Everyone agrees the Pittsburgh Steelers are in serious need of a defensive overhaul.
The unit has gotten old, slow, fat and injured and change has been needed.
It is expected that the team will focus heavily on the defensive side of the ball in the upcoming draft and with little depth in the secondary and on the defensive line, this decision is hard to argue.
The problem that many Steelers’ fans are aware of is that when the team drafts defensive players they are usually forced to sit the first year because of the complexities of the Dick LeBeau defensive system. Personally, this drives me nuts but it is what it is I suppose.
Last year was an exception with Jarvis Jones and even to a lesser degree with Shamarko Thomas because rookie defenders just don’t play much on defense in their first years.
This practice will now take on even more serious consequences because we cannot expect Dick LeBeau to coach forever. At 76 years old, LeBeau is a picture of good health but the fact remains that he will someday have to move on whether by choice or by force.
With this in mind, the Steelers have tough decisions to make. While they must draft players on the defensive side of the ball who will best work with LeBeau’s 3-4 defense, they must also consider the future.
Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert will tell us publicly that you have to draft for what you do today, not for the future and by and large that’s true. Ignoring the fact however that Dick LeBeau will not be around much longer would be a mistake and there’s no guarantee that Tomlin would stay with the 3-4 considering his history with the Tampa-two defense.
Of course this could all be a moot point if the Steelers struggle in 2014 and the whole staff is let go but let’s not go there just yet.
The Steelers are allegedly targeting cornerbacks Darqueze Dennard and Justin Gilbert as potential first round picks. There will also be at least one or two defensive linemen and linebackers drafted in May as well.
Should the Steelers be looking at guys who can easily make the transition should a LeBeau retirement be imminent? Not necessarily because it remains possible that Keith Butler, the linebackers coach could finally get his shot to run the defense.
Because the defense is so thin I do believe that rookies will once again be forced into action the way Jones was last year whether Dick LeBeau likes it or not. That said, the Steelers do have to consider life after LeBeau whether it be practical or not.
Marc Uhlmann writes for and co-owns www.steelcityblitz.com. Follow him on Twitter @steeldad and follow the website at @SCBlitz. He can be heard weekly on Trib-Live Radio talking Steelers and is a blogger for ESPN 970 in Pittsburgh.
14 comments
You make a great point that I hadn’t thought about until just now.
I’ve been saying for weeks the Steelers won’t draft Dennard because he doesn’t fit Lebeau’s scheme, which maybe they take him anyway, knowing it may not be his scheme much longer.
If the Steelers did want to transition to a Tampa-2, now’s the time to do it with so many positions in flux. Timmons, Jarvis, Heyward, McLendon, Cortez, and Shamarko are the only guys you worry about fitting, because they’re going to be around for a while.
I think Jarvis could transition to a 4-3 OLB spot easily, and if healthy Spence looks like a prototype OLB in that scheme as well. McLendon and Heyward play inside. Worilds played with his hand on the ground in college and has the bulk to do it (although I’m not sure I want to give him a long term contract without knowing how he transitions).
I’m getting way ahead of myself, but if they wanted to do it, it wouldn’t be any more of an overhaul than it really already is at this point.
I don’t see the Steelers personnel doing very well playing a tampa 2 scheme. They just don’t have the pass rush to pull it off. The Steeler defensive tradition is deep and LeBeau has been awesome but we have done quite well with other D- coordinators. And will in the future. With the moves this off-season and a good draft i see the Steelers back in the playoffs. The fact that we were so active during the free agent signing period to me indicates that the front office acknowledges the failures during the last several drafts. And as i have stated in other posts the jury is still out on the Steeler’s draft class of 2013.
Would you people please leave Jones alone. All you people do is moan and complain about the guy when all he did was try his 1st year. I don’t see your butts out there trying to do what he does. Leave the D alone. The 3-4 is the best system right now. You change the D coordinators then you cause confusion and flux within the D. Worilds is an 3-4 OLB not a damned DL. I still believe in the 3-4 even though some fools think otherwise. Why doesn’t someone ask LeBeau why rookies don’t play but no you all sit there and trash not only him but the system as well. Fine you want to say LeBeau won’t around much longer go ahead I won’t argue with you on that but when I hear someone come out and say why not change the system I get really irritated and for the life of me why would they change something they have been running since 1982 at this point or in the future? Here is an other question for you people: Ask the players if they would a position change in the D or have to play another system? I come out here and I don’t even attempt to tell you I know everything about the Steeler D because I don’t. You people got on my case when I blasted Wheaton and you people told me to wait another year before judging him so why is it different with Jones? Whether you people admit or not you have a Double Standard when it comes to Steeler players. You want to me wait 1 more year before I can bas Wheaton then you have to do the same thing with Jones and don’t even try to tell me otherwise.
Jarvis Jones problems last year were both mental and physical. And really had nothing to do with the system he was playing in. He just was not NFL ready my concerns with him are speed and strength. There are many player like him who are great college players but just don’t have the physical make-up to play in the NFL, maybe i’m wrong [wouldn’t be the first time]. When he was drafted last year i compared him to Zeke Gadson and i haven’t seen anything yet to make me change my mind.
My personal opinion is that you really can’t judge a guy after one year in the NFL. Did I expect more from Jones? Sure I did but I’m not ready to kick him to the curb just yet.
As for the 3-4 defense, what we’ve seen in recent years is just how specialized this version of the 3-4 is. Because DLB chooses to play the CBs off for the most part and rely on pressure from the front seven, his defense has to click on each and every cylinder or it just doesn’t work.
I don’t think any of us are saying we NEED or HAVE to move away from the 3-4 but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be discussed. DLB is not going to be here forever and who knows what direction will come next?
Keep in mind to guys, we are in the base 3-4 less than 45% of the time on per game basis over the last few years. We spend the vast majority in nickel and dime packages.
One note you guys may have missed… Woodley is reportedly going to play defensive end in Oakland which is where he played at Michigan. The fact that the Steelers didn’t even give him a shot to do that in their system speaks volumes of how specialized each position is in the DLB 3-4. Of course his injury history didn’t help either.
defensive comment in every way shape & form….geesh
I expect LeBeau to eventually being moved to a viewing booth and continuing overseeing the Def. assignments from his wheelchair, in about 8 more years. 🙂
As crazy as that sounds Craig I can actually are it happening! LoL
Past due for a change and I look forward to it and I no longer care if Keith Butler gets the Nod of If they give it to someone else like Carnell Lake. Who ever it is they need to play their rookies.
Agreed Rob. I’m ready for something new too.
You really think that if the rookies play more it will make a difference? Lets see here Jarvis Jones played an entire season on the outside and all he gets for that is fans whining and moaning about his play. I don’t wanna hear it was mental and physical problems cause all I heard from you the fans was “this guy stinks and should be traded’ but when I bring up Wheaton and how if wasn’t going to be used as a WR then put on ST you all came to his defense and blasted as well in the process well guess what I’m doing the same thing with Jones and blasting you guys for criticizing Jones and his work ethic. The fact you bring up that Woodley is going to play DE in Oakland is laughable. you people have seen what happens to players who end going to Oakland so your argument about the Steelers not considering it is a mute point. Hey Robert what makes you think Lake could run this Defense? Keith Butler is a good choice but you have to take in what the players think. You all saw what happened when Arians was fired so what makes you think the D players wouldn’t get mad if LeBeau left?
I think you mean ‘moot’ point and I disagree. Oakland may be a train wreck of an organization but why would Woodley agree to play DE then? He could have made that transition had he really wanted too.
It’s quite simple: He is washed up and everybody in Pittsburgh knows it. From the fans to sports talk show hosts they all came to the same conclusion: Woodley is finished. Besides it’s Oakland what exactly is he going to accomplish. Here is guy who once taunted a Radio Host who worked in the afternoon during a morning show, well that radio host flat out called out Woodley to come his show and go face to face with him and Woodley never showed up. Woodley himself said he didn’t care which side of the D he played on as long as he could play. Well ask yourself would you pay 8mil for a DE who can’t stay healthy and no longer cares about performing since he got his big payday. Now tell me something if you had choice between these 2 guys who would you take at DE: Woodley or Kiesel? Furthermore if you guys are telling me to back off Wheaton then you guys must do the same for Jones. Yes Jones had a bad year but why is everyone so insistent on trading him? I get blasted on here for talking bad about Wheaton so I decide to back off and wait another year, my question why aren’t you guys or at least some of you doing the same for jones? Is it because you think there were better options or you have this double standard about him and Wheaton?
Hey Vittorio , we are all rooting for the same team, blogging is just a spirited debate. All i keep saying is, with the recent track record and with last year performances the 2013 draft class has yet to show much from any of the picks. So it’s all an unknown, should these guys be given a chance?? YES but don’t hand them starting spots just because they are high draft picks and always remember your not good because the Steelers drafted you, your good because you are.