What if … Steelers speculation

Steelers are finishing strong, but it’s still a frustrating season. I like to imagine what it would be like if we could make some impossible updates. What five former Steelers (in their prime) would you add to our roster to transform them into Super Bowl champions? Are five enough?

Here are mine:
1 Big Ben (Bradshaw might also work)
2 Pouncy (Webster, Dawson would work, too)
3 Mean Joe (imagine that…)
4 Casey Hampton (no worries about running up the middle)
5 Troy (Rod Woodson would also work)

many other great players to consider: Franco, Faneca, Decastro, Lambert, Ham, Mel Blount, Harrison, Ward, Swann, Stallworth … but I like my five for how much of an upgrade they are from current players at each position.

Thoughts?

 

Need better coaching on offense too......

 

I would take zero non-skill position players from the 70s and 80s. They'd be physically out matched and wouldn't compete in the modern NFL.

 

I completely agree. Players from the past would be greatly undersized to today's counterparts. The average weight for today's offensive linemen is 314 pounds.

 

Alan Faneca
Rod Woodson
Jack Lambert
Antonio Brown
M Pouncy

 

1. Noll or Cowher over Tomlin - We would be a lot tougher of a team (mentally and stylistically)
2. Rod Woodson - This team needs a #1 corner so, so, so badly
3. Troy - Because he's the best. Him and Minkah would be too fun
4. Ryan Shazier - We never really recovered his loss at the ILB position. He would transform this defense.
5. Last one is hard because I have been picking based on needs instead of simply best player available. Faneca I guess would be the next best here, but its hard to not take Ben, AB, Bell, Ward, Bettis, Harrison, Farrior, Aaron Smith, Hampton, Dawson, Hartings, Pouncey, even Ike T. (Swaggin' University)

I only really counted people from my era (1989 onwards) so there are some obvious players that I wasn't alive to see that I missed in there haha

 

Blount-a talent good enough to make them change rules

Woodson-the more modern version of Blount contributing on special teams.

Lambert-the count stalking the middle stuffing the run and good drop back ability

Harrison-with watt on the other side would be scary

Mean joe-a consumate leader and winner


Bypassed offense completely just going for as much of a defensive juggernaut I could think of given what's currently on the roster to work with. If I did add anyone on offense it would be prime Ben as he would raise everyone's level on offense but I want shutouts or close as they can get lol

 

Woodson, Blount, Ben, Hampton, Timmons.

 

The only way to make this interesting is to adjust size and athleticism for the era they played in. Otherwise, you are pretty much ignoring the '70s.

If you do it that way, my list is as follows:

1. Joe Greene - Still arguably the best player in the team's history.
2. Mel Blount - He could dominate at corner in any era.
3. Jack Lambert - this team still desperately needs help at inside linebacker, so why not go with the Hall of Famer?
4. Mike Webster - the offensive line needs an upgrade, so go with one of the top two or three centers in the history of the game
5. Ben Roethlisberger - I hate to say it, but he is just a better fit for the modern era than Bradshaw.

If you don't make adjustments and go with the players the sizes they were when they played, Lambert and Webster were too small. Even Greene would have been too small at 275 pounds. In that case, my list is as follows:

1. Ben Roethlisberger
2. Rod Woodson - Blount was better in his era, but if we're not adjusting, Woodson is the superior athlete
3. Alan Faneca - the offensive line needs an upgrade, so give them a Hall of Fame guard.
4. Antonio Brown - At his best, he and Roethlisberger together were magic.
5. Levon Kirkland - All due respect to someone line Big Snack, Kirkland was a monster inside and they need that.

 

Aaron Smith would be an awesome addition to this defense. Would make for the best front seven in the league, especially if you add Big Snack in the middle.

 

I think with Joe Greene you really wouldn't have to adjust size much. He was 6'4 275 and with modern diet plans and training, I could easily see him playing at the same weight as Heyward or Leal or any modern DL and thrive in today's game. Webster is a guy that was considered undersized even in his day per the SB analysts calling their game against the Rams in 1980. I think everyone in your first list really doesn't need a size adjusted minus Webster. Lambert was well above 6 ft and with modern training is likely much faster and athletic than he was during the 70's. Mel Blount has the length most teams are looking for in CB's today and coming up in modern rules he's probably adjusted to them.

 

I’d like to put Noll in there too, just to cover all the bases

 

I hate saying this but I believe Jack Lambert would not be drafted todays NFL.

 

Too funny!

 

1. Woodson
2. Polamalu
3. Hampton
4. Dawson
5. Lambert
Since I believe you need more than 5 I am adding...
6. Big Ben
7. Faneca

 

Swann, Stallworth, Lambert, Blount and others could play in any era.
There is so much more to playing football than measurables. I believe HEART and Passion
is the biggest

 

Interesting responses.

In terms of what the current team needs, I’d leave the QB.

Alan Faneca at LG
Tunch Ilkin at LT
Joe Greene at DT
Levon Kirkland at MLB
JT Thomas at CB

 

Here's a tougher what if, instead of picking 5 Steeler greats and putting them on this team, find 5 from this team to add to the Steeler greats. Okay, try 3.

 

The argument about size goes the other way, then. Someone like Heyward would have a big advantage.

1. Watt - he could play in any era.
2. Boswell - Big upgrade over Gerela
3. Fitzpatrick - Edwards and Wagner were great, but neither was anywhere close to Fitzpatrick's athleticism.
4. Heyward - Rotate in another dominant defensive linemen. Another guy who could play in any era.
5. Daniels - Best lineman on this team. He is athletic enough for Noll's inside trap game but more powerful than Mullins or Davis. (That would have been an interesting competition).

 

Bring em back, bring em all back!

 

TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, and Percy Harvin the 3rd - he has to be as good as Bobby Walden.

 

Bradshaw would make Friermuth an all-pro or cause him to get a concussion every week.

 

Noll wouldn't have wanted Freiermuth. His tight ends always had to be blockers first.

 

Thanks for missing the point.

 

I can roll past your point to make mine, too. At least I bothered to spell his name right.