They really don't. There isn't anything about the OL unit that makes you think there is enough talent to be more than average.
OT: Steelers - who do they build around?
- Thread starter Chairman Moe
- Start date
And a lot of that is due to the Steelers drafting around the 18-22 range. When there's a class with a really good (franchise-type) OL (tackle) player or two, they are gone before the Steelers even get a sniff
The most optimistic way I can argue in favor of the OL is:
- McCormick and Frazier were ok to good at times as rookies
- Fautanu was like a top 5 OL draft prospect in the last 5 years. He won a job as a rookie. Seems like he has a good base and was on a good trajectory prior to getting hurt.
- Jones has physical tools that can't be taught. Good tape in college. He was very young and raw and always needed some seasoning and coaching. The light may come on for him.
So that's 4 young guys, 3 of whom were highly drafted, who possibly can play. I'm not saying it's likely that all or most hit but it's not crazy to think that they could be good as a unit.
2021. There are guys starting all over the league, including a couple of all-pro centers, that the Steelers passed on.
Why not ?
This narrative is silly
nah
I’ve been told the HC has all the power !
Jones wasn't even the best tackle at Georgia and he got beat out by Fauntanu, who was projected by just about everyone as a Guard in the NFL. Frazier is decent but he's never going to be more than average and that's not even a slight against him. But he's never been a pass blocker. McCormick is a bit of a mystery and only because he's pretty raw. The truth is that there really isn't anyone even close to elite on the unit. They could be a middle of the road unit and that's about it.
They could have a really good OL with many of the guys that they've passed over. I mean, Baltimore did more for their OL in the past two years than Pittsburgh has done in recent memory.
1st round - Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu
2nd round - Zach Frazier
UFAs - James Daniels, Isaac Seumalo
That's priority and investment from the front office. Of course, Tomlin hires a scrub OL coach to guide and develop this group and it looks like a total disaster.
I wouldn’t go as far as a disaster for next year but I’m definitely with you as far as questioning the number of posters being so optimistic about the OL going forward. Seems to be only one reason why that is, two 1st rounders snd one 2nd rounder. Everyone serms to glaze over how they’ve played as a unit.
Fautana is still a question mark and, while everyone thinks moving Jones to LT is the solution to making him better, the thought of him at LT is a little scary.
Yeah I think they need to further upgrade the OL. I’m not sold that this OP can be a top half of the league unit. It’s not near as bad as it was but it’s not near good enough to win
IMO they need a legit OL coach first. Dotson became a really good guard after leaving and even Green was serviceable. Will be interesting to see how Moore does with another team
You’re confident that a pedigreed DC would come here? Why now? How long has it been since Dick Lebeau? Tomlin’s defense doesn’t work. Why would someone come here to be Tomlin’s understudy? Might be career suicide since coordinators come here to die. Where are the last few coordinators who were here?
Highest paid defense in the league will still be the highest paid defense in the league without Minkah.
The investment in defense was sooooo effective that Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson had their best games of their careers against said defense.
This defense blows.
Hey - no doubt the former GM screwed the pooch for multiple years .
The owner is the boss . He makes the hires
The former GM? What did he do?
The owner needs to foist a DC on Tomlin like he did Todd Haley back in the day. That’s the only way we get a pedigreed guy, and a different innovative system. But it won’t happen.
So
As noted
The owner is Tomlin’s boss and can dictate coaching hires and fires .
Hailey was hired to do one job - protect Ben’s health with quick plays .
That’s why he was hired by Rooney
If they were investing in the OL, they would do what they could to trade up and get a true first round tackle. They wouldn't have passed over an all-pro Center for a TE. You don't draft Joey Porter Jr. when two very good interior linemen are right there for the pickings. There were a whole host of good OL-men sitting there in the third round this past year, many of whom played very well this past season as rookies, but the Steelers sat on their hands and drafted Roman Wilson. OL has never been a priority under Tomlin and in particular, they don't worry as much about pass pro, choosing to bring guys in that are run block first. The player evaluation isn't there. You have to actually INVEST in the O-line. Not keep throwing money at the defense. Yeah, the coach sucks but the Steelers have not done made OL a priority in a really long time.
The owner doesn't dictate coaching hires and fires. If he's doing that then Tomlin is an incompetent boob.
They had to protect Ben's health but running quick plays?! Or maybe they could invest in some OL talent, not draft a college guard that played a few games at Center and put him in front of your HOF QB. You're kind of making it worse because you're insinuating that nobody at the top knows what to do to fix very basic problems.
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