With the team welcoming a new crop of rookies in, these four Steelers veterans’ long-term outlook with the team has become dim.
The NFL is a cruel business, as talent is cycled through at a rapid rate and unless you are a top star, it is hard to consistently remain on a roster. The Steelers pride themselves on the next-man-up philosophy, wanting to draft and develop their next crop of starters. That means that some of the players currently on the roster will ultimately lose out to this next wave of players. These four players’ outlook with the team just got worse thanks to the Steelers draft.
Jordan Berry
The Steelers don’t have a history of drafting specialists regularly, so the team selecting punter Pressley Harvin III with their final pick is telling. He will come in and face off against long-time punter Jordan Berry. Surprisingly, Berry had a good season last year after getting cut and then re-signed in the season. That said, he has had his fair share of struggles with consistency, making the move to get a punter a logical one.
Harvin has a great leg but could use some work with his directional punting. As well, being picked doesn’t guarantee he makes the final roster. All one has to do is remember Colin Holba getting selected in the sixth and failing to make the roster as proof of that. The fact that the Steelers were set on drafting competition for Berry is certainly telling though. He will have the opportunity to keep his job but expect Harvin to be the favorite to win the job this year.
Joe Haeg
The Steelers signed Joe Haeg to a reasonable two-year deal this offseason with one reason in mind: he can serve as the swing tackle and sixth offensive lineman for the offense. It was a role he did well enough while with the Buccaneers and it was a logical signing for a team that needed some offensive line depth. While his deal was for two years, it seems unlikely now that Haeg sees that second year.
The reasoning for this boils down to Dan Moore Jr., the Steelers fourth-round pick who has the natural size and athleticism to excel as a tackle. While he will need to develop a little before being counted on as a consistent starter, he seems primed to take on the role of swing tackle by as early as next year. If he wrangles that spot from Haeg, it seems almost definite that he is shown the door in favor of Moore.
While some may see this as more of an issue for Chukwuma Okorafor, it seems like a stretch that Moore throws his name into the left tackle conversation by next year. Instead, it will likely be a highly drafted rookie while Moore takes over as the swing tackle. If anything, Haeg may have to root for Moore to be considered the next left tackle, as he could still serve as the swing tackle next year. That said, that would be quite the feat for Moore, and it seems like he is more likely to claim Haeg’s spot.
Eric Ebron
Now, to be fair, Eric Ebron’s time with the Steelers appeared to be coming to a close when he redid his deal. In doing so, his contract voids at the end of the season, meaning he will be a free agent once the 2022 season begins barring a contract extension. While not unthinkable that he re-signs, it appears as though the team will move on next year without him.
The Steelers landed Pat Freiermuth in the second round of the draft this year, and while Ebron will likely start over him, there is little reason to believe that will be the case long term. Tight ends typically take a season or two to develop as pros, meaning that Freiermuth can take 2021 as a developmental year while he plays snaps as the top backup. He will see the field, yes, but he likely won’t become the starter that early.
Once Ebron’s contract is up though, would the Steelers be willing to pay him big money to retain him? Likely not, and it seems more likely that the team rolls with Freiermuth as the starter after this season. Him being selected in the second round really seems to close the door on Ebron remaining with the team past this season.
Robert Spillane
There is little question that Robert Spillane exceeded expectations when he stepped up for the injured Devin Bush last season. Despite having little fanfare associated with his name, Spillane became a valuable starter and capable run defender as a starting linebacker. He even impressed in coverage and was entrusted with the communicator role while on defense.
His long-term outlook took a considerable hit when the team selected Buddy Johnson in the fourth round. Now, Johnson is far from a complete player and will need to improve his coverage ability, but his elite athleticism and run-stopping ability make it seem like the team envisions him as a running mate to Bush. Johnson looks like a faster and albeit a less physical version of Vince Williams, and that style of player would complement Bush well.
No, this doesn’t mean Spillane is going to get cut this offseason, but it will be an interesting development to see what his role is going forward. The team will likely use Williams and Bush as the starters once again this season with Spillane and Johnson playing as rotational players. With this likely being Williams’s last season though, will it be Spillane or Johnson starting next year? Given his athleticism and run-stopping ability, it would make sense for Johnson to take on that role, meaning Spillane may be forced to revert back to being a reserve.
While the Steelers got better during the draft, there are quite a few players who were put on notice as well. Short-term it may not have much of an effect, but long term these veterans’ outlook on the team got worse because of the draft. Don’t be surprised to see a rookie overtake them sooner than later.