Two years ago, Artie Burns and Sean Davis had virtually no shot at starting.
Even playing would've been a challenge, even for the top two rookies in the Steelers' draft class.
Now, they at least have a chance.
The Steelers on Tuesday open their four-week voluntary but highly attended on-field organized team activities at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, with a handful of holes in the secondary that could be filled by the Steelers' top two rookies.
When Keith Butler took over for veteran Dick LeBeau as defensive coordinator last year, one of the most notable changes was Butler not bogging down the unit with the complexity of the defense.
Instead, he simplified it and let players play. The volume of the playbook was scaled back dramatically to reduce mental errors, which allowed young players to get on the field sooner than in the past.
It had positive results.
Sacks went from 33 to 48; turnovers went from 21 to 30; and points allowed dropped almost four per game as the Steelers advanced to within three minutes of the AFC championship game despite an injury-riddled roster,.Players such as rookie linebacker Bud Dupree and inexperienced cornerback Ross Cockrell saw plenty of playing time.
Veteran outside linebacker Arthur Moats said Butler's approach was crucial to their success in 2015 and key to their plans in 2016.
“Coach LeBeau is going to challenge you more mentally in the sense of going into some games to have 30-40 calls, and you have to be able to execute them at a high level,” Moats told the Tribune-Review. “A lot of the younger guys couldn't get on the field right away because the mental complexity of it would be overwhelming for them.
“Coach Butler is more about simplifying things and let your ability take over. The younger guys can play faster because they don't have to think as much.”
Dupree took over a starting outside linebacker spot midway through the season after playing half the snaps leading up to that. Cockrell, who was picked up by the Steelers shortly before the season after Buffalo released him, played nearly 700 snaps.
According to Moats, that should give rookie draft picks Burns, Davis, Javon Hargrave, Tyler Feeney and Tyler Matakevich an opportunity. Also, 2015 second-round pick Senquez Golson, who was lost for the season during the spring with a shoulder injury, should be in better position to play right away under Butler.
“If those guys are ready to play, they are going to get that opportunity,” Moats said. “But I don't feel like any of them have got to be forced into action. Their talent is going to speak for themselves. You see what they did at the collegiate level. They can help us out right away, whether it is special teams first then get into the defense. You don't draft guys in the first round to have them sit.”
However, the Steelers are pretty set on defense in Butler's second year. For a third straight year, they used their first two picks in the draft on defensive players (Ryan Shazier and Stephon Tuitt in 2014; Dupree and Golson in 2015; and Burns and Davis.)
Only Steve McLendon doesn't return from the starting front seven from last year's team, which was third in the league in sacks and turnovers. The rotation of linebackers —Moats, Dupree, James Harrison and Jarvis Jones — will continue, and as giving Moats has confidence that the Steelers are close to being a dominant defense once again.
“I feel as the season ended last year that we were getting better and better,” Moats said. “From a confidence standpoint, we were just a more confident group.”
Moats started 10 of 16 games last year and finished with four sacks despite splitting time with Dupree. Moats, who injured his pectoral muscle in the playoff loss to the Broncos, feels the Steelers are a better team than Denver. The Broncos won Super Bowl 50.
“We just didn't have a couple of plays here and there that didn't bounce our way,” Moats said.
“To see Denver to go out there and win it all, we know that we are the better team and what we are capable of. It fuels us that much more for this season.”
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Originally Posted by feltdizz
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