Could feature as many as 4 first round picks at stater. They are 2 deep at middle linebacker in my mind (any one could be a starter), and in fact I'd have looked to move one of the MLB's to outside. I think Williams is an excellent football player and will be a starter somewhere when his contract runs out here. They don't have a bona fide young stud at OLB as a pass rusher, but their rotation of players should be more than damn solid. If this linebacking corps can't ratchet up the pressure and make this defense more than respectable, I don't know what to say. I'm concerned about DE depth, but keeping the LB's clean shouldn't be a problem when Heyward and Tuitt are in there.
Steeles LB corp has to be great
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I wouldn't be upset if the Steelers moved forward with Shazier and Williams on the inside as Timmons contract comes to an end.
You can't pay everyone. They are both UFA's after 2016, they could make a good step up to Williams after this season and let Timmons play it out. We will know by next training camp how that is going to go. I really hope they could find some kind of depth at DE before the season. DE is too physical to have no rotation or backups. I look on their roster and they literally have nothing.
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They let all of their young defensive ends with potential get away last year. Good thing we had Cam Thomas on the roster.
I'm hoping they can cut Thomas and use his money to get some kind of depth in someone cut by another team with a little gas left in the tank. They can't possibly plan to line up with what they got behind Tuitt/ Heyward unless they see something in someone on the roster
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They really want Geathers to be that guy, but is Keisel a possibility again this year? I don't know about the status of his health, but the last I read they hadn't cleared out his locker yet.
Thought he had a full release in March. I'll take anyone who can help. Geathers is about as unproven as they come. He isn't even a journeyman.
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I've mentioned numerous times it is an indictment of Tomlin's supposedly "defensive" mind that this team, under his leadership, has used 9 of their available 17 draft choices in the first two rounds of the draft on DEFENSIVE FRONT-7 players and what they have to show for it is the worst 2-year stretch of pressure and sacks by this organization since 1989-1990.
I don't know how defenders of Mike Tomlin can whitewash that fact away.
It is somewhat acceptable that while you invest in one part of the team, others will suffer (i.e. see our secondary), but there is no excuse for the lack of pressure on the quarterback when you consider how often Tomlin has tried to improve the front-7 on this team and failed.
Just another reason to question the contract extension because if Bud Dupree and Sequez Golson don't flash and look like improvements over what we currently have, that just continues to fuel the fire that Tomlin isn't a great defensive coach or evaluator of talent on that side of the ball. And that's what he's supposed to be good at.
I don't know how defenders of Mike Tomlin can whitewash that fact away.
It is somewhat acceptable that while you invest in one part of the team, others will suffer (i.e. see our secondary), but there is no excuse for the lack of pressure on the quarterback when you consider how often Tomlin has tried to improve the front-7 on this team and failed.
Just another reason to question the contract extension because if Bud Dupree and Sequez Golson don't flash and look like improvements over what we currently have, that just continues to fuel the fire that Tomlin isn't a great defensive coach or evaluator of talent on that side of the ball. And that's what he's supposed to be good at.
Agreed totally Del. They have to get return on their investment this season with way more pressure and sack numbers.
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Who said he is a great defensive coach and/or evaluator? ....The media? Certainly no one one here.
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You can throw turnovers in there also.
It is indeed a thin group, two starters, one of them green and unproven but with potential.
97 Heyward, Cameron DE 6-5 288 26 5 Ohio State
91 Tuitt, Stephon DE 6-5 303 22 2 Notre Dame
and then these guys.
69 Conrath, Matt DE 6-7 306 25 3 Virginia
67 Davis, Niko DE 6-5 285 25 R Liberty
96 Geathers, Clifton DE 6-8 325 27 6 South Carolina
79 Hemer, Ethan DE 6-6 285 24 1 Wisconsin
65 Kruger, Joe DE 6-6 287 23 2 Utah
78 Walton, L.T. DE 6-5 319 23 R Central Michigan
Maybe that's why they hung on to Geathers but it would be nice to see one these other guys step up a couple notches.
Pretty slim pickins if ya ask me.
Im hoping its Geathers and Walton as the backup DE's.