Back In Black: Highway to EL

However, the Steelers made a splash yesterday, not for signing a high-profile player, but for signing 5 guys in one day.

Obviously, the ownership knows what they’re doing. Our team has holes, there’s no doubt about that. Specifically, there are holes in the defense and offensive line. Additionally, given the “up in the air” nature of Limas Sweed’s situation, the Steelers also were in the market for a 4th WR.

So what did the Rooney’s do? They went out and signed 5 guys at positions of need. Add these 5 signings to the fact that they were able to re-sign Casey Hampton to a 3-year, $21 million deal (much, much cheaper than the deal Vince Wilfork got in New England), means the Steelers have taken steps to shore up the holes they had in the team. This will enable them to be more aggressive on draft day and be able to draft the best available player, rather than having to draft players at certain positions.

Without further ado, here are the newest members of the Pittsburgh Steelers:

Allen was a 4th round pick for the Bucs in the 2004 draft. Bob Pompaeni said there were some people in Tampa who considered him a draft bust. We’re not really sure why. Looking at the 2004 draft, there was basically no depth at safety behind Sean Taylor and Bob Sanders. Do you see that “C” on his jersey? Allen was named the Bucs Special Teams Captain in 2008. He sat out most of ’09 after being placed on IR with a thumb injury. At best, he’s a backup safety that could step into a starting role if needed. On top of that, he’s a special teams standout, and we all know we needed a lot of help there.

Battle isn’t going to astound anyone with the numbers he has put up. But let’s consider something: he was playing in San Francisco. Even when pass-happy Mike Martz was there, they still gave the ball to Frank Gore a ton of times. On top of that, he had Alex Smith and Shaun Hill throwing him the ball. Not exactly Ben Roethlisberger talent there. Battle can be a very effective receiver for the Steelers. He signed a 3-year deal, but if he doesn’t show up ready to go in camp, don’t be shocked if the Steelers cut him. He has extensive experience on Special Teams as well, which very well might be what gets him on the team. Overall, this was a great pickup for the Steelers because of their need for a 4th WR.

Scott was acquired because new O-line coach Sean Kugler obviously saw something in him in Buffalo. Scott is a massive man at 6’6″ 318 lbs. If he can press Willie Colon for the starting job at RT, this would give the Steelers O-line depth and improve our pass protection. Scott started 8 games last year for the Bills. The Steelers were 2nd worst in the league in sacks allowed last year, so any pickup to improve the depth of the line is a positive.

After 4 disappointing seasons in Washington, where he was never used to his full potential, Antwaan Randle El is back in Pittsburgh. It’s hard to describe how ecstatic we were over Randle El’s signing. With Randle El and Arnaz Battle, the Steelers have shored up their 4th and 5th WR spots, giving them good depth at the position should Hines, Tone, or the 60 Minute Man get injured. Randle El should also return to the position of Kick and Punt Returner. He’s the best KR we’ve had here in the past decade, and he’s much better at making moves in space and seeing the hole than Stefan Logan. Logan had more pure speed, but Randle El is a definite threat to take any kick to the house. He’s also a very reliable receiver out of the slot – particularly on 3rd downs. We absolutely love this signing, and we’re sure yinzers everywhere are busting out their old “EL YEAH!” shirts to celebrate.

When all hope seemed lost, Clark pulled a Mario Lemieux. He was in Miami visiting the Dolphins, then turned around and re-signed with the Steelers. That analogy would have worked better if it had been Kansas City. We were very critical of Clark last season, mostly because we believe him to be capable of much more. When a player is in position to make big interceptions, they need to have their eyes on the ball, not the receiver they are looking to lay out. We are of the opinion that Clark could have had at least double his interception total last year if he looked for the ball more often. We hope he is able to improve as a player during the offseason, because we want to see him back in 2008 form when he was one of the leaders of the #1 defense in the league, not his 2009 form.

On the whole, the Steelers did a fantastic job signing players at positions where they needed depth. Of the players they signed, only Clark will be in the starting lineup. Allen and Battle will improve the coverage teams, and Randle El will boost the return game. The Steelers brass knows that 2009 wasn’t the type of product fans are used to seeing and it is encouraging to see them taking steps to bring the team back to contend for the Super Bowl.

Go Steelers!