The Pittsburgh Steelers weathered a litany of roster moves during the offseason following a disappointing 8-8 season, and now hope that all of that roster turnover will lead to wins on the field. <\/p>\n
The team has enjoyed plenty of success under head coach Mike Tomlin, sitting at 30 games above .500 through his first seven years with the team, and they surely hope that those winning ways return soon.<\/p>\n
\nSteelers 2013 Record: 8-8<\/strong>
\nSteelers\u00a0AFC North Lines: +200<\/strong>
\nSteelers\u00a0AFC Lines: +1600<\/strong>
\nSteelers\u00a0Super Bowl Lines: +4000<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nQuestion number one for the Steeler offense is who will be catching passes opposite Antonio Brown. Brown took the step forward the team hoped he would in the No. 1 role last season, hauling in over 100 balls, but No. 2 receiver Emmanuel Sanders is gone, not to mention Jerrico Cotchery, and someone is going to have to step into that role for the team to be successful.<\/p>\n
The team brought in wideouts Darrius Heyward-Bey and Lance Moore in the offseason, but it is expected that sophomore Markus Wheaton will be called upon to step up and fill that role. Fourth round pick Martavis Bryant out of Clemson could also carve out a role during the season, but there is certainly a lot of uncertainly with respect to the team\u2019s receiving corps.<\/p>\n
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Heyward-Bey hasn\u2019t been able to deliver on the promise that made him an unlikely top 10 pick in the draft, Lance Moore thrived in a very specific role with an elite quarterback in New Orleans, Wheaton was a letdown in his rookie season, and Bryant is unproven.<\/p>\n
At the very least, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has tight end Heath Miller to throw the ball to, and an improving backfield to lean on. As the team\u2019s offensive line improves, so too should the fortunes of the team\u2019s running backs.
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\nLe\u2019Veon Bell missed the start of the season, but carried a heavy load once he hit the field, and appears in line for significant touches again in his sophomore season. Bell established himself as a threat to run the ball, and catch it out of the backfield, though he needs to do a better job of imposing his big frame. That last part won\u2019t be an issue for fellow running back LeGarrette Blout, who parlayed a strong back end to the season in New England into a new contract in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\nThe defense lost some familiar names in the offseason, with safety Ryan Clark, linebacker LaMarr Woodley, defensive end Brett Keisel, linebacker Larry Foote, and defensive end Ziggy Hood all moving on.<\/p>\n
The team now finds itself relying on a slew of youngsters on the defensive side of the ball. The group is headlined by first-round draft pick Ryan Shazier out of Ohio State, who is expected to start at linebacker from day one and make an immediate impact. Rookie defensive end Stephon Tuitt out of Notre Dame also looks to make a big impact along the defensive line.<\/p>\n
Even with the influx of youth, there are still some old faces around, with 33-year-old safety Troy Polamalu and 34-year-old cornerback Ike Taylor expected to fill big roles within the team\u2019s secondary.<\/p>\n
Steelers\u00a0Futures Pick & Outlook<\/h3>\n
The amount of turnover the Steelers endured during the offseason cannot be overstated. They were able to keep many of their key pieces, and the team\u2019s system has produced stars out of lesser players before, but it feels like there will be some growing pains along the way this season, and the team is already coming off a year in which they started the campaign with an 0-4 record.<\/p>\n
The Steelers have a lot of talent, and Roethlisberger certainly has something left in the tank, but it\u2019s hard to imagine them faring much better than 9-7 this season.<\/p>\n
With training camps nearly over the NFL betting season is here at Cappers Picks.\u00a0NFL Football handicappers<\/a>\u00a0have been hard at work putting out the team by team\u00a0Football Predictions<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0NFL Season Previews<\/a>\u00a0for those of us who can\u2019t wait.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n