The Steelers have had quite an eventful offseason, but these four moves seem like the most questionable decisions for the team.
The Steelers had an unusually surplus of cap space and a decent number of draft picks. They needed all of this, as the team lost quite a few key players in the offseason. While a lot of these moves were good ones on paper, there were some that were lacking. In particular, these four moves were the most puzzling that the team made.
Steelers sign Cole
The Steelers biggest weak spot on their roster last year may have been the interior of their offensive line. Newly added Trai Turner was fine but inconsistent while Kevin Dotson failed to make the jump many hoped he would become. Worse yet was the play of rookie center Kendrick Green, as his lack of size and technique made him a liability for this offense.
The team certainly used free agency to bolster the interior of their line, inking James Daniels to a sizable deal. Before he was added though, the Steelers signed Mason Cole to a moderately sized deal as well. He is far less accomplished than Daniels, as he was seen as a bust until he got traded to the Vikings this past season. His play improved, but it was never incredible either.
Now, the team is locked into Cole for at least this season, and he has a moderate-sized cap hit to boot. While he has more experience than Green, he is far from a great player. It would have made more sense to get a better overall guard or center prospect than Cole. Bradley Bozeman was a cheaper and better option for starters. The Cole deal as a whole just doesn’t make much sense for this team.
Steelers day three of the draft
The Steelers had a mixed bag during the draft. They landed some great value early in the draft, but the end of the draft led to some curious choices. Besides fourth-round pick Calvin Austin, one could argue about the value and fit of each of the remaining day three picks. It was a lackluster end to the draft for the team.
Starting off with Conner Heyward, the talented brother of Cameron Heyward has a clear path to the roster. He was a versatile weapon for Michigan State, and he will likely develop into a capable fullback and H-back. That said, most saw him as a seventh-round pick and thus a bit of a reach in the sixth round.
Even more puzzling was the seventh round. Mark Robinson has some potential as a linebacker, but he is extremely raw and isn’t a great athlete. The team also drafted a second quarterback in Chris Oladokun. While a fun player to watch, the track record for seventh-round quarterbacks is miserable. As well, most saw him as an undrafted free agent, so the value was again in question. It was a relatively weak way to end the draft for the team after a relatively good start to the process.
Steelers don’t address safety
One of the biggest needs for the Steelers heading into the offseason, the team needed some help at strong safety. Terrell Edmunds became a free agent after finishing his rookie deal, and for a while, it seemed like he wasn’t going to return to the team. Finally, the team re-signed Edmunds and brought him back with the intention of starting him.
On paper, this is a fine move, as Edmunds is an average and consistent starter. The issue I have is the team neither improved the position nor did they secure the position long-term. There were quite a few talented free-agent options at strong safety this offseason. The Steelers opted for the known and safe option though in bringing back Edmunds.
Even more of an issue is that the team only got Edmunds locked up for one season. This means he will once again be a free agent next season and the team failed to add anyone that can potentially start after him. There were plenty of options in the draft and in free agency that could have been added as long-term options. Instead, the team will be in a similar position next offseason once Edmunds is a free agent again.
Steelers draft Pickett
The Steelers are an easy team to figure out when it comes to the draft. They make their love of a player or a position obvious. It happened with Devin Bush and Najee Harris, and it happened again with the quarterback position this offseason. Unfortunately, the selection of Kenny Pickett has to be critiqued even though the team clearly had him as their top quarterback.
As a whole, this class was one of the weaker ones in recent memory. Pickett was the first quarterback off the board and the next quarterback didn’t get selected until the third round. On top of this, Pickett’s ceiling is capped. As a 24-year-old rookie, he isn’t likely to make any more considerable jumps at this point. That doesn’t mean he will bust, but he may never become an elite talent for this team.
The team wanted a quarterback, and they got their guy. That said, Pickett’s ceiling and the talent in this class make this selection questionable. The team signed Mitchell Trubisky, and while he in no way should have been viewed as a long-term starter, the team could have opted for a more potential-laden option. If Pickett doesn’t pan out, it could have a lasting impact on this team.
The Steelers had an eventful offseason, and while there is plenty of things to be praised from their additions, there is also plenty of things to critique. In particular, these four moves were some of the more lackluster ones from the team. They may end up regretting them at some point during the 2022 season.