Despite many moves, Steelers' depth still a work in progress

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By Alan Robinson

The Steelers' depth chart looks nothing like it did when they finished the season against the Browns more than three months ago — and nothing like it will when they open the season against a still-unannounced opponent in a little less than five months.

Even after the most extensive free agent-driven roster reshuffling to date for the Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin tandem, with seven players arriving via free agency and nine departing, the Steelers have significant lineup holes and depth issues.

They are not exactly tearing down and starting over, but there is a lot of renovation.

There's still no certifiable wide receiver starter to complement Antonio Brown, so unless second-year receiver Markus Wheaton has a big training camp, a starter could emerge during the first or second round of the NFL Draft on May 8-10.

And will the draft produce a starting defensive end now that Ziggy Hood has signed with Jacksonville and Brett Keisel hasn't re-signed? Cam Thomas, a nose tackle with the Chargers, could play there, but the Steelers haven't had many 330-pound ends in Dick LeBeau's 3-4 system.

The offense looks to be more settled now that LeGarrette Blount is backing up Le'Veon Bell at running back, Darrius Heyward-Bey is around to provide a speed option on long-yardage downs at wide receiver and Lance Moore replaced Jerricho Cotchery as the slot receiver. The majority of the depth-chart gaps are on a defense that keeps getting younger but at least for the moment doesn't look any better than the one that finished an uncharacteristically low 13th last season.

For the moment, they're better than before at running back and safety but thinner at wide receiver, linebacker and the defensive line.

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This is the point I was trying to make in another thread. For the most part, they haven't gotten better this offseason. At best, they've maintained the status quo, which is okay if you're a playoff team, but not if you're coming off back-to-back 8-8 seasons.

The weak spots are obvious. I agree with Robinson that we've gotten better at running back, but I'm not sure I agree with him that we got better at safety. We definitely got younger, but aside from last season, Ryan Clark has been a hell of a safety for us. There's no way of knowing yet if Mitchell will be as good as Clark, much less better. So as of right now, all we know for sure is that we've improved our backup running back position. That's it. That alone won't turn an 8-8 team into a Super Bowl contender. More so than in recent memory, we're going to need unexpected players, including rookies, to step up.

No, but we've got linemen coming off injuries, we've got key components coming back and as we all know, the difference between winning and losing is maintaining a healthy roster.

And momentum, and locker room attitude, and strength of schedule, and management (Munchak!), and luck and on and on as thousands of different variables play into records and seasons each year.

Lets hope for a strong winning season this year!

and then there is a draft the experts are saying is one of the deepest in a long time at several positions including WR, DB ,Ol and DL. What did we do between 2012 and 2013 to replace key players lost? NADA! Yeah I know it got us to 8-8 again but at least this year the FO did something and who's to say we won't all being saying (as in the past....admit it) we should have trusted the FO.

Well, we seem to have the money to spend this season, lets do it. We have a real opportunity to compete for that trophy especially with a healthy offensive line.

I've told people for years that I dont care so much about stats. I want the guy who's not gonna kill the game for me. Give me the guy who is gonna make the plays in the fourth. Give me the guy who gives me a chance to win every time we step on the field.

Ben Roethlisberger is that guy. Give him a decent line, he's gonna give you another ring. Hell, he lead u to one with a pos for a line in 2009.


"Give me the guy who gives me a chance to win every time we step on the field."

Every team cannot say this. Just look at Dallas. Stat padding but wins nothing!