AFC North Offseason Preview

In a few days, the NFL's Free Agency period. This weekend, player agents can negotiate contracts with teams but are not allowed to set up meetings between players and teams. So if a team decides to agree to a contract with a player, they must do so "blind." Also, any contract agreements cannot be finalized until Tuesday, when Free Agency officially begins. However, teams can sign their own pending free agents to deals.

This is also a way for teams to learn the market value for their free agent players and can then offer a contract accordingly, or choose to let a player walk because they feel that they can't pay the player an amount to keep him.

Free Agency is more than just an opportunity to sign proven players from other teams. It also shapes the NFL Draft. If you have a need at WR and sign a top guy at that position in Free Agency, then you can focus on another need in the draft.

So here is my offseason look at each team of the AFC North. I will look at their needs, their top Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA), record from last season, and where they will be drafting. I will also look at possible first round draft selections for each team.

Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8 last season, missed playoffs)
The Pittsburgh Steelers have never been big players in Free Agency. They don't sign the huge names, other than keeping their own players when they want/can. So I do not expect them to go after any big names, other than possibly attempting to resign Mike Wallace. The free agent I think they most need to resign is Keenan Lewis, who had an excellent season in his first as a starting cornerback.

The big question mark for the Steelers this offseason is what happens with OLB James Harrison. They want to renegotiate his contract and he won't take a pay cut. Harrison is 35 years old, and has had knee and back issues the past few years that are likely to just get worse instead of better. There is a chance that the Steelers end up just cutting Harrison.

Top UFA's:
Keenan Lewis, CB
Mike Wallace, WR
Rashard Mendenhall, RB
Max Starks, OT
Plaxico Burress, WR

Draft Position: 17th

First Round possibilities:
Jarvis Jones, OLB/Georgia
Manti Te'o, ILB/Notre Dame
Kenny Vaccaro, S/Texas
Alec Ogletree, LB/Georgia
Eddy Lacey, RB/Alabama
Kevin Minter, ILB/LSU
Jonathon Hankins, DT/Ohio State
Jonathon Jenkins, DT/Georgia

Needs:
Outside Linebacker
Inside Linebacker
Running Back

Baltimore Ravens (10-6, won Super Bowl)
After winning the Super Bowl, the Ravens front office didn't have much time to celebrate. They had to get the team under the cap, resign free agent quarterback Joe Flacco to a long-term contract, and figure out their goals in free agency and the draft.

The Ravens locked up Flacco, and are focusing on Dannell Ellerbe over Paul Kruger. Ellerbe played as Ray Lewis' replacement when he injured his arm during the season, and the Ravens would like to keep him. Kruger had his best season ever, and is expect to sign for more money somewhere else than what the Ravens can give him, not to mention the drafted Courtney Upshaw in last year's draft so they likely feel they have a decent or better replacement for Kruger.

Top UFA's:
Paul Kruger, OLB
Dannell Ellerbe, ILB
Ed Reed, S
Cary Williams, CB

Draft Position: 32nd

First Round possibilities:
Jonathon Hankins, DT/Ohio State
Manti Te'o, ILB/Notre Dame
Jonathon Cyprien, S/Florida International
Jonathon Jenkins, DT/Georgia

Needs:
Inside Linebacker
Offensive Tackle
Safety

Cincinnati Bengals (10-6, eliminated in first round of playoffs)
This team is hard to predict, for me at least, because Mike Brown sometimes makes moves that leaves you scratching your head. He let Jonathon Joseph walk away without making any real attempt at keeping him. Mike Brown has the smallest scouting staff in the National Football League and doesn't have a general manager, nor a personnel man at his side to lean on.

The Bengals are a young team. However they will be looking to upgrade a defense that was pretty good last year and they will also be looking to add a bell cow type of running back to their offense to give their passing game some help.

Top UFA's:
Robert Geathers, DE
Pat Simms, DT
Andre Smith, OT
Rey Maualuga, LB

Draft Position: 21st

First Round possibilities:
Kenny Vaccaro, S/Texas
Eddy Lacey, RB/Alabama
Xavier Rhodes, CB-S/Florida State

Needs:
Safety
Offensive Tackle
Defensive Line
Running Back

Cleveland Browns (5-11, missed playoffs)
The Cleveland Browns have made some big changes in this offseason. I honestly could have written an entire article just on them. New owner Jimmy Haslam fired the previous coaching and front office regime. New head coach Rob Chudzinski brought in Norv Turner to be the offensive coordinator. Mike Lombardi was hired as the Vice President of Player Personnel and this past week was promoted to General Manager.

Chudzinski worked with Cam Newton in Carolina the past few years, but the Browns currently have last year's starter at the position in Brandon Weeden. Weeden has the arm to make the downfield throws that are often staples in an offense ran by either Chudzinski or Turner, but he doesn't have the running ability of a Cam Newton. So the Browns might be looking to change quarterbacks, seeing how they have yet to show any type of commitment to Weeden.

The Browns also hired Ray Horton as defensive coordinator who will be running a "hybrid" 3-4/4-3 defense but I expect to see the Browns mostly in a 3-4 look.

Top UFA's:
Josh Cribbs, WR
Phil Dawson, K

Draft Position: 6th

First Round possibilities:
Ezekiel Ansah, DE-OLB/BYU
Dion Jordan, DE-OLB/Oregon
Dee Millner, CB/Alabama
Geno Smith, QB/West Virginia
Jarvis Jones, OLB/Georgia

Needs:
Outside Linebacker
Tight End
Quarterback
Inside Linebacker

And that is my preview for the AFC North's offseason. Later this week I will be positing my first mock draft for the first round.

Looking towards the 2013 season

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.

Cowher to the Browns?

Living in Cleveland, if I am going to listen to sports radio, I am going to hear a lot about the Cleveland Browns.

While at work today, I happened to hear discussion about the next Browns head coach being Bill Cowher. Yes, the former Super Bowl winning head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Matter-of-fact, I had some coworkers even discussing it this morning.

Here are the ways Browns fans are trying to link Cowher to the Browns job:

1. Cowher bought a house in Strongsville, OH. There were reports back in 2008 that the former Steelers head coach had bought a house just outside of Cleveland. I have researched this and cannot find one iota of proof that Bill Cowher ever purchased a house in the Cleveland area in 2008 or since then. At the time, Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage were still employed by the Browns and while it was evident that both would be fired at the end of the season, Randy Lerner had not contacted anybody on the prospects of replacing either of those two men. It was nothing more than a rumor started by someone hoping that it would get back to Cowher that the Cleveland fans wanted him to coach their team. If he bought the house in 2008, then why did he turn down the job when he was asked if he was interested in it by Randy Lerner? Some fans are saying that he didn't want to deal with that mess....but why would he want to take the job five years later and clean up a different mess and change the defense back to a 3-4? If he didn't want it then, he more than likely doesn't want it now.
2. Cowher is good friends with the soon-to-be Browns owner Jimmy Haslam III. This is using the "six degrees of seperation" theory at best, in my opinion. Bill Cowher is the former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jimmy Haslam III is about to be, if he isn't already, a former minority owner of the Pittsurgh Steelers. Makes perfect sense, right? Not quite. Bill Cowher resigned as the Steelers head coach following the 2006 season. Jimmy Haslam III became a minority owner of the Steelers in 2008. At minimum, that's one year between their time with the Steelers. Once Cowher stepped down, he moved to North Carolina to spend time with his wife and children. As far as I know, he didn't spend much time afterwards in Pittsburgh, especially at Steelers headquarters where he would likely be stepping on toes with Mike Tomlin entrenched as the new Steelers head coach. Do they know each other? It's possible, but not all that likely. 
3. Cowher played and coached in Cleveland. Yes, Cowher was signed as afree agent by the Browns  (he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles) and then later coached there under Marty Schottenheimer. He followed Schottenheimer to Kansas City before being hired as Chuck Noll's replacement in Pittsburgh. He was a finalist for the Browns job in 1991 where Bill Bellichick was hired instead. Just because he at one point played and coached in Cleveland doesn't automatically mean that he wants to become the head coach in Cleveland. It's a part of his history, but that doesn't mean it's a part of his future. 

Here are the common sense reasons that he won't be coaching the Cleveland Browns anytime soon:

1. He has no desire to get back into coaching. Bill Cowher has stated that he currently has no desire to return to the sidelines, and I don't blame him if that's true. NFL head coaches put in extreme hours, during the season they often sleep in their office and see their families very little. It's a grind, and I believe that after winning the Super Bowl following the 2005 season he lost that fire and the grind of being a head coach since 1992 and an assistant coach since 1985. He played from 1979 until 1984. That's a lot of time spending your life focused on football. Right now he works basically one day a week, being payed handsomely for it. He gets to spend time with his family. He gets to live life. If he lost the fire to coach, I doubt he's ever going to get it back.
2. If he wants to coach again, he wants it to be the right situation. If he does come back, he doesn't want to work to rebuild a team. I think he'd rather step into a pretty nice situation. I can see him going to San Diego if Norv Turner gets canned. They already run his preferred 3-4 defense, have a talented young QB in Phillip Rivers, and have a good running back in Ryan Matthews. Cleveland is currently the only team without a win in the NFL. While they have an excellent running back in Trent Richardson, there are questions everywhere else. Brandon Weeden could be a good NFL QB or another Browns first round bust. The offensive line has weaknesses. The defense just gave up 200 yards rushing last Sunday. Cowher would have to change the defense back to a 3-4 if that's the defense that he's married to (and I think he is). Another team I can see him taking over is the New York Giants if Tom Coughlin decides to retire. That's the right situation, not Cleveland.
3. He has too much respect for the Rooney Family and the Pittsburgh Steelers to coach within the AFC North. Cowher grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, PA as a Steelers fan. Yeah, he played for Cleveland and was an assistant coach there. As a player, you go where you're wanted. If you want to get into coaching, you go where you're offered a job. If the Browns offered me a job as a coach or scout tomorrow, I would take it. It was former Browns and Ravens owner that chose not to higher Cowher back in 1991. It was Dan Rooney that chose to hire Cowher as the head coach in 1992. It was Dan Rooney that stuck by Cowher through some losing seasons and questionable personnel decisions. Cowher then rewarded himself and Dan Rooney for that faith by winning his first and the team's fifth Super Bowl Championship after the 2005 season. I don't think he would want to ruin his Steelers legacy by coaching another team in the AFC North, facing Pittsburgh twice a season and possibly keeping the Steelers out of the playoffs by doing so. He wouldn't do that to the organization  the Rooney family, or Steeler Nation. He will always be a Steeler in his heart, as long as he doesn't coach the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, or Baltimore Ravens.
4. He has already accomplished a Hall of Fame coaching career. From 1992 through the 2006 seasons, Bill Cowher built up a head coaching resume very worthy of the National Football League Hall of Fame. He won one Super Bowl (XL), two AFC Championships (six AFC Championship Game appearances), Eight AFC Central/North Division Championships, Ten Playoff Appearances, 1992 AP NFL Coach of the Year, Two Time Sporting News Coach of the Year (1992, 2004), 149-90-1 regular season record (.623 winning percentage), 12-9 Playoff Record, 161-99-1 overall record. Would he still end up in the Hall of Fame if he took the reigns in Cleveland and failed? I think so. But why take the chance when right now you'll be wearing that yellow jacked in the very near future? Not to mention if he does coach again, he would have to wait another five years after retirement to become eligible for the Hall of Fame.

The Browns fans want Bill Cowher. They want a head coach with a winning resume who they believe can bring a Super Bowl Championship to Cleveland. I don't blame them, no Cleveland team has won a World Championship since 1964. 

They are sick of head coaches who have failed elsewhere or guys that have never been a head coach before. They also want stability, something this team has not had since before the Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens. 

However, I don't see Bill Cowher taking the Browns job, or any job for that matter. He's got plenty of money, he doesn't need to coach for the money. I think he's happy doing television work and has no desire to coach again. When he says this, I believe him. Will he talk to NFL owners when they call? Of course he will, he doesn't want to create enemies in case he does one day decide he wants to coach again. But if he hasn't gotten that fire back, if his batteries haven't recharged yet, then I doubt they ever will. 

Where Is The Defense?

Normally after a game I would do a The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. However this week, I am not doing one. Instead, I am wondering just one thing....where is the defense?

This is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Defense is what this team has been built on since way back in 1933. Even when the team was one of the absolute worst in the league, you didn't want to face Pittsburgh because you came out of the game bloody and bruised, worse for wear.

The Steelers defense has been made the poster child for "illegal hits" by Roger Goodell. How did they respond? They didn't change a damn thing. They would still hit you with all they had and then some. They would force turnovers. They would sack quarterbacks.

I remember back when running backs never ran for 100 or more yards on the Steelers defense. Yesterday we let our first 100 yard rusher in Darren McFadden. Last year we let a lot more backs run for triple digits on us than I would have liked.

I know yesterday we were without Troy Polamalu and James Harrison. But if this defense collapses due to missing one or two players, that says a lot about how substandard the rest of the defense is. I mean...we are relying on a 34 year old linebacker who's having chronic knee and back issues...and a 31 year old safety who has suffered multiple knee and ankle injuries the past few years.

These two players aren't going to be playing for much longer. Both are former Defensive Player of the Year winners, both have been big time contributors on Super Bowl Championship teams. Polamalu is a future Hall of Famer. James Harrison is one of the better players in Steelers history.

If this is how our defense looks without them for a short amount of time, I am afraid to see what our defense will look like once these two retire. I know there is never going to be another Troy Polamalu, but we need a better backup. We have yet to find someone that can spell Harrison much less replace him.

I blame our loss to the Raiders on two things: Antonio Brown's fumble and bad defensive play. If our defense holds the Raiders to one field goal instead of a touchdown...they walk away with a win.

If this is how the defense is going to play for the majority of this season, it will be a long season. The Steelers better make some adjustments, because nobody is exactly sure when Harrison or Polamalu will be coming back, or just how effective either will be when they do return to the field.

Steelers @ Broncos - The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Well, the Pittsburgh Steelers opened their season last night in Denver against Peyton Manning and the Broncos with a loss. I absolutely hate playing in Denver, because that means the team has to hold FS Ryan Clark out of the game because he has sickle cell trait. The last time he played a game in Denver, he had to have his spleen and gall bladder removed, therefore he doesn't play there as a precaution.

Also missing from the game was Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison due to a knee injury.

So here we go with it...The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

The Good

1. The offense wasn't horrible. This was a fear that many fans had going into this game, that the offense would be completely inept. The Steelers changed offensive coordinators during the offseason with Bruce Arians either retiring or being fired (whichever you believe) and Todd Haley being brought in to make the offense more efficient. Well, the efficiency wasn't where they would want it to be, but I saw an offense that once they get in sync should be nearly unstoppable.
2. The no huddle is going to be used in Pittsburgh. With Arians, there was a lot of talk of using the no huddle offense more often, but normally it was just used when the Steelers were trailing or when it was the end of the half. The offense seems to be better in the no huddle, so I like the fact that it's being used in situations that do not absolutely call for it. 
3. I am optimistic about the Steelers receivers after this week. It looks like Heath Miller is finally going to be used as a red zone weapon instead of an extra blocker. It's going to take Mike Wallace a week or so to get into "game shape," but he caught a touchdown last night and I think once he gets into sync with Big Ben, he'll have a typical Wallace season. Antonio Brown is going to have a really big season and might possibly become Ben's favorite target. He's going to be making big plays all season long. 

The Bad

1. The offensive line suffered another injury last night when RT Marcus Gilbert went down with a knee injury. It has not been announced what the injury is or might be, and according to ESPN  he is currently listed as questionable. In the preseason we lost our first round pick, OG David Decastro, to a devastating knee injury. Last season and the season before we lost Pro Bowl Center Maurkice Pouncey to ankle injuries. If the Steelers are going to go anywhere this season, the line has to stay relatively healthy. Luckily, second round pick Mike Adams stepped in for Gilbert and played well. 
2. Ben Roethlisberger made a bad decision on the pick-six that he threw towards the end of the game that sealed it for the Broncos. This has been a problem for Big Ben his entire career, sometimes he just gets a brain fart and makes a dumb throw. Hopefully there are less of them this season because Todd Haley will be holding Ben responsible for his mistakes, something people feel Bruce Arians did not do.

The Ugly

1. The defense just simply looked bad last night. They had trouble stopping the run, and they damn sure couldn't stop Peyton Manning once he knocked the rust off. I know the defense was without Ryan Clark and James Harrison, but I still expected a better showing from our defense. I mean, Demaryius Thomas scored a long touchdown on a screen pass! Manning ended up just toying with us, he even ran for a first down. 
2. The offensive line as a whole couldn't open holes for our running backs and gave up five sacks last night. This has been a problem for years that we hoped would be fixed with the drafting of David Decastro who is out for the season, and Mike Adams who lost the starting left tackle job and might be playing right tackle if Marcus Gilbert's injury causes him to miss some time. If any other quarterback played behind this line, he would be on IR or retired before being killed during a football game. It looks like this season the offensive line will be as ugly as it's ever been...and will find itself in this section of my blog on a weekly basis.

Next week, the Steelers open their home schedule at Heinz Field against the New York Jets. Let's hope that they end next week at an even 1-1.

The Mike Wallace Holdout - Who's Hurt More?

Today the Steelers begin their preseason football schedule against the Philadelphia Eagles, and Pro Bowl Wide Receiver Mike Wallace is still not in camp. He has yet to sign his Restricted Free Agent tender, and the Steelers do not do contract negotiations with players who do not report to camp.

Mike Wallace is one of the better receivers in the NFL, and he is a really big part of the Steelers offense. The team also recently signed Antonio Brown, the Steelers other Pro Bowler at the position, to a contract extension. I would think that this bothered Wallace, seeing his teammate being taken care of and himself still not receiving a new contract.

Mike Wallace doesn't have a whole lot of leverage here. He has no other team that he can possibly play for, nobody showed any interest in him during free agency. The only way that he can play for another team is if the Steelers were to trade him, and they are not going to be doing that. All he can do is hold out for the first ten weeks of the season and then come in and be on the roster for six weeks to gain an accrued season and reach unrestricted free agency after this season. However, even if he does that, the Steelers can still hit him with the Franchise Tag and keep his rights for at least one more season if they choose to.

So the question must be asked, who is being hurt more by this holdout, Mike Wallace or the Pittsburgh Steelers?

The Steelers still have what should be an upgraded offensive line...Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback...Antonio Brown, Emmannuel Sanders, and Jerricho Cotchery at wide receiver...Heath Miller at tight end...and Issac Redman at running back.

Is Wallace one hell of a deep threat, able to blow the top off of almost any defense? Yeah. But Brown and Sanders are both pretty fast, and Cotchery can be that underneath guy like Hines Ward once was. Miller should be able to go out to receive passes more than last season if the offensive line is impoved too.

The team is learning a new offense with Todd Haley coming in as the offensive coordinator. Brown, Sanders, and Cotchery are learning the intracacies of the offense while all Wallace can do is study the playbook. He cannot ask questions, be shown coaches film of the plays from other teams Haley has coached, or get the timing down with Roethlisberger due to practicing with the team.

The Steelers offense will work without Mike Wallace, that's a fact. The chains will move, touchdowns will be scored.

However, Mike Wallace needs the Steelers. He needs to showcase his skills so his market price will be as high as possible when free agency arrives at the end of this season. It's not a good idea for him to hold out for the majority of a season because he is unhappy with his restricted free agent tender. The Steelers could have cut that offer to just over $500k this season, but they chose not to. That's them showing faith that they believed he would sign the tender and come to camp.

So I end this blog post with a message to Mike Wallace, though I doubt he will ever see it:

Mike Wallace, you know how the Steelers do business. You know that they take care of their own as long as their own players aren't being unreasonable. You know they won't negotiate with a player who is not practicing. Sign your tender, get into camp. The Steelers will then reopen negotiations and maybe you'll get the long term deal you desire. If you don't, you showcase your skills for an entire season to get that deal as a free agent be it with Pittsburgh or without. But in the end, and you know it, you need the Pittsburgh Steelers more than they need you.

Looking at Steelers Training Camp

Today, the Pittsburgh Steelers started their 2012 Training Camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.

In the past week, the Steelers resigned left tackle Max Starks (which I will touch more on later in this article) and first round draft pick David DeCastro.

And there was also one big omission today, Mike Wallace failed to report, and until he reports to camp the Steelers will not negotiate on the long-term deal that he covets.

This week, Mike Tomlin signed a three year extension to remain the Head Coach in the Steel City.

Things are looking good going into training camp for the Steelers, so lets look at some of the battles that are going to be happening in camp this year.

Mike Adams vs Max Starks, Left Tackle: Mike Adams, the rookie second round draft pick, is currently penciled in as the starter at left tackle. However, in a slightly surprising move this past week, the team resigned Max Starks who started at that position last season but was injured in the playoff loss to the Denver Broncos.

So why did the Steelers resign Starks? Well it could be for one or more reasons -- a backup who can play both tackle positions so if there is an injury to either starting tackle the entire line doesn't have to be reshuffled, they aren't sure if Adams can start at left tackle this season so if they don't like what they see in camp Starks can step in, or they have already changed their mind on Adams starting and will place Starks in that spot quickly in camp.

Whatever the reason is, Mike Adams now has some competition at left tackle in camp. Mike Tomlin will put his best five linemen out there, be it Starks or Adams.

Keenan Lewis vs Cortez Allen vs Curtis Brown, Cornerback: William Gay, last season's starter across from Ike Taylor, left in free agency for Pittsburgh Wes......err, the Arizona Cardinals. The Steelers didn't trade for a starter or pick anyone up in free agency, therefore they must believe that one of these three can start at that position.

I think that it's going to be Keenan Lewis that come out of this as the starter, and hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. That will leave Allen and Brown competing for the nickel corner spot.

However, while I feel Lewis will be starting this season, I wouldn't be surprised to see one of the other two possibly snagging the spot in preseason games if they do look better.

Jonathon Dwyer vs Barron Batch vs John Clay, Backup RB: It's basically known that Issac Redman is going to be the starter at the beginning of this season while Rashard Mendenhall recovers from a torn ACL. Depending on how Redman plays, Mendenhall may not get the starting job back.

So in camp, it's the battle to back up Redman. All three of these backs bring something different to the table. I think in the end, it will be Dwyer who is the backup to Redman, at least until Mendenhall returns from his injury.

Larry Foote vs Stevenson Sylvester vs Sean Spence, ILB: During the offseason, the Steelers released veteran inside linebacker James Farrior who had started in Pittsburgh since the 2002 season. Last year, it looked like he had lost a step. He just wasn't the same. So the Steelers released him because of that and to get under this season's salary cap.

His replacement will either be Larry Foote, who won a Super Bowl starting next to Farrior in 2005, or Stevenson Sylvester.

Foote has the experience, but he is considered a liability in pass coverage. He is also 32 years old, an age when many feel players outside of kickers, punters, and quarterbacks begin to decline on the field.

Sylvester is young and could turn out to be a good linebacker. He's shown a lot playing special teams and playing in limited rotation on defense.

Then you have the rookie, Sean Spence, who there have been reports during mini camps that he was wowing the coaches. He, in my opinion, was drafted as the eventual starter in the middle of the Steelers 3-4 defense next to Lawrence Timmons.

I think that Foote will be the starter at the beginning of the season, but that either youngster can end up unseating him if he doesn't play as well as the coaches are expecting him to this season.

Emmanuel Sanders vs Jerricho Cotchery, Wide Receiver: Yes, Mike Wallace did not report to training camp because he doesn't want to play under his restricted free agent tender. However, he's going to eventually show up and he will be starting. Across from him will be Antonio Brown.

So what's with this Sanders vs Cotchery thing you may be asking yourself? Well, the third receiver is very important in today's pass happy NFL. And while I expect new offensive coordinator to help fix the problems with the running game that the Steelers had last season, the nickel will still be used quite a bit.

Sanders has speed and a ton of talent. People were saying he'd be the starter across from Wallace. However, injuries have derailed him and he hasn't played an entire 16 game season yet in his career. If he can stay healthy, the sky is really the limit for this kid.

Cotchery is a veteran of eight seasons and has had only one 1000 yard season in his career. However, he reminds me a lot of Hines Ward where he isn't afraid to go across the middle and make the tough catches. He's going to do what's asked of him. Of his 16 receptions last season, 13 of them went for first downs. He's reliable when you need to move the chains.

In the end, I think Sanders wins the third receiver job as long as he stays healthy. He's got the talent, and the kid is fast. Trying to cover Wallace, Brown, and Sanders? Yeah, I don't think many teams have three corners that can do that.

It is now time to focus on climbing that stairway to our seventh Lombardi Trophy. Preparation for the 2012 NFL Season has now commenced. All I have to say now, is one phrase:

HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO!