With Troy Polamalu now retired, can Shamarko Thomas fill the massive void left at safety? Being the player that has to follow a legend is never easy, and when you are an organization like the Pittsburgh Steelers, there have been many legends that eventually had to call it a career and needed replaced. Who could forget the struggles of Mark Malone trying to fill the shoes of Terry Bradshaw? How about Walter Abercrombie for Franco Harris? Or more recently, the likes of Cam Thomas for the vastly ... Read More
Steelers storyline No. 4: Can Steelers handle most difficult schedule in NFL?
Facing a daunting schedule that includes nine playoff teams from 2014, will the Steelers find a way to compete for supremacy in the AFC? If the Pittsburgh Steelers hope to repeat as division champions and put themselves in position to make a successful playoff run in 2015, they will have to do it while dealing with the most difficult schedule in the NFL. Go ahead, pull that bad boy out and look at it. It's a proverbial death march that is chocked full of teams expected to be playoff ... Read More
Steelers storyline No. 3: Can DeAngelo Williams provide offense with a capable backup at running back?
With Le'Veon Bell out for the first three games, can the Steelers rely on DeAngelo Williams to carry the load? During any given season, one can often point to a pivotal moment that helped shape and define its outcome. Sometimes they are moments we embrace; who will ever forget Franco Harris's "Immaculate Reception", or James Harrison rumbling 100-yards with a convoy of blockers to push the Steelers towards a sixth Super Bowl title? Others we would like to forget. Neil O'Donnell to Larry ... Read More
Steelers storyline No. 2: Will trio of first round linebackers be a force in 2015?
Will first round picks Jarvis Jones, Ryan Shazier and Alvin "Bud" Dupree be impact players for the Steelers? The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been known for some of the best linebackers in the NFL. The list of Steelers linebackers that have dominated the position is long and distinguished. They include Andy Russell, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, Greg Lloyd, Levon Kirkland, Chad Brown, Joey Porter, Jason Gildon, LaMarr Woodley, James Harrison and Lawrence Timmons. Yet of that distinguished ... Read More
Steelers storyline No. 1: Will offense repeat?
With less than a week until the Pittsburgh Steelers head to training camp and officially start the 2015 season, there are no shortage of intriguing storylines to follow once players report this coming Saturday, July 25, at St. Vincent College. Over the next five days, we will take a look a five key storylines for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015. After a remarkable 2014 season, can the Steelers offense have a similar performance in 2015? 2014 was an unforgettable year for the Steelers ... Read More
What do Bryant’s and Thomas’ contracts mean for Antonio Brown?
Each offseason, the NFL network polls the league's players in order to put together a list of the top 100 players in the NFL. When the top 10 players from that list were finally announced earlier this month, two wide receivers were selected in that elite group; the Lions Calvin Johnson at number six, and the Steelers Antonio Brown at number eight. Two other wideouts, the Cowboys Dez Bryant and the Broncos Demaryius Thomas, were also among the top 25 players; listed at No. 15 and No. 20, ... Read More
COLUMN: Rutherford all-in on Kessel, was it the right move?
After years of searching for a goal scoring winger for Sidney Crosby, the Penguins may have found their man. The Pens sent Kaperi Kapanen, Scott Harrington, Nick Spaling, and the Penguins 2016 first and third-round picks to the Leafs for right-winger Phil Kessel, defensemen Tim Erixon, forward Tyler Biggs and the a 2016 second-round selection. Additionally, Toronto retained 15 percent of Kessel's remaining salary. In other words, the Penguins acquired one of the better goal scorers in the NHL ... Read More
Reese Dismukes one of several intriguing free agent signees for Steelers
Considering the career offensive lineman Reese Dismukes had at Auburn University, it would have been pretty easy to think he would be selected at some point in the 2015 NFL Draft. After all, Dismukes resume speaks volumes. As a 50-game starter and two-time All-SEC performer, Dismukes was a key player for one of the top programs in the country. He was the anchor of an offensive line that helped pave the way for one of the most explosive offenses in the NCAA. Last season, his stellar career ... Read More
Army vet Villanueva not just a good story for Steelers
With the Pittsburgh Steelers set to begin training camp at Saint Vincent College on July 26th, there will be plenty of intriguing story lines to follow. One of the best might be Alejandro Villanueva's battle to find a way onto the Pittsburgh Steelers roster as an offensive tackle. For Villanueva, the challenges that await him in Latrobe are nothing compared to what he has faced off the field. That's because Villanueva is more than just a football player. He's a West Point grad, and a ... Read More
Mike Munchak needs to continue to improve Steelers offensive line
When the Pittsburgh Steelers added Mike Munchak to the coaching staff as the offensive line coach, Munchak became the third assistant on the staff to have head coaching experience; joining now retired defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and offensive coordinator Todd Haley. That's a luxury few teams have, and it became clear in year one of Munchak being a part of the coaching staff that the Steelers were better for it, as the offense finished second in the league in yards per game, along with ... Read More