Jul 27, 2016 5 min read

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The Steelers will report to training camp Thursday with a roster as talented as any in the NFL.

But there will still be some questions to be answered and battles to be won in camp. Here are some things I’ll be watching in the coming weeks:

• When does David DeCastro’s contract get completed?

The Steelers had some preliminary talks with his agent in June and will try to get something done with their Pro Bowl guard before the season starts. Kelechi Osemele got $11.7 million to join the Raiders. But the Raiders were spending like drunken sailors this offseason. Brandon Brooks’ of the Eagles, Marshall Yanda of the Ravens and Mike Iupati of the Cardinals all make around $8 million per year. The Steelers are paying Maurkice Pouncey $8.8 million per year, so a contract that averages in the $7 to $8-million range sounds pretty fair.

• Does Le’Veon Bell get suspended? And if not, how healthy is he?

The first part of the question is something we didn’t think would need to be answered last week. As for the second part, he said at mini-camp that his leg felt stronger than it did coming off the 2014 season because of the surgery and rehab process he underwent. He should be better than ever when he plays – whenever that might be.

• Who wins the left tackle job?

Alejandro Villanueva is the frontrunner despite the addition of Ryan Harris, a veteran who started all 16 games for the Super Bowl champion Broncos last season. Villanueva had his moments in 2015. But he struggled at times, as well. Still, he’s got the athleticism and desire to be great. The Steelers would like him to nail down the job and have Harris settle in as the swing tackle. We’ll see if that happens.

• Can any of the rookies push for a lot of playing time?

Sean Davis and Javon Hargrave are the frontrunners. I don’t think Davis will beat out Robert Golden at strong safety – at least not early in the year. But because of his cover skills, I expect the Steelers to find a way to use him, perhaps in a big nickel package. That should offer him plenty of chances to be a playmaker. Hargrave will battle Dan McCullers for the starting nose tackle position. But he also could be used as a situational pass rusher in the nickel as well. That doesn’t mean first-round pick Artie Burns is a bust. But he’ll take a little more time to get onto the field before the No. 2 and 3 picks.

• Who wins the No. 2 QB position?

Landry Jones nailed down that job after Bruce Gradkowski was injured in camp and Mike Vick didn’t get the job done. Has Jones advanced far enough to beat out a healthy Gradkowski? I think maybe he has. We’ll find out soon enough.

• Who emerges in the passing game?

The Steelers will be missing 110 catches from last year between Martavis Bryant and Heath Miller. It was assumed that Bell, who had 83 catches two seasons ago, would take some of the pressure off. But if he’s out the first month, somebody else needs to step forward. Sammie Coates has been a hot topic in the offseason, but he had one catch for 11 yards in the regular season and despite all the fawning over his playoff performance at Denver, it added up to two receptions for 61 yards. He’s worked hard this offseason, but new tight end Ladarius Green and Markus Wheaton are much more proven commodities. Don’t forget about Wheaton. In the second half last season, highlighted by his 9-catch, 201-yard game at Seattle, Wheaton had 31 catches for 492 yards and four touchdowns. Expect that to continue and for Green, who has a career average per catch of 14 yards, to be used down the middle of the field to keep opponents honest.

• Can somebody, anybody, take some pressure off of Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt?

The two defensive ends saw way too much playing time down the stretch last year because nobody else deserved to play. Ricardo Matthews was brought in as a free agent and youngsters such as Caushaud Lyons and L.T. Walton are still around. Cane any of them force their way into the rotation at DE? Can Hargrave be that guy? Somebody needs to or the Steelers need to keep an eye on the waiver wire once cuts start to happen. They need defensive line depth.

• Is this the year Ryan Shazier becomes a star? And will the outside linebackers provide more consistent pass rush?

The Steelers have spent a lot of quality draft picks on outside linebackers. Shazier is the closest to becoming a household name. He has Troy Polamalu-like ability. He just has to stay healthy. Meanwhile, Jarvis Jones or Bud Dupree – ideally both – need to become more of a factor rushing the passer. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler cobbled together an improved pass rush last season, but the Steelers can’t count on that happening every year. And it’s better for everyone if the pass rush comes from guys winning one-on-one battles, not simply sending more guys than can be blocked.