."

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The Steelers signed veteran offensive tackle D'Anthony Batiste and Nik Embernate cleared waivers and is now on the Steelers Injured Reserve list.

Batiste ranked second worst out of 80 graded tackles on Pro Football Focus. Pray that someone else steps up and/or that Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams stay healthy...for Ben's sake.

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Alameda Ta'amu released from PUP list. He will participate in the Steelers' Camp for the first time this season, after sitting out the first half of it with a hamstring injury.

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Maurkice Pouncey said he is at a natural 300 pounds. Up from 285 previous years.

Will Jarvis Jones, Other Young Linebackers Add To Steelers Legacy?

Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Andy Russell, Loren Teows, Robin Cole, Mike Merriweather, David Little, Bryan Hinkle, Greg Lloyd, Hardy Nickerson, Levon Kirkland, Joey Porter, Earl Holmes, James Farrior, James Harrison... Some underrated, some under appreciated, but the list goes on.

Few NFL teams can say they have had as much talent at one position as the Pittsburgh Steelers have had at linebacker for the past forty-plus years. Such a legacy and tradition, therefore, dictates that the Steelers, aka "Linebacker, Inc.", have to be considered the resident experts on the position.

Playing in the 4-3 defensive alignment until 1982, the Steelers then switched to the 3-4 and have been running it ever since. Looking to continue that legacy are several young linebackers on the offseason roster who are looking to create their own by adding their names to that list.

Along with those names, though, come question marks as well. First round draft pick Jarvis Jones signed a four-year, $8.705 million contract with $4.71 million in bonuses. Jones’ $8.705 is guaranteed. His success isn't. While Jones, who recently stated that he thought he was going to be drafted by the Cleveland Browns, may have had 28 sacks and an average of 22 tackles for a loss for Georgia over the last two seasons, like Steelers inside Buck linebacker Larry Foote recently said, it will be difficult for Jones to crack the starting lineup as a rookie.

“It's going to be difficult (for Jones to start immediately), especially outside,” Foote said. “There is so much technique, (knowing) where you've got to line up, inside or outside. The fortunate thing is they (Jones' Georgia Bulldogs) played a 3-4....I've seen a lot (of players) come in as rookies and not have a clue, but you can tell he's been around our type of football.”

His pragmatism was tinged with a bit of reserved optimism for the rookie. Much like the architect of the current 3-4 defense the Steelers employ.

"(Jones) has got (linebacker) instincts," Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said when commenting on turning a defensive end into an outside linebacker (think LaMarr Woodley). "You don't have to (wean) him off the end stuff."

According to Len Pasquarelli of the National Football Post, Jones might just have the chance to do what no rookie linebacker has done for LeBeau - start.

"The team has seen enough of the 17th overall pick...to privately acknowledge that he could be that rarest of commodities: a rookie who actually starts for the Steelers at the prized outside linebacker spot," Pasquarelli wrote. "There’s apparently a decent chance now that Jones can bump fourth-year veteran Jason Worilds (10 sacks in three seasons) as the heir apparent to James Harrison’s old spot on the right side."

However, one of the things Jones may find to be the most difficult part of that process and in learning the outside linebacker position in the pros is in mastering coverage instincts. And per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Mark Kaboly, he doesn't look like he is going to be there any time soon.

"Watched every practice & nothing would say he can stop run, drop into coverage or beat NFL LTs," Kaboly wrote to an unintelligent Twitter hack. "Maybe, but can't tell in spring."

Speaking of Kaboly, he reported in the Tribune-Review awhile back that the Steelers had moved Stevenson Sylvester from inside linebacker, where he has played nearly exclusively in his three years, to outside linebacker during minicamp.

This suggests two things: 1) that his versatility may directly affect his roster spot, and 2) that the coaches like what they have seen from former undrafted free agent Marshall McFadden, whom If It Ain't Steel told you to keep an eye nearly two months ago, allowing said versatility and position flexability. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2013/05/youth-being-infused-into-steelers.html

With second-year linebacker Sean Spence still unavailable as he recovers from his knee injury, and third-year linebacker Chris Carter largely unproductive in his opportunities, that leaves Sylvester, McFadden, Adrian Robinson and this year's sixth-round draft pick Vince Williams as the players with the best chances to fill the final three of an expected nine linebacker positions. (Not that anyone really expected Kion Wilson, Terrance Garvin, Alan Baxter or even Brian Rolle to make the team.)

Pointedly, Sylvester has displayed a greater knack for special teams, which is what will tip the scales for those last spots. In 2012, despite missing six games, Sylvester played on nearly half of the team’s special teams snaps. Carter, despite missing eight games, played on less than a quarter of the team’s special teams snaps. This, plus the position flexibility spoken of earlier, would seem to move Sylvester ahead of Carter.

McFadden has the goods and the desire, while Robinson appears to be a coach favorite at outside linebacker as position coach Keith Butler has effused about him more than once. While Williams is probably headed for the practice squad, nonetheless he's gotten the attention of his teammates.

"He looks like a smart player," said fellow Florida St. alumnus Lawrence Timmons. "He’s very gifted with his athletic ability and I’m starting to get excited to see what he’s going to do in camp." - http://tinyurl.com/l8tfzrq

We'll see indeed. They all have some degree of uphill climb ahead of them, and whether or not they will add their names to the pantheon of Steelers linebackers is still to be determined. The questions that surround them, though, will begin to be answered in Training Camp.

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TIDBITS: Speaking of Training Camp, the Steelers will report on Friday, July 27, with the first open practice being on Saturday the 28th, and will break camp on August 18, per Steelers.com.

The first practice in pads will be on Monday, July 29. All practices that are open to the public are scheduled from 3-5 p.m., except for the two night practices on Friday, August 2 at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m., and at Saint Vincent College on Wednesday, August 14, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

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For a more personal look at first-round draft pick Jarvis Jones and his many plights that included tragedy, castigation and pain, read Jim Wexell's piece on Jones and his road to the Steelers: http://pit.scout.com/2/1297050.html

Youth Being Infused Into Steelers Defense

As the 2013 offseason progresses and more information about the Pittsburgh Steelers and their draft class is disseminated, two things come into focus fairly quickly: the defense will be younger and the draft class has, well, class.

Despite many fans being up in arms over the re-signing of Buck linebacker Larry Foote to a three-year contract (only two of which he'll see), or the keeping of oft-injured Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Mark Kaboly pointed out that the age of the Steelers defense is steadily dropping.

"[T]he Steelers have progressively gotten younger while keeping the core of their No. 1-ranked defense intact," Kaboly wrote, "which isn’t very easy to do."

"In fact," he continued, "the 'old' Steelers defense has been able to knock off a year every season and, if projections hold true for this year and into next, the Steelers will have gone from 31.1 years of age to 28.2 within a span of three offseasons without any glaring holes in the lineup and reduce their 30-year-olds on defense to as few as two in 2014 … or even less." - http://tinyurl.com/d9xs8kh

One of the younger members of the defense who has been vilified by many over the last year or so because of his weight issues and work ethic is LaMarr Woodley. After being injured and out of shape much of the last two seasons, he has been called out by his position coach -- "Don’t come to camp weighing 290" -- and by an anonymous teammate -- "He was awful. He tells us he works out, but we didn't see it. He wasn't in shape. That has to be a reason why he was always hurt."

But just a few weeks ago, Woodley let his critics know that he is ready to "get after it," saying that his "offseason is going great."

"I'm looking forward to getting back with the team in a few weeks," Woodley said per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I've been training since the middle of February ...It was a disappointing season being 8-8 and not making the playoffs. It was disappointing at the end of the day....I said this offseason I'd be determined to get after it."

Others who look to be determined are cornerbacks Ike Taylor and Cortez Allen who, as If It Ain't Steel related a couple of weeks ago, are working together with To Shaw down at Wide World of Sports complex in Florida. Per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Allen has had some praiseworthy words for Taylor who is becoming a mentor.

"Ike is one of the hardest workers I've met," said Allen. "Seeing the way he does things is something that I would one day like to model. I'm getting a close-up view of what it takes to play 10 years in this league."

"We know what's required in the scheme of what we do," he continued. "We know how to push one another. We have to coach each other. We're making one another and the team better as a whole."

With Allen slated to get his chance to start next season opposite Taylor, joining him in this training and mentoring is ideal for 'making one another...better.'

Another who is actually in battle for a roster spot is inside linebacker Marshall McFadden, about whom Mark Kaboly effervesced when speaking of his "power and potential." Because of some CBA technicality, 2012 wasn't an accrued season for McFadden, so he was given with an opportunity to participate in the team's rookie Minicamp, which he called a "refresher."

"When I came in last year during rookie minicamp I was struggling to understand things because it was all so new to me," said McFadden. "Coming in this year and taking that step again, it was an introduction again. It was great for me because I got a better understanding because I had a year to develop. My mind is clear enough to understand it this year. It was a great refresher for me."

"I am classified as someone that has to take a big step this year," McFadden continued. "Once the OTAs start, it can do nothing but help me by knowing what to do, playing faster, knowing where to be, where to go. This was perfect for it."

McFadden, who led the Steelers last preseason in total tackles, spent most of the 2012 on the practice squad, although he did see time on the active roster late in the year due to injuries. Don't count him out for 2013.

Then there is 23-year old, 5'10", 180-pound cornerback Isaiah Green, the second-year man out of Fresno State. Per Behind The Steel Curtain, he wants to be more than just a Training Camp body. In the article they wrote about him, and according to his Fresno State bio, Green has a "nose for the ball" all the requisite physical skills, making him another to watch in Latrobe:

"...a fast and athletic player who will is expected to see action in the secondary and on special teams ... penciled in as a starting cornerback heading into fall camp ... one of the fastest players on the team with a 4.29 40-yard dash." - http://tinyurl.com/d795cnq

Last but not least there is outside linebacker Adrian Robinson, the speed rusher from last season. We'll be focising on him in an upcoming piece.

As for the rookies, it's easy to get excited about this year's draft class. Not only because of what they will bring to the field, but also because they seem to exude what the 2012 class was bereft of: common sense and maturity.

First, there is Jarvis Jones, the southern gentleman. Shamarko Thomas, as we told you recently, will 'work hard until his hands and his feet fall off.' Plus, two others who could end up being steals and contributors this season: the Black Cat and The Destroyer.

When Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake speaks of rookie Terry Hawthorne, he tends to mention one thing fairly often: "He is fast." 4.31/40 fast.

"What I like about Terry," Lake said, "is that he has a lot of upside potential that I see in him. I think he has all the physical tools. He is big. He is fast. He doesn't mind tackling, and he can play press coverage well, kind of in the same way as an Ike Taylor."

Hawthorne himself is saying all the right things, such as his proclamation that he'll 'do whatever he can to help the team' and to turn the corner.

"I'm just trying to get my technique down," Hawthorne said. "They've been correcting me on my technique. I had bad technique. As I'm getting my technique better, they're starting to get a little more comfortable with me....It gives me a great advantage for them to correct my technique now." - http://t.co/goD1wdnudG

Another to keep your eye on is inside linebacker Vince Williams. When Steelers Digest's Bob Labriola was on the Steelers Live show this past Tuesday and was asked if any other player had caught his eye over the minicamp weekend, Williams was his focus.

"The one guy that I kind of noticed was Vince Williams," Labriola said. "He would be the second pick in the sixth round, an inside linebacker from Florida State. Vince Williams, a couple of the things that I liked about him, were first of all, it wasn't very long into the on field sessions when Vince Williams was instructing teammates about where they needed to be, and shifting and those kind of things.

"Vince Williams did a lot of the defensive play calling during his college career and it seems like he has a very high football IQ and it seemed to me," he continued, "watching from the side, that that was a little bit on display right from the beginning."

Labriola continued by expounding on the main factor that's going to get him a spot on this roster, that "he's going to make special teams coordinator Danny Smith a very happy person."

"One of the main concepts, basic concepts of playing special teams, covering kicks, is find the guy with the ball, get the guy with the ball on the ground....This is a guy who will be able to find the guy with the ball and get him on the ground on special teams plays, and that alone could make him a very valuable part of the 2013 Steelers."

Despite head coach Mike Tomlin's disputing linebacker coach Keith Butler regarding Sean Spence as to whether he'll ever return or not, between McFadden and Williams, the question as to Spence's replacement may have been answered.

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TIDBITS: This doesn't feel right as a "tidbit," but Jack Butler, the great NFL Hall of Famer and former Pittsburgh Steeler, died Saturday morning. He was 85. Here is the statement by the Steelers: http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Steelers-statement-on-passing-of-Jack-Butler/93753b20-7311-4cb8-ad60-9f339e6e6bd8

Butler was just inducted into the Hall of Fame back in August and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette said that he had never seen him so happy. About a year before he was finally recognized by the Hall, If It Ain't Steel had written about the travesty of not having this great man donning a mustard-colored jacket. We leave you with the piece written at that time as it chronicles all of his accomplishments. RIP, Mr. Butler. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2011/08/jack-butler-should-be-in-hall-of-fame.html

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Steelers hire two in the family as scouts -- Dan Colbert, Kevin's son, and Mike Butler, son of deceased HOFer Jack Butler.
The Steelers also promote Phil Kreidler to college scouting coordinator to replace Ron Highes, who stays as an adviser. Mark Bruener was also promoted and had been a BLESTO scout for a couple of years.

Addressing Steelers Free Agent Linebacker Rumors And Draft Possibilities

The annual NFL free agency period tends to bring about more rumors than a high school girls' locker room. This year has been no different. And the Pittsburgh Steelers have definitely had their share, including a couple this week that wouldn't be so bad if were they to come true.

The whispers heard were that the Steelers will meet with former Chicago Bears middle linebacker, Brian Urlacher. Supposedly, the five-time All-Pro linebacker and former University of New Mexico safety says he is to meet with the Steelers to discuss possible contract negotiations.

There haven't been any confirmations as of yet.

Of the five main free agent rumors that surfaced, Urlacher is one who would seem to be viable. The 13-year veteran is still a good player who could definitely help in the middle. Though he's had some injuries (arthritic back, broken wrist, sprained MCL and pulled hamstrings) and has missed 19 of a possible 64 games in the last four years, it isn't as if the injuries are literally piling up. In fact, 15 of those 19 games were in 2009. So he could still be a contributor to the inside if he could make the transition.

The biggest obstacles to a possible signing are his pride and also his cost vs. his value. The Steelers let go of a player for just those reasons, as was Urlacher himself released from the Bears. As ESPN reported, though, when talks with Chicago started to break down, "Urlacher countered with a one-year, $3.5 million offer with incentives that would have allowed him to make an additional $500,000..." - http://tinyurl.com/d9oty8j

In order to be signed by the Steelers, something similar would have to be penned. That would be the case, however, with whomever the Steelers may choose to sign.

*FREE AGENT RUMORS - INJURY REPORT VERSION:
IN: Elvis Dumervil (As in "in play" for him - this is the viable move, and one I could see the team make and believe they did try to make);
PROBABLE: Ahmad Bradshaw (Probably a good pick up IF he's healthy, comes with his own insurance and can be obtained at a good price);
QUESTIONABLE: Brian Urlacher (He could help in the middle, yes, but pride and cost vs. value are biggest issues here - they let go of James Harrison for those very reasons);
DOUBTFUL: Dwight Freeney (He struggled last season as a 3-4 OLB. Sure, he terrorized QBs for 10 years prior to that, but as a 4-3 DE. Very little chance of this one happening);
OUT: Beanie Wells (If you kicked the tires on this one, they'd fall right off).*


But the potential is there as the Steelers have definite need for depth, if nothing else, at the position. Thus Foote's being re-signed. He knows system and he wanted to stay.

As for the others on the roster (besides Lawrence Timmons) there are Sean Spence, Stevenson Sylvester, Marshall McFadden, Kion Wilson and Brian Rolle, with only Sylvester and Rolle having real game experience.

Spence, a third-round choice in 2012, dislocated his patella, tore multiple ligaments including the ACL, and sustained peroneal nerve damage (located behind the knee leading to loss of movement or sensation in the foot and leg). The Steelers do not know whether Spence can return in 2013, or ever, because his ability to play depends on the recovery of that nerve. - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000791.htm

Sylvester has yet failed to show any discernible improvement and subsequently wasn't tendered. If he returns, and unless he makes a quantum leap forward, will only be a backup linebacker.

McFadden is currently under a Reserves/Futures contract. After being buried on the depth chart in training camp last season, the South Carolina State graduate only saw playing time in the preseason late in games. Played both Buck and Mack positions and also played on special teams and led the Steelers in preseason tackles with 15 total. He didn't make last season's final roster, but he was signed to practice squad. All of that should give him a solid shot at making the Steelers 53 man roster in 2013.

Wilson went undrafted out of South Florida in the 2010 NFL Draft, and was a part of the San Diego Chargers and Carolina Panthers practice squads before signing a Reserves/Futures contract with the Steelers.

Rolle spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and, according to rotoworld.com, "failed miserably when asked to serve as a starting weak-side linebacker. He does have some range as a nickel 'backer and is a special teams candidate." In the limited action he had in 2011 he had 40 tackles, one sack, one interception, one forced fumble and recovery and one touchdown. He could seen as a backup to Timmons.

If in fact the Steelers do look to free agency and sign a veteran inside linebacker, they won't have great need for a high draft pick at the position. If not, there are a few choices in the middle and lower rounds where good players can still be found.

Jonathan Bostic - ILB, Florida, 6'1" 245 lbs., 4.61/40
Projected Round: 4th
Bostic had 68 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble in 2012. He was a core player in the Gators' tough defense, though he might need to be covered up in the 3-4 scheme and would be relegated to the Mack 'backer position.

Nico Johnson - ILB, Alabama, 6'2", 248 lbs., 4.86/40
Projected Round (2013): 4-5.
Johnson had 55 tackles and two forced fumbles, but had no sacks or interceptions. He is a good run-stuffing, but struggles in pass defense as his speed isn't stellar. However, that's also partly because of all of the talent surrounding him, causing him to have to do less. Has talent that can be coached up.

Michael Mauti - ILB, Penn State, 6'2", 243 lbs., 4.79/40
Projected Round: 5-6
Mauti suffered a knee injury late in the year. Natural leader, wrote a letter to every NFL GM about his love for the game, and would be a steal if found still around in the sixth round...if rather extensive medical information on his knee can be attained. Mauti finished 2012 with 97 tackles, four tackles for a loss, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and 2.5 sacks. - http://tinyurl.com/cmdyl5t

UPDATE: And just like that, Dumervil is off the table as he has signed with the Baltimore Ravens.