NFL Futures Analysis – Are The Pittsburgh Steelers Getting Too Old?

If anything is going to stop the Pittsburgh Steelers from vindicating themselves from a Super Bowl XLV defeat, it’s going to be age. Consider the players that make the Pittsburgh Steelers special aside from Ben Roethlisberger. What has truly defined the Steelers in their storied history is an attention to stellar defense and a brutish running game. At least one of those could be in jeopardy if you believe age is still a factor in the NFL. Does that mean that the Steelers won’t have value in the NFL futures market?

Nothing To Worry About On Offense
Offensively speaking, Pittsburgh doesn’t have a whole lot to worry about in its immediate NFL future. They were 14th this year in total yard and yard per game (5,525 and 345.3 per game) and also ranked 12th when it came to scoring with 23.4 points on average. Roethlisberger and Mendenhall will be around for a long time to ensure that the Steelers remain relevant in the NFL futures market.

The offensive line will get healthy again, and if anything the Steelers have pronounced and proven depth at every spot along the line, including center with David Legursky did a phenomenal job under center at Super Bowl XLV. Their offensive line is relatively young, and they can build around Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey who is just 21-years old.

Rashard Mendenhall is also 23-years old and the team would be smart to keep Mewelde Moore around as well. Though Moore seems like he’s been in the league forever, he’s just 28.

The only player on offense that is seriously battling father time is Hines Ward (34), who possesses the type of skills in route running and reliable hands that allow a player like him to remain relevant regardless of age. Ward still finished with 59 catches for 755 yards and 5 touchdowns this year, and will be integral in helping develop his future replacements be they Emmanuel Sanders or Antonio Brown.

Is There Defense Getting Old?
But what about the defense? Troy Polamalu looked slow, old or hurt at Super Bowl XLV and didn’t really make a single noteworthy play. If Polamalu was noted for anything, it was his blown coverage on a Greg Jennings’ touchdown in the fourth quarter. In his defense, Polamalu had a strained Achilles tendon and that’s an injury that takes away a serious amount of explosiveness, as well as any speed advantage that Polamalu might have had.

Still, it’s worth pointing out that Polamalu is 29-years old, which doesn’t seem old by NFL standards, but it’s certainly a big deal when you play the brand of football that Polamalu has almost trademarked. High speed collisions are as much a part of Polamalu’s game as anything else, and that type of mileage takes its toll on the body eventually.

This isn’t to say that Polamalu was the weak link in the defense that was torn asunder by Aaron Rodgers. The pass rush wasn’t able to disrupt Rodgers’ rhythm either, and when you consider the age of Pittsburgh’s defensive line, you start to get a bit worried. Brett Keisel (32), Aaron Smith (34), Casey Hampton (33), Chris Hoke (34), James Farrior (36), Larry Foote (30) and James Harrison (32) are all integral parts of Pittsburgh’s front-seven and all are either approaching or eclipsing their physical peak. That’s perhaps why Pittsburgh could be doubted when the NFL futures for 2011 are eventually released.

Great Coaching Trumps Father Time
I’ve played this age game before, and the truth is that player’s don’t decline in the NFL as long as they have great coaching and superior athletic trainers on the team. If anything, they may play reduced games if their presence isn’t wholly necessary. We’ve seen it in Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, who are certainly advancing in age and are still making massive plays on the field. Just because a guy is old by regular standards, that doesn’t make him a castaway in the impending NFL future.

If anything, that experience is invaluable especially when it’s paying off huge dividends on the field. Pittsburgh has also been very large on the concept of fraternity and legacy, with veterans helping rookies. Defensively, the team is anchored by Lawrence Timmons (24) and LaMarr Woodley (26) as starting linebackers. They’ll need to draft some stronger defensive line youth for the future, but if we know anything about Pittsburgh, it’s that they draft extremely well. Beyond that, their coaching is incredible.

Look at how well Pittsburgh’s injury riddled offensive line played in the Super Bowl. They allowed just one sack and five tackles for losses (compared to 3 sacks and 4 by Green Bay’s line). This was done with a backup center and plenty of gap fillers to the lost starters in Pittsburgh’s offensive line.

Coaching will add a lot of life to the careers of Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith as long as injuries don’t get in the way.
 
The Steelers, as always, will have plenty of depth and experience to keep their franchise relevant in the NFL futures discussion. Considering that they battled offensive line issues, and have apparent holes to fix in the secondary, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them leading the NFL futures market in the AFC.