3 biggest beneficiaries of Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 offseason

The Steelers had an eventful offseason that included a lot of roster turnover. Here are the three biggest beneficiaries of Pittsburgh’s offseason moves. 

As skilled as NFL players are, there’s still a certain level of luck involved when it comes to the business of the game. While most high draft selections are going to be given ample opportunity to prove themselves, lesser-known players are forced to work remarkably hard to earn that chance.

Sadly, teams often give up on these players without truly giving them a fair look. James Harrison is the perfect example of this. After initially signing with the Baltimore Ravens and being cut on three separate occasions, the pass rusher finally got to prove his worth for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This offseason, there has been a substantial amount of roster turnover for Pittsburgh. While some of this could prove to hurt the team, certain individual players become the beneficiaries of these changes. Here are three Steelers who benefited the most from Pittsburgh’s 2021 offseason:

LB Robert Spillane

Big break: Vince Williams retiring

Whether Vince Williams was going to return to the team or not in 2021, Robert Spillane did enough in 2020 to carve out a consistent role on Pittsburgh’s defense. Spillane caught a break last year at the cost of the team when Devin Bush went down with an ACL tear.

Now after initially cutting Williams early this offseason, Vince decided to hang up his cleats for good just before training camp began. This decision likely elevates Spillane from a part-time linebacker role to essentially a full-time gig with the team in 2021.

While some young linebackers like Ulysees Gilbert, Marcus Allen, or even rookie Buddy Johnson could find their way onto the field, Spillane stands to see a substantial uptick in snaps with Williams now departed. He is currently one of the biggest benefactors of the offseason.