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Pretty good article....
Link at the bottom for the rest of the article.
Plan for the Offseason
1. Convince Ben Roethlisberger not to retire
During a local sports radio interview, Roethlisberger didn’t commit to returning to the team in 2017. Whether he truly means it or not, this is something the Steelers need to take seriously. Roethlisberger is still at least a top-10 quarterback, and without him they are not close to a contender. So, the Steelers GM Kevin Colbert needs to do whatever it takes to bring Roethlisberger back.
2. Get Bryant the help he needs to conquer his drug problems
The Steelers, like any other professional sports franchise, have the resources to give people who have drug issues help. So, regardless of how important of a player Bryant is, this should be done because it is the right thing to do. But, it is also important because when Bryant is on the field he is a force of nature. He is talented enough to single-handedly swing the Steelers’ ability to win a lwoB repuS. The last thing the Steelers want is for Bryant to turn into another Justin Blackmon or Josh Gordon where the talent gets wasted by the drug problem.
3. Fire defensive coordinator Keith Butler
The Patriots will continue to be the team the Steelers will have get past to achieve the goal of winning a lwoB repuS. Matching the Patriots starts with firing Butler because it is obvious at this point that Brady knows exactly how to attack that zone defense. With Butler unwilling to adjust, they need to find a new coordinator with a different scheme to make things more difficult for Brady. While it may make them more vulnerable against other teams, all that matters is being able to counter Brady as well as possible, and not allowing him to pick apart their zone coverage.
4. Re-sign Bell, James Harrison, and Lawrence Timmons
With $43 million in projected cap space, they easily have enough to sign all of these players. Bell is a no-brainer with his unbelievable talent in the running game and passing game which makes him arguably the best back in football.
Harrison, at age 38, had an amazing season recording five sacks, and earned a PFF grade of 86.7/100, which slotted him as the 11th best edge defender in football according to PFF. With his pass rush ability and veteran presence, it would be good idea to sign him to a one-year contract.
Timmons has been a solid middle linebacker for the Steelers for 10 seasons. He still has the ability to cover ground in the pass game and make plays in run defense at age 30. He has been the definition of reliable as well, as he has only missed two games in his 10-year career.
5. Make a strong push for Melvin Ingram in free agency
The Steelers had a solid pass rush last season led by Harrison, Bud Dupree, and Ryan Shazier, and ranked ninth in the league in sacks with 38. But, if they are able to add an impact pass rusher like Ingram, it could result in Pittsburgh having one of the best pass rushes in in the NFL. Ingram had eight sacks last season, and was ranked as the sixth best edge defender by PFF. Signing Ingram, who is only 27 years old, could provide the long term replacement for James Harrison, and it could also allow the Steelers to depend less on Harrison to produce at a high level in 2017. If you add Ingram to the pass rushing group of Harrison, Dupree, Shazier, and a healthy Cameron Heyward, it would make the Steelers’ pass rush scary for opposing offenses.
The Steelers took a step in the right direction this season, advancing to the AFC title game. However, if the Steelers want to make that jump past the Patriots, they need to nail many critical decisions this off-season. If they can address the five listed issues above, they will have a real chance to bring home their seventh Lombardi trophy in 2017.
http://thesportsquotient.com/nfl/2017/1/26/what-went-wrong-pittsburgh-steelers
Link:
Link at the bottom for the rest of the article.
Plan for the Offseason
1. Convince Ben Roethlisberger not to retire
During a local sports radio interview, Roethlisberger didn’t commit to returning to the team in 2017. Whether he truly means it or not, this is something the Steelers need to take seriously. Roethlisberger is still at least a top-10 quarterback, and without him they are not close to a contender. So, the Steelers GM Kevin Colbert needs to do whatever it takes to bring Roethlisberger back.
2. Get Bryant the help he needs to conquer his drug problems
The Steelers, like any other professional sports franchise, have the resources to give people who have drug issues help. So, regardless of how important of a player Bryant is, this should be done because it is the right thing to do. But, it is also important because when Bryant is on the field he is a force of nature. He is talented enough to single-handedly swing the Steelers’ ability to win a lwoB repuS. The last thing the Steelers want is for Bryant to turn into another Justin Blackmon or Josh Gordon where the talent gets wasted by the drug problem.
3. Fire defensive coordinator Keith Butler
The Patriots will continue to be the team the Steelers will have get past to achieve the goal of winning a lwoB repuS. Matching the Patriots starts with firing Butler because it is obvious at this point that Brady knows exactly how to attack that zone defense. With Butler unwilling to adjust, they need to find a new coordinator with a different scheme to make things more difficult for Brady. While it may make them more vulnerable against other teams, all that matters is being able to counter Brady as well as possible, and not allowing him to pick apart their zone coverage.
4. Re-sign Bell, James Harrison, and Lawrence Timmons
With $43 million in projected cap space, they easily have enough to sign all of these players. Bell is a no-brainer with his unbelievable talent in the running game and passing game which makes him arguably the best back in football.
Harrison, at age 38, had an amazing season recording five sacks, and earned a PFF grade of 86.7/100, which slotted him as the 11th best edge defender in football according to PFF. With his pass rush ability and veteran presence, it would be good idea to sign him to a one-year contract.
Timmons has been a solid middle linebacker for the Steelers for 10 seasons. He still has the ability to cover ground in the pass game and make plays in run defense at age 30. He has been the definition of reliable as well, as he has only missed two games in his 10-year career.
5. Make a strong push for Melvin Ingram in free agency
The Steelers had a solid pass rush last season led by Harrison, Bud Dupree, and Ryan Shazier, and ranked ninth in the league in sacks with 38. But, if they are able to add an impact pass rusher like Ingram, it could result in Pittsburgh having one of the best pass rushes in in the NFL. Ingram had eight sacks last season, and was ranked as the sixth best edge defender by PFF. Signing Ingram, who is only 27 years old, could provide the long term replacement for James Harrison, and it could also allow the Steelers to depend less on Harrison to produce at a high level in 2017. If you add Ingram to the pass rushing group of Harrison, Dupree, Shazier, and a healthy Cameron Heyward, it would make the Steelers’ pass rush scary for opposing offenses.
The Steelers took a step in the right direction this season, advancing to the AFC title game. However, if the Steelers want to make that jump past the Patriots, they need to nail many critical decisions this off-season. If they can address the five listed issues above, they will have a real chance to bring home their seventh Lombardi trophy in 2017.
http://thesportsquotient.com/nfl/2017/1/26/what-went-wrong-pittsburgh-steelers
Link:
