good to hear something more tangible about the team. Also, hope the coaches work the o-line out and make the right decisions there. And preseason reports usually bring out the optimist in me.

it makes sense to play guys at lots of positions, i think Tomlin learned his lesson and this year in training camp won’t be moving guys around as much, which is why he’s doing it now in OTAs.

limit Santonio his rookie year?

If Baker and Washington both make the roster, we’ll have gone from one of the shortest receiving corps in the NFL to one of the tallest. Including our TEs, and that’s a lot of height on the field.

With Smith, Simmons, and Kemoeatu (the last two, our projected starting guards pre-OTAs) all out for various reasons, they were virtualy forced to shuffle the lineup.

” ......Sepulveda’s punts were STILL RISING when they hit the roof…...”.

Well, I certainly hope that would be the case.

Blitz, great interview with Wexell. He and Dale Lolley are the best Steelers beat writers out there right now. A few insights on this team heading into the OTA’s:

- All of you who think the Steelers will have a $7M tackle sitting the bench also believe gas will be back to $1.99 this summer. IT AIN’T HAPPENING. Max Starks will be a starter this year. It’d be too much egg on the face of a very conservative front office for the second highest paid player on your team to warm the bench. In typical Steelers fashion, the front office will continue to try and work out a long-term deal with Starks in training camp. With K. Simmons just recently having shoulder surgery, I think that will mean that Colon will get a few more looks at RG in the OTAs and training camp. Before all is said and done, I think the starting five left to right will be: Smith, Chris K., Hartwig, Colon, Starks. At least that is what Ben hopes, for his safety’s sake.

- Jeremy Bloom could very well make this team if he can show that he can play the slot as well as return kickoffs and punts. Remember, this team this past year kept 5 WRs and a returner, who couldn’t play another position in Rossum. With 4 WRs being active on game day, Bloom could ideally give the team 5 WRs on game day if he can make the squad and impress as a kick returner. He can only help himself if he can show that he can tackle someone as well this summer in Latrobe.

- And since you are asking about my top 5 WRs (I could hear your brain cells churning), here is my 5 WRs to make the team: H. Ward, Holmes, N. Washington, Limas Sweed and Micah Rucker. Nate will be gone next year and Ward’s time is winding down. Rucker could step in next year and be an upgrade over Washington as the 3rd WR and Sweed will eventually take Ward’s spot. Santonio is not that far away from being a no. 1 WR.

- As you may have noticed, DaTruth didn’t utter a word about Willie Reid. Nor will he say anything about Najeh and his $1M salary for next year. Tomlin will speak for Datruth when he shows both of them the curb in late August. Best case scenario is that the Steelers can get a late round pick for Reid. Teams aren’t going to give up anything for Dookie. Nice to have known you, Dookie. Don’t drop anything (er, literally) on your way out of town.

- For all of you who want to move James Harrison to ILB, why? He’s an ALL-PRO ROLB. Leave him there. Let Bruce Davis learn behind him and OLB Andre Frazier can back up Lamarr Woodley at LOLB. One of the keys to this defense playing at a high level this whole year is giving time early on to some of the younger players and backups. Woodley and Harrison cannot play every snap at their demanding positions and still bring the same type of heat on the pass rush in late December as they would in early September. And this is even more critical for our DL, who I think will have a Booger right under their nose (and in a Steelers uni) before training camp.

- And by the way, that Bus that just rolled over Najeh is named Gary Russell, who everyone has forgotten because of the euphoria in landing Mendenhall. DaTruth says right here that G. Russell is the best short yardage back on this team. He’s put on 10 lbs and is up to 225 lbs, about the same size as Mendenhall. A backfield of Fast Willie, the rookie, G. Russell, M. Moore and Carey Davis isn’t bad at all. What helps is that Moore, Russell and Davis all can play special teams. ROSTER FLE-XI-BIL-I-TY as your young coach likes to say.

- I don’t know anything about the rookie free agent DLs that the Steelers signed, but if any of them show a pulse or a hint that they can play, they can win a roster spot. Kirschke and Eason aren’t giving the DaTruth a lot of confidence if any of the big 3 goes down. Steely McBean hasn’t shown anything as of yet. K. Colbert really needs to pick up that Booger that’s available. And also, I am the only one a bit concerned that A. Smith still isn’t doing yet on the field as he rehabs that surgically repaired bicep? Besides Ben, that might be the most important arm on the team this year.

- I think that 5th cornerback spot is up for grabs to the best special teamer. The two rookie free agents only have to show that they can make a special teams tackle to beat out the little guy from Alabama, Madison. Yeah, I know he ran down Joshua Cribbs and made another tackle on someone else to save a touchdown in another game, but isn’t his job, and that of the rest of the coverage units, to make the tackle on the other side of the 50 yard line?

- It’s put up or shut up (and ship out time) for Bryan McFadden. He’s hired Rosenhaus as his agent, which doesn’t mean anything if he doesn’t show something on the field. He HAS to beat out Deshea this year if he wants his pay day. I think B-Mac is ready to take that next step. If he does, he could have just as much an impact on this being a top 3 defense as does L. Woodley (mark him down for 13 sacks this year).

- Having Aaron Smith and Ryan Clark back and healthy (we hope with both fingers crossed) will go along way to helping Tomlin “dream ridiculously.” Two good solid football players who will never get the ink or props from Steelers Nation that they deserve.

- Hey Blitz, keep it coming. Steelers Nation, Be blessed!