2021 is going to look very different in Pittsburgh. Here are four Steelers who could use a new home in the new year.
While the Steelers started off on a hot streak early in the season, they have recently flickered and struggled to remain competitive over the past six weeks (with exception of their recent victory against the Colts). While their recent win against the Colts was inspiring, their three straight losses were certainly a blow to their legitimacy. With the season quickly closing, the team will soon have to make some difficult decisions with personal – both those whose contracts are up and those that may need a fresh start. Here are the four Steelers that will need a new team in the new year.
Vance McDonald
While he found a lot of success early in his Steelers career, Vance McDonald has fallen on hard times recently. Injuries coupled with the addition of Eric Ebron has made him the second fiddle at tight end, and it has led to a major regression in stats. While he was never a top tier threat as a pass-catcher, his 66 receiving yards this season has been his worst output as a Steeler.
Given he has a sizable cap hit next year and the team will still have Ebron under contract, it seems likely that the Steelers part ways with McDonald. His career shouldn’t be over, as he has taken his blocking to the next level this year. That said, blocking tight ends aren’t worth the money he is making, thus making the need for a fresh start even more prevalent for him.
McDonald should have a small market, but it won’t be for anywhere near the money he is making right now. He could even circle back to the Steelers if he is willing to play for the veteran minimum. That said, with Ebron likely still under contract and little route for playing time, McDonald would be best suited in a new uniform. His play hasn’t been bad in 2020, but his role is not worth the money he is making.
Randy Fichtner
This list isn’t only reserved for players, as the team would be wise to make some moves at coordinator this season as well. Unless the Steelers really make a push in the playoffs, Randy Fichtner should be looking for a new home next season. The offense has been bland under him, and it looked like it had completely collapsed the past few weeks before it was jumpstarted in the second half against the Colts.
The most damaging thing to his credentials was how he handled the offensive collapse this season. With Ben Roethlisberger clearly struggling and the defense getting wise to the short quick passes, Fichtner opted to keep the offense identical to what it was the week before. The only reason they got over this slump was due to the offense suddenly changing styles. The thing is this offense should have done that a few weeks ago when it was in the middle of its slump.
Finally, the Steelers added Matt Canada as the quarterback’s coach during the offseason, and his imprint has been all over the offense. A lot of the motion that the team has used was a staple on his college teams, and it was used successfully with the Steelers’ offense. With the offense getting ready for a monumental shift in a few years as the team transition, having a creative offensive coordinator will be key. Fichtner has proven he isn’t that while Canada looks like a better fit. With Fichtner’s contract expiring this season, 2021 seems like the right time to move on from him.
Justin Layne
While he was filled with potential coming out of Michigan St. Justin Layne has yet to live up to the billing yet. Though his special team’s play has been solid, he has struggled to see the field as a defender. Despite numerous injuries to the secondary this season, he has only logged 101 defensive snaps. Worse yet, during those snaps, he hasn’t looked great – giving up a quarterback rating of 129.2 when being targeted.
While the Steelers shouldn’t cut Layne outright, as he still provides the team with good special teams play, it may not be a bad idea to see what his trade market would be. His size will be appealing to a lot of teams, and if there is a team that wanted him in the draft, they may be willing to part with an early day three pick to acquire him. Usually, players start to show that they belong in their second year, and Layne hasn’t done that. No, he hasn’t seen extensive snaps, but the snaps he has seen have been mediocre.
Frankly, this season finally against Cleveland may be his chance to show that he could start on the outside for the Steelers. With the team likely to sit Joe Haden and limit the play of Steven Nelson, Layne should be a starter on the outside. He doesn’t need to be a lockdown corner by any means, but he has to show some sort of starter upside in this game. It could be by limiting receptions when being targeted or by simply shadowing whoever he is covering well. If he continues to struggle though, a trade may be the best thing for both him and the Steelers.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Out of everyone on this list, JuJu Smith-Schuster has had the most success while in a Steelers uniform. That said, last year questions emerged about his talent after he flopped without Antonio Brown taking looks from the defense. While a lot of his struggles were due to injuries to both himself and the offense as a whole, 2020 was going to be a big year in regaining the hype he had before. While he hasn’t been bad, his role with the team has really limited his upside.
While Smith-Schuster was never an athletic marvel, he did win deep on occasion and had the burst to make big plays in the intermediate part of the field. This year though, the Steelers began using him like solely a check down option, having him run extremely short routes to make the catch. That explains why his yards per reception is a paltry 8.4 – a number that is normally seen by good pass-catching running backs.
Though Smith-Schuster has shown a love for the Steelers, he has to realize he isn’t being used properly. While serving as a top check down option is fine, the fact that he hasn’t been utilized much past five yards down the field has hurt this talented receiver’s value. Throw in the robust market receivers have and the cap struggles that the team will be facing, and it seems like a longshot that Smith-Schuster remains past this season. He would be a benefactor in a scheme that better utilizes his skills, and the Steelers aren’t doing that right now.
While the Steelers will move on from a wide variety of personal this offseason, these four above could all find better use in a new home. It will be an offseason of change for this team, as the Steelers will have to make some difficult decisions with talented players. With the new year upon us, there will be a handful of former Steelers players looking for a new home and a new fit in 2021.