NFL 2012

No. Todd Haley did a fine job last year up until Roethlisberger got injured. The offense needs to continue to gel under the new scheme. The offensive line should be better next year with the amount of injuries they had to deal with, which will help. It should look something like this:

LT: Marcus Gilbert
LG: Willie Colon
C: Maurkice Pouncey
RG: David DeCastro
RT: Mike Adams

the tackle positions could be switched, and they may release Colon, though, in which case they'll either re-sign Ramon Foster or plug in Kelvin Beachum, who played the last 5 games of this season at RT. If the latter happens, they would have an incredibly young offensive line with 3 2nd year players, a 3rd year player, and a 4th year player.

Also, I fully expect them to draft another WR high in the draft and add another RB later on to supplement the assumed losses of Wallace and Mendenhall.
 
No. Todd Haley did a fine job last year up until Roethlisberger got injured. The offense needs to continue to gel under the new scheme. The offensive line should be better next year with the amount of injuries they had to deal with, which will help. It should look something like this:

LT: Marcus Gilbert
LG: Willie Colon
C: Maurkice Pouncey
RG: David DeCastro
RT: Mike Adams

the tackle positions could be switched, and they may release Colon, though, in which case they'll either re-sign Ramon Foster or plug in Kelvin Beachum, who played the last 5 games of this season at RT. If the latter happens, they would have an incredibly young offensive line with 3 2nd year players, a 3rd year player, and a 4th year player.

Also, I fully expect them to draft another WR high in the draft and add another RB later on to supplement the assumed losses of Wallace and Mendenhall.

But surely big Ben wasn't that happy, and I thought most in the Pitt area like the more running type offense, that wasn't implemented well at all this year..and I do say that Redman/Dwyer are solid backs
 
Isn't this draft weak on RBs?

They don't really need a starter.

But surely big Ben wasn't that happy, and I thought most in the Pitt area like the more running type offense, that wasn't implemented well at all this year..and I do say that Redman/Dwyer are solid backs


Roethlisberger is fine with Haley's system, and if your pro-rate his season for the time he missed due to injury (3 and a half games, and he wasn't the same after the injury either, doubling his INT total in 3 games), he had statistically the best season of his career. The injury really derailed the whole team, which was 6-3 at the time and finished 2-5.

As far as the running game goes, yes, there are a lot of fans who whine about not running the ball enough (which is irrelevant) or well enough (which is more than valid), but I saw enough last year to lead me to believe that they can have a successful running game to complement their $100 million QB. They had a stretch of four games where they averaged close to 150 rushing yards with Dwyer and Redman both leading the way, but then injuries decimated the offensive line, namely to their two best run blockers, Colon and Adams, who both ended up on IR (as did Gilbert, and DeCastro obviously missed most of the season too). DeCastro was to be a major upgrade and quickly become their best offensive lineman, so not having him really put a wrench in the projected development of the line.
 
Didn't Ben throw two late picks on big win games? Maybe that much pressure isn't good for him, or his great clutchness is out..not sure i'd be happy with the future but you are a bigger steelers fan than I.

But the bills picked up Syracuse offense, and Jets D, and I have no idea if I should be happy or not.
 
Yes, both of those occurred when he came back from injury. Like I said, he simply wasn't the same after the injury.
 
Monte Kiffen? I can see the Cowboys D shifting to a 4-3, but not the Tampa 2. Really doesn't seem to fit the personnel, specifically the LBs.

Eagles interviewed Brian Kelly from ND. Don't know what to think about that one.
 
Monte Kiffen? I can see the Cowboys D shifting to a 4-3, but not the Tampa 2. Really doesn't seem to fit the personnel, specifically the LBs.

Yeah, I don't see the Tampa 2 either. Then again, this could be a classic Jerry Jones move. Big name, doesn't fit the current organization/past prime/etc.
 
LBers? Sean Lee and Carter are built for the Cover 2, it's the CBs, Those guys can play excellent man. Can't take that away.

On second thought I'll give you Carter but not Lee. Tampa-2 demands speedy linebackers and that's just one thing Lee is not. Good point on the corners though. The whole transition doesn't seem necesaary. I would say discipline, execution and injuries were the Cowboy's problems on D. The scheme could probably use tinkering, but this overhaul seems uncalled for.
 
Carter is faster than Lee, but Lee is always around the ball, so even if he doesn't have pure speed, the guy is "a football player". He also has quite a few INTs for a linebacker (off of guys like Brady and Peyton no less), especially considering how little he has played due to injuries.

One thing I keep reading is that Jones is fed up with a lack of turn overs. This has been a problem going back to the Wade years as well. Kiffin's defenses in Tampa averaged more turnovers than Dallas has managed in a year in like the last 10 seasons or something (except one season).

I think they might also be looking at cap/future issues. 3-4 outside linebackers are expensive, and Ware-like talent is rare. Decent D-lineman aren't. Ware is getting pretty banged up at this point (and over 30), and isn't the greatest in pass coverage. Spencer probably won't be back. So there goes your two 3-4 outside linebackers.
 
I think it'll be a good game, but I see the Packers winning. Their offense is superior and I think they'll be able to stop the run game enough to force Kapernick to pass, and hopefully make rookie mistakes.