A 5-step guide to a quick and successful Steelers rebuild

Steelers second step: Trim the fat

This is where the rebuild really gets underway. The Steelers roster is filled with players that need to be moved on from in 2022. It would be one thing if they were set to compete for a Super Bowl, but they aren’t. Instead, a rebuild demands that older and overpaid talent be released in favor of younger ones that can be developed.

When attacking this roster, the moves that are made shouldn’t just be concerned with how they will impact 2022, but more so how they will impact the 2023 roster. This means that if the team doesn’t think the player will be around in 2023, they can try to trade him or cut him. The same goes for their pending free agents, as those that aren’t deemed long-term fits can be allowed to walk in free agency.

Names like Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Haden, and Tyson Alualu should all be moved on from given their age. Players like Joe Schobert and Zach Banner could be put on the trade block and potentially even cut in order to make way for younger options. Even younger players who aren’t performing up to what the team hoped for like Devin Bush could be dealt in order to make room for other players.

This doesn’t mean the Steelers have to cut or trade all of these names. If they don’t find any suitors in a trade, they can be kept as their contracts don’t break the bank and at least carried through camp. That said, this roster should see a considerable amount of turnover this offseason. That hurts their odds to succeed in 2022, but it frees up more cap space to make some smart moves in both 2022 and 2023.