NFL pittsburgh Steelers

When the Steelers drafted Santonio Holmes three years ago, he was arrested twice before training camp. An inauspicious start for a player new to an organization with a history of avoiding guys with "character concerns."

Now, almost five months removed from his Super Bowl MVP performance (and, for the record, eight months removed from his last arrest, although the charges were later dropped), Holmes seems more focused than ever on his day job. Maybe he has matured, or maybe Hines Ward has rubbed off on him. Or maybe both, given his current physical state.

With the season just two months away, the Patriots seem to once again be the clear favorite to win the AFC, but the Football Scientist K.C. Joyner makes a pretty compelling argument that the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers are being underrated.

Joyner cites a healthy Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers defense bringing back nearly everyone from last year's historic unit, an easier schedule and an improved running game.

When the Steelers drafted Tony Hills in the fourth round of the 2008 draft, there was some thought among Steelers fans that he might be the team's starting left tackle in 2009. Max Starks was playing under a one-year transition-tag contract while his backup, Trai Essex, was also in the final year of his deal.

So the thought was: Starks and Essex may leave in free agency while Hills moves into the starting lineup after a one-year apprenticeship. It was the same path that Willie Colon took as a 2005 fourth-round pick.

A couple of months ago, the list of Steelers free agents after the 2009 season looked downright frightening. But slowly and surely, Pittsburgh is whittling down its collection of potential departures.

First the Steelers re-signed left tackle Max Starks to a four-year extension, now there's word that they are working on a long-term deal with free safety Ryan Clark. The news comes from the NFL Network's Jason La Canfora (as relayed by Pro Football Talk).

The Steelers have never seemed to fully know what to do with Max Starks, but it seems clear that Starks has always wanted to be a Steeler.

Two years ago, Pittsburgh slapped Starks with a transition tag--guaranteeing him a contract worth nearly $7 million even though he was considered a backup. It took an injury to Marvel Smith to finally get Starks into the lineup on an everyday basis.

A year later, Starks was slapped with the franchise tag, as Pittsburgh once again decided that it both couldn't part with Starks, but also wasn't willing to work out a long-term deal immediately. But Starks has now gotten his long-term contract. although the terms seem more favorable to the Steelers than to Starks.

Not gonna lie: I'm a sucker for anything Michael Jackson related, pedophilia and creepy, stardust-covered jungle gyms aside. Music-wise, though, he really is tough to beat. It's why I loved Donovan McNabb's "Thriller" touchdown dance, and it's also why I watched the following video -- which, as PSAMP notes with the find, is allegedly Rashard Mendenhall -- like eight times. And frankly, whether it's him or not, I think Mendenhall should come out and claim that he's got moves like that anyway.

After two straight offseasons of scrambling to keep Max Starks in a Steelers uniform, Pittsburgh has locked in the veteran offensive tackle for a while.

Starks, who was transitioned tagged in 2008 and franchise tagged in February, agreed to a four-year extension with the Steelers. Financial terms were not immediately available, but at least one report said Starks' new deal was worth $26.3 million, with $10 million guaranteed.

Let's be honest, there are few things more entertaining in sports than when an athlete is absolutely despised by a city. And I don't mean despised in the Michael Jordan-tears-out-Cleveland's-heart-with-a-wooden-spoon level hate. That's rooted in Jordan's superhuman play on the field.

I mean on a level like LenDale White stomping on the Terrible Towel and refusing to apologize -- where the entire city is outraged at one particular player.

When Keith Bulluck and LenDale White went to town on a Terrible Towel in the waning moments of the Titans' beatdown of the Steelers in Week 16 last season, they had just clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. So, sure, they had every right to celebrate.

Plus, no way a team full of grown men would take offense at the defacing of a yellow hand towel, right. Uh, not quite. The reaction was swift, and last month, Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan even called it unacceptable.

We're still a month away from training camp, but Pittsburgh is almost finished with signing all of their draft picks. Tight end David Johnson, the team's seventh-round pick, signed on Friday, making him the seventh of the team's nine picks to sign.

The only two rookies left unsigned are the two the Steelers most need in training camp. First-round pick Evander Hood, who is expected to be the team's No. 3 defensive end, and third-round pick Kraig Urbik, who is expected to battle for a starting job at offensive guard, are still unsigned, although with a month to work out those deals, it shouldn't be that hard to get the deals worked out.