Steelers Super Era, Visits, Bell’s Punishment

The 2015 NFL Draft is just a few weeks away and offseason workout programs are starting across the league. While the Steelers get ready to build their big board and head out on the practice fields we’ll be busy looking for mentions of your Black & Gold so we’ve got you covered. Here’s your Steelers Morning Huddle for Sunday, April 12^th.

End of an era?

With the retirement of Troy Polamalu it certainly is the end of an era in Pittsburgh. Around the NFL’s Kevin Patra suggests that it could also mean the end of the Steelers’ second-tier Super Bowl-winning era as well. Not sure quite how the Steelers could still be considered as still in that ear since their last Super Bowl appearance was 2010 and last win was 2008.

Still, even Steelers President Art Rooney suggests that the team is headed in a much different direction from the defensive-led teams that saw Troy Polamalu contribute to three Super Bowl trips and two victories.

"“There’s certainly been some turnover so maybe it’s time to say (the second Super Bowl era is over). This year will be the 10th anniversary of the team that won the Super Bowl in 2005, so we will be celebrating that occasion this season. There is time to turn the page and this may be part of that time for us.” – Art Rooney II"

That new page the Steelers are onto now? An offensive-driven one with Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell leading the way. This newly potent offense can take the team a long way and Steeler Nation should be excited to see where they can go.

Come dahn to the South Side

The Steelers hosted four potential draft choices this week, according to the Trib’s Mark Kaboly. Virginia’s OLB Eli Harold, Utah’s OLB Nate Orchard, Mississippi’s CB Senquez Golson and Auburn’s TE C.J. Uzomah. The Steelers haven’t made it a secret that their primary targets for the draft will be the outside linebacker and cornerback positions.

Pre-Draft visits can be an indication on who exactly the Steelers are targeting in the draft, but then again with the pick at No. 22 it still will mostly rely on who is available of the players they’ve targeted. Both Jarvis Jones and Ryan Shazier came in as pre-draft visits before they were selected in the first round of their respective drafts.

Does the punishment fit the crime?

The PPG’s resident grumpy old man Ron Cook posed the question regarding the three-game suspension for Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell stemming from a July 2014 arrest for DUI involving marijuana. Naturally Cook takes the stance that there’s no reason for yinzers to be mad at Goodell for levying the punishment against Bell.

The anger should solely be directed at Bell for his thoughtless act of smoking marijuana before getting in his car to drive to the airport for a preseason game with then-teammate LeGarrette Blount. (Blount received a one-game suspension for his arrest in the incident)

There isn’t anything to gain from getting on a high horse and vilifying Bell for an offense that will legally be wiped away once he finishes his 15-month probation he received in February. Whatever your stance on marijuana is there still is the problem that Bell got behind the wheel of his car under the influence and that’s something the NFL has had a serious problem addressing properly.

He’ll most likely win his appeal and have his suspension knocked down to the two games that is currently the new standard for a DUI arrest. Do what you want on your own time in your own home but don’t get behind the wheel of a car afterwards for crying out loud. Incidentally, the Steelers are 0-4 in games without Bell and that might be a problem.

Next: Steelers New Emphasis in OTAs?

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