Tomlin Has a Chance to Succeed Immediately in Pittsburgh
Team-By-Team Offseason Roundup
Pittsburgh Steelers
Coaching Change
Resigned: Bill Cowher
Hired: Mike Tomlin
Players Released:
Joey Porter, LB
Verron Haynes, RB
Chris Gardocki, P
Free Agents Lost:
Sean Morey, WR
Free Agents Re-Signed:
Najeh Davenport, RB
Tyrone Carter, S
Free Agents Added:
Sean Mahan, C
Nick Eason, DE
Kevan Barlow, RB
Draft:
Rd. 1 (No. 15 overall) Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State
2 (46) LaMarr Woodley, DE, Michigan
3 (77) Matt Spaeth, TE, Minnesota
4 (112) Daniel Sepulveda, P, Baylor
4 (132) Ryan McBean, DE, Oklahoma State
5 (156) Cameron Stephenson, G, Rutgers
5 (170) William Gay, CB, Louisville
7 (227) Dallas Baker, WR, Florida
Analysis:
When Bill Cowher resigned as the Pittsburgh Steelers' coach after the season, practically everyone in the league figured the job would go to his offensive coordinator, Ken Whisenhunt, or offensive line coach Russ Grimm. But Steelers owner Dan Rooney, the head of the league's diversity committee, practiced what he preaches and conducted a thorough, diverse and fair search. He ended up not only with an African-American head coach, in Mike Tomlin, but also a coach regarded by many people within the league as a star in the making.
Tomlin's first Steelers team should fare better than Cowher's final club in Pittsburgh. The Steelers' followup season to their Super Bowl triumph was doomed the moment that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered his offseason motorcycle accident. He never was the same quarterback last season. But an offseason of rest and complete recovery should get him back to his previous level, and the team that the Steelers will put around him remains a very solid one.
Linebacker Joey Porter is gone, but he'd reached the point where he was talking a better game than he was playing. The Steelers used their first-round draft pick on Florida State linebacker Lawrence Timmons. Otherwise, the Steelers will be mostly unchanged. They should get back to being the hard-nosed team predicated on rugged defense and a run-oriented offense that they were in their Super Bowl season. If Tomlin is as good as the early glimpses seem to indicate, the Steelers could be back in the running to be among the AFC heavyweights.
By Mark Maske |
May 31, 2007; 9:02 AM ET
| Category:
Steelers
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Posted by: Brian"The Brain"Billick | May 31, 2007 1:02 PM
Nice Brian.
You have a good nucleus of players and a great system for building a championship team, but now that you have abandoned a working method and digressed to the "Dan Snyder formula to win the Super Bowl" you are on the road to Skins level.
Randy Moss will be such a stabilizing force for the locker room.
Speaking of the Browns:
It is a shame the Falcons don't play them this year. The Dog Pound vs Mike Vick would be a classic.
Posted by: BoltsFan | May 31, 2007 1:38 PM
BoltsFan, I believe you're confusing Billick with Belichek (sp.). Basically, Ravens vs. Patriots.
Personally, I don't know the Steelers will make a return to "AFC Heavyweight" status this season, as they have to learn a new defensive system under Tomlin, and a brand new offense for Rothlisberger. But who knows?
Posted by: CowboyH8R | May 31, 2007 3:17 PM
Steelers will be using the same defensive system. They retained defensive coordinator Dick LaBeau. Tomlin has bought into the 3-4, at least for next season.
They are a good team. They should be able to make the playoffs as a wildcard. They are not in the top tier. I see them losing to one of the better teams in the playoffs: Colts, Patriots, Ravens, or Chargers.
Posted by: Steelers Fan | May 31, 2007 9:04 PM
Just noticed that those are the four teams from the second round of this past year's playoffs. Doubtful that all four will be back. If there's going to be a replacement, why not the Steelers?
Posted by: Gonzo, MD | June 1, 2007 11:21 AM
Yea, we all suffer from recency when making predictions. The only two things we have to gauge future performance are past performance and off season acquisitions.
Chargers, Colts, and Ravens have more talent, and none of them lost much in the off season, except perhaps Chargers coaching staff. Patriots have acquired additional talent with off season acquisitions.
Steelers have not made many off season acquisitions.
Posted by: Steelers Fan | June 4, 2007 6:07 PM
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Keep dreaming Mark. The Stealers will be challenging the Clowns for the Cellar. We will dominate this division again. And you will have been wrong. Again.