Thursday's Take: The Post-Dynasty All-Time Team

I've always enjoyed making all-time teams, whether it be for individual teams, eras, or even rounds of the draft. Unfortunately, naming an all-time team for the Pittsburgh Steelers can be somewhat lackluster, being that every all-time Steelers team will be overloaded with players from the dynasty of the 70's, many of whom can easily be named to all-time teams for the general NFL.


The players of the dynasty are certainly deserving of their respective spots on the Steelers all-time team, but for the purpose of keeping this particular team fresh and exciting, all players who won a super bowl with the 70's dynasty are ineligible for the team. Anyone who began their playing career with the Steelers during or after the 1980 season can be named to this team. This will be a two-part series. This week we'll go with the defense, the unit that the Pittsburgh Steelers are known for.


-The Defense-


Defensive Tackle
Starter: Casey Hampton
Backup: Joel Steed
- Casey Hampton is part of the primary core of defensive players that helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win their two Super Bowls this decade. The nose tackle position, which Hampton fills, is a make-or-break position in the 3-4 defensive scheme. If the nose tackle can't continually garner double teams from offensive lineman, then the overall defense is doomed to fail. Hampton is one of the best, if not the best, nose tackles in the game today. He's a monster at over 325 lbs, and it's his gargantuan size and physical strength that cause problems for opposing offenses. Hampton does his job each and every play, allowing his teammates around him to succeed and play to their full potentials. He's made four pro bowls in his career. Joel Steed filled the same position for the team in the 90's, helping Pittsburgh to the AFC Championship in 1994 and 1995.


Defensive End
Starters: Aaron Smith, Keith Willis
Backups: Ray Seals, Kimo von Oelhoffen
- Aaron Smith is one of the more underrated players currently in the league. He's has the talent to be an elite starter at defensive end in a standard 4-3, but chooses to remain as a 3-4 end, a position at which he is the cream of the crop. Like the nose tackle, the 3-4 end is a glory-less position. Smith is not a known commodity among casual fans, but is known as a valuable piece of Pittsburgh's puzzle to any hometown fan or diehard football fan. Keith Willis was one of the rare solid contributors for the 1980's Steelers. He stuck around for nine years with Chuck Noll, racking up fourteen sacks in his best year. Ray Seals filled the 3-4 end position for the 1995 Super Bowl team. Kimo von Oelhoffen is famous for blowing out Carson Palmer's knee in 2005, but gave the team a few good years this decade.


Inside Linebacker
Starters: Levon Kirkland, David Little
Backups: James Farrior, Hardy Nickerson
- Levon Kirkland was the ILB of the 90's Blitzburgh defense, and was as fierce a run stopper as any player in the dynasty years. As a run-stopper and field general, he never made many interceptions or sacks and, as such, only garnered one all-pro consideration and no pro bowls. The writers of America noticed Kirkland though, and named him to the 90's all-decade team. David Little was entrenched at middle linebacker for much of the 80's and early 90's, one of the few players who was able to excel for the mediocre teams of the 80's. Like Kirkland, he was a run-stopper who never pulled off enough all-around stats to truly get noticed. James Farrior is the current starting MLB for the defending champions and is the result of one of Pittsburgh's rare forays into free agency. Nickerson is another all-decade guy, but he did most of his damage with Tony Dungy's Buccaneers.


Outside Linebacker
Starters: Greg Lloyd, Joey Porter
Backups: Kevin Greene, Jason Gildon
- Greg Lloyd was the emotional leader of the 90's Blitzburgh defense, and brought an attitude to the Steelers not seen since Lambert and Greene. He played with passion and wanted to dominate his opponents. He was one of the few players to carry over from Chuck Noll to Bill Cowher in the 90's, and was the perfect player for the tough iron city of Pittsburgh. Joey Porter filled the role of emotional leader for the Steelers earlier this decade before becoming a cap casualty. He's a incredible pass rusher who plays with a ton of emotion. Jason Gildon is another 90's standout who didn't truly shine until Lloyd had disappeared. Kevin Greene is actually the best of these four selections, but gets placed as a backup role because of his short tenure with the team (only three years).


Cornerback
Starters: Rod Woodson, Deshea Townsend
Backups: Dewayne Washington, Ike Taylor
- Rod Woodson was a hall-of-fame cornerback who dominated for the Steelers in the 80's and 90's. He was an amazing playmaker who may have been one of the smartest players at his position. He also remains one of the few players who was able to successfully switch to safety for a great second career once his physical skills began to decline. Deshea Townsend is nowhere near Woodson's match and never was a top corner in the league, but he managed to stick around with the Steelers for the past eleven seasons. He's a valuable asset for today's champions as he is a great pass rusher, a skill not often seen (or used) at the cornerback position. Ike Taylor is the current starter at CB for the Steelers and was a key contributor in both Super Bowl seasons. Washington was a solid player for the team at the turn of the millennium.


Safety
Starters: Troy Polamalu, Carnell Lake
Backups: Chris Hope, Ryan Clark
- Carnell Lake was one of the safeties of the 90's unit. He actually made the switch to cornerback in 1995 to replace an injured Rod Woodson, and made the switch successfully. Like Woodson, he is a member of the 1990's All-Decade Team. Troy Polamalu is one of the most well-known NFL stars of this decade (some of that fame comes from his long mane). He is an unbelievable playmaker who moves around and masquerades at a number of defensive positions. He was in the running for defensive player of the year last season before losing it to teammate James Harrison. His second-place prize was a cover spot on Madden 2010. Ryan Clark is the other current starter at safety and is a big reason why Polamalu is allowed to roam so freely. Chris Hope filled the same role before Clark before departing for the Titans.



That's it for the defense. Next week, we'll feature the All-Time offensive team.

Quick Hits
- Yahoo's Shutdown Corner featured a nice post (via ESPN) about the NFL's car service (used to deter drunk driving) and how players are scared to use it.

- Green Bay resigned star WR Greg Jennings to a contract extension. Good to see one of my fantasy football stars cashing in after a great season.

- ESPN named its All-Decade Team before the decade even ended. Woof. Jumped the gun and didn't even do it well enough to justify the jump.

-Julius Peppers finally signed his franchise tender, after dooming the Panthers' offseason with his indecision.

- Meanwhile, Brett Favre is still dooming the entire league with his indecision.





Kenneth Torgent
torgent@yahoo.com