Heath Miller, tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has agreed to sign a six year contract with the team that runs up through the 2014 season.

Miller, one of the top blocking tight ends in the NFL, had one final season remaining on his five year contract that he signed in 2005 as the Steelers first round draft pick. The 26 year old Miller has played on the Steelers two Super Bowl championship teams during his four seasons in the NFL. Last season Miller caught 48 passes with three touchdowns on 514 receiving yards, after collecting 47 passes during the 2007 season.

Miller, the 256 pound, 6 foot 5 inch tight end, has had a total of 1,932 receiving yards on 168 catches and averaged 11.5 yards per catch as well as collecting 21 touchdowns during his 4 year career. He also has three playoff touchdown catches.

Pittsburgh decided to sing Miller before the beginning of training camp instead of waiting for a new NFL labor agreement.

If no new deal is made and 2010 turns out to be an uncapped season, Pittsburgh could have kept Miller by giving him a tender offer at the end of the season. However, they negotiated a new contract instead.

Rumors are flying that the Pittsburgh Steelers are potentially interested in signing Michael Vick, the controversial quarterback, to backup Ben Roethlisberger. But are these rumors true?

Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner, reinstated Vick with conditions on Monday. Vick, released from prison after serving 18 months for operating a dogfighting ring, could potentially play in regular season games this season as soon as October.

Alan Jennings, Channel 11 News reporter, called the Steelers and received a “No comment” from Pittsburgh Steelers’ media coordinator, Dave Lockett.

Talk of the possibility of Vick donning the Steeler black and gold originated on ESPN’s Sports Center, when football analysts were discussing the conditional reinstatement of Vick back into the NFL. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen suggested that Vick would make a nice backup for Roethlisberger.

If Vick can find himself a team, he can immediately partake in preseason workouts, practices and meetings and can also play in the preseason’s final two games. Several teams have stated they aren’t interested in Vick.

After the regular season starts, Vick can participate in all of the teams activities except playing in games. Goodell has said he will consider a full reinstatement for Vick by the season’s sixth week (October 18-19) at the very latest.

In August 2007 Vick was suspended indefinitely by Goodell, after admitting to operating a dogfighting ring on his Virginia property. Goodell at the time had said the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback would have to show remorse before he would ever consider a reinstatement. The Steelers currently have two quarterbacks signed to backup Roethlisberger, Charlie Batch and third stringer Dennis Dixon.

Every team in the NFL has questions that they need to provide answers for during training camp, including the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers team that has 20 of its 22 starters returning.

Pittsburgh enters training camp in great shape with their highly competent front office, very solid coaching staff, and perfect blend of youngsters and veterans on their roster.

Although the Steelers enter training camp in a much better position than many other defending champions have in the past, doesn’t mean that the team doesn’t have any issues.

With the team’s training camp opening on Friday, July 31 in Latrobe at St. Vincent’s College, there are five central questions that Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff must answer if they intend to repeat and grab their seventh Super Bowl championship ring.

1. Will Ben Roethlisberger’s impending civil suit distract the team?

The short answer would be no.

These accusations should have no effect on this veteran Pittsburgh team that is comprised of leaders who have been able to capture two championships in the last four years.

In addition, Tomlin doesn’t allow distractions to upset his team or get in the way of the goals he has set.

2. Can quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stay healthy for the 2009 season?

If Pittsburgh is to return to the Super Bowl, it is necessary for Roethlisberger to stay healthy. If Big Ben goes down, the season could be essentially over for the Steelers.

The offensive line is responsible for keeping Roethlisberger healthy. This is a unit that surrendered 58 sacks during last season, which included the playoffs.

The line did start to play better at the end of last season as well as during the playoffs, and all five starters will return. Rookie addition Kraig Urbik could make the offensive line even stronger, as he challenges Darnell Stapleton’s right guard position.

3. Who will emerge as the team’s Number 3 receiver?

The Steelers are counting on the fact that Limas Sweed, 2008 second-round pick, will be able to fill Nate Washington’s role after Washington signed as a free agent with Tennessee.

Last season Sweed struggled learning the team’s offense, but that happens quite often with rookie receivers. The receiver from Texas has speed, size and a good set of hands, however he does need to improve on his route running. With another year in the team’s system, he should show improvement.

If Sweed continues to struggle, it could be rookie Mike Wallace or the veteran Shaun McDonald who gets the chance. If both of these two falter, then the tight ends Matt Spaeth and Heath Miller will need to be even more productive in 2009.

4. Will Rashard Mendenhall and Willie Parker be able to bounce back from their injuries?

When all three are healthy, the Steelers have a great trio backfield of Mewelde Moore, Mendenhall and Parker. Last season, it was a problem staying healthy.

After 11 games, Parker went down and was replaced by Mendenhall who then also fell to injury. Moore then stepped in and finished off the regular season. All of this resulted in the Steelers rushing game falling to 23rd in the NFL.

The good news so far is that everyone is healthy now, and the Steelers have added a fourth to their backfield, a bruiser running back from UNLV, Frank “The Tank” Summers. Expect the Steelers’ running game to be back in form for 2009.

5. Is the man at the corner William Gay?

In the off season Pittsburgh only lost two defensive starters to free agency. They were inside line backer Larry Foote and corner back Bryant McFadden. They were both let go by choice.

Foote has been replaced by Lawrence Timmons and the right corner, McFadden’s former position, will be assumed by William Gay in his third season with the team.

Last season Gay started four games. When he was given the chance he did look the part. Now that he has been handed the opportunity, he needs to perform at a consistently high level. Opposing offenses will undoubtedly focus their efforts on him until he is able to prove his worth.

Most of these questions will have answers coming from the Steelers training camp. Keep in mind that for as long as the Steelers have a defense led by Dick LeBeau and Roethlisberger at quarterback, that the team has an excellent shot at the Super Bowl.

There is one thing we can be certain about in terms of the sexual assault allegations against Ben Roethlisberger. None of us know what took place in the hotel room in Reno.

Steelers fans are concerned that the team’s star quarterback will either miss time or be distracted during the 2009 season, which would almost certainly eliminate the team’s chances of repeating as Super Bowl champions. Other people have hurled insults at the accuser, which is unfortunately a predictable response.

As of yet, women’s groups haven’t set out to demonize Roethlisberger. On his Friday press conference, Roethlisberger was not challenged by protesters in front of the UPMC Training Facility in the same way that Clarence Thomas opponents rallied in favor of Anita Hill.

Maybe it’s a sign that there are people who still believe in innocent until proven guilty. However, what is the most troubling about the public statement issued by Roethlisberger concerning the allegations he is facing is when he said he wouldn’t ever force himself onto a woman.

If this is true then he needs to explain the pic that accompanied a January 31, 2006 article on www.deadspin.com.

It is true that pouring whiskey down a woman’s throat while at party doesn’t mean that Roethlisberger is a rapist, and the action in the photograph doesn’t in and of itself make him guilty of any current charges. It does however speak of irresponsibility. It may not speak of him forcing himself, but it does speak to him taking advantage of a woman. It provides Roethlisberger with a track record that the Rooney family surely cannot be happy with.

The Steelers have historically prided themselves on their good character. It is true that Ernie Holmes fired shots once at helicopters and the franchise has been haunted by steroid allegations. However during their 1970s heyday, the Steelers franchise seemed to have a mark that set them apart from the bad guy Oakland Raiders image or the Dallas Cowboys who were wrapped up in their Texas arrogance.

And isn’t it true that Holmes, during the helicopter shooting incident, suffered from a nervous breakdown? Does anyone really believe that the only team that had players using steroids was the Steelers? Didn’t Pittsburgh get rid of integral star plays like Bam Morris and Eric Green because of drugs, which may have prevented their team of the mid-90s from reaching their fullest potential, while players in Dallas were renting out the infamous “White House?”

Roethlisberger’s effectiveness as a quarterback is not really due to his physical abilities but more because of his leadership ability.

For example, Tommy Maddox might have been a better all-around passer and Kordell Stewart was certainly a better all-around athlete, but neither of these former Steelers quarterbacks had the personality or courage to tell their teammates, “do this!”

This leadership ability is what helped to turn the team filled with a bunch of complacent veterans with a 2003 record of 6-10 into a 2004 record of 15-1 and a 2005 Super Bowl championship.

This risk-taking, carefree demeanor that gave Roethlisberger the ability to lead a 78 yard touchdown drive with only 2:37 minutes remaining in the championship game, is the same demeanor that led him to defy Andrea Kramer openly in her questioning that followed the Steelers 10-6 win in a game last season over Cleveland, and to almost die three years ago from not wearing a helmet when he was riding a motorcycle.

This same arrogance is threatening to ruin his entire football career.

If it is proven that Roethlisberger is guilty, or even if he were to settle the case out of court, what sort of message would it send about this franchise that has always prided itself on its positive off field image if he were to continue on as the Steelers starting quarterback?