Which second-stint Steeler will have the greatest impact?
This offseason was rife with guys coming back to Pittsburgh after having played elsewhere. Larry Foote will add much needed depth to the linebacker core. Antwaan Randle El will pick up right where he left off as the slot receiver, although don’t expect as many of the old gadget plays that we saw when Ken Whisenhunt was here. Byron Leftwich will have no choice but to make an impact since he will likely start the first four games of the season. But I think the guy who will contribute the most is Bryant McFadden. The secondary was a mess last season. The William Gay experiment went south rather quickly, and while some of the younger guys are showing promise, none of them could be counted on to hold the fort. McFadden returns after a short absence to a system in which he had great success. His return coupled with a healthy Troy Polamalu should equal a resurgence for the secondary. What will become of Deshea Townsend? The Steelers decided not to invite Townsend back for a 13 th season with
