Every Friday, we venture out into the Web and pull in some of the best (and occasionally worst) Steeler related content on the Web. And here. we. go.
The biggest news this week was the resigning of Trai Essex, Fernando Bryant, and Anthony Madison. All three were with the team last year and the Steelers still haven’t ventured out into the free agent waters yet, though they say they may not be done. As for the most recent signees, Essex has looked decent during limited time and is a good depth signing on the cheap. Bryant didn’t dress during most of the games down the stretch last year, but he’s a veteran cornerback needed in a mostly young group that includes Madison, who is an outstanding special teams player. Of the three, I was most excited to see him resign in a one-year deal. Most people will shrug their shoulders, but he’s become the new Chidi Iwuoma for the Steelers. Him and Keyaron Fox were two big reasons the special teams units were so effective.
ESPN did their annual “On the Clock” segment for the Steelers. Much of what was said was to be expected. They basically just said the Steelers biggest issue was depth in a few areas like offensive line, defensive line, and cornerback. The guys all said some complimentary things about the Steelers’ front office too, which is always good to see. It’s interesting that the Steelers haven’t brought in a single guy from outside the organization yet while other successful teams like New England have been on a free agent bonanza. There’s more than one way to succeed, but the difference is Pittsburgh knows how to build it up long-term.
We want politics as far away from here as possible, but some people are waiting for Barack Obama to redistribute the Steelers’ Lombardi trophies to less-fortunate teams after news of the Rooney appointment. Funny stuff.
Pittsburgh Brewing Company is releasing some really awesome Steelers-inspired beer cans.
They came out on St. Patricks day and weren’t endorsed by the NFL or the Steelers (obviously) but the message and design is still pretty sweet.