Is our linebacking core right now a weakness?

[Steelers5895]

Another thread got me looking at our LB corps. Since the 70's its been a strength, I am wondering now if its no longer a strength or is it a weakness.

Here is why:

1- Harrison's age
2- When we lost our starting OLBs last year we had no one who could step in and do anything. I didnt expect to get production like the starters but the fillers were non-exisistant.
3- Timmons has yet to live up to his first round expectations
4- Is Woodley's non-impact injury a start of something or a fluke?
5- No clear cut starter on the inside next to Timmons
6- No depth inside.

Not brewing with confidence but I am sure the front office will address this.

[NSMaster56]

No.

[Dodens Grav]

Originally Posted by Steelers5895

Another thread got me looking at our LB corps. Since the 70's its been a strength, I am wondering now if its no longer a strength or is it a weakness.

Here is why:

1- Harrison's age
2- When we lost our starting OLBs last year we had no one who could step in and do anything. I didnt expect to get production like the starters but the fillers were non-exisistant.
3- Timmons has yet to live up to his first round expectations
4- Is Woodley's non-impact injury a start of something or a fluke?
5- No clear cut starter on the inside next to Timmons
6- No depth inside.

Not brewing with confidence but I am sure the front office will address this.

1. Harrison's age is a concern, yes, but he also had a late start to his NFL career, and he takes very good care of his body. It is conceivable that he has another 4 solid years in him.
2. Jason Worilds was injured and Chris Carter wasn't ready. The instability of the defensive line did not help either.
3. We've gone through this one before, and your claim that he does not make "impact"/"splash" plays was already demonstrably refuted by pointing out that in his one full, healthy season as a starter at inside linebacker, the only player that had more was Harrison on the entire team.
4. It's far, far, far more likely a fluke than the start of a trend. Injury paranoia is getting ridiculous.
5. That's what training camp is for. The only reason that Foote is not necessarily the clear cut starter is simply because the coaching staff believes in Sylvester's potential.
6. There's still Mortty Ivy, and whomever doesn't start between Foote and Sylvester will be the other backup. That is perfectly sound depth, yet it is still highly likely that they will add to this in the draft.

I do not even remotely share your skepticism for the reasons cited above.

[tanda10506]

Originally Posted by Steelers5895

Another thread got me looking at our LB corps. Since the 70's its been a strength, I am wondering now if its no longer a strength or is it a weakness.

Here is why:

1- Harrison's age
2- When we lost our starting OLBs last year we had no one who could step in and do anything. I didnt expect to get production like the starters but the fillers were non-exisistant.
3- Timmons has yet to live up to his first round expectations
4- Is Woodley's non-impact injury a start of something or a fluke?
5- No clear cut starter on the inside next to Timmons
6- No depth inside.

Not brewing with confidence but I am sure the front office will address this.

1. Wont be an issue this year
2. Not true, Worilds played pretty well backing up both Woodley and Harrison
3. I disagree, Timmons is one of the better ILB's in the league, he had a lot of responsibility this year
4. Everybody get's hurt sometimes
5. Foote will do fine
6. True

Bottom line, LB is still one of our strongest spots, we have the best two OLB in the league and Timmons, come on!

[Curtain_of_Steel]

Seriously? Weakness?

If Woodley still has hammy issues than it could be a problem, as they can double team Hairrison. So to me it comes down to Woodleys health determining how strong we are next year.

[tony hipchest]

no...

[Riddle_Of_Steel]

Originally Posted by Dodens Grav

1. Harrison's age is a concern, yes, but he also had a late start to his NFL career, and he takes very good care of his body. It is conceivable that he has another 4 solid years in him.

I "take good care of my body"-- I am 35, and I feel a difference between when I was 25 and being 35, and I am not doing OTAs, practice reps, drills, and actually playing the games. Did you see Harrison this year? A bad back is a common enough problem for those of us that are in the twighlight years of an NFL career.... I think Harrison is 35 now-- you think he is going to be playing until he is 39 really?!?!

Originally Posted by Dodens Grav

2. Jason Worilds was injured and Chris Carter wasn't ready. The instability of the defensive line did not help either.

Worilds was NOT injured until later in the season. Other than that, he has yet to impress when on the field. Has he even notched a single sack yet? Chris Carter looked descent, but is still untested.

Originally Posted by Dodens Grav

3. We've gone through this one before, and your claim that he does not make "impact"/"splash" plays was already demonstrably refuted by pointing out that in his one full, healthy season as a starter at inside linebacker, the only player that had more was Harrison on the entire team.

I must have missed that thread too-- I have yet to see Timmons make any splash plays in the 3 or 4 years I have been watching him-- unless you consider gettting beaten repeatedly by tight ends and bowled over by opposing runningbacks a "splash play". When he was moved to the outside (which is his native position-- we converted him to ILB), he became even more invisible.

Originally Posted by Dodens Grav

4. It's far, far, far more likely a fluke than the start of a trend. Injury paranoia is getting ridiculous.

Maybe.

Originally Posted by Dodens Grav

6. There's still Mortty Ivy, and whomever doesn't start between Foote and Sylvester will be the other backup. That is perfectly sound depth, yet it is still highly likely that they will add to this in the draft.

Mortty who? Undrafted no-name is what our linebacker corps is going to be held up by?

[Dodens Grav]

Originally Posted by Riddle_Of_Steel

I "take good care of my body"-- I am 35, and I feel a difference between when I was 25 and being 35, and I am not doing OTAs, practice reps, drills, and actually playing the games. Did you see Harrison this year? A bad back is a common enough problem for those of us that are in the twighlight years of an NFL career.... I think Harrison is 35 now-- you think he is going to be playing until he is 39 really?!?!

Harrison is 33. Did you watch his play after he returned from his eye injury? He was as strong as ever.

Worilds was NOT injured until later in the season. Other than that, he has yet to impress when on the field. Has he even notched a single sack yet? Chris Carter looked descent, but is still untested.

Wow, are you actually blatantly incorrectly stating facts? Worilds was injured during weeks 5-8 while Harrison was out. You know...the reason that Timmons was starting instead of Worilds. Yes, Worilds has sacks. Maybe you should watch more closely.

I must have missed that thread too-- I have yet to see Timmons make any splash plays in the 3 or 4 years I have been watching him-- unless you consider gettting beaten repeatedly by tight ends and bowled over by opposing runningbacks a "splash play". When he was moved to the outside (which is his native position-- we converted him to ILB), he became even more invisible.

I feel bad for you that you have not seen him make any splash plays, because that must mean that you have not watched many Steelers games.

Maybe.

Probably.

Mortty who? Undrafted no-name is what our linebacker corps is going to be held up by?

People were throwing fits when he didn't make the 53 last pre-season. He has as much potential as plenty of other 8th or 9th string linebackers on other teams.

[tony hipchest]

in general, steelerfans are the most knowledgable group of fans out there.

in this thread?

not so much.

worilds pretty much came out the gate sacking qb's in the latter part of his rookie season when he finally got a chance to see the field.

i love it how when LB's such as lewis and fletcher are still making pro-bowls, steelerfans are already kicking the dirt on harrison.

[Dalarin]

Riddle: Junior Seau played until he was 42 and he started for the chargers day 1.