View topic - Youth (or lack thereof)

[Pommah Profile]

Article in the post-gazette mentions the Panthers as the 4th youngest team, with an average age of 26.4, and the Steelers as the 26th "youngest" team with an average age of 27.5.

So bear with me here -

This is the whole roster. And the spread between the 4th and the 26th is only about 13-14 months. Doesn't sound like much, does it? It means the average age difference in rosters probably spans less than two years from youngest team to oldest team, with the median probably right around age 27.

I went to Steelers.com. The average age of the starting "D" at the beginning of the season? 30.5. Figure a "starting" team is going to to be older than the roster in general - by what, maybe a year? So the "average" starting team would be about 28 or so. And we are 2.5 years older than that! We've got to have the oldest starting D in the league. And then they hardly ever come off the field for substitution, unless they get hurt. And you wonder why we fade at the end of the season?

I would not be surprised if we lose to either the Panthers or the Browns. With the playoffs already made, and most guys well into their 2nd contracts, and sporting 1 or 2 super bowl rings already, I am just not seeing enough fire in the belly to justify another title run.

[kapone Profile]

..That's the spirit!

[No l Gravity l Profile]

I'm not too worried because we have a couple of starters-in-waiting on D. Sylvester looks very promising. He plays with the same aggression as Timmons and Harrison. Crezdon Butler looks really solid and fluid in coverage in the preseason and hopefully he'll be able to take over BMac's spot. Plus, Ziggy has been getting better in every game since Smith's injury. We just need to draft a nose tackle and another DE within the next two years and I think we'll be ok for the long run.

Our old defense is also offset by our very young offense. Even Ben is still 29, Wallace is 24, Emmanuel Sanders is 23, Antonio Brown is 22, Pouncey is 21, Kemoeatu is 27, Colon is 27, and Starks is still 29. The only old players we have here are Flozell, Ward and Randle El and the latter 2 already look like they viable replacements.

[StillDodger Profile]

I hope Willie Colon does not see another down in a Stillers uniform...... For how awful our OL has been this season, Flozell Adams has been a huge improvement. I really think had Colon still been our starting RT, we wouldn't be talking about a possible number two seed in the playoffs right now. Too bad Flozell is old.