Just wanted to say a belated thanks to our Birthday Boy for his
always-excellent work on this piece. Great stuff, although I was more
optimistic at the time and am even more now.
This draft is critical, but if they play their cards right we could see
them end up with 9 picks and a bunch of contributors right out of the
gate.
Hoping to share more on some players that I like and of course looking
forward to some discourse during the actual draft.
Streetr
On Tue, Mar 2, 2021 at 5:25 AM Eric Johannsen <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Thanks Dave, always well thought out and even keeled.
I agree that Ben played scared this season, for a couple of reasons.
Players often cite the difference in training in the offseason vs.
rehabbing in the offseason as having a major impact on how the season plays
out. I totally understand this, especially with older players, and
ESPECIALLY when it comes to an aging QB who was rehabbing his throwing
arm. For better or worse, Ben came through the season healthy, and that
does bode well for him coming into next season. I think he'll return to
some of his past performance levels, as evidenced by how he played in the
2nd half against the Colts and also how he led the team somewhat back into
the playoff game after the worst 1st quarter of playoff football in the
history of the NFL. I also think he knows in the back of his head that
should he suffer another season-ending injury then that's how his career
will end, and he protected himself by getting rid of the ball uber quickly
and never sticking his head into the pile for a yard. He was certainly not
helped by the worst running game in the league, so an attention to that
this offseason will only help the offense overall.
There is always a degree of luck involved with teams that win the Super
Bowl in terms of how healthy a team stays, and on defense that was sorely
evident. Losing Bush hurt, but doubling down and losing Dupree was the
death knell that the team could not recover from. I still think back to
the team we had when Shazier got hurt, and will always contend that his
injury was the reason that team didn't win it all. They were unstoppable
on offense and the defense was solid enough. Losing him killed them, as
evidenced by them having to go and sign Sean Spence off of his couch to
come play against the Patriots in the Jesse James game.
We are in for a stretch of years where we will likely be looking up at at
least 2 if not all 3 teams in our division - 2020 was the last best chance
for this group and in particular this QB. Going from 11-0 to 12-4, with a
one-and-done home playoff loss showed how far and how fast the wheels just
fell off.
Eric in NJ
-----Original Message-----
From: David Reid <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Steelers List <steelers_pb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tue, Mar 2, 2021 7:33 am
Subject: [steelers_pb] Autopsy on a season and other thoughts
Thought I’d take some time to digest what we had seen this season before
putting fingers to keyboard, the ridiculousness of running the Browns close
with a team of backups one week before spotting them a 28 point lead inside
14 minutes of the start of a playoff game is still hard to fathom.
It was a season where they just ran out of steam, from such a brilliant
start in the first two months of the season, where the problems of game
management seem to have been cured, to creaking at the seams against the
Ravens, before the dam broke against Washington and the season, in all
honesty, collapsed. Repercussions were always inevitable and the overhaul
of the coaching staff was not a surprise. In the early going, things were
really positive, mainly because they had shown the propensity to adjust
in-game when they got bogged down on offense, something that they hadn’t
shown too much evidence of in previous years, but by season’s end they had
reverted to type and couldn’t execute the most simple of plays.
Whether it was physical or not, Roethlisberger played most of the season
scared and the playcalling reflected that. Ben’s footwork was absolutely
horrific in the pocket, he didn’t stride into any throws with the
confidence he had in the past and passes sailed or died depending on the
situation. He wasn’t helped by a disaster of an offensive line and a 3 week
span of the receivers collectively dropping everything in sight, either,
and we’ll come onto those things in a moment, but when you are calling
plays or designing game plans with the number one goal of protecting your
QB, you are in big trouble, yet that’s what they did. Think of the number
of times in short yardage where Ben could trip over and gain two yards,
yet, I can’t recall one QB sneak all season. I can’t recall many throws
especially in the second half of the season where he stood in the pocket to
take a hit or moved around to buy himself more time. Everything was short,
everything was thrown before the first down marker and teams feasted on it.
It wasn’t until they started airing it out with the season on the line
against Indianapolis that they showed signs of life. At one point I was
thinking about why they didn’t go to seven or ten step drops from under
centre it was so bad. And now we have the eternal question of whether we
have seen the last of him (or at least “the last of the best of him”) and
whether that is a good thing or a bad thing and I’m not sure if there is a
right answer to it anymore, especially if they are playing to protect him
and not to play expansive offense. If they are prepared to open things out,
then that might work, but with the cap number and everything, with a new
offensive co-ordinator coming in, I would very much be at peace with it if
Ben did leave, especially if he limits in any way by what can and can’t be
installed in the offense.
The Steelers hold all the cards here, that's for sure, everyone is making
the right noises about him returning, but there is a deadline here and he
would be returning on their terms and their terms only. I’ve always been a
fan of Matt Canada’s work - if not his nomadic tour of the country in
search of a tenure lasting more than one season - going back to his time at
Pitt and beyond, he was innovative, he played an attacking brand of offense
including in the running game and if there is one thing this team needs to
get it’s head around it is to design schemes and philosophies that matches
the skills and talents of their personnel and not the other way around. Too
many times, across the league, teams fail because they try and put square
pegs in round holes and to that end, if they are really letting Canada
install a totally new offense, it may represent Mason Rudolph’s best chance
to thrive. I’m high on Rudolph and I know the Steelers are, too, to get him
in a scheme with corresponding characteristics to the one he ran at
Oklahoma State under Mike Gundy is an example of tailoring things to your
personnel that I am in favour of. Mason showed in week 17 that he has the
live arm to thrive in an open attack and his accuracy has really come on
too, he can be the answer at QB. I’m not going to get into questions around
the draft right now, we don’t know how decimated the Steeler roster will
be, because of the cap and free agency, we don’t know how the scouting and
evaluation process will go under these most unique of circumstances we find
ourselves in, but the Steelers will stack all they know about Rudolph and
how he has developed up against this class of QB’s and will make a
determination as to what the best path is to follow - and I don’t think
it’s automatic that they would consider a QB at 24 even if one fell to
them, which is probably unlikely anyway. We will see what happens with Ben,
but again, if the 2021 season is going to be one of transition, if that
evolution of the team and roster begins at QB, it might not be a bad thing.
Mason would then be in the final year of his deal next season, the Steelers
could either extend or let him go depending on how successful he is in 2021.
The receiving corps was hampered by the ultra cautious playcalling for
most of the season. Someone will overpay for Juju in free agency, mainly
based on his age and potential, I’ll be honest and say I’ll be sad to see
him go, he’s talented and I think he can still line up and produce in any
position, but he was hampered by the malaise under center these last couple
of seasons. Dionate Johnson failed to take his chance to become the number
one last year, the inconsistency in catching the ball in college plagued
him again last season an issue that needs to be eliminated. Chase Claypool
faded down the stretch but showed he has the possibility of being a future
number one. Despite this, I will maintain to my dying day that to pick him
in round two when distress flares were being let off across the offensive
line will hurt this team in many ways in the coming years. James Washington
again had another quiet season without complaint, I really think if Rudolph
takes the wheel that James will be the major beneficiary, especially as he
enters his final year under his rookie deal too. Ray-Ray McCloud is an
interesting name to watch as he certainly has the skills that Canada craves
in his receivers such as the later speed on sweeps, he had a good year
returning the ball this year until he dropped one and then became gun shy.
Tight End is dangerously thin, Eric Ebron had an Ebron-esque season,
highlighted by great plays, drops and inconsistency and it’s too much to
expect anything out of Zach Gentry entering year three at this stage.
Additions to both WR and TE groups will be plentiful.
For a brief period at the beginning of the season, it appeared that the
Steelers had cured their running game woes from 2019, four of the first
five games featured a 100 yard runner and everything in the garden looked
good. Then, the wheels fell off. The holes disappeared, no backs ran with
any real authority, playcalling became simplistic and predictable, the line
failed and now so many questions remain. I love James Conner, I love his
story, I love his ability, but he can’t stay healthy. Maybe he returns if
there is little interest on the open market, but it will be on the Steelers
terms. I haven’t seen anything from Benny Snell other than backup material,
Anthony McFarland may be another beneficiary of Canada taking control of
the offense, his speed was poorly utilised last year and I still have high
hopes for him. At fullback, I saw nothing from Derek Watt to suggest his
presence is a plus on this offense and the decline in Jaylen Samuels has
been a mystery, though again, vanilla playcalling meant his versatility
never had a chance to shine. Despite there being juicy names out there, I
would not pick a back in round one on principle, a star running back will
not change the fortunes of the running game - and there will be good
runners deeper in the draft - but an offensive line that can create some
space will.
The only thing I can say about the offensive line’s performance is that
this was coming. It had been coming a couple of years ago when the cracks
were obvious in Villanueva’s game, when Ramon Foster’s performance slipped,
when Marcus Gilbert was struggling and when the depth consisted mainly of
street free agents. Now, we have a huge hole at center (though again,
Pouncey I thought had been average for about 3 years now himself, playing
the position with a total lack of power) and question marks across the
board. Short yardage, pass, protection, it was all lacking. Too many times,
when the line needed a push, the line, individually and collectively, went
backwards. A pure left tackle needs to be the highest priority, Villanueva
was beaten too regularly by both speed and power off the edge and he won’t
be missed. On the other side, Okorafor did okay after he took over from
Zach Banner, I’d bring Banner back for depth that can start, on the list of
OL priorities, RT is a low one. DeCastro played hurt for most of the year
and it showed. Matt Feiler is not a starting calibre lineman at any
position in this league, the one bright spot is Kevin Dotson, who was
everything I thought he might be and then some more, he should move in at
LG, he was their most effective run blocker in limited action and the
decision to start Feiler over him down the stretch and especially in the
playoff game was ridiculous. A veteran center will be needed, I don’t know
what the Steelers expect to happen when they put the likes of Hassenauer
and Hawkins out there, but productive offense is not one of those things.
There’s a reason why those players are signed off the street, it’s because
they aren’t good enough to begin with. New coaching, multiple new faces,
the only way is up. I’ve always advocated drafting both offensive and
defensive linemen in the top four rounds of every draft regardless of need,
because of depth requirements and rotation, they will prove their worth in
time, the decision time and again to prioritise receiver and running back
depth over OL depth is why they are where they are, turning a new leaf on
offense, with limited cap room and a million question marks about the 2021
season.
Regression in the defense after the fruitful 2019 campaign was inevitable,
and although a good effort was put up, there were some concerns as the
weight of injuries and a lack of depth took their toll. Lack of depth is a
major worry on the DL, Heyward and Tuitt are mainstays, both were
tremendous in 2020, but again both have significant injuries in their past.
Who would have thought that Tyson Alualu would be a priority signing this
season, but here we are, mainly because the dropoff to Isiah Buggs was
significant when Alualu was down early in the season. Chris Wormley
disappeared and is also a free agent, but when the only other depth
alongside Buggs is Carlos Davis, Henry Mondeaux and Cassius Marsh, it’s
little wonder that teams had success in running the ball against them late
in the season and especially in the playoff game against Cleveland. The
Ravens and Browns will run the ball down this teams throat next season so
bolstering depth needs to be a priority along the DL.
The significance of the loss of Bud Dupree in the middle of the season was
incalculable in my opinion, but not for reasons you’d expect. Alex
Highsmith came in and showed something in the pass rush, but the loss of
Dupree and his ability to set the edge against the run was monumental. The
defense could not replace that. Dupree won’t be back and Highsmith needs to
defy the scouting reports he had in college and make the leap in year two
to a 3 down defender who can hold the edge and shed blockers against the
run. He also needs to work on his pass rush moves as well, if he’s not up
to it, then the Steelers have another hole to fill as well. There’s not
much to say about TJ Watt, other than he should have been Defensive Player
of the Year, the contract extension will make him the highest paid pass
rusher in the league, but it will be deserved. The loss of Devin Bush
wasn’t that keenly felt until later in the season when the loss of Dupree
meant that teams could run the ball inside and outside against this team
with impunity, his return is critical, but the Steelers again need to think
about how long Vince Williams can keep going for and the depth behind them.
I challenge anyone to watch the Browns playoff game again and tell me why
Robert Spillane deserves to be anything other than a special teamer in this
league, the sight of him going backwards as if he were on roller skates in
that first half will be etched in my memory for a while. Avery Williamson
intrigues, but probably won’t be back and Marcus Allen is solid in coverage
but needs to bulk up against the run. Again, the lack of depth at
linebacker is shocking, so many young, expendable types who might show
flashes, but in the end get exposed and nothing that you think can develop
into a starter. Help is needed.
For me, the highlight of the secondary this year was the play of Cam
Sutton and Mike Hilton, both unrestricted free agents now. Both have their
roles, but the roles they played were crucial, especially Hilton coming off
the edge against the run and pass. Their loss will be significant if they
aren’t retained. I thought the four starters regressed this year, I’ll be
interested to see if Joe Haden returns under a restructured contract, I
thought Steven Nelson’s play dropped off significantly this year too, both
need to rebound. I’m not sure how Minkah Fitzpatrick was voted All-Pro this
year, the voters obviously didn’t see him bounce off too many ballcarriers
as I did this year, his tackling was very, very poor and must get better.
Terrell Edmunds is exactly who we thought he was when they drafted him,
always a second too late, always taking a bad angle, solid tackler, but his
head must be sore after all the times he hits the low ceiling with it. With
Sean Davis and Jordan Dangerfield also free agents, you wonder where the
depth will be next year. James Pierre and Justin Layne are raw, though it
was good to see Layne play a little towards the end of the year and I
remain hopeful about him, but then when there are four key contributors,
not just to defense but also special teams who may not be retained, then
the cracks are appearing in the secondary too. This warrants close
attention this offseason, especially if Haden gets released and Hilton and
/ or Sutton are not retained, too.
Chris Boswell was terrific, Jordan Berry improved on his return, but they
can still do better there. McCloud needs to take more chances on returns,
otherwise, special teams will always be shaped by who is on the coverage
units, again, the possible loss of depth could have consequences here, too
In summary, for me, the question this offseason, regardless of whether Ben
returns or not, has been one of has the Steelers Super Bowl window closed
after this past season and I think that it has. If Ben returns, what will
he be returning to? An offense with at least three new starters on the OL,
the probable loss of his #1 receiver and running back from a year ago, a
new OC and QB coach, not to mention the questions regarding his own health
and the ability to put last year behind him. I think it needs to be spelled
out to him that a failure to improve would mean that Rudolph would supplant
him in Canada’s system, too, we can’t have a situation where the offense is
designed to primarily protect #7 at the expense of balance and the ability
to take shots down the field. But the bigger picture is there are just too
many questions now, the difference between the Steelers and certainly the
Browns and Ravens and maybe after the draft you could include the Bengals
in this too, is that the other teams in the division have the quality and
volume in depth you need to win in this league, whereas across the board,
the Steelers in my opinion, do not, outside of the receiver position. If
the hits in free agency are going to be as severe as I suspect they might
be (and I’m not as worried about the salary cap as others are, I just know
that teams will outbid and cherry pick the Hilton’s and Sutton’s and
Alualu’s that this team relies upon so heavily in the roles they have to be
productive and turn a good team into a great team) then I think the record
of this team never having a losing season under Tomlin will be threatened.
We’ll see, I’ve watched this team face offseason challenges for decades
now, but I can’t remember one that could potentially alter the course of
the franchise as much as this one will.