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Offseason Outlooks: Pittsburgh Steelers
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Posted By Brad Pinkerton 2:15 PM
[url="http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/FantasySourceBlitz/entry/view/55437/offseason_outlooks_pittsburgh_steelers"]http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/Fantas ... h_steelers[/url]
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh SteelersWho's hot?
QB Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben became the first 4,000-yard passer in Steelers history, finishing with 4,328 yards, 26 TDs and 12 INTs. He even added two rushing scores for good measure. Fantasy owners love to see the Steelers morphing into a passing team, but they have to be concerned about the hits Roethlisberger is taking. He was sacked a career-high 50 times in 2009, second most in the league, thanks in part to his stubborn unwillingness to simply throw the ball away at times. All those hits are eventually going to lead to a significant injury for Big Ben, but enjoy the passing stats until then.
Steelers receivers. With Roethlisberger setting passing records, naturally his receivers set a few marks as well. Last season was the first time Pittsburgh had boasted a trio of receivers with 70-plus catches; Hines Ward (95-1,167-6), Santonio Holmes (79-1,248-5) and Heath Miller (76-789-6). Those yardage totals represented career highs for Holmes and Miller, while Ward turned in his sixth 1,000-yard campaign. The problem is that Holmes and Ward will continue stealing targets from each other, keeping either from being a legit fantasy WR1. As for Miller, he'll remain active in the offense, but we probably saw his ceiling in 2009.
Who's not?
Steelers defense/special teams. The Steelers' fifth-ranked defense wasn't horrible, but the pass defense certainly suffered when S Troy Polamalu went down with two separate knee injuries. With Polamalu missing 11 total games, teams went right after the Steelers' secondary, which ranked 16th against the pass, and avoided the third-ranked run D. Plus, special teams gave up four kickoff returns for TDs. A healthy Polamalu will improve this unit in 2010, but it's clear that Pittsburgh will also need to upgrade at corner back and shore up special teams.
RB Willie Parker. Parker officially lost his starting job to Rashard Mendenhall in Week 4, and didn't see double-digit carries again until Week 17. The unrestricted free agent isn't expected to return to Pittsburgh, either, as Mendenhall is firmly entrenched as the starter. Coming off a 389-yard season, the 29-year old Parker will have trouble finding a starting gig in 2010, wherever he ends up.
Who's hurt?
Polamalu is not believed to have required surgery on the PCL he sprained late in the season. Assuming that's true, he should be ready for OTAs in March. Aside from that, there aren't any significant injuries for Pittsburgh to worry about this season. WR Limas Sweed landed on IR late in the season due to personal issues, and his role with the team going forward is uncertain given the emergence of Mike Wallace.
Who has contract issues?
There aren't many significant contract issues for the Steelers this offseason. Parker is an unrestricted free agent, as is K Jeff Reed, but the Steelers are likely to only bring back Reed. S Ryan Clark, Polamalu's replacement last season, is also a free agent. However, he figures to make more money on the open market than the Steelers will be willing to give him to return as Polamalu's backup.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Posted By Brad Pinkerton 2:15 PM
[url="http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/FantasySourceBlitz/entry/view/55437/offseason_outlooks_pittsburgh_steelers"]http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/Fantas ... h_steelers[/url]
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh SteelersWho's hot?
QB Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben became the first 4,000-yard passer in Steelers history, finishing with 4,328 yards, 26 TDs and 12 INTs. He even added two rushing scores for good measure. Fantasy owners love to see the Steelers morphing into a passing team, but they have to be concerned about the hits Roethlisberger is taking. He was sacked a career-high 50 times in 2009, second most in the league, thanks in part to his stubborn unwillingness to simply throw the ball away at times. All those hits are eventually going to lead to a significant injury for Big Ben, but enjoy the passing stats until then.
Steelers receivers. With Roethlisberger setting passing records, naturally his receivers set a few marks as well. Last season was the first time Pittsburgh had boasted a trio of receivers with 70-plus catches; Hines Ward (95-1,167-6), Santonio Holmes (79-1,248-5) and Heath Miller (76-789-6). Those yardage totals represented career highs for Holmes and Miller, while Ward turned in his sixth 1,000-yard campaign. The problem is that Holmes and Ward will continue stealing targets from each other, keeping either from being a legit fantasy WR1. As for Miller, he'll remain active in the offense, but we probably saw his ceiling in 2009.
Who's not?
Steelers defense/special teams. The Steelers' fifth-ranked defense wasn't horrible, but the pass defense certainly suffered when S Troy Polamalu went down with two separate knee injuries. With Polamalu missing 11 total games, teams went right after the Steelers' secondary, which ranked 16th against the pass, and avoided the third-ranked run D. Plus, special teams gave up four kickoff returns for TDs. A healthy Polamalu will improve this unit in 2010, but it's clear that Pittsburgh will also need to upgrade at corner back and shore up special teams.
RB Willie Parker. Parker officially lost his starting job to Rashard Mendenhall in Week 4, and didn't see double-digit carries again until Week 17. The unrestricted free agent isn't expected to return to Pittsburgh, either, as Mendenhall is firmly entrenched as the starter. Coming off a 389-yard season, the 29-year old Parker will have trouble finding a starting gig in 2010, wherever he ends up.
Who's hurt?
Polamalu is not believed to have required surgery on the PCL he sprained late in the season. Assuming that's true, he should be ready for OTAs in March. Aside from that, there aren't any significant injuries for Pittsburgh to worry about this season. WR Limas Sweed landed on IR late in the season due to personal issues, and his role with the team going forward is uncertain given the emergence of Mike Wallace.
Who has contract issues?
There aren't many significant contract issues for the Steelers this offseason. Parker is an unrestricted free agent, as is K Jeff Reed, but the Steelers are likely to only bring back Reed. S Ryan Clark, Polamalu's replacement last season, is also a free agent. However, he figures to make more money on the open market than the Steelers will be willing to give him to return as Polamalu's backup.
