Steelers Pre-draft Visits Show That Defense Is Still A Priority

As the NFL's pre-draft visit period comes to a close, the total tally of the players entertained by the Pittsburgh Steelers tells a familiar tale. Back on January 8th, If It Ain't Steel wrote an article that said the fixing of the Steelers starts with defense. Apparently the Steelers themselves agree.

Each NFL team is allowed 30 pre-draft visits. The Steelers total of 24 is more heavily represented by the defensive side (17) of the ball than the offensive side (7) of it. While there are holes over the entirety of the roster, the defensive side of the ball is...(ahem) more experienced and mature. Three of the four starters in the defensive backfield alone carry an average age of 33 as of the 2013 season.

Aside from the array of pass rushers brought in (and I am a firm believer in the theory that you can't have too many players who can rush the passer), two things stand out when looking at the visiting players. The first being that the cornerbacks brought in indicate where the Steelers will be looking for that much needed youth and depth.

It is of interest that of the cornerbacks making visits - Florida State's Xavier Rhodes, Utah State's Will Davis (whose interesting story is linked here: http://tinyurl.com/cjh26ad), UConn's Blidi Wreh-Wilson (pictured above), LSU's Tharold Simon and William & Mary's B.J. Webb - all but one are mid-round prospects. Are the third through the fifth rounds where they will look to pull the trigger on the position?

The Steelers let unrestricted free agent CB Keenan Lewis walk via free agency, so that leaves Ike Taylor, Cortez Allen and William Gay as the only three who could be considered locks to make the 53-man roster next season. Bringing up the rear, as it were, behind them are Curtis Brown, DeMarcus Van Dyke, Josh Victorian, Isaiah Green and Justin King. Conventional wisdom dictates that only one or two of those five players make it onto the 53 man roster, and the odds favor only one if the Steelers invest a mid-round pick on another cornerback.

The other thing that stood out was the lack of true five-technique defensive linemen to make their way to the South Side. Although Steelers.com says Utah’s Star Lotulelei, Florida’s Sharrif Floyd, BYU’s Ziggy Ansah (who himself could also play OLB) and Florida State’s Bjoern Werner are the top defensive line prospects in this month's NFL Draft (and players the Steelers could potentially select), none of those were brought in. In fact, none of the defensive linemen brought in were true defensive lineman. - http://tinyurl.com/cywjc8r

Though Clemson's DE Malliciah Goodman was a pre-draft visitor, and though Georgia's DE Cornelius Washington has been linked to the Steelers as high as the second round and as low as the fifth round, the signing of Steve McLendon was likely an indication that any such pick would be in the lower rounds for depth and special teams purposes.

One such player to consider might be Utah's Joe Kruger who declared early for the draft following his junior season.

Per Gil Brandt of NFL.com, "Kruger - the younger brother of Paul Kruger, who was a member of the Super Bowl XLVII-champion Baltimore Ravens and just signed a lucrative free-agent contract with the Cleveland Browns - stood on all of his numbers from the combine. Kruger looked very good in the positional workouts." - http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1749704/joe-kruger

"Paul ran me through what this was like for him, what the experience was like, how to calm myself down when things get tense," Joe Kruger said. "Things are going well. I'm prepared for it. I've met a lot of good people."

Kruger, who led the team with six sacks, had two forced fumbles, an interception for a touchdown and blocked a field goal, has good size (6'6 3/8" 261 lbs.), quickness, and arm length. Has received plaudits for his effort and ability to bull-rush offensive linemen and he says he can play "all four positions on the defensive line."

The pre-draft visits on the whole were:
DE/OLB John Simon (3rd round prospect) - Ohio State;
RB Christine Michael (4th rd pros.) - Texas A&M;
ILB Vince Williams (7th rd pros.) - Florida State;
OLB Jarvis Jones (1st rd pros.) - Georgia;
OLB Jamie Collins (2-3 rd pros.) - Southern Mississippi;
OLB Khaseem Greene (2-3 rd pros.) - Rutgers;
SS Jonathan Meeks (7-FA rd pros.) - Clemson;
S Phillip Thomas (2-3 rd pros.) - Fresno State;
ILB Michael Mauti (5th rd pros.) - Penn State;
DE Malliciah Goodman (4th rd pros.) - Clemson;
WR Josh Boyce (2-3 rd pros.) - Texas Christian;
RB Johnathan Franklin (2nd rd pros.) - UCLA;
SS Shamarko Thomas (3rd rd pros.) - Syracuse;
CB Will Davis (5th rd pros.) - Utah State;
G Nic Embernate (6-7 rd pros.) - San Diego State;
CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson (3rd rd pros.) - Connecticut;
CB Xavier Rhodes (1st rd pros.) - FSU;
LB Sio Moore (4th rd pros.) - Connecticut.
CB Tharold Simon (4-5 rd pros.) - LSU;
CB B.W. Webb (4-5 rd pros.) - William & Mary;
SS Duke Williams (5-6 rd pros.) - UNR;
RB Eddie Lacy (1-2 rd pros.) - Alabama;
WR Justin Brown (7-FA pros.) - Oklahoma;
and WR Tavarres King (4-5 rd pros.) - Georgia.

(This list will be updated if any more pre-draft visits occur on Monday or Tuesday.)

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TIDBITS: "Heath (Miller) is working out and he looks great," Ben Roethlisberger said during an appearance on 102.5 WDVE. "He's walking without a limp. From what I saw I think he looked good." - http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/4/17/4235778/heath-miller-injury-update-looks-great

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Antonio Brown is grateful to have Emmanuel Sanders back. - http://tinyurl.com/c5uusqc

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In "the most unkindest cut of all," Ex-Steeler Harrison signs with the Cincinnati Bengals. Here's a photo of him with a Bengals teammate in their uniforms, and a link to the article detailing the signing.
- http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/3876184-74/harrison-contract-bengals#axzz2QwWOZoyt

Who Will Replace James Harrison?

First off, let us be honest by stating that no one this season will actually replace James Harrison. Whomever the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting right outside linebacker will be, the idea of replacing Harrison is a stretch. He won't be replaced, only succeeded.

That said, it's a close to a foregone conclusion that the player to get the starting nod will fourth-year man, Jason Worilds. Because no rookie linebacker in defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's system would start right away, he is the only viable solution. By a long shot.

Fellow Steelers linebacker Chris Carter was ineffective and unimpressive in the time he was on the field, garnering just eight tackles and no sacks. Undrafted rookie Adrian Robinson showed real promise in Training Camp and into preseason, but the raw outside linebacker rarely saw field action. Stevenson Sylvester, who was used both inside and outside during the preseason, was also ineffective. The only player who made anyone believe he was ready to take over was Worilds. Not that it has been anything close to an easy ride.

Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly made some very salient points on Sunday regarding him when he tweeted that "Steelers LB Jason Worilds {has} yet to have a true and full offseason (2010 rookie year, 2011 lockout, 2012 wrist injury)." And if we take that and run with it, it could be sound reason for not considering Worilds as a risk. Reason that Kaboly backed up with another fact. (brackets ours)

"Steelers LB Jason Worilds played 999 snaps in 3 seasons or equivalent of one full season and has 10 career sacks," Kaboly said. Now, this extrapolation doesn't automatically mean that he'll produce that way next season, but it's definitely a point in the right direction.

As Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette pointed out in a recent article: "There may be reasons why Worilds has made little impact in his three seasons, including a {previously mentioned} wrist injury last year and playing behind Pro Bowl players Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. But, in the normal course of events, the Steelers would let Harrison go and turn to Worilds, just as they let Joey Porter go in 2007 and turned to Harrison." (brackets ours)

Also, just as they turned to Porter after (another) Jason Gildon was leaving. So, this was unfortunately business as usual. Because, though the Steelers suffer a cap penalty "dead money" hit of $4.93 million dollars, the move saved $5.105 million dollars against this year's Salary Cap, and all $9.04 million against the 2014 Cap. Bill Parise, the Silverback's agent, says the 'door isn't necessarily closed.' - http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2013/03/11/james-harrisons-agent-steelers-havent-closed-door/

Getting back to Worilds, as Kaboly and Pro Football Focus further point out, "Worilds finished the season with five sacks despite only rushing the passer 175 times. By comparison, {LaMarr} Woodley {had} four sacks in 245 pass rushes." All encouraging statistics that seem to be the groundwork for Worilds' taking Harrison's spot. (brackets ours)

All except for two things: Worilds plays decidedly better on the left side - Woodley's side - and there is no depth behind them.

Does that mean that Worilds won't be effective at all on the right side? Does it mean that maybe Woodley could/would possibly move over to the right side to accommodate? Fellow Steelers blog site SteelBlitz.com explored this possibility and provides reasoning for an affirmative on the latter question. - http://tinyurl.com/aqecu83

As for depth, there is none. Aside from the linebackers mentioned above, the other linebackers on the roster are all inside: Lawrence Timmons, Larry Foote, Marshall McFadden, Brian Rolle and Kion Wilson. So, from where will eventual depth come? April's NFL Draft.

Below are a list of prospective picks for the OLB position who can be gotten approximately from rounds one through four. If It Ain't Steel has already highlighted some, so you'll recognize those names. Where applicable, we've also provided the link to the write-up where we featured them:

EZEKIEL ANSAH - BYU: 1st round -- A raw, but intelligent and impressive physical specimen. At 6’7″ 270 lbs., Ziggy can play either OLB position, as well as defensive end at the next level. He ran an an equally impressive 4.62/40 at the 2013 NFL Combine. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2013/01/fixing-steelers-starts-with-drafting.html

DION JORDAN - Oregon: 1st round -- Jordan ran a 3-way tie for the best 40-yard dash time among defensive linemen at the NFL Combine. A lingering shoulder injury kept him out of the weight room much of the season, but the 6'6" 245 pounder ran a 4.53/40. The surgery and rehab needed to repair the torn labrum carries with it a timetable of “three to four months,” according to Jordan. He played DE and OLB in college, rushing the passer and dropping back, and has received a lot of attention from 3-4 defensive NFL teams.

BARKEVIOUS MINGO - LSU: 1st round -- The 6'5" 240-pound DE/OLB had 15 quarterback hurries and five sacks last season. He also was the second part of the three-way tie at the Combine with a 4.53/40.

JAMIE COLLINS - Southern Mississippi: 2-3 round -- With an 11'7" broad jump at the Combine, Collins literally leaped onto this list as a potential prospect. The 6-3, 250-pound OLB also had a 41.5-inch vertical. And per CBSSports.com, "an NFL source {they} talked to said it's hard to find guys who are 6-2-plus and 240 who can really play, adding that "the size paradigm for NFL LBs is changing because it forces the personnel folks and coaches to project college DEs to be stand-up off the ball LBs." Collins, though, sure looked like he could be one of those guys.

COREY LEMONIER (pronounced Lemon-wah) - Auburn: 3-4 round -- The 6'3" 255-pound DE/OLB was the third in the tie to run a 4.53/40 at his position. He was visited at the Auburn Pro Day on March 5th by Steelers linebackers coach Keith Butler. Butler offered encouraging feedback, saying that Lemonier "could play some linebacker." - http://collegefootball.ap.org/article/auburns-lemonier-prepping-nfl-position-move

GERALD HODGES - PENN STATE: 4th round -- Per CBSSports.com, the 6'1" 243 pounder was "a starter in all 25 games the past two years," and "was No. 4 in the Big Ten with 109 tackles....he led the team with seven pass breakups and was tied for second on the squad with two interceptions. He also ranked third with 8.5 tackles for loss, while adding one forced fumble and one sack."

SIO MOORE - UCONN: 5-6 round -- Per NFL.com, "Moore notched 72 tackles (15.5 for loss), 7.5 sacks, and 11 pass breakups....Disciplined linebacker who follows through on his assignments and maintains his gap responsibilities prevent cutbacks. Also a solid tackler, able to break down and securely wrap the ballcarrier’s torso or leg for minimal yards after the catch." Also, with a 4.62/40 at the Combine for Moore, keep this 6'1" 245-pound stud on your radar.

One good thing about all of these players is that either "athletic," "nasty," or "mean" is used to describe each of them. Which are qualities that Harrison possessed in spades and therefore something else that the Steelers will have to replace.

The 2012 Steelers - All The King's Horses..., pt. 2: Defense

They had a great fall...
It was week six against the Tennessee Titans game, and an eight-minute stretch in the fourth quarter played out as a microcosm of Pittsburgh Steelers' season on defense:

A crossfire blitz that couldn't get to quarterback Matt Hasselbeck...
A dropped interception by cornerback Keenan Lewis that could have ended the touchdown-tying drive...
And minutes later on the next drive, James Harrison is beaten on a shallow-cross drag route by tight end Jared Cook for 25 yards to set up the game-winning field goal.

A macrocosm analysis of the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2012 roster and season reveals more missed plays than playmakers, more wallowing in the shallow end than big splash plays and ultimately more questions than answers.

The 2012 Steelers defense was ranked No. 1 again, but, similar to 2011, it was a bit misleading. It was a very good defense to be sure, but it lacked the playmakers, youthful savagery and dominance of recent years.

Playmakers:
As mentioned in a previous post, for the second straight year, the Steelers defense hobbled their way to the quarterback, taking down the opposing passer only 37 times.

As Lance Williams of Steel Curtain Radio further explains, "the real issue is not just sacks alone, it's when you get sacks. I've learned that you have to put teams in bad down-and-distances consistently to get sacks. That means you have to play good defense on first down. Look at the Steelers sack woes over the years, third and long was the killer."

Very accurate. Also, along with the lack of pressure, they paralleled that by only forcing 20 turnovers, with their 10 interceptions being a tie for the second fewest in the team's 80-year history, and that just does not cut it.

As points of comparison, the Cincinnati Bengals' defense was ranked sixth in 2012 and had 46 sacks and recorded 26 turnovers. They made the playoffs. The Baltimore Ravens, AFC North winners and AFC Champions, forced 33 turnovers. The need for playmakers who'll bring about the much-needed splash and explosive plays is obvious.

Two of the Steelers playmakers usually responsible for those types of plays spoke after the season ended about their absence.

“That‘s what was hard for me - I wasn't healthy all year....What‘s nice about it is I‘ll go into the offseason on the rise and continue to get better, get in better shape and be more prepared for next year," Troy Polamalu said.

“It took a little while to get my knee back to where it needed to be, and it‘s still not there,” Harrison said. “But now I‘ll have the time to rehab it properly and get it back to 100 percent and get back to training the way I‘m used to training.” - http://tinyurl.com/bj4snca

While it's good to know that Polamalu and Harrison are healthier and set for a productive offseason, next season isn't assured. Their comments, though, are reflective of other problems the Steelers defense had this season.

The Rusty Curtain:
Polamalu, who turns 32 in April, missed nine games in 2012 with a calf injury. Harrison, who had knee surgery last summer after being hindered by back problems prior to that, turns 35 in May. Those aren't the only ones, either.

Nose tackle Casey Hampton will be 36 at the start of next season, Brett Keisel will be 35, and Larry Foote, Ryan Clark and Ike Taylor will be 33.

The Steelers defensive is now in a state of flux and it isn't known who will stay and who will seek greener (monetarily speaking) pastures. The first element of that to consider is the defensive line, which is, or at least should be, the core of any defense. And as Alan Robinson of Trib Total Media pointed out, with a 3-4 defensive alignment, that's especially so. - http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/3246072-74/season-steelers-hampton#axzz2J7P3BOTy

As Robinson made clear, the Steelers "use their defensive line to clog the middle, slow the run and create rush lanes for their outside linebackers," but age and inconsistent play from all of the front seven prevented that from happening and from delivering results when absolutely needing it.

As alluded to earlier, the defensive line will undergo a transition this offseason. Hampton most likely leaves and Steve McLendon would replace him. We've made enough noise regarding McLendon this season - from draft day all throughout the season. Whether in actual blog articles or in Twitter and Facebook posts, we've called for McLendon to take a big bite out of Big Snack's playing time. So we'll allow SteelBlitz.com make the case for him this time: http://steelblitz.com/steelers-a-case-for-steve-mclendon-to-start-in-2013/2471/2013/01/17

If Keisel stays, he could probably have another strong season at right end, but what of his successor? Cameron Heyward, as Robinson showed in his article, looks ready to step in once Da Beard gets the follicle outta town. But Ziggy Hood, on the other hand, is an 'enigma.' He just has not lived up to the expectations that come with being a No. 1 draft pick. Yes, he's strong, but not consistent. We spoke specifically about this before the season, but received the same lackluster results. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2012/04/ziggy-hood-is-it-all-good-in-hood.html

To draw from the Robinson piece again, though Heyward's and Hood's stats were similar, Hood "was on the field for more than three times as many snaps (833) as Heyward (267). In fact, "Hood was, by far, the league’s worst-rated pass-rushing defensive end."

Outside linebackers Harrison and LaMarr Woodley combined for only 10 sacks this season - at least half of what they normally provide. Injury issues slowed one and injury and weight issues slowed the other for much of the season. As a result, the Steelers failed to generate a consistent pass rush.

Lawrence Timmons and Foote stepped up their play and had good-to-very-good seasons. Timmons had 106 tackles, six sacks, three interceptions (one for a touchdown) and two forced fumbles. Four of those sacks and one of the forced fumbles, though, came in the last two games.

Foote led the team in tackles with 113 and had four sacks and two forced fumbles. Both failed, however, to be consistent throughout the entirety of the season.

As for the secondary, it was the strength of the defense, being No. 1 against the pass. Few interceptions were still a concern, though, and the late-season absence of Ike Taylor hurt them. They do have youth in their ranks and should continue to get better.

However, the safeties are a different story. Clark had 102 tackles and was again a reliable player. But age is age, and he and Polamalu are elder statesmen in this league. Will Allen stepped up and played adequately, but Ryan Mundy is the only other safety with any experience. Change must come.

That said, with no viable or proven backups beyond the players cited, the Kevin Colbert must find the youth and talent necessary to be the immovable objects and depth the Steelers sorely need.

Dominance:
To help quantify the lack of dominance factor and how numbers can be deceiving, consider this: the Steelers defense, when compared to the rest of the NFL's top five defenses, faced the fewest scrimmage plays with only 951. That's 70 fewer than the team with the most in the top five, the Denver Broncos, at 1,021.

Conversely, though, the Steelers allowed more points per game (1.5 more) than any defense in the top five at 19.6 PPG. It had been suggested by some this season, including If It Ain't Steel, that the Steelers defense was aided by the third down conversion proficiency and time of possession by the offense, especially in the first two-thirds of the season. This seemingly is evidence to that possibly being true.

Consider this also: Remember the goal-line stand in the 2008 game against the New York Giants? Big running back Brandon Jacobs was stymied for no gain and the Giants had to settle for a field goal. A truly strong defensive line and defense in general provided a stop when needed. It's the type of play head coach Mike Tomlin means when he refers to "situational football."

Was their any consistent feeling or belief that this defense had the ability to duplicate that this season?

We've mentioned players who could help provide the playmaking ability, youth and savagery needed to get back to where they once were. Ziggy Ansah is on the short list of such players. There are others who might fill in at needed positions via free agency, like a Rey Maualuga or a Darrelle Revis. Not to mention the players the Steelers will get back from Injured Reserve, as in inside linebacker Sean Spence.

But this no quick fix. It may not even be a one-season turnaround. There are more questions than answers, to say the least. Questions that one can only hope is answered adequately enough to allow all the king's men to put the Steelers back together in time for a playoff-certain 2013 campaign.

Do Kevin Colbert's Comments Give Insight Into Steelers Draft Plans?

Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert met with a handful of writers last Wednesday and spoke candidly about the 2012 team. He provided a very honest assessment of where the fault lies for the team's overall performance and lack of success, changes coming to the roster and draft problems that saw two players, Alameda Ta'amu and Chris Rainey, get into trouble with the Law.

"I know Art (Rooney II) used the term 'frustrated.' I'm going with 'disappointed.' I'm disappointed in myself, that those 61 (players) were 8-8. Like I said, I'm at the head of the class." - http://tinyurl.com/aypcbrt

As all good leaders should do, Colbert rightly accepted responsibility. "The buck stops here," as a former U.S. president once made his motto. That doesn't mean, though, that's where it starts. We all know what rolls downhill, and in this case it rolls right down onto the field of play.

In further comments, Colbert made it sound as though change is coming to the roster. In fact, he wasn't even subtle about it. The draft, and possibly free agency, will affect major change for next season. The "best available player" will come in many forms this April 25-27.

"We won't close the door on any position in any round. We can't....Once we get into free agency and the draft, I don't see any position that's off limits," Colbert stated.

"When you're 12-4 and a playoff team, sometimes you get mesmerized by your success and you get a little reluctant to change...If we don't change 8-8, if we don't change the roster that produced 8-8," he also said, "we'd be silly to expect a better result if we have the same group of guys. We're not married to any of these guys."

How did Albert Einstein define "insanity?"

But, before we address any players or positions that he mentioned or that have a greater chance of getting special attention, let us be clear about one thing: despite what Colbert said about not ruling out drafting "any position in any round," It won't be a quarterback on the first two days of the draft. Ok? We clear? Good, let's move on now.

Regarding the Salary Cap dilemma, Jim Wexell of steelcityinsider.net said that their Cap-ologist Ian Whetstone, whom we've used as a source several times before, said the Steelers being $12 million over the Cap is doable.

By 'cutting James Harrison they'd save $5.1 million,' and "a Ben {Roethlisberger} restructure could save $7.2M max. {Lawrence} Timmons another target at $5.4M max."

"Cutting {Willie} Colon," he said further, "would save only $1.2M. Don't see any other realistic possibilities (aside from aforementioned Harrison)....But need the cap cuts {and to be Rule of 51 compliant} by March 12. If you keep Colon past March 12, you may as well keep him another year."

He finished his mini Twitter dissertation by saying the "team could restructure {LaMarr} Woodley for max savings of $6.2M. I'm optimistic, but that's risky." (brackets ours)

Since Colbert said that they don't have "too many franchise players" and that compliance "will include terminations, possible extensions and reconstructions," any or all of that is feasible.

Earlier this month, we talked specifically about the need to fill defensive holes early in the 2013 NFL Draft. Not the entire draft, not the first two days...just early. With Harrison's contract ripe for 'termination,' as mentioned above, an outside linebacker is a great possibility.

One whom we've mentioned before and whom Mel Kiper even has the Steelers taking in his 2013 NFL mock draft is BYU's Ziggy Ansah. Is he a defensive end or an outside linebacker? As his position coach said, he's both. Behind The Steel Curtain says it's the former, we say it's either. The link provided includes a video to help you decide. - http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/1/16/3883850/mel-kiper-2013-nfl-mock-draft-steelers-ezekiel-ansah

But, let's say, because of Rashard Mendenhall ("Any time a player doesn't show up for a game, that's unacceptable"), Mike Wallace (franchise tag: "Very doubtful") and Chris Rainey ("lost the trust of the organization" http://tinyurl.com/backbnk) all having character issues of some sort, might they look only toward choir boys? Um...no. - http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Trying-to-meet-both-standards/4bda2c71-f51e-48f9-b70b-4015797490f3

Since the aforementioned players are very likely all leaving the team this offseason, the "best available player" may be on offense - of questionable background or not. That said, is a wide receiver or multi-skilled player like West Virginia's Tavon Austin, a possibility? Scoring is essential in today's NFL, and Austin can help generate it.

Listed at 5'9", 175 lbs., with a 4.38/40 and nicknamed Tavon "Awesome," he was WVU's electric star of That 70's Show. Austin lined up at wide receiver, in the slot, as a returner and as a running back and "shows a surprising amount of patience, even as an inside runner."

Such a player could stretch the field or do any and all of the things Rainey should have done. But, don't take our word for it, read the brilliantly detailed breakdown of him and his best collegiate game by rotoworld.com: http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/42156/321/tavon-awesome

"Where we were in running game last year was indicative in the talent at the position," Colbert said of the Steelers' second-worst rushing offense since 1978. "That group of players didn't produce the way we anticipated they would."

Was that actually the running backs or was it issues, injury-related and otherwise, with the offensive line? Let's assume it was the running backs as a whole. If so, neither Jonathan Dwyer nor Isaac Redman should feel too secure about starting in 2013: Dwyer's vision and decision making keep him from being a true No. 1 back, and Redman has lost five fumbles in three years. - http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steelers-sunday-spotlight-running-back-help-wanted-671249/

If it was more a product of the continued offensive line issues, there is no shortage of guard prospects in this draft, as there are 73 underclassmen who've declared themselves eligible for the draft. - http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/19/nfl-draft-early-entries/

The guards of note include Jonathan Cooper of North Carolina, Alabama’s Barrett Jones or Chance Warmack. Warmack is a viable option at the 17th pick. - http://tinyurl.com/bmkdtkw

Regardless, in looking over what is in front on the Steelers, the Salary Cap issues that affect decisions, the age on defense and the vacancies needing filled on offense, their needs are simply their needs.

So, while the interview with Colbert didn't give direct insight into what the Steelers will do in the upcoming draft, rest assured that the "best available player" will come in many forms in this April's NFL Draft.

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TIDBITS: Points off turnovers were the difference in six of the eight losses. Much bigger problem than the fan-driven tension between Big Ben and Todd Haley. He says a lot of that was "anticipation." He liked offense in 1st half of the season. - http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Takeaway-total-is-trending-down/eee51537-2fcc-41ff-8641-28b097bf105a

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Omar Khan, one of the finalists for Jets' GM job, was eventually passed over. According to Colbert, "He's earned it. We think he's ready." Fortunately, he's still here. (That sound you hear is a collective sigh from Steeler Nation.)

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Despite no minority coaches hired this offseason, Rooney says the "Rooney Rule" is still 'workable with some tweaking.' - http://tinyurl.com/ag549xv

Yet, one source says the proposed coordinator expansion wouldn't apply to new head coaches: http://tinyurl.com/a4mfnq7

Fixing the Steelers Starts with Drafting for Defense

Al Davis once said, as was regularly imitated years ago on SportsCenter by Keith Olbermann, "The (other team's) quarterback must go down and he must go down hard." The late Oakland Raiders coach-then-owner also famously said, "Don’t adjust. Just Dominate."

Despite being the NFL's No. 1 defense once again, tops in total defense in yards per game and in passing yards and the No. 2 rushing defense, the 2012 Pittsburgh Steelers defense neither 'dominated,' nor did it get to the quarterback enough. And make no mistake, despite whatever issues were had on offense, fixing the Steelers starts with the defense.

For the second straight year, the Steelers defense hobbled their way to the quarterback, taking down the opposing passer only 37 times. With little pressure being brought, they paralleled that by only forcing 20 turnovers...and that just does not cut it.

We'll delve more into this in part two of "All The King's Horses" where we will address the defense looking back at the season. Here, though, we're looking forward at the three defensive positions that are of greatest need and that the Steelers will most likely address in the early rounds of the April 25-27 NFL Draft. First off within that, the Salary Cap issues.

Per Steve Wyche of NFL.com in June of 2012: "The salary cap slightly increased to $120.6 million from $120.37 last season. Several team management officials said it's not projected to jump much in 2013, prompting one general manager to say there could be "carnage" for some big-contract players...after next season."

So, we'll go with the assumption of a rounded up salary cap of $121 million. The Steelers are roughly $12 million, when you include the exclusive rights free agents, over that number and will need to restructure, reduce and cut to have room to sign there own free agents and to possibly do a little shopping. - http://tinyurl.com/akaloo6

The Steelers are getting older at key positions also, and three players, James Harrison, Troy Polamalu and Larry Foote, play prominently in what Kevin Colbert and Omar Khan will be able to do. Like the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review made painfully clear, the Steelers' dollars go to the defense. - http://t.co/BFQMIKZ6

These three gentlemen present daunting age and salary cap situations. Harrison, for starters, is due $6.57 million next season and would count just over $10 million against the Cap. It has been well publicized by now that Deebo will be willing to restructure. Good, but the problem is that there isn't much room to restructure. He would more accurately have to take an actual pay cut to stay with the team.

Whether he does or not, the Steelers have need right now at his position. Even if he comes back and plays at a Silverback-ish level, the depth behind him is either woefully suspect, woefully untested or they've woefully underperformed.

So, another vicious pass rusher who is also athletic enough to cover is needed to replace Harrison. We think the two who stand out as possibles in the first round for the Steelers are Brigham Young's Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah and Oregon's Dion Jordan.

Ziggy Ansah is a 6'6" 270-pound outside linebacker/defensive end with speed whom his position coach, Kelly Poppinga, called "remarkable" and said that "he has all the numbers they want to see at the combine. He'll blow that part away."

If chosen, what else will Keith Butler and Dick LeBeau love about him? Poppinga said that he could play all three of the down lineman positions, as well as both linebacker spots, and that "he picks up things super fast and doesn't forget them." - http://tinyurl.com/b75kwqe

Don't take our word for it, though, take the word of someone with intimate knowledge of both the Steelers and the Cougars, Chris Hoke.

The former Steelers nose tackle/defensive end had this to say on his personal Twitter (@hokiebro76) account: "Ziggy Ansah? Raw... Unbelievable kid! So much talent it spews out of him." Sounds good to us.

Dion Jordan is another OLB/DE who has size (6'7" 243 lbs) speed (4.68/40) and can defend in space. A former tight end, Jordan has the athletic ability to drop into coverage as well as to rush the edge. The type of versatility the Steelers like. - http://tinyurl.com/85el334

(UPDATE: As this was being edited and about to be posted, it was reported that it has been confirmed that Jordan will have surgery to repair a torn labrum. Since that alters his draft stock, here are alternate possibilities: the 6'5" 240-pound OLB/DE Barkevious Mingo out of LSU, who had 15 QB hurries and five QB sacks on the season; the 6'5" 265-pound raw, but mean DE out of Texas, Alex Okafor, may drop enough to be found in the second round; and Gerald Hodges, a 6'2" 235-pound OLB who could be taken in the second round.)

As the Steelers defense started to gel, they began keeping nearly every quarterback they faced from doing what they wanted. They even went eight straight games without allowing more than 200 yards passing. Most of that, though, was due to the coverage of the secondary.

The cornerbacks are a young unit, outside of Ike Taylor, who came into their own this season. Assuming Keenan Lewis can be signed, another UFA Salary Cap situation, he'd be one third of the holy trinity of the Steelers future in the secondary, along with Cortez Allen and Curtis Brown.

The issues are at safety. Both former Pro Bowl safeties, Polamalu and Ryan Clark, are getting up in age and are near the end of contracts. Polamalu specifically is due approximately $9 million from a contract due to expire after next season. Could this affect what the Steelers do with Troy and in the draft?

If the Steelers feel the "best available" need is at safety in the first round, there are two who should be available at the 17th pick: Florida's strong safety Matt Elam and LSU's free safety underclassman Eric Reid.

Matt Elam, at 5'10 and 202 lbs is nearly the epitome of strong safety. He's a strong, bruising hitter who isn't afraid to throw his body around the field and into opposing wide receivers. Per Dane Brugler, he also has the "read/react skills to be effective against both the run and the pass." - http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1737092

Eric Reid is a 6'2" 210-pound "centerfielder" with the requisite build and athleticism, and the instinct and tenacity to deliver the big hit. Hm...sounds like another LSU safety on the team.

If the Steelers go pass rusher in the first round, then there are two safeties who just might be available in the second.

The first and potentially better choice is Texas FS Kenny Vaccaro. He is 6'1" 218 lbs with good instincts. He can pass rush as well as tackle the catch, and is starting to rise up mock draft boards. In fact, according to Todd Swoopes of National Football Direct, he is actually first-round worthy. - http://nationalfootballdirect.com/2013-nfl-mock-draft/todd-swoopes-mock-draft-1-0/

The other whom we think would be a second-round consideration is the son of former San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl safety, USC FS T.J. McDonald. He's 6'2" and 205 lbs, runs a 4.52 40-yard dash and was a consistent defender for the Trojans, recording 67 tackles and three interceptions.

Jim Wexell of Steelers Digest and SteelCityInsider.net added his two cents on the subject, not to mention a couple of more names to consider: "So far, I like 3 safeties (I'm letting E.Reid go to the Ravens): {Kenny} Vaccaro, {Matt} Elam, {FS D.J.} Swearinger. Fallback {SS Phillip} Thomas a small ballhawk." Brackets ours.

Using Wexell as a reference again, let him now springboard us into the last position being covered in this piece. That of inside linebacker.

Wexell points out that the Steelers haven't forgotten about last season's third-round draft pick is still a a possibility. From his personal Twitter (@jimwexell) account, in part, he tweeted: "#Steelers believe Sean Spence will recover fully..." But if we're going to speculate about the future, take a brief look back at the past: http://tinyurl.com/bdm5h4b

The Steelers are facing a situation they aren't used to, in that they have to draft for right now at certain positions. With Spence an unknown commodity, Stevenson Sylvester an uncertain one and Foote an old one (though he did play very well this season the UFA has openly said he'd take less to come back), the Steelers may still look to inside linebacker if a particular one is still on the board.

Manti Te'o had a dream season: 113 tackles, seven interceptions, an undefeated regular season and more trophies than an Iranian prince has "trophies."

However, someone stole his dream catcher, causing him to have a rude awakening as his Notre Dame Fighting Irish ran out of luck and lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide, 42-14. A game where he finished with 10 total tackles, but missed almost as many.

Now, one game doesn't discount an entire season, but people have a tendency to form opinions on what they saw lastly. So, could knee jerk reactions cause Te'o to slide somewhat and be ripe for the plucking at the 17th pick? Yes, they could. They shouldn't, but they could.

The Steelers conceivably could feel they still need a coverage ILB that could roam the middle of the field in Nickel and Dime packages, but also in man coverages against tight ends and running backs alike. If so, Manti fits that to a tee('o).

If not, and they want to wait on scratching that itch, Nico Johnson, who was on the same field Monday night, could be found as late as the third round. He's 6'2" and 245 lbs with a 4.63/40 time. A solid selection, he was third on his team in tackles (54), had two tackles for losses, two forces fumbles, a QB pressure and a pass defense in just five starts.

Those are the three positions that are most important on the defensive side of the ball and possibilities for players who may wear Black and Gold next season. Will we see one of them? Two of them? None of them? Time will tell.

Regardless of whether, though, any of those names will be heard being called on that Thursday or on the subsequent days, those positions absolutely will called. Maybe even in each of the first three rounds. Because that's where they begin to dominate again.