The Steelers are hoping that Ben Roethlisberger has learned from his rough injury filled 2006 season and that he will return to be the QB he was his first two years in the NFL.  Last year Roethlisberger appeared to be scared to get hit and that often led him to throw footballs into coverage that he didn’t throw into before and the results were awful.  Part of the blame should go to Bill Cowher for playing Roethlisberger too soon after his injuries last season instead of letting him rest and playing Charlie Batch until he was healed.  Roethlisberger started 15 games last season for the Steelers and he completed 280 of 469 passes (59.7%) for 3,513 yards with 18 TD passes and 23 INTs (75.4 QB Rating).  He also carried the football 32 times for 98 yards (3.1 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  His poor season brought down his stellar career stats but look for him to rebound and play much better in 2007.  Roethlisberger has played in 41 games (40 starts) in his career and he’s completed 644 of 1,032 passes (62.4%) for 8,519 yards with 52 TD passes and 43 INTs (87.9 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 119 times for 311 yards (2.6 ypc) with 6 TD runs.

Charlie Batch has been great as a backup QB for the Steelers since he’s arrived in Pittsburgh.  He played in 8 games (1 start) for the Steelers last season and he completed 31 for 53 (58.5%) passes for 492 yards with 5 TD passes and 0 INTs (121.0 QB Rating).  He also carried the football 13 times for 15 yards (1.2 ypc).  Batch is content with being a backup QB despite having a lot of starting experience and the Steelers are lucky to have him.  Batch has played in 63 games (49 starts) in his NFL career and he’s completed 801 of 1,423 passes (56.3%) for 9,801 yards with 55 TDs and 41 INTs (78.6 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 150 times for 616 yards (4.1 ypc) with 6 TD runs.

The Steelers have brought back Brian St. Pierre to be their #3 QB.  If he has to play the Steelers are in deep trouble and they would be playing for a nice draft pick.  He has only played in 1 game in his career and he threw 1 incomplete pass and carried the ball 4 times for -3 yards (-0.8 ypc).

The Steelers had to be thrilled that Dallas Baker was available to them in the 7th round.  Many experts had Baker going in the 2nd or 3rd round of the NFL Draft.  Baker is a big guy at 6′3″, 203 pounds and that helps him bully smaller corners when going up for a pass which he often will catch at it’s highest point.  Baker doesn’t time fast (4.6 40) but he plays quick on gameday which gets him open.  Baker will likely be a target in the Red Zone as the Steelers haven’t had a big WR since Plaxico Burress left a couple of seasons ago.  Baker played in 51 games (26 starts) at Florida and he caught 151 passes for 2,236 yards (14.8 avg) with 21 TD grabs.  Baker was a great pick for the Steelers.

William Gay is small (5′11″, 187 pounds) and he’s slow (4.51 40) but he can make plays in front of him.  His problem is when he has to turn and run with a WR.  He’s too little and slow to defend the pass and that spells trouble for a cornerback at the NFL level.  Gay played in 46 games (36 starts) and he made 134 tackles, 9 tackles for a loss, had 3 sacks, forced 4 fumbles, broke up 28 passes and he had 7 interceptions (70 return yards).  Look for Gay to contribute on special teams if he even makes the team.

The Steelers felt that they needed a young offensive lineman to groom for the future and Cameron Stephenson definately fits that mold.  He is a big guy at 6′2″, 305 pounds but he plays the game quick as he appears light on his feet.  He has a lot of refining that needs to be done to his game as he doesn’t play with the power that his size promises as he doesn’t finish off a lot of his blocks.  This was a pick with the eye on the future as Stephenson has a huge upside if the Steelers coach him up.  He played in 32 games at Rutgers and started 14 of them.  Stephenson will be a backup as a rookie and a possible starter in the future for the Steelers.

Ryan McBean is a better athlete than he is a football player right now so it will be up to Mike Tomlin and the Steelers’ coaching staff to bring out the best in him.  McBean is 6′4″, 277 pounds and he’s a quick man for his size.  McBean’s frame could handle adding a little more bulk so the Steelers will likely have him in the weight room often.  He played in 24 games (23 starts) at Oklahoma State and he made 62 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, had 7.5 sacks, broke up a pass, forced 3 fumbles and recovered 3 fumbles.  Look for the Steelers to use McBean in their DT rotation this season.