Drum roll please…let’s welcome back defensive end Orpheus Roye 
. Drafted by the Steelers as a sixth round selection in 1996, Roye defected to the Cleveland Browns in 2000 where he stayed until last season. This past off-season he was released and yesterday he returned to the ‘Burgh and signed Roye to a contract. While many of us had hoped the Steelers would seek some help after last season on the defensive line, they in fact kept their current personnel intact and added no new bodies. Not until yesterday. While Roye comes back to the Black and Gold at the age of 35, it remains to be seen if he has any life left in his 6’4”, 330 pound body.
Born in Miami, Florida, Roye is a product of Florida State University. With Pittsburgh he registered nine sacks from 1996 to 1999. In Cleveland, he added another nine and one-half sacks. During those years, he has made 360 tackles. Mike Tomlin’s opinion on the addition of Roye follows.
“He is a veteran defensive lineman, a guy who knows how to play the game. He is a professional. We will see what he is capable of doing and work him out. He had a very solid workout and seems to be in pretty good shape, so we will continue on him the next couple of weeks and see if he can find a seat on the bus, if you will. We're able to put him in the mix due to the knee injury of Kyle Clement. We'll see what he's capable of doing. He had a very solid workout. He appears to be in pretty good shape. We'll continue over the next couple weeks and see if he can find a seat on the bus, if you will.”
Roye then faced the media.
“I know I can help. I have been around for a while. I was used to this defense. It will take me a while to get back, but I think I can contribute. The defense looks pretty much the same. Everything is still good. You have to come out here and work. I am coming to a good defense. I have to come here and help them win. I have to find my role and do what I can to help the team win.”
We might be asking now is he too old? Well, think about the fact that Travis Kirschke is only a year younger, Nick Eason just five years younger. Is the best of those three? Kirschke is nothing to write home about and Eason did not fill in that well as a substitute last year. We should know more with the next pre-season game when he will most likely play.
There is another very major and crucial decision Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert must make and soon. That would be the status of Charlie Batch. Batch is currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list but with the season approaching and the roster needing cutting down, it is highly unlikely the Steelers will keep four quarterbacks on the roster. So the options are either place Batch on injured reserve which makes him ineligible for the entire season; keep Batch on the PUP and bring him back and keep four quarterbacks and then release Byron Leftwich or Dennis Dixon; go with three quarterbacks and release Leftwich and make Dixon the #2 until Batch returns; or keep three quarterbacks and place Dixon on the practice squad while waiting for Batch’s return.
The danger in putting Dixon on the practice squad means ANY other team can pick him up at no cost. Dixon as been very impressive in training camp and pre-season games so losing him would be a ridiculously stupid mistake. Leftwich is serviceable at best and could never start in our offense. If Big Ben gets hurt, we would be in trouble, but what would be the best option? I think using Dixon could be no worse than Leftwich. It’s a difficult decision to make and which way they go remains to be seen. Batch is in the final year of his contract so to place him on injured reserve would mean having to negotiate a new contract for him next year. Keeping him around until healthy would mean the same thing next year, but would mean costing either Dixon or Leftwich a roster spot unless Tomlin decides to keep four. Keeping four means one less spot somewhere else on the team where would could use help. It’s a dilemma most coaches don’t envy.
Said Mike Tomlin:
“We will make that decision when we have to. Right now, we are just evaluating everything day-to-day. There are so many things that could happen between now and when we have to make that roster cut that it is a waste of time to speculate on those at this point. People can get hurt, and so forth and so on, so we don’t waste time worrying about that at this point.”
Batch spoke to his injury and other issues:
“When I got up it was a little numb. That happens every once in a while. I kind of just shook it off. When I went to take the handoff I knew something wasn’t right. I handed the ball off. I knew the next play was going to be a pass so I took a knee so Dennis could get warmed up. I feel pretty good right now. I am excited and ready for rehab to start on Tuesday. It was good to get out here and see the guys, but at the same time disheartening because I couldn’t be part of it at this point. It was something good for me to be out here though. All I can do is worry about getting healthy and right.”
Tomorrow is T.P. day. That would be the return of Troy Polamalu. FINALLY! Po spoke to the press:
“Yeah, I do but I don't want to play in the sense that, like you said, if I can't be myself, you know what I mean? The way I see things, as soon as they put me on the field, I'm like, Shut up, let me practice the new play, don't take me out of the game. That's always every preseason football player's mind-set. It's like, Oh, man, preseason! And once you get in the game, Don't take me out,' you know? Last year we were very successful. I don't think people understand, last year we could have been the best defense in the history of football, statistically. We were a couple of plays from doing that. It's so crazy that we were that close. I was thinking about our defense, and the evolution of our defense. We were very simple when coach LeBeau came in. As time progressed, things started getting a little more complex. He's doing a lot more things with us, which has made us a better defense.”
Speaking of LeBeau, he is anxious to get his boy back on the field.
“The sooner we can get him in there, getting his timing down with his teammates, I think the better off we'll all be. He's kind of a special player.”
Could this be the year Heath Miller becomes one of the NFL’s leading receivers at tight end? Thus far in two pre-season games, you wouldn’t think so. Miller is not worried.
“I've been out on some routes. As always, the coverage kind of dictates where the ball goes. It's not like I've taken a lot of snaps so far, so I'm not really concerned about it. I think offensively we have a lot of weapons. That's definitely a good thing. If we use everybody and spread the ball around, we'll be that much tougher to defend and that's definitely our goal as an offense.”
With that said, in yesterday’s seven-on-seven drills, Miller was on the receiving end of four passes, three of them from Big Ben. That practice was the final one for training camp at St. Vincent. Tomlin wrapped it up with:
A very productive camp and we're looking forward to putting this phase of our team-building behind us.”
With the drafting of Limas Sweed, Nate Washington was feeling the heat to save his spot as the #3 receiver. He has responded well. We have become accustomed to “Nate the Great” dropping passes but not anymore. In yesterday’s practice Washington made several big catches, something else we know about. He has been way more consistent this summer. Sweed is also playing like a rookie performing like Washington once did and consistently drops the ball and did it again yesterday on a pass from Leftwich. Jeremy Bloom on the other hand is not done yet. He made a nice catch yesterday on a long pass beating Ike Taylor.
Finally for today, some tidbits from the web to wrap the day.
James Walker, ESPN.com, AFC North mailbag
Greg from Oregon writes: James, do you see Mendenhall taking over for the Steelers at Running back this season? Or at least sharing most of the carries with Willie Parker?
James Walker: Thanks for the question, Greg. Willie Parker remains the featured back in Pittsburgh as long as he stays healthy. So far he looks strong and may even get more opportunities around the goal line this year. But Rashard Mendenhall will get enough opportunities to make an impact. He still has a lot to learn, such as getting his pads lower, but he's showing promise.
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Peter King, SportsIllustrated.com, Monday Morning Quarterback
Ten Things I Think I Think
If I'm Mike Tomlin, I'm asking myself: Why can't Dennis Dixon be my number two quarterback? At least until Charlie Batch comes back. That's no fifth-round-looking player. Dixon is poised and throws a zinger of a fastball.
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