Some good fortune in the Draft helped Pittsburgh land two potential OL starters (Mike Adams, David DeCastro) plus a DL contributor (Alameda Ta’amu).  Still, the Steelers lost a ton this offseason, mainly due to cap issues.  Replacing Hines Ward, James Farrior and other long-time vets will be just as hard in the locker room as on the field.  The Mike Wallace situation also could be a massive distraction this year. 

 

Grade:

Cookie Monster and Chris Burke like "C's," Dom does not. Image Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org

Normally I understand how members of the media “pop-off” and say controversial things to gain more readers and stir the proverbial pot (cough*Warren Sapp*cough).  Yet in Burke’s case, I believe I need to put my “Two Cents” in and wonder aloud about his offseason grades.  So ready yourselves NPC readers, because today I would like discuss my issues with the “C” offseason grade given by Burke to the Steelers and why.

Introduction

To be completely fair to Burke, I believe that the criteria which he used to measure and grade each franchise and their specific successes/failures during the offseason was well-done and a fair way to grade each team’s offseason exploits, activities, and efforts to improve their franchise as a whole:

 

Our offseason grades take into account the 2012 draft grades, what’s occurred in Free Agency and trade markets, and any extraneous off-field circumstances (bounties and non-bounties alike).

While this is a completely sensible way to evaluate and grade team’s offseasons, I do not understand how Burke came up with a “C” grade for the Steelers if he actually followed the specific guidelines he laid out above.  In fact, some of the negatives Burke alluded when he discussed Pittsburgh’s 2012 offseason to might not even be considered huge losses or negatives at all if one looks at the structure of the Steelers’ roster entering 2012 and organization as a whole.  Don’t believe me, readers?  Let’s take a look and you can find come to your own conclusions:

Not-So Negatives

Loss of (Veteran) Players Might Not Be So Bad, and Leadership is All Over Roster

Larry Foote will be a key player in a leadership role this season. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

Do the losses of Aaron Smith, James Farrior, and Hines Ward hurt to see as a life-long fan of this team?  Of course.  These guys were some of the most integral players in the franchise’s recent history, and three of the biggest reasons why the team won two Super Bowls.

But you know what?  Their releases are not what you would call important in terms of what they would bring to the table in 2012 from an “on-the-field” perspective.  And if you wanted to take things a step further, one could even argue that these moves were “addition by subtraction” in a salary cap and productivity senses to boot.

In case you did not notice Mr. Burke, Smith missed over 30 regular season games from 2009 to 2011, was a non-factor for the Defense last year, and spent too much time on the sidelines to help the Defense in any significant capacity.  As for Ward, his production on Offense declined so steadily last season that by December Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery had jumped ahead of him on the depth chart and his snaps decreased as the season progressed.  And Farrior, like Ward, was a shell of his former self last year, became an even bigger liability in pass coverage, and was thus a Two-Down player at best at this stage in his career.

As for the loss of the released veterans’ locker room presence,  Burke’s language suggests that they were the only veterans on the Steelers’ roster which led the team or mattered one iota.  Yet I must ask:  Do the names Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, Larry Foote, Brett Keisel, LaMarr Woodley, Willie Colon, and Heath Miller ring any bells?  I am sure that a follower of professional football like you would have heard of a veteran Quarterback named Roethlisberger, right?

So as you can see, despite the fact that three of the team’s most important veterans are gone, the Steelers’ 2012 roster is not bereft of experienced players which can bring leadership to the youngsters this season and beyond.  Because of this, these talented and mature players which I alluded to above are more than qualified to become adequate team leaders and do exactly what Ward, Farrior, and Smith did over their careers’ in the Steel City: impart their wisdom on the young players and become professionals.  Thus, the franchise will likely not lose any sleep over the “leadership vacuum” being filled.

Mike Wallace Situation 

While the Wallace situation “could” have been a massive distraction, why would you even put it into the equation to measure your offseason grades?  With this in mind, I must ask one simple question: Is Wallace’s contract situation resolved?  No, wait, let me check, carry the two, oh no, it is not.  Has Training Camp started yet?  Oh, wait, no.  Heck, Wallace has not even sat out any preseason or regular season games as of right now.  So let us all just calm down before we get ahead of ourselves and start hitting the “panic button” and downgrade any significant progress in the matter at hand.

In fact, just after you published your “grades,” it was reported by Jason LaCanfora of CBS.Sports.com that Wallace and the Steelers are moving closer to agreeing upon a long-term deal.  There might even be a chance that Wallace will be ready to go for Training Camp next week.  Sure, learning a new Offense might be a bit tough on Wallace.  But if the Steelers can get him into Training Camp and signed within the month of July or even mid-August, it should be more than enough time for a Pro Bowler like Wallace to come in and at least have a decent grasp of the new system.  And while Wallace still needs to hone bits and pieces of his game (route-running, blocking, etc.), he still runs a 9 route better than most in the League.  Plus, Wallace and Big Ben have more than enough pass-catching weapons around them to help out while he adjusts accordingly to the new Offensive system.

Overlooked Positives

Steelers Used Free Agency Period Sensibly

Pope could be an under-the-radar pickup for the Steelers this season. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

To his credit, Burke actually highlighted the Steelers’ 2012 Draft as being one of the better ones in the League (A- Grade).  But anybody that has any sort of vague understanding of what the Steelers’ needs were entering the Draft would have to give Colbert and Co. credit for addressing their most dire of needs.  You know, from the Offensive Line (DeCastro, Adams, Kelvin Beachum), to the Inside Linebacker position (Sean Spence), to Nose Tackle depth (Ta’amu), and the 3rd-Down Back (Chris Rainey).  But what Burke (as well as the rest of the media) might have overlooked is how the Steelers found two solid yet unheralded Free Agents (Leonard Pope and Brandon Johnson) which addressed other needs on the team as well.

At least to me, performance in the trade and Free Agency market should not be based on how much one team spends, but on how they spend their money.  In fact, the two moves which the Steelers made during the Free Agency period should pay dividends this season in a couple of areas where Pittsburgh needs some help: blocking in the run game, a tall pass-catching option in the Red Zone, help on the Special Teams units, help in pass coverage from the Linebacker corps, and help on 3rd Downs to boot.

Were the moves to acquire Pope and Johnson “sexy” from a headline garnering standpoint?  No, but that is not in the Steelers’ “Baller on a Budget” and frugal yet savvy style.  Overall, the Steelers saw ways to improve their ball-club in Free Agency, worked it out financially, and made the moves accordingly.  No over-spending, no big-contracts doled out to outsiders with question-marks, and low-risk/decent-reward investments.

Have Young and Developing Depth Ready to Step-Up

While the Steelers’ purse strings may have been limited in the area of signing Free Agents, it likely would not have mattered because the team already has a great deal of young depth ready to step up and play on their roster this season.  And as I outlined months ago in this post, the Steelers have a youth movement (especially on Defense) to look forward to now and should be poised to strike as early as this season.

I mean, is it really Pittsburgh’s fault that they have players like Ziggy Hood, Keenan Lewis, Cortez Allen, Curtis Brown, Steve McLendon Isaac Redman, David DeCastro, Mike Adams, and Cameron Heyward on their roster and ultimately believe they can step up this season and beyond?  No.  In fact, the eventual (and hopeful) development of these aforementioned players should be considered a huge plus for the organization because it required Colbert and Co. to not be pressed to look outside of their franchise for help at these specific positions.  But most importantly, the Steelers did not have to use the high-priced Free Agent market or any other means besides the Draft to help address these needs at all.

Will there be some “growing pains” in 2012 with these younger players?  Absolutely, and we should ready ourselves as Steelers fans to see some over the course of the season.  Yet what Pittsburgh’s Coaching Staff does and has done as good as if not better than all of the teams in the League over the last four decades has been developing talent to fill the shoes of departed players.  Just take a look at all the players which have stepped up during the last ten to fifteen years or so and subsequently replaced some of the departed talent on this franchise (especially on Defense).  Sure a few of the names might be changed this season, but the talent is ready and waiting to fill the void and should be put on display this season.

Final Thoughts

How a franchise which was given an “A-” 2012 Draft Grade, have had their most important players stay out of trouble, unloaded veteran and expendable players with huge contracts and/or diminishing/expendable skill-sets, possess more than enough experienced players on the roster to fill “leadership vacuum,” remedied a couple of extra needs in Free Agency, and have some developing depth ready to break-out in 2012 be given a “C” offseason grade by the very person which graded the Draft?

Even if one takes into account some questions which the Steelers face heading into the 2012 campaign (Safety depth, RB by Committee and Who Emerges, Wallace not being signed immediately), they cannot significantly or conceivably diminish the numerous positive things which this organization has done over the last six months to warrant just an “average” grade for their efforts.  Heck, if I wanted to, I could go into the number of different ways that Todd Haley will be an upgrade over Bruce Arians in the Offensive Coordinator department.  But for the sake of brevity I will leave that stone unturned for now.

I am not sure how you arrived at a “C” grade for the Steelers’ offseason Mr. Burke if you indeed evaluated Pittsburgh’s offseason by the criteria you outlined in your article, but hey, you are entitled to your opinion and I enjoy your work along with the work of the rest of the football writers on CNNSI.com.  But when you hand out these grades next time, you might want to try to follow your grading scale a bit more closely or pay attention to all of the offseason moves made by franchises.  Otherwise, people might be inclined to poke a few holes in your argument and raise some questions as to how and why you arrived at your conclusions.

What say you “Steeler Nation?”:  Does Burke have a point?  Is it a “C” offseason?  Am I full of hot-air?  Or is he?  Post your thoughts and grades below.

For all your Steelers news and discussions follow us on Twitter @nicepickcowherC, follow me on Twitter @DominicDiTolla, and like us on Facebook.

Thankfully, it has seemed like Dick LeBeau, the rest of the Defensive Staff, and the Front Office have decided to do something about the Steelers’ Defensive struggles during the last couple of seasons.  With the Steelers’ evident Defensive weaknesses on tape, and the League moving more towards a pass-first game, improvements have been made to the roster, and it appears that the wheels have been set in motion to bolster and fix Pittsburgh’s Pass Defense for years to come.  Thus, today I would like to list what I believe are the Top Three Reasons that the Steelers will be an improved Defense against the pass and explain why I feel this way.

Hopefully Pittsburgh's pass defense will improve in 2012 and beyond. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE

Introduction

Now I am sure that many of you readers are saying, “Improvement?  What improvement?  This team ranked 1st against the Pass in terms of Passing Yards last season?!”  Let me just stop you right there and say that when a team plays the likes of Blaine Gabbert, Tyler Palko, a late-30′s Matt Hasselbeck, Alex Smith, Tarvaris Jackson, Curtis Painter, Kevin Kolb, Kellen Clemens, a Rookie “Ginger Spice” and Colt McCoy both twice, like the Steelers did in 2011, you are bound to have success as a Pass Defense simply because the Quarterback play for Three-Fourths of your schedule is either below-average to bottom of the barrel talent-wise, past their prime, young and inexperienced, on a team with a “run-first” Offense, or some combination of any of these things.  I hate to take anything away from what this Defense accomplished (LeBeau finally had a solid man-coverage game plan against the Patriots), but the overall statistics did not tell the whole story.  Anyways, before I go off on a tangent let’s get to the countdown:

3. Outside Linebackers Should (Hopefully) Be Healthy

This is a big one because at some point last season Pittsburgh’s Top Three pass rushers in the forms of LaMarr Woodley, James Harrison, and Jason Worilds were all injured, not at full-strength, or in Deebo’s case suspended for one game.  At 100 percent, this rotation of Outside Linebackers forms one of the most formidable trios in the League, but when Lawrence Timmons is forced to play out of position and pick up the slack because one or more of these guys is on the bench, the team, and most of all the pass-rush suffers.

The Steelers logged only 35.0 Sacks last season, 13.0 less than in 2010 (48.0) when they went to the Super Bowl.  Harrison and Woodley both notched 9.0 Sacks apiece but Deebo only played in 11 games all regular season, and Woodley only played in 10 himself.  Worilds stepped in and showed some nice ability when called upon and registered 3.0 Sacks, but he was limited to only 12 games and was hindered by the fact there were no OTA’s and offseason workouts as he continued his transition from Defensive End to Outside Linebacker before his second season.

But with all three hopefully healthy, only good things can come of it.  Because with all three at full strength, all three can bring pressure and help collapse the pocket.  The more heat brought on the opposition’s Quarterback, the more liable they are to either fold like a lawn chair or make bad decisions.  The more this happens the more pressure is taken off of the Secondary to make plays and stay on their men, and frees them up to make plays and play the ball.  When this happens, well, we all know that good things happen when Polamalu is allowed to do what he does.  With two Pro Bowlers and one young and talented edge rusher to spell them when need be healthy, Pittsburgh’s Defense should reap the benefits, especially when playing against the pass.

2. New Inside Linebackers Can Pass Cover

While they have been a bit under the radar, the Steelers have made a couple of acquisitions at the Linebacker position which should help them defend the pass in the coming years.  One such acquisition is Brandon Johnson, and I was a fan of the team signing him when they stated that they were interested.  If you would like to read my post from last month on why signing Johnson would be a good move for the Steelers, follow this link here.  But if you do not want to read it and want an abridged version, one of the biggest reasons I thought Johnson would be a good addition is the fact that he can help out on passing downs and did a solid job against the pass for the Bengals during his career there.

At 6’5″ 245 lbs. Johnson is an imposing figure which has the size and strength to matchup with some of the more physical Tight Ends and be an imposing figure to clog up passing lanes.  And hey, Johnson might even give the team a Sack or two if asked to come through the A-Gap once and a while on passing downs if some sort of Zone-Blitz is employed.  Overall, the addition of a veteran with a skill-set that Pittsburgh definitely is in need of (including Special Teams) puts a smile on my face.

Although Johnson acquisition may help in the present, the player which many in “Steeler Nation” have become particularly excited about is Rookie Linebacker Sean Spence.  And Spence’s athleticism, upside, and ability to play the pass are reasons to get any Steelers fan excited.  At 5’11″ 231 lbs., Spence might not be the most physically imposing specimen, but make no mistake, this guy is speedy and can be a great equalizer against the opposition’s more athletic Backs and Ends in the short and intermediate passing games.  If Spence pans out and is an effective option on 3rd Downs and passing situations, it could be a huge weight off of the shoulders of the other Linebackers and the Secondary in general.

No more will Tight Ends be running free across the middle, and no more will Quarterbacks have their safety valves to go to with eons of space after getting rid of the ball before being flattened by Deebo or Woodley.   Granted, Spence is likely a year away from contributing on a consistent basis on the Defensive side of the ball as he will likely spend his first year on Special Teams and transitioning to a 3-4 Defense.  However, Spence has the tools to be a very effective weapon for Pittsburgh and should factor in greatly into their future plans to stop opponents’ passing games.

1. Cornerback Position Finally Has Talented Depth

Across the board, the Steelers have some imposing and talented players at the Cornerback position for the first time in a very long time.  Going four-deep with Ike Taylor, Keenan Lewis, Cortez Allen, and Curtis Brown, each player is at or over 6’0 and is in the neighborhood of 200 lbs..  Each player understands how, or is learning how to play Zone in LeBeau’s Defense.  All are big enough and more than physical enough to lock up and play man against Receivers if need be.  And best of all, every guy is tough enough to help support in the run game when the time comes.

While the Steelers appear to have four solid and emerging Corners now, it was not always the case.  In fact, two years ago it was not even like that, and the Steelers paid a heavy price when teams like New England, Green Bay, and New Orleans would spread the Defense out and attack Bryant McFadden, William Gay, Anthony Madison, and the rest of the Secondary.  To those teams it was: Why bother challenging Ike Taylor unless it is necessary when you can get an easy 7 Yards per pass going after the other players?  Well now, it is not so much the case as the three Corners behind Taylor are hungry for playing time and to prove themselves.

Lewis seemed to finally get his head on straight last season, and is the front-runner to replace William Gay for the #2 Cornerback spot after spending last season as the Nickelback.  Allen, whose size and coverage ability could be best used against Tight End heavy teams like New England, Cincinnati, and Baltimore, figures to compete with Lewis for the #2 role and should see some more snaps than in his Rookie year where he did a nice job in some Dime sub-packages.  And Brown is a tough guy who should be able to help out in the slot and get physical with some of the more smaller, possession-type pass catchers.

The upgrades have been made talent-wise, and hopefully the younger guys are able to step up this season.  The pressure will likely be on Lewis the most as he will be an Unrestricted Free Agent, and playing for a new contract in 2013.  Thus, holding off 2011′s 3rd and 4th Round picks will be an absolute must.  Pressure aside, if two or all three of these guys behind Ike can improve and show up on a consistent basis this year, the opposition will have think twice before immediately beginning to dink-and-dunk on this Defense down the field.

Final Thoughts

Are Pittsburgh’s problems against the pass all solved?  Heck no, and if they were I probably would not be writing this article.  The Cornerback depth might be talented, but they are still a bit young at the position and Allen and Brown will have much more on their plates this year in terms of responsibility.  Plus, there is almost zero experienced depth behind Polamalu, Ryan Clark, and Ryan Mundy at the Safety position.  Spence is only a Rookie as well, and we will likely have to wait close to a year to see what he can do if LeBeau decides not to play him or does not believe he is ready to play in Nickel and Dime sub-packages yet.

Regardless of the fact that there is still work to do, one thing is clear: the Steelers have begun to fix their issues defending the passing game and seem to be headed on the right track.  Only time will tell if my optimism is either spot-on, misguided, or somewhere in between.  However, I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for Pittsburgh’s pass defense and whether or not the upgrades will work.

So what do you readers think?  Do you think the Steelers’ pass defense will improve?  Are there any reasons I did not discuss?  Let me know.

Statistics Provided By: ESPN.com and Pro Football Reference.com

For all your Steelers news and discussions follow us on Twitter @nicepickcowherC, follow me on Twitter @DominicDiTolla, and like us on Facebook.

So long Lyons. We hardly knew ye. Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

The Steelers are usually quiet during the offseason.  They quietly sign some veterans who deserve to stay, let go of some others, have a solid draft class (nothing too flashy), and make some late moves to bring in more players to fill in that ‘supporting cast.’  It’s a formula that’s worked for years, and the team isn’t about to change this offseason.  Today, the Steelers got one step closer to the end of their formula by signing a couple of free agents (and letting go of one vet).

The team signed former Cincinnati Bungle LB Brandon Johnson.  Johnson will be entering his 7th season, and has seen most of his playing time as a special teamer and reserve linebacker.  He’s not a significant signing – just another additional veteran to add to the mix.  Actually, he could have a fairly large impact on special teams – he was pretty decent for the Bengals.  Aside from last season, Johnson’s last three seasons saw 40+ tackles, a bunch of passes defended, and a few interceptions.  Of course, there is the chance that Johnson makes his way onto the second team defense.  We know the first team of Harrison, Timmons, Foote, and Woodley are pretty much set.  What is unknown is who will make up that second team.  Best of luck, and I hope he was worth the effort.

The team also released TE Wes Lyons today.  Lyons – who was too small for that position and not fast enough to be a WR - was near the bottom of the list of contenders who were fighting for a couple of the TE reserve spots.  Heath Miller sits at the top, and the assumption is that Leonard Pope lands at the #2 spot.  With David Johnson officially moving to the fullback position and Weslye Saunders 4 game suspension for the beginning of the season, it became unclear who was going to fill the #3 spot or if the Steelers would save that roster spot for another position near the end of camp.  Lyons was on that list of potentials, but it is now down to Saunders and rookie David Paulson.  It will be interesting to see what comes of this spot and whether Haley will utilize a Jumbo with three tight ends at the goal line or if he will stick with Johnson and keep him up high or back down to the line as the ‘extra lineman.’

The Steelers also signed long snapper Matt Katula - kind of a tough pill to swallow for Lyons when your released for ‘roster fodder’ like Johnson and Katula.  Oh well.