Are the Steelers about to get younger?

When I look at the current depth chart I see it sprinkled with 1st and 2nd year players in starting and second team roles. And solid 1st and 2nd year players ready to step in where we are old.

 

They say most people talk to themselves, it's when they start answering themselves that there could be a problem.

I know we are getting old at some key positions but I also think we have good talent ready to step in at some of those positions. ILB and secondary is weak in this theory and we all know about QB, WR has some hopefuls, and the O line has huge upside, the interior D line looks good, and OLB looks good.

If we have a couple people step up, or get plugged in, at ILB and secondary, and the O-line become what it looks like, we could be in decent shape.

Cam >>>> Keeanu
TJ >>>> Nick
Alex >>>> Jack

 

I agree with you most of the time... but are Heyward and Watt better than their backups at this point? We won't know until the rubber hits the road in 2026 season.

My prediction for 2026 is:

Harmon > Heyward
Herbig/Sawyer > Watt

Yeah... will give you Highsmith over Sawyer, right now... but even that could change if Highsmith gets the injury bug.

Cam Heyward has been resilient, great career but marooned on Steelers during a mediocre era of Steelers Defense. Same thing with Watt. No rings, no conference championship titles for 2 of the greatest Steelers since 1969.

 

I agree 100% but whether TJ is better than Jack or Nick, and whether Cam is better than Harmon or Keeanu, either way, it speaks to us getting younger at the places we are old.

 

Cam was the highest rated IDL last year and people showing their ignorance of football want to get rid of him

 

I'm just going to list guys in prominent roles who are younger than 30 for the entirety of the season.

IDL: Harmon and Black are solid building blocks and Benton may be a long-term answer opposite Harmon but he needs to step up. Logan Lee provides some depth, but haven't seen enough of him to commit further.

Edge: Highsmith, Herbig, Sawyer. I think this would be a continued strength, but the caveat is Highsmith and Herbig being injury prone. But overall, it's a competent unit.

ILB: Queen, Wilson, Bruener. Bruener probably isn't ready to step into a meaningful role, sans special teams. Queen looks like a guy who will either step up and play to his contract, or will be walking out the door in March, much like Benton. Wilson is a solid player, but if there's an opportunity to upgrade the position in late April, I'd do it.

CB: Asante Samuel Jr., Porter Jr., Everett, Echols. This is probably the group I'd be the most comfortable without much more additions moving forward. That's considering Samuel isn't traded and is signed in the spring. Then there's Everett who's been learning inside and out CB this camp and a lot of hype surrounding his name. I guess we'll have to see it to believe it. If there's a unit that really could move on from geriatric talents like Dean and Ramsey today, it's CB.

Safety: besides Elliot and Brisker there just isn't much. Plus considering Brisker is here on a one year deal, there's a significant hole here, even if a guy like Rubio keeps stepping up.

Overall, I think this collection of names would fair well as a defense (middle of the pack to 20). Some potential stars/emerging stars like Harmon, Herbig and Porter. I'd say the biggest issue would be depth and the injury bug. Frankly, I'd be more comfortable with this defense than what's going to be put out there on a weekly basis.

 

The debate about the Steelers D being old is interesting because the older guys are still some of the best in the league at their position. I might optimistic but I think you will see a renewed TJ this year and the same old Cam (best in the business!)

 

Yes

Multiple posters randomlysay the defense has to get younger yet they offer no logical plan

Do they cut a productive guy for an UDFA

Do they miraculously get extra draft picks

Do they over pay for FA no other team wants

 

Despite their individual attributes (as great as they are) the defense has still been in the bottom half/third in the league in most, if not all, major team stats the past few seasons. Sometimes those great players aren't the fit for what a scheme is trying to accomplish short & long term. Just look at the best defenses in the league, most are just 11 Joe's playing within a system, IE Broncos.

Now, as for my outline, I could be over-rating some of those guys for all I know.

 

You could have the top rated player at every position on the same defense, and if the game plan is bad enough, they will not win games.

 

The scheme was terrible and there's a reason why guys like Minkah, Slay and others ****ted on the scheme. But at the same time, if the 11 guys I outlined roughly gives you the same results, then what's the point of having 8 guys 30+ having significant reps? If we only had 2 or 3 guys, I doubt id mention it. Frankly, if the defense ranks 25th in total defense again, Khan should be fired.

 

1st. M. Fitzpatricks only all pro years where here....
2nd. We weren't 25 in total D.

 

Yes we were:


Defensive ranks:

25th in yards allowed
13th in rushing yards
27th in pass yards
17th in points allowed

Edit:

Wait, you're right, they were 26th in total defense, which is yards allowed

 

That doesn't make us 25th in D overall. That only makes us 25th in yards.

 

Regardless, if they rank 17th, or worse in points allowed, and 26th, or worse in yards allowed, then Khan should be fired.

 

Maybe, but I was just trying to show the D had its good points.
Top 5 in sacks, Top 5 in turnovers. Its the 17th in points that sucks to me. You want to be in the top 10 of that for freaking sure

 

Yards allowed + points allowed is the eye opener for me. Sure bend but don't break has its merits, but for it to work, the PA needs to be more FGs than TDs on the average drive.

But tbh, if we rolled out there with the defense I outlined previously in this thread, I'd have higher hopes for this defense moving forward. I wouldn't say it's great, but it's probably league average with room to grow.

 

The only problem is his age and the fact that NFL players over 35 age in dog years. As such, it’s mostly irrelevant how he played last year.

The Steelers have a high % of their cap on older players. Heyward, Rodgers, and Watt ( is entering his 10t season ). 77.5M in cap space.

 

Well, like I asked in another post, Over paid or under coached? Probably both, but definitely the result of a coaching staff who couldn't or wouldn't build around their strengths.

I've played golf at a competitive level most of my life, I have a few friends who are touring pros, we were having a drink and BSing about football one night after their round was over and one guy mention how the Steelers D was overpaid, they suck. I said if your caddy was constantly giving you bad yardage, bad reads on the greens, along with bad advice, what do you think the people on TV, or in person, would say when they watched you play? He thought about it for a minute, realized my point, and then made a joke about how he would have fired that caddy a long time ago. BINGO!

ETA: The point is that with bad coaching it doesn't matter who the players are and I damn sure wouldn't give up a proven guy for a younger hopeful until that proven guy shows he can't do it anymore and that is not the case here.

 

This statement makes anything else you say on this subject irrelevant. That's like saying what the Seahawks did last year is irrelevant.

 

Someone please tell me how many playoff games (when they made it) did either Heyward or Watt dominate and took the game over?

I'll wait...

 

See above...

 

Yeah, Watt and Heyward disappeared in most playoff games.

 

That’s nice