Hello Steelers. It's Me. Mediocrity.

As a die hard Steeler fan and eternal optimist, it pains me to write this article. Although I'm optimistic, I'm also realistic. The Steelers are on a one way ticket to mediocrity.

Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers scratched, clawed, and fought their way to an 8-8 record. The organization hasn't had a .500 season since 2006. The difference, in 2006 the organization was beginning to get better. After 2012, the organization seems to be in a world of trouble. A decade of overall poor drafting forced the Steelers to sign old veterans to large contracts; a practice the Steelers are known for not partaking. Now, the team is salary cap cash strapped (say that 10 times) and have nothing to show for it.

As if the mediocre season weren't bad enough, their offseason is shaping up like this:

* Mike Wallace went to Miami for Fitz money. (We thought he was crazy when he said that's what he wanted)

* #1 RB Rashard Mendenhall went to Arizona (Rightfully so)

* Willie Colon was cleansed and handed his walking papers

* They cut the strongest of the apes, Silverback James Harrison

* Starting LT Max Starks is unlikely to be resigned

* Casey Hampton might not be far behind

* Keenan Lewis is visiting the Saints and I'm sure they'd prefer he didn't leave town without a contract

* Backup S Ryan Mundy is visiting the Giants

* Chris Rainey cut for doing Chris Rainey-like activities


On a positive note, the following transactions were made in an effort to improve the organization:

* Signed Jonathan Dwyer

* Signed Isaac Redman

* Signed Bruce Gradkowski to backup Ben (His career 52% completion rate, 5.72 yards per completion, and 33 turnovers in 36 games played get me real excited for when Ben goes down)

* Signed Ramon Foster to a 3 yr deal (This one actually excites me - not kidding)

* Larry Foote signed for 3 years (Are you f'ing kidding me?)

* Signed Plaxico Burress to a 1 yr deal

* Signed LS Greg Warren


As the roster stands currently, here's a positional look at the world of shit the Steelers are in:

QB - Ben is still playing at a high level, but his tendency to get injured is concerning. Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch haven't been resigned, but the Steelers hope to fix that problem with the recent addition of Bruce Gradkowsi. As I mentioned above, Bruce Gradkowski has never been very successful in the NFL. After 8 seasons, to expect anything different in Pittsburgh would be insane. The Steelers lack adequate depth behind Ben.

RB - Rashard Mendenhall battled the injury bug last year and was ineffective when he did play. The organization was hopeful that Redman and Dwyer would pack the punch they needed, but outside of a few good games, the young running back tandem came up short. Both backs would serve as better complementary backs than starters, but the Steelers currently have no other options (or cap space). The team lacks a true #1 running back.

WR - The Steelers most productive receiver, Mike Wallace, is now a Dolphin. Jerricho Cotchery is currently a free agent, but would love to come back to Pittsburgh. Plaxico Burress signed a 1 yr deal to return. That leaves the organization with Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, and Plax. There's an obvious deficiency at WR that needs to be addressed.

TE - Heath Miller was having the best season of his career before suffering a devastating knee injury. He may not be capable of returning until after the first month of the regular season, so the team will be relying on a TE tandem of David Paulsen and David Johnson. There is no way team David will be able to make up for what the Steelers are losing in Heath Miller. Hopefully Miller can heal ahead of schedule and return the same player he was before the injury.

FB - Will Johnson came onto the scene in his rookie campaign and played admirably. It appears he will have the chance to play in 2013 as well.

Offensive Line - With the departure of Starks and Colon, the Steelers must replace two starters. Mike Adams, Marcus Gilbert, and David DeCastro must all take a leap forward next season and assume starting roles. Maurkice Pouncey and Ramon Foster will continue to anchor the line. The untested young guys leave a big guestion mark on the line. The 3 new starters are all recent draft picks, so I will give them a pass until they have a larger body of work under their belts. The lack of experience is concerning though.

Defensive Line: It seems likely that Casey Hampton may have played his last game as a Steeler, but he hasn't been cut yet. Even so, Hampton is aging and far less productive than he once was. Steve McClendon has been showing signs of being capable of starting and may have the opportunity to do so in 2013. The organization attempted to get younger and stronger on the defensive line by drafting two defensive ends in the first round in recent drafts (Cam Heyward and Ziggy Hood). Neither players have done anything yet to prove they were worthy of the first round pick. Hopefully they blossom in 2013, but at this point in time, they haven't lived up to their expectations. Defensive line could be a problem.

LB - Usually, when the Steelers let a guy like James Harrison go, they have a young gun waiting in the wings. This time, they have a BB gun in Jason Worilds as the favorite to step in. Worlilds may be ok, but he isn't physically capable of replacing James Harrison. That's understandable as James Harrison's don't come around too often. Because of a serious lack of depth, the Steelers were forced to resign an aging Larry Foote. If you watch film from last season, Larry Foote clearly isn't the player he used to be. Lamarr Woodley, accused of not putting the gym time in last season, had a very poor season. Statistically and physically, he took a step backward. Thankfully, Lawrence Timmons emerged as the Steelers best linebacker last season and we can only hope he builds on the momentum. Linebacker, usually a strength, is currently a weakness for the Steelers.

CB - Who didn't want to scratch their eyelids off last season watching Ike Taylor repeatedly get beat deep? His best attribute was his ability to grab the back of the opponent's jersey to eagerly take the passing interference call. However, he's currently the lone starting CB on the roster. Keenan Lewis remains unsigned and has a visit with the Saints scheduled. Lewis emerged last season as a very athletic and capable CB that the Steelers should find a way to sign long term. Cortez Allen emerged as a young splash player and hopefully has a bright future. However, as it stands, the Steelers have an aging CB on the decline and a young and inexperienced player as their lone starting candidates.

S - Ryan Clark had a fantastic 2012 season. He registered 102 tackles, picked off 2 passes, and forced 2 fumbles. He arguably was one of the better safeties in the NFL. We can't say the same for Troy Polamalu though. Another injury plagued season made him a non-factor for most of the year. Polamalu posted a lowly 32 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT, and 0 FF. Very un-Troy like. Even with Clark's strong season, age is going to be a factor for both players. Oh yeah, there is no plan B for either player in terms of depth. Will Allen? Ouch.


After review, the Steelers have serious concerns. They are aging in key positions with nobody ready to step in and their young talent hasn't proven to be ready to lead the team back to relevance. Aside from play on the field, they've been experiencing problems in the locker room that aren't characteristic of Steeler teams. There's a definite lack of leadership and playmakers on the team. The Steelers would be fortunate to post another 8-8 season in 2013, but don't be surprised if they have a top 10 draft pick in the 2014 draft. Doom and gloom. Mediocrity.