Pittsburgh Steelers
Offense
It’ll be a young nucleus of players being counted on in Pittsburgh. Le’Veon Bell has taken the reins of the running game, while a host of unproven receivers will try to step up and replace Emmanuel Sanders.
The Steelers are seemingly moving back to a ground-and-pound attack, where Bell is a bellcow and LeGarrette Blount and Dri Archer offer unique skill-sets. If Big Ben can do his thing when it comes to making plays down the field, this offense could resemble their recent Super Bowl-winning teams.
Defense
There has been a youthful infusion on the Steelers’ defense, with Jason Worilds, Lawrence Timmons, Jarvis Jones and first-round pick Ryan Shazier now comprising a very athletic linebacking corps. The defensive line is now leaning on Steve Mclendon, Stephon Tuitt and Cam Thomas, while Cortez Allen is shaping up to be the new No. 1 corner.
In the matter of one offseason, Pittsburgh’s defense again looks like it’ll be a force, one that could not only be the best in the AFC North but maybe the entire NFL.
Outlook
The Steelers nearly snuck into the postseason a year ago, and have a strong shot at returning there in 2014. The difference will be whether these young players being counted on will thrive in these big positions.
It’s bound to be a great race in the AFC North with Cincy and Baltimore, but is there a quarterback in the division to trust more than Roethlisberger?
