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EDDIE LACY

Mark Kaboly  |  Tribune-Review

If it is up to NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, the Steelers should take a long look at bruising Alabama running back Eddie Lacy with the 17^th pick in April’s NFL Draft.

Mayock said the reason is that general manager Kevin Colbert “has always valued need” and it’s hard-pressed to find a greater need than running back for the Steelers heading into the draft.

With free agent running back Rashard Mendenhall unlikely to return, the Steelers are left with Jonathan Dwyer, Isaac Redman, Baron Batch  and fullback Will Johnson on the roster.

“If Eddie Lacy is sitting there – and I think he could be – that is the only guy I would put a first-round grade on,” Mayock said. “He kind of fits what Pittsburgh does so he could be a potential consideration at this point.”

MIKE MAYOCK

The Steelers’ run game could use a shot in the arm.

As a team, the Steelers rushed for 1,537 yards – their second fewest in a full season since the NFL adopted a 16-game schedule in 1978. It also was their fifth-worst rushing season in the past 50 years and their worst in any nonlosing season during that time. Dwyer’s 623 yards also represented the second-lowest total by a team leader to Merril Hoge‘s 610 yards in 1991.

The 5-foot-11, 220-pound Lacy could provide an immediate impact. He rushed for 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns at Alabama last year including 140 yards in the title game against Notre Dame, but getting a running back in the first round doesn’t mean automatic success, according to Mayock.

Over the past five drafts, there were 14 first-round picks. However, eight of them missed significant time due to injury.

That could be the reason why there have been only four running backs taken in the first round over the past two years, two of which came from Alabama – Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson.

“The first-round running back is by no means a bang the table, starting top line running back,” Mayock said. “I think you can get a running back in the second, third and fourth rounds, I really do.”

But after that, you are pushing it.

Only seven of the 32 starting running backs in the NFL at the end of last year were picked after the third round.

“You can get running backs pretty much two, three and four,” Mayock said. “Ray Rice, LeSean McCoy, Matt Forte, Bernard Pierce, DeMarco Murray, Steven Ridley, Jamaal Charles – I think you can get those guys. I do believe that you can get quality in the second, third and fourth rounds at the running back position.”

There are quality after the third round like Washington’s Alfred Morris, Atlanta’s Michael Turner and undrafted Arian Foster of Houston, but for the most part, running backs after the third round come with baggage, according to Mayock.

“When you drop into the third and fourth rounds, what you are getting is one or the other,” Mayock said. “You are not getting a three-down back. You are either getting the guy who is a third-down, change-of-pace guy or you are getting that bigger back that really doesn’t have that burst or acceleration. What that means in that you need two of them.”

Since the merger, the Steelers drafted only five running backs in the first round – Franco Harris, Greg Hawthorne, Walter Abercrombie, Tim Worley and Mendenhall.

TOP OF THE CLASS

Here is a list of current starting NFL running backs
and what round they were drafted:

1st round

Marshawn Lynch – Seattle

Steven Jackson – St. Louis

Beanie Wells – Arizona

Doug Martin – Tampa Bay

C.J. Spiller – Buffalo

Reggie Bush – Miami

Trent Richardson – Cleveland

Chris Johnson – Tennessee

Knowshown Moreno – Denver

Darren McFadden – Oakland

Ryan Mathews – San Diego

Adrian Peterson – Minnesota

Jonathan Stewart – Carolina

David Wilson – N.Y Giants

Cedric Benson – Green Bay

2nd round

Ray Rice – Baltimore

Maurice Jones-Drew – Jacksonville

LeSean McCoy – Philadelphia

Matt Forte – Chicago

Mikell LeShore – Detroit

3rd round

Stevan Ridley – New England

Shonn Greene – N.Y. Jets

Jamaal Charles – Kansas City

DeMarco Murray – Dallas

Frank Gore – San Francisco

4th round

NONE

5th round

Vick Ballard – Indianapolis

Michael Turner – Atlanta

6th round

Jonathan Dwyer – Steelers

Alfred Morris – Washington

Undrafted

Arian Foster – Houston

Benjarvus Green-Ellis – Cincinnati

Pierre Thomas – New Orleans

By Alan Robinson

Welcome back to Pittsburgh, Danny Smith. Now get to work.

Smith is the Steelers’ third special teams coordinator in seven months — not that long ago, only Pitt head coaches turned over that quickly — and an analysis of the Steelers’ 2012 special teams shows there is considerable work for him to do.

Partly because of a falloff by primary punt returner Antonio Brown — and one glaring touchdown-causing mistake that cost them a game and perhaps the playoffs — the Steelers’ special teams ranked only 17th in the 32-team NFL this season, according to Football Outsiders.

That represents a substantial drop-off from 2012, when the Steelers were a more-than-good No. 9 overall.

Then again, maybe not all of that decline was entirely the Steelers’ fault.

According to the analysis site, the Steelers were 30th in the league in Hidden Elements — those generally out of their control, such as the distance by opponents on punts and kickoffs and opposing field goals.

The Steelers also were 29th in weather, the estimated effect of weather, altitude and domed stadiums on each team’s special teams performance.

But some statistics don’t lie.

When the Steelers were 12-4 in 2011, they averaged10.5 yards on punt returns — all but three of them by Brown — and 25.1 yards on kickoff returns, with all but eight by Brown.

This past season, when they slid to 8-8, their kickoff return average improved slightly to 25.3 — the since-released Chris Rainey handled 39 of them — but their punt average averaged dipped to 7.3 yards — or about a three yards per possession difference. Brown’s average went from 10.8 to 6.8.

Their most effective punt returner was Emmanuel Sanders, who had a 10.3 average on nine returns.

Drew Butler averaged 43.8 yards per punt during his rookie season, off from the 46.1 of Daniel Sepulveda and the 45.0 of Jeremy Kapinos in 2011.

Kicker Shaun Suisham was responsible for the one substantially upgraded area, field goal kicking. He was 28 of 31 (90.3 percent) compared to 23 of 31 (74.2 percent) in 2011.

The most glaring special teams mistake was the 63-yard punt return touchdown return by Jacoby Jones that decided the Super Bowl champion Ravens’ 13-10 win in Pittsburgh on Nov. 18. That score effectively eliminated the Steelers from the postseason, though they hardly knew it at the time.

Smith is a former Pittsburgh Central Catholic athlete and coach who spent the last nine seasons as the Redskins special teams coach. Washington’s special teams ranked 27th in the Football Outsiders rankings, down from 21st a season ago.

The Steelers couldn’t catch Jacoby Jones … and they never caught up in the standings.

By Alan Robinson

So were the Steelers a playoff team?

There appears to be a difference in opinion even within the organization.

If the Steelers kick the field goal at the end of the Bengals game on Dec. 23, instead of the other way around, they almost certainly would have traveled to Houston during the wild card weekend. That defeat was one of five by a 3-point margin, including one to the AFC finalist Ravens.

Based on what general manager Kevin Colbert said Wednesday, the Steelers are what they are — an 8-8 team that wasn’t good enough, one that was deficient in multiple areas and might require an offseason facelift.

“They’re playing and we’re not,” Colbert said, a reference to the four teams still chasing the Lombardi Trophy. ” I don’t want to say we’re close. I’m more disappointed, disappointed in myself that those 61 players were 8-8.

“Are we close to those teams? We haven’t played since first week of January and they have. The reality is we’re 8-8,” he added.

Last week, team president Art Rooney II had a slightly different take –in his mind, the Steelers were a playoff team, were comparable to many in the field and could have done damage in the playoffs.

“When you sit here and look at the teams in the playoffs, we feel like we can play with those guys,” Rooney said. “You sit here and you feel like if we had gotten into the playoffs we could have been on the same field with these teams and been competitive. I still feel like we’re a team that’s capable of being in the playoffs. That’s what we’re shooting for and I think the attitude around the building is that we’ve got to do everything we can to utilize this offseason in a way that gets us ready for next season. Most of our players are saying the right things. They’re not going to waste this offseason, they are going to work hard and get ready.”

To Rooney, the question is to find out why the Steelers didn’t get there, then make the proper adjustments and corrections in advance of the 2013 season.

Here’s a note to file away for the future: The Steelers haven’t missed the playoffs in successive seasons since 1999-2000 (during a three-season absence from 1998-2000).

Mark Kaboly | Tribune-Review
The Steelers head into the offseason with now 17 unrestricted free agents after signing Justin King and six restricted free agents. We will take a look at each individual player up until free agency starts on March 12.

Name: Plaxico Burress

Contract status: Free agent

Position: Wide receiver

Height: 6-5

Weight: 232

*Age: 36

Experience: 11

Wide receivers on the current roster: Antonio Brown, Jerricho Cotchery, David Gilreath, Bert Reed, Derek Moye

Free agent wide receivers: Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders (RFA)
2011 season: Despite not playing for nearly a year, Plaxico Burress was signed at the end of November for the veteran’s minimum salary because the Steelers were going through major injuries issues at wide receiver with Antonio Brown and Jerricho Cotchery hurt. Burress played four games, saw limited snaps and caught only three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown. Still, Burress did produce in his limited number of opportunities. A pass interference call in the end zone in Cleveland during his first game with the team set up a Steelers’ touchdown, and he caught two pretty passes in the season-finale against the Browns, including a fourth-quarter touchdown. Burress was inactive for two games.

What about this: Burress started three of the four games he played for the Steelers, but took part in only 34 total snaps.

What the Steelers should do with Burress: If it was up to the Steelers, which it likely won’t be, they should asked Burress back to provide leadership and depth to a position that is in dire need of both. However, it would have to be at the right price – one-year, vet minimum deal again. It’s not a secret the Burress wanted to get on a roster last year so he could show that he could still play and that he could be a team player. In my opinion, Burress showed both of that last year, and if he is willing to come back for not much money, the Steelers would welcome him with open arms.

What the Steelers will do with Burress: The question should be what does Burress want to do. If Burress gets any kind of offer from any of the other 31 NFL teams, he would likely jump at the opportunity. Burress still feels that he can be at least a No. 2 in the league or at worst, a No. 3 receiver. If he comes back with the Steelers, he would be no better than a No. 4, and in the Steelers’ offense, the No. 4 receiver doesn’t see much field time. Ultimately, I do believe that Burress can help a team more than the 34 snaps he was afforded with the Steelers last year and he will sign somewhere else. But as I stated before, if he wants to come back for the same deal he had last year monetarily and play-time wise, he should be more than welcomed. With Burress, it is going to be up to him, not the organization.
* Age at start of 2013 season

Mark Kaboly | Tribune-Review

With the Steelers in position because of need and draft slot to have a legitimate shot of taking Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o in the first round of April’s NFL Draft, the question has popped up if they would still be interested in Te’o in light of the recent ‘hoax’ involving the death of what turned out to be his fake internet girlfriend.

Truth of the matter is that it is way too early to make that determination.

However, as it sit right now, there is nothing that has come out (as of Jan. 17) that suggest that the ‘hoax’ should affect Te’o’s draft status.

If the kid can play, he can play, and that will be determined over the next few months at the Combine and at his Pro Day.

It would be irresponsible for any NFL organization to let this affect his draft position as we stand today.

If you are an NFL organization that tosses him off your draft board because he was ‘duped’ or may have not been 100 percent honest, then you are doing your organization a disservice.

Te’o did nothing illegal and nothing wrong, other than maybe have a lack of judgment and common sense. And seriously, if you feel like looking, I am sure you can come up with many 21-year-olds in this year’s draft that did something entailing a lack of judgment and common sense.

As for the Steelers, they will absolutely not eliminate Te’o from consideration because of this. Kevin Colbert will do his due diligence and the organization will investigate the issue for itself and make its own determination based on what they find and how their interview at the Combine goes.

But the bottom line is that if it is determined by the scouts and the organization that Te’o is a legitimate player and can help them, the Steelers would and should take him. Same goes with every other team in the league.

But again, this is all predicated on what we know now.

Tomorrow might bring something totally different.

Mark Kaboly | Tribune-Review

Sure, the NFL Draft isn’t for another three months, but since the Jan. 15 deadline for underclassmen to declare for draft has passed, mock drafts are popping up everywhere, including on NFL.com

The site put out its first mock draft with a panel of six of their experts — Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah, Charles Davis, Gil Brandt, Albert Breer and Josh Norris — with all having the Steelers taking a defensive player with the 17th overall pick.

However, none of the NFL.com experts think the Steelers will select Notre Dame inside linebacker Manti Te’o even though five of the six experts have him still available when the Steelers pick.

Only Davis has Te’o going before the Steelers pick while the majority of the experts have Te’o being selected by the Bears with the 20th overall pick.

Here is who the NFL.com experts have the Steelers taking:

Brooks: Florida safety Matt Elam
Jeremiah: Mississippi State cornerback Johnthan Banks
Davis: Georgia defensive tackle John Jenkins
Brandt: Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson
Breer: Texas strong safety Kenny Vaccaro
Norris: Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones

Now, it’s hard to imagine the Steelers would take a defensive tackle like Davis and Brandt suggests, but every other player mentioned would surely fit a need.

However, you have to realize that there is a long way to go from now until the draft and things tend to change a whole bunch following the Combine, which is scheduled for Feb. 20-26 in Indianapolis.

Mark Kaboly | Tribune-Review

It just may be a coincidence that up until late in this past season that the top two cornerbacks in the NFL with the most consecutive games played were Ike Taylor and William Gay — both big proponents of working out with renowned trainer Tom Shaw during the offseason in Orlando.

Now, Shaw feels that he can provide Steelers fans what they desire the most — a healthy and in shape LaMarr Woodley.

Shaw told the Trib’s John Harris that he could remedy Woodley’s chronic hamstring issues that cost the outside linebacker seven games over the past two seasons along with parts of a couple others. Woodley also missed two games because of sprained ankle.

“There are three ways to pull a hamstring — overuse, overstriding and dehydration,” Shaw told Harris. “A linebacker who makes 80 percent of his plays within 10 yards is playing within a box. He shouldn‘t hit his (full) stride length. I want Woodley to come down here. He‘s a hard worker, but we teach the proper way to run.”

Linebacker coach Keith Butler told me during training camp that Woodley was too big the year before which contributed to his slow start. However, Butler said he liked how Woodley (who is listed a 266 pounds) came into training camp in shape this past year.

“At some point in time they realize they have to work in order to stand out in this league,” Butler told me in August. “If you don’t work, you are just going to be another guy — a good player, but not a great player.”

Still, Woodley collected only four sacks this year and 13 over the past two after three consecutive years of double-digit sacks.

Mark Kaboly | Tribune-Review

Huntley Johnson, lawyer for recently released Steelers running back Chris Rainey, said that his client did not slap his girlfriend last week which led to Rainey’s arrest, and also questioned a possible disgruntled neighbor’s testimony to the police.

Johnson told 93.7 The Fan’s Starkey and Miller Show with Colin Dunlap on Monday that Rainey’s girlfriend was not hit in any way by his client.

“The young lady has been extremely clear that Chris did not strike her,” Johnson said. “(There are) allegations (of Rainey slapping the woman) from one of the witnesses, who is one of Mr. Rainey’s next door neighbors that there may or may not been some unpleasant history with in the past. Just say that we looked into that and I am not sure anybody else has.”

According to Gainesville Police, Rainey slapped the woman and pulled her out of a car in an attempt to get his cell phone out of her purse. He chased her when she ran away, grabbing her bag and knocking them both to the ground.

“The next door neighbor said that there was a slap,” Johnson said. “The victim said there was not a slap. We have other witnesses that say that there was never a slap. There are no marks on here whatsoever. Chris Rainey is not the biggest guy in the NFL but he is not a wimp. If he had hit her with his open hand she would’ve been marked.”

Johnson said that he believes there was a tussle over a backpack that had Rainey’s cell phone in it and that was the extent of the incident.

“It was immature actions on his and her part, but immaturity a crime doesn’t make,” Johnson said.

Johnson said that if the state doesn’t drop the charges against Rainey that he expects to go to trial.

Other highlights of the interview with Johnson include:

* On whether the Steelers had a conversation with Rainey at any point telling him any incident would result in his release: “I am going to have to guess and say that didn’t occur. It may have occurred but I was not made aware of that.”

* On if he thinks Rainey was made an example of because of Alameda Ta’amu’s recent arrest: “ … I do know who Ben Roethlisberger is and I would say that it would go back to him and the Steelers being very sensitive about the criticism they took in the national media about that.”

* On if Chris Rainey has a gambling problem: “I don’t know that. He may. My understanding of that was that he was on a self inclusion list for another casino that was affiliated with the casino he received the trespass at. A gambling problem can be defined in a lot of different ways. I do not know if Chris has a gambling problem. I would say that, if he asks me, or if he doesn’t ask me, he needs to stay out of any and all casinos to show all those who are interested that he doesn’t have a gambling need. Whether he has a problem is up for interpretation.”

* On his feeling about the Steelers: “I was at Chris’ apartment the other day and he has Steelers memorabilia all over his apartment. I know it is too late for the Steelers, but he is heartbroken that he was cut by the Steelers. He is hopeful he will be picked up by somebody else. He had strong feeling for that organization and, I will say, was shocked that he was cut from the team.”

Mark Kaboly | Tribune-Review

Maurkice Pouncey had some real good games this year (Oakland, Philadelphia, Giants) but also had some stinkers as well (Jets and San Diego although he played guard against Chargers).

Pouncey had a solid year. Nothing more and nothing less. But an All-Pro season? Well, that’s debatable.

Pouncey was selected as to the 2nd team All-Pro center behind Seattle’s Max Unger.

Pouncey was hurt for part of the year and the Steelers running game wasn’t very good at all, so it is hard to be able to put together a good argument for Pouncey over some other centers around the league.

For my money, I like Houston’s Chris Myers and Minnesota’s John Sullivan and even Miami’s Mike Pouncey ahead of Maurkice Pouncey but when you do what Maurkice Pouncey did his rookie year, you reap benefits for years to come.

I will say this though: When Maurkice Pouncey is healthy, there are few that are better than him in the NFL.

Mark Kaboly | Tribune-Review

Jerome Bettis was turned away at the goalline the past two years when it comes to induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Look for the former Steelers bruising tailback to finally hit pay dirt when the 2013 class in announced Feb. 2 — the day before the Super Bowl — in New Orleans as Bettis and linebacker Kevin Greene were among 15 finalist announced Friday.

After being a finalist his first two years of eligibility, Bettis will likely be elected this time because a lack of competition at the position this year. There are no other running backs among the 15 finalists.

In his first two years of eligibility, Bettis had been blocked by other running backs. Marshall Faulk got elected in 2011 and Curtis Martin last year.

Bettis is the sixth all-time leading rusher in the NFL with 13,662 yards, which is a good indicator that he will be elected this year.

Of the top 16 all-time leading rushers in NFL history, Bettis is the only Hall of Fame eligible back who has yet to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Bettis is definitely worthy of being the 23rd Pittsburgh Steeler inducted into the Hall of Fame, and he will get in.

The other modern-era finalists announced Friday include Cowboys offensive lineman Larry Allen, Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown, Vikings-Eagles wide receiver Cris Carter, former 49ers owner Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., 49ers and Cowboys linebacker Charles Haley, former Browns and Ravens owner Art Modell and Ravens tackle Jonathan Ogden.

The other finalists are former coach Bill Parcells, Bills wide receiver Andre Reed, Bucs and Raiders defensive tackle Warren Sapp, Chiefs guard Will Shields, Giants defensive end Michael Strahan and Cardinals and Rams defensive back Aeneas Williams.

The two seniors committee finalists are former Chiefs and Oilers defensive tackle Curley Culp and Packers and Redskins linebacker Dave Robinson. The selection committee will weigh the merits of both candidates and can choose to enshrine either, both or neither.