Unless the numerous helmet-to-helmet hits have fogged up your memory, I’m sure that you are familiar with the player who was your backup from 2006-2008.  Back in 2007, Anthony thought that it would be a great idea to run his mouth during an interview before a crucial late-season game with the New England Patriots.  In fact, Smith even guaranteed that the Steelers would defeat the then-undefeated Patriots on New England’s home-field.

Of course, you probably remember when Tom Brady shredded and embarrassed Smith and the rest Pittsburgh’s secondary throughout the entire game while you were sidelined due to your sickle-cell issue.  Tom was his usual surgical-self that afternoon when he completed 32 of 46 passes for 399 yards and four touchdowns as the Patriots rolled to a 34-13 win.

Then again, maybe you choose not to remember that particular beat-down at Foxborough.  Or maybe you simply relish being the biggest attention seeker on a team littered with entirely too many of them.  I do however know that you recently had quite a bit to say about Tom Brady and the New England Patriots when you were on ESPN’s “NFL Live” earlier this week:

When Tom Brady gets pressure and when you’re man-to-man and bumping those guys and making it hard for him to throw he sees ghosts…Even when guys aren’t around him, even when he’s not about to be sacked, when his clock goes off in his head that the ball should be out, we’ll see him duck, we”ll see him flinch.  When you get Tom Brady doing that, the whole New England Patriots mystique goes away.

 

I know they think Danny Amendola can come in and have the same type of numbers he had with the Rams, but we also have to remember, he’s fragile.  He’s not a guy who has competed a whole season, especially playing inside in what can be a physical AFC East.  You also think about Gronkowski and the injury; that is going to be bigger than anything for the New England Patriots coming in this year.  Also with Aaron Hernandez being questionable and whether or not he will be at full speed when the season starts…

 

While Brady has had his fair share of issues with pocket collapse (along with basically every other professional quarterback), I’m not sure how much talking a guy like you should be doing after your team finished .500 and failed to qualify for the postseason last year.

Not only did your defense fold like origami against cellar-dwellers like Oakland and Tennessee in crunch-time last year, they also failed to rush the passer and force turnovers with any consistency.  Heck, if you want to trash-talk, one could say that your defense last year embodied the very essence of Lee Flowers’ now famous “Paper Champions” phrase.

Ryan Clark did not have kind words for the New England Patriots. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

While you mentioned how Cortez Allen did so well against Rob Gronkowski in the slot during Pittsburgh’s 2011 win, did you take into account how your secondary had Keenan Lewis on the field that day?

Now that Lewis is in New Orleans, Allen will be forced to take his spot in the starting lineup.  Thus the chore of handling “The Gronk” throughout the game could fall to you, the injury-prone Troy Polamalu or an inexperienced cornerback on your roster if Allen has to play outside the numbers and cover other pass-catchers.  And do you really believe that William Gay, Curtis Brown, Josh Victorian, or even rookie Terry Hawthorne can cover Gronkowski or Aaron Hernandez in space with any sort of consistency?

In addition to the talented tight ends, what will you do to stop Amendola if he comes your way, Ryan?  Torpedo yourself and your helmet illegally into his face-mask?  I hate to break it to you, but the referees throw flags for that type of play nowadays.  Then again, if you knew that you probably would have stopped doing it due to the excessive fines and costly penalties which you have racked up over the years.

Also, it’s not like Amendola is coming from a “non-physical” and “flag-football background” either.  He spent his entire career in the extremely physical NFC West and he played against the likes of Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona up to six times per season.  The 49ers and Seahawks ranked 3rd & 4th in total defense last year, and the Cardinals managed to rank 12th to boot.  All three of those teams have had rough and tough defenses over the last three years, and I would go so far as to say that the NFC West is the most physical division in football right now.

Furthermore, do not dismiss talented rookies like Josh Boyce and Aaron Dobson from making contributions in the passing game and spreading the field against your defense as well.  Dick LeBeau’s defensive scheme is exposed in zone-coverage against accurate quarterbacks who employ four and five wide receiver sets, so good luck stopping Brady if you want to go zone-heavy against him in Week 9.

Most importantly though, how is your team’s inconsistent pass-rush going to rattle Mr. Brady if you do decide to send guys after him?  LaMarr Woodley has had one foot on the field and the other at a Dunkin’ Donuts since he signed his massive deal during the summer of 2011.  On the opposite side of “Mr. Stay Puft” is the injury-prone Jason Worilds, and the former Hokie has yet to receive anything but spot-starts over his career.  Pittsburgh’s outside linebackers combined to record a total of 15.0 sacks last season, and the unit could struggle even more this year without James Harrison.

Look, I understand that you didn’t guarantee a victory like Smith did Mr. Clark, but you sure sent some unnecessary verbal barbs New England’s way.  Then again, jawing like yours has become the norm more than anything else over the last few years in Pittsburgh.  Essentially, you gave bulletin board material to a future Hall of Famer who has shredded your franchise over the course of his storied career (6-2 record including playoffs).  The sad part is that Brady has carved far more talented Steeler defenses than the one that Pittsburgh will send out on the field in 2013.

But don’t worry Ryan, it’s not like Brady, Amendola and the rest of the Patriots players and coaching staff will sink to your level and respond off of the field by hamming for the camera or jawing through the papers like you do.  They’re more likely channel their energy into performing well on the field like the professionals they are. Ultimately, they’re much more equipped to have the last laugh against you and the rest of the defense by the time November 3rd rolls around.

You know, just like Anthony Smith was all those years ago by a man named Brady.

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Players Stats Provided By: ESPN.com and Pro Football Reference

Players Contract Info. Provided By: Spotrac.com

As we already know, players like Aaron Smith, James Farrior, Hines Ward, James Harrison, Mike Wallace and Keenan Lewis are no longer employed by the “Black & Gold.”  Plus, it doesn’t appear that Max Starks and Casey Hampton will be back this fall unless injuries or poor play strike at their specific positions either.

While some are inclined to think that the “worst” of the “roster purges” ended a couple of months ago, I believe that the Steelers could be in for an enormous “roster overhaul” when the spring of 2014 gets underway.

Don’t believe me?

Just keep the following in mind when the 2013 regular season ends.

Unrestricted Free Agents (2014)

Ziggy Hood

I for one wished that the Steelers would have tried to trade their 2009 1st Round pick at some point over the last year and a half.  Unfortunately, the time has passed for Pittsburgh to find a willing trade partner for Hood, because no team will want to trade for a player who is set to reach UFA status once the 2013 season ends.

I cannot say that I blame Ziggy fully for his struggles and inconsistent play since he became a full-time starter in 2011, especially because I maintain that he is playing out-of-position in the first place.

Hood’s ability to gap-shoot and play in a single-gap scheme makes him a better fit as a 3-technique in a 4-3 scheme, the position he played in college at the University of Missouri.  Ziggy is far less suited to succeed as a 2-gap defensive end in Pittsburgh’s 3-4, and he could be deemed expendable when his contract expires if he fails to show signs of improvement during the upcoming year.

Hood will likely need a monster performance during this year to warrant any sort of long-term deal next spring, and I do not believe that Colbert & Co. will want to offer him one if he plays at the level he has over the last few years.  Who knows though?  If Hood does not garner any lucrative offers from other teams on the open market next spring though, he might be worth bringing back on the cheap.  Plus, the Steelers could be hurting for depth at the defensive end position.

Brett Keisel

Whenever it happens, I will truly hate to see “The Beard’s” tenure in Pittsburgh come to a close.  But unless the Steelers and Keisel agree to a veteran minimum deal or none of the developmental prospects can show improvement during this season, 2013 might be Brett’s final season with the Steelers.

Keisel is one of a number of late-round success stories coached up by defensive line coach John Mitchell, and has been a lynch-pin along the Steelers’ defensive front since he assumed a starting gig back in 2006.  To his credit, Keisel performed well last year and logged 4.5 sacks to go along with 46 tackles.

Unfortunately, Keisel’s contract is set to expire next spring, and Pittsburgh’s brass might be unwilling to re-up the soon-to-be 35 year old to another deal if the team needs to save some cap-space to re-sign players like Maurkice Pouncey.  Granted, the Steelers could bring “The Beard” back for another go-around if they have zero faith in Ziggy Hood or Cameron Heyward.  But Keisel could very well retire or end up wearing a different uniform by the time the 2013 campaign begins.

Jason Worilds

Worilds has flashed potential during his three-year career (5.0 sacks last season), so maybe a full-time starting gig will allow him to “learn on the job” and entrench himself as the full-time solution at outside linebacker.  At this point in his career though, Jason is more of an “unknown entity” than a “known entity,” and it hasn’t helped his development that he rode the “pine pony” behind James Harrison and LaMarr “Stay Puft Marshmallow Man” Woodley either.

Jason however will finally receive his best chance to start on a regular basis this year with Harrison in Cincinnati.  Still, the team did select Jarvis Jones with their 1st round pick in last month’s draft.  And while I believe that Jones will likely be forced to rot on the bench by the coaching staff, I am sure that he will nevertheless be ready to compete for playing time with Worilds on the weak-side.

I for one am hopeful that Worilds can realize his potential this year and that the Steelers will ink him to a long-term deal.  Woodley has been nothing short of invisible since he signed his lucrative deal back in 2011, so the more depth at the position, the better.  The only depth behind Jason at the moment is Jones, 2011 5th round pick Chris Carter, and 2012 UDFA Adrian Robinson.  Plus, if Woodley goes down with a bum hamstring again or cannot keep his weight in check, Worilds might just be asked to step in on the strong-side next year.

Sadly, a strong performance by Worilds could put Pittsburgh’s brass in a bit of a “Catch-22″ come next spring though.  If the former Hokie performs well in his first extended audition though, then the Steelers might not be able to afford him when he hits the open market (i.e. Keenan Lewis) if offers begin to pour in for him to head elsewhere.

Ryan Clark

Clark’s current deal ends after the 2013 season. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

Make no mistake, Ryan Clark has performed way beyond the expectations many placed upon him when he was signed as a free agent before the 2006 season.  Clark has been a model of stability on Pittsburgh’s back-end, earned a Pro Bowl berth after the 2011 season, and has been very solid compliment to Troy Polamalu over the last seven years.

Clark’s current deal though, the same one he signed after the 2009 season, is set to expire at the end of this year.  And while Robert Golden (and possibly even Shamarko Thomas) is another year or two away from being an “every-down player,” it makes little to no sense to keep a soon to be 35 year-old safety with declining ball-skills and a liability regarding concussions and helmet-to-helmet hits.

Then again, Clark might be able to find a deal elsewhere on the open market like James Harrison did so the Steelers won’t have to go through the trouble of negotiating with him.  Regardless of what happens, I will definitely intrigued to see what Pittsburgh’s brass do with the veteran safety when the upcoming regular season ends.

Emmanuel Sanders & Jerricho Cotchery

I’m not banking on Emmanuel Sanders to sticking around past the 2013 season.  In fact, I believe that it was a bone-headed move to not let him walk to New England in the first place.  The team needed (and still need) draft picks and cap space, the idea that they will be renting an injury-prone receiver for one-year is ridiculous.

Now that Manny will be starting at split end, he is likely to receive as many chances as possible to shine this fall if he can stay healthy.  While numerous fans and analysts bagged on the Steelers for bringing Sanders back for the 2013 campaign, the former S.M.U. Mustang did manage to set career-highs in catches (44) and in receiving yards (626) last fall.

The Patriots were obviously interested in acquiring him this past offseason, and I am sure that the market for his services will increase if he can continue to improve.  So, unless Manny plays poorly, gets hurt, or actually gives the Steelers a “hometown discount,” then I do not believe that Pittsburgh’s cap-strapped front office will be able to afford to re-up him beyond this year to a long-term deal.

On the other hand, Jerricho Cotchery (and even Plaxico Buress) knew that it would be difficult for him to earn a new contract beyond the upcoming season when Colbert & Co. selected Markus Wheaton and Justin Brown in the 3rd and 6th rounds during last month’s draft.

When he has received the chance to contribute during his two-year stint with Pittsburgh, Cotchery has performed well in the slot as a pass-catcher and a blocker.  Overall, Jerricho has recorded 33 catches for 442 yards and 2 touchdowns, and his experience and leadership could pay huge dividends for some of the younger players at the position.

But as I alluded to before, the Steelers didn’t just draft Wheaton and Brown to simply ride the pine.  Thus, if the rookies do prove to be capable pass-catchers and the front office can somehow extend Emmanuel Sanders, then Cotchery will be looking for a new team next spring or even before the regular season begins.

Isaac Redman & Jonathan Dwyer

I lumped Dwyer and Redman together because I believe that one of these two might be able to stay on Pittsburgh’s roster past this season, but not both of them.  The selection of Le”Veon Bell basically guarantees that the Steelers are “all in” when it comes to Bell as a “3-down back,” and that one or both of the situational “battering rams” will be sent packing once the 2013 campaign comes to a close.

Last season, both Redman and Dwyer had prime chances to seize the starting running back role.  Sadly, neither player proved that they were anything more than “situational backs.”  Redman and Dwyer were unable to put up a string of consistent performances, and a battered offensive line did not help them gain any traction as well.  The two only combined to rush for 1,033 yards on 266 carries and only 4 touchdowns.  Worst of all, both backs rushed for less than 3.9 (3.88) yards per carry on the year!

I certainly would not blame Colbert & Co. if they allowed Redman and Dwyer to walk if neither player showed any improvement this year.  Plus, I have a hard time believing that the franchise will keep both backs beyond this year, especially because Dwyer and Redman possess such similar skill-sets.  So while depth at such an important position like running back is nice, don’t be surprised if neither “battering ram” is on the roster past the spring of 2014.

August 30, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers strong safeties Troy Polamalu (43) and Ryan Clark (25) take the field to play the Carolina Panthers at Heinz Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 17-16. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark have been dominant safeties for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Both are in their early thirties and have been in the league over a decade.  That’s a long run for any player, let alone a defensive player.  No one can argue their strengths.

Troy Polamalu plays the game not just physically, but mentally.  He watches the quarterback and anticipates plays.  Polamalu gets inside the heads of quarterbacks because they always focus on where he is.  It makes him a double threat.  He has a quick sprint speed, when he is healthy, that no other safety really seems to copy.

Ryan Clark also has impressive numbers and even with the sickle-cell trait issue, which cost him his spleen and gall bladder in 2007, he doesn’t back away from playing physically.  Ryan Clark has made some headlines because of comments over the years, but his work off the field with charities and as the NFLPA player rep for the Steelers has contributed to his value to the Steelers.

However, now that they have earned the “veteran” tag, the Steelers have to be wondering if Clark and Polamalu can stay healthy.  The Steelers may need to plan to use their expertise but perhaps not for every down.  Polamalu’s track record with injury makes sense when you look at his style of play.  It’s what is unique about him and makes him hard to plan for, but it can take a toll.

I don’t think the Steelers should get rid of either player, but can they still both be workhorses?  Will training camp be a good indicator?  Well, a lot of veterans don’t get the playing time in the camps because they don’t need it the same way that younger players need to learn and be evaluated.  Also, the Steelers won’t want to see them risk injury in the pre-season.  Clark and Polamalu’s injury risk is a concern.  Where’s the balance going to be?

Looking the Safeties on the roster, the Steelers have a mix of very experienced and very young.  The other two safeties on the roster are Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith and Robert Golden.  While I’m sure both have potential, it’s the lack of anyone in the middle on the experience level that concerns me, particularly with veteran players with an injury history.  Cromartie-Smith has been with the organization since 2011, mostly on the practice squad and played six regular season games over the last two seasons.  The Steelers re-signed him to the roster on Dec 26^th, 2012.  Golden played for the Steelers last year and was in 15 games and is credited with six solo tackles and two assists.  He didn’t start any games and I’m not sure exactly how many plays he was in for.

In the days of salary cap issues and contract negotiations that seem to go haywire, it is probably impossible to keep a depth chart on any one position that has a graduated level of experience.  Also, years in the league or even lack of years in the league guarantee nothing.  However, conventional wisdom suggests that the Steelers may not have the right mix for depth at the Safety position.  This isn’t a problem to fix in the draft and unfortunately there are a lot of other holes to fill first.   So, even though the Steelers should be concerned about their aging Safeties, it is not the biggest problem.  It looks like we just have to cross our fingers that neither Clark nor Polamalu become injured and Golden and Cromartie-Smith get some more experience.

Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and his hat toured ESPN studios to discuss the locker room drama.

I’m taking a short break from my series of things which are ruining the NFL to weigh in on the dumpster fire that’s going on with the Steelers right now.  By now we’ve all heard the comments from the still unnamed Steelers player who called LaMarr Woodley out for being a scooch too hefty and not as productive this past season.  As uncharacteristic as that is, an anonymous quote from a Steeler bashing another Steeler, the fallout seems even worse.  The Steelers 2012 locker room has been exposed for having a lack of leadership, personal agendas, and overall dysfunction.  How did the Steelers turn into the New York Jets?  Can this be fixed?

The biggest excuse that was given as the reasoning behind why the 2012 Steelers were predicted to finish 3^rd in the AFC North was the void left in leadership positions without longtime Steelers Hines Ward, Aaron Smith, and James Farrior in the locker room.  That and they’re all old, which it seems like the Steelers have been called old for the past 5 years.  I and I know I wasn’t the only one, downplayed the “leadership issue” at the start of the season.  I never thought for one minute that a team that still had Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, and Heath Miller would have any issues with leadership.  I never thought they’d have issues in the locker room at all.  I thought that the whole idea was blown completely out of proportion because Ward, Smith and Farrior collectively hadn’t been on the field the past seasons due to injury or other reasons so how could their absence from the locker room cause any problems? Apparently I was all wrong.

Another cause of how this mess could have happened could be attributed to what Antonio Brown said this week was “certain” players being called out midseason for their contract issues citing Troy Polamalu as addressing other players by saying,

“It’s not about money or contract issues; it’s all about being together.”

Brown also stated the locker room was “different” than previous years.  While Antonio Brown was still unwilling to name names in referencing who was being called out for focusing on their contract issues it doesn’t take a detective to figure out that Mike Wallace’s hold out and impending realization that he’d be gone to free agency to the highest bidder at the end of the season, along with his uncharacteristic disappointing play, played a big part in the locker room dysfunction for the Steelers.  Think about the last time a high profile wide receiver for the Steelers held out during training camp for a long term contract.  Hines Ward held out in the summer of 2005 for a long term deal to allow him to retire as a Steeler and the Steelers went on to win Super Bowl XL that following February, as quite possibly one of the closest-knit teams the franchise ever had thanks to the collective effort to get “The Bus” back to Detroit to retire a champion.  This season we had Mike Wallace, part of the “Young Money Crew” holding out of signing his RFA tender during almost the entire training camp and therefore forfeiting his opportunity to negotiate with the Steelers for a long term deal considering the fact that the Steelers have a long standing rule of not negotiating contracts once the regular season begins.  Wallace reports to the team just before the season starts and has his worst statistical season of his career, partly due to not being targeted with the lack of deep balls thrown, but still not the kind of performance you’d think someone who thought they were underpaid would put forth.  Makes you wonder if he wasn’t targeted in the beginning of the season because he just wasn’t acclimated to Haley’s offense in time?  Was Wallace too concerned the entire season about his money that he never properly learned the new offensive scheme and therefore didn’t perform well enough in practice to have his number called in game situations?  Wallace reportedly turned down an estimated $50 million offer from the Steelers and I think he’s part of the reason the locker room was a mess this year.  The Steelers do not have a history of bringing their contract disputes into the locker room with them, that’s just not the way.  Call Woodley out all you want for getting fat and not performing after he got his contract but he sure as hell out performed his previous contract and never caused any kind of distractions while he was awaiting his deal.  It’s pretty clear that Wallace made “getting his money” a bigger priority than the team’s objectives.  Fortunately, if you can really call it that, Steeler Nation won’t have to worry about the Mike Wallace distraction for 2013 because even before free agency opens up he’s as good as gone.  If he turned down $50 million to stay with the Steelers and teams like the Miami Dolphins are willing to throw as much as $60 million at him, you can pretty much replace your #17 jerseys now.

So what’s a bigger problem for the Steelers, the fact that an anonymous player called Woodley out or the cavalcade of players going on talk shows now to talk about how crappy everyone was in the locker room this year?  Just this week Ryan Clark, Larry Foote, and Antonio Brown have all come out to talk about the locker room dysfunction.  First Clark called the anonymous player “a coward” on the NFL Network.  Then Larry Foote suggested that it might have been a coach rather than a player who made the comments, and Antonio Brown was all over ESPN on Wednesday to describe all the issues the Steelers had.  What the hell?  Who’s going on Dr. Phil then?  How did it get to this level in the first place?  I think when you’re the Pittsburgh Steelers and you finish 8-8 and miss the playoffs there are bound to be some issues that arise.  It’s way easier for the players to be a “brotherhood” when you’re winning than when you’re losing.

Ryan Clark takes part in the Steelers dysfunctional locker room world tour visiting the NFL Network.

Can the problems all be traced back to the head coach?  I have to admit I often defend the criticism of Mike Tomlin when it’s stated that he’s got a lack of control over the team, particularly when he’s compared to Bill Cowher, but this kind of unrest can only lead back to the head coach.  Tomlin either didn’t put the right message in the right player’s hands or didn’t give the players the direction they needed.  In some ways the Steelers are as old as people claim they are but in other positions they are relatively young, and quite possibly immature.  The “next man up” mantra has served the Steelers well for many seasons but this season not so much because the next man was often unprepared to fill the shoes of his predecessor.  The Steelers running back situation in it of itself was a dumpster fire this season and you had Rashard Mendenhall getting suspended one game for failing to show up for a game he wasn’t dressing for.  Tomlin was widely criticized for benching RB after RB during the monstrosity of a game that was Week 12 in Cleveland where everybody and their mother was putting the piggy on the ground but was he trying to start a fire in an otherwise ineffective group?  When you think of the Steelers lacking leadership, not only can you blame it on the head coach but you might as well blame it on the players you most expected to have stepped up in those leadership positions.  Ryan Clark is a very outspoken member of the team and did seem to step into a leadership role this season, his comments on the NFL network regarding the anonymous player ripping Woodley,
“That shows that this team that is normally close, you had the Joey Porters, the Alan Fanecas, just down the line, leader after leader, this team was close-knit.  It shows there is a fracture in that.  I think that is the most disappointing thing about that coming out.”

Kevin Colbert addressed the media on Thursday while attending the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.  He addressed the situation regarding anonymous sources,

“Whether you win a Super Bowl or finish 8-8, there is no 100 percent harmonious locker room.  I don’t care where it is.  I think it’s more likely to happen when you go 8-8, but quite honestly, I’m not concerned about our locker room.  Coach Tomlin and I have had the opportunity to speak to our players, sometimes more than once, since the season ended.  We have a very good finger on the pulse of where we stand from a team standpoint.  We’re comfortable with that.”

Bottom line is the Steelers having locker room issues like these is about as common as ESPN’s NHL coverage so it’s going to be blown out of proportion no matter what is going on but you’d think that some of these problems are going to take care of themselves.  The players’ comments basically point to Mike Wallace and Rashard Mendenhall being the biggest distractions in the locker room and neither are likely to be wearing the Black & Gold in 2013.  Ron Cook, of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, who initially reported the anonymous quotes, has said that the comments were made by more than one player and several coaches and not at all intended to demean or ridicule him but rather fire him up.  When it comes down to it, LaMarr Woodley’s gut was not the sole reason the Steelers went 8-8 last season and we all know that.  His lack of production and injury problems have definitely contributed to the Steelers pass rush being listed on milk cartons along with missing children but definitely wasn’t the only reason the Steelers missed the playoffs this year.  I feel like the Steelers need to straighten these issues out immediately, well as immediate as they can without even the 2013 roster being anywhere near set, but the very people making the comments bashing the anonymous player and describing the problems in the locker room are the ones that need to step up.  Antonio Brown might want to focus more on not putting the piggy on the ground and maybe not run backwards 20 yards into the endzone since he’s likely the Steelers #1 receiver now.  Steeler Nation expects a lot from their team and we know they expect a lot from each other.  There’s a simple solution to all of this drama and in lies in the immortal words of the dearly departed Crazy Al Davis; Just win Baby.

What are your thoughts, Steeler Nation?  Are you worried about the Steelers locker room problems spilling over into 2013?

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Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Josh Victorian (35) – tackle Steve McLendon (90) – safety Troy Polamalu (43) – linebacker Larry Foote (50) and safety Ryan Clark (25) on the field before a play during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys won 27-24 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

There has been so much talk about the age of the Steelers defense with the adjectives switching from “veteran” to “old” on any given Sunday – usually in relation to a win or loss. During the season it seemed as if the defense got better as the season went on. The poor play during the beginning of the season boggled my mind for such a “veteran” set of players working with a very familiar coach. We couldn’t point to a coaching disruption and many wondered if the injuries of Polamalu and Woodley were part of the disruption.

I’ve seen several blogs and articles lately about how the Steelers salary cap is going to be a nightmare and many defensive players are a big part of it. I’ll confess that I’m new to paying attention to how that works and my learning curve is like scaling the Himalayas. However, I’ve always thought the Steelers did a good job of getting value for money. That’s become a lot harder over the last 10 years. If you want to keep talent, you have to be willing to pay for it. Players’ careers are short and they want compensation now, even if they have no clue how to invest and save for the day they no longer draw the NFL paycheck.

Finding accurate salary data and bonus payments is a little like looking for stock quotes. The Spotrac site has a nice list of figures and so does FoxSports, but the amounts don’t always match. So for this article, I’m not going to make a salary-to-years-to-performance a comparison. However, I might get there someday. Instead, I concentrated on years of experience and performance. As I looked at the number of years the Steelers active defensive players had been in the league, I wondered if there was an official definition for “veteran” or old. Is there some sort of party with hats and cake to celebrate when they get to a certain mark? Is it five years? Or, maybe 6? Well, then I guess a decade of taking those kinds of hits would label a player as a NFL senior citizen. It occurred to me that I don’t know what makes a player eligible to retire from the NFL as opposed to just quietly fading away. So, I found an article from Sports Illustrated, dated from Sep 2007, which predates the most current round of collective bargaining, but it should give a framework:

Indeed, the average NFL career lasts only three and a half seasons, usually occurring between ages 21 to 25, and most players earn less than the average NFL salary, about $1.1 million. Players need to play at least three seasons in the NFL to satisfy the pension’s vesting requirement, and age 55 serves as the NFL’s designated retirement age (although players can tap in earlier at reduced payments).

Ok, three years – something to go on. I found that only a few players have less than the amount of years required for pension-vesting. Over half are well past it.

The Steelers’ “Seniors” include Foote (11 yrs), Clark (11 yrs), Harrison (9 yrs), Polamalu (10 yrs), Keisel (11 yrs), Taylor (10 yrs), Allen (9 yrs), and Hampton (12 yrs).

The second tier is Timmons (6 yrs), Woodley (6 yrs), B. Johnson ( 7 yrs).

The relative newbies are K. Lewis (4 yrs), Cortez Allen (2 yrs), Mundy (4 yrs), Hood (4 yrs), C. Brown (2 yrs), Worilds (3 yrs), Heyward (2 yrs), and McLendon (3 yrs).

I’m probably missing a few, but this pretty much captures the main defensive players this year.

There were also concerns that sacks and interceptions were meager compared to previous years. Well, actually, they are on par with 2011 and somewhat with 2009. 2010 was a banner year and perhaps an unrealistic comparison:

2012             2011              2010              2009

Sacks        37                35                  48                     47

INTs          10                11                  21                     12

So, have Steelers fans formed unrealistic expectations? I don’t know, maybe. I do know we are all fans of the spectacular, leaping, crushing, hard-hitting plays. Football is violent and fans like it that way. Those kinds of plays are more the arena of the young. The older players aren’t going to be able to keep up the high-energy plays. Some would say they are focused. Personally, I like a mix of experience and youth. Too much to any side isn’t good. I’m a fan of balance.

Even though the argument about age has merit, I am having a hard time saying it was a large factor toward the Steelers mediocre year. I’m more willing to point toward dysfunction on the offense. However, defensive players with nearly a decade in the league are likely past their peak performance. Economically-speaking it cannot make good football business sense to have a lot of senior veterans on the team. Some provide intangibles and I would suggest that Larry Foote is one of them. However, he becomes an unrestricted free agent next year, as does Casey Hampton. When I compare Foote to Hampton in statistics and salary, I would contend that Foote earned his salary, but Hampton – well, maybe not so much. Foote had 75 unassisted tackles and 4 sacks while Hampton had 11 unassisted tackles and 0 sacks.

I was surprised when they let Farrior go a year ago, but it makes more sense now. It might be a good bet to expect the unrestricted free agents to be let go unless they negotiate a much smaller contract. Ryan Clark has one year left on his contract while James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, Brett Keisel, and LaMarr Woodley have at least two left and, based on the two sites I looked at, contribute heavily to the salary cap concerns. So who goes and who stays? Well, I guess we’ll see. I’m just hoping they Steelers make sound decisions for experience with the older players as well as for youth in the 2013 draft.