Steelers Secondary Should Be Improved; June 1st Salary Cap Info

Updated: 1850 hrs, June 1st
"We have more numbers there than people realize. We may have great players in building and they haven't had chance to show us."

Those words by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau summed up why the team did not select one of the top-level cornerback in the first round of this year's NFL Draft that many expected them to select. Especially when Darqueze Dennard, about whom we wrote as our favorite going into the draft, was sitting there as a fully-ripened fruit ready to be picked. 

The Steelers' coaches, however, simply didn't feel that their secondary was as dire a situation as it seemed on the surface. Defensive backs coach Carnell Lake agreed with LeBeau that CB wasn't as pressing a need as perceived. He specifically said that Brice McCain and Antwon Blake will help Steelers. 

Add to that, CB Deion Belue, an undrafted free agent out of Alabama that the Steelers claimed off of waivers (Dolphins), and Devin Smith and Isaiah Green and you have those who will be battling for a backup role. 

Blake, a UTEP product, falls into the "he's not small, he's short" category in which head coach Mike Tomlin placed rookie running back Dri Archer. He's 5'9", 198 LBs but did 21 repetitions of the 225-pound bench press at his 2012 Pro Day. He also ran a 4.32/40, and is the gunner on Steelers special teams. Rather than a player expected to get snaps in the Steelers' defense, that's where his greatest value is. As for McCain, we wrote about his potential when he was signed back in April. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2014/04/steelers-sign-brice-mccain-bring-in.html

Belue (5'11", 182 LBs) had a turf toe injury which hindered his senior season, but he played well in the 2012 National Championship game against Notre Dame. He's wiry, strong for his size and has good enough speed (4.47/40). A slot man who can occasionally line up out side, Belue has a chance at the practice squad.

Devin Smith and Isaiah Green should be familiar to Steelers fan as the two CBs who were on and off of the practice squad all of last season. 

The Steelers finally did address the need for depth at cornerback, though, by selecting Arizona's Shaquille Richardson (6'0", 194 LBs) in the fifth round. 

The former Wildcat has versatility, length and a good frame. He looks mainly to be a right CB, but also played a safety/rover position and in the slot in some subpackages. He's also fast (4.43/40), quick and agile, but not physical. He'd rather cut a runner rather than wrap him up, and also tends to squat to much which can affect his backpedal. 

Lake's familiarity with Richardson, having helped recruit Richardson to UCLA, is intriguing and he could very well be a diamond in the rough with Lake's guidance. 

“I remember Coach Lake being someone I can look up to,” said Richardson, who was also a teammate of Robert Golden at Arizona. “I'm happy to be learning from him and being a Pittsburgh Steeler. It's crazy.”

Lake praised Richardson as well.

“He's a smart, young corner who can come in and contribute,” said Lake. “He gives us good size out there and somebody that has the ability to put a lot of pressure on tall receivers that have been drafted in the last few years.”

Then there are your starters and main substitute, Cortez Allen, Ike Taylor and William Gay, with Gay receiving praise for his play last season. - http://tinyurl.com/kst23t3

Taylor's play was the expect opposite last season, rated by PFF as 107th out of 111 CBs. Something of which is keenly aware. 

“I feel after these last two years,” Taylor said, “especially after last year, that I have lot to prove. I feel like I have more to prove than ever.”

Tez Allen had a similar season to his 2012 campaign. He didn't play much of the first half of the season due to injuries, but made his presence felt late in the season. Starting the final seven games, he finished the year with 51 tackles, two interceptions and a touchdown. 

Also, one of the most important things to remember is that Taylor isn't following the opponent's best receiver. That responsibility has fallen more to Tez. That disallowed the top WRs from having career days on Taylor and saw a slight increase in coverage, causing the Steelers' pass defense to finish 9th in the NFL giving up 222.1 yards per game. 

Free agent acquisition Mike Mitchell will help complement the rest of the safeties, plus an expected improved pass rush from the front seven, as pressure on the quarterback throws off timing (routes) and helps create turnovers, will lead to improving the pass defense.

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Per OverTheCap.com, the Steelers have $357,896 under the Salary Cap as of Sunday, June 1st, a day when there is no loss of compensatory picks for free agents signed. - http://overthecap.com/nfl-rookie-salary-cap-2014.php

As of Monday, June 2nd, the $8 million freed up by the release of LaMarr Woodley will be available. Displacement dictates, though, that his release will be closer to $7.5 million in cap space. 

Still, that will be more than enough to sign the remaining four selections from the draft. Sixth-round draft pick DL Daniel McCullers and seventh rounder TE Rob Blanchflower were signed on May 19th, fifth-round draft pick Wesley Johnson and sixth-round pick Jordan Zumwalt on May 27th and fifth-round draft pick CB Shaquille Richardson on May 29th. All were signed to a four-year deals. 

None of these picks actually counted against the Cap because of said displacement and the Rule of 51. The top four picks will even displace four players currently counting against the cap out of the top 51. 

So, expect the amount used to sign those top four to be less than $3 million (at least $750,000-$1 million less than the amount first reported that we previously covered). That leaves well over $5 million to be spent on another free agent or two with plenty left afterward. 

UPDATE: I've since come across more exact numbers brought to light by fellow scribe Neal Coolong of Behind The Steel Curtain. The Cool One wrote that the exact number Woodley's release frees up after displacement is "$7.505" million and that the Steelers' Cap cost for the aforemetioned rookies is "$2,018,643." So, as The Cool One wrote, "let's call it $5.48 million in Cap space after the remainder of the rookie class is signed."

Speed And Power - Day 3 & UDFAs: Did The Draft Improve The Steelers?

"This time, I think we might...take our chances with the other guy from Clemson. Not Sammy [Watkins], but the other receiver from Clemson [in the second round]," said Taylor," Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor said this past April 22 on his TribLiveRadio show. (brackets ours)

Better late than never. 

It was actually with their fourth pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, that the Pittsburgh Steelers selected wide receiver Martavis Bryant from the University of Clemson. The very wideout that we at If It Ain't Steel had been clamoring for on social media and in a blog article as early as immediately after his performance at the NFL Combine. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2014/03/steelers-post-combine-nfl-draft-look.html?m=1

Since then, however, we have done our due diligence with an even deeper research on the man. After watching approximately 30 minutes of highlights with no sound or influence, this is what we saw:

He has great straight away speed and break away speed. His route-running ability is still about average, but he got better as the season went on, which is in his favor. He is fairly adept at the fly, drag, 7, 8 and 9 routes. When he runs those curl routes, though, they aren't tight enough. He needs to be taught to make much harder cuts and sell them to keep NFL CBs off of him. Also, as we already knew, he catches too many balls with his body. 

He needs to be more aggressive at going after the ball, but has a high catch radius and gets the ball at its apex. His blocking ability is also wanting, but his overall ability, upside and potential are very promising. 

Steelers WR Coach Richard Mann likes him also, saying that they "got a big WR, something different than we have now. A guy I've been hunting. Been wanting a tall WR all draft." Mann also pointed out that if Bryant had stayed in college another year that he "could've been a first-round pick." 

Bryant gives the Steelers a tall receiving threat who is also a big-play threat. And though he averaged just under 20 yards per catch in his college career, Mann pointed out that "he'll be a great weapon in the red zone for us." 

There has been a number of articles written that purport that Bryant could start game one next season. Is that true, Mann?

"I don't think that it's fair to him to say that he will start. You have to come in and work."

That's what we think, too. As do Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton. 

The next pick that brought the Bizarro World reference in part one of this two-part article was cornerback Shaquille Richardson out of Arizona. The 6'0", 194-pound CB ran a 4.43/40 at his Pro Day and has been clocked as fast as a 4.38/40.

Smooth athlete whose skill set -- great size and length, good wingspan, great in zone but can play man and often wins at the line of scrimmage, more consistency is needed in his technique but has good ball skills, has the ability to trigger off of his backpedal, fills the gaps and lanes against the run, and also played on special teams -- reflects head coach Mike Tomlin's words after the draft regarding playmakers. 

"You covet speed, but it's football not a track meet. If you get a capable football player who happens to be fast, it's an asset.”

Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake likes Richardson's size and speed also, mimicking the sentiments of his being good in coverage. He should like him, though, Lake recruited Richardson when Lake was an assistant coach at UCLA. 

Lake and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau both say that CB wasn't as pressing a need as perceived. 

"We have more numbers there than people realize," LeBeau said. "We may have great players in building and they haven't had chance to show us." Lake echoed those words saying that Brice McCain and Antwon Blake will help Steelers. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2014/04/steelers-sign-brice-mccain-bring-in.html

With their second compensatory pick, the Steelers next took OT/OG Wesley Johnson from Vanderbilt. 

At 6-5, First Team All-SEC OLineman has nice height and strength, but isn't quite 300 pounds. He'll need to gain more muscle and overall weight to survive in the NFL. His versatility, though, makes him potentially very valuable, much like Kelvin Beachum before him. - http://tinyurl.com/pfkuaak

We had mentioned Jordan Zumwalt as a Steelers possibility in a previous piece written after the NFL Combine because he's a taller, versatile linebacker (6'4") with fairly good length who played multiple linebacker positions in college. 

He's agile with good laterally movement, acceleration, and the ability to elude blockers in space. He shows good technique keeping his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage and can be disruptive in the backfield in blitzes. Lacks NFL-caliber strength, but loves to hit and can deliver blows harder than his frame would seem to indicate. - http://tinyurl.com/mvhs66k

Daniel McCullers, the Steelers 2nd 6th round selection, is a behemoth of a defensive tackle out of Tennessee. He stands nearly 6'7" and tips the scales at 352 pounds. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2014/03/secondary-may-be-key-but-steelers.html

After the selection, Steelers defensive line coach John Mitchell made the understatement of the year: "Daniel is a big kid."

In related news, water is wet, fire is hot and Donald Sterling is a bigot. 

McCullers is so big he's on both sides of the family. 

McCullers is so big, he uses the Tennessee interstate as a Slip `n Slide when it rains. 

McCullers is so big that the last time he jumped for joy he got stuck. 

McCullers projects as a space-eating nose tackle (and eating damn near e'erything else), but is bigger than what the Steelers are used to at the position. Coming out of college, both Casey Hampton (6'1", 320 LBs) and Joel Steed (6'2", 300 LBs) were much shorter and smaller than Mount McCullers. 

And as far as his space eater attributes, we definitely need a true plug at nose guard, but the Steelers were in their sub packages most of the time last season (60%-65% of the time). That means, on average he'd only be on the field for about one, maybe two, out of three downs. He'd have to be incredibly agile and athletic to warrant staying on the field in those sub packages, something which he is not. 

As The Sports Xchange said of him, the "Steelers want their nose tackles to eat up blocks and McCullers is big enough to eat up several. He is the biggest man on their roster right now. A little tall for nose tackle, so playing low will be a test for him."

He does have good potential and upside, though. McCullers at times would practically bully opponents and it's a $22 cab fare to get around him, slowing down the ball carrier and allowing time for LBs to get to the point of attack. - http://tinyurl.com/lrne4mj

Rob Blanchflower, a 6'4", 256-pound tight end out of UMass, was the Steelers' final pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. - http://tinyurl.com/n323rau

Overall grade for the Steelers' 2014 draft at this point(ITALICS) would have to be a B+ -- still could've and should've gotten another cornerback, but that's probably the worst we can say considering that all other needs were addressed. Good job, Colbert & Co., you definitely improved the team. Now bring on the season. 

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TIDBITS: The Steelers minicamp is May 16-18. These are players you will also see there:

UDFAs: On offense: QB Brendon Kay (Cincinnati), TE Eric Waters (Missouri), OT Kaycee Ike (UAB), G Will Simmons (East Carolina) and G Chris Elkins (Youngstown State).

On defense: DE Josh Mauro (Stanford), DE Ethan Hemer (Wisconsin), LB Howard Jones (Shepherd) and DT Roy Philon (Louisville).

S Jake DeMedal (St. Francis) and DB Devon Carrington (Stanford) have tryouts with the Steelers, and Penn State OL Adam Gress will also work out with the Steelers at rookie minicamp this weekend. - http://tinyurl.com/oevq4wv

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2014 Steelers Draft Class Twitter handles and what Jersey #'s we Know:
Ryan Shazier: #50 @RyanShazier
Stephon Tuitt: #91 @DOCnation_7
Dri Archer: @Dri_Archer1
Martavis Bryant: #10 @ThaBestUNO
Wes Johnson: @wjohnson67
Shaq Richardson: @Dr4_Richh
Jordan Zumalt: Not on Twitter
Daniel McCullers: @_BIGDAN98
Rob Branchflower: @Rob_Blanch

Thanks to Matt Vargo for doing the leg work on these. 

Steelers Sign Free Agent S Mike Mitchell; Latest On Salary Cap

UPDATED: 3/12/14
After two seasons of being in rarely-traveled waters, the Pittsburgh Steelers took measures to counter that...by going into rarely-traveled waters.

On the first day of free agency, the Steelers unexpectedly dove into the free agent pool and signed former Oakland Raiders and Carolina Panthers safety, Mike Mitchell. 

The 6'1", 216-pound Mitchell, 26, was drafted by the Raiders in 2009 and spent his first four seasons in Oakland. He saw his best season in 2013, though, after signing a one-year deal with the Panthers. A first-time starter, Mitchell recorded 72 tackles, 10 passes defenses, four interceptions and two forced fumbles in 13 starts (15 games total) on the NFL's No. 2 defense.

This is a day after the Steelers announced other transactions affecting their secondary as cornerback Ike Taylor accepted a pay cut to stay with the Steelers. A cut from his original $7 million salary to $2.75 million, which saves the team $4.25 million in Salary Cap room.

Taylor's Cap hit was lowered to $7.692 million, down from $11.942 million. Meaning the Steelers started the day at approximately $7.3 million under the Cap.

Also on Monday, outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley was released with a June 1st designation. Officially released Tuesday, Woodley is now free to sign with another team, but the Steelers won't benefit from the $8 million Cap savings until June 2nd. He also carries a $5.59 million dead money hit this year and $8.58 million in 2015.

The aforementioned amount made it possible to sign Mitchell. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the "Steelers gave former Panthers S Mike Mitchell a five-year, $25 million deal, per source." If It Ain't Steel is expecting $7.5-$10 million guaranteed. UPDATE: Per ESPN's David Todd, it carried a $5.25 million with a $4.75 million signing bonus prorated over five years. He will count $2.2 million against the Cap this year.

Mitchell's receiving what basically can be considered a starter's contract means that he will replace free safety Ryan Clark in the Steelers secondary.

He will replace RC25 in more ways than one: he's a hard-hitting player who can play both safety positions and is adept at getting to the quarterback. According to Pro Football Focus, he is "one of the best blitzing safeties in the league, generating 11 pressures and four sacks on just 23 pass rushes.”

Mitchell was ranked as PFF's 10th best FA safety on the market. In their ranking they also speak on his shortcomings in writing that he has "major questions against the run. No safety missed more tackles than his 18.” - https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2014/02/21/ranking-the-2014-free-agents-safeties/

Most of that can be chalked up to aggression, however, as Mitchell is known to look for the big hit.

Despite his four interceptions, he isn't a great cover guy. Good, but not great. His 4.39/40 speed does help, however.

Still, Troy Polamalu seems to be the Steelers better safety in coverage, therefore. Since defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau likes to use his safeties interchangeably, don't expect a move from strong safety to FS for Polamalu. Though it will allow him to step outside the box (no pun intended), as he had the most snaps among safeties in the box at 79.8%.

His addition, plus the presence of recently re-signed Will Allen and 2nd-year man Shamarko Thomas takes away safety as a position of need in the draft.

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TIDBITS: Steelers finally announce the re-signing of safety Will Allen. The Steelers also announced the signing of C/G Cody Wallace to a three-year contract, which likely sounds the death knell of C/G Fernando Velasco, and of 10-year veteran Long Snapper Greg Warren. Term have to be disclosed.

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Defensive end Al Woods will visit the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday.UPDATED: Per Ed Bouchette, Woods has signed with the Titans.

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Don't assume the Steelers are done for now, though. If the Steelers stay in the free agent waters, their next move might be a backstroke to a linebacker.

Run Down Of Steelers Transition Tag; Worilds Accepts Tag

UPDATE:
Poor Jason La Canfora...

Jason Worilds has accepted the $9.754 million Transition Tag the Pittsburgh Steelers placed on him on Monday. It completely takes him off of the free agent market and the Steelers are now working on a longterm deal with him that would pare his Cap number down from the aforementioned amount.

If It Ain't Steel posted the article below that explained what this all meant for Worilds and for the Steelers. Then this came down the pike Tuesday morning from the same person who had not long before that stated that he'd be gone:

"@JasonLaCanfora; Jason Worilds has signed his transition tag w/PIT worth $9.75M. No offer sheets can come now."

Per Ed Bouchette from his Twitter (@EdBouchette), the Steelers are working on making it so that Worilds stays in the Steel City for years to come. As usual, they've taken care of home, of their own free agents, first.

Below is the article that covers all of the particulars surrounding the contract situation before Worilds' accepting (nothing was actually "signed") of the tag.

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“@BobLabriola: The @Steelers designate OLB Jason Worilds a transition player. Tender is average of top 10 salaries; @steelers can match any offer”

That was the information that came down Monday morning from within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization shortly after it was announced that the Washington Redskins had put their Franchise Tag on outside linebacker Brian Orakpo.

Facts - The Transition Tag, as referenced by Steelers Digest's Bob Labriola in the above quote, costs the Steelers $9.754 million which puts them approximately $10 million over the NFL Salary Cap, per the Rule of 51, at the printing of this piece including the $1.35 million carry over from last season's Cap (and before adding dead money owed). - http://tinyurl.com/oegxr29

The Steelers announced the move less than an hour before the 4 p.m. EST NFL deadline to make the move. They now, as with every other team, must be under the Salary Cap by March 11th.

Possible Moves - Cutting Levi Brown will erase $6.25 million.

Restructuring contracts such as Antonio Brown and Lawrence Timmons would cut another approximate $7 million off of the books.

Troy Polamalu, who turns 33 years old in April, is likely to be asked to take a pay cut, as his 2014 Cap number is $10,887,500 million. But it could be done in such a way so as to work such a reduction into an extension that lowers his Cap number and still allow him to retire a Steeler.

Ike Taylor, 34 in May, will count $11,942,404 million against the Cap and has a non-guaranteed base salary of $7 million. He could be cut or asked to take a (significant) pay cut.

Moves - Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported early Monday morning that the Steelers are in negotiations with tight end Heath Miller to restructure his deal. Being that he is in the final year of said deal, it would have to actually be either an extension of his contract or a pay cut. I and all whom I trust believe that the Steelers will extend his contract and use a signing bonus to reduce his $9.5 million Cap number this year.

What It Means - The Transition Tag allows the Steelers some control as Worilds assuredly tests the market. The team, though, has right of first refusal and can match any deal he may get. It essentially forces Worilds' agent to go and find a deal.

A risk is taken nonetheless. Worilds has said that he wants to stay in Pittsburgh and simply asked, if they truly wanted him, that he be named the starter. One big way to do that is to pay starter money.

By putting the tag on him, the Steelers gave their answer in the affirmative.

The nearly $10 million Worilds would potentially be owed is a figure that would be paid out in 17 game checks. Both Worilds and the Steelers would prefer that number turned into a multi-year contract - it provides security for the player and then this year's number comes down to $5-$6 million which helps the team.

In other words, a potential good situation for the Steelers and for Worilds. He can still test the market and leverage his number up. He's guaranteed $10 million and, if the bottom falls out, can be a FA again next year.

The Steelers can match what he may look to accept as a longterm deal. If he stays, the Steelers have the makings of another set of OLBs set to wreak havoc if Jarvis Jones picks up where he left off in the final game of 2013.

Drawbacks - There is no compensation if they don’t match an offer Worilds accepts.

Nothing can be done with LaMarr Woodley until the situation with Worilds is finalized. If he is to be cut, it can't be done before June 1st.

Addressing The Secondary: Post-NFL Combine Look - Safety

In our last piece, If It Ain't Steel began covering the positions the Pittsburgh Steelers are in greatest need of filling as the new NFL year approaches, as well as the players likely to fill those positions. Though free agency will play into the equation, the NFL Scouting Combine gave us the first offseason look.

Speaking of which, and in no particular order, those needs going into March 11 are cornerback (covered in previous blog), safety, wide receiver, defensive line and linebacker.

Last Sunday during the Combine, ESPN NFL Draft analyst and commentator Todd McShay football in shorts is "never a replacement for tape." While this is basically true, the annual Beefcake Bonanza does, however, bring insight into things that might otherwise go under-evaluated.

Steelers Digest's Bob Labriola recently explained how this could be when wrote that the "Combine can be a big help in the evaluation of defensive backs for this specific reason: when watching the player in a game, you never can be sure what he’s being coached to do. .... Maybe a safety is playing too deep, or not attacking the line of scrimmage. Whatever it is", the Combine helps to filter it out. - http://tinyurl.com/kxerr6u

That said, who are those safeties whose intangibles backed game film? And how do they potentially fit into the Steelers draft plans?

Calvin Pryor, Free Safety, Louisville: 5'11", 207, 4.58/40, 75 Tackles, 3 Interceptions, 4 Passes Defended, 2 Forced Fumbles* (1st round) - Draft analyst Mike Mayock calls Pryor: "a bigger, stronger Bob Sanders....flies around, hits people, a little better in box than back end."

NFL.com calls him a "big, physical, hammering run defender brings an enforcer mentality to the box and an intimidating, punishing presence to the back end. Is arguably the most violent hitter in this year's draft class..." - http://youtu.be/Io0tKa1cCeU

Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix, FS, Alabama: 6'1", 208 LBs, 4.58/40, 51 Tckl, 2 INTs, 4 PD (1st round) - The 2nd-team All-American and first-team All-SEC free safety has good size and length (32 3/8" arms). Had surgery in December, 2013 for a torn meniscus, but rebounded well at the Combine.

Has what Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin would call "good see-to-do" speed, is an effective run supporter and isn't afraid of contact. Mayock describes Clinton-Dix as "better range [than Pryor], more of a deep third or half guy, covers well, complete player." - http://youtu.be/_PWWf12zHeo

Free agency likely dictates whether either of these men will be taken in the first round. With free safety Ryan Clark likely leaving, a big hole will need filling. Would cornerback Ike Taylor be the short-term solution there? - http://tinyurl.com/krlvz8v

But being thin all over the secondary, the Steelers may also want to bring in a veteran who can complete to start rather than to have a rookie playing free safety next year.

If they do go with either of these two, however, we lean toward Clinton-Dix because, as Mayock pointed out, he has the better range of the two. The Steelers already have a hitter in the box and slot cover guy in last year's strong safety draft pick, Shamarko Thomas.

Dion Bailey, Strong Safety, USC 6'0", 201 LBs, 4.66/40, 62 Tckl, 5 INTs, 6 PD, 1 FF (2nd-3rd round) - Bailey is a classic tweener who started off playing linebacker in college before moving to strong safety. His best shot in a hybrid role (think Myron Rolle). Though he compares himself and his game to Troy Polamalu, he won't play that role in Pittsburgh. - http://tinyurl.com/mc4al6h

Terrance Brooks, FS, Florida State: 6'1", 211 LBs, 4.49/40, 56 Tckl, 2 INTs, 5 PD, 2 FF (4th round) - The former cornerback took over the starting FS role the last two seasons using his range, athleticism and ball skills to make him a truly viable option for the Steelers. Has good vision and that see-to-do thing mentioned earlier. Good tackling and jumping ability (38" vertical) has others believing the senior graduate would be a fit for the Black and Gold as well. - http://tinyurl.com/mtzukt8

Possible late-round gems -

Kenny Ladler, FS, Vanderbilt: 6'0", 207 LBs, 4.7/40, 91 Tckl, 5 INTs, 4 PD, 5 FF (5th-6th round) - A three-year starter who has experience at both safety positions. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau does at times use his safeties interchangeably, so that could work in Ladler's favor. His penchant for turnovers does also - he had 10 in 2013 alone. - http://youtu.be/i8zx3OgsOog

Brock Vereen, S, Minnesota: 5'11", 199 LBs, 4.47/40, 59 Tckl, 1 INT, 6 PD, 1 FF (6th-7th round) - Per GopherSports.com, he has extensive experience starting in the Golden Gophers' defensive backfield, so that versatility should help him. (See Ladler) - http://youtu.be/Ql5BpFzjK_M

While there are actually a few others who might be on the Steelers' radar, these here are the ones we feel could find themselves in the Steelers' Training Camp on the roster next season. By May 10th we'll know whether that will be the case.

The Steelers Aged Defense - Legacy or Lethargy? Pt. 2

by Jason and Jayden

“In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity." - Albert Einstein

In part one of this article series we talked about the crossroads the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at as they set to enter the 2014 NFL year. There are several players, especially on defense, that, byway of age, performance, contract issues or all of the above, won't be in Black and Gold next season. - http://tinyurl.com/lahvp57

A few of the players involved have built such a résumé that have made them beloved by the fan base. Beloved to the point of making it abundantly clear that the word "fan" does in fact come from the word "fanatic." Those fanatics, as well, don't like seeing their heroes treated as anything but reverentially. There's only one problem with such reverence, though: this is a business and Father Time is undefeated.

Looking at the first part of that, If It Ain't Steel noted in part one that the Steelers are once again facing Salary Cap problems. Early in the season, however, they weren't expected to be in as big of a bind at only approximately $4 million over the Cap.

Well, two in-season restructures and a mid-season signing were chiefly responsible in changing that. So with next year's Cap projected at $126.3 million, the Steelers, with only 43 players under contract for 2014 so far (remembering the Rule of 51), sit at approximately $9.3 million over the Salary Cap. ($4,552,933 in dead money + contracts = $135,572,583). Here's Ian Whetstone's breakdown: https://pitt.box.com/s/q75myyihriwumrcgk5ry

(ASIDE: A late December CBSSports.com article had the number higher at $10,528,419, but cited no hard numbers. Our regular readers know we've always stood behind Whetstone, and we do so here as well.)

Getting back briefly to the Rule of 51, eight players are still needed to round that out. That means more will have to be budgeted for those players, unless you simply take the top 51 from Whetstone's breakdown. Whether that's done or if we assume an approximate number of $4 million for them, either way we arrive at over a $13 million overage.

Monies and players must be cut.

That brings us to Father Time and his spotless record. His victories lately have included certain revered Steelers players, and will again this year. Previously, we said that there was a good chance LaMarr Woodley would not be back, that Ryan Clark certainly wouldn't be back and that Troy Polamalu likely would return.

Now we face the likely departure of another fan favorite in Brett Keisel, who joined the Steelers as a seventh-round draft pick in 2002. He became a full-time starter in 2006 after Kimo Von Oelhoffen left town following the 2005 Super Bowl championship season.

"The Diesel" is now 35 years old and just finished his 12th and what is likely his final season.

"It's possible. I feel like I can still play," Keisel said. "I know it's a business. ... You hate thinking about the end and not being able to do it.” - http://tinyurl.com/nxttsqd

He did make the case that, yes, he can still play. Though he never had huge numbers - part of the job description - Keisel started in 12 games (4 were missed due to plantar fasciitis) this season and recorded four sacks, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, one pass defended and several quarterback pressures.

But holding on to his fellow DE Aaron Smith too long hurt the team before, and they can't let the same thing happen again.

Keisel, like Casey Hampton, James Farrior and Hines Ward before him, won't likely be offered a one-year contract to return. While offering a Larry Foote-type deal or a veteran minimum is possible, we believe the Steelers will shave "The Beard."

The Steelers converted the rest of Ike Taylor's base salary into a signing bonus back in October. Doing so allowed the Steelers to spread the Cap hit over 2013 and 2014, Taylor's final contract year. His 2014 Cap hit will now be $11.942 million, or, because of a $7 million base salary, it would cost the Steelers $4.942 million in dead money to release him.

That is relevant because the Steelers over the years have routinely had Taylor to shadow opposing team's best receiver, which has generally been to the Steelers' advantage. However, the 33-year old Taylor has hit the career wall in this his 11th season, grading out 107th among 111 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' cornerback ratings, and dead last purely in pass coverage.

Taylor hasn't been the same since that disastrous 2011 playoff performance in Denver, where he allowed receptions of 51 and 58 yards and then the 80-yard game-winner on the first play in overtime. A big part of playing cornerback is playing with confidence, and it seems like Taylor guessed a lot on the field this season.

Coming out of college, Taylor was clocked at a 4.18/40. At the age of 33, Taylor is having trouble keeping up with wide receivers, as the PFF statistics bear out. As a result, he has either gotten burned (see Calvin Johnson and Josh Gordon) or he is putting his hands on receivers more often.

His Cap hit is the third highest on the team next season and he will be 34 in May. That is a lot of money to pay a cornerback with hands of stone. The idea of moving him to safety is a good one, though. - http://tinyurl.com/lxxhzk8

However, the question is at what amount that could be done. Unless Taylor accepts an incentive-laden contract or the vet min, at either CB or FS position, we believe they would release him.

Yes, these are difficult decisions to be made, but the opportunity is there to rebuild a once proud defense through allowing players to move on and let their legacy be cemented, and to get younger at key positions so as to reinvigorate said pride. But it must be done now.

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TIDBITS: Steelers add four more to Reserve/Future contracts list:  cornerback Devin Smith, linebacker Dan Molls, running back Miguel Maysonet and wide receiver Lanear Sampson.

Mike Wallace's Homecoming Is A Must-Win For Steelers

“It’s like a playoff, must-win atmosphere,” said Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor. “Both teams are in the hunt for the playoffs....This is a huge game. It’s going to tell a lot. This game is like a playoff game.”

After being on the road the past two weeks, the Steelers will be glad to be home again. But they aren't the only ones who will have a homecoming.

Wide receiver Mike Wallace returns to Heinz Field Sunday where he averaged 17.2 yards per catch on 235 receptions in four seasons with the Steelers. He had more touchdowns of 40 yards or longer with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (14) than any other duo in franchise history, a number that was also second all-time in the NFL (behind Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne).

Though Wallace's receptions haven't diminished this season (his 56 catches have him on a career-high pace), his impact has. His yards per catch has dropped to 13.3 YPC and he has only three touchdowns.

Wallace seems, however, to have been peeking at the schedule - in what might be perceived as a dress rehearsal of sorts, he has 12 receptions for 209 yards and two of his three scores in the last two games.

But Wallace isn't the only threat. The aforementioned Taylor usually draws the assignment of the opponent's No. 1 WR, meaning he'd likely cover Brian Hartline. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has a lot of respect for Hartline, and rightly so as he leads the Dolphins in receptions (62) and yards (804).

But Taylor has surrendered more yards than any other cornerback this year, with 854 to date. Wallace, on the other hand, is a receiver who is 61st at his position in receiving yards, despite being the NFL’s 15th-most targeted receiver.

Regardless, the Steelers have given up seven passing plays of at least 50 yards this season, so whoever draws Wallace will get have to have safety help over the top. The last thing defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau wants is for Wallace to have another big game at Heinz Field.

"Mike's one of the faster receivers in the league and he's got good run-after-the-catch," said LeBeau. "You could say, make sure he doesn't get behind you, but if you get too far off him he can catch it in front of you, and he's hard to get on the ground."

So, as LeBeau would also point out, defensing the "ball in the air" and tackling the catch (if caught) thereafter is imperative. But there's something else that's even more important.

"I've said this many times," LeBeau added, "that the best pass defense is sack the quarterback, so he can't throw it."

Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill has been sacked 45 times this season and has a poor QB rating when under duress, which is similar to his QB rating (63.5) on throws toward Wallace. So hurrying, harassing and hitting him is especially important this Sunday. Whether LaMarr Woodley or Jason Worilds, a relentless pass rush is vital. - http://tinyurl.com/jvqrmcb

Historically, when taking into account players like Paul Warfield, Bob Griese, The Marks Brothers and Dan Marino on one side, and Mel Blount, Donnie Shell, Rod Woodson and Carnell Lake on the other, if I had told you that this Sunday's game was a matchup between the NFL's ninth-ranked pass defense and its eight-ranked passing offense, you'd probably have the opponents transposed in your mind.

But when the Dolphins visit the Steelers this Sunday, the Steelers passing game will test its mettle against the top-ten passing defense of the Dolphins. A pass defense that is spearheaded by seven-year cornerback Brent Grimes.

The soft-spoken veteran quietly leads the Dolphins with four interceptions, one of which he returned 94 yards for a touchdown, and with 14 passes defended. As of last week, he ranked as the second-best cornerback in league according to Pro Football Focus. He hasn't allowed a touchdown all season and quarterbacks have a rating of under 63.0 when throwing to his coverage area.

The 5'10", 180-pound CB has great hips and will likely draw the Steelers WR Antonio Brown. Grimes' ability to turn and run will be needed against the Energizer Bunny that is AB, who has the third-highest receiving grade per Pro Football Focus.

Because of what they run schematically, Grimes is used to being on an island, mainly on the left, and will need that experience against AB, though AB does move around the formation almost half of the time.

But a big reason Grimes and the rest of the Dolphins' secondary do so well is because of their front seven - a group mainly responsible for their defense having a takeaway in each game this season and for 37 QB sacks, led by their defensive ends.

In that case, it is that very aspect of the Steelers offense, AB's moving around the formation, that will be needed Sunday. Spacing will be important. Spread Miami out and keep them spread. Also, a bunch & 1 formation highlighting AB alone on one side should be effective as well.

Additionally, five total receiving targets keeping the secondary occupied opens lanes for Le'Veon Bell. When running to the strong side, the Steelers have extra help with tight end Matt Spaeth being activated Saturday. If the Dolphins vacate to defend the pass, then running to the left would be an option as well.

Either option is predicated upon the patchwork offensive line. Cody Wallace will start at center, the Steelers' third this season, and starting right guard David DeCastro is not likely to return to the lineup. So, the probable lineup will be:

LT-Mike Adams
LG-Ramon Foster
C-Cody Wallace
RG-Guy Whimper
RT-Marcus Gilbert

It is Steelers' tackles Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert, though, who will have the biggest jobs as they will have to contend with Dolphins' DEs Olivier Vernon and Cameron Wake respectively. Olivier leads the Dolphins with 10.5 sacks and Wake has 6.5 sacks of his own. They will be a handful for the Steelers tackles, especially Adams. - http://t.co/XnRkddmQ0e

"They have multiple guys that can rush the passer," Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley said. "Adversity, and how you handle it, is really the key thing. You can handle it in a couple of different ways. [Adams] has chosen to handle it in a positive manner and it's allowed him to work harder and get better, knowing that his opportunity would come up again." - http://tinyurl.com/lbg55z8

It will likely come down to how the Steelers handle the Dolphins' pass rush as to set their offense in motion. In four career games against the Dolphins, QB Ben Roethlisberger has a 108.2 QB rating.

All of Big Ben's Houdini-like tricks will be needed in order to help combat the newest hits taken to the OLine. If he can and if the Steelers current No. 1 WR can outplay their former No. 1 WR, they can take the game and take one step closer to a potential playoff run.

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TIDBITS: Steelers Injury Report - Missing practice for the Steelers on Friday: Keisel, Beachum, DeCastro and McLendon. Woodley was limited. Adams and Le'Veon were full participants.

The Steelers medical staff will continue to monitor Le'Veon Bell’s status through the week to make sure he continues without symptoms. At present, he is probable.

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Steelers activate TE Matt Spaeth from the IR/Designate list, get a little blocking help: http://t.co/6xpjkpfcYq

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Earlier this week, the Steelers signed C/G David Snow to active roster; C Brandon Jones replaces CB Devin Smith on PS. They have signed center/guard David Snow. They were granted a roster exemption for OT Butler after he was placed on the Exempt List.

Focused Roethlisberger Transforms Deficit Into Comeback Win For Steelers, 37-27

The next in the Transformers movie franchise won't be out until 2014, but for one Sunday in Pittsburgh in 2013, one thing was made clear: Bumblebee was greater than Megatron.

After a week of controversy regarding the franchise quarterback being unhappy with the team and that he'll demand a trade, which he vehemently denied, Ben Roethlisberger came out focused and lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to just their fourth win of the season.

"False and false," Big Ben said regarding whether money and multiple losses will cause him to want out sooner rather than later. "I don't want to go anywhere for any reason."

Thank you, Ian Rapoport. If It Ain't Steel wrote about the trade talk nearly two weeks ago when this first started surfacing. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2013/11/addressing-trade-ben-roethlisberger.html

Big Ben used the rumors as motivation to focus him. His ability to pick apart the Detroit Lions secondary was evident right away as he went 5-for-5 with a 34-yard touchdown to his No. 1 wide receiver Antonio Brown, and was 2-for-2 on third downs on the first offensive possession - the first time all season they scored a touchdown on their opening drive. He then finished the first quarter going 7-for-8 for 121 yards and two touchdowns. That's a perfect 158.3 passer rating.

The determined quarterback was sharp all day completing 29 of 45 passes for 367 yards, with four touchdowns and no interceptions, finishing with a 119.4 QB rating. The Steelers are 49-4 when he surpasses 100.0 in passer rating.

The two-touchdown lead quickly dissipated, though, as Lions' QB Matthew Stafford threw for 327 and two touchdowns, mostly in the second quarter. His first-half 114.2 QB rating was mainly because of Megatron.

The Lions' All-Pro wide receiver Calvin Johnson, nicknamed "Megatron", had 163 of his 179 receiving yards and five of his six receptions in a resurgent second quarter. Johnson also saw six of his 10 targets in that quarter, with the Lions looking as if they were going to run away with the game.

Amazingly, the Lions never even threw a pass to Megatron in the third quarter and only two more targets the rest of the game. Stafford also threw for only 35 yards in the second half, finishing with a QB rating of 74.7.

The Steelers players, offensively and defensively, praised Big Ben for his play, with wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery saying pointedly that he "came here to play with (Ben), he has a lot of respect from the league and is a top-flight quarterback." - http://tinyurl.com/kuhxqhm

Also worthy of praise was Brown who finished with 147 receiving yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions, and was the Steelers Digest Player of the Week.

Brown, probably hearing about Megatron all week, wanted it known that he's the NFL leader in receptions for a reason. Brown now has 74 catches for 952 yards through 10 weeks, both numbers are 2nd best all time in Steelers history (Hines Ward - '02 76 catches; Buddy Dial - '63 961 yards).

The defense also deserved a lot of credit. After surrendering 27 points in the second quarter and 379 yards in the first half, the Steelers stiffened allowing a total of only 72 yards the rest of the game, thanks in part to changing from a majority of Cover-3 defense to a Cover-2 with a man under.

Ike Taylor deserves much of this praise as he had a better second-half than any other cornerback has had against Megatron, completely shutting him out. - http://tinyurl.com/l5uefye

But the main praise goes to the franchise QB who never faltered. But if Johnson is Megatron, then Big Ben was Optimus Prime this day. Even faced with a fourth-quarter deficit and 97 yards, after a questionable fake field goal failure, Optimus led them the length of the field for the go-ahead touchdown. The Steelers never looked back. 

The win pulled the Steelers within one game of the final Wild Card playoff spot. Not that we're looking that far ahead because too much needs to be done. It's one game at a time for sure. 

But if this team can be more consistent and put together more games like they did on Sunday, there could be more than meets the eye. 

UPDATE: The aforementioned performance and 97-yard drive earned Big Ben a Fed Ex Air Player of the Week nomination. Vote for him here! - http://www.nfl.com/voting/players-air-and-ground/2013/REG/11

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TIDBITS: After already playing without Ramon Foster, LaMarr Woodley and Brett Keisel, the Steelers faced injuries in the game. Most notably, Emmanuel Sanders left the game with a right foot injury. It will be evaluated Monday. Also, Stevenson Sylvester sustained a hamstring injury. The rest, as coach Tomlin said, were "normal bumps and bruises." - http://tinyurl.com/lp7gasp

Update: Manny didn't need an MRI and should be fine for Sunday, as should Foster, Woodley and Keisel.

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Big Ben improved to 17-2 against the NFC at home. In those 17 wins he has thrown just 4 Interceptions versus 8 in the two losses.

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It has been a rough two weeks for us, but we should be regular again now. Thanks for sticking by us.