OPINION —
THE STEELERS OPENED UP training camp around a week ago and there are questions aplenty in my mind that needed to be settled.
ä When will Mike Wallace report?
I don’t expect him until sometime around Week 10 when he can report and earn his accrued season, so he can be an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
It’s highly unlikely that he’ll be the consummate employee then, especially considering he turned down a reported 5-year, $50 million from the Steelers that basically went to fellow receiver Antonio Brown last weekend.
Another option is for the Steelers to find a trading partner and deal Wallace like they did with Santonio Holmes a few years back — hopefully for a higher draft pick than a 4th rounder.
Wallace’s absence will open up a spot for youngsters like Toney Clemons, Derrick Williams and Marquis Maze among others behind Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery.
ä How will the revamped defense perform?
With so many veteran defenders out of the picture, the Black and Gold defense will have many ‘new’ faces in the starting line-up.
Can Larry Foote pick up the slack of James Farrior’s departure? Can Ziggy Hood or Cameron Heyward replace Aaron Smith? Who will be the corner opposite Ike Taylor? Will Troy Polamalu make more ‘splash’ plays this year?
All are valid questions and I’m not at all afraid of the change defensively for the Steelers.
Foote has been solid everytime he has been inserted into the line-up in the past and Hood will be the next very good defensive end for the Black and Gold.
I’m not expecting Polamalu to be the Troy Polamalu of old, because age and injuries are starting to take their toll on the future Hall of Famer.
And Keenan Lewis will finally ascend into the starting cornerback slot the Steelers envisioned when they took in the third round several years ago.
ä How will the running back situation pan out?
Isaac Redman will start and will see the bulk of the carries — at least until Rashard Mendenhall returns — but that has never been in question.
The question has been how will Baron Batch, John Clay, Jonathan Dwyer and Chris Rainey fit into the equation.
It appears that Batch and Rainey will be duking it out in practice and four preseason games for the right to be the third down back, but I just wonder if Batch can regain the magic of last summer quickly enough to fend off the former Florida Gator?
ä What will the offensive line look like?
Maurkice Pouncey, Willie Colon and Marcus Gilbert are already cemented in stone starters unless injuries remove them from the line-up at center, left guard and right tackle.
The question remains how quickly first round pick David DeCastro can beat out Ramon Foster for the right guard spot. Knowing the Steelers’ reluctancy to start rookies, we may see a long drawn out affair similar to Pouncey’s rookie year.
That leaves us with Ben Roethlisberger’s blind side.
Veteran Trai Essex started there at camp, but most of us believe he’s just keeping a seat warm for either Max Starks or rookie Mike Adams.
I think Starks will start out the season as the starter at left tackle — and I’ve said this before — but will be replaced by Adams at some point during the regular season, giving Roethlisberger a young and highly talented front wall to protect him.
Now, the fun begins and we get to see how these and many other story lines play out before the season opener in Denver Sept. 9.
Agree or disagree? Email Corey at gcsportsguy@yahoo.com.
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