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When team president Art Rooney II speaks,Anton Stralman Jersey, the Steelers' front office listens. 2016 NFL DRAFTTracker: Players | Rounds | TeamsDraft coverageivision-by-division: Grades | BargainsRanking every team's draft haulInstant-impact rookies from 2016 draftBest undrafted free-agent classesDraft trade tracker: Details of every moveCFB 24/7: Full 'Path to Draft' coverage After Rooney emphasized a return to Pittsburgh's smashmouth roots a half-decade ago,Brandon Flowers Chargers Jersey, pass-happy coordinator Bruce Arians was sent packing. When Rooney expressed concern for Ben Roethlisberger's health,Cheap NBA Jerseys, draft picks were devoted to the offensive line while coaches worked with the quarterback to get rid of the ball faster. As the Steelers embark on the 2016 offseason,Andrus Peat Saints Jersey, Rooney has identified the porous secondary as the priority. If you look at us statistically,Adam Graves Rangers Jersey, we weren't where we'd like to be in terms of pass defense, and so that's an area we know we want to improve upon, Rooney said, via the team's official website. We certainly made progress on defense. We got better as the year went on,Cheap NFL Jerseys, but we all agree we need to be better in general as a pass defense. I'm not going to suggest we need to do something dramatically different. We invested some draft picks in some players last year we certainly hope are going to take a step forward this coming season and be contributors. Obviously we have some opportunities this offseason in terms of free agency and the draft. It's something we have to keep working on. If the Steelers are going to knock the Bengals off the AFC North perch,Andre Burakovsky Capitals Jersey, though, they need a physical No. 1 cornerback to push William Gay down to No. 2 and reduce Antwon Blake's snaps. With Will Allen entering his mid-30s,Brent Burns Sharks Jersey, they could also use a safety to pair with Mike Mitchell. Pittsburgh's roster is as loaded as any on offense. The defensive front seven showed tangible improvement throughout the 2015 season,Brandon Dubinsky Jersey, with breakout stars Ryan Shazier and Stephon Tuitt joining Cameron Heyward and Lawrence Timmons as impact players. If general manager Kevin Colbert shores up that leaky secondary, we could be discussing Roethlisberger as an MVP candidate next season. |
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