• 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?

First and foremost, camp is only 7 days away. We've waited nearly seven months for Steelers' football to resume and it's almost here. As Hank Williams Jr would ask, are you ready for some football??

• James Farrior's going to be a free agent after this season and while both sides are saying that they are hopeful a deal can get done, he's aware of the Steelers' history of letting 30-something players walk. His agent claims that Farrior thinks he can play another four or five years and that he doesn't think he'll return to Pittsburgh if an extension isn't done before the start of the season.
  
• Dale Lolley has some encouraging news on the upcoming signing of both Sweed and Mendenhall. He thinks that Sweed's deal will be announced by Friday and Mendenhall's should be done by the weekend. There's also a very interesting note about a possible veteran signing/extension. Could it be Farrior or McFadden or Marvel Smith? Any other guesses?
• Here's a small preview of another camp battle that we'll roll out later today. Pro Football Weekly says that it's not a sure thing that Timmons will take Foote's starting job and even goes as far to say that they could both play vital role's in the defense this season. We'll dive into this potential battle in depth later today.
  
• I don't put any faith in this report but it's out there so here goes. Santonio Holmes is working on punt returns and could be the primary punt returner for the Steelers, according to Pro Football Weekly. They're also considering a host of running backs on kickoff returns including Mendenhall, Moore and Russell. Russell seems like an odd name to throw in the mix but if Davenport can return kicks, I guess Russell can too.

In a preparation for the start of training camp and subsequently the kickoff of football season we're taking a look at what should be hotly contested position battles. Yesterday we looked at the #2 corner back spot that should be up for grabs between Deshea Townsend and Bryant McFadden, but today we switch gears to the offensive side of the ball. Heading into the draft, the top three spots at the wide receiver position looked nearly set in stone with Ward and Holmes as the 1 and 1a and Nate Washington as the third option. April 26th might have thrown a monkey wrench into the depth chart at wide receiver though when Limas Sweed fell to the Steelers in the second round. While it may be hard for rookie wideouts to make an immediate impact, Sweed should keep Washington looking over his shoulder.

The Incumbent Starter: Nate Washington wasn't supposed to make it in this league. He was undrafted out of tiny Tiffin University, in fact he's the first Tiffin alumni to play in the modern era of the NFL. He's had an up and down career during his three seasons in the league. He's often criticized for having bad hands and at times his maddening inconsistency will lead to him making an acrobatic catch followed by a routine dropped pass. To his credit though, he's got the speed to stretch defenses (10 receptions of 30+ yards in last two seasons) and he's still incredibly young (soon to be 25) for a guy with three years of experience (played in 33 games and added 6 starts). Inconsistency isn't uncommon in young players and Nate showed signs of becoming a better player in 2007, even though he caught fewer than the previous season. His catch percentage actually went up in 2007 from 2006 so hopefully he's growing into a more consistent player. Plus, Nate has the motivation of being in a contract year. He signed a one year tender this offseason and if he gets relegated to the 4th receiver, whatever contract hopes he might have had, could be gone quickly.

The Challlenger: The Steelers got a stroke of luck when Limas Sweed fell into their laps at the 53rd overall pick. Sweed struggled with a wrist injury his senior season and it prevented him from playing in the Senior Bowl, but that could end up being a blessing in disguise for the Steelers. Had Sweed played his senior season he'd likely have continued to improve on his career numbers and would have jumped to the top of the prospective wide receivers in the draft. He's a tall, athletic, complete wide receiver who could end up being the go-to receiver once Ward hangs it up. He doesn't have elite speed but he works the middle of the field, has excellent body control, great leaping ability and has knack for making the big play when his team needs it most. He's also a willing blocker for a receiver just out of college and with work from player/coach Hines Ward, Sweed could grow into a great blocker given his size (6'4 212). Sweed could be an immediate threat in the red zone and his sticky hands could be more valuable on third down situations than Washington's inconsistent nature.

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We know that Coach Tomlin preferred to play veterans over promising rookies last year but Nate doesn't really fit the definition of an accomplished, reliable veteran. Washington does have the advantage of knowing the offense inside and out and he's already developed chemistry with Big Ben, but he'll have to have a career year if he wants to hold off Sweed. No one has been a bigger defender of Nate Washington than myself, but even I can read the writing on the wall at this point.
Teams don't draft second rounders to sit in waiting for three or four years. Sweed may not seriously push Washington until the middle of the season or so, but it'll happen eventually. With Washington only being under contract for one more season, they should have even more motivation to get Sweed into the mix early and often. Thoughts/Predictions/Concerns? Is Washington on a one year audition for other teams or will Pittsburgh try and bring him back? Who will end up with the better season?

The Steelers have worked quickly this offseason and with only a couple of weeks remaining until players report for the start of camp (July 27th), only two rookies remain unsigned. The Steelers opened July by inking three picks to contracts on the 7th. Bruce Davis, Tony Hills and Dennis Dixon all agreed to three year contracts and each had minimum base salaries. Two more picks, Mike Humpal and Ryan Mundy, agreed to terms last Friday and both contracts were for three seasons with league minimum salaries. First round pick, Rashard Mendenhall and second round pick Limas Sweed are the only rookies who aren't under contract yet, but they'll be the most difficult to finalize.

That Steelers aren't behind by any means though considering that only a handful of first or second round picks have been signed so far. In fact only three first rounders and one second rounder have signed contracts as of the middle of last week. With basically 13 days left before players report to camp, they'll have to starting working out the details quickly. No one wants to see a camp hold out, especially from two guys who should contribute early and often as rookies. Does everyone feel pretty confident that we'll see both Mendenhall and Sweed on the field in Latrobe on July 28th?

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?