Steelers Must Use Offseason to Finally Build a Younger Secondary

Without question, the secondary was the Pittsburgh Steelers defense's biggest weakness in 2014. A combination of age and injury resulted in the Steelers defense ranking 26th in passing yards and 29th in passing touchdowns allowed per game. 

Though the front seven deserves its fair share of blame for the Steelers' poor passing defense, having produced only 33 sacks in the regular season, it was the secondary that was at fault for the big passing plays that led to so many touchdowns.

The Steelers defense gave up 50 passing plays of 20 or more yards in the regular season, tied for 14th, according to NFL.com. It also gave up 15 pass plays of 40 or more yards, tied for the second-most. Its 30 passing touchdowns allowed is tied for the fourth-most.

This is because Pittsburgh's secondary this season was comprised of over-the-hill veterans like cornerback Ike Taylor and safety Troy Polamalu and young players out of their depth, like cornerbacks Brice McCain and Antwon Blake.

Player	Snaps	Tgts.	Rec.	Rec.%	Yds.	YPR	YAC	TD	INT	PD
Gay	878	105	64	61.0%	918	14.3	327	5	3	9
Blake	275	47	31	66.0%	324	10.5	74	5	1	5
McCain	615	51	33	64.7%	422	12.8	231	1	3	1
Taylor	263	26	20	76.9%	321	16.1	116	4	0	2
Allen	463	57	34	59.6%	552	16.2	107	5	2	6

Then there were the defensive backs in the middle like cornerback William Gay, whose relatively good season was marred by the play of those around him, and safety Mike Mitchell, who liked to hit rather than tackle. There was also the curious case of Cortez Allen, who received an offseason, five-year, $26 million contract then found himself benched in the regular season before being placed on injured reserve with a thumb injury.

Among the cornerbacks who got the most playing time in 2014—Gay, Blake, McCain, Taylor and Allen—only McCain had what could be considered a positive season, allowing one touchdown to three interceptions according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Yet McCain also gave up 422 yards and 231 yards after the catch. And he's also an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

The other four cornerbacks gave up at least four touchdowns apiece—and that includes Taylor, who gave up four touchdowns and allowed 20 receptions on 26 targets despite playing just 263 snaps on the season. It's highly unlikely that the Steelers bring back Taylor, who is an unrestricted free agent and currently 34 years old.

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The safeties gave up fewer touchdowns but allowed a higher percentage of receptions as a group, per PFF.

Polamalu allowed 14 catches on 19 targets for 181 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions. Mitchell gave up 18 receptions on 24 targets for 210 yards and two scores, with no touchdowns or passes defensed. Will Allen allowed 15 catches on 18 targets, for 152 yards; though he did not give up a touchdown, he also did not have a pass defensed or an interception.

The Steelers cannot again field a secondary that gives up so many receptions, yards and touchdowns in 2015 and expect to remain competitive. While a better pass rush could help mitigate some of these problems, the Steelers would need 50 sacks on the season to cover up the secondary's sins. 

Some changes are inevitable, like Taylor's being unlikely to return. Polamalu may consider retirement. McCain, as noted, is also an unrestricted free agent. Blake is a restricted free agent in 2015, leaving the door open for the Steelers to tender him, give him a contract or let him walk.

Player	Snaps	Tgts.	Rec.	Rec.%	Yds.	YPR	YAC	TD	INT	PD
Polamalu	717	19	14	73.7%	181	12.9	88	1	0	1
Mitchell	977	24	18	75.0%	210	11.7	58	2	0	0
Allen	301	18	15	83.3%	152	10.1	102	0	0	0

The Steelers, however, are likely stuck with Allen—who ranked 225th out of 230 corners ranked by Pro Football Focus—thanks to the recency and value of his contract. Pittsburgh will have to find a way to hide him unless he shows improvement in the offseason.

Mitchell, too, is likely to stick around. Mitchell said on Monday that he had played the entire 2014 season with a groin tear, via Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, for which he is getting surgery later in the week. The injury, which he claimed began bothering him during offseason workouts, could be one reason why his open-field tackling and closing speed were both lacking in 2014.

At least, the Steelers need to hope so. Mitchell got a five-year, $25 million contract as a free agent last year, so he's likely to stick around as the starting free safety in 2015 barring a better option.

Pittsburgh won't be able to be so spendy in free agency in a few months' time. Yet again, the salary cap has become their worst enemy. The Steelers are currently projected to be $3 million under the 2015 cap, according to Spotrac. Though some flexibility should come from a contract extension for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and by the release (or retirement) of Polamalu, there isn't going to be a lot of cash to go around for high-end free-agent defensive backs.

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Which means the Steelers will have to add to their secondary via the draft. Drafting defensive backs has not been the Steelers' forte during the Mike Tomlin years. Fifth-round 2014 draft pick Shaquille Richardson was released with an injury settlement in October, the same fate which befell 2013 fifth-round cornerback Terry Hawthorne.

2013 fourth-round safety Shamarko Thomas has long been thought to be Pittsburgh's Polamalu replacement, but he's spent most of his time on special teams. What he brings to the table as a safety is mostly unseen.

2012 seventh-rounder Terrence Frederick is no longer on the Steelers roster. In 2011, the Steelers drafted Allen and fellow cornerback Curtis Brown in back-to-back rounds; Brown is no longer with the team, while Allen received that ill-fated extension before being benched.

Crezdon Butler, taken in the fifth round of the 2010 draft? Gone. 2009 draft pick Keenan Lewis? He bolted to his hometown of New Orleans once his rookie contract expired. 2008 sixth-round safety Ryan Mundy is currently with the Chicago Bears.

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So if the Steelers are going to infuse their secondary with young, talented players, they need to do a better job scouting and drafting safeties and cornerbacks. So few of the Steelers' defensive backs drafted in the last seven years are still contributing in Pittsburgh.

With Polamalu, Taylor and Gay on the wrong side of 30 years old and McCain an unrestricted free agent, the Steelers need not only to draft defensive backs to replace them but must also choose wisely. Blake, Allen, Mitchell and Thomas do not, at least on paper, make a formidable secondary.

While the Steelers need to get younger in the secondary, that infusion of youth means nothing without talent. There is a base upon which the Steelers can build, but it's a shaky one. Without at least two high-upside rookie cornerbacks or safeties taken in the 2015 draft, there could be another year of pass-coverage trouble ahead. 

However, young players mean there is potential for development and improvement. Aging veterans, on the other hand, only provide declining skills and speed, even though they have the experience.

Pittsburgh's secondary is at a crossroads. Crucial decisions are ahead. If the Steelers make the wrong ones, it could be quite some time before the secondary gets where they want it to be.