Bell, Steelers have made significant progress on extension talks

I want to say yes, but there is no savior in the draft or free agency this year that is going to fix our defense.

 

I am not saying a high draft pick I am saying needs, it don't matter is they are in their base D or not we needs guys in the middle who can keep the oline off our ILB's. IMO Heyward, Tuitt and Walton are not them guys. I also feel a NT/DT at in the 3rd is not a high pick. I agree with you this has been beaten to death before. If I remember right you and I were on the same page a few years back when the big rumor was Billings(lol) was our pick in the 1st round.

I can see a TE in just about any round that can help us now in any round, Andrews to Thomas and everyone in between. I agree with Vance and welcome him back but not at what he is making now or in the future. Green and Vance have both showed what having a good pass catching TE can do to this offense, however both are/were injury prone. I will say this people were up in arms when we drafted Juju(myself included) cause it wasn't a need how did that work out? I will say the same about the TE position.

IMO our 2 biggest needs are S and ILB, but then the next needs are NT/DT, TE and OLB. You can never go wrong with drafting a CB like I said this NFL is based on passing so we can never have enough CB's. I also want to say the more I look at this draft the more it reminds me of last years draft where you can find good starters in rounds 2-4. I just hope to god we don't use another draft pick on an LS...........

 

If things were to stay status quo for that long you would probably be right. I'm told things won't stay as is and probably I'll be checking out within the next year. That being the case I'm not betting or following much of anything. That probably effects my viewpoint on the Steelers as well as many things. Its been a good long ride, time for it to end.

 

I'm still not buying it but hope you are right.

 

I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen Mitchell help out a CB that has gotten beat and either knocked the ball away or picked it off. Every time a wr gets deep you just see Mitchell trying to run over to him and the wr is already a good 10 yards out of reach

 

This was a pretty reliable source that stated that he (Bell) missed Saturday's walk through and was late

for Sunday's game time. Tomlin requires his players to be there 2hrs before game. Bell stated this week that

Tomlin knew of this tardiness. Why didn't Tomlin come out and say before Bouchet reported it? Did the Steelers

leak this information purposely? This is all I was getting at. he could have protected his player and didn't.

 

You’re missing how we used our defensive linemen under DL versus how they’re used now. Under DL what you described is exactly what our defensive linemen were asked to do;however, these days that isn’t the case. We are asking them to get after the qb as opposed to just occupy space.

 

After watching our last game I can understand you not getting it we were bad. However I ask you go back and watch the big plays we have given up in the pass game, guess what you won't see???? Mike "cinder block" Mitchell helping anyone and if he makes the play down the field 40 yards he will stand over the guy and act like he did something special! A lot of the same was said about Timmons after last years loss to the Cheats and it showed this year our LB's were so much faster in coverage until Ryan went down. If we replace cinder block and find another ILB trust me you will see a different D

 

Yeah your right but your missing my point, I am not talking about getting after the QB I am talking about how bad we were vs the run. We get after the QB pretty good right now but for some reason we are struggling vs the run. Is it no Ryan I am sure that has a lot to do with it but I also feel having Cam and Walton in the middle is a problem as well. No hit on these guys but they are being asked to do things they are not capable of doing, when Cam is on the outside he don't have to worry about c/g double team or a full back guard double. That is a big difference the a chip from a TE and an OT. JMO

 

We were bad against the run for two reasons. They frequently didn’t do their jobs. Just assignment sound. They get out of position thinking there’s a play to be made and whoopsie there goes the running back where I was supposed to be. The second was missed tackles. The first actually plays into the second.

Football is a simple sport. On every play each player has a job to do. When everyone does what they’re supposed to do things go well. When they don’t it gets ugly. That was the problem with our pass defense as well. It wasn’t so much a lack of skill as a failure to do their job. People always wonder how Belichek does so much with castoffs and that’s why. Every single player buys into the system and does their job.

 

I get what your saying and agree about the system, but what I don't agree with is the reason our guys are out of position is the fact we have guys who are playing out of position. Sorry but Cam may be a good DT rushing the passer but the proof is there that he and others are getting man handled vs the run. He is not a 4-3 DT and either is Walton an imo that is a major problem with our ILB's cause now the oline is getting to the 2nd level.

As for your outlook on our pass D I disagree it is about talent. MIKE CINDER BLOCK MITCHELL can't move can't read and react......NO TALENT!!!!!! The system is right the talent is wrong, if there was help over the top instead of cinder block being planted in the middle of the field I am pretty sure a lot of them big plays wouldn't of happened. Which I guess leads to what your saying, no talent will lead to a failure to do their jobs!

 

There were also reports that the media doesnt have access to the walk thru so how could bouchet know. I get what u are saying but that is one of the things i like about tomlin. He doesnt feed the media machine.

 

Just a thought, but how does Tomlin know what Bouchet is going to write? Tomlin knew what he was doing. Bouchet didn’t.

For this one, shame on Bouchet for not checking his facts.

 

I would take my high school FB coach over Haley. At least he had a QB sneak call at the line.

 

Steelers don't need Bell to win their 7th Lombardi. What they need is some free agents with talent to fill the holes in the defense. There is not enough time left to get drafted players up to speed before Ben is gone. FA acquisitions is the best route to #7.

 

No I am not saying that and I am not saying what they are or aren't in. Actually I am not sure what they run more but what I am sure of is that when we are out of the 3-4 and they kick Heyward, Tuitt, Alualu or Walton inside we are not as strong vs the run. I was hoping when we signed Alualu that was why to help when not in the 3-4.

I am not talking about the pass I have said that before in this thread not sure why you didn't see that. Also I am looking for a NT/DT guy someone who will stay on the field for most of the downs. I like Gravedigger but he isn't on the field and I don't know why. He is the kind of guy I am talking about, play the strong side DT while we do move Heyward to weak side DT(3 tech). I say a NT/DT guy and you want to think NT, I want a guy on the field more than he is off but also don't hurt us vs the run like we are now.

I hope like heck we get rid of Big Dan and bring a guy like this in, cause that is what I am meaning. I do understand we bounce so much from scheme to scheme that I want to add a player who can fit more than one scheme hence why I am saying a NT/DT guy not a NT guy. I don't want a guy like Hurst or Phillips who will be first or second rounders. I am looking more at a guy like Fatukasi in the third or fourth or guys like Ford & hall who may be later rounders.

People are complaining about this D and rightfully so, we were pretty bad vs the run. This is a step to try and fix it, Big Dan offered nothing and honestly Walton didn't either. If what we have isn't working time to get some players in here that at least might have a chance to work. You don't know until you try and judging by what we saw what we have needs help. Yeah we were hurt by the Ryan loss but don't blame it all on him, last I checked he was on the field when we played the Jagoffs the first game and we didn't look that good. This is my point need guys up front to take the oline off our ILB's and allow them to step up and make the plays.

IMO a guy like this is worth a pick from the third round on.

 

We may not need Bell but we will have a much better chance with him than without him. Please tell mw what FA we are gonna add to replace him? Hyde, Blount, McKinnon, Gore, Blue, Hill, Charles.......none of these guys do what Bell does and our offense will take a step back. People don't understand how hard it is on the defense to prepare for a player like Bell. He lines up all over so you have no clue what is coming.

Also look around the league rookies are playing more and more. College players are getting NFL coaching in school and are more ready than ever to step right in. Rookies will help just look what Watt did last year that is proof enough, no?

 

Yes I agree with all your saying and agree that Digger needs to be in there more. Also in your point about not needing another guy I disagree with and will explain. What was big Dan's role, and why was he even on this team? Now that he is gone draft a kid with potential to add to the mix and depth, someone has to take his place no? Not to mention there is a cap savings cause he will be cheaper which is just what we need right now.

 

Our base defense is a 3-4. When the offense goes to 4-5wr sets they change to a nickel formation and occasionally a big nickel. In the nickel we get beat by the run. We are marginally better against the run in our big nickel, but more susceptible to the pass.

 

LSU Guice would fill in nicely. Now lets go out and get some FA D players to fill out the roster.

 

We can sign Bell and get FA's, let's not get rid of players who perform let's cut the dead weight aka Mitchell and fix the D! Bringing in a Rookie is no sure thing and with this small window we have I am not ready to find out.

 

i think it boils down to our OLB'ers and ILB'ers that need to get better against the run. our SS has to quit missing so many tackles around the line but we also have to have him not worrying so much about his coverage along with the run and thats where mitchell is failing. davis is in a catch 22 trying to cover front and back to make up for mitchell. we need better tackling corners as well if we are going to run this hybrid defense. missed tackles are killing this defense. out of position is part of using this type of defense and that needs fixed. communication is key to it working and they are still not there in terms of doing that. one missed tackle makes everyone look out of position.