Steelers season never truly ends for Steeler Nation so while the team starts to put in the work to prepare for the 2016 NFL season we’ll be busy looking for mentions of your Black & Gold so we’ve got you covered. Here’s your Steelers Morning Huddle for Tuesday, May 24th.
No contract restructures
In case you’ve been wondering what has made this Steelers offseason different than years before it is the fact that they have yet to restructure a single contract. Mark Kaboly of the Trib reminds us that the Steelers signed six of their own free agents and brought in five unrestricted free agents, all without moving any money around.
Contracts like Ben Roethlisberger’s, Lawrence Timmons’, Antonio Brown’s, Maurkice Pouncey’s and Cameron Heyward’s have all been speculated at one point or another as being up for restructure yet nothing has been done.
The Steelers are about $3.5 million under the cap and could remain that way without restructuring anyone at all. Steelers GM Kevin Colbert has a plan where he’s always looking three years ahead. Good to know he’s not looking at a bunch of money shoved into the backend of contracts in the future.
Summers in Latrobe
Mark your calendars and plan your summer vacations, Steeler Nation. The date is set for the Steelers to open training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. The players will report to camp and check into the dorms on July 28th.
The first practice open to fans will be the very next day on Friday, July 29th. Steelers training camp is an experience that every Steelers fan needs to participate in at least once. From watching scrimmages in Chuck Noll stadium to just sitting on the hill enjoying the day or waiting by the locker room for player autographs there’s something just so great about being there.
Return of the Steel Curtain?
The Steelers are quickly becoming the sexy pick for an appearance in Super Bowl LI, mostly due to the explosive offense. NFL analyst Bucky Brooks, however, is more convinced that the improvements made on the Steelers’ defense will be what makes them an unstoppable force in 2016.
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His reasoning includes the heavy draft and free agent investments made in the defense over the course of the last few years, the simplistic scheme under Keith Butler that allows younger players to get on the field faster and the personnel assembled all have the ballhawk mentality and/or skills.
We’ll see about that, won’t we? What do you think, Steeler Nation?