Steelers News: The reversing of the Steelers’ turnover trend started Tuesday

With the 2019 NFL Draft in the rear view mirror, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2019 season is fast approaching, and the news surrounding the black-and-gold is far from over. As the team now turns their attention to more offseason workouts, OTAs and minicamp, there is no shortage of news.

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how it is well known the Steelers need to produce more turnovers, but getting those is a different story altogether. On Tuesday, the first day of Organized Team Activities (OTAs), Joe Haden and company began a turnover quest.

Let’s get to the news:

• More turnovers for the Steelers defense? Yes, please.

Joe Haden takes first step toward turnover turnaround for Steelers defense

By: Jonathan Bombulie, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

On the very first play of the seven shots two-point conversion style drill on the very first day of organized team activities Tuesday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, cornerback Joe Haden joined the conversation.

Haden stepped in front of tight end Vance McDonald in the flat and intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass to the delight of his defensive teammates.

“It was me and Vance out there on an island,” Haden said. “He ran an outside release, so I thought it was going to be a fade. Then when he sunk his hips down to run a comeback, I just undercut it. And then I looked back and the ball was there, so I had to pick it off.”

Haden was aware of the obvious glass half-empty interpretation of the play. His quarterback, who led the league with 16 interceptions thrown last season, began OTAs with another one.

To read the full article, click HERE

• While most might think the Steelers could have had their locker room split after the Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell saga, the opposite is true. The team is closer now than ever.

Steelers veteran Ramon Foster says team is closer than ever

By: Chris Adamski, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

“I feel like we are closer now than we ever have been,” the 11th-year offensive lineman said while walking off the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex fields Tuesday.

Foster, who signed his fourth Steelers multiyear contract in March, called the previous 4 1/2 months “one of the longest-shortest offseasons ever.” Of course, the Steelers navigated through the loss of Le’Veon Bell in free agency and the eventually granted trade demand from Antonio Brown after Brown effectively left the team during Week 17.

Brown and Bell had critical comments about the team in between – and national media, former players and others piled on, too, mostly toward Ben Roethlisberger.

Foster defended his quarterback Tuesday, and he said all the drama around the Steelers has made team unity even stronger.

To read the full article, click HERE

• Did Ben Roethlisberger’s one-on-one interview leave a sour taste in your mouth? You aren’t alone...

Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Ben Roethlisberger misses mark in interview

By: Kevin Gorman, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

What KDKA billed as “The Interview: Ben Roethlisberger” was a pre-emptive move by Big Ben to share his side of the story before the Steelers open voluntary organized team activities on Tuesday morning at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side.

Bob Pompeani went one-on-one with Roethlisberger, with the first part of the interview airing during Monday’s 6 p.m. newscast and focusing on his relationship with Antonio Brown.

The All-Pro wide receiver took shots at Roethlisberger in talking his way into a trade to the Oakland Raiders – saying on HBO that Roethlisberger “feels like he’s the owner” – but Pompeani said Brown didn’t respond to KDKA’s requests for an interview.

The second part is expected to focus on the two-year contract extension worth $68 million, with a $37.5 million signing bonus, that Roethlisberger signed last month.

Big Ben missed the mark, only causing more questions.

To read the full article, click HERE

• Somehow, some way, Ben Roethlisberger took the blame for the Antonio Brown garbage this offseason.

Roethlisberger: AB ‘made me who I am’

By: Dale Lolley, DKPittsburghSports

Ben Roethlisberger has been quiet throughout the offseason, despite a pretty public divorce between the Steelers and Antonio Brown in which the star receiver said comments by the quarterback led to Brown wanting out of Pittsburgh.

But with the Steelers set to open Phase 3 of their OTAs Tuesday, Roethlisberger spoke with KDKA-TV’s Bob Pompeani and expressed regret over everything that happened.

“I took some heat and deservedly so for some of the comments on that show and especially towards him,” Roethlisberger said, referring to comments made on his weekly radio show on KDKA-FM. “I genuinely feel bad about that and I’m sorry. Did I go too far after that Denver game? Probably.”

To read the full article, click HERE

• Social Media Madness