Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Hines Ward -- Sorry, people won't be able to help themselves when it comes to talking about his impending training camp holdout. Click photo for larger image.

The Steelers have fewer issues entering this training camp after a 15-1 season, but there are issues nonetheless. Here are five prominent ones:

1 Life Without Plax, Camp Without Hines?

Hines Ward could turn what would be a major issue anyway -- the first season this century without their game-breaking receiver, Plaxico Burress -- into a larger one if he does not report to training camp tonight.

Holdouts can be overrated -- the Steelers won their first Super Bowl after a summer in which most of their veterans honored a weeks-long players strike in training camp -- but they also can turn divisive, especially when it involves a player as productive and popular as Ward.

Ward said Thursday that he will not report to training camp until he has a contract extension.

Burress became the team's big-play receiver and, although he never made the Pro Bowl, he consistently resided among the top receivers in the league in average yards per catch. In addition, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger developed such a rapport with his former Washington Landings neighbor that he made public pleas for the Steelers to re-sign Burress in free agency.

While the Steelers recognized Burress' value to their offense, they believe newcomer Cedrick Wilson and Antwaan Randle El will be more than up to replacing him. They are faster, quicker and, while significantly smaller at 5-10, more consistent in their routes and with their hands. They plan to move them around, along with Ward, to keep defenses guessing, something they could not do much with Burress, who remained a fixture at split end.

2 Big Ben and the hands behind him

It was an issue last summer as well, but quite a different one this time around. This was to be Big Ben's coming out summer; instead, the question is whether he can come close to repeating his sensational rookie season and, indeed, improve upon it.

No one's asking him to go 13-0 in the regular season again after becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to compile such a record. But he will be expected to handle more of the offense and, as he requested, that offense will open up a little more for him.

Intrigue will surround his backups. Veterans Tommy Maddox and Charlie Batch will compete in camp to become No. 2. The loser may be an odd-man out because it appears Brian St. Pierre will stay on as the No. 3 quarterback. Maddox has some value in a trade, but the coaches have confidence in him and they worry about Batch's health after he missed last season following knee surgery.

3 An unbroken line

The offensive line that fell apart in 2003 played as well as it has in years in 2004 and, for the first time in franchise history, had three players in the Pro Bowl -- left tackle Marvel Smith, left guard Alan Faneca and center Jeff Hartings.

So why is everyone fretting about the offensive line? Could be the fallout from two departed starters in free agency -- guard Keydrick Vincent and tackle Oliver Ross. Yet, entering the 2004 season, those were the two biggest question marks on the team. Instead of losing two starters, the Steelers actually have one back -- Kendall Simmons. He started at right guard until a torn ACL in his knee ended his season last August.

Ross did a nice job at right tackle after failing to win the position the previous season. In Max Starks, the Steelers have better potential and a much bigger player at 6-8 and about 340 pounds. He did gain some experience last season in short-yardage; now he must show he can handle the every-down duties. The team does not have much depth at tackle after trying and failing to land a veteran to push Starks for the job.

4 Secondary issues

After undergoing an upheaval from last summer through mid-season with three new starters, the secondary remains a work in progress. Strong safety Troy Polamalu, who made the Pro Bowl in his first season as a starter, is the star of the bunch. Free safety Chris Hope did OK in his first year as a starter, but if he does not improve, Mike Logan could challenge him for playing time.

The main attraction lies at cornerback, where veterans Willie Williams, 34, and Deshea Townsend, 29, try to hold off a bevy of youngsters for their starting jobs. Rookie Bryant McFadden had a superlative spring and, if he continues that type of play wearing pads this summer, could break through for one of the top jobs. Ricardo Colclough, a second-round pick in 2004, will be given ample opportunity to also earn a starting job but he must show more command of the defense to do so. Ike Taylor, in his third season, has the skills and now must show more consistency.

The depth and youth at cornerback is better than it has been in a long time; not so at the two safety positions.

5 Dump the quarterback

No, not Big Ben, the guys in the other colors. After a fast start, the Steelers' defense finished with 41 sacks, an improvement over 2003, but they managed no sacks in three of their final four games. And for the second time in a row, an end (Aaron Smith) led the team in sacks with eight.

Ends are not supposed to lead 3-4 defenses in sacks; that job belongs to the linebackers. Outside linebackers Joey Porter made the Pro Bowl and Clark Haggans had a good first season as a starter. But those two play every down, turning into pass-rushing ends in the nickel and dime defenses. They need some relief once in a while to stay fresh, both as linebackers and as pass rushers.

There is, however, no relief in sight unless disappointing second-round '04 pick Alonzo Jackson turns it on. The Steelers failed to land Chad Brown in free agency, then did not pick another linebacker up in the draft. So it appears they will go with the same personnel, rely heavily on coordinator Dick LeBeau's schemes to get to the quarterback and pray that neither Haggans nor Porter fall to injury. One trick might be to use Polamalu more on safety blitzes.