Does Max Starks’s transition tag mean anything? Not especially, unless, of course, you consider the new name of a transition tag: The Defensive Tag.

Starks wasn’t tagged to buy more time to sign a long-term deal. He was tagged so he can buy the team some time to establish long-term starters, but get a third-round pick as compensation if/when someone signs him.

It’s all explained here, on Real Football 365

UPDATED 2:21 p.m.: The Steelers maligned offensive line took another hit Tuesday, as Ed Bouchette is reporting LT-in-Lieu Max Starks is done for the season with a meniscus tear in his left knee.

Veteran Trai Essex will start for Starks, who was starting over Marvel Smith. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin mentioned LG Alan Faneca could see time at LT as well. Faneca started at left tackle for much of the 2003 season when Smith was out with a pinched nerve in his back. The Steelers finished 6-10 that year. Smith returned healthy, Faneca moved back to guard, and they were 15-1 the next season.

(UPDATE: T-R reporter Scott Brown writes Kansas City Chiefs practice squad tackle and Steelers 2007 draft pick Jason Capizzi was seen at Steelers headquarters Tuesday afternoon.)

Special teams captain Clint Kriewaldt was also lost for the season, as the Steelers placed him on the IR Tuesday due to the neck injury that has kept him out of action the last few weeks.

Smith had back surgery before Week 17, and will miss his second straight start. Look for Smith to remain on the active roster, even though he won’t play Saturday. The Steelers offensive line situation is precarious enough as it is, and it wouldn’t seem wise to place Smith - without a question their best tackle - out for the year until they are absolutely sure he cannot play.

Essex hasn’t started a game for the Steelers since 2005, and has only started four in his three-year career with Pittsburgh.

Even more troublesome, if neither Starks nor Smith can play, that leaves two tackles on the Steelers active roster - Essex and RT Willie Colon. The Steelers just signed T Matt Lentz to their practice squad on Dec. 30, and T Jeremy Parquet was added on Dec. 3.

Without Starks or Kriewaldt, the Steelers need to add two players to its roster. The Steelers web site speculated that the team will sign a lineman this week to add depth. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin addressed the matter in his press conference on Tuesday:

“When we are talking about signing a lineman at this point in January football we are talking about for depth. It’s unrealistic to think that somebody that comes in here today is going to help us play winning football this weekend. We always look for our answers from within.

Perhaps, it’s worth looking into Capizzi. He was cut during training camp, and is currently on the Chiefs practice squad, meaning the Steelers could sign him, provided he is added immediately to the 53-man roster.

The fact is, the Steelers will go into Saturday’s game with three tackles active. If Smith and Starks can’t play, they will either have to give Parquet or Lentz a shot, or find someone else who could fill in at both right and left tackle.

Bloom signing not announced

The Steelers haven’t confirmed the signing of former Eagles WR/KR Jeremy Bloom yet (per the team’s web site), but Bill Williamson of the Denver Post reported it yesterday (nod to Steel City Insider as well). Before Starks and Kriewaldt were placed on the IR, the Steelers had six players on the practice squad - Lentz, Parquet, WR Dallas Baker, SS Mike Lorello, NT Scott Paxson, LB Anthony Trucks, RB Justin Vincent and WR Gerran Walker.

If Bloom is added, the Steelers will have one open spot on the practice squad roster. There can be a maximum of eight spots on each team’s practice squad, per NFL rules. The Steelers can add a practice squad player, but he cannot be on another team’s practice squad. Any player they take from another team must be added to the 53-man roster.

A recent trend seen in the NFL is the addition of players recently cut from an upcoming opponent. The Jaguars and Steelers have been active in this practice. Steelers LB Marquis Cooper has spent time on both teams this year. Cooper was cut by the Steelers on Sept. 19, and was picked up by the Jaguars on Nov. 27. He was cut on Dec. 9, and re-signed by the Steelers Dec. 10 - right in time for their Week 15 showdown Dec. 16.

The Jaguars added TE Charles Davis to their practice squad Dec. 5. Davis had previously spent time on the Steelers’ roster.

The Steelers went calling for an old friend on Tuesday. And not one of the many former Steelers who played or are now playing for the New England Patriots, their Week 14 foe.

Pittsburgh brought in RB Verron Haynes for a workout Tuesday and could sign him very soon to fill in for injured RB Najeh Davenport.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in his press conference Tuesday that Davenport “could be listed as questionable,” meaning Haynes’ workout is likely an insurance policy on Davenport’s foot injury, which he sustained sometime late last week.

Davenport was not listed on the injury report last week - or at any point this season - and Tomlin described the injury as an inflammation of his right foot.

Davenport broke a bone in his left foot during practice of his senior season at Miami in 2001, and had surgery on it that off-season. The cause of his current injury hasn’t been specified, but after watching a shot of Davenport running in sweat pants before Sunday night’s game against Cincinnati, it could be seen Davenport was favoring his right side.

Haynes was one of the last Steelers cuts this off-season after having been with the team in its third-down back role since 2002. Haynes has 1,155 total yards and five touchdowns in his career.

The Steelers ended a fairly one-sided relationship with CB Ricardo Colclough Tuesday.

The veteran got his paycheck, but never provided any reason to think he was worth the second-round pick the team used on him in 2004.

His tenure came to an end largely because of the emergence of rookie fifth-round pick William Gay from Louisville. In CB Bryant McFadden’s recent absence due to an ankle injury, Gay was activated to play the nickel position. Colclough did not dress in the team’s first four games, but was active for the final three, logging one tackle in the Steelers’ 21-0 win over Seattle in Week 5.

The Steelers signed veteran CB and former Steeler Anthony Madison to fill Colclough’s roster spot. Madison, an undrafted rookie in 2006, was cut this pre-season and spent a week with Tampa Bay this year before being released on Sept. 12.

Colclough was a highly touted prospect from Division II Tusculum in 2004, but most likely will only be remembered for a muffed punt in the second half against Cincinnati last season. The turnover came soon after a Bengals touchdown, swinging all momentum to Cincinnati’s favor. They won 28-20, scoring touchdowns from nine yards and 54 yards away in just 54 game seconds.

Tuesday’s release seals Colclough’s status as one of the rare second-round picks who don’t pan out under GM Kevin Colbert. LB Alonzo Jackson is the only other second round pick not still playing today. Since Colbert took over for Tom Donahoe in 2000, the Steelers have taken former Pro Bowler and current starting LT Marvel Smith (2000), Defensive Rookie of the Year Kendrell Bell (2001), multi-faceted WR Antwaan Randle-El (2002), Jackson (2003), Colclough (2004), CB Bryant McFadden (2005) and OLB LaMarr Woodley (2007). They traded their second round pick as part of a package for the New York Giants first round pick in 2006 (No. 25 overall), and took WR Santonio Holmes.

Signs of Drafter’s Remorse existed in 2006, as a year after Colclough’s rookie season, they drafted McFadden in the second round. He has since pushed veteran CB Deshea Townsend for a starting spot, and Colclough has rarely played outside of special teams.

James at the Steel Tradition makes a good point. New England Head Coach Bill Belichick has found a spot for a few former Steelers cast-offs. Among those, two CBs, Chad Scott and Hank Poteat (now with the Jets), P Josh Miller and OLB/TE Mike Vrabel.

Dawson nominated, awaiting his snub

The political selection process of the Pro Football Hall of Fame began Tuesday with the announcement of the nominations. Among the list, C Dermontti Dawson is among the former Steelers nominated more than once.

Couple him with G Randall McDaniel of the Vikings and Buccaneers, and you have the main reason why I have difficulty placing much stock in the Hall of Fame. Not for the people inducted, mind you, but the simple fact that two players like Dawson and McDaniel who dominated their positions throughout their careers have to wait behind skill position players from marquee teams like WR Michael Irvin - a 2007 Inductee.

Flat-out ridiculous.

Dawson was in Honolulu so often, he achieved resident status. He was without question the best center of his era, and anchored several outstanding Steelers running teams. He had to suffer through some lean years, but still played in four AFC Championship games and one Super Bowl. A very intelligent and even better athlete, Dawson became the standard at his position. The Steelers pulled him around on running plays, leading the blocking as if he was a guard.

While the Steelers have only officially retired Ernie Stautner’s No. 70, the team has taken several numbers out of circulation since the Super Bowl days of the 1970s. You won’t see anyone wear No. 63 anymore, either.

First-time nominees linked to the Steelers include Player Personnel Director Art Rooney, Jr., LB Levon Kirkland and LB Hardy Nickerson. Also on this list are LB Kevin Greene, S Donnie Shell and coach Buddy Parker.

Romo’s deal sets the table for Roethlisberger

It’s a great day for Cowboys QB Tony Romo, who inked a six-year $67 million contract - $30 million guaranteed - with Dallas. A great feel-good story, Romo went undrafted from Northern Illinois, and has taken the league by surprise since taking over in Dallas for Drew Bledsoe.

Ben’s gonna want him some.

While Romo has been to a Pro Bowl in the QB-depleted NFC in 2006, Roethlisberger wears an important piece of jewelry, and, going into Week 9, is three TD passes short of his career high of 18.

Clearly, his agent, Leigh Steinberg, will want Romo’s deal, plus a little bit more. After all, a team has to pay its QB a little more to compensate for the weight of that ring.

There are only seven active QBs who have won a Super Bowl: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Brad Johnson, Kurt Warner, Trent Dilfer and Roethlisberger. Brady, Manning and Favre all make over $12 million a year on average over the life of their contracts. Johnson backs Romo up in Dallas after a horrible 2006 in Minnesota. Dilfer is starting for injured franchise QB Alex Smith in San Francisco. Ditto for Warner in replacement of Matt Leinart in Arizona.

The question is how much closer is Roethlisberger in terms of value to institution guys like Brady, Manning and Favre (or Super Bowl-less Carson Palmer and Drew Brees) than to more “system” guys like Dilfer and Johnson - guys who did enough on offense to let their defense win it.

Seems he’s smack-dab in the middle, but if he stays on the torrid pace he’s gotten off to this year, you’re looking at a deal noticeably higher than Romo’s.

As Jason from the Blitzburgh Report notes, Romo is still largely unproven. He’s talented, but he doesn’t even come close to comparison to Roethlisberger in terms of games won and playoff performance.

Jerry Jones and Romo proved in Dallas the franchise QBs hold all the leverage, and ownership really can’t do anything but give him a huge extension. Roethlisberger’s rookie contract is up at the end of the 2008 season. Look for that extension to get signed before next off-season, and it will make SS Troy Polamalu’s deal look like my salary in comparison.

Congratulations to Die Hard Steel and Sports Cartel

We felt it’s important to recognize Our Fearless Blog Leader Stephen, the head of the Sports Cartel Network (and Ravens blogger). Through his efforts, Die Hard Steel now has a Google Page Rank of 4. A pretty impressive accomplishment, considering the vast amount of Steelers information available on the the world wide google-nets, and the general stupidity of DHS’s author. And Coletrain.

You’ll be seeing some cool new ads on here in the coming weeks, so you’ll have to pay attention to them, if for no other reason than to admire the technical superiority of the ad’s design.

Anyway…Stephen will be walking the plank soon…

“<AHEMdon’t do itCOUGH> “

“She’s comin’ down the aisle, Beanie, let it go.”

…so in honor of that, we decided to make a bet on the Steelers/Ravens game on Monday night. The winner gets carte blanche over one post on the loser’s site.

I’m not asking for any jinx material (it’ll be a tough game like always…Billick still managed to field a team that kicked Pittsburgh’s ass all over two stadiums last year), but just in preparation, let’s start getting some ideas on paper on what we’re going to write on Ravens TD Tuesday morning.

The Steelers signed eight players to their practice squad yesterday, seven of which were cut by the team Sept. 1.

(Point of reference: Jim Wexell notes a practice squad consists of players with less than two years of accrued NFL experience, as long as the player was on the active roster for less than nine games of that season. Eligible players must also have been on NFL practice squads for less than three seasons, with three games (including bye weeks) constituting a season. According to the NFL Players Association, an Accrued Season is a season during which a player has been on full pay status (Active, Inactive or Injured Reserve List) for six (6) or more regular season games. However, a player who is on the Exempt Commissioner Permission List, the Reserve Physically Unable to Perform/Non Football Injury List, or the Practice Squad for any of the six (6) qualifying games will not earn an Accrued Season regardless of his pay status.)

The players from camp are WRs Dallas Baker and Gerran Walker, TE Jon Dekker, DB  Grant Mason, DEs Ryan McBean and Scott Paxon and C Marvin Philip.

The eighth player, RB Jamal Branch, was in camp with the New Orleans Saints.

So much for local product T Jason Capizzi.

Steel City Insider reports that DB Anthony Madison was picked up by Tampa Bay and RB John Kuhn went to Green Bay. The T-R says TE Cody Boyd was picked up by Washington.

However, apparently coaches go as far as to call other coaches asking them to not pick up a player they just cut.

Vikings coach Brad Childress was one WCCO Radio in Minnepolis saying Patriots coach Bill Belichick was trying to wheel and deal. The Star Tribune in Minnepolis reported that Belichick called Childress asking him not to pick up TE Garrett Mills. In exchange for Childress’s compliance with King Belichick, the three-time Super Bowl champion coach promised not to take away one of his players, LB David Herron.

From Kevin Seifert and Judd Zuhlgad:

The day started with Childress recounting a midmorning telephone conversation with Belichick. Speaking on WCCO-AM, Childress said the Patriots wanted to sneak Mills onto their practice squad. According to Childress, Belichick said he was interested in a Vikings castoff but would not claim that player if the Vikings passed on Mills.

“I said, ‘Well, I’m really interested in your guy, so we’ll have to let our guy slide,’ ” Childress said. “He didn’t really care for that. He was trying to leverage. You always find out who is honest and straightforward.”

I’m not going to tell Belichick (or Childress for that matter) how to go about one’s job, but I’ve tried this tactic in my FFL drafts before. It really doesn’t work, believe me. “Stay away from Travis Henry, and I’ll take whatever WR you want in the third round, ok?” They never comply. Don’t fall for it.

I wasn’t sure what the write first; the fact the Steelers have re-signed a player who lost his starting position last season to a five-year extension, or the fact they chose not to resign a player they cut last season (Kimo signed with Philly); essentially meaning they did not re-sign a player who lost his starting position last season.

I’ll go with the former.

ESPN’s John Clayton is reporting that the Steelers and G Kendall Simmons have come to terms on a five-year, $24 million contract extension. The team and Simmons agreed to rip up his current deal, so starting now, he’s on the hook for another five years on the Steelers offensive line.

This can be seen as a good thing. Starting next year, he’s going to be the only interior lineman on the team with more than one year of starting experience on the team. And assuming LT Marvel Smith doesn’t scream this off-season about HIS extension (or lack thereof), he’ll have the second highest seniority on the line.

The bad part of it means that this is without question G Alan Faneca’s last season with the team. There was still a modicum of hope that Big Nasty would have been given the extension he wants, but the fact they signed Simmons for roughly $5 million a season doesn’t suggest they want to go on the line for another $8 million per year for him.

As JJ Cooper says:

That’s actually pretty cheap for a starting guard these days, but it’s also disappointing because spending $5 million a year on Simmons virtually ensures that Faneca will be long gone next season. And if the choice is spending $5 million a year on an average guard who lost his job for a while last season or $8 million a year on a perennial Pro Bowler the choice is pretty clear.

Keep this link handy, though, because we’re going to get into the same argument next season when it’s Smith being quietly led out of town while T Willie Colon is given $8 million guaranteed.

Here’s the actual list of Steelers cuts from yesterday. The report I went with from the P-G was incorrect. Unfortunately, they make the big bucks to report this stuff, so I just follow their lead. And I had a concert I had to go to, so I didn’t have a chance to make the change. Either way, C Marvin Phillip did not make the team, and Marquis Cooper did.

The players released from the Steelers roster include WR Dallas Baker, TE Cody Boyd, OT Jason Capizzi, TE Jon Dekker, RB Verron Haynes, CB Chidi Iwuoma, CB Jovon Johnson, FB John Kuhn, S Mike Lorello, CB Anthony Madison, CB Grant Mason, DE Ryan McBean, DE Shaun Nua, C Chukky Okobi, DT Scott Paxson, C Marvin Philip, QB Bryan Randall, LB Ron Stanley, OG Cameron Stephenson, OT Brandon Torrey, WR Gerran Walker, LB Rian Wallace and WR Walter Young.

There, done. The Steelers also traded a conditional 2008 draft pick to Atlanta for return specialist Allen Rossum. This shows the team thought WR Willie Reid’s less-than-stellar pre-season wasn’t masked by his two returns against Carolina.

As for QB Brian St. Pierre…If they want three QBs, it shows they didn’t feel anyone they cut had any real value for this year’s team. The two biggest names - Okobi and Haynes - weren’t guys they felt they wanted to pay, and the rest are guys they likely will get back on the practice squad (McBean, Stephenson and Capizzi).

They went with six defensive linemen, and it was confirmed DE Kimo Von Oelhoffen was cut by the Jets, so it will be interesting to see if the Steelers might still make a move. Von Oelhoffen will first have to clear waivers, and if/when he does, it’s logical to assume talks would at least take place with Pittsburgh.

Perhaps missed in all of this is the fact rookie CB William Gay made the team.  Crude humor aside (sorry dude), Steelershark summarizes it nicely:

Gay seems to have a lot of good tools as well as very good quickness… Sure, at a listed 5-10/190, everyone wishes he was a little taller and a little heavier, but if he can turn into a shut-down corner, the joke will be on the opposition…

It wasn’t Gay’s fault he was only seeing taxi squad time during the pre-season. The fact is, he made two huge plays, the bigger one being the game-sealing interception against Washington. He seems to be a nose-for-the-ball kind of cornerback who succeeds if not spectacularly in the NFL. While I wouldn’t be sure where Rossum will play on defense (assuming he actually does see the field on something other than special teams), but the Steelers will start Deshea Townsend and Ike Taylor at the corners, and Bryant McFadden and Ricardo Colclough will back them up. The starters are both 4th round picks (Townsend in 1998, Taylor in 2003) and the backups are 2nd-rounders (McFadden in 2005 and Coke in 2004).

Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert’s praises can’t be sung loudly enough.

Gerry Dulac of the P-G is reporting that veteran RB Verron Haynes and veteran C Chukky Okobi have been cut, as early reports of the team’s 53-man roster are coming out.

If Saturday’s roster cuts do anything, the provide plenty of evidence that running backs really could be dime-a-dozen.

Pittsburgh likely will have the league’s only backfield with four undrafted players (Willie Parker, Dan Kreider, Gary Russell and Carey Davis), and add in Najeh Davenport, originally drafted by the Packers, the Steelers fielded a corps of running backs without using a draft pick.

Russell and Davis were the talk of camp throughout the pre-season, as they were able to unseat the veteran Haynes, and free agent veteran RB Kevan Barlow, who was cut last week. Parker, the feature back, went undrafted in 2004, and Kreider, the fullback, was passed over in 2000.

Free agent C Sean Mahan won the battle with Okobi, who proved too expensive in the end to keep as a reserve. Also, backup Marvin Phillip played well at both guard and center, giving him more flexibility than Okobi.

Three 2007 draft picks did not make the team; DE Ryan McBean, G Cameron Stephenson, and WR Dallas Baker. Add free agent T Jason Capizzi to the cut list, but the Steelers will likely try to get all of them on the practice squad.

DE Shaun Nua and CB Chidi Iwuoma join FB John Kuhn, QB Bryan Randall, WRs Walter Young and Gerran Walker, TEs Cody Boyd and Jon Dekker, T Brandon Torrey, NT Scott Paxson, LBs Ron Stanley and Marquis Cooper, CBs Anthony Madison and Jovon Johnson; and safeties Grant Mason and Mike Lorello.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reported Aug. 31 that the Jets are going to part ways with 13-year veteran DE Kimo Von Oelhoffen, and there isn’t a strong feeling of confidence in the depth on the Steelers’ defensive line.

Nick Eason was brought in to help with this, but hasn’t been impressive. The experience Kimo has with the Steelers makes him an easy choice over the free agent signee, assuming the Steelers will keep seven defensive linemen, and not eight.

JJ Cooper of AOL notes Kimo would be a better option than Eason, along with Travis Kirschke, and the raw rookie Ryan McBean backing up starters Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith at the two DE positions.

This would give Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Johnny Mitchell flexibility at the position so he can continue to develop McBean without having to sacrifice depth. McBean has been noted to have amazing potential but could use a redshirt year to develop it.

Kimo’s return, paired with Kirschke, McBean and NT Chris Hoke will make a solid backup line to Keisel, Smith and NT Casey Hampton.

Expect this to happen when the final cuts are made by 6 p.m. ET tonight.  

Pro Football Talk has a PFTV segment on the value of a third quarterback, and they make an excellent point.

If a team has a strong backup quarterback who can step in and play right away, the need for a third QB isn’t very strong.

If it wasn’t for a less-than-stellar stint in Detroit, Steelers backup Charlie Batch would be, hands down, considered the best backup in the league. (At least Chaz has Theismann’s vote, but you also have these yahoos talkin’ smack.) People who follow the game intently are hard-pressed to find someone better (3-0 in spot-starts for injured Ben Roethlisberger, including wins in the season-opener last season, and a hugely important 20-10 win at Green Bay in 2005. They lose that game, they don’t make the playoffs, and the thumb does not have one).

Brian St. Pierre has been cut and resigned by the Steelers multiple times in his career, so much he’s become something of a loveable figure in the organization. But with Chaz being the unquestioned backup, the Steelers have no need to fill a roster spot with another QB.

PFT points out this is even more true if the team has another position player who could play in the unlikely event (knock on wood) that both Roethlisberger and Batch go down in a game.

For the Steelers, that guy is former Georgia QB Hines Ward.

(by the way…this is Sports Illustrated’s scouting report on the greatest WR in Steelers history back in 1998:

One of the more versatile players in this draft, he has seen time at RB, QB, and WR in addition to being a return specialist during his career at Georgia, but will probably settle in at WR in the NFL.. He is obviously a great athlete and a very explosive player. He combines speed and quickness…He is a great open field runner and can make a lot of plays after the catch, which is also evidenced by his ability as a KOR. He has good hands, and overall ball skills, but may need some refinement as a WR, as his experience is not as deep as most of the WRs in this draft.. He may not be ready as a rookie, but there is a good upside to this guy, because of his versatility and athleticism.

Great call, guys)

While I’m anxiously waiting for the Steelers final cuts to be announced, this is a pretty strong reason to figure the Steelers will continue their recent trend of keeping just two QBs on the roster.