Sources of Inspiration: Color

There's no question that with a Steeler's blog, that the colors would obviously have to be black and gold.  However, while I was browsing the web for some new Steeler threads for next season I came across this very inspiring travel mug.

It keeps the black and gold theme, but opts for a gold glitter.  Just because this is a blog about football, doesn't mean I have to stray from my girly tendencies.  Using a glittery gold background for with black text boxes would be an ideal color scheme for my Steeler's blog.

Post Draft Thoughts

It's no wonder why the Bengals haven't won a playoff game since 1991.  Rather than supplying their own needs in the 2016 draft, the Bungles took cornerback William Jackson III with the 24 pick... right before the Steelers should have selected him with their 25th pick.  Instead the team opted for Artie Burns, a cornerback out of Miami.

timesonline.com

Regardless the Steelers had a pretty solid draft class, and added much needed help to the secondary as well as depth to the defensive and offensive lines.  The best part about being a Steelers fan right now, is that the team is a Super Bowl contender regardless.  The Steelers don't need rookies to step in and start from the first snap of the season.  Just some contributions from these rookies can help get the Steeler's to a higher level, and get that 7th Lombardi.  

A Look into the 2016 Draft

Cornerbacks, safeties, and linemen oh my!  It's hard to narrow down who the Steelers might chose first in this year draft, coming up on Thursday April 28th.  If you're a football fan, you know how the weeks before the draft go.  These men they call "Draft analysts" create mock drafts every week that are constantly changing and are never right, so just file that one under "bullshit dream jobs" while you're at it.

Cris Collingsworth (who isn't a draft analysts but usually wrong about what he says during SNF anyways) thinks the Steelers will take a defensive tackle to fill Steve McClendon's spot, while Mel Kniper thinks safety Vonn Bell from Ohio State is an option, and Todd McShay believes OSU corner Eli Apple might be the first round pick.

walterfootball.com

Much like my March Madness brackets, my first round picks are wrong year after year, yet I continue to predict them so here goes nothing: For the 25th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select William Jackson III, Cornerback, Houston.

Jarvis Jones: Take him or Leave him?

It's draft week!  And after the excitement dwindles down of selecting the newest Pittsburgh Steelers, the front office will soon have to make another very important decision... Do they pick up the fifth year option on the first round pick of 2013, Jarvis Jones?  The line backer is entering his fourth season with the team and if the Steelers decide to keep him, his salary will jump from $2.7 million this year, to $8.4 million in 2017.  Pretty pricey for a player with only five career sacks don't ya think?  It's hard when someone likes Jones has to compete with veterans like Arthur Moats and James Harrison for a spot as an outside linebacker.  Not to mention the injuries he's had in the past don't help his case much either.  We'll see who the Steeler's chose in this years draft before making a decision on Jone's fifth year, but I would hope that the Steelers pass on this costly mistake.  

bigcatcountry.com

Sources of Inspiration: Blog Layout Part II

For the news navigation section of my blog, I would imagine a page of posts and stories that is something like the World Chess website's news section.

http://worldchess.com

Under the homepage header there are three stories, two having a picture then headline at the bottom, and the middle story having the headline at the box of the box balancing out the page.  Underneath the first row of three stories is a row solely dedicated to one story, breaking up the rows like so...

http://worldchess.com

This would give my blog an easy to navigate, organized and balanced page to browse all posts on my blog.

Sources of Inspiration: Blog Layout

While browsing awwwards.com for inspiration for our final project, I came across a blog with a very aesthetically pleasing layout.

http://www.norfolk-hotels.co.uk

The homepage from Norfolk Hotels in England, uses a simplistic navigation bar with a large picture as the header underneath.  The rectangle navigation buttons at the top are simple, yet stand out and if I were to create my own Steelers blog, they would of course be shades of black and gold.  For the large picture I would use to feature my latests stories, as well as using a fun font to layer on top.

Source of Inspiration: Fonts

Coming across an inspiring font to have on my Steelers blog was very easy for my to decide on.  I knew that I wanted to keep the theme of the Steelers logo, with the bold stencil font.  I came across the following font that seemed to be a more modern version of the Steelers stencil font.  

stencilletters.org

This font would be used for the title of my blog, as well as headlines and other special gadgets and headings like "about me" on my blog.

For the body text of my blog I came across a modern font, making sure it was legible for my audience.  This font would be used for the body text of my posts and anything not for display text.

Source of Inspiration: Design

While browsing the internet for graphics to add to my Publication Production projects, I came across the perfect design element for my blog.  Because my blog is about the Steelers, its quite fitting to use a steel sheet graphic, at a low opacity to be the background of my blog.

Using this at a low opacity, and adding black text boxes for easier reading would be the start of my desired Steeler's blog.

A time-out from football: Pens Edition

I'll admit it...The NFL off season can get a little slow.  But that's why God made sure that all sports had different seasons :)  SO let's talk about what else is going with Pittsburgh Sports.

The Pittsburgh Penguins with have their last regular season game in Philadelphia just 2 weeks, and it looks like they could have a great run in this years playoffs.  Aside from the embarrassing loss to New Jersey, the Pens pulled off impressive wins over Detroit and an overtime win against the Rangers.  

After Phil Kessel and Nick Bonino's crazy 5 point game against the Red Wings, I feel like I can sleep easier at night knowing we might not see Malkin until later in the playoffs.  But they're not the only ones.  Vets like Kunitz, Crosby, Letang, as well as newer guys like Matt Cullen, Matt Sheary, and Trevor Daley are all stepping up and producing points.  With Fleury in the net, and Malkin coming back soon, theres no doubt in my mind that the Pens will make a pretty remarkable playoff run.   

Brokenhearted over Bryant

In the midst of writing a typical angry Steelers fan tweet about Eric Weddle signing with the Ravens last Monday, I refreshed my feed to see the official news.  Everyone had known that there was a possibility of Martavis Bryant being suspended for yet another drug test violation, but the NFL officially announced it after Weddle's deal with Baltimore, as if they wanted to break the hearts of Steeler Nation all at the same time.

And as much as I wanted to write an angry tweet about Bryant, I couldn't.  I had read many articles about how Bryant was battling depression, and knew this was a lot more than just 'failing a drug test'.  People are quick to judge someone just by the life they live, and the money they make.  But they don't understand that the cash doesn't make all your problems go away.  Jet's wide receiver Brandon Marshall has even said in the past while dealing with his own mental illness,  "I have a dream home, two nice cars, three beautiful dogs, but I haven't enjoyed one part of it, and it was hard to understand why."  

I don't mean to stray far from the sports aspect of this blog, but I think this is something many people need to think about.  We tend to obsess over the physical health of our favorite athletes, but we need to understand that their mental health is just as important.

I also think that this shows a lot about the Steeler's organization.  Santonio Holmes was the Steelers beloved Super Bowl MVP, but after repeat violations they traded him (for which ended up being the 6th round pick for Antonio Brown, so thanks Santonio).  This is now Martavis' second violation yet the Steeler's made it clear they won't let him go.  
They see the potential in him and   instead are focusing on getting Martavis help so he can come back physically and MENTALLY healthy next year. 

Recent Free Agency Moves

Maybe it wasn't Eric Weddle like many had hoped and prayed for, but the strategic moves made in free agency by the Steelers are something to take note of.  Since free agency has started, the team has signed former Chargers tight end Ladarius Green and former Bronco tackle, Ryan Harris.  With Heath Miller retired, and Kelvin Beachum signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the two acquisitions couldn't come at a better time.
Jesse James and Alejandro Villaneuva are still developing in their positions, so the two will benefit from two offensive veterans like Green and Harris.  Green's 6"6' stature will be a huge target for Ben to hit this season, and Harris will add depth to the offensive line.


If you thought the Steelers offense was good last year, they're about to be even scarier this year.

Happy Birthday Ben!

It seems like just yesterday the Steelers drafted rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, but the offensive genius has just turned 34.  It's hard to grasp the fact that Ben is getting old, but good news for Steeler Nation: He is only getting better.  With the help of one of the best offensive lines in the league and the best trio of wide receivers, Ben is currently playing the best football of his career.  Even after taking a beating in a AFC North rival wild card game, there no one else I would rather have to take on Denver the next week.  There's no doubt in my mind that this QB will be celebrating his 35th birthday as a 3x Super Bowl champ.  Here's to many more, Ben!

Foster or Beachum?

Come Monday morning, free agency will commence and all NFL fans will rejoice!  With many impressive free agents on the market this year,  I'll be anxiously awaiting for my phone to light up with ESPN notifications on the latest deals.

A problem that the Steelers face now is choosing between Kelvin Beachum and Ramon Foster, who are expected to hit free agency unless a new deal is reached before Monday.  These two linemen have a lot of ups and downs to take into consideration when answering the question of who the Steelers should give a new deal to.  Beachum has impressed many for being the smallest left tackle in the league, but after him and the team could not agree on a contract extension before the 2015 season it's no hiding that he wants to get paid.  Foster may be older, but his size and experience with the teams makes him a very valuable asset to the team ... and for the right price.

After Beachum's injury Alejandro Villanueva was a solid backup that will only get better.  Unfortunately with the salary cap situation that the Steelers face every year, the best option is to part ways with Kelvin and re-sign veteran Ramon Foster.  Who would you re-sign if you could only pick one?

Salary Cap Crunch

It was just announced that the 2016 NFL salary cap will be officially set at $155.27 million dollars, making it a $12 million dollar increase from last season.  The Steelers have the option of last season's extra cap space to roll over into 2016 making the Steeler's cap just over $157 million.  Heath's retirement will give the team an extra $4 million to play with, but the Steelers should also consider saving another $9 million by cutting Cortez Allen and Shaun Suisham.

I know, I know... I love Shaun Suisham and I feel bad that he had a season ending knee injury and I feel bad that he just become an American citizen, but it's time to go back to Canada.  Chris Boswell pleased us week after week and for the price the Steelers are paying him, you can't go wrong.

Creating this extra space is crucial for the Steelers to sign one of their own players like Le'Veon Bell, David DeCastro or Antonio Brown to a huge deal, but for free agents
like Kelvin Beachum, Ramon Foster, Brandon Boykin and William Gay...some will get the paycheck and others will get the boot.

Colbert Expects a Defensive Draft

The combine is over and now we are two months away from the draft.  So who's top priority for the Steelers?  Steeler's manager Kevin Colbert says it's going to be a defensive draft, and I don't think any fan can disagree.
Yes, the Steeler's secondary is seriously lacking but can we acknowledge that the defense tied for 6th most interceptions this season and tied for 4th most recovered fumbles?  It's no Bronco's defense, but for losing Dick LeBeau, Troy Polamalu, and Brett Keisel I think the defense needs just a liiiiittle more credit for holding it down in 2015.
The defense missed out on second round pick Senquez Golson due to injury this season, and many expected more from safety Shamarko Thomas.  The two positions were the only thing hurting the defense this year, so the team will need to add depth to the charts not only during the draft but in free agency.

Once the secondary becomes stronger, the Steelers will be one step closer to becoming a complete team.  The past drafts have focused on building an offensive line, linebackers and receivers so focusing on a secondary heavy draft is in the best interest for Pittsburgh this year.

Miller Calls it a Career

After 11 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Heath Miller announced he will retire.  For myself and many many others, this was a heart breaking surprise that I'm not sure I will ever get used to.  Just about every player and coach has said that they will never coach or play with another athlete like Heath.  His work ethic and selflessness showed every week on the field, and is something that was overlooked by others around the league.  Heath has always been an extremely humble athlete, and because of that he has also been an extremely underrated football player.  Fans around the NFL may not always see and appreciate the player Heath Miller is, but he will go down as the best tight end in Steelers history; his dedication on the field and in the community makes him an irreplaceable teammate.  Next season will not be the same without hearing Heinz Field scream HEEEEEEEEATH after every catch.  Congrats on your amazing career.

2015: A Year in Review

Now that we are almost 2 weeks into the off season, it's time to review the past 2015 season.  The Steelers went 10-6, when they should have topped the AFC North division with a record of 13-3, if not better.  While the team had two embarrassing losses to the Baltimore Ravens, the impressive wins against Arizona and Denver made the Steelers a scary team entering the post season.
However as we know, the team fell short of the AFC Championship because of a fumble by a third string running back... but had the Steeler's had a healthy team this past season I wouldn't be writing a sob story right now.  Injuries seemed to be the theme of the 2015 season, not only for the Steelers but
for the rest of the league.  Missing players Maurkice Pouncey, Le'Veon Bell, Kelvin Beachum, Big Ben, DeAngelo Williams and Antonio Brown hurt the explosive offense throughout the season, but somehow, some way the Steelers were only one series away from beating the Broncos in the divisional round of the playoffs.
When Ben is calling his plays and throwing to the best receivers in the league (not to mention while being protected by the best offensive line in the league), there is no stopping the Steelers.  Ben is the reason the team made it so far into the post season, but no one seems to give him any credit.  However, with a healthy team and some key draft picks for the lacking secondary, there is no doubt in my mind that the Pittsburgh Steelers will once again be World Champions... just wait on it.

What this blog is about...

This blog is about the six time Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.  Throughout the semester there will be analysis on offseason contract deals, free agency, the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft and Combine, as well as spotlight posts on specific players and what to expect for next season.  All important information regarding the team is right here in front of you... The road to Super Bowl LI starts now!