Hey, Pittsburgh! This Bud's For You! - Steelers Select OLB Alvin Dupree in 1st Round of 2015 NFL Draft

"I think when you make that ['drafting for need'] comment, you're not doing your due diligence," Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said on Monday. "....Invariably it takes care of itself."

At the 2015 NFL Draft in Chicago on Thursday night, it did just that. 

Especially regarding the first round, the Steelers grip as tightly to their "best player available" philosophy as Gollum did to The Ring. So it should be no surprise that they remained cool under fire as potential prospective choices were taken in front of them. Yet, they were true to themselves and fulfilled need at the same time when they selected Kentucky edge rusher Alvin "Bud" Dupree with the 22nd pick.

Nonetheless, that isn't to say they weren't pleasantly surprised when the projected left outside linebacker 'fell into their laps' as he did. 

"We’re really excited. The other day during the press conference we talked about the outside linebacker position being very deep with several impact players,” said GM Kevin Colbert, “and we believe we got an impact player in Bud Dupree. It’s really exciting that he was able to be there for us at No. 22. Quite honestly that was something we didn’t expect to happen." - http://tinyurl.com/nktysw9

Invariably it takes care of itself.

The senior DE/OLB ended his Wildcat career starting 35 of 47 games where he recorded 23.5 sacks (half of a sack per game played), 38 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles and an interception for a touchdown. Dupree also ranked in the top three among LBs in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and the broad jump at the NFL Combine. - http://t.co/xDImanPC4l 

Per Mike Prisuta of the DVE Morning Show, a "scout from a team not drafting Dupree on Dupree said: 'Has it all, quickness, power, intangibles. Will play well first year. He's going to be good.'" -  http://tinyurl.com/qzeb2bs

Dupree is not without his flaws, either, though. He is very raw and sometimes he looked better with his hand on the ground than he when he was standing up. 

He can at times be an inconsistent pass rusher who doesn’t always exhibit good hand use. His speed rush can also be a little out of control, he doesn't have a great array of pass rushes/pass rush moves in his repertoire, and has trouble consistently anchoring against the run. 

The overall body of work, though, paints a portrait of a player who has loads of upside and the potential to one day enter the pantheon of great Steelers linebackers. 

For now, though, he's only asked to learn the system and to eventually contribute with the starters and the rest of the team in the push for another Ring. And the rest of it, my 'great linebackers' comments...? 

Invariably it takes care of itself.

For Steelers To Be Successful, They Must Grade On A Bell Curve; Injury Report

UPDATED: 8/16/13
With several positions being manned by different players this upcoming season, many talking heads have the Pittsburgh Steelers written off already, putting them into third or even last place in the division.

The Steelers, though, believe they have the formula for curing many ills. They have set their sights once again on dominating the line of scrimmage and controlling the clock. In the best years they have known, there was always one constant to their offense. That is the ability to run the ball with a lead late in the game and thereby finishing off an opponent.

With the drafting of four offensive linemen and one running back in the first and second rounds in the last four years, the team with the most rushing yards since the NFL/AFL merger have shown that their desire is to excel in that area again. NFL.com's Jason LaCanfora believes these young players portend good things for the Steelers. - http://tinyurl.com/lvhhwsm

The pass oriented NFL isn't being ignored by the Steelers by any means. But they realize that to excel completely at the pass, the run must be established.

Not meaning running on first and second to set up a pass on third, but to establish the threat if nothing else. And a threat is only viable if there is actual fear-based believability. I tell you I'll punch you in the mouth, you scoff. I just do it, and often enough, and the threat is real.

That means the running game must increase its production, and it must do so early in the season. According to Lance Zierlein of Rotoworld.com and TheSidelineView.com, he doesn't expect "the running attack to explode overnight", but he does expect a measured improvement.

"This year, the Steelers are in pretty good shape from a health standpoint on the line and they have a new feature back in rookie Le'Veon Bell....I do think we will finally see the Steelers actually commit to running the football."

Based on what the Steelers running backs coach, Kirby Wilson said last week, the Steelers believe the same.

“You would love to have a back who can play first down through third down," said Wilson. "That’s always the best. Now, you have players who can spell a starter, then you have situational players that have strengths in other areas, put for the most part you always want a guy who is there first through third.”

He and they believe Bell is that back.

However, that can only be done if he and the other players in this are healthy going into as well as throughout the season.

That sound you heard Thursday was the collective breath inhalation and Gasp! of Steeler Nation as Isaac Redman and, maybe more importantly, Bell went down to injuries. Behind the Steel Curtain covered the Redman situation earlier today. - http://tinyurl.com/lu37vqz

As for Bell, he re-aggravated his left knee injury Thursday, the same knee that kept him out of the first preseason game against the Giants, forcing him to watch the conclusion of practice with his leg in ice.

Per Steelers Digest's Bob Labriola, "When Le'Veon Bell aggravated his left knee in practice today, it was not a live tackling session. Bell to be evaluated." Current word is a mild MCL sprain.

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport said that he hears Bell's knee is "fine." Jim Wexell backed that up with his next tweet.

As does DVE's Mike Prisuta.

This comes one day after Bell had been elevated to co-starter status alongside Redman on the team's depth chart. With the Steelers' next preseason game being Monday night, both running backs have time to recover.

As a side point, this is also why the Steelers didn't and wouldn't have cut or traded Jonathan Dwyer. He has shown he can tote the rock and that they can win with him as feature back. He just wasn't consistent enough and was oft injured. Now this with the others.

When looking at the immediate future of this season's team. I see it as Le'Veon Bell, Isaac Redman and LaRod Stephens-Howling, with Will Johnson at fullback. Yes, Dwyer could make the team, but he isn't a special teams guy and is basically another Redman.

As we've written before, the war of attrition has begun. Let's hope that the Steelers know how to balance the fine line between battle testing a player and breaking him. To do so, especially for one whom they want to be their future, they might want to start grading on a Bell curve.

UPDATE: Le'Veon Bell re-aggravated knee bruise. No MCL damage or tears.

Bob Labriola tweeted from his Twitter (@BobLabriola) account: "RB Jeremy Wright signed and PK Daniel Hrapmann waived. Relax, Steelers Nation. This DOES NOT mean Le'Veon Bell's injury is serious."

"For this afternoon's practice, Le'Veon Bell is expected to be dressed and on the field. That indicates his injury isn't serious."
~

TIDBITS: The injuries continue to pile up. During their Thursday practice, rookie linebacker Jarvis Jones tweaked his groin. Dale Lolley of the Washington (County) Observer reported that he does not believe the injury is serious.

So, Redman has a stinger, Bell re-aggravated his knee, Jones tweaked his groin and OLineman Justin Cheadle has a significant hamstring injury. Tomlin says it's "a matter of weeks and not days.”

Steelers Training Camp: 10 Days, 10 Takeaways (Offense)

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has never shied away from the fact that he loves Training Camp set the tone with his favorite drill—backs on backers—in addition to the offensive linemen battling the defensive linemen in one-on-one drills.

Despite being "football in shorts", the Steelers made a positive first impression as they came out a focused, but relaxed, team that is poised to bounce back from a disappointing 8-8 record last season.

They then got into pads and the cracks could be heard all the way in Allentown. Tomlin has actually been praised for the physicality of his 2013 Training Camp. Why has it been so physical?

"It’s just appropriate in today’s NFL. We have off days. We only get a chance to practice once a day," Tomlin declared. "There are fewer and fewer opportunities to sort themselves out. We’ve got some young guys. We’ve got to sort through a lot of young guys and we’ve got to take advantage of opportunities to show improvement. That is what it is about."

Add practices running nearly two-and-a-half hours to live contact drills and you have the tone set for a physical season. What else are we seeing as tones being set? And what players play important roles? Part one focused on the defense, and here we'll discuss the offense.

Ben Roethlisberger: Big Ben has been taking on much more of a leadership role this offseason and Training Camp. He's had great practices, aside from a couple of interceptions, last Thursday through Monday. He seems so much more serious with teammates and their roles, their routes, their blocks, etc... Basically, he sees his window and doesn't want it to close. If It Ain't Steel is glad to see Big Ben is stepping up as a true leader.

In doing so he is being rewarded with a couple of things that he has been wanting in the form of more deep routes. After some tinkering to the offense, Big Ben is much happier as he is able to air the ball out often. Both Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders have been getting plenty of looks and the passes have been very successful so far. As has someone else.

Markus Wheaton: Wheaton missed OTAs because of NCAA graduation rules, so he came into Training Camp already behind. He has quickly caught up and moved up the depth chart, though, and got time as the slot receiver during the first week of camp.

A terrific route-runner, Wheaton has the speed and quickness to get deep to make the big play, and he has shown it by being very dangerous all over the field.

As long as his development continues, it won’t be very long until Wheaton is a regular on offense.

Le’Veon Bell: Bell has had a terrific Camp so far, and it should not be very long before he is a major part of the offense. He has been the star of the backfield so far, and is making a real push for the starting job.

He also has exceptional hands and has been one of the focal points of the passing game. He continually makes plays in the open field.

His bread and butter will be carrying the rock. And though he doesn't possess world-class speed, he has been running with speed and authority and has been the best back during team drills. He has even been receiving time with the first team offense. Bell is light on his feet and is able to get to the outside and cut back also.

Speaking of getting outside and cutting back, the outside zone-blocking scheme has been a focus under new offensive line coach Jack Bicknell, jr. They've run it all Camp in some form and the players are adjusting well to it. Plus, athletic offensive linemen like Ramon Foster, David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey, make it more viable scheme.

The other starting OLinemen, Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams, also have a bit of a competition going on. According to WDVE’s Mike Prisuta, Adams lined up at left tackle for three days straight. But, since the Steelers run to the right more often than any other direction, they'll most likely move Adams back to that side knowing that he is the better run blocker.

That does bring us nicely to the next point into the light also, that being the lack of depth. Kelvin Beachum may play three positions Saturday night against the New York Giants, and guard Justin Cheadle figures to get time against the Giants also. That's pretty much it. The injuries have brought that to light better than anything.

While there haven't been any significant injuries to star players, there have been several dinged up.

The most significant injury was to Cortez Allen who had minor knee surgery last week. Another semi-major injury occured when Nik Embernate went down with a torn ACL and MCL.

Then you have DeMarcus Van Dyke and Terry Hawthorne have both missed time, and Curtis Brown is on crutches, making for a very thin secondary.

Embernate reminds us how fragile the front line is. Who'll back up Gilbert? What happens if Beachum goes down? D'Anthony Batiste nor Guy Whimper will remind anyone of Jonathan Ogden or even Jonathan Scott. It is, therefore, an issue that needs to be resolved.

Soon.

~

TIDBITS: Matt Spaeth, who came back to the Steelers from the Chicago Bears this last offseason, was hurt in Wednesday’s practice in Latrobe. He was seen later with ice taped to his foot.

~

Via Steelers Digest's Bob Labriola, @BobLabriola on Twitter, "2 roster moves. ‪#‎Steelers‬ signed RB Alvester Alexander & CB Devin Smith; waived RB Curtis McNeal & DE Cordian Hagans."

James Harrison And Ike Taylor Talk Defense, Accountability

Photo courtesy of ElizabethVincentPhotography.com

"Overall it's just breakdowns within the defense...not executing. Guys playing different calls than what are actually called....just not getting all-around snap in, snap out execution of the defense."

Those words were spoken by Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison to Mike Prisuta of WDVE after practice Monday. - http://tinyurl.com/8rl5t2p

As the Steelers prepare this week for the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football, the players know that more is needed than what they've shown to this point.

While defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's scheme may be complex, knowing the plays called and executing them is a salient point to consider.

LeBeau talked a couple of weeks ago about players trying to do too much instead of just playing the defense as called.

Players have to trust their teammates too. But if players are "playing different calls than what are actually called," trust would become a difficult thing. So, execution becomes paramount.

Deebo, therefore, was right in pointing out that each man needs to be accountable.

"What we need is we need to play better defense, ya know, the whole game. Uh...better situational defense and guys need to...take responsibility for their actions and...do exactly what the defense is called to do. That's it."

Being the leader that he is, the Silverback showed appropriate candor when Prisuta asked about the drag route by the tight end late in the game that basically sealed the win for the Titans last Thursday.

"Bad technique," said Deebo. "I didn't get in front of him. He took off and caught the ball. He did his job, I didn't." (This 2nd link provides sstatements by Harrison not contained in the Steelers.com link above.)- http://tinyurl.com/9mwcyct

What the Silverback said is no secret. The 2012 version of the Steelers defense is not the juggernaut it has been in recent years so far this season. And other teams are taking advantage.

The main baby from whom teams have been taking their candy this season is cornerback Ike Taylor.

Ike has not played up to last season's standards this season and it has hurt the Steelers on occasion. He doesn't think it's that big of an issue, though, and said so on Trib Live Radio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?nomobile=1&v=3c5Fv57_njI

A'ight, Swag. I see ya, nephew.

Since If It Ain't Steel isn't exactly the "media" Ike was talking to, we won't take offense. This isn't 1952, but I like Ike, and he did make some valid points.

At the same time, however, overall numbers don't tell the whole story.

Yes, the Steelers do currently have the fifth rated defense in the NFL, are fourth against the pass and have allowed the fewest splash/explosive plays with eleven. When the numbers are examined more closely, though, the dings and dents in the steel curtain become more evident.

The Steelers defense may have allowed the fewest explosive plays, but many of them have come at inopportune times, including third down. Not coincidently, they rank 31st in third down conversions allowed. They're also allowing, as Ike admitted, a pathetic 23 points per game.

Again, Ike is a big part of that. I've said before that Ike has been worked like a part-time job this season. No one needs but to watch the games to see he isn't getting it done this season.

Regardless, Mark Kaboly of the Trib in Pittsburgh pinpointed the numbers to back it up anyway. He compared this year's numbers to last year's to show the difference.

This year through five games Ike has been targeted 44 times allowing 24 receptions for 382 yards, four touchdowns and seven penalties.

Last year through five games he was targeted 24 times allowing only three receptions for 24 yards, no touchdowns and only one penalty. -
http://triblive.com/mobile/msports/2738524-81/taylor-yards-third-game-steelers-titans-call-kaboly-mark-allowed

That will be tested even more Sunday as Ike is facing a wide receiver whom Ike calls the "third best" in the game, A.J. Green.

Might they switch Ike off of Green on occasion? Like a relief pitcher situation or moving a batter around in the lineup if he's slumping? Not according to Ike.

Ike isn't asking for safety help against Green despite the fact that he catches anything remotely near his hands. He's still confident he can go toe-to-toe. - http://t.co/8tbxBExR

Ike knows he's not playing as well as last season, but insisted it's "all correctable" and isn't related to last season's playoffs disaster.

"Um...naw," Ike said. "Just crucial times, I'm just doing a few things. But every season isn't going to be the same. What I do have is 11 more games left. So I just need to do what I need to do." - http://tinyurl.com/94gha6n

In other words, Swag still has his swag.

He'll need it Sunday. He'll need it for the remainder of the season.

~

TIDBITS - Mike Tomlin wants more, and not just from a few players. http://t.co/m714bIQK

~

Mike Tomlin said this week on Sirius XM Radio that he is concerned about health of safety Troy Polamalu. We addressed the "retirement" issue last week and said that we don't think imminent. Neither does Troy, per columnist Joe Starkey - http://sulia.com/my_thoughts/22557277-f690-44d0-80c4-d45d54c75a1c/

~

ESPN Video: Harrison Says He Has Had 'Double Digit' Concussions. - http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8515042&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

~

Ta'amu suspended for two (too few) games. - http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/20574823/steelers-suspend-rookie-taamu-two-games

Latest Meltdown Exposes Steelers Many Flaws

After letting Thursday night's loss sink in a little bit, I realize two things: by no means should the Steelers have allowed it to happen, and we all should've seen it coming.

On Thursday Night Football the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Tennessee Titans by a score of 26-23, following yet another late-game collapse. One thing was made very apparent. That being that the 2012 version of the Steelers just aren't very good.

For the fourth time this season, they allowed a team to come back on them, and for the third time, they lost. They've also allowed 47 points through five games in the fourth-quarter after allowing all of 68 in the combined first three quarters. This abomination of a defense has taken the blame for it. - http://tinyurl.com/8tvjc99

Speaking on this moth-eaten steel curtain, ESPN analyst and former Pro Bowl and Super Bowl quarterback Ron Jaworski was on PTI last week and offered up his assessment.

"I watched the game last week against Philadelphia, and I did not see the dominant interior defensive line. And when you play that 3-4 defense, those guys down in the trenches, that 3-gap on that tackle, that nose head-up on the center, they must make plays," Jaws said.

"I didn't see Casey Hampton being very active," he continued. "I didn't see Keisel making plays. I didn't see Hood making plays....You need that defensive line to have impact for the Steelers. I haven't seen it yet. I'm not going to throw the age card out there just yet, but maybe it's creeping up."

Fine, the Polish Rifleman won't, but we will. As we've said and quoted from Steel Curtain Radio before, the young guys have to become the guys. The jury is still out on Ziggy Hood, Cameron Heyward needs to see the field more and we've sung Steve McLendon's often. He absolutely needs to be used more. Much more.

But, other, more distressing problems are now evident also.

We at If It Ain't Steel recently suggested a lack of conditioning, which was denied by head coach Mike Tomlin. While the jury is still out on that issue, two other problems are painfully obvious: a lack of leadership and a lack of mental discipline/toughness.

As to the mental discipline and/or mental toughness aspect, veteran inside linebacker Larry Foote was all too willing to express his feelings on the matter.

"We’re not strong mentally,” Foote told 93.7 The Fan. “We don’t look like a championship team right now. Everybody here’s been knocked down, everybody’s had doors shut in their face, everybody’s gotten beat.”

Foote, who has never endured a losing season as a starter in a Steelers uniform, went on. "You can't have mental breakdowns. That's what gets you beat in this league. That's what happened to us in the fourth quarter. But it's only five games. We're 2-3 but our goals are still reachable. So, 10 games from now when we get this thing corrected, who's going to remember the first five games? So, we're going to see what we're made of."

What they're made of, indeed. Can Ike Taylor stop getting worked like a part-time job? Is he able to focus enough to stop the penalties? Is Hood even able improve on his stat line of zeros across the board? Is Lawrence Timmons able put a string of games together?

Because this is systemic and therefore goes beyond just dealing with the absence of an elite defensive player or two. Especially considering one of those players will be absent a little longer.

Mike Prisuta of WDVE Radio said during the pregame radio show of the Titans game that he'd heard that Troy Polamalu is expected to miss four weeks of action after re-injuring his right calf against the Eagles. That's three more weeks. In other words, after Halloween.

Trick or treat.

So, with Polamalu sidelined for that much longer, the Steelers are minus a player of sound mental character and strength, but also minus a leader on the field. Which brings us to the other obvious problem: a lack of leadership.

If It Ain't Steel said in the offseason that leadership can't necessarily be found in the draft. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2012/03/finding-leadership-in-draft-no-easy.html

Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly sees and has said the same thing regarding the lack of leaders on this team. - http://t.co/z4hHKpgz

A shortage of vocal leaders means that men you'd expect to step up and rein in players like Ike Taylor and work with Mike Wallace on his hands aren't doing so. Because this reflects on Ryan Clark, Brett Keisel and, yes, even Ben Roethlisberger. They MUST take Foote's cue and speak up. Remember when Joey Porter called out everyone, including Big Ben?

Speaking of Big Ben, he's the only reason the Steelers have the two wins they do. Can you imagine how bad the Steelers would be if Big Ben, the Steelers Digest Player of the Week and all-time Steelers passing leader, wasn't there? I don't even want to imagine it.

Regarding leadership again, that must extend beyond the field and into the locker room. From respected players as well as coaches.

From the standpoint of the coaches, that can simply mean putting players in the best positions possible to win. They didn't do that against the Titans.

Though we disagree with some of the points he attempts to make, Dejan Kovacevic calls out the coaches brilliantly in the article he wrote Friday regarding the ills of the confusing passivity of the coaches' play calling. - http://tinyurl.com/8hmm88w

Despite these three major problems, there are correctible measures that can be taken to salvage the season. - http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8495698&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The question, however, is, "Will they?"

As Alan Robinson, staff writer for Trib Total Media, wrote: "They can’t rush the passer. [Defense] They can’t hold a lead. [Mental Discipline/Toughness] And when it’s over, another apparent victory now lost, they can’t find a reason for it." [Leadership]

Those are a lot of flaws to overcome that few will admit that they, that we, should've seen coming.

New Offense Makes For Positive Headlines For Roethlisberger and Colon This Offseason.

It was late February in 2010 when I got a call from my buddy who ran the floor crew of the Thomas and Mack center here in Las Vegas where the UNLV Runnin' Rebels play their home basketball games: "You'll never guess who's in my house!" I'm thinking, "you're right."

You see, my buddy is an avid Steelers fan too and, after a few back-and-forths, it turned out that Ben Roethlisberger, Willie Colon and some other players/guys he didn't recognize had rented the floor for a while to play a few games of hoops. I begged twitch him to find a way to get down to get in somehow and see them, meet them, ask one of them to be the godfather of my firstborn, anything...but to no avail. Little did I know what was to come less than two weeks later.

But this article isn't focusing on anything negative, nor will it reopen old wounds. Both Big Ben and Colon have been in the news for basically positive team-related reasons this offseason, and that deserves attention too.

Sure, we had some potential doubt with the 'Big Ben hasn't met with Haley' and 'Colon won't take a pay cut' articles, but those were overblown and TMZ-like articles based on having little else to write about regarding the team.

What has actually been the case is that Big Ben went back and completed his degree nine years after he left school for the NFL. The 30-year-old quarterback received his bachelor's degree in education.

Big Ben has also had to ingest a new playbook that he has referred to as the "Rosetta Stone." That notwithstanding, he has been clear about delving into it to learn it as best he can. He's even pointed out that he is seeing quite a bit of the no-huddle to the new offense. That may be a good thing.

According to some raw stats, Big Ben has a 64% completion rate and about a 7.5 yard per completion average over his career. In 4th quarters Big Ben has an approximate 70% completion rate and a 7.58 YPC average. Again, these are raw numbers, but they give an idea of how good this could potentially be. 

Another reason why this is potentially very good for Big Ben and the offense is this - the most sacked quarterbacks since 2009: Joe Flacco = 107; Jay Cutler = 110; Aaron Rodgers = 117; and Ben Roethlisberger = 122.

The no-huddle in part means a more fast-paced offense and potentially a quicker release. That coupled with the 24th, 83rd and maybe even the 248th pick in the 2012 draft, and the recently announced offensive line changes, and Big Ben may see a former liability may become a strength sooner than later.

Which leads me to the other side of this coin: "I've made the transition to left guard," Willie Colon said in an interview with Mike Prisuta of WDVE. "I like it. It's just a matter of learning the verbiage." Colon told Prisuta that the coaches called him right after the drafting of Mike Adams to tell him about the switch. 

That will provide a level of athleticism on the inside of the line which the Steelers haven't had in a while and which will allow both Colon and DeCastro, the number one draft pick who'll play right guard this season, to pull. The Steelers traditionally take the counter pike/trap/pull to the right, but now will have both options. Colon verified this.

"You should expect both of us pulling," Colon continued. "I think we're going to be a lot more balanced."

The addition of Colon and DeCastro to the interior will give the line a lot of power to create a push in the running game, which, despite now having more size on the outside for pass protection, is what should be seen more so early in the season. Lining up and punching the opposing defensive line in the mouth is easier than getting timing down in the passing game. So expect more of that early on.

Also to be considered in that is the fact that Mike Adams has the talent, but is unpolished and green. He may need some help and time to maturate before he starts. In my opinion, expect Max Starks to be back, if healthy, to start the season.

Ed Bouchette did say, though, that Adams has a chance to start. Colon echoed those words.

“I am excited to get out there. I know the sky is the limit for us as a line. We have the young kids DeCastro and Mike Adams," said Colon in the interview. "The biggest thing that always gets us is the injury bug, but if we can stay strong and healthy, we should be the one or two best line in the league.”

As was reported on Friday, Trai Essex will be given a chance at the back up spot at tackle. There is also newly signed Kyle Jolly who'll have a shot at back up now that Trevis Turner has been deemed expendable and released. I simply hope that this means the end of Jonathan Scot...AAARGH!!!... Sorry, I get that reaction whenever I say or hear his name. Hopefully, though. Hopefully.

Not everyone sees this as necessarily a good thing, though. David Todd, @hammerspeaks on Twitter, tweeted: "Colon at left guard may mean Adams at LT so two rookies aren't playing next to each other. That is how I read things." Very possibly so. This would, after all, be the first time that the offensive line has started two rookies in almost 40 years.

Another outlook on this is from Lance Williams of steelcurtainradio.com when he wrote: "I think the Steelers could be making a very big mistake with the offensive line. I think it's really premature to name Adams the starting LT. He has gone from off the board to drafted to starter without playing a snap with pads. You couple that with starting two new guards and you have a high level of uncertainty. Mix that all up with a new offense and you have the potential for an explosion."

Or you could also have the potential for explosion.

Lance may be correct: the starting of two rookies is like mixing Nitric Acid and Glycerol, two chemicals which unto themselves aren't a problem but volatile when mixed. But that volatility may manifest itself in the form of young, vibrant, hellbent-for-leather nastiness that this offensive line could use.

So when you consider what is now behind us and add in some youth and veteran leadership to a new offense, our front five and no. seven could very well lead to Ring number seven.