Good Tuesday to you Steelers’ fans.
Today I want to turn my attention to the defensive line of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The loss of Javon Hargrave is, in my mind, significant. But… if the Steelers really wanted to keep him, wouldn’t they have found a way? That tells me there is a shift in their thinking. With base defenses spending only about 25% of their time on the field, the true nose tackle position has become a bit obsolete. But this goes further than just the nose. The Steelers have Cam Heyward. Nothing else needs to be said about him. They have Tyson Alualu who has already proven to be an excellent backup and spot starter despite him being on the downside of his career. Then there’s Stephon Tuitt. The talent is there but if the health isn’t then what good is the talent? Those three are the core of the unit today but what do they have for depth? The Steelers made a rare, inter-division trade with the Ravens to grab Chris Wormley who is currently the only NT listed on the roster. While I expect he will see time there he should offer flexibility to play end as well. They added rookie Carlos Davis late in the draft but I’m not sure how much to expect from him in year one. Isaiah Buggs, also a former draft pick, faces a season where he needs to take that next step. Not to be forgotten is Dan McCullers who somehow remains on this roster despite not providing much more other than a big body on occasion. If this unit stays healthy, it will be very, very good. That of course is a huge “if.” The loss of Heyward or Tuitt for any lengthy amount of time would be damaging to the entire success of the defense overall. So did the Steelers do enough to fortify the line during the off-season? That’s a question that can only be answered once we are deep into the season. For now, doubts will linger.
Tweet of the Day… I found this tweet to be very funny.
My brother always asks me where I get all this Steelers stuff from I’m like this place called the internet
— Nick (@Nick_1258) June 1, 2020
Ramon Foster
I don’t normally like to provide links to sites that are “our competition” but I felt that this piece, written by former Steeler Ramon Foster was well worth an exception. Ramon now writes for DKonPittsburghSports which is where this article is from.
Ebron
I was in the middle of a Twitter conversation about new Steelers’ tight end Eric Ebron when a Lions’ fan jumped in. He basically said what I already knew in that Ebron was a terrific athlete but be prepared to be let down. He cited Ebron’s questionable catching skills or in other words, his lack of quality hands. This has been the knock on Ebron from day one so it isn’t anything we didn’t know. His last comment was “maybe his third team is the charm.” I certainly hope that it is but this is why I often temper my expectations any time a free agent is signed. My hope is that Ebron becomes the downfield threat he’s shown glimpses of but I’m not going to be overly optimistic. I will take the ‘wait and see’ approach and hope for the best.
Have a great day Steeler Nation!
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