The Pittsburgh Steelers – long the team that an entire region has hung their hopes and dreams on – arrived in Latrobe for 2013 Camp Tomlin this week, and with the exception of the eccentric Brett Keisel showing up in a massive yellow dump truck, nearly nobody noticed.
That’s what happens when you have a baseball team who is playing meaningful games in July, and that’s what happens when you finish your 2012 season a disappointing 8-8 with several horrific losses fueling the fire. The Steelers are now well on their way to the start of the 2013 campaign, and once again there are many new faces on the practice fields of St. Vincent College this summer.
In the span of two years, the Steelers have seen most of the nucleus of their two recent Super Bowl winning teams depart the Steel City – retirement, salary cap issues, and free agency all taking their toll on the Steelers roster. Once again, the team will look to replace veterans with new faces and continue their tradition of moving younger players into more prominent roles.
With that said, there are several key positions that the team needs to cement into place in order to once again take control of the AFC North. So, what do we know?
1. We all know what is expected of leaders such as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, safety Troy Polamalu, defensive back Ike Taylor, linebacker LaMarr Woodley, and the rest of the veterans who are familiar with Head Coach Mike Tomlin and his “The standard is the standard” approach.
2. We know that the rookies will be indoctrinated into Steeler Nation by those veterans, and with the exception of linebacker Jarvis Jones (who could end up starting with a dynamic preseason), little will be expected of them other than learning the Steeler way and playing special teams.
3. We know that kicker Shaun Suisham, punter Drew Butler, and long-snapper Greg Warren will end up reclaiming their spots, despite some actual competition being brought into the fold for the preseason.
That leaves us with a group of players who will be counted on to step up their game and become part of the long-term solution in Pittsburgh. These are players who were drafted or signed by the team with the sole purpose of eventually taking over a starting slot, players that Kevin Colbert and Tomlin are expecting to move forward in a big way in 2013. They are also players who will either be made or broken by the 2013 season, for better or for worse – their time is now.
WR Emmanuel Sanders – The Steelers did what was expected of them in letting Mike Wallace leave town on the back of a ridiculous contract from the Miami Dolphins. Sanders, in his forth season with the team, will be expected to now step into the starting role opposite wide receiver Antonio Brown and succeed. The Steelers made a point to keep Sanders in the fold by matching a restricted free agency tender by the New England Patriots, and with a solid season the 26-year-old wideout could end up getting the big multiyear contract that he craves from the Steelers. If he fails to live up to the role, the team will rely on veterans Plaxico Burress and Jerricho Cotchery, and rookie Markus Wheaton.
RB Jonathan Dwyer – Another player who is in the final year of his contract, Dwyer finished 2012 as the starting running back for the team. A convoluted situation is ready to unfold in the Steelers backfield, with no less than five running backs competing for touches this preseason. Rookie RB Le’Veon Bell has been the focus of many fans who believe that he could emerge as the starter in his rookie season, and veteran Isaac Redman is also back in the fold. RB Baron Batch appears to be healthy, and the team acquired former Pitt standout LaRod Stephens-Howling, although his role will mainly be on kickoff and put returns. That is a great deal of competition for Dwyer if he intends to hold onto his job as the primary back for the Steelers. A good portion of his 2012 numbers (156 rushes for 623 yards and two touchdowns) were the result of several solid performances that moved him into the starting role. While Bell will be watched closely this summer, Dwyer is probably the guy who will be lining up behind Roethlisberger when the regular season begins.
DE Ziggy Hood – The 2009 first round draft pick moved into a starting spot on the Steelers vaunted 3-4 defensive line in 2012, and the result was an overall disappointing season. While he has had his moments since arriving on the scene out of Missouri, Hood has not become the dominant player many expected he would. After starting 14 games in 2011, Hood took over for the retiring Aaron Smith last year and started all 16 games. He ended the season with 25 solo tackles and 3 sacks. Bearing in mind that Steelers defensive ends are expected to mainly enforce the run defense, the sack number is not imperative. What is important is that opposing teams continued to run at Hood in 2012, and did so with success. The drop off from an all-time great run stopper in Smith to Hood was to be expected, but the Steelers will need Hood to truly emerge as a force on the left side of their line in 2013.
LG Ramon Foster – The undrafted Foster has worked his way into a starting spot on the Steelers offensive line, and in turn earned himself a three-year contract this past offseason. While he is a serviceable guard, Foster leaves a great deal to be desired on the field. He will start at left guard opposite second-year David DeCastro, who many expect to become a Pro Bowl player in 2013. There is little true competition for Foster, but the Steelers could eventually decide to move tackle Kelvin Beachum inside or draft another starter next April. Despite the contract extension, Foster is probably on borrowed time here unless he emerges as a dominating guard in 2013. His contract is the type that will be looked at as an instant salary cap relief valve next offseason unless he proves to be a valuable commodity in 2013.
OLB Jason Worilds – Worilds finally saw a starting spot open up this offseason, then watched as the Steelers drafted Jones in the first round of the NFL Draft this past April. His NFL career thus far has amounted to 42 games (10 starts) and an underwhelming influence on the games he has played in. Drafted in the second round of the 2010 Draft, Worilds was the heir apparent to James Harrison and he will begin camp as a starter in that very spot. The Jones factor will decide the fate of Worilds in Pittsburgh, as the rookie looks to be the real deal. If ever there was a defensive player that needed to catch fire in the first portion of a season, it is Worilds in 2013. He does have a knack for getting to the QB (10.0 sacks in his career), a prerequisite for an OLB in the Dick LeBeau defense. Unless Jones simply forces his way into the starting role this summer, Worilds will get the opportunity to secure a future in Pittsburgh this fall.
