Spotlighting the Pittsburgh Steelers' TE Position Heading into the 2012 Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't been known for their dynamic tight end play. The position in recent years basically began and end with Heath Miller as both blocker and receiver, and little more.

This year, with Todd Haley as the new offensive coordinator and a number of tight ends on the roster who could contribute, the team will be taking a different approach to how Miller and company play their roles.

Let's take a closer look at the Steelers' group of tight ends and see what they might accomplish this season.

Heath Miller

Without question, the Pittsburgh Steelers top tight end is Heath Miller and that's not close to changing. Todd Haley is a major fan of Miller's and is likely going to use him heavily as a receiver this season, especially in the red zone. Miller will also be integral as a blocker while the young offensive line continues to improve.

Miller's 51 catches and 631 yards last season were the second-most of his career, though he had just two touchdowns. His targets and yards may decrease this year, but look for his scoring total to rise. 

Weslye Saunders

Weslye Saunders was practically guaranteed the No. 2 tight end roster spot this year—until he was found in violation of the NFL's banned substance policy and suspended for four games. Saunders will return to the field this year, however—he's a very good blocker—but he's going to be on thin ice.

Saunders was an undrafted rookie free agent last year who won a spot on the roster after performing well in training camp. He's not much of a receiving threat (he caught just four passes last season, for 29 yards and a score), but those blocking skills will come in handy this year once he can finally play.

Leonard Pope

Leonard Pope's veteran experience and good relationship with Todd Haley has caused him to leapfrog Saunders for the No. 2 tight end job. Pope, like Miller, will be a receiving target this year, but may only serve as insurance once Saunders returns from suspension considering his limited run blocking skills.

At 6'8" tall, however, Pope will serve as a good end zone scoring threat, and his knowledge of Haley's process and philosophy gives him a decided advantage and a reason to keep him on the roster.

He's a big target for Ben Roethlisberger. If Roethlisberger takes advantage of that fact, Pope could make a decent splash this year.

David Paulson

David Paulson was a Steelers seventh-round draft pick out of Oregon. He certainly needs to build some bulk, but at 6'3" and possessing good hands, he could be developed into a pass-catching weapon.

He'll have to improve his blocking to win the No. 3 tight end spot as well as contribute on special teams. If he cannot accomplish this over the summer, then Paulson could head to the practice squad this year.

Wes Lyons

Wes Lyons initially was brought onto the Steelers as a wide receiver, but now he's been shifted to tight end after bulking up. He's 6'8", which led the Steelers to believe that he'd be a major scoring threat, but he's yet to prove he has the inherent talent to make the active roster.

Now, with three tight ends ahead of him, he may not even do enough to make the practice squad. He was dropped by the team last fall and brought back on in March. Unless he impresses at camp, this could be his fate yet again.

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