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The Steelers, Their Defense, and Their Young and Talented Depth It was bad enough that the Steelers sustained a 35-7 loss against the hated Ravens on Opening Day last season. Yet in the aftermath of “The Charm City Massacre,” every pundit seemed to do the fashionable thing and criticized the Steelers’ Defense, especially everyone’s favorite “financial wizard” and “Bountygate Snitch Finder” Warren Sapp. As we all remember, Sapp described the Steelers Defense as “old, slow, and over” and was one of many which believed that the Steelers run of dominance as a Defense was through.
Granted, I will not debate the notions that some of Pittsburgh’s Defenders are a bit long in the tooth and have lost a step or two from their younger days. Those are facts, and most players when they age sustain career-ending injuries and/or see their play deteriorate. But you know what? Age isn’t a huge factor for some of the older players on this Defense, as many might think. In fact, guys like James Harrison, Brett Keisel, Ryan Clark, and Troy Polamalu still have a good amount of football left in their collective tanks, and figure to compete at a high level over the next few seasons.
As for the idea that the Steelers’ run of being a successful team on the Defensive side of the ball is “over,” maybe you need to do your homework Warren. Granted, some of the older players like Aaron Smith and James Farrior have been released or retired, but Colbert & Co. and the Coaching Staff have been doing their jobs well and quietly re-loading this team with some young talent over the past few seasons. So while many like you might not realize it now, a contingent of young talent on the Defensive side of the football is currently waiting in the wings for the Steelers, and should be ready to contribute at a high level in the near future.
Defensive LineOf all the positional units, the Steelers Defensive Line is the one which have received the most high-priced and attention filled upgrades over recent years. When Pittsburgh selected Ziggy Hood with their 1st Round pick in The 2009 N.F.L. Draft, you could tell that Colbert and Co. were worried about the age of their rotation of Defensive Lineman after their Super Bowl triumph. Hood has shown flashes over the course of his career that he can be a quality starter at the 5-Technique (55 Tackles last two seasons combined), and has the ability to get after the Quarterback on passing downs (4.5 Sacks last two seasons combined). Nevertheless, Hood must prove over the course of the next two seasons that he is indeed a consistent force at the position and meet expectations before he hits Free Agency in 2014.
Cameron Heyward will look to build off of some nice outings during his Rookie season. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE
Colbert & Co. understand that one Defensive End is not enough, and took full advantage in the 1st Round of the Draft in 2011 and selected Cameron Heyward to be the other 5-Technique of the future. Heyward looked much further ahead in his understanding of the 3-4 Defense and his effectiveness at the 5-Technique position than Ziggy Hood during his Rookie season, and big things will be expected from Cameron as he assumes the top backup spot in Pittsburgh’s Defensive End rotation. Even though Heyward’s statistical contributions were not overly huge (15 Tackles, 1 Forced Fumble, 1.0 Sack) in 2011, he played extremely well for a guy that had almost no offseason to acclimate himself to the team and the position. Effective play from Cameron will be of the utmost importance in 2012 however. Keeping Keisel and Hood fresh will benefit the entire Defensive Line, and the more reps Heyward can get the better it will be for Pittsburgh on the Defensive side of the ball.
With Big Snack’s knee in question and entering the twilight of his awesome career, the Steelers were in need of a future 0-Technique prospect to hopefully groom to replace Hampton at the Nose Tackle position. Well, Colbert and Co. seemed to have struck gold again, and the Steelers selected Alameda Ta’amu in Round 4 of The 2012 Draft last week. A classic run-stuffing, space-eating, hole-clogging monster, Ta’amu, who stands at 6’3″ 348 lbs., fits the 0-Technique mold to perfection and was a 2x Pac-10/12 Honorable Mention selection in college. A year of learning behind Hampton and under Defensive Line Coach John Mitchell will serve Ta’amu well to hone his technique against the run, and maybe even work on pushing the pocket more in the passing game to boot. While he might not be a huge contributor in 2012, Ta’amu figures in greatly to the Steelers’ future plans, and should become the starter in 2013 or 2014.
Another youngster we should keep our eyes on this season is Steve McLendon, as he figures to make some solid contributions this season in a reserve role. McLendon will likely assume the top backup role behind Hampton at the Nose, and should figure to chip in on passing downs, and might even see some time in the 5-Technique rotation as well. While McLendon might be a bit smaller than a typical Nose Tackle (6’4″ 280 lbs. listed), he has developed into a decent backup option for the Steelers since being signed as an Undrafted Free Agent in 2010. Defensive Line Coach John Mitchell appears to be very high on McLendon, and seems to believe that he is primed to step up his game in 2012.
(read more)http://nicepickcowher.com/2012/05/09/the-steelers-their-defense-and-their-young-and-talented-depth/
WARREN SAPP YOUR OLD SLOW AND DONE HAHA
Come August he'll be moving in with T.O. 