Heels, Sox & Steelers

A glimpse of the future
Finally. A refreshing article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette about what the the Steelers secondary may look like in the near future -- although maybe not this year. Either way, Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu, Chris Hope, Deshea Townsend and this year's 2nd round pick, Ricardo Colclough were all on the field at the same time (in the nickel defense). Townsend was the elder statesman of the group at the ripe old age of 29.

Second-year CB, Ike Taylor got a decent amount of playing time last season -- especially in the nickel and dime packages, and hopefully Colclough will progress at a similar pace. And while MLB Kendrell Bell stepped immediately into the starting lineup in 2001, his primary duty was to stop the ball (he came off the field on 3rd downs) and Colclough's responsibilities will be a little broader. Consequently, he'll probably be a little slower finding his way on the field full-time -- although if Chad Scott plays like he has the last few seasons, Taylor and Colclough could both get a lot more playing time -- and that probably ain't a bad thing.