LATROBE, Pa. -- When Cameron Heyward was initially left off the Pro Bowl team last season, the Steelers weren't too happy about it.
After all, Pittsburgh hadn't had a defensive lineman reach double digits in sacks, as Heyward did with his 12 last season, since the 1980s. But it came down to the position at which the Steelers list their defensive linemen.
As a 3-4 defense, the Steelers only play three defensive linemen in that alignment. And for many years, the main job of those defensive linemen, whether they be Aaron Smith, Kimo von Oelhoffen, Ray Seals or Brett Keisel, was to take on multiple blockers to allow the linebackers to make plays.
It's a big reason why Smith, for example, who was once called the best 3-4 defensive end in football by none other than New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, only was named to one Pro Bowl despite having two different seasons in which he had eight sacks.
It's difficult to compete with the sack masters, who get all of the attention, when your main job is to eat up blockers.
Heyward was, however, named to the All-Pro team -- a more significant honor -- and eventually was named to the Pro Bowl after another player backed out.
Ideally, it would have been Heyward or any of the other Steelers backing out of playing in the Pro Bowl because they had other commitments, such as playing in the Super Bowl. But to make that happen, the Steelers must improve their defense.
And how Heyward and the rest of the team's defensive line plays could be the key to that.
The Steelers have taken the first step, making a change so subtle that many might not notice it. Heyward is now listed as a defensive tackle.
Why is that significant? Because Stephon Tuitt remains listed as a defensive end, while nose tackle Javon Hargrave is listed at that position. We might be seeing a shift by the Steelers to more four-man lines.
Heyward is all for it.
"I definitely think we’ve incorporated more 4-3, where we range down the line," Heyward said. "As I’ve grown in this system, I’ve been asked to do more. I think it makes myself and a lot of the d-linemen better because we’re asked to do more."
More last season meant Heyward had a career year, recording 45 tackles and 12 sacks in 15 games. He sat out a meaningless regular season finale against Cleveland.
To Heyward's point, the base 3-4 defense was only played about 25 percent of the time in 2017. The Steelers spent much more time in their nickel and dime defenses and even, at times, stacked one of their outside linebackers behind the line of scrimmage to give more of a straight 4-3 look.
But the nickel and dime defenses utilize what is essentially a four-man front with Heyward and Tuitt kicking inside and the outside linebackers playing defensive end spots.
We could see more of that coming in 2018, which could help explain the team's flip-flop of outside linebackers Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt.
Dupree is now lined up next to Heyward, where he can play more of a defensive end-type position, dropping into coverage less often than he did in 2017. And as a 270-pound former college defensive end, that might suit his skillset better.
Watt, meanwhile, was a college linebacker who has above-average coverage skills. He can also rush the passer, but is the better all-around linebacker of the two.
The other keys are Hargrave and Tuitt.
When Heyward missed the second half of the 2016 season, Tuitt was moved all over the defensive line in an effort to get the best matchup in certain situations. And Hargrave has the ability to move around, as well, and could be left on the field in more passing downs as an interior lineman.
"You’ve got sometimes where Hargrave goes from a zero (technique) to a one to even a three technique," Heyward said, describing different starting points along the interior of the defensive front. "We all move around. I think it makes us a better defense when we’re able to do it. We just need to execute it better."
That's the key. The Steelers need to find the right mix to be the most effective defense they can be. And without Pro Bowl inside linebacker Ryan Shazier, essentially nothing is off the table.
The bottom line is that the Steelers want to take advantage of what they have up front in Heyward, Tuitt and Hargrave.
That group got pushed around in the 45-42 playoff loss last season to Jacksonville, but Tuitt was playing with a torn biceps tendon that troubled him all season and a hyperextended elbow that happened in practice in the week leading up to that game. Hargrave, meanwhile, had a back issue that cropped up the week prior to that game.
It resulted in backup L.T. Walton getting a season-high 27 snaps against the Jaguars, compared to 23 for Hargrave.
But this is a line that feels like it can dominate.
"I feel that way. That’s what we have training camp for," Tuitt told me. "We’ve got to see what we can do. We know what we can play like."
