The Steelers coaching staff changes might begin with a voluntary departure

Quote :

No, the coaching changes some want won’t likely happen, this being the firing of Mike Tomlin, but that doesn’t mean all other coaches are, or should be, considered safe.

Will offensive coordinator Matt Canada be retained? How about Keith Butler on the defensive side of the ball?

This per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Offensive line coach Adrian Klemm is leaving the Steelers to take a similar position at the University of Oregon, according to sources. Klemm had a year left on his contract and was not being forced out by the team. He will remain with the Steelers until the season is over.

— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) December 23, 2021

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2021/12/23/22851500/steelers-coaching-staff-changes-might-begin-with-a-voluntary-departure-adrian-klemm-rumors-oregon

Bet Klemm thinking longevity might be better at Oregon.

With the way this line is playing it'd be in his own best interest to take a job anywhere.

When your firing is imminent....

Is it Klemms fault or what he was given to work with? Green a 3rd rounder guard that got put at Center and only played 4 games at Center in college a long shot project to say the least... LG Dotson 2nd year guard, Moore a 4th round Left tackle... Turner at RG a guy coming off injury and has had previous lackluster years prior to the pick up, and Okarafor at RT a back up swing tackle at best...

Not sure anyone could do much with that patchworked mess. You get what you pay for. You go bargain basement with the OL your going to get have some serious issues controlling the line of scrimmage and well when you can't do that you end up with a losing record...

It isn't rocket science. Should have let Ben go a few years back and picked up replacements for Pouncey, Decastro, and Villanueva either through drafting or FA but they didn't have to roll dice and use an experiment trying to make a Center out of a guard. Figured Artie Burns would have taught them a few things about trying to force square pegs into round holes...

You've got a good point, SF. When the line performs poorly though, the line coach often gets the boot - whether or not it is deserved.

The big question would be, have they shown signs of improvement under him? Some of those young guys should develop into respectable linemen in time. Improvement needs to be happening though.

This line has had 1 or 2 partial games where they played above average. I agree he hasn't had much to work with. I have to wonder if he has any say in who plays or not. I also agree with Great Randino that we should see some improvement and we haven't. As a matter of fact the last 3 games they have regressed if that is even possible.
I suspect we'll see some firings/ departures after the season but it won't be Canada or Butler. It will be lesser roles to appease the fans and then they'll promote from within.
Honestly I think we need a new GM to start with.Hell, let Tomlin act as GM and hold him accountable.
That could be one way to get to the root of the problem.

This offensive line isn't getting the job done. Dan Moore is OK at times but is highly inconsistent. LG could be Dotson's job, he's shown promise at least but he's been injured. Center is open for me. Kendrick Greene is not the future, every NT and DT in the NFL has to look forward to playing this guy. He spends half the game on getting planted on his ass. He can't handle bull rushers or power whatsoever. I think the front office really missed on this kid, maybe he could have a future at one of the G positions, but I don't think he has the chops to play C at a high level. RG is another open position, and could be a spot come training camp next year that they let Greene try out for. Trai Turner is not the answer, they gave him a shot and this guy looks nothing like the former Pro Bowler they were hoping for when they signed him during the offseason. RT is another position I'd like to see competition for. Chuks has done OK this season, but like Dan Moore he's not great. He's probably a good quality depth player to have on your roster, but not the bookend tackle you want protecting your QB week in and week out.

I really think O-Line has to be addressed heavily come the offseason. Either through the draft, or free agency. If we want a guy like Najee to have success we need some physical maulers in the trenches and we don't have that right now.

That being said, I'd still fire Canada come this offseason. Regardless of the mediocre o-line play, there are no excuses for how poor this offense has been overall. While some of it can be blamed directly on the o-line, a lot of blame has to be placed on the overall gameplanning, the scheme, and the playcalling during the games. They come out every week trying to run the same dink and dunk BS that hasn't worked all season long. What has worked for us has been the up-tempo offense when they're letting Ben just go out there, call the plays, and basically run the offense like it's the two minute drill. We've seen most of our success from that, and yet they don't utilize it earlier in games for some reason. There's a lot of blame to go around, but Canada is running a bland, and predictable offense just like Fichtner was. I'd like to see an overall reset of the offense. Ben needs to hang up his cleats, we need to find a QB of the future, and the offensive line needs (almost) a total overhaul.

Klemm released today to go to Oregon with 2 games left... they promoted from within to replace him...

I was hoping Klem would be the guy. The players sure spoke highly of him prior to the season and touted his coaching ability, especially with the young, developing guys. Maybe his coaching skillset is best at the college level. Don't be surprised if you see the Steelers draft a Duck linemen in the next few years.

Next up, Canada