2018 Defense Thoughts and Comments Anyone?

Hopefully, aside from "They Suck". I have a feeling that we are in store for, at least for this team, qualifies as big changes. There have been hints all over the place that the 2018 Steelers will be running some fairly new and different looks.

1. Teegre talked about the "seven" package. Sounds to me like an expansion and new take on the old "amoeba" thing they used to do where no one put their hand in the dirt. Only now mostly with guys that weigh less than 210 lbs....
2. I cant find the article now, but there was a legit Steelers related posting awhile back that there are serious internal discussion about flipping sides with Watt and Dupree. Not perhaps a major defensive shift, but still potentially significant of things to come.
3. Watt as passing down ILB. Started happening last season out of necessity. Now, what if there is a whole off-season to install a package by design?
4. Related to the "seven" package - but something has to be done to get Sutton AND Edmunds on the field. Limited duty Sutton demonstrated last season that he can play in the NFL. Edmunds is a first round pick, that means they have to find work for him. Just counting heads in the LB and DB meeting rooms, they are going to have to get clever to find everyone snaps.

I realize that before camp and preseason it is impossible to know, but anyone else thinking anything along these lines? I hope for this almost every year, but I think 2018 may be the year we actually see something innovative again from this defense.

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Originally Posted by Mojouw

Hopefully, aside from "They Suck". I have a feeling that we are in store for, at least for this team, qualifies as big changes. There have been hints all over the place that the 2018 Steelers will be running some fairly new and different looks.

1. Teegre talked about the "seven" package. Sounds to me like an expansion and new take on the old "amoeba" thing they used to do where no one put their hand in the dirt. Only now mostly with guys that weigh less than 210 lbs....
2. I cant find the article now, but there was a legit Steelers related posting awhile back that there are serious internal discussion about flipping sides with Watt and Dupree. Not perhaps a major defensive shift, but still potentially significant of things to come.
3. Watt as passing down ILB. Started happening last season out of necessity. Now, what if there is a whole off-season to install a package by design?
4. Related to the "seven" package - but something has to be done to get Sutton AND Edmunds on the field. Limited duty Sutton demonstrated last season that he can play in the NFL. Edmunds is a first round pick, that means they have to find work for him. Just counting heads in the LB and DB meeting rooms, they are going to have to get clever to find everyone snaps.

I realize that before camp and preseason it is impossible to know, but anyone else thinking anything along these lines? I hope for this almost every year, but I think 2018 may be the year we actually see something innovative again from this defense.

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The '7' package sounds interesting, but I'd assume that's strictly for passing downs or else we'd get gashed even worse than last year by the run.

The problem with the D last year, especially after Shazier was out, we had nothing to hang out hats on. We couldn't stop the run, the pass, big plays, or get pressure on the QB. That's why i think we should have went all D in the draft, to at least shore up one area of the D.

Better coaching = better results

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Originally Posted by Terrapinstation

The '7' package sounds interesting, but I'd assume that's strictly for passing downs or else we'd get gashed even worse than last year by the run.

The problem with the D last year, especially after Shazier was out, we had nothing to hang out hats on. We couldn't stop the run, the pass, big plays, or get pressure on the QB. That's why i think we should have went all D in the draft, to at least shore up one area of the D.

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Arguably they did that.

Burnett for Mitchell shores up the back end through the middle. Maybe eliminates a handful of big plays this season. Likely worth something.
For better or worse, Bostic replaces Shazier. If Edmunds replaces Spence, then that is a far better ILB group today than it was a few months ago. Add another depth piece to it and they might have something.

Then they got their QB of the future (debatable, but they think they did) and their next blindside protector.

If in 2 seasons the OTs are Chuks and Hawkins, the QB is Rudolph, and the $$ backer is Edmunds...this draft will look amazing. There are other far less pleasant versions as well.

I think one of the reasons for Edmunds is because he is built to hold up physically against TEs. That would free up Watt to rush the passer more, and when he does drop into coverage, it can catch the offense off-guard, free up other rushers, and lead to more turnovers. Watt is terrific at everything, but with his motor, another year to work on his craft, and him clearly being the greatest edge threat right now, it does seem to make sense if they are headed in that direction.

Edmunds can theoretically be one of the final pieces to the versatility puzzle that the Steelers have been trying to put together for a few years now. If you have enough guys that can do multiple things well, it is much harder to decipher what the defense is trying to do to you.

Dupree switching sides could be the “change” that many have sugggested needed to occur.

Harrison was pedestrian at ROLB; he couldn’t even beat out Clark Haggans. When he switched to LOLB, he blew up.