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Dick LeBeau’s departure could damage the Steelers’ defensive personnel.
As Dick LeBeau prepares for a change of scenery, the Pittsburgh Steelers are dealing with defensive depth woes that could have gotten far worse.

Dick LeBeau, the legendary defensive coordinator, has opted to leave the Pittsburgh Steelers. A move that was certain to happen eventually has come to pass. When the Steelers decided to break ways with LeBeau, they may have tossed a rock into standing water and are now dealing with the consequences.

One of these ripples will be the Steelers’ defensive depth in key places. Steelers supporters recognise the names of players who may have played their final game in black and gold outfits. Brett Keisel, Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu, and James Harrison. All are defensive legends in their own right, and each may be considered a viable choice in 2015.

However, when word of LeBeau’s dismissal leaked, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted that the Steelers were trying to ‘move in a different path’.

That change of course could be exactly what the doctor ordered, but for Steelers players whose careers may only last one season, it could be the final nail in the coffin.

Players like Keisel and Harrison, who returned to the team in 2014, did so with a comprehensive understanding of the defence. They knew the LeBeau 3-4 zone blitz strategy like the back of their hands, making the transfer back into the lineup simple; yet, with LeBeau gone, will a ‘different path’ compel those players to reconsider their potential return?

A player like James Harrison, who has always supported LeBeau through thick and thin, may find learning a new defence too difficult at his age and decide to retire. The same might be said with players like Polamalu.