The Steelers’ Challenges (Part 4)
This is part 4 in a series evaluating the Steelers’ off-season needs. So far, we’ve looked at the cornerbacks, safeties, and linebackers. The next position that we’re going to look at is the defensive line.
The Steelers’ defensive line is a veteran unit. They’ve been together for a long time. This is both a strength and a weakness. It’s a strength because the starters play well as a unit, and they are all very familiar with coach Dick LeBeau’s defense. However, it is a weakness because all three of the starters are on the wrong side of 30. Aaron Smith will be 34 during the 2010 season, while Casey Hampton will be 33, and Brett Keisel will be 32.
Aaron Smith missed 11 games in 2009 due to a shoulder injury. The injury is supposed to be completely healed, however Smith has missed 16 regular season games over the past 3 years. His health is probably a greater concern than his age (although the two are probably related).
When healthy, Smith is one of the best 3-4 defensive ends in the NFL. He consistently collapses the pocket, and is extremely stout against the run. He may have quietly assembled the most impressive career for a defensive end in Steelers history. But all good things must come to an end, and Smith’s time with the team is counting down.
Manning the middle of the Steelers defensive line is nose tackle Casey Hampton. As mentioned earlier, Hampton will be 33 years old during the 2010 season. His backup, Chris Hoke, will be 34.
I was surprised when the Steelers signed Hampton to a new deal. I expected them to put the franchise tag on him and get one more season out of him. Instead, they signed him to a 3-year contract.
Hampton started all 16 regular season games in 2009. That was the first time he’s been able to do that since 2003. Not only did Hampton stay healthy, but he also had a career year statistically. Of course, statistics don’t tell the full story for a nose tackle, but it is still worth noting that Hampton established new career highs in tackles and sacks in 2009.
Steelers NT Casey Hampton
Despite Hampton having a great season in 2009 and signing a new contract, I still have significant concerns about the nose tackle position. Hampton is on the wrong side of 30, and his backup is too. Moreover, the Steelers don’t have a viable nose tackle on the roster who is in his 20′s (I said “viable nose tackle”. Scott Paxson has never shown any signs of eventually becoming a starter). The team must get younger at the position.
The third member of the Steelers front 3 is Brett Keisel. Keisel is the baby of the group, but he is no spring chicken.
2009 was Keisel’s best season since 2006, his first year as a starter. Keisel played great this year, and I have no complaints about his play. However, Ziggy Hood is the only young defensive lineman who has earned meaningful playing time. The Steelers have to become more proactive in developing their defensive line of the future.
Nick Eason and Travis Kirschke are both capable veteran backups. I feel very comfortable whenever either of them is in the lineup. But Kirschke will be 36 years old next season. I think that’s the same age as L.C. Greenwood. Nick Eason will be 30 next season, so his career is winding down as well.
Sunny Harris has shown very little thus far. His biggest accomplishment is being cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Carolina Panthers in the same year. I doubt he will make any meaningful contribution this season.
What should the Steelers do?
Signing Casey Hampton answered a huge question for the Steelers. Prior to re-signing Hampton, I believed that drafting a nose tackle should be the Steelers’ highest priority. After all, the nose tackle position is really the cornerstone of a 3-4 defense.
With Hampton under contract, I doubt the Steelers will take a nose tackle in the early rounds. However, if they do decide to go in that direction, there are 3 that are worth noting.
Dan Williams (Tennessee) – Dan Williams is the best nose tackle in this year’s draft. He has the size and mobility to command a double team, which is the primary responsibility of a nose tackle. He has a good bull rush, and has a decent swim move. He is exceptional against the run. He is short, similar to Casey Hampton, and his low center of gravity makes him almost unmoveable.
Tennessee NT Dan Williams
Terrence Cody (Alabama) – “Mt. Cody” as he is called, is a huge physical specimen. He is 6’4″, 370 lbs. That’s big, even by NFL standards. Unfortunately, Cody seems to have a questionable commitment to conditioning. His weight fluctuates (usually upward), and he sometimes seems unmotivated. Alabama substituted frequently at the position to give Cody rest, so scouts are not quite sure how he would fare as a full-time player. He has almost no burst, and cannot apply pressure to the quarterback. Most believe that he is more of a specialist, and would be limited to being a 2-down player.
Cam Thomas (North Carolina) – Thomas is a player who will likely drop to the 3rd or possibly even the 4th round. If he does, I would not be surprised to see the Steelers take him. He would be an excellent value in those rounds. He was not a statistically dominant player in college, but he consistently collapsed the offensive line and drove his blocker backwards. This is exactly what you look for in a nose tackle. Having Casey hampton on the roster would give Thomas a year or two to learn the position before he was actually needed to play a starting role.
Defensive end is another thing entirely. There are quite a few impressive defensive ends that would look good in black and gold.
Most of the top defensive ends in the draft will not even be on the Steelers’ radar. Instead, the Steelers tend to look at defensive tackles who would make an easy adjustment to playing 3-4 defensive end (e.g. Ziggy Hood).
The D-line prizes in this year’s draft are Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy. They’re the top 2 defensive tackles in this year’s draft. They would both excel as 3-4 defensive ends. Strategically, it would be foolish for a team to waste that type of talent in a 3-4. Moreover, they’ll both be gone long before the Steelers selection comes around.
Rather than focus on guys like that, let’s take a look at a few guys who might be available in the 3rd round or later who might make attractive selections. The first guy who comes to mind is…
Arthur Jones (Syracuse) – Arthur Jones was my top rated 3-4 defensive end prospect last year. I had him ranked above Ziggy Hood, who the Steelers selected in the 1st round. Unfortunately, Jones decided to stay in school, and that decision cost him. Jones would have been my top ranked 3-4 defensive end this year, except he injured his knee and missed a portion of the season.
Syracuse DT Arthur Jones
Jones’ injury should cause him to drop to the 4th or even 5th round (although some think he may go as early as the 3rd round). In my opinion, Jones would be a steal in any of those rounds. Because he played his college ball in the Big East, I’m sure he is probably on the Steelers’ radar.
Jared Odrick (Penn State) – Penn State fans are familiar with Jared Odrick. Odrick has great height and strength, and could play DT in the NFL. However, I believe that he would excel as a 3-4 DE. He is good at taking on a double team, but is a bit quicker than Aaron Smith. He is more reminiscent of Brett Keisel.
He had a few brushes with the law while at Penn State. This may frighten the Steelers off due to the recent rash of off-field incidents among their players. But Odrick would look very good wearing black and gold.
Alex Carrington (Arkansas State) – I watched Carrington destroy lesser competition in college. He won’t be able to do that at the next level. However, his mix of size and strength would translate well to the 3-4 DE position. His boldy could easily carry an additional 10-15 lbs., which would make him even more effective at the 3-4 DE spot.
He has relied heavily on his natural talents to this point. He must dedicate himself to the weight room, and pay attention to his coaches if he wants to meet his full potential at the next level.
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I believe the Steelers defensive line is still physically able to be the best even though they are 30+. If we can acquire people to defend against the pass, it will make for a more determined defensive line. The opposing QB’s won’t be able to pass as quickly if their receivers are decently covered. So don’t count the old guys out yet.
1The PS have failed badly thus far in developing the D for the future. Sadly, they show no signs of knowing that a D with an average age of starters and 2nd stringers of 32+ is not sustainable. The only positive is they didn’t sign Porter back.
Furthermore, I don’t see the continued continuity as a good thing – anymore. Farrior, Hampton, Smith, Harrison, Foote etc. These guys have won 2 SBs and are all in their 30s. Anyone who thinks these guys are busting their tails in prep for the season or during the season (see last year) is dreaming. The hunger is gone.
Lastly, Tomlin (like Cowher) and Colbert, have proven scared stiff to play the young guys and much favor nostalgia and throwing money at geezers like Farrior and Hampton simply because they did it in the past. It’s time to have some foresight and look to the future. Instead of weaning the team off the vets over last year and 2010, they will have to make wholesale changes for 2011. And that ain’t gonna be pretty friends.
2This is going to sound like a contradiction, but I agree with both Bill and TO.
I think the Steelers veterans are still physically able to be very good. Keisel and Snack both had career seasons last year, and when healthy, Aaron Smith is one of the best around.
However, a team has to be proactive in planning for the future. It is a lot easier to bring in a new player when you DON’T need him than when you do. Why wait until the pressure is on to bring in a younger defensive lineman? Why not do it now so they will have time to develop? If we wait much longer, the youngsters may have to play right away, and history has shown that not many rookies are ready to play in Dick LeBeau’s system.
We need more players in their 20′s, and fewer players in their 30′s, on defense.
3I find all of the draft speculation a lot of fun. I learned a few new names that had not been on my radar (Arthur Jones, Cam Thomas)and from the PG a safety named Kam Chancellor. I believe that the Steelers will take the best available OL, DL or linebacker at 18. I do not think we could go wrong with Dan Williams, but he seems to be moving UP to maybe a top ten slot. Unless there is a player like 43 in this draft, I do not want to see them move up.
4I’m going to partially disagree with both TO and Donald on this one.
First, anyone who believes Smith, Farrior and Harrison are NOT busting their tails in the offseason are the ones dreaming. I would never question their commitment. If anything, they are probably working more because they know, at their age, they need it. For some others on the team it may be an issue but I seriously doubt it is for them.
Second, they have been drafting lineman over the years…they have just all washed out. Whether that is from poor drafting or poor coaching, I don’t know.
I do agree, however, they could use another young DE and DT and I expect them to try to address it during the draft. I would also expect some movement on draft day as they have too many draft picks (10) for a veteran team that just signed a number of free agents.
5John,
I’m not sure which part of your response disagreed with me. Maybe I missed something.
Perhaps you meant that the Steelers have tried to draft defensive linemen. I’d agree in part. They’ve drafted 5 defensive linemen in the past 5 years. In the same time period, they’ve drafted 4 tight ends. Ziggy Hood is the only one of those defensive linemen who was drafted before the 4th round. In that same time, we drafted 2 tight ends in the first 3 rounds. Sounds like the team’s priorities are a bit mixed up to me.
6Don,
Yes, that was my partial disagreement. And, while there was only one above the 4th round, until the recent league-wide shift to the 3-4, that made sense. Smith was a 4th rounder and Keisal a 7th. Before half the league was looking for 3-4 ends, the Steelers were able to target guys in the mid to late rounds….they just did poorly for a few years.
Now, with so many teams switching to the 3-4 their margin for error is less and they will need to target guys earlier in the draft.
On the TE issue, Johnson was really chosen to be a H-back/FB but you will get no arguement from me about Spaeth. I’m still irritated by that pick.
Going slightly off topic (so I can vent), while I agree that Colbert does a great job in the first round, there have been too many misses in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. From 04-08 we have had 10 picks in rounds 2-3. Of those, I would say 3 were hits and 7 were misses. Of the hits, only two are still on the team (Woodley and Starks). Two starters from 10 picks is not a good average.
7While we have 10 picks the 3 comp. are not tradable. 6th and 7th round picks are rarely tradable either, except for maybe moving up one round the following years draft. That leaves 5 picks. I’m not adverse to trading the 4th or existing 5th to move up in the 2nd or 3rd round, but it seems like finding success in those rounds for Colbert is a flip of a coin anyway. Probably better off getting as many as as possible and praying a bunch work out.
8John,
I agree that Colbert has been terrible in the middle rounds. His track record is abysmal.
Based on that, I think I’d have to agree with TO that trading picks may be a bad idea. We may be able to mitigate Colbert’s poor selections by getting as many picks as possible. The more picks we have, the more likely someone will be decent (although history shows that most of Colbert’s 2nd-6th rounders are going to suck).
Does anyone remember Fred Gibson, Rian Wallace, Limas Sweed, Anthony Smith, Bruce Davis, Mike Humpal, Ryan McBean, Cameron Stephenson, Willie Reid, Orien Harris, Omar Jacobs, Charles Davis, Marvin Philips, Nathaniel Adibi, Bo Lacy, Alonzo Jackson, or Ricardo Colclough? Kraig Urbick may also be added to that group someday.
9the STEELERS need to go with the best player available in the 1st round as they did with Mendenhall. whatever the position. after that they NEED to address the defensive line for quality depth and need to use 2 or more picks to do so. no more receivers, TEs, OLBs or cornerbacks.
10hey, take it easy on Colbert now. anything after the 1st round is a real crap shoot. even with all the names you mentioned there are just as many that contributed to the STEELERS success. And what about the 1st round picks in the past 10 years? mendenhall, timmons, holmes, miller, big ben, polamalu, hampton, burress, faneca. the only real bust was Troy Edwards. I CANT WAIT FOR THE DRAFT!!!!
11I remember them all. The only one I might give him a pass on is Sweed. Sweed was considered by many to be the best WR in that draft and to get him in the middle of the second was good value. He gets open, I just don’t know why he hasn’t learned to catch the ball? Given the FA activity this year, however, he is as good as gone unless he really lights things up in camp.
I’m not sure the shotgun approach will work any better. How much time do they really get to train and assess them before they have to make cuts?
They say this is suppossed to be a really deep draft. But, I don’t follow college football enough to know whether this means there will be blue-chip talent available in the 2nd-3rd rounds or whether the later round guys are a lot closer to the 2-3rd rounders than they usually are? The answer to that question should drive the decision to trade up into the 2-3rd rounds or to stand pat.
12Rodney,
First, you seem to be contradicting yourself. Take the best player available – but no WR, TE, OLB, or CB’s?
Second, the original post pointed out that Colbert does well in the first round. In fact I will defend him again here – the pick you mention as a bust (Edwards) was pre-Colbert.
The 2nd-3rd rounds, however, are not a crap shoot. That is where you expect to get quality depth and a few starters. I would only call 5th-7th a crap shoot and I am not blaming him for missing on 5th-7th rounders.
As pointed out earlier, Colbert has not done well in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Previously, I looked at 2004-2008. Now I will look at his entire Pitt career except last year (too early to tell) which is 2000-2008.
What I found is that Colbert started quite well but has really fallen off since 2003. Overall, we had 17 2nd-3rd rounds picks.
I judge 6 of them as hits, 3 as OK, and 8 as busts. Of the six hits (Marvel Smith, K.Bell, Randel El, Hope, Starks, and Woodley) only 2 have occurred since 2003. Of the 3 OK (Clancey, Poteat, and McFadden) only 1 occurred since 2003. Of the 8 busts (Jackson, Coclough, Essex, A.Smith, Reid, Spaeth, Sweed, Davis), all 8 have occurred since 2003.
13John, when I said no recvr, olb, te or cornerbacks I was speaking of after the 1st pick. I think that was perfectly clear. And you can EXPECT quality depth and possible starters in the 3rd and 4th rounds all you like, but thats not what you will always get obviously hence my reference to a crap shoot. its all a crap shoot. there are #1 over all picks that have been bust. As Im sure YOU are aware.
14And another thing. I surely would not refer to McFadden as just OK. William Gay is ok. Being just OK doesnt get you a 2 year $10 million deal as a free agent. Why we didnt resign him is beyond me. I also wouldnt consider Essex, Sweed or Spaeth a bust at this time.
15Rodney,
1) Read the comment too quickly and missed the “after that”. Sorry about that
2) You seem to have an odd definition of the term “crap shoot”. I take the term to mean the results are essentially random and you should be happy if you get any good players. You seem to imply that unless you always get good players its a crap shoot.
While I would certainly agree that results from any draft selection are not certain I disagree that they are a crap shoot (other than for the Raiders). If this were remotely true, teams would simply fire their general managers and scouting departments and save a lot of money.
And it’s not like were criticizing Colbert for missing on 1-2 guys. If he were 6-11 over the past several years, we would not be having this discussion. But 3-11 since 2003 in the 2nd-3rd rounds is just bad.
16McFadden was a 2nd round pick on the team for 4 years. There is room to disagree on this but I rated him “OK” because, out of the 4 years, he only started part of one year. Why we didn’t resign him was the same reason no one offerred him a long term contract – he only started part of one year. Ergo, no one wanted to make a long term commitment.
Essex has been on the team 5 years and only broke into the starting lineup last year because he was the only non-rookie available. Even if no G’s are drafted this year, he’s liable to be beaten out by Foster (an undrafted rookie from last year).
Spaeth has accounted for all of 27 receptions over 3 years and he can’t block…that meets my definition of a bust.
In 2 years, Sweed has produced nothing on the field, has some mysterious ailment that put him on IR, and I can’t see how he makes the team without one of the other WR’s getting injured. As previously mentioned, however, I don’t blame Colbert as much one this one because Sweed was considered a borderline 1st rounder at the time. While it may be too early to give a final judgement on Sweed, he would have to be considered a bust at this time.
17I agree that KC has been very questionable in the middle rounds. I also feel that not enough attention (high round picks) have been spent on our lines. I know they are not sexy, but when # 7 only gets sacked 20 times or less, they will look better. Drafting for the DL to me is just as non sexy, but at this point with the age of our starters, we need to do it. OK, back to reading the War room.
18Has anyone else noticed that some teams are really good at drafting certain positions and they suck on the others?
19I would be disappointed if the Steelers pick Dan Williams even if he somehow fell to us. The DL needs attention, but it doesn’t need two consecutive years’ first round pick, not with all the other team needs.
20We are getting closer to the draft-it’s about to get interesting. I see the Steelers choosing more than one DL in this draft. They really need to re-load with the age of our starters. With Hood and Harris the only young back ups, we are thin for our future needs. My belief is that in the first two rounds we will go OL and DB. In Rnds 3 on, we will look at DL and LB (and I’m sure we will pick up an RB along the way.)I would not be surprised-in fact I would be delighted if we see a player in Rnd 2-4-like a DL- that we like and we package some picks and move up to take. With tenpicks, how many can realistically make the club? Bring in 7 or 8 (plus undrafted FAs)and we can have impact players at need positions plus the excitement of one of the UFA’s making the Team. I know we are commited to drafting the BPA but I sure hope we prioritize to our (IMHO)need areas of OL, DB, DL & LB.
21You’ve been gone a while. Are you OK?
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