The Steelers have a bunch of needs as they write their list to Santa just in time for Christmas.
The Steelers will be looking to find some extra Christmas gifts under the tree this year. They have a lot of needs for this team and it will probably take some time to fix their issues. They are not having the strongest season and are at risk of missing the playoffs.
Santa Claus is not the fix to everyone’s issues and he can’t bring everything on people’s lists. Football takes time and effort to produce a winning product on the field. A mystical being like St. Nick will not be able to magically address all these issues, that will take the reality of Coach Mike Tomlin and General Manager Kevin Colbert to fix.
This article is for fun with a base in major reality with the needs at hand for this team now and into the future. They will have a lot of holes to fill when the offseason comes in 2022. This upcoming year is going to be a huge sway when it comes to the future success of this franchise.
The first thing to accomplish this offseason will be looking at different contracts and deciding to move on from different players or even free up some cash by renegotiating deals. The re-signing phase will be another interesting moment in time as the Steelers need to figure out if they want to bring back some veterans or move on.
Free agency will be one of the biggest times for the black and gold as they have some cash to spend. They will likely address some needs in this phase of the offseason but they need to spend their money wisely. The draft will be the biggest focus for Pittsburgh as they operate by adding through their selections.
New offensive weapon
The Steelers are well known for their ability to add offensive weapons, specifically wide receivers through the draft. There might be too many holes to fill this offseason to afford the luxury of taking a receiver and taking the time to develop them. Both James Washington and JuJu Smith-Schuster will probably be leaving the Steelers during free agency in 2022.
Those will be two huge losses and the strength of depth at the receiver position will be completely decimated. The draft will likely be the source of replenishment for this team as they like to bring in talent that way so they neglect to pay players at the position. Expect the black and gold to take a receiver in the first couple rounds of the upcoming draft.
They could also look at bringing back their two expiring contracts with Smith-Schuster and Washington. It seems like Washington will be gone after requesting a trade earlier this season. Perhaps if one could be brought back on a cheaper or short-term deal then it could happen. The need for two receivers this upcoming 2022 season could need to be addressed through the draft and free agency.
Other options could potentially be out there when the free agency gates open for negotiation. Some names like Allen Robinson, Emanuel Sanders, and A.J. Green could be some interesting names. Some talented veteran guys could have different options once free agency begins. Bringing in a veteran presence to help guys like Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson and a potential high draft choice would be very beneficial.
Finding answers across the secondary
This secondary for Pittsburgh has been dealing with injuries throughout the 2021 season. It has allowed the opportunity for younger guys to fill some starting roles and it has not been impressive. The black and gold will have a ton of work to do this offseason to retool this secondary.
Both Joe Haden and Terrell Edmunds will likely be gone after this season. Both are not having the best years of their careers even though Edmunds has been getting better. He is still only an above-average starting safety in this league. He is not a guy you pay when his contract is up except for a discounted rate.
Haden will be a tough pill to swallow when he leaves because everyone loves him. He is getting older and his stats, along with the rest of the defense as a whole, are not doing great. It seems time to break up this relationship and try to find some other options out there.
The Steelers are terrible at addressing the secondary in the draft so they might have to look at different free agents when the time comes to do so. Both strong safety and starting outside cornerback are huge positions for any defense and it will take some time to find an answer. Perhaps finding one in the draft and the other in free-agency will be the plan.
Some names out there for the Steelers at cornerback could be names like J.C. Jackson, Stephone Gilmore, Kyle Fuller, and Ahkello Witherspoon. The last name there is currently on the roster for this club and could garner another short contract with the team if he finishes the year with his quality of play as of late.
When it comes to a strong safety position, this is very important. Minkah Fitzpatrick will make a lot of players around him look better but he needs help in coverage with his safety partner. Some names to keep an eye on would be Quandre Diggs, Jaquan Brisker, Daxton Hill, and Keanu Neal.
Getting a game-changing middle linebacker
The middle linebacker position has never had a dynamic player since Ryan Shazier got a career-ending injury. The Steelers desperately tried getting one when they traded up to select Devin Bush in the first round a couple of years ago. He seemed to be having a promising young career before he had a season-ending knee injury in 2020.
His once-promising career is starting to spiral downward as 2021 has not been kind to his progression. Maybe he did rush back from injury far too quickly and that might affect him this year and potentially beyond. No matter if Bush is the answer or not, this team needs to find someone to be his partner in the middle of this defense that can change games.
This upcoming season will be huge for Bush as he will probably be playing for a second contract. Pittsburgh will likely pass on his fifth-year option and see how he plays in his final contract year. The judgment of cutting ties or extending him will be made after that. Like it or not, this could be a position the team is going to roll with Bush as the main guy with Joe Schobert sticking around for another season.
If the team decides to look in another direction then there are some names to watch for. The draft would be the main target as the black and gold like to focus on this position in the event. Some names in the draft that would be interesting are Damone Clark, Brandon Smith, and Devin Lloyd.
When it comes to free agency time, maybe there will be a need for this position. If the team decides to cut bait with Schobert, then a starter might be a focus of free agency as well. Names like Jarrad Davis, Anthony Walker Jr., and L.J. Fort would be some interesting options.
The offensive line needs stability and growth
This offensive line has been improving slowly but surely throughout the year. They have dealt with injuries and shuffling along to try and give Ben Roethlisberger enough time to make some plays and create room for Najee Harris to run the football.
The major concerns are the lack of depth and some starters not coming back after the year concludes, Trai Turner has not worked out and he will be gone after this season and Kendrick Green should not be the starting center. At least one of the starting tackle spots needs to find improvement as well.
Perhaps addressing the center position and sliding Green back to his natural guard spot would make a lot of positive improvements to this front. Getting a center in the draft then adding a solid right tackle would potentially really help this group along. Finding solid depth pieces that could challenge for a starting role will also need to be found as well.
Some centers that could be options for this team are Tyler Linderbaum, Ryan Jensen, and Ben Jones. All would be upgrades over the current starter. Linderbaum would be a great selection in the draft but he would have to be a first-round selection, that is if he isn’t already taken.
Right tackle might be the other major need as Chuks Okorafor is not the answer. He isn’t having his worst season but he is not a solid starter in this league and improvement must be found. Some interesting names could be Ikem Okwonu, Charles Cross, Trenton Brown, and Morgan Moses.
Finding the answer for the next franchise quarterback
The NFL is an offensive game and no team is good without a solid starter at the quarterback position. Ben Roethlisberger is likely done after 2021 but he could always return next year as well. Many don’t expect that to happen and it seems likely that there will be a new starter in 2022.
No matter what holes you have on your team, the quarterback spot is always the top priority. This team will need to build a solid group around the next starter when that time comes and as you can see from reading this article, they have a lot of work to do. This is not the strongest class at the position so maybe that extra cash will help bring aboard a nice veteran option.
The Steelers may end up building their team through the draft and bring in a bridge-style quarterback to fight for the starting spot with Mason Rudolph. Then they could wait for a stronger quarterback class in the 2023 NFL draft.
If they do decide to try and nab a young successor of Roethlisberger, here are some names to watch out for. This draft class is weaker but there are some interesting options in the first round. The headliner names are Kenny Pickett, Matt Corral, and Malik Willis. They all have explosive playmaking ability but they all need to continue growing as they adjust to the NFL level.
Free agency or trade might be the more likely option when you look at the history of the Steelers. Even if a young quarterback is taken in the draft, a potential bridge-style veteran option could be brought on. Some names to keep an eye on for a potential starter of this team or a bridge-style guy are Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Garoppolo, Mitch Trubisky, Jameis Winston, Tyrod Taylor, Marcus Mariota, Andy Dalton, and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The Steelers have a lot that they want this Christmas. Some of their gift ideas are quite expensive while others will seem more feasible for old Saint Nick.