A five-point plan for maximizing Ben Roethlisberger’s window

10:22 AM ET

For the Pittsburgh Steelers to maximize the next chapter of the Ben Roethlisberger era, they must find a steady operating speed, somewhere between urgency and confidence.

There’s no reason to panic or be satisfied.

The clock is ticking on the Roethlisberger window. He is 34 and should have many good years left, but even true NFL iron men have shelf lives. Here’s what general manager Kevin Colbert told ESPN this offseason about Roethlisberger:

“Ben’s a franchise quarterback. There are a few that have two [or more Super Bowls since 2004], but he’s one of those few. We’re very fortunate. We still have, you know, we think three to four more good years in his prime. We’re excited to see what he can do in that time period and what we can do to help him be successful.”

Here are five areas where Colbert and Co. can do just that:

Fewer Cortez Allens, more Cameron Heywards: The defensive rebuild has been a prominent theme the past two years. During that time, the Steelers rewarded two in-house defensive players from the 2015 roster with lucrative contract extensions — cornerback Allen (four years, $24 million) and defensive end Heyward (six years, $59 million).

Heyward was one of the Steelers’ most productive defenders last season. Allen was cut last week.

To …

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