In a new, or revived I’m not really sure about the history all the way back to Mr. Bean, article to BTSC, we are now including a links article where we highlight articles from here on BTSC, across the SB Nation websites and even on local and mainstream media markets related to the NFL and the Steelers.
This is the place where a story is targeted, a piece of the article is included, and a link to the story to help provide you with a more in-depth experience here at BTSC. In other words, we want this website to be your one-stop-shop for all things Steelers!
Here we go!
Why Ben Roethlisberger bridged seven-year divide with his hometown — Jeremy Fowler — ESPN
On April 22, Roethlisberger and Findlay bridged a divide that once seemed too wide to connect. Roethlisberger admitted to the crowd that he was hurt and resentful over comments in the media from locals during the quarterback’s career maelstrom in 2010.
Roethlisberger apologized for letting the opinions of a few “cloud the love that you have always had for me.” Then came the money quote: “I’m so proud and humbled and honored to call Findlay my home and where I grew up.”
This was an off-script moment from a private NFL star during a reflective offseason.
“As you get older, you start to really understand and appreciate things,” Roethlisberger, 35, recently told ESPN when recalling the past few months. “You need to live to the fullest, smile more and really enjoy life.”
AFC North Q&A: Should the Steelers make long-term commitment to Le'Veon Bell? — ESPN
Jamison Hensley, ESPN’s Baltimore Ravens reporter: Yes, although the Steelers have a legitimate reason not to do so. Pittsburgh has watched its past top running backs like Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall have a shelf life of only five to six years, but Bell is that special exception who deserves that commitment.
Pat McManamon, ESPN’s Cleveland Browns reporter: Absolutely. It's true that running backs are not prized the way they once were, but not many running backs can do what Bell does. He's so important to Ben Roethlisbergerin the passing game that he's almost a third or fourth wideout any time he's on the field
Katherine Terrell, ESPN’s Cincinnati Bengals reporter: Many might advise against committing significant money to a running back in what has become a passing era. The Steelers should make an exception for Bell. It’s true that a team can easily find another running back elsewhere.
Paul Zeise: T.J. Watt ready to ease James Harrison’s burden
Watt will play right outside linebacker and split time with Harrison. If Watt is good enough to play the majority of the snaps and even start, the defense will be much better. The pass rush will be stronger, and in the Steelers’ scheme, a great pass rush trumps a mediocre secondary.
By all accounts, Watt is ahead of schedule. He impressed his coaches at OTAs and minicamp with his intelligence and work ethic, but that’s football in T-shirts and shorts. It’s easy to dismiss Watt’s performance thus far as meaningless. Training camp isn’t until the end of the month, and that’s when men are separated from boys.
Mentally, Watt has been ahead of most rookies. He has already learned the defense and his role in it. Linebackers coach Joey Porter heaped a lot of praise on Watt and hinted Watt could be the starter come September.
“His learning curve is real good,” Porter said. “With as many practices as we’ve had, I can count how many mistakes he’s had on one hand. And that’s rare.”
Steelers DT Daniel McCullers in a rush to prove himself — Chris Adamski — Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Daniel McCullers shed some pounds over the past offseason. But that doesn't mean he isn't feeling the weight of pressure applied by his position coach.
The Steelers' big defensive tackle is entering his fourth pro season without any guarantees of a roster spot after largely failing to assert himself since being drafted in 2014.
“Dan McCullers, he's got to grow up,” Steelers defensive line coach John Mitchell in a video posted on the team's official website. “It's time to make a move right now. This is going to be his fourth year. And usually in this league, after about four years, you have got to make a move. Or, either, you move somewhere else.”
That “somewhere else” could be a destination after the coming season, when McCullers' contract expires. Or it could be as early as this fall should he fail to secure a spot on the 53-man roster during training camp.
Terrelle Pryor working out with Antonio Brown — Josh Alper — ProFootballTalk
Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor is still relatively new to wide receiver and his preparation for his first season at the position in Washington includes work with one of the best wideouts in the league.
Pryor posted video and pictures on social media of workouts with Steelers star Antonio Brownin recent days. Pryor spoke earlier in the offseason about plans to work with Randy Moss and Michael Irvin as well and the Redskins free agent pickup said this spring that he knows he still has a lot to learn after playing quarterback for the majority of his career.
“The good ones, they ask questions and never think they’ve got it,” Pryor said, via John Keim of ESPN.com. “They always want to learn. I’m not calling myself a great one, but I think I can get there. I’m always pinpoint in meetings, always answering questions. I jump on a question before anyone else can. I enjoy it. Once you stop learning and think you’ve got it, that’s when you lose. I never want to get to that point. I’m always curious, how to get better and how to be a dominant player and how to make people look at me and say, ‘I want to be like that.’ That’s what drives me.”
James Harrison’s Instagram Makes Me Feel Lazy and Weak — Micah Peters — The Ringer
But none of us are 39-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, who is neither normal nor reasonable, and could probably kill a building if he tried hard and believed in himself enough. He reserves summer for other things. For Harrison, ’tis the season for inventing new ways to keep his biceps torso-sized and his traps mountainous. A lot of the time, this is happening while he’s wearing a full heather gray sweatsuit, which is funny because it’s an outfit otherwise associated with giving up.
Muscles. Bench Press. Workout. Body. (Wife.) These are still subcategories that could apply to any professional athlete. But should you choose to peer into the “Workout” tile, you’ll notice that he’s bench-pressing 500 pounds, and DOING ONE-HANDED SHOULDER PRESSES WITH BARBELLS.
If you want to think about how lazy and not-strong you are, Harrison’s Instagram account is a great place to go. I don’t know that I’d call it motivation — that would imply that reaching this level of strength is a thing that could plausibly happen, when you have other things to do, like not hurt yourself. To make the #GAINZ necessary to hip-thrust 765 pounds, I would need to be able to divvy up my weight lifting between teams of people, and they’d need to work in shifts.