Do We Have Too Many DLinemen?

[flippy]

All of a sudden we're more stocked on the DLine than LB. Seems a little odd for a 3-4, doesn't it?

Hampton, McClendon, Keisel, Heyward, and Hood

vs

Timmons, Harrison, Woodley, Foote

Add in the rookies on each unit and call them a wash for now. Of course we've got Sly and Worlids, but I haven't seen enough out of those 2 yet to know what we have.

Just seems like we've got more guys on the line and not enough LBs and this is supposed to be a LB's defense. What's going on?

[Pops8]

shift to a 4-3 base front.

[Oviedo]

We are stockpiling the DL so when LeBeau goes out the door we can transition to the 4-3. Why else have we been picking up more DL versus LB the last couple of years? LeBeau is the only reason we aren't going to the 4-3 right now.

[Pops8]

We are stockpiling the DL so when LeBeau goes out the door we can transition to the 4-3. Why else have we been picking up more DL versus LB the last couple of years? LeBeau is the only reason we aren't going to the 4-3 right now.

-------JH---------Timmons------Woodley
--Heywood----Hood-----McClendon-----Kiesel

[Oviedo]

-------JH---------Timmons------Woodley
--Heywood----Hood-----McClendon-----Kiesel

Woodley is a 4-3 DE if we would ever shift. Guy would be a beast.

Timmons would be OLB.

[steelblood]

Woodley is a 4-3 DE if we would ever shift. Guy would be a beast.

Timmons would be OLB.

I really don't know about that. Woodley is awfully short for a 4-3 DE. He plays like a base end but doesn't really have prototypical height or weight for the position. I'm sure he'd be good in a rotation.

I wouldn't be against switching to a 4-3. And, I agree that Tomlin has hedged his bets a bit with some of the personnel he has taken. But, I'm not sure Woodley is as natural a fit at 4-3 end as you suggest.

[Crash]

We're thin at DL.

[Slapstick]

Current DL players:

NT = Hampton, McClendon, Ta'amu, Cade Weston

DE = Keisel, Hood, Heyward, Al Woods, Corbin Bryant, Jake Stoller, Ikponmwosa Igbinosun

Thin? I wouldn't say thin, necessarily...

But, with Hampton recovering from ACL surgery, I would say much of the DL depth is unproven...

We know McClendon can play and we strongly suspect that Ta'amu can as well, but we haven't seen it...Weston was a Pats* pick in 2010 who went on IR and was waived...he was on the Colts PS last year...

After Heyward, there are several unproven guys at DE...

Al Woods was a 4th round draft pick of the Saints in 2010 who was cut and signed to the Pittsburgh Practice Squad after Training Camp...the Buccaneers signed him from our PS and he played in 2010 as a reserve...in 2011, he was with Seattle for a short stint as a reserve before he was cut...Pittsburgh signed him to the active roster...so, he was on our PS last year and the team thought enough of him to bring him back...after Woods, there is no one who has played a regular season snap in the NFL...

[RuthlessBurgher]

Hampton (entering his 12th season and turning 35 in September) and Keisel (entering his 11th season and turning 34 in September) won't be around much longer. This is the last year of Hampton's contract, and Keisel is signed for this season and next. When Big Snack and Da Beard join Aaron Smith and Chris Hoke in retirement, we'll have McLendon and Ta'Amu splitting time on the nose plus Hood and Heyward starting at the ends, with Corbin Bryant and Al Woods behind them for rotational depth purposes (they have shown some promise in training camps past, but have been primarily practice squadders up to this point...it remains to be seen if they can take the McLendon route from the P.S. that stands for Practice Squad to the P.S. that stands for Pittsburgh Steelers). If not, perhaps someone else like Kade Weston or Ikponmwosa Igbinosun (everyone's favorite name since Chris Fuamatu-Ma'Afala) can step and make the team take notice instead.

[RuthlessBurgher]

We're thin at DL.

As long as Casey Hampton remains on our roster, we'll never be accused on being thin at DL.

[phillyesq]

The defensive line is certainly a unit in transition. At the start of last season, Aaron Smith and Chris Hoke were on the roster. They are now replaced by Ta'amu and Corbin Bryant, Al Woods or one of the UDFAs, with Hampton and Keisel both coming off of injuries.

There is a mixture of youth and experience at DE, but I think the Steelers will need to invest in, at a minimum, a rotational DE next year (largely dependent on the development of Ta'amu).

[Pops8]

Woodley is a 4-3 DE if we would ever shift. Guy would be a beast.

Timmons would be OLB.

Yes, I thought about that as a possibility as well. But in that scenario, who do you put at MLB? Certainly not Foote I hope.

Of course its all piss in the wind...it isn't going to happen. Its just pissin' in the wind conversation (and I am feeling quite damp.)

[Crash]

Woodley will not be a 4-3 DE for us. He's paid to be a OLB, and that's where he stays. His advantage as a player is because he can do both speed and power as a OLB.

Why the obsession with always trying to change people?

[Chadman]

Woodley will not be a 4-3 DE for us. He's paid to be a OLB, and that's where he stays. His advantage as a player is because he can do both speed and power as a OLB.

Why the obsession with always trying to change people?

This from the guy that wants Pouncey at OG so Legursky can play OC...

[Crash]

This from the guy that wants Pouncey at OG so Legursky can play OC.

And WHY? Because I think if Lego has to start, I think it's better to have the better athlete at guard, and leave Lego at center.

Pouncey IMO is wasted as a C. His talent would be used BETTER at guard. If you want to run the ball? You needs guards who can block. Pouncey/Lego/DeCastro inside would be ridiculous.


I also think Lekursky is better at calling blocking schemes than Pouncey.