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The Steelers' Mike Tomlin has proved to be one of the top coaches in the NFL, and he's getting paid like one.

With an annual salary of $5.8 million, he ranks tied for eighth on the list of highest-paid coaches in sports and tied for sixth among NFL coaches, according to Forbes. In terms of football, Tomlin is only behind the Patriots' Bill Belichick ($7.5 million), the Redskins' Mike Shanahan ($7 million), the Rams' Jeff Fisher ($7 million), the Seahawks' Pete Carroll ($7 million) and the Bears' Lovie Smith ($6 million). The Cardinals' Ken Whisenhunt also makes $5.8 million.

Tomlin certainly deserves to be in this pay grade. He is only one of seven coaches in league history to win a Super Bowl in his first two seasons as an NFL head coach and became only the sixth to win at least nine games in each of his first five seasons since the 1970 merger (George Seifert, Mike Holmgren, Bill Cowher, Chuck Knox and Mike Sherman were the others).

There's a good chance that Tomlin will move up on this list. His contract runs out after the 2012 season with an option for 2013.

None of the other AFC North coaches -- John Harbaugh, Marvin Lewis and Pat Shurmur -- made the top 10 list.

Every morning, grab a cup of coffee and get your AFC North wake-up call here:

There's optimism that Phil Taylor will make a "significant impact" this season after the Browns defensive tackle underwent surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle Thursday, a league source told the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Taylor is expected to be out "months, not weeks" after injuring himself while bench-pressing last week during the team's offseason conditioning program, Browns coach Pat Shurmur said. Recovery can take between four to six months depending on the severity of the tear, so Taylor could return sometime in the first half of the regular season.

Hensley's slant: How long Taylor is out could determine whether the Browns add a veteran defensive lineman. The options are far from great. Rocky Bernard is a free agent who played six seasons (2003-08) under current Browns defensive line coach Dwaine Board, but he hasn't been a starter since 2008. Other free agents who could interest Cleveland are Aubrayo Franklin, who had a disappointing 2011 season with the Saints, and Tommie Harris, a backup for the Chargers last season.

BENGALS: Quarterback Andy Dalton is focusing on his deep passes this offseason. For Dalton, long throws start with the legs and not the arm. "My focus has been more on getting that fifth step and really getting that hitch, and really getting more into it," Dalton told the team's official website. "Rather than trying to feel a throw out there. Just let it go. There were so many times last year we were running by guys even if they were the off corner. A.J. [Green] and some of these other guys are going to get past them. It can be frustrating when you know you've got it and you just missed the throw. Hopefully it will happen a little less this year." Hensley's slant: Dalton completed 46.2 percent of his throws of longer than 21 yards, which ranked sixth in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information. But he also threw five interceptions on those deep passes, which was fourth-most in the league. So Dalton's focus should be limiting his mistakes.

RAVENS: Recently signed Jacoby Jones is putting his past behind him like he's done so many times before. "Change is good in life," Jones told the team's official website. "I left one high school, went to another and I was successful. I left one college and went to Lane College and was successful. And now I'm leaving Houston and I will be successful." In addition to being the team's No. 3 wide receiver, Jones said he likes returning punts and kickoffs "because it’s like playing in the backyard." Hensley's slant: Jones' previously announced two-year, $7 million was inflated with an escalator, according to the Carroll County (Md.) Times. His base salaries are $700,000 this year and $3 million in 2013, with $1.8 million coming as a signing bonus. Jones' deal is really $5.5 million over two years.

STEELERS: With Willie Colon's announcement that he's moving from right tackle to left guard, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette speculated Marcus Gilbert could still make his move from right to left tackle. "The knock on [rookie second-round pick Mike] Adams is that he’s a better run blocker than a left tackle protector, so the move may be to put Adams on the right side and go ahead with the move of Gilbert to the left," Bouchette wrote. "Mike Tomlin said that is Gilbert’s best side anyway." Another scenario is keeping Gilbert at right tackle and throwing Jonathan Scott in at left tackle until Adams is ready. Hensley's slant: If the Steelers don't think Adams can start immediately, the better move is to re-sign Max Starks as their stop-gap left tackle. Scott proved last season that he is a liability as a starter. Starks, who had knee surgery in January, said he is targeting mid-July to be fully recovered.

When Steelers offensive tackle Mike Adams signed his contract Wednesday, the second-round pick received a $1.01 million signing bonus.

There had been speculation that Adams would defer a signing bonus to show he could remain drug-free. Adams reportedly tested positive for marijuana at the NFL combine in February.

The reason why the Steelers put Adams back on their draft board wasn't an offer to defer a bonus. The team considered him again after he showed how much he wanted to wear the Black and Gold.

By now, everyone knows the story of how Adams requested a face-to-face, pre-draft meeting with general manager Kevin Colbert, Art Rooney II and coach Mike Tomlin to explain himself. He then had to meet certain stipulations which included counseling.

Adams grew up in Farrell, Pa., about 70 miles north of Heinz Field. How much of a Steelers fan was Adams growing up? According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, he had Steelers sheets on his bed and a Jerome Bettis clock on the wall of his bedroom.

It's now up to Adams to make sure there is a happy ending to his childhood dreams coming true. He has a chance to become the team's starting left tackle this season, but that's not his priority at this point.

“I think step one is proving myself off the field because that’s where my issues have been,” Adams told the Tribune-Review at rookie minicamp. “I haven’t had any issues on the field. To prove myself to the people in this organization, the people in this city, that’s what I’m here for.”

This is the time of the offseason when the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers shine. They build the foundation for Super Bowl-contending teams by finding players in April and not in March.

When it comes to drafting Pro Bowl players, the Ravens and Steelers rank among the top four since 1996, according to the Ravens' public-relations department. Baltimore and Pittsburgh have each selected 15 Pro Bowl players during that span, tied for third-most in the league. Only the New England Patriots (17) and Green Bay Packers (16) have produced more.

The secret to the Ravens' and Steelers' drafting success is establishing a vision of what type of player fits their teams. That philosophy comes from the stability of the organizations. Ozzie Newsome has been the Ravens' chief decision-maker since the team relocated to Baltimore in 1996, and Kevin Colbert has been the Steelers' general manager since 2000. The teams each have had two head coaches (Mike Tomlin and Bill Cowher for the Steelers, and John Harbaugh and Brian Billick for the Ravens) for the previous 13 seasons.

That type of cohesion builds a relationship to the point where the scouting department knows what players the coaches want. The front office has insight on what players succeed in their teams' offensive and defensive systems.

"I think that's one of the enjoyable things about Pittsburgh," Tomlin said at the Steelers' pre-draft press conference this week. "We don't get caught up in draft grades and the evaluation of the draft, and things of that nature like a lot of other things that could distract you. It's simply measured in terms of how we perform."

The Steelers have drafted four Pro Bowl players in the past five years: linebacker LaMarr Woodley (2007), wide receiver Mike Wallace (2009), center Maurkice Pouncey (2010) and receiver-returner Antonio Brown (2010).

Last season, seven of the Ravens' eight Pro Bowl players were drafted by the team: inside linebacker Ray Lewis, safety Ed Reed, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, running back Ray Rice and guards Ben Grubbs and Marshal Yanda.

This type of consistent success is more amazing when you consider the level of difficulty. The Steelers and Ravens are finding these Pro Bowl players despite annually picking toward the bottom of each round.

These division rivals don't like each other, but they tend to like the same type of player. The Ravens and Steelers target tough, physical and competitive players.

“His motor in the fourth quarter is really, really important,” Ravens director of player of personnel Eric DeCosta said. “A lot of the guys who impress me are the guys who are getting their butts kicked in the fourth quarter, losing by 20, 25 points, and he’s still making plays or trying to make plays."

DeCosta added, "How does a guy tackle? If it’s a cornerback, does he face up and use his facemask? Does he bring you down? Does he miss a lot of tackles? If he’s a running back, does he run through contact? Does he lower his pads and try to break tackles? You get a sense. When you talk to people, you get a sense. Then when you interview a guy, you get a sense for his toughness.”

The true measure of draft success isn't the number of Pro Bowl players produced. There is a higher standard.

"Super Bowl championships," Colbert said. "That's it. There is no scorecard. Never will be, never has been."

Every morning, grab a cup of coffee and get your AFC North wake-up call here:

To those Bengals fans who want the team to draft a wide receiver, you are not alone.

A.J. Green, the team’s first-round pick from a year ago and current No. 1 wideout, isn’t opposed to Cincinnati bringing in another target in the passing game.

“I hope so,” Green told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “It would be nice to get someone else in here but if we don’t there are guys here who can step up. Whatever the team needs.”

The Bengals haven’t re-signed No. 2 wide receiver Jerome Simpson and have yet to add a wideout this offseason. Simpson received a three-game suspension from the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Hensley’s slant: Michael Floyd probably won’t slide into the bottom half of the first round, but the Bengals will have a chance to take a wide receiver with their second first-round pick (Kendall Wright or Stephen Hill) or their second-round one (Alshon Jeffery, Rueben Randle).

BROWNS: Wide receiver-returner Josh Cribbs was cited for driving 103 mph in a 60-mph zone last month, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Cribbs addressed this on his Twitter account: “Yes I was pulled over for speeding, going too fast, luckily the police were on the job. Wasn't going that fast the entire time obviously but wrong is wrong, gotta face the music just like anyone else:(." Cribbs added, “Much Respect to the police officers who pulled me over! I will lead better on the road now as well as on & off the field!!!" Cribbs is scheduled to appear in court May 4. Hensley’s slant: Cribbs is the latest NFL player to go well over the speed limit (you should read about the reported high-speed caravan that included running back Brandon Jacobs). What Cribbs did was dangerous, but you have to be impressed with how he took responsibility for his actions.

RAVENS: The team believes it learned a lesson in drafting a wide receiver after finding success with Torrey Smith, a second-round pick from a year ago. “I think with Torrey, one of the biggest things is that he’s wired right,” director of player personnel Eric DeCosta told the team’s website. “Mentally, this is a guy who grew up in a tough environment. He grew up under difficult circumstances.” The oldest of seven children, Smith helped raise his siblings while his single mother attended community college during the day and worked at night. Before his last season at Maryland, Smith was once again parenting his younger siblings because his mother was locked up for six months after a family dispute turned violent. Hensley’s slant: Drafting productive wide receivers have been tough over the years for the Ravens, who have missed on such high picks as Travis Taylor, Patrick Johnson and Mark Clayton. The Ravens will see if they truly have learned about that position because they should take another wide receiver in this draft. I could see them taking a wide receiver-returner in the middle rounds.

STEELERS: General manager Kevin Colbert said 98 percent of the Steelers’ work for the draft is complete. He wouldn't discuss specific players but did speak to the team's draft philosophy. "Need is not a good word," Colbert said at the Steelers pre-draft press conference, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It's 'want.' We want players. We don't necessarily need. We try to add from within. The subtractions we made were substantial from a leadership standpoint. We talked about that before. That will be replaced -- we don't know by whom or how long [it will take]. Coach [Mike] Tomlin will make a final decision of when a guy plays, but, quite honestly, there are not a lot of players in this draft that can come in and be immediate impact guys for us." Hensley's slant: Like it or not, the Steelers need offensive linemen, linebackers and cornerbacks. It would be surprising if Pittsburgh's first-round pick didn't address one of these positions.

Steelers officials said wide receiver Mike Wallace won't affect the team's draft plans.

Wallace, a restricted free agent, told some within the Steelers organization that he does not plan to sign his first-round tender "until he has to," a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. This means that Wallace could wind up holding out for some or all of training camp.

"We're not worried about the reports," coach Mike Tomlin said at Monday's pre-draft press conference. "He's still here. We will deal with it day-to-day."

General manager Kevin Colbert reiterated that Wallace remains in the team's future plans.

"Our intension has always been to sign Mike to a long-term contract," Colbert said. "We want Mike for the long haul, and he knows that. Hopefully, we'll get that done."

Nearly a full month into free agency, the Steelers finally signed their first player Tuesday. It was -- yawn -- Leonard Pope.

Not excited about adding a backup tight end? Well, this is essentially a repeat of last year, when the Steelers' big free-agent signing was wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery. Let's face it, Steelers free agency contains as much action as a Sarah Jessica Parker flick. Everyone knows this, and that's why no one is wringing their Terrible Towel over the inactivity.

The Steelers find players in April, not March. They hit on first-round picks every year -- at least in recent memory -- and develop undrafted prospects into starters. No one has built their team through the draft quite like the Steelers this decade. If the season started today, only one of the projected starters (safety Ryan Clark) joined the Steelers as an unrestricted free agent.

The Steelers need this remarkable track record in the draft to come through for them again. In some ways, this is the most important draft of the Mike Tomlin era. I'm not saying this is a crucial draft in terms of finding immediate starters. But the pressure is on the Steelers to find "potential" starters for the 2012 season.

The organization lost a piece of its history when it parted ways with wide receiver Hines Ward, linebacker James Farrior, defensive end Aaron Smith, nose tackle Chris Hoke and guard Chris Kemoeatu this offseason. Some have downplayed these departures because none were major contributors last season. Farrior was a part-time player, Ward was being phased out, Kemoeatu was benched and Smith and Hoke were both injured. The Steelers, though, could have used their experience as backups this season.

The loss of these veteran safety nets makes injuries a major concern. Two starters -- running back Rashard Mendenhall and nose tackle Casey Hampton -- are candidates to start the regular season on the physically unable to perform list (and miss at least the first six games) after ACL surgeries this offseason. Tomlin has expressed concern about whether right tackle Willie Colon and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders can shake their injury histories. And the Steelers have to be worried about Maurkice Pouncey's ankle, LaMarr Woodley's hamstrings and Doug Legursky's shoulder.

If Hampton is placed on the PUP, the starting nose tackle would likely be an out-of-position Ziggy Hood. If Legursky is hurt, the current top backup at guard is John Malecki. If Colon goes down, the Steelers have to turn to the often-struggling Jonathan Scott. If Sanders can't play, the third receiver would be ... well, no one right now. These are all painful scenarios for the Steelers.

This is where the draft comes into play for Pittsburgh. Taking the right college player has always kept the Steelers in the mode of reloading, not rebuilding. No one knows whom the Steelers will select with the 24th overall pick. It could be Alabama inside linebacker Dont'a Hightower, Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn, Stanford tight end Coby Fleener or someone not even linked to Pittsburgh. Based on the Steelers' history, the only certainty is that the pick will become an impact player.

Since 2000, the Steelers' first-round selections have been wide receiver Plaxico Burress, Hampton, guard Kendall Simmons, safety Troy Polamalu, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, tight end Heath Miller, wide receiver Santonio Holmes, linebacker Lawrence Timmons, Mendenhall, Hood, Pouncey and defensive end Cameron Heyward. The only one who didn't quite live up to expectations is Mendenhall, and he is hardly a major disappointment, having led the team in rushing for the past three seasons. This great run is more amazing when you consider that only two (Burress and Roethlisberger) were selected in the top half of the first round. Even the Ravens, who are known for excelling in the draft, have had two busts during this span with quarterback Kyle Boller and wide receiver Travis Taylor.

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert, one of the underrated decision-makers in the NFL, can't explain this string of success.

"We've been fortunate," he told reporters at the NFL owners meetings. "We are capable as anybody of making a mistake. We never keep score. There's only one score that matters and that's the last game of the year."

If the Steelers had been keeping score, they would realize their success goes beyond the first round. They have come away with current starters in the second round (linebacker Woodley), third round (wide receiver Mike Wallace), fourth round (cornerback Ike Taylor), sixth round (wide receiver Antonio Brown) and seventh round (defensive end Brett Keisel). And don't forget about the undrafted finds like Legursky, right guard Ramon Foster and running back Isaac Redman.

This is why the Steelers don't have to write a $100 million check to free agents. This is why the Steelers can sign one player in the first 28 days of free agency and not sweat about it. Pittsburgh's way of business is about patience and faith. The Steelers believe in their front office to select the right college players and they believe in their coaching staff to develop them. It's a proven system that has led to five AFC North titles in 10 seasons and three trips to the Super Bowl during that span.

As players come and go, the Steelers' goals never change. Like Tomlin always preaches: "The standard is the standard."

"If you have a desire to be in this league for a length of time, you are going to roll with the punches and the ebb and flow, the evolution of the game," Tomlin said at the NFL owners meetings. "Thankfully, I've been in the game long enough to see a little bit of that. Those who are able to sustain success are pliable and flexible."

And the organizations that are able to sustain success are often quiet in free agency and make the most noise in the draft.

The AFC North is known for bone-jarring hits, intense rivalries and verbal jabs among players. But bounties have never been an issue for any team in this division, according to the AFC North coaches.

"It's not something that's been a part of our culture in any situation I've been in," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review at the NFL owners meetings. "I don't know what generates that kind of atmosphere."

The NFL announced harsh penalties last week against the New Orleans Saints for paying cash bonuses to players for injuring opponents, including a year-long suspension for coach Sean Payton.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh called Payton "a great friend" having coached against him in college in the 1980s and coached with him as part the Eagles staff in 1998.

"I think he’s a great coach and he’ll be back winning a bunch of football games. But I respect what the league did, I respect what Roger did," Harbaugh said. "I think it sends a message. It’s smart, it’s courageous and it’s the right thing to do. I know one thing, me like everyone else will fight like crazy to make sure that that’s not an issue in the future. But it’s an important statement to make and player safety is the No. 1 issue. Integrity of the game is important.”

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said he's never had to deal with bounties in his 21 years of coaching in the NFL and doesn't feel the need to address it with his team.

"I never felt like I had to because I think our coaches already understood," Lewis said. "That's one of the things in our fine system."

Browns coach Pat Shumur said the team is in a wait-and-see mode on whether linebacker Scott Fujita will be disciplined by the NFL. Fujita recently said he paid teammates for big plays when he was a member of the Saints in 2009, but not for intentionally injuring players.

"We were not involved in that at all," Shumur said said. "I do think that player safety and the integrity of the game is very important for us to embrace that."

The AFC coaches met with the media today at the NFL owners meetings. Here are five issues addressed by Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin (via the team's official website) and my reaction:

On losing veteran leadership after cutting Hines Ward, James Farrior and Aaron Smith: "There is cause for concern there, but there is also some excitement. It’s a changing of the guard. We are at the void of some leaders that we’ve had for an awesome run. Some guys are going to have to step up in that regard, but the more I think about it -- and I’ve had a lot of time to think about it -- it has already kind of evolved. It already has. I think it has to a degree the last several years with guys like Brett Keisel ascending within the group. Guys really respect his body of work and his approach to the business. And so have some others stepped up." Hensley's reaction: I thought it was interesting that the first player mentioned by Tomlin when addressing new leaders was Keisel. It really shouldn't surprise because he is the blue-collar player that has defined the Steelers for many eras.

On whether he's OK if he doesn't get another running back: "I am sure we are going to get another running back, whether it’s in free agency or in the draft. We will address it." Hensley's reaction: It was just a day ago when general manager Kevin Colbert said, "With the young guys we have [at running back], we feel confident someone will emerge who can fill that [starting] role." So, what's it going to be: Are the Steelers going with Isaac Redman or are they bringing someone else in?

On Mike Wallace's dropoff in the second half of the season: “In many instances, teams took him out of the game. When you reel off the kind of seven-to-eight game run that he had there to start the season, that’s some scary video for defensive coaches in preparations for games. They responded accordingly. We saw what Antonio Brown did over the second half of the year. Did one produce the other? I think that’s debatable but the reality is, we got good balance there in those two young guys. Either one of them is capable of hurting you and hurting you pretty bad." Hensley's reaction: It also didn't help Wallace that Ben Roethlisberger fractured his thumb and sprained his ankle in the second half of the season, which hurt his ability to throw deep. A healthy Roethlisberger would have boosted Wallace's numbers.

On how he sees Roethlisberger working with new offensive coordinator Todd Haley: "I’m not going to anticipate tough times. I am a glass half-full guy. I’m excited about the change. I’m excited about the possibilities, and I think everyone has that at this point. We are not naive. We don’t expect smooth sailing. We don’t expect 19-0. It would be great. Maybe we will have a few bumps along the way." Hensley's reaction: Everyone will be watching how Haley and Roethlisberger handle the tough times. Haley is an in-your-face coach, and Roethlisberger has made it clear that he doesn't want to get yelled at.

On the nose tackle position and Ziggy Hood: "Hood is potentially part of that. He is a very talented and strong guy, but I think Steve McLendon proved that he is a capable backup a year ago, and in some instances, a starter. He played a lot of football for us, so we are not in any way discouraged by his progress or what he might continue to evolve into. In terms of the long scenario of Casey Hampton [ACL surgery in January] not being there, I am not of that mentality. We are gearing ourselves for 2012. I am singularly focused in that regard. He is going to be a part of it." Hensley's reaction: Just a hunch, but you might want to memorize this list of nose tackles for draft day: BYU's Loni Fangupo (second round), Washington's Alameda Ta'amu (third round) and Alabama's Josh Chapman (fourth round).

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin insisted Tuesday he made the call to replace offensive coordinator Bruce Arians with Todd Haley and wasn't told to do so by team president Art Rooney II.

"I don't know where some of these perceptions come from," Tomlin told reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.

Where did these perceptions come from? Maybe we should ask where to begin.

There are so many questions that remain unanswered by Tomlin, who spoke to reporters for the first time since Jan. 9. Why did he say that he anticipated Arians would return only to ask him to leave 11 days later? Why did Tomlin announce Arians was retiring? If Tomlin was the one who made the call to fire Arians, why was Rooney the one who actually made the phone call?

Tomlin, though, was asked if Rooney had any influence in Arians leaving.

"He didn't," Tomlin said. "I don't know where some of these perceptions come from. I don't break my neck to try to combat them in any way. I don't know where they come from."

Tomlin added, "And I hired Todd Haley as well, which is your next question, which is another funny one to me. And don't get me wrong, of course, Art Rooney owns the football team, he can do what he wants to do, but those directives did not happen."

Here's the timeline of what happened, and just like the old segment on "Monday Night Football" ... You Make the Call:

• On Jan. 9, a day after the Steelers' playoff loss at Denver, Tomlin said he anticipated both of his coordinators would return, although he added, "we all understand what the end of the season is about and movement is a part of it in today's NFL for both players and coaches."
• On Jan. 17, Rooney indicated that some members of the coaching staff were considering retirement.
• On Jan. 20, Tomlin announced in a statement that "Bruce Arians has informed me that he will retire from coaching."
• On Jan. 23, Arians told the York Daily Record that Rooney informed him that his contract wasn't being renewed.
• On Jan. 28, eight days after his "retirement announcement" by the Steelers, Arians joined the Indianapolis Colts as their offensive coordinator.

There were thoughts that James Farrior could return to the Steelers given the lack of experience and depth at inside linebacker. They did it last year with offensive tackle Max Starks, who was released and then brought back after things fell apart on the line.

But the Steelers aren't planning on a similar reunion with Farrior. In fact, they're pretty much against it.

“When we terminated those players, it was a termination,’’ Colbert told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette while bringing out his inner Arnold Schwarzenegger. “We felt that was it, their time as a Steeler was over. It was time for everybody to move forward and that’s where we left it. You never say never but they also know we all understand that was it.”

Colbert's hard-line stance gives the strong impression that Farrior's release was as much about his declining performance as his $2.8 million salary. If cutting him was purely a salary-cap move, the Steelers would be more open to bringing Farrior back at a reduced salary down the line sometime.

Farrior, 37, recorded 78 tackles last season, his fewest ever for the Steelers, and started rotating with Larry Foote. At this point, the Steelers will let Foote and Stevenson Sylvester compete for the job. Colbert also didn't rule out outside linebackers Jason Worilds and Chris Carter converting to the inside.

"We’ll see where the competition leads, and that does not preclude us from having somebody either from free agency or the draft," Colbert said. "We’ll see where it goes.”

I believe the successor to Farrior isn't on the team yet. Alabama's Dont'a Hightower in the perfect fit for the Steelers in terms of playing in a 3-4 defense and being a leader. He should be available when the Steelers select 24th in the first round.

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't sound heartbroken when they learned that last year's starting cornerback William Gay had agreed to a two-year deal with Arizona, which continues to be Pittsburgh West.

"We always knew we could lose a guy like William," Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "We have three young guys in the mix. It doesn't stop us from addressing [cornerback] in the draft. It really doesn't alter any preparation at this point."

Even though Gay enjoyed a bounce-back season, he is really an average corner who projects to be the No. 3 for the Arizona Cardinals. Still, Gay started 15 games for the NFL's top-ranked defense. Whether the Steelers will be hurt by the loss of Gay depends on Keenan Lewis.

A third-round pick in 2009, the 25-year-old Lewis played on the team's nickel defense and is the leading candidate to replace Gay. Lewis, though, has only made one career start and will have to earn that spot.

He showed that he can be a playmaker, sealing last year's 13-9 victory at Kansas City with a leaping interception with 28 seconds remaining. But he has also been undisciplined, getting benched by coach Mike Tomlin in the 2010 preseason after he gave up an eight-yard catch to Brandon Lloyd and then proceeded to knee him.

Lewis will likely compete against second-year corner Cortez Allen, a fourth-round pick from a year ago. At this point, Allen is penciled in as the nickel back. If the Steelers don't draft an additional corner, they can re-sign veteran reserve Bryant McFadden, a starter from 2008 to 2010.

Some of you in Steelers Nation are probably still in shock over Tim Tebow's 80-yard touchdown pass in overtime to Demaryius Thomas, which abruptly ended Pittsburgh' season in a wild-card playoff loss in Denver.

But Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wasn't surprised. He actually predicted that could happen the night before the playoff game, according to CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz.

In an interview with the Denver Post, Nantz said Tomlin expressed concern over that exact situation in a production meeting with the Steelers head coach. The subject came up when Nantz asked Tomlin whether he would kick the ball away in overtime if he had won the coin toss considering the playoff rules (where the first possession has to result in a touchdown to end the game).

Instead of kicking the ball to the once-struggling Broncos offense and getting good field position after a stop, Tomlin insisted he would take the ball in overtime. Why?

According to Nantz, Tomlin said: "I’m not putting my whole season at risk giving the other team the football because, if one guy busts an assignment or something else, and one play they go 80 yards and a touchdown and my season is over. I’m not going to let that happen. I’m taking the football."

Nantz responded: "Come on. You gotta be kidding. The longest pass play of the season for the Broncos and Tebow was 56 yards against Kansas City."

According to Nantz, Tomlin said, "I’m not going to put my season on the line for a one-play, 80-yard touchdown pass."

“The next day, overtime, one play, 80-yard touchdown pass," Nantz told the Denver Post. "And that pass, by the way, was absolutely to the inch where it had to be. He threw it, it was a rocket coming in there, hit Thomas in stride and that stiff arm at the 50 and away we go.

“But it was exactly what Mike Tomlin had feared the night before when asked. To the letter. To the letter.

“I’ve never told that story publicly. … The night before he expressed concern about why he would not kick the football if he won the coin toss, because you just never know, you never. A one-play, 80-yard strike and your season’s over and that’s precisely what happened.”

My only question is why didn't Tomlin express this same fear to defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau? If you remember, the winning touchdown was scored off a run-stopping formation.

The Steelers had placed safety Ryan Mundy at the line of scrimmage to load the box against the Broncos. When Mundy took a step forward on Tebow's play-action fake, that allowed a clear passing lane to Thomas on a deep slant because cornerback Ike Taylor had played him to the outside. One stiff arm to Taylor, and the rest is NFL playoff history.

In what should be a slow free-agency period for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team did deliver some good news: running backs coach Kirby Wilson is expected to return this season.

Wilson, 50, sustained burns on 45 percent of his body and also suffered from smoke inhalation after his house caught fire while he was sleeping on Jan. 6. He is making a quick recovery and should re-join the Steelers at some point this year, according to coach Mike Tomlin.

"He's doing great," Tomlin told the team's official website. "It's a long and challenging process, but one he proves daily that he is up to. The rehabilitation is going well. He has surprised the doctors with the rate of recovery. Obviously, we still have a long way to go but it has been just awesome to watch him go through this process and see the improvement in him."

Wilson is a highly respected coach on the Steelers staff. In fact, he was reportedly in line to become the Steelers' next offensive coordinator before the accident.

When Wilson is able to return, his focus will be preparing a running back group that will be without starter Rashard Mendenhall for a good chunk of the season. He tore his ACL in the season finale, which should lead to Isaac Redman becoming the primary ball-carrier.

Baltimore Ravens

Terrell Suggs weighs in on the New Orleans Saints' bounty program with Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun.

The Sun's Matt Vensel wonders if Arian Foster's new deal will impact contract negotiations with Ray Rice.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are hopeful wide receiver Armon Binns can go from scout-team star to contributor.

Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer sees the Bengals selecting Stanford offensive lineman David DeCastro with their first-round pick next month.

Cleveland Browns

Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita might have been involved with the New Orleans Saints' bounty program, according to NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas.

Cornerback Joe Haden and offensive tackle Joe Thomas will represent the Browns in the online voting for the "Madden NFL 13" video game cover, writes Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said removing emotion from the equation was important when the team decided to part ways with Hines Ward, Aaron Smith and James Farrior.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says it wasn't a surprise that the Steelers didn't use the franchise tag on wide receiver Mike Wallace.