SteelerWatch

Troy “Taz” Polamalu and the Steelers agreed today to a contract extension that will keep him in Black ‘n Gold for another five years.  The contract makes him (rightfully) the highest-paid safety in the league at $33 million over the duration of the contract.  As reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he will receive more than $15 million in signing and roster bonuses.

With all current contract negotiations complete, coach Mike Tomlin is free to focus solely on football in his first training camp, as disgruntled guard Alan Faneca has vowed to participate in all camp activities and should not become a distraction for a team that is looking to return to their 2005 form.

Mike Tomlin looks to make good on his word that all draft picks would be signed by the time Training Camp opens. With Saturday’s signing of cornerback William Gay, only first-rounder Lawrence Timmons remains unsigned. Camp opens Monday afternoon, with practice starting Tuesday. It looks as if all rookies will be ready to go, assuming the team and Timmons’ agent can come to an agreement in the next 30 hours.

The Steelers have come to an agreement with third-round draft pick Matt Spaeth, a tight end.  The signing comes on the heels of yesterday’s inking of second-round pick LaMarr Woodley and leaves just first-rounder Lawrence Timmons and fifth-round pick William Gay to be signed.

Coach Mike Tomlin has said he believes all draft picks will be signed before training camp begins Monday.

List of the Top 50 players?  No Steelers.  Top 25 wideouts, and Hines Ward is only listed at number 23?  Someone is smoking something good.  For a team one season removed from winning their fifth Super Bowl, they sure aren’t given much credit.

Finally, though, someone recognized the talent in the organization.  ESPN.com’s Jeffri Chadiha realized that just because you aren’t in the headlines all the time (mostly for the wrong reasons, at least if you’re a Bengal), it doesn’t mean you aren’t immensely talented.  The only “Doh!” about this is that it’s for a player in the least-utilized position for the Steelers over the last 15 years: Tight End Heath Miller.  Miller was picked as Chadiha’s offensive breakout player, and for good reason: he’s likely to spend a lot of time as the team’s slot receiver, if Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians has his way.  And, given that Mike Tomlin knows he’s going to have to make a big impression to win over most Steeler fans — after all, we are probably the hardest fans to please because of the city’s history of great sports teams — it’s pretty likely that Arians will be given a lot of creative freedom, and a very long leash as long as things start off smoothly.  Let’s all hope his grooming of Peyton Manning wasn’t just a fluke.

Peter King has made his thinly veiled dislike of the Steelers well known to ‘Burghers, but it looks like he’s now dragged his colleague, Bucky Brooks, into the mix.  Brooks is responsible for SI’s list of the top 25 wide receivers in the league.  Shockingly, Hines Ward actually made the list — in 23rd, nine spots behind Steelers cast-off (and Giants slacker) Plaxico Burress.

Moving SteelerWatch — and the entire family — to a new home is going well, but it’s obvious my time to devote to the site has been cut short.  Fortunately news has been slow (fairly regular commenter Seeker recently pointed out that he noticed news had been completely absent for over a week in Steeler Nation) which makes me look like less of a slacker.

So, here’s what’s been going on:

1) The team re-signed running back Verron Haynes Monday to a one-year contract believed to include a veteran league-minimum $595,000 base salary.  There are no details available yet on a signing bonus.

2) Also now under contract with the team are fourth-round pick and uber-punter Dan Sepulveda and fifth-rounder Cameron Stephenson, a guard from Rutgers.  Stephenson will likely be warming the bench this season, because the Steelers have now got decent depth on the offensive line.  Sepulveda, however, will participate in what will, in all likelihood, amount to a mockery of a training-camp battle with perennial August roster filler Matt Barr.  The Steelers are not known for cutting a fourth-round linebacker…err…punter.

And now, around the league:

3) Odel Thurman is potentially in trouble with the law.  It now officialy Goes Without Saying that Thurman is a member of the Cincinnati Bengals; from this point on, if I report a felony and I fail to specify a team, you can simply assume it was the Bengals and you’ll have about 99.95518 percent chance of your assumption being correct.  The remaining 0.04482 percent possibility is reserved for “a current NFL or former college teammate, or a relative, of Mike Vick.”

4) Disgruntled Patriots cornerback — and bearer of the team’s Franchise Player tag — Asante Samuel announced he will not be attending minicamp, training camp, or even the first 10 weeks of the regular season as he cries like a little girl over his numerous millions of dollars holds out in a contract-related dispute.  Apparently unbeknownst to Samuel, holding out is costing him a shot at a long-term deal.  If he hasn’t signed a long-term contract by July 15, he can only sign a one-year contract — exactly what he is eligible for under the franchise tag rules.  Failure to show up for 10 games will cost him nearly $5 million of the $7.79 million he would be due this year as the team’s franchise player.  Holding out the entire season means the Patriots can lock him down again next year — and don’t put it past the Kraft family to do it purely out of spite.

Last year was a comedy of errors — albeit, not a very funny one — for the Steelers. On offense, our quarterback was taken out before the season started in part by a Chrysler, but mostly because of the immature mistake of feeling invincible. He quickly came crashing back to earth — with a quick but sudden stop on a windshield along the way — and, to the dismay of we the loyal, he stayed there until the beginning of November.

But that was just the beginning of the problems. We suffered from an underachieving offensive line, an inexplicably — and inexcusably — passive defense, and worst of all, we had a disinterested head coach. Those three problems have been quickly and definitively addressed this off-season, and now that we’ve reached the midpoint of our annual Wait From Hell, it’s time to analyze what’s been done and what remains.

Block, Dangit!
Beyond Ben Roethlisberger’s quick trip over a car hood and the subsequent slide in his confidence and play, the offense had a major failing in 2006. Ironically, it was the part of the team that has been the most consistent throughout the last decade.

The offensive line suffered from a severe lack of, well, blocking ability. Sure, run blocking was alright — Willie Parker did, after all, post better numbers than during the 2005 Super Bowl run. But the life, the drive, the passion…it just wasn’t there. What turned out to be a four-yard run should have been six yards. Had the hole been ever so slightly larger on numerous occassions, Parker likely would have broke loose a lot more often. But running wasn’t the problem.

No, the real failing for the Steelers in 2006 was the pass blocking, or at least the lack thereof. Roethlisberger, already working with shattered confidence (and a shattered face), was in need of help from his front five, and only two delivered on a regular basis. Fortunately, that was his left tackle and left guard. The only bad part was that it meant Roethlisberger got to see the behemouth who would wind up nailing him making a mad bum rush for his head. It doesn’t help wounded confidence when you can’t even depend on the guys who have your back. Or front. Or sides.

In my own defense, I have no defense.
Defensively, there just wasn’t any pursuit. Maybe it was bad coaching (I’ll get to that in a minute). Maybe it was poor conditioning. Maybe it was a simple lack of focus. Whatever the case, the defense just played at a markedly lower level of intensity after they left Detroit in February last year.

What should we do, coach? … Coach?
Of course, it doesn’t help when your coach doesn’t care about the poor performance. Don’t worry about what Bill Cowher said in public. He just didn’t give a damn anymore. His goal was achieved, his decision for the future was made, and he had no reason to fight, especially after starting the season off so horrendously.

And to the future…
The Steelers have quietly had a big off-season. But then, that’s how this team operates. They do their thing and leave the speculation to the rest of the country. So far, they’ve replaced a Super Bowl-winning coach and most of his staff, released one of the most visible linebackers in the league when they gave Joey Porter his walking papers, revamped their defensive scheme, replaced their offensive playbook and drafter a…punter?

Mike Tomlin talks RooneySpeak better than anyone to come along since Chuck Noll, from Bill Cowher to Dick LeBeau to Kevin Colbert. He has a quiet confidence and a “player’s coach” demeanor that has really brought out the best in his players, sans one 300-pound, red-headed man-child who shall remain nameless, but not blameless. Throughout the first few months of his tenure, he has managed to distract his players from the negative and light a fresh new fire under the team. Players are voluntarily working out, often as groups, during their personal time. Attendance at voluntary team functions has been tremendous, as the players are eager to prove their worth to their new leadership — not to mention to get the taste of a bitter, failed season out of their mouths. Players who previously left the leading to other members of the team have begun to step up and take over those leadership positions, both from the departed (Peezy) and those who no longer deserve to lead (Faneca).

Offensively, new coordinator Bruce Arians has created a fresh, new playbook that maintains the Steeler status quo while incorporating new wrinkles like four wideouts on first downs and prominent use of three tight ends. Roethlisberger has spent an inordinate amount of time (for him at least) either speaking with the coaching staff or with his head in a playbook. He’s bonded with Ken Anderson, his new QB coach. Quiet Willie Parker has been relatively outspoken in praising the new offense that will put the ball in his hands in situations that might actually present running room instead of a wall of defenders.

Across the line of scrimmage, the defense has been loaded up too. Defensive end Aaron Smith has been re-signed, and on the other side of the line, Brett Kiesel is learning the nuances of a new philosophy that will have him moving around before the snap to create a whole new level of confusion for opposing offenses. The team added two first-round-quality linebackers in the draft when they picked up Lawrence Timmons and converted end LaMarr Woodley. The secondary should benefit from the return of Ricardo Colclough and the likely emegence of guided missile Anthony Smith. Add in the fact that most of the cornerbacks have been working out in Orlando with conditioning specialists, and this could be a huge year for the defensive backs. The team is going to stay primarily with the familiar 3-4 defensive alignment, meaning there won’t be much of a learning curve for the veterans.

From a strategic standpoint, the biggest move in the league this year may have come when the Steelers moved up in the fourth round of the draft to pick up Dan Sepulveda, a linebacker-turned-punter who has on at least one occassion put up a punt of more than 50 yards and then cleaned the returner’s clock before most of his teammates made it downfield. He punts like Ray Guy and hits like Greg Lloyd, which should result in much better defensive field position for the Steelers this year. Rumor has it he regularly boomed punts of more than 60 yards during workouts this month, putting him in on a level he only shares with the Cowboys’ Matt McBriar. Add in the possibility (purely speculation at this point) that he may be capable of taking over kickoff duties as well, and we could see a lot more touchbacks in 2007 than we have in the ‘Burgh in a quarter century.

It remains to be seen how all the new pieces of the puzzle will fit together. But on the surface, at least, this season has the makings of a contender at the least, and a champion if everyone really gives it the effort they were lacking in 2006.

I write a post about how news is already slow right now, and shortly thereafter the team goes on a…a…a doing-something spree. Let’s skip the gristle and get down to the bone:

1) Steeler assistant sends rude, crude and sexual joke to colleagues. Steelers o-line coach Larry Z. “accidentally” forwards it on further — including to His Highness, league commish Roger Goodell. This comes, of course, on the heels of Goodell’s new league conduct policy, which specifically singles out things of a sexual nature, and makes most things short of playing on Sunday and shaving twice a week a violation of league rules, regardless of whether they violate any actual laws. I’d imagine that would include a certain pair of Redskins publicly stating their support for Michael Vick and his band of traveling KillerMutts. No one expects the two assistants to be punished, but I still think Rog should rub their faces against the screen and say, “No!” Of course, that may have the complete opposite of the desired effect.

One thing worth mentioning: this story was broken by ProFootballTalk.com. They are now officially 2-for-17,331 for accurate reporting. Congrats guys, you just doubled your success level! Bear in mind, this is the same site that runs the Turd Watch and has the Steelers in the top 5 turd-producers a la Richard Siegler, even though the team cut ties with the player prior to his arrest (and, no doubt, because of the warrant). Needless to say, they rank one spot below the third cousin to the Prince of Wales’ chef’s girlfriend on my list of valued NFL news sources.

2) Alan Faneca skips more voluntary workouts. I don’t know how this qualifies as news at this point, considering he said he wouldn’t be there — and the fact that we, the media, have already beat this story to death several times over. If this story was a cat, it would be clinging desperately to life number nine at this point.

3) The Steelers have released Chris Gardocki. File this one under “whoa! Never saw that coming!” You’ll find it in the Sarcasm & Irony Department.

4) Did you hear the Steelers are moving to a new home city? The team will be dropping anchor in Dallas come January 2011 in that ginormous new stadium being built to house the Dallas Cowboys. Of course, after they win the Super Bowl they’re coming back to the ‘Burgh.

Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Thanks to Mondesishouse.com for the heads-up: It seems the person Alan Faneca was mad at Saturday was none other than head coach Mike Tomlin himself.

Tomlin apparently called the guard out during a morning team meeting, saying he wasn’t going to put up with that type of distraction for the team. Faneca proceeded to throw a temper tantrum by skipping the morning practice session. Later that day Tomlin stated he doesn’t have a personal issue with Big Al.

Way to go Mike. SteelerWatch commends your blunt approach to crybaby millionaires.

Four-three. Three-four. Two-five?

The folks at the PG are reporting that defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, master of making quarterbacks spend their day wondering, “where dey?” plans to use defensive end Brett Kiesel as more of a roving linebacker than a player with his hand on the ground.

LeBeau’s mastery of the zone blitz is unparalleled. That’s understandable, considering he invented it. But now he’s taking it to a while new level by potentially having a defensive end drop into coverage on running backs and tight ends, or blitz from the outside, or blitz from the inside, or make sno-cones for the refs.

This is exactly what the team needed to do: switch up a defense that, while dominant over the last ten years, had become stagnant and predictable. By creating movement before the snap — something that had been mysteriously missing last season, due in part to the injuries sustained by Troy Polamalu and also in part to former head coach Bill Cowher’s disinterested attitude — they will create more opportunities to confuse opposing offenses and put more pressure on the quarterback.

Read the whole article here.