SteelerWatch

The typical defensive end in the NFL is built for a combination of power and speed. Some lean one way or the other; Dwight Freeny is a speed-rushing defensive end, using primarily speed and quickness to get to the quarterback. Guys like Michael Strahan rely more on power and technique to get into the offensive backfield. And there are beasts like Jevon Kearse who are both fast and insanely strong.

Then there’s the atypical end: a 3-4 guy. Because the 4-3 defensive enjoys widespread adoption in the NFL, most ends are smaller and quicker. But their job is getting to the quarterback; traditionally, in a 3-4 defense, an end exists purely for run defense, and to occupy offensive linemen while the much smaller (230 to 250 pounds), much quicker linebackers attack the quarterback. They’re often huge, tipping the scales at 270 to 300 pounds or more, and they’re strong, too. These aren’t interior, gut-over-the-belt defensive tackles. They’re solid, chiseled and, usually, meaner than hell.

And of all the 3-4 defensive ends in the league, Steeler standout Aaron Smith may just be the best of them all.

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When your starting running back, who posted the sixth-best rushing total in the league last year and added 16 touchdowns to that, is only the sixth best player on your team, you know you’ve got talent.

And it was hard, to some extent, to justify putting Willie Parker this low on the list, just like it was hard to put Ben Roethlisberger all the way down at ninth. Parker could very well be top-three at this time next year, though. For him, there are no nagging doubts; it’s purely a lack of experience that’s keeping him from being any higher on this list.

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Who will be the starting center in 2007?  It’s up in the air going in to training camp, with free agent acquisition Sean Mahan the early, albeit slight, leader.  Will it be the new guy in town?  Or will incumbent Chukky Okobi step up in camp and get it done?  What about 2006 third-stringer Marvin Philip, or even Kendall Simmons, who was used at the position as an experiment during spring workouts?  Chime in!

Few players on the field get as little recognition as a fullback. That effect is exaggerated on teams that have a wealth of talent at tailback. Thanks to the solid play of Jerome Bettis, Willie Parker and anyone else who has suited up and stepped into the backfield for the Steelers — except, of course, Richard Huntley and Amos Zeroue — fullback Dan Kreider has spent his seven-year career amassing a game worth of statistics.

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SteelerWatch keeps expanding to give you everything you need in one stop. Now on SteelerWatch: The SteelerGear store! Find your favorite player’s jersey — current, or old-school. Also look through the DVD collection and, a must for every die-hard, tailgating accessories.

You can get there by clicking here or by clicking the link below the featured product in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

Tight ends haven’t played a very big role in Steeler football since the days of Eric Green. After he left, they were used primarily as decoys and extra blockers. But the arrival of Miller signaled a gradual change in that philosophy, which has now culminated with the departures of Bill Cowher and Ken Whisenhunt. Known more for his receiving abilities than his blocking, Miller came in as a perfect complement to run-oriented Jerame Tuman. Two seasons later, Tuman is the complement.

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The Post-Gazette has posted the just-released training camp schedule.  There’s nothing out of the ordinary, with two night practices two closed practices.  Everything else is wide open , with all daytime practices running from 2:55 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Training camp  begins July 23, with the first practice July 24.

Now be honest. You just looked at that headline and your jaw hit the floor. “Our franchise quarterback, only the ninth-best player on the team?!” I mean no disrespect, folks. It’s just a simple fact that Roethlisberger is a great game manager, but until he proves otherwise, he’s just not one of those “top-five” quarterbacks in the league. He’s not Peyton Manning, he’s not (this hurts to say) Tom Brady. Yes, he posted a phenomenal record in his first two years, but he slipped a lot last year. Part of that was due to the injuries from the motorcycle crash. But there are too many unknowns to rank him any higher.

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I’ll be honest with you up front: the top nine were easy to pick. It was that tenth spot that was tough. Marvell Smith has been great, but he slipped a good bit last year. Anthony Smith will be on this list for years to come, but he hasn’t had the playing time to date that can show the kind of consistent play needed to make the cut. Same goes for Brett Kiesel, Nate Washington and Bryant McFadden. Even Ike Taylor fell out of favor at SteelerWatch after last season. Chances are he’ll be here next year, but this is a list of who is the best going into training camp.

Santonio Holmes had his work cut out for him last year. Your top draft pick always will,but he had the added weight of being regarded by most as the
best receiver in the 2006 Draft. Had they said he was the best punt returner in the draft, we likely would have lynched the football “experts” by week five.

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To borrow a descriptive phrase from my “sports mistress” — auto racing — we’re in the home stretch.  Two weeks from today, the players and coaches will take to the field at St. Vincent College for the first training camp session.  Or, to put it in football terms, consider the next 14 days to be the first of two bye-weeks this year.

To celebrate the fact that we’re also less than a month away from the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, which should go pretty well since Ohio is the Steelers’ stomping ground away from home, we’re giving you our thoughts on the guys we consider to be the top ten Steelers currently on the roster.  Picking an all-time team would just be too hard — we’d get hung up helplessly at linebacker.

So sit back and enjoy the countdown.