Foster and O’Donnell were nobodies before Cowher built a system for them. They had one decent 9-win season out of seven prior to Tomlin taking over. To you last point that compares somewhat favorably to what the next coach will inherit in a few years with Watt, TJ, and Minkah all gone
what the **** are you on about? One decent 9 win season before Tomlin took over? Please tell me this is a major typo, as they went 15-1, 11-5, and 8-8 the three years before Tomlin, including two AFCC games and one SB win. If you're referring to before Cowher took over? It's convenient that you picked 7 years and not 10, and you also missed back to back 9 win seasons. If you had gone with 10 years instead of 7, you would have added in a 10-6 and 9-7 seasons...
Calling O'Donnell and Foster nobodies is fine, but they were in their positions. The way things are going right now, both of those positions are wide open. With QB being a complete unknown for the future. You're also leaving out all of the talent that Cowher did get on the OL and D side of the ball. It wasn't a bare cupboard! lets say that Tomlin coaches out his contract, and it's not renewed. So 3 more years. Who will the next coach inherit that he can build ANYTHING around?
For reference to help you out:
Dermontti Dawsom, Carnell Lake, Barry Foster, Neil O'Donnell, Eric Green, Greg Lloyd, Rod Woodson, Hardy Nickerson, Merril Hoge, Ernie Mills were players drafted by the Steelers in the 5 drafts before Cowher took over. This is not counting his first year.
Larry Foot, Antwaan Randel El, Kendall Simmons, Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu, Max Starks, Ben Roethlisberger, Heath Miller, Bryant McFadden, Santonio Holmes, Brett Keisel in the 5 drafts before Tomlin took over.
I won't assume to know who we will draft in the next three years, but lets just focus on the last 5 drafts for Tomlin as of right now.
Alex Highsmith, Pat Freiermuth, George Pickens, Joey Porter Jr, Broderick Jones (still up in the air), Payton Wilson, Zach Frazier, Troy Fautanu (definitely up in the air).
Pickens is unknown if he'll be here past this year. But that's not a lot to build off of FOR Tomlin, let alone a coach coming in. The recent drafts have not been good with Tomlin. And there is nothing to point to that say that anything will change under his watch. Leading one to believe that whoever follows Tomlin, will inherit the scraps of a once great franchise to literally build something from the ground up.
Neither Cowher or Tomlin had to start from nothing. They both had solid players to build with, Tomlin having the franchise QB that most teams never even see.
