How long will the rebuild take?

Its obvious that we are light years from being competitive this year with the worst O line in league history maybe only a little better than the 1977 Tampa bay buccaneers who went winless. So what is a realistic timeframe to win with a new o line and QB next year. My guess is year two of new QB. so we have rest of this dreadful season and another to get some DRAFTED high lineman and not projects in late rounds. We need to get one in free agency and one in second and third rounds. next year.

 

The O line should be better next year with Moore and Green acquiring experience. Harris' rushing yards will improve. Steelers will need QB, NT, DE and SS in '22 offseason. A good RT could be had early in 2nd round or FA. Things will be bad this year, but there will be nowhere to go but up.

 

Will there be a franchise-caliber NCAA QB ready to hit the ground running in 2022? Or should the Steelers go the Free Agency route? It will be interesting to see what happens. So far... the college QB class of '22 is not nearly as impressive as the QB class of '21.

 

I just hope its not the mid to late 80's some rough years with bubby brister and the other castoffs.

 

Mariotta is made of glass, he can't even stay healthy as the back up QB let alone the everyday starter.

 

If Rodgers values his life he wouldn’t come to the Steelers this is crazy talk!

 

Its hard to say. So much depends on how well you do in the draft. I haven't really looked it up vs other teams but we seem to whiff on a lot of draft picks. And then we seem to let some go that go on to do well or at least be serviceable for other teams so our Cheerleader coach can keep a few of "his Boys" instead. Then there is the Coaching staffs lack of ability to coach people up that aren't already for sure talents.

 

The thought of a possible decade long cavalcade of bad QB's coming through the door actually has me contemplating trading for Watson. If his legal issues get resolved of course.

Three 1st round picks? So what. To lock up one of the best young QB's for years, no problem. How many picks you gonna waste trying to find one anyway? Ask Chicago.

 

2 things need to happen for a restart:

1. Tomlin has to be replaced
2. Ben has to be replaced

I think #2 is happening very soon. Maybe by next year. Tomlin I think hangs around for another 5 years once Ben is gone. Then a new coach comes in and will need time to build the team in his/her image.

So I think it will be a good decade from now until we are playoff contenders again.

 

I don't think it's going to happen without cleaning house on the coaching staff beginning with Tomlin. They have been simply addressing the symptoms for over a decade by firing coordinators and position coaches. Rebuild has to involve a new head coach, IMO.

Our HC just seems to refuse to evolve. Remember when this board was filled with FBAI (Fire Bruce Arians Immediately) threads. There's a guy who continues to learn, evolve, develop, and use the strengths he has on his team.

 

I have a hard time believing Tomlin leaves on his own accord. Why would he? Hes paid well enough here, he doesn't really ever have to answer for anything. This is a pretty cush gig for him.

 

Theoretically it could take decades. We could become the browns, bengals, lions etc

 

It’s hard to tell. Honestly it depends on how long it takes to get lucky on a QB pick.

 

the NFL is a coaches league. Good coaches win. If we get a good HC we can be SB contenders next season.

 

The state of this forum is funny. I've made threads predicting this for 3 years and was the bad guy. If I bumped my offseason Steelers aren't serious about winning this season thread a lot of people would look real stupid.

Anyways, we aren't too far off. Last draft was really good and got us back on track. It just comes down to franchise QB and DBs which we can't seem to develop but it might be the system. I can't really fault them for the QB situation because Ben was never going to allow them to have a quality successor ready.

What I can fault them for is the status of the o-line. Writing was on the wall for years and we didn't have a plan in place for it.

The 3-4 defense is dead. We should've switched to a 4-3 a long time ago. 3-4 defense only works on rookies and average QBs. Linebackers in coverage on WRs isn't a winning formula in a passing league. The Rodgers, Brady, and even Burrow now will exploit it and pick us apart. We have to basically hope good QBs have an off day to beat them with this defense. Case in point is the Bills game. Allen and Beasley weren't on the same page. Beasley dropped a few wide open 3rd down chain moving balls or it would've been a totally different outcome. Whole strategy of this defense is be conservative and keep everything in front. Don't give up any big/quick scores and hope they mess up, timing or drops. It doesn't work anymore.

Then DBs. We can't seem to develop them at all. Maybe the switch to a 4-3 defense and drafting corners who are good in man and not zone would be a great start.

 

2-3.

Forthcoming needs (‘22-‘’24):
1. QB
2. 2 outside corners
3. RT
3. Heyward replacement
4. Alualu replacement
5. RG

A few of these can be handled in FA, mainly CB and RG. The Steelers are awful at drafting and developing outside corners, and starting RG is the easiest OL position to fill.

It’s achievable to address QB, RT, DT, and NG in 2 drafts, plus an additional year or two for development.

For QB, I like Carson Strong out of Nevada right now. He seems the most pro ready out of the guys I’ve looked at so far. Big (6’4”, 225), good mechanics, quick release, strong arm, and very accurate (~70% completion). His biggest weakness is locking onto his first read but that’s coachable. I think he’ll be overlooked because he doesn’t have big time mobility, but I think that's a completely overrated attribute - Mac Jones is easily the best QB out of this past draft and he’s less mobile than Strong.

 

You’ve also made threads arguing we lost a game entirely due to deferring the kick off. Apologies if we don’t take everything you say seriously.

Anyways, I do agree we are potentially not far off. I’m not sure 3-4 and 4-3 are as meaningful as they once were, though. What the D needs is a more successful plan B if the pass rush is neutralised. And that depends on an upgrade at SS and CB.

Offensively, it’s fairly clear we need a new QB. But we also need to acknowledge there’s not going to be another Ben sitting there.

 

I agree with You about 3-4, 4-3. Tampa runs a 3-4 Didn't seem 2 hurt them last year. Anyway Nobody runs anything all the time Most of the time....so Like You said. Doesn't really matter.

 

Always liked Mariota... I'm beginning to think Trubisky was more Nagy's doing

 

3-4 works if you have a stout D-line and at least one exceptional LB... like Von Miller, Devin White or TJ Watt. Steelers problem is... they only have 1 above average D lineman who is getting long in the tooth.

 

Wouldn’t have thought 3-4 or 4-3 matter much at all any more given that every team lives in sub packages now.

It’s impossible to say how long a rebuild will take, if they find the next Herbert or Burrow in the 2022 draft then not long at all. If they go in to a Denver style QB purgatory then it could take a decade before the Steelers are relevant again.

Aside from the QB they need to bolster the OLine and secondary in the draft and free agency, also need to think about a good young defensive interior player at some point, they have missed Hargrave and now Alualu looks like he is probably done.

Some really good corners have gone in the second round in recent years, Diggs, Johnson, Samuel etc. I know it’s a position they have struggled to develop but it’s just so expensive to fill that spot in free agency I think you have to try the draft. The Panthers just did a very nice deal with the Jags for CJ Henderson for just a third round pick. I wouldn’t have minded that at all.