Steelers Training Camp: Position-by-Position Analysis

By Mike Bires

For the past 12 days, the Steelers have been hard at work trying to build the foundation for another championship team. The process continues Thursday with the first of four pre-season games.

Here’s a position-by-position look at how the Steelers shape up at this stage of training camp:

QUARTERBACK

Barring the signing of Michael Vick (very unlikely), everything is set.

Ben Roethlisberger has clearly established himself as an elite QB with two Super Bowl titles in his first five pro seasons.

As far as the battle for the back-up job, it’s still Charlie Batch. That may change pending the performances in the pre-season games. But Dixon has done nothing at camp to threaten Batch’s hold on No. 2.

As far as Vick, who’s shopping for a team after his 23-month prison term for his role in an illegal dog-fighting operation, his name has been linked to the Steelers often in recent weeks. But really, why would the Steelers risk a comfortable situation at QB by bringing in Vick and the media circus that would follow him?

RUNNING BACK

At halfback, the Steelers are solid with Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore.

At fullback, there was some speculation that Carey Davis’ roster spot may be in jeopardy after the Steelers drafted HB/FB Frank “Tank” Summers. But Davis has had a good camp so far and he’s a capable special teams contributor.

If the Steelers keep five running backs as they did last year, it will be either Summers, Justin Vincent, a practice squad player last year, or undrafted rookie free agent Isaac Redman, a big back who’s been impressive at times during camp.

WIDE RECEIVER

The four locks are obviously Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Limas Sweed and rookie Mike Wallace. If the Steelers keep five wideouts, the top candidates are Shaun McDonald, who caught 79 passes two years ago with the Detroit Lions, or Dallas Baker, a third-year pro who’s spent much of the past two years on the practice squad.

McDonald is in the mix among the candidates to return kickoffs and punts. But it’s hard to imagine him winning either of those jobs. From a pure pass-catching perspective, Baker probably has the edge. But he’s very inconsistent. He had a good practice Monday, but is prone to practice not so well on other days.

Brandon Williams, a sleeper in camp, has also been in the mix but is a major long-shot to make the squad.