So, how does this team get back to the Superbowl?

I have to admit, now that I've had time to cool down... I'm kind of relieved that this season is over. I'm trying to step back and look at what I think this team needs to get better. Here is what I would like to see this offseason...


- No changes to the coaching staff other than maybe special teams. I think Haley is a good OC, Ben looked off ever since coming back from injury and the shuffle along the OL didn't help. We will need a new OL coach, which I won't pretend I have a clue who should come in.

- Restructure Harrison's contract. I think he can still contribute, but if he won't take a pay cut then ship him out (I think he will). Worilds actually started to show something this season.

- Lock up Keenan Lewis. I think Lewis has grown a lot this year, and he's a RFA... Put the highest tender on him and don't let him get away. I actually like our CB core next season with Ike, Lewis, and Allen.

- Draft a safety early. I think Troy and Clark will go probably about the same time, and with Troy's injury history we need more depth at the position. Theres a few safeties I really like in rounds 1-2 this season including TJ McDonald, Matt Elam, or maybe even Tyrann Mathieu.

- Draft a pass rush specialist. I would like to see safety and olb in rounds 1 and 2 this year, I don't care what order... whichever has the BPA at the time. Our lack of pressure this season was unsettling. Harrison started to come on late, but he will be gone soon (maybe next season). Our defense doesn't work without good OLB's so find one.

- Move up for a LT. This is my maybe bullet. We'll be drafting relatively high this year (higher than normal)... If we are in range for a stud LT, pull the trigger. I'm not sold on Gilber and Adams as our future on both sides. I'd like to grab a great pass protector the watch Ben's blind side for the twilight of his career. Obviously this goes against my previous two bullets, but this is less likely.

- Find a WR in free agency. I don't think there's any question we let Mike Wallace walk. Someone like Indy is still going to throw BIG money at him even with the crappy season he had. I'd bring him back at a reasonable rate, but I don't see that happening. I think WR is a position that there always seems to be talent on the waiver wire. Go out and find another Cedric Wilson, Jerricho Cotcherry, etc. I'd also like to see Plax stick around.





Interested to hear your guys' comments on these or your ideas.

 

You've cooled down already? I'm gettin more po'd by the minute.

 

Easy answer...clone Hines Ward circa 2005. Hines was everything this team stood for: smart, tough, team player, leader. We don't have that anymore and we've replace him with smallmoney

 

I agree mostly except for the Corner comment. I say we need a Corner in the draft. This team NEEDS corners if we're gonna maintain a pass rush. We would be a sacking machine with McClendon up and coming. We gave up 270 yards today and that's mostly because the corners play so dang ridiculously far off in their coverage it kills me. Watch Seattle play on the corners and it will make you wanna cry from jealousy! lol.

 

Make lebeau retire that's a start, I've had it with him making his DB's play back 15 yards

 

LOL. Me too dude. I had to leave right after the game for the church play tonight and someone came over and said "well go ahead and tell me how mad you are". I said "you don't even wanna know". He said "why do you let it get to you so bad? You can't do anything about it ya know." I said "well it just makes me really mad when I think that we gave our qb $100 million and he's thrown 2 game losing picks in a row." The more I think about it the madder I get. Yes I know madder is not a word but when I'm mad I just make up new words.

 

BTW if we draft OL I'll be pisst...4/5 of our linemen were drafted the past 3 years. I say we live or die with them or sign an FA.

 

Does anyone wanna see us make a splash in FA? I'm conflicted about this. I suppose if I could have any FA out there it would be Greg Jennings. I don't think we can afford him though really.

 

ship tomlin out of town and bring someone that replace the order on the team , change special team and off.line cordinator and talk with ben and haley if they can work together otherwise change the oc too .

 

Brown reminds me alot of a younger Hine's

 

Win the afc championship next year?

 

Buy tickets

 

I agree with drafting a safety early, in my mind this should be round #2.

I am more sold on the OL than you are. I think this unit will jell around Pouncey and be a good young line next year. DeCastro should be fully recovered from a terrible injury, and young OL usually take time to develop. I can agree with what you say about LT. I just think there are greater priorities.

Agreed with keeping Lewis. He's good, Cortez Allen is good, Brown has possibilities. The CB situation is not a big worry for me.

Agreed with a pass rush LB. I think Harrison is gone next year. The LB I'd address in Round 3.

If Russ Grimm gets fired in Arizona with Whiz's staff, then how about seeing if he would come back and do the OL? If not, Tunch Ilkin has been mentioned.

I want the Steelers to take a RB in the first round. In my opinion, none of the current RB is the answer. As I mentioned on another thread, when the Steelers rushed for 95 yards or more, they were 6-1 this year.

Two other factors which can work in the Steelers favor in 2013:

- the 3rd place schedule- although the 2nd place schedule didn't help much this year, here's hoping that they can beat TN and Oakland next year.
- I believe that the NFL will add a 7th playoff team in each conference. The AFC is not that deep, and I really don't see too many of this year's also rans on the rise.

 

You missed something: First of all, we need to hire a new conditioning staff

 

How old is McClendon anyhow? The OL really needs to get the run game going next year. Ben does so much better when that is doing well. Also, please someone sneak in and remove that dang quick out pattern from the playbook! Do we try to draft Foote's replacement this offseason?

 

It will be a year or two before we get back,

 

I must be the only person that wants the next Mel Blount. LOL. I do think Lewis has stepped his game up but I would give my left aorta for a corner that could CATCH THE DANG FOOTBALL! Maybe Allen is that guy but who knows. I just think if we have a shot at a shutdown corner we oughtta take him.

 

I always thought rafting Mendy #1 was a mistake. Unless it's an AP type of back it's better to snag one after round 2. RB's aren't that hard to come by if you have a line that can actually block.

 

Thank you for joining me in the ABSOLUTE UNDYING HATRED for the quick out! I HATE that play with everything I have. Mclendon is 26 btw and he is a BEAST!!!

 

You said Wallace has had a crappy season, but his stats are real close to past years. He is 8 catches from his career high of 72(2011) and 2 TDs from a career high of 10(2010). His yards are a bit down(13.1 avg per catch), but the offense was aimed at the short game all year. The dropped passes are the killer this year.... but everyone was dropping them.

 

That's what I was gonna say is that it was a crappy season because he dropped so many. It would've been a great year for him if he had capitalized on his oppourtunities.

 

I'm so sick of people bringing up XX place schedule stuff. Everyone in the AFCN played the AFCW, NFCE, and the division games... thats 14 games folks. Only 2 games are based on what place they finished in the previous year.

 

Yeah we rotate conferences every 4 years. However if we play next year like we did this year I will take whatever break we can get even if it IS just in theory.

 

Well, you have a point there. Of the top 8 rushers in Steelers history, only Franco was a #1 pick by the Steelers (Bettis, acquired via trade, was a #1 as well).

 

I would rather my 2 different games from the Ravens be against TN and Oakland (this year's games notwithstanding) than theirs against Houston and Denver.