What’s your main concern with 2023 Steelers team?

I think right now, for me, it’s not the ILB players that most seem worried about or the middle of the defense along with our new SS acquisition, but the more than normal “football players” who we have in our depth that as of yet don’t have a true position.

Maybe some get sorted out in camp, but it makes me think that THIS year is a find out year.

Where do these guys play? What position exactly? How fluid is their positional abilities? Are there **too many** roster spots being taken by “Football Players” guys who don’t have a defined roll.

Connor Heyward (FB or TE)
DeMarvin Leal (DE/T or OLB)
Mark Robinson (MLB or OLB)
Damontee Kazee (SS or FS)

Even our highest profile free agents aren’t clear and not locked into a defined position and fluid.

Pat Peterson (Corner or Slot)
Chandon Sullivan (Corner or Slot)
Allen Robinson (WO or Slot)

New draft picks are trying to find a defined slot.

Nick Herbig (ILB or OLB)
Keeanue Benton (DT or NT)

There are still more but these are the most obvious and notable names. Maybe this is normal, but it seems like an abnormal amount. By the time game 1 comes around many of this might be more set, but even then lots of these guys will likely be playing some place they aren’t rock solid in and the team could still be shifting parts up to week 17 especially with injuries.

A lot of body types that are in-between positions.

This is why I’m thinking 2024 is when we make a legit push and an even bigger core of players will be etched into positions because right now there is too much written in pencil.

Agree or disagree???

 

How about I agree in part???
I'm worried about everyone that has not played a snap of NFL football....either for the Steelers, or period. We don't have a clue what they will look like here, but while some may not believe in our coaching, GM, and ownership....I have faith. I also am just as excited as I'm worried.

 

Not sure anyone here is familiar with culinary sayings and maybe it’s a poor analogy but I’m going to swing with it anyway.

Cooking is more of an art where the ingredient can change or be adjusted to one’s taste. Baking is more of a science where even slight adjustments to a recipe can ruin the product and make it flat.

Now, both can be true at the same time and the cooking reference just a general take in the culinary world.

But, is an NFL team and their identity an art or a science or more of which?

Do the Steelers have a recipe here or are they taking a bunch of flavors they like and throwing them in a gumbo pot to come up with something new that will taste great or just taste like a mess. Is it more of a refined recipe or an experiment that needs LOTS of adjusting?

 

Latrobe will find the right combination of spices for our Steelers season stew.

 

What about the ones who have played in the NFL but are being moved around or seem to be in-between positions? Don’t we have more of those this year than normal?

I honestly don’t pay attention to other teams much at all and not sure how normal this is around the league or not.

A few “football players“ seems smart and fine, but a sizable percentage of a roster could make this team foundationally weak. Even if the majority are depth guys. Doesn’t it make our depth seem soft?

 

But will that be enough time to coalesce and round out the flavor? I’m not sure it’s enough fermentation time.

 

Stop worrying....Your making Me nervous now. I have Faith. If KFP makes a step....even a small one in the right direction....We will be better, and then lookout NFL.

 

Every player on this team is there for a reason. As a fan, there has to be a level of trust that the front office has assembled the team with a goal in mind. Most of us aren't privy to what their vision is and quite frankly, I don't find it worth worrying about all that much. However, there is going to be a level of patience necessary while the roster kinks get worked out. I think we'll find out in the game 1 game day thread that that level of patience is non existent for a lot of fans.

 

Matt Canada.

 

Canada and whether KP is more Ryan Tannehill/Alex Smith, or Burrow/Herbert.
He probably doesn’t need to be Burrow with our roster, but if he is Tannehill we have a ceiling that is not the Super Bowl.

 

The defen

This new defense gives me just as much hope as it does pause. Tomlin can rally the troops but his defenses have pooped the bed quite often too.

I’m worried about the new SS and MLB’s controlling the middle of the field.

 

I

I think if Alex Smith didn’t have a new coordinator in nearly every year of his career he’d have had a far better career.

If Canada doesn’t get waaaay better and stick around then Pickett could be in a similar situation. The Steelers better go and hunt down a top tier premier OC and throw the bank at them if (probably when) Canada gets fired.

Solid stability is what is needed for KFP.

 

This also lends itself to the expression jack of all trades, master of none which we saw personified in David Johnson as the Hback, not really good at TE, not good at FB, horrible as a lead blocker but not really bad enough to cut. We have also been witness to how badly the multi-role guys do during Tomlin's tenure. He likes to opt for hybrid FB/TE instead of solid lead blockers who knew their craft.

I'm less concerned about the skill position guys because most of them are solid at at least one facet of the game. Heyward can like up as a 2nd TE or a 3rd and get downfield, he can motion back to a FB position and take dumpoffs and his background as a rb means he has vision and can be trusted to run the ball.

If pressed I'd say the development of the younger guys on defense is some cause for concern mostly due in part that it's a lot to try and learn inside and outside well in short order as well as sub packages for DLine. If they return to a traditional Lebeau style 3-4 where the front 3 eat up blocks and jam up inside run lanes it will mean less learning for them. If it is still activating Cam and whoever plays the other side it will mean cramming sessions for the whole defense.

 

this

Kenny + Canada. is it just Fools Gold?

and of course, our patchwork secondary, CB's to be precise. that + 2 ILB's (are they any better than what we are disgarding?) I guess we will see in September.....

and we know the usual, that Tomlin will falter vs. the best teams and coaches....he always does.

 

It is hard to judge how the interior is going to be because this will be the first year without Jerry O doing the coaching. I'm not sure about how Curry is as a coach but he has to be better than "Hey guys jump the first open gap you see and get blocked, pay no attention to the RB" style we have seen since before Shazier got hurt.

 

ILB and Matt Canada

 

This. I don't know if our defensive middle is any better than our Dead-last Run Defense of 2021.

Definitely was not happy to hear that Robinson would not be competing for a starting Job until 2024. The few games he did play he looked really good against the run inside last year. So much will also depend on how NFL ready Benton is to play NT this year.

 

I am a 40 junkie. My yardstick for an NFL CB, says that they have to be faster than me to play CB in the NFL. So I will be a little scared when I see Sullivan lining up outside with a WR this year.

Chandon Sullivan ran a 4.6 at the combine..... And the NFL Scouts seem to agree with me on Sullivan when he came out.
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/chandon-sullivan/32005355-4c12-5724-d256-eb57bc2b276f
Weaknesses

• The longer the runway the more he will fall behind when chasing
• May not have the long speed to handle NFL burners
• Loses valuable ground when changing directions

 

For me, three key points.


1.) Matt Canada:


I have stated this one times too many already since the start of last season. Put up or shut up time. No exceptions.


2.) Slot CB:


Patrick Peterson really should be the key here but I doubt it is going to be the case come the beginning of the season. Unless both Cory Trice and Joey Porter Jr. ball out like no other Steelers Rookies have since Ryan Shaizer and Stephon Tuitt... who is the starting Slot CB?!?! Chandon Sullivan is coming off one of his worst years as a Slot based option and the other players do not inspire much confidence either.



3.) Defensive Miscues:


This is a board topic.. so allow me to explain. There are a lot... and I mean a lot of moving parts on the Defensive Side of the Football. Change was needed and will be good provided all works out. However, change itself does take time and this new look defense will feature some growing pains. Now, I am not talking about the Front Seven specifically but rather the Defensive Backfield. Players like Patrick Peterson and Minkah Fitzpatrick are excellent communicators but those two alone can only do so much communicating at once Pre Snap. For that matter, communication as a whole not only needs to be done in a group effort but also in a seamless one. Recognizing routes, understanding formations and even reading Offensive Protection Schemes are all paramount for a Defense that will look much different than in 2022. For the better?! Absolutely. Immediate return?!.....


To be continued....

 

I see you decided to just ignore an entire season in between

 

Coming out rusty, undisciplined and too cocky in the playoffs after earning the bye and HFA

 

Hanging on to Canada for another season so Pickett has the same OC for his second year is better for Pickett...according to who. Jaqs fired Trevor Lawrence's rookie year OC and brought in the brother the Bengals head coach, and what a second season Lawrence had. My hope is that the new Offensive Assistance has a lot of say in play planning and opponent planning.

 

Seems like according to the brain trust in the Steelers front office since they retained him.

 

What in the hell do you know about Glenn Thomas that I can't see? He doesn't look like a guy I want taking over for Canada if Kenny and the offense stumble out of the gate.




OK. 3 years with Matt Ryan. Matt Ryan and the Falcons fell off a cliff under Glenn Thomas. 13-3 then 4-12 then finally another losing record of 6-10 and out of the NFL.
In the last 8 years he has been a college O.C. at 4 different schools???

If the Steelers could pick one guy that is a worst O.C. than Canada, I think they did it with Glenn Thomas.

I did have my hopes high that the Steelers were going to bring in somebody special when Assistant Head coach John Mitchell retired.

 

Good post.

Though for me, it is the ILB position.

We seem to have had really bad luck in FA with that position of late. Lots of guys who were good on paper didn’t work out at all.

So I’m keen to see what the new guys can do but also quite apprehensive