Well, it's the day after the Super Bowl, the 2012-13 football season is officially over. And what a crappy season it was for Steelers Nation. Mike Wallace holds out of training camp and then goes on to have a rather crappy season. Ben Roethlisberger gets hurt right as the offense starts to get on a roll. We lose to the Cleveland Browns....the FREAKING BROWNS!!!!!!!!!! We miss the playoffs. The Super Bowl is a real punch to the gut...either the 49ers tie us with six Super Bowl wins or...our arch enemy, the Baltimore Ravens win it. The Ravens win it, and Ray fricking Lewis rides off into the sunset on top.
So I, for one, am glad that this season is OVER!
Now everyone is tied at 0-0. Everyone is in first place. It's time to look at the 2013 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers....and that starts with the offseason.
The Steelers have a good amount of free agents. Lets take a look at the list.
Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA's)
Mike Wallace, WR
Rashard Mendenhall, RB
Will Allen, S
Charlie Batch, QB
Plaxico Burress, WR
Larry Foote, LB
Ramon Foster, G
Casey Hampton, DT
Brandon Johnson, LB
Juston King, LB
Byron Leftwich, QB
Doug Legursky, OL
Keenan Lewis, CB
Ryan Mundy, S
Leonard Pope, TE
Max Starks, OT
Greg Warren, LS
Restricted Free Agents (RFA's)
Jonathon Dwyer, RB
Steve McLendon, DT
Issac Redman, RB
Emmanuel Sanders, WR
Stevenson Slyvester, LB
Exclusive Rights Free Agents (ERFA's)
Baron Batch, RB
DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB
Now the RFA's and ERFA's I am not worried about whatsoever. It's been years since one tendered has been signed by another team. If nobody went after Mike Wallace in free agency last year, then nobody is going after our restricted guys. Nobody on that list is going somewhere else if they get tendered by the Steelers.
Now the UFA list is one that is split into three sections: Guys I don't want back, guys I want back, and guys I want back for the right price.
Guys I Want Back
Max Starxs, OT - Max Starks isn't an elite tackle. The Steelers know that, the fans know that, and Starks himself knows that. However he is a good tackle. And if he wants to come back, and we can make the contract work with us always being up against the salary cap, then I welcome him back with open arms. Marcus Gilbert is an injury risk and Mike Adams had an up-and-down rookie year that ended on IR. Starks would compete for a starting job and at the least be an excellent backup at both tackle positions.
Plaxico Burress, WR - Burress returned to the Steelers when wide receiver depth suffered due to some injuries. Burress accepted a lesser role in the offense. With how he left after the 2004 season, many fans didn't want him back. I feel he had to earn not only the trust of the fans, but the trust of the team. I think he earned it and would be a good third receiver on the outside, moving Sanders or Brown to the slot in three-receiver sets.
Keenan Lewis, CB - Going into last season there were a lot of questions about the starting corner spot across from Ike Taylor. Keenan Lewis plays phenomenal and honestly showed that he could be a #1 CB in the NFL. If the Steelers want to remain one of the top defenses in the NFL, they have to lock Lewis up.
Doug Legursky, OL - This guy is like the little engine that could. He's an undersized offensive lineman that can play guard and center. He knows he's not a starter, but a guy that can play either guard position and center is a valuable guy to have on the team as a backup.
Guys I Don't Want Back
Mike Wallace, WR - I was hoping Mike Wallace would have one hell of a season and truly earn the big contract that he coveted last offseason. Instead, he whined all offseason and then held out of training camp...and he's been here long enough to know that the Steelers will not negotiate with a player not in camp. Then there were times during the season that he wasn't even trying. Giving up on routes, not blocking down field, not fighting for balls...hell not even trying to knock them down so they aren't intercepted. Then, in the season finale which meant little more than pride because the Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs, Wallace showed his true colors....he held himself out of the game to avoid a possible injury going into free agency. That's not something that a Pittsburgh Steeler does.
Rashard Mendenhall, RB - Mendenhall was a first round pick who had a few good years. In the regular season finale of the 2012 season, he tore his ACL. He came back this season and just imploded. He fumbled the ball three times in a mere 51 carries. Then for the game against San Diego, when he was told he wouldn't be active for the game, he chose to no show on game day. Being deactivated isn't permission to not attend the game. I feel that he wants to be gone, and the Steelers shouldn't even offer him a contract.
Byron Leftwich, QB - Leftwich has been an injury waiting to happen. He can't even hold up for one game. He's not young, nor do I feel he understands the game well enough to be of any help to Ben Roethlisberger on the sidelines. I would much rather draft someone in the third round or so and groom them to not only be the #2 QB, but possibly one day take over when Big Ben walks away from the game. Leftwich isn't worth the roster spot that he would take off.
The rest of the UFA list, I would take back at the right price. None of them would be guaranteed a starting job, and most would be just depth at various positions and play special teams.
The 2013 NFL Rookie Draft
It's now time to start really looking at the NFL draft. So here are what I feel are the teams' biggest needs, in no particular order.
Backup Quarterback - The Steelers don't have a guy who's young and can step in for a game or two if needed, nor do they have anyone that they are grooming behind Ben Roethlisberger. I think it's time to get someone, and the draft is the perfect place to do this.
Outside Linebacker - James Harrison is on the wrong side of thirty and played all last season with a bad back, not to mention he could be a cap casualty this offseason. LaMarr Woodley had hamstring issues again. I don't believe the team has the next great Steelers outside linebacker currently on the roster. Maybe they can find that guy this offseason.
Offensive Line - In the past three seasons the Steelers have taken the following offensive linemen in the first two rounds: Maurkice Pouncey (center), Marcus Gilbert (tackle), David Decastro (guard), Mike Adams (tackle). These guys should be the core of the offensive line for years to come, should turn that part of the team into the strength. However, I think we might be able to draft a better player for left guard. Foster isn't that good, in my opinion. Willie Colon can't stay healthy to save his life. And Doug Legursky is nothing more than a backup. Maybe a second round guard can be taken to put nothing but first and second round picks making holes for the run game and protecting our franchise quarterback.
Safety - Troy Polamalu is a constant injury risk. There have been rumors floating around the Twitterverse that Ryan Clark might be released this offseason, though nobody can say why. The team needs to find a young playmaker at one of the two safety positions to at least groom behind the Polamalu/Clark combo we currently have.
