In a good move by the black and gold on Wednesday, the team came to terms on a five-year extension for Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert.

“We are very pleased to announce that Kevin Colbert will remain with the Steelers for at least several more years,” Steelers’ President Art Rooney II. “Kevin is without question one of the best in the NFL at his job and we are fortunate that he will continue to lead our football operations into the future.”

Colbert has been with the Steelers for the last 11 seasons, and currently oversees the team’s player personnel and scouting departments.

Since his arrival in 2000, the Steelers are 103-56-1 (.643), with six division titles. Pittsburgh is 10-4 in the post-season over the last 10 seasons, winning two of the franchise’s six Lombardi Trophies (XL, XLIII). Colbert, a Pittsburgh native, previously worked in the Detroit Lions personnel department.

Now that both he and Tomlin are locked up, the next thing is to go against the grain and get something done with LB Lamarr Woodley. The Steelers have said they don’t want to give Woodley a new deal until his rookie deal is done, but that is bull headed and they need to get him locked up now before this anger he has lands him with another team in 2011.

It’s almost August – what does that mean to you? To me, it’s a time to go back to dorms, cafeteria food and football all day every day. OK, well, it’s not the first two for me, but it is for the Steelers. It’s training camp. Finally.

There’s so much to consider this year, a ton of mending from all the off season drama. But it can be done. Mike Tomlin will make sure of that. Over the next couple weeks, I will go through some of the top training camp battles and who I think will make the final roster of 53.

This is both my favorite time of year and yet, I hate to say goodbye to those who work their butts off trying to live their dream. That said, I am going to start this series with the offense, focusing first on the wide receiver corps.

When the Steelers first announced the trade of Tone to the Jets, I think most of Steeler Nation was shocked, though not necessarily surprised, if that makes sense. I don’t think any of us could ignore that Tone was a great receiver but had some character flaws, at least for the Rooney standards.

But all that doesn’t negate the fact that he had an outstanding couple seasons with the Steelers. He will be missed. But he can and will be replaced. And Mike Wallace is the likely replacement for Tone. While faster, he doesn’t necessarily play the game the same way. He’s a deep threat, especially with his speed, but we’ll need the offensive line to keep Leftwich/Dixon (and I will cover this competition in a separate post) upright long enough to get the ball to him. I look for Wallace to have a big year and nothing less.

Hines and Randel El are the veteran keystones (pun intended) to the passing game. Both know the way the Steelers play and reports say Randel El is playing almost like he never left. Yes, we forgive him already. Hines has always been under rated in my opinion.

It’s not often you find a receiver who can catch consistently for 1,000 yards a season (or close to it) and block and make room for plays the way he does. The opposing defense has to watch out for Hines, and as a mentor, he’s teaching the young receivers how to play the same way. Some call it “dirty” – I call it smashmouth!

Playing hard for that #3 spot will be Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown. I don’t know much about Brown, but I heard he’s turned the coaches heads from the start. But I will say that I know that Sanders has spent the off season in Pittsburgh working out and watching tape, trying to get his head start in knowing the Steelers game. I expect the battle between these two rookie players to be nothing but hard work and guts – both wanting to solidify their spot on the roster.

Following up and trying to win a spot, more likely on practice squad will be Tyler Grisham, Brandon London and Isaiah Williams. Thing is, training camp always has surprises. That’s why it’s tough to call the roster prior to seeing what these guys can do on the field, in pads, in real situations.

Who do you think the standout wide receivers will be this season?

In our ongoing feature here on Steelers Gab called “Scouting the Enemy,” we will look at all 15 AFC teams, and give a glimpse of what each one brings. At the end, we will talk about any type of connection they have to the Steelers, including if they play them in 2010.

Today – #6 in the AFC

New England Patriots

The Good – They are still the Patriots, a team that has marquee players like Tom Brady and Randy Moss, and they are still a team that finds ways to win when they don’t play their best game.  With Bill Belichick still on the sidelines, you cannot overlook this team, despite the fact the word “decline” and “rebuild” have been used a lot lately when it comes to them and this season.

The Bad – The defense needs to get young, and the other big question is Wes Welker, a player that the offense needs to be as close to healthy as possible if they are going to make a run at the AFC East.  The team has been passed up by the Jets, and teams love to see the Pats on the decline, so don’t look for teams to take their foot off the gas when they play New England and get ahead.  The run game also is not that good, which puts more pressure on Brady to make big plays all day in the passing game.

Steeler Connection – The clubs meet on a Sunday night on November 14th in Heniz Field, the first time they have met there since early in the regular season in 2005.  The game could go a long way in settig up the AFC as far as the playoffs go, and both teams will be in the thick of the things when it comes to challenging teams in their division.

#7 in the AFC – Houston
#8 in the AFC – Miami
#9 in the AFC – Tennessee
#10 in the AFC – Denver
#11 in the AFC – Jacksonville
#12 in the AFC – Kansas City
#13 in the AFC – Cleveland
#14 in the AFC – Oakland
#15 in the AFC – Buffalo

When Polamalu injured his knee in the season opener against Tennessee last year, the feeling was that he’d be fine after three or four weeks. He returned, but the knee was never stable and, as a result, neither was the Pittsburgh defense. In an era when great safeties aren’t always necessary, Polamalu is one of a handful of exceptions along with Ed Reed. Polamalu is one of the best students of the game in this era. His ability to read plays is uncanny. He can create plays behind the line and deep in the secondary. He is truly special to watch. Sadly, like Reed and Sanders, injuries are marring his career. He has missed 19 games over the past four seasons. The Steelers can’t afford that trend to continue.

“Kaye was such a loving and compassionate person and she was the foundation of our family,” Cowher said in the statement Saturday. “Kaye was always at my side throughout my career as a player, coach, NFL analyst and, most importantly, as a parent to our three daughters.”

He added: “Kaye was the rock that we could all lean on in the tough times. She was looked up to by so many people and I cannot say enough about what Kaye meant to our family.”

At the time of her death, Kaye Cowher served on the North Carolina State Board of Visitors, which advises the school’s chancellor and board of trustees.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by daughters Meagan, Lauren and Lindsay. All three played or are playing college basketball.

A private funeral service will be held Monday in North Carolina.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed coach Mike Tomlin to a two-year extension, just a year removed from missing the playoffs. The team said in a news release Tomlin was locked in through at least the 2012 season. “Mike Tomlin has proven to be one of the top head coaches in the National Football League in a relatively short time,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in the statement.

“His unique ability to lead the team and motivate individuals have been key factors in our success over recent years.” Tomlin led the Steelers to the 2008 Super Bowl title in his second year. But in 2009, the Steelers finished 9-7, losing five in a row and missing the playoffs to become the first champion to miss out on the following postseason since the Steelers themselves in 2006.

Tomlin’s current contract, which averages $2.5 million annually, had one season and an option year remaining. “I have been blessed to have the opportunity to be the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Tomlin said in the news release. “I am excited to have the opportunity to live and work in this great city, and to focus on the true matter at hand, which is winning football games and bringing another Super Bowl title to Pittsburgh.”

The family has requested privacy and has released no information on Mrs. Cowher’s death. Services will be held in North Carolina on Monday.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich enters training camp as the top backup behind Ben Roethlisberger, and the expected starter while Roethlisberger serves a six-game suspension to begin the 2010 regular season. Dennis Dixon, last year’s top back-up to Roethlisberger, would like more first-team reps, John Harris of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

“I would say yes. Everybody would like to take the first-team reps,” Dixon said. “Once you get your shot, you want to show that you can get it done. I’m pretty sure there will be a point in time when that happens. It hasn’t right now.” Jeffrey Sperbeck, Dixon’s agent, doesn’t know why his client is behind Leftwich on the depth chart.

“I think Dennis should be given an opportunity to start,” Sperbeck said. “He’s been there going on three years. He knows the offense. He’s familiar with his teammates. He’s ready to go. I don’t understand why after Byron’s been gone a year, they would bring him back and start him ahead of Dennis. To me, it should have been Dennis’ job as the No. 1. He was No. 2 last year. Byron was not even in the picture.”

Now of course his agent is going to come out and say that his client should start, that’s a no-brainer. The thing though is why is the team so much more confident in Leftwich? I have been firmly in the corer of letting Dixon start while Ben is on the sidelines for the first four games, but for whatever reason, the team feels better going with Leftwich. We’ll see if it pays off or not.