Gone this year are Cortez Allen, Antwon Blake, Sean Spence, Terence Garvin, Steve McLendon, Will Allen, Brandon Boykins, and Cam Thomas. The only player out of that group who will be missed is McLendon. New faces in key positions are: Artie Burns, Sean Davis, Tyler Matthews, Jason Gilbert and new backup quarterback Zach Mattenberger. Even though most of the new faces are young they add much needed speed and athleticism to the Steelers defense.
The Steelers defense looks like this: Defensive line: Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt, many consider to be the best tandem in the league. They are backed up by Ricardo Mathews and L.T. Walton. Jerome Hargrove beat out Daniel McCullers for the starting nose tackle position. Hargrove looks like he’s headed for greatness. Which may just give the Steelers the best frontline in the game.
The Steelers are loaded at linebacker again. The outside linebackers are: Arthur Moats and Jarvis Jones backed by Anthony Chickillo and James Harrison. The middle starters are: Ryan Shazier, and Lawrence Timmons, backed by Tyler Matakevich and Vince Williams. Timmons is an All Pro and Shazier may join him with the same for Jones and Moats. There will be no better set of linebackers in the league.
So what will the secondary look like?
The defensive secondary will have to prove itself again this season with a lot of new young faces headed by veteran William Gay. Joining Gay will be Ross Cockrell who showed a lot of promise last season. They are backed up by Artie Burns and Justin Gilbert. The safeties are: Robert Golden at strong safety and Mike Mitchell at free safety. The backups are Jordan Dangerfield and Shamarko Thomas. The big question is can they function as an effective unit. If they can, look for the defense to rise back to the top of the league again. If not they will have to depend on the front line and the offense to bail them out.
On offense look for the Steelers, even without Bryant for the season and Bell for the first three games, to be the best in the league, especially if Maurkice Pouncey can stay healthy at center. The guards are: Ramon Foster and David DeCastro, backed by Chris Hubbard and Cody Wallace who started for Pouncey last season. The tackles are: Alejandro Villanueva and Marcus Gilbert, backed by Wallace and Chris Hubbard. There are two other players battling for line backup roles. This is a veteran line that should rank among the top 3 to 5 in the league with Pouncey, DeCastro and possibly Gilbert going to the Pro Bowl.
Le’Veon Bell is the starting back and if he can stay healthy and off the drugs is the best all purpose back in the league. He will be backed by DeAngelo Williams and Daryl Richardson. Will Johnson is the fullback.
At tight end Heath Miller will be missed but Jesse James should have a lot of touchdowns at 6-8 and Ladarius Johnson will do the blocking.
The receiving group is headed by the best receiver in football Antonio Brown, and hopefully this will be a breakout season for Markus Wheaton. The backup receivers are: Daris Haywood-Bey and Sammie Coates. With Bryant out, Wheaton and Haywood-Bey must step up big time to take some of the pressure off Brown.
At quarterback is Ben Roethlisberger, who had the greatest season of his career last year despite injuries. Look for a career year from him this season if Brown and Bell is there all season and the line stays intact. He should be the best quarterback in the AFC because he has more weapons than Tom Brady. Landry Jones and Zach Mattenberger will back him up
Don’t be surprised if the Steelers finish number one in offense this season with Roethlisberger, Brown and Bell rewriting the record books.
If everyone can stay healthy there’s no reason for the Steelers not to be in their 9th Super Bowl, and coach Mike Tomlin in his third.
The season schedule: Washington Redskins, road; Cincinnati Bengals, home; Philadelphia Eagles, home; Kansas City Chiefs, home; New York Jets, home; Miami Dolphins, road; New England Patriots, home; bye, Baltimore Ravens, road; Dallas Cowboys, home; Cleveland Browns, road; Indianapolis Colts, road; New York Giants, home, Buffalo Bills, road, Cincinnati Bengals, road; Baltimore Ravens, home and Cleveland Brown, home. Prediction 12-4.
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