FanHouse Dallas Baker

Apparently Hines Ward's knee injury is what we thought it was.

In his first comments since Ward had an MRI on his injured right knee, Mike Tomlin said that he expects Ward to play in the Super Bowl. Ward himself has vowed that there is no way he will miss the game. Although details of the MRI weren't given, it was once again described as a strained MCL, which seems to indicate that the MRI confirmed the initial diagnosis.

But even if Ward is expected to play, the Steelers could put together an insurance policy before the game. Wide receiver Dallas Baker, a 2007 draft pick, is on the Steelers practice squad and has brief experience on the active roster. With only four receivers (including Ward) on the active roster, it would seem wise for the Steelers to consider adding Baker before the game in case Ward's knee doesn't respond to the treatment as hoped.

This offseason, the Steelers cut Cedrick Wilson after he got into a physical altercation with his girlfriend at a local Mexican eatery. Later, the club pretended it wasn't paying attention when Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison was charged with slapping his girlfriend, and the media soon accused the team of having different rules for different players.

Apparently, that's changed; last night, Santonio Holmes was arrested for marijuana possession and the Steelers have decided to deactivate their big-play threat for this Sunday's matchup against the Giants.

"When you're a great team, there will be distractions," head coach Mike Tomlin told Pittsburgh's WPXI. Well, there are other distractions to add to the list: left tackle Marvel Smith, cornerback Bryant McFadden, and running back Willie Parker will all be out with injuries, and defensive end Aaron Smith will also miss the game for personal reasons. Oh, and Troy Polamalu is probably still punch drunk after cracking noggins with the Bengals' Cedric Benson last week. On the upside, Ben Roethlisberger feels great!

Two weeks ago, Willie Reid was thought to be battling for a roster spot, now could he possibly start the season as the No. 4 receiver?

It's still unlikely, but as Limas Sweed keeps dropping passes, it's a fair to ask if the Steelers can depend on a rookie who has dropped three passes in the past two weeks. While Sweed is watching his chances slip through his fingers, Reid now leads the Steelers receivers in receptions (9) and yards (81).

What is pretty apparent, and something that is being mentioned by Steelers beat writers is that the team could be in the market for plucking a veteran receiver off the waiver wire. Sweed could end up being a pretty good receiver, even by the end of this year. But right now he's pretty inconsistent.

With Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes set as the Steelers starters and Nate Washington and Limas Sweed set as the team's No. 3 and No. 4 receivers, one of the toughest battles during training camp will be for the fifth and likely final wide receiver spot.

A lot of times jobs are said to be wide open, but in reality, there's a clear favorite who has to lose the job. In this case, it's hard to say who's the favorite. The case for Reid is that he's (supposed to be) a quality returner. And his speed and shiftiness makes him potentially useful as a slot receiver who can work underneath and turn little screens into decent gains.

On the downside, Reid has looked overwhelmed by the pro game. A great college punt returner, he's struggled with injuries and fumbles as a pro.

Baker has the size (6-foot-3, 206 pounds) to be a red zone target, and he has a history of getting better as he gets acclimated to a new level of competition. He made significant improvement during his time at Florida, peaking as a senior.

As the Steelers' minicamp next weekend nears, we'll continue to give a wrapup of scouting reports and features on the Steelers newest acquisitions.

Scouting Reports

New Era Scouting: Has prototype size for a wide receiver with good agility for his size. Lacks the burst to get open deep, but could be a solid possession receiver. Will go over the middle into traffic and has good hands. Is a hard worker who has gotten better throughout his college career.

NFL Draft Report: Has long arms and good hands. Doesn't have the ability to get yards after the catch. His lack of speed will keep him from being special in the NFL but has potential to be a solid possession receiver who could be a red zone threat.