The Steelers have needed to get younger on defense for some time.
But having such a veteran core also has obvious benefits, though Steelers defensive line coach John Mitchell admits he was “spoiled.”
Having the trio of Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel for so long was the foundation of a very good defense for a very long time, which isn’t lost on them as they rebuild.
“You are talking about fans and other people — I was spoiled,” Mitchell said, via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “How often do you get a Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel, and Aaron Smith who play for you for 10 or more years? I was spoiled.
“It made my job very easy. I was spoiled. That doesn’t happen. You guys write about sports. How many teams can you write about that had three guys that played that well for that long of a period of time year in and year out? It made my job easy.”
The end of that era was final in March, when Keisel was released. They continued on the rebuild by using a sixth-rounder on Leterrius Walton from Central Michigan, to go with 2014 draft picks Stephon Tuitt and Daniel McCullers, along with Cam Heyward and Steve McLendon.
“I’m looking for that. I think we are going to have that here again,” Mitchell said. “We are still a little young. Cam Heyward is going to be a heck of a football player. I think Tuitt’s best football is ahead of him. I think Steven McLendon is a guy that stayed in here, worked hard day in and day out. We cut him about four times. He had a never-say-never attitude.
“I think the same thing with Dan McCullers. . . . He’s in great shape right now, he understands what we are going to do and he’s here. I’m excited about this football team. I’m excited about the defensive line.”
It might not be a group that spoils him the way his old group did, but it had become clear the time for change had come.