Brief and to the Point, a pre-camp, all-football edition ...
The Steelers' offense will be the best it's been in years, maybe in decades. And I'm getting that sense as much from the big bodies as the big names.
"We have depth and experience both this year," Ramon Foster was telling me Monday night. "I think the sky is the limit across the board."
He then presumably found some wood to knock.
"It all depends on health with us."
Yeah, sure does. Here's guessing that wood was branded with a No. 53 on it and that maybe it bent a little when Foster knocked.
But he's undeniably right in the broader sense. And I'll go further and at least suggest that, with Foster brought back and Maurkice Pouncey healthy all over again, with David DeCastro just having blossomed into a star, with Marcus Gilbert having stabilized in a way no one had expected so suddenly, and with Alejandro Villanueva having Ryan Harris as a reinforcement on Ben Roethlisberger's blind side, and with all the chemistry and camaraderie that's always critical toward collective blocking ... man, that's as solid a positional group as any on the roster.
Add to that Mike Munchak, who just might be the best at what he does in the NFL, and I'll take that plus over the minus of losing Martavis Bryant and Le'Veon Bell, though that might strike some as crazy.
Here's why:
1. Nothing matters more to this franchise on any given Sunday, never mind the coming season, than Roethlisberger remaining upright. The Steelers appear better equipped for that specific challenge than at any time since the Alan Faneca years, particularly because the steady presence in the middle -- as Faneca provided in bulk -- will force opponents to attack off the edge, which Gilbert, Villanueva and now Harris will have shored up.
2. The second-most important facet of this franchise is getting Roethlisberger time to throw, regardless of the target. These guys can and will get that done.
3. To a man, these linemen will tell you they prefer run-blocking to pass-blocking. Whether it's Bell or DeAngelo Williams, as the home stretch and even Denver showed with the practice-squad backs, it's the beef that cooks up the running game.
Never forget where it all starts.
• Be wary of Bell's renewed plea of innocence Monday, and not just because it was buried in the comment section on an Instagram post.
