“Who Stole Hines Ward’s Smile?”

By Jeffrey Burton

There are a number of things missing from the Steelers this season. The first one I noticed from game one was Hines Ward’s smile. He was on the field before the game, no smile. He made a catch, no smile. All game, all the time, no smile. The next game, no smile. All game, all the time no smile.

Yesterday in a losing effort against the Bengals, a slight smile when he passed the 10,000 yard mark. A small ordinary human smile, not a Hines Ward, light up the world, endorphin releasing smile that you can’t help but smile in return when you see it. If I was Mike Tomlin I would hire a hundred Private Investigators, the FBI and the National Guard to find Hines’ smile. We will not be able to win without it.

Also missing is Santonio Holmes’ hands. The most sure-handed widereceiver in the league for my money is looking like Limas Sweed, who after today, I’m ready to give up on. I hope he hasn’t returned to Ricky Williamsland. I don’t think the Steelers would give even him a second chance.

Also MIA is Harrison and Woodley’s domination on the edge. Harrison had a good rush today and Woodley had a good one against the Bears, but by and large they are not factors in the games we’ve played so far.

Rashard Mendenhall, MIA, is he already perceived as a bust by the Steelers?

This is a bigger problem because the Steelers seem stuck on only using the same 13 or 14 people on offense. They are not shifting personnel in and out to give different options and skill sets to Big Ben. Why do they insist on trying to use Willie Parker as an every down back? He is not built for it and though he had a good day against the Bengals, he will break down like he always does. He is a feature back, use him like that, please.

Mewelde Moore, mostly MIA. I don’t understand why he doesn’t get more touches. All he ever does is make positive yardage and plays when he is in.

That is a good thing, isn’t it?

Why don’t we ever see Shaun McDonald? He was very good possession receiver in preseason and for the Lions. Shouldn’t we be getting these types of guys in for a couple downs a game, if not to see what they can do at least to give them a little playing time if they’re needed later in the season?

One of the biggest mysteries to me is why Issac “Redzone” Redman isn’t on the roster. I can’t believe he cleared waivers. If I was a NFL Head Coach I would have had his number on speed dial. Has Frank Summer’s lack of blocking ability and obviously being in way over his head, become such a source of amusement to the Coaching Staff that they can’t demote him to the Practice Squad and bring Redman up? I liked what I saw in Frank in college and had him in my Mock Draft. I think he will eventually develop, but he is not there yet. I think that keeping him on the Roster is actually hurting him at this point.

Please, let him develop at his own pace Steelers Staff.

In spite of a good effort today, the Non-Offensive Line is missing as usual. They are not a starting NFL O-line. I would welcome them as the second string with the exception of Justin Hartwig, who I think has been a great upgrade at Center and Willie Colon who would be a fine Right Guard, but is a bad Right Tackle. I don’t know why the Staff can’t see it. And as I said in my previous Blog “Steelers Offensive Line is the New Kordell?” enabling is bad.

Of course the biggest MIA is the easiest to understand, after burning it up for his entire effort in the season opener, Troy Polamalu went down with a knee injury.

Tyrone Carter’s hard and gutsy play is about as good a replacement you could get, but Troy’s Super-Human presence is badly missed.

There have been some good things. I almost like Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians’ play calling. He’s not yet the Three Rivers River Boat Gambler that Whisenhunt and Gailey embodied, but he’s now calling to win the game rather than to not lose his job. Hey, Chan Gailey is no longer employed as an Offensive Coordinator, maybe that is motivating Bruce.

Mike Wallace rocks, but another mystery is here. Ben, why do you always throw your passes to Wallace one inch above the turf? Isn’t the whole point of having a guy with blazing speed to let him run and hit him in stride? You know, like the ones you hit Limas Sweed with that he drops? We got a glimpse of that today and I hope we see it more. To Wallace’s credit he has shown exceptional hands and very good route running, things that most of the scouts thought he would have to develop.

Stefan Logan looks like the Brother from Another Mother to Darren Sprolles. Get him in the game! Get him the ball in space let him run! Line him up as a running back in play action! Screw with Defensive Coordinator’s heads! Let Stefan run! Run Stefan Run!

And finally, one thing that is very much not missing is Casey Hampton’s gut. It is so huge he actually waddles. He has gotten to the Quarterback twice this year and would have got to them more if they couldn’t walk away while he was running after them. This super-sized Casey’s gut is so big it looks like he’s ready to give birth to a normal sized Casey Hampton and maybe that would be a good thing. I’m pretty sure that the NFL has no rules about having one guy giving birth to another version of himself and having both play on the field at the same time. Maybe that is what we need until Troy gets back.

Well as you can tell, these mysteries are beyond me and since Barack Obama came out that he was pulling for the Steelers in the Super Bowl and has appointed Mr. Rooney as Ambassador to Ireland, the FBI and National Guard involvement in the ‘Hines Ward Missing Smile Case’ seems a very reasonable thing to ask. The Steelers Coaching staff needs to foot the hundred Private Eyes bills.

Go Stillers!

Training Camp – Day 1

Miller, other Steelers nurse minor injuries

Friday, July 31, 2009
By Ed Bouchette Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin today revealed that tight end Heath Miller, who signed a six-year, $35.3 million contract this week, had surgery in June to repair a sports hernia and will be limited in practice at training camp for a while.

Tomlin, though, said the team is merely being cautious with Miller and he expects him to be fine for the regular season. Miller had surgery to repair a sports hernia after his senior season at Virginia and before the Steelers drafted him in the first round in 2005.

Also, Tomlin said several veterans will be limited in practices with various injuries: safety Troy Polamalu and cornerback Deshea Townsend with hamstring problems, center Justin Hartwig with a toe injury and guard/center Darnell Stapleton with swelling in his knee.

Running back Stefan Logan, signed from the Canadian League, will open camp on the physically unable to perform list with a mid-foot sprain.

Avoiding repeat of ‘06 nightmare is issue for Steelers

Friday, July 31, 2009
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Sometime tonight, after the Steelers report to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, after coach Mike Tomlin puts them through their run test, after their first dinner of training camp together, a senior member of the roster will talk about being a Super Bowl champion.

He won’t talk much about Super Bowl XLIII, nor even so much about Super Bowl XLIV, but of what occurred in the aftermath of Super Bowl XL. No Steelers team ever fell so flat as reigning champion than did the 2006 edition, and many from that team hope there is a lesson there for this one.

“Coming back after that Super Bowl,” said one captain, Hines Ward, “I think we had that cockiness where [we thought] we could just walk in and walk over anybody.”

Instead, the Steelers turned into welcome mats, losing six of their first eight games. Despite a second-half surge, they finished 8-8 in 2006 and out of the playoffs. Coach Bill Cowher topped off one of their most unsatisfactory seasons when he resigned.

“That’s the most disappointing thing,” Ward said. “You win the Super Bowl and come out the next year and don’t even make the playoffs. A lot of guys are still on the team, and we reflect on that.”

The current 80-man roster includes 21 who experienced both a Super Bowl victory followed by an 8-8 season. That should be enough to recall the pitfalls and to point out different paths for them to follow this time.

“A lot of guys on this team have experience winning a Super Bowl and seeing what happened the following season,” cornerback Deshea Townsend said. “With experience, it makes you better. I’m sure we’ll take that experience we have from the first time and try to make it better.”

And what did they learn?

“We definitely can’t walk into anybody’s stadium and think just because we’re champs we can go out and not practice and not put in the time and energy and go out and prepare ourselves like we’re going in for a battle,” Ward said.

Five times, the Steelers have entered a season as Super Bowl champions. Twice, they did not reach the postseason (1980, 2006) and once they lost in the AFC championship game (1976). Twice, they followed with a second consecutive Super Bowl victory (1975, ‘79).

Today, they report to training camp for the sixth time as reigning champions, and some might say they are due to make it again. Ward was outspoken all spring about how that 2006 team did not take its task seriously enough, and he promised things would be different this season.

“I just think the guys we have on this team — not to knock the guys we had on our other team, but there’s a purpose. The last time we went there, we really didn’t come out and do what we were supposed to do the following year, and I think a lot of guys remember that.”

Ward also thinks that keeping the Super Bowl team of last season mostly intact should help. The Steelers return 20 of 22 starters from the team that lined up against the Arizona Cardinals in Tampa Feb. 1.

The only ones missing are cornerback Bryant McFadden, who shared time with new starter William Gay, and linebacker Larry Foote, who likely would have given way to first-round 2007 draft choice, Lawrence Timmons, anyway.

They also lost No. 3 wide receiver Nate Washington, whose job may be the most difficult to fill. Among the candidates are Limas Sweed, their second-round draft choice in 2008, and a third-round pick from this year, Mike Wallace.

“Both of those guys are right in the mix, along with Dallas Baker and all those guys,” said Ward. “With the loss of Nate Washington, we don’t have the guy who has the experience to go out there and play if Santonio [Holmes] or I were to go down.”

Holmes and Ward are the only experienced wide receivers besides Shaun McDonald, signed in May as a free agent from the Detroit Lions. All looked good in the spring, but, starting this weekend, the playing field changes.

“It’s different when you put the pads on — going across the middle, getting hit, going one on one, it’s a totally different ballgame,” Ward noted. “We’ll see what type of talents and skills they have in training camp.”

Harrison, Steelers roll into camp

Jim Wexell SteelCityInsider.com
Posted Jul 31, 2009

No Ben Roethlisberger interviews at Rooney Hall, but Casey Hampton, Trai Essex and Willie Colon showed up in good shape. So did James Harrison, who rolled up in a two-seat Smart car and answered these questions:

Q: What are the benefits of driving that?

A: Not that much on gas. Other than that, there’s a lot of room, but not for the suitcases. It’s fast, too. It’ll go 90, 95.

A: I’m just happy to be here to get started and trying to duplicate what we did last year.

Q: Will that mean another big interception return?

A: If that’s what it takes, so be it. If not, so be it, too.

Q: Do you have any more perspective on that play with the time off?

A: Uh…

Q: How did it happen?

A: How did it happen? Well, everything kind of came together with a little bit of luck.

Q: Catch your breath yet?

A: Yeah. I caught my breath about two weeks after.

Q: You’d told reporters before the game you didn’t like the game plan because you would be dropping too much. Dropping kind of paid off there, didn’t it?

A: That was just a bunch of lies to tell you all, get you all writing something the other team might believe.

Q: So, it worked, right?

A: I actually wasn’t supposed to drop on that play.

Q: You weren’t supposed to drop?

A: I was supposed to blitz. I figured all night we were a step late, and we had an all-out blitz and I figured if I stepped I could hold my tackle and just drop out in case of a quick slant, in or out, and I just happened to be right there. I guess my height helped me that time.

Q: Do you have the freedom to do that?

A: You know, technique, opportunity and all that other stuff met, with a little bit of luck. Sometimes you feel that might be the play that will do it. Coach LeBeau didn’t mind it.

Q: Do you expect to see a lot of spread-the-field, quick-throw offenses this year?

A: I’m not really too worried about what offenses are doing. As long as we play our defense the way it’s supposed to be played, we’ll be fine.

Q: Last Super Bowl team fell flat. How do you guard against that this year?

A: I feel like we guarded against that this year in preparation. I think last time we won the Super Bowl a lot of guys were real lax and took too much time off in getting back to what needed to be done. I feel this year everybody stayed focused and got back to it.

Q: Were you as maniacal in your training as you usually are?

A: Yeah.

Q: And did any more teammates join you in your workouts?

A: Not really. A few guys work out with the same trainer that I do, but everybody got their own things that help them.

Q: Did you bulk up?

A: Actually I lost a little weight. Do I look thick?

Q: Yes.

A: My legs got big. You should see my legs. Wait till we put the pads on.

Q: How much weight did you drop?

A: A few pounds to about 250.

Q: Do you feel that after last year people will be looking at you differently?

A: Yeah. I know they do. Look at these cameras. Other than that, I don’t really feel any different.

Q: Do you expect any more respect from the officials in regard to holding?

A: They really watched it in the Super Bowl, so hopefully that’s a start.

Q: Do you worry about your quarterback’s state of mind?

A: Nah.

Q: How’s your son?

A: He’s doing good, real good.

Q: Is he 100 percent, ready to go?

A: Hundred percent. He has a few scars, but he was back walking in like six days. He’s just got a few scars, but he’s fine.

Q: James, what do you do for an encore?

A: I do whatever it is I need to do to make the defense better. It’s not about me. It’s the Pittsburgh Steelers, not James Harrison. My numbers may not be as good as last year’s, but as long as we get better as a total defense, I’m happy.

Q: You get that big contract and you buy a Smart car?

A: I didn’t buy the car. I got it on, let’s say lease or loan, something like that.

Q: The picture’s going to be everywhere. They accomplished their objective, didn’t they?

A: Maybe. We’ll see.

 

 

 

 

 

Position Breakdown the Offensive Line

So far we have covered the quarter backs, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends, now it is time to turn our attention to the most criticized position, the Offensive Line.  It’s hard to believe a defending Super Bowl champion with so many starters returning could have any weaknesses, but the Pittsburgh Steelers do. Without a question, the Steelers had the worst offensive line of any Super Bowl champion in history. Don’t believe us? Check out the stats.

Marvel Smith and Kendall Simmons were let go, and not one lineman was signed in free agency. The draft produced just two picks, Wisconsin guard, Kraig Urbik, was tabbed in the third round and Penn State center A.Q. Shipley was a seventh round selection. Only Urbik has a shot to earn a starting position as Shipley will need time to develop.

The line has size, center Justin Hartwig (6-4, 312), LG Chris Kemoeatu (6-3, 344), RG Darnell Stapleton (6-5, 305), LT Max Starks (6-8, 345), and RT Willie Colon (6-3, 315) all are 300-plus pounders who, at times, can be dominant run blockers. The problem they had was athleticism and pass protection.

Steelers Position Breakdown of the Offensive Line

The Starters:

LT – Max Starks – Starks is among the tallest NFL players, standing at 6′8″ and 340 pounds. He is probably never going to be a tackle in the image of Tunch Illkin or Leon Searcy, but he is a solid, versatile starter. Starks has bounced in and out of the starting line up the last few seasons but played well enough in 2008 to earn the franchise tag a second year in a row.

At the very least, Starks will give their line some stability and franchising him buys Pittsburgh time to draft and develop other offensive lineman or to work out a long term contract with him. Starks is penciled in as the starting LT but will need to play well in camp to fend of Tony Hills and keep the job.

LG – Chris Kemoeatu – Chris Kemoeatu joined the Steelers in 2005 as a sixth round pick out of Utah. Listed at 6’3” and 344 pounds. Since being drafted he has captivated the imaginations of Steelers fans who are devotees of the team’s Smash Mouth identity. Though has yet to live up to the hype.

It’s unfair to single out Kemoeatu for blame, but the Steelers had a lot of difficulty punching at the goal line in the latter half of the year, and much of that difficulty was due to the run blocking from the interior lineman. While the Steelers definitely could do worse than Kemoeatu at guard, he is certainly not a player you break the bank for.

Center – Justin Hartwig - Signed to sure up the center position at the start of the 2008 season, Hartwig easily earned the starting job and allowed the Steelers to trade the undersized Sean Mahan to free up needed cap space. His play at the position was an upgrade but still not up to Steelers standards.

Hartwig enters the final season of his contract in 2009 and with Darnell Stapleton and the rookie A.Q. Shipley on the roster
will need to improve to get resigned by Pittsburgh. At 6′4 and 312 lbs., Hartwig has the size to play the position and hold up against the Sean Rogers of the NFL, but will need to improve his run blocking to earn his keep in 2009 or beyond.

RG – Darnell Stapleton - Originally was signed as an un-drafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers prior to the 2007 season. After the trade of Sean Mahan, Darnell became the backup center for the 2008 season. Due to necessity, after starting guard Kendall Simmons was placed on Injured Reserve after a Monday Night game against the Baltimore Ravens, he became the starter for the rest of the 2008 season.

As a starter for the 2008 AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Darnell joins teammates Willie Parker and James Harrison on the list of impact non-drafted players in the Kevin Colbert era.

Our personally opinion here at Pittsburgh Blitz is that Darnell was an upgrade to Simmons and his play, though not perfect, helped to shore up the OL down the stretch and into the play-offs and Super Bowl. We are eager to see how he improves his second year as a starter. That is if he can hold off Kraig Urbik for the job this summer.

RT – Willie Colon -  Was originally selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round (131st overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft. He started the first two games of his career in Weeks 16 and 17 of the 2006 season, replacing an injured Max Starks, and in early 2007 team activities has replaced Starks as the 1st-team right tackle for the team.

There has been rumors the past few years that Willie Colon should move to guard as another tackle, such as Max Starks or Trai Essex could play right tackle. The rumors were founded mainly because of Colon’s unspectacular pass protection, as well as his size – 6′3″ is an ideal guard size, not a tackle size. However, Mike Tomlin and other members of the Steelers organization have often dispelled such rumors.

Technically the teams only offensive linemen listed on the roster at RT, Colon could get challenged for the job by Tony Hills this summer. We look for this to be one of the more interesting camp battles, as here at Pittsburgh Blitz we are not big Willie Colon fans, at least not with him at RT. A move to RG or LG would suit him better in our opinion.

Key Role Players:

LT – Jason Capizzi - At 6-9, 315 pounds, Jason Capizzi looks big, even by NFL standards, as he walks around the locker room of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has the size and pedigree to play a key back up role for the Steelers in 2009. Capizzi signed with the Steelers as an un-drafted free agent from IUP. The Gibsonia native, who started his college career at Pitt, has spent time last season on practice squad and was elevated to the 53 man roster when Marvel Smith was put on IR.

Here at Pittsburgh Blitz we like Capizzi’s potential and feel he could be a surprise for the team this year once camp opens. He already has the eye of the coaches but lacks the experience needed to crack the starting line-up. That won’t stop him from making the final cut and getting a job as a key back up for the Steelers though.

LT – Tony Hills - Fundamentally sound left tackle who is at his best as a pass-protector. Blocks with good pad level, sets with a wide base, and makes outstanding use of body positioning as well as blocking angles. Slides out off the edge, stays square, and nicely works his hands throughout the play. Shows the ability to adjust and jolts defenders with good hand-punch. Fights hard until the whistle blows.

Hills has one negative though, his history of staying healthy is not the best. Suffering numerous injuries in both high school and college. Once considered a potential first rounder, Hills slipped to the Fourth round and the Pittsburgh Steelers due to those set backs. His slide in the draft could be a blessing in disguise though as he has the potential to grow into a quality starter at LT or RT for the team and could be a dark horse in the camp battles this season.

RG – Kraig Urbik - Selected in the third round of the 2009 NFL draft, Urbik will get a chance to compete for Darnell Stapleton’s starting job at right guard. If he does not start, Urbik should become the top backup guard and dress for games along with Trai Essex as the two backup linemen on Sundays.

RG – Trai Essex - During the off-season Essex visited the Tennessee Titans but came back home to sign a 2-year deal worth $2 million. The fifth-year veteran out of Northwestern was given a signing bonus of $500,000 by the team. He can play four different positions and will likely start camp as the No. 2 left tackle behind Max Starks but could be involved in a camp battle with Kraig Urbik for that role on the team.

Practice Dummies:

A.Q. Shipley - A Penn State center who grew up in Moon Township, was one of their two seventh-round picks selected by the Steelers in the 2009 NFL draft. Shipley is a solid center, but has short arms, which may limit him from playing guard in the NFL. The Steelers staff seem very high on Shipley and he has the perfect attitude for the team. Look for Shipley to land on the practice squad for a year then crack the 53 man roster in 2010.

Jeremy Parquet – At 6-6, 321 lbs., Parquet has the tangibles to play in the NFL. Thus far in his career Jeremy has been nothing more then A practice squad member of the Chiefs, Rams and now the Steelers. We do not anticipate that changing this season and look for Parquet to continue to be a practice dummy in 2010.

Hope you got a day job list:

Doug Legursky – Signed as a rookie free agent by the Steelers on April 28, 2007 and made the practice squad that season. He has remained at that status since but could be cut this time around with the addition of A.Q. Shipley to the team. We so no need for two centers to be on the practice squad this season and neither will the Steelers.

Ramon Foster – Signed by the Steelers as an un-drafted free agent on April 27, 2008. Foster was a three-year starter who earned Freshman All-SEC honors in 2005 after stepping in at left guard and right tackle due to injuries. Primarily started at right tackle the past three seasons for Tennessee and was named to the ESPN Mark May’s 2007 “MayDay Team” after playing with a broken thumb throughout most of his junior season. Foster played in a career total of 44 games and was four-year letterman in college.

Foster has plenty of potential, but may be out in the cold due to the numbers game and lack of NFL experience. He could be a surprise and make the practice dummies, and here at Pittsburgh blitz we are rooting for him to due just that. Not sure it will happen though.

Training Camp Battles:

Starting Right Guard: Darnell Stapleton vs Kraig Urbik

Darnell Stapleton was the starter this previous season, but with issues consistently surrounding the Steelers offensive line he shouldn’t feel too comfortable. Urbik is a highly touted rookie who could very well end up winning this job.

Urbik was a tackle at Wisconsin, but he struggles in space so will get bumped inside. His size and the ability to be a mauler in the running game fits the mentality of the Steelers organization perfectly.

Many fans are already on Urbik’s side in this battle and as long as he continues to show the work ethic and intelligence that he had while he was a Badger, he should get the edge entering the season.

Look for a heated battle for this position but in the end, Stapleton will prove to be a NFL worthy guard and win the starter role for the Steelers.

Well that’s the lowdown on the offensive line, thanks for reading and your comments are always welcome. Let us know what you think.

*Check back soon for the 6th edition of this 9 part series. Next up we will begin the defensive breakdown and the Cornerbacks.

Achilles Heel Remains Intact

After the draft and much of free-agency, we now have a very good idea of what the Steelers’ offensive line will look like in 2009.  And it will be close to exactly how it looked in 2008. 

The good news: That line was good enough to win the Super Bowl. 

The bad news: That line was the clear Achilles heel of the team.

The team won their sixth Lombardi Trophy in spite of their offensive line rather than because of it.  Not many quarterbacks could have had success playing behind that line last year, let alone survived.

I was surprised that the Steelers were able to keep their starting offensive line together.  It seemed like an unlikely scenario heading into the offseason—considering how many of them were free agents.  

I figured Chris Kemoeatu was surely gone and Max Starks would likely be switching teams.  They’ve secured both of those players with Kemoeatu likely taking slightly less to return to the Steelers than he could have secured somewhere else. 

I wasn’t a big fan of placing the franchise tag on Starks, but it certainly buys the team some time to develop some other options.  Willie Colon will also return. 

Gone are former stalwarts Marvel Smith and Kendall Simmons.  Both of these moves made sense due to injury and health problems.  It is highly doubtful that either player will return to anywhere close to their top form. 

Added to the line is Wisconsin mauler Kraig Urbik, selected in the third round.  Urbik should push Darnell Stapleton and, perhaps, Justin Hartwig, during training camp.  I would not be surprised if he earns a starting job by the end of the season. 

He will also serve to provide essential depth across the interior offensive line.  Tony Hills, a fourth-round draft pick from last season, may also enter the discussion in terms of providing depth. 

Behind that, the team remains somewhat thin across the line.  Considering how often I was frustrated by the O-line this past season, I’m a little surprised to be somewhat relieved that last year’s group is coming back together. 

The O-line at the beginning of last year bordered on terrible.  Their performance in the Eagles game was easily the worst I’ve ever seen out of a Steelers’ line.  The miracle in that game is that Ben kept getting behind center and snapping the ball without demanding additional hazard pay. 

But, the oft-vilified line clearly improved by the end of the season.  They weren’t a great offensive line—they still didn’t get enough surge in the run game, were prone to too many mistakes, and allowed speed rushers to beat them. 

But, they were far better by the end of the season than in the season’s first half.  They played three solid games in the playoffs, including holding up against one of the league’s premier pass rushing teams in the Ravens.  

It is likely that this group will continue to improve next year while becoming more in-sync with one another.  Darnell Stapleton played admirably in his first year starting and will likely continue to improve, as will the other players on the line. 

Good offensive lines don’t just spontaneously come into existence.  They take time to develop.  More so than other positions, playing together as a unit has a big impact on their overall development. 

That should continue to be the case with this group. 

If the Steelers fall short this year, the offensive line will likely be the culprit.  But, with the unit showing steady improvement last year, they have shown they are good enough to win a Super Bowl together

Steelers’ veterans purge?

By John Harris, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, April 4, 2009

There’s a move under way to rebuild the Super Bowl XLIII champion Steelers.

In another year, you may not be able to tell the players without a scorecard.

Twelve starters are entering the final year of their contracts, led by two-time Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison, who is expected to sign a new deal before the 2009 opener.

Other players scheduled to become free agents after next season include tight end Heath Miller, receiver Hines Ward, nose tackle Casey Hampton, linebacker Larry Foote, running back Willie Parker, defensive end Brett Keisel, center Justin Hartwig, safety Ryan Clark, kicker Jeff Reed and tackles Willie Colon and Max Starks.

“When you have a championship team, you’re going to have players and their agents looking for a higher value. They may not be amenable to doing a contract before seeing what the market will bear,” said veteran player agent Ralph Cindrich.

Of those 12 starters, seven will be 30 and older next season.

That won’t do.

The Steelers rarely award big contracts to their free agents older than 30 — almost never, in fact — so they will have to make an even bigger exception with Harrison, the NFL’s reigning defensive player of the year who turns 31 next month.

Whether they also extend contracts to several other veteran free agents who will be 30 and older after next season remains to be seen.

Let the transition begin.

Being part of a championship team doesn’t guarantee a roster spot in ensuing years. It doesn’t guaranetee a new contract either.

The Steelers will sign their free agents as they see fit.

Their successful track record of building with draft picks makes it unlikely they will sign any of their potential free agents until after this month’s draft.

“When a team’s winning like the Steelers, their back’s not against the wall to do anything desperate. Whatever they feel they’re doing to win, they’re going to keep doing,” said agent Kenny Zuckerman, who represents former Steelers tackle Marvel Smith.

The Steelers failed to re-sign Smith, 30, who recently joined the 49ers.

“Teams that are built by the draft will definitely wait for the next draft before they make decisions on their veterans,” Zuckerman said. “Players taken in this draft are going to replace a lot of those guys. The players they draft become starters.”

The Steelers could have another reason for displaying patience regarding free agents. Players entering the final year of their contracts tend to perform better when a new deal is at stake.

The strategy worked for defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who signed a record contract with the Washington Redskins. Don’t be surprised if it works for several of the Steelers as well.

“The key is whether they play hard going into the end like that. I don’t think there’s any question this team is a reflection of its leaders,” said Cindrich, who represents Steelers defensive captain James Farrior. “These guys are going with the mentality of the team and that is to go (all-out).”