3 positions Steelers must beef up before training camp

Alex Highsmith #56 of the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Alex Highsmith #56 of the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Vance McDonald #89 of the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

Tight end

Pat Freiermuth or no Pat Freiermuth, the Steelers could really use a capable number three tight end on this team. At the moment, I’m not sure if it’s even worth using a valuable roster spot on a player like Zach Gentry or Kevin Rader.

Vance McDonald retired this offseason, and he really hasn’t offered Pittsburgh a good season since 2018. Meanwhile, Eric Ebron hasn’t come close to living up to his status as a top-10 draft choice when he was drafted by the Detriot Lions, and he’s a huge liability in the run game.

Jesse James is an in-line tight end that makes a ton of sense for the Steelers to try to bring back before training camp. He could replace Ebron on the field in obvious run situations and could be a reliable option if Ebron or Freiermuth were to get injured. As of now, this group is still only two deep and there is no good number three option. The Steelers should look to fix this with a discount tight end in free agency.

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I know money is extremely tight for the Steelers, and it’s highly unlikely that they could address all three of these positions with a respectable free agent. Still, in a year that could be their last legitimate run at a Super Bowl for a while, you would think they would want to do everything they can to make sure there are no holes on their roster.