polamalubeast
05-29-2017, 07:11 PM
For the first time in quite a while, it would seem, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in good position to enter the season with a starting secondary that finished the previous season and is likely to finish the year as well. The mostly-young grouping of cornerbacks Artie Burns and Ross Cockrell with safeties Mike Mitchell and Sean Davis are more or less the inevitable starters who are unlikely to be replaced at any point this season.
That is quite a change of pace from recent years, including just last season, during which both Burns and Davis usurped others as rookies to enter the starting lineup. Davis took the starting job from Robert Golden, while Burns kicked William Gay into the nickel role.
The year before, the Steelers envisioned opening the season with Shamarko Thomas and Cortez Allen in the starting lineup, but by the opener, it was Will Allen and Antwon Blake starting. And by the end of the year, Blake was losing snaps to Cockrell.
Mike Mitchell had just joined the team in 2014 as a new piece, but over the course of the year, Cortez Allen also lost his starting job to Gay. Brice McCain also ended up in the starting lineup as a result of injuries and ineffectiveness, starting nine games.
The same thing, frankly, happened in 2013 with Gay taking over for Allen. But back to 2012, Allen ended up starting while Ike Taylor was injured at the end of the season. It was also the only year in which Keenan Lewis was a full-time starter. Troy Polamalu also missed most of the season due to injuries. This is the closest they came to having a stable unit if you discount the injuries.
read more
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2017/05/secondary-opportunity-overturn-years-lineup-instability/
That is quite a change of pace from recent years, including just last season, during which both Burns and Davis usurped others as rookies to enter the starting lineup. Davis took the starting job from Robert Golden, while Burns kicked William Gay into the nickel role.
The year before, the Steelers envisioned opening the season with Shamarko Thomas and Cortez Allen in the starting lineup, but by the opener, it was Will Allen and Antwon Blake starting. And by the end of the year, Blake was losing snaps to Cockrell.
Mike Mitchell had just joined the team in 2014 as a new piece, but over the course of the year, Cortez Allen also lost his starting job to Gay. Brice McCain also ended up in the starting lineup as a result of injuries and ineffectiveness, starting nine games.
The same thing, frankly, happened in 2013 with Gay taking over for Allen. But back to 2012, Allen ended up starting while Ike Taylor was injured at the end of the season. It was also the only year in which Keenan Lewis was a full-time starter. Troy Polamalu also missed most of the season due to injuries. This is the closest they came to having a stable unit if you discount the injuries.
read more
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2017/05/secondary-opportunity-overturn-years-lineup-instability/