If you've been "jonesing" for some Steelers' football, wait no longer. The first practice of training camp is in the books and the past weekend has been interesting to say the least. Most of it has already been discussed in a couple of different fan posts but we'll try and wrap the news of the past weekend and this morning into a nice, little present for all of those craving some Black and Gold news.

Three Starters on the PUP List: If you'd have told me that three starters (yea, I'm counting Chris Kemo as a starter) would open training camp on the physically unable to perform list, I might have jumped off a ledge right then and there. Not only are two of the three starters perennial Pro Bowlers, they're also the heart and sole of a defense that will have to be healthy to be effective. The good news is that the injuries to Troy Polamalu (hamstring) and Chris Kemoeatu (triceps) are considered minor and they shouldn't miss any extended time. The not so good news is that Casey Hampton, aka Big Snack, lived up to his nickname and showed up to camp overweight and out of shape. He couldn't pass the conditioning test and will be reevaluated by Coach Tomlin at a later date. To make matters worse, Hampton didn't seem to concerned about the situation and stated that he did the same thing in 2003 before going to yet another Pro Bowl. Coach Tomlin on the other hand, wasn't taking the situation too lightly and stated several times how disappointed he was in Hampton, the only player who couldn't pass the test. Hopefully this situation will be resolved sooner rather than later. I'd imagine that both Troy and Chris K will be back pretty soon. Tomlin did say that they're both in pretty good shape.

Offensive Line: Trim and Ready to Battle: We've known for a while that the battle for right tackle would be captivating but it might be even better than we expected. We've noted before that Max Starks is a much better player when he's in shape and he reported to camp 10 pounds lighter than last season. According to reports he looks so trim that reporters didn't notice him when he got out of his car. Starks' competition, Willie Colon opened some eyes of his own by reporting 10 pounds lighter himself. However the line position plays out over the next 4 to 5 weeks, it should be a great battle.

Recap of the First Practice: The first practice of Steelers' training camp is in the books and the eye opener in the AM practice was Willie Reid. He's apparently not ready to go down without a fight, literally. He got into skirmishes with Anthony Smith and Andre Frazier during the session. Smith took what some saw as a cheap shot on Reid during a non-contact drill and the brush with Frazier was after Reid attempted to crack him. Reid's on the bubble and he seems to know it. He didn't back down from either Smith or Frazier, both of whom outweigh him considerably. Big Ben talked with him after the practice about letting the coaching staff deal with cheap shots and keeping his cool. With Hampton, Troy P, and Chris K not on the practice field, their spots were filled by Hoke, Carter and Trai Essex. Essex is quite a surprise and if he can effectively backup both guards, he could go a long way to ensuring his spot on the roster over similar players like Capizzi. Also interesting were the players who worked on punt returns (Jeremy Bloom, Holmes, Travis Williams and Reid), but one notable absence from the group was Mewelde Moore.

In order to have a cohesive offensive line and for that matter a cohesive offense as a whole, the interior of an offensive line has to be able to hold their own and win the famed 'battle of the trenches.' We all know that the Steelers struggled with pressure up the middle in 2007 and at times, Ben simply had no time to even brace himself (Dewayne Robertson in Jets game). They'll be hard pressed to improve in 2008 considering that the best interior lineman is now wearing another teams jersey but there is hope that the unit as a whole can be greater than any one player individually. But will it be enough?

The Incumbent Starters/Front-Runners: The starters last year were (from right to left) Kendall Simmons, Sean Mahan and Alan Faneca. Faneca is in New York now and if the season started today, Chris Kemoeatu would start at left guard. Kemo is a passionate, physical and at time wreckless player who is a road-grader in the running game. His lack of control at times and his poor pass protection have kept him off the field until now. He's recently been praised by the coaching staff though who think that he can step in admirably for the departed Faneca. In order to make a case for Simmons and Mahan, you'd have to consider what the offensive line went through in 2007. Simmons,  76 career starts, is a veteran who was playing with a inexperienced tackle to his right and a center playing out of position to his left. It led to his worst season as a professional and off season surgery. He gave up the second most sacks of anyone on the offensive line and was equally bad in the running game. Mahan, a free agent signee from Tampa, played out of position at center and lacked the strength to handle nose tackles. He is undersized (6'3 301) and had tremendous problems in both pass protection and run blocking. There are some though that think a second consecutive year working together would improve the games of Simmons and Mahan.

The Challengers: While fans can be underwhelmed by the lack of Pro Bowl talent at guard and center, they certainly can't be discouraged by a lack of warm bodies. The newcomer, is another free agent signee Justin Hartwig. Hartwig has solid starting experience at center and if he can stay healthy, something he couldn't  do in Carolina, he will instantly upgrade the center of the offensive line. He's got the size and quickness to not only handle the point of attack but also hold his own against pass rushers. Lurking in the shadows at the center position is second year pro, Darnell Stapleton. He was an undrafted rookie last year but the coaching staff thought enough of him to keep him over a two players who were either more experienced or drafted higher. He's gained the weight necessary to play center at an NFL and took reps with the first team at guard this spring. Some fans, myself included, see him as the center of the future and considering that he'll turn 23 in a couple of months, they have time to be patient with the kid. Don't be surprised though if he gets some rave reviews again this year during camp and if Mahan and Hartwig don't perform,  he could get his chance (someone at NFL.com likes him b/c he's already listed at the starter). Another dark horse in the mix at guard is Willie Colon, last year's 16 game starter at right tackle. The first thing that most people say when they see Colon is that he looks like a guard, but to this point in his career the coaching staff have kept him at tackle. If he loses the job to Max Starks early in camp, he could finally start getting reps inside. His added competition could be enough to push Simmons back to the player that he was a couple of seasons ago. If he ends up as a backup though, it's conceivable that he could be the primary backup at RT, RG and LG. 

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So we've ranted and raved about the offensive line since week 4 of last season, but is the solution on the roster? Here's your last chance to predict the starting lineup for week one before camp starts. Is Stapleton the future or just another guy? Is Kemo the answer at LG?

• The Steelers cut one player today, Matt Trannon a 6'6 wide reciever from Michigan State. Trannon broke a finger and missed most of the OTA's. Jim Wexell also reports that the Steelers offered Kevin Jones a one year deal for the league minimum but he chose the Bears instead. 
• Coach T is still optimistic that both Mendenhall and Sweed will be signed and in camp on time. Time is running out though considering that players report on Sunday and the first practice is on Monday. He also notes that FWP and Troy will be 100% on day one and shouldn't be limited in camp. If last year was any indication though, he'll probably give veterans like those two and Ward a handful of days off during camp.
  
• Mike Prisuta thinks that Mendenhall's biggest role this year could be finishing games the way that The Bus used to. There's no doubt that the Steelers miss the 'grind it out style' that Bettis brought to the table but I wouldn't anoint a rookie with that label just yet especially since this offensive line doesn't compare favorably to the OL that Bettis ran behind.
  
• One of BTSC's favorite writers, Dale Lolley breaks down Tomlin's pre-camp press conference (Here's a link to the entire transcript). He's not buying Tomlin's attempt to reassure fans/media about the current status of the defensive line. If Eason makes the final roster it'll be because either McBean (who's healthy and reportedly working his butt off at the facility) or UDFA, Clement failed. Tomlin also said that the team will keep an very close eye on Ryan Clark, but that right now he's back up to his playing weight and feeling great. Max Starks will start camp working at right tackle and no mention was made of Colon working elsewhere (although it's still a possibility). Foote will open camp as the starting ILB, but Timmons could already have won the ILB spot on passing downs.
  

At what point should we start to get worried about Mendy and Sweed not making it on time? Anyone encouraged by the defensive line or are they an accident waiting to happen?

Ok, I've been trying to avoid the topic at all costs, but we can't talk camp battles without talking offensive line. We all know who the candidates are and for the most part we know where the battles will be. One of the most visual and talked about battles along the line will be at right tackle. Tackles are relatively easy to watch during games and most fans will be watching the play of whoever lines up at right tackle. Left tackle is normally the most glamorous position on the offensive line but during training camp 2008, it might be the one that gets the least amount of attention.

The Incumbent Starter: Normally when a fourth round pick becomes a full-time starter in just his second season, he's considered an outstanding success, but that wasn't the case with Willie Colon. Colon struggled through a sophomore season and was credited with allowing the most sacks. It would be uncommon for a tackle not to allow the most sacks but Colon's struggles didn't end with pass protection either. He was often times hit or miss when run blocking and would have two or three plays in which he dominated and then a handful of plays that he looked completely lost and/or ineffective (he was my 'adopted Steeler' late in the season). Inconsistency isn't uncommon for a young starter though so there's plenty of reason to think that he can still develop into a steady and reliable starter in this league. The real question is where? Everyone from scouts to fans to the media has questioned whether Colon would be suited to play guard given his size (6'3 315) and Tomlin has admitted that he will get some reps at guard sometime (although it hasn't happened yet). The future for Colon is uncertain at right tackle but I don't think there's a question about his ability to play somewhere on the offensive line.

The Challenger: Max Starks has 34 career starts and by now most of us know what
to expect from the 6'8, 337 pound lineman. He's an absolute mauler in the running game and according to most, was the best run blocker on the team last year (Faneca included). He's even decent in pass protection, when he's in shape and motivated. The problem with that is that's a big IF. He was average to slightly above average during his first season as a starter (2005) but by most accounts he played out of shape and uninspired football in 2006 and then lost his job to Colon in 2007. Starks looked like he was playing his best football of his career in four late season starts last year when Marvel Smith went down with an injury. Starks was, as we all know, slapped with the transition tag and (for the time being) will play the 2008 season with a $6.9 million dollar price tag. While some think that it would be nothing short of ludicrous to play a backup nearly $7 million a season, in the end Coach Tomlin will likely chose whoever performs the best over the guy with the higher cap hit.

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In the end I wouldn't be surprised one bit if this battle raged all the way through the preseason and a true-starter wasn't named until Houston comes to town on September 7th. After all, Tomlin was still juggling the lineup in the final week of August last year. In my mind, if Starks shows up motivated and in shape (which he has millions of reasons to do so) he'll win the starting job and could look like the best lineman at times. I've been a fan of Colon and I don't want to see his development hindered but if they both play to their 'max potential,' Starks is the better player. If Starks steps forward as the clear cut winner early in camp, I'd look for Colon to get extended reps at both guard and maybe even center (he took reps there last year). Then things really get interesting.....but we'll look at the guard and center situation in a different thread. So who you got? Can Tomlin sit $7 million on the bench if Starks struggles? Is Colon good enough to beat him out?

This always tends to happen and as Coach Tomlin says it's probably a 'necessary evil.' As tough as competition is in the NFL, tempers are going to flare up and fights will break out and that was the case yesterday as two separate bouts broke out while the Steelers were at their indoor practice facility. The participants were Willie Colon and Lawrence Timmons in the first showdown and Trai Essex and Arnold Harrison in the second. Neither scuffle amount to much and were over nearly as soon as they started. After practice Coach T talked about the scuffles:

"Practice broke out into a fight," said head coach Mike Tomlin afterwards. "You know, the competition is good, but the level of intensity has to be there if we want to get better.

"You have to understand professional etiquette; that's what we talked about after practice. These kinds of things have to happen as we develop our football team because it gives us a venue to address them, and why we do what it is that we do and how we approach what it is that we do.

"You don't like to see it happen, but it's a necessary evil. I'm glad that it happened, we addressed it and move on."

• In some actual football related news, Larry Foote sat out yesterday with a sore neck and that of course means that Timmons took all the reps the first group. I've always been a Foote fan but I really hope that Timmons can beat him out this preseason.
  
• Jim Wexell has been giving some pretty detailed OTA reports and some of the news encouraging and some it 'head-scratching' to say the least. I keep trying to move past the OL, but I just couldn't help myself when he mentioned that with the return of Marvel Smith yesterday, the starting lineup was Smith, Chris K, Mahan, Stapleton and Colon (Simmons isn't practicing yet). For what it's worth it looks like the starting five is different almost every day, but for what it's worth, when Mahan is there he runs with the first group. I did find one practice that had Essex running at guard though so it looks like they're trying to throw as much as they can against the wall and we'll see what sticks.
  
• There's also random notes of various players who have looked good at one time or another. Dallas Baker is a name that is in every report for either making a great catch or beating William Gay deep. Travis Williams (undrafted corner from East Carolina) is a youngster that Wexell thinks is worth keeping an eye on. He's also excited about Moore's versatility (compares to Kevin Faulk) and says the 10 pounds that Russell put on seem to help him quite a bit. Don't worry though Wexell also mentions how 'studly' Mendenhall looks at everything he's done so far. In addition to Simmons and Foote sitting out Ryan McBean, Deshea Townsend, Traivs Kirschke, Najeh Davenport, Willie Parker and Santonio Holmes were all sidelined with various bumps and bruises. It too early for someone to seriously worry about their job but if I was Davenport I don't think I'd let some minor bump/bruise keep me from the field considering all the praise we're hearing on the younger backs.
• In an earlier practice from last week, Timmons talks about LeBeau's new wrinkle for the dime defense that includes Timmons and Farrior as the inside backers. During that same practice they worked on punt returns with the returners going in this order: Reid, Moore, Holmes, Marion, Bloom, and Travis Williams. Wexell also mentions Tony Hills getting beaten badly by Silverback, although that's a heck of an assignment for the rookie. Anthony Smith is working at strong safety behind Tyrone Carter while Grant Mason is taking the second string reps at free safety behind Clark.

Thoughts about OTA's so far? Anyone run across any other news?

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I ran across a video (that you can watch here) that left me pretty perplexed. The Las Vegas PD was simulating crashes involving multiple vehicles and also accidents involving a pedestrian earlier this week, but for some reason they but a Ben Roethlisberger jersey on the pedestrian. I don't know what was more off setting, the idea that putting a jersey on a crash test dummy or the reporters skating around the mention of it.

So I was bored this morning and was taking a look at the contract status the current roster and one thing kept jumping out at me: there are an awful lot of players who will be free agents. This past off season was a relatively easy one for the front office considering there weren't many free agents and outside of the Max Starks fiasco, there weren't many difficult decisions. February 2009 would be a completely different story though, here's a quick list of the free agents to be:

Wow, in case anyone is counting that list of players has combined to start 295 games and play in over 500 games for the Steelers. Now to be honest some of these guys will be restricted free agents and several of these names are possible cut victims during camp. Willie Colon, Willie Reid, Anthony Smith, Anthony Madison, Grant Mason, Arnold Harrison and Ryan McBean will all be restricted free agents and Carey Davis might be as well but I'm not sure because he's actually been in the league since 2004.

Obviously the biggest losses will come on the offensive line. While one or two of these guys may get new deals in Pittsburgh, they simply can't all be retained. If I'm taking guesses, the most likely would seem to be Chris Kemoeatu, who might get a new deal before the season even starts. After Chris K, I'd have to think either Starks or Marvel, but that'll likely depend on who the front office/coaching staff sees as the future at left tackle. Essex is just a guy so I'd imagine with Hills being added to the mix, this is probably his final season in the Burgh.

Washington, Reid, Davenport, and Batch are probably playing their final season here, if they make it through the season. Reid and Davenport seem to be on the chopping block already. Washington's future took a shot with the drafting of Limas Sweed. Carey Davis will probably get a new deal even if he isn't a RFA, if for no other reason than he'll likely be very cheap.

For the defensive guys, the two big questions are obvious: what to do with McFadden and Farrior? Is Farrior worth a new deal at 33 years old and will he be willing to give a 'hometown discount?' Can McFadden stay healthy long enough to finally prove he's the playmaker that some of us think he is? I honestly don't know the answers to these questions and even though I'd really like to see both of these guys back in 2009 and beyond, it'll likely depend on whether they want to be here or not.

So who do you see as they guys we absolutely have to keep? Is this something we should be concerned about or does this look like a purge of mostly marginal players?

As training camp inches closer and OTAs near their conclusion later this month, the competition for starting jobs along the offensive line will begin to sort themselves out.  Thank God for that, as I can't imagine there being any possible angle that we haven't discussed here on BTSC.

It occured to me however, that there's one guy who's name has been thrown around more recently that I know very little about: 2nd year C/G Darnell Stapleton. Who is he, where did he come from and what are his chances to make this team and then contribute? Let's take a look.

Background:

Stapleton was a 2-year starter for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in 2005 and 2006, following a 2-year stint at Hudson Valley Community College.  At Hudson Valley, Stapleton impressed with his skills and durability. He started 21 consecutive games while there, a school record, including all 11 in 2004, and helped anchor an offensive line that paved the way for a ground game that accumulated 169.7 rushing yards per game.

It's not clear if Stapleton started out at JC instead of a 4-year university for academic reasons or simply because he had yet to fill out his big frame, but following his two-year stint at JC, Stapleton did not waste any time cracking the starting lineup at Rutgers.  He secured a starting role at center during training camp in 2005, and proceeded to start all 12 games for a 2005 Scarlet Knights team that made enormous strides under head coach Greg Schiano before breaking through on the national stage in a huge way in 2006.

 
Stapleton helped Ray Rice set all sorts of records at Rutgers

In 2005, the Scarlet Knights' offense had seven 100+ yard rushing games, and tailback Ray Rice, who will commence his NFL career this coming year, eclipsed the 1,000 yard plateau as just as freshman, the first time a RB has done so there since 1994.

In 2006, Stapleton followed up his junior year with an even more impressive senior campaign.  Darnell again showcased his durability, starting all 13 games for a Rutgers team that was on the brink of an unthinkable BCS game appearance before flaming out against Cincinnati if I recall correctly. Regardless, the team set all sorts of school records. Ray Rice rushed for nearly 1800 yards, the second highest total in the nation, and a Big East Conference single season record. Although the Scarlet Knights' offense did not throw the ball much (for good reason(s) - their running game was elite and their QB stunk), Stapleton helped the team allow the fewest sacks in the nation (8).

Stapleton, at Rutgers, prior to filling out

Stapleton's solid play in 2005 and during the early parts of 2006 helped make him a finalist for the Remington Trophy, awarded each year to the nation's top Center. Other finalists that year included USC's Ryan Kalil, Michigan's Mark Bihl, Ohio State's Doug Datish, Arkansas' Jonathan Luigs, and West Virginia's Dan Mozes. Not shabby company.

Kalil will be the Panthers' starting center this coming year. Justin Hartwig, in fact, was released and is now a Steeler because of Kalil's emergence. Dough Datish was selected in the 6th round by the Atlanta Falcons in 2007; Mozes, the 2006 Remington winner, went undrafted and was cut this past year after blowing out his knee in August; Luigs won the Remington in 2007 for the Razorbacks and will be a senior this coming year for Bobby Petrino's Hogs; and finally, Bihl was signed as an UDRFA by the Chargers in 2007 but was cut in early September of last year.

Anyway, from the looks of it, Stapleton has a chance to join Kalil as one of the better centers to emerge from the 2006 and 2007 crop. As I mentioned last week, Stapleton seems to be impressing the coaching staff, at least so says Dale Lolley:

The coaching staff seems to really like Stapleton and the fact they feel comfortable enough to line the youngster up at guard as well as his regular center position speaks volumes about that.

As has been mentioned, the main reason Stapleton seems better suited to play and contribute this year is his weight. He's up to nearly 315 pounds, a dramatic increase from the 285 pounds or so he came in to the league at. And from the looks of it, it's a trim and cut 315 pounds.

Fitter and more confidnet, will Stapleton see the
field in 2008?

Guys, here's the deal. One of the reasons we didn't panic in this year's draft is because we have guys like Darnell Stapleton and Willie Colon on the roster. Colon is just 24 years old (he turns 25 in exactly one week) and has a chance to be solid if he can improve in 2008 following a 2007 season when he struggled yet gained boatloads of experience. And Stapleton is not yet 23 years old. He's got a long track record of durability, he just now is at an acceptable playing weight and level of strength, and there's no reason to not at least think there's a chance for him to develop into a long-term solution at either center or guard in this league. Not every solid OL starter in the NFL is a first-day draft pick.

2008 may not be his time to start and shine for this team, but I feel more than confident saying that he will be a part of our 53-man roster. Be it at guard or at center, he may very well see action as well, and if early offseason practices are any indication of whether or not he is ready if called upon, he seems to be on the right track.