Which starting spot in the biggest question mark on defense?

[Coach]

Which starting spot in the biggest question mark on defense?

The other starting OLB ( Dupree, Moats Jones )

The other starting Corner ( Blake, Golson , Grant )

The other starting safety ( Allen, Thomas, Golden )

 

[SteelerSask2]

Well the biggest is Cortez Allen. Period. Will Allen can play Safety in this league clearly. No problem. But Cortez Allen has A LOT to prove. The team is extremely thin at defensive line. Tuitt and Heyward can't be injured.

 

[Steelbar]

All the corner spots. Gay had a great year but he is at the age when you can suddenly lose a step and he was not very fast or quick to begin with. Allen is what he is a great athlete and a poor corner, his skill set is much better suited to free safety where his poor backpedal and footwork would not be an issue and he could use his great speed and ball skills to his advantage.

 

[xjx]

Jones OLB is a big big question. He looked weak last year. I hope Dupree can play that spot with strength and speed.

 

[SteelerFan448]

Cornerback is the biggest question mark. Although Jones and Moats may not be the most dynamic pass rushing duo in the league, they are functional in the spots and have adequate backups with Harrison and Dupree. Allen can step in and perform if Thomas doesn't get the job done at safety. At corner, the only known commodity is Gay. Allen has the potential to be a legit starting cornerback and Blake and Golson should provide a good battle for the nickel role, but those two may not be up for the job yet and if Allen doesn't have his head on straight, we will be in trouble.

 

[Coach]

All the corner spots. Gay had a great year but he is at the age when you can suddenly lose a step and he was not very fast or quick to begin with. Allen is what he is a great athlete and a poor corner, his skill set is much better suited to free safety where his poor backpedal and footwork would not be an issue and he could use his great speed and ball skills to his advantage.

I agree and felt Cortez should have been tried at safety.

 

[Litos]

Cornerback is the biggest question mark. Although Jones and Moats may not be the most dynamic pass rushing duo in the league, they are functional in the spots and have adequate backups with Harrison and Dupree. Allen can step in and perform if Thomas doesn't get the job done at safety. At corner, the only known commodity is Gay. Allen has the potential to be a legit starting cornerback and Blake and Golson should provide a good battle for the nickel role, but those two may not be up for the job yet and if Allen doesn't have his head on straight, we will be in trouble.

agree with you

 

[Vader]

I agree and felt Cortez should have been tried at safety.

Why? I don't understand why people want to move players to positions they've never played before and assume they are going to be better at it than players that really play the position. Just like trying to move Adams, Gilbert and almost every other tackle to guard. If he has poor backpedaling and poor footwork FS is not a place for him. ONE wrong step at FS and you're seeing the guy dancing in the endzone.

 

[Wingman]

For me the biggest question mark is who will be lined up where on opening day. There were some very good points made by everyone and I suspect they are all valid. In essence there are so many question marks with this defense it is just about impossible to look at them individually. There are likely only 11 to 15 guys one can consider starters depending on the alignment they choose, which could be 3/4, 4/3 nickle, dime, etc. With all the new people and the new coordinator it might be quite a challenge to decide who the most capable bunch is to put on the field.

 

[MT~Forged]

I am still going with .................. Head Coach. Still questionable in my opinion.

 

[Litos]

Agree Vader, Cortez will succeed at OCB or he will be cut after the season, don't think he will be switched anywhere else

 

[ark steel]

Well the biggest is Cortez Allen. Period. Will Allen can play Safety in this league clearly. No problem. But Cortez Allen has A LOT to prove. The team is extremely thin at defensive line. Tuitt and Heyward can't be injured.

SteelerSack Johnson is Right!!!

 

[deljzc]

I agree if Cortez doesn't reclaim at least a top-3 CB role (and get 600+ snaps) then we will likely cut bait with him after this season.

He is schedule to make $4.4 million next year and count $5.75 million on the salary cap books.

If we release him after June 1st, 2016 he will instead count $1.35 million in 2016 (saving his $4.4 million salary) and we have to eat an additional $2.7 million in dead money in 2017. You hate doing that, but that's a manageable amount.

I really don't understand Allen's fall from grace. He doesn't even seem to be discussed by the coaches as a starting CB anymore. And it's only a year and 8 games after giving him almost $7.5 million in guarantees and a 4-year contract averaging over $6 million/season.

Something doesn't smell right and it's not just his play on the field.

 

[deljzc]

Oh, and to answer the real topic/question of this thread:

I think Safety is the biggest question mark position on the team. People are expecting a big bounce back year from Mitchell because supposedly he didn't play healthy last year but that's still unknown. I have no faith in Will Allen over a 16 game schedule at 33 years old. And the fact Thomas has gotten so little playing time over his career here is very unsettling to date.

And there is no depth behind those 3 so any injury means we're one concussion away from who knows what (at a position that is known to get hurt).

 

[slashsteel]

I agree if Cortez doesn't reclaim at least a top-3 CB role (and get 600+ snaps) then we will likely cut bait with him after this season.

He is schedule to make $4.4 million next year and count $5.75 million on the salary cap books.

If we release him after June 1st, 2016 he will instead count $1.35 million in 2016 (saving his $4.4 million salary) and we have to eat an additional $2.7 million in dead money in 2017. You hate doing that, but that's a manageable amount.

I really don't understand Allen's fall from grace. He doesn't even seem to be discussed by the coaches as a starting CB anymore. And it's only a year and 8 games after giving him almost $7.5 million in guarantees and a 4-year contract averaging over $6 million/season.

Something doesn't smell right and it's not just his play on the field.

I think it is simply a confidence issue. As he had it, early. And his play reflected that. But then he hit a road block, and I think in the process his confidence plummeted.

I think the lack of confidence will be a hard get back...........


But that's why they play the game..............

 

[slashsteel]

Cortez
Jarvis
Thomas

the three bubble players

one fail and two succeed the one who fails will make that area of the team the weakest...

This year I feel it isn't so clear cut, but will be based on which of these players at least hold their own, and which one(s) don't.

 

[SteelerFan448]

Cortez
Jarvis
Thomas

the three bubble players

one fail and two succeed the one who fails will make that area of the team the weakest...

This year I feel it isn't so clear cut, but will be based on which of these players at least hold their own, and which one(s) don't.

I agree with this, which is why I considered the backups. Though not ideal, the Steelers can live with Harrison and Will Allen starting. I wouldn't be as confident with Blake, Golson or Grant starting at cornerback.

 

[south dakota STEEL]

If Harrison starts, then it's cb's...If not, it's olb's.

 

[Steelbar]

Oh, and to answer the real topic/question of this thread:

I think Safety is the biggest question mark position on the team. People are expecting a big bounce back year from Mitchell because supposedly he didn't play healthy last year but that's still unknown. I have no faith in Will Allen over a 16 game schedule at 33 years old. And the fact Thomas has gotten so little playing time over his career here is very unsettling to date.

And there is no depth behind those 3 so any injury means we're one concussion away from who knows what (at a position that is known to get hurt).

Great points on Mitchell. He was a bust as a Raider and had one huge season for the Panthers in 2013 who had a dominating front 7 with an incredible pass rush making it very easy to play safety. Mitchell just may be what he looks like, a mediocre player who had a great year due to the play of the front 7 which unfortunately we do not have.

 

[Drink IRON City]

I'm questioning the Defensive Coordinator position. Always a question mark upon the new arrival. I realize he has been with the team forever but also know our "D" needs something new. There have been a lot of player concerns amongst these posts and I appreciate those posts.




Salute the nation

 

[steelhurt]

I have to go with the OLB position which generates the pass rush creating sacks and hurries. If you have that element to your defense then you get better play out of your secondary correct? A heavy rush even if you don't make the sack but you force the QB to hurry and make errant throws benefits that secondary so I'm going with the OLB. Jones,Dupree,Moats,Harrison have got to come through for us to be sucessful on defense.

 

[Coach]

Why? I don't understand why people want to move players to positions they've never played before and assume they are going to be better at it than players that really play the position. Just like trying to move Adams, Gilbert and almost every other tackle to guard. If he has poor backpedaling and poor footwork FS is not a place for him. ONE wrong step at FS and you're seeing the guy dancing in the endzone.

Because Allen lacks the quickness and long-range speed to play corner, HOWEVER he's a very good center field type with hands and size once the ball is in the air.

I think Cortez Allen could make a decent safety and his lack of man coverage won't hurt him as much at the position.

 

[Coach]

Cortez
Jarvis
Thomas

the three bubble players

one fail and two succeed the one who fails will make that area of the team the weakest...

This year I feel it isn't so clear cut, but will be based on which of these players at least hold their own, and which one(s) don't.

Well the needle is close to Allen's and Jones' bubble. Thomas can't stay healthy. I would not bet on any of them to be quality starters. Thomas has the best chance to start.

 

[FordFairLane]

Truthfully, I think the biggest question would be SS. Troy did not play great last year but Allen looks like he can be timed with a sun dial and we have no clue what we are getting from Shamarko at this point. Gay is solid, Allen is very hot and cold, Blake is aggressive and sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't but I know what we are getting from them. Moats seem solid, Jones gets beat, Harrison is still above average. Dupree is the unknown factor but between Harrison, and Moats we should be ok at OLB and whatever Dupree gives us is a bonus. So I look right now and I say SS is the only I don't know what to expect. If Allen wins out that means we can expect a lot of deep bombs on us and if Shamarko wins I have no clue.

 

[Vader]

Because Allen lacks the quickness and long-range speed to play corner, HOWEVER he's a very good center field type with hands and size once the ball is in the air.

I think Cortez Allen could make a decent safety and his lack of man coverage won't hurt him as much at the position.

What? "Long range" speed? WTF is that? Don't you know that a safety covers more "long range" than a CB? How do you know he is a good center field type player. He has never played the position and you've never seen him play center field at any level. There is nothing about him that says "safety" at all. In your own words he isn't quick, lacks "long range" speed, can't cover man to man but he can catch a ball..... maybe.