The Pittsburgh Steelers are built like a contender in 2019

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a different look in 2019. Despite the lack of star power, this team is built to contend for a seventh Lombardi.

The “Killer B” era in Pittsburgh is over. Le’Veon Bell signed a big contract with the Jets. Antonio Brown forced his way out of Pittsburgh. Even Martavis Bryant was dumped for a third round pick in last year’s draft. The Steelers have gone through some huge changes.

The only “B” that remains is Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben just signed an extension that makes him one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL and keeps him in black and gold for another three seasons.

While that era of so many highly-skilled playmakers on offense was very exciting, it ultimately didn’t bear any fruit in terms of championships. As a matter of fact, the offense was light years ahead of the defense. And even in this era of high-offensive output in the NFL, defense still wins championships.

With some of the stars now gone, the Steelers have been written off by many that they can’t likely contend. Much less, they aren’t even a clear favorite in their own division to a lot of people. Cleveland has stocked up on loads of talent and has become the trendy pick to win the AFC North.

But maybe this is exactly what the Steelers needed. They need to be flying under the radar. They need to be taking a hard look at themselves after the circus of a season that happened a year ago. They need to rally around each other and become a more cohesive unit.

One of the best signs we’ve seen so far this offseason is the relationships developing between the players. Through countless interviews, you can see unity blossoming between teammates.

What’s been the most refreshing is seeing Ben Roethlisberger at OTA’s, working with all the receivers and building a rapport with each one. Without Antonio Brown, the production has to be replaced and it’s obvious the Steelers have decided that multiple players will have to fill that void.

On the defensive side of the ball, the injection of Steven Nelson and draft picks Devin Bush and Justin Layne have filled major voids in the Steelers defense. The two largest holes on the roster weren’t just filled in the offseason, but addressed with highly-talented players.

This roster is more complete than it has been in a long time. This is potentially the deepest team they’ve had since their last Super Bowl visit in the 2010 season. Sure, they don’t have the offensive fire power they had when Bell and Brown were here, but James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster are no scrubs. In fact, both are already Pro-Bowl players.

There is also ample opportunity for guys to step into bigger roles, like Vance McDonald. We all know about Vance’s talent and strength. If Vance can become a more consistent and reliable target for Big Ben, it changes the whole dynamic of the offense.

In all honesty, the biggest concern for the Steelers going into 2019 is arguably their kicking game. After being so solid and nearly automatic in 2018, Chris Boswell was just about the opposite in 2019. The Steelers are still giving him an opportunity to be the kicker he was before in 2019. Boswell even agreed to push his $2 million roster bonus to the end of preseason – essentially betting on himself to regain his Pro-Bowl form.

The 2019 Steelers roster doesn’t have the flash that the previous teams this decade had. But if the Steelers can learn anything from the New England Patriots, it’s that flash and noise don’t win championships. The Steelers are eliminating that, coupled with a more complete roster. This team can compete for a Lombardi in 2019.