FanHouse Charlie Batch

Two games into the preseason, the Steelers are a good bit closer to deciding which offensive linemen will be making the 53-man roster, and it's remarkable how much the conventional wisdom has changed from what we thought we knew during the summer.

Kraig Urbik was supposed to battle for a starting job at guard. Instead, he's likely to make the team entirely on the basis of future potential, as he hasn't shown that he's capable yet of contributing to the 2009 Steelers. Guard/tackle Ramon Foster has gone from a little known undrafted free agent to someone whose not only nearly a sure-bet to make the roster, but also someone who could make the 46-man active roster this season. And Doug Legursky has gone from being a practice squad player to a productive fill-in on the first team.

Dennis Dixon's preseason is likely over after he suffered a dislocation of his throwing shoulder in Saturday's loss to the Redskins.

Since he's the Steelers' No. 3 quarterback, it's hard to say that this is a crushing blow for Pittsburgh, but it is disappointing from a development standpoint. It eliminates any chance Dixon had of really pushing Charlie Batch for the backup job, but more than that, it will cost Dixon lots of snaps that would help him be ready to take over as the team's No. 2 next year.

Last month, Bloomberg News (of all places), reported that the Steelers might be one of the teams interested in the services of Michael Vick, Wildcat specialist. At the time, it seemed far-fetched and I don't think much has changed since.

Of course, it hasn't kept people from asking, especially since former Colts head coach Tony Dungy recently told NBC that Vick should be signed within the week. So when Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the possibility Tuesday, here's what he said. From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Michael Vick is free to sign with any NFL team that will have him, he can participate in training camp, and if all goes well, he could be back in the league by Week 6.

Via her NFL sources, FanHouse's Nancy Gay wrote about potential Vick landing spots: the Dolphins, Patriots, Raiders, and 49ers. All, to varying degrees, make sense (even if fans might disagree with the idea of Vick being allowed to earn a nice living playing a game and wearing a funny outfit).

But the News of the Weird gets weirder. Bloomberg Sports (I'll be honest, I had no idea Bloomberg covered sports) also mentions, via "one online betting site," that in addition to the Patriots, the "odds favor the Steelers signing Vick."

With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.

Meet the...
Team with more Super Bowl titles than any other franchise in existence. Fresh off of their sixth Super Bowl title, the Steelers return in 2009 with a solid shot at a repeat performance. The stellar defense is still around and the main keys to the Pittsburgh offense are back and healthy.

While the NFL version of the Steelers is a force to be reckoned with, the Steelers, as fantasy assets, are just average.

The union's message to its players as the collective bargaining negotiations begin is coalescing. Union head DeMaurice Smith told FanHouse last month that he believes the owners intend to lock out the players in 2011. And according to Pro Football Talk, citing a "league source," Steelers QB Charlie Batch told rookies at the league's rookie symposium that there's a "100 percent chance" of a lockout that year.

Smith seems to have a solid handle on the media/message part of his job. He wants it made clear, to the players and the public, that any threat of a work stoppage is coming from the owners' end. The owners are the ones who opted out of the current CBA. The owners are the ones refusing to share the finanical information Smith is requesting. And if there's no football in 2011, it will be because the owners decided to lock out the players, NOT because the players went on strike. It is crucial for Smith to communicate this message to the players, because he believes it is crucial for the players to communicate it to the public.

The picture above is me, a lifelong Lions fan, holding the jerseys of former Lions quarterbacks Joey Harrington and Charlie Batch. It's also a cautionary tale for the people thinking of buying Matthew Stafford jerseys, which are on sale now.

As expected, Charlie Batch wasn't far from the phone when the Steelers found out that Byron Leftwich was going elsewhere. And just a couple of days later, the word from the Post-Gazette is that Batch is signing a one-year deal with the Steelers to return as the team's backup.

Batch has made it clear that he likes playing in his hometown of Pittsburgh, but it was never more clear than in this newest deal. According to the P-G, Batch is signing for $745,000 with a signing bonus of $50,000. That is the veteran minimum for a player with Batch's tenure, but more importantly, because of NFL salary cap rules to encourage teams to sign veterans, it means that Batch will only cost $510,000 on the Steelers' 2009 cap.

Now that Byron Leftwich has signed with the Bucs, Charlie Batch and the Steelers both need each other.

Pittsburgh needs a veteran backup quarterback since Dennis Dixon is likely not ready to be the team's No. 2 quarterback in 2009. Batch, who has gotten no nibble in free agency, needs a job. Put the two together and it's highly likely that Batch will return for his eighth season as the team's backup quarterback.

If Batch does re-sign, he will add to what's already a remarkable record. Steelers quarterbacks aren't know for their longevity. With seven seasons in Pittsburgh under his belt, a two-year contract would make him a Steeler longer than Kordell Stewart, Neil O'Donnell, Bubby Brister, Mark Malone or any Steelers quarterback since Terry Bradshaw.

Two weeks ago, Byron Leftwich met with the Redskins. It was the first free-agent visit of the offseason for a player most of us thought would be in high demand. Leftwich would also visit the Buccaneers, which prompted the Steelers to step up their efforts to re-sign Ben Roethlsiberger's backup, but Tampa Bay has apparently landed the 2003 first-round pick.

That's the word on the street, anyway: "Free-agent quarterback Byron Leftwich has agreed to a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a source told ESPN's Michael Smith."