PITTSBURGH -- Troy Polamalu walked off the Pittsburgh Steelers practice field on Tuesday with rookie safety Shamarko Thomas hanging on the veteran safetys every word. To be honest, Polamalu admits its still a little strange to think that in the last decade hes morphed from precocious talent into respected leader. Yet he knows being a mentor is part of his job description these days, and for a team in the midst of startling change, its a role hell eagerly fill. "The great thing about the people that we have here is that all we are going to do is give knowledge," Polamalu said. "There is no hesitation. Its not like we think this guy is going to replace someone, like other teams." Maybe, but there is little doubt that the Steelers expect Thomas to one day take over for the 32-year-old Polamalu or 33-year-old Ryan Clark. Just not quite yet. For as all the tumult Pittsburgh experienced in the off-season, there was a sense of normalcy during the first day of organized team activities. While locker room fixtures James Harrison, Mike Wallace and Rashard Mendenhall are all gone, a host of veterans remain to help an 8-8 team rebuild on the fly. "It feels new and different every year at this time," coach Mike Tomlin said. "Were working with 90 guys and every year 40 or so of them, minimum, are new guys. From that standpoint, its the same. Were always excited and energized to work with the new faces." So long as the old ones know that needs to be fixed. The Steelers slid to their worst record of Tomlins six-year tenure in 2012 as injuries and uncharacteristic mistakes sent Pittsburgh tumbling out of the playoffs. General manager Kevin Colbert refused to call the Steelers a team in transition during the off-season but allowed changes needed to be made for Pittsburgh to get back to its usual spot among the NFLs elite. Part of the plan was trimming some salary cap fat in cutting Harrison and veteran offensive lineman Willie Colon. Part of it was adding youth like top draft pick linebacker Jarvis Jones and second-round running back LeVeon Bell. And part of it was relying on players like Polamalu and quarterback Ben Roethlsiberger to assert themselves in the locker room. Roethlisberger has spent the majority of his career as the youngest player in the quarterback room. Now hes the oldest after the team jettisoned Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch in the off-season and brought in Bruce Gradkowski, John Parker Wilson and fourth-round pick Landry Jones. "Im going to do everything I can to help those guys get ready to play because Im here to win games," Roethlisberger said. "Weve had other guys step up and play and win games for us in the past. Im excited to help these guys be ready to go if need be." The quarterback brushed off off-season chatter from several players -- some anonymously -- that the dynamics of the locker room changed last year. He called the suggestions "confusing" and said the team is eager to move on. So is cornerback Ike Taylor. The very un-Steelerlike end to last season left a "sour taste" in the veterans mouth. "Thats something we pride ourselves on is making the playoffs, having the opportunity to go to a championship game and we came up short," Taylor said. When asked if missing the playoffs for only the third time since 2004 is that big a deal, Taylor didnt hesitate. "It is," Taylor said. "When you put all that effort in, training camp, minicamp, going along into the season and have opportunities to make it and you dont make it, its frustrating." And hopefully, a lesson learned. Polamalu missed more than half the season with a calf injury, the first one of his 10-year career he says "could have been avoided." The 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the Year declined to get into specifics on how he could have kept the calf healthy but says his off-season regimen continues to change as he matures. "Time is not stale," Polamalu said. "You have to continue to evolve as time evolves, your career evolves and your body evolves. I think when you become stale in that way, then its just kind of a redundant thing." Like, say, harping on last season. The Steelers arent used to missing the playoffs in consecutive years. They went three seasons without a post-season appearance from 1998-2000, but thats long before the likes of Polamalu, Roethlisberger and Taylor came along. Nevertheless, all have endured bumps in the road throughout their careers. And all have found a way to respond almost immediately. They see no reason it cant happen again. "I think its like coach (Tomlin) says," Taylor said. "Less talk and more work." Alex Smith Jersey . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services. Art Monk Youth Jersey . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. https://www.redskinssportsgoods.com/Womens-Darrell-Green-Inverted-Jersey/ . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Alex Smith Womens Jersey . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. John Riggins Womens Jersey . Brazilian national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has confirmed that the veteran goalkeeper is set to join Toronto on loan, saying it will help him be ready for the World Cup. Matchups are often a driving force behind fantasy owners weekly lineup decisions. When choosing between two (or more) similarly talented players, you know the first question that comes to mind: Which one has the best matchup?Ah, but what, exactly, constitutes a favorable or unfavorable matchup?Thats where this column comes in. The Matchups Map, each week, provides a schedule-independent method to determine strength of positional matchups, using the most recent, relevant data.dddddddddddd. Check back for updated numbers each week, including matchups highlights at each position -- both favorable and unfavorable -- based upon those statistics. ' ' '