Pittsburgh Steelers: Defensive Final Grades Reveal Deep Concerns
Every team has their strengths and weaknesses. Championships are won and lost based upon the depth an organization has behind its starters. If a team has built itself deep, they can usually overcome the injuries that are a natural part of football.
If not, well, there's always next year.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a ton of talent among their starters. Their defense was, once again, among the best in the league. But how deep are they?
Here's a look at the team's defensive depth chart.
Defensive Line
1 of 4
Starters:
Casey Hampton (NT), Aaron Smith (DE), Brett Keisel (DE)
Backups:
Ziggy Hood (DE), Chris Hoke (DT), Nick Eason (DE), Steve McLendon (DT), Sonny Harris (Practice Squad, DE)
Analyis
This group of starters have a lot of miles on them. Hampton carries a lot of weight around with him and isn't immune to injury problems. He missed time early in the season, but had another solid year as the nose tackle. He's got another couple years on his contract, so replacing him isn't imperative, but it might be time to look to the future.
Smith has become incredibly injury prone. He missed almost the entire season with a triceps injury. He's missed massive chunks of several seasons recently. He's excellent when healthy, but it's likely that Hood has replaced him as the team's starter.
Hood had a solid, unrecognized season. It was his first significant action in the league and he was good. He's a lot like a young Smith. He goes about his job unheralded. The only way to judge his impact is the performance of LaMarr Woodley, who depends on his defensive end to open holes. Woodley had an excellent year. So did Hood.
Keisel is another stalwart. He doesn't have as many miles as Smith or Hampton and he's been very sturdy, missing only a few games to injury this year. He's not getting any younger, though. Linemen break down faster than other players because of the contact in the trenches, so it's never too soon to think about a replacement. He's going to be around awhile though, so it's not a major worry.
Eason was good in short periods, but the defense struggled somewhat when he was starting opposite Hood. He's not as skilled as the others, so he isn't going to be a long-term option as a starter. He's a nice backup and one the team hopes to keep around.
Harris and McLendon are practice squad players. Neither has developed into even a backup at this point. McLendon was forced into that duty and played a handful of snaps, but hasn't been particularly effective. They are on the bubble.
Final Position Grade: B+
Linebackers
2 of 4
Starters:
James Harrison (OLB), LaMarr Woodley (OLB), James Farrior (ILB), Lawrence Timmons (ILB)
Backups:
Larry Foote (I), Stevenson Sylvester (I), Keyaron Fox (I), Jason Worilds (O), Chris Ellis (Practice Squad)
Analysis
The Steelers consistently have one of the best linebacking corps in the NFL. They're currently deeper here than at any position on the team. It's similar to the wide receiver position. They've filled it with a lot of youth behind aging starters. There's not much worry that they can't have someone step in.
Harrison had a controversial yet spectacular season. He was a terror to quarterbacks and opposing offenses as a whole, and even though he's past his 30th birthday, hasn't seemed to slow down at all. He didn't become a starter until late, so it's reasonable to think he may have more time left than most players in their 30s.
Woodley has become an excellent compliment to Harrison. The two have combined for double-digit sack totals again and again. Woodley is a free agent and should be the team's top concern in the market. Re-signing him would allow them to keep the successful duo together. Woodley deserves a big payday. He should get that from Pittsburgh.
Farrior is still excellent in the twilight of his career. He's probably got a year or two at most before he retires. He's not a liability yet, but he hasn't made the plays he once did. He's obviously slowing down some, but he's got plenty left for another run at the Super Bowl.
Timmons had a great year in his first full season as a starter. He was great on the blitz and has proven to be a capable pass defender and run stuffer. He's another of the great weapons the team has developed at the linebacker position and his ceiling is still sky high. He needs to improve in some areas, but that will come with experience.
Foote had an OK return season, but hasn't done anything spectacular since he played for Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLIII. He'll be pushed by Sylvester in camp and could be squeezed off the roster if the team drafts or signs another linebacker.
Sylvester and Worilds are the next big thing. Both had steady rookie seasons on special teams and seem to be following the same career arc as Woodley and Timmons. They are sure tacklers, fast rushers, and should benefit from another year in Dick LeBeau's scheme. They could be starters within the next two seasons. Sylvester will likely replace Farrior when the time comes. How the team feels about Worilds will dictate a lot about their discussions with Lamarr Woodley.
Fox is likely gone. He wants an opportunity to start and his failures on special teams are becoming problematic. He commits too many costly penalties in big situations. The play of Sylvester and Worilds also has combined to push him out of the spotlight.
Ellis is a practice squad player from Virginia Tech with nice skills and attributes, but not a whole lot of experience or upside. He's someone that'll have to make a big statement in camp to stick on the roster.
Final Position Grade: A+
Cornerbacks
3 of 4
Starters:
Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden
Backups:
William Gay, Keenan Lewis, Anthony Madison, Crezdon Butler
Analysis
The biggest problem the Steelers have had for over a decade now is that their defensive backs lack the talent and ability to play with the league's best receivers and deepest receiving corps. Nowhere is that more obvious than on the cornerback depth chart where the depth isn't there at all.
Taylor had a nice season, rebounding from a subpar 2009. He's still got hands of stone and won't make many flashy plays. He also makes too many penalties, particularly on his own side of the field. That makes him somewhat of a liability. He's the team's best corner, but he's probably only a mid-tier player in the NFL at this point.
McFadden returned to Pittsburgh and was not the boon the team hoped for when they traded for him. He was injury prone, a liability in coverage and also made several poor coverage mistakes that led to big plays. He needs help from the safety position to be most effective and isn't a strong man-coverage player or zone blitz specialist. He's on the bubble as the offseason begins.
Gay and Lewis have shown flashes, but more often than not have been tremendous liabilities. Gay proved in 2009 that he couldn't be an effective starter. Lewis is still raw and hasn't developed much in the last year. Neither player gave the team any real reason to keep them beyond this season.
Madison is a special teams star. He's a sure tackler and fast runner. He's also made some plays from the dime and nickel packages when necessary. He's the team's best backup, but he's nowhere near the level expected of a starter. He'll stick around for his ability on coverage units.
Butler didn't play as a rookie and is probably a fringe prospect at best. He could surprise with a big camp and will get every opportunity to step up in the lineup, but at this point he's shown nothing is his practice and preseason opportunities.
Final Position Grade: D
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Safeties
4 of 4
Starters:
Troy Polamalu (SS), Ryan Clark (FS)
Backups:
Ryan Mundy (FS), Will Allen (SS), Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith (Practice Squad)
Analysis
Troy Polamalu is the best strong safety in the NFL. That said, if he doesn't prove he's not becoming injury prone, his career arc is going to take a nose dive. He plays a violent style of football. That won't play well if he's hurt. When he's been hurt in the past few years, not only has he not looked the same, the defense has been poor.
Clark is a solid free safety who plays fast and is excellent covering the middle. He takes on some of the normal responsibilities of the strong safety because Polamalu plays such a unique style of safety. He makes plays and is good in support of the corners. He was worth the extension he received and should be a starter for several more seasons.
Behind the starters, Mundy and Allen are strictly serviceable backups. They aren't flashy players and neither will be a starter in the NFL, but they fill in admirably in short bursts. They are best used on special teams and play well in that regard. Mundy subbed well for Polamalu this year but doesn't have the talent or skill to make big plays against opposing quarterbacks. He's a coverage-only player.
Cromartie-Smith was an interesting player in camp and is someone who bears watching. If he has another solid camp, he could find his way onto the roster as a backup at one of the safety spots or even as a backup corner. He doesn't seem to have the skill set required of a starter, but he could develop into a solid role player.
Final Position Grade: B-
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