The Steelers didn’t plan for a new coaching staff this offseason, but it may have raised hopes for the defense. Even though former HC Mike Tomlin was a defensive-minded leader, many seem to feel things will improve. After 19 years on the job, the consensus—even from Tomlin—was that things were growing stale.
In comes Patrick Graham, whom new Steelers HC Mike McCarthy hired to lead the defense. Unlike defensive coordinators under Tomlin, the belief is that Graham will have virtual autonomy over the unit. And based on what reporters saw just from the spring, as well as what players have said, it should lead to some interesting changes.
“I think it’s gonna have a lot of new twists and turns”, Ray Fittipaldo said of the Steelers’ defense on 93.7 The Fan. “T.J. Watt, even being a decade into the league, he said learning this defense was a lot for him. He spent a lot of time on the iPad and trying to study this spring so he gets up to speed with the defense”.
Watt admitted that it wasn’t necessarily easy getting on board with all of the changes precipitated by Tomlin’s resignation. Over time, however, he’s begun to see the vision for the Steelers’ defense and is buying in. Having vets like Watt and Cam Heyward buying in should go a long way for the cohesiveness of the unit as a whole.
The Steelers talked a big game about their defense going into last season, but it fell flat. For Tomlin, it seemed to be one last hurrah, pushing all his chips to the center of the table. His late adoption of relying on aging veterans is proof enough of that, particularly Darius Slay. Under McCarthy and Graham, there has been some course correction and reprioritization of core concepts. And in the end, many agree that it should lead to a better showing overall.
“I think the defense has a chance to be better. It better be better”, Fittipaldo said. “They were 27th in total defense last season. The only reason they won that division when it comes to their defense is because they were able to turn the ball over. If they can’t turn the ball over under Patrick Graham and they’re still 27th, that’s not gonna be a good sign for that defense”.
The biggest additions the Steelers made to the defense this year are in the secondary. They signed CB Jamel Dean and S Jacquan Brisker in free agency, but they have depth, too. DeShon Elliott is back healthy, allowing Jalen Ramsey to play more of a roving role within the defense.
Elsewhere, it’s more about development. Particularly along the defensive line, the Steelers have two young defenders going into Year 2. Derrick Harmon is already a full-time starter, and Yahya Black could play a bigger role, too. And if the defensive line is playing better, the inside linebackers can play better, too. And maybe T.J. Watt rushing from the right side every once in a while won’t be so bad after all.
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