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22 minutes in the past
Main as much as Sunday’s Tremendous Bowl, ESPN.com put together some projections for the Steelers and the remainder of the league’s 31 different franchises upfront of 2021 season.
Hey, no time like the current to begin hyping the longer term, proper?
They positioned each workforce into one in all six packing containers based mostly on their notion of that group’s probability of contending for Tremendous Bowl LVI.
1. Present contenders
2. On the cusp
3. One yr out
4. Two years out
5. Three years out
6. 4 or 5 years out
To begin with, let’s observe that the one groups within the “present contenders” class have been the 4 Championship Sport individuals (Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Inexperienced Bay Packers, and Buffalo Payments) from this season.
Secondly, I do not know what the distinction is between “on the cusp” of competition and “one yr away” from competition. Appears like the identical factor to me. However I digress.
The Steelers have been positioned within the “one yr away” class.
Actually? One yr away? From what? A Tremendous Bowl?
Or the No. 1 general choose?
If I created my very own rankings class for the Steelers on that piece, I’d price them “one yr away… from being 5 years away.”
Isn’t that probably the most possible final result for the Steelers? That they muddle by means of yet one more yr of an ageing Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback, get three new offensive coaches on top of things, endure a roster that can be picked aside in free company and possibly go someplace between 6-10 and 9-7 (at greatest).
That’s the way in which I see it.
After I hear the phrase “one yr away,” I consider groups which can be on the ascent. Groups that made strides in 2020. That have been on the fringes of competition final yr, may enhance in 2021 and could also be among the many favorites in 2022.
Optimists concerning the Cleveland Browns may make that case. In the event you consider the Tennessee Titans can cobble collectively a protection over the subsequent two years to match their run-pass steadiness on offense, they’d qualify, too.
The identical for individuals who consider the Los Angeles Rams did the proper factor by buying and selling for quarterback Matt Stafford or those who consider the Baltimore Ravens can develop a cross recreation to match quarterback Lamar Jackson’s working skill throughout the subsequent two years.
These explanations I’d purchase. However I do not know how the Steelers fall into that class.
How can a workforce that misplaced 5 of six video games to finish the yr be characterised as being on an upward trajectory versus a descent? Particularly when that workforce is dealing with one of many worst wage cap conditions in soccer and an especially troublesome schedule.
Actually, based mostly on Brooke Pryor’s writeup of the workforce within the submit, it reads just like the Steelers ought to be slotted decrease, too. I discovered her evaluation to be extra correct than the rating itself. It’s virtually as if whoever put the record collectively simply predetermined that’s the place the Steelers have been going to be.
If a part of ESPN’s argument is “regardless of their dangerous end, the Steelers nonetheless went 12-4,” advantageous.
However are they actually nonetheless a 12-4 workforce subsequent yr with JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner, Alejandro Villanueva, Bud Dupree, Matt Feiler, Cam Sutton, Mike Hilton, Tyson Alualu and Maurkice Pouncey all probably leaving by way of free company or retirement?
Given the shrinking wage cap quantity, the prospect of conserving greater than two or three of these guys is scant. And there’s solely a lot manufacturing to take in that may be anticipated from final yr’s backups and this yr’s upcoming draft class.
What the Steelers are actually “one yr away” from is a full-fledged rebuild in 2022.
That’s what occurs if you get a brand new quarterback, a giant chunk of an offensive line, and perhaps (by 2022) two new cornerbacks as properly. Plus, a wage cap that hopefully will return up and a few room to spend beneath it.
Oh, and by that time, maybe a completely new teaching employees as properly, relying on how dangerous 2021 will get. If I’m proper and the Steelers fail to win a playoff recreation subsequent yr, that’ll be 5 consecutive seasons with no postseason victory. We haven’t seen a drought like that since 1967-71.
It’s potential not even head coach Mike Tomlin will survive that. Nor ought to he.
I’m certain this commentary can be met with the usual rebuttals from Steelers followers and people within the media preferring to advance the chosen narrative of the franchise relatively than deal with latest historical past.
These retorts will sound precisely the identical as they did once I was being known as an excessive amount of of a pessimist when issues began to show south after the ugly “Covid Bowl” win and the ensuing loss to Washington.
How’d that work out? Guess I didn’t hit the alarm bells too early there, did I?
In 2018, the Steelers have been “just some performs away.” Final yr they have been “only one harm to the quarterback away.” Now they’re “only one yr away.”
Obtained it. Let’s circle again at first of 2022 and see if they’re simply as near that “4 or 5 years out” camp.
My guess is until they draft or purchase the subsequent Roethlisberger between at times, that’s precisely the place they are going to be.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Assessment employees author. You’ll be able to contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or by way of Twitter. All tweets may very well be reposted. All emails are topic to publication until specified in any other case.
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Sports activities | Steelers/NFL | Breakfast With Benz
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