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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." Cheap NFL Jerseys China . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. China NFL Jerseys . The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. http://www.cheapjerseysoverchina.us/ . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. Cheap Jerseys China . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. Wholesale Jerseys Cheap . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. MANCHESTER, England -- The final round of international fixtures in 2016 did no favors for managers of some of the English Premier Leagues title hopefuls.Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger, in particular, will vouch for that ahead of the renewal of their often-heated coaching rivalry.When Mourinhos Manchester United and Wengers Arsenal meet at Old Trafford on Saturday for the standout game in the 12th round of matches, there could be some major names missing because of injuries sustained on international duty.United captain Wayne Rooney has caused a furor by being photographed, looking bleary-eyed, alongside some guests at a wedding party taking place at the England team hotel on Saturday. But by then, hed picked up a knee injury during Englands 3-0 win over Scotland the night before, causing him to miss Tuesdays match against Spain, and Rooney is now doubtful for the Arsenal game.It was the last thing Mourinho would have wanted, considering he is already without suspended striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and center backs Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling, as well as having serious doubts over the fitness of midfielder Marouane Fellaini and full backs Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia.Wenger, meanwhile, will ask Alexis Sanchez for an honest assessment of his fitness after Arsenals star forward sustained a hamstring injury while away with Chile. Sanchez missed a draw against Colombia but returned for the 3-1 win over Uruguay on Tuesday, although his right leg was heavily strapped for the match.Sanchez isnt due to return to Arsenals training base until Friday and the match against United is a lunchtime kickoff on Saturday.What I will consider is the risk of injury because he played while recovering from a hamstring injury, Wenger said on Thursday. Ill consider the way he feels as well. On that front you depend on the honesty of the player, how they feel and how they recover.Wenger will be careful about overloading Sanchez, who has scored eight goals for Arsenal this season from his new position as converted striker. This time last year, Sanchez picked up a hamstring injury following a grueling run of back-to-back games for club and country and ended up missing the next two months, which provved to be a huge blow to Arsenals title hopes.ddddddddddddArsenal plays Paris Saint-Germain in a big Champions League game on Wednesday, too.Liverpool and Chelsea, the Premier Leagues top two, could also be counting the cost of the recent international games after injuries to key players.Adam Lallana, one of Liverpools quartet of sprightly forwards that has been in devastating form this season, hobbled off during Englands game against Spain and is a doubt for the leaders trip to Southampton.As for second-place Chelsea, Diego Costa was ruled out of both of Spains games during the break because of groin injury and Eden Hazard limped off during Belgiums 8-1 win over Estonia with an apparent calf injury. It isnt yet clear if either Costa or Hazard -- the scorers of 15 league goals between them -- will be fit for the Chelseas match at Middlesbrough.Heres what else to look out for this weekend:---CRYSTAL PALACE-MANCHESTER CITYPalace has conceded 10 goals in its last three games and hasnt kept a clean sheet in the league all season. In terms of points per game (0.73) in 2016, Alan Pardews side is the worst-performing team across Englands four leagues this calendar year.Probably, then, the last team it would want to see arriving at Selhurst Park on Saturday is Pep Guardiolas free-scoring Man City side. Star striker Sergio Aguero will be raring to go for City, having failed to start for Argentina in either of their World Cup qualifying games over the international break.---WATFORD-LEICESTERLeicester can clinch qualification to the knockout round of the Champions League on Tuesday, but its players would be wise not to look that far ahead this weekend.The Premier League champions head to Watford just two points above the relegation zone, having lost at home to West Bromwich Albion in the last game before the international break.Leicester will be boosted by leading striker Jamie Vardy ending his run of 14 games without a goal for club or country by scoring for England against Spain. Vardy scored 24 league goals last season, but has only two so far this season. ' ' '