News and notes...some very interesting...

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Published: Wednesday, August 15, 2012, 7:58 p.m.
Updated 6 hours ago


• Tight end David Johnson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason opener, had surgery Wednesday. Coach Mike Tomlin said there’s “no prognosis on his recovery.” Also, rookie linebacker Sean Spence sprained an ankle during practice that could sideline him for a couple of days. Running back Jonathan Dwyer still is recovering from a minor shoulder injury.



• Offensive coordinator Todd Haley said he’s confident holdout receiver Mike Wallace will grasp the new offense. “I look forward to seeing him sooner rather than later,” Haley said. “I am familiar with his skill set. We would just tailor (the offense) to his skills early on and ease him into it.”



• The first-team offense is expected to get one or two more series against the Colts on Sunday than it did at Philadelphia. Haley said the plan won’t change much as to what coaches are working on at this stage in the preseason. “The big thing is we’ll get more snaps out of the front-line guys,” he said.



• Rookie running back Chris Rainey has made strides during camp, but Haley isn’t ready to anoint the fifth-round pick as a future Hall of Famer. “He still has a long way to go, so we’re not going to start carving the bust for Chris Rainey,” Haley said. “He has done some things to get you excited as an offensive staff. We’re encouraged to see a young guy not afraid to step up and make plays.”



• Max Starks is expected to practice Friday and could play against Indianapolis. Haley said if Starks gets a couple of good practice days, he won’t be ruled out. Starks was activated from the physically-unable-to-perform list Tuesday.

• Running back Isaac Redman, chastised by coach Mike Tomlin for revealing he would have an MRI on his injured groin, said the test revealed Thursday exactly what the Steelers’ athletic trainers thought it would. Only he didn’t say what that was. And Tomlin wouldn’t even acknowledge that Redman had the exam. Redman hopes to be back on the field as early as next week. “Hopefully I can get through this, rehab it and do what I need to do to get healthy,” Redman said.



• LaMarr Woodley is out $60,000 and, unlike fellow linebacker James Harrison and his frequent run-ins with the NFL’s fine patrol, this is money he gladly paid out. When Woodley found out that his former school district in Saginaw, Mich., was being forced by budget restraints to charge athletes $75 each to play this school year, Woodley decided to pick up the entire tab himself. Tomlin said Woodley set an example for every NFL player. “He’s a man that took $60,000 and provided potentially a lifetime of opportunity,” Tomlin said.



• The Steelers are finally getting some of their injured players back. Left tackle Mike Adams (knee) and running back Jonathan Dwyer (sprained shoulder) practiced Thursday, a week to the day they were hurt during a preseason game in Philadelphia. Offensive tackle Max Starks (knee) will start working out Friday, although he is not ready for full activity. Starks is 7 months into what is normally a nine- to 12-month window for returning from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. “It’s still a long way away, Sept. 9 and, in my mind, there are a lot of things that have to be put in order,” Starks said, referring to the opener in Denver. Newly signed tight end Justin Peelle also practiced, but offensive tackle Chris Scott was diagnosed with an ankle injury.



• Starks is eager to see left guard Willie Colon, the converted tackle, in game action Sunday against Indianapolis. Colon sat out the Eagles’ game with an ankle injury. “You know what Willie’s done at tackle,” Starks said. “Now he’s going to get the reins released off him at guard and be able to be nastier than he already is. I think it’s pretty cool.”



• Three weeks of camp have revealed that offensive coordinator Todd Haley plans to be unpredictable — especially with his personnel groups — in the goal-line and short-yardage areas where the Steelers struggled last season. During a goal-line drill Sunday, Haley showed off a formation with four tight ends. On Thursday, he had three wide receivers on the field — with tight end Heath Miller missing — on a pass play from the 7 in which Ben Roethlisberger found Antonio Brown in the back of the end zone.