which QB?

[skywlker32]

3 minutes ago, rlon said:

I didn’t say they were awful, clearly not stalwart though and haven’t really been since many of ‘Cowher’s players’ moved on. Of course, the people who think last years defense was elite will agree with you, which is exactly why I disagree. I do think their personnel has elite potential this year, given the talent/health improvement at ILB, the stabilization of the SS position, the continued development of Benton/Herbig, and having more talent at the corner position than they’ve had in over a decade. I think this defense can be what some of you overrated last year’s unit to be…and then some. So, I am very optimistic on that side of the ball…and that is about where it ends, though I hope I am wrong there. 

Did I say the defense was elite last year? No, but it was a top 10 defense. When your defense is near the top of the league most years, even with sometimes heavy player turnover, that points back to coach influence. Also, the "Cowher's team" rhetoric is very annoying. Whether they were selected by Cowher or Tomlin doesn't matter ultimately, the defenses were good. They were no longer running "Cowher's" defense. If the defensive players haven't been as good during Tomlin's time, don't you think that points more to GM than to coach?

I think also the defense has been more difficult to build than 90's and early 2000's. Gone are the days when Steelers could grab all the tweener passrushers late in the draft because a majority of teams ran 4-man fronts. That used to be a huge advantage for the Steelers.

[rlon]

Just now, skywlker32 said:

Did I say the defense was elite last year? No, but it was a top 10 defense. When your defense is near the top of the league most years, even with sometimes heavy player turnover, that points back to coach influence. Also, the "Cowher's team" rhetoric is very annoying. Whether they were selected by Cowher or Tomlin doesn't matter ultimately, the defenses were good. They were no longer running "Cowher's" defense. If the defensive players haven't been as good during Tomlin's time, don't you think that points more to GM than to coach?

I think also the defense has been more difficult to build than 90's and early 2000's. Gone are the days when Steelers could grab all the tweener passrushers late in the draft because a majority of teams ran 4-man fronts. That used to be a huge advantage for the Steelers.

Sorry, you are right, you are not one of the ones calling the unit elite last year. I think defensive rankings are a bit dubious outside of the top five, let’s say. I too think players during the Cowher era were generally better defensive players, outside of Watt as one major example of improvement. I think player development within this organization was better back then. But, i really used Cowher/Tomlin largely for time frame comparison, and sure I think GM had a role. It’s never just one thing.

I do bash Tomlin for a variety of things, so I can see why you went that way there. I really think the coordinator level hires or maintenance under the Tomlin era has been a big problem, especially as of late. No one from the coaching tree has excelled. It’s not even a tree…mediocre rentals, with Smith representing a potential departure from that  mediocrity (fingers crossed).