Brett Keisel & Ike Taylor Join Mike Wallace As Players Absent From First OTA

[hawaiiansteel]

Brett Keisel & Ike Taylor Join Mike Wallace As Players Absent From Steelers First OTA

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012 by Dave Bryan

We already passed along the news that Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu is present for the first OTA session of the 2012 season that got underway today in Pittsburgh and now we are getting word from Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review of players that are not present or are not participating in addition.

Kaboly reported via Twitter that defensive end Brett Keisel and cornerback Ike Taylor were not present for the first organized activity and that linebacker Jason Worilds and guard Ramon Foster were present but did not participate on Tuesday. Also present were nose tackle Casey Hampton and running back Rashard Mendenhall, but both are still recovering from knee surgeries to repair torn ACLs that they both suffered late in the season. Kaboly says that Mendenhall did look good though and that both were working feverishly on the side.

Wide receiver Mike Wallace, as expected, was not present on Tuesday and is not expected to be in attendance for any of the OTA sessions or the team mini-camp as he has yet to sign his one-year restricted tender offer. Also missing on Tuesday, as expected, were first and second round draft picks David DeCastro and Mike Adams, who are unable to attend because of school requirements. Also missing the Tuesday session due to school requirements was fourth round draft pick Alameda Ta'amu per Kaboly.

While we do not know the reason that Keisel was absent, it likely signals that he is still trying to recover from the severe groin injury that he suffered in the AFC Wild Card game against the Denver Broncos. Taylor normally works out in South Florida at this time of year with trainer Tom Shaw and we hope to get clarification as to whether or not that was his reasoning for his absence in the future.Both Worilds and Foster might be recovering from some sort of minor injuries and I will attempt to get Kaboly to clarify what indeed is ailing both of them.

Kaboly did add via Twitter that unrestricted free agent tackle Max Starks was at the Steelers facility getting his knee checked out by the trainers as he has been in town for the charity golf tournament that he helps put on that took place on Monday. Starks said last week that he likely would not be ready by the start of training camp and that he has yet to hear from the Steelers organization in regard to him being re-signed in the future.

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/brett_keisel_ike_taylor_join_mike_wallace_as_playe rs_absent_from_steelers_first_ota/10848545 (http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/brett_keisel_ike_taylor_join_mike_wallace_as_playe rs_absent_from_steelers_first_ota/10848545)

[Crash]

Taylor is on his way.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Kaboly did add via Twitter that unrestricted free agent tackle Max Starks was at the Steelers facility getting his knee checked out by the trainers

This is awesome news. First sign of interest by the team this offseason. Perhaps seeing Jon Scott trot out there as 1st team LT scared the bejesus out of them enough to take a look at how ol' Max's surgically repaired knee is holding up.

[grotonsteel]

This is awesome news. First sign of interest by the team this offseason. Perhaps seeing Jon Scott trot out there as 1st team LT scared the bejesus out of them enough to take a look at how ol' Max's surgically repaired knee is holding up.

+1

Max Starks is a huge upgrade over J Scott. He could be the starting LT and if Mike Adams can beat Starks for the starting job then Max can be a really good backup.

[hawaiiansteel]

Mike Tomlin Visited With Mike Wallace Last Week & He Has His New Playbook

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012 by Dave Bryan

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace was absent from the first OTA session on Tuesday as expected, but he was in town last week and talked to head coach Mike Tomlin according to Tomlin himself.

Tomlin was asked following the first OTA session if he was disappointed that Wallace was not present and Tomlin replied, "Not all, man. This is a business, its an element of the business. Mike came in and we visited last week. We had good communications. This process is going to run its course. We know what type of young man that he is. Hes a hard working, diligent young man." Tomlin continued, "It'll be over. It'll be a little short term misery, but it wont be significant in the grande scheme of things hopefully.

It was also reported on Tuesday that Wallace did pick up his new playbook while in town and fellow wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders was quoted by Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review as saying about his teammate, "We are waiting for a deal to get done."

Wallace has been working out on his own back home in Louisiana as he looks to hopefully get a new long-term deal done. He has not yet signed the one-year tender of a little more than $2.7 million that the Steelers offered the restricted free agent prior to the start of free agency.

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/mike_tomlin_visited_with_mike_wallace_last_week_he _has_his_new_playbook/10849490

[RuthlessBurgher]

Mike Tomlin Visited With Mike Wallace Last Week & He Has His New Playbook

No risk of injury while unsigned but still able to learn the new offense. Best of both worlds for Wallace while a deal (hopefully) gets worked out.