D-side Overview, 2002 in review and more:

 

The Steelers� D-side decline from 1^st in 2001 to 7^th in the 2002 regular season then on to worst in this year�s playoffs certainly illustrates the old adage: � If you�re not getting better, you�re getting worse.� Last winter, the Southside HQ spent most of their FA dollars burnishing the LB corps; that group is, of course, the glistening jewel in the 3-4 crown but subsequently proved to be largely irrelevant in dealing with the attack mode endemic to the league this year, that being the quick-pass spread.

 

It is hard to imagine any scheme less able to deal with that type of offense than is the Steelers� 3-4, Cover 3.� Pressure is all in pass defense but with the CB playing off in Cover 3 here, any offense had underneath outlets easily available.� Beyond that, while any base defense facing multiple receivers will generally use their OLB as auxiliary coverage men, here, those players are the primary rushers.� Dropping Porter and Gildon into coverage is, roughly, analogous to the T-Buc group dropping off Sapp and Rice.� We wouldn�t expect that to successful in Florida and we didn�t see much success here either.� Instead, we saw a 2002 Steeler base defense that, against any spread attack, had problems both delivering consistent pressure on QB and in covering multi-option receivers.�

 

That�s the downside; on a more positive note, the Steeler base was, again, notably successful in defending the run.� Beyond that, both Porter and Casey Hampton emerged as impact players this year.� Certainly, no LB has shown the ability to both pressure and pick that Joey exhibited, especially in the early going.� Casey Hampton, earlier regarded as strictly a two-down player (a doomed designation considering that every down is now a passing down in the NFL), did provide some inside push against the pass from the Houston game forward.� Beyond that, Hampton also flashed excellent lateral ability against the run (per Tennessee 2) to augment his never-doubted capacity to squat and anchor.�� Presuming Bell can overcome his chronic ankle problems and return to dominating form, the Steelers figure to have at least (3) impact Front 7 players over the mid-term.� That�s about all you can expect in parity-ball; factor in the commitment made last winter to Smith, Farrior and Gildon and it is apparent that the 3-4 is here to stay for awhile longer.��

 

As certainly as Tampa Bay is committed to their D-line dominant Cover 2 so is Pittsburgh bent on their system.� In fact, their cash outlay to (3) LB and Aaron Smith last winter underlined the Steelers� determination to re-build their Front 7 in the image of their circa �94-�95 teams.� Stud NT, (1) DE who can get some pressure and (3) LB who can do the same; that was the formula then and, with that recent investment together their first (2) picks in 2001, Pittsburgh sought to re-establish that identity.� This they did upfront; however, while their secondary then had two difference-makers (Woodson and Lake), this more recent edition had none.� You could argue that those DB were the top two players on their mid-90�s teams; you also could argue that no Steeler D-back was in the Top 7 in 2002.��

 

It is highly likely that no Front 7 paradigm shift will be forthcoming through at least the term of the Gildon deal.� That so, since the spread attacks the 3-4 by forcing the OLB, the prime pass rushers here, into coverage, it follows that the Steeler base needs either rushers superior to those two or better coverage alternatives.� Naturally, both would be preferable but that is not likely; of those discrete options, a coverage upgrade would be far easier to achieve.� That so, any hope for improvement in the coverage capacity of the base depends on the following two points:

 

• Improvement in the secondary, especially at safety.� In 2002, the Steeler base had just (2) DB, Scott and DW, with any kind of coverage ability.� There is a screaming need for two new starters in the D-backfield whether at FS or CB but definitely at SS; of those, at least one should be a difference maker in the Woodson/Lake-mode.� A more detailed discussion of the secondary follows; see also, the Porter-paradox in the LB section following that.

 

• Development of a LB coverage option beyond Joey Porter, especially against TE.� In the best case, that would be James Farrior as this man is the least productive pass rusher of the starting quartet.

 

While the base defense had some salient strength, there is little to be said in favor of the 2002 Steeler package sets, especially their dime.� Early on, that set was exposed in the Pat game as inadequate against the pass; the following week, the Raiders exposed it as inadequate against the run too.� Despite that, the Steeler D-side brain-trust soldiered on using this set to little effect until, finally, it was put down for a term after the Titans ran with little opposition in Game 10 on what, no doubt, the men upstairs believed to be passing situations.� From Game 11 through 16, the Steelers frequently went nickel and had better, if not great, results.� However, with Bell�s ankle injury, that set was unavailable to them in the playoffs and thus did the D-side revert to their +400 yard-per-game early season standard.���

 

The telling stat is 3^rd down conversions.� For most of the year, the D-side dime gave it up at nearly 50%; in the nickel period, they knocked that down significantly so to close at 43.5% overall.� Dimed-up again by necessity in the playoffs, they then gave 20/35 or 57%; that last fact accounts for the enormous TOP advantage enjoyed by both the Browns and Titans.� That the B&G foundered in the dime was disappointing but far from surprising.� Consider:

 

• From the spring of 2001, the Steelers invested both premium draft spots and cash in their Front 7; in that term, they extended (3) CB but stood (nearly) pat at the safety position.� The sum of the contracts provide Logan, Alex and Hope was, relatively little more than that provided Townsend.� Naturally, each was dwarfed by those tendered to either DW or Scott.� In effect, the Steelers got what they paid for; in the same way that their base secondary fielded just two men with coverage ability so did their dime field only four.� Beyond that, it is the ability to interchange assignments between safeties and LB that drives the deceptiveness of the 3-4.� That capacity was nearly absent this season.

 

• Unquestionably, Porter and Bell are two of their top rushers yet, in the dime, one was off the field and the other far off the LOS.�

 

• While their quartet of DT types (Smith, KVO, Bailey and Hampton) played acceptably inside (per the D-line section following), their package DE, OLB Haggans and Gildon, were easily stalemated on the LOS.�

 

In sum, no pressure and no coverage; a recipe for disaster and, as night follows day, disaster did arrive.� While it is generally acknowledged that the 3-4 is superior to the 4-3 against the run, the reverse is true in the passing game.� LB are central to the 3-4 but, league-wide, this position does not factor much against the pass.� That so, it follows that, aside from a DB upgrade, the Steelers need some personnel of the 4-3 type to defend the pass; that is, they need the following:

 

• Two DB, as in the base discussion above.� That is the minimum required to get to a functional (6) DB set.

 

• Rush DE, generally, men with a frame length superior to the typical OLB.� Often this year, we saw OT out-reach, lock-on and then easily steer the Steeler OLB whenever those men were up on the LOS.� While it is true that Gildon combined with Haggans for (15.5) sacks this year, it remains my opinion that this was as soft a number as any in sport.�

 

• Scheme-wise, the Steelers need Bell and Porter on the field but off the LOS.� Contingent on some capable, interchangeable type safeties of the Lake-mold, whether that is in a 3-2-6 set or a 4-2-5 is inconsequential.�� When the game is on the line, you want your best on the field.

 

So much for introductory remark, in the following, I�ve attempted a somewhat finer focus.� Salary info and cap costs are included; there are remarks specific to each player and some general discussion of every unit. �In the cap clearance section tabulated, the equation is simple; eschewing dead money in 2004, that is (2003 cap hit � full bonus remaining (roster and workout excluded as noted)).� If you like dead money deferred, then divide the bonus hit in two and adjust the clearance accordingly.� �Finally, I do apologize for any duplicate remarks in the discussion, needs or sources sections; hopefully, those aren�t entirely repetitious.

 

Secondary:

 

The players are listed by term of service.� The salaries and cap figures posted here were published in the PG on 24 October 2002.� Naturally, the remarks are my own.

 

 

Player	Signed thru	2003 cap value ($M)	Bonus hit if cut pre-June, also known as dead money.�   ($M)	Cap clearance (loss)   ($M)	Remarks
Lee Flowers	UFA	None	Not applicable	Not applicable	Must not be re-signed.� Highly likely to join Kevin Henry in retirement; Henry was another long-term stopgap Steeler starter who never played anywhere else after being cut here.
Chad Scott	2006	4.56	3.6, has 5.0M bonus money outstanding but 1.4M is in workout or roster bonus $.	0.96	You can win with him though it does not follow that you can win because of his play.� Will stay and, for now, should stay
D. Washington	2005	4.8	3.15, excludes 750K signing bonus due in 2005	1.65	2003 will be his 10th in the league and, probably, last with the Steelers.� Never a difference-maker is now at best a complementary player but one who still has some value. If cut after 2003, the Steelers would clear nearly $2.7M.
D. Townsend	2005	0.98	0.69	0.29	Best value in the secondary.
Hank Poteat	RFA	None	Not applicable	Not applicable	Worthless in coverage, inconsequential on special teams, disgracefully, quit on several plays against Cleveland in Playoff 1.� Should not be offered a contract under any circumstances.
B. Alexander	2004	0.96	0.43	0.53	Can�t hit, can�t cover and was QB of a secondary plagued by �miscommunication� problems all year.� Absolute must-cut.
Mike Logan	2003	1.2	0.27	0.93	Athletic and productive player but constant injury problems preclude projecting him as a starter.
Chris Hope	2005 including thru RFA season.�	0.3	0.27	0.03	A SS prospect who, unfortunately, seems to be in the Flowers mode.�
Chidi Iwuoma

 

 

Discussion:� Unquestionably, the Steeler secondary was the root of all evil this season.� Some fault the CB, some the safeties but as a thought experiment, ask yourself whether the 2002 Steelers would have better with, say, Lawyer Milloy and Lance Schulters backing their CB troika or, say, Charles Woodson and Champ Bailey on the corners with Alex and Flowers behind.� Frankly, I�d take the change at safety even though those putative corners may be superior players.� As confirmation, consider that Len Pasquarelli of ESPN reported that, by his unofficial count, (19) of Steve McNair�s (27) completions in the endgame went in the middle of the field, against the Steelers� starting safety tandem.

 

The safety/CB dichotomy is embodied in Chad Scott.� We have heard that he will move to FS and we have heard that he will not but so long as the Steelers play the 3-4 this matters little since, so long as the Steelers play the 3-4, they will have to rely on the blitz to bring pressure on opposing QB.� Blitzing teams, generally, are Cover 3 teams and, in that scheme, the FS and CB possess equivalent skill sets.� Much of the Steelers� problems this season revolved around the fact that Alex couldn�t cover even the middle third, let alone assume any single high duty.� That so, the Steelers were playing Cover 3 with, at most, (2) capable players.� Presumably, Scott could do better that did Alex but regardless, the need for a third Cover 3 player does remain.� Whether that player is listed as a CB or FS is inconsequential.�

 

Beyond that, as Crazy pointed out in his TE article, no Steeler DB seemed able to deal effectively with any TE in the NFL.� This has been a long-standing problem; in fact, the Steelers haven�t been able to deal with a TE since Levon Kirkland had two healthy knees.� It is no coincidence though that, at that time, the Steelers had a SS on their roster that could take that duty too.� That man was Carnell Lake.� Clearly, much of the effectiveness of the 3-4 revolves around deception; this requires some interchangeable parts such DB who can play in the box, blitz or cover a TE, paired with LB who can do the same.� The mid-90 Steeler teams had 2-3 LB (Kirk, Lloyd and Brown) who could play a TE and two DB (Woodson and Lake) who could too.�� In my opinion, the 2002 LB (Porter, Bell and Farrior) were roughly equivalent to their predecessors but the DB, especially the safeties, were not in the same league.�

 

Presuming Alex gets cut, the Steelers would have only (1) safety, Chris Hope, signed past 2003.� Presuming both Flowers and Alex depart, the Steelers will field (2) new starters at safety in 2003.� Presuming DW continues to slow, the Steelers will need to field his successor, if not next year, then shortly.� Presuming Poteat is not offered a deal, the Steelers will have at least (3) new DB next year.� That so:

 

Needs:

 

• Three players, two to be starters immediately.�

 

• Of those two, one must be Cover 3 capable; the other, TE-worthy.� Preferably, both would fit the full bill.�� Chris Hope may factor here; however, while this man has shown some run-stopping ability, he appeared lost when asked to cover in the middle third.� Possibly, could factor in covering TE but height and frame length say not.� On balance, appears to be more a Flowers than a Lake clone.

 

• Alex was the QB, or so it was said; Flowers was the spokesman, as we all heard.� Shedding both in 2003 will require that at least one of the new starters have some tangible leadership qualities.� This strongly suggests an import FA; further, since the signal-caller typically plays in the middle of the field, the �leader� should be deployed there.

 

• Ideally, the Steelers would acquire two quality safeties, presumably an FA and a high round rookie and also draft the heir to DW at RCB.�

 

Sources:

 

• Typically in the Colbert Era, the Steelers have gotten immediate impact from their 1^st and 2^nd round picks.� If you believe they have no need other than DB, then both picks would be so allocated.� If you believe that the B&G have additional needs, then some DB FA is in the offing.�

 

• At first glance, the FA list looks better at safety than CB.� At first glance, Donovin Darius fits the leadership, TE-worthy, 8^th-in-the-box mode.� On the down side, this man is not an exceptional cover player when matched against WR.�

 

 

 

Linebackers:

 

The players are listed by term of service.� The salaries and cap figures posted here were published in the PG on 24 October 2002.� Naturally, the remarks are my own.

 

 

Player	Signed thru	2003 cap value ($M)	Bonus hit if cut pre-June.�   ($M)	Cap clearance (loss)   ($M)	Remarks
Jason Gildon	2006	4.1	5.69, includes roster bonus of 500K due this March; excludes 1M roster bonus due in 2006	(1.09) if cut or traded before March, (1.69) thereafter.	Has been a fairly productive pass rusher on the LOS despite frame length that puts him at a hand-to-hand disadvantage with most OT.� Can string out plays but lost most POA battles in the run game.� Deficient in space when in pass coverage.� Lacks top end speed, lacks explosiveness and lacks bulk; all in all, a complementary type player and, as such, is now an economic burden.�
John Fiala	2004	0.99	0.38	0.61	Has a 300K-roster bonus due in 2004.� This won�t be paid; no better than Foote now; no reason to keep him on in 2003.
Joey Porter	2007	2.83	Cornerstone player	Cornerstone player.	Exceptional quick twitch type athlete who lacks top long speed.� Versatile defender who can both rush the passer and cover a range of receivers; in that respect, is a prototypical LB.� Has a history of wearing down as the season goes on although, especially in each of the past two years, this may have been due to assignment changes.
Clark Haggans	RFA	None	Not applicable	Not applicable	Used mainly as a dime DE this season, showed marginal rush ability but was a liability on the LOS at the POA.� In contrast, when used at LOLB in one 2001 tilt, was fairly stout at the point but, from off the line then, provided zero pressure rushing.� Lack of speed suggests that he will never factor in coverage.� In sum, is a �tweener whose limited athleticism defines this man as merely a complementary player.���
Kendrell Bell	2004	0.79	Cornerstone player	Cornerstone player.	Explosive hitter both in run defense and as a rusher.� Flashed some coverage ability but needs work in that area; however, will be limited by lack of long speed.� Regardless, is an impact player whom DC must find a way to keep on the field for every down.� Chronic ankle injuries are a concern but presuming that goes by the boards, management must extend his contract pre-2004.
J. Kurpeikis	EFA (?)	None	Not applicable	Not applicable	Irrelevant.
James Farrior	2004	2.1	1.13	0.97	Effective against the run but more a chase player than stout at the POA.� Has not been a productive sack man in his career and was little used in coverage this season.� Ideally, would develop as the TE-defender of choice in the Steelers� base.
Larry Foote	2005 including thru RFA season	0.39	0.18	0.21	Dubious value in the 4th round last spring; similar prospects such as Josh Thornhill of MSU were available as FA.� Is a high try guy but is small and has limited athleticism.� Still, surpassed Fiala early on and figures to be an upgrade as a backup.
James Harrison	EFA (?)	None	Not applicable	Not applicable	Flashed energetically in pre-season but disappeared onto the practice squad until activated late.� Size precludes his ever contributing in the 3-4; however, may catch on as an ST gunner.� Somewhat over-age as a developmental prospect.
Mike Jones	UFA	None	Not applicable	Not applicable	Vet stopgap who shouldn�t expect to return.

 

 

No statistic better illustrates the Steelers� D-side struggles this year than the shocking decline in TFL from 2001 to 2002 produced by the LB corp.� TFL are defined as sacks + stuffs; I�ve made this point previously but, for your convenience, repeat the figures here.� Note: these are regular season only; Porter, Bell and Farrior increased their TFL haul in post-season, though neither Gildon nor Haggans kept pace.

 

Player	2001		2002
	Sacks	Stuffs	Sacks	Stuffs
Earl Holmes	2.0	14.5	Not applicable	Not applicable
Jason Gildon	12.0	4.5	9.0	0.5
Joey Porter	9.0	8.5	9.0	1.5
Clark Haggans	None	None	6.5	None
Kendrell Bell	9.0	12.5	4.0	5.5
James Farrior	Not applicable	Not applicable	0.0	10.0
Total	32.0	40.0	28.5	17.5

 

• Gross sack totals went down only slightly, to 89% of 2001 mark.� However, passes attempted against went up by a factor of 1.07.� That so, we�d expect to have seen (34) sacks this year, not (28.5).� Kendrell Bell�s number declined by (5); that�s pretty much the difference.

 

• Stuff totals plunged by (23.5).� The Steelers� faced (20) more rushing attempts this year than last; that is a factor of 1.06.� Off that, we�d expect to have seen (42) LB stuffs, not (17.5).�� Bell�s injury may have contributed to his (-7); Porter was also (-7) and, while he was frequently off the line, it is hard to imagine that, in 2001, he had (7) stuffs on 3^rd down plays; Farrior in 2002 was (-4.5) compared to Holmes in 2001 but, to be fair, we�d have to know their relative rate of appearance in package situations; Gildon was (-4), not good but by no means causal to the overall stuff plunge we see here.

 

Discussion:

 

• Job #1 is to diagnosis and treat the cause of the stuff decline cited above; quite clearly, the Steeler LB played less aggressively against the run this year than the one preceding.� Perhaps, opponents ran out of spread formations more in 2002 that 2001; that is a matter of film study and, while the Steeler staff might do well to undertake that work, I will not.�� It seems evident, from their overall play from Houston on (if not before) and certainly to include the Cleveland playoff game, that this group of LB remains fully capable of making plays behind the LOS.� It is, in my opinion, a matter of primary importance that the D-staff develop a means to return their playmakers to positions from which they can make plays.� Too often this year, we saw opponents dictating the terms of engagement; the stuff decline cited above fully reflects that fact.

 

• Next year, we can expect the Steelers will remain a base 3-4 team.� That so, it is essential that James Farrior develop as a coverage linebacker.� As Kirkland was in the mid-90�s, Farrior is the least productive pass rusher in the starting quartet.� It makes sense then that Farrior be assigned much of the LB�s share of coverage duties when, as is likely, the Steeler base has to deal with something other than a standard pro set, TE, 2-wide set.� It is not clear that Farrior can deal with TE; it is absolutely clear that the Steelers cannot continue to put their primary pass rushers in coverage.

 

• Next year, we can expect the Steelers will play a significant number of packages.� That so, it is essential that they find a means to keep Kendrell Bell on the field.� With Porter, Bell is their primary impact performer; whether those packages are 4-2-5 or 3-2-6 is incidental to the fact that, in crunch time, you need your big hitter on the field.� One caveat: the notion that Bell can function in the dime primarily as a DE should be abandoned; by using LB as DE in the dime, the Steelers simply field short, small defensive ends.� They get the results one might expect.� Beyond that, fattening Bell for sacrifice on the LOS reduces his utility in the base since, plumped up, Bell projects to be less than effective as a coverage player.

 

• No player, not even the CB, would benefit more from improved safety personnel than would Joey Porter.� From the Indy game on, Porter was required to take laughably deep drops in order to give some help to the Alex/Flowers tandem.� This was, in my opinion, Tim Lewis�s primary D-side adjustment over 2002 and, while it had some early benefits, by Tennessee 1, the huge lanes created by this geometry were fully exploited.� That fact was masked by O-side ineptitude on the Houston, Carolina and T-Buc rosters but re-emerged as a factor against better opposition as found in the playoffs.�� Porter is a gifted, versatile performer but his top end speed is not DB-caliber; that so, he is, generally, better underneath than 18-yards down the field.� Certainly, he can blitz out of underneath coverage better than from farther down; in sum, flawed safety play marred the Steeler base and flawed safety play attenuated the impact of the Steelers� most multi-faceted performer, Joey Porter.

 

• The 3-4, 4-3 dichotomy is embodied in Jason Gildon.� �As this player does not figure in coverage but is primarily a pass rusher, his play should be evaluated in comparison to, say, that of Simone Rice, Michael Strahan, Julius Peppers or Hugh Douglas.� From that, we see the demerit of fielding short, small faux-DE as is required of the 3-4 Steeler-style; from that, we might get an appreciation for the Steelers� problems rushing out of the dime line.

 

• Farrior is signed thru 2004; it is likely that Gildon will remain thru that season too.� That is the lowest limit for the term of the 3-4 here.� Recall the Steelers problems dealing with TE; recall that 49er LOLB Julian Petersen had some success against Tony Gonzales last year.� Wouldn�t you trade Gildon and Farrior to the Niners for Petersen?�

 

Needs:

 

• Of (6) players who formed the LB reserve corps this year, only (2), Foote and Haggans, made any substantive contribution.� Therefore, the short-term mission might be to upgrade the athleticism of the LB reserves.� This need has existed since the dawn of the Colbert Era but has yet to be addressed.� However, an influx of quality DB prospects could be sufficient to improving the coverage units, that so, the need for developmental LB would be dependent on the future of the 3-4 here.

 

• The mid-term mission is not to find replacements for Farrior and Gildon; the mid-term mission is to find the next Julian Petersen.� This is true regardless of any 3-4 vs. 4-3 controversies.

 

Sources:

 

• Given their needs elsewhere, given their immediate escalating costs at LB for Porter, Gildon and Farrior and given their mid-range expected costs to extend Bell, I do not believe a FA LB to be either likely or desirable.

 

• ST upgrade types may be drafted on the second day; however, the Front 7 reserve needs are greater at DL than LB.� Presuming some brace of rookie DB improve the coverage units, then the urgency at LB goes down.

 

 

Defensive Line:�

 

The players are listed by term of service.� The salaries and cap figures posted here were published in the PG on 24 October 2002.� Naturally, the remarks are my own.

 

Player	Signed thru	2003 cap value ($M)	Bonus hit if cut pre-June.�   ($M)	Cap clearance (loss)   ($M)	Remarks
Aaron Smith	2007	3.67	Cornerstone player	Cornerstone player.	Sack totals declined from 2001 but stuffs went up resulting in equivalent TFL.� Had (58) solo stops, astonishing for a 3-4 DE and more than either starting safety.
KVO	2005	2.9	2.925 if cut/traded after March roster bonus paid.	Wash	Starting LDE and back-up NT, aging but remains effective.�
Kendrick Clancy	RFA	None	Not applicable	Not applicable	Has no position in the 3-4.� Never did; a very puzzling draft pick in 2000 with little payoff.� Unless the Steelers plan to morph into a 4-3 team, should get no offer.
Casey Hampton	2005	1.36	Cornerstone player	Cornerstone player.	Developed into a dominating NT; immovable at the POA and gets some push in the pass game.� Team leader at Texas and may assume that same role here.
Rodney Bailey	2004, including RFA season	0.41	Useful role player	Useful role player	Has contributed as a package rusher but has had problems defending the run.� Has shown no signs of developing as a two-gap player and so cannot project as a 3-4 starter.
Chris Hoke	2003	0.375	None	0.375	Undersized as a NT, no apparent movement skills, has rarely if ever been active on game day.�� Doesn�t appear to be a prospect.
Brett Keisel	2005, including RFA season	0.31	Intriguing prospect	Intriguing prospect	Has the best long speed of any Front 7 reserve (4.77 40).� Has frame to bulk up, as did Aaron Smith; however, movement skills demonstrated on ST coverage seem to distinguish him from that man.

 

Discussion:� The base unit performed effectively in 2002.� Excluding Tennessee 1, the base D-line won nearly every battle; in many cases, this group thoroughly dominated opposing O-lines.� This was due to two factors: talent and luck.� The talent is apparent; the luck factor resides in the observation that there were no significant injuries to this group.� Good thing too since none could be absorbed as, of (7) players on this unit, only (3) are sound against the run.� Those are: Hampton, Smith and KVO; Bailey is a reasonably effective interior package rusher but often was blown off the ball in the run game.� The others didn�t play much and further, Clancy has no position in the 3-4 and neither, as that is now schemed, does Brett Keisel.� The Steelers had just (3) men who were capable of executing their scheme and, fortunately, none of those developed any long-term ailments.�

 

On the downside, this D-line made only modest contributions in the pass game.� The top (4) listed above did combine for (17) sacks and, while that�s pretty good for a Steeler style 3-4 line (you may remember that the 2000 D-line provided for just (5.5)), it is fewer than Fin DE Jason Taylor had on his own.� That�s no indictment of this Steeler Gang of 4; after all, their sack numbers did about match the Buc DT quartet, while nearly doubling the group in Tennessee.� Beyond that, they are run stuffers first, asking them to match Taylor is like expecting an armored tank to take wing and fly like an F-15.� Still, while the Gang of 4 functioned fairly well inside as dime DT, generally, it is DE who make the impact against the pass.

 

While the base group was highly effective, the Steeler dime line got only limited pressure on opposing QB and, when Bailey was teamed with (2) OLB (Gildon and Haggans) that unit was susceptible to the run too.� This may be due to an absence of standard type DE from the Steeler roster.� Excluding Keisel, who did not factor this year, there are no D-side players here in the 76�-77�, #265-285 range yet it is exactly those types who top the sack lists each and every season.��

 

Brett Keisel is an intriguing prospect; this man�s speed and movement skills are much superior to those of Aaron Smith.� This suggests that Keisel might be tried as a package DE for the next couple of years and then may function effectively as a 4-3 DE in, say, 2005 when both Farrior and Gildon are gone, should the Steelers then morph into a 4-3.� Alternatively, the 3-4 is here to stay and Keisel will be expected to bulk into another 300# DE.�

 

Kendrick Clancy could be a functional rotation DT in a 4-3; however, so long as the 3-4 is in place here, this man has no discernible utility.

 

KVO cannot be cut, nor should he be.� KVO occupies (2) positions on the depth chart, LDE and first backup at NT.� Given the Steelers lack of DL depth, it is essential that he remain.

 

Needs:

 

• Depth: age always factors and as KVO advances, the 3-4 Steelers are required to consider (2) replacements to include, at minimum, an authentic backup NT and a 2-gap DE.

 

• Package DE, as noted Brett Keisel may be one; consider that Carlos Hall (8 sacks) too was a 7^th round pick.� Hall�s sack totals were behind Freeney (13, 11^th overall), Peppers (12, 2^nd overall) and ahead of Kalimba Edwards at (6.5, 35^th overall).� However, the odds are that Keisel, like any 7^th rounder, will not develop into an impact player.

 

Sources:

 

• Draft only; the 3-4 Steelers lose more FA D-linemen than they gain.

 

 

 

A look back, an ordered list of cap values for projected D-side starters in 2003

 

 

Player	2002 Cap Value ($M)	Remarks
Washington	4.80	Salary is bigger than bonus pro-ration remaining.� Off that, you�ve got to conclude that DW is vulnerable.
Scott	4.56	Salary is a wash with bonus pro-ration remaining.
Gildon	4.10	5-year bonus pro-ration makes any cut/trade move a cap killer.
Smith	3.67	Cornerstone player
KVO	2.90	Cut would be a wash but depth provided is essential this year.
Porter	2.83	Cornerstone player
Farrior	2.10	Relatively modest salary, quality player
Hampton	1.36	Cornerstone player
Alexander	0.96	Cut would clear only a small amount; though no cap killer, this player was a season-snuffer.
Bell	0.79	Cornerstone player

 

For reference, Lee Flowers carried a 3.06M cap value in 2002.� In the table above, we see that the Steelers have 27.11M committed to (9) projected starters.� That leaves something around 46M to be distributed among (44) players in 2003.� Of that 27.11, Scott and DW consume 34%; the Gildon hit exceeds that combined for Bell and Porter (though not for long).� Alex is excluded from this calculation; his position, and that to be abandoned by Lee Flowers, will be additional.�

 

Summary:

 

• Cutting Alex, Fiala and Hoke would clear about 1.52 M with no decrement in play on the field.� However, those (3) roster spots must be filled and that cost figures at around 0.75-.090K.� Moving DW would provide the largest clearance but would empty out the secondary too; moving Gildon would be a cap loser.� This suggests that any significant cap clearance will come on the O-side.

 

• FA priority on this side of the ball is DB, safety most likely.

 

• First day priority is in the secondary too; however, a quality dime DE could make an immediate impact.� Then too, the Steeler base was (1) D-line injury from catastrophe last year and, as KVO heads towards his close, a 2-gap crusher becomes a priority.� If Farrior can develop as a coverage LB then there is no first day need at LB.� In sum, the Steelers have need for up to (4) impact players on this side (two DB, two DL) but at the moment, have just two shots to fill those slots.�

 

• Second day:� Developmental prospects everywhere; potential might factor over collegiate production especially on the D-line.

 

• RFA offers:

 

Haggans minimum.

Clancy none.

Poteat none.

 

• UFA offers:

 

Flowers none.

Jones none.

 

• EFA offers:

 

Harrison maybe.

Kurpeikis none.