Steelers Not in Booger Sweepstakes...At Least So It Seems. 5 Questions Addressing What's Next?

as always…....do my best to add my insight

1) first of all, i don’t think we’re done on the D line, we’ll probably pick up a veteran who gets cut (hopefully for salary cap reasons, not for overly slipping performance) at some point in training camp, that said, Hoke has always been very good backing up Hampton, and I really liked our “Jumbo” package last year when we would use 4 linemen, Smith, Hoke, Hampton, Keisel….thats an ENORMOUS 4 man line, and everytime we went to it, we were successful (we used it the most in the Seattle game). i think you’ll see a little bit more of it mixed in this year. for other backups they are all average backups at best, so hopefully McBean gets healthy and can show something, or one of the UDFA’s can get in the rotation on a limited basis. not too worried about injuries, remember, Keisel is rarely injured, Hampton has been healthy the last few years, and A. Smith’s injury last year was his first ever, and not the kind of injury that is recurring (like ankle, back, or knee problems). so having a healthy starting D line the whole year isn’t much of a stretch.

2) Absolutely we can make noise with this D-line, if we are healthy the whole year. You are already seeing Tomlin lighten the workload for training camp, and that is probably partly due to the age of the D-line, doesn’t want them to wear out as the year goes on. You might also see some of the backups getting in the rotation at the beginning of the season, so that at the end of the season and the playoffs we can play the starters more and they will be fresher. Our D-line is excellent when healthy, which is usually.

3) Again, I really believe the OLBs can help. Remember, in a 3-4 defense at least one of the OLBs is almost always basically the 4th (or 5th if both rush) linemen. I don’t think Woodley is a case of all hype over nothing, he is tremendously strong and athletic, and also extremely skilled as a pass-rusher. I predict just over 10 sacks for him. Teams will pick their poison and early in the season they will continue to chip/double Harrison until Woodley proves he has “the goods” as Tomlin says. I see him doing that and going on a tear early in the season, especially since there isn’t alot of film on how to best defend him yet. Teams will then adjust and he’ll fall off the pace a bit but still be productive. Harrison should also be helped later in the season as teams start to sometimes focus on Woodley and thus, I predict about 12 for Harrison. This will also have the effect of further opening up the middle of the pocket for the famous “X-Blitz” our inside backers run all the time. With Timmons in the middle now that should also be improved. Early in the year we brought Ike Taylor on a couple corner blitzes and I thought he did well with it with his tremendous speed. With Timmons, who is much faster than Foote at the ILB spot now, we can afford to send a corner blitz a bit more often as Timmons can drop in coverage much better than Foote, and has the speed to keep up—at least for a few seconds.

4) I think our sacks total will be improved not greatly, but moderately, between Woodley and Harrison I expect 20-24. The inside linebackers should get another 10-12 between them (Farrior had six last year I believe). That puts us at 30-36 already. Throw in a few random sacks here and there from the D-line (Keisel should get a few), a few from the secondary, and a couple from backup LBs. 43-45. Along with that another year for Tomlin and LeBeau to tweak the playbook.

1. Depth is certainly an issue… I’m hoping Lebeau stays creative with his formations to rotate those guys out to keep them fresh. I feel like Keisel was in every single package last year which probably contributed to him not quite having the step to finish the QB off.

2. I agree that our D-Line just needs to be solid, not spectacular in rushing the passer. Letting our LBs and Troy apply the real pressure.

3. Woodley should start out well. He’s got it together. I don’t know if Pro Bowl is a reasonable expectation but I think that opposing lines will have a hard time blocking everyone this year.

4. I think we beat our sack numbers from last year by 7-8.

5. Isn’t there supposed to be 5 questions? Oh well… I’ll answer C.

Up front you have 6 experienced players to cover 3 starting spots, with any contribution from younger players such as McBean, Paxson, Clement, or Prince a bonus.

But at the OLB position, you have a 30 year old who has only one season as a starter in Harrison, a second year player who only had 14 tackles all of last season in Woodley, and a bunch of waiver wire journeymen like Arnold Harrison, Andre Frazier, Anthony Trucks, etc. Bruce Davis looks promising, but his time is at least a year away, he has to learn a new position. Patrick Bailey is in a similar situation with a less promising background than Davis. There are a ton of linebackers on the team, but no real star. Harrison’s 2007 season could just as easily be a fluke, and the guy seems to be just a step away from the jailhouse at any given moment.

Until Booger actually signs with some else, lets not lose hope, though I concede it doesn’t look good.

However, I think the defense is not only in good shape, but if we can keep injuries to a minimum they may be much better than they were last year. And they weren’t that bad last year.

Generally, I’m in violent agreement with what most of the other posters have said. Hoke is the best of the backups, but he should be strickly viewed as a backup in the middle. That four man group where he joined the three starters was very disruptive. Remember too that our systems is not designed for the linemen to be getting sacks. You know when they’re effective when they collapse the pocket resulting in hurries, throwaways and blocked passes. I think sack totals, hurries and other disruptions will increase because of our upgrades in the linebacking corp and a healthier and maturing secondary.

I think Woodley will do well, with other players to worry about, Harrison’s quality play will continue, Davis may be this year’s Woodley. But I think the big news this year will be Timmons. He has the size and speed to be an extremely disruptive presence, plus I think he will do for Farrior what we hope Sweed will do for Hines and Mendenhall will do for FWP; add years of highly productive play.

I don’t think Tomlin will let Ike plateau and settle, look for his play to continue to improve. With McFadden in a contract year, his, as well as Deshea’s play will be very elevated (Deshea doesn’t get enough credit in my opinion). Hopefully, Troy will once again be Troy and Clark will come all the way back. If that happens, odd as it may sound we may have one of the better secondaries in the league.

Have a total of about 25 career starts between them. There isn’t much behind them, either. It looks like Timmons will be an inside linebacker, along with Mike Humpal. I’m not sure about Keyaron Fox, but I imagine he was signed to provide depth outside. Beyond that, a couple of former UDFAs in Arnold Harrison and Andre Frazier who haven’t been able to stick anywhere for the past 4 seasons, and a couple of college defensive ends in Bruce Davis and Patrick Bailey. I don’t see this as being a position of great depth.

or better that we have enjoyed at that position for several years. Let’s look at the SB year for example. Starters Haggans and Porter. It has become fashionable to dismiss Haggans as useless, but he was playing very well back then. Backups were the Harrisons (James and Arnold), and Frazier. In other words the same group of thugs and ne’er do wells (your characterization) that we have now. So, we had what? One OLB (Porter) who was worth a damn and a bunch of pretenders. Wow that LeBeau can really coach. Given the fact that we are younger, bigger, stronger and faster with the addition of Woodley and Timmons (who I thought was originally an OLB and could probably play there in a pinch with Foote returning to his inside position). I’d have to say we’re in alot better shape, and I’m not even counting any contribution from Davis, who I believe will be able to achieve at least as much as Woodley did last year. Woodley was, afterall, also a converted college defensive end.

Obviously, I disagree with your conclusions.

Yeah our backups on the DL arent anything special. Hampton has a few more good years in him being that bolder in the middle. Smith of course the most underrated player in the league in my opinion will once again be solid. Keisel is ok. If any of those guys go down its a hit. Hoke played pretty well a couple years ago in place of Hampton though.

I love whats going on as far as linebacker. Harrison was all over the field last year, and i dont see why he wont do it again. Its hard to be a fluke at LB…when everything you do comes from instincts and athleticism. Its not like a WR getting lucky with a few TD catches. Haggans wasnt bad but he didnt give us much of a passrush. Im one of the many who think Woodley will spend alot of time in opponents backfields. Timmons is going to bring youth, speed, and athleticism in the middle. You know what your going to get from Foote and Farrior. Both have been more than solid over the years. So if Bruce Davis can contribute im sure the sack total will go way up. Not to mention a healthy Polamalu could possibly get you 4 or 5 sacks.

The key is staying healthy and the new guys running the scheme properly. If that happens, not only will sacks go up but so will turnovers.

To be honest i see more questions in our secondary then up front.