If It Ain't Steel's 2013 Steelers Roster Projection

It's time for our look at the projected Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 roster, time to project who'll maintain the standard we have come to expect. Mind you, with the surgeries in the offseason, injuries in Training Camp and in the preseason games, it hasn't been easy.

We've had to figure out ways to free up roster spots because the list of injured players makes it so that the roster that we'll see week one won't be the roster we'll see after the bye, and then week eight. I've thought of the Steelers possibly (initially) keeping just four running backs, five wide receivers or maybe just three tight ends as ways to complete a 53-man roster. Per the league, teams must reduce rosters to 75 players on the Active List prior to 4:00 p.m. EST on the 27th releasing nearly 500 players to waiver wires (which the Steelers have done) and to 53 by 6pm EST on the 31st releasing over 700 players across the NFL.

(ASIDE: Players who aren't claimed off of waivers will then be allowed to sign to a team's eight-man practice squad. A player is eligible for the PS if they haven't accrued a season or have not been on the active roster gameday roster for more than nine regular season games. The practice squad limit is three years.)

The Steelers find themselves with two injured tight ends, one running back, and two linebackers. How does that affect how many of each are initially kept on the roster? We expect the Steelers to keep nine linebackers, that one is pretty easy. But, the RB and TE situation may dictate how many wide receivers are kept. Will they only keep with a sixth being sent to the practice squad?

OFFENSE (25 players):

Quarterbacks:
Ben Roethlisberger- 7 for #7? Not this season. But, things will be better in year two of the Todd Haley era; Bruce Gradkowski- New backup in town, he needs to stop dictating his passes; Landry Jones- from Uncle Charlie's walker and hearing aid to Jones' baby bottle.

Running Backs:
Le'Veon Bell- his healing Lisfranc foot will keep him out until after the bye in week four, but the rookie has the ability to be the next signature runner in the Steel City; Isaac Redman- though he's had only two carries this preseason, the coaches know he runs with authority whenever he has the ball in his hands; Jonathan Dwyer*- going out on a shaky limb here, but we think he'll acquit himself against the Carolina Panthers; LaRod Stephens-Howling*- he has the electricity to be the lightning to the thunder of the other RBs; Will Johnson at fullback- he has the blocking ability to excel at the position and will be used in the passing game and in more of an H-Back role this season .

Wide Receivers:
Antonio Brown- The number one guy now. He has the wheels and the route-running ability. Plus, he's like the energizer bunny, he just keeps going and going and going...; Emmanuel Sanders- though he's likely gone next season, he's still the best all-around WR on the team; Jerricho Cotchery- over half of his NFL touchdowns have come in the redzone and his experience and maturity will help the younger guys; Markus Wheaton- the real MW? MW 2.0? Regardless, he's got Mitts and Wheels Justin Brown- not very fast, but the rookie is a big target with sure hands; Reggie Dunn- special teams ability and looks to have sure hands if the Steelers want to go Zero Formation. It was either him or Derek Moye, neither of whom will clear waivers. Which might open the door for JD Woods to come back to the PS.

Tight Ends:
Heath Miller- incredibly underrated TE who had career numbers in new offense and should pick up where he left off; David Paulson- better at receiving than at blocking (in fact, he is a bad blocker), but he's a big red zone target; David Johnson- but only until Matt Spaeth comes back after his eight-game IR designation which we believe the Steelers will assign him..

Offensive Line:
Mike Adams- the blindside - nothing more needs to be said - step up, young man; Ramon Foster- he could be Pro Bowl caliber if he wants to be; Maurkice Pouncey- the anchor; David DeCastro- is solid at right guard, especially in the run; Marcus Gilbert- so far, the weak link of an inconsistent (at best) line; Kelvin Beachum- has the ability to play nearly every position on the line and should be the starter at right tackle over Gilbert - C/G/T/TE - the new "Slash?"; John Malecki- coming along slowly but could be much more regular in the rotation by the end of the season if his current learning curve continues; Joe Long- Guy Whimper proved he can't play guard or tackle or any semblance of an NFL player, so it's either Long or Chris Hubbard, with Mike Golic, jr. being moved to the PS.

DEFENSE (25 players):

Defensive Line:
Evander Hood- Ziggy showed up much better in the dress rehearsal, but he has to take control of the position or he'll have signed his ticket out of time; Steve McLendon- Will have fans forgetting Big Snack by the end of the year; Brett Keisel- the Pro Bowler had another solid season last year, but will this one be his final; Cam Heyward- a real mean streak...just need to see it more often; Al Woods- Woods is veteran player who can play either side if needed and at nose tackle; Alameda Ta'amu- was supposed to be the future until Training Camp showed that the future isn't now - Hebron Fangupo may actually have surpassed him.

Linebackers:
Lamarr Woodley- I expect bigger things this year from Woodley, he stepped up in preseason and now needs to be the leader of the linebackers; Larry Foote- the Buck stops here; Lawrence Timmons- finally being left in his natural Mack position last season, he should have been a Pro Bowler; Jason Worilds- make or break season for Worilds who is being nipped at the heels by...; Jarvis Jones- the black cat will be starting by season's end; Marshall McFadden- will backup the Buck and Mack positions; Vince Williams- The Destroyer, 'nuff said; Alan Baxter- the first step of Mr. Baxter is so fast that QBs barely have time to let out a scream before he can get there; Chris Carter- Yeah, but he might relinquish his spot to Brian Rolle or to...; Sean Spence- once he comes off of PUP. Spence had the hybrid quickness, speed and ability to stay with TEs - will he still have it?.

Defensive Backs:
Ike Taylor- Face me, Ike!; Cortez Allen- has earned a starting spot and has the coverage ability and ballhawking ability that Keenan Lewis didn't have (though we think they should have tried to keep him and use Tez in the nickel instead of bringing back...; William Gay- nickel specialist who ain't worth a dime otherwise; Curtis Brown- will see the field more this year between special teams and Dime and select nickel packages; Josh Victorian- Young and still wet behind the ears, but he has a great attitude and aptitude which should start to show on the field; Terry Hawthorne- the rookie is fast and will mainly show that speed on special teams initially; Ryan Clark- led the Steelers in knockout tackles last year as well as quotable quotes; Troy Polamalu- I hear this guy's good; Robert Golden- has real potential, flashes big-play ability at times; Shamarko Thomas- The Shark!

Special Teams (3 players):
Shaun Suisham (K)- SUSHI! (I still wanna see ID); Drew Butler(P)- he beat out Brian Moorman mainly because of his youth; Greg Warren(LS)- he wears no. 60 and you'd be surprised at how many down-field plays he actually makes.

Practice Squad:
LB Kion Wilson- These are the Pittsburgh Steelers, aka "Linebacker, Inc", so he benefits by learning here.
G Mike Golic, jr.- A guard who is very smart but needs to build his strength.
WR Derek Moye or JD Woods- Maybe.
DE Brian Arnfelt- Had too many other DEs in front of him, but worth watching.
CB Isaiah Green- Showed himself well in Training Camp, is a good cover guy and is fast.
RB Alvester Alexander- Good runner who was picked up halfway through TC.
G Chris Hubbard- He should circle back around to the PS if he clears waivers.
NT Hebron Fangupo- If he doesn't actually make the 53.

*Despite their abilities, either LSH or Dwyer may be expendable once players come off the PUP and IR lists. Room will need to be made and it likely would come from one of these two if the roster falls the way we have projected here.

~

TIDBITS: DeMarcus Van Dyke and Justin Cheadle have reverted back to the Steelers IR after clearing waivers.

~

Below is the blog written post-game and that chronicled the roster cuts. Blogger.com was giving us serious problems, so it wasn't able to be posted. So, here it is:

"Steelers Lose To Chiefs, Trim Roster To 75"
It wasn't good enough. We've got a lot of work to do." - Antonio Brown after the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs 

The Pittsburgh Steelers played light years better than they had in the previous two exhibition games, but, like the Steelers wide receiver said, they still have work to do. 

Certain parts of the Steelers offense showed definite improvement. After previously doing their best to establish the run, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger aired it out to positive results. The running game had mixed results with Jonathan Dwyer and Felix Jones being the two main runners. The offensive line wasn't nearly the revolving door it was last Monday. And the first-team defense spent about 25 minutes knocking around Alex Smith.

Not exactly the 2008 Steelers, but it is progression. 

Big Ben, the Steelers Digest Player of the Week, completed 13-19 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown (almost two), with no interceptions for a 113 passer rating. Big Ben connected with Brown for a 49-yard gain on their first passing play of the evening. He also barely missed connecting with Emmanuel Sanders on a touchdown pass, but Manny wasn't able to pull it in.

The big-play ability wasn't left to just the first team, though. We also saw Markus Wheaton have a long reception of 34 yards, Sanders for 24 yards and Jerricho Cotchery for 21 yards. Tight end Michael Palmer also had one for 25 yards.

Dwyer played well overall as he actually blocked well when in the game, carried the ball eight times for 25 yards and caught Big Ben's lone touchdown pass. Jones, without any chance to even practice, was thrown into the mix rushing for 29 yards on eight carries and returning two kickoffs for 51 yards.

The offensive line continued to have its issues, as was evident by the five sacks allowed, but acquitted themselves better overall. Steelers Maurkice Pouncey believes they can be even better still.

"This is probably the best I’ve ever felt," Pouncey said of his confidence in the line. Knowing that they slipped up in pass protection, Pouncey further said, "It’s small things that we can fix so easily, man, and that’s what we’ve been doing in practice, working our butts off to get everything squared away."

Time is ticking, Pouncey.

The defense played like they are ready for prime time, sacking the quarterback and stonewalling on 4th-and-inches. Cortez Allen hit and stymied his assignments and showed why the coaching staff put their faith in him by not retaining Keenan Lewis. Brett Keisel and Troy Polamalu played like they were completely healthy, and Steve McLendon, Al Woods, Ziggy Hood, Jarvis Jones, who received a scare with a bruised sternum after his interception, and Alan Baxter, who had two sacks, were beautifully disruptive. 

The biggest problems were once again the same thing - penalties and special teams. 

Of the nine penalties, one of which proved costly, we'll simply quote HC Mike Tomlin: "Some of those calls were suspect."

As for the other, somewhere Danny Smith is screaming as he watches tape of his not-so-special teams. The squad endured two more gaffes in a sloppy exhibition season. In addition to a 109-yard return, Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham saw his 52-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter get swatted to the turf. 

Being completely new, Smith has yet to find the right combination of players in order to get them to practice together and gel as a unit. But, part of that dilemma may have been alleviated approximately 24 hours after the game. 

Sunday evening, the Steelers announced the first list of men who wouldn't make the roster. Though one or two of them could feasibly circle back around to the practice squad. The list is as follows:

Tackle D’Anthony Batiste, running back Baron Batch, tackle Mike Farrell, wide receiver David Gilreath, wide receiver Tyler Shaw, cornerback Ryan Steed, linebacker Stevenson Sylvester, tight end Peter Tuitupou, quarterback John Parker Wilson, receiver J.D. Woods, and running back Jeremy Wright.

The only surprises were Sylvester, who many considered still having the possibility of making the team as the ninth linebacker, and Woods who had reportedly played well in Training Camp and had two circus catches when he was in the game against the Giants. 

Also, injured inebacker Sean Spence was placed on the reserve PUP list. He’ll be eligible to return to practice after week six and through week 11. He then has another week to actually be placed on the roster. 

The Steelers also placed guard Justin Cheadle and cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke on the waived/injured list. If they go unclaimed by another team, they’ll revert to the injured reserve list. Rookie defensive end Nick Williams has been placed on the injured reserve list.

~

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Steelers reportedly think Jarvis Jones suffered a bruised sternum or chest when he was tackled from behind following an interception Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Jones was taken to an area hospital via an ambulance and strapped to a gurney  following the game. He was kept for observation, but was released Sunday after their battery of tests came up negative. 

Florio speculates Jones wouldn't be "accepting the diagnosis as conclusive," which is his right per the collective bargaining agreement. Why he speculates this is anyone's guess. 

~

I am not surprised Mike Golic, jr. didn't get cut. They need OLine bodies, so he has another chance to make an impression. But, I also think Chris Hubbard has a chance to battle Golic, jr. for a PS spot. 

We told you that Hebron Fangupo had the edge on Alameda Ta'amu going into the third game. While Fangupo was playing in the fiurth quarter, Ta'amu was standing with coaches on the sidelines. This suggests Ta'amu may soon say aloha.  

The Steelers War of Attrition Begins vs. Giants; Injury Report

The wait is over. Finally, a glimpse. The football gods once again have seen fit to bless us with their favorite sons. And Saturday night, those belonging to the Pittsburgh Steelers begin their preseason journey to Mount Lombardi against the New York Giants.

In preparation for this game and for the season, the Steelers have met with some debilitating injuries that have caused roster adjustments, a waiver claim and more reasons to declare "next man up!"

To date, the total injuries that have befallen the Steelers total as many as a baker's dozen, and they now have almost as many injured tight ends as healthy ones. Those tights ends and the rest of the MASH unit will be covered in the TIDBITS section.

So, with a pile of bodies to sift through, will the Steelers be able to field a team for Saturday? Naturally, yes. But that presents some specific things to look for in this first preseason game. Here are six players and things to watch for as two of the NFL's oldest franchises do battle.

SECONDARY(DEPTH):
With four defensive backs, including one starter sidelined, certain players will have to step up and state their case. Does the world class speed of DeMarcus Van Dyke and Isaiah Green make up for their lack of the typical build of the strong, run-defending Steelers cornerbacks? While one of them may make the team because of their speed, they would have to show special teams abilities. Playing principally as the punt gunner, think of sub 4.35/40 speed coupled with being able to break off a block at the line and race down the field to force a fair catch. That is a very valuable ability.

Unfortunately for Van Dyke, though, he likely won't play as he hasn't practiced this week. That affords more of a chance for the much-traveled Josh Victorian. - http://tinyurl.com/m56mpae

WIDE RECEIVERS (5 & 6 SPOTS):
Unfortunately, veteran wide receiver Plaxico Burress tore his rotator cuff during practice. It likely ends his season, and career, leaving the door open for Justin Brown and David Gilreath to do battle for the fifth wide receiver spot on the roster, unless another veteran is signed.

But the one who may now have the best chance at the number five spot is Derek Moye. His 6-5, 215-pound frame combined with 4.4/40 speed is hard to ignore. He has shown consistent hands catching everything thrown at him. He is a very good route runner and has been making big plays in Training Camp, already working his way up to third in line behind Antonio Brown and Jerricho Cotchery on one side of the offensive depth chart.

Because of the Burress injury, even return specialist Reggie Dunn has a greater chance to make the squad as a sixth wide receiver/special teams ace. As Mark Kaboly said on his Twitter, @MarkKaboly_Trib, account: "(The) wild card is Reggie Dunn. A kickoff return or two in preseason and now he's in mix...”

LINEBACKERS (PASS RUSH/YOUTH):
Last year's darling makes way for this year's. Alan Baxter is very explosive off the edge, is about the same height as former Training Camp darling Alan Robinson. He doesn't have the same lower body strength as Robinson or Woodley, his speed off the snap has at times been scary.

First-round pick Jarvis Jones is starting to make his case. Per Kaboly, "After the show the rookie put on against the third-team offense at the end of practice Wednesday, it might be time for the Steelers to reward Jones with a promotion. Within a span of five plays, Jones plowed over would-be blocker David Gilreath; recognized a screen pass while rushing the quarterback, peeled off into the flat and knocked the ball away from Baron Batch; knocked the ball away from tight end Peter Tuitupou coming across the middle; and knocked down another pass in the middle of the field while playing zone."

Who hasn't been heard from much is Jason Worilds, and that's because of a big toe injury he suffered causing him to miss last Friday's practice. He returned to practice early this week, but he hasn't been playing like a man with someone nipping at his heals.

Marshall McFadden, as we've written before, has a real chance at the backup Buck position. His performance in the early stages of Camp has been inspiring as he is showing he wants a spot on this team. So have some of his competitors, though, such as Stevenson Sylvester. It's imperative, therefore, that McFadden has a good performance Saturday.


JAMIE MCCOY:
Because of the Steelers now being bereft at tight end, McCoy's performance is crucial. He and David Paulson should see more playing time than most other starters. Along with tight end, Tomlin has stated that McCoy will also see time at fullback behind Will Johnson. So, he's going to be busy. If he wants to take advantage of the injuries at the tight end position, he needs to prove he's ready for the bright lights.

MIKE GOLIC, JR.:
Passion for the game gets you so far. Being a student of the game will help get you further. Even having name and pedigree can be a real boon to your career. But you can only go so far if you don't have the big boy strength required for the offensive line positions in the NFL. And that's where Golic, jr. has his issues.

One of those who was major competition for him was Nik Embernate who is now on Injured Reserve. Now Golic's major competition is Joe Long, another young player with NFL pedigree - he is the brother of the St. Louis Rams' Jake Long. But, if he can hold his own Saturday, he can build his case for being the last lineman kept.

~

TIDBITS: Heath Miller (with no timetable for his return) and David Johnson are on the Active PUP list with knee injuries, and now they won't have Matt Spaeth until at least the 6th week of the regular season, if his Lisfranc injury does in fact have an 8-10 week turnaround.

Add to those four, Nik Embernate is on injured reserve after being waived/injured, Cortez Allen (knee) is sidelined for all of preseason, and defensive backs Curtis Brown (ankle), Terry Hawthorne (knee) and DeMarcus Van Dyke (hamstring) are down without definite timetables. Offensive tackle Guy Whimper was carted off the field Thursday with an undisclosed injury, although it isn't thought to be serious, and Nick Williams, Cameron Heyward and Emmanuel Sanders all missed at least some practice Thursday and/or Friday.

~

Tomlin on rookie WR Markus Wheaton: "I've really been impressed with his above-the-neck game."

~

Steelers have re-signed OT Mike Farrell and released CB Buddy Jackson.

Steelers Secondary Is Of Primary Concern

Once again this NFL offseason, the focus for the Pittsburgh Steelers' top-ranked defense has been to generate more turnovers. And both defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and defensive backs coach Carnell Lake have emphasized the need for them to do just that.

The paltry numbers they’ve generated the past two seasons have been embarrassingly low. Bottom-half-of-the-NFL low. The defense took the ball away 20 times, which was the eighth fewest in the NFL. In 2011, there were even worse with only 15 takeaways.

In 2012, the Steelers ranked 24th in the NFL in turnover differential at a -10, and 28th in TO differential in 2011 at a -13. Those defenses may have been No. 1, but the only numbers that truly mattered were 8-8.

This is trend that must desist if the team is serious about contending for the playoffs and the possibly Super Bowl again this season. Not that they can just flip a switch to make that happen, but Art Rooney II made a salient point in his State of the Steelers postseason interview back in January as to what a remedy may be.

"We need to get more pressure on the quarterback," Rooney II said, "because as everyone will tell you that creates turnovers."

He's correct. If It Ain't Steel covered that interview and quoted some telling statistics regarding the subject. In the 2008 Super Bowl season, the Steelers posted 51 sacks and 29 takeaways, and in the 2010 Super Bowl season, they had 48 sacks and 35 takeaways. Compare that to the previous 2011 and 2012 stats, and the turnover stats of the teams that made the playoffs, and the point is well-made. - http://tinyurl.com/lahlacl

The front seven side of those stats will be covered in an upcoming piece. As for the secondary itself, it allowed the fewest passing yards in the NFL for the second consecutive season. And as the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Mark Kaboly brought to light in a recent article, they also have something very important: experience.

"This will be the eighth consecutive season (Ike) Taylor, (Ryan) Clark and (Troy) Polamalu have played together — the most consecutive seasons of any trio in the league — and with the potential of Cortez Allen, the Steelers' defensive backfield could rival some of the best of the past decade." - http://tinyurl.com/kavmvcz

The experience advantage presented by the triumvirate Kaboly mentioned and the youth and "potential" of Cortez Allen brings to mind the knock against them made the NFL Network's version of Champ Kind, Warren Sapp.

Sapp once again called the Steelers "old and slow" and said that "three of the four secondary guys there are 32 years old or older." While that's true, what is being ignored is the youth being infused into the Steelers defense, including the secondary. Tez Allen is especially exciting because of the potential impact he could have. Tez went on a turnover surge at the end of last season, and the hope is that he can make 2013 his own.

"I'm not that type to make predictions or boast about myself....I just come to work every day and try to get better and better so I can help my team the best I can," said Tez. "I think I've shown an ability to make plays in the defensive system." - http://t.co/RX7JvMEw06

He isn't the only one who has a golden opportunity to shine for the Steelers. Nor is he the only one who actually does have speed. Contrary to the Sapp's comment, all three of the aforementioned triad have sub 4.5/40 speed (with Polamalu and Taylor still being 4.4 in the 40). Add to that some young blood that could make an impact this season.

Second-year man Robert Golden has potential at safety, so much potential that the Steelers forwent drafting a second one, but nonetheless had an inauspicious beginning last season.

“It was a surreal feeling,” Golden said of the Dallas Cowboys game where he was victimized. “Then we had a little blown coverage. We didn’t get the stretch call. They had two verticals up the seam and we were in a cover 3 and kind of back playing between both and couldn’t make that play.”

But the young safety has the requisite skills and speed to prove he isn't simple pyrite. The golden ticket is in his mentally picking up the defensive stratagems. (I've got lots of these for him.) Fellow safety Clark said as much about him.

"He’s a guy who jumps off the film talent-wise, speed-wise," said Clark. "What Rob has to do is show the jump as far as knowledge, dependability, durability. - http://t.co/6BzEtGnSY7

Curtis Brown, was picked ahead of Tez in the 2011, but has fallen behind him on the depth chart. Brown will not only have to beat out young teammates Isaiah Green, Josh Victorian and DeMarcus Van Dyke (all of whom are sub 4.45/40) for defensive snaps, but also veteran William Gay. Behind The Steel Curtain broke down what awaits the young cornerback who's heading into his third year. - http://tinyurl.com/bxdgymo

Terry Hawthorne was listed among Steel City Insider's 'Players to Watch' list written by Jim Wexell. Hawthorne is very fast, but very raw. Still, Carnell Lake really likes what sees.

"What I like about Terry is that he has a lot of upside potential that I see in him," Lake said. "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."

At 6'0", 195 lbs., Hawthorne has starting potential, but his biggest impact this season will likely come on special teams. But Lake, who has former teammate and Steeler great Rod Woodson coaching with him via an internship throughout Camps, likes his 4.44/40 speed, his fluidity in the hips, his ability to hit and other tools to contribute down the line.

All-in-all, that "old and slow" Steelers defense finished atop the NFL defensive rankings. Then, just for good measure, they went out and became the top-rated unit again last season. Now they've added youth and speed to make sure to, not only lock down that No. 1 spot again, but to turnover their recent misfortunes and make it mean something in January.

Adrian Robinson And Several Others Face Do-Or-Die Training Camp

Winners, I am convinced, imagine their dreams first. They want it with all their heart and expect it to come true. - Joe Montana

The draft class has now experienced their first minicamp and are now starting to be signed. Shamarko Thomas signed his four-year deal and we can project that the Steelers will start to sign more of the lower-round picks soon. With the $5.5 million Salary Cap space freed up by the release of Willie Colon set to kick in June 2nd, the Steelers will need about $1.63 million in Cap space to sign them.

There are players already on the team, though, that will need to state their cases very loudly at Latrobe in late July. Both the offense and defense carry several players who will make for a competitive Training Camp. And competition breeds contempt - just ask Antonio Brown and Ike Taylor.

Competition also will help the cream to rise to the top. This Training Camp will provide many such opportunities as there are several players who will be battling for positions. Primarily positions at linebacker and in the defensive backfield.

One name that is resurfacing this offseason is that of Adrian Robinson. The 6'1", 250-pound defensive end-turned-outside linebacker out of Temple University, who went undrafted last year, caught the attention of Steelers linebackers coach Keith Butler last offseason. We said of him then that he would look to make the transition to standing up as an outside linebacker in the Steelers' 3-4 system, which is always a tough adjustment - learning the technique and learning to play the position without his hand(s) on the ground.

So, what applied then applies now, for Robinson to make the 53-man roster he would have to outplay Chris Carter on special teams and show that he has more long-term upside than Carter as an outside linebacker.

Three qualities, however, that Robinson has in favor are his motor, his desire to compete and is character. Just what his college head coach at Temple, Steve Addazio, said about him last year.

"Adrian plays relentless," Addazio said. "He flushes the quarterback out of the pocket and chases him around like a crazy man....Without a doubt, Adrian Robinson is truly one of the finest young men I have ever had the pleasure to coach. Adrian has been the quintessential role model for our program and has set the standard for which all players should follow." - http://tinyurl.com/cx6ysb5

Simply put, the qualities of a winner. Qualities that could very well earn him a roster spot this August.

As for the others on the roster who will be fighting for spots, there are Sean Spence, Stevenson Sylvester, Marshall McFadden, Kion Wilson and Brian Rolle, with only Sylvester and Rolle having real game experience. Although, McFadden has a good chance to make the roster because he can play either the Buck or the Mack position.

The Spence situation is a curious one to figure out, though, because of his injury. The latest word on his rehabilitation was delivered by Steelers GM Kevin Colbert.

"Sean is progressing. When you have as serious a knee injury as he unfortunately had, it sometimes is a very long process. Sometimes it takes over a year to fully rehabilitate," Colbert said. "But the good thing is we are seeing signs of progress, albeit small steps. But it is progress. Sean's attitude is off the charts. He wants to rehab. He wants to be a great player. He is working hard to get there. He is making small progress, and as long as he is making progress, we will be patient with him and hopefully get him back at full speed at some point."

As for Sylvester, he should not only have pushed incumbent starter Larry Foote for the position, but should actually be the one who starts next season. As is stands, newly drafted Vince Williams has already shown that he will be pushing both Sylvester and Foote. In fact, Williams could push Sylvester right out of town.

The defensive backs competition is also going to be interesting. Shamarko Thomas could very well quickly pass Robert Golden and Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith as the first safety off of the bench. That's almost a given, though. The real competition is among the cornerbacks.

The last three cornerback positions, if the Steelers do decide to keep six, will undoubtedly be a heated battle. With Ike Taylor and Cortez Allen slotted as your starters and William Gay as the Nickel/slot guy, Curtis Brown would seem to lead the list of those who will be the Big Nickel and Dime positions.

In a previous blog, we focused attention on Isaiah Green and his desire to secure a roster spot. There are also Justin King and Ross Ventrone who are currently on the roster, but those two are just camp bodies. Terry Hawthorne is most likely your fourth cornerback and one of the next two should fill the last cornerback spots.

DeMarcus Van Dyke was drafted in 2011 by the Oakland Raiders and waived by them in 2012, and at that point came to the Steelers just before the season started. Head coach Mike Tomlin said when he was signed that he had been on their radar and that he has real potential.

"He’s got big-time upside, he’s an extremely fast guy," Tomlin said. "It was an opportunity for us to put a young cornerback in the mix and continue to work with him and develop his skill and see if maybe he can help us at some point."

Hopefully, for his sake, that is this season. He may have great speed (4.28/40), but he must eliminate the mistakes. On five occasions last season he was flagged for holding and for running out of bounds while covering punts. If he cleans that up, he may have a chance to make the final 53. If not, he would be on the street without any longer having practice squad eligibility.

The other is Josh Victorian, whom Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake spoke highly of at his press conference to introduce draft pick Illinois cornerback Terry Hawthorne. Lake's attention turned briefly to Victorian in describing how he came to be with the team.

"Josh really was a surprise for us," Lake said. "We needed some bodies really to work the look team for our offense and we brought Josh in specifically for that. He was on a developmental team and because of the amount of injuries we had, Josh was it. He was our starter by default.

"Like I said before, I had probably two weeks with him to get him ready and his first start was against Dallas in Dallas. I have to give my hat off to him for coming in and really concentrating and getting ready specifically because we didn’t have much time with him before that."

Victorian has an honest chance at making the Steelers 53-man roster out of training camp this year. If not, he, unlike DVD, still has practice squad eligibility.

While the competition doesn't necessarily mean we'll see fights in Training Camp like we did last year (twice) between AB and Ike, we can safely say that those who make the final cuts will have run the gauntlet and will have proven that they want to be winners.

~

TIDBITS: The 2013 version of the NFL Network's annual Top 100 Players revealed that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wound up all the way down at No. 61 spot this year. He was No. 30 last year. A joke both times.

~

The offseason program that officially began on April 15th set the stage for the OTAs, the dates of which are: May 21-23, May 28-30 and June 3-6. Minicamp will be held on June 11-13, and after that the dates for Training Camp will announced.

~

The $5.5 million Willie Colon money will be freed June 1st and officially available June 2nd. I have a feeling I know how the Steelers will use some of that money: OL depth.