Steelers Salary Cap Scheme Goes Up in Smoke

"The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry."

Don’t look now Steelers Nation, the wounds from the touturing suffered at the hands of the Titans are still smarting, but the Pittsburgh Steelers may have already dimmed their prospects for 2014.

That’s right, the impact of the injures the Steelers suffered vs. the Titans may reach into 2014 and beyond. And this has nothing to do with Larry Foote, Maurkice Pouncey and LaRod Stephens Howling’s prospects for recovery.

Each of those moves robbed the team of depth on a Steelers 2013 roster that was thin to begin with. But those injuries, along with Shaun Suisham’s pulled hamstring, forced Kevin Colbert to scramble for replace them with Jonathan Dwyer, Shayne Graham, and Fernando Velasco.

The Steelers routinely leave themselves some salary cap space to do some in-season roster shuffling, but when you need to sign three veterans it isn’t quite so simple, as Ed Bouchette’s tweet shows:

#Steelers convetr little over $3 M from Heath Miller's 2013 salary into bonus, which counts half this year, half next. Salary now $1,974,500
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) September 11, 2013

Normally restructuring a contract here and there isn’t a problem. But contract restructuring has become standard operating procedure on the South Side.

• What the Steelers once mocked, they now embrace.

The problem with salary cap contract restructures is that they’re like using one credit card to payoff another – you only delay the inevitable. Kevin Colbert has said as much himself, and the Steelers, while restructuring deals this off season, had begun to step back from that process.

In addition, they made no moves to extend the contracts of any of their impending free agents. Ziggy Hood, Emmanuel Sanders are due for their second contract, and both probably could have been signed for less this past summer. Ryan Clark and Brett Keisel likewise are in their contract years.

• But the Steelers offered no contract extensions this summer at St. Vincients

Part of this is prudence – simply waiting to see where these players are in terms of health and production at the end of the year instead of guessing.

• But another part of it is salary cap driven. 

NFL rules allow a team to credit unused salary cap space from one season to another. The Steelers were rumored to go into 2013 with between two and three million in cap space. While they made no public statements to confirm this, part of the Steelers plans was to save this space with an eye towards 2014.

• This cap consciousness is one potential explanation for the front office coaching split over Jonathan Dwyer

Now of course they’ve had to go and restructure Heath Miller’s contract, losing some if not all of that potential cap credit for 2014.

Alas, the Steelers can’t seem to catch a break.

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Steelers 2013 Roster Analysis, Offense: Wide Receivers

Steel Curtain Rising's analysis of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 offensive roster continues with wide receivers.

Starters:  Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders
Back Ups:  Jerricho Cotchery, Markus Wheaton, Derek Moye

Strengths:  Richard Mann. He wont' play a down, but this is a group the suffered from the 2012 locker room leadership void. Mann exudes a "Been There Done That" air and will command the respect of these younger players.

Weaknesses:  Sanders injury issues are well known and Antonio Brown, after being Mr. reliable in 2010 and 2011, was very inconsistent in 2012. Markus Wheaton looked good in preseason, but he still has a lot to learn.

The Skinny: While they all lack the home run threat speed of Mike Wallace, Brown, Sanders and Cotchery are probably all more complete receivers. Jerricho Cotchery has been a steadying hand since his arrival in 2011 and figures to continue in that role. Wheaton doesn’t quite have “beep beep” speed, but should help stretch the field. Still, with Heath Miller's absence, this group is going to need to stay healthy and mature pretty quickly to pick up the slack.

Click here and scroll around to read analysis of other position areas on the Steelers 2013 Roster.

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Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 Preview: 4 Challenges Mike Tomlin Must Overcome

The Steelers 2013 home opener is just days away and coming off of an 8-8 season there has never been as great a split either inside or outside Steelers Nation as to what the Pittsburgh Steelers true prospects for a coming season are.

• There are good reasons for this. The predicted salary cap Armageddon instead became the salary cap equivalent of the Loaves and the Fishes.

The Steelers scouting has been under assault. And for good reason, as the 2008 draft class is now a total bust. Yet, as Ivan Cole of Behind the Steel Curtain has pointed out, the Steelers saw teams take restricted free agent runs at not one, but two players in the form of Emmanuel Sanders and Steve McLendon.

Yes, these 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers are a hard nut to crack, with professionals and bloggers alike sparing over the meaning of an 0-4 preseason start. No one really knows what to expect.

Rightly or wrongly, the man who will be held most responsible for the Steelers success or failure in 2013 is Mike Tomlin. And to that end Tomlin has four very specific challenges he must meet. (Click on the link below for a specific challenge for scroll down to read them all):

Tomlin’s First Challenge: Develop Talent
Tomlin’s Second Challenge: Fill the Leadership Void
Tomlin’s Third Challenge: Take on the Trap Games
Tomlin’s Fourth Challenge: Keep Things on an Even Keel


Tomlin’s Challenge: Develop Talent

Kevin Colbert pooh pawed the departure of the likes of Wallace, Rashard Mendenhall and Keenan Lewis as "losing players from an 8-8 team." He promised change. He wasn't kidding.

Colbert didn't simply sit back and let other teams overpay for newly minted Steelers free agents ala Tom Donahoe, he let go overpriced and aging superstars like James Harrison, snake bitten studs like Willie Colon, and dependable standbys like Max Starks depart. He also cleared the ranks of the supporting cast, but allowing Doug Legursky, Will Allen and Ryan Mundy to walk.

• In their place he's assembled a smart 2013 draft class, mixed with some first year players, 2012 draftees, and undrafted rookie free agents.

Mike Tomlin has long defended "The Standard is the Standard" by explaining that merely qualifying for an NFL roster automatically puts a player in the top one have of the top 1% of people that play football.

• Kevin Colbert has given Tomlin cart blanche to prove it this year.

One of Art Rooney II's implicit criticisms of Mike Tomlin after the 2009 seasons was that the team needed to develop talent faster. The delayed development of Lawrence Timmons comes to mind as one example.

To that end, Mike Tomlin has done a better job since then (see Antonio Brown in 2010 and 2011 as one example).

• 2013 will provide a far bigger test.  

Tomlin needs to find a way for these youngsters to grow up fast.

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Tomlin’s Challenge: Fill the Locker Room Leadership Void

At some point after the Steelers 1998 disastrous trip to Detroit that included Phil Luckett's infamous "heads is actually tails" incident, a fan wrote into the Steelers Digest and offered something long the lines of "Cowher needs to realize that this team lacks the playoff veterans of years past, and needs to take the team by the collective collar."

• The fan dead right of course, because so many players quit down the stretch in 1998.

Bill Cowher unfortunately did not get the lesson, and the late season meltdown in 1999 year was more spectacular. Lee Flowers even called out teammates for quitting.

Now fast forward to 2012. In the blink of an eye during the 2012 off season, the Steelers lost Hines Ward, Aaron Smith, and James Farrior, three acknowledged leaders both on and off the field.

As 2012 wore on and inconsistency became habit forming, it became clear that the leadership void was real.

• To his credit, Mike Tomlin seems to have readily realized that and acted accordingly.

Gone is Scotty Montgomery, a young coach feeling his way in the NFL. In his place is Richard Mann, someone who has been around enough to have coached for the Baltimore Colts, old Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Ravens.

Tomlin hasn't stopped there, asking Ben Roethlisberger to take on a more active leadership role. He held the first training camp with live tackling since Chuck Noll began his "Life's work," and he and Colbert have been unsentimental in wielding the axe to the roster.

• On paper all of these are the right moves.

But ultimately it is performance on the field that will determine whether or not these moves bear fruit.

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Tomlin’s Challenge: Take on the Trap Games

Its become cliché in Steelers Nation to say that Mike Tomlin teams have an issue with trap games. But unlike Warren Sapp’s dictum of "Old, Slow and Done" the trap game charge stands up to scrutiny.

In 2007, Tomlin's rookie year, the Steelers dropped games to the Jets and Cardinals. In 2009, the dropped games to the Bears, Browns, and Chiefs. In 2012 the Steelers gave away "Gimmies" to the no-account Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans, and San Diego Chargers.

One criticism of Tomlin made in mid-2007 was that the Steelers played down to their competition under their new coach.

Since than that observation has been proven to be true... at times.

• At other times this has not been an issue.

Note that during the Steelers 2008 Super Bowl season, the Steelers dropped regular season games to the Giants, Colts, Eagles, and Titans -- all playoff teams. Yet that team made it into the playoffs with a first round bye because they won the games they were "supposed" to win, in addition to defeating the Ravens.

In 2010, the story was similar, with the Steelers losing games to the New Orleans Saints and getting spanked mightily by the New England Patriots. Yet that season they also beat the teams they "should have" beaten.

• The 2011 Steelers were a far inferior version of their '08 and '10 predecessors, yet the '11 Steelers avoided the trap game.

The ability of a team to take all opponents seriously is directly related to a head coach's ability to mentally prepare his players. At times Tomlin has been adept at doing this; at others his ability has failed him.

Tomlin cannot allow that ability to fail him in 2013.

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Tomlin’s Challenge: Keep Things on an Even Keel

Chose your cliché. "Start fast, finish strong." "Go the distance." Whatever.

Tomlin's less successful teams have had another nasty habit -- peaking near mid season.

• In 2007 the triumph of the 75th Anniversary game was followed by a 4-4 finish and first round playoff loss to Jacksonville
• In 2009 the Steelers dominated a Denver team that went into the game at 6-1 and finally looked like a defending champion - then followed with a 5 game losing streak
• In 2011 the Steelers enacted some vengeance by defeating Tom Brady and New England, only to follow it up with a home loss to Baltimore

In 2012 the Steelers won three straight games, getting stronger with each, then limped to victory over the Chiefs before dropping games to Baltimore and Cleveland. Then Charlie Batch rallied the team for a stunning road upset over the Ravens in Baltimore. The 2012 Steelers, it seemed, had arrived...

• ...Except that they went and lost 3 of their next 4.

To be 100% fair to Tomlin, injuries played a large part in several of these late season drop offs. However, to quote Tomlin himself "Injuries are no excuse."

And he's right. Injuries certainly didn't cause force the fumbles, kickoffs returned for touchdowns, coverage lapses, and interceptions that marked some of the '07, '09, '11 and '12 signature losses.

• Like the trap games, this is a demon that Tomlin vanquished in 2008 and 2010. In 2009 he also pulled the team out of an 0-5 nose dive.

In 2013 it will be essential for Mike Tomlin to keep his players mindset focused on the long term.

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Preparing for the “Unknown Unknowns”

Every NFL season brings a certain X-Factor, a certain amount of unpredictability. Think ever reliable Jeff Reed sudden descent into mediocrity in 2010.

Steelers Nation already knows that a younger roster with desperately thin depth, particularly on the offensive line, will test the Steelers.

• But 2013 will present the Pittsburgh Steelers with additional trials that no one can anticipate today.

But if Mike Tomlin can master the four challenges discussed here, he'll have given the Steelers a shot at also overcoming the unexpected.

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Video Highlights of Steelers 26-20 Preseason Loss to the Chiefs

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost 26-20 in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs, assuring them the first losing preseason record of the Mike Tomlin era, for whatever that little factoid is worse.

Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, (and no fan of watching things on the computer) Steel Curtain Rising could not see the game, but as always we’re happy to bring you highlights. Watch them while you can, because Roger Goodell’s YouTube police seem to be more aggressive than ever.



The results in preseason are of course meaningless. Its performance that counts. In that light Steelers Nation is faced with a half full, half empty situation.

On the plus side…

• Ben Roethlisberger looked sharp going 13-19-166, hitting Antonio Brown for 49 yards, Emmanuel Sanders for 24 yardsand Jonathan Dwyer for a 15 yard touchdown
• Markus Wheaton also looked strong with 3 catches for 54 yards including a 34 yard catch
• Felix Jones staked a claim to a roster spot, leading the team in rushing
• Cortez Allen roared back to life, leading the team in tackles
• Alan Baxter staked his claim to a roster spot registering 2 sacks
• Cameron Heyward and Ziggy Hood both registered sacks

On the negative side…

• Special teams were atrocious, giving up a 109 return for a touchdown and seeing a blocked field goal
• Despite playing Kelvin Beachum as a roaming tight end, Ben Rothlisberger was sacked twice and under pressure
• The Steelers were penalized 9 times for 98 yards, many of which ensured that the Cheifs stayed in the game
• The starting defense allowed Alex Smith to look sharp and tie up the score at half time
• Neither Jonathan Dwyer nor Baron Batch could make headway rushing the ball (no wonder why Batch was cut)

The other big news of the night was the injury to first round pick Jarvis Jones, but it has been reported that the tests he underwent were negative.

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Watch Tower: Right or Wrong, ESPN's Chadiha Simply Fails to Understand the Steelers

ESPN’s Jeffri Chadiha recently weighed in on the Pittsburgh Steelers prospects for 2013, and Steelers Nation will not like his conclusions. In a nut shell Chadiha says that the Steelers are destined for a downswing on the level that epic franchises such as the Redskins, Cowboys, and 49ers experienced.

Chadiha projects the Steelers as a third in the AFC North with 8-8 likely their best possible outcome. Chadiha’s overall argument has some merit. He could in fact be right. But the Watch Tower is more interested in deconstructing how Chadiha builds his argument.

ESPN’s Chadiha on What Ails the Steelers - Offense

The base of Chadiha’s argument for the demise of the Steelers can be summed up in two sentences:

The offense has quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and a ton of questions. The defense is old and missing key performers from a unit that led the league in total yards allowed in 2012.

Right off the bat, the Watch Tower finds bones to pick with Chadiha’s methodology. Taken at face value, his breakdown of the offense appears to be correct, on defense, not so much.

• So just what are those questions the Steelers face on offense in Chadiha’s eyes?

The first two specifics that Chadiha’s cites are these:

It has been years since Roethlisberger has taken snaps behind an offensive line that could be described as sturdy and it's anybody's guess as to how well he'll coexist with offensive coordinator Todd Haley this season.

On the issue of the offensive line, Chadiha is right. The last time Ben Roethlisberger had a quality offensive line in front of him was 2007…

…And while Steel Curtain Rising has been beating the drum, the fact is that the Steelers have done quite well instead of offensive line deficiencies, particularly in Super Bowl XLIII.

• This is the first instance of Chadiha being (potentially) right, but through no fault of his own.

Offensive line remains an issue. The issue however is more one of health and depth rather than quality. Chadiha fails make that argument, and ignores the fact that the Steelers have invested heavily in building a high quality offensive line in the form of Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Ramon Foster, Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams.

Chadiha is on firmer ground when it comes to the Ben Rothlisberger-Todd Haley relationship but only slightly. As the Watch Tower pointed out, the press saw lots of smoke there in 2012, only to have Ben and Haley say all the right things, which worked fine until Bob Labriola of the Steelers Digest outed them after the season.

• But Chadiha ignores what have to be at least a dozen stories detailing how Haley worked constructively with his coaches and players to open up the offense.

It would seem that any argument for the Steelers demise that’s based on the Roethlisberger-Haley relationship would have to take those developments into account. Chadiha doesn’t.

Chadiha also talks about the Steelers dismal 2012 running game and the loss of Mike Wallace and now Plaxico Burress.

• Again, these are potential issues, but he also ignores potential remedies. 

As Steel Curtain Rising has argued, the performance of the Steelers running game in 2012 was directly proportional to the health of the offensive line. In this respect Chadiha’s in good company – everyone else is also missing this.

Mike Wallace will be missed, but Chadiha ignores the fact that Wallace’s attitude has been at issue, and that he’s largely developed into a home run or bust type player.

Furthermore, there are other arguments Chadiha could use in his favor but fails to do so. The Steelers will open the season with David Paulson as their number 1 tight end. Emmanuel Sanders has a lot of potential, but his health has been suspect.

As for losing Plaxico Burress, Burress could have contributed, but he was projected to be a 4th or 5th receiver at best, and was no lock to make the team.

Deconstructing ESPN’s Chadiha on What Ails the Steelers – Defense

The bulk of Chadiha’s argument on the defensive side lies in the perceived age of the defense. Its as if Warren Saap’s “Old, slow and done” pronouncement has been recited enough to somehow take on an air of truth – facts be dammed.

In this respect, Chadiha focuses on the age of the Steelers secondary and ignores tendencies elsewhere. As Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review pointed out in may, the average age of the Steelers starting defense is projected to be at 29.3 years, almost two years younger than its 2011 predecessor.

• And such analysis doesn’t factor in likely increased playing time from younger players such as Cameron Heyward, Jarvis Jones, Shamarko Thomas, Al Woods and possible Marshall McFadden.

Perhaps the biggest potential liability facing the Steelers defense is how they’re going to compensate for the absence of James Harrison’s run stopping ability is one that Chadiha leaves untouched.

Deconstructing Jeffri Chadiha ESPN -- National Media's Failure to Understand the Steelers

All of these flaw’s in Chadiha’s methodology lead to one larger, and more fatal, flaw in his overall approach. Chadiha just doesn’t get how the Steelers operate. After detailing the franchise’s legendary stability and success he goes on to observe:

That level of success is the major reason it's so hard to envision their impending demise now. They've always beaten the odds. They've rarely stayed down for long. Just when it seems they've lost one too many key performers, another unheralded contributor steps up his game. This team seemingly can do no wrong at finding players to fit most pressing needs.

The Steelers have been so good in this department that they've never had to go on a spending spree in free agency. The coaches simply waited for their draft picks to grow up, step in and live up to expectations. But that formula will not be as reliable this coming fall. There are too many holes for the Steelers to fill. It's hard to believe they can be that fortunate at every position requiring an upgrade.

This team actually needs to get back to its roots before it ever can become championship-caliber again… [Emphasis added.]

There are a couple of issues here.

Have the Steelers always beaten the odds? Well, they’ve been better than many, but what about 1980’s? Sure, they never quite hit bottom the way say the ’88-’89 Cowboys did, but the period doesn’t exactly serve as an example of Steelers excellence (Steel Curtain Rising’s beloved 1989 Steelers not with standing.)

Indeed, one of the issues weighing down the Steelers in ‘80’s was their unwillingness to part ways with aging veterans and an inability to keep drafting and scouting aligned.

• Note, these Steelers have taken pains to avoid that.

Indeed, it wasn’t until Dan Rooney fired his brother Art Rooney Jr. that the Steelers drafting improved. (If you think that is a stretch, the firing occurred in late ’86 – Chuck Noll drafted Rod Woodson in 1987 and Dermontti Dawson in 1988 in addition to players like Hardy Nickerson, Merril Hoge, and Greg Lloyd.)

The other issue is Chadiha’s interpretation of the Steelers attitude towards free agency. He claims “[the Steelers] never had to go on a spending spree in free agency.”

Really? The Steelers had multiple times when they could have opted for wholesale rebuilding via free agency in the mid and late ‘90’s, the ‘00’s, and even in this decade.

• They never have gone on a free agency spending binge because it goes against the philosophy of the franchise.

The fact that Chadiha simply misses or doesn’t get this really cuts into his credibility as a commentator on the team.

One final criticism of Chadiha. He ends his piece saying that the Steelers need to get back to their roots, implying that it is not something in the offing, when a large part of the Steelers offensive plan going into 2013 is to take advantage of the tendency to build defenses to protect against the pass by running on them.

• Now the Steelers aren’t exactly announcing this strategic shift on their home page, but if a blogger in Buenos Aires with no direct access to sources can learn this, so should a reporter from a network with a billion dollar contract to cover the NFL.

In the final analysis, Chadiha’s predictions for gloom and doom in Pittsburgh in 2013 could turn out to be right. The Steelers have little to zero margin for injury on the offensive line and perhaps the secondary. A number of other things must work exactly as planned.

But Chadiha’s methodology and understanding of the franchise is so flawed that if he is right, the Watch Tower will say he is right be accident, and will award no bragging rights.

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Watch Tower: Are the Renegade Steelers the NFL's Next "Lean, Mean, Fighting Machine?"

The Pittsburgh Steelers opened training camp as a team looking to fulfill a host of needs and the press has done its best to keep Steelers Nation up to speed covering a wide range of topics, giving the Watch Tower ample subjects on which to shine its light.

Renegade! BTSC On-Line Pre Season Magazine Subdues Traditional Press

Sports publications ramping up coverage at the start of NFL training camp goes back decades – who can forget the early 80’s Sports Illustrated commercials that ran in early July talking about “a time when hands are taped and protected…”

The mainstream Pittsburgh media has been no exception, but this year they were outfoxed by Behind the Steel Curtain and its “Renegade” on line magazine, featuring 26 articles in 26 hours (which didn’t quite reach that goal to a technical snafu.)

In case you're missing it: #Steelers preview posts every hour today to celebrate training camp, and they're all here: http://t.co/JpMC0PagAD
— BTSC Steelers (@btsteelcurtain) July 26, 2013

What’s more amazing is that the 26 articles were written almost entirely by site editor Neal Coolong, despite the fact that he’s got one top Steelers blogging staffs at his disposal (full disclosure, I also write for BTSC.)

When asked about why he undertook such an ambitious project, Coolong explained, “…I go big or I don’t go at all.” Beyond that, Coolong expressed a desire to produce coverage that offers readers something different than other sites provide.

For example, he intentionally chose video highlights on the Steelers 3rd round pick Marcus Wheaton that underscore his likely role in Todd Haley’s offense, as opposed to trying to ride the “Marcus-Wheaton-is-Mike-Wallace” coat tails.

Similarly he took a more sober, but substantive look at 2012 first round draft pick David DeCastro, opting to review video highlights that show DeCastro’s struggles in the Steelers losses vs. Dallas and Cincinnati in addition to highlights that show some of his promise.

• Likewise, in his piece of Jason Worilds, Coolong chose to focus on what he considers the under covered story of Worilds struggles with injuries as opposed to the unenviable task of replacing James Harrison

While Coolong declined to provide specific numbers, he did say that traffic was good, although perhaps not necessarily better than it would have been had he opted for a more conventional approach.

• Regardless of traffic, it is BTSC’s unconventional thinking that the Watch Tower salutes

With respect to the traditional press, both the Tribune Review and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette featured stories pushing the yin vs. yang nature of this Steelers training camp.

Allen Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review wrote that the normal crush of national media and talk about Super Bowl expectations was absent at St. Vincent, but then contrasted that with quotes from Larry Foote and Ryan Clark who of course vowed that the Steelers would prove the critics wrong.

Gene Collier of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette attempted to weave a similar piece together drawing upon his drive to Latrobe, quotes from various Steelers, and a reference to ground hog issues St. Vincent’s have been having.  The Watch Tower has long recognized Collier as one of the nation’s wittiest and most insightful sports writers, but whatever he was trying to do in this article quite frankly did not work.

Ray Fittipaldo Joins PG Beat Staff… Then Disappears

Post Gazette Fittipaldo has done occasional pieces on the Steelers since OTA’s in 2010, providing Steelers Nation with some of their first insights on Jonathan Dwyer, for instance.

At the opening of Steelers training camp, Ed Bouchette announced that Fittipaldo was now working the Steelers beat full time for the Post-Gazette. Fittipaldo then did the opening day a video with Bouchette (where he looked a tad bit uncomfortable on camera.)

• The funny thing is, during the week since, Fittipaldo’s bye line has appeared only once.

Its way too early to make anything of this, but it is peculiar to say the least.

Meet Sanders the Steelers New Stud Speedster, Deep Threat

Emmanuel Sanders gave Steelers Nation one of the most interesting stories during the Steelers 2013 off season. First Sannders had an offer with New England. Then he didn’t (or at least Sanders didn't sign New England's offer sheet). Then Sanders did sign it. Then the Steelers were going to let Sanders walk. Then, with Ben Roethlisberger's support, the Steelers matched the offer and kept Sanders.

• And now Sanders is a Steeler again (and wants to stay one apparently.)

The Watch Tower chronicled the Sanders story, and observed that most of the professional press was of the opinion that the Steelers should let Sanders walk and take New England’s third round pick.

• Those arguments had some merit, but they do add irony to some of the early lead stories on Sanders.

Jim Wexell offered an excellent free piece on his subscription site Steel City Insider, titled “When Did Sanders Get So Fast.”

Dejan Kovacevic wrote a piece titled “Call Sanders the X-Factor” and discussed how Sanders had taken over Mike Wallace’s slot as the “X” receiver. The Tribune Review's Steel Mill Blog also focused on Sander's as a downfield threat.

The Steelers the NFL’s New “Lean Mean Fighting Machines?”


The clip is of course from the timeless ‘guy movie’ Stripes.

The movie was released just as the Super Steelers were entering their decline, but if press coverage is to be any guide, the 2013 Steelers have taken John Candy’s “Ox” character’s mantra as their rallying cry.

A quick (and very unofficial) survey of press stories shows that no more than four focus on or at least detail weight loss on the part of the Steelers.

• The Tribune Review told us about how Isaac Redman dropped 10 pounds and has seen an immediate difference in his running style.
• Ed Bouchette tells us that Jonathan Dwyer lost between 25-30 pounds in the off season (now why did Dwyer let his weight go up so much, again?) 
• Gerry Dulac wrote a story on how Cameron Heyward is tying his hopes of winning a starting job to weight loss.
• Dulac also dutifully told us about how Marcus Gilbert also shed extra pounds on coach’s orders.

Kudos to Dejan Kovacevic for tying it all together and saying what some fans suspected -- last season too many Steelers were out of shape.

At this point it might be apt to include another clip for Stripes, the one where Bill Murray’s character inspires “Ox” to victory in a mud wrestling match with the “Lean Mean Fighting Machine” mantra, but that clip is not on YouTube and this is a family site.

And perhaps it wouldn’t quite be fitting, as Ed Bouchette did do an article about Steve McLendon’s use of ballet al la Lynn Swann, where he also observed that McLendon "officially" gained 40 pounds from his rookie listed weight of 280....

Steelers Salary Cap

John Clayton, former Pittsburgh Press and current ESPN writer, gave Steelers Nation some hope following the 2013 NFL Draft, when he told fans that the Steelers were more or less out of the woods in salary cap trouble. Happy story, right?

• Not so fast.

Behind the Steel Curtain has done two salary cap pieces taking issue with Clayton’s conclusion. The first went as far as to suggest (citing a Yahoo! article) that the Steelers might need or want to reduce their 2014 salary cap burden by parting ways with expensive veterans, such as Ryan Clark and/or Brett Kesiel.

And BTSC threw further cold water on Clayton’s argument, by providing some analysis that suggest that the NFL’s upcoming TV contracts won’t do much to lift the salary cap – filling in the gaps on what has been a greatly under covered story, both nationally in Pittsburgh.

Steelers Special Teams History Under the Microscope

Bob Labirola did a feature on the Steelers history with special teams in the recent Steelers Digest. One interesting nugget to come out of the story was on Bobby April’s departure.

When Bobby April left Pittsburgh for New Orleans after Super Bowl XXX, word was that he found Bill Cowher too demanding. Labriola sheds a little light here, asserting that the April-Cowher dispute was over who got credit for calling the surprise on-sides.

Not sure what the issue is here, as one NFL Films clip clearly showed April suggesting it to Cowher, Cowher agreeing, and radioing Chan Gailey about the decision.

• Labriola’s article is good, but the Watch Tower has two bones to pick.

First, there is an error, as Labriola claims that errors in the Steelers 1987 finale vs. Kansas City led Chuck Noll to hire his first special teams coach. Unfortunately the ’87 Steelers finished their season with a home loses vs. Houston and Cleveland (I remember listen to the latter game on the PA Turnpike -- it was my introduction to Myron Cope.)

Second, Labriola does a good job of singling out some of the higher profile speicla teams breakdowns in Steelers history, but ignores the quality special teams the Steelers enjoyed under George Stewart, Ron Zook, and Kevin Spencer.

If you're interested in learning more about the Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde nature of the Steelers special teams (sniff, sniff, if you've read this far you probably are,) then click here for Steel Curtain Rising’s article on it.

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Steelers Free Agency 2013: Colbert's Salary Cap "Loaves and The Fishes"

The debate in Steelers Nation as Pittsburgh entered the 2013 off season was whether the Steelers were in “Salary Cap Hell” or merely “Salary Cap Purgatory.” No one on the roster not named Ben Roethlisberger appeared safe.

Now that the dust has settled, it is clear that while the Steelers have/had cap issues, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin pulled off the NFL Salary Cap equivalent of the “Loaves and the Fishes.”

• How’s that you ask? Read on young Padawan…. 

(Note Steel Curtain Rising has a strict “no politics, no religion” editorial policy but hopefully you will excuse this deviation as the metaphors are irresistible.)

“The times, they are a changing….”

It’s true that Steelers Nation has not experienced such off season roster upheaval since the 90’s. Back then, in the pre-Heinz Field days, free agent exoduses became an annual rite.

The process was agonizing. Tom Donahoe and Bill Cowher would draft and develop players, only to lose them as soon as they reached free agency.

What happened this off season is both similar and different. In the ‘90’s cash flow was the culprit, whereas during the Steelers 2013 off season it was lack of cap space, forcing Pittsburgh to swallow hard and cut contributors whose age, injury status, and cap values made them expendable.

Let’s look at how deeply the axe swung:

Steelers Salary Cap Casualties:
James Harrison, former NFL Defensive Player of the Year
Willie Colon, cut two years into a four year contract

Contracts Not Renewed by the Steelers:
Casey Hampton
Charlie Batch
Byron Leftwich

Steelers Players Poached in Free Agency:
Mike Wallace
Rashard Mendenhall
Keenan Lewis
Max Starks
Will Allen
Ryan Mundy
Doug Legrusky

Painful? Doubtless.

Consider this:  EVERY player that Pittsburgh lost in free agency, cut or declined to bring back started a game for the Steelers in 2013. Six of whom were full time starters.

In 2013 the Pittsburgh Steelers not only said good bye to a lot of talent, experience, and locker room leadership, but they also abandoned a fair amount of potential.

These loses will be felt. How badly? The answer to that question lies in what the Steelers did to compensate.

Steelers Free Agent Spending in 2013

The conventional wisdom is that the Pittsburgh Steelers are an inactive team in free agency. In the 2013 off season the Steelers were active, but many of Pittsburgh's free agent moves happened slightly below the radar.

Steelers ’07 Draft Class Revolving Door (former players reacquired):
William Gay
Matt Spaeth

Unrestricted Free Agents Resigned by the Steelers:
Ramon Foster
Larry Foote
Plaxico Burress
David Johnson
Greg Warren

Restricted Free Agents Resigned:
Emmanuel Sanders
Steve McLendon

Unrestricted Free Agents Retained via Tender for 2013:
Isaac Redman
Jonathan Dwyer

Steelers Free Agent Additions:
Brian Moorman
LaRod Stephens-Howling
Guy Whimper
Bruce Gradkowski

For a team supposedly on the precipice of Salary Cap disaster, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a lot of moves during the 2013 off season.

In pure quantitative terms, the Steelers came out ahead, signing/resigning 15 players while saying good bye, in one form or another, while losing 12.

• Quantity is one thing. What about quality? Did the Steelers come out ahead? 

That’s a more difficult question and one with a more nuanced answer.

Colbert and Tomlin’s Loaves and Fishes Salary Cap Miracle 

Measured in terms of raw football talent, it is impossible to argue that the Steelers weathered their most difficult free agency period since the Donahoe years and came out ahead.

Anyone who tells you that Plaxico Burress’ value to the offense is equal to or better than that of Mike Wallace is missing a few fries from his Happy Meal. Ditto any attempt to equate William Gay's value with that of Keenan Lewis.

• But success in the free agency era goes beyond questions of raw talent.

Yes, you need good players to win and great players are essential to winning big. This is true in any era. When asked about Steelers success, Dan Rooney’s stock response is “You have to start with the players.”

But success in the salary cap era doesn’t come down to who has the best talent, but who can get the most for their salary cap buck. And in that respect the Steelers have potentially positioned themselves to come out ahead.

• Take the Steelers situation at cornerback.

Without argument, the threesome of Ike Taylor, Keenan Lewis, and Cortez Allen beats the threesome of Taylor, Allen, and William Gay.

But the money the Steelers saved in not resigning Lewis didn’t just go to Gay. It allowed them to resign David Johnson and bring back Matt Spaeth. Now Johnson and Spaeth are marginal roster contributors to be sure. But that’s the point.

Assuming that Cortez Allen is the real deal and that Ike Taylor doesn’t slow a step, then the trio of Allen, Taylor, and Gay at CB combined with Speath, Johnson and David Paulson holding down the fort at tight end in Heath Miller’s absence arguably delivers more value for salary cap dollar than Keenan Lewis would have.

• The same can be said of Mike Wallace.

Had the Steelers really wanted to, they probably could have kept Mike Wallace.

But at what cost? Certainly Plaxio Burress wouldn’t have been resigned. Emmanuel Sanders either wouldn’t have been tendered or would have been allowed to go to New England. Either Jonathan Dwyer and/or Isaac Redman would have been gone too. AND LaRod Stephens-Howling probably never darkens any doors on the South Side either.

To go with a baseball analogy, Mike Wallace is a legitimate home run threat on any down and defenses must plan for. The Steelers will miss his contributions.

• But football is a team game, and the Steelers are calculating that they can make up for losing this home run threat with a series of base hitters.

Such strategies come with risks. Losing Ike Taylor for the year and fielding a Lewis/Allen corner tandem is quite different than fielding a Gay/Allen corner tandem. The same can be said for several other position areas, most notably offensive line and wide receiver.

• But making such calculated risks is part of life under the NFL’s salary cap. 

On paper Kevin Colbert has made a series of excellent “best bang for the salary cap buck” decisions. Soon Steelers Nation will know how those decisions play out on the field.

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Steelers Sign 4th Round Draft Pick Shamarko Thomas

If there’s one word to describe the Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 off season “unpredictable” would have to be a strong candidate.

Take the case of James Harrison. First the Steelers wanted James back at a 30% pay cut, with the ability to earn it back via incentives. Deebo said “No” and became a cap casualty and an ex-Steeler. Then when Silverback didn’t get greenbacks waived in front of him, the Steelers declined to bring him back.

• As expected, the Steelers lost Mike Wallace and Keenan Lewis; they also brought back William Gay and Matt Speath – yeah, we all saw that coming too.

And of course there was Emmanuel Sanders. Emmanuel Sanders of the mysterious “yes-New England-tendered-him-no-we-didn’t-yes-they-did” one year restricted free agent tender. Both conventional wisdom and the inside word was the Steelers would let Sanders walk and take the extra pick.

• The Steelers of course matched New England's offer for Sanders. 

Matching Sanders tender was supposed to have burned through the Steelers remaining cap space. Except it didn’t, as the Steelers moved decisively to prevent Green Bay from making a run on one of its other restricted free agents, namely the newly resigned Steve McLendon.

Prior to the start of free agency, back up safeties Will Allen and Ryan Mundy figured to be two players the Steelers could have back if they wanted them back. Who else would want them?

Dallas gave Allen a home and Mundy likewise found his in the NFC East, with the New York Giants.

• How does all of this relate the headline you ask?

Well, it was just yesterday that the Steelers released a partial transcript of Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert’s conference call with season ticket holders where he explained that picks from the Steelers 2013 NFL Draft Class would have to wait until June to get their contracts, when the Steelers liberated Willie Colon’s cap space.

And on the heels of that news the Steelers promptly went out and came to terms with 4th round draft pick Shamarko Thomas. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the deal is for four years, per the new CBA, and terms were not disclosed.

In practical terms neither the Steelers nor Thomas get an added benefit to signing early. But with Ryan Clark entering the final year of his contract, and age and injuries to Troy Polamalu mounting, Thomas’ development critical to the Steelers ability to rearm while Ben Roethlisberger remains a viable NFL franchise quarterback.

Welcome to Steelers Nation Shamarko Thomas, may your next four years be prosperous ones.

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Steelers Draft WR Justin Brown in 6th

The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiving corps just got bigger and younger. After taking Markus Wheaton in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Steelers again opted to add an wide out when they picked former Penn State and current Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Justin Brown with the first of their two 6th round picks.

Justin Brown also becomes the second Oklahoma Sooner to don the Black and Gold, as the Steelers also picked his teammate Landry Jones in the 4th round.

Brown stands at 6’3” and weighs in at 209 pounds. Last season for Oklahoma Brown led the team in receiving catching 73 balls for 879 yards and five touchdowns.

In picking Brown the Steelers coaches have hopefully put themselves into a position to make some difficult decisions during training camp. Antonio Brown and projected starter Emmanuel Sanders will certainly be with the team come opening day, as will Wheaton.

That means veterans Jerricho Cotchery and Plaxico Burress will need to fend off challenges from David Gilreath and Brown for roster spots.

The Steelers typically keep 5 wide receivers on their regular season roster, although at times they’ve carried as many as six and as few as four. The pick of Brown gives them 7. Clearly someone will have to go.

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Steelers Go Deep: Draft Markus Wheaton in 3rd Round

The Steelers stayed on offense during the second day of the 2013 NFL Draft when they picked Oregon State wide Receiver Markus Wheaton in the third round.

In that respect, Wheaton has a bit of a pedigree, with the Steelers having drafted Emmanuel Sanders, Mike Wallace, and Hines Ward in the third round (of course that was also the round they drafted Willie Reid, Derek Hill, and Charles Lockett… or if you want a middle of the road example, Andre Hastings.)

Wheaton is not the tall receiver that Ben Roethlisberger hopped to get standing at only 5’11” and weighing 182 pounds. Wheaton’s time at the NFL scouting combine in the 40 was 4.45, although Wheaton himself claims he can do it at 4.3 speed.

As Dale Lolley observes, if he can split the difference at 4.37 he’ll be fast enough to help the Steelers make up for the absence of Mike Wallace.

Markus Wheaton arrives in Pittsburgh having broken Oregon State’s receiving records and, again pointed out by Lolley, this is the school that produce Chad Johnson (or Ocho Cinco if you prefer, why not call himself ochenta y cinco?) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.



The first challenge Wheaton will face in Pittsburgh is to carve himself out a spot on the depth chart.

Antonio Brown is entrenched as a starter, and Emmanuel Sanders remains the incumbent. Behind them are two seasoned veterans Jerricho Cotchery and Plaxico Burress. It is conceivable that Wheaton could cost one of the two his roster spot, probably Burress, but some of that will probably depend on the development of David Gilreath.

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Steelers Draft Needs: Wide Receiver and Tight End, Two Positions with the Opposite Problem

It’s a Tale of Two Cities for the Steelers tight end and wide receiver needs entering the 2013 NFL Draft. Both positions are areas of need, but for very different reasons.

• Speaking strictly in the short term, the Steelers do not need wide receivers. 

They’ll start 2013, assuming no injuries, with Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Jerricho Cotchery, and Plaxico Burress with David Gilbreath as a worthy contender for the 5th receiver spot.

• An NFL team could do worse with this front foursome at wide out.

Of course appearances can be deceiving and in this case they do. Burress and Cotchery are well into their 30’s, and recent restricted free agent Emmanuel Sanders is in the final year of his contract.

On top of that, none of the players on the Steelers roster at wide out is known for his speed, an obvious deficiency.  The Steelers must think to the future, and begin to reload their wide receiving corps, and they’d be wise to begin doing it early in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Troubles at Tight End

At tight end the Steelers have the opposite problem. Assuming Heath Miller makes a full recovery from his ACL tear, at age 31 he’s got a number of years of quality football left in him.

Behind him the Steelers have David Paulson, a 7th round draft pick who “overachieved” and looked quite good in 2012. Matt Spaeth is back and so is David Johnson, both of whom should be growing into their best football years.

Now, neither man is every going to be the second coming of Mark Bruener let alone David Casper, but getting just a little extra value out of the number 40 through number 45 men on your game day roster can take you a long way in the NFL

• The problem is that Heath Miller will likely not be available until late in the season.

That means that the Steelers need to find some way to make up for his 71 catches either through the tight ends, wide receivers, or through an improved running game or a combination of all three.

• Paulson, Johnson, and Spaeth are not going to combined for 71 catches next year…

…but the other two scenarios are plausible, but depend on a lot of “ifs.”

The Steelers can’t base their offense, not to mention Ben Roethlisberger’s health, on a series of “ifs.”

They need to upgrade at tight end, and they need to bring in someone who can help them relatively quickly or else suddenly get really strong at running back or much more dynamic at wide receiver.

• And therein lies the danger. 

Many mock drafts have the Steelers picking Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert at 17th in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Yet many other draft nicks say that Eifert isn’t good enough to go that high. Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Steel Curtain Rising is not fit to say whether Eifert is a worthy pick at 17, a reach, or someone so terribly overrated he'll be a bust in the NFL.

• But one thing is clear.

The Steelers have a need to fill at tight end, but they must resist all temptations to reach to fill it. The last time the franchise attempted to do that, Troy Edwards happened.

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