Steelers Worilds Question, Rush vs. Cover, Bryant Rise
By Kim Myers
Steelers season never truly ends here at Still Curtain. While the Pittsburgh Steelers are closing the book on the 2014 season we’ll be busy looking for mentions of your Black & Gold so we’ve got you covered. Here’s your Steelers Morning Huddle for Saturday, Jan. 10th.
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What in the Worilds to do?
The Steelers were faced with what to do with linebacker Jason Worilds last offseason when they decided to let LaMarr Woodley go. They offered the Transition tag to Worilds and he quickly responded by signing it in spite of a long-term offer from the Philadelphia Eagles on the table, as Mark Kaboly of the Trib reports.
The tag got Worilds almost $10 million for 7.5 sacks this season and the Steelers are faced with the same question going into this offseason, only they’d have to either franchise tag Worilds and pay him another ridiculous one-year salary or sign him to a long-term deal. When you think about the fact that the only outside linebacker the Steelers have under contract already going into next season is Jarvis Jones, you might want to consider the option of sticking with Worilds.
Which is more important?
Bob Labriola wraps up his thoughts on the Steelers 2014 season by posing some very important questions. The Steelers last offseason pretty much blatantly ignored the needs of the secondary to focus on the front seven of the defense. Labriola suggests that the outcome of the Steelers-Ravens game might determine that pass rush might be more important to fortify than the secondary.
The Steelers went up against a Ravens team with a severely depleted secondary but were unable to overcome the pass rush set forth by Elvis Dumervil, Terrell Suggs, Pernell McPhee and the rest. I’m not saying the Steelers should go into another offseason and completely ignore the cornerback position again but it does make a lot of sense to strengthen the front seven.
Bryant on the rise
ESPN’s Scott Brown points out that Steelers rookie WR Martavis Bryant did not dress for the first six games of the season but still ended up tied for 18th in the NFL with eight touchdown receptions. In the games he played, Bryant averaged 21.1 yards per catch. Just think what he can do with an entire season under his belt? Bryant is far from a finished product, as most NFL players are, but even Bryant himself is excited at what the future could hold for him here in Pittsburgh.
"“The sky’s the limit as long as I continue to work. I’m not setting any bars for myself.” – Martavis Bryant"