Steelers enjoying successful offseason
From the notebook of a sportswriter who believes the Steelers are enjoying a successful offseason:
n Not even an arrest for drunkenness at the beach. That was the summer of Antwon Blake, wasn’t it? And even that was considered mild relative to some of the nonsense that’s interrupted the summers of Pittsburgh media past.
n No, all we’ve seen this offseason from the Steelers involved moaning about/from the triplets, and James Harrison’s taeks on Mike Tomlin.
n Yes, I think taek is a word, as in I have a hot taek about Tomlin that goes like this: 116-60.
n Tomlin is ranked 10th all-time in winning percentage by NFL coaches with at least 10 years on the job, 15th overall.
n Tomlin’s .659 winning percentage is the best in team history.
n That’s all that matters in the NFL. Yes, teaching boys to become men is a huge part of coaching high school and college football. But the won-loss record stands as an NFL coach’s only legitimate description. That’s what Tomlin is.
No amount of subjective reasoning involving your perception of talent he was “given” will matter when that final W-L record goes into the books. Therefore, it’s irrelevant now, too. That stuff just can’t be measured.
n Tomlin’s 8-7 in the playoffs, but 3-5 since a narrow loss in his second Super Bowl. It’s pretty clear the Steelers had to rebuild since that Super Bowl, and it’s to Tomlin’s credit he hasn’t endured a losing season in that time. His highest draft pick during that period, Ryan Shazier, went down last season and left a massive hole in what was hoped to have been a finished defensive rebuild.
n Can we blame Tomlin for that loss last year? Sure. I questioned his leadership in discussing how the Game 14 Patriots were “part one” of a two-part plan prior to playing the Game 11 Packers. I have no doubt Tomlin learned from being schmoozed by his mentor Tony Dungy there. But I’m not questioning the fire the Steelers brought into that playoff game.
n I watch Tomlin and his team at every practice. He’s clearly in charge. Leadership ranks high among his character assets. Is he a players’ coach? I guess. The players think so. But more importantly, he’s himself. And being yourself as head coach of the Steelers means you pretty much rule the roost. You are the last word on everything, including the personnel that allows you to rebuild on the fly. If you want more of a hard-a%&, a disciplinarian, you’re going to either get A.) a fake Tomlin, or B.) someone else who doesn’t do all of the things Tomlin did that add up to 116-60.
n Communication and tackling were problematic even before Shazier’s injury late last season made it a massive hole, particularly with his backup injured, too. Those problems were addressed with the offseason signings of safety Morgan Burnett and ILB Jon Bostic.
n Pro Football Focus threw these stats out there the other day: The Steelers ranked 31st in missed-tackle percentage on run plays last season; Burnett and Bostic ranked first and eighth at their positions in tackling efficiency.
n The Steelers brought in four new safeties this season. That carries the potential for confusion, considering the importance of communication at the position, but how much worse can it be than last season?
n I expect Burnett to take that linebacker position in the dime alignment that William Gay played last year, and with Burnett I expect the Steelers to use the dime more frequently. And when Burnett moves there, first-round pick Terrell Edmunds — I assume — will take his place on the back end.
n Since the coaches appeared to be teaching Edmunds some of Troy Polamalu’s playmaking tricks as a strong safety, I expect Sean Davis to be moved to free safety, and thus Burnett to strong safety, in the base. That would lessen every player’s learning curve. Coaches think that way.
n Or, they could continue using their safeties on the right and left sides, as opposed to free and strong, as they did in the spring. I don’t think that’s what they want for the big picture, considering how Edmunds was used this spring, but it might lessen problems this season.
n Go ahead and worry about the lack of a clear No. 1 shutdown corner. It’s a legitimate concern. But when Artie Burns runs deep with Antonio Brown in practice and breaks up a Ben Roethlisberger pass, I worry less. Burns was hot and cold this spring. That inconsistency is the final frontier for the third-year, former first-rounder to iron out.
n While Burns is a decent No. 2 CB, Joe Haden’s a classic No. 2. He might get beat deep, but he’ll be more consistent, smarter, better against the run, all of that stuff that Burns — still a potential No. 1 — lacks.
n They have threes and fours and fives on the CB depth chart. No worries about depth. It’s the No. 1 spot in question, and Burns can still answer that in a positive manner because he sure flashes it.
n The defensive line is strong. And I’m not so worried about Bud Dupree.
n Or not as worried as I would be next year at $9 million per, if he still hasn’t “turned the corner” as a pass-rusher. At that price, Dupree needs to show the necessary bend that threatens quarterbacks. At a cheaper price, I’m OK with him being the No. 2 pass-rusher and getting his eight sacks via the speed, power and hustle we all know he possesses.
n The starting offensive line again enters at a championship caliber. They did lose a key backup in Chris Hubbard. Rookie third-round pick Chuks Okorafor instilled confidence in at least Maurkice Pouncey, who calls Okorafor the top sleeper entering camp.
n While I told Pouncey that third-round picks shouldn’t be considered sleepers, his eyes almost popped out of his head before he explained the importance of the swing tackle spot.
n I know No. 3 tackles are important, but it was good to have that driven home, and done so with the confidence that Pouncey has in the rookie from Western Michigan.
n We all want Heath Miller at tight end, and if we can’t have him, we all (or at least those of us who can remember) want Mark Bruener. The former was a better playmaker and the latter a better blocker. Both Miller and Bruener were the all-around tight end this team lacks. But, I believe there’s enough on hand that the position won’t be a hindrance, and could possibly be a help — if they hold on to the ball in the end zone.
n That brings us to the playmakers, the triplets, and I believe these guys are responsible for the nagging pall over this team as it enters camp, as if this had been one of those distraction-heavy offseasons.
n It hasn’t, but Roethlisberger started it off by crabbing about the rookie QB being drafted in the third round. Brown continued it with a strange mob interview during mini-camp. And then, of course, Le’Veon Bell passed on an attractive long-term offer from the team.
n Bell’s issue, while just business, seemed to anger fans most. But the way I see it, so much can happen by next spring when the sides will talk again. Bell will no doubt test the market and perhaps realize the Steelers are making the best offer and return. The point is that so much can happen, so why worry? Training camp, especially for him, just isn’t all that important. Last year’s slow start didn’t convince me otherwise, and this year they possess better backup runners.
n But I do understand the cloud that fans feel. No, there haven’t been any legitimate distractions, but the leaders don’t seem very enthused, do they?
n Thing is, I’m not all that enthused about training camp, either. That enthusiasm wanes with each passing year. But once I get there, once I make the transition from home base, my work ethic, my competitiveness, begin to overtake me. I begin to feel the adrenaline, even, I assume, in my 24th camp.
n That’s nine more than Roethlisberger. So I get the grouchiness from the key pieces. I also get that enthusiasm emerges with the realization that, hey, this is a pretty good team. So let’s stop brooding and get on with it.