In years past, the NFL’s off-season have been long, difficult months for Steeler fans. Free-agent defections have decimated the Steelers’ roster and sent them from an elite team to a team in the midst of a re-building process. However, this year there is cause for optimism. While Rome wasn’t built in a day, the Rams proved to the NFL’s cellar dwellers that things change fast in the NFL. Here is a position-by-position analysis of the Steelers’ off-season moves along with predictions of what might occur in the draft.

QUARTERBACK

The signing of Kent Graham brings some intrigue to this year’s training camp. Graham was signed with the presumption that while Kordell Stewart is the starter, Graham will be given a chance to win the job. Given the poor crop of free-agent contracts and the low cost invested in what could be a starting quarterback, the Graham signing was a good one. Graham brings qualities sorely missing from last year’s quarterback; chief among them is a strong arm and an ability to read defenses. Graham also has been known to be an excellent leader in the huddle, something that he may be able to help Kordell with. Of course, Graham also has serious limitations. While he is gutsy in the pocket, willing to take a hit, he has limited mobility. Because he is somewhat of a lead-foot who will wait until the last minute to throw the ball, he is also injury-prone.

Not coincidentally, Stewart appears to be the exact opposite of Graham. He is an athlete first and a quarterback second. While he is being given every opportunity to be the starter in the 2000 season, look for Cowher to hand the job to Graham if Stewart has not recovered mentally from the confidence lapses of the previous two years. Stewart must prove that he is not afraid to throw the ball downfield, while also making good decisions with the football. Anthony Wright shows a lot of promise for the future, but is a long way from being even a capable back up in the NFL. Don’t look for the Steelers to waste a draft pick on a quarterback. Although there has been a lot of speculation about the Steelers taking Chad Pennington with their #8 pick, this is most likely done to try and force a trade with teams more seriously interested in Pennington. Look for the Steelers to invite an un-drafted rookie, perhaps Kevin Thompson from Penn State, to camp for insurance.

RUNNING BACKS/FULLBACKS

Another source of intrigue in training camp will come at the running back position. The on-again, off-again Richard Huntley trade saga with the Dolphins fell through and the Steelers signed the restricted free-agent to a 3-year $4 million dollar deal. Not bad money for a back up. However, the team insists that Jerome Bettis is still in their future plans. Side-by-side, the two backs statistics reveal that Huntley may be the better option. But statistics are sometimes misleading and you can expect to see them both in camp come July. Huntley should see increased playing time, however, the Bus will continue to receive the bulk of the load. Look for Amos Zereoue to overtake Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala as the third running back, marking the end of the road for Fu in the Steelers backfield. The Steelers may bring in an un-drafted free-agent with the hope that he will claim the 4th running back spot from Fu.

The fullback position is one that needs to be upgraded. John Witman is not a good blocker and is not agile enough to make a difference in the passing game. The Steelers will look to draft a fullback by the 4th round, perhaps Aaron Harris from Penn State, to challenge Witman. For all of Witman’s limitations, he is a good locker-room guy and will be around, if not starting, at the beginning of next season.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS

The Steelers desperately need an upgrade in the passing game. The need here is for a big receiver that can get downfield and stretch the opponent’s defense. This has to be addressed in the first round or the Steelers will run into the same problems offensively as they had last year, even with Graham running the show. If available at #8, Plaxico Burress would make a lot of sense for the Steelers. He has significant problems with his attitude, yet so did Randy Moss. He is not as polished a receiver as Moss, however, he has the physical tools and knowledge of the position that would make an immediate impact. If Burress is gone at #8, the Steelers should explore a trade for more draft picks, while enabling themselves to draft Dez White, Sylvester Morris or Travis Taylor in the mid-late first round.

The recent re-signing of Will Blackwell is insignificant. He was a reach as a 2nd round pick in 1997 and has been a disappointment. Assuming the Steelers draft a receiver, Blackwell would be the odd man out and will be cut during training camp. Troy Edwards will emerge as a solid possession receiver in 2000, while Hines Ward would make an excellent 3rd receiver, but is not a starter. Look for Malcom Johnson to move up the depth chart, at 6’5’’ his size needs to be better utilized.

The tight end position should be solid with the three players currently on the roster. Mark Bruener is a punishing blocker and an adequate receiver, as well as being a solid veteran presence. Jerame Tuman has the potential to develop into a solid pass-catching tight end, if he is able to overcome last season’s knee injury. Matt Cushing was impressive subbing for an injured Bruener in the last few games of last season. Look for him to stick as the third tight end this year.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The o-line needs to perform much better as a unit this coming year. Look for Dermonti Dawson’s presence at center to make a big difference. If healthy, he remains among the top 3 centers in the league. The rest of the interior line will look much different this year. Alan Faneca will remain the LG, but he will be much improved, as he was bothered by injuries much of last year. Rich Tylski, the free-agent acquisition from the hated Jags will be a slight upgrade over the departing Brendan Stai. Tylski does not offer as much ability as Stai, but will not be as inclined to make silly mistakes and gives better effort then Stai. Look for the Steelers too sign former Steeler Tom Myslinski shortly. This will bolster the depth of the interior line at a cheap price.

The tackle position as it stands right now is a mess. There is cause for hope, the return of Kris Farris could provide a solid starter at either the LT or RT position. Tom Donahoe made a large blunder in signing Wayne Gandy to a large contract to be the starting LT. Gandy was both overmatched and underachieving most of last season. He should be moved to RT where he is more effective, however, either Farris or possibly a draft pick will need to step in to play LT. Farris is capable, he is a natural LT, but he will be essentially a rookie. The Steelers might look to the draft with Stockar McDougle in the first round or possibly Marvel Smith or Adrian Klemm in the second. Of the three only McDougle would start at LT from day one and the Steelers need for a big-play receiver precludes them from drafting him. Of the remaining tackles on the roster, look for Shar Pourdanesh to be a solid back up, while Chris Conrad and Anthony Brown will struggle to secure a spot on the opening day roster.

DEFENSIVE LINE

The Steelers biggest free-agent loss this year was DE Orpheus Roye. Although he was there best d-lineman, the Steelers should not be too hurt by his signing with the expansion Browns. He was undersized in the Steelers system and is better suited to the 4-3 that is played in Cleveland. Meanwhile the Steelers fortified the d-line with their signings of two under-appreciated young linemen, Kimo von Oehloffen and Chris Sullivan. Although neither will set the world on fire, they are both solid run-stuffers who will contribute in the 3-4 set. It is still expected that Joel Steed will be gone by the opening of camp, either cut or retired, so look for von Oehloffen to become the starting NT and Sullivan to start at one end. Where will Jeremy Staat play next year? Good question, he needs to either continue at NT or be moved to DE permanently so that he can develop. As a former 2nd round pick he needs to step up his production. Kevin Henry, despite being undersized continues to be a valuable leader and is a good bet to be the 3rd DE on the depth chart.

The Steelers need to draft someone in the first three rounds to solidify this position. Cory Simon will likely be gone at #8, so look for either a 2nd or 3rd round pick to be used. Chris Hovan would be great in the 2nd round, he would need to be moved to DE in the 3-4, but has the talent to make an immediate impact. Jerry Johnson, an overshadowed teammate of Simon’s would also be good in round 2. If neither of these guys are available or the Steelers go in a different direction in round 2, look for the Steelers to try to land Fred Robbins of Wake Forest in round 4 or Jerry DeLoach of Cal in round 5. Both guys have the size to play in the 3-4 (DeLoach at 330 lbs is a lock at NT) and should be able to make immediate contributions.

LINEBACKERS

Although the Steelers are solid at linebacker, there are some concerns about their depth at this position. The inside duo of Levon Kirkland and Earl Holmes are the strength of the team and Kirkland should rebound from a disappointing ’99 where he performed below his own expectations. Depth is a concern. Chad Kelsay, a 7th rounder a year ago needs to make big strides. John Fiala is undersized and will be exposed in the running game if forced to play significant minutes. The Steelers may attempt to add depth late in the draft on the inside, perhaps taking Frank Chamberlein of BC with their 6th round pick.

When Carlos Emmons signed with Philadelphia recently, it assured Joey Porter a chance to start in the 2000 season. Porter is a pure speed pass-rusher with big-time playmaking ability. He needs to become a more complete player against the run and in coverage, but he has the ability to be a special player, ala Greg Lloyd. On the other side, Jason Gildon continues to do a good, not great job at his LOLB position. It is a contract year for Gildon in 2000 and if the Steelers don’t see improvement from him this year they may move in another direction. Mike Vrabel has not been able to make the switch to OLB and if the Steelers are able to land some depth at the LB position, he may not make it through camp. Look for the Steelers to draft an OLB in the 3rd or 4th round to back-up Gildon, possibly Corey Moore of VA Tech or Deshon Polk of Arizona. Moore is real small, but plays with a lot of intensity and can get to the quarterback in a hurry.

SECONDARY

The secondary is a source of major concern for the Steelers. The corners are adequate at best and need to either step up their play or step out the door. Dewayne Washington can be an electrifying player who seems to make his share of interceptions. However, he also seemed to let down during last year’s free fall from 5-3 to 5-9. Chad Scott should be much better (2 years removed from a devastating knee injury) and be ready to shed the first-round bust label that he was unfairly given (by ME!!). DeShea Townsend is average as a nickel back, but would be more suited for a 4th CB role. Jason Simmons will not make it through camp. Look for the Steelers to draft a CB fairly high in the draft, perhaps a 2nd or 3rd round pick. In the second round the Steelers might be able to select a big corner, such as Mario Edwards or Lewis Sanders, or they may be able to select Deltha O’Neal of Cal. He is a ball-hawk, with the ability to be a solid return guy. Another name to look for is Ben Kelly, of Colorado, who could be had in the 3rd round. He is small, however he has sprinter speed and could step into the nickel position, as well as providing the Steelers with a much needed kick and punt returner who could strike fear in opponents.

The strong safety position is solid with Lee Flowers, who is not only a good player, but also the emerging leader of the defense. He is a big hitter, who doesn’t make too many big plays, but also doesn’t get beat often. The free safety position is a little less settled. Travis Davis was a bad signing, he will be cut before we start the exhibition season. Scott Shields, last year’s 2nd rounder could develop into a star, he has good ball-hawking skills and is huge for a safety. He probably needs at least one more year to develop, but the Steelers may need to let him learn on the job next year. Willie Clay has been rumored to be headed to Pittsburgh. He brings experience and big-play ability and if the Steelers can work his price down to a reasonable amount, he may be wearing the black-n-gold next year. Lance Brown will re-sign with the Steelers shortly adding decent depth and a great special teams player. Two guys to keep an eye on draft day are Mark Roman of LSU and George White of BC. Roman’s stock is rising fast because he can play corner, and free-safety, and has good ball-hawking instincts. White could be had in the 6th round and has the size and speed to back up the strong safety position.

CONCLUSIONS

The Steelers have had a much busier off-season this year then in year’s past. The three big losses in free-agency really are not that big. Roye was a misfit in the 3-4 and can be replaced by bigger stronger d-lineman. Emmons would not have started this year anyway and Porter should be an upgrade at ROLB. Chris Oldham, a dime specialist left for more money in New Orleans. He was valuable because of his experience, however, he was getting up there in age and the Saints overpaid to get him. Look for Lance Brown to replace Oldham in the dime package and perform adequately. Brendan Stai, cut several weeks ago, was regressing by the hour and Tylski will be an improvement over him. The additions more than make up for the subtractions at this point in free-agency. Sullivan and von Oehloffen will be nice additions to the d-line, freeing up Holmes and Kirkland to make plays in the running game. Graham is a more than adequate back up, who should get the opportunity to show whether he can start in the NFL. Tylski will step in and improve the o-line and there remains a good chance that Willie Clay will be joining the secondary.

The draft is where the Steelers off-season will be either won or lost. If they are productive in the draft and are able to upgrade several key positions, they will contend for the playoffs and a chance at the big dance. But if they strike out in the draft, they may have the opportunity to draft a stud quarterback like Drew Brees or Michael Vick in the 2001 draft. Only time will tell.

Written by D.C Steelers. Please e-mail D.C. Steelers at rykimble@cs.com and let him know what you think of his positional analysis of the Steelers.