When the Pittsburgh Steelers take the field for the first time this year, the offense will look a bit different in places, as will the defense, but the starkest contrast, at least on the former side of the ball, will come at the tight end position following the retirement of Heath Miller and the recent release of Matt Spaeth.
Miller, a 2005 first-round draft pick, had been one the Steelers’ foundational pieces on an offense that had gone to three Super Bowls and has steadily risen in recent years. He was the security blanket for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and an unselfish player who had the ability to put up All-Pro statistics if the offense allowed for it, but instead was content to put his nose into a defensive end from time to time.